The Body & Blood

Excerpt from Chapter 6

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Ashe was a magnificent sight to behold.

Neither Freeman nor Holden had been to Ashe. They had heard of the stories and seen pictures, but they never had actually seen what Ashe looked like.

They entered Ashe from the north east and were breathtaken. It was twilight, the sun was setting in the west, all of the buildings were backlit. Though the tallest building was only twenty five stories high, its gothic architecture was beautiful and terrifying. All around it, smaller buildings of similar design bowed beneath the Excelus Spire and it’s majesty.

The Spire appeared to be much more like a work of nature than man. At it’s highest point was a spear piercing a golden ball, which now glowed almost like a second sun in the evening twilight. The spear’s shaft ran to the top of an arch. The arch was over watched by four gargoyles, each looking in every direction, never blinking. Further down, a support arch ran from the walls of the spire down to the next arch, then that arch to the next, then that arch to the ground. At each support, lurked more gargoyles, each with bared teeth, watching their city with vigor.

The Spire, near its lowest support arch, a great rose window overlooked the Anteroom and the two story Atrium. The doors below the window, which lead to the atrium, shimmered with the sun light bearing through. The archway that surrounded the doors rose almost four meters.

All around the Excelus Spire, the smaller, castle-like buildings paid homage to its great nobility. Nowhere, in all of the Highland Provinces, or the Neo Axis occupied lands, was there a surviving structure of such proportions. The spire was thought to be all of the Republic citizens to be the pride of the country. The spire was the base of everything. At the time, it was the government Head Quarters, the banks, the stock exchange, the offices of every large business and the location of an army office. Needless to say, the Excelus Tower was very important.

As the transport arrived, the northern horizon, behind them, held the rumblings of a dark gray thunderstorm. From afar, the lightning lit up the interior of the cloud exposing its every curve and crevasse. Its size was terrifying and awe-inspiring together. As such has been for thousands of years.

Upon arriving from Adrianople, Holden and Freeman searched for a hotel to stay. They found one, downtown called the Lexington Cornerstone. The hotel was well known due to its location and its shape. The Lexington Cornerstone Hotel was located in a fork of a pair of roads and the room that Holden and Freeman received was on the corner, over looking the converging river-like traffic of the two streets.

They settled in, unpacked their few, but precious belongings, then sat on the bed facing each other. The lights were off - a few candles lit. The storm had begun. Its life-giving rains swept over the city. The streets glimmered with the reflections of the yellow lights coming from the surrounding buildings. The headlights of the oncoming traffic lit up the street, blowing the array of light to heightened grace. Mark Holden took Jesse’s hand and held it. Both stared deep into the other, each was looking into the other for answers. Each was staring into the other for reasons. Each was staring at the other for their soul.

The Storm began to rage as night’s edge grew ever nearer. Lightning lit up the sky. The city lights beamed on, a dull yellow, unaware of the chaos around them. Holden and Freeman grew nearer to each other until their lips finally met.

Lightning lit up their faces and it reminded them of the big artillary guns firing into the silent night. They blinked the memory into oblivion. Thunder howled from outside, like a beast threatening to get in. Holden stared deep once more into Jesse’s eyes, looking for the hope of a future.   He held her in his arms. Once more, lightning exploded from outside, lighting the interior of their room.

Jesse’s dress slipped off her shoulders, exposing her naked shoulders, then her body. The dress laid on the edge of the bed until their movements, graceful and passionate, made it slip to the floor.

No one driving the streets of Ashe that night would have guessed that a union, such as the one they enjoyed, would be so similar to their nature: Graceful and Passionate, yet Commanding and Fearful. Fearful that it would be the first and last time.

*    *    *

Some time the following morning, Holden woke up and found that he was alone in the bed. He sat up and looked about the room. He had not realized what a room he had been given. It was a luxurious room. He couldn’t place what it was called, the style. Victorian, that's right. But where was Jesse? He looked over at a bench that was placed on the right side of the room, under a window, overlooking the traffic below. Jesse was sitting on it, barely and looking out the window.

“Jesse.” He said. “Whats the matter?”

“Oh, nothing”, she replied. “Its only,” she hesitated. “Its only, you’re the first person, other than my brother that has found out about my being in the army. No one was supposed to know, other than Jack. My parents don’t even know. They think I’m working in Adrianople, at the Ministry of Development. I gave them a bogus address to reach me at.”

He watched her as she addressed him. She looked tired. She had been living a lie for a long time and now it began to weigh down on her. “Sometimes, its like I’m running away from a future that I’m supposed to live. The one that my parents would prefer that I live. Instead, here I am, a soldier, risking ‘his’ life for the good and for the survival of the country. Sometime, I wish that I could leave the army and go off and become the woman that I know my parents want me to be.”

Holden spoke, “I know how you feel. I was supposed to inherit the family business when my father died. When he died from a heart attack, I was off being trained at Haven’s Deep. Now, I’m not even sure if the family ever wants me back. I left to join against my father’s wishes and against what most of my family wanted. By now, I’m sure that my Brother has taken over. There’s no telling what he’s done with the business now.”

“What kind of business is it?”

“We are a glass making company in Rose Thorn. My family has been creating glass for every thing for the last six generations. I was to be the   seventh. Now, I’m just a soldier, hoping to survive to see tomorrow. My Brother was the next in line. He is not what one could call a moral being. More or less, he’s the disgrace, but since I wasn’t their to receive the inheritance from my Father, Frank must have received the company. Chances are, if I survive, I probably will not be accepted   back into the family. Mainly because, now that my father is dead, Frank is the new head of the family. I know he won’t take me back in.”

Jesse, walked over to Holden and sat on the edge of the bed. She leaned close to him and whispered to him, “If you believe that we will survive this, than we shall. You had no one to turn to for help, but now you have me. I won’t abandon you. I owe it to you. For saving my life and for loving you."

Jesse strewn herself back onto the bed and kissed Holden once more. They laid together for the rest of the morning.

Around 1 O’Clock in the afternoon, they decided to go for a walk around the city. They left the Cornerstone and walked to the store fronts. Many extravagant things were for sale. Clothing for men and women, fashion of every type. It was a thing that neither of the two lovers had seen in almost two years. They had always been so close to Ashe, yet they had never actually taken part of its lavishness. They thought it was impressive. They thought of what they would look like, wearing the clothes that were on display. Though they   picture themselves in different garb, different shoes and the like, their was one mutual factor. They both pictured themselves together. This was their outlook into the future. This what they wanted to happen. They loved each other. No one could deny them that. But their current occupation threatened that love and could possibly even destroy that. But for now, neither soldier Private First Class Mark Craddock Holden or Private Jesse Rebecca “Robert” Freeman thought of that. Right now, all they wanted to think about was each other. They would think of their downfall another day.

At one point they came across a store that sold men’s clothing. In the display a complete suit was for sale. The suit was black, but the material glimmered dark bronze in the spot light. It came with a matching fedora and shoes. The tie was what really caught Holden’s attention. It was a black tie but was patterned with a bronze pinstripe. Holden was enthralled with the suit. he once again pictured himself, now in the black-bronze suit. He saw himself, walking the streets of Ash at twilight. Beside him, Jesse accompanied him, arm in arm. It was a fantasy so vivid, that Holden almost began to act it out. But he restrained himself. Jesse was further down the side walk when she looked back to see where her friend had gone. She spotted him staring at the suit. She walked over to him.

“What is it?” She asked.

“This suit. I was thinking of what it would be like to own a suit like this. I always saw my father wearing suits like this. He always wore one, while my cousins, uncles and my brother worked at making the glass sculptures and panes. The suit he wore was very similar to this, though not quite as meticulous.” He looked below the display to see the price. $2500 dollars was what glared at him.

“Damn. If only I had the money to buy it.”

“Its ok, my love. Perhaps when all of the fighting is over, we can come back.” Her voice trailed off as she noticed that Holden hadn’t really heard what she said. After a few minutes, he straightened himself up, and the walked further down the store fronts, not saying anything.

As they passed a jewelry store, a single ring flashed in Jesse’s eye. She turned and looked at it. She stopped and went over to the window. Holden watched her as she almost put her face up against the glass, like a young child looking into a candy store.

He walked up beside her. She continued to stare at it. “Which is it?” he inquired.

“Third one on the left. The one with the really big rock on it.”

Holden looked at it. He thought for a second then backed up. He had thought that his fantasies were his alone, but now he knew otherwise.

“Jess, you do know what that is, right?”

“What girl doesn’t?” She replied as she turned to see his expression. Her's was one of unspoken agreement and silent glee. Holden’s was an expression of first surprise, full understanding then complete and unwavering agreement.

He walked up to her once more, wrapped his arm around her then turned to return to the hotel. As they walked away, Jesse said in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, “Perhaps later. Perhaps later.”

*    *    *

A few days later, their furlough was about to end, and to ‘celebrate’ their return to the front, Jesse and Mark were going to eat a lavish meal then sleep. Holden left their room about six and went on his way to the restaurant to collect their order. On his way, he made one stop, which lasted about fifteen minutes. Then he continued on his way. He returned about seven o’clock.

The two enjoyed their meal and laughed. After finishing, their playfulness remained unending. After about an hour of physical pleasure they climbed to bed, kissed each other good night and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

In the east, storm clouds rumbled. Most thought the rumblings were merely the telltale signs of a late summer thunderstorm. They were wrong. It was the mighty hammering of the artillery calling upon the war gods to smite their foes and protect them from danger. Both sides called upon their gods. Neither god listened.

 

James Matthews