The Revolt | SLOW UPDATES

| Chapter Two |

Maxwell eventually found the contact's address, noticing that it was on the border of the kingdom of Acirema and the Outsiders' land. The house he arrived at looked deserted, half of it being burnt to the ground. The nearest neighbors to this small house were a mile away--seemingly near--but in Acirema, the buildings are no more than a foot apart, and that's only if you're lucky.

He hesitantly made his way over to the door, which was found to be missing and open to the world. He stepped inside and squinted to see in the cloudy, almost smoky darkness of the house.

"Hello?" Maxwell called out into the lonely structure. No answer. He took another step in when a small voice sounded from above him, echoing my words.

"Hello?"

He quickly looked up and saw a figure, dangling their legs over a beam. They appeared to have some sort of weapon in their hand as they watched his every move.

"Who are you?" Maxwell questioned.

"Who are you?" the feminine voice echoed once again.

He sighed. "I'm looking for Alton Eves."

"Alton Eves?" They lowered their weapon.

"Yes, Alton Eves. Do you know him?"

"I--Who are you?" they demanded.

"I'm just a curious man looking for answers. I need to find Alton Eves. Do you know him?" Maxwell repeated his question.

"He's dead. I suggest you take your questions and leave right now."

Maxwell took a step back and craned his neck to get a better view of this figure. They had their weapon raised, once again, and definitely wanted this stranger to leave.

"All right. But first, can I ask you a question?" Maxwell ventured once more.

The figure seemed to contemplate his offer with a sigh. "Okay."

Maxwell released a breath of relief and voiced the thoughts that were racing through his head. "Do you know anything about the recently discovered artifact? Pre-Destruction?"

They stayed silent for the longest moment. Maxwell stood there awaiting this stranger's reponse, hoping and praying they had the answers he was looking for.

Finally, the stranger moved to crawl down from the beam. They jumped off and landed a few feet in front of me, taking a few brisk strides forward to reveal their identity. Maxwell was surprised to see that it was just a girl, around the age of twenty, with long, wavy, dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her pale skin was smudged with dirt, her frame revealing the Kingdom's toll of life.

"Who sent you? Why do you want to know about the artifact?" 

Maxwell cringed slightly at the tone of her voice, harsh and cold. He shrugged it off and instead decided to focus on the fact that she definitely knew something about the treasure he was searching for.

"No one sent me," he lied smoothly, "I heard the rumors and was told that Alton Eves had information."

"But why do you want information?" the woman raised her choice of weapon, which was a staff, "For power? To report to the King?"

Maxwell frowned. "Who said I had any ulterior motives except that I'm curious?"

"Nobody would risk so much for curiosity," she scoffed and waved her hand.

Maxwell crossed his arms and looked straight into her deep brown eyes. Behind the cold exterior, he saw fear. "What's so risky?"

"You really are ignorant, aren't you?" The woman lowered her weapon.

With a shrug, he raised my hands in the air. "I'm curious for a reason, you know."

Instead of replying, the stranger walked across the room and disappeared through a doorway. Maxwell decided not to follow, not wanting to be kicked out after getting so close to the answers.

She returned in a few short minutes, carrying a stack of papers in one hand and her staff in the other. She threw the papers down at Maxwell's feet and took a step away, arms crossed.

"That's all I know."

Maxwell slowly picked up the paper on the top of the pile. His eyes scanned the page, looking for the information he needed. His eyes suddenly stopped scanning and widened briefly, glancing back up at the young woman in front of him.

"Alton Eves discovered the artifact?"

The woman sighed, casting a glance out the window. "I can't discuss anything with you here. We need to go somewhere more secretive." She abruptly turned back and grabbed the pile, yanking the paper from Maxwell's hand, and motioned for him to follow her out the door. Maxwell silently obeyed, confused, and followed the stranger out into the darkness that now covered the Kingdom.

It took the two about ten minutes to get to the private place she was taking them. They were nearing the Gorge, a giant crack in the earth's crust. No one had ever tried to get to the other side of this gap, and anyone who tried to go around it had never been seen again. Including your father.

Maxwell shook the thought away and noticed the woman had dashed into an old, abandoned building that was intricately built, and leaning towards the Gorge. Is this even safe? he thought, cautiously making his way towards her.

The woman peered her head outside the building and frowned, beckoning him to hurry up. He rolled his eyes and picked up the pace to meet her.

Once inside the structure, she motioned him to follow her down, underneath the building, through a small hatch. Maxwell hesitantly mirrored her actions and found himself in a giant room, papers scattered throughout; he decided that this place had formerly been used as an office. The dark, dirt floor had stirred up dust, and the stone walls chilled the cave-like room, blocking any daylight that Acirema just might offer.

"Here," the woman threw the papers down onto a table in the middle of the room and took a seat, leaning back with her staff.

Maxwell followed suit, sitting down across from her and grabbing the first sheet of paper. He read to himself the first few lines of, what he assumed to be, Eves' journal.

I've discovered an ancient artifact, which dates back to Pre-Destruction. Somehow, it has been preserved all these years, not even a tear on any single page, not a word smudged. I believe it was an important book, for no book would be as well preserved as this one is.

As Maxwell glanced up, the woman across from him said, "That is my father's journal. He wrote down everything he ever discovered, but he never wrote very much about the artifacts, as to make sure nothing would end up in the wrong hands," she paused, her voice softening as she continued, "I know this discovery must have been important, or else he wouldn't have written so extensively about it. He literally gave his life for this artifact."

With a stone-like expression, Maxwell gripped the paper even more tightly in his hands, knowing exactly who was to blame for her father's death.

"What's your name?"

The woman looked straight into his eyes, holding a long, hard, gaze that conveyed pain, hesitation, and determination.

"Farrah. Farrah Eves."