Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 12:45:29 -0400
From: Purple Jubliee <purplejubilee17@gmail.com>
Subject: After Earth Went Dark; Part II: Chapter 8

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After Earth Went Dark; Part II
Chapter 8

       It didn't take Tyr more than a few minutes to gut Elliot's kill. He
hung it from a tree branch to let the remaining blood drain out before they
carried the carcass back to camp. Elliot still had blood on his hands,
literally, and Tyr was covered up to his elbows. Tyr located a small,
quickly running stream. It never ceased to amaze Elliot how easily Tyr
found himself at home in the wilderness. It seemed like he could locate
water sources anywhere he went, and the idea of Tyr ever becoming lost was
almost laughable.
	The two quickly cleaned off in the cool water. Tyr pulled his shirt
over his head to clean some of the blood off that had managed to drip onto
him.
	"Very soon it will not be warm enough to do this anymore." Tyr
remarked as he rung the shirt out. "It's going to be a hard winter."
	"How can you tell?" Elliot asked, trying not to become distracted
looking at Tyr shirtless and kneeling by the stream.
	Tyr pointed up to the sky that was visible in large patches through
the canopy. "What do you see?"
	Puzzled, Elliot examined the unbroken swath of blue
overhead. Eventually he shrugged. "Nothing."
	"Exactly." Tyr stated. "No clouds. Very little rain this summer."
He pointed to a demarcation close by the stream where the grass suddenly
looked fresher. "This is usually wider. No clouds suggests high
pressure. That will cause the winter to get colder faster."
	Elliot found himself wondering how someone as immaculately handsome
as Tyr managed to also be so smart. The experience with the deer had left
him emotionally drained and seeking comfort. Tyr stood and was about to
pull his wet shirt back over his head, but Elliot tugged on it gently,
stopping him.
	Looking down at him, it was obvious Tyr could tell exactly what
Elliot wanted. Slowly, Tyr reached out and pulled him in close.
	"You did well today." Tyr told him quietly and stroked his
back. Elliot said nothing. He hung on to Tyr tightly. Eventually he allowed
his hands to roam upward, feeling their way up Tyr's back and grabbing his
muscular shoulders.
	"There's no bed or anything." Tyr reminded. "It might not be as
comfortable."
	Elliot shook his head, still keeping a tight grasp on his
protector. "No..." He said quietly. "I think I want to try... something
different." Only then did he look up into Tyr's eyes.
	Tyr met his gaze questioningly but said nothing. Elliot's heart was
pounding as he felt his way down Tyr's chest to the front of his pants. He
undid them and pulled them open, gently feeling the bulge underneath. Tyr
shut his eyes briefly and sighed in contentment.
	Just as he had accidentally seen Marcel do in the woods, Elliot
slowly sank down to his knees in front of Tyr. Jay's guidance spun around
in his head.
	As soon as he dropped down Tyr frowned in surprise. "Elliot you
don't need to..."
	Elliot shook his head and tugged gently at Tyr's pants. "I want
to." He said just above a whisper. It was the truth, but that didn't
prevent him from feeling incredibly nervous.
	When Elliot finally pulled it out, it looked even bigger than he
remembered. As it hardened fully to his touch Elliot guessed that it must
be nearly twice the size of his own. Tyr grunted softly as Elliot
tentatively ran his fingers along the length.
	"Are you sure?" Tyr asked uncertainly. Elliot nodded. Now that it
was right in front of his face, the thing he was about to do seemed more
alluring than anything in his life.
	He began the rhythmic motion of his hand first, slowly, and was
rewarded by a soft exhale from Tyr that told him he was on the right
track. But now the moment was at hand. Elliot knew what came next and
closed his eyes to gather his nerves. Quickly he leaned in and kissed the
tip.
	And nothing happened. What had he expected to happen? He didn't
know. Maybe Tyr finishing then and there? Maybe some sort of magical jolt
through his body? Or at least some foreign taste. To Elliot's surprise, it
felt almost no different than the times he had kissed Tyr on the cheek or
anywhere else. His mind reasoned that this was just another part of Tyr's
body and there was no reason for it to feel different.
	Emboldened by this discovery, Elliot's curiosity kicked in. Coming
forward, he kissed it again, and this time held it for longer.
	"Mm..." Tyr's hand drifted down to gently massage his cheek and
Elliot looked up to see the handsome face gazing back at him.
	He wondered if he was moving too slowly. Giving it another kiss, he
experimentally licked the tip and was intrigued to feel it pulse under his
tongue. Feeling impulsive, he planted several quick kisses along the length
of it down almost to the base. He then looked up at Tyr, put his tongue
out, and in one long motion licked all the way to the tip.
	Elliot could feel Tyr shudder at the knees and was amazed at how
much it turned him on. Knowing that he had this kind of power of the single
most powerful person he had ever known was... intense. He gave Tyr a sultry
look and repeated the motion, drawing a long sigh of pleasure from the
usually stoic figure.
	It was, Elliot decided, time to pick up the pace. He began to lick
around the tip more earnestly as his trepidation faded and teenage instinct
began to take over. Tyr gasped several times and ran his hand through
Elliot's long hair, pulling on it ever so gently.
	"Fuck..." Tyr swore quietly when Elliot finally put the very tip of
it into his mouth. Instinctively he swirled his tongue around the tip. He
was again surprised to find that it did not taste particularly strange, or
really like anything at all.
	Continuing to work it gently with his hand, he began to use his
lips and tongue on the tip. Jay had given him vague instructions which at
the time had seemed almost absurd. Now however, it only felt natural. And
Tyr responded by pushing forward slightly.
	Elliot found himself becoming hypnotized by the repetitive erotic
action he was performing and became more ambitious. He let more of it into
his mouth and continued to make good use of his tongue. As he tried to take
even more of it however, he felt it hit the back of his throat and he
gagged a little. A strange feeling of disappointment came over him as he
realized he had managed to take in less than half of the impressive length.
	As Elliot pulled back off of it, Tyr placed both hands softly on
the back of Elliot's head and applied gently pressure. Obediently, Elliot
went back down, taking in as much as he could until his gag reflex kicked
in. This time however, he tried to hold it there for a few
seconds. Realizing however, that there was no way he would be able to take
the whole thing, at least not on his first try, Elliot pulled off entirely
and went back to licking all the way from the base to the tip.
	He wasn't sure why, but a part of him felt that he needed to pay
equal attention to every part of it, and if he continued to suck only at
the very tip then he wouldn't be doing a good job. With that in mind, he
began to use his tongue all around it. To his surprise, Elliot found that
he was really enjoying what he was doing. When Jay had first described it
to him, it sounded like something that he would only do because he wanted
Tyr to be happy. Something about the feeling of being on his knees in front
of this powerful man and satisfying his needs though made Elliot feel
almost lightheaded.
	The quiet noises of pleasure from Tyr, encouraged him. Elliot took
his hand away and braced himself against Tyr's muscular thighs with both
hands as Tyr began to thrust gently into his mouth. He could feel the
strong hands on the back of his head, gripping his hair tightly. But he
also could tell that Tyr was holding himself back still. His thrusts were
shallow and gently, even though Elliot could almost sense the tension
inside him begging to be more aggressive. The very thought of what a more
aggressive Tyr might look like, might feel like, almost brought Elliot to
climax then and there.
	"Fuck..." Tyr whispered again, and his pace quickened a bit. Elliot
could tell he was getting close and began to try swirling his tongue around
every single time Tyr thrust into his mouth. Finally, Tyr thrust one final
time then tried to pull out. Jay had told Elliot about this and Elliot kept
his hands on Tyr's thighs and kept his lips wrapped firmly around Tyr's
length as he felt it pulse in his mouth.
	The feeling of Tyr shooting inside his mouth drove Elliot
wild. Able to contain it no longer, he reached down between his legs and
with two quick rubs of the front of his pants, finished himself off as
well. A wet stain formed in the front of his pants as Tyr continued to fill
his mouth.
	Jay had told him that if he wanted to impress Tyr, he would
swallow. When he had heard that, Elliot had been unsure. But as he felt it
in his mouth, he found that he didn't have much choice. It continued to
shoot out of Tyr and almost instinctively Elliot began to swallow as his
mouth was completely filled twice.
	As he felt Tyr finally slowing, only then did Elliot pull
back. Some of it dribbled down from the corner of his mouth and without
really thinking about it he licked it back up, panting to catch his
breath. He could see that Tyr's chest was heaving also.
	"Where did you learn to do that?" Tyr asked breathlessly.
	Elliot smiled shyly up at him. "Well... Jay told me what I should
do... Was it good?"
	Tyr pulled him up to his feet. "It was amazing." He kissed Elliot
deeply and Elliot melted into his strong arms.
	The two sat back against a tree, coming down from their high
together. Tyr held Elliot close as they listened to the birds in the trees
and the wind through their branches. In that moment, everything seemed just
right.

	Some time later they returned to camp with Tyr carrying the large
deer that Elliot had brought down. The group ate well that afternoon and
Tyr had time to provide some training as well.
	Dusk was beginning to fall, and Tyr was instructing a small group
in the use of their makeshift weapons. His techniques were swift and
brutal, designed to kill or maim as quickly and cheaply as possible. Elliot
watched closely even though he was already familiar with most of what the
group was rehearsing. Mostly he just enjoyed looking at Tyr.
	Suddenly, Tyr stopped in mid-sentence and cocked his head to one
side. The group floundered in the middle of their patterns and waited
curiously.
	"Put the fire out!" Tyr yelled suddenly, startling the expectant
fighters. Quickly, Tyr wound his way through the disorganized huddle and
snatched up the bucked of water near the fire. He dumped it on the
crackling flames and stamped out the remaining embers as a plume of smoke
went up.
	Elliot had been watching in somewhat alarmed curiosity. Tyr never
reacted this way unless something serious was afoot. As he watched however,
he gradually became aware of some kind of buzzing or humming sound in the
distance.
	Tyr motioned for Marcel and Ida to follow him and made his way
crouched low into the woods in the direction of the road.
	"Everyone stay here." Marcel instructed as calmly as he could
before following after Ida.
	Elliot looked around the camp, judging if anyone was looking his
way, before quietly melting back into the woods and swinging around wide to
follow the three of them.
	As he trailed them, the sound grew from a quiet buzz to a rumble
that Elliot recognized. It was the sound of an engine. Wait... not an
engine, several engines, all roaring at slightly different pitches as they
came closer. He found Tyr, Marcel, and Ida crouched just inside the tree
line, waiting and watching.
	"What are you doing?" Tyr demanded in a fierce whisper. Elliot
should have known it was pointless to try to sneak up on him. "Never mind,
just stay in cover." He ordered.
	Something whizzed by on the road so fast that Elliot could barely
track it. It was followed by several more, zipping down the road at high
speed. It took Elliot a moment to register that they were
motorcycles. Nearly a dozen of them flew by only a few yards from their
hiding spot.
	The vehicles themselves were far from the pristine black and chrome
motorcycle that Hermod had rode on. Elliot briefly wondered what had
happened to that. These ones looked like they were cobbled together from
spare parts causing them all to be different shapes and sizes, some with
sheet metal jutting out at odd angles. Thick black smoke rose from their
roaring exhaust.
	The riders matched their motorcycles in that they did not match at
all. They wore raged leathers and padding that may have once been sporting
gear. Much of their attire had metal studs or spikes fixed to it. Some of
them even had what looked like bones decorating their clothing. They all
had helmets or masks that made their faces undiscernible. Furthermore, each
rider was heavily armed with an array of weapons. Many of them were
obviously homemade from scavenged handles fitted with crudely sharpened
blades or heavy bludgeons.
	It took only a few seconds for the riders to pass them by, but Tyr
held up his hand for silence for almost a full minute as the sound of their
vehicles faded into the distance. When he finally let his arm fall, Elliot
exhaled the breath he didn't know he had been holding.
	"Who was that?" Marcel asked the question on everyone's mind.
	"Trouble." Tyr replied simply. "Probably friends of this Killian
character. Just as well to keep clear of them."
	"Why?" Marcel asked with a frown. "You said you did not think they
would harm us."
	Tyr shook his head. "I said once we we're in town I don't think
they will bother. Out here on the road we're and easy target. Besides,
regular soldiers don't get motorcycles. Those are likely a special patrol
of some kind."
	"Do you think they were looking for us?" Ida asked with some
concern.
	Shaking his head again, Tyr began to head back toward the
camp. "No. If they were then they would have seen the smoke from the
fire. They were obviously in a hurry somewhere and not interested in
searching the woods."
	Elliot hoped Tyr was right. Men like that were not the kind he
would want to wake up to find standing over him at night. The camp lay in
confused and frightened silence when the four of them returned. Marcel
assured them that it had just been a passing group that would not be
returning, and Tyr gave the go-ahead to start the fire again.
	As darkness properly set in, the camp took on a lively atmosphere,
with small groups near the fire practiced what Tyr had been teaching
them. There was nothing quite like a good scare to motivate people into
working. Even just the sound of the motorcycles passing had been enough to
encourage most of the group to put off sleeping for an extra hour or two.
	Elliot noticed that, although he had encouraged the group to relax,
Tyr remained on high alert. He could tell by the way Tyr's head rarely
stopped moving for more than a few seconds, constantly scanning the
area. It was also evident in the fact that Tyr took regular short walks
around the campsite, occasionally disappearing into the woods only to
reappear a short time later in a different spot. Most would not have
noticed this behavior since Tyr was a man of odd habits at the best of
times, but Elliot was beginning to be able to recognize strategic maneuvers
when he saw them in action.
	Tyr didn't seem overtly worried, just cautious, and Elliot supposed
that should make him feel even safer. For some reason however, it did
not. As the fire began to die, Elliot could swear that he felt eyes on him
from the darkness of the forest. When he finally got to sleep, he was
tormented by horrible nightmares.
	He found himself lost in the woods, back in time all those months
ago, being chased by those men. Men from the same group that had killed his
father. Now however, they wore helmets and masks like the motorcycle riders
had. All of them were twisted into malicious smiling faces. Elliot knew
they would catch him. They always caught him. But this time there was no
Tyr to save him. And since his chat with Jay he knew all the things these
men had in store for him. The rough hand around the waistband of his pants
felt so real and he jolted awake in terror.
	Tyr was there. Like a guardian angel, kneeling beside him. The sky
was a dark blue-purple color in the hours where the sun is fighting for its
return. Tyr leaned in and put a hand to his shoulder.
	"You're alright." He assured. The dream must have been so intense
that it had been visibly disturbing his sleep.
       Elliot tried to speak, to thank Tyr for being there for him, but he
was suddenly so tired. His eyes were heavy and all he could do was offer a
weak smile. The relief of seeing the kind stoic face looking down on him
sent a feeling of calm washing through his whole body that was impossible
to resist. He felt Tyr's hand gentle on his cheek before he drifted off,
soundly this time.

       "Now then, my friends!" Marcel stood atop the wagon once more. "Our
time has come sooner than we thought!" His voice carried clearly through
the early morning air. "We are entering the territory of a very evil man,
who cruelly calls all these lands and people his. It is men like this, like
those that fought against us already, that are the reason this lighthearted
legion was started in the first place." Marcel took one of his long
dramatic pauses. "We will be liberating this land and giving it back to the
people!"
       There were several cheers, but it was hardly unanimous. Jim stepped
up closer. "You know we're with you. But there's not so many of us. Maybe
we should recruit more first? This seems like a tall order." Elliot could
hear murmurings of agreement from the crowd.
       Marcel smiled down at them. "Ah, but you see that is the beauty of
it. We will be recruiting from within. You are right of course. We are too
small to fight them in the open, but we will be at war,
nonetheless. Fortunately, we already have a very convenient
disguise. Ladies and gentlemen, the Traveling Theater is back in business!"
       Now that the people were beginning to see what Marcel was driving
at, their support was more enthusiastic. Already Elliot saw mischievous
grins spreading through the group.
       "We will be under cover, and we will bring down these brutes from
their foundation!" Marcel continued on to describe what he, Tyr, and Ida
had discussed the other day about subversion tactics and subtlety. "It will
take time." Marcel told them. "But if we are truly committed to this goal,
now is our chance to make a real difference."
       There were multiple affirmative nods throughout the group and some
scattered mumbled conversations, but Marcel held up a hand for silence.
        "There will be danger involved." He said soberly. "Tyr has told me
that if they discover what we are doing, they will certainly try to stop
us. Nonetheless, this is the new path of the Traveling Theater. I've never
forced any of you to follow me, and I will not start now. We move into town
at midday. Those of you that are coming should be prepared by then."
       As Elliot expected, not a single person broke off from the
group. For better or worse, they were committed. Midday rolled around
quickly, and they all stowed their weapons in the wagon so as not to arouse
suspicion. Tyr kept ahold of his boot knives but surrendered the rest of
his arsenal.
       This new town was much bigger but felt eerily similar to where the
group had been attacked. The streets were only sparsely populated, and many
of the buildings were boarded up. Elliot began to get deja-vous as a group
of four rough-looking armed men stopped them on their way down the street.
       "What's your business here?" One of the men grumbled. His manner was
a bit different than the man who had confronted them in the previous town;
less aggressive and more bored and annoyed.
	Marcel enthusiastically explained the purpose of the Traveling
Theater. Of course, leaving out the bit about attempting to overthrow a
hostile regime.
	The man looked at his companions and snorted a laugh. "Cheer, huh?
Good luck with that. It don't matter what you do, but everyone that comes
through here pays tribute to Killian. One way or the other." A wicked grin
spread across his greasy face as he cast a lecherous look toward Ida, who
stared daggers right back at him.
	"Of course, my good man!" Marcel said cheerily. He held out a small
sack, and the man took it and stuck a hand in, pulling out a handful of
ammunition. "That is all we have, but we can also offer you a portion of
our daily hunts while we're staying in your lovely town."
	The man grunted, seeming almost disappointed, but took the sack and
nodded before he and his companions trudged out of their path.
	"We're giving them ammo!?" Elliot whispered incredulously to Tyr.
	"Hush." Tyr warned, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one
was listening. "They're an uncommon caliber. Unlikely they have anything
that will fit it here. And if they do, you can leave them to me."
	Elliot smiled at that. Now that he thought about it, if he had to
choose sides between Tyr with a knife and any three others with guns, he
would still pick Tyr every time.
	The group found an old parking lot near the center of town that
they claimed for their base of operations during their stay. Marcel had
some of the members post up fliers advertising for their show that evening.
	Elliot saw Tyr and Ida talking in low voices by the carriage. He
felt a flare of irritation when Ida put her hand on Tyr's upper arm and Tyr
made no move to stop her. Tyr had assured him there was no interest between
the two of them, but that did not prevent Elliot from feeling a bit
protective. After all, Ida was closer to Tyr's age and she was, if he was
being honest, very beautiful. That thought caused him to wonder what
exactly Tyr saw in him that Ida wasn't better at. She was tall and
graceful, and her hair was long and silky. Elliot thought as he ran his
hand through his own that by comparison it was shaggy and unkempt.
	"What were you two talking about?" Elliot asked Tyr when the
conversation broke up.
	Tyr gave him a curious look. "Plans for this town. Eavesdropping?"
	Elliot blushed and shook his head. "No, I..."
	"I think that Marcel has a job for you." Tyr gave him a half-smile
and ruffled his hair gently as he passed by. "Wouldn't want to keep him
waiting."
	Elliot scowled at Tyr's back. He knew Tyr had promised him there
was no reason to be worried, but there were times when he wished their
relationship was more public so that Ida would know for sure that Tyr was
not hers. He shook his head trying to clear it of the unwelcome worries and
began to look for Marcel.
	"Ah, good, Elliot." Marcel waved him over when he saw him
approach. Jay was there as well. "I have a task for the two of you that I
think you will be perfect for. What do you say?"
	"Well actually," Elliot began. "I was just about to practice my..."
	"Excellent!" Marcel carried on with a grin. "You two are the
youngest members of our little group, so I want you to try to find the
places where the young people hang out. It's a large town, so there is
bound to be some around, and they might be more willing to hear about our
mission than others."
	"You want us to try to recruit?" Jay asked.
	Marcel shook his head. "No, no. Not yet. I want you to find the
spots, and maybe talk to some of them. Invite them to the show tonight. See
what they think about Killian and his men."
	Elliot frowned. He didn't know how he felt about this task. Talking
to strangers had never been one of his strongest suits. Starting
conversations with people around his own age that could possibly turn him
in to those brute-like men seemed terrifying.
	"Consider it done!" Jay agreed enthusiastically, and placed a hand
on Elliot's shoulder, roping him into the deal.
	Looking seriously at Jay first then at Elliot, Marcel's tone turned
more somber. "Be careful out there. They know we're here so they shouldn't
give you trouble. But if you ever feel like you're not safe you come back
here immediately, do you understand?"
	Jay nodded in agreement before motioning for Elliot to follow. They
collected some easily concealed weapons from the wagon to take with them
just in case.
	"So..." Elliot started as they began to wander the streets. "What
are we looking for exactly?"
	Jay shrugged. "Usually in bigger towns there's a place or two where
the local kids and younger people kinda hang out. Sometimes it's an old
playground or a spot by a river. Anything where people won't really bother
them."
	"Why are we looking for kids?" Elliot wondered aloud.
	"Just like Marcel said, they'll probably be more open to joining up
with us, just like you were. They probably hate the people running the town
more than anyone."
	Elliot said nothing. He supposed that was probably true. Most of
the Traveling Theater was comprised of younger people who had nowhere else
to go or just wanted more adventure in their lives.
	"So, while you were out hunting..." Jay gave Elliot a mischievous
look. "Anything fun happen?"
	Elliot looked at his friend and sighed. "Is it that obvious?"
	Laughing loudly, Jay jostled Elliot with his shoulder. "Probably
not. But Tyr wouldn't stop looking at you for the rest of the night."
	"Really?" Elliot had not noticed that. It made him feel much better
about seeing Tyr with Ida earlier.
	Jay nodded. "Whatever it was must have been good." He smirked.
	With a blush, Elliot shrugged. "I might have... tried some of the
stuff we talked about..." He fumbled out in embarrassment.
	Jay's grin widened. "I knew it. What did you do?" He stopped
himself. "Wait, don't tell me. Was it good though?"
	Hesitating, Elliot nodded. "Very."
	"Well you're welcome." Jay chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be coming back
for more anytime."
	That was a welcome thought indeed. Despite the embarrassment
evident on his flushed cheeks, Elliot had to grin conspiratorially.
	"Let's check out behind these buildings." Jay suggested. "Sometimes
people will hang out off the street instead."
	Just as Jay predicted, around behind the main stretch of abandoned
businesses there were two flights of back stairs that faced each other and
created a small alcove. Hanging around on the steps sharing a single
cigarette were four boys a little bit older than Jay. Elliot guessed that
they were probably in their late teens.
	Although the small group did not look overtly hostile, they
certainly did not seem welcoming as the two strangers approached. Elliot
unconsciously fell in a little behind Jay. He did not know where Jay's
confidence came from, but it was definitely impressive.
	The boys barely looked up at them as they neared the stairwell. Jay
flashed an amiable smile to the boy who looked like he was probably the
oldest.
	"Wouldn't happen to have any more of those, would you?" Jay asked,
nodding at the nearly spent cigarette being passed around.
	The oldest boy frowned down at him. He had a good two inches of
height on Jay. "They don't come cheap." Elliot could tell that the boy was
purposefully trying to sound intimidating.
	Jay shrugged and pulled out a small pouch. Opening it up, he pulled
out a long rectangular brick that brought back memories for Elliot. It was
covered in a shiny wrapping. With a twist of his wrist and an audible
crack, Jay broke the brick in two and took the larger half out of the
wrapper. It was a chocolate bar.
	Elliot's eyes widened when he saw it. He couldn't remember the last
time he had eaten chocolate. Even the sight of it made his mouth begin to
water.
	The older boy seemed impressed as well, as did his friends who drew
in for a closer look. Jay put the rest away and held up the half of the
treat as an offering. The tall boy produced another cigarette from inside
his thin jacket and Jay accepted the trade.
	Elliot was glad to see that the boy immediately broke up the half
chocolate bar into four pieces and doled them out to his friends. Despite
his intimidating aura, he couldn't be all bad.
	"Got a light?" Jay asked, and the boy tossed him a book of
matches. Elliot watched as Jay expertly lit the cigarette in his mouth
while shielding the match against the gentle breeze. It was obviously a
practiced action.
	"Kind of a shitty town." Jay remarked, leaning against the
stairwell.
	The boy seemed about to argue but then gave a low chuckle and
shrugged. "That's fair. I hear most towns are shitty these days."
	Jay took a long drag of the cigarette then offered it to
Elliot. Elliot frowned and shook his head. The smell of it quickly
dispelled any curiosity he might have had.
	"What's the matter, your friend never smoked?" One of the other
slightly younger boys piped up.
	"Oh, he's not my friend." Jay replied. This immediately caused a
sting of hurt for Elliot, who had definitely considered the two of them
friends. Jay's next words confused him though. "He's my bodyguard."
	This got a round of laughs from the boys on the stairs and made
Elliot's face go red.
	"He doesn't look much good in a fight." One of the boys laughed.
	"Are you kidding?" Jay replied incredulously. "This kid can kill a
man from twenty yards before he has time to blink." He leaned in and half
whispered. "I've seen him do it."
	The older boy scoffed. "Yeah, right. He looks more like he'd wet
himself first."
	Elliot, who had begun to slowly understand what Jay might be
getting at, let his hand fall to his belt, where the dagger Tyr had given
him lay concealed.
	Jay shrugged before turning to Elliot. "Go on, show them."
	Throwing a knife from the belt was not usually as accurate as
taking the time to line up the throw, but it offered the element of
surprise, and furthermore Elliot found, it looked really really cool. With
enough practice, one could usually get a relatively precise throw. Elliot
quickly found a target with his peripherals. A wooden pallet leaning
against a wall about twenty feet away. It wasn't as far as Jay had boasted,
but he hoped it would do the trick.
	The boys had already begun to chuckle amongst themselves, thinking
this was all some sort of joke to make Elliot look foolish. Suddenly,
Elliot whipped around and launched the heretofore unseen knife at lightning
speed toward the pallet. With a loud thwack it sunk into the wood almost
two inches.
	The laughter stopped. Jay continued to take casual drags off his
cigarette as if nothing had happened.
	"Holy shit." One of the boys finally remarked, bringing a smug grin
to Elliot's face that he tried to hide. He retrieved the blade from the
pallet.
	"That's just the beginning." Jay said with a chuckle. "He usually
caries five of them."
	"And you've... killed people with those?" The oldest boy asked in
something resembling awe.
	Elliot didn't want to lie, so Jay gladly did it for him. "It's part
of traveling these days. Sometimes you've gotta do things you don't want to
do. Like deal with those obnoxious shits running this town."
	The boys laughed nervously at this and Elliot was worried that Jay
might have overplayed his hand.
	"Yeah." The tall one agreed eventually. "Things here were better
before them."
	"Well," Jay finished his cigarette and flicked the butt over his
shoulder. "We've gotta get back." He reached into his pocket and pulled out
one of the artistic hand-drawn fliers that the Traveling Theater used.
"Come out tonight and you'll get to see that." He hitched his thumb at
Elliot. "And you'll get to see the guy that taught him. He's basically a
god of war or something."
	Jay bid farewell to the small group before leading Elliot back the
way they had come. When there were out of sight and earshot he turned to
Elliot with a broad grin.
	"That was amazing!" He told him, clapping him on the shoulder. "You
just shot it right from the hip, they didn't even see it coming!"
	Elliot beamed at the high praise. "Do you think they will come?"
	"Oh, they'll come." Jay assured. "And I bet tomorrow's rations that
they bring friends too."
	"They don't seem to like Killian's men too much either." Elliot
said thoughtfully.
	"No, they do not." Jay emphatically agreed. "I think Marcel was
right, this place is practically a tinderbox." He gave Elliot a cheeky
grin. "Just waiting for a spark."