Putridum Regnum 1: Centuries (Homestuck AU)

Chapter Four

The green sun shone brightly down on the small band of trolls. A cute little olive blood skipped happily down the gravel path, a book in hand. A tall jade blood smiled up at the sky, soaking up all the sun she could. Up ahead was a tall, thin yellow blood, walking carefully next to a strange troll wearing a grey cloak and black leggings with red stripes.

The cloaked troll's face was covered by shadows, a result of the hood hanging over his head. He held a scroll in one hand and a sickle in the other. The yellow blood, a psionic, was talking quietly to him.

"The next stop is at a rebel village, between HIC and GHB's castles... Are you sure you want to go there?" Psiioniic said.

"We have no choice, Psii. The trolls there are perfect for helping spread the news and recruiting. We haven't been caught and we wont be," said the cloaked troll.

"But Carmine... You will be killed if you are caught..." Psii said. "I care not for my safety but the safety of my colleagues," he said simply, turning towards the green bloods.

"Disciple! Dolorosa! We should hurry to the next town; it will be dark soon and there will be thieves and killers about," said Carmine.

"Don't worry, my child," Dolorosa said calmly, walking faster to catch up with him. "You needn't worry so much. We aren't helpless, you know," she said, lifting his hood off.

"Yes but I dragged you in to this mess. You are all my responsibility. I will not only fight for liberation but for my friends," he said, turning away, raising his sickle and looking for any surrounding threats.

"Love, the rebellion was building even before you were alive," said Disciple, nuzzling up against him. "They just needed a little kick and a good leader."

"What kind of leader am I if trolls who believe in me are dying?" Carmine turned away from the group, placing his hood back on his head.

"Carmine, no revolution is won without sacrifices. It's sad but it's true," Psiioniic placed his hand on Carmine's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll all live through this."

Carmine sighed and nodded. "Alright, but promise me none of you will do anything stupid if provoked?" "Relax, dear," Dolorosa said calmly.

Carmine bowed is head then looked up at his friends. "Thank you all," he said, finally cracking a smile. "Lets hurry now."

The group of trolls continued along their way until they came to the village. Blood was splattered on the dirt road, lifeless bodies laying in pools of blood.

Carmine bent down next to a dying troll, moving her hair out of her face. "Who did this? Who killed all of these innocent trolls...?"

The young dying troll opened her eyes, revealing a newly missing eye. "She came by in her carriage pulled by horses," the troll gasped for breath. "She had killed them on her way here by her guards... She just passed by again... I came here to save someone but she had them attack me too..."

"I see no spilled blood but your own... Did you not fight back?" He asked, moving her carefully into an upright position and letting her lean against him.

"No," she replied, wiping away bronze blood from her face. "It wasn't their fault. She would have killed them otherwise."

Carmine looked at her with pity and spoke softly. "That was a selfless thing to do. Do not worry, my child. Your pain will not have been in vain." He took out his sickle from his bag and slit his palm, showing her the blood that fell from it.

Her good eye widened at the sight of the candy red blood. "It wasn't a rumor... Your blood is..." She teared up, clenching her teeth. "One even 'lower' than the ones he is fighting for is prepared to give up his life for us? You are exactly what they said you would be," the bronze blood said, flashing a look to the dead trolls who were laying side by side on the grass.

She shuddered, taking a final breath before passing on. Carmine picked her limp body up and set it next to the other dead trolls. Disciple and Dolorosa's hands were covered in a rainbow of blood and Psii was panting from moving the bodies out of the road.

Carmine turned towards his friends, looking at them. "We need to win this war before more trolls are victimized. Come. We must preach the words of freedom to the trolls of this town." Carmine picked up his sickle and clenched his other fist, storming into the town.