Sacremon (Harmony War Series Book 1) by Michael Chatfield

on and was scanning for potential threats, it was hard not to.
                “But why the guard to the citadel?”
                “Cause we have to cross through nine territories to get to the citadel. You must know that a lot of people don't make it through those territories if they're from a rival gang,” Tyler continued.
                Mark saw her flinch slightly; she probably knew the truth but she'd hoped it wasn't true.
                They continued in silence, people waving and clapping as they moved to the air-transport-system.
                These places were neutral territory unofficially. People moved out of the way for the thirty or so Westerly-three-complex crew. They boarded the train, it was covered in grime and sand but it still ran. The windows looked out through the tube they were inside, accelerating away from the station, covering hundreds of miles in an hour.
                A gang member from the Three Skulls walked onto the train, he looked at the W3C crew with shock, the doors closed behind him before he could run.
                “Don't worry lad, neutral territory, going to the Cit,” Quentin said in calming tones.
                The boy nodded but his eyes looked over the weapons W3C were carrying warily.
                The train continued on until Mega-city came into view. That wasn't its official name, but the number of mega towers grouped together were the most on Earth, it was Capital City, but the people in the slums didn't like giving the CEO's their own city. So the slang Mega-City stuck.
                The dust seemed to stop as they passed through a thin blue line.
                There were sounds of amazement as people looked at the city that didn't have sand covering every surface.
                Mark and Tyler looked on with indifference; they had escorted more than one person to the citadel.
                I wonder if they do it just to impress us. Mark thought as air cars, hover-trains and even combat shuttles moved through the air between the mega-towers in apparent chaos. Everything was shiny silver; rust seemed reserved for the slums compared to these silver edifices.
                Mark looked to Tyler; his brother seemed to sense his stare.
                “It's finally here eh?” Tyler asked, Mark knew his brother was feeling the same nervous butterflies in his stomach.
                “Yeah,” Mark said, licking his lips, his mouth dry as the train continued towards its final destination.
                I’m more nervous than when I go out on a raid. He thought moving his shoulders in anticipation; the calming feel of his weapons against his body was gone.
                The train glided to its next stop as people started to pile out.
                Mark's eyes were immediately drawn to the tall sword looking building that dominated the courtyards in front of him. To either side of the sharp point of the building were the letters EMF.
                Quentin pushed on like he had been here a hundred times. He glanced over the decorative potted plants that lay through the courtyard.
                Mark had been told that weapons systems lay under those potted plants. He used that to draw his attention instead of thinking about what he was going to do. As soon as he and Tyler were signed up then their lives would change, the people they knew from before would probably be dead by the time that they got their first leave, their lives would never be there for them to come back to.
                Some people had even come back to their gangs being wiped out.
                He tried to push those thoughts from his mind as they pressed on.
                Mark didn't falter, remaining straight as they walked to the glass doors which lay open at the base of the