Galloping through the dark, oxidized copper chains clamored with the roar of a voiceless beast. Splashing of mud and the pummel of wheels sloshed in the still night. Howling speed shook the evening dew off fraying trees, the navy sky trickled with starlight leaving sparkles in falling droplets. Shining in the shadows, a coattail in black flickered between walls bending at the run. Eyes slithered around his headless neck, jet wings burst with flashy frenzy.
In district seven's titular town insanity raced, his stampede left not a single life. A blizzard of death was thought to run through the peaceful morning. For not a soul was on the streets, nor a soul with eyes awake, their deaths came as swiftly as their dreams. At the edge of chaos stood the Impulsive Tornado Caprice and his vice-captain Selin. Leader to the Dark Torrent interest group that resided in districts six and seven. Sensing in the immense danger he awoke in time to avoid catastrophe.
"Selin, a light," Caprice said with eyes too deep set to care about what was in front of him. To his right Selin lit a match, he bent to her level, around his hip. Putting out the match left the only light being Caprice's cigarette.
"Should we run?" She asked.
"Why bother, that thing is too fast for us to manage. Man, this world really sucks. Can't even make easy money without monsters popping up and ruining things. Selin, hold my jacket, I may as well protect the people who might be alive."
"Sir, you can't! You'll…"
"I know, but look, those blue chains covering its body ain't normal. I suspect it's Salt-Water's doing. If he sent that thing here, then we really got nothing we can do. I only pray the people still in district seven can evacuate. Now Selin, you can be a good sport and evacuate district six and our company associates to a neutral area if you care. I'm not ordering you, do what you think is best." Caprice never changed his expression, he simply walked into the charging half horse-car, half headless machine-man.
Tears blurred Selin's vision as her round face took on the look of a bright tomato. With frazzled hair she ran off in the opposite direction. Wind surged around Caprice, chaos wrapped the destroyed terrain, a torrent of spiralling debris shot forth, but the headless creature pushed past the thrown carnage. Its eyes let out strings of fire searing Caprice's flesh clean off. Tunnels of wind flung the creature to the sky, precise hand gestures brought the horseman crashing down. Gasping hard enough to ignore the pain, Caprice didn't wish to move anymore, for his melted flesh made the air sting more than any cut he had ever received. He wanted to cry, but he could not, for his face was fused together. Muscles melted with one another, eyes raisined from the heat.
Dinas, a thin man with violent eyes and yellowed sclera. Dark lips that matched not his patchy colored skin, like a dalmatian his skin showed splotches of dark brown to pale wheat. Extraordinarily curly hair was hard to comb, but he bothered not shaving it, for his hair was as disorganized as his skin.
On a stark monitor he watched the footage of Caprice's death, only his eyes showed in their small pinch of the sides. His lips curved so little it would be pointless to mention. Walking into the screen lit room stood a woman a head taller than Dinas on the regular, with heels she was a tower in human form. Her plain face complimented her plain glasses to her plain suit, all the way to the plain way she styled her hair in a bun.
"Vice-President Dinas, the charting for last week's appraisal," she said, leaving a yellow envelope on the desk behind Dinas.
"Char, did you pick this job because you thought it fit your skills?" Dinas asked.
"May I ask a question before I answer?"
"You may."
"Am I speaking to the Vice-President of Shen Dime Co. or Dinas of Aibun?"
Dinas finally turned to the woman, but he looked not in her eyes, rather straight in her direction. She swiftly knelt below his eye level before even a wheeze could leave his mouth.
"Neither wench. You speak with honesty no matter who it is, understood?"
"Y-yes. Then I shall answer the question so graciously asked of me. In my personal studies I don't believe that I currently live up to the work I have put in. For the last few years I have—" Unable to finish, her head splattered into a pile of ice crystals. Dinas pressed a button on his desk, the floor opened up, swallowing her remains. Holding down another button, he called.
"Hello, yes, number forty-seven malfunctioned. Yes, I do believe I will need a new one. Preferably one that doesn't answer like a peon."
District six housed barrels of plutonium inside an underground facility known as the bank. To confuse those who desired its contents, covering as a normal private bank. Three days was all it took for districts six and seven to lose all their residents and commuting workers. Becoming the den to a running machine collectively known to those in the west as the Headless Horseman. Feasting on the barrels corrupted the enslaved soul, creaking chains choked on their bend.
A glimmering white coat hovering over softened loafers dressed a young man. Ea'Sol Vaimiti, a glamorous man with a face void of peace. Known as Salt-Water, he shares ilk with the southern sovereign, enabling him to own more than half the nation's land. He paused to stare at the starving creature.
"All preparations are set, there is just one problem," Dinas said from the shadows.
"Speak," Ea'Sol responded.
"Selin, the vice-captain to Dark Torrent escaped. She was last reported entering district nine. It looks like she's headed east."
The air became dry, a prickly sensation ran up Dinas's arm, his sweat seeped out from his entire body. Cracks marked his dehydrated skin as ephemeral chains lingered around his figure.
"Find her. End her. Do not let Dante and his crew prepare."
"Y-yes sir!"
Salt, the sweet taste of salt persisted, Ea'Sol couldn't be happier. His eyes reddened, tears strolled down his face as his gummy smile parted. Cackling to the empty above echoed throughout the quiet devastation outside.
"The world, the galaxy, and the universe. It will all be mine, the table of destiny is turning to my side. True prosperity is in our grasp. Don't you agree Black Stallion?"
The creature shuttered, its headless flame flickering in fright.