The Elemented

Tyrants and Tattoos

P.O.V: Iris

The next five days go by too quickly. Ajax came each night after he finished his job. My wounds finally healed in two days.

"I wish I could heal as fast as you." Ajax told me one night.

"Oh, you can't heal quickly, too? Such a shame." I say sarcastically. Now, I only have three days left and the anxiousness in my stomach grew more and more with each passing day. As I waited for Ajax, I turned to the back of the brown leather journal and draw. It was the night sky full of stars and a full moon with craters. I was just finishing the final details when he walked in.

"Drawing again?" He asks.

"Yep. It's how I pass time until you show up." I'm sitting on the side of the bed with my journal in my lap.

Ajax takes his usual seat beside me and looks down at my drawing. "I swear every time I see your drawings, each one is better than the last." He says.

I smile at him and put the journal away and that's when I hear guards slowly walking past.

Ajax was already standing up. "Are you still on that!" He yells.

"You fucking lied to me, Ajax! Of course I'm still on that!" I yell back.

Ajax nods and sits back down. "Everybody still thinks you're pissed at me, so let's just keep letting them think that." He says.

I notice how close he is to me, but I ignore it. I hear a loud noise coming from the hall outside and I jump at the sudden sound. From my seat on my bed, I saw three guards escorting a boy that looked around sixteen. He had piercing green eyes and dark brown hair. The boy looked up and we made brief eye contact before he looked away.

Ajax must have seen him because he says, "Another one from the Tyrants."

"How can you tell?" I ask.

"He had a tattoo on the back of his neck. All the Tyrant members have a tattoo with the symbol of two swords crossing diagonally over one another." He replies.

"Well, mine is going to be under my right collar bone. I've always wanted a tattoo and said that when I get one, that was where I wanted it to be."

Ajax looks at me shocked. "You actually want a tattoo?"

I roll my eyes at him as if to say duh. "I want at least four. Do you want one?"

He thinks for a few minutes before saying, "I don't know. I've never thought about it before."
I look at his muscular physique, determining where he should get a tattoo. "I suggest getting one on your back, upper arm or your chest. I've always liked the ones where the guys got it on their arms and it stretched all the way to their chest."

"What tattoos would you get?"

"I would get daggers, a famous or meaningful quote, then a symbol. What about you?"

"Maybe a sword that has a few pieces missing out of it or shattered."

I give him a confused look. "Why would you get that?"

"It would symbolize everything I have gone through, but I'm still here and ready to fight."

I smile at him and ask, "Mind if I get that as my symbol?"

"Nah, plus we'd have the same tattoo." He winks at me.

His eyes seem to shine and I find myself looking deep into them. He seems to be leaning towards me, just like the last time I looked deep into his eyes. I decide to use that against him. I lean in, making it look like I'm about to kiss him, but at the last second, turn it into a hug.

"Not so soon, Informant." I tease in his ear.

"You so sure?" He whispers back.

I pull away from him and tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. I arch an eyebrow at him, daring him. Ajax doesn't do anything, just looks at me with an expression I can't read.

"These days are going by too quickly." Ajax sighs.

"For you, maybe." I say.

A look of hurt passes over his face quickly, but disappears almost as fast as it had appeared. Shit.

"I mean I hate it here, but I also don't want to leave that soon either." I add quickly. "Ummm....how will you even find me?"

"The Lord has cameras hidden throughout the entire city. That's how I found you in the first place. Also since we share a connection, it's like a compass." He replies casually.

It was true. When we aren't near one another, I feel a draw pulling me in the direction he had just left.

"At least I won't be the one who is blamed for your escape. There is a guy who is going to be put in charge when He is making his speech and I won't be called to work either." He adds.

"So you'll be able to talk more?" I ask, trying to hide my smirk.

He nods and says, "Yeah, but they will have two guards patrolling the halls."

I should've known that while the Lord is out, security would increase. I shrug. "My parents visited me again last night. They still don't fully trust you, but think it's very brave of you to help me and all the other kids escape because of the risk."

"If anyone's brave, it's you. Iris, you have enough courage to keep hoping even after all you have been through. You keep fighting until you can't any more, but even then you try to put up a fight."

I was a little surprised he thought that of me. "I was just trying to survive."

Ajax waves it off and says, "Survive or not, you still have a fire inside of you. You've also broken almost all of the NW rules. Drawing, talking about music, practicing "the dark arts", expressing your imagination, and the number one rule, talking against the Lord."

"I've never been one to follow the rules." I smirk.

He laughs. " I can tell. I bet that once you reach the Tyrants, that you will break every single rule of the New World."

Ajax knows me well and I smile. "Like I've already told you, you know me too well."

"It's my job to know you if we are going to save the world. The Prophecy made us a team." There he goes again, being all serious.

The mention of the Prophecy sends a wave of self-doubt washing over me.

Ajax senses my doubt and gives my hand a squeeze. "I'll be there with you every step of the way, Iris."

I smile at him again. "It's just that it's overwhelming, that's all."

"I know. I'm still a little shocked about being apart of something this important." He tells me. Ajax glances at his watch and I know he has to leave. " I won't be able to come tomorrow because I'll be very busy preparing things and giving messages to different staff members." He says, irritation clear in his voice.

I can tell he hates playing the role of messenger boy. "I memorized the layout of the building, as you already know. I'll knock out the two guards, take their master keys, and free the kids." I tell him, reviewing the plan for about the hundredth time.

"Good. The kids here will follow you, but you will actually stay behind them to make sure they all escape." He gives me a knowing smile.

"Then you'll be outside by the time I start burning the building down." I couldn't wait to get revenge.

"Look for the Tyrant fighter and tell him to take you the their base. The kids will follow you, so the Tyrants will have more supporters." He tells me.

"Got it."

Ajax lets go of my hand and stands up. "I'll see you before you leave. Wait thirty minutes after I leave before you escape."

"Okay." I say. "I'll be waiting."

"Bye, Iris." Ajax says, then leaves before I can say bye to him.

I heave a sigh and run through the plan in my head over and over again.

A/N: that is the sword tattoo if your wondering what it looks like at the top. It's the Tyrant Symbol.