Andria Andromeda Rivera and The Chalice of Belief

Those Days

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
- Mark Twain

The moment he landed on his feet, Jace felt himself be thrown against a wall. There were sharp intakes of breath and the sound of some rummaging. Did he mention the gun against his head? It was definitely worthy of a mention.

For a moment, out of fear, he couldn't breathe. Once his breathing was again a normal occurrence, and his eyes had managed to focus again, he noticed that the room, or rather, hall in which he was currently was quite big; enough so, that a large number of people stood comfortably, and still kept their distance.

The gun was pressed a little tightly, and it's bearer himself, looked quite grim and tight-faced. Jace looked up at him. It wasn't someone he'd seen before. The man was a little short, actually, and his eyes a little round, though that didn't stop him from looking menacing.

"So, boy." He said, "Give me one good reason I shouldn't end you this instant."

Jace raised an eyebrow, though it was a little hard to do with a gun pressed against his forehead. During his search, he'd run through potential dangerous welcomes he might have received, and this man right here, had just picked up one of his thought-out lines word to word. He must have been a good guesser.

The man was still looking at him.

"My friends are mad." Said Jace, "I love them, but they are mad. Nobody can stand against Quietus, and this fact I have come to realise. I'm sorry for all by rebellious acts, and I would like to join his cause."

The man looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Mad you all are, that much I can agree. I can't count the number of times you all have played the 'surrender' and 'came to my senses' part. Do you really think of us as fools?"

Jace kept his face sorrowful, ashamed and eager, "I'm sorry for all that I did. For all the disrespect that I gave to my mother and her work."

This garnered some attentive looks, though still no one looked convinced.

"Heh. Really?" The man said, "Well then, boy, tell me-"

"How did he find us?" Someone else interrupted.

Jace didn't need to turn his head to know who that was. He was in the presence of Andria's father.

••••••••••

"Why...?" Someone whispered in wonder.

"She's new here." Said the person who had pulled her aside, "Must help her, Hullek."

"No, not that." Said Hullek. "Why is she here? Why now?"

Eava steaded herself. She'd just been about to run when a young woman had pulled her aside, into the group of people that had been watching her. Caught unawares, Eava nearly stumbled to the ground, but found a man named Hullek steady her. He was looking at her with bubbling curiosity and... concern? She'd then been promptly hidden behind the two.

"She is a child." He said quietly, "This was... unfair, Runi. Quietus is crossing the line."

The woman, Runi, snorted, though Eava noticed that there was a tear brodering her eye. "Another one who will never see the sun again. But it'll probably not be a big deal for him, huh? He can relax all he wants. That Tyran-"

Quietus? Never see the sun again? What the hell were they talking about?

Eava was starting to panic. This could not be good news... From what they were saying, it sounded like they all were trapped in this cavern.

"There!" Said the melodic voice of a girl.

"Now now, Yilla..." Said Runi, "Let's not be too hard on her. She's new, after all."

"It's for our own safety, Runi." Said Yilla, "We never know..."

She gave Eava a dangerous look that made her prefer being unconscious. Runi sighed and steered Eava by the shoulder deeper into the cavern, earning a frown from Yilla.

"I'm not going to have you freak out the poor girl," Runi said.

Yilla sighed, "Whatever. So long as you don't hide her again."

Runi smiled. And deeper into the cavern they went.