The Cyber Wars Part 1 Beginnings

Chapter 4 Houses, Changes

After Marco finished telling the Matza's what had occurred the previous night, Audrey was in tears, and threw a small tantrum. Screaming about how she wanted to see her brother, how she wanted him to come home so he could sleep on his bed. Her father picked her up and carried her away without saying a word to the Cyber-Soldiers.

The soldiers stood there for a few more moments, before resuming their walk. As he began walking, tears streamed down Marco's face as well.

When the Cyber-Soldiers were out of sight, the path made by the people quickly disappeared.

As they walked, Katina heard people talking.

"How terrible."

"S'what you get for wanting to play hero."

"Nice to know what our hard earned money is going towards. Deaths."

"We wouldn't have moments like that if the government kept everyone inside the cities."

Katina sighed, tears threatening to fall from behind her eyelids.

"C'mon Katina." Ham said as he put his hand on her shoulder. Katina nodded sadly.

Katina and Ham followed Niko to his parent's bakery. There, the Martins siblings traded some firewood for three loaves of bread. Then they said their goodbyes to Niko and his parents, and made their way back to their own house farther down the road, wagon in tow.

At first, the two of them walked in silence, before Katina said "That was sad, Ham. Horrible."

Ham frowned and nodded.

Katina clenched her fists.

"Why do they do this? Why do they have to hurt us so much? Why do they have to keep us trapped like this? The witches and dragons! Why?" Katina cried "Why...oh it's all so stupid."

Ham sighed, then nodded his head in agreement.

For the rest of their walk, Katina calmed down, and they walked in silence.

When they reached the rectangular box that was their house, Ham reached down and took out the house key that he kept hidden under his foot inside his shoe. He always told Katina that it was good luck.

Ham turned the key in the lock and opened the door.

"Mom! Dad!" He called.

"We're home!" Katina finished.

Their mother, Anne Martins, replied from the kitchen.

"Hey you two! Would you mind putting that wood you two better have collected in the shed?" She requested.

"No problem mom!" Katina answered. She turned and saw Ham handing her the handle to the wagon.

"What?" She asked.

"Put it away." He said.

"Why me?" Katina asked.

"Because I collected it, so now you have to put it away." Ham answered.

"I helped!"

"You chopped what, eight, and put the in the wood in the wagon. I had to chop like, 20, or something. The least you can do now, is put it away."

"Fine, fine. No need to get preachy."

Katina walked out back, to where the shed was, opened it up, then began emptying out the wagon. Katina could hear Ham from inside.

"Hey mom! We also got some bread from the Kandines!" He practically shouted.

"Oh thank you Hamay! This is perfect!" Their mom replied.

"Whatever." Katina muttered.

When Katina was finished putting the wood away and came back into the house, her father, David Martins, made his way down the stairs. Katina's face lit up.

"Hi dad!" She greeted.

"Hello Katina, Hamay. You're back with firewood I hope." He said.

"It's already in the shed, dad." Katina said proudly, and her father smiled.

"Okay, dinner's ready!" Katina's mother announced.

"Let's eat!" Katina exclaimed.

~~~

While the Martins were eating their dinner of carrots, bread, and chicken, David Martins made an announcement.

"I'm getting a promotion." He announced casually. Katina almost choked.

"Seriously dad?" Ham asked, and his father nodded.

David was a surgeon who worked at the local government owned hospital. However, Katina didn't quite understand what position he was going to get, for he was already the Head Surgeon at the hospital.

"Promotion to what?" Her mother asked.

"The Head Surgeon at the Dinnuse branch." He answered. His family gasped.

"Dinnuse?" Ham repeated.

"Isn't that in City Newn?" Katina asked, and her father nodded proudly.

"Mm hmm. Apparently their previous Head Surgeon had a mental breakdown or something, and is no longer fit for the job. When he heard about this, my boss recommended me. I ended up getting accepted!" He explained.

"So that means, that we're moving?" Ham asked.

"Yup! To City Newn!" David said.

"Congratulations, dear." Anne said.

"When?" Katina asked.

"Sometime next month I believe." He answered.

Ham frowned. "We have to tell Niko. And the Kandines." He said.

David's smile disappeared.

The Martins had been good friends with the Kandines for a long time. Especially Katina, Ham, and Niko. They were practically inseparable. Such a drastic change could be devastating to them.

David Martins sighed. "Yes, I suppose they do have to be told."

Katina poked her chicken.

"Katina," her father said "after you're done your done your dinner, come up to the attic alright? I have something I want to show you, or rather, give you."

"Okay dad." Katina replied.

The attic. What could her father possibly want to give her that he would keep in the attic?