A Hootoo Story 2
Created | Updated May 26, 2005
Chapter 2
Sometime later the heads of the various factions had arrived at the
meeting place. There was even the man who had been trying to talk to the
ducks early. He stood there but with only a single duck this time, though from where Khamsin was it appeared to be rubber and had markings like writing - it looked like 'Ducktails' as he approached.
Khamsin shrugged it off and stood in the assigned place for the heads of the assassin faction. He looked around seeing Angels, demons, men and women of all calibre, thieves, magicians and philosophers all gathered in one place at one time. At no other time had such a meeting been allowed, but this was different.
They did not know what would come next - so many things were so uncertain for them all. They even feared that, after all this time, they would be forced to leave the place they had come to love so very much.
The last few places were still empty but Khamsin knew that they would not be filled as they were spaces for friends that were now long gone. The people missing had meant so much, but now the thousands there had once been were whittled down to around 50 people at this meeting, one from each of the walks of life or so it seemed. Khamsin recognised very few of the faces that he now saw and he missed those that had once been, that were long gone and he mourned their loss.
A frail old man with mouse-like ears and thick glasses hobbled with the aid of a walking stick from behind them and stepped into the centre of the circle. It was the event they had all been waiting for. The man was Jimster; he was the caretaker of this whole city, the metropolis, which was mostly laid derelict after a war with a neighbouring city.
The first war Jimster had managed to narrowly avert, but the second war had come once the strength of HooToo had waned. Khamsin had lost many friends before the war and then during the war many more were slaughtered, Khamsin had only survived barely.
After the war Jimster had done his best to rebuild the place, but they more-or-less had to start from scratch. They had recovered things here and there, but most of the history of HooToo was long gone. HooToo was once again safe and happy to those that now lived here, but those that were there numbered few. Now Khamsin only visited from time to time as often as his time would afford.
The crowd became silent as Jimster sat on a rock; they all awaited what he would say. After a few moments pause a frail but booming voice came from the man.
'My friends and fellow citizens of HooToo...' Jimster paused looking around at them all. 'I have called you all here... as... as the powers that be, have deemed it will soon be my time to leave you all.'
A shocked murmur spread through the crowd. Most seemed scared at the
prospect of losing Jimster. Jimster raised his arm in the air calling for silence, but it took a few moments for everyone to calm down.
'That is why I called you all here you see...'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
