Chapter 6 Lex

Lex awoke, cold and miserable, in the back of an alley. He groaned as he sat up. His opened his eyes only to tightly shut them against the afternoon sun as it met his eyes. This time, he covered his face with his arm, casting his eyes in a cool shadow, before he opened them.

He could hear the streets filled with people walking, doing their jobs, and the drunken laughter of the unfortunate.

What happened to him? Lex mind raced with multiple answers to this question. None of them he could believe. Did he really kill someone? He didn't kill just one soldier, he killed two. Was it really worth it? He saved a girl from further trauma, but still.

He looked at the wall behind his back. The light shone on the art work of blood on the walls. He really did it. He killed two Arden solider. He looked around, frantically, looking for the bodies, but they were gone. Someone took them, but who?

He couldn't remember anything after he killed the soldiers. Was he just too drunk? He probably was, he was lucky enough to remember that he killed last night.

He was just too drunk last night to remember anything but the killings, and that was probably just because they ended up scarring him. He must of passed out. How drunk was he last night?

Shit!

Lex was late for work. He stood up and started running down the alley before he realized, since he was already late he should just take his time. He walked down the main road in the direction of the mountains. He wouldn't get paid as much for his time in the mines since he came late. Would they even allow him to work at all?

Lex's mind raced with so many unanswered questions. He, self consciously, reached into his pocket and felt the familiar handle of his knife. The knife he killed with.

It was the middle of the day, he could tell by the bright sun, so no one mind if they saw him with a knife. Must men carried a knife on them to protect themselves and their families.

Now he needed his knife to straighten his thoughts. He pulled his knife out of his pocket. Holding it by the handle, he flipped it into the air, and caught it, again, by the handle. This helped him think.

He thought back to last night while he repeatedly flipped the knife into the air. He remembered walking into the bar, ordering a drink, then walking to the corner with David. Flip. He remembered the conversation, he remembered joining the RA Revolution. Flip. He remembered his joy and hatred. Flip. He remembered the soldiers. He remembered what it felt like to kill them. Flip. He remembered his name being called. Flip. He couldn't remember anything else. Flip. He was starting to get irritated. Flip. Why can't he remember? Flip. Flip. Flip. Fli- he failed to catch the knife.

As the knife fell passed his hand, he reached out his hands as if he could stop it's downfall before it could touch the muddy road. But it never hit the ground. It was levitating in the air, suspended there, until his mind inched it up into his hand. He watched in amazement as the knife started to wobbly float up to his hand. What was that? What just happened?

Startled he shoved the knife back into his pocket and started to hurry down the road to the mines. He needed to get to work, and focus on whatever that was later.

~~~

Lex was able to go into the mines and work, but he was only to be paid a quarter of what he usually was paid. It was his own fault, but he was still irritated about it. He walked down the cold, dark, dirt road with the other miners. They marched into the lit town. Some headed off straight for their houses, but most were like Lex and headed for the bars.

Lex walked into the bar where he was to meet David. This time he didn't want to get a drink, he didn't want a repeat of last night. Besides, it was best to have a clear mind with these types of things.

Lex went over to the usual corner where David usually was, only to find his seat empty. Maybe he was late, Lex thought. He slid into the booth and waited. Soon he began to feel anxious. Maybe he missed heard. Maybe David changed his mind about him joining the RA. Maybe something happened to David, or the RA.

As his anxiety grew, his hand slid into his pocket and around the blade of his knife. The sharp sting of pain helped him clear his mind, and he started thinking logically. David was just running late, that was all, Lex convinced himself.

As Lex's hand closed more tightly around his knife, Lex was reminded of earlier today. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He decided to test it out.

He could see the whole room from where he was. He made sure no one was paying him any attention before he took the salt and shocked a little out on the table. Concentrating he could feel the air around them begin to shift as he used his mind to guide them up to his hand. He closed his eyes, and blocked out the rest of the room as the salt began to float up to his hand.

He felt someone get into the seat next to him. Lex's eyes flew open as he heard David's voice.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing!" Lex loudly replied. He removed his hand, and his mind was concentrating now on the fact he was just caught. The salt fell back on the table.

"Ok then…" David said, suspiciously. "Well, we better get going, I was running late and the meeting is about to start."

Lex followed David out of the bar and down the road. The night was dark and empty. It was like it was just them left in this soundless world. They walked in silence down the road till they got to a house.

Lex had never gone down this road before, so he wouldn't know his way or even who's house is it. David walked up as if he owned the place and walked into the house.

"This is my house," David said. "So don't mess anything up. Oh right, I forgot to mention, I'm the leader of the RA. Welcome to the RA and this is a meeting for the important people in the RA. You are now an important person, Lex. Enjoy it."

Already? He just joined. Does that mean he trusts Lex? He trust him enough to join, but to already make him one of the important people... Lex couldn't help but think about his powers. Did David know? Did he know he killed the soldiers?

David led him down the stairs into the basement of the house. Lex could hear the sounds of conversation from the top of the stairs. There was others who wanted what he wants. Others who wanted to kill the king.

"I brought another one!" David yelled down the stairs as he started to climb down them.

The conversations died, and Lex imagined disapproving faces staring at the stairs to see who the newbie was. When Lex could see the faces of others, he saw that they went a mask of disappointment but instead he was meant with half smiles and wild grins.

"This is Lex," David introduced him, he turned to address him. "You can find a seat and I'll start the meeting."

I looked around the room and spotted many familiar faces from the bars he goes to. Most of the men here, unlike him, wore long beards and wore their ages on their faces. He noticed there was about fifteen men here.

"Alright then, Lex, make yourself at home. You can meet people afterwards, but for now let's get to business!" David said with newfound enthusiasm.

David started explaining how their forces worked. There was three main leaders, the founders of the RA. Gris, Mary, and David, were the leaders. Each leader has five commanders that serve under them. Meaning that Lex was in the second line of command.

Each commander has their own group of people that they commands based on the orders given by their assigned leader. Since Lex was scouted by David, David was Lex's leader.

David explained that this was their main base, and that they had plenty other meeting points but this is the only one Lex needed to know of.

Twice a month they have a meeting with the leaders and their commanders, to give their updates and any new information. Sometimes, if big news is discovered, then they can call an emergency meeting.

David explained that this is where they stored their weapons, which mostly consisted of small knives. This could be useful for Lex.

I can use the knives to practice, Lex thought.

He scanned the room and found the boxes full of knives. He could simple walk passed the opened box and take a couple. From what he could tell, there was all different sizes. He could take a couple of each size when he leaves. He could take them as soon as everyone gets up to leave, and then place them in his pants, using his belt to hold them in place, and use his shirt to cover them from plain sight.

He missed what David has been saying, but he knew that they made a contact in Skyland. Skyland would help them, they had to if they wanted any chance of winning.

David then asked if anyone had found any important information. One of the men spoke up then.

"There's ah rumor goin' 'round," the man said. "That they created ah new weapon."

"Any rumors about what this weapon is?" David asked.

"Nope!" The man was clearly drunk, but Lex had also heard these rumors. There was whispers about it in the mines. Nobody knew what the weapon was, just that it was powerful.

Another man spoke up, this one was sober and didn't look as old as the other men in the group. "Two soldiers were found dead this morning. The culprit is unknown, the bodies were missing, but it was clear there was a murder. Their family's filed a missing report and there was blood everywhere near the last place they were seen on duty."

The man gave his report as if he he did it a thousand times before. He must be with the King's Guard.

No one else had anything to say, so the meeting ended. Chairs scrapped against the floor as people stood up. Lex quickly got of his chair and went over to the knives.

Before he could get there he was stopped by a man who smelled like booze.

"Hello there Lex!" He slurred. "I'm Mary!"

He was one of the founders of the group. He was drunk. He wouldn't remember Lex soon. He could just ask for the knives...

"May I ask a question?" Lex asked.

"Go ahead!"

"Could I take a couple of those knives? So I can practice throwing them?"

He thought about it for a bit, the drunken smile on his face wavered.

"No one ever touches them, so I don't see why not." It was like he was suddenly sober and serious. It made Lex freeze. Lex felt like he shouldn't have asked as he stared into the drunk's strangely focused eyes. It was if he could read his mind.

Then the man blinked. He started laughing drunkenly, and he acted as if nothing had happened. He roughly patted Lex on the back and went to go join the rest of the group in the front of the room.

Lex exhaled as he watched him leave. Now he has permission. He went over to the open crate. He grabbed two of each sizes that he could find. He slip the handles into his pants and secured them with his belt. He cover the tips with his shirt. He could feel the cold metal of the blades press against his midsection as he walked.

He watched as people went up the stairs to leave. He needed to go, he had to get up earlier to make up the work he missed today. Lex said his goodbyes to David then left the basement.

When he reached the top of the stairs he could hear a conversation, they were talking about him. Why were they? Then he recognized the voice of the King's Guard.

"It was that guy, Lex! I swear it! He was laying knocked out at the scene of the crime! I recognized him! He still wearing the same bloodied clothes! I could smell the dried blood on those black clothes of his!"

"Ok, so what if his is? He did a good job, he helped us out." The other person replied.

Lex didn't care about what they had to say, he was just suddenly tired. He wanted to go home. He needed to get home. He walked out of the front door. He knew the two saw him. How did they react when they realized he heard? Lex wondered about the meeting, and all the fellow king haters. But one thing wouldn't leave his mind. Why was there a King's Guard there?

As soon as he got home, he took the knives out, and then he laid down on his bed and passed out.