Hallowed Damnation [#Wattys2016]

5

"Rise and shine, bitch!"

Salina was rudely awakened by bone-chilling water being unceremoniously dumped on her sleeping form. She spit out water as her lungs gasped for air. She hastily got to her feet, water dripping from her hair down to her bare feet, and came face to face with the smug look of the gunslinger.

He stood there just inches from her with a large bucket in one hand and a proud smirk on his lips. He looked the same as she had last seen him, still strapped with a ridiculous amount of guns and dressed in camouflage.

She detested this man and openly showed it in her scowl. She silently cursed his brunette hair slicked back in a short low ponytail and his bulging muscles that looked preposterous on him since he was only a few inches taller than her. She cursed his tan skin and his stubborn dark brown eyes. More than anything, she cursed the way he looked at Armenites as if they were merely sewage.

She spent her whole life as a mercenary trying to help the poor people of Armen. The loot she received from missions was mostly given to those more in need since she already had food and lodging provided by the brotherhood. On her days off she would secretly teach the children how to read. She tried all she could in her small gestures to try to uplift their spirits and the passing smiles they showed her was all she lived for. Then there were people like the gunslinger who wanted to push common folk further into depression.

Her eyes drifted to the side of his face where a long angry gash was stitched up from his eyebrow to just above the stubble on his jaw. She smirked.

"Your face is healing up nicely."

His cockiness immediately switched to anger as he stepped closer and scowled down at her. "That was a lucky shot."

She snorted, further enraging him. "You were an easy target after all," she taunted.

The gunslinger's face turned red, but Salina's amusement did not waver even as he pulled out one of his guns and cocked it right in front of her nose. She remained grinning as she tilted her head slightly to the side and stared directly at him beyond the barrel of the gun pointed at her.

"The next shot won't miss," he hissed.

"Are you sure you don't need a bigger gun this time?" she said as she let out an arrogant laugh. She was sure that he would have shot her by now if someone had not intervened.

"Calm down, Arin." It was the purple haired man who approached and lowered the hand holding the gun.

Salina committed his name to memory. Purple hair was the opposite of Arin; tall and lanky with an almost translucent complexion. He had a calming smile on his absurdly pinkish lips set on a smooth oval-shaped face. His features were so feminine that it made him look almost like a woman, but something in his deep black eyes sent a shiver down her spine. She recalled now that he was responsible for knocking her out by suffocating her with some sort of conjured gas. This man was much more dangerous than he liked to appear.

"Zyrin has plans for this one. Killing her would spoil the whole mission and he would surely have your head for it," purple hair continued. He smiled at him and seemed to be like a patient parent to a child.

Arin responded by merely calling her a lucky bitch and storming out. Purple hair sighed as he walked around her making her whole body visibly tense until she realized that he was moving to release her chains from where they were secured to the wall.

Salina heard the chains clank to the floor then the cuffs on her wrists and ankles loosened. She had not realized that she had been pulling her restraints taut during her less than pleasant encounter with Arin. He positioned himself in front of her again. He bowed at the waist while she stared at him in confusion.

"I am Aldus of House Aurigae. I apologize for the mood my companion is in today, but you seem to be a sore spot for him as you can see. My apologies also for your less than savory..." he paused as he glanced around the cell and crinkled his nose, "Accommodations."

"What do you want?" she said curtly. She was understandably suspicious of him.

He gave her a wide smile that seemed creepier than reassuring to her. He raised his arm to gesture toward the open cell door.

"The Commander would like to see you."