Elysium

Chapter 14: The Skull Princess

The scene on the road was a mix of a very confusing chaos and an orchestrated order where every wonder, every horror, seemed to follow a manuscript. While my ears were still ringing, my eyes registered things in no particular order, like in a slowed-down movie. And indeed, it was like a scene from a circus.

Sun was still shining. Smoke and flames were climbing up from the destroyed Palatine vehicle. I saw the skinny silhouettes of copper-skinned mahis surround the burning vehicle and investigate the one Palatine who had stepped out of the vehicle and was still lying on the ground. A horrible burned mass of human flesh was visible behind the wheel and I quickly turned my eyes away to avoid seeing three or four similar ones of those who had sat on the back seat.

The monkey was running around on the road, frolicking in a jubilant mood, and finally it came to the handsome youth, Max the Elder, who had called himself Ramez the Knight Demonslayer. I got it - it had been the monkey who had delivered the bomb.

The imposing figure of Privy Counsellor Marsapin, who had just a moment ago been in control of our fates, had suddenly turned apathetic at his defeat. His pompous brocade costume seemed very misplaced on this scene of gruesome ambush on a forest road. He did not even resist when one of the twins took his wrists and bound them behind his back, grinning to his brother. I thought I even saw a silent sigh of relief on Marsapin's face, and his shoulders sunk as he had been ripped off his supremacy.

"A hotshot, eh?" I read from the custodian's lips, and Ramez gave him a thumb up. "A high-level prisoner", the Knight responded to his man. The monkey was running around his legs, seeking recognition from its master, too.

However, Captain Kush did not take it as calmly as his boss. He tried to surprise the other twin by a sudden push when taken to the side from the car, but the custodian tackled him and pushed him against the car, threatening him with the titan weapon.

"Do it!" Kush seemed to direct his nearly unuttered words to his boss, the Privy Counsellor. I saw it on his lips while my ears were still locked. Marsapin, however, avoided looking at his captain, who stared at him intensively even when the custodian bound his wrists. Still, when both of our Palatine captors were walked towards the forest edge, Kush was struggling while Marsapin seemed completely sunk in his inner world.

I saw Lohengrin grinning with his silver teeth, and he, too, had a titan-made weapon in his hand. He came to the front car, which was full of bullet holes, and he approached the two vigilantes, whose hands were still cuffed behind their backs. Lohengrin peeped on them, registered their handcuffs, he seemed to sniff them - for fear, or whatever - and grinned again towards our direction. Seeing Lohengrin among the Resistance fighters relieved me. It meant they had to know who we were. It meant they had come for us.

"If I were you", I said to Ramez, who was nearest to me of their squad, "I wouldn't release those two from their cuffs yet. They are vigilantes who were working for Red Lefuet. They held us captive until the Palatines came."

For some reason, I found it easy to speak to this Resistance leader, maybe because his likeness with Max made him seem familiar.

"Worry not", said Ramez. "They won't hurt you anymore."

Not that the miserable figures of Allan and Bogos seemed like they were able to hurt anyone. Except perhaps themselves. They were taken to the forest edge, too.

The mahi warriors had discovered the Palatine regular lying on the roadside by the blown-up car was still alive. They pulled him up quite rudely and took his weapons. They even ripped the Palatine's cloak off him, grimacing with their teeth and glaring at the tall and muscular yet scared man with their large, dark eyes.