Sins of the Past Book 1, Chapter 6

Two Very Important Dates

By Citadel

Cid sat across from Celes and gazed over at her with affection. She was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. She wore a lovely one-piece red dress that made Cid hurt with love. Her eyes captivated him; they seemed to peer down into his very soul, melting his heart. He'd never loved somebody so much. He'd never quite thought it was real, but this had to truly be love at first sight.

"So Cid, what do you want to eat?"

"Uh," he hadn't even glanced at the menu, "I'll have whatever you want."

"Ah, you're so sweet!" she cooed. Cid blushed childishly and just looked down at his plate.

"So where do you come from?" he asked.

"I was born in South Figaro; my parents then moved to Tzen. I was educated there for informal schooling, and was shipped off the Jidoor for college."

"Go Tigers," he joked. The Jidoor Tigers always won in intramural.

"Yup. Where'd you go to college?"

"I lived in Albrook all my life, and I went to Albrook U."

"Really? Somebody of your genius went there?" Albrook University was a party school, notorious for having the authorities coming over and putting a stop to the parties.

"Yeah," he bit his lower lip, "My parents couldn't afford a nicer school. I had to go there. I made myself really well known while I was there, and the science community finally accepted me. They always scoffed at my ideas because I was from a 'lower community, what would I know?' So I had to prove them all wrong. I had to work twice as hard, never getting a formal education. I had to read twice as much, and study twice as hard. It wasn't easy, and even when I finally was recognized as a major player in the science community, I never felt...accepted."

"I always thought you had everything handed to you, like me. I was spoiled, I was smart, but my name, Kiennan, has always gotten me accepted into places much faster than I normally would've. But, how come you never felt in place?"

"You've never seen my side of the railroad tracks. I come from the po' side of Albrook," she cringed, "That's right. The really po' part. I had to work and struggle for years, and I finally made it. Damn funny thing is, once I got there, I didn't know if really wanted it. That all changed, however," he leaned back in his chair, "once Gestahl took me in. Once I got my first paycheck...DAMN! I was living a high falootin' life on the dog." Celes laughed and smiled at him. She knew she'd had it harder than she had. Sometimes she felt bad that she's taken so much and never given any back.

The waiter strolled up to them with his stiff upper lip, "What would you like to eat, sir?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask the lady?"

"Ma'am?" he asked.

"I'll have the mutton."

"Excellent choice madam, and you?"

"Same," Cid replied. He left in his snooty way.

Derrik stood in the corner of the restaurant, out of place with all the upper crust. He eyed Cid with contempt. He wanted Celes to himself, and there was nothing that Cid could do to stop him. He turned and left the restaurant, much to the owner's delight. He stepped out into the brisk night air. It felt so good to stand outside. He turned and began a jog toward the palace, he would go in and have some woman for himself that night. She would obey him because he was the general; all women obeyed the general. He had his way with women anytime he wanted, whether they were willing or not. Celes was no different from any other woman. She was his to claim, and his alone. She was so beautiful, he would make her love him, even if he had to beat it into her.

***

Gestahl stepped out of his bathtub that night. It'd been a long day and he'd needed one badly; he really stank. He eyed himself in the mirror, he was really growing. His shoulders were broader, and his voice was getting deeper (he was also getting hair in the damnedest places). He liked what he saw. He walked over to his closet after drying off and slipped on some clothes. His mind floated back to the day's events. For the first time in years he was truly happy. He'd found a way to stop the invasion. This pleased him.

He walked over to his room and began exploring his castle. It was becoming so big it was beginning to confuse him. Past the throne and past the general's room he walked down the drafty halls.

He continued downstairs into the armory. It was really just the basement. It was huge though, over four football fields. The armory wasn't completed though, it only took up a small percentage of the total space. There was an entrance outside into the armory, that was where the tunnelarmrs came in. They parked and the gates were sealed. Devin was think of turning the extra space in there into a factory. It could manufacture thousands of weapons. Right now it was just a whole bunch of dirt.

He climbed back up the stairs and explored the castle some more. He went past the new jail cells, and up the stair to some guards rooms. He past them and came to an incomplete stairway. Devin thought it looked cool. The stairs had no walls, and just stopped in the middle of the air. He ran up them, then slowed as he got to the top.

At the top five stairs he leaned down and crawled the last few feet. He reached the top and peered down at his city. When he looked down he'd get dizzy, being so high up. He got his courage and stood up and the second to top stair. Butterflies took off in his stomach. He gathered his wits and took another step. His pulse was racing, one strong gust would send him falling to his doom; he loved it. He looked down, the city so beautiful in its magnificent light. He looked up and saw the stars. Thousands of them, they all were so pretty. Just like the ones on the fateful night his life took a turn forever. He then saw that same star, the one that always came with Madhi. It was incoming, he suddenly realized that he must've been summoned up here.

"Great, I don't need this today. I just figured out how to kill you, and you have to come today!" he grumbled. He stepped down a step and crouched as he waited for Madhi to come.

Slowly the ship descended to Devin, still crouching on the stairs. It leveled in front of the stairs and the familiar door opened up. The gold plated man stepped out, Devin stood up to meet him.

"Little man has grown!" he laughed heartily, "I knew it would happen someday."

"Thanks," he replied sarcastically, "what do you want?"

"I have come to give new technologies. And, more importantly, to inform you the first five-hundred are head this way. They will arrive in five years."

"Why should I care now?"

"Just keeping you informed. Now, onto business. You don't know how to fly, correct?"

"Yup, that's right, will you teach us how?"

"Here," he stepped back into his ship and emerged with ten scrolls. "It contains the art of flying. I also gave you the stuff needed for battery storage."

"What's that?" he asked as he was handed the scrolls."

"It allows you to store power in a battery, useful for electricity. You have that, no?"

"Yes, we are the only in the world," Devin said with a sly smile.

"Good, this stuff is to be delivered to your best men as usual. Powerful weapons could be made from this stuff," he explained.

"Undoubtedly," Devin agreed, giddy with the prospect of flying. "Is that it?"

"Yes, until next time, I bid you adieu," he stepped back into the ship and went off again. Devin wondered what it was he did when he was away.

.

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