Saorsa (Freedom)

Blood pooled everywhere. The taste of it in his mouth sloshed about his tongue. It was as metallic as the pistol in his hand. As acrid as the smoke that wept from the barrel into his lungs through gritted teeth. He was sure there was something else in there. Pieces of flesh and innards. It was hard to tell if it were his own or someone else's, with all the body parts scattered through the street. The touch of his best friend's hand felt like a mushed piss soaked rag between his clutched fingers. It oozed between them, even the mangled bone. The noise was like a fireworks festival with its bangs and booms, cracks and crashes. The only colours were reds, yellows, and oranges. The fire crackled and body parts splattered and smashed. The visuals were only pleasures for the eyes of psychopaths. Those who watched from above, in the Fresh. They were spectator's in the spectacle of the blood sport that was war. Red, all there was was red.

He saw his best friend's lips quiver. He was unsure if it was out of trepidation or the natural spasm of the body as it convulsed before it died. Either way his best friend's last words escaped him, escaped them both. The noise carried the words away in the pungent vile winds of conflict and oppression. The smell evoked memories from his childhood. Foul gunpowder smoke curled through the air. Licks of dehydrated piss from unemptied bladders in its wisps. Worst of all was the sprayed contents of non-evacuated bowels. Brave men and women who had not shit themselves beforehand, lay strewn about his knees as he knelt.

The walls were even lathered with unrecognisable pieces of human flesh. He swirled his mouth at the thought. He spat. Was that a piece of a lung? It was black, not charred but from the air. Years of inhaled putrid air from the bowels of Carrados City, the Foul Lands, their home.

'Rai,' the ring in his ears eased, 'ynn,' he tasted the metallic twang. 'Ray,' the soft mess between his hands became clear, 'ynn,' the smell ruptured his nostrils. 'Raiynn.' His vision focused.

Raiynn vomited in the open cavern that was his best friend's stomach. It swelled and swallowed it before it burst its cadaverous contents. A hand slapped Raiynn's shoulder. It grabbed and pulled him back. Raiynn saw the dull, dark, metallic sky of the Foul Lands above. It moved faster and faster but his world felt slow. His senses amplified. He felt the air pressure change as bullets flew overhead. The whiz so close flakes of stone hit his face as the bullets hit the walls. Raiynn felt the cold hard street as it scraped his legs and palms.

Everything stopped. A figure mounted Raiynn and shook his shoulders. Raiynn's head lolled back and forth. A dull burn snapped his head to one side. 'Raiynn, snap out of it we have to go,' the familiar voice brought him closer back to reality. His breath steadied. His eyes winced. His face grimaced. His eyes locked on her's.

'Reynn?' he said.

'Yeah, it's me. Your big sis now let's go,' she slapped him again. Reynn pulled her brother to his feet. She took off into a nearby building before a missile exploded meters from where they were stood.

The blast knocked them off of their feet. They were up in moments as the wall behind them crumbled. They raced up the stairs, the wood bowed and almost snapped under their weight. Reynn entered a bedroom. Without a moments thought she dove through the window. Her legs and body tucked as her side shattered the glass and frame.

She made it.

Reynn landed on the building across the alley. Raiynn ran to the window but his legs turned to lead. He stopped dead.

'Jump,' his sister shouted.

Raiynn heard noises from downstairs. Carrados soldiers were on their tail. Raiynn perched on the frame. He stabilised himself. He moved back and forth. Three. Two-.

Raiynn fell as a gunshot boomed behind him. He managed to twist and catch the frame. Glass dug into his hands. One of the guards came to the window. Another gunshot. Raiynn winced. He felt a patter of liquid. Am I shot? Raiynn looked up and saw the soldier teeter, his face concaved. The soldiers' body slumped over the ledge. It fell and hit the floor with a squelch. Raiynn looked down. He almost vomited again. The soldier's head was all over the place.

Another series of gunshots came from above but also from behind him. Raiynn glanced over his shoulder to see Reynn. She fired her dual pistols into the window. Raiynn looked up and saw two more rifle barrels protrude through the window. They were unaware of his fingers on the ledge. The soldiers fired in turn, one shot while the other reloaded. Reynn became pinned by the bullets.

Raiynn had to make a decision. He moved one hand down to his holster. He felt the glass dig in more as his weight shifted to one side. He took out his gun and thrust it through the window and fired his magazine until there was silence. The pain in his hand was too great. His grip loosened.

He fell.

He landed in a pile of trash. His ankle twisted. He screamed. 'You okay?' called Reynn.

'My ankle.'

'I can't get to you from there. You'll have to meet me one block down.'

Great. Raiynn got to his feet and checked his magazine. It was empty. Raiynn approached the soldier on the floor. He kept his eyes averted as he scrambled for the rifle. His fingers poked mushed brain, then something hard. Got it. Raiynn picked up the rifle. He strapped it over his shoulder and limped through the alley. He kept the weight off of his ankle. He slumped into a wall and heard more gunshots. Closer and closer. Louder and louder.

Raiynn saw some figures move backward past the alley, from the right, as they fired up the street. Others ran to the left. A young ten-year-old girl saw him and they locked eyes. Her eyes were a magnificent light blue for a Foul Lander. They seemed to grow. Raiynn felt like she had sucked him in. He realised the eye had flown towards him when it hit him in the face. Her head had exploded from an impact. She was beautiful, was. Her body slumped to the floor, her head gone.

Moments later a precession of Carrados soldiers marched past. Their rifles held at hip height. Their bodies and arms rocked as they fired. Raiynn raised his rifle. He fired. It had some kick to it. His bullets went high but he hit the first few soldiers, not enough to kill but to wound. They turned towards him and fired. Raiynn took a step forward, to balance himself, but forgot about his ankle. He went down.

They must have thought him dead as they turned and carried on down the street. Raiynn crawled to the edge of the alley. He peered to his right there were no more soldiers. He lay on the floor and took aim, switched the mode to single fire and proceeded to pull the trigger. Each soldier went down one by one as their heads gave way. They all fell to the right, uncharacteristic when shot in the back of the head by a powerful rifle.

Raiynn grimaced as he held his ankle. He clenched his eyes shut. When he opened them a foot was inches away from his face. He pulled his rifle round but the foot smashed it to the floor.

'Not going to shoot your big sis are ya? Good shootin' but I got 'em first,' said Reynn.

'Reynn,' said Raiynn.

Reynn helped Raiynn up. Raiynn threw his arm around her shoulder for support. They passed the dead soldiers and took a new rifle each and carried on down the street. They turned into another alley. Their progress was slow.

'Come on we have to reach the rooftops and give support. They're closing in on their position,' said Reynn.

They passed through a series of buildings until they reached the roof. They made for the edge and peered down. They saw a group of Foul Lander rebels and Foul Lander civilians. They backed into a dead end street. The rebels fired until their weapons fired no more.

The soldiers positioned themselves. Poised, they raised their weapons. They opened fire before Raiynn and Reynn could raise their rifles. The screams were soon dampened by the cacophony of carnage. They watched in horror as each Foul Lander fell asunder as the bullets torn through them. Their bodies wiggled like red jelly as blood covered them. Twenty-two people dead men, women, and children, only seven of which were rebels, collapsed into a heap of meat.

Raiynn placed his rifle on the edge, his trigger finger ready. His body whirled round. His sister jumped on top of him. 'Don't be stupid,' she stood and dragged him up with her. They made for the stairs and headed back down into the streets.

It was eerie quiet now, save for the flames. The siblings stalked the streets the best they could. Time and time again they almost ran into patrols. They ducked and weaved between the debris of turmoil that bestowed the streets. Pieces of walls. Bits of vehicles lay metres apart. Bodies were strewn and stricken, contorted faces stared at them.

After what seemed a lifetime Raiynn and Reynn entered a building as non-descript as the rest. Inside they rummaged around and moved a table. They pulled back the rug. A steel door lay embedded in the floor. Reynn punched in a code and twisted the valve and pulled. The trap door came open. She ushered Raiynn in. He climbed down the ladder and peered up at his sister who crawled in and pulled the door shut. Darkness enveloped them as he heard her twist the lock back into place.

Raiynn's eyes felt like they were about to explode as a light blinded his vision. He scrunched his face and placed his thumb and finger against his eyelids and pushed. Little dots, millions of them, danced around the darkness. His sister held a lamp in her hand.

'Every time,' said Raiynn.

'Well maybe you should expect it then you sewer rat,' she clipped him on the head. 'Come on.'

They pressed on through the tunnels. They were damp and smelt of mold and urine and deification. They waded through it all. Bits floated by their feet and squished under them. Good job I've got my boots on. Wait. No something slipped in.

After they navigated the tunnels they heard a tremendous rumble and roar of water. Reynn blew out the wick in the lamp. They came to the end of the tunnel where lights shone down in a vast array around the circumference of the chamber. The water ran, through the mesh that lay over the chamber’s hole and, down its mouth into its gullet. Dirty, ever last bit of water was dirty. Even attempts to purify the water were to no avail. The masters in the Fresh made sure of it.

People walked the catwalks that meandered above the mesh. Raiynn looked up. More catwalks linked other tunnels overhead, each with more people that scurried about on them. Raiynn and Reynn headed to the central catwalk. Everyone was in a hurry but they glared at Raiynn's limp. They stared at the carnage all over his face, gawked at the mess that shrouded his body.

Raiynn and Reynn reached the far side and entered a tunnel. Inside were buildings: taverns, shops, and food stalls. As soon as Reynn's foot hit the ground a hand slapped her shoulder. Raiynn watched his sister turn.

'The patriarch wants to see you,' said a man. He took Reynn's arm and slipped in her place as Raiynn's post. In an instant Raiynn's world went sideways as his body got scooped up by the brute. He trailed off with Raiynn in his arms.