BOOM!! The sound of a loud explosion startled Kael awake. The ringing in his ears disorienting him even more than the abrupt awakening already had. Krrboom! Another explosion rang out, only a lot closer this time. Along with the explosion came a wave of heat, wind, and raw kinetic energy that slammed into him, pushing him painfully into the tight corner. Still, in a state of confusion from the rough awakening, his brain abruptly declined to work, and he froze not knowing what to do. A second or two later he got himself under control, at least enough to remain completely still.

Life on the street had taught him long ago what he was supposed to do next. Rule number one of life in the shadows. Don’t ever fight if you can avoid it. Quickly, Kael went through his options before concluding that he could not outrun whatever was responsible for those explosions. Out of options, he decided that his best shot was to simply not be found. He could only keep pretending to be a pile of building materials, while the explosions came closer.

Seconds turned into minutes as explosions turned into the shrieking of high-voltage electricity and loud thumps of projectiles impacting concrete. Over time, it became clear that whatever was happening was coming closer. The impressive display of fireworks was now so close that, even with the heavy sheet over his head, flashes of light began piercing the thick material. Kael could only trust in fate, and continue hiding beneath the cover hoping that the ordeal would pass soon, and with him alive if possible.

Counting seconds in his head Kael distracted himself while he waited. 232, 233, 234. Thump! His counting was interrupted by a sudden loud noise and shaking. Whatever it was, Kael was sure that it had impacted somewhere on or close to his hiding spot. Fear, narrowly kept at bay by the knowledge that this too would pass, rapidly broke its bonds, bringing panic with it. He started shivering in his little corner.

Only the knowledge that it was dark, windy, and raining to boot, providing a modicum of relief. Straining his ears to the maximum, he heard, apart from the violent beat of his own heart, shuffling steps, groaning, and then strained panting. Oh god, what is happening here? Did someone just crash land in his home?

Kael’s thoughts were racing as he tried to solve questions he did not have the answers to. Suddenly he realized that he had not heard any explosions since the impact. Whatever was going on seemed to have, at least for now, come to a halt. The sudden silence was deafening to Kael. How could the absence of anything dangerous be even more terrifying than the dangers themselves?

The rhythmic sound of rain hitting his cover was messing with his senses, and his racing heart was so loud that it rivaled the explosions from before. Then, just as his heart was considering if stopping might be a good idea, he felt more impacts against the roof. Thud! Thud! Thud! Three times in rapid succession something met the concrete construction of the building with enough force to make it shake a little.

Seconds passed, and with every single one, he became more and more certain that they must have heard his stupidly loud heart, and were just waiting for the right moment to remove him from life. Suddenly the silence was interrupted once more. TikTikTik Kael first heard footsteps from somewhere on the roof, and then a man, dangerously close, started speaking. “Hahahahaka Kah! So the slaves have finally accomplished their mission. Good job! Too bad I can’t give you a prize for the accomplishment. Not that it matters really, since I am sure your masters will throw you a bone or something when you get back.”

The speaker sounded old, rough, and was obviously out of breath and in pain, but he still managed to sound strong. Despite the pain and exertion, his voice was dripping with disdain and spite. From just a few words he had heard, Kael could almost picture the speaker. A stubborn, proud old man ravaged, but unbroken by time, memories, or circumstances. From somewhere a little farther away came a reply.

“Still the angry old man I see. I would have thought you would have learned your lesson, what with all those wounds and the world against you. But Nooo. Is there nothing you believe in anymore? With all that you have done there is not even a morsel of remorse in you? Tell me, old man. Did it have to come to this? Was it worth all the effort? Worth all the sacrifices?” It was a younger voice, full of righteous pride and arrogance. His voice made it clear that he did not expect any answers to his questions and just liked to hear himself talk.

“Of course, it was worth it! What? You think that just because I fall here the battle is won? Pfft! Boy, don’t fool yourself. Sure, I won’t see the end of it all but that's about it. Others will take my place and soon you will understand your place. Kneeling below your self appointed god, chained in the bondage of belief and tradition, only to be discarded like a spent pen in the end. Applause! Good on you. Now go, run home like the dog you are and get your treat like the ignorant grunt that they want you to be. Let the old monsters that control you extol you for your service, while they continue their desperate quest for immortality. But know this! At the end of it all, you will still fail, and lie dead, below the feet of your masters. ’tis but the beginning boy.”

“Oh? We found and stopped you. We know of your companions, safehouses, collaborators and backers. It is only a matter of time until we will find and destroy your precious group. At the same time you will be dead and left unfulfilled. Your name will be purged from the records and you will be forgotten before the next generation comes. Justice will be restored and salvation will be upon us all. You have a few minutes left until the end. Any last wishes?”

Listening to the conversation with one ear, Kael tried to remain as still and passive as he could. He had not been able to move his crippled leg for a while now, and the old injury was starting to make itself known again. It was getting harder and harder to ignore the pain that was slowly building in his leg, but with everything going on around him, he needed to resist the urge to reposition it. He added another strike against the thug that had almost crippled him half a year ago in his mind. The wound had healed with time, but without medical attention, it had not grown back right, and the leg had become stiff as a result. If he did not move it from time to time, it would start to hurt.

In an attempt to distract himself from his leg, Kael focused his attention on the conversation, hoping the pain would just stop at some point. “...from inside the church. Haha! Well, don’t let me stop your grandstanding. Go ahead. Gloat all you want, it might be the last time you get to do it after all. Then, after you're done, leave me alone and let me die in peace, not having to look at your disgusting mug.”

Finally some good news though Kael. He just hoped that the old man would kick the bucket soon. Then the group would leave and he could finally forget this night ever happened. “Pah. Then don't let me keep you from your painful death, old man. Die quick and greet your companions in hell for me.”

Expecting to hear steps as the group left, Kael sharpened his ears. Nothing. Only the sounds of the rainy night surrounded him. The disappearing panic made a comeback when he thought that they might have heard him. Seconds ticked by and after what felt like an eternity to Kael salvation came. First, there were several steps followed by a gale whipping across the roof. The sudden wind disappeared just as abruptly as it appeared, and peace returned.

Listening to the rain as it cleansed the world from all evil Kael felt the world return to normalcy again. The rain faded into the background, and he could not hear the ragged breathing of the old man anymore. Kael waited for what felt like minutes before the pain in his leg finally got too much, and he had to move it. With the departure of whoever had landed on the roof and the subsequent silence, it was as if a dam had broken and everything he had been repressing before slammed into him with a vengeance. He finally stretched his hurting leg, moaning with the receding pain.

“Phuaaa! So nice…” He could not help himself and whisper under his breath. “Hoo? Finally could not hold it anymore huh? Haha! Good job keeping quiet for so long. You were lucky that their nose was so far up in the sky they did not even consider anyone being here. Had they been thorough and scanned the roof you would meet your maker right about now. I could have shit on the idiots some more, but... you seem like a better conversation partner, so I sent them away. Now we can have a nice chat without interruptions or death. So... Why don’t you come out before I revise that last part and blast you into tiny bits and pieces.”