Rage (Chapter 1)

Branden looked at the pillars greedily. The scroll said that if he released the golems then they would lead him to the golden tomb of their former master. He unrolled the scroll and started reading…

The council sat in the meeting room. The officers glanced uneasily at each other before looking to the floor, to the ceiling, the walls, anywhere but to Anna, the commander and Joseph, the supply officer, who stood glaring at each other. The tense feeling in the room almost cracked like lightning.

“Branden would never do anything like that, he’s a responsible person, he knows better.”

“Branden is an ass, plain and simple. You all don’t think so cause he kisses everyone’s ass just the right way. Cause he fits in, cause he’s a nice looking, clean cut pretty boy.”

“Joseph, even with the charges against him, there’s no reason for you to say things like that.”

“No reaons?! If I didn’t say it this way you all wouldn’t have listened to me in the first place. You would have all dismissed me like you always do. Cause I don’t fit in, cause I kiss no one’s ass. The same reason I’m your supply officer and Branden’s your Excutive Officer and not the other way around. You all know he’s not cut out to be an ExO, just like you all knew that I have all the experience, qualities, and training for an ExO.”

Right after he said this Selina walked in.

“Selina, where’s Branden?”

“Last I saw him, he said he was on his way to the hall to do some study on the scrolls.”

The officers all looked at each other. They were all thinking the same thing, but only Joseph voiced it.

“I fucking told all of you. Branden’s never studied that stuff a day in his life. The only reason he’d be going to the Great Hall is to use the scrolls.”

With that Joseph turned and walked out of the room. The room was silent for a few seconds. Finally Anna stood up.

“Let’s get over there then.” She added in a lower voice, more to herself, “And let’s pray we’re not too late to stop him…

Branden spoke the last word and looked up. For a few seconds there was nothing, then there was a low rumble that grew to a soft roar. Then the golems, which had been statues only a few moments eariler, began to walk forward to him. They stopped in front of him and looked at him. Just then, the other officers burst into the hall.

“We’re too late!” Selina cried, her eyes wide.

Branden smiled at the golems.

“I set you free, now lead me to the treasures of your former master!”

The golems looked at him for a moment, looked at each other, opened their mouths and uttered a strange noise that took everyone a bit to realize that it was laughter.

“Foolish boy, we wrote that in there so we could fool someone to set us free. There is no treasure.” the lead golem spoke, picked Branden up and threw him across the room. The golems then advanced toward the main doors and toward the officers still standing there. The officers stood spellbound by the sight of the golems, unable to move. Knowing they had made a grevious mistake, knowing that Joseph was right. The lead golem raised his stone battle ax and began to bring it down toward Anna. Suddenly there was a loud noise and the golem’s battle ax, hand, and most of his arm burst apart. Everyone looked toward the sound of the noise and saw Joseph standing at one of the secondary doors with twin 45a’s in his hands. The lead golem spoke in their language to the others and they all rushed toward Joseph. The expression on Joseph’s face never changed. He ran toward them as well, round after round coming from his 45a’s. Just as it seemed that he and the golems would clash, Joseph jumped high into the air, fliped over the golems and continued shooting. By the time they even got near him again, they had all fallen. Joseph walked toward where Branden cringed near one of the pillars. He drew a single 45a as he walked.

“You well know the price for releasing the golems. Prepare for your judgement.”

“Joseph, don’t!” Anna shouted, walking toward him.

With suprising quickness, Joseph drew the other 45a and pointed it at her.

“Don’t Anna! You know the laws as well as I do. I will pass judgement on Branden and if you try to stop me I will pass judgement on you as well.”

Anna stopped in her tracks, not only because of his words, but because she had gotten her first good look at the 45a’s in his hands. Silver titainum with platinum inlays.

“You’re a Knight aren’t you? The last Knight!” she spoke amazed. The other officers had gotten sight of his 45s as well and stood in stunned awe. The Knights had been known far and wide as the greatest mercernaries there ever were, legal and illegal. But the Knights had been eliminated one by one in the Purgings of the 2015.

“Yes I am the last Knight. The last of my line.”

“Joseph, watch out!” Selina yelled.

Branden had snapped out of his daze and had started fumbling for his gun, trying to open the button of the holster. Joseph didn’t even glance Branden’s way as he pulled the trigger on the 45a that he had kept trained on Branden the whole time. Branden flew backwards, hitting the wall, then doing a flip foward to land dead on his face from the force of the impact disparsal bullet.

“Judgement passed.” Joseph said, holstered the 45a’s, gave Anna one last disgusted look and walked out of the hall without another word…

Tenchi