The Messiah [1]

Epilogue: Athena

The roar of the crowd was deafening, and as Athena gazed down from her perch on the roof she couldn't help the smile curling her lips. This was it - the moment she'd been waiting for with unabashed excitement. Several of the king's esteemed followers stood below, forming a lose circle on the raised dais. Their immaculate, well-tended clothing made Athena seethe with anger; so many of her people suffered - and for what? These spineless men to lead lives of comfort? 

Athena took a deep breath, her hands curling into fists against her thighs. Soft cotton coated her legs, and the familiar weight of the bulletproof vest was reassuring; with the detailed painting and bold lettering on the back, it was designed to create dissent. A green eye was pained in the center, the detailing and colors bringing the piece to life - and marred by the vivid red slash going vertically through it. Distinction - and discrimination - based on eye color would no longer be tolerated. Her breathing exercises worked, and Athena was grateful for the calm that settled in her stomach; without it, the plan would fall apart around them. 

The pulsing crowd bellow consisted of the king's people: all fair-skinned and brown-eyed like their leaders. Athena watched as they jostled one another for a chance to get closer to the stage, and the subsequent prisoner being led to the center. Pixie held her head back proudly, jerking the guards to a stop so that she could spit at the feet of the assembled council. Athena smiled proudly, feeling her temper ignite when one of the guards snatched Pixie by the hair and dragged her to the front of the stage. In the center of the platform, raised above the crowd, Pixie's diminutive form made her look like a child. Most would have wavered under the jeering and curses the crowd was spewing but - even battered and bruised - Pixie glared defiantly. 

In one fluid movement, one of the guards pressed the muzzle of his rifle against Pixie's temple - effectively silencing the crowd. Athena sucked in a deep breath, grinding her teeth together as she waited for the signal. 

"This girl is a traitor." Drawled a fat council member, his jowls shaking greatly as he stepped forward to address the people. "She is know by the alias Pixie - and has been found guilty on a number of charges. She is a danger to the peace of our kingdom."

The masses hissed their approval, shifting restlessly as Pixie was pushed to her knees. Their mindlessness disgusted Athena, but she kept her eyes trained on the row of guards. Suddenly, one shifted - breaking rank, and moving into a defensive position. No one of importance noticed him - but Athena smiled. The signal had come.

"She is henceforth sentenced to death." The official barked, raising his hand in a motion for the guard to proceed. 

Athena watched as Jax stepped forward and swiftly slammed the butt of his gun into the back of the guard's head; who fell to the floor in a graceless heap. Before anyone could react, Jax raised his weapon and shot the council member point blank. 

Chaos erupted. 

Athena jumped from the roof, channeling her magic to create a protective layer between her skin and the wall she scaled down; after the lab incident, Athena now wielded her magic with ruthless efficiency. Whatever had been blocking her was now gone.  Within the seconds it took Athena to reach the platform, gunshots rained in the square as rebels seized control. Jax was already jumping from the dais - Pixie an unconscious lump in his arms - and into the military-grade truck they'd commandeered beforehand. Athena knew Grayson was behind the wheel - and that she only had a minute before castle reinforcements arrived. 

Dead officials littered the stage, and Athena kicked them out of the way as she walked to the center, her disgust obvious. She knew without a doubt, the rebellion had won this skirmish. The show of force wouldn't be lost to the king - though hard times had plagued the rebellion, the war was far from over. But before Athena could join her teammates in the truck, there was something that still needed to be done. 

The crowd began to fall silent the longer she stood on the platform, her face visible to the populace. Athena let them look their fill - knowing the time for hiding was over. Quickly, fevered whispers overrode the silence, and only seconds later terrified shouts followed. The Messiah had awoken - and it was time the country knew it. 

Athena knew she had only seconds left, and could see the soldiers pouring into the stone courtyard; the king not far behind in his heavy armor. So with a roar only made louder by the magic she laced her voice with, Athena threw her fist into the air and screamed.

"Long live the rebellion!"

One jump later and she was in the back of the armored truck, wheels spinning as they took off into the dense forest. Athena watched as the dais crumbled with a mighty crack, her power and message evident to the chaotic and screaming crowd.

The rebellion was alive, and the war had just begun.