Among Monsters and Men

Chapter 5: Pride Rock

Mercy was sitting on the back of one of the motocrosses with Chevy in front of her. Chevy was a good driver, she avoided branches, bushes and too big roots. They where driving in some sort of formation with Bellamy at the top one a motocross with three motocrosses after him, then the jeep with Miles, Cole, Ethan who was now good enough to at least come with them, Chris and their prisoner, Levi. After them was a convoy of motocrosses with Chevy and Mercy closets to the jeep. Mercy met Levi’s eyes ones and he didn’t looked happy, more like he wanted to slide all their throats if he could but Bellamy had himself tied him to the platform of the jeep.

Pride Rock was nothing like she had thought it would be. It wasn’t even a rock but a car scrap. Piles of old, rusty cars lined the dusty path thru the scrap. They stopped outside a huge circle made of piles of cars, almost as high as a two-story building. They walked in thru a big opening between the piles and Mercy spotted two high iron gates that would close behind them later. Inside the circle was an arena, a fighting arena which made it understandable that Bellamy had told them to take all their weapons with them as they left. She followed the others up a staircase made of old car doors, on the right side of the arena. It was like a bleacher made of a large metal platform on top and surrounded by old cars with a metal railing facing the arena. She put down her bow and arrows and looked around. Bellamy sat down behind her on top of the hood of a car one car above the rest of them. On the opposite side of the arena was an almost identical bleacher and to the left of her was a sort of throne on a similar bleacher but smaller and a small bridge led from each big bleacher to the throne.

”Merce”, Esmeralda said behind her. Mercy turned around and saw Esmie and the others sitting down on the car that was sticking out from the piles. She joined them just as a dark humming sound echoed thru the scrap. The sound came closer and stopped outside of Pride Rock and in came a large group of people, all looking more uncivilised and more dangerous than the Bellators. This was the Scorpions with Mauser in forefront. Mauser was a tall guy with dark, wild hair and torn clothes with red details, the Scorpions logo. Mauser led the Scorpions up to the other bleacher and did as Bellamy had done, sat down above the rest. Bellamy and Mauser stared at each other with mutually hatred towards one another. It looked like if it had kept going, it would lead to a fight but they both turned their gaze towards the throne as a older man came up from behind it and sat down. His hair was dark grey just as his long beard. His light eyes sunken in in his wrinkled face. He looked old, older than he was but he brought with him power and respect. In his hand he held a large cane and when he stomped with it at the metal floor, everyone grew quiet. He nodded first towards Mauser and then Bellamy who nodded back at him.

”We have all gathered her tonight for a meeting”, he said load enough for every one to hear.

”More like blackmailing”, Mauser said in Bellamy’s direction. Bellamy didn’t answer but he gave Chris and Bash a quiet order and they went down a few steps and dragged Levi up to the bleacher. Bellamy grinned at Mauser, he enjoyed it and she couldn’t blame him, she enjoyed it too, a little bit at least.

”Who is he?”, Mercy whispered to Esmeralda who sat next to her at the hood of an old Volvo v70.

”That’s Mr Eddington”, she whispered back. ”He is our judge and it’s thanks to him that not all of us is dead, he helps deciding the rules and keep the peace.”

”Is it working?”

”He’s doing a good job, both Bellamy and Mauser respects him. Mauser’s even a bit afraid of him.” Esmeralda saw Mercy’s wondering look. ”You didn’t expect a old man, did you?”

”No, not at all. Why is he out here and not dead?”

”He was the scientist who developed the serum they use for executions. He made an antidote and is immune so the kicked him out to us.”