The Venerate Order

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Strafe

The sun had set, leaving me under a dark sky.

Two moons orbited this planet, each one a different color. The closer I got to town, the clearer I heard the screams of the people being pulled up in the beam of the hulking Sky-Ship.

The ship was magnificent to behold. Completely quiet and sleek, its surface gleamed in its vast entirety, reflecting the moonlight. I wanted to take a closer look at it, so I held the orb attached on the hilt of the God Blade to my eyes. The orb puzzled me; slightly fish-eyed but crystal clear, it did more than just magnify. Text moved all around the circumference, like the ancient text on the cave walls. I tried my best to read it, so I pulled the sword closer. Gripping it tighter, I heard a "clicking" sound. Afterward, the vision changed.

The view was now filtered with a turquoise tint. Still, I could clearly see the outlines of all the people. I noticed that the civilians were identified by a circle above their heads and the soldiers with a triangle. What the hell are they doing with these people?

From what I could tell, they were attempting to herd the entire population of the town into the ship. I made it to one of the houses and climbed up on the garage. From that position, I could see scuffles break out between the civilians and soldiers. Using the orb, I saw one of the soldiers execute one of the civilians right in front of his family. It was hard to watch.

One after another they kept rounding the people up. I decided I needed to help them, but...how? I was startled when the sword maneuvered to attach itself to my leg. If I wanted to use it, I could but if I brought it down to my leg it would stay there, floating within my reach. The orb had dimmed to black as if it knew we had to stay hidden. I began to make my way around the city, avoiding the soldiers and sticking to the shadows.

The evening fog made it easier to stay out of sight. As I approached the center of the town, I knew I would have to watch my step. The soldiers were patrolling for any remaining townsfolk.

By then, the town was eerily deserted and quiet. I crept through backyards and darted across streets. There were a few times when I thought I might've been seen by a patrol. Before long, I made it to a neighborhood close to the tractor beam of the Sky-Ship and heard some rustling sounds coming from one of the houses. Debris had littered the yard and it looked like a war had been waged down the street. The house seemed to be abandoned. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a group of soldiers so I darted my way in through the front door.

The house looked similar to homes back on Earth, except that red lights lined the walls, and they were pulsating. I looked at a floating LED panel near a staircase that read,

"Warning! Seek shelter immediately! Enemy attack in progress. Evacuation lights activated."

The grip on my sword tightened.

Pictures on the walls now lay scattered on the floor, and all of the furniture had been broken up. With each step, I tried to remain as quiet as possible. Part of me wanted to run away as fast as I could. In the corner of the room, I sensed some movement and I drew my sword as quick as lightning. Raising up a blanket, I found a homeless woman.

"Zixin?" she whispered.

"Zixin? My name is Strafe. Who are you?" I whispered in reply as I lowered the sword.

"Strafe? It can't be...You look so much like him," the woman replied. She stayed sitting.

"Where are we? Why are you calling me my brother's name?" I asked as I knelt down.

"Apologies. My name is Rose. I have lived in this house for years since it was abandoned. The resemblance is outstanding, between you and Zixin," Rose explained.