Pashiva The Archvil Saga

Family Troubles

             Melat stood angered at his own father lying shirtless and starved in cold jail cell. "You've really grown up son". Melat's father said. Melat continued to stare. "(Sigh) Okay I know what this is about. Me leaving you as a baby. So go ahead, let me have it". His father said. "First, you're gonna tell me everything. Why you left me, why you stole from the poor and destroyed national monuments, why you rebelled. How did you even know this"? Melat demanded. His father just stared at Melat shamefully. "And one more question. What happened to my mother"? Melat asked sternly. "(Sigh) You have a good many reasons to be upset with me. I know I was never there for you, but I wanted you to live a better life. When you were born, we were on the streets. Hell we were so poor that we couldn't even visit the second level to steal from. So I started stealing from others, survival of the fittest. For you. Once we got enough money, I bought us a house in the second level. A nice house with two stories and a balcony. I finally felt I accomplished something, I even gave some of the poor I stole from a room to stay in until they felt able enough to live by themselves in their own homes". Melat's father said. Melat didn't look amused. "After living in the house for half a year, I looked at the poor with sympathy rather then relation. So I made friends with a few good men. They lived on the first level and eventually learned through their own means that Pensen's completely corrupt and evil. So we did some digging on it. We learned that he plans on summoning an Under Lord, you know about Under Lords right"? Melat's dad asked. "Yes, my friend is very informed on them, he taught me everything you didn't know or was there to teach me". Melat replied. "We found out he wished to expand his empire, but didn't have the money for the military so he raised taxes causing poverty to increase. The most poverty in Archvil in about a century. Upon doing some more digging we found out that his expansion didn't work as well as he wished, so he wanted to summon an Under Lord to help him out, at least that's what we believed. We planned a revolt. It started with us burning the statue of God Pensen. We were fined for that, you could say we got off easy. So afterwards, we planned a revolt again, this time attacking the palace. We placed a blue candle in the window, signaling more and more revolutionaries. Until we had about fifteen. We bought brown cloaks for all of us, tattooed ourselves with what you see on me. We marched towards the palace and all of them were killed on the spot, I was spared, and brought here, where I was interrogated". Melat's father said. "My friend said that if you were suspected of knowing about Pensen's plan you would be killed on the spot, you know even assuming this is the case". Melat said. "Well they kept me alive because they don't want to make people suspicious of his ways, after all his plan was far from over. So maybe I'm on the verge of death anyway". Melat's father explained. "So anything else"? His father asked. "You avoided, one really important question. After this revolt you attempted, mom and I escaped into the forest, and one day she was gone, no trace at all. Where is she"? Melat asked sternly. "That I'm afraid I don't know. I've regrettably been sitting in a jail cell for fourteen years questioning if this entire plan by Pensen is even true. Maybe, I'm just another conspirator. I have no place being a leach on society. (Sigh) You're probably right Melat. No you are right, I'm a terrible man, I wasn't there for you, and I got myself in a situation because of my own paranoia". Melat's father asked. Melat's eyebrows raised as he began to understand his father more and more. "Now you must be on your way, you said you have friends here right"? His father asked. "Yes". Melat replied. "(Chuckles) Funny, I thought you wouldn't be allowed to step foot in this city, but the guards haven't stopped you, especially if they've been eavesdropping on this talk. So why are you here"? Melat's father asked. "We're here for personal reasons, my friends got some business here". Melat said, with a serious face as he winked at his father implying a double meaning only he and his dad would understand. Melat's father looked relieved. "Melat, you really". His father asked before the sound of gunfire and flames sounded. Everyone in the room started looking around. "What's that"? A guard yelled. Soon alarm bells started ringing as the guards started equipping their weapons and got into position. "It must be coming from the second level". A guard yelled. "Dad I have to go". Melat said while turning his back and running away out of the prison. Melat's father looked joyous at his son's departure. "Son, I know why you wouldn't admit it, but you really do know the truth. I know now you forgive me. The anger in your heart still exists and you feel certain that Pensen is evil. Please finish what I couldn't and end his reign of tyranny". Melat's father thought to himself.

        Back outside the barracks, guards started pouring out the front door of the barracks leaving them completely exposed for Felren to walk in. "Perfect". Felren thought. He quickly ran inside the barracks. Inside there was a staircase leading downward to a room with stone walls and small beds for soldiers to sleep on. To the left Felren saw a room with muskets and swords mounted on the wall and to the right he saw a door with a large metal lock on it. He walked towards it and kicked open the door. He kicked the door until the lock loosened and the door opened. Inside he saw a large empty room of large purple blobs. Some were the shapes of people, others were amorphous blobs. They all started moving towards Felren as his expression changed from shocked to frightened. He retreated out the door and ran up the stairs out of the barracks. He ran for his life out into the streets meeting up with Melat who pulled his brown cloak out from behind the barrel. "Melat". Felren yelled. "Felren, uh are those". Melat asked before getting cut off. "Yes now run hurry. All the citizens in the streets retreated into their houses and blocked the doors with all the items they could like chairs and desks. The two were running side by side as the stairways to the second level were blocked by soldiers and sharpened wooden barracks. "Wait let us in, I'm a ranger, this boy's lost his mother let him in". Felren yelled. "Okay hurry climb over we'll hold them off". A guard yelled. The two climbed over the barracks.

      At the monuments the brown cloaks were burning the statues and a squadron of guards came and killed off all of them as Vekliv ran the other way. "Stop brown cloak". A guard yelled. "No please I'm not one of them, I'm just a witness". Vekliv yelled back. "Vekliv". Array yelled with two brown cloaks behind her. "Brown cloak". The guard yelled running toward Vekliv. The guards didn't notice Array and the other brown cloaks as they were on the side of the soldiers running by as the soldiers were more focused on Vekliv. They eventually reached Vekliv and tackled him to the ground. "Stop resisting you'll live longer". The guard yelled. Vekliv stopped struggling as the guard picked him up and grabbed both his wrists together as they marched him off down towards the first level. The Under Slugs chasing the townsfolk broke into the second level as Pensen atop the balcony above the entrance to the palace looked down on the city. His face filled with disappointment. A guard stood next to him waiting for orders. "(Sigh) Order the cannon shooters on the walls and order them to fire on the first level. The soldiers on the second level will move the Under Slugs to the first level. Let's hope there are no casualties". Pensen ordered. "Yes sir". The guard saluted as he walked away. "You there". Pensen shouted down from the balcony to a soldier standing guard on the stairway. "Yes my liege". The guard responded. "Join the defensive forces on the second level and order them to stop this revolt as quickly as possible and send some more troops to bait the Under Slugs down to the first level". Pensen ordered. "Yes sire". The guard shouted as he ran down to the second level.

        Moments later canons appeared on the walls as the troops escorting Vekliv saw the cannons and the Under Slugs and soldiers pouring back into the first level. They rushed into the prison and walked their way into the second level of the prison where Melat's father is. They put him in the cell directly across from Melat's father and locked the door. "Wait you cant do this I wasn't trying to destroy the monument". Shouted Vekliv. "Shut up Brown cloak". The guard yelled before storming off out of the prison. Soon loud explosions and booms sounded as dust from the ceiling began to fall into the room. Melat's father looked up at Vekliv with interest. "So there's another revolt on the second level". Melat's father said. "Yeah why do you care"? Vekliv asked annoyed. "Because, my son's apart of the revolt, even though he said he was here on personal business for his friend. But I know why he's here. To dethrone Pensen". Melat's father said. "Who are you"? Vekliv asked. "Do you by any chance know a young man named Melat"? Melat's father asked. Vekliv looked amazed as he nodded his head. "Yup I'm his proud father". Melat's father explained.