As was his birth right, The eldest warlord in Armageddon, Nikodemus, held another gathering in the confines of his underground fortress where his brothers were summoned to discuss matters of importance. It was under a nightly sky and full moon, though the information was ultimately unnecessary without a sky, or the issue of time for that matter, to concern them, that the men gathered round a large oval table designed with what little wood the Quadrant had and leftover junk from scavenging the Outlands. At the head, north where the entrance was maned by two soldiers, sat Nikodemus in all his glory on a gold polished throne forked with used, yet prized, primitive weapons that held a significant value he would all too proudly explain if asked. His dark tanned skin shined with his daily morning oil and around his neck hung rusty wire that leashed about a dozen or so keys. To what? That remained unknown. Beside him, on his right, stood the tall, stocky figure of his eldest son Jax, spine erect, sporting his war clothing that clearly portrayed his rank as second-in-command. On his left, a good meter distance from the throne, clustered his Palace Mothers in their casual attire; tattered silk dresses reaching just above the knee. And on his lap, a very special place, sat firmly his precious treasure, only daughter, and one of the very rare palace girls, Aberah. She was thin, considerably skeletal, aside from the small layer of muscle and meat she earned on her own and she was draped in a silken dress as well, if you could call it that, that hung like a large T and barely reached her thighs. A partial tail of her hair was up in a messy bun and the rest cascaded down her shoulder like a champagne waterfall. She dared not risk a glance towards her Uncles' direction. "Welcome, brothers", He greeted rather gruffly, as if his voice was unaccustomed to such a low and smooth tone. But it was his obligation to attempt charisma, even at the cost of sounding silly. "We have very important matters to discuss tonight".

Settled a seat down on the right of the table, the hood of his worn ensemble shielding the majority of his face in shadow, silently brooded Decimus, the third eldest of his nine siblings. Though he looked as if he would rather be anywhere else but here at another meeting, it provided him an opportunity to preach the words of Elysium to his kin and convince them to follow on the path to salvation; something they were straying from the further they remained in existence. On either side of him were his sons, Diesel and Atlas, stoically staring at nothing In Particular as a show of respect to their parent. The only difference being Diesel showed a hint of a smile. As for acknowledgement, Decimus merely nodded to Nikodemus and the rest.

At the opposite end of Nikodemus sat the twins, Scorpius and Septimus, the youngest of the warlords. At Scorpius's feet piled his pack of plague dogs. The mutants hugged his ankles and only glanced up when their master chose to speak, finding the rest of the reunion uninteresting. Their bacteria infested saliva dropped onto the floor, creating ghostly puffs of rising steam. Nearby were Septimus's dogs, who, except for his bulldog, sat close to his calves, jaws frothing. Frankie, his favorite, rested on the young warlord's lap playing with a human rib bone between his teeth. As if in a show of primal power, Septimus ran his free hand suggestively along the pet's spine, daring anyone to insult him in any way. The twins chose not to move, doing the same as Decimus and giving a faint nod.

Primus

As the second eldest, Primus sat to the left of Nikodemus. Directly behind him, his two sons Flint and Slate stood silently awaiting his command like loyal pets. Primus sat with his hands resting on his beloved cane, rubbing his hands across the jewels every now and then for comfort. He surveyed his brothers and was disgusted with their behavior. They acted like they were Nikodemus's slaves and what was worse was that Primus also sat quietly, being careful to not do anything disrespectable. He clenched his hands on his cane as his hatred for his brother began to burn. Nikodemus sat proudly at the head of the table flaunting his daughter Aberah for all to see. Primus wanted her. He wanted her and all of Nikodemus's palace girls. He was tired of always being second best. He deserved better. He was better. And it is time that he started being treated like it. Primus gave Nikodemus a polite smile. Don't worry brother, your reign will end soon.

Maximus

Maximus sat in the shadows watching his brothers trade curt nods and smiles. The forth youngest brother chose to move his chair away from the table and into the corner of the room so he would be left in peace. He hated attending these meetings; they never ended well and Maximus found their arguments to be tedious. He would much rather be in the confines of his swamp where he could be left in solitude. Every flash of teeth from his brothers made Maximus anxious. He wanted nothing more than to add them to his necklace. The canines would be the first to go, then the incisors, and after that he would rip out their molars as their scre... Nikodemus's smooth voice brought Maximus out of his daydream.

Adamus

The foul stench that emanated from Septimus and Scorpius appalled Adamus. As the second youngest, he was forced to sit beside them and therefore suffer through the disgusting stench. None of his brothers were fit to be a warlord. They had no rules, no orders, no control. The only one that is even close to what a warlord should be is Decimus because he at least understands the importance of Elysium. The others act like a bunch of filthy mongrels. Adamus gave his brothers a half bow as a sign of respect, even though he knew they didn't deserve respect of any kind.

Seamus

Nikodemus's commanding voice startled Seamus from his short nap and caused both him and his chair to topple over. The third youngest brother was unaffected by the fall and picked his chair back up and sat down without saying a word. It wasn't his fault that he fell asleep; his brothers are just too d*mn boring. They sat there forever giving each other weird a** smiles and nods. In fact, he's surprised that Dudley, Seamus's right hand man, didn't fall asleep as well. He noticed that his palace girl Whiskey had strayed too far for his liking so he yanked on the chain that was wrapped around her neck. She stumbled and ended up on the ground. Seamus dragged her across the floor until she was directly beside him, then he leaned down and ran his fingers across his name which was tattooed across her neck. When he was assured that she was frightened he sat up straight in his chair and propped his feet up on the table, crossing them at the ankles. With his head tipped back resting on his intertwined hands, he grinned at his brothers. It's time for some chaos.

For the most part, Nikodemus was pleased by his brothers' obedient nods and reactions to his clear overwhelming power. The only fool who kept up a rebellious, and utterly rude, performance was Seamus. But the Underground Warlord had come to expect that from his brother and ignored it, taking it as ignorance. Running a large calloused hand down the length of his daughter's hair, an instinct now more than a boastful show, Nikodemus spoke again. "As you know, my daughter, Aberah, has come of age", referring to a period in a woman's life where she is elligeable to become a Palace Mother and ultimately transfer to a new Quadrant. This happened to be a rare event and seeing as it circled around Nikodemus's spawn he embraced it extra carefully and logically. After all, it was unethical that a Father lay with his own daughter, so staying home presented a problem. "As the only promising Palace Girl in all the eight Quadrants-" Blatantly making an insult towards Whiskey and her infertility as well as Seamus "-Our traditions dictate that she be, preferably, bought or traded away to one of you, my kin". Beside him, Jax noticeably shifted his stance into one of defense, as if in the know of his Father's decision on the matter. This is why his Brothers forced themselves to come here. "However, these were our Father's traditions. Not mine. And the only course of action that would be beneficial, is to keep Aberah in the Underground Quadrant". His eyes gleamed with sureness.

Greed. Selfishness. Both have consumed Decimus's brother like a devil on both his shoulders, convincing him that withholding his treasure was worth all the suffering that will surely hunt him like a bounty soon afterwards. The Shade leader may not be as lustful as his kin, but acquiring his niece would prove useful to even him in other ways, especially in the eyes of his son Diesel. His infatuation for her would be very beneficial and could result in another rarity in itself: grandchildren. Yes, offspring of the Maiden child. The thought gave him such dark delight he raised his head so shadow only concealed his forehead. But he chose to stay out of the argument for now. As for his sons, they too like Jax, prepared themselves for what was to come.

What. The. H*ll. This announcement was strong enough to make Septimus stand up abruptly, Frankie rolling with a Yelp off of his lap. "That is bloody sh*t!" He exclaimed shrilly, the volume of his voice loud enough to make the animals in the room whine and howl. The whole time the dirty bloke, his clothes covered in muck and grime, deathly stench rolling off of him in waves, had been staring exclusively at Aberah, confident in what he had to offer for the b*tch. And then this! His neck gave a twitch, a sign on Bon his physical and mental instability. As if reading their master's cues, his purebreds stood on all fours and began to growl and bark. "Sit down, Septimus", warned Scorpius softly, but firmly at first, his hands clasped together.

"You selfish, ungrateful mole", he continued, disregarding his brother. His eyes were blazing in fury as he climbed up on the table, visibly shaking and ready to charge. "D*mn you! D*mn you and those whores you flaunt while the rest of us are stuck under that fat thumb of yours begging like dogs for a scrap of what Father gave you. We are starving!" His dogs jumped up on the edge of the table, drool and spit flying from their maws. But before his madness could continue, Scorpius stood form his chair. "SIT DOWN, SEPTIMUS". And just like that, fazed by the controlled anger and superior dominance that radiated off of his twin, Septimus jumped off the table and sat back in his chair sourly. Scorpius watched him silently for a few seconds before turning his gold orbs on Nikodemus. "This is not the way we do things".

Primus

Primus was stunned. Absolutely stunned. His anger slowly building inside him until all he could see was red. All this time of yearning to step away from Nikodemus's shadow, only to find that he was trapped there. Primus won't stand for it. He briefly hears yelling coming from Septimus and Scorpius. Septimus is right, this is 'bloody sh*t'. He glanced up at Nikodemus with as much hatred as he could muster. "How Dare you." he growled. "How dare you do this to us! Your brothers! Your Kin!" He slammed his cane against the ground. "I won't have this Nikodemus!" He picked his cane up and pointed it at Aberah. "If I can't have her, then I want one of your palace mothers." Satisfied with his statement, Primus settled back in his seat comfortably, hands resting on his cane once again.


Maximus

Unbelievable, Nikodemus was going to keep the girl for himself. Maximus normally never got involved in these arguments, but this was a special occasion. A palace girl was at stake and Maximus needed her; how else was he supposed to expand his population. He had recently lost one of his breeders and the remaining breeders had been producing weak and sickly offspring. Maximus needed a young woman to give him strong healthy sons. He pulled his seat back to the table and began banging the table repeatedly with his fists as his brothers argued amongst themselves. Occasionally he would bang his head as well and as the argument got heated he began making guttural animal noises.


Adamus

At Nikodemus's announcement, Adamus watched as his brothers went berserk. Their actions caused him to roll his eyes. How typical of them, letting their rage take them over. Adamus was just as upset about the situation as they were, but whining about it will solve nothing. The matter must be handled by having a civilized discussion where everyone gets to calmly state their opinion. Of course, Adamus knew that his brothers would never be capable of such a thing. He stayed put in his seat showing no emotion whatsoever, waiting until the moment his brothers calmed down. Which means he would be sitting for quite some time.


Seamus

Seamus's grin grew as the room was thrown into chaos. His boredom long gone, he mentally thanked Nikodemus for commencing this wonderful mayhem. Seamus didn't even have to lift a finger and his brothers where already at each others throats. He, like his brothers, also wanted Aberah for she would be valuable to his quadrant. But Nikodemus just put Seamus in a position to get much more than just Aberah and he doesn't seem to be aware of it. The little dig Nikodemus made about Whiskey did make Seamus's blood boil, but he can overlook that since Nikodemus provided him with the opportunity to have a h*ll of a time. He handed Whiskey's chain over to Dudley and stood up from his chair. As he climbed onto the table, he looked down at Septimus and winked. "Hope you don't mind that I stole your idea little brother." Seamus walked slowly down the table with his hands behind his back. When he reached the middle of the table he clapped his hands together loudly. "Listen up a**holes!" he yelled. "I need all of you to calm down and shut the f*ck up." He looked toward the head of the table, "I have something to say to our big brother." He walked until he was right in front of Nikodemus. "Well, well brother. Seems like you've caused quite a fuss. Keeping Aberah in the Underground Quadrant is a risky move, but I get it." He gestured to himself. "I understand." He smiled sympathetically, "You have to let us know who has the biggest cahonies and in a room full of conceited men, that is no easy feat." Seamus spread his arms out to indicate his other brothers. "To you, we are insignificant. Our needs don't matter to you, our priorities don't matter to you, and we ourselves definitely don't matter to you. And you know what." He grinned evilly at Nikodemus, "That's okay." He continued, "We can take care of ourselves, we don't need any of your excess supplies or luxuries." He leaned down until he was hovering over Aberah and staring straight into Nikodemus's yellow eyes. "So do what you want with the girl, big bro." He tapped Nikodemus's nose in a condescending manner. "You ARE the boss."

Jax made a move to step forward in place of his Father, but Nikodemus stopped him with the rise of his hand. And so the soldier kept back, his displeased feelings clear. Worming one hand under the bottom of Aberah and gently, yet forcibly, handling her side with the other, he lifted her lithe form from his lap and sat her down on the balls of her feet. Giving the center of her stomach a guiding push away from the throne, he stood to his full height. Over 200 lbs. of raw muscle and 6 feet 3 inches of towering warrior, he mimicked somewhat of a god who had just been spurned by one of his followers. No matter what he said or did, when the King of brothers gazed upon Seamus he saw a mere runt compared to him; the boy he was long ago when their Father still ruled. It was, in a way, "cute" how intolerable a brat he could be. But he held influence nonetheless. Nikodemus would deal with the current chaos after setting his position straight. "Of all my brothers", he began slowly, as if stating a storybook fact. His pupils constricted as he lifted his chin, staring straight into the eyes of a pest. "You are the last, Seamus, that has any right to claim independence from me, or from any of us for that matter". He remained level-headed as he doubted the very foundation of his misguided, outspoken brother's Old-World slum of a Quadrant. He noted Septimus's outburst. The scum may be a lost cause, but he, as well as most of them, knew the trade of future populations revolved around him. Sex and the like depended on his feminine possessions. "You're power is so unbalanced that you share your only palace girl with your men, if you can call that infertile degenerate that. You are just as desperate, if not more, as them-" his arm making a wide sweep over his brothers' figures "-and without me, and my 'excess supplies and luxuries' your society will fall. F*ckers like you always do". He sat back in his chair, unfazed. "I AM the boss, Seamus. You would do well to remember that. Now, if you wouldn't mind taking a seat while the rest of us, adults, continue our exchange". And just like that, the warlord was a waste of Nikodemus's time, so he focused his attention on the rest of his guests. "None of you are deemed worthy enough to take my daughter. OR my Palace Mothers". He glanced hard at Primus. "and Maximus, I swear on the holy path to Elysium that if you do not cease that God d*mn raging I will have every efficient soldier in my Quadrant take turns sticking their boots so far up your a** that you'll be paralyzed from the waist down".

These lords have gone completely mad! He fought the urge to leave this embarrassing excuse for a meeting and travel back to his Quadrant. At least there the only insane creatures were bats rabid from the toxic gases that inhabited the deepest parts of the cave system. And they were easy to rid. He motioned his sons back to prepare for departure. "If you are not willing to negotiate the hand of your daughter, then I suppose there is no more to discuss". He remained in his seat, but kept an ear out for anymore conversation.

Septimus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Seamus may speak for himself and everybody else, but he does not speak for Septimus. Instantly forgetting to remain silent, he growled, "A**hole doesn't know what the h*ll he is talking about! We want whatever you have to offer, especially if it is a ripe piece of a** like your daughter-" A kick in the calf shut him up and then it was Scorpius's turn to speak.

"Years we have been waiting for this opportunity and for you to deny us is a very, very bad move, Nikodemus". His red splattered feather headdress rocked along with his head bobs, a clink here and there from the beads. "If you keep stringing our thin line of tolerance along like a rotted carcass, the thread will eventually snap and you will have a war on yours hands. If that happens, you can be sure Exotico will be on the front lines against you". This was no idle warning. His scorpion amulet gleamed in the light, as de more condescension and confidence to his words. The vile in the center, half-full of poison, splashed in miniscule waves.

The young woman was relieved to be off of her Father's lap and out of the center of her uncles' attention. Gods, were they all repulsive. Even ones as clean as Adamus and Decimus made her shudder in disgust. It was an even bigger relief when she was pronounced non-negotiable. Jax pushed her behind him protectively so she was not in the splash zone of this verbal battle for dominance. But rather than cower behind her brother, she scampered over to the Palace Mothers where Munda wrapped her dangly arms around the shoulders of her offspring. Her belly was swollen with child and any day now she would be ready to give birth to the fifth child of Nikodemus. Aberah prayed it was not a girl.

Primus

No palace mothers. No Aberah. Nothing! Primus gets nothing! He did not travel all this way just to be told that he would get nothing! This was supposed to be a good day. He was supposed to get Aberah, he was supposed to be seen as a power figure, he was supposed to be seen as more than the SECOND eldest. Why must it always come back to his filthy older brother's need to assert his dominance? It isn't fair that Nikodemus gets to play the part of the powerful king that eats gourmet meals at a golden table, while the rest of them play pigs that eat from a scum covered trough. And of course, Seamus had to go and make everything worse. Primus hates him just as much as he hates Nikodemus. Although he wanted to scream obscenities, Primus forced himself to speak in a calm voice. "I agree with Decimus. I have nothing more to say here if I cannot have what I truly desire." He prepared to make his exit, wanting to be out of Nikodemus's presence as soon as possible.


Maximus

At Nikodemus's command, Maximus stopped banging his head. Blood flowed from his forehead and dripped down onto the table. He growled at his eldest brother. Maximus did not like to be bossed around. Done with his brothers and this meeting he stormed out without saying a word. He stomped his way down to his dune buggy and hopped inside. Maximus took off, leaving trails of dust behind him as he went back to his domain.


Adamus

Adamus rubbed his fingers against his temples in an attempt to ease his mind. The already troublesome meeting had spiraled completely out of control. Seamus caused quite the ruckus by taunting Nikodemus, but Adamus feels that there might have been some ulterior motive in the outburst. And whatever it is, it is likely to be unpleasant. Adamus like Decimus and Primus is ready to leave this place so he can put the whole experience behind him.


Seamus

This meeting could not be playing out any better in Seamus's eyes. Seamus wanted Nikodemus to deliver and he didn't disappoint. The power and rage that emanated off of his brother was fascinating. Seamus felt like a small child being punished by his father. Any other man would be cowering in fear, but Seamus had learned long ago how to turn his fear into something... exciting. When Nikodemus was finished speaking, Seamus let out the laughter he had been holding in and ended up bent at the waist clutching his aching ribs as his laughter filled the room. He kept replaying the meeting over and over in his head until he was laying across the table in a full on cackle. Life will never be boring for him with this kind of entertainment! When his laughter finally subsided, Seamus sighed happily and smiled to himself. He got up and patted each of his brothers on the head as he walked toward the door. When Seamus reached the end of the table he jumped off and turned back around so he could see his brothers. He grinned at them all and said with great enthusiasm, "I have had a wonderful time my darlings, but I'm afraid that I have important matters elsewhere that need to be taken care of. But before I leave, I would like to impart some of my wisdom to each of you." He gave Septimus an approving look "You my friend have got a lot of spunk, I like that. But you might wanna tone down the obedient vibe you've got going on, it's kind of distracting." Seamus turned to Scorpius and jerked his thumb towards the other twin, "Babysitting's a b*tch, am I right?" He nodded at Adamus and said, "Do yourself a favor and get off of your high horse princess." He turned to Primus and wagged his finger at him. "Now, now. Make sure that you don't make the boss angry, we wouldn't want you to get a spanking." He moved his head towards Decimus and made a pouty face. "Poor little Decimus didn't get to say one word about his sh*tty Elysium. Boo-hoo." Lastly, he turned his attention to Nikodemus. "And Nikky, you should really smile more. All this glaring and frowning is kind of depressing." With that, Seamus walked out the door. But instead of driving back to his quadrant, he sat outside waiting for his brothers to come out so he could let them in on his plan.

Nikodemus

Seamus's words barely left an imprint and frankly, only half of his so called "advice" reached Nikodemus's ears. He had already left the sanctity of his throne, Jax at his side, to herd his Palace Mother's away from this newly forsaken room. He made a point to give the small group a few light touches and gropes to assert his dominance in the presence of his kin. "Escort them back to their room", he gave his son the order. "Rafe and York should be back from patrolling soon and with any luck, stragglers in their possession. You know what to do". Jax gave an obedient nod. As the eldest son of an eldest son, his responsibilities were high and as expected, he was to become warlord after Nikodemus stepped down, or perished. So every order, every decision, every nod or shake made a difference on the path he has been assigned. The older women did immediately as they were told, but Aberah held back to watch her Uncles' depart. It took a firm grasp on her upper arm and a forcful tug in the right direction for her to obey, but still her eyes looked back. Nikodemus took note.


Decimus

Atlas and Diesel prepped for departure as Decimus arose from his seat. He gave no goodbyes or acknowledged Seamus, choosing to be the bigger man and leave while he was ahead. The train of his outfit fluttered behind his tall form as he made his way to his dune buggy parked outside in the sand. Hopping in the front seat his sons hanging fro the side, he started the ignition.



Scorpius and Septimus

Septimus let out a feral growl, but reigned in his defiance. It would not go down well with Scorpius if he had a third outburst for something as small, and yet as humiliating, as Seamus's insult. He was not an obedient little brat that needed to be babysat! But to contradict his bitter thoughts, he came at Scorpius's beck-and-call to leave at once, his slouch making it obvious he was in a grumpy mood.



Aberah

For whatever reason, a chill of suspicion shot down her spine as her Uncles' left the chamber. But why? Aberah was denied much time to figure out as she was lead by her big brother to her room. But still the feeling refused to leave. The Palace Mother room was a large, haven-like, room designed especially to accommodate Nikodemus's precious possessions. Besides being immensely spacious, on the ceiling was a mirrored skylight that offered the only view of the outside sky in all of the underground quadrant. The mattresses, while scrap, were made of rare silk and cotton, a private bath was installed to the far left, and the room was decorated to resemble a royal hall instead of a cave. However, all Aberah saw was a prison. "Jax, can I please go with you this time?" she begged just as the soldier was about to leave them be. She glimpsed the familiar wrinkles of annoyance on his face. "I promise I will stick to your side like glue. Not a peep or step out of line. I will be good, I promise!"

"Aberah". As if it pained him to reject her. He ran a thumb down his temple and along his jawline. "You know Father would not be happy if I brought you outside". The young woman let out a disheartened sigh. "I just want to see the outside so bad", she pleaded, but grew silent when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Go on, Jax". Munda's voice spoke gently, aware of her daughter's feelings. "I'll take care of Aberah". "Thanks, Mother", Jax sighed, giving her a brief kiss on the back of the hand before walking away. "Must you try and get him into trouble?" She continued, resting her free hand on her stomach.

"I just wanted to see once", Aberah mumbled, moving away from her Mom's hand, no longer in the mood to talk.

Eager to leave, Primus stood from his chair and followed his brothers. He signaled for his sons to follow and they trailed him, being careful not to step on his fur coat. As angry as Primus was at Seamus, he knew his rage would be better directed towards Nikodemus. The more distance he put between himself and his eldest brother the more determined he was to get those palace mothers.


Poised as ever, Adamus sat calmly during Seamus's dramatic exit. It would not be a proper meeting if Seamus hadn't insulted everyone in the room. His brothers left the room one by one until Nikodemus and himself were the only two remaining. Gracefully, Adamus rose and gave his eldest brother a respectful bow as he always does and walked toward the exit with his head held high.


Caught up in his plan, Seamus had forgotten about Dudley and Whiskey and he watched as they rushed out of the room and came towards him. Not wanting them to be present during his proposition, he ordered his right hand man to take Whiskey to the car and wait for him. When they were out of sight, Seamus focused his attention on the door again impatiently waiting for his brothers to come out. Decimus and his sons came out first, but Seamus decided that it was best to leave the warlord of the cavern quadrant out of this, so he didn't say anything as Decimus got inside of his dune buggy. When Scorpius, Septimus, Primus, and Adamus had all walked outside; Seamus took that as his que.

Putting on a smile, Seamus stepped in the path of his brothers with his hands out in front of him as a signal for them to stop. He spoke quickly to avoid being interrupted. "Brothers. I have a proposition for you." His ice blue eyes gleamed with malice as he grinned. "I'm going to steal Nikodemus's palace mothers and daughter from him and I want you to help me."

As the sun descended into the earth and darkness spread across the vast land called Armageddon, Seamus came out of the shadows and put his plan into action.
He ordered his men to take out the guards scattered across Nikodemus's domain. The men pulled out the sleep darts, which were provided by his dear brother Adamus who would only help in secret, and took down the guards silently. When the last guard fell to the ground in a deep sleep, Seamus signaled for his men and brothers to move in towards the mirrored skylight that rested directly overtop of the Palace Mother room. As they reached the skylight and began cutting the glass Seamus cackled to himself in delight.

It wasn't long before the glass was cut and Seamus's men began climbing down the rope and into the room. They worked quickly, making sure they shot each woman with a sleep dart before they carried them outside. The plan was playing out perfectly and Seamus couldn't be more satisfied with himself. The last woman left was Nikodemus's only daughter Aberah. Seamus made sure to carry her up himself.
Now that the palace mothers had been extracted Seamus waited for his brothers to claim their woman or women. One thing was for certain though, Seamus would get Aberah. She lay resting over his shoulder now and no one was taking her from him.



Primus watched as the palace mothers were carried from their room. When Seamus climbed up from the skylight with Aberah over his shoulder, Primus greedily grabbed the first woman he saw. He wanted to make sure that Seamus wasn't trying to cheat him. "I'll be taking this one." Primus growled to his brothers. He was already carrying her to his go-cart before his brothers could answer him.

Primus smiled as he carried the palace mother away. Nikodemus is going to be p*ssed.

Seamus's men weren't barely touching the floor before Septimus leaped like a clumsy panther into the room, setting off an echoing boom that aroused the women from their slumber. Fortunately for him, and his insignificant brothers, they had the power of drug doused darts on their side. One shot was enough to knock the dainty fems out cold. Drooling like a schoolboy with the fattest candy bar in class, he nearly took Aberah for himself before he was tossed aside by his older brother. He let out a disapproving grunt, but let it go, seeing Primus take the next one. Making sure not to get last pickings (simply his pride speaking), he grabbed the nearest palace mother who was slowly, much more so than the other ones, falling unconscious. She made a feeble effort to squirm away from her captor, but failed. "Sh*t", he cursed when he dropped her, the body making a nasty thud. He peered around timidly before picking her up again and climbing up the nearest rope.




The young woman was not yet fully awake when she was shot with a dart, failing to reach awareness at the situation at hand. Thanks to her slim figure, she was out cold within seconds. Back to la la land while she felt the world around her move. She had no dreams while she slept, but heard a familiar voice that haunted her while she was swept away.

Now that his brothers had gotten their pick, Seamus handed over the last palace mother to Adamus's men so they could take her to him. With all the palace mothers secured, Seamus took off towards his car yelling at his brothers as he did so. "It was a pleasure doing business with you boys!" He readjusted Aberah on his shoulder. "If Nikodemus catches any of you, tell him to kiss my a**!"
Once Seamus got Aberah settled into his car, he gunned it. His men followed him, he could hear them whooping in victory as they distanced themselves from Nikodemus's quadrant. Excitement coursed through Seamus's veins and he honked his horn several times to encourage them. He felt invincible! Seamus began laughing maniacally, unable to stop himself.

He glanced over at Aberah to see if he had woken her, but she was still fast asleep. D*mn, he thought. Those darts really knock you out. He had focused his attention back onto his driving when he noticed something in the distance ahead of him. As he got closer, he saw that it was a car. Not just any car, but Seamus's car. In an instant, Seamus became filled with rage. He accelerated the car to a dangerous speed and let out a series of curses. I'm coming for you Knox.




Primus ignored Seamus's dumb comments and hurriedly put the palace mother into his go-kart. He pulled away and headed towards his cliff quadrant, eager to show his sons his prize.




Knox was driving lazily through the never ending desert when a car appeared in his rearview mirror. He tipped his sunglasses down to get a better look and recognized the car as one of Seamus's. Sh*t.

To be frank, Jax is the last warrior to be informed of the theft, though he is too proud and stubborn to admit it. As first born, it is never his duty to work through a night shift, and unlike many others, is allowed rest when the stars were out...not that he ever glimpsed the stars from his bunker. And when he was shook awake by the calloused paws of his younger sibling, York, his grumpy mood only worsened with the news.

"And they just let them get away?" he snarled in disbelief at the incompetence of his brethren. The two men swam through a river of bodies marching like army ants on their way to war, heading for the outside. "They didn't just let them get away", York countered bitterly, hands balled into tight fists at his side. "The f*ckers caught us while our d*cks were out and stole the palace women from right under our noses. Luckily for us one of the guards heard the attack and reported it immediately. The b*stards can't have made it far in under an hour so we have a good chance at catching up".

"And Rafe?" "Out with his crew prepping for the ride". The sounds of running engines and raging voices grew louder as the brothers stepped out into the night. They were met with a large vehement crowd roaring alongside vehicles of war ready to do battle in honor of their lord who stood at the front of the commotion, inside his monster of a transport. It was a disturbing mix of a tank and a monstertruck with a few enhancements that made it easier to glide along the sand and pick up speed. Nikodemus was finishing up a speech filled with anger and scorn when he eyed the men. "And my sons", he continued, eyes burning and voice hoarse. "Will lead us to victory". The crowd gave a great screaming cheer that sounded so hauntingly foreboding, it sent a chill down Jax's spine. But he was determined. No one takes my sister.

"And we will have our future back. My brothers will pay for this heinous crime they have committed, even if that means their sacrifice will need to be made; an example to what happens when an enemy p*sses on the empire that is the Underground Quadrant". Another cheer erupted from the crowd. "NOW LET'S RIDE!" And they were off. Jax and York raced to the vehicles to join the crusade, taking their places beide their Father. "Don't worry, Aberah", he breathed. "I'm coming for you".



Unbeknownst to her Uncle, Aberah started to fidget; a clear sign that the poison was beginning to wear off. Still stuck in the crevices of her dreams, she made little sound, but could not refrain from making obvious movement.

Little f*cker thinks he can steal my things and get away with it. Seamus continued to push his car to it's limit as he raced after Knox. By this point, Seamus's men had realized who he was chasing after and had pulled out their machine guns. Bullets shot past Seamus and skimmed the bumper of Knox's (Seamus's to be more exact) car.
Seamus cursed at his men, though they couldn't hear him. The Warlord stuck his hands out of the car and gestured for Dudley to pull up beside him.
Furious, Seamus scolded Dudley. "What the f*ck are you doing?!" His hands gripped the steering with ferocity as he yelled over the roaring engines. "That's my car! Mine! Not his, mine! Have some sense and don't shoot until you get a clear shot!"
Dudley nodded dumbly and signaled for the other men to stop shooting. Seamus shook his head while muttering under his breath, "Idiots."

Up ahead, Seamus noticed that Knox was turning his car. More specifically, he was turning his car completely around and was driving towards Seamus head on. Seamus didn't let up on the gas, he wasn't going to budge.
Seamus was so distracted watching Knox coming closer and closer that he didn't even notice Aberah moving around in the seat beside him.



Sunglasses back in place, Knox pressed the gas pedal to the floor and took off.
Knox thought that he would be safe driving through here as Seamus doesn't typically come through this area, but apparently he was wrong. D*mn him, Knox thought. It was then that Knox heard the bullets. He swerved in an attempt to dodge the bullets, but a few of them still clipped the back of the car.

Knox knew he wouldn't be able to stay in front of them for forever, he was already running low on gas and wouldn't be able to refill it with the gas tanks in the back seat. He had to think of something quick.
An idea was already running through his head, but it was risky. Knox argued back and forth with himself about whether or not he should do it before he decided. "F*ck it." He muttered.

He flipped the car around expertly in a perfect 180 and put the pedal to the metal as he drove directly towards the head of Seamus's car.

The shouting, the shooting, the revving; all white noise as Aberah came to. Slowly the feeling came back,
first at the tips of her fingers and then spreading to her limbs until she was able bend her joints. She had never felt so groggy and numb before in her life. It was a very scary foreign feeling and her mind was completely blank to the concept. Opening her eyes,
she could make out a wide expanse of blue, the likes of which she had never had the chance to see in person before. The sky... She meant to speak the words, but they only came out in a hoarse whisper that stung the back of her throat. Where am I?

Moving her head sideways, Aberah glanced the back of a leather seat, the vibrations of constant movement desensitizing the pale flesh of her limbs. What is this? The Palace Girl had never seen a vehicle before, much less ridden in one. To her, she was inside a large mechanical monster taking her away from home. Away from home... With all the strength she could muster in her current disoriented state, she gripped the top of her seat and the headrest of the front and pulled her body upright. A current of blurred scenery rushed past her, sending her blonde locks flying. Breathing heavily from the strain, her gaze traveled to the back of one person's head. "Unc..le?" she croaked before she caught sight of another monster heading straight for them. Ignoring the storm of bullets on both sides of her, Aberah let out a high-pitched scream that burnt the lungs and tore painfully through the throat.

As the cars came close to a collision, Seamus noticed Knox climbing out of the car. What the h*ll? He thought.
Knox was now on the roof of the car, but the car wasn't slowing down. What did he do, stick a rock on the gas pedal?
Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to shoot, Seamus pulled out his gun and went to lean out the window, only to be startled by a high pitched scream. Seamus jolted forward out of shock and fell out of the window.
He felt the car begin to veer to the right and he was barely able to hang onto it. When the car slowed down Seamus attempted to climb back in, but instead, his face met dirt after a hard tug on his jacket.

Seamus rolled on the ground in pain, gripping his jaw. He could tell it wasn't broken, but it felt like he had chewed gravel. Seamus glanced up from his spot on the ground and saw his car, the one Knox had taken, racing towards him. Cursing like a pirate that was out of rum, Seamus scrambled to get out of the way. The tires of the car was only mere inches from his head as it passed him. Seamus laid flat on his back as he tried to catch his breath. He moved to sit up when BOOM!
The car had ran straight into one of his men's cars and caused a massive explosion, sending pieces of metal everywhere. The blazing fire reflected in Seamus eye's as he gazed at the burning cars.



Knox grabbed the bag of weapons and sat it on the gas pedal. As he climbed on the roof, he prepared himself to jump. I'll have to add this to the long list of crazy stunts I've pulled.
Just as he had began to jump off the car he saw that the car Seamus was driving was drifting to the right. Confused, Knox looked toward the drivers seat and spotted Seamus hanging on the edge of the car. Despite the situation, Knox laughed at how ridiculous Seamus looked.
Seeing Seamus like this however, gave Knox a new idea.

Seamus's car had now turned enough to where the car Knox was on wouldn't hit it. Knox leaned forward, ripped Seamus from the side of the car, and threw him into the dirt. At the slow speed Seamus's vehicle was now going, Knox was easily able to hop onto the car and climb in. He smiled as he sped up his new ride. He glanced at his side mirrors to watch the explosion that was to come. The blast was powerful and covered a large area. Sadly, Knox noticed that Seamus was not close enough to get blown to smithereens. However, he relaxed in the leather seat, knowing that they would be too occupied to chase after Knox. Knox began humming a joyful tune as he adjusted his rearview mirror and caught sight of amber eyes looking at him. "What the f*ck?" he muttered as he whipped his head to the back seat. It was a Girl.

In the blink of an eye, Seamus was desperately hanging from the vehicle. Under normal circumstances Aberah might have considered trying to help him, but still wrapped in confusion, and also eyes still burning into the approaching car, she merely lost awareness. Crouching behind the seat like a trembling mouse, she waited for an impact that never came. Admittedly, the woman was not the brightest crayon in the box, but she knew enough to know that she had been in danger when she hid. Then it came. Bump. With a sharp inhale, she kept herself hidden on the other side of the leather, feeling the material reshape itself as a form leaned back into the seat. That can't be Uncle, could it? Rationally she thought not, but she was so scared and vied for safety that she took the chance to look. If it was Seamus, he could take her back home, right? But peeking out from her hiding place, she did not see a member of her family. Just a stranger...who was looking at her wide-eyed like a psychopath.Oh Almighty Promise, help me. Letting out a shrill squeal, a terrible attempt at a battlecry, she took advantage of the wheely thing (which supposedly steered the machine) and yanked it right. A sad excuse for a plan, seeing as she had no idea where she was, but all she had at the moment. "You, take me home!" she exclaimed over the howling wind and flying dusk.

As the fire blazed behind him, Seamus jumped around kicking the dirt. Curse words spilled from his mouth one after the other in quick succession.

Dudley came running towards him, "Seamus! Are you hurt? What happ..." "Shut the f*ck up and go after Knox!" Seamus roared. When Dudley didn't move, Seamus smacked him across the face leaving an angry red mark on his cheek. "NOW!"
Dudley stumbled over his feet as he raced towards the monster truck, Seamus was right on his heels. He had just jumped into the passenger seat when he saw beams of light reflecting behind him. Seamus squinted his eyes and saw the hoard of oncoming vehicles all lined up in a battle formation.
"Sh*t!" Seamus gripped his hair and slammed the back of his head against the headrest. "Change of plans Dudley, we have to ditch Nikodemus first."



D*mn, this girl is batsh*t crazy! Knox grabbed onto the 'oh sh*t' handle as the left side of the car raised on its side at the sharp turn.

The car landed on the ground with a thud, shaking the seats and sending a jolt of pain to Knox's tailbone. Fed up with the girl he pried her hands from the wheel and put the car back onto course. He turned towards the girl with a glare and said, "I would gladly take you home if I had any idea who the f*ck you are! So if you could please share that information with me, that would be great." He paused waiting, "How about it blondie?"