THE RISE OF CIUDAD DEL DIABLO
By MnD
http://maelstrom.ubcomics.com
yuanne@aol.com

SYNOPSIS: Santa Helena turns into a war zone.
WARNING: Not a happy fic.
CHALLENGE RESPONSE:

TRIO: A block of ice, horse, umbrella,

"Hello Devil. Welcome to Hell."

and

ON MONSIEUR'S DEPARTURE by Elizabeth I, Queen of England

I grieve and dare not show my discontent,
I love and yet am forced to seem to hate,
I do, yet dare not say I ever meant,
I seem stark mute but inwardly do prate.

~~~~~

"Hello Devil. Welcome to Hell."

"Pardon?" The Queen of Swords turned to the doctor. They were standing atop the bluffs, looking down at the carnage below. Encouraged by the Queen's defiance, the peasants had staged a revolt against Montoya. Unfortunately for them, they were simply too unorganized. It didn't help that Captain Grisham had maneuvered a squadron of the Colonel's guard and a cannon into the middle of their forces, leaving them separated and disoriented. After that, it had been slaughter. Dr. Helm shook his head and rubbed his face against his shoulder- his hands and fore arms were covered in blood.

"I blame this on you, you know. If you hadn't encouraged them…"

"Then they would be under Montoya's heel, ground into the land they tilled!"

"Well they still are!" Helm bit back caustically, unable to recreate his usual roar of indignation. He was too exhausted. "Except this time, the taxes have been doubled, and half of the able bodied men are dead!" The Queen fell silent. Helm shifted awkwardly, sorry for his outburst, but unwilling to apologize. After all, I'm right…aren't I?

Finally the Queen lifted her head and set her shoulders stubbornly. "I will help them. I will save them."

She stalked off to where he assumed she had hidden her horse. You, you, you, blah, blah, blah. He turned back to the smoking landscape of tattered cloth and strewn bodies. A group of small children were moving among the bodies, checking each for any possessions of value or scraps of food. Not that they'll find any. He saw one of the older children helping one that couldn't be more than three years old fashion an umbrella out of a tree branch and manta. I came here to escape war. The fighting. The blood. It seems to have followed me. Will I ever be free? Will I ever be able to prevent death instead of causing it? I grieve and dare not show my discontent/ I love and yet am forced to seem to hate/ I do, yet dare not say I ever meant/ I seem stark mute but inwardly do prate. He seriously considered leaving Santa Helena, and his life there, as he clambered down from the rocks.

"Doctor Helm." The voice startled him and he fell. Luckily, he was almost at the bottom already. A strong hand reached out to steady him, then kept its grip, tightening painfully. He looked up.

"Colonel."

"Doctor." They stared at each other for a moment, then the colonel removed his hand.

"This is a dangerous place for a lone man to travel in. Any man. You should take precautions, doctor. You're much too valuable to lose to bandits or vengeful peasants." Montoya's expression was pleasant, and his voice conversational, but his eyes held as much warmth as a block of ice. Helm smiled benignly and took a step to one side.

"Yes, well, I'll just be leaving now." He brushed by Montoya and strode away quickly, anticipating the guards to jump him. Surprisingly, they held their positions and let him pass. Montoya watched the Englishman leave, and narrowed his eyes. The doctor would go free…for now.

END

~~~~~

NOTE: 'Ciudad del Diablo' means town/city of the Devil

~MnD
http://maelstrom.ubcomics.com
http://www.oocities.org/manzanacore