In A BALLAD OF BROTHERS, fifteen-year-old Achim Arbitor searches for the last living member of his family; his brother. To that end, he wanders the ruin of an old world aided by powers believed to be a gift of God.
Years have passed since his quest...
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"This. This explains a lot," said a tired Achim.
Mave blinked before her scowl reset. "...You seem awfully calm for someone with a battalion's worth of guns and explosives trained on you," she replied. Indeed she had been perplexed, but she shoved the guns into his eyes with mounting force. "And yet you did not answer the question."
"Look lady! I didn't do anything, okay," said Achim. The outburst agitated his injuries causing him to curl in pain. "Ugh...I saved your stupid daughter from the thing that did this to me. That thing that I kicked into those buildings over there." He pushed her weapons out of his immediate space. "Would you stop," said the dark boy, clearly more annoyed than threatened.
Mave paused. Her mind assessed and reassessed every possibility. She then acted and gave her orders. "Colonel," said Mave. Colonel Damian, the first gun at her back, nodded. "Marshal a small force to surround the section where The Beast was pushed back. The impact caused the building to collapse on top of it, but I doubt it's dead under there. Be careful."
"Yes, Warden General," said the colonel.
"Lieutenant Delen, if it has not been done already, move the civilian to transport," Mave commanded. "I want her in urgent care by the end of the hour, and I need her out of the area yesterday."
"Yes, Warden General," said the lieutenant.
"The rest of you," said Mave. "Explosives front and center. Bring me a grenade for my personal use, on the double. Hold your fire until I give the order. If anyone fires before my mark, I will personally deal with you." Her dark eyes never pulled from Achim as she sounded her orders, but when she did refer to him, Mave pressed the firing end of her weapons against Achim's cheek. "Now for you, Mr. Arbitor. Seeing as you fought this thing and survived, what are our odds?"
There was a silent domineering that thickened the air around the two of them. The domineering was hers. The dark boy could only resist it, if capable. Alas, he seemed far too comfortable beneath the weight of her ego than Mave personally preferred. In fact, the dark boy stared at her as if he saw something eerily familiar. She could only wonder for so long, for The Beast stirred beneath the debris.
"Quickly, Mr. Arbitor!"
Achim scoffed. "Yeah well, your kid distracted me during the fight." He wiped his face of filth "Either way, I doubt you guys stand a chance. Not if all you've got is a bunch of toys."
"This is not the time for posturing, Mr. Arbitor Did you or did not get defeated in a clean, open contest of strength," asked Mave. The ruins began to rumble louder. The Beast was about to emerge. "Answer," Mave shouted.
"Naomi got in the way, b-but only at first," Achim confessed.
"So you did lose." Mave thought aloud. "Was it a close fight?"
"I-I mean I'm faster, but it can take a lot more hits," said Achim
