Book of Seth: The Citadel: A Fallen Chronicles Book by O'Brien Dan

Author:O'Brien, Dan [O'Brien, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2015-03-11T16:00:00+00:00

HUGO WALKED OUT AHEAD of me. His thin frame was covered in rags. The wraps of the fallen still embraced me and I found comfort in them, especially within this strange place. I passed rows upon rows of cells. Worn and dirty faces watched me from behind invisible walls. Their vacant eyes had once been bright. As far as I could tell, we had descended down floors. I might have lost count. We stopped abruptly. Hugo almost fell over as we did so. Together, we stood before a grand steel door, the hinges brown and rusted. Guards walked alongside us, their rifles held across their chests. Cylindrical batons were attached at their waists; their masks reflected my own haunted features.

A screen resided above the grand arch. It erupted into static at first and then subsided into nothing more than nothingness. I heard music, faint at first and then rising like a symphony. A man’s voice echoed all around me, his voice dry and gravelly. “Welcome, lower beings, to the Citadel. This place has stood for generations. Some of you will be exterminated and some condemned to these walls and mines to earn your keep. Beyond this grand arch are miles upon miles of mines; the twisting caves go deep into the earth. There is no escape from this place.”

The screen had morphed into a human face. The cruel features were gaunt; dark, cold eyes stared over an angular nose. His dark hair was slicked back and his lips were twisted into a sneer. His jaw line was sharp.

I looked up for a moment and then back down. This place was no mere prison. It was much more than that. I leaned in toward Hugo, my face just over his shoulder. “Who in is that?”

Before he could even voice a response, the guard closest to me slammed the butt of his rifle into my lower back. It sent me to my knees. A sharp pain shot throughout my body. He leered over me and then began to speak. “You’re never to speak when High Marshall Kyien is dictating, is that understood?”

I nodded. “Yes, of course,” I replied slowly.

Crack.

This time the butt of the rifle slammed into my face and I could feel bones break beneath the blow. My face was warm and I brought my hand up to my forehead where he struck me. I looked at my hand and realized that the world was spinning uncontrollably. My hands shook and a river of blood flowed from finger to finger, oozing down my wrist.

I wiped it on my shirt and tried to stand.

“I told you not to speak,” he roared, spittle forming at the corners of his mouth.

I nodded weakly. Blood streamed down my face and the bitter taste of it coated my dry throat. I rose slowly, wobbly, and stood as tall as I could. Arching my chin up, I swallowed again. The force of the blow still rang in my head. The guard waited, his rifle brandished like a bludgeon.

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