[OOC: This is a collaboration post between myself and Vulshain.]]
Samuil waited for Cecilia and Stu to catch up. Whispering in Unonian to her, he said, “I see you have taken a strong likening to Stu.”
Quickly looking at her brother, she replied in a whispered, but still surprised tone in Unonian, “Wh-what? I-but–I um…Oh alright. I admit he is attractive, and he is the first guy who doesn’t want to jump into my pants. Maybe…” She blushed and wagged her tail as her heart pounded in her chest. Smiling, he told her, “Just be careful, alright, Cecilia. Don’t do anything crazy or embarrassing enough to make me want to find the nearest hole to crawl into.” Samuil smiled at her as the two of them walked along the President, the First Lady, Stu, and their escorts.
The group walked up onto a hill overlooking a massive valley. In the center, a hospital sat silently as patients went in and were discharged. Zach looked at Samuil. “What do you think of our first stop?”
Samuil looked a little puzzled. “I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting a hospital.”
Stu looked at Samuil. “This is the hospital Merrill Rivers is being held. That’s why there’s military equipment at the entrances.” Stu looked back at the hospital. A truck had pulled up and dropped off more soldiers. “We thought you may want to see him personally.”
“Oh.” Samuil was indeed surprised. Cecilia began to get weak kneed as the horrors she experienced as a POW came back. She swallowed her fear. “Well, then, I guess we see the devil himself then,” Samuil said.
Zach noticed Cecilia’s reaction. He turned back to Samuil and whispered, “We can go somewhere else if we need to.”
“It’s okay. This is something we both need to do. We appreciate your concern, but both my sister and I need to see this thing through.” Cecilia grabbed Stu’s arm, steadying herself. “I’m okay. Let’s go see the bastard of a bitch,” she said.
Stu nodded and directed the group back into the limo, which proceded to drive to the hospital. The motorcade stopped in the parking garage so it wouldn’t block the emergency entrance. The group proceded inside, and made their way to the second floor. Stu approached the desk. “We’re here to see Merrill Rivers, government business.” He flashed his Republican Guard I.D. card. The nurse nodded and directed them down the hall. Stu motioned for the rest of the group to follow him. They arrived at the Republican Guard checkpoint a few doors before Rivers’. They noticed the bird on his coat and moved out of the way for the group. The group approached Rivers’ room. The guards stood at attention. One of them reported in. “Colonel, in accordance to protocal, I must see your authorization to enter.” Stu handed the I.D. card the guard. He looked it over and handed back to Stu. The guard turned and unlocked Rivers’ door and allowed the group in.
Samuil and Cecilia walked into the room. Before them lay the human man who had plunged their homeland into a nightmarish hell. The same man whose followers had taken their parents from them. Samuil clenched his fist as he stared down at the man known as Merrill Rivers. Merrill looked at them. “Who are you?”
“I am King Samuil Rainard, the new king of the Confederacy of Vulshain.” Laughing he turned and looked at Zach. “And you are?”
Zach looked over at the guard sitting in the corner, then back at Rivers. “I’m the president of the country you’re now a prisoner in.”
“Prisoner?” As he laughed, he coughed. Smiling he replied, “So they send a president and a king to taunt and mock Rivers? I am Merrill Rivers, Presidental Viceroy of the Republic of–” “Former Presidental Viceroy,” Cecilia immediately corrected him. Grinning, “I gave Vulshain pride, purpose. I offerred them the world! Yet, you and the rest of your freaks turned Vulshain against me. But there are those who still serve me loyally. They will butcher your friends and families, level your homes, and burn your nations to ash! And from those ashes like the majestic phoenix, I will recreate the world! A world where order rules supreme!”
Cecilia was ready to pounce on him and rip his throat open, but she simply stared at him as she held onto Stu’s arm. “Because of you, Samuil and I lost our parents, our friends. For what? To satisfy your power-hungry ego!” “Good people died because of you, Rivers. I will enjoy seeing you rot in a cell for the rest of your life. Killing you is too easy a punishment to give you.” “PUNISHMENT!?” Rivers struggled to get out of the bed, but he made do with sitting up. “You and the rest of the world dare not make me into a martyr for you fear me! Put me behind bars, and my followers will set your world on fire! The armies of the New World Order will march through your streets! Your soldiers helpless against them! And you will beg on like the dogs you are for me to save
you from destruction! You have not won! YOU NEVER WILL!” Rivers laughed like a madman. “I will enjoy seeing the nations of the mongrels fall at my feet!”
Samuil just looked at him. “You know a part of me wants to kill you, but seeing you now, I just feel sorry for you. You nothing but insane. Like a rabid animal.” Turning to Zach he said, “Let’s go.” Rivers continued to laugh like a madman.
Zach nodded. A nurse walked past them before they made their way out, and injected a sedative into Rivers. She calmly walked back out. Stu led the group out of the hospital back to the motorcade waiting in the parking garage.
Samuil sighed. “You know. At one time, I felt nothing but hatred towards him, but now, seeing him like this, I can only feel pity for him. I guess the saying that power corrupts is true. Except in his case, power not only corrupts, it also drives you mad.”
Cecilia nodded as she still held onto Stu’s arm for support. Realizing that she was squeezing his arm, she let go. “I’m so sorry, Stu…I didn’t mean…I didn’t…” She turned away, embarrassed. She was still trembling.
Stu put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.”
Turning around, she looked at him. Tears were welling up in her eyes. Suddenly, she embraced him and started crying. “Thank you,” she said through the tears.
“Shhhh. It’s okay. Calm down.” Stu held her close to attempt to calm her down. He began to stroke her head.
Cecilia nodded. “Thank you, Stu. I…” She looked at him, and smiled, her tail wagging slowly. “I…” She just let him continue to stroke her head. “Thank you.” Samuil smiled at his sister and Stu. “You know Zach, uh…you don’t mind if I call you Zach, right?”
Zach nodded. “Of course you can.”
Nodding, Samuil replied, “Thank you. And you can call me Sam. Tell me, just between you and me, what do you think of them?” He turned back to look at Stu comforting his sister.
Zach nodded. “I’ve known Stu for at least ten years. I know he’s a good guy. Personally, I think they’d be good together. But that’s just judging from the short time you two have been here.”
Nodding, Sam answered, “I came to the same conclusion. I just hope she doesn’t invite him to take a ride in a MiG. If she does, I hope he knows how to hold on to his stomach.”
Zach chuckled. “Well I’m glad they test us for how many Gs we can take during Republican Guard basic.”
Vulshain says:
Sam was intrigued. “Really? Go on.” He was interested in hearing more.
“Well, since we’re pretty much trained to go anywhere using any means necessary, they felt the need to see how many Gs we could take for certain drops.”
“I see. When I had to fly a Hind during the Civil War, one of the first moves they make you do is doing a barrell roll. Since the Hind is the first helicopter capable of doing that.”
Zach nodded. “Yes, I’m familiar with the Hind. That’s why we used it for 30 years. We only got the more modern helicopters when I came into power.”
“I see. There’s been a lot of pressure from some arms manufacturers and a few members of the military for us to start using F-22 Raptors. They’re good, but too expensive. Not to mention, my sister would skin me alive if I gave the okay to do the switch. Ever since we were little, she always wanted to be in the Air Force. Her two favorite fighters: MiG-31 and Su-27. Both of which she flew
during the Civil War. I had the…misfortune to fly with her. Don’t is my advice.”
Zach chuckled. “Yeah, we typically use the MiGs and Sukhois ourselves. We do have the newest versions though. If I’m not mistaken, we actually flew old F-4s before the military started becoming modernized by the president before me. I’m just finishing what he started.”
Nodding, Sam asked, “How long have you been in office, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Zach thought for a moment. “Two years this January.”
“Hm…I see. Well, I hope it hasn’t been too bad for you.”
“Not really. The Kvatch Militant Crisis was the hardest thing to take care of so far. Then again, trying to keep the country together after I passed the act that repealed Act 291 may be a bit more difficult. Luckily, I have the full support of the military.”
Sam thought for a bit. “You know, since your nation aided us, I think Vulshain should return the favor. If you like, I could have my military ready to provide your troops with support.”
Zach nodded. “If this does turn into a shooting war, I’m sure the military will get a morale boost knowing they’ve got the full support of a neighboring nation.”
Smiling Sam replied, “Don’t mention it. We all have to stick together. I think that’s why Rivers failed. He just doesn’t understand that by working together, we can make the world a better place. Instead, he thought he could sway people to follow him, then he could do that.”
Cecilia wiped the tears from her eyes as she smiled at Stu. “Thank you Stu. I appreciate your…support. I really needed it.” Sighing, she brushed some of her hair from in front of her face. “I…um…” “Here goes nothing.” She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Blushing she said, “That’s for being there for me. Thank you.” Her heart pounded in her chest as her tail wagged, as she
blushed.
Stu smiled and could feel himself blush. He tried his hardest to stop his tail from wagging, but could not resist. “It’s my pleasure.”
Taking hold of his hand, Cecilia smiled as she said, “Come. Let’s go.”
Stu nodded. Zach, Tania, and Samuil followed Stu and Cecilia to the motorcade. Zach looked at Samuil. “Where would you like to go now? Your choice.”
Samuil thought for a bit. “I think my sister should make that decision.” Sam smiled at her. She shook her head. “I have…always…well, wanted to see the Church of Saint Emir and the Den Mother.”
Zach shook his head in approval. “That’s doable. Stu, if you would.” Stu nodded and pulled out his radio. “This is Colonel Riskotov, we need a defensive perimeter around the Church of Saint Emir and the Den Mother. Leave the inside alone, just defend the outside.” A voice came on over the radio. “Yes, sir, Colonel. We’re moving.”
Cecilia smiled. “I don’t believe it. I’m actually going to see it!”
The group climbed into the limo. The motorcade began driving back towards New Skopje, the location of the Church.
“Zach, I think we should keep the knowledge of Rivers being held prisoner for awhile. There are a lot of people out there who will do anything short of firing a nuke to rescue him,” Sam said.
Zach nodded. “Of course. Only me, my cabinet, Stu, you, Cecilia, the guards, and the workers at the hospital tending to Rivers know he’s there. And the workers are sworn to secrecy with the knowledge.”
Nodding, Sam smiled. “Good. The fewer the people who know, the better. Just a moment, I need to make a quick phone call.” Taking out his phone, he spoke in Unonian. After a bit, he put his phone back in his pocket. “I just had to arrange to get the medals sent over from Vulshain so I can award your sailors for rescuing the crew of the Halo’s Light. Your soldiers deserve it.”
Zach shook his head in approval. “They do deserve it, even if they say they don’t, or that they were just doing their jobs. The men and women that give their lives to their country are true heroes.”
“I agree. So, what can you tell us about the Church of Saint Emir and the Den Mother? I know that it houses Saint Emir’s remains, but I’m curious.”
“Well, it also houses the first known version of the Laiatan Bible. Built back in 1700, before our capital today was even around. Back then it was a fishing village. Why they picked there, we may never know. We do however know that now the capital houses more half a million people. Anyway, it’s built of marble, and is quite possibly the largest church in the region.
I know it’s the largest church in the nation, though.”
“Wow,” Cecilia said with great interest. “I have always wanted to see the first Laiatan Bible. The one that the Den Mother gave Saint Emir.”
Zach nodded. “Yes. We’re lucky they found it during the excavation at his second resting site.”
