Above it all.

George took a sip of his tea. Its familiar flavour and warmth filled him with a sense of calm and tranquillity. As calm and tranquil as one can feel during a riot that is. He looked over his balcony at the angry throng of people below.

“Evening George, quite the ruckus tonight”, called a voice. On the balcony opposite sat his neighbour Ray.

“Quite, they’ve been at it for 15 minutes now!”,

“Should we, you know”, Ray gestured vaguely, “do something?”

 George looked the violence below as one man was perforated by the business end of a pitchfork, “Oh, erm, what do you suggest?”

“I don’t know, maybe we could poor a glass of water on them, might calm them down?”

“Well, that man there is beating that other man despite the handicap of being impaled on a farming implement. I’m just not sure a glass of water’s gonna cut it.”

“What about piss?”

“If you have to go, go I’ll let you know what happens.”

“No, I mean we could throw piss on them.”

“Ray, I’m not sure I like the man this riot has brought out in you, and I think that would just make them mad-er.”

“We have to do something, they’re ruining my begonias! Lizzie will be so upset.”

“I’m sorry Ray but I think your begonias are passed it, I’m afraid.”

George was right, the begonias were beyond a glass of water now given that they had been trampled, set on fire, then trampled again. 

“What are they so upset about, anyway?”, Ray asked, clearly a little hurt by the fate of his flowers

“Well, some occult happening blotted out the sun.”

“That’s called an eclipse and my begonias certainly aren’t to blame, I watered them only this morning.”

“Well, this generation will riot about anything, it’s just an excuse to go out stealing is what it is.”

“Yeah, well, I’m afraid your little gnome holding the fishing rod in a suggestive manner is long gone.”

“Cheeky beggers. That was a gift.”

“I know, I gave it ya.”

George and Ray simultaneously took a sip of tea, as Ray squinted his eyes and said, “Here, is that Maxwell, Maxwell Brown, the butcher?”

“Oh yes so it is. I’d recognise that cleaver anywhere.”

“I bought some real nice chops off him last Wednesday, Lizzie cooked them up a treat, didn’t you dear?”, he called back into the dimly lit interior of his home. There was no response. “Oh, she can’t hear me, probably got her nose in a book.”

“Well I won’t be buying anything from him in a hurry, that’s a very unsanitary thing to do with a meat cleaver.”

“How’s your Maurine by the way?”

“She’s alright thanks, had to practically pull her away from the door when this thing kicked off. She had her rolling pin and was ready to give ‘em what for”, they both chuckled.

The yelling below grew loader as a battalion of armoured guards had formed a wall and were pushing the rioters back. This, of course, gave the rioters something to unite against and a more organised brawl broke out.

“Ah the police are here, they’ll sort this mess out.”, George assured himself as one of the officers was dragged to the ground and disappeared under a body of angry youths.

“Oh well, I suppose another one will be along in a minute.”

“There’s plenty down there.”

“Is there?”

“Yes, put your glasses on.”, Ray fished out a pair of flimsy looking spectacles,

“Oh yes, so there is.”

“They’re taking their sweet time; makes you wonder what you pay tax for.”

“I know what you mean George. They were rubbish when my Lizzie lost that money, just told her it was as good as gone.”

“Mm, you said, nerve on ‘em.”

“Mm.”

They both sipped their respective hot brown liquids.

Below a guard in slightly more elaborate armour denoting a rank of Sergeant walked by, nimbly dodging rioters and periodically throwing dust into the eyes of ones getting too close. He didn’t seem particularly concerned about the riot and did little to stop it.

“Well, that one isn’t doing anything”, Ray protested

“Probably clocked off for the day.”

“Should work overtime in a riot.”

“Well they probably don’t get payed overtime, Ray.”

“Of course they do”

“Nah, this government doesn’t pay anything more than they have to.”

“Well, you’re not wrong there.”

“Looked to be heading the way of the pub that officer, can’t say I blame him.”

“I’d join him, but I can’t be fighting rioters, not with my hip.”

“Well, the doctor said you had to keep you weight off it.”

“He did, he said I had to keep my weight off it.”

“Mm.”

Another sip, another sigh.

“It was a woman actually”, Ray confessed

“What?”

“The doctor was too busy, had to see the nurse.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mm, lovely young thing she was, very charming I do have to say, always asking after our Lizzie, sorted her out after she had that fall last year.”

“Oh and she still remembers her, that nice.”

“Very charming.”

“Lovely”

“Bit pale though, could do to get out more but I reckon that hospital works her to the bone.”

“Swines, they’ll lose all the good nurses if they’re not careful.”

“Mmm, she said she was studying up at the university as well, probably going on to bigger and better things.”

“Can’t say I blame her.”

“Mm.”

The two men sipped their beverage while below screams of hatred, and anguish rang out as the city guard made headway in corralling the rioters. Multiple arrests were made, and seeing they may actually have to face the consequences of their actions the rioters moved to the final stage of rioting, which was rioting on the run.

“Oh, looks to be getting sorted.”, Ray offered

“‘appen your right there.”

A few guards on horseback shot down the street after the night’s ne'er-do-wells.

“Reckon thems the last nail in the coffin for your begonias”, George offered as the hooves lay waste to all plants in the street and leaving a number of ‘leavings’ in the road.

“Charming, still, good for the flowers, not that they’ve left me any”, Ray complained.

It was at that moment that a scream rang out across the city. An ungodly, inhuman scream. A scream that spoke of ancient evils, reptilian horrors, and long forgotten sins.

“What the bloody hell was that?”

“Sounded like a scream George.”

“What makes a sound like that?”

“A dragon?”

“In this climate? That’s all we need.”

“Sounded a long way off.”

“Mm, mind it bloody well stays that way, I’ve had enough trouble this week.”

There was a distant explosion, some muted yelling then the same unspeakable scream, but this time much quieter.

“See, it’s going away.”

“Well that’s alright then.”

“Well”, George concluded, “that was a bit of excitement.”

“Too much for me, George, I’ll give it ten minutes and see what’s left of the wife’s flower bed.”

“Mmm, best of luck, I’ll see you tomorrow Ray.”

“Yes, see you tomorrow George.”

They finished their beverages, its soothing effect made world seem a much simpler place.