Status: Active, but moving slowly
Justice and Mercy
Chapter 2: Darklands
Chapter 2
Outskirts
Mercy
Vallesmere was a large city, a speck of light in the darkness of a toxic world. Little was known about the Time Before. There had been other cities out there. Perhaps they remained. Vallesmere used to do trade with them, until the Great War. One city started a fight with another, and then other cities picked sides, and fought. Fought until nobody knew who they were fighting any more, and all that anyone knew was they had to fight to save their own. Men trampled the earth, stamping out all other life. Cut down trees for forts and weapons. Killed each other in the thousands and animals in their millions. Until Vallesmere built high, tall walls around the city. We watched from the inside as the other Kingdoms fought, dying until nobody was left to die. We watched inside the city walls, as the earth died. There was no known life outside of Vallesmere. Those who ventured out never returned from the desert. Outside of the main city there were a few huts, where farmers fought to make the land fertile once more, and the past few years have seen them successful. It was in an abandoned hut that Mercy crouched, Justice at his side. The two of them were scanning the area for people—as their Talents would reveal the presence of anyone who had ever done good or bad. That left only the dead and the unborn veiled to them, and as Justice had put it; ‘if there’s an undead motherfucker out there, he’ll be surrounded by enough evil to alert even a human.’ Mercy had laughed at that, grateful for the fact that at the moment, she was being distracted from her emotional suffering, which alleviated his own. Justice met his gaze, and he found her eyes draw him in once more, stealing his breath only slightly.
“I think it’s clear.” She said, smiling self-consciously at him. Mercy nodded, and the pair stepped from the hut, running for the city walls. The pair had wrapped themselves in the sack-like clothing of peasants, as guards were searching for a pair of Supernaturals, guilty of treason. Mercy cringed as he felt Justice’s guilt at dragging his name into her crime. He glanced sideways at her, as they ran at their inhumanly fast speed. They would have to move agonisingly slowly when they reached the gates. Everything about a Supernatural was slightly inhuman. Inhuman strength, speed, intelligence, and most terrifying to humans, beauty. Supernaturals were hated by many humans simply because they mesmerised them. Fear and envy led to disgust and hatred. Along with the Mark between a Supernatural’s shoulder-blades, they were born with intricate black markings, curving from their birthmarks, across the back of their shoulders and around their arms, like tattoos.
“Oi! What’s your business here?”
Mercy looked up to see a guard staring at him.
“We wish to travel beyond Vallesmere.” Justice said, struggling to stop herself stealing from the man, as he had stolen from a vendor. Mercy’s gift didn’t bother him so much, he only suffered overwhelming pity for the man, who had stolen to feed his children.
“You’re crazy.”
“Aye, but we be seeking new land, sir. There’s whisperin’s about of other cities, beyond these here walls.” Mercy said, imitating those who had set out with similar beliefs. The guard scoffed,
“Crazies. Bloody crazies.” He nevertheless left them alone, moving to patrol elsewhere. When they arrived at the shut, iron gates, a guard questioned them on their motives, and after half an hour of arguing, looked at the pair more critically. His eyes widened, registering shock, and Mercy glanced at Justice, concerned.
“You two aren’t… you know…” he leaned closer and whispered, “Supernatural?”
“Actually, we are.” Justice said, and Mercy’s blood ran cold, “I’m GreenThumb, and this is Horticulture.”
“Yes,” Mercy said, following her lead, “We wish to use our Talents to expand the city. King approved it before… ye know…” the guard nodded vigorously, yelling the order to open the gates. Only one they had been dragged shut behind them, did Mercy breathe.
Justice
Justice looked at the handsome man beside her, and guilt twisted in her gut. ‘he’s never wronged anyone’, she thought, ‘this isn’t right.’ And every inch of her body screamed at her to do him justice, make him safe and free of sufferance for the rest of his days. She drew a deep breath and looked at the barren lands before them, hard, cracked earth for as far as the eye could see. She only hoped they saw some vegetation soon, as their rations would sustain them a week, tops. Maybe less in this wasteland. But most importantly, they needed to find shelter, and the land before them appeared completely flat. Justice sat on the hard earth and let loose a ragged sigh. Supernatural or not, a full day’s sprinting had sapped the life from her, as well as fighting her Talent every time they past a human. Moments later, Mercy flopped down beside her.
“Don’t feel guilty for my being here. No matter how this ends, it’s better than what I had in Vallesmere.” He said quietly. Justice was exhausted, frustrated, and scared, so for some reason, his words only served to exasperate her, and she snapped in anger,
“Do you speak every thought you have?” she demanded, and Mercy looked away, as if he’d been slapped. Justice scowled, annoyed, and then sighed, cursing her temper.
“I’m sorry. I’m tired. Come on. Let’s find somewhere safe for the night.” She murmured.
“Yeah. Sure.” Mercy said, his tone betraying hurt. The guilt Justice felt doubled, and she was hit with a wave of pity and sorrow for the man. A man whose name she didn’t even know. Justice glared at the ground, hating herself and her Talent more than ever.
Outskirts
Mercy
Vallesmere was a large city, a speck of light in the darkness of a toxic world. Little was known about the Time Before. There had been other cities out there. Perhaps they remained. Vallesmere used to do trade with them, until the Great War. One city started a fight with another, and then other cities picked sides, and fought. Fought until nobody knew who they were fighting any more, and all that anyone knew was they had to fight to save their own. Men trampled the earth, stamping out all other life. Cut down trees for forts and weapons. Killed each other in the thousands and animals in their millions. Until Vallesmere built high, tall walls around the city. We watched from the inside as the other Kingdoms fought, dying until nobody was left to die. We watched inside the city walls, as the earth died. There was no known life outside of Vallesmere. Those who ventured out never returned from the desert. Outside of the main city there were a few huts, where farmers fought to make the land fertile once more, and the past few years have seen them successful. It was in an abandoned hut that Mercy crouched, Justice at his side. The two of them were scanning the area for people—as their Talents would reveal the presence of anyone who had ever done good or bad. That left only the dead and the unborn veiled to them, and as Justice had put it; ‘if there’s an undead motherfucker out there, he’ll be surrounded by enough evil to alert even a human.’ Mercy had laughed at that, grateful for the fact that at the moment, she was being distracted from her emotional suffering, which alleviated his own. Justice met his gaze, and he found her eyes draw him in once more, stealing his breath only slightly.
“I think it’s clear.” She said, smiling self-consciously at him. Mercy nodded, and the pair stepped from the hut, running for the city walls. The pair had wrapped themselves in the sack-like clothing of peasants, as guards were searching for a pair of Supernaturals, guilty of treason. Mercy cringed as he felt Justice’s guilt at dragging his name into her crime. He glanced sideways at her, as they ran at their inhumanly fast speed. They would have to move agonisingly slowly when they reached the gates. Everything about a Supernatural was slightly inhuman. Inhuman strength, speed, intelligence, and most terrifying to humans, beauty. Supernaturals were hated by many humans simply because they mesmerised them. Fear and envy led to disgust and hatred. Along with the Mark between a Supernatural’s shoulder-blades, they were born with intricate black markings, curving from their birthmarks, across the back of their shoulders and around their arms, like tattoos.
“Oi! What’s your business here?”
Mercy looked up to see a guard staring at him.
“We wish to travel beyond Vallesmere.” Justice said, struggling to stop herself stealing from the man, as he had stolen from a vendor. Mercy’s gift didn’t bother him so much, he only suffered overwhelming pity for the man, who had stolen to feed his children.
“You’re crazy.”
“Aye, but we be seeking new land, sir. There’s whisperin’s about of other cities, beyond these here walls.” Mercy said, imitating those who had set out with similar beliefs. The guard scoffed,
“Crazies. Bloody crazies.” He nevertheless left them alone, moving to patrol elsewhere. When they arrived at the shut, iron gates, a guard questioned them on their motives, and after half an hour of arguing, looked at the pair more critically. His eyes widened, registering shock, and Mercy glanced at Justice, concerned.
“You two aren’t… you know…” he leaned closer and whispered, “Supernatural?”
“Actually, we are.” Justice said, and Mercy’s blood ran cold, “I’m GreenThumb, and this is Horticulture.”
“Yes,” Mercy said, following her lead, “We wish to use our Talents to expand the city. King approved it before… ye know…” the guard nodded vigorously, yelling the order to open the gates. Only one they had been dragged shut behind them, did Mercy breathe.
Justice
Justice looked at the handsome man beside her, and guilt twisted in her gut. ‘he’s never wronged anyone’, she thought, ‘this isn’t right.’ And every inch of her body screamed at her to do him justice, make him safe and free of sufferance for the rest of his days. She drew a deep breath and looked at the barren lands before them, hard, cracked earth for as far as the eye could see. She only hoped they saw some vegetation soon, as their rations would sustain them a week, tops. Maybe less in this wasteland. But most importantly, they needed to find shelter, and the land before them appeared completely flat. Justice sat on the hard earth and let loose a ragged sigh. Supernatural or not, a full day’s sprinting had sapped the life from her, as well as fighting her Talent every time they past a human. Moments later, Mercy flopped down beside her.
“Don’t feel guilty for my being here. No matter how this ends, it’s better than what I had in Vallesmere.” He said quietly. Justice was exhausted, frustrated, and scared, so for some reason, his words only served to exasperate her, and she snapped in anger,
“Do you speak every thought you have?” she demanded, and Mercy looked away, as if he’d been slapped. Justice scowled, annoyed, and then sighed, cursing her temper.
“I’m sorry. I’m tired. Come on. Let’s find somewhere safe for the night.” She murmured.
“Yeah. Sure.” Mercy said, his tone betraying hurt. The guilt Justice felt doubled, and she was hit with a wave of pity and sorrow for the man. A man whose name she didn’t even know. Justice glared at the ground, hating herself and her Talent more than ever.
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