C. Schmidt - Hock City

The soldiers folded their wings, and bowed their heads, as they turned their attention to the voice. Kinth, looked on with a smug smile. The voice was that of the Mantis, returning with Langston and Jesse. At first, Kinth didn’t notice Langston because of the tussle that was seconds away from occurring.

The Mantis approached Kinth slowly. He leaned in, just inches away from Kinth’s face, speaking in a villainous tone.

“I have two others that will be joining you.”

Kinth observed the view over the Mantis’ shoulder. He noticed Langston and Jesse, walking sluggishly between several Mantodea soldiers. He did not change the smug expression on his face, despite this revelation. Rather, he wanted to avoid exposing the truth that he knew them. He sucked his teeth as if he didn’t care, despite the frustration that lied beneath his poised demeanor.

The same couldn’t be said of Langston. As soon as he noticed Kinth, he spoke his name not out loud but to himself. He spoke it loud enough for a soldier to hear him, to which this soldier alerted the others of what was said.

“Advisor, it seems the human knows the other captive.”

“Doesn’t matter; each of them will be dealt with by the Guardian,” responded The Mantis, unbothered.

The soldiers regrouped behind The Mantis on the paved road, between the trees. Due to his ferociousness and uncooperative nature, Kinth was bound between soldiers at the front of the line. Langston and Jesse were behind them.

“Sir, how do you suppose these three came into contact? How do you think the human got here?” asked a soldier.

“I don’t like to speculate, soldier. These matters will be discussed in the proper forum. Back to your position,” replied The Mantis.

“Yes, Advisor.”

The road started to widen; the trees became taller. The group approached a roundabout. Tall brick pillars with statues were positioned on both sides. The statues were abstract in design. A wide, iron-gate with the Guardian’s crest centered on the front was protected by multiple guards. Behind the gate, the Guardian’s mansion; a unique three-story Victorian structure, tan with several windows. The mansion sat at the top of a hill. It had wide steps that led to the doorway.

Jesse was surrounded by what seem to be the tallest soldiers in the group. He did his best to look around them to see the mansion. He had heard about this place, but hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. He relied solely on his imagination to envision what this area looked like.

Pearl had spoken of the Guardian plenty of times, but he had never seen the face of the mysterious man. Because of these reasons, his excitement got the best of him – causing him to run toward the gate.

“Hey! Somebody get him! Good grief!” yelled one of the Mantodea soldiers.

Jesse hopped from the line, dodging the soldier’s grasps by moving underneath their legs. A soldier yanked on the chain to which he was tied, causing him to fall to the ground just short of the entrance. He looked up at the mansion while he lied there, on his back.

“Enough of this! Move out of line again, and you won’t need to see the Guardian. I will deal with you myself. Open the gate!” spoke The Mantis in an aggravated state.

The opening of the gate rang loud, like the cry of an injured bird. Both Kinth and Langston watched on, as Jesse was lifted into the air. He was carried the rest of the way, like a pig headed to roast, to avoid further disturbances.

“Let’s go!” shouted a soldier.

The group marched in formation through the gates, and around both sides of the roundabout. The soldiers were put at ease after an about face.

“You six – with me. The rest of you position yourselves around the courtyard – and please – no more surprises,” The Mantis said.

The Mantis, soldiers and captives traveled up the steps, toward the front of the mansion. As they approached the entrance – the wide double-doors, with decorative stained glass, opened automatically once they were a few feet from them. Inside, two women with butterfly-type wings, stood on each side of the door. They neither greeted the Mantis, nor did they make any sound.

The foyer was designed as a roundabout, just like in the courtyard. A large, well-polished wood table was centric to the room, with a bust of a man positioned in the middle; a floral arrangement centered around it. A chandelier hung above, in addition to large globes that contained candles inside each one.

The man was middle-aged, based on the appearance of the bust. He had a narrow face, long nose and a strong jaw. He had an annoyed expression, as if he was not pleased with posing for the sculpture. He was disgusted with something while the bust was being created. He had wavy hair, prominent wrinkles in his forehead and no facial hair except for a thin mustache and eyebrows.

"Sit there," a solider instructed, pointing to a bench in the room. Kinth sat, while Langston and Jesse were put in a separate area. They were placed on the adjacent side of the mansion. The two of them sat nervously beside one another. Jesse tapped his feet, while Langston scanned the fixtures and the intricate style of the room.

“It seems this is where most of the money is going in this city,” Langston stated. He lounged against the foyer wall. “A damn shame. To live like this, with all those people out there in need.”

"Well, sugar, I knew one of these days you would get yourself into trouble – trouble that momma may not be able to get you out of," Pearl's voice traveled around the corner before she was seen, between the sound of slurps as she enjoyed a drink. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. Boy, what am I gon’ do wit’ you?”

Jesse flinched as he felt her hand stroke his head. He had no idea what to expect next. He knew he was no longer Pearl’s beloved helper. Pearl gradually revealed herself holding a martini glass. She stared at Jesse as she drank more, and then positioned herself between his legs.

“I told you don’t ever lie to me, didn’t I, sugar? And to always, always follow my instructions.” She forcefully squeezed his cheeks, to remind him of the kid that he was. His lips bulged as they stuck out like a sea creature.

“Please, Madam Pearl –“ Jesse tried to speak but couldn’t get out much.

“Leave the kid alone; I told him to do what he did. Why don’t you come and grab me like that? See what happens,” Langston rested his head against the wall, looking out the corner of his eye while speaking with more confidence than when they first met.

“Shut up! I wasn’t talking to you. You goddamn trouble-maker. If I had my gun – We will deal with you sh–“

“Pearl, please…,” a new, calm voice entered the space. The voice was smooth, quiet and mild in tone. “Let’s not taunt our guests.”

Pearl removed her grasp from Jesse’s face as she stepped away. She cut her eyes at him and Langston, just as a new set of guards, in three-piece suits, entered the space. Once in their position, the sound of another set of footsteps grew closer. A man approached Pearl slowly with his back turned toward everyone else. He whispered something in her ear, and in response, she walked away.

He turned around and faced Langston and Jesse, staring at them for several seconds before saying anything. He looked into a mirror and patted an out-of-place portion of his hair. He pulled on the sleeves of his shirt to adjust the length, ensuring that they extended enough beyond the sleeves of his suit jacket. He straightened the Windsor knot of his tie.

“There, that’s better. I clean up well, if I do say so myself. Oh, my apologies. Hi. I’m the Guardian. Pleased to meet you.”

“Um, hello – sir,” replied Jesse. He was excited but cautious in the same breath. He finally met the man face-to-face that he had heard about. The Guardian. The Legend. The man that most people in Hock City feared. His reputation preceded him.