Hunted

Chapter 1

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. - Roman 6:4

* * * *

It is mid-afternoon and there is a large crowd gathered at the town square of Grand Central – the capital city of Mayalia where the main headquarters of the Council as well as the council chambers were located. The main headquarters of the New Army was also located here.

But right now, the main ‘attraction’ of the day are two teens tied up to stakes with their hands behind their backs. Both of them bloodied, with obvious signs of having undergone through quite a bout of torture. The girl was almost unconscious, and was slumped against the stake – whilst the boy still found enough energy in himself to glare at his captors and the audience.

A blonde young woman who had her pale blonde hair reaching just past her shoulders paused when she saw the crowd at the town square. She wore a beige coat with a black turtleneck top beneath it and gray pants with black boots and gloves, with shades on her face. She then walked towards the crowd, peering over the sea of heads curiously in an attempt to see what was going on, but failed.

Finally, she tapped on the shoulder of the man in front of her. “Excuse me, what is going on?” she queried.

The man looked at her in bewilderment before the question that she’d asked sunk into his brain. “Oh. Are you a traveller here or something?” he asked. He prattled on. “Those two over there—” He pointed at the platform of the execution site of the two teens. “—are former members of the organisation Sin that Mayalia had been on the lookout for the past five years. Sure, they’d helped end the tyranny of the former government, but between you and me, the power that they wield and the methods that they’d used to do it…” He trailed off and shuddered. “It gives me the creeps. And not to mention the fact that they don’t really care who they kill. Monsters, the whole lot of them. If you ask me, all of them deserved to die.”

Without even gauging the young woman’s reaction, he turned his attention back to the front just as a set of floating screens floated down from above, showing a visual image of the scene currently happening on the platform.

The young woman lowered her shades slightly from her eyes, a miniscule frown on her face.

* * * *

On the execution platform, Sen Kirington glared at the Council officials currently present – the commanders of the army as well as the executioner who is a soldier from the army. Next to him, Eris Lovell was nearly unconscious. And considering the fact that the torture that she’d gone through is a lot more intensive than Sen’s, it is not surprising.

“Let’s start.” One of the commanders stated, and there were loud cheers from the audience even as the soldier loaded the bullets into his revolver.

Sen glared at the soldiers, then to the audience surrounding them – the common folk of Mayalia. These are the people that he and his comrades have risked life and limb to protect five years ago? These ingrates are the people whom his friends and comrades have sacrificed their lives for? You have got to be kidding! For what did they die and sacrificed for if this is how they’re going to treat them? And no way in Hell is he going to show fear in front of these people! 

He’s a proud member of Sin, the organisation that had done the impossible five years ago by taking out the ‘head’ of the old government after all. He will bow to no one! He answers to no one! Even if he dies, he is still a proud member of Sin, one of their elites! 

“Eris, wake up.” Sen urged, turning his head to face his old friend. There were low inaudible mumbles from his friend, but she didn’t move. Sen then turned and glared at the audience. “You are nothing but just a bunch of bloody hypocrites!” He shouted at the audience, hatred and scorn in his eyes. The audience’s mumbling and cheers were immediately silenced. “You might think that the Council are pure and good, but they’re no better than the old government!” A bright fire was burning in Sen’s eyes. “You might kill us here, but we Sin aren’t so easily defeated! The others will hear of this. And mark my words, they’ll be back!” He hollered, and an uneasy silence fell amongst the people. No one in Mayalia had forgotten the terror that is Sin, and the means that they would go to in order to wipe out their enemies. It’s just lucky for everyone five years ago that Sin isn’t some ambitious organisation. “And if you remember what we’ve done during the war, then you should know what we can and will do!”