The late afternoon sun shone down onto the streets of Boston, coating it with its golden light.
Factories and other places of work had closed for the day since sunset was only half an hour away. As a result, people moving about in all directions, packed Washington street, most of them were on their way to a bar or some other form of indulgence.
The sounds of saxophones, flutes, violins, and other instruments filled the air, competing for attention and tips. Various peddlers and street performers tried to get people to stop and listen, but most of the time, failed to get attention. The occasional gentlemen could be spotted amongst the throngs of people, distinguished by their exquisite, finely tailored suits and umbrellas.
Caesar Parna was among the throngs of people, himself distinguished by the military uniform he had on. It consisted of a green buttoned long coat, black pants, and brown boots. He also had a sword sheathed at his waist which was concealed under his coat.
His destination was a bar named "The Lucky Rabbit's Foot" an ironic name considering the fact the establishment had been set on fire five times.
He moved through the crowds of people fairly easily, since people would usually clear the way if they saw soldiers coming through. After a minute of walking, he made it to the entrance of the Lucky Rabbit's Foot and went in without a hitch.
The bar itself was large, inviting, and dimly lit with a multitude of chairs and tables, which sat next to a stage where a small band played music.
Caesar took a seat at an empty table and looked around. He saw a variety of people in the bar from gentlemen in suits, to women in cocktail dresses, even beggars who had been out in the streets just moments ago. People mingled around the bar talking, drinking and dancing to forget their troubles.
After a minute, a young brunette waitress came over to his table and asked, "What would you like?"
Caesar said "A shot of whiskey, iced"
The waitress nodded. "I'll get it right away"
As she left Caesar, the band on stage began to play a slower, more contemplative tune. The slow jazz fit his mood.
The music helped him relax as he looked around the bar. People seemed to be enjoying the new song. Their expressions were peaceful and more content than usual.
The waitress came back with his whiskey and ice in a small glass. She set it down in front of him and asked, "Do you need anything else?"
Caesar took a sip of the whiskey and shook his head
"No, just this is fine for now, thank you"
The waitress smiled and said "Enjoy" before she could turn to leave, Caesar inquired, "How much?"
The waitress replied, "5 copper pennies"
Caesar dug through his pocket and pulled out three silver coins. The fronts of the coins had engravings of the current President, Matthew Lyman the face looked young, with a stern expression, on the backs were bald eagles with had their wings spread and an inscription which read "A house divided against itself cannot stand".
He set them on the table
"Keep the change"
The waitress's face contorted in shock as she saw the coins. She looked up at Caesar saying, "Sir, this is too much..... three silver dollars"
Caesar chuckled, "Please just take it, I'm celebrating a promotion"
The waitress typically made around 25 copper pennies per night. This tip was almost two weeks' pay for her. She wanted to snatch the dollars away and shove them into her pocket, but to be polite she first asked "sir are you sure?"
Caesar nodded.
The waitress bowed and pocketed the coins.
"Thank you for your patronage"
As the waitress walked away, Caesar looked out the window. The orange sun's glow was growing weaker by the minute. He took another sip of the whiskey and sighed. Technically, he should have been happy after all, he had recently been promoted to corporal, however the promotion in reality was a disguised punishment.
Events kept replaying in his head. Yesterday he'd walked in on the captain of the Boston Garrison, Jones Delata, in bed with a beautiful young woman. The Captain's reaction at the time had been priceless. His head became red like a tomato as he hurriedly pulled the covers over their naked bodies and yelled at Caesar to get out.
The next day Caesar learned three things: First, that the beautiful young woman was in fact a senator's wife, second was that he'd been "promoted" to corporal and third Captain Delata had strongly recommended him for immediate transfer to the Greenland Garrison.
While on the surface he had been given a position of higher command and respect, he knew the truth. He was being punished for discovering an affair by being sent to the most desolate outpost in the world. Greenland.
Greenland the land of eternal day and endless night. Greenland the land of ice and snow. Greenland den of sorrow and lunatics.
The Greenland garrison located on the gate to the world's top was responsible for securing trade and whaling activities. It was eternally at war with the local inhabitants, who seemed to grow more savage and animalistic by the year, and the awful climate of Greenland, combined with its abnormal sunlight during winter and summer, made it a very undesirable post.
Typically, transfer to Greenland was a punishment given to insubordinate soldiers and politically problematic officers.
And so Caesar sat drinking whiskey at the Lucky Rabbit's Foot, watching as the band on stage started playing a lively tune while he sipped. Tomorrow he'd be cloistered at the barracks to ensure that he didn't attempt to desert, while preparations were made to take him away from the beating heart of America.
People began to dance along to the music, their faces filled with joy and contentment as they moved about and forgot their troubles.
Caesar chugged the rest of his whiskey and slammed the glass down on the table. Then he stood up and joined them, allowing himself to forget.
As the night dragged on, the band soon finished their songs, and the dancing stopped. He watched as the band packed up and left the stage; he watched the bar staff clean up spilled drinks and broken mugs, and he watched as the Lucky Rabbit's Foot's patrons drifted away.
Eventually, only the young waitress and a few other employees were left behind cleaning.
She looked at Caesar with a complex expression on her face and said, "I hope you had a good night"
Caesar nodded and walked out of the bar. Tonight would be one of his last nights for some time.
***
The evening air of Myami was humid and oppressive, the clouds were thick and grey as they obscured the moon and stars, giving the streets a dimmer, more sinister feel to them than usual.
The streets of the city were fairly empty, with the street lamps only illuminating a few people walking around, mostly soldiers, merchants, and vagrants looking for food or a place to sleep for the night.
Normally, the streets at this hour were vibrant and full of people, but the impending rain had forced the city to retire early.
Thunder rumbled through the sky and brought with it droplets of rain which coated the streets below and caused a man in Wynwood district to stop walking.
The man was thin and wore a dark tweed suit with a matching bowler hat on his head. On his right wrist he wore a gold watch. His eyes looked dead and emotionless as he opened his black umbrella.
As the rain intensified, the man walked around a street corner and saw a barefoot old woman wearing a brown shawl and a faded brown dress sitting on a bench being rained on.
The man moved next to her and covered her with his umbrella, saying nothing.
The old woman looked up at him and spoke in Cubano. "Hello there, stranger, thank you for your kind gesture, but you needn't be wasting your time on an old crone like me."
The man replied, in Yankish, "You do a poor job of disguising yourself as a local. While you look the part, your accent is not as good as it could be, but I'll give you some credit the average federal agent would have fallen for it."
The old woman scoffed, and replied in Yankish, "I don't know who you are, but you should watch out for yourself. This city has been dangerous of late, many strange occurrences."
The man chuckled. "Indeed, is your presence here not one? Why don't you go inside somewhere and wait out the rain? I can offer you some company."
"I prefer the rain to your company."
The man stopped laughing and said, "Then I'll make myself clear. I know what you are, Oracle, and I would like to ask a few questions."
The Oracle replied, "Ask away, as long as you're willing to provide suitable sacrifice in return, I'll answer anything."
The man handed the woman his umbrella and took off his gold watch. He then dropped it into her lap and took back the umbrella. The Oracle beamed at the sight. "Ask away."
The man said "I wish to become a god."
The Oracle burst out laughing. "You? Become a god? Why do you seek to walk the path of wisdom?"
"I have grown tired of the world as it is. I wish for power."
The Oracle's laugher became harder, "You would be better off as a devil, the path of wisdom is filled with pain and suffering."
The man's face grew stern. "I am willing to pay the price."
The Oracle sighed, "Very well, I can not give you an answer to this exact question, but I shall guide you towards a path of wisdom."
The man nodded and took a seat on the ground, his face blank.
The Oracle closed her eyes briefly and recited, "The bells to the convergence have begun to sound. The 900 year reckoning shall soon come to an end. Your time runs short. Once the light at the top of the world shines, the door to wisdom will be forever closed to you."
The man said nothing as he listened intently. The Oracle continued, "Luckily for you, this is an auspicious time. The eagle which has soared across the continent for 300 years shall soon be shot out of the sky."
The man's face contorted in surprise. "What do you mean?"
The Oracle ignored him and continued. "When the eagle is shot out the sky, its landing shall have far-reaching repercussions."
The man's face became blank again
"What sort of repercussions?"
"Typical ones famine, war, chaos, disease and more."
The man nodded. "And what does this have to do with my original inquiry?"
"Once the eagle falls, those of your faith shall preach of the Baptist's second return, he who fulfills it shall stare at the door to wisdom."
"How does this happen? I don't understand."
The Oracle laughed, "That is all I know. You'll have to figure out the rest for yourself."
The man looked angry and stood up. "Federal agents have been monitoring me. When shall I make my escape from this city?"
The Oracle said, "If you escape Myami on the day of crimson you shall not be pursued by them anymore"
The man was confused and asked, "What is the day of Crimson?"
The Oracle extended her hand smiling "I'll need another sacrifice"
The man dug through his pockets and pulled out some food, mostly crumbs of bread and hard candy. He set them in her lap.
The Oracle said, "The day of crimson shall be the day of Myami's reckoning. On the longest day of the year, the swamp and sea will come together, creating a great storm of crimson which shall engulf the city and claim its souls. On this day, the streets will be soaked with the blood of its citizens none shall be spared. It is the arrow"
The man stood up to leave, saying nothing as he walked away.
The Oracle chuckled, "Take your watch back your sacrifice has been made."
The man looked back, his face filled with fear. He frantically touched his face and body, then the floor.
He couldn't feel a thing. He was still alive and healthy, but he could not feel anything.
He looked back at the Oracle and shouted angrily, "What did you do!"
The Oracle replied, "I didn't do anything. You asked to become a god. Did you really think a watch was enough of a sacrifice?"
The man stumbled back, his face a mixture of shock and terror as he comprehended what had happened. His sense of touch had been taken away.
The Oracle mocked him, "You were willing to pay the price, correct?"
The man picked up his watch and ran away, clutching his umbrella.
The rain poured down harder and faster, filling the streets below with water. The Oracle just sat there, her eyes closed, face peaceful.
As the rain pattered down, she accepted the inevitable.