Breaking Utopia

Chapter Two | Kantara

Near the Kantara Palace, Central Street which Kantara Towered over, held a bonfire of sorts. Soldiers threw the fresh carcasses of rioters on top of their fellow rioters charred remains still smoldering with flame. The stench bellowed in the air like smog. Leading the effort was a legend among the Arkin ranks. Commander Aldous Hein. A hero to the people of Armanster. For his efforts to push back western attackers trying to take the town during the War of the Divide.

He was an older man, not so much in his prime as he once was. He held a sunken face and a less than kept up uniform. His deep green eyes looked as though he was perpetually tired and had seen everything you could in his line of work. Hein was distinguished, but to many of the Arkin soldiers he was a dog past his prime. The young Tiso thought so too.

A messenger approached the burning pile of bodies that the Commander stood over, watching with a unmoving gaze.

"Commander Hein, sir!" The messenger said bringing himself to attention behind the Commander.

"What is it?" Hein said not taking his eyes off the fire.

"A message from the Tiso, sir!" The messenger said holding his posture.

"Then read it." Hein turned slowly from the fire with more of a hobble than a walk.

"Yes sir, may I be at ease sir?" The soldier asked with a slight quiver.

"I said read it didn't I?"

"Yes sir!" The messenger took this as "at ease" and went into his pocket for the message. "Commander Aldous Hein, please at once approach the Kantara throne for a meeting with Tiso Reignly and his Advisors. Failure to approach with haste will result in treachery on your good name."

Hein gave a deadly smirk, and a small gust of air blew from his nose, he gave a grim smile to the messenger. "Guess, someone's gotta be on the chopping block, huh, soldier?"

The messenger stood quiet, not knowing how to respond to the old commander. Hein sighed loudly and tapped the messenger on the shoulder as he walked off, "I'll let 'em know you did good, just enjoy the fire, kid." He said leaving the messenger and his troops at the corpse fire to head to the center of the city at Kantara Palace.

"I don't wish to hear any excuses, I commanded all available soldiers to scour the city for this, this menace at once!" The young Tiso said barging into his lavish maroon carpeted throne room. Advisor Hushtone followed behind him, a small and balding man with a wobbly voice tried his best to keep up.

"Y-yes sir, I have ordered the city guards to bulk up searches around the areas surrounding Furnoon's apartment, and outfitted the city exit with steam suited soldiers."

"And what of the people? Have they reported any sightings?" The young Tiso questioned earnestly as the tall and gaunt faced Advisor Cullo positioned the small throne in place before the Tiso sat.

"My dear Tiso, no reports have come in so far, and if I may, the people are in fear, we may not obtain to many reports from your people too soon." Cullo said, his voice naturally hissed with every word.

"Afraid?" Reignly said puzzled. "They have nothing to fear so long as they keep civilized."

Hushtone began to speak up "Yes...um, but sir, they fear coming forward will-" abruptly he cut himself off as he saw Advisor Cullo behind the Tiso quieting the small advisor with his palm up.

"My Tiso, surely the people only fear the wrath of whomever is behind this traitor. Rumors are already spreading that this paper maker did not work alone." Cullo swiftly weaved the story into something more favorable for the Tiso's ego.