Chapter one part three The beginning of the end The fullness of night was upon the city as Martyn looked out at the nights sky. The work had changed quickly in his eyes yet it ha been nearly forty years now since he had become a councillor of Kelia city. The stars in the sky still looked the same, eternal as they where they could offer Martyn no answer to the questions behind his aged eyes.* Belek stood behind Martyn with his hands inside his robe waiting for Martyn to acknowledge him. The night air was cold again it had been like that leading up to winter only once before around twenty eight years ago as Martyn remembered it. Sickly warm in the day and covered with a thin frost at night.* Martyn let Belek wait and shiver as he thought wondering with a slight humour if the coward of a man would speak up before told to.* "Report!" Martyn said barely turning his head to acknowledge Belek yet still the man seemed to jump with fright. "Benjamin's unit has been chosen well high councillor, none could be found that had ties to make them... Useful, high councillor" Belek held his head low, not making eye contact. Martyn despised the man, yet he had had his uses over the years. No-one could rule a council without knowing all there was to know about the people they ruled. He urged the rat like man to continue with a nod. "He is keeping information locked down tight high councillor which only makes me more suspicious of him. I have eyes on him and I am trying to trace any data he touches. Before he moves you will know why he does high councillor" Belek look on the point of sweating if it where not for the freezing wind blowing into the chamber he would have been. "Continue your efforts Belek, but do not go so far that Benjamin will know that you watch him, he must have free rain to think that what he does goes unknown". Martyn looked back out at the stars* "Yes high councillor".* Belek rushed to the small door hidden behind the VCS in the chamber a hastily closed it behind him with the clink of metal on metal, leaving no sign that the door had ever been there to begin with. Martyn let out a sigh, the weight of his thoughts clearly taking up his full attention. He knew that sleep would not come easily tonight, each new day could bring disaster and Benjamin's outburst in the chamber had sharpened that knowledge in his mind.* *I hope you all enjoyed and would love any comments that's it for now and is the end of the first chapter.
Chapter one (part two)* The beginning of the end The morning early morning had a stillness to it like the quiet before a storm, like the world was waiting for the day to begin. The sun was a deep shade of red as it peaked over the horizon, turning the sky to from the dark of night to the deep blues and purples of the *twilight hours before Dawn.* Benjamin sat at a large desk *in the the windowless offices of the special forces base 20 miles from Kelia city. Hundreds of scattered blueprint and maintenance charts littered the desk around him marked here it there with notes. The frustration was plain on Benjamin's face and the lack of sleep had started to wear at his nerves when*Jack entered the room. Jack stood to attention waiting for Benjamin to look up from the notes infront of him, Benjamin may have been his friend but he was still hi superior. Benjamin looked up at Jack with a quick glance before looking back at the maps. "Report" Benjamin said with a snap that seemed harsher that he had meant it to. “High General the unit is ready for it orders and have geared up. They are just waiting for you now as commanded" “Thank you captain I’ll be out in one moment”. Jack turned to leave but hesitated a moment before leaving. He would not openly oppose Benjamin but this seemed crazy given the outburst yesterday at the council. "Ben". Jack said still with his back turned to leave.* Benjamin didn't look up from the charts but the sigh he let out let Jack know he could speak freely". "Forgive me. But this seems rash given the circumstances. I mean you must know that Martyn will be having you monitored, he won't let yesterday pass him by unnoticed. “Yes I know Captain!" It was cold for Benjamin but he had wasted enough time going over the plans to miss this opportunity "Just make sure all the men are ready". He said with snap “Yes, High General!” Jack said sharply as he left. * Benjamin ruffled though a few more charts angrily and then smashed is fist onto the desk and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. It was frustration and stress that cause the outburst at Jack but he could not let it get the better of him now. Not with everything moving so fast, Benjamin knew he was playing a dangerous game one that he had no choice but to win. He stood up and straightened himself stealing himself before he went on. * Outside a *the sun was creeping closer to the horizon, the first deep reds of day touching the sky.* The air was unusually warm for the beginning of winter and not a touch of frost was to be seen even on the dry concrete of the base. Ten of the best soldiers new to Benjamin's command had been chosen for the mission today. They where all well season in battle and had been trained for covert missions but they had only been transferred to Benjamin's command so weeks before. They stood at attention in full combat gear waiting for the High general to appear. This was a special mission and he wanted to be present to inspect the troops before they where sent out and given their orders. The silence of the troops seemed to thicken the atmosphere as Benjamin high general of the city's are stepped out to inspect the troops. Benjamin was a commanding figure. With his heavy shoulders and hight, he would have dominated any room but the way he held himself said he had been born to lead. Benjamin looked over the troops from left to right slowly, taking in every face and then looked down at them with a slight turn of his lip that could have almost been a smile. "This mission has no room for error, we cannot afford to fail and we can leave no survivors. Take no prisoners and ensure that the target is secure at all costs". He let that statement sit in the air for a moment. "You have been chosen for my command because you are the best. You will be have no support on this mission it is code black so radio contact will be zero. You are to travel east 10 miles to the boarder and there you target co-ordinates and mission objectives will be added to you mvcs". Benjamin took one last look at the unit and strode back into the base. Jack stepped forward and handed the corporal an mvcs. "You have your orders" Jack turned back to the base as the unit formed up. The men shot out into the deep forests that surrounded the edge of the base and within seconds where lost to sight.
Chapter One The beginning of the end * Deep inside Kelia cities wall's just beneath the main city spire the councillors sit in the chamber of government deciding what the fate of the cities future would be. Benjamin High general of the city’s army stood arrogantly on the centre podium his armour shining as the well polished metal caught the lights that shone down on him. His medals sat proudly on his chest, each a statement of the achievements in his career as a soldier in the cities army. Benjamin held sway over the councillors because of his decorated and well documented career but today, as he stood on the podium in the centre of the chamber, arguing with the council over the future of the city, a flicker of doubt resonated through the councillors. * “We need to expand… We need to remove the remnants of the past that live outside our wall's and bring the new order that we have created into the world instead of guarding it like some fragile flower!" * There was a murmur around the room as the councillors muttered their thoughts at this unbelievable comment, the elder officials remembering the past years before the city had peace discussed all of the riots that had been caused within the city wall's and were trying to bring order to the room by reminding the younger council members that they needed to be safe, needed to stay within the city walls to keep this order that had taken so long to create. The murmur became a rumble as the councillors started to argue amount themselves. A silence settled over the camber as President Martyn a dark haired man with a stern face and long white robe stood as the leader of the council to address Benjamin in these rogue demands.* He placed his hands firmly onto the desk that stood before him and with his head held high looking more at the councillors than at Benjamin who stood defiant in front of him, he spoke in a commanding voice to the chamber. * “Look around you Benjamin the world is in decay… We MUST stay within the wall's of this great city in order to maintain the peace that we have worked SO hard to create."* Martin paused a second to let the silence give emphasis to his words. "Yes our armies are large, and stay off the onset of the rebels from outside our boarders, but we must remember the mistakes of the past”. *Martyn looked around the room to make sure that he had been heard. The councillors nodded and grumbled in agreement. * “You’re a fool Martyn… we have lived in this prison long enough! *We fear the outside world for no reason. I have been with the armies of this city to the edges of our borders and beyond!” He looked around the room as the councillors gasped at his arrogance. * The councillors looked at each other and whispered. ”He’s been outside the boarders…” They where whispering. “Who gave you authorisation for such a mission?” One of the Elder councillors shouted form the benches. A small smile almost invisible to everyone touched the corner of Benjamin's mouth. “You see… you are all so scared of the past that you now fear the future as well. But I will fear it no longer. I will rid this planet of the mistakes it has made and bring our people into a new future”. * Benjamin turned around and stormed out of the chamber swinging the heavy metal doors open with a loud crash as they slammed into the walls outside, the sound echoed around the chamber as the shocked silence held until two of Benjamin's lieutenants followed him out of the high metal doors that stood at the back of the chamber and closed them with another loud slam. The chamber erupted into a frenzy of councillors shouting and arguing among themselves about what had just happened and what they could do to stop this trouble. They where scared and for the first time in many years. “We must stop him before he becomes dangerous Martyn”. One of the elder councillors said. “I do fear what will happen if young Benjamin’s plans came to fruition. Who knows what we have created within our own ranks…” Martyn looked down at his hands. “By creating an army we may have created our own destruction and the end of life as we know it”. The room was silent at the solemn words of Martyn who was the highest of all the councillors of the super city. “I will consult the main government council about this concern, we will reconvene again in nine days and decide what is to be done. For now we must be vigilant and hope that all will be well”. * The sun had turned to a deep shade of rust in the sky and the air was cool out on the balcony high above the city as Jack Benjamin’s child hood friend and most trusted companion stood talking with Benjamin about what had happened earlier that day at the council meetings. * “Benjamin…" Jack paused from the look on Benjamin's face "Sir... If I may, you seemed to forward today. I mean questioning the councils laws, and openly, in front of President Martyn of all people". Jack stepped closer to the edge of the balcony. "Are you trying to get yourself exiled or killed?” *concern on his face, hardly believing what had just happened Jack waited for a response. “The old councillors don’t have any power anymore Jack, their time has past. We… we are the future of this city. Only we can move this city into the future”. Benjamin put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I still think we should have kept this quiet until the timing was better. We aren’t in the strongest of positions. We don’t have the backing we need to over throw the council yet and if they realise what we mean to do they will kill us both”. Jack sighed as he looked at Benjamin. * Benjamin turned away from Jack and moved to lean on the balconies edge, to look out over the city a city he had spent his whole life protecting. He looked down on all the people moving around the city like ants not think, not knowing what was happing above them and he sighed quietly. * Then without even a look at Jack he said. * “We are made for a better purpose than this life can give us Jack... I won’t ask you to risk your life so that I can show you that I am right. We have been friends to long and I only ask that you don’t get in my way when the time comes”. * Jack now standing right behind him put one hand on his shoulder. “You know I would follow you into the fires of hell if I thought you needed my help. You’re a proud man Ben… just don’t let that pride get you killed". * Jack smiled a half hearted smile and left Benjamin to his thoughts. He walked through the chamber and out of the tall wide metal doors. He order two of his lieutenants’ to stay at the door of the chamber and contact him if there be any need to. Jack was starting to be concerned about Benjamin’s state of mind, he’d known him since they where children but in all that time he’d never seen him like this so withdraw and secret.
Hi to all, I am new writer and I have been looking for somewhere to get a good sense of if my work is any good at all. I have only ever written short stories and I must apologise now for spelling and grammar as I am Dyslexic and rely heavily on word for spelling, grammar and punctuation! I will shortly be posting parts of a book I have been writing for some time and although it requires major work I hope you will be honest an let me know what you think! Thanks