Bladeraver (pt51) (235 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.85 on 14 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Tactile Ire (View user info) at 2007-04-23 19:06:35 EDT
Hatred clouded his mind, making a mockery of all the hard resolves and internal promises he'd made. Anger, unfocused and all consuming reached across his perceptions. He burned with frustration and lack of focus and all this played out plain and clear on his face, in his posture, all over his movments.
Out on the floor the drums and the cheers and the vibe built. The noise hit ears and heart, bypassing the razor mind and speaking to parts of himself long denied and newly awakened. The visceral call was so close to the communion with the nest that it caused a physical reaction. He choked back his gorge. Humans, come to play at mantlife. Disgusting.
Swaying and fighting for control, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he moved through the drugged hordes and on towards the raised sand circle where his foe waited.
The bladerave club Gatecrusher was in full blood. The crowds had been gathering since the early evening. Drugs had circulated, musicians had worked and folk had congregated. At the edges, the security teams enacted their inverted pantomime - all friendly bluff and laughs with the regulars until they decided to be life-destroyingly serious; taking drugs and liberty with occasional callous abandon. Deeper inside the bookies did their rounds, as did the dealers. The atmosphere was a caged heat, helped along by ample amounts of charge and a solid under-card of fighters. Drumbeats filled the air. Gatecrusher was renown for the solid charging beats of its taiko drummers, who beat on drum-skins taller than themselves.
The Mantling moved around the ring with his head bowed. Watching his feet. Listening to his breathing. The announcer made some noise; the musicians made more. The crowd made themselves known in their turn and he stepped into the circle pulling steelwood.
A solid fist smashed him to the ground. Fighting surprise, shock and pain he rolled to the left, came up on one knee and hauled the left blade up in a rising slash. His opponent's pole-arm haft turned the lifting strike with contemptuous ease. The deflection was followed with a brutal kick to the wrist - jarring the left blade off its spike and sending it spinning into the crowd.
The other man leant close into his face - his features a play of fire and shadow. The drums beat out their hateful rhythms as the fighter snarled and leered. The Mantling surged up; putting the hilt of his right hand blade into the other man's solar plexus. The bitch grunted as the wind whistled out of him but didn't even slow as he brought the halberd across in a sweeping horizontal strike. The blow fetched the Mantling clear across the ring and he came up gasping. The Gatecrusher bitch came in, feinting with short chops to the left and right. The Mantling watched him come. As the halberd came cutting in The Mantling slapped it away with his hand and sent in a straight lunge. Pain exploded in his ribcage. The bitch smiled a wolfish grin as he recovered his stance, lowering the knee that had hit home. The bitch threw his weapon aside with an easy flick and came back in, dancing on his toes. His dilated pupils burned with drug-focused fire.
Mantling stepped forward hacking with the left shin. The bitch's jump kick smashed into his nose. Blood fountained in a bright arc as the Mantling's head curved back into the sand with a sickening crunch. He was lifted forward by his breast-plate. As his head lolled to one side he saw the crowd screaming for his blood. The fighter's left cross thundered against his jaw. The Mantling's body was hauled up then smashed down in quick succession. He was given no time to react and that fist kept coming. Finally, after far too long, the wranglers were there pulling the enraged bitch off him.
He crawled away.
*
How could he have lost? How could his opponent be so fast? So strong? In the darkness of his defeat the pain and hatred and anger he constantly held in check pushed forward into desolation. His mind swirled away under the darkness of his emotions. All this showed naked on his face as his swordsmen took him from the club. He staggered and looked inward, blind to the piercing gaze of the grey haired club owner.
Drewhldt and Flens guided him stumbling outside. When they were two turns from the club door the Mantling stood up, picked up his stride and began whistling to himself as he walked the long streets home.
******
Arjl had come to visit the enclave. He had signed on with a canopy based training camp. His use of the slinglines was considered revolutionary and he was in high demand as an instructor. He was happy to be aloft and proud to have something new to show to the other seasoned campaigners.
He sat now at the table in the small dining alcove and regaled them with stories of his students. In between, he found time to enquire about what the enclave was up to. When informed that the Mantling intended to contest the upcoming elections he turned a scowl on the quiet man sitting in the corner with a child on his knee. "What do you want to make a living taking bribes for?" he growled.
Mantling shrugged, twisted his bruised face into a grimace. "Maybe that isn't what I want." He was hesitant. This was the first time he'd had a good chance to discuss his plans. He had to manage the perceptions and the opinions in this room. These people had to believe certain things for his plans to progress. He always found this 'light touch' stuff tricky. It went somewhat against his natural proclivities.
"What else?" Arjl continued, "Want power? Political ambition? Let me tell you something. Politicians haven't got any real power. They're a sop to the mug classes. A way to make the nine-to-fives feel better about working themselves to death for the benefit of stockholders and businessmen. If you want power son - do one thing. Get money."
This wasn't striking the right chord. The Mantling tried again. "Don't you ever look around yourself and feel that its all gone wrong. That this all could be, should be, different somehow? Better?"
"Oh Lost and Fallen," said Arjl. "He's come out of the wilderness an idealist. Look, forget trying to change the world kid. As you get more involved in it you realise the world doesn't want to be changed. People are happy with the way things are. If you try to show them how badly off they really are they'll hate you for telling them so - not the system for making them that way. Believe me, this city likes the political scum and the corporate banditry just fine. Why do you think I spend so much time away from it?"
"Arjl," said Jeena. "That's a horrible thing to say. Do you really believe that people are happy with the corruption and hidden agendas of our leaders? That they wouldn't take a chance to change all that?"
Before Arjl could respond the Mantling pushed himself into the exchange. "This society is ill, Jeena. Democracy has lost its power - it was only ever rule by the mob for the ringleaders anyway. And now the corporations have bought out the mob's rule and they treat this city like their own personal piggybank, the people in it like the cheapest kind of resource."
"Democracy has proven too weak to survive the rise of the ruling merchant class. The only representatives that get elected are corporate lackeys who use their office to further enrich their paymasters. And if we're going to live here then we can't ignore it. That would be condoning the system."
"We need set things right. But how? To fight an election you need money. A lot of money. I needed a way to get it without becoming a part of the loathsome system I'm trying to oppose. A way that's not completely illegal - because that would doom us from the start. Bladeraves were the best answer I could find."
"I mean to give the people one shining chance to turn the tables on the greedlords who have stolen their society from them. One chance to choose a stronger form of government and bring these maniac money junkies to heel."
The people around the room were sat in silence, analysing his line of reasoning, digesting all he was saying. Drewhldt was looking at the Mantling with a nearly savage vindication. Flens was staring at the table in front of her. Arjl was wearing a mixture of hope and distrust on his battered features. Jeena eyes locked with the Mantling's as she spoke. "What do you mean by 'a stronger form of government'?" she said.
"As a child my father had me study historical, political and economic texts. There was a method of government before this lame duck of democracy."
"Monarchy?" said Jeena. "But we have no royal family."
"Not quite what I had in mind," he replied.
She gave him a long cool look. "You're talking about a dictatorship. Fascism."
"No. Fascism is one power-mad idiot seizing control for himself on a platform of hate and anger. I'm talking about power being thrust upon someone who neither seeks it nor wants it. Someone who is, nevertheless, a born leader - moved by a deep compassion for their fellow man and capable of making hard decisions for the greater good. Someone who'll step down when the job's done."
"It wouldn't work," she said
"Why not? It worked for us back there, on the nest," he said.
"That was an extreme circumstance."
"All of life is an extreme circumstance."
She sighed. "Leaving that aside, where are you going to find this paragon of leadership...Oh fall. No! I won't do it. I don't want that!"
"Which is what makes you perfect for the role, sweet Jeena. I told you once your people needed a leader. It was true then. It's still true now."
She still shook her head. "I won't run. I won't campaign. I refuse to ask people to give me this odious task."
He turned that burning ice gaze on her. Shook his head imperceptibly.
She didn't move. She didn't seem to dare.
"I'm putting you on the ballot," he said. "I leave it to you to remove yourself. If your conscience will let you."
He stood and walked.
They sat there for a minute. Drewhldt's eyes burned with pride. "I knew I was right. I knew he could see it for me," was all he said.
Flens jerked upright and followed the Mantling out.
Jeena sat quietly contemplating the work ahead of her - work she knew she could not refuse, no matter what she said in the heat of the moment.
Her sigh was involuntary; the shuddering of her spirit as it shouldered this unsought burden.
User Reviews
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2007-04-24 16:25:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
its taiko drummers
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they have Japanese people here?
Submitted by Fey (user info) at 2007-04-24 16:09:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This makes me happy.
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2007-04-24 15:12:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by zwerg (user info) at 2007-04-24 11:12:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great! I really like Jeena, let's see more of her.
Submitted by genericIntent (user info) at 2007-04-24 10:26:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Benny (user info) at 2007-04-24 09:29:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Always a pleasure.
Submitted by orph (user info) at 2007-04-24 07:35:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by messmind (user info) at 2007-04-24 03:41:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by goferforhire (user info) at 2007-04-23 22:44:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
you are the hardest working man on this site.
or woman, I guess I don't really know
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2007-04-23 22:40:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
"Well, Saturday night we was truckin' along
Yeah, me and old Sloan was a-gettin' it on
I said, "Sloan, I've been thinkin' on a-gettin' up my courage, and tonight's
the night"
Well, I popped the clutch, gave the tranny a spin
Took the Beebeetown ramp and slid on in
To the Old Home Filler-Up An' Keep On A-Truckin' Cafe."
Submitted by whiskey_jack (user info) at 2007-04-23 22:24:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2007-04-23 21:22:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
yup.
*********************
mhmmmm
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2007-04-23 21:22:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
yup.
Submitted by simple_catalyst (user info) at 2007-04-23 20:42:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ima read all these one day, i got to 15 the other day, then i realized i had other things to do (*weeps*)
Submitted by Zebra (user info) at 2007-04-23 20:20:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Keep on truckin