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Dinner was.... interesting.... to say the least. Did you know, that in the year 2514, the dead get stuck on a rotisserie like a giant chicken? You can't make this shit up. I really didn't want to eat him, but, I was pretty hungry, and those that took us in were offering George up as if you were visiting an Italian family on a Sunday. Or any day, for that matter. Every time you turned around or thought you were full, someone else was piling a whole lot of George onto your plate.

For what it's worth, people don't taste that bad. Kind of like alligator, only a bit more bitter. If you've never had alligator, it tastes like chicken, with a bitter after taste. Truth be told, I didn't much care for it at first. As I had more, the taste became quite satisfying. Kind of like a smoked brisket. If you never had that, then I can't help you. It's like an orgasm for your mouth. A mouth-gasm. I think I just made that up. Long story short, its fucking delicious.

Thaddeus on the other hand...



THADDEUS: “Blaaaarrrggghhhhhgggghhh.”



It's not sitting in his stomach too well. We've moved away from our new... brotherhood... off by ourselves behind the patchwork wooden shacks that serve as dwellings for the militia.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “You gonna be alright?”

THADDEUS: “I don't know. George isn't agreeing with my stomach. BLAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHGGGHHRRRGGHHHH.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I'll take that as a no.”



A second later, Zachariah finds us behind the shacks.



ZACHARIAH: “What's going on here!?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I think George gave Thaddeus an upset stomach.”

ZACHARIAH: “Thaddeus? His name is Thaddeus?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Yeah.”

ZACHARIAH: “My son was named Thaddeus.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Was named?”

ZACHARIAH: “Yes, indeed. King George and his men captured my son as he slept one night. The next morning we found him swinging from that tree over there. A letter from King George was attached to his chest with a dagger.

“We were to surrender by noon, or face mass execution.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What happened?”

ZACHARIAH: “We stood our ground. We chose to fight. The King eventually surrendered this small corner of the forest to us.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “So then things are good.”

ZACHARIAH: “Absolutely not. The King only did so to buy himself time to get his men in order. I do believe they plan to annihilate us.”



Zacharias and I stare off into the darkening sky.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “One thing I noticed, about battles such as these. In times similar to this throughout the history of the world. You have a team of men on one side, and a team on the other. They march toward each other and shoot their guns or fling their spears. Or they ride in on horseback in broad daylight.”

ZACHARIAH: “Well, Sebastian, it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. Five or 600 years ago, it became a necessity to do things in camouflage and advance your agenda in secret. With the fall of the world in the year 2014, technology went with it. We no longer have cell phones and satellites orbiting the Earth to tell us our enemies positions.

“Today, its as if it were the 17 or 1800's all over again. You see your enemy, you march into battle.”



These people need help. More specifically, my help.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “If I train your men, Zachariah, we do things my way.”

ZACHARIAH: “Of course. What do you have in mind?”



I look over at my son, who has at least for the moment, stopped vomiting. In fact, he's chatting up a young brunette. Roughly his age. I can't help but smile.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I will train your men to fight and to defend themselves. Since horseback is the only method of travel around here, get yourself stocked up with the blackest horses you can find. The darker, the better.

“From there, we create armor for the horses, so they remain well protected when we're in battle.”

ZACHARIAH: “Black horses? Why black?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “That brings me to the biggest point of all. When it come time to battle, we attack at night.”

ZACHARIAH: “No one has ever gone into battle at night! Not since electricity ceased.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Zachariah, look around you. During the night, your only light is the moon. The Darkness is your friend. It will aid you and hide you at the same time. If you want to take the castle, that's the only time you can do it without raising alarms from the locals, or the castle guards.”



He scratches his chin in thought for a moment.



ZACHARIAH: “Will you lead us?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What?”

ZACHARIAH: “These are all your ideas. Good ones too. Will you lead us? Will you command my forces in battle against the tyrant?”



I don't even have a chance to answer when we hear the sound of trumpets. Some men on horseback have arrived at the community. Zachariah peaks through the limbs of a tree.



ZACHARIAH: “Oh dear!”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What? Who is it?”

ZACHARIAH: “The King, and a few of his men. Stay put, I must go.”



The last remnants of daylight have disappeared as Zachariah walks out toward the King. I watch from behind the tree. Thaddeus and his new friend of the female variety join me.



ZACHARIAH: “What is it you want this time, Your Majesty?”

KING GEORGE: “Word around the county is that you are harboring two fugitives from justice!”

ZACHARIAH: “Your sources, as always, are wrong.”

KING GEORGE: “So, you tell me you have not recently met a young fair haired boy and a giant dressed in black?”



Giant? What the hell.... Well, I guess everyone here really was under six foot. I have to look down at nearly everyone, so I hadn't noticed that everyone was so short.



ZACHARIAH: “Tell me, King George, what were their crimes?”

KING GEORGE: “Trespassing in the Royal Castle!”

ZACHARIAH: “You mean, the same way you did when you overthrew King Richard?”

KING GEORGE: “Zachariah, what will it be? Will you continue to defy me and embarrass me in front of my men, or will you turn over the condemned?”



I'm not sure why I did it, but I thought now was a good time to introduce myself, again. I walk out from behind the tree. The guards advance a few steps with their horses.



KING GEORGE: “Well, what do we have here? One of my fugitives have arrived, so I'm certain the other isn't far behind.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “King George, is it Zachariah that's embarrassing you in front of your men, or is it you?”

KING GEORGE: “I beg your pardon?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “In your haste, you condemned my boy and I to die. You had us shackled within your prison, yet we escaped. Quite easily, actually.”



His guards start to chuckle. King George turns his horse around to face them and they stop laughing at once.



KING GEORGE: “Forgive me, what was your name again?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “My friends here, call me Sebastian. Where I'm from, I'm known as something different.”

KING GEORGE: “Oh? What's that?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “The King of Darkness.”



Whispers begin from behind me.



KING GEORGE: “Zachariah, I'll give you until sundown tomorrow. You deliver their heads in this crate to me, and I might be convinced to forgive your property tax. Defy me, and your entire ramshackle little village will burn.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “That's not going to happen.”

KING GEORGE: “Oh? What makes you so sure that you can trust your new friends here, Mr. Darkness?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Because I've just promised Zachariah, I'd give him something you could never possibly give him.”

KING GEORGE: “Enlighten me, son. Tell me what it is you've promised to deliver what I can not.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Your head.”



Silence falls upon the community.



KING GEORGE: “Sundown tomorrow, Zachariah.”



Without another word, the King and his men turn and leave. Zachariah stands next to me.



ZACHARIAH: “I trust you've decided to lead us.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I've not promised that. I will however, ensure you're victorious.”

ZACHARIAH: “You know, you probably shouldn't have told him what we intend to do.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “On the contrary, I'm a mystery to him. I may be more capable than he could imagine. The mystery of that will leave him tossing and turning in his bed at night.”

ZACHARIAH: “What will that do?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “A tired King, is an angry King. An angry King takes his anger and fatigue out on his men and his citizens. In turn, more people may join your cause.”



We both head toward the fire.



ZACHARIAH: “But you won't lead us?”



I considered it. It'd be a hell of a lot of fun, that's for sure. Yet, I can not forget my goal. To return my son safe and sound where he belongs.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I'm sorry, but I can not.”

ZACHARIAH: “That's quite disheartening.

“Tell me though, why do they call you the King of Darkness?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What?”

ZACHARIAH: “You told the King, that people where you're from call you the King of Darkness. Why do they do that?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Where I'm from, I do a lot of calculated things, under the disguise of Darkness. Like I said, Zachariah, Darkness is your friend.”



Silence for the moment. We both look in Thaddeus' direction as he continues to chat up the pretty little brunette girl.



ZACHARIAH: “It seems your son is quite smitten with my daughter, Lilly.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “It does seem that way.”



Fade to Darkness.