"Myra, you take the sinner's quarters. Make sure everything's the way it should be." The prim lady was back and this time, she was dishing out orders to the castle maidens over the royal guests.
"Yes, milady," Myra replied, she was a young brunette, brown-eyed and simple but pretty nonetheless. She went on, to Rafael's place.
Three other maidens were chosen for the rest of the company and they all went to their respective quarters.
She got to his room and set about her routine, dusting and cleaning surfaces, as well as arranging stuff. The bed was undone, she began to dress it but there was something there. She drew the covers away and gasped, it was a sacrament but not just any sacrament, it was... She let the covers go and backed away, confused and frightened.
Shaking her head, Myra rushed out and into Rafael, who was returning from the bath hall. She let out a small gasp, looking startled, and immediately scurried away.
He was somewhat confused but he guessed she was scared of his status. He went into the room and closed the door, everything seemed normal… Then he saw the bed, his expression changed into one of realization and he spun, rushing out and into Medea who was already fully dressed.
"Is there anything wrong?" She looked both ways and back at him. He knew better than to tell her this.
"No, no, everything's fine." He forced a smile.
"Right." She nodded as if that explained why he was rushing out of his room in bathrobes. He understood and chuckled.
"I noticed someone was at the door and I thought it could be a spy or something. Good thing it's you.
A few seconds of awkward silence passed and he sighed, "What did you come for anyway?"
"Oh, yes. I just fitted my regalia; Mycroft is still in there. My height helped Fairchild get it done quickly."
"Good. I'll join you in a little while." He slipped back in and closed the door behind him, leaning against it. He smacked his forehead and began his preparations. There was only one person, he could trust with this.
When they assembled in the hall for a final meeting with The Roth, Rafael was very wary, half expecting them to pull out their weapons and attack. He kept looking about and searching the faces of the males for any hint of, opposition and females for fear or a 'knowing' look.
"Is something wrong?" Medea asked, uncomfortable with his constantly shifting eyes.
"No, I'm just aching to get started." He gave her a smile with as much enthusiasm as he could manage. The Roth arrived and bid them farewell, with two chariot loads of supplies, driven by royal guards. Such a thing had never happened before so they weren't sure of what to do but it seemed this would be more appropriate than sending them off empty-handed.
Much to Rafael's relief, they set off without any further delay but he still had to find that maiden, they couldn't afford to be compromised. Not before they'd even begun.
The gates of Sodom drew open to Rafael and co., striking them with awe. They, especially Mycroft, were expecting some gothic-inspired setting but this was majestic. Even more than The Roth's castle grounds.
They were led to the union hall and the councils' representatives came to meet them. There were ten of them, six were male, even so, they all had this sense of authority.
Rafael and co. were asked to choose from any of the 60 registered families.
Rafael cleared his throat, "Registered?"
"Yes." One of them replied, "There are other families who aren't registered and are yet to be officially recognized."
"And these families dwell…"
"Here, in Sodom. I'm against it too." A female union member announced but Rafael shook his head.
"I'm not against it. Where can I find them?"
This question raised eyebrows and some of the men cleared their throats rather noisily.
The union conversed amongst themselves and the man closest to the middle cleared his throat once more, "You can find them, on the other side of Sodom. Or if you prefer, Gomorrah." He said this with a spiteful tone. Rafael pretended not to notice, he got up and walked out, not waiting for their dismissal.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Medea leaned against him in the carriage. He sighed deeply and she looked at him, "So what was this morning's episode about?"
"Medea, look it's nothing." He managed a smile; he'd already forgotten about that. He was going to slip out and find that maiden as soon as possible.
*************************
"This is more like it," Mycroft muttered, only to Fairchild's hearing as they came into Gomorrah. Fairchild chuckled, the place looked run down and desolate. It was quite unlike the rest of the city, but this was what they were looking for. Even so, there wasn't anywhere safe enough to keep their stuff.
Suddenly, Rafael and Medea dived out of the carriage on either side and a missile struck their carriage. It exploded, the shockwave flung Fairchild, as well as, the horses forward.
Mycroft kicked his horse into a gallop, shooting an arrow bound by sin, he caught Fairchild and pulled him onto his horse. However, the horse was at full gallop so he knew better than to rein him in.
Rafael's horse as well as Medea's weren't as lucky. They went crashing into a building, none survived.
"We'll be back!" Mycroft yelled over his shoulder as they raced out of sight.
The second carriage, however, crashed on but Rafael recovered just in time to stop it from crashing into a wall.
The royal guards abandoned their carriages, the horses went haywire, spilling the contents of each.
One horse tried maneuvering a corner but the carriage skidded, turning on its side and crashing into the opposite wall. The axle broke and the horse burst forth.
Rafael and Medea were suddenly surrounded by sinners.
Rafael looked around, they'd arrived with four carriages, three full of supplies as well as 5 horses and a company of six. However, in just one minute, they had; One damaged carriage, no horse, and just the two of them. He looked towards Sodom, was this the best choice?
"Welcome to Gomorrah!" A towering fellow bellowed, spreading his hands. He walked towards Rafael, a maniacal smile spreading across his face. "How yer like the party! Now for the main meal. Hand me yer woman, carriage, and I'll let yer leave with something on." Rafael moved but Medea held his arm.
"Let me." She muttered, walking past. The sinner chuckled and spread his arms,
"She choosing already!" He yelled and the sinners around erupted in applause for their champion. Medea turned one arm; a blade slid into her palm. He reached for her and she slit his hand up to his elbow. He yelped, leaping backward and swinging his other arm. The horde dove in…
…Mycroft and Fairchild rode on, the former had noticed that they were being followed and their pursuers were gaining ground, using their sin to enhance their physical attributes.
"Err… Mycroft, anything coming to that brain of yours? They're gaining ground." Fairchild kept glancing backward but Mycroft had his eyes on the road.
"I think there's a pattern to this place." He looked around and away from the road, for the first time. "I've got a plan." He said, a smile forming…
… Rafael took a stance, sin slid from his arms, over and around him, till only his head was left. He swung both arms downward on either side and his sin took the form of two katana.
He burst forth, cutting through the lines of sinners around him. The sin around him made his actions superhuman and gave him an all-around battle awareness.
One leaped from behind, he swung his right arm behind him, letting go of the blade. It slid into the sinner's chest and exploded.
He now held the other blade with both hands, anger and a thirst for revenge coursing through him. This was war.
Medea slid her hands behind her and into the upper half of her gown, pulling out two hand-fans, she swiped them, they spread wide and she swiped again, releasing poisoned darts. Ten of the sinners rushing her dropped dead and she hadn't even moved from that spot…
… "Fairchild, we're going to part ways for a bit…"
Fairchild nodded, he understood what he had to do.
At the intersection just before a wooden pathway arched overhead, Mycroft dropped from the horse, rolling forward, he spun into a kneeling position on one knee and released three arrows, picking off three of their assailants.
Seven were left. One released sin in a small energy burst, blasting his bow out of reach. He rolled back with the impact and recovered, just in time, to evade a blow aimed at his torso.
They blasted continuously, not giving him any chance to pull out his arrows. He performed a backflip, landing on both hands, his arrows slid from his quiver, he pushed himself up, sin extended from his hands, engulfed the arrows, and released them as projectiles, catching the rest…
… Rafael felt he was using too much sin, the sin around him dissipated and he let the blade go, taking matters into his own hands – literally, he was hedged in but didn't seem to mind, lashing out at multiple sinners while avoiding any sort of damage.
He gathered sin in one arm and palmed the ground, it exploded about him, tendril-like extensions bursting from the ground and grabbing sinners close to him.
He stood there, absorbing their sin and slowly forming the katanas once more. The sin slowly slid over him and this time, there was a dark aura about him. His assailants began to retreat.
Medea went about in waves of destruction, a bright bladed blur leaving a trail of slit bodies behind. She burst through the last line, came face to face with the towering sinner, and threw a dagger backward, catching a sinner in the head. "Call your men off or else…" She said, advancing on him.
"No need." He breathed. He was in obvious pain. She turned and the sinners were retreating. Rafael stood there, looking the complete opposite of what he'd claimed to be…
…Another set of sinners replaced the ones Mycroft had taken care of. He turned and ran, they followed.
At the overhead pathway, he dived. His feet had barely passed under it when Fairchild and his horse came barging through the wooden support and felling the bridge on the sinners. They, themselves escaping by a hairsbreadth.
Mycroft grabbed onto Fairchild's arm and climbed back on the horse, galloping away from the mess, content at the result.
When they got back, the sinners were standing about the carriage, Rafael was seated on it and Medea was standing off to the side. The setting was surprising, to say the least, considering what it was previously.
"What's going on?" Mycroft asked Medea, getting down from the horse.
"I think Rafael's planning on taking over Gomorrah as a whole."