Civ 57

[Arellia]

Well...it's long, yes, but I wanted to get feedback on it. It's technically 6 pages, but it just looks like a lot. I have more, too, if anyone wants it...anyhow.

Civ 57

�Is it clear yet, Anyi?�

�I�err�� Anyi stuck her head cautiously around the side of the house, and then retracted it quickly, �Nope.�

Coril sighed and leaned back against the stone wall, slipping unceremoniously to the ground. The light had long faded from the Nurs, the only illumination the moon which had decided to grace them with its presence.

Anyi sat down beside him and closed her dark eyes. Her wild black hair stuck out frizzed in every direction, hiding her face from the world. She idly tugged at the tear in the thigh of her gray uniform. The edges of the fabric had begun to fray, and were exceedingly irritating when it brushed up against the new dagger wound beneath.

Coril held his head in his hands. �How much longer ya� think
they�ll be?�

Anyi immediately quit fidgeting with her uniform. �I don�t know�I heard the Jucks talkin�, and they said there�s enough for everyone.�

Coril reached down and pulled out his blade. It was a very small knife, maybe only four inches long, but it was a heck of a lot better than nothing. He twirled it around, mildly amused by how pretty it glinted in the moonlight. There weren�t many pretty things back in the Locks; he�d take any sight he could see.

�Everyone don�t include the Darks, though,� he remarked.

Anyi shrugged, �No, it doesn�t. But still�when they say there�s enough for the Pales, that�s usually twice what they mean. The Pales get everythin� in doubles.�

Coril shook his head and gazed up at the stars. Those were pretty, too�they shone real nice. Can�t see the stars from the Locks.
�I don�t know if joinin� the Korta was such a great idea.� he
mumbled.

Anyi socked him hard in the shoulder, �You don�t mean that!
The Korta�re the best thing that�s ever happened to us.�

Coril glared, �Yeah? That the best thing that ever happened to your leg?�

Anyi protectively touched the wound, �If it weren�t for the Korta, the Darks all woulda� starved weeks ago. Those Pales needed to learn their lesson. Besides. That Con? The one who stabbed me? He came out �lot worse than I did.�

Coril crossed his arms over his chest, right across the yellow stripe that ran from his left shoulder to his right. It was slender, but for all it stood for it could just as well cover his whole body. The Cons were the worst. A terror organization, it worked much like the Korta. Only they were Pales. The Cons weren�t fighting for anything, they were just fighting to be fighting. �I don�t like it, all this fighting. You�re gonna� get hurt.�

Anyi rolled her eyes, �I�m just as good as any of you boys. I�m actually better than most of ya�.�

�I didn�t say that.� he groaned, �I just don�t want you getting hurt, okay? You�re almost my sister. I gotta� look out for ya�.�

Anyi shoved him, but there was a smile on her face, �I outta� be the one looking out for you. You�re too young to be with stuff like this, I told you that.�

Coril grunted, �I�m only three years younger than you. Not that different.�

�Yeah, but fourteen�s way too young to be doin� stuff like this. Even seventeen is. I�m just pointing out a fact.�

Coril shrugged, �They gone yet?�

Anyi stood up quietly, placing her dark hands against the gray stone wall and peered around the corner. The street before her was wide and empty, not a soul out there. Not even any guards in front of the Juck station. There were a few houses around--tall, two storied gray stone buildings, all the same. The Juck station was short and cubed, without any windows or even a door. Just an archway.

�Yep.� Anyi said, �They�re all gone.�

Coril let out a long-held breath. He didn�t think he could take another fight.

�Hey! Don�t put away that blade. There�s no one here now. That could change real quick, kid.�

Coril nodded and gripped the smooth, red handle tightly. Anyi didn�t have a weapon. She�d given up hers to some kid a few days ago. That was nice, of course, but it was dangerous to be walking around the Nurs with nothing but your hands. Although, where Anyi was concerned, her hands were pretty darn daunting. This wouldn�t make much of a difference in an all-out bust, though. The Nurs belonged to the Jucks, and the Jucks were not to be toyed with. The Jucks were all Pales. Supposedly, they were impartial; policeman, even. That was a lie.

The looked up and down the street quickly. Pales found it fun to jump the Darks, they could be hiding anywhere. When they determined it was okay, they crossed. Anyi was rather short, and very wiry. She could tuck and roll right through the Nurs in the middle of the day and get away with it. She bent to the ground and somersaulted the rest of the way across the street.

Coril was far less agile. It wasn�t like he was very big or anything. He wasn�t especially tall, nor especially short, and his muscle mass was practically non-existent. He really wasn�t much good at all to the Korta, and was rather surprised they kept him around. He had little or no special skills, so what use could he be to a group of renegade resistance fighters? He didn�t really get it.

Coril came up next to Anyi, both were clinging to the Juck station wall. So far, so good--no sign of any Pales. But as Anyi said, that was subject to rapid, staggering change. If fifty Pales would have jumped out from the shadows of the tall houses, Coril wouldn�t have been surprised in the least.

Anyi peered into the Juck station. It was too dark to see much inside of it, but as far as she could see, there weren�t any Pales inside. Amongst the shadow, she could make out a collection of crates, marked with a red circle. Those were the blankets, alright. And the food, too. This was way too easy. She reached down to a pocket on her right leg and withdrew a smooth, metallic-y pen-looking thing. It was perhaps only the length of her forefinger, but it was her prized possession. She�d cut off the hand of a Juck to get it three weeks ago. It was unmarked, but for the small black button on one side. She pressed it, and a beam of light shot out into the station. She found very little. A few wooden desks, some papers, locked up weapons cabinets, crates encompassing the entire middle of the room. All the usual stuff.

Anyi motioned for Coril to follow her. He gulped. Blood was
pounding in his ears, and he could feel perspiration on his brow. He hated this. Absolutely hated it.

Anyi whipped inside the station and continued to sweep with her �Light Stick.� It was like a warehouse in here, and it was large. With all the desks and crates, Pales could be hiding anywhere. She bet more than anything they were.

They stood in the doorway. Coril was turned around, watching Anyi�s back. If anyone came at them from the street, it was his duty to warn her.

��hello?� Anyi said softly. No response. She continued, her words painfully slow, and stepped farther into the station, ��is anyone in here�?�

Coril nearly chuckled. �Anyone in here?� Heh. As if they�d say so if there was.

Anyi, her eyes still darting from shadow to shadow, bent down and opened a wooden crate with the red mark. Coril stood over her, his blade at the ready. The silence was more frightening than anything. He hated silence. He hated sneaking around. He hated stealing. He hated feeling threatened at every corner.

He hated the entire mission in general.

�What�ve ya� got?� he whispered.

Anyi rummaged through the crate, �Rations�med kits�blankets�ooh, matches��

Coril nudged her with his foot, �Hurry up. We only need one.�

Anyi snorted, �But with two-�

�We can�t carry two.� Coril hissed. He jumped, and looked into a corner. Did that shadow move�? No, no. There was nothing.

Anyi sighed, �Yeah, yeah, yeah�� She closed the crate and grimaced as she hauled it up. It was very large, and obviously very heavy. She wouldn�t be able to fight.

�I told you Moren shoulda� come �long, but oh, no, never listen
to me�� Coril grumbled as they exited. Anyi shrugged back at him, and they began walking across the street, down the alley beside the house they�d been hiding around. All they�d have to do now was walk all the way down the alley, sneak past the guard gates, and crawl down into the Locks.

Coril glanced behind him halfway across the street. Did that shadow-? Nah, of course not.

�Stop jumping like that!� Anyi told him, grunting as she tried to hold up the crate, �You�re makin� me jittery.�

Coril shook his head and past the first house of the alley, �Sorry.� he mumbled.

�Don�t be so tense. We�re doin� just fine.�

Coril passed the blade from knuckle to knuckle, attempting to keep himself from shaking too much. �I don�t like getting jumped. �Specially when I�m alone.�

�You�re not alone.� she remarked.

�May as well be. You can�t fight while you�re holdin� that thing.�

�I�ll drop it if anyone comes, okay?�

Coril sighed, �Yeah. Sure.�

They walked in silence a moment, the gravel keeping time to their steps. Coril�s hands were shaking at his sides. He hated it. Absolutely HATED it.

�Relax!� she hissed at him, �You need to be more confident.�

�I just�well, after Sil, I-�

He stopped mid-sentence and whorled around. Anyi halted, turning with him.

�What is-�

�Shh!� Coril gripped his hands in fists. He had seen something. Behind that house over there�and on top of that empty crate�

They were being followed.

Anyi felt it, too. She set the crate down behind her, her short body casting a shadow long over the gravel alleyway. She spread her legs a little wider, hands on her hips--just as she always did before a fight.

�Get out here, ya� damn cowards!� She yelled.

There was a shift in the wind--if it was Coril�s imagination or if it was real, he couldn�t tell. A rock skittered across the street from behind a house.

�What?� she taunted loudly, �Ya� too scared to come out �n fight me?�

Coril shivered, his blade slipping in his sweaty palm. He hated it when she did that. There was no reason to taunt people who already wanted them dead. No reason at all.

She had that mischievous grin on her face as she flipped her hair behind her shoulders, her dark skin eerie in the moonlight. She popped her knuckles and shifted her feet, �Game�s up, we know you�re there. Come on, lets not play like this. Get out here.�

She was silent. The wind blew dust across the alley, making it even more dramatic. Coril grit his teeth.

One rose from behind the empty crate. Another two from behind one of the houses. Four from a shadowy corner� All tall, most blonde, all with an orange stripe, all pale.

�There�s too many-!�

�HUSH!� Anyi snapped at Coril, who was now standing slightly behind her.

She paced, a wild animal in her cage. Coril swallowed. He hated this even more. They were all tall, muscular guys--at least eighteen, a couple might have been twenty or older.

They were dismally out-matched, but Anyi obviously couldn�t see it. One short seventeen-year-old girl and a fourteen-year-old boy with no business fighting with a knife, let alone his own two hands against seven well-built guys. It was hopeless.

The boys gathered together only meters away from them. The tallest, most muscular one was in front. His had short, spiky white-blonde hair and sharp green eyes. There was no doubt about it.

�Forkien, that you?� Anyi called to the boy, stopping her pacing and again placing her hands on her hips.

The boy grinned evilly, �So, it�s you again, eh, Anyi?�

Anyi grinned back, �The one and only.�

�The Korta getting that desperate, huh? They recruitin� little girls t� do their dirty work?� The boys behind him laughed in immediate response. Anyi only shrugged.

�I think they�re just getting� smart. They know that the intelligence of men has been sapped up over the years, they�re pullin� out the good stuff now.�

Forkien chuckled, �Good stuff? You and the little runt?� he nodded to Coril, �Hey kid.�

Coril�s eyes darkened, ��Lo Forkien.�

Forkien returned his attention to Anyi, �You gonna� start runnin�, girl?�

Anyi chuckled, �Me? Nah.�

Forkien pulled out a long, black dagger, blood stained all the way to the hilt, �I�d start if I was you.�

�Look, Kien,� she said, �This ain�t your territory anymore �n it is ours.�

Forkien cocked an eyebrow, �Yeah? And that crate there, that yours? Huh?�

She shrugged again, �No, but ain�t yours neither.�

Forkien grit his teeth. �You�ve got to the count a� five. One.�

Anyi turned quickly to Coril, �Run. Take the crate and run.�

�I can�t leave you here, they�ll tear you to pieces.�

��Course not,� She smiled, �This is me you�re talkin� to. I got a way out. Just go.�

�Two��

Coril�s eyes darted, �But, I-�

�Three��

Anyi glared, �Go! Now! Before he�s done! Get out and run. If I�m not caught up with ya� in two hours, get Payai and come look for me.�

�Four��

�But-� Coril stammered.

�Get goin�!� Anyi screamed.

Coril bent down and struggled to pick up the box. His knees threatened to buckle under the strain, but he held tight and made a run for it as fast as his legs could carry him.

�Five!�

Coril wished more than anything he could turn around, run back to Anyi and try to help her, but he knew better. He could hear quick footsteps behind him, and he quickened his pace, still fighting to keep the crate in his arms. There were two trying to catch him--both were running top-speed behind him, both screaming out obscenities that Coril had never dared to speak before.

�Come back here, Dark!�

Coril clenched his jaw, calling all the muscles that there were
in his arms to the ready. The crate dug into his hips and chest as the many houses in the alley passed him, but he didn�t give up.

�Give it up, kid! Ya� dirty-�

Coril cringed and blocked out the rest of their shouts. Just keep running. Don�t let them have the satisfaction of making you mad. Run. Run as fast as you can.

The houses sped past him, but his pursuers continued. They were gaining on him, he could hear it. Not far now. He could see the tall stone tower on the side of a house only a few meters off. Beyond the moon-washed tower was a long plain, coming to a sudden halt at a long, flat, rusted metal surface that extended for over a half a mile in every direction. The Locks.

Five meters�
I hope there�s no guards out�
Four meters�
Anyi better not be dead�[i]
Three meters�
[i]No lights on, maybe they�re asleep�
Two meters�
THUNK

Coril hit the ground just outside the guard tower. One of the boys--a tall, skinny red-head, had grabbed him by the legs. The crate went flying and broke clean open at the hinges, the supplies scattering out across the street and into the plain.

Coril cried out as the red-head began relentlessly punching him in the back. Through hot tears he could make out the boy�s accomplice, a brown-haired kid, gathering up the crate�s contents.

�Stop!� he screamed between sobs, �Please! Please!� he cried out even louder, but the red-head wouldn�t let up. Coril reached down, struggling as his upper arms were pinned by the boy�s knees. His fingertips brushed the short knife--if he could get it, he might have a chance.

The pain in his back was almost to the point of blinding, but he fought it, if her hung on, if her could get the knife out of his pocket--

�Get�it�all!� called the red-head to the brown-haired kid. The
kid probably nodded, but Coril didn�t bother to check.

His fingers gripped the blade. Quickly as he could, he used adrenaline-derived strength to gouge the blade into the red-head�s lower thigh.

Blood poured over Coril�s fingers, and he cringed as the red-head screamed high and loud, and crumpled to the ground. Using the moment, Coril rolled onto his back, wincing at the pain it caused him. The other boy was running towards him, having abandoned the crate.

�Anyi!� he cried out at the top of his lungs. He couldn�t fight the boys under normal circumstances, and certainly not with what the red-head had done to him. �Anyi, help me! Anyi! Help!�

The brown-haired kid pinned him down and put a hand over his mouth. Coril didn�t make any move to struggle. He didn�t see it getting him anywhere.

�Shut up!� the Pale yelled at him.

The red-head was rising, the blood flowing from his thigh, �Just�kill him�quick�� he was gasping for breath. Served him right.

[Lord Borg]

This is awesome. Great details. Loved, how you explained the kids nerviousness and all. Keep up the good work!

[Arellia]

The other boy nodded. He reached into his pocket, for his own blade. He raised the knife high, one hand still on Coril�s mouth, and brought it crashing down to his throat. Coril closed his eyes�

�Ai!�

Anyi ran and jumped on top of the brown-haired kid, and they both went rolling across the alley. Coril struggled to sit up. Anyi�s gray uniform was drenched in blood. She hadn�t been followed by any of the Pales; either she�d killed them all, or they got scared. One of the two.

Anyi had a hold of the brown-haired kid�s throat, using her knees to keep the boy�s knife away from her. Her muscles pulsed savagely beneath her uniform as she did so. The red-head was making a move for his knife.

Using the last bit of strength he had, Coril dove for the red-head and pinned him down. He ran his own blade through the boy�s shoulder, every hair standing on end when the red-head screeched, high-pitched and piercing, and fell unconscious.

Anyi had a strong hold over the brown-haired boy. That kid was not getting away.

�You tryin� to kill my friend here, huh?� she said, �Huh?�

The Pale�s light blue eyes were huge in his head, and he tried to nod. He made a sickening choking sound.

"Anyi, let him go!� Coril yelled. He slumped down next to the red-head.

Anyi looked over at him, her eyes sparking fire. She kept her hold. �He doesn�t deserve to live!� she said through clenched teeth.

Coril felt the tears return to his eyes, �Don�t kill him, please. Anyi, don�t.�

Anyi looked down at the boy beneath her. With one last shove, she let go, �You get the hell outta� here, ya� hear me?�

The boy gasped for air and nodded, standing up. He was still nodding ever vigorously as he picked up his fallen comrade. He glared one more time at Coril, then ran as fast as possible away from the scene.

Coril collapsed on the ground and breathed deeply. The night air was cool on his skin, and heavenly to his lungs. He closed his eyes. Never. Never, ever�never again�

Anyi dusted herself off and kneeled down next to him, �You okay?� she said tentatively.

Coril squeezed his eyes closed, but nodded, �Yeah. I think so.�

She slapped him across the face. Coril looked up at her in shock, �Next time, that boy is mine. And you ain�t gonna� tell me I can�t kill him.�

Coril nodded, stunned by her words and actions. Anyi gripped his hand and pulled him swaggering to his feet. He leaned against her shoulder.

�Come on,� she said, �Let�s get you back to the Locks. You could use some sleep.�

Coril nodded. Sure. Sleep. After being jumped. Great.

Anyi gathered up the supplies and re-hinged the crate as best she could, and the two children made their way through the now-empty streets to the Locks�well, more like one. Coril was practically taking a piggy-back ride on Anyi, barely dragging himself along. Anyi didn�t say anything, but the thought that maybe he wasn�t �Okay� was surfacing in her mind.

Coril took a deep breath as they bent down to open the wooden hatch leading to the Locks, �Nice night, huh?�



They crawled down into the Locks; a long series of metal tunnels in which the Darks lived.

Coril collapsed onto the blankets that cushioned their fall to the otherwise stone floor. Anyi fell directly beside him, letting the crate�s contents spill and tumble across the floor.

This chamber, the only entrance to the Korta section of the Locks, was always kept free of people. There was a large metal door--circular, to match the shape of the tunnels--clamped shut not too far in front of them. Anyi pushed her rebellious black hair from her face and leaned over Coril. Coril lay on his back, moonlight streaming down on his face from the overhead hatch opening, was covered in bruises. Blood trickled from a scratch on his forehead, and another patch of blood was seen coiling around his navel and onto his back. His dark eyes were closed, and his breathing labored. Anyi frowned and touched him tenderly. He was too young. Way too young.

She let him lay there and stood, brushing herself off. One of the Pales had used a knife, and the shallow cuts on her arms and chest throbbed with great vigor. She sighed. Add a few more scars to her lovely little collection. Not to mention that her only uniform was now bore the loveliest little zigzag pattern, revealing her dirt-hued skin beneath.

She tapped on the metal door; the hollow sound echoed around the room. It was always kept barred shut--locked from the inside. She could hear a hand on the locking mechanism.

�Anyi? That you?� it whispered. It was the voice of Crit, the leader of the Korta.

�Yeah. Get the medic. Coril�s hurt.� Anyi said.

She heard movement and murmuring from the other side of the door.

�You get the crate?� The door had coincidently refused to open. Anyi was suddenly very glad she�d managed to carry the crate.

�Yeah.� she answered, �Well�not the crate itself, but��

�What?�

�Yeah, yeah! I got it. Just�it sort of broke��

There was an uncertain paused behind the door, �Okay. However it works for you.� She heard the loud �CLANK� of the door, and it swung open towards Crit.

Anyi smiled gratefully up at Crit, and he returned the gesture.

Crit was of average height, his skin a deep, dark brown color--almost a purple-y black pigment, and his eyes were just as dark. His hair was almost entirely shaved off. Only two months ago, he�d run into a burning house to retrieve some medical supplies, and his hair had only started to grow back. He was only 24, but he was an old man in mind and presence. He�d seen more than almost any of them, growing up in the Nurs without anyone to protect him.

He put a strong hand on her shoulder, �You�ve done well, Anyi. Both of you.�

Anyi smiled brighter, �You think so?�

Crit nodded, �Yes. Now, go get some rest. We�ll take care of Coril.�

�But I-�

Crit held up a hand, �Anyi, he�ll be fine. We�ve all taken our beatings, and we all know how to deal with them. He�ll be just fine.�

Anyi sighed and nodded. She pushed past him and into the Locks, leaving Crit to his work.

An older medic, Yetrid, his hair in a gray puff atop his head, stopped before passing her, �Anyi! Your arms!�

Anyi shrugged wearily, �It�s okay. Hardly pierced the skin.�

Yetrid looked skeptical, �Stop by my home in the morning, I�ll fix a salve.�

Anyi�s eyebrows raised, �Don�t you ever sleep?�

The large man laughed, �Of course not. In the morning, Anyi.�

�Yeah, sure.�

Yetrid walked carefully around her and entered the receiving room. He bent down with a grace unbefitting a man so very tall, and kneeled next to a now-unconscious Coril. He looked like a giant over the little fourteen-year-old, but watching his large hands stroke the young boy�s cheek so very gently, it was apparent that he might be a giant, but he was a loving giant. He began to pick up Coril�s limp body, but Anyi didn�t stay around to watch. Crit was on the ground, picking up the contents of the crate. He shot her a quick smile.

[Lord Borg]

Great addition. I admire Anyi's strength. Keep up the good work, I look foward to more