The Rogues

22- Fury

Celeste
4 years ago

It wasn't unusual to see Dominic angry. There was always a fire brewing inside him, it was just a matter of when it would erupt.

It wasn't unusual, though I've never seen him quite like this. Anyone would think if they got too close, they'd end up leaving his presence with a black eye and a broken bone. But I knew him better than anyone else, figuring if I got to close the most I'd leave with would be an insult and an eye roll, but that didn't bother me much. I'd like to think Dom was more scared of me than I was of him, though I wasn't scared of him at all.

I was in the library, skimming over the familiar pages of books I've read a hundred times. I loved to read, any free time I had there was most likely a book in my hand. I felt I got that trait from Kyler because he loved reading much more than me. When his head wasn't in a book, it was peering through colors of a pallet of paint, his hands brushing strokes effortlessly on a canvas. Kyler always was naturally talented at anything he did, me though, the only talent I possessed was being able to spin a knife between my fingers.i never thought it was impressive, but Kyler would always say my movements with a knife were smooth, like the circling blade of a ceiling fan.

I guess my hobbies contrasted each other...reading and knife tossing were an unlikely pair.

Since Detra banned books a few years back, the Rogues had tried to find as many as we could. We found some laying in the dumps, and picked them up before the troops burned them to ashes. I hated the thought of books being thrown in a fire, used as nothing but flame starters. It sickened my stomach.

When I was in the Chamber, reading was my only way to escape from my dreaded reality. Though the books were mostly poetry or Detra gov education novels, I still found enjoyment in flipping through the pages, coming up with colorful images in my head that replaced my black and white world. I had a big imagination. It shielded me from the real world sometimes.

I was devastated when Detra enforced the ban of books. It felt like my only distraction, other than talks with Dominic, had been taken from me. When I found the Rogues and learned they carried a library, I was overjoyed with excitement.

The first book I read as a Rogue was called, Feu et Furer, meaning Fire and Fury. It was a book of poetry, an anti-government propaganda published by one of the first Immune people ever imprisoned, Catina Nyx. Her powerful words about the corrupt government system got her arrested, and later executed. She knew the risk, but was willing to sacrifice her life to expose Detra Gov. Unfortunately, not many read her statements because every copy of her book was burned to bits...all but one copy. And somehow, Theo managed to get a hold of that last copy and brought it with him when he escaped Detra. Theo has never told anyone how he got that book. The mystery always intrigued me.

Catina was someone I wished I could be. It was rare for a woman to publish a book, and unheard of one to protest the government. She stood for what was right, and I honored her for that. Everytime I opened the pages, the whiff of old lignin breaking down, a hint of decay, and dry musk that was somehow refreshing...it smelled like freedom.

I was paging through Catinas book for probably the hundredth time when Dominic walked in. All I could say was the name Fire and Fury, was very fitting for the moment.

Dominic slammed the door behind him with a ruthless bang that tumbled over a few books that rested on the shelves near the entrance. It caught my attention immediately, and I peeked over my book to see what was the matter.

He turned around for a moment, grasping his hands over his forehead—knowing him, he was probably deep in thought. But about what? With a short breath, Dominic took a quick glance at all the books that sat on the shelf in front of him, and in one powerful motion, he swung his hands across the ledge, tumbling each book to the floor, pages spitting out the old novels while pillows of dust followed. The clutter was loud enough to wake all of No Man's Land, shaking the library. Dominic often forgot how powerful he was...and that scared me.