Hello all. This is an original story that i've been working on for a while now and just decided to post. It's a very intresting plot with compelling charcters a little futuristic/ Sci fi but.. Anyway because Im strange im posting it in backwards order. 3Ship is a two part story and I'm starting with the second half. I hope you all like it and if you have any questions or would like to know more just email me. Enjoy the story...

---------------------------------------

Tyre, Venus.(Ithica, Quad.18 sect. .12) Wednesday 10/20/3015

The Poumaj was a fantastic building by anyone’s standards. It was one of the most famous buildings in the republic of Tyre, especially the Throne room which was decked in gold and silver and every precious jewel know to man, momentous columns of pure ivory held up the high domed ceilings encrusted in gold, sapphire and rubies. The gold archways were embroidered in elaborate designs of silver and tanzanite. It was a stately building fit for a king and
Hasoul was feeling less and less the king, even sitting on his finest old world Persian silk rug drinking spiced and liquored tea. The might and royalty of the Poumaj seemed to disappear because of the man sitting across from him. The man himself was a stark contrast from the from the rich atmosphere, covered in bandages and wrapped in gauze. His clothes were torn, tattered and caked with dust and soil. Around his person was a large worn green blanket that threw dark shadows around his face and obscured his eyes from view. But even in his humble appearance this man emitted a sense of power and a demand for obedience and respect. Hasoul licked his lips nervously and picked up his goblet of hot tea to occupy his hands knowing that to even sit with such a man as this was inviting death, yet here he was sitting.

The bandaged man sat down his tea and took in his surroundings, glancing about haphazardly before speaking. “ Ah, the Poumaj looks even more splendid than I remember. It pleases me that you are doing well Hasoul.” He flashed a cold and emotionless grin. The king flinched as if the chill from his guests grin hit him physically before nodding nervously. He directed his eyes anywhere but the dark void of shadow where the man’s eyes would be. Noticing his avoiding gaze the bandaged man tilted his head slightly to the left in interest and suspicion. “ Why Hasoul, You seem a little out of sorts.”

the king put his drink down and licked his lips again. “ pardon, sire it’s just .. You were, we heard that you .. Were..”

“Dead?” the man’s deadpan grin stayed in place. “ Yes, I was indeed. But men have risen before in history, it’s not so strange as you believe.” he picked up his tea again and took a long sip from his own goblet. Raising one hand and snapped his fingers and two servants moved to his side. Hasoul flinched again feeling his kingship slip from under him only to be taken up by this man but he made sure to keep his temper in check. The man caught the motion from the corner of his eye as he recounted something to them in their native tongue and nodded as the servants silently took their leave. “Speaking of history, it is unfolding as we speak. I imagine you’ve heard of it .. The legend of the second.” The king sat up straight at the mention of legends. It was a avocation of his to collect them and to document them all in his private library. There was not one he hadn’t heard of.

“ Ah yes. The second! A marvelous tale.” he blurted excitedly. The bandaged man frowned at him. More than slightly annoyed at his enthusiasm.

“More so than a tale it seems it’s a part of history.” the man stated in all seriousness before slipping a piece of paper out of his cloak and tossing it at the king. “ What do you make of this?” Hasoul put down his drink and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants before picking up the aged piece of paper. The paper contained a rubbing of sorts in an ancient language, but Hasoul had no problem deciphering it languages being his specialty. He read it, blinked and then read it again..

“ Where did you find this?” he asked in awe, “ this is extraordinary.. A piece of the legend of the second.. Proof! Actual proof of the second in writing!”

“ That rubbing was from a piece of stone found in the Odera valley..” The man acknowledged before taking up his goblet of tea again.

“The Odera.. What in heavens name were you doing in Odera?”

Even with his eyes concealed the displeasure of such a probing question showed on the mans face. “ I owe you no explanation of my whereabouts.” His clipped tone was more than enough to turn Hasoul to servant’s status again. “ magnificent find nonetheless..” he revered quietly.

“I need a dating of that sampling, Hasoul. It is the very reason I came to you first. I want to know where that panel came from and how old it is.” The king froze in his spot, tea partway to his lips. This was the one reason chills had raced marathons down his spine when his servants had announced that this man, former criminal mastermind and reportedly deceased Sehem Hassan, was on his doorstep and requesting his audience. This man was not one to visit on missions of idle chit chat, only when favors were due did a man of ‘Sehem’s stature come around. And Hasoul had firmly implanted in his mind that he was through doing illegal favors for this man. He knew that his resolution would infuriate him but for this unspoken freedom he had decided to sit with death.

“ Forgive me,” he whispered and then cleared his throat, “forgive me sire for declining your offer but I shall do no such thing.” He set down his tea as the bandaged man continued to stare at him. His eyes narrowed into slits of anger, then returned to normal. “I am afraid that we are done here Mr. Tannon, you’ll have to go and get a documented dating with the police like everyone else.” Hasoul concluded silently formally using the man’s registered last name as emphasis to his determination.

Tannon stood and turned his back on the man while he mentally digested what the man had said. “ You do know what you’re proposing, Hasoul? And the consequences there of?” he asked, massaging his temple. The said man nodded as he bowed his head. “ y-yes. I am aware.”

Tannon turned to him with a cold hard smile. “Fine then. You are free to go. You’ve never heard of me nor I you. You’re name from hence forward is clear.” Hasoul’s eyes widened in relief, which dissipated at the last three words, “Under one circumstance...” He called to the two servants from before and they opened the throne room doors so that a little girl not much more than seven and an older woman could enter. The kings eyes flooded with fear as one of the servants pushed the small girl towards them. Tannon stalked to the wall and pulled down one of the gold and gem studded broad swords on the bejeweled wall before tossing it so that it landed right in front of Hasoul, shimmering tauntingly. The two servants moved to secure the older woman while Tannon yanked the girl toward him by her hair and pulled out his gun and aimed it at Hasoul’s head. “You get to choose.” he finished.

The king looked utterly terrified at this prospect. “What? What treachery is this?!” Tannon seemed calm despite the crying protests of the two women now in the room, the one whom he had by the hair writhed lividly beneath his grasp. “Since you just so selfishly saved your life by refusing me service and cleared your name, I require a ransom.” All the while Hasoul was shaking his head in disbelief while trying to still his trembling. “You cant possibly expec t-” he whispered horsily. The man with his daughter just glared coldly.

“ Well take up your sword, your majesty.” He spit out in disgust, “ your daughter, Aeisha and your wife, Ahmleya are dying for your response.” Trying to block out his families cries for help by covering his face with his hands, hiding his own tears. He had never expected, not in a million years, that Tannon would stoop so low. “ I cannot! I cannot!” he cried. Sehem Tannon swept the gun to point in the queens direction. “Should I choose for you?” The women’s cries became more assiduous but Hasoul’s cries out leveled them both.

“Don’t, please don’t! I beg of you!” Sehem shook the gun at the queen for emphasis. “Then choose!” he yelled. With trembling and tears the king took up his sword and stood, but felt lost. Reason. He had to reason. His thoughts were spinning around in his head like a whirlpool. He could not reason with this killer, this heartless man who was forcing him to desiccate his family. He should have predicted this. The more he stalled the more Tannon would become impatient. He took a step towards his daughter, and she shrank away whimpering. Aeisha. His little girl. The flower in his garden. He was strong and his wife was too. They would have children. More children but no more Aeisha’s. When the new children came he would not tuck them in as he had done her, he would not play with them as he had done her just so that if this time ever came again, if he was ever forced to do this again, he would never have to feel this feeling ever again. This incredibly sinking feeling, this death.

Aeisha’s eyes hardened as she realized that her father wasn’t going to save her. She turned a desperate gaze at her mother who was staring wide eyed at her and the man who was no longer her father, but she was not protesting. Her eyes drifted upward to the man who was so kindly holding her in place for her father’s strike, by her hair no less. He was staring at her impassively. She glared at him in extreme hatred and he continued to stare as if it didn’t even matter. As if nothing mattered.

“You know Hasoul..” Tannon’s gaze intensified as the king froze in place, “ your daughter has you’re eyes.” he murmured softly. Aeisha’s eyes widened at that sediment. Tannon reached down and in a quick, solid move plucked out her left eye. The seven year old screamed, doubled over in pain and reached up to cover the gaping hole where her eye had been and that was now trickling blood. Tannon swiftly pushed her into her father’s waiting sword. Everything in the room seemed to still as the little girls face took on a serene look of shock. Ahmlaya’s scream broke the silence as Hasoul slowly drew his sword from his daughter’s chest and she crumbled silently to the ground. The look on the kings face was contoured with shock and disbelief. The queen drew the young princesses body toward her and lamented loudly, cursing her husband, while Tannon adjusted his blanket over his eyes and put his gun away.

“ There,” Tannon tossed Aeisha’s left eye on to her dead body, “You have you’re so called freedom. Isn’t that what you wanted?” His voice was cold and devoid of all feeling. Hasoul whimpered at Sehem’s comment and reached out to coddle his dead daughter’s body but his wife pushed his advance away and screamed that this was all his fault. Tannon gracefully exited the room and the desperate mournful cries followed him out through the golden paved halls and out the main exit. Tired of the annoying cries coming from the Poumaj, he turned to view the large beautifully designed building.

‘What a waste. Hasoul seemed so promising..’ Lord Tannon pulled a small black box from his pants pocket. Lifting the latch on it slowly he popped it open, inside was a simple red button. ‘And after I walked all this way... Oh well as they say when one door closes...’ He pushed the small red button and watched as the grand and royal Poumaj collapsed silently on itself, kicking up dust in rolls. ‘One must find a window.’

It wasn’t hard to reconnect the dots after being presumed dead for six months. Most of his personage quickly remembered his status above them and that they were messing with a dangerous man and resumed their servitude. But there were some, like Hasoul, who had to be reminded or if their condition was far beyond repair, eliminated. All of them were expendable. Mere Pawns to his cause, and means to an end. The wind began to pick up as dust began to billow around in a desperate array. The blades from the descending chopper spun at super speed churning the desert sand as it did. Tannon pulled a pair of sunglasses out and fitted them over his eyes before he let the blanket fly off into the torrent and boarded the chopper. A handsome young man in a black suit sat across from him holding a black binder.

“Hello again, Master Tannon.”

Tannon looked up at him in slight thought before placing on his usual cold smile.

“Hello, Stephen. How are Phillip and Marie getting along? Well?” The young man visibly flinched at the man’s mention of his children but silently nodded. Tannon leaned back in his seat. “Good. Maybe Santa will bring them something special this Christmas...” At that lingering thought, Stephen flinched again and swallowed hard. He didn’t want ‘Santa’ anywhere near his children. He knew how sadistic this man was. After nodding, the man opened the black binder on his lap and cleared his throat.

“Being dead for six months sure takes a lot out of you...” he commented before he pulled out some scrolls from a worn brown leather case, and rolled them out and began talking to no one in particular as he studied them.

“ Hasoul turned out to be no help at all, not that it matters any. I keep multiple contestants around with his talents.” He scanned the scrolls diligently. “The second will be in my grasp as long as there aren’t any interruptions.” he frowned, “ those little brats have an uncanny habit of spoiling my affairs.”

“Sir...” Stephen interjected, “ It seems that the girls wont be giving you any trouble. We have record of their capture by the police dating back to about six months ago. They were scheduled for a experimental mind wipe.”

Tannon looked slightly amused. “ Really? Looks like the GP finally did something right for once. And their accomplices?”

“ Still at large sir.” Tannon grimaced at that fact but felt at ease non the less. The other’s wouldn’t interfere unless those three were on hand.

“No matter.. For now it’s certain.” He turned to face the pilot. “To the Vista. There’s a friend who owes me a favor...”

Vista, USA. Earth (Ithica. quad.12, sect. .26) 10/23/3015

He was miles from home, bored and slightly annoyed. Patrick ‘ghost’ Cleaver eyed the majestic ‘Red room’ where he was currently stationed and snorted as his green eyes rolled about the room. The whole room was done up in burgundy upholstery and furniture. Some potential had called him and offered him a gig. So he took the next plane to Vista only to sit in an empty room for hours. He wouldn’t have come if money wasn’t running so tight. This was the first job he had gotten since Tannon’s death. Good riddance, he thought to himself. Even after a year and a half of loyal service to him, to say that Tannon was not his favorite person was an understatement.

Being Tannon’s slave was not a career choice of his, but Sehem was a powerful man and to defy him was not an option. Patrick may have been a rebel but stupid he was not. He didnt have anything to protect, no family at all that Tannon could hold over his head. No debts to repay.. The fact was that he was young and careless, and looking for trouble. Which he found almost immediately. After a few months of being Tannon’s professional hit man he soon became his right hand man. Tannon would do nothing without him at his side. And those three twit’s that got on Tannon’s bad side never let him live down his ever honorable position as Tannon’s personal nanny. Jen, Jade and Hyper5 teased and tortured him every chance they got. His ticket for freedom came only with Sehem’s not-timely-enough murder. Ghost’s eyes wondered to the door as it opened slowly and a young man in black suit strolled out holding a clipboard.

“Are you Mister Cleaver?” The man asked him in a cool tone. Patrick raised his eyebrow in silent answer. The man blushed as he realized the stupidity of his question as Patrick was the only man in the room. He aimlessly flipped through his clipboard.

“The boss told me to tell you that you’re services are no longer needed. Something has come up and he will contact you at a later date. You are currently dismissed.”

Ghost growled and got up from the plush red love seat he was stationed in. A dud job. He flew all the way to Vista from New York, waited hours for this so called ‘Boss’ to show up only to have him bail and send him back home. He just glared at the man who had brought him the bad news as he walked out the door. “Whatever. Tell your boss not to contact me at all.”

The man walked back into the room that he came shaking his head. “That man!” Tannon watched Ghost leave through the blinds of the office window. “He is quite stubborn, isn’t he?” He commented, “He never did understand the little virtue we like to call patience, but he will prove most useful to me. It’s all in the timng.”

“Now to business... Stephen.” Sehem Tannon snapped the blinds closed. “Ghost wont be needed until later. I miss calculated having him reintroduced so early.. Everything must go smoothly. No doubt the police are keeping an eye on him so it would be wise to keep him as uninformed in regards of my return as possible.” He began pacing back and forth. The key was time and if he pulled it off just right, he would have all the time in the world. The legend of the second was a marvelous reality.

---------------------

Ohhh.. that Tannon gives me goosebumps.. He's up to no good again... Hope you all liked it and even if you didn't please review. I'd really like some construstive critisizim on this. I hope to have a new chapter up soon as possible. But I do stay very busy so please be patient with me.