Free The Rising Sun: Episode 2 by J Hawk

back, completely unperturbed. Then,
without another word, the group of them turned and marched back to
the open balcony behind.
     
    Mantra stood on the spot for a moment, his
white eyes pinned over Ion for the meanest of moments. Then, he too
turned and strode off. As Ion saw him walk off, he gave in to the
impulse he’d been holding back all this while.
     
    “The girl you told me of…”
     
    Mantra halted at the balcony door, slowly
turning to face him again.
     
    “Vestra … that was her name, wasn’t it?” Ion
could sense the brush of emotion in his own voice. “What’s become
of her?”
     
    Mantra turned fully, and Ion thought he saw
something flicker in the depths of those calm white eyes …
something dark. It made a sudden tingle of concern awaken within
Ion.
     
    “She’s still with you guys, right?” he asked,
feeling his voice lower worrisomely. “She’s … fine?”
     
    While the rest of the masters collected
outside the balcony around the hover car, waiting, Mantra stood at
the door, his eyes frozen over Ion. The two of them stood with
their gazes locked for a passing series of seconds.
     
    “There is nothing I can say which can make
you change your mind?” Mantra asked finally, his voice strangely
quelled.
     
    Ion gave a firm shake of his head.
     
    Mantra watched him for another quiet second,
and then smiled. “She’s fine.”
     
    And with that, he turned and headed out into
the balcony. He climbed into the back of the hover car, along with
the five other masters. The car’s engine gave a soft growl as it
slowly floated a few feet off the ground. Then, with a swift,
leaping motion, it had turned and soared off.
     
    __________
     
     
    The nightly streets hung with a faint layer
of mist, one that immersed the entire city in an aura of gloom. The
partially inhabited city had a dozen or so completely torn down,
abandoned buildings for every locality. The silence of the soulless
streets was interrupted by occasional brushes of wind, which came
howling feebly into the night. The structures lined against both
sides of the street, rising into the misty air, were all varying in
their size. Some of them were small, stout and humble. Others were
large and intimidating, climbing to more than ten storeys. All of
them were of concrete build, but with a long eroded glamour.
     
    Through the clear silence, a pair of
footsteps could be heard carrying down the misty lane in a
deliberate, slow pace. Then, the silhouette of a thin, tall figure
formed over the curtain of mists. His outline grew clearer through
the mists as he approached. It was a young man with unkempt red
hair, and a meek tinge of orange upon his skin. He had his hood
drawn, his hands tucked deep in his pockets, his head facing the
ground before him as he slowly walked forth.
     
    As he continued his deliberate, slow stride,
his face lowered to the ground below, something in his thought
absorbed gaze drifted with a mixture of pain and emotion. His
orange eyes were in a state of far off thoughtfulness. Ion had
deposited the hover bike that he’d stolen back to the parking lot,
and had then walked this remaining distance to reach the apartment
he’d left earlier on. As he reached the side of the building, he
turned and headed in without bothering to look up.
     
    Pushing his way through the flight of stairs,
he climbed to the fourth storey, and headed down the long corridor.
At the end of which lay a room door leading to his room. The entire
building felt eerily lifeless and still, but nothing found his
attention as he slowly walked down the dusty corridor. Reaching the
door at the other end, he wrenched the door open and stepped in.
Closing the door behind him, he turned and faced the small one
roomed flat, with the table and the broken cot … His eyes wandered
across the small, dark space that made the room. The only
illumination came from the faint rays of starlight from the balcony
door at the other side, which created a small, well