Rogue. (IN REVISION)

32

A woman with sandy ginger dreads put on her headphones and started up the computer she used every single day to wake up Elysium, the light of the screen illuminated her blue eyes, and she brought her mic close to her mouth. She looked around her underground radio station, the walls covered in foil to keep any outward signal from finding her. She sighed and turned on her mic and started to speak.

"Good morning, Elysium. It's your one and only and hopefully favorite radio host here Anastasia Mori. It is quite hot from where I am...and where I am...I keep secret. Tompers, I'm talking to you. I'm still playing that silly game of hide and seek with you." She chuckled into the mic. "It's been an eventful couple of days for our rogue subjects, yes. I have much more news. Seems like the rogues have finally reached Ecula. Looks like you all have heard my voice urging you to push on."

She flipped a few switches on her switchboard to keep the crackling of transmission from coming in, "Heed my warning again, rogues. If you land in the hands of The Order...Well, I'm praying for you."

She flipped another switch, "As always, we have the same damn playlists for you today...since music is scarce in Elysium. Everyone say it with me...Ejova." She said as if her listeners said the disapproving word with her.

Anyways, without further ado, here's the industrial tunes of the Scover Orchestra."

She flipped a switch and the music started to play, the industrial style music echoing within the compound of Lavis, a city within Ecula. Fallon and her family followed Avis Marius through the city, everyone who laid eyes on him stood at their feet in respect. She and her family looked on and wondered why the people were acting so strangely.

"I have a question, Avis...why is everyone standing when you walk by?" Leo asked.

Avis smiled, seeming to expect such a question, and glanced at Leo, "We here at The Order of Ecula have great respect for each other, I am the leader of this order and I make sure the people are well fed, homed and disciplined."

"You do all of that?" Fallon asked Avis as they all walked. Avis seemed to like the sound of Fallon's voice and looked at her fondly.

"Yes, my dear. And much more."

Leo could see the dalliance in the man's eyes and stood in between him and his daughter. Avis glanced at the man as if he didn't think anything of it. "What do you mean by discipline? What do you do to the people who step out of line?"

"Oh, we don't have to get into such grim details right now. Today is the Feast of Luminescence. I hope you all brought something that is white to wear." He told them all.

Fallon looked at him curiously, "And what is this Feast of Luminescence?"

The Feast of Luminescence was a holiday mostly only known to Ecula since the festivities seemed to get out of hand at times. President Spirit never wanted the Feast covered since it could be lustfully barbaric at times. It was the celebration of the first snowfall in Ecula which now seemed a thing of the past, snow was rare to see now.

The people would wear all white and drink and be as merry as they could be, stealing each other's wives, husbands and even children to slake their own held back lusts. It was a holiday of complete depravity and each citizen really got into the celebration.

Avis smiled at her and glanced again, "It's a holiday of love. It celebrates the first snowfall, and we celebrate with pleasure...of all kinds."

Leo held close to his daughter protectively as they walked. Avis led them to an empty tent where they would be staying and they all walked in and settled themselves down into the shade.

"I'm a little confused about you celebrating snowfall when Elysium hasn't seen real snow since-"Fallon was cut off by Avis, taking her chin in his hands.

"My dear, even if the snow never falls the love of the holiday will never die inside the people." He smiled his charming smile and investigated the tent, "Everything okay in here? Everyone comfortable?" He asked.

Venner walked back towards the entrance, "Yes, I think we will be okay here while we stay." Venner felt a creepy vibe as well from the long dark-haired man and didn't know what to make of him. As settled as her family was in the tent, she followed Avis close behind, she had so many questions.

"So...The order-" She seemed to have scared Avis for a second since he slightly jumped from her sudden presence. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize, my dear. Come, we can walk and talk since you're so curious." He placed an arm around her shoulders, and they kept walking. "The Order of Ecula is just a simple community we made to uphold the country's culture. We have ranks, Rogues: just like you and your family are the new members that come in. Servants: Those who choose to serve, like the Skrittle outside of Ecula...isn't that what you call them?"

"Yes." She nodded, listening carefully to him.

"Then there are the purifiers: The disciplinaries, the ones who don't tolerate disobedience...think of them as like law enforcement. Disciples: Who are my very close and personal friends I trust with my life and then...Theres the Eternal Prophet." He gestured to himself. Fallon chuckled in disbelief; he couldn't possibly be a prophet. Even blasphemy as deep as this wouldn't come from Fallon's lips.

"Prophets don't usually go around calling themselves a prophet." She spoke. The very words she said made Avis' head whip around quick and in that moment, unbeknownst to her, there was a blip of sudden negative emotion in his eyes...almost as if he was angered by her words. Then as suddenly as it came, it vanished, and he smiled.

"You have a sharp tongue, my girl." He laughed. "Maybe you are right. But...I don't go by the scrolls like other Elysians, I follow my own desires." He looked into her eyes as if he was looking into the very makings of her soul. "You look like the kind of person who marches to the beat of her own drum, am I right?" He asked.

Fallon's eyes went wide in amazement, he was reading her like a book and she felt so exposed. Was this...was this supposed to happen?