Rogue. (IN REVISION)

36

What Gideon was given was a piece of The Lion Rock Scrolls. The country of Zion was adamant on protecting all the scrolls that came their way. Each scroll, by Zionite Law had to be turned into the country. Hawk read the scroll and his eyes skimmed the page back and forth, "It's the Divine's prayer of Protection." He read a little more, "Those who dwell in the shelter of the Divine, shall rest in his shadow. I will say of the Divine, my refuge, fortress...I will trust him."

Fallon stirred in her sleep as Hawk read the passage to Gideon, "Surely, he will save you from the snare and deadly pestilence... It sounds a bit edited from the original. Its not in the same writing as the others I've read." Hawk said remembering the other copies that he had read on the interweb. "This just may be a copy...Either way, we have to turn it into Zion."

"Turn what into Zion?" Fallon asked. "What did you find?" The other two looked a bit startled hearing her voice from behind them. Hawk shook his head a little, knowing how angry she would get if she knew.

"Nothing." He told her.

A sudden voice was heard from the opening of their tent, "Hello? Fallon? Your suit is ready." Min told her as she waited for Fallon to come and get her new garment for the festivities. Fallon left the tent and thanked her properly and then came back inside. Hawk looked at her with disappointment, "You can't be serious."

"Not this again." Fallon rolled her eyes and drew the privacy curtain to change. "I don't want to hear anymore."

"You're still going to trust this Avis even though you just met? I hope you don't become the sacrifice." He told her through the curtain. Fallon came out in her new white attire. She had to admit it was well made for someone who had put it together overnight. It fit her perfectly and it was comfortable against her skin.

Venner had awakened from the little argument that Hawk and Fallon were having, and he saw her in white attire. "What the hell are you doing?!" He sprang up from his spot on the ground and looked at her up and down, frightened, and angry. How could she do this? What was making her participate in this? Had Avis really charmed her that much?

"You have finally lost your mind." He told her.

"I already told my brother; I don't want to hear any more. I am tired of being told what to do by all of you."

"The activities are going to get worse. They will get worse; you will start to see people suffer from the evil things they do to each other. I don't know how else to convince you."

"Fallon, I believe Venner is right." Gideon spoke up. Venner looked at the Tomper in surprise, he had been trying to ignore the presence of that hunk of metal ever since it was repaired. "This place isn't what you think it is." He told Fallon.

"Not you too, Gideon." She looked at the robot with disappointment. "You can't seriously believe this scary story they have made up."

Gideon shook his head and looked at the white-haired woman in front of him, he understood what the others were talking about. Fallon may be a lot of things, but she was also naïve. "Remember last night, when I told you to go back to the tent?" He asked. Fallon nodded. Venner looked surprised.

"Wait, You actually listened to someone for once?"

"Shut up, Venner."

"That screaming you hard was someone being tortured. They skinned a man alive for having a scroll. A piece of paper."

"Wait, a scroll? What do you mean? A Lion Rock Scroll?" Venner asked. Fallon looked at Venner, wanting him to be quiet but he didn't obey. "May I see it?"

Hawk handed him the piece of paper and Venner read it over. Fallon looked at the three of them, "Why would they do something like that? I thought Ecula was peaceful? I thought The Order was a family."

"If they executed a man for having one of the most sacred writings in Elysium, then I think this place is far from peaceful." Hawk advised her. "If I may make a suggestion...I think you better change back into your regular clothes."

Fallon shook her head, trying to wrap her head around all the information that she had been given all at once, "No...I have a better idea."

She walked out of the tent wearing her attire and walked straight to Avis' tent. She noticed that he was working on a few things with his people, and she placed a hand on his shoulder, "Avis."

The man turned around and grinned seeing that it was her, "Fallon, my dear. You look lovely in your attire. Min really did an amazing job. How do you feel?" He asked. Fallon stilled her heart for a second from his flattering words. "I have a question for you."

"My dear, I'm afraid that I cannot. I have much to do today what with the second day of Luminescence starting." He started to walk away but Fallon followed him through the streets, "Bartholomew." She spoke the very name and Avis stopped in his tracks. His expression was of pure irritation while his back was turned to her, he took a breath and smiled as he faced the snoop.

"What about him, dear?" He asked.

"So, you know who I am talking about." Fallon's chest felt like it caved in a little. "Why did your people kill him?"

"I am not quite sure. I let my Purifiers deal with the unruly ones. The Order does have rules. One of them is no stealing." He told her.

"So...he stole something?" She asked. Avis was giving her what she was asking for without even realizing it. "What did he steal?"

Avis' façade faltered and once again he had shown a blip in his fake demeanor. "He had taken something of mine that I hold very dear to my heart." He told her. "You are a persistent one, aren't you?"

"Why was he skinned alive? Out of all the ways that you could've punished him, why do it the way a Tazmirian would?" she asked.

That façade of his faltered a little more and he held back an irritated snarl. She was asking all the right questions at the worst time. He had never met a woman so smart, blunt, and tenacious as her. It was starting to get a bit annoying. She stood there, waiting for an answer and he looked as if the answer was being tormented out of him. "Why do such a barbaric thing to someone?" She asked.

"It's the rules of my order. Anyone who steals will have their own skin stolen from him." Avis almost hissed like a snake when he said those words and Fallon took a step back from him.

"Interesting way of putting it." She smirked.

Avis looked a bit surprised by her reply, "What do you mean?"

"I just mean that, I must not realize what you go through daily. It must be hard to be the Eternal Prophet." she said. her hard questioning eyes turning into a softer, alluring expression. Avis was confused but he loved the look on her face, he had never seen that look before.

"You are right, my dear." He placed a hand on the small of her back. "It is very hard to keep my people in line. Sometimes I must go to desperate measures to get my point across. I am so sorry if the act scared you, my dear. I wouldn't want you to see such a terrible ordeal again." He brought her closer towards him.

Fallon cupped his face, a smile illuminating hers, "Don't worry. I understand why you had to do it." Fallon's soft lips planted themselves against his temple, showing her empathy towards him. Avis blushed and ran a hand through her tumbling white, wavy locks. "My dear, I want you by my side all through the holiday. Can you do that for me?" he asked, almost desperately.

Fallon nodded, she wouldn't want to be with anyone else but Avis while she was in Ecula.