The Summoner Series - Book One - DUALITY

Chapter 14: Nocturnus - The Pike

"What does he know about me anyway? If they want to get themselves killed, that's fine by me. I've been living on my own since I could remember. I can deal with them out there. I just need to slice them up into little bits. Just do what I'm good at." I was walking aimlessly through the seemingly endless sewer. I turned around and yelled, "I don't need any of you!" And continued walking. I kept walking for about an hour until I accepted that I was thoroughly lost.

Finally I came upon a sewer grate that let the light of the streetlight through. "At last, salvation in the night." I Summoned my scythe and sliced it open with ease. It took a little doing trying to climb out, though, but I got it after a few minutes. I closed the grate behind me and started taking in my surroundings. "Downtown. Not where I was expecting, but I can roll with this." I decided to pick a direction and start walking. I was walking farthing towards the center of downtown, and as I neared the center, I could tell that there was a lot of commotion happening. What's happening?

There was a large crowd of people cheering and shouting surrounding a raised platform. I was towards the back of the crowd, but I could still see what was happening on the raised platform. I've heard of this before, but I've never been downtown at the right time to see it.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said a large man in a black mask, only covering the upper half of his face. "Are you ready for a show?"

The crowd cheers and starts yelling even louder. I said nothing.

"I can't hear you!" The crowd was even louder this time. "That's the spirit. Let's bring on the willing contestant." Other people in gray masks pulled a man on stage, but not from the crowd. This guy was bound at the wrists and had a chain around his neck that one of the gray masked men held. The man was wearing rags and had dried blood in his hair and some fresh blood on his face. "Let's give this man a round of applause."

The crowd booed and threw various objects at the man, among which were rocks and eggs. "Now, this is my favorite part of the night. What fun activity will we have this contestant participate in tonight?"

"Hang him!" "Shock him!" "Tear his fingers off!" The crowd roared at this point. I still was silent. I knew what this could lead to, and I would never allow myself to participate in it. But there was nothing I could do to stop it, either. "Take his head off!"

"Oh, I like that idea." Said the man in the black mask. "Let's get the cleaver out!" The crowd was frantic, basically foaming at the mouth. The man in shackles did not react. I could tell he accepted his fate. I could also tell that he was a Flora.

It was disgusting. The Anti-Summon Mafia was running this like a circus show. They took the most frivolous enjoyment from the pain of Summoners. I could understand their enjoyment, except I take joy in the pain of those who get in my way. This Flora committed no crime, other than being born a Summoner, which was the most heinous crime to these people. They feared what they didn't understand, and at this rate, they never would understand.

One of the men in gray masks pulled on the collar of the man towards the center of the platform so everyone could see the event about to unfold. The man in the black mask was given a cleaver by someone else in a gray mask and held it up to the night sky proudly. "Are you all ready?"

The crowd roared in excitement. I stayed silent in the back. I knew how these things went down.  It was what the Blind Watch wanted to do, but couldn't since the law got in the way, even though it seems that there were none these days. The Blind Watch was nowhere to be seen when these showings happened. Probably because some of the officers were in the crowd.

"Let's get this show on the road!" One of the men in gray masks hit the Flora in the knees so he would kneel. He lifted his head to meet the gaze of the man in the black mask.