War of the Five Sectors

One Man’s Trash

Gold, Silver, Machines of Old. An endless wave of broken technology is all most people see. But not those who inhabit The Junkyard, for those who live with nothing dream of everything. None dream larger than Suka, her hands brushing through the stacks and piles of parts and pieces. As the artificial ball that shines brightly in the midday sky beats onto Suka’s skin, she wipes away sweat attempting to seep into her eyes. She stuffs various knicks and knacks into her many pockets that adorn her wardrobe. She soon removes her red leather jacket, wrapping it around her waist as the heat continues to rise. With a loose thread of rope, she ties her hair upward, its color almost a perfect match of her coat. She then pulls her shades over her eyes, the wings on each side of the lenses representing her dream to fly. Able to better take in the view around her, Suka climbs upon the largest mound of broken parts she can and examines her surroundings. On the outskirts of The Junkyard she sees her village, a quaint collection of tents and makeshift cottages. Many tarps and other loose fabrics are tied up to protect the village from the heat. In the sky, towers and scrapers of marvelous design stand tall, towering over all. “One day I’ll have a balloon that flies.” Suka says as she admires the cloud breaking buildings. “I’ll be rich and live among the best in The Corporate Sector.” The Corporate Sector is the most powerful district in Cinder-Point. The residents who reside there are among the wealthiest businessmen and the most corrupt governors, who use their money and power to hold the other sectors under their thumb.

Hooves of Betrayal

Suddenly Suka’s eyes catch a glimpse of smoke in the distance. She adjusts her head into the direction of her village. Flames are a reflection in her eyes that widen in terror. “No…” The only word she can muster as she frantically runs down the mountain of machines. Her foot catches an unknown object, causing her to tumble down. The metal bits cut her pants and scrape her arms until she finally comes to a halt at the bottom. She looks up to see a large machine standing before her. It stands tall on four legs of steel and blows a dark smoke from its nostrils.

A man is perched atop the machine, his hands tight on the reins that command the beast. His feet wore boots of ancient snake hide; his legs bore solid black. His face was unknown, covered by the cloth and his head hidden under his large, curved hat. “Well, hello little lady” The man owns a deep voice that is harsh and raspy. “I hope you aren’t planning to make it home for supper. I’d say it’s canceled.” With fear, Suka attempts to flee but the mechanical beast rises up on his hind legs and lets out a deathly cry, as it comes down it knocks Suka to the ground. The man leaps from his position and grabs Suka by her wrist. He takes the rope from her hair and uses it to bind her hands behind her back. The man uses his fingers to pierce the air with a loud whistle. “We got another one, boys!” The man’s shouts are answered by more riders and hooved mechanicals, this time carrying behind them a cage of sharpened scrap metal. Seeing this, Suka reacts, biting hard onto the man’s hand. He releases momentarily but as Suka makes her break, he drags her by her hair, tossing her into the cage with other captives. She cannot tell who surrounds her as all their faces are hidden by burlap. Her face too became covered, darkness surrounding her.

The Long Haul

The trail they travel seems to last for ages. Suka once tried to count the turns, lefts and rights. But too many for her to contain in her mind. Silence is the only sound except from the grumbles and laughter of the riders. Suka claws at her bindings for hours until a voice breaks the silence. “Will you stop fiddling already, you are surely doing more damage to your wrist than the rope.” Suka uselessly looks in the direction of the voice. “Who said that?” She asked. “My name is Kaiden,” He answered simply. A man around the same age as Suka rode in the cage. “We must escape.” Suka speaks in hushed tones to the stranger. A moment of silence before the man returns words. “We are bound and blinded, surrounded by nearly a dozen men and no knowledge of where we have been. How do you suppose we escape such a situation?” Suka thinks, for she does not hold the answer. “We may not know where we have been but perhaps if we knew where we were going.” Suka suggests. Laughter, but not from the riders, Kaiden answers her question “They are taking us to the Sons of the Sun compound.” Suka’s heart sank as this is revealed to her. “The…Sons of the Sun… but aren’t they simply zealots who keep to themselves?”

“Hardly” Kaiden replies “I understand someone of your kind might not know what happens beyond the junkyard. The Sons of the Sun are indeed zealots, but they hardly keep to themselves.” Just then their conversation is interrupted when the leader of the riders runs a metal pipe along the side of the wagon. The metal on metal produces a deafening ring. “What is with all this yapping, I can’t think straight with you two bellyaching back here.” Suka and Kaiden return to their silence, but the man continues. “You kids really want to know who the Sons of the Sun are, don’t yaw?” The man spits as he speaks “To call them a cult is the simplest of terms, some say they sacrifice babies to that their giant ball of fire.” The rider points upwards, the artificial sun that shines over all of Cinder-Point burns intensely. “Now while Cooper ain’t never stolen no babies, I can’t say I much expect happy futures from the likes of y'all.” With that the rider laughs and gallops his steed to the head of the line. Suka immediately continues her struggle until finally her bleeding nails cut through the last of the rope binding her. She slowly leans over to Kaiden, his own bindings being removed. “Keep the mask on and your hands behind your back.” Kaiden directs her. After another long wait, the carriage grinds to a halt. “Shit! We got authorities!” Yells Cooper to his men.

The Authority

A man dressed in armor of steel, head to toe, approaches. He was a mid-aged man and, in his hands, he brandished a long rifle, nearly sharing age with the man himself. He was not alone however as he was joined by his own band of comrades, their numbers matching that of the riders. “This is Captain Hawke of Cinder-Point's Authority sector, I demand you release these prisoners immediately.” Cooper and his riders begin to circle the soldiers. “Mr. Hawke, why I am afraid you have no jurisdiction out here. This here is the Sector to the West, and there are no laws in these parts.” As he speaks Cooper’s hand slowly slides down to a revolver holstered on his side. The handle of the gun resembles a skull whose tongue spits bullets. “I am aware of that factor,” Captain Hawke begins “And that simply means I have free reign to execute justice, the way that I see fit.” Hawke finished. Suddenly hail fire reigns out all around. Soldiers drop, riders fall, the land surrounding them quickly becoming many men’s graves.

“Now!” Kaiden leaps forward and grabs Suka’s wrist, guiding her towards the wagon’s exit. With three swift kicks he breaks open the door holding them. With the mask removed, Suka and Kaiden make off for a nearby town. “Where are we going?” Suka asked. “Anywhere but here.” Kaiden and Suka continue running as the shots in the distance grow less aggressive. The battlefield fading into the dust behind them. They run for miles as the town in the distance, surrounded by sand, draws near. Tumbleweed Ally reads a sign, a fitting name as many balls of weeds tumble by as they enter the town. A double door opens as they enter an old rundown saloon. Smoke filled the air and entered their throat, Suka coughing. Many patrons sat around their tables, drinking, smoking, and gambling away all they had. “Why hello there, it is not often we receive new guests.” An elderly woman greets the pair. Her gown bore many colors, stitched together with many fabrics. “We would like a room for the night please.” Kaiden, despite his lack of coin, whispers into the woman’s ear. “Right this way dear…” With that they are led to a small room to wait out the danger.

The Saloon

The room was small and dark, Kaiden lit a small candle, its flame attempting to fight the darkness surrounding it. There was a single bed, and in the corner a desk. On its surface sat ink and quill, surrounded by papers, none new. “So, what exactly is the plan?” Suka asks but Kaiden does not seem hurried to answer. He scans the room as a hawk would hunt mice. He scopes every corner and crevice. Finally, he runs his hands along the cold wooden walls until his fist fits inside. A hole in the wall like the missing piece of a puzzle. “You have been here before?” Suka figures. “Yes, many times.” Kaiden pulls forth a small dagger. Its blade made of gold and its edge sharp. “We need to be prepared for if Cooper and his gang arrive.” He hands Suka a dagger of her own. Hers was slightly longer and its teeth were jagged like that of a shark's jaw. Suka’s heart suddenly sunk as knocks are heard at their door. Three knocks, each louder than the rest, beat like a drum inside her chest. She grips her dagger tight, but it nearly slips from the sweat pooling in her palms. Kaiden answers the door to reveal the same woman who previously showed them to their room. “Kaiden, if you are in trouble…” She begins to express her concern but is quickly extinguished by Kaiden as he extinguishes the candle concurrently. He speaks softly in her ear and then heads out. Suka shortly behind.