vengeful youths [ongoing]

II ; Truth's Talents

Written on November 21, 2017

II ; Truth's Talents

"Why the hell would we need the little one?" Snow Willhelm scowled whilst brushing his emerald hair out of his eyes. "We'd be sufficient with the boy."

"I'll see you make good use of the kid's talents, with your expertise, Willhelm." Amabel Odello said seriously, standing still under the dulling lights of the room. They remained in silence for a moment. The underground chamber was dark, ugly, and displeasing to see, unlike the glass, utopian beauty of the world above.

"I can't guarantee her survival, general. Why don't you drop her off at a care centre instead? How would we use this kid, she's not even five yet!" Snow scowled, looking at the fading photograph of the little girl in disgust. She had raven-black hair tied into pigtails, and in her eyes, a look of mere fright engulfed her.

"Truth is capable." Amabel replied quietly. Even though she was abandoning her child to the dreaded training camp, she still had some primitive motherly love within her. "She's strong. Maybe even stronger than Ryon."

"Ryon, eh? That boy, I do need him. The camp is going into quarantine for three years, effective in two weeks time. I'm sure he'd be a great guard." Snow chuckled. He knew well the capabilities of the Odello family, but he also knew who they descended from, the Kiefer. And he could do so much with this information, he could condemn them, he could even execute them.

"Both Ryon and Truth are yours. You wouldn't separate siblings, would you?" Amabel said bitterly.

"You are well aware of what I am capable of, general. But if I do keep the girl, you must promise me two things." Snow said, twisting his slender fingers around the main hall's door knob. "Follow me."

Amabel cursed under her breath, and walked silently behind the apathetic man. Behind the glass-wood doors was a breath-taking room, something right out of the pre-insurgent times. Walls lined with marble swirls, twisting together in a pattern of rhythm and serenity. Snow adjusted his robe and grabbed a small object from his pocket.

"Here, general." Snow whispered at Amabel, who was busy admiring the scenery. "Wear it, and do not remove it while you roam these grounds. Unless you have a death wish, that is."

"I'll assure you that is not the situation, Willhelm. I suppose you have the children waiting at the gates, correct?" Amabel said as she clipped on the silver badge. It was a small, shiny object, embroidered with a charming rose.

"No, why would we do such--"

"I'd hate to argue, but, I know more about the security system than you. The gates are the only places where the officials wouldn't find them. Please tell me you didn't put them in a common area." Amabel interrupted, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't stand the insolence of Snow Wilhelm, and the disrespect he had towards her position.

"That's exactly what I did, general." Snow rebutted, almost instantly. He eyed Amabel and continued shuffling through the narrow hallways. Amabel fumed in silence, but managed to regain her composure by the time Snow had led her to their destination.

Snow's pacing came to a stop. They were standing in front of an abandoned subway line. Flickering light bulbs surrounded the place. The ambience was dark, and a human silhouette was sitting on the tracks. They moved swiftly, typing code into a terminal. Amabel made eye contact with the figure briefly, which then proceeded to continue their work.

"Isham!" Snow said enthusiastically at the person. They stood and strode into the light with a smile across their face. With a strong jump, they were on the platform with Snow and Amabel.

"Who--" Amabel started.

"I am Nova Isham. One of the leaders of the rookie division. Senior at the training camp. Been working for far too long, but I don't plan on leaving." Nova said, flashing Amabel a warm grin. She extended her hand towards her, and Amabel shook it thankfully.

"Nice to meet you, Isham. I'm General Amabel Odello, mother of two children, ages three and fourteen. I serve in the higher classes of rebellion, thus I cannot protect my children. I will leave this place very soon, and I reckon you will train them to do great things during my permanent absence." Amabel explained, realizing that Nova would be the one training Ryon and Truth.

"I respect your work a lot, general." Nova complimented, while typing some more code into her terminal. "This should get us through."

Suddenly, a rumbling, faraway sound came from the track. It became steadier and more clear by the second, as it seemed to approach the trio. A white train shifted into position in front of them, and a look of approval flashed across Snow's face.

"So this is the toy you've been telling me about, eh? Impressive." Snow chuckled. He took out a cloth from his bag wiped his hands, before pressing a blue trigger on the surface of the subway. The silver doors swiped open, revealing a group of children with a plethora of different ages and faces. They remained in silence as Snow ushered them onto the platform.

"Incredible. An underground system dedicated to the transportation of trainees." Amabel muttered in awe. She knew her children were somewhere in the crowd, so she quickly placed a black mask over her dulled perplexion. She spotted her son, Ryon, talking to another boy. Ryon's hands were running through his own platinum-blonde hair, and on his face there were two blue marks, much like the ones the other teenagers wore.

"Attention, Rookies." Nova said in a strict tone. She wove her arms above the crowds in swift, graceful movements, which caused all the youngins' gazes to flutter to her. Only one boy was ignoring her presence, Urban Zahn, the boy Ryon had been verbalizing with. His cold eyes were locked on a terminal, and in his irises you could see reflected mountains of binaries and code.

At this moment, Snow ushered Amabel out of the building, assuring her of her children's safety. Snow watched as Amabel hopped onto a public transport, taking her very far away. A blush creeped on his face as the train left, and he vowed to see her again, someday.

In the meantime, he returned to the underground nation, only to see that Nova had already given all the new trainees their divisions. All the teenagers and young adults were in one crowd, separated from those under thirteen years of age. The smaller people would be sent to a scholar facility, organized by Nova and the Trainee League. There, they would be taught basic skills to survive in modern-day Echo, as well as the nation's history, ever since Earthen times. When they became of age, they would join the rookies.

Author's Note — A reminder to please comment while reading (if you can), it is very helpful feedback-wise and helps me know that people are reading/engaging with the stories. I hope you are having a fantastic day, VNEXXA.