Sky Forever

Chapter 16: Scumbags

So, there we were. In a house with a man who wanted to kill us. Although, he didn't actually know that he wanted to kill us at that point. Every cloud has a silver lining, I guess.

This silver lining wasn't a very long one, though.

"I honestly think there's no need for a revolution!" Roland ranted," We're a peaceful land, with no wars."

"Um...have you heard of the Battle of the Lands?" Ryder said.

"Is that a book?" Roland asked.

Brilliant. Murderous tendencies and historically inept. What a guy.

"It was the war that caused the Division." Ryder said.

"Oh, you do know that's a myth, right?" Roland said, "That parents tell to scare their children!"

I almost got up to smash my head on the wall. But, luckily, I resisted.

"Well, I heard that the revolution is only against the City of Ashes and Gold." Amber said, politely.

"And how would you know that, young lady?" Roland asked, quite condescendingly, "Has your mother been telling you scary stories again?"

I could physically see Amber combusting internally with rage.

"Because it was us, you idiot!" She yelled.

Little Rosie started crying. I had almost forgotten she was here.

Roland picked her up, "There, there. It's okay, sweetie. How about you run upstairs and play with your toys?"

She nodded and scuttled off. Roland diverted his gaze back to us.

"What was that you said?" He asked, "It was you?"

Amber was standing now.

"Yes! Yes, it was us that asked the Emperor Rod Grimm V for help with a revolution!" She exclaimed, "You know why? Because we care about Azterak! And Jasper Homunculus must be stopped!"

There was a moment of silence, which felt like it lasted days.

"If you are telling the truth," Roland said, standing up, "Then you three are a sick bunch of sadistic kids! You think you can go around starting wars? NO!"

I could see the flames of hate in his eyes.

"We're not starting wars! We're ending tyrannies! Dictatorships! Sufferings!" Amber continued.

I have to say, she had a talent for speeches. Ironically, she'd make quite a good dictator.

"Get out of my house, you scumbags!" Roland boomed.

Ryder and I went immediately to leave but Amber didn't do the same. She was still looking at Roland.

"You're the scumbag!" She yelled, "You're not willing to help free thousands of slaves and slum dwellers? It was a mistake coming here for more help!"

She stormed past us and out the door. We briskly followed.

We all walked quickly back down the street we'd come down earlier.

"Well, this was a waste of time." Amber muttered, still fuming.

Suddenly, we heard a bell chime. I looked back to see that someone up in the church tower was chiming it. A shout starting echoing across the rooftops from the top of the tower.

"War Bringers! Scumbags! Renegades! War Bringers! Scumbags! Renegades!"

Doors flung open, people started rushing out onto the streets holding pitchforks and flaming sticks.

"I think they might be coming for us." I observed.

"Aw, balls." Ryder said.

Before we knew it, there was a mob after us. Most of the population of the city starting chasing us down the street, carrying various weapons from swords and axes to bottles and spoons.

"War Bringers! Scumbags! Renegades! War Bringers! Scumbags! Renegades!"

We all sprinted away from the raging tidal wave of angry bodies.

"I bet Roland did this!" Ryder yelled.

"But how did he contact the tower so fast?!" I asked.

"Maybe he has one of those flying news drone thingies!" Amber replied.

We continued running around the corner. The edge of the city was in sight, but past there it was open desert. We made it onto the sand and kept going.

Suddenly, I felt a blaze of heat on my back. I looked behind and saw a wall of fire stopping the mob. Then I looked to the side and saw Janey. Was she saving us?

"Keep running!" She yelled at us.

We did.