Skeletons of the Past: Chapter 14

Collection: Age of Youth
Chronicled by: Ghasty

​ “Please, allow me and my two partners to stay,” Mictecacihuatl pleaded to Petra. “Why should I?” Petra asked heartlessly.
“We have failed a contract with the Authority to kill Aileen Eochaidh, Lacea Elmstone, Lukas Kenway, MechLaughlin, and Xanthia Sanna. We would be hunted down by the Authority and executed if we aren’t allowed to stay.”
“Why should I care?”
“We could be useful assets. We’re professionals in fighting, stealth, and tracking.”

“I will have a conversation with my advisors, and I will let you know what the outcome is.” Petra then turned to address the three other fighters. “Anzhelina Naoumov, Khachatur Panosyan, Zenon Iordanou, you shall be exiled from this place.” Petra then began to address Hallr, Jehan, and Melody. “You three may do what you will with these three, just make sure they don't come back here, and that they don’t go to Authority City.” Anzhelina, Khachatur, and Zenon knew it was useless to try to argue with Petra. They knew their fate was final. Petra turned and left, followed by Marius, Mech, and Ren. While Petra was walking away, Hallr, Jehan, and Melody escorted Anzhelina, Khachatur, and Zenon away. Petra suddenly turned back around.
“Eoin, Lukas, bring the Harbingers to the mess hall. And Desmofýlax, Lacea, and Xanthia, follow us,” Petra commanded. Petra then continued to head to the meeting room, now with six in tow. The seven entered the hall and took their seats around the table. Once they were all seated Ren began speaking.
“Petra, you know what the right decision is. We need to off the Harbingers!” Ren proclaimed.
“And why do you believe that?” Mech asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? They’ll bring about nothing but ruin! They’ll cause the Authority to hunt us down!”
“Do you not know that we are already being hunted? It is only a matter of time before we are found. The Harbingers will not cause that any quicker. What do you fear?”
“They could trick us, they could kill us, they could reveal t the Authority where we are!”
“We could keep 24/7 surveillance on them so they do not do something.”
“We can also re-imprison them if they act up,” Desmofýlax chimed in.
“You can’t safeguard the inevitable!” Ren yelled.
“And the inevitable is what?” Xanthia asked.
“That we will be killed!”
“Have you no hope?” Mech asked.
“What good is hope? Hope is no good in the face of a gun or at the edge of a blade. Hope without action is nothing. Don’t you all, with your ‘logical’ minds, not realize the downside to hoping?” Ren lashed out.
“Do you not realize the power of hope? Revolutions are built on hope. And you, dear sir, are part of one of the greatest revolutions of all time.”
“The scripture does say ‘In you our fathers hoped; they hoped, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they hoped, and were not put to shame’. If hoping in God worked for those before us, there is the chance it will work for us,” Petra stated.
“Okay, so say I have hope. What good will it do against the repetition of the past?” Ren asked.
“We will stop that from happening.”
“How?”
“We won’t be completely actionless, but we will not kill these people. They will be allowed to stay under supervision. This is the final say in the matter,” Petra announced. Ren forcefully stood up, which caused his chair to move backwards. Ren began to move to the door.
“What’re you doing? You haven’t been dismissed yet,” Petra asked.
“I’m going to go do what needs to be done,” Ren responded as he unholstered his pistol.
“You will go back to your seat and relinquish your firearm. This is a direct order!” Petra commanded.
“What are you going to do?” Ren scoffed, “Shoot me?”
“Yes.” A gunshot was heard, followed by the echo in the small room. Petra and the five seated people clutched their ears as the echo hit. When they regained their sense of hearing they looked towards Ren.
“He’ll be fine, it was just an aeon dart,” Petra reassured. Petra had stood up to fire, and had now seated herself back in her chair.
“Rogue behavior such as that of Ren’s will not be tolerated,” Petra stated. The five were still in a daze of the events that unfolded.
“Desmofýlax, take Ren’s firearm and carry him to the holding cells. Lacea, go and inform the Harbingers they have been granted permission to stay. You are all dismissed,” Petra commanded. Slowly, the five began to file out of the room. As Mech was leaving, Petra pulled him aside.
“Don’t make me regret my decision,” Petra said.
“You won’t,” Mech assured.
“And Mech, I need security devices installed. These recent events cannot be allowed to happen again.”
“Understood. Xanthia and I will get to that right away.”
“Thank you. You are dismissed.”