In the Ruins of Hope (Centauri Asaris: Book 1)

The Interrogators

A body lied face down on the pavement. I studied the mass to find that it was a man. There was something wrong with him. He wasn't moving at all, and from my perspective, it looked like he fell. However, the sky above us was clear. The sky stared back at me with its bright blue eyes and its early demeanor. There were no buildings above us, so he didn't jump. He probably collapsed. From what? I don't know, but it looks serious. 

He had on a black sleeveless hoodie, and his arms were slathered with tattoos. I came closer, but I couldn't see any more than I could before. I need to get closer, I thought. I started to turn away but something caught my eye. There was something shining on his clothes. I tried to take a closer look, but there were too many people.

I pushed my way through the crowd and stood right on top of the body. I was right, there was something on his back. My eyes studied the area where I saw the flicker of light. There was something written on his clothes, but the letters were too small to read. I knelt down and read his back. It said, "Don't believe a word." There was more to the warning but the letters were too smudged. I tried to read the message again, but it seemed like the letters that I just read vanished before I could read them a second time. My eyes were glued to the man's back. I sat there in a trance with my mind racing with questions.

After a couple of minutes, his already faint breathing stopped. This man would be in danger if no one helped, but no one seemed to notice the situation. I reached to help, and I turned the body over. He had dark skin, and the only noticeable feature on him was a deep scar running across his face. However, now was not the time to study the man. With the skills my parents taught me, I checked the young man's vital signs. He was alive, but, if nothing was done, he would die. I gave first aid to the unconscious man, and he became stable but was in need of help.

"I didn't know you could do that," Alisa said in disbelieve. Just before I could manage to reply, a sudden commotion rang through the crowd.

"Hey, look. It's them," an unfamiliar voice said.

Another rang out, "Why are they here?" 

"It's the Interrogators," another said grimly.

By the time they reached me and the man, I could already figure out the situation. The Interrogators had made their way through the crowd and were right behind me.

Why would they be here? Their job is to question captured demons the military brings in. This man is clearly not a demon, so why are they standing right behind me? How important is this man I just saved?

The whispers of the crowds came to a halt, and I came to my senses. I heard a type of rustle behind me, and based on the crowd's reaction, they had just pulled something out. They had an intimidating aura, and it made me scared to look behind me. There was a sudden presence on my shoulder. A hand. It felt like the bones of the dead and it was almost like it was itching to go to my neck and suck the life out of me. I never felt like this before. My body started to shake uncontrollably. What's this feeling? Is it magic, or is it just intimidation? 

"Do you know this man?" a surprisingly high voice asked. She said it in such a way that it sounded like an order. "I said, do you know this man?" the woman ordered for an answer.

I turned my body to see a short, pug-faced woman. "No, ma'am I do not," I answered nervously. 

"Then why did you help him? Are you lying to me?" she sounded irritated when she asked. She tightened her grip on my shoulder, and I swear I can feel her hand inching its way to my throat.

 I knew I had to answer, or else, this could turn bad. "Nobody else was going to help him, ma'am," I answered, trying to sound as calm as I could.

The hooded woman stared at me like she didn't believe me. Now that I look at her, she was wearing the same clothes and tattoos the man I just saved had, so this means that the man I saved was also an Interrogator. I stared at the women trying to recognize her, as she did to me. However, my mind came to a blank, and I concluded that I did not know her.

My attention then went to what was behind her. There were two men, both Interrogators. They were large and towered over the woman and most of the crowd. They were like bodyguards. I veered my vision to the rest of the crowd. The once-cluttered crowd was now dispersed. Some left, but the rest circled around me and the four Interrogators trying to see what was going on. 

Suddenly, the two men behind the woman came closer to me and the one I saved. In one man's hand, he had magic-concealing handcuffs, which was probably what they pulled out earlier. They went past me and picked up the unconscious man. They both stared at me while the two picked up and handcuffed the man. When the unconscious man was handcuffed, the two Interrogators took their leave with the unconscious man I saved. The woman stayed behind, and after observing me and the crowd, she soon followed. I stared at them until they vanished around the corner. Even after the Interrogators left and the crowd dispersed, I stayed in the same position while the sudden urge of uneasiness washed over me.

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Picture Details:

This what the average Interrogator will wear in the public. Sometimes the hood is too big for their head, so it creates a shadow over their face. They are very mysterious.

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I found this picture here: http://falkvinge.net/2012/01/28/the-only-thing-you-need-to-know-about-acta/