soldiers on the planet. Their lethality is legendary. What's even harder to understand is how a man living hundreds of feet below ground has managed to assemble an army.
I'm suddenly eager to meet Alejandro. I say, "Well...that might be a good thing actually."
"No, it's not good. Nothing about what has become of Alejandro is good."
"But he's built an army to resist the Kingdom. How can that not be good?"
"You want nothing to do with him," Maria says flatly.
"Why not?"
"Because it's not the Kingdom that Alejandro's interested in warring against."
"But I thought you said the Kingdom was afraid of him. I've never heard of the Guard backing down from anyone. I was under the impression the Kingdom controlled every region of the South, afraid of no man."
"They do...and they aren't. This underworld is the single stronghold left in the South. The Kingdom leaves Alejandro and his men completely alone, as if they have some sort of unspoken deal."
"Just because he managed to kill a few mercenaries?"
"No," Maria whispers. "Because they share a common enemy."
Alejandro's voice rolls forth from the void. "I've been waiting for you."
A fresh chill dances up my spine.
"What do you want me to do?" I ask.
"Precisely as he says."
"What if I don't?"
"You don't want to know."
"You keep saying that."
Maria leans close to me, and I smell the lavender on her skin. She says, "You said you'd trust me."
"That was before I knew about Alejandro."
"He won't harm us."
"What...is he?" I say.
"Just a man," Maria says sadly. "Just...a sick man in need of a doctor."
"How do you know all of this?"
"Because," she says, her voice choking on the vinegar of a bitter memory, "Alejandro was my husband."
A harsh light bursts forth, momentarily blinding us. It lasts for only a second before vanishing. Then a much softer light slowly illuminates the cave we've entered. The walls are craggy, and the air is frigid, without a trace of the heavy humidity from the surface above. It's like we've journeyed down into an entirely different world.
Alejandro stands in the center of the circular space with his arms wide, as if we're lost friends returning home from a perilous journey. Like the men guarding the entryway, whom I suspect are demon possessed, Alejandro wears a dark robe. His hood is pulled over his head and casts a shadow across his face. I can't see what he looks like.
As we draw closer, I regard Alejandro's formidable size and surmise that he's nothing short of an absolute building. He's not an inch below seven feet; his shoulders are wide; and his legs look more like tree trunks than mortal limbs. If there was ever a man who could handle three centurions, it's Alejandro.
Maria and I stop walking, keeping our distance from Alejandro. We've finally arrived at our destination. It's odd, but I feel strangely safe in the presence of this dark figure.
Without warning, a guttural noise springs out of Alejandro, reminding me of a wild pig being led to slaughter. It's a nauseating cacophony of what it must sound like to hear the angel of death strangling life from a person not ready to surrender his soul. When he's finished emitting this unholy tumult, he says, "This took longer than I'd expected. But I knew you'd be back."
"I'm not back, Alejandro," Maria says curtly. "We're just passing through. We need access to the tunnel. I need you to give it to us."
I'm lifted from my feet and sent flying backward at a hundred miles an hour. My back slams violently against the sharp angles of the craggy wall, and pain explodes throughout my body. A force I can't see or fight keeps me paralyzed against the wall, suspended a good ten feet above the cave's floor. Then, slowly, a pressure builds on my chest. It feels like a boulder has been set atop me. I try to speak, but I can't; I'm being crushed to death.
Calmly Alejandro says to Maria, "You should call me 'Legion.'"
Maria runs to me and tries to pull me down from the wall, but it's useless; I'm trapped
I'm suddenly eager to meet Alejandro. I say, "Well...that might be a good thing actually."
"No, it's not good. Nothing about what has become of Alejandro is good."
"But he's built an army to resist the Kingdom. How can that not be good?"
"You want nothing to do with him," Maria says flatly.
"Why not?"
"Because it's not the Kingdom that Alejandro's interested in warring against."
"But I thought you said the Kingdom was afraid of him. I've never heard of the Guard backing down from anyone. I was under the impression the Kingdom controlled every region of the South, afraid of no man."
"They do...and they aren't. This underworld is the single stronghold left in the South. The Kingdom leaves Alejandro and his men completely alone, as if they have some sort of unspoken deal."
"Just because he managed to kill a few mercenaries?"
"No," Maria whispers. "Because they share a common enemy."
Alejandro's voice rolls forth from the void. "I've been waiting for you."
A fresh chill dances up my spine.
"What do you want me to do?" I ask.
"Precisely as he says."
"What if I don't?"
"You don't want to know."
"You keep saying that."
Maria leans close to me, and I smell the lavender on her skin. She says, "You said you'd trust me."
"That was before I knew about Alejandro."
"He won't harm us."
"What...is he?" I say.
"Just a man," Maria says sadly. "Just...a sick man in need of a doctor."
"How do you know all of this?"
"Because," she says, her voice choking on the vinegar of a bitter memory, "Alejandro was my husband."
A harsh light bursts forth, momentarily blinding us. It lasts for only a second before vanishing. Then a much softer light slowly illuminates the cave we've entered. The walls are craggy, and the air is frigid, without a trace of the heavy humidity from the surface above. It's like we've journeyed down into an entirely different world.
Alejandro stands in the center of the circular space with his arms wide, as if we're lost friends returning home from a perilous journey. Like the men guarding the entryway, whom I suspect are demon possessed, Alejandro wears a dark robe. His hood is pulled over his head and casts a shadow across his face. I can't see what he looks like.
As we draw closer, I regard Alejandro's formidable size and surmise that he's nothing short of an absolute building. He's not an inch below seven feet; his shoulders are wide; and his legs look more like tree trunks than mortal limbs. If there was ever a man who could handle three centurions, it's Alejandro.
Maria and I stop walking, keeping our distance from Alejandro. We've finally arrived at our destination. It's odd, but I feel strangely safe in the presence of this dark figure.
Without warning, a guttural noise springs out of Alejandro, reminding me of a wild pig being led to slaughter. It's a nauseating cacophony of what it must sound like to hear the angel of death strangling life from a person not ready to surrender his soul. When he's finished emitting this unholy tumult, he says, "This took longer than I'd expected. But I knew you'd be back."
"I'm not back, Alejandro," Maria says curtly. "We're just passing through. We need access to the tunnel. I need you to give it to us."
I'm lifted from my feet and sent flying backward at a hundred miles an hour. My back slams violently against the sharp angles of the craggy wall, and pain explodes throughout my body. A force I can't see or fight keeps me paralyzed against the wall, suspended a good ten feet above the cave's floor. Then, slowly, a pressure builds on my chest. It feels like a boulder has been set atop me. I try to speak, but I can't; I'm being crushed to death.
Calmly Alejandro says to Maria, "You should call me 'Legion.'"
Maria runs to me and tries to pull me down from the wall, but it's useless; I'm trapped
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