《Become As Gods: Black Monolith (Twelve Monoliths Book IV)》


 PROLOGUE | Issachar

    The Collapse


    The most important machine was created a long time ago. Before the beginning of the universe a scientist collaborated with another to construct the Vessel of Animus¡ªnamed ICARUS. The machine held the power of infinity within¡ªconstantly taking and processing information of everything. ICARUS at one time stored human consciousness. At another time it acted under the will of another to begin the universe anew.


    At the start of this new universe¡ªonly dark existed. The creator was left alone with the slate wiped clean of everything that had ever been...except that somewhere in the recesses of his mind existed shades of those he knew. Beings by which only existed to a foreign will. They were the beings he knew, but fractured. Pieces of himself filled their voids and thus became the Creatures of the Night.


    In the world they inhabited¡ªNoctem, they existed without shape. Without physical form they co-existed in relative peace. However, not all would stay¡ªthe creator wished for a new land to replace the one that had previously disappeared. For the second time in existence light was born.


    Luxmund was forged in flame, earth, water, and air. Physical form contradicted everything that Noctem was. And yet, as Luxmund grew, the creator couldn¡¯t help but wish to see inside¡ªbecome a part of the world he created. Upon entering Luxmund, the creator¡¯s soul burnt to the smallest unit of existence, arriving on the sandy shoals of a planet as nothing more than a single cell.


    The Creatures of the Night¡ªhis children¡ªfollowed him in attempts to rescue¡ªtheir forms suffering immense damage, too. They adapted and encased their bodies with the dust and ice of space to ensure safer travel in search of their father.


    On this new planet, several eons passed before the Creatures of the Night were able to awaken from their crystalline slumber. The creator slowly began to regenerate as the decades passed. He made contact with a human and decided to spread the knowledge of all that he knew to a man named Timaeus.


    Timaeus compiled all of the knowledge of the Creatures of the Night and their creator in a volume titled The Eye of Timaeus¡ªa book which has traveled down the corridors of history; passing from historian to historian.


    The Creatures of the Night began to awaken on this new planet¡ªslowly and separately at first, and then one by one. Twelve beings in all searching for their Father. Each of them existed as golden mist that took various shapes of animals or other such creatures. Each of them awakened to strange and powerful abilities in this new world¡ªpowers unique to each other.


    Several thousand years have passed since they have come to this world. Their goals have only grown, and the many worlds have since condensed into a single¡ªunique entity.


    A world that has infinitely expanded was¡ªat least for the time being¡ªone. It was not going to last, as time moves on, the universe that these beings inhabit will grow like it did before. One would become two, then four, then eventually millions upon millions. The light would constrict everything around it and nothing would be able to survive if it was left to that point again.


    2022


    That¡¯s why the wave of relief flooded over Issachar¡¯s face as he sat on the cliff side of a rock formation that used to be called Mount Sinai in the old world.


    A gentle breeze whisks through Lilly¡¯s hair. Issachar held out her hands and observes them on the peaceful scene in front of him. She¡¯s still inside¡ªlike any human who his brothers and sisters make vessels out of¡ªdormant whenever they enter. He had full access to her thoughts, memories, and emotions. Lillian Jones¡¯s emotions were all over the place, currently. There is a lot of despair centered around Allison Fae and sorrow over the conjoined twins. Anger exists in large pools surrounding the events of the murder.


    These were difficult times. Yet, they proved how necessary the hard choices were.


    This new universe is the culmination of everything that had at once existed. Those with strong determination could cross into this new plane¡ªthat was the secret that gave Issachar hope for Allison Fae. She was a special child¡ªa soul he hopes he¡¯ll get to see again. At least, that¡¯s what Lillian Jones wishes for.


    Was she the only one? He didn¡¯t know.


    There was a crack in the air behind him¡ªstartling him from his sitting position. He turned to see Samael, his second eldest brother appear out of thin air. His genetic string was vastly different from the others. He was the next closest to Father after Ormus¡ªhe was the second of the Children of the Night.


    His form looked much like a spider made of the same mist-substance their souls clung to in the land of the light. Issachar didn¡¯t know as much about the physiology of their bodies as Samael did¡ªhe was the studious one among them all.


    ¡°Urgent news,¡± Samael said. His ghostly legs made contact with the ground hesitantly¡ªas if unsure if it were right. ¡°Father¡¯s gone.¡±


    Samael had always been blunt.


    ¡°Gone?¡±


    ¡°Killed.¡±


    ¡°Killed?!¡±


    ¡°How many different ways must I tell you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...not possible,¡± Issachar said, turning completely. ¡°There¡¯s no way...¡±


    ¡°He was passing over again, you know that. But this isn¡¯t that. There¡¯s a body.¡±


    ¡°...I was just with him before I came here. He was fine.¡±


    ¡°He was fine in Left, but Right...¡±


    Issachar thought to himself the incredulity of the situation¡ªand the complete lack of emotion in Samael¡¯s voice. He was studious, yes. Curious, even. But he cared very little for emotion. He preferred logic and reasonableness over the mundane act of caring. He said it almost made you human.


    ¡°Can you fill me in on the details?¡± Issachar stood up.


    ¡°Are you going to insist on wearing that silly human for long?¡±


    ¡°It was not silly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone off gallivanting with Sakonna when the rest of us have been trying to find the monoliths. It was plenty silly.¡±


    ¡°Father saw the point in our missions.¡±


    ¡°Missions? That¡¯s what you¡¯re calling them? Whatever, no point arguing about it I guess¡ªespecially now. Come back to the house. I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    </a> Without another word he vanishes with a crack replacing the space that he occupied. A thousand thoughts run through his mind¡ªovertaking the previously overbearing thoughts of Lillian Jones. Father was dead? How could that be possible...and even more...What would they do now?


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    Issachar did not know. His eyes shut and with a slow hum he felt the world shift underneath his feet. A moment later and he was standing outside the farmhouse in the great open field. Back in the old world this would have existed in a rural patch of New York. Now, old borders were non-existent. Land was land, and Issachar didn¡¯t know exactly how the old house had made it through the transition to the new world, but anything he didn¡¯t know he could chalk up to Father¡¯s will.


    Could. Not can. Not if Samael is to be believed. He felt a terrible weight on his heart as he stood outside the house¡ªit looked like any normal sort of human home plucked out of space and time. It stood bright and blue with an orange front porch leading up to the front door.


    The air hummed a resonant sound that carried all of his doubts up to the front step as if taking the walk for him. He brushed the senses aside and walked up himself. This was all he saw through his left eye, of course.


    The Children of the Night saw the world in two different halves¡ªthe left occupied the land of the light, where the right offered a whole new perspective. What the Children saw depended on where they were in Luxmund¡ªthe space of Noctem they existed in was mapped to the land of the light as the universes collapsed on each other.


    For this house that rested in seclusion in Luxmund existed as form familiar to them in Noctem¡ªa library surrounded by darkness. A lot of Noctem was surrounded by darkness, but it wasn¡¯t fully void of light. Places of interest like this dotted the world and served as way points for the Children to travel great distances across Luxmund with.


    As Issachar walked through the front door to the house he crossed the entryway of the library¡ªhe saw both of these existences at once, but chose to focus on his left-sight. Right always reminded him of how bleak their situation really was¡ªeverything they had been fighting for.


    Father¡¯s room was a straight shot from the entrance of the house¡ªright hand side past the family room and dining room on either side. In the library, Father sat at the front desk as if to greet anybody who walked in with a big smile. At least, that¡¯s what he would have done if he were sitting in his room.


    Looking Left, Issachar saw Father in his bed, resting like he was before the Collapse began. He was weak¡ªSamael was correct in the fact that he was passing over soon¡ªa process that Father had done for the thousands of years he¡¯s been trapped here in Luxmund, that while scary, was just that¡ªa process.


    As Father¡¯s defenses against the light began to wear he would grow weak for a period of time until he went dormant for a hundred years or so¡ªat least, that¡¯s what Sakonna told him. She¡¯s been in this world for the longest, and even though she was the youngest Child, she was the wisest, he felt.


    Issachar took in a deep breath and looked Right¡ªhe had trained his mind to block out the Right unless he absolutely needed to look at it. His brothers and sisters would have killed him for thinking this way¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t built to look at it for long periods like they were. He felt he might go insane.


    Father¡¯s head stared up at Issachar with dried blood caked around where his left eye had been removed. His body sat slumped forward against the front desk. Blood pooled on the desk from the neck stump¡ªhis hands were splayed on the surface of the table and looked to have been burned. Looking closer, Issachar noticed several scars racing up and down his arms.


    Issachar turned away, holding in the contents of Lillian Jones¡¯s stomach.


    Samael entered his view from one of the aisles. He was no longer in the shape of the spider¡ªbut of a man Issachar didn¡¯t recognize. He must be a new vessel. He wore a mask that shielded his expression, so he couldn¡¯t get a grasp of what he really looked like.


    ¡°The body¡¯s blood had dried. It was been like this for some time now,¡± Samael said. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you didn¡¯t see this at all?¡±


    Issachar looked Left, then Right. ¡°I swear, I only looked left when I was here. You know I don¡¯t like Right...¡±


    Samael paused, as if considering. ¡°You know what this means, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°It means that Father isn¡¯t going to be coming back from this unless we do something about it. And unless we find the one responsible for killing him, we won¡¯t be able to do that. They¡¯ll only serve to get in our way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying one of us¡­?¡± Issachar¡¯s mind flashed together with Lillian Jones¡¯s back to the incident at Nasseu.


    ¡°It was possible that it was more than one, but I hardly think assuming that is healthy at the current moment. I believe Sakonna¡¯s responsible.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that? Do you have any proof?¡± Issachar asked.


    ¡°You know her abilities, Issachar. She¡¯s the only one that could have done this and gotten away with it¡ªtell me, do you think any of the others¡¯ talents could have helped in killing Father? He was weak¡ªyes, but even at his weakest he¡¯s surely stronger than all of us combined.¡±


    Issachar bit his lip. Part of him knew that rung true, but he didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°I don¡¯t think Sakonna would do this¡ªshe loves Father!¡±


    ¡°You dote on her too much, Issachar. It clouds your judgment,¡± Samael said. ¡°We¡¯re all aware of how close you two are.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything!¡± Issachar said. ¡°There¡¯s no way that she would do something like this. You don¡¯t have any proof.¡±


    ¡°No, but where is she? When last did you see her, hm?¡±


    Issachar raced back his thoughts. The last time he spoke with Sakonna she didn¡¯t seem any different than she normally was¡ªthey had gone over their own plans that Father had given them. That was the thing with Samael¡ªhe always treated them as if they were doing something wrong¡ªeven though the Roulette Game and his own mission were at Father¡¯s request.


    ¡°She was fine,¡± Issachar said. ¡°Back before I headed out for Nasseu.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Samael said. ¡°Quite a stretch of time, no? Egregore said that he noticed Sakonna was sticking closer than usual by Father¡¯s side. He made the effort to keep his eye on them, did you know that?¡±


    Egregore would be the one to notice that kind of thing. He is the Ninth Child of the Night¡ªtaking the shape of a Rook. He could fly the highest heights and outspeed almost any one of the others¡ªexcept maybe Galgaliel¡ªthe Fourth. But that made sense¡ªa hawk could outspeed a rook any day.


    Egregore¡¯s special talent was his all viewing eye¡ªhe had the gift of triple sight¡ªthe two that everyone else had while here on Luxmund, but including a third eye he could station anywhere he chose.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Although I¡¯d have to ask why you felt the need to put a watch on her before this even happened? You¡¯d have no reason to suspect her.¡±


    ¡°If you never suspect anything, you die,¡± Samael said. ¡°We¡¯re trying to avoid that, remember?¡±


    ¡°So quickly to assume we¡¯re out to end ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Listen, I get it. You don¡¯t want to believe that anybody could be capable of this kind of terror...yadda yadda yadda. I have to be pragmatic about the situation¡ªunless you have a theory on how one of the people from Sakonna¡¯s game managed to find their way here¡ªmanaged to somehow find a way to kill Father, and also managed to escape all without flaw?¡±


    Issachar bit his lip again. ¡°I don¡¯t have the answers...but I know that Sakonna can¡¯t be behind it.¡±


    ¡°Your feelings will be considered, but otherwise found irrelevant to the matter,¡± Samael said. ¡°Ezrael, Ormus, and I will handle the investigation. We¡¯ll gather everyone together to report our findings in about ten or so hours. That¡¯s about how long it should take.¡±


    Ezrael, the Third, and Ormus, the First. Of course Samael would pick his posse to do the investigation. Even though Issachar felt like he could talk to Ormus about anything¡ªthere was a noticeable divide between the three of them and the rest of the Twelve.


    Maybe Samael did it and he¡¯s trying to cover his tracks. The thought didn¡¯t just occur to him, but It was the first time he¡¯s focusing right on it. He didn''t have an answer for motive¡ªIt was the same level of suspicion Samael¡¯s laid on Sakonna¡¯s plate, in fact. Something about this whole situation wasn¡¯t right...and he feels like it isn¡¯t going to get righter anytime soon.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you scurry along and go focus on one of your missions. ¡®Bout time for another one, right? We¡¯ll let you know when we¡¯re done.¡±


    Without another word Issachar was back at Mount Sinai. He was pushed back as if it were nothing¡ªSamael¡¯s talent was the manipulation of the air around them all¡ªhe could preserve that crime scene as best as he wanted to. He could even manipulate it.


    He had to shake his head. There wasn¡¯t anything he can do about the situation with Samael¡ªat least, not right now. He had a feeling he knows who can help him clear Sakonna¡¯s name.


    He had to find Allison Fae, thirteen.

 PART I | 1 | Allison Fae

    The Hunter


    2044


    Heavy footprints sunk into the wet mud. The owner walked to a rhythm only they knew. Three legs shifted one after another through the soggy underbrush. A slight breeze pulled them to a stop. An elongated nose tracked along the ground, sniffing for other life. A sound carried along the wind and its ears responded immediately¡ªvibrating to catch the exact location of the source.


    South. It came from the south.


    It started off to the north¡ªveering off of its original course to avoid pursuit. Galloping over a fallen trunk it picked up the pace even faster. The same sound again. The sharp crack of a branch by a careless hunter. From the south. Still from the south.


    It now galloped in such a way that the planet itself sang to each footfall. The silence of the forest amplified each beat. One-two-three. One-two-three. One-two-three. The creature was much like a horse in the fact that its feet were hooves¡ªalbeit much larger than any natural horse¡¯s hooves. Its face was kept bent down toward its body as it ran¡ªits large lips kept tight together as it sped up.


    It barreled through another fallen tree like it was nothing. Very strange that so many have fallen over. The wood splintered and then snapped. It screamed out as pain flared in its rightmost leg¡ªits face darted to see the source¡ªa metallic object had pierced the thick fat of its leg and it was now coursing blood onto the ground. It tripped over itself and slid across the dirt and stones. It was a trap. All along. I was a fool.


    A figure leapt out from the darkness onto the creature¡¯s back and tore the object from its leg¡ªeliciting a roar of pain from the creature. The figure¡ªa woman¡ªheld the creature¡¯s head back as she drove a knife to its throat and drags it across. Black blood pooled from its neck onto the ground and the woman¡¯s arms. She relaxed as the creature¡¯s head relaxed and the life faded from its eyes. Silence returned once more to the forest. She stood off the beast¡¯s back and lifts its head upward to get a closer look at her kill.


    She dropped the head once more and took the object that had pierced the beast¡¯s leg¡ªa silver lance with a head coated in the beast¡¯s blood. She took out a cloth and wiped it clean and then held it out in front of her. Pressing a button on the side, the lance retracted into itself until it fit into the palm of her hand. She fit it into an indentation on her armlet and returned to the beast¡¯s carcass. From her bag she brought out a thick rope and began working it from a nearby tree. She took in a deep breath and bent down, lifting the creature up and over her shoulder. After hoisting and securing it from the rope she took a moment to look at its body¡ªhanging and gently swinging. It looked like it¡¯d give enough meat to last a few days.


    She unsheathed the knife from her belt and took a deep breath. This part was always her least favorite. She steeled herself and began dressing the carcass¡ªfirst cutting a coring ring around the beast¡¯s anus. Next, she made an incision near the hind legs and guides the knife up to the breast bone. She breaks through and stopped.


    Inside she clears out the diaphragm from the chest cavity and saw all the strange internal organs of the creature. No matter how many times she saw this It was still like looking at the inside of an alien. She reached in and grabbed the thick windpipe with her left hand. With the knife she cuts it free and now can easily remove the rest of the organs.


    She¡¯s going to need to let the blood drain out of the body, so in the meantime she cleans her hands and began working to build a campsite. With enough kindling she starts a fire¡ªand just in time as the maroon skies have begun to shift to the reds and violets of night. The moon hung on the horizon with its crimson glare.


    When her camp was set up and the blood drained from the body, she worked on skinning the creature¡ªand finally an hour later she¡¯s carved up the meat and tends to it over the flame. There¡¯s a sound from behind her and at first she thinks its another of the creatures come to investigate the smell of cooking meat, but she relaxes. ¡°How long have you been there? It was rude to stare.¡±


    A figure emerges from darkness¡ªa man in silver plated armor from neck to toe. He had black curly hair and a splash of humor on his face. ¡°Well, I would have thought it would have been plenty rude to just stride on in uninvited.¡±


    ¡°It would have been,¡± she said, not looking at him.


    ¡°Oh come on, not even a flash of recognition?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dumb, Felix.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you do recognize me.¡±


    ¡°Your voice is irreplaceable.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound too thrilled.¡±


    She sighs and pokes at the peak, cutting a piece open to check the insides. After not being satisfied she turned it over to cook for longer.


    Felix took a step closer toward the camp. Her lance lands just before his feet, sticking in the ground reflecting the red moonlight. It was a clear warning. He held his hands up, shrugging his shoulder. ¡°Sorry, standing right here. I¡¯ve been hearing all kinds of things about you, you know? About how you found a way to kill the Creatures of the Night?¡±


    She turned to look at him for the first time and saw that his face had worn with the lines of age. It had been some years since she had seen him last...not since¡­


    A faint pain dwells in her side, she breathes it away and focused back to his face. ¡°Maybe.¡±


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    Felix bent down to look at the lance, ¡°Hm, is this it?¡± But before he can get close enough the lance returned to her side, landing in her outstretched arm, retracting and she replaced it back into her armlet.


    ¡°For me to know.¡±


    ¡°Secrets never looked good on you,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°Well, with as honestly I can say I hope you know we share the same goal. If you let me in on your plans we can work together to complete them faster.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡±


    ¡°We both know that¡¯s not your only goal. That isn¡¯t the only rumor you¡¯ve been following.¡±


    ¡°How can I not?!¡± He broke his cool and reels it back in immediately. ¡°Sorry. You know how I feel.¡±


    ¡°I do. Doesn¡¯t change anything. What you¡¯ve heard is wrong.¡±


    He¡¯s staring at her with increased focus¡ªhis eyes straining.


    ¡°Good luck trying to read my mind. I¡¯ve closed that avenue a long time ago. You¡¯re not going to find anything useful.¡±


    He relaxes, realizing her point.


    She turned back to her meat and inspects the color again. This time, pleased with the result, she took it off the flame and handles it carefully over to her cloth. ¡°You¡¯re free to share a bite if you don¡¯t have anything else. If you can spare it I¡¯d prefer if you left, though.¡± She said.


    ¡°You know what I need to do, Allison. Please stop making this harder than it has to be. We both know¡ª¡±


    ¡°We both know¡­? Tell me what we both know? That I¡¯m going to be on your hit list when this is all over? That if I work with you on taking out the others that you¡¯ll just turn around and spike me when you find it most convenient? Or because you have some deluded fantasy that you have a child out there you want to kill too?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s out there and she¡¯s going to ruin everything! Is that what you want? Everything you¡¯ve worked for to go up in smoke?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t cared about what I¡¯m working for, not ever. You don¡¯t get to play that card.¡±


    Felix took a deep breath and tried to keep from looking at the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t have to kill you if we can be sure that she is dead.¡±


    ¡°She is dead!¡±


    ¡°Then let me see it! Show me the memory!¡± He yelled back.


    ¡°You have spoiled this,¡± she started to wrap up the meat. ¡°So thanks for that. ¡°I¡¯m not showing you anything because you don¡¯t deserve anything. Not even this fire,¡± she glanced in its direction and it was sussed out with a gust of wind.


    ¡°Allison.¡±


    ¡°Stop. We¡¯re done. Stop following me. You can try to kill me all you please¡ªit¡¯d be the second biggest mistake of your life, but I¡¯m nothing if not honest. I wouldn¡¯t kill you if you tried, but it¡¯d certainly make getting to the nearest outpost one hell of a challenge, but just give up on chasing this nightmare of yours. If you want to fight the Creatures of the Night then great. Go do it on your own time and stop wasting mine.¡± She had finished packing her things together in the rucksack she typically carried with her. ¡°The plans I have are incompatible with the feelings I have for you. Accept that and make something of yourself.¡±


    Felix laughed, ¡°You¡¯ve always been an aggressive over-planner. You talk about being dedicated about your goals, but listen, I¡¯m just as motivated for mine. Just because I¡¯ve adapted doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m chasing dead ends. And if I could chase them without interfering with you trust me, I gladly would. But I can¡¯t do that, babe. We¡¯re intertwined in this and you have to accept that. I can¡¯t accept you going at it alone.¡±


    ¡°Tough.¡± She strung the bag up and stamped on a remnant spark from the fire. ¡°For both our sanities I¡¯m moving elsewhere. I¡¯m extending you a pleasantry in not maiming you now¡ªplease take advantage of it and find shelter somewhere else for the night, because if you do continue to follow me I will do just that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go it alone, that¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    She walked over to him and cupped his chin in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± and gave him a smile. She headed off south from the campground, not watching his reaction. She¡¯d know soon enough if he did choose to follow her, but she didn¡¯t think he would. Not now. If he would he¡¯d wait enough time so that she couldn¡¯t sense him. That gives me a good head start to plug some distance between us.


    About half an hour away from her old campsite she set up a second¡ªsmaller site. Smaller fire, just enough to warm her dinner back up and to keep her warm. She finished the food in peace and preserved the rest of the raw meat securely. Clean, organized, just how she liked it.


    She was moving toward a village in the south of what would have been New Jersey in her other life. Now at the tip existed a village called Remira. Felix wasn¡¯t the only one who traveled on the wings of rumors¡ªshe had heard tales of people spotting a dragon in the mountains near Remira. A detail normal people would have passed off as myth or hallucination, but immediately grabbed her attention and focus.


    The Creatures of the Night often took the forms of different animals in their truest states. Not quite corporeal, but enough that a few townspeople could make the mistake. She took out her tablet from her bag that had her notes on the different creatures.


    Sakonna. That was the one that took the form of a dragon when not wearing human skin. She was one of the oldest ones on their planet, so she¡¯d have to be extra careful about handling her. She chuckled to herself. Someone normal might not even believed she existed, but that would be foolish. She even had a previous encounter with Sakonna¡ªone she¡¯d not soon forget.


    She closed her notes and opened up the story she¡¯d been writing. She looked with a fondness on the pages she¡¯s written so far¡ªfor so long she had wanted to write something of her own but the ideas never came to her¡ªnot in the way that she wanted. Not in the way she felt deserved to be told.


    When she was much younger she had an imaginary friend named Jace who stuck with her when she had nobody else. She liked to believe that he was still with her, but it wasn¡¯t really the same as it used to be. Things rarely do stay the same as when they used to be.


    Ever since she¡¯d wanted to give Jace the story that he deserved. In some way down in her heart, it was how she spoke to him on these cold and lonely nights.


    For now all she had was a concept. She had a few images fresh in her mind that came back to her repeatedly. She saw a floating city¡ªhigh above a forest below. She thought this was where Jace will have grown up, but the world below will be so much more expansive than just the floating city. The whole kingdom is called Seraphen. She knew from the start she wanted the land to feel holy¡ªangelic almost. So taking the Latin root, Seraph, made the rest of it rather simple.


    In her mind¡¯s eye, the capitol city of Seraphen rested in the center of the continent¡ªa walled city named Larinae. It is known as the Central Kingdom that the lands surrounding it pay tribute to¡ªsmaller kingdoms and territories of their own accord, but no matter the size all hail to Larinae. She had a map drawn up on her tablet¡ªit had taken many nights to get just right, but she felt proud in the work she created.


    Jace¡¯s floating city was off in the east¡ªthat¡¯s where the forests were thickest and the tall trees helped to protect the city.


    She finished a biographical entry on Lord Aesolus¡ªthe establishing ruler of Windruth before turning the tablet off and setting it aside. She rests her head down on her bag and closes her eyes. Sleep comes easily enough, her mind wanders to all sorts of different topics that she didn''t remember when she woke except for one distinct scene of a burning pyre. The smell of cooked flesh emanated from the mass. She saw the walls of flame that surrounded whatever the bundle had been before¡ªclosing in and suffocating until the flames joined together and fused the mass into one lumbering heap of desecration.


    When she woke up she had a particular guilty feeling, but cannot place the origin. The dream didn¡¯t mean much to her¡ªnot that she was big into decrypting dreams as it stood. She eyed her pack and felt tiny comfort in the fact that her sleep was a fully undisturbed one. It has been some time since she got a full night¡¯s rest. She still had some time to go before she made it to her next destination, so she had to take sleep where she could get it. Something told her that she wasn¡¯t going to be able to get much of it in the coming times.

 2 | The Tauten Hills

    A week after her confrontation with Felix, Allison arrived in a small village on the way to Remira named Tauten. It was an unassuming plot of land that reminds her of the settlements that cropped up twenty years back when the people were brought to this new world. Small makeshift gatherings that people were desperate to cling to.


    Times have changed greatly since that point, but not everywhere. Places on the eastern coast generally tend to keep on a lower level. The people around here enjoy the rustic simplicity that the environment around them brings. It was the kind of feel Allison would go for¡ªhad she the choice of settling down anywhere.


    A tall man stood at guard at the entrance of the settlement¡ªa small scabbard hanging from his waistcoat. Allison saw the edge of the hilt looked to be rusty. He probably doesn¡¯t get to use the sword much¡ªto the benefit of the town she guessed. Although if someone came around that did intend them harm she¡¯s not too sure he¡¯d be any help in protecting them.


    ¡°Woah woah woah there missy,¡± the man held up his hand and steps in front of her.


    Allison lets the missy comment slide. She knew it was more a comment on himself than her. ¡°I¡¯m just passing through. Please step out of the way.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not accepting anymore inhabitants,¡± the man said. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to go around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not staying,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°Everyone who stays here didn¡¯t plan on staying here said that, then they end up staying anyway. We need to increase our food output enough as it is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m headed to Remira. I¡¯ve no reason to stay here.¡±


    ¡°And what business do you have in Remira?¡±


    ¡°What business of it is yours?¡±


    The man looked her over with a careful eye and he wrinkles his nose. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to set down any weapons you may have on you.¡±


    ¡°You must be joking.¡±


    ¡°Strip your weapons or find another way through.¡±


    ¡°You really couldn¡¯t think of another word for that?¡± She took a step closer to him. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡±


    ¡°Uh uh,¡± he shook his head and reached down for the sword at his side, only to realize that it wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± He looked down to find the scabbard gone from his waist. He looked back up to Allison inspecting the sword inside, her face contorting as she saw the full nature of the mistreatment of the blade.


    ¡°Really quite pathetic a sword, isn¡¯t it?¡± She looked up to him, cradling the sword carefully. ¡°Were you planning on threatening me...with this?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you...¡±


    She shrugged and handed the sword back to him. The moment he touched its hilt the rust faded from the blade. ¡°You should get that sharpened if you want to take your job seriously. Oh, and stop badgering travelers.¡± She walked past him and he didn¡¯t stop her¡ªonly gazing at surprise at the now-clean blade.


    Allison noticed the layer of attention that her presence had brought to the town. More than once she¡¯s noticed suspicious eyes gazing at her from between boarded up windows. The light reflecting off them the only hint that they¡¯re there. If they existed on a Jersey corner they would have all been foreclosed and abandoned. She instantly felt like more of an outsider here than when she first stepped into Nasseu all those years ago.


    At the end of the crossing she finds what looked to be the local bar. There wasn¡¯t any sign on the front of the dilapidated building, but the scattered bottles lain around the entrance clued her in enough. Inside, she was intimately aware of the pairs of eyes staring at her. She grabbed a seat by the counter and rested an elbow on the top. Her eyes caught hold of the bartender¡¯s and she flashed a small smile. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite drink here?¡±


    The bartender stared at her¡ªshe looked to be in her early twenties. Battered with the passing of time she also looked like she could pass for early thirties. This world was not kind to youth.


    ¡°Depends on how much I want to forget. It¡¯s not often we get travelers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d match you and say It was not often I travel, but then I¡¯d be lying.¡±


    ¡°What brings you out here? Tauten¡¯s not got much for outsiders.¡± She leaned back on the counter.


    ¡°Rumor has it that a dragon¡¯s been spotted around these parts. I¡¯m looking for the source of this information.¡±


    ¡°Dragon?¡± The woman scoffed. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t believe in that?¡±


    ¡°I believe in a lot of things I doubt you would.¡±


    The woman sized her up and stood silently. ¡°You look like a whiskey type of woman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been acquainted before,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± she said as she starts to pour a glass. ¡°Should I even ask where you heard that rumor?¡±


    ¡°Word travels far. I travel farther.¡±


    ¡°Not much into sharing info yourself, are you?¡±


    Allison smiled. ¡°I try to keep my hand close to me if I can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find that doesn¡¯t help you make a lot of friends ¡®round here.¡±


    ¡°Not really looking for friends. Just to find the info I need.¡±


    The bartender slides her the glass. ¡°Fair enough.¡± She bent over the counter and looked over to a man sitting in the corner of the bar by himself. She nodded in his direction, ¡°He¡¯d probably be your best bet for local rumors. ¡°Hey Sammy!¡± She called out.


    Sammy looked up at her from his drink. ¡°Whuzzat?¡±


    ¡°We got someone who will listen to your stories! Get over here.¡±


    The old man downs his drink and rests the glass back down on the table and stood to join them by the counter. ¡°You rang, boss?¡± He whipped his head around and Allison could tell that the drink he downed wasn¡¯t his first for the night.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got someone who¡¯s interested in hearing about that dragon you keep talking about?¡±


    ¡°The word spread from the town drunk?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°Hey hey...hey now,¡± Sammy turned to her and licked his lips, his eyes focusing on her and his whole system seemed to restart. ¡°Just because a man is drunk...doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s the drunk.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Allison said, shoving the topic to the side. ¡°What have you heard?¡±


    ¡°Heard? Lass, It was what I saw!¡± He slammed both of his hands down on the counter. ¡°I was out by my back yard just minding my own business. I felt this weird chill in the¡­¡± he blinked a few times and took in a deep breath. ¡°Sorry. I felt this weird feeling in my gut. Like my stomach was swirling and I was gonna heave.¡±


    ¡°Were you drinking then, too?¡±


    Sammy looked at her with a curious look¡ªnot one of offense, but downright confusion. ¡°No, why would I bring it up? If I had been drinking then it¡¯d make complete sense why I was feeling that way. It was like I said, a drunk isn¡¯t always a town drunk.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Allison said, ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°I felt this feeling deeper in my chest and knew something was wrong. I looked up and saw a black dot flying in the sky. It was way higher than I¡¯ve ever seen any sort of plane fly back before. I could almost see two little wings flapping from its back.¡±


    ¡°How can you be sure of that? If it was so high up, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d heard talk before of the creature,¡± Sammy said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the first who had ever seen it. Mother Benita on the other side of town was the one who told me first. Anyway, I assumed that must have been it because of how clear our skies are anytime else.¡±


    ¡°Mother Benita? Where can I find her?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s on the other side of town. Big red building before the store.


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    Sammy was caught off guard. He looked from the bartender and then back to her. ¡°I...didn¡¯t finish my story.¡±


    Allison finished her drink and set the glass down beside her. ¡°You didn¡¯t see the dragon¡ªat least, to a point that I can¡¯t confirm. I can¡¯t risk being led astray if what you saw was a strange bird or something like that.¡± Allison reached into her pocket and pulled out a golden coin and sets it on the counter. ¡°Thanks for the drink. It was perfect.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t want to find that thing,¡± Sammy said. His eyes grab her with desperation. ¡°It does weird things to you.¡±


    ¡°What kind of things?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°I heard voices. Saw myself. It felt like everything in my head spilled out and surrounded me. Everything went dark and I blacked out. You don¡¯t want to face that.¡±


    ¡°I do, but I appreciate the warning.¡±


    She stood up and took leave from the bar. As she¡¯s about to reach the door the bartender calls out: ¡°Hey!¡± Allison stopped with the door halfway open and looked back. ¡°If you don¡¯t end up getting yourself killed feel free to come back,¡± the bartender said. ¡°It was nice having another face to talk to.¡±


    She smiled back and nodded, turning and walking out the door. It was as close to the lie as she could stand.


    Mother Benita¡¯s building was easy enough to pick out from the crowd. It certainly could be called red if you removed the layers of steel fortifying the outside. The entire building looked like it was ready to withstand a nuclear bomb.


    Allison steps closer to the front door and is about to knock, but stopped when she smells a rank odor. A hint at first and then immediately it sends her doubled over¡ªclutching her stomach as she coughs out. A familiar metal barrel is pushed against the back of her head.


    ¡°Give me one good reason I don¡¯t give my house some new paint.¡±


    Allison sighed. ¡°Well, it would smell awful for one,¡± she starts. ¡°And for two, I think deep down you want to tell someone about the dragon you saw.¡±


    The old woman stared her hard but Allison knew that the tough game was up. There was hesitation in her fingers from the start. Unless she seriously antagonized her she never was in any danger of being shot.


    Right on cue, Mother Benita lowers the gun and heaves a big breath. ¡°Something tells me you won¡¯t leave unless I plug you full of holes or tell you what you want...and bullets are damn ¡®spensive around here.¡±


    Allison smiled, ¡°You¡¯re smarter than many in this place.¡±


    ¡°I knows that.¡± She huffs, making space for Allison to enter the shop. ¡°Don¡¯t need to tell me twice...was it ¡®Tonio that got in your way?¡±


    ¡°If you mean the guard out front, then yes. Didn¡¯t stand as much of anything other than some wasted minutes, though.¡±


    She made a ticking sound and set her rifle down by the door, shuffling past her and closing the door. ¡°That boy¡¯s out there out of obligation. He¡¯s got a wife that¡¯s pregger than a busted cow. Her job¡¯s usually to man the guard post¡ªand lemme tell ya she¡¯s mighty intimidating given the chance. But the poor sap¡¯s taken over the spot...and well, he¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe so. Anyway, the dragon.¡±


    ¡°Down to business, I like it. Truth be told I¡¯m not one for small talk either. Lotta...wasted minutes. I like that.¡±


    Ironic. Small talk about not liking small talk. Everyone¡¯s got a flavor.


    ¡°Anyway, it was about a month ago,¡± Mother Benita corrects. ¡°I was out in the fields behind my shop here tending to my gardens. The like¡ªyou know. Out back there you can see the mountains back there. Stragglers and bandits live out them ways¡ªthey¡¯ve got little camps dotted around the face of the mountain¡ªalways having a struggle or two between ¡®em, you see. So when I started hearing the sounds, I thought it was the carrying sound of one of their little scraps.¡±


    ¡°But it was different?¡±


    ¡°Yessum, I was getting ready to head inside to avoid any possible spillover¡ªthey¡¯ve come close to our little village in disputes before¡ªbut that¡¯s when I started feeling woozy in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Your heart?¡±


    ¡°I started hearing voices in my head reflecting my thoughts at me¡ªit was like hearing a mirror. Then I looked up and saw the monster. It was...¡± she looked at Allison with a very real look of fear on her eyes. ¡°It was terrifying. It was body was like every dragon I saw on TV when I was a youngin¡¯. Thick black belly all scaled to the brim. But It was face...It was face was like a mask. A human mask. That wasn¡¯t no dragon¡¯s face. It looked like it could eat you like a human would...that thought was most terrifying of all.¡±


    There was a certain truth to that thought. It was terrifying to imagine a beast causing carnage and ripping apart flesh with its sharpened teeth, but there is a certain horror to the unrefined human figure biting into another that she couldn¡¯t misplace.


    ¡°I talked my head off about it when I went to the ol¡¯ drink.¡± Mother Benita continues. ¡°Got too tired of talking about it so I stopped going.¡±


    ¡°Your talk seems to have caught on,¡± Allison said. ¡°Guy in the bar was talking your story up.¡±


    ¡°Must be Sammy,¡± Mother Benita heaves, ¡°That boy will talk your ear off for an hour and say only a second¡¯s worth of talk.¡±


    ¡°I got that impression pretty early.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, even if he is over-talking.¡± She waves a hand to the air. ¡°But I guess I have his mouth to thank for your coming here.¡±


    Allison gives a wry smile. ¡°I wanted to get the info straight from the source.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have it. Now tell me, what do you plan to do now that you¡¯ve heard my tale?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m planning on confronting it. You won¡¯t have to worry about it visiting the area for much longer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mad, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my own reasons for seeking the beast out. Don¡¯t trouble your conscience by thinking It was solely for your town¡¯s sake.¡±


    Mother Benita gave a grin of her own. ¡°The age of heroes died long ago, is that it?¡±


    ¡°Heroes are destined to die for their causes,¡± Allison said. ¡°I¡¯m not dying anytime soon.¡± She bids the old woman her peace and then left her be.


    Allison double checks her pack for her food reserves¡ªcontemplating if she should stock up more before her trip to the hills. If she rationed properly she shouldn¡¯t need to...but that kind of shoddy preparation only begged for misfortune to find her way.


    She swallows her pride and doubles back toward the town commons. The air is thinner¡ªless constricted around her foreign interests in this town. She¡¯s sure that the barkeep has done her part to help assuage those who think her suspicions should outweigh her own goals.


    She finds the market and chooses not to act on the look that the shopkeep¡¯s wife gives her through the whole transaction. The keep himself seemed to be more at ease than what he would have been if she came right at the front, but Allison has been around this side of the planet long enough to know the look of a person who would never go past their initial thought¡ªtheir feelings.


    In a way it brought back memories of her time back in Nasseu, but those kinds of memories were not fond or appreciated. So back down they went.


    She follows the path toward the rear exit of Tauten and puts the town behind her as the hills come crawling into view. Unfortunately for her, something¡ªor someone¡ªelse has come into view first.


    Felix stood blocking her path; his arms crossed and the normal amused look that crosses his face is gone. ¡°You must really have a death wish if you¡¯re trying to take down Sakonna.¡±


    Allison¡¯s face contorts into shock. ¡°H-How did you read my mind? I was sure...¡± Her mind then floats to another tangent. One she didn¡¯t think of in their last meeting. ¡°Unless...you didn¡¯t.¡± Felix said nothing to this, provoking another answer from Allison. Part of her knew that he wanted her to say it. ¡°Issachar, right? Last time we...¡±


    ¡°I have nothing more to say on that subject,¡± He grinned the smallest form. ¡°Unless you listen to what I have to say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll only listen to Issachar¡¯s whereabouts. No more.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems we¡¯re at a stalemate, old friend,¡± he raises his arms stubbornly. ¡°I have ears for much more than what I¡¯m wanting, but you¡¯ve made yourself clear the last time we talked your feelings on the matter.¡±


    ¡°Well that much seems apparent. If you¡¯ve nothing realistic you can offer me, then I¡¯ve no wish to talk. Back out of my way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not going to do that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinning my already weary patience for you.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m calling your bluff,¡± he said, standing firm.


    She taps her forearm and the lance extends in her grip.


    ¡°Come on, you can stop pretending now. Just put it aside and let us talk like adults.¡±


    She took two steps forward.


    ¡°Allison...¡±


    And she lunges¡ªaiming the tip of the lance toward his leg. She was serious about making the trip harder for him if he didn¡¯t back down. Part of her hated to cause him harm, but she gave him more than fair warning. You had to learn one way or another.


    When the lance bounced off of his leg as if she slammed it into a wall...it was safe to say she was surprised. She looked at the point of impact¡ªfaster than he even noticed her lunging¡ªand the part of his leg she struck was glowing golden.


    ¡°You¡¯ve formed a pact with them?!¡± She yells at him.


    ¡°I needed a way to protect myself from your threats if you were serious...¡± he looked down at her. ¡°...and it seems you were.¡± His smile fades.


    ¡°You are...¡± she was fuming with anger. ¡°...such a hypocrite! You wouldn¡¯t have to protect yourself like that if you just let me be!¡±


    ¡°You know that I can¡¯t do that. This is the way that things must be. You know me.¡±


    She grips her lance tighter than before. Energy courses into the core of the weapon¡ªwilling all of her spirit to charge within. ¡°I am going to warn you one...final...time...¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m warning you. If you don¡¯t let down your lance and be reasonable about this¡ª¡±


    She whispers a faint prayer and a warmth from inside deafens everything from the next ten seconds. She bolted from her spot and thrust her lance with all of her might¡ªshattering it through the golden pact that protected him¡ªimpaling him just off center of his gut. His eyes flew open and he was forced back and fell over on himself.


    He held his hands around the wound and looked up to the sky¡ªcrying out in pain. He then looked at her with wild fury in his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve put your faith in mad gods¡ªand after all we¡¯ve been through you still underestimate me.¡± She said. Bending down to him, ¡°And that to me is the biggest insult of all. I¡¯m out of pity for you, Felix. I don¡¯t know if that wound will kill you¡ªprobably won¡¯t, but I don¡¯t care anymore. If you¡¯re determined enough maybe you can crawl back into town and maybe someone will patch you up. What you do is your own accord. I¡¯m done with it.¡±


    She ignored the words he said in retaliation¡ªthe cries he made after her as she stood up and walked away¡ªtoward the mountains. She retracts the lance and inserts the circlet back into her armband, tightening her grip on the pack on her back and continued forward.


    No one was going to underestimate her...not if she had any say in the matter.

 3 | Echoes of Another

    The sun peeks at Tauten over the hills¡ªan obsessed lover to a town that bids it goodbye. It was almost like it was begging to stay¡ªbut the Earth continued to spin anyway. Allison sympathizes, but she wasn¡¯t sure which for. She clenches her fists tight as she stopped to set up her camp.


    It didn¡¯t take long to gather appropriate kindling. The trees around were still plenty ripe with wood¡ªshe knew the further away from Tauten the less green she was going to see.


    The hills themselves looked drained of their life that had once propagated. It made her wonder how well the ruffians were able to make do with what must be harder terrain to settle down in. It was only a passing thought¡ªnot like she is responsible for their upkeep.


    Once the fire is up she sat down beside her pack and pulled out some of her reserves. The fire is a nice comfort in a world where so little exists¡ªfor the first time in a while her mind isn¡¯t racing or flooding with adrenaline. She took a generous bite into the meat and tears it with warmth flooding her body. Eating good food just felt right. She¡¯s lost the taste for seasoning years ago, so she¡¯s thankful for anything that had a natural kick to it. A part of her regretted being so nonchalant with the creature she had killed before Felix spoiled her dinner¡ªshe was being petty and she knew it. Throwing away a fresh kill like that wasn¡¯t the way you lived out here in the wild. You have to be smart with every move you make...and she had a lapse in judgment.


    That was the kind of person Felix was¡ªone of the only people to get under her skin like that. Even if he couldn¡¯t read her mind, he could read her emotions, and that was almost just as bad.


    She refused to feel bad for the way she left him. He wasn¡¯t giving her a choice¡ªthe things he asked were things she could not give.


    No matter what.


    It is over. He¡¯s going to come chasing after her¡ªthis she has no doubt¡ªbut he¡¯s not going to be able to do it now. Pact or no pact. He needs to heal his wound¡ªand should some demonic will overcome him and he does crawl his way here...well, she can walk faster than he can crawl.


    Still, thinking of him stays her appetite. She sets her food aside and curses herself for ruining a good meal twice now.


    To get her mind off of him she figures she might as well to a little physical maintenance. She bent her right and worked to undo the connectors. The titanium leg was a result of her study of metalworking when she was younger¡ªhow long ago that time in Rosae it has been.


    It connected directly to the nerve endings in her body¡ªa custom rig she made herself. It had certainly gone through dozens of prototypes¡ªmany of which she had to make do with what she had. Now, she sometimes forgets It was ever there...that was a lie, she never forgets, but It was nice to be able to do what she needs to do and not have it hamper her.


    The fire glazes off of the metal and gives her just enough light to inspect for any cracks or bends. The whole lot took twenty minutes of careful inspection. Satisfied, and her stomach growling after the intense focus, she smiled small at the small victories. She sets the leg beside her and stretches out both arms¡ªletting the fire¡¯s warm embrace take her in. Picking up and finishing the meat, she licks her fingers and stuffs the wrapping neatly back in her pack.


    A sound from the bushes catches her attention and she hones in on it immediately. She thinks It was Felix who has managed to catch up with her, and she curses him in her mind for what he¡¯s going to make her do¡ªbut she relaxes when she saw a tonpa poke its little head out. Tonpa were small squirrel-like rodents whose face is curved and hooked like a bird¡¯s beak. As it scuttles closer toward the fire it exhales out a soft ¡°ton-pa-ton-pa-ton-pa,¡± as the front of its head bobs up and down. The poor thing can barely support its own weight.


    Allison has only had a few encounters with the tonpa. They exploded a few years back¡ªsomething about new mutations in local wildlife. They didn¡¯t live long¡ªas evidenced by the apparent difficulty in this one¡¯s movement.


    It scrambled to her side and looked up at her with its misshapen eyes¡ªthe poor thing has already begun to deteriorate. She exhaled and dug into her pack and snapped off a small chunk of tomorrow¡¯s dinner.


    The tonpa sniffed the meat curiously, looking back up to Allison slowly with a suspicious look. Allison chucked the meat off near the bush. She knew if she set it beside her the animal would take it, but then stay and ask for seconds. And then what? Run off, hopefully. But what if it didn¡¯t? What if it wanted more? She couldn¡¯t offer anything else.


    The tonpa ran after the meat and picks it up slowly, then cranks its head back and swallowed it whole. It hobbles over and wheels its head up to look at Allison directly.


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    ¡°I have no more for you.¡±


    The tonpa blinks unevenly.


    ¡°Nope. Do you know what will happen if I do? I¡¯ll like you. And you¡¯ll do something cute, but ultimately dumb. I¡¯ll find it endearing. I¡¯ll shoo you away and then I¡¯ll face some sort of adversity¡ªsomething I couldn¡¯t plan for and somehow you¡¯ll come to help. I don¡¯t know what you can do, but you¡¯d do it, because that¡¯s your plan, right? Start the manipulation early and earn my trust¡ªthen BAM. You¡¯re gone, and I¡¯m worse than I was before I met you.¡±


    The tonpa stared.


    ¡°I¡¯m not falling for it. I have half a mind to end...¡± but she stopped. End your obvious suffering. That¡¯s what she was going to say, but who was she to decide that? She would be making the same mistake that everyone who had hurt her would. No, she wouldn¡¯t end the tonpa¡ªand especially for a fantasy that she made in her own hysteria.


    She relaxed against her pack and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Too many thoughts to think about and none of them are pleasant. She feels the tiny feet of the tonpa on her left leg and hears a chattering sort of sound. She opens her eyes quick to see the tonpa nibbling on one of the bolts of her right leg.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She yanks it away from him¡ªthe tonpa screams a high pitched sound¡ªshe saw that she¡¯s chipped its tooth.


    ¡°Get out of here!¡± She yells, more exasperated than angry. ¡°Please just go.¡±


    Not sure if It was understood her, or if it simply wanted to avoid any more pain, it hobbles off into the darkness. She sighs and held the leg close to her chest. She desperately wants just one night where she doesn¡¯t have to attach the damned thing¡ªbut knows she¡¯d regret it the very first night she didn¡¯t. The time it would take for her to attach it in a rushed panic would be too much time¡­


    She reconnects the leg and wiggles the metal toes at the end. Unsatisfied, but willing to deal with it she lays back¡ªreaching inside the pack to grab out her tablet. She stared at what she has written¡ªtrying to mentally launch herself back into that mindset. She stared at the words...and they echo back like statues¡ªpreventing her entry into that world.


    She tried to scroll down and start the old fashioned way¡ªcarve a path herself. The momentum would carry if she willed it¡­but the momentum never came. She wrote the wrong words, and she kept saying to herself it didn¡¯t matter if the words were wrong so long there were words at all, but she knew that wasn¡¯t going to work. That was like saying it¡¯d be fine to cross the bridge if it were made of water vapor...it just wouldn¡¯t work.


    Annoyed, she powers the tablet off and rubs her hands across her face. Damn it. Her battery wasn¡¯t eternal, and lord only knew when she¡¯d find a charger that fit¡ªmuch less a suitable place to charge.


    Part of her knows that it¡¯ll die before she does anything with the story, but so long that she try to finish it...that much would be enough.


    She closes her eyes and her mind gently floats back to Nasseu Middle School. She¡¯s unaware of what day it is¡ªaside from the fact that It was bright and early. She¡¯s no longer Allison Fae¡ªno, she¡¯s looking from outside of whosever body this is¡ªa girl about her age when she was in Nasseu¡ªyes, but definitely not her. She had long, dark hair that dropped past her shoulders. When she turned slightly to say something to a passing kid, Allison saw she had deep blue eyes. Just as gently as she entered the dream she slid out of it and woke to a gentle breeze back near Tauten. Part of her expected the tonpa to have returned to her camp, but it wasn¡¯t anywhere in sight.


    She breathes a sigh of relief and looked around herself for any other curiosities. When she¡¯s sure she¡¯s alone, she began her day. She began to pack her things together inside the pack and looked around for a source of water. She closes her eyes and waits. She doesn¡¯t hear anything at first, but then the slight sound of running water catches.


    She strapped the bag tight she ran in the direction of the sound. She comes upon a rushing stream leading down and away from her destination¡ªthankfully the spot she had found was running pretty healthily. Try to avoid collecting still water¡ªif you don¡¯t have a filter that is almost guaranteed to get you sick. The words of her mentor rung out in her head. She was thankful she had someone to watch over her as she was still getting used to...all this.


    She swung her back around and dug for her bottles. The first was empty and the second only had about a quarter remaining of lukewarm water. She took the last swig and carries them over toward the edge of the water. She bent all the way down and grazes the surface of the water, filling both bottles to the brim. She¡¯s have to boil the water later, but that was later, now she could begin to bathe and clean herself off. She set her pack down against a nearby tree, stripping down everything but the armband that held her lance within. Could never be too careful. She washed what she could and dried herself thoroughly. It was warm out, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about getting sick from the elements. She was thankful for that. When she finished she redresses, fastening the cloak around her. She¡¯s as clean as she¡¯s going to get.


    She grabbed the pack back up and began walking. In the corner of her eye she saw a figure with long, dark hair walk into the bushes. She stopped, frozen, and saw that the figure doesn¡¯t reemerge. She held still a few seconds longer before drawing her lance, and backing up slowly. She reached the bush and pulled a part of it aside with the lance, revealing emptiness inside, as if nothing were there at all.

 4 | Uriander the Bold

    It took two days for Allison to make contact with the first of the two bands of people hiding away near the hills. Two days that pass with little to no excitement¡ªtwo days she can be thankful for.


    It looked to be a small caravan that couldn¡¯t have had more than twenty people, tops. Their campsite was in the thick of the nearby trees¡ªshe would have missed them had she not see the golden ember of a fire from the distance.


    As she approaches, a man in scavenger gear approaches slowly. She can tell he¡¯s on edge just from noticing her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your business?¡± He asked. ¡°You a new Duscran? Might as well turn back if so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only trying to reach the dragon,¡± Allison said. ¡°I¡¯m simply looking for lay of the land so I can avoid any unnecessary trouble. I don¡¯t have any issue with you...unless you create one, that is.¡±


    The man looked as if he doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°You know, if the Duscrans sent you as a spy, they did a real poor job of vetting their talent...¡± He rubs his chin.


    ¡°All right,¡± Allison said, confusing the man even further. ¡°There¡¯s no point if you¡¯re not going to listen. ¡®Scuse me,¡± she brushes past him.


    He backs up and held his hands out, ¡°Woah now there. Just where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find someone who can tell me something useful.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said.


    She looked him up and down¡ªhe looked like he belongs tending to the campfire¡ªnot standing personal guard. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to embarrass myself publicly by fighting¡ªjust not my thing.¡± He held his hands up, ¡°But we¡¯re just trying to make due here.¡±


    ¡°Someone must know something about the dragon. If you pulled your head clear from your rear you¡¯d see what I¡¯m trying to do is to your benefit as well.¡±


    He thinks on this, and then begrudgingly, ¡°You¡¯ll want to find Uriander, but you¡¯ll probably have to fight them for their respect.¡±


    ¡°Sounds kind of...tribal.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are a tribe.¡±


    ¡°Fair, I guess. Can you point this Uriander out?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t need to,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the fire. If the others ask, just at least tell them I tried to be stern,¡± he more than shrugs his shoulders.


    ¡°Noted,¡± Allison said, her edge fading.


    Sure enough, Allison is able to find Uriander easily. They¡¯re leaning against a tree and talking with someone she cannot see¡ªthey¡¯re blocked entirely by Uriander¡¯s body. It would be an understatement to say that they were the strongest looking person Allison has seen in a long while. As she got closer she saw that it was a red-haired woman they were speaking to. They had almost a full foot on the woman.


    ¡°...they won¡¯t mind if you wait until seven. They may seem so, but that¡¯s when you have to put your foot down.¡±


    ¡°You know anything about the hills that a traveler should know?


    Uriander stopped, turned, and saw Allison. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. I need to know if there¡¯s anything I should prepare for.¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t we a bit forward? I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Unimportant,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°Traveler or what be you, if you can avoid the hills I¡¯d recommend it,¡± Uriander said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t do. Need to head there.¡±


    ¡°Why would you need to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the dragon.¡±


    Uriander doubles over in a hearty laugh. ¡°You¡¯re looking to off yourself then. There are cleaner ways. Besides, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking to off myself,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°Would you quit it with interrupting me? I¡¯m not telling you jack. Now fuck off,¡± Uriander finished.


    ¡°Your guard up there said you¡¯d fight me tribal style.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not worth the time or the effort.¡± They turn back to the woman.


    Allison stood still, firm. ¡°No.¡± She steps in front of them and stared him dead center.


    ¡°You must be out of your mind.¡±


    Allison doesn¡¯t respond with words. She only stared deeper.


    Uriander looked from Allison to the woman and sighs. ¡°Just make sure Ty stays calm, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course, he¡¯ll be fine,¡± she responds, and paces away, not letting Allison out of her sight.


    ¡°You see the problem with you calling out a duel is that I can just ignore it. Do you think we¡¯re some pack of beasts who claw at the word duel?¡±


    Allison grit her teeth, ¡°You don¡¯t want to deal with me, I get it. I don¡¯t want to deal with you, either. But the moment I go into territory I am not familiar with I am on the disadvantage. I do not be at the disadvantage. You seem to be the number one suggestion round here who can help me. The sooner you do the sooner you can get back to...whatever it was you were doing.¡±


    ¡°Interesting offer¡­no. Good day. Fuck off.¡±


    ¡°All right, no. Go fuck yourself. Trying to help you guys out here but go ahead.¡± Allison turned, looking out of the corner of her eye. Three...two...one¡­


    ¡°What the fuck¡¯s your problem?¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m only wasting time.¡±


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    ¡°You come in here and you try to strong-arm me into anything...who do you think you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Un. Im. Portant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fucking it!¡± Uriander screams. ¡°You want a fight? You really want a fight? You¡¯ve fucking got one.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a fight. I want a duel. Winner gets what they want.¡±


    ¡°And what could I possibly want with you?¡± Uriander asked.


    Allison shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m not you. I don¡¯t know. You know what I want, so choice is yours.¡±


    Uriander slowed their breath and the red seeped away from their face. ¡°You seriously looking to go for the dragon. Like, seriously?¡± Allison doesn¡¯t reply. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll duel. So long as you keep your word.¡±


    ¡°My word is one of the only things I have left.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I shall take you at your word. Come on,¡± Uriander cocks their head. ¡°Let¡¯s not make a mess here.¡±


    She follows Uriander past the huts that served as makeshift housing. She could feel the eyes staring as they passed. She wishes it didn¡¯t have to be such a public affair, but if this is what it would have to take¡­


    Just outside of the gathering is an open field with prairie grass blowing in the wind. Uriander turned and faces Allison. ¡°Whatever I want...huh. I¡¯m sure I could find jobs for you I need doing,¡± they say.


    ¡°So bland,¡± Allison said, almost disappointed. ¡°But I guess I have to respect the fact you left the obvious out.¡±


    ¡°Obvious? Well, I guess that¡¯s telling for each of us, now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Allison didn¡¯t know if she liked that response. Around them she saw the guard had gathered a crowd¡ªhe was taking payment for entry.


    ¡°Olsen¡¯s always looking for ways to profit,¡± Uriander said. ¡°He¡¯s squirrely like that. Figured I¡¯d let you know he¡¯s been placing bets on the usual outcome.¡±


    ¡°Shame,¡± Allison said.


    Uriander¡¯s smile fades and they sigh. By then it feels like the entire camp had stopped what they were doing to watch the now highly advertised money match between the both of them. Allison could see the comparisons to a squirrel with Olsen now. His face was rather scrunched together when he laughed.


    ¡°Your move,¡± Uriander said. ¡°Since you went through all this trouble. I¡¯ll give you the chance to amuse me.¡±


    Allison dashes forward without another moment to spare. In the time it took Uriander to finish talking she¡¯s closed the distance between the both of them. Gripping at her armlet, the Lance of Longinus extends and meets just before Uriander¡¯s throat.


    ¡°It was a mistake to let me to first,¡± Allison said, ¡°but it would have been an even bigger one to try and rush me, so, I guess you made the right choice considering the circumstances.¡±


    Uriander looked surprised for a moment and then smiled an earnest look. ¡°You do have some tricks up your sleeve, now don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Literally, in this case,¡± Allison smirks. ¡°Want to waste anymore time or is this about good for you?¡±


    They laugh. ¡°An amusing trick, I have to thank you for holding your end of the bargain. But a trick nonetheless.¡± They grab the end of the lance and begin tilting downward. Allison is lifted slowly off of the ground. ¡°Huh, I wonder if you beefed up a little bit you¡¯d be able to lift me from up there¡ªmaybe we could fly up that mountain ourselves?¡± They say, ripping the lance out of Allison¡¯s grip like it were nothing.


    She falls to the ground, catching herself hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you had something interesting planned with this, and given the chance maybe you would have been able to win. Hope there¡¯s no hard feelings there.¡±


    ¡°None in the way you¡¯re expecting,¡± Allison said. Then on cue the lance melts around their hands, binding like cuffs, and then hardens. Their eyes go wide and they offer a hearty laugh. ¡°God damn it. You amuse me yet again. You really are determined to get what you want, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°If you want to embarrass yourself further you can try to charge me, now that I¡¯m unarmed,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°No, no. I know when I¡¯m beat. Besides, I know to learn from my mistakes. Fool me twice, shame on me.¡±


    Allison smiled.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Uriander said, to Olsen¡¯s visible horror, ¡°you win.¡±


    Allison cocks her head and the lance melts away from their hands, and will a second the liquid steel flies back into her hand as the lance. The people around gather close with gaped mouths.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn your tricks?¡±


    ¡°If I had time to storytell I¡¯m sure I could tell you a lot of things, unfortunately I don¡¯t, so I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. All right then, let me come with you. That¡¯d be better than some possibly outdated information out of these gums, right?¡±


    ¡°I prefer to walk alone,¡± Allison said. ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy with the terms of our initial agreement.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m changing the agreement. I¡¯ll help you get where your going, but I¡¯m checking it out too.¡± Uriander expects the change in Allison¡¯s face, and counters before she can even begin. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that if I surprised you and came out on top, and say my desire was to tie you down and keep you from your goal you would have let me have that desire?¡±


    ¡°Why would you¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± Uriander interrupts. ¡°You would not have accepted those terms, yet you began the duel without knowing what I wanted because you were sure no matter what you would come out on top¡ªwhether you needed to make an escape or not.¡±


    Allison bit her lip, ¡°You¡¯re sharp.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t live this long by being dim,¡± Uriander shook their head. ¡°So those are the terms now. Because apparently I have just as much freedom to decline.¡±


    Allison took in a deep breath. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m not responsible for your safety, however, I don¡¯t want your death on my hands.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re expecting a grand fight, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m expecting the path to be dangerous. Rumors from the village say this is real shit up there.¡±


    ¡°Well, danger¡¯ll have to take a backseat because I intend to hear your story as we travel.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what happens,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°I think I shall,¡± they turn to the crowd, ¡°all right everybody, show¡¯s over. Give your payouts and head on out,¡±


    The crowd at large left happier than Olsen, it seems he was so certain in his bet that he took on the entire grounds. Allison stood, her back straight as an arrow. She brushes herself off from the dirt. ¡°I¡¯ll have to say, I half expected you to just run me out of town. Wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the first person in a long time here come looking for the dragon who I think is crazy enough to make something happen, but don¡¯t tell anyone else I said that. Might give them hope and inspire them to come along.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be even worse.¡±


    ¡°Not for the reasons you think,¡± Uriander winks.


    Allison thought on this, and subconsciously agrees.


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got a little one. You sure you¡¯re ready to risk leaving them alone?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s four.¡± Uriander said. ¡°I¡¯ve been risking that every single day he¡¯s alive. We¡¯re not safe anywhere up here.¡±


    ¡°Because of the Duscrans?¡± Allison asked. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s walk and talk.¡±


    Uriander smiled. They knew the implications, but shakes their head. ¡°No, we¡¯re going to need to eat, first. As much as I wish to hear your story, I know you probably haven¡¯t eaten in...a day? Two maybe?¡±


    Allison cringed. She finished the rest of her reserves the day before making contact with the band. Her plan was to catch and kill some big game for the travel ahead.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to kill up there. I¡¯m sure you know the dragon¡¯s been around here for a month now? Anything bigger than a muskrat¡¯s been gobbled up. A beast of that size needs to eat a lot.¡±


    Allison didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Come on, come with me. We¡¯ve had a good harvest when the Duscrans ain¡¯t been taking from our fields. I¡¯ll tell you a bit of my story and I can probe your mind for yours. Then when we¡¯re all set we can get going?¡±


    Allison considered ditching the whole plan and going it alone, but knows deep down that what Uriander had said was true.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, with obvious effort. Uriander turned and began to walk away. Subconsciously she thought to the man bleeding, crawling back to town, and wondered if he would make it in time.

 5 | The Link to ICARUS

    2022


    Ally was quiet on the ride home from the therapist¡¯s office. She had been quiet since the events of the Nasseu Incident faded from view. She lost a lot more than she thought she had that day¡ªand all of it had gone too soon. George and Jaclyn Fae think that in time she¡¯ll move on from what happened and things will return to normal. That anything but normal will be fine.


    She lost her new friends. That fact alone was enough to shake her up completely. But that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. It was the utter destruction of her belief that bad things happened to people that deserved them. That hard work and perseverance got you anywhere but a broken heart, and...Jace. She lost Jace. Whatever it was that Lilly did...he hadn¡¯t come back to her since that point.


    She gripped her fist tight into a ball and kept from screaming out¡ªthat would be bad. They¡¯d think something was worse...and even though it was, she couldn¡¯t let that leak. For all intents and purposes she had practically shut down. She needed answers, and had an idea of how to find them...but it scared her.


    There¡¯s a voice in the back of her head that¡¯s like an echo¡ªlike the remnant of a stench left long ago. She doesn¡¯t know for sure, but she feels she can almost hear the voice calling out to her. Maybe if she were to chase it¡­


    That night, she worked on convincing herself to just do it. Do it already you coward. You have lost so much by not acting brave. Are you going to let the rest of your life be determined by how stupid and scared you are?!


    No.


    She packs her backpack with two changes of clothes and sneaks down into the kitchen after the Faes have gone to sleep. The Faes...nice people, but they were too...normal to understand what she was going through. They couldn¡¯t translate what she had seen. She wonders if by calling them that if she were mentally separating herself from the name Fae already...no. She liked them¡ªmore than any foster family she¡¯s been with before. She was Ally Fae.


    She took some of the canned food and stuffs it into her pack. She tried it on to see if It was too heavy...damn. She can lift it¡ªbut it¡¯d be too much over time. She took a few of them out, and turned to see the knife holder right in front of her. She slides one of the butcher¡¯s knives out and sticks it inside. When she¡¯s satisfied she walks out the front door and into the darkness.


    She¡¯s got the winter coat wrapped tightly around her¡ªthe late September air had hung a cold IOU note as plain as she could see. It was going to get really chilly soon, and any embarrassment she¡¯s got over the coat had easily chipped off.


    She closes her eyes and listens for the voice. She can¡¯t make out anything coherent¡ªIt was more like a faint moan hanging suspended in the air. The trail almost glows brightly in front of her¡ªbeckoning. She held her pack tight and began walking.


    She walks until the next night. She¡¯s avoided being spotted by keeping to the town during the night and finally entering the outskirts as the sun began to rise. No doubt George and Jaclyn have begun to freak out wondering where she is. She left a note, but she couldn¡¯t explain much of what was in her head. The only thing it said was ¡°Sorry.¡±


    She hated that the cops were going to be called and have to waste their time. She¡¯s not sure how she knew, but she knew that they wouldn¡¯t find her. She also didn¡¯t know what that meant, because it certainly didn¡¯t sound good, but still, she followed the voice.


    She reached a building after a long while wandering near the highway¡ªkeeping closer to the woods as the sun was up. It looked like a rest stop¡ªtrash littered the parking lot. Maybe it wasn¡¯t used and cleaned as often?


    Whatever the case, she needed a spot to sit down. Her legs ached horribly and she bet that she had sores starting to tear through her feet.


    She made it to the edge of the building and sets her pack down, sitting beside it. The temperature had dropped tremendously since last night. She held the coat closely around her and closes her eyes. She took in a deep breath and hears the voice in her head, but louder. It was familiar, and then smiled wide...but what¡¯s he saying? Ide...ide¡­


    ¡°Hide!¡±


    She opens her eyes quickly and there¡¯s...something out on the horizon. The sun...a glowing white sphere of...why¡¯s it here at night? Why¡¯s it...growing?


    ¡°Hide!¡±


    The entire sky fills with a bright, blinding white. She jumps to her feet and slings the pack on her back, looking around. She saw a dumpster and dashes toward it. Flipping open the latch, It was empty inside. Oh thank god, she thinks. She heaves herself up and inside, shutting the latch. She crawls to the corner and sat with her knees bent in front of her, shaking.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Jace, is that you?¡±


    ¡°Stay...until I tell you...¡±


    She closes her eyes, and the loudest sound she¡¯s ever heard drowns out everything else. She sat in silence afterward, her body tense as wood.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    The voice fades from her head. She cries out for him and when he doesn¡¯t respond, she slowly climbs up and pushes the latch open. Immediately she¡¯s greeted with harsh sunlight and a thick, pungent aroma. She peeks her head out and saw a swamp all around¡ªthe building she¡¯s next to isn¡¯t the rest area¡ªbut a smaller shack that looked just as abandoned.


    What...is this? All of this?


    She turned and made to climb out of the dumpster. As she puts a foot down on the ground something slimy ran up against it. She screams and yanks her foot back. It was a snake-like creature with large, oblong eyes. It had nearly wrapped itself around her leg. That could have been it right there.


    Her scream startles the creature and it slithers away back toward the mucky water. Ally held the dumpster tight as her heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm.


    ¡°Jace? Are you there? I don¡¯t know where I am...¡± She calls in her mind, but no voices return her cries.


    She tried to imagine the way the Fae household would be if she were to backtrack. She closes her eyes and feels her head turn almost magnetically. That way.


    She steels herself and lets go of the dumpster¡ªas if she was letting go of the last link to the old world. And in a way...she was.


    For she would never see George or Jaclyn Fae again.


    She began to steel herself for the trek through the muck. Her stomach bears the grim reminder that she hadn¡¯t eaten since the morning. The lingering voice at the edge of her consciousness beckons. It was a voice she didn¡¯t honestly believe she would hear again¡ªand that thought terrified her more than anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, aren¡¯t you? Here, with me?¡±


    The voice was silent, but not for long. ¡°You¡¯re really going to chase after Lilly, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    It was Jace. She knew it deep in her heart. Jace was the figure that she had known within her for as long as she could remember. For the longest time she¡¯s wanted to write a story with him in the starring role, and for a time she believed that she actually would. But ever since the Nasseu Incident, Jace vanished. Lilly had almost seemed to turn him against her¡ªher abilities breaking through her own subconscious and directly pleading with her own.


    Since that day, his voice was gone...until now. When she most needed him, he had returned.


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    ¡°I am,¡± she thought back to him. ¡°Issachar and the other Creatures of the Night have gotten away with too much¡ªI¡¯m going to track them down if It was the last thing I do.¡±


    Allison sighs, taking a gaze up at the brush above her¡ªrealizing the mounting scope of her goals and how unlikely it seems she¡¯d accomplish any of them.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for any clues of their trail,¡± he folds his hands across his face like a pair of binoculars.


    ¡°You are so annoying,¡± she said, but not wholly meaning it.


    ¡°Yeah, but you accept it. Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have made me that way.¡±


    He¡¯s right. Being annoying was the only way she could conceive of him to be able to make himself known. Anything else would have been drowned out. Anything else would have been killed by her crippling loneliness.


    She¡¯s been lonely for a long, long time, now. Without any warning, she stopped walking, turned to Jace, and screams. Louder than she¡¯s ever screamed¡ªit echoes throughout the distance and she feels so physically spent after.


    She¡¯s crying. She misses the twins. She misses Lilly. She misses the Faes. She misses her life in the few short weeks she had claim to it. Things were finally starting to look up. But now all of those things were changed forever. The twins were dead, Lilly was god-knows-where, and she had the horrible feeling that even if she were to make it back to the Fae household...what would greet her wouldn¡¯t be the Faes.


    She continues to walk until the sun¡ªnoticeably brighter in this new environment¡ªbegan to set, being replaced by a bright red moon. She¡¯s forced to find a dry corner near some of the dead and decaying trees to crawl up next to¡ªthe drop in temperature is more extreme than it was before.


    In the old world.


    A part of her didn¡¯t know how to reconcile that fact. There was a change, she was sure of that, but how could that be possible? How can the world change so...much? And so quickly? She¡¯s not a stranger to the unexplained, but that didn¡¯t make them any more curious or concerning. In fact, the growing amount of curiosities only seemed to make her feel proportionally small by comparison.


    In the old world, things tried to make sense. In the world before Creatures of the Night¡­she couldn¡¯t finish that thought, because it was a cruel world even before then. There was no kindness in the old world.


    She struggles to find comfort in the now near-freezing temperatures of the night. Even the warmth of the coat was overtaken by the gusts that chilled her spirit. Even then, her body began to adjust to the new atmosphere. It is a slow and uncomfortable process, but eventually she¡ª


    Footsteps.


    She jolts awake. She looked around and saw nothing but darkness highlighted by red.


    ¡°Jace, is that you?¡±


    ¡°No, wasn¡¯t me. You¡¯re not that crazy.¡±


    ¡°Kinda wish I was.¡±


    The sound appears behind her again. She slides a hand as quietly as she can manage into the backpack and held the grip of the kitchen knife.


    She¡¯s shaking terribly as the sound moves toward her front. It starts to get quieter, then almost silent. She slowly tucks the coat into the pack and slides the knife out fully, holding it close to her chest. When the sound vanishes she stood slowly and began walking in the other direction. The sound is behind her and leaving, so she picks up her pace until she¡¯s full on running.


    A man steps out in front of her¡ªshe tried to stop, but ran into him. He¡¯s big¡ªalmost double her height, so he doesn¡¯t budge much. He isn¡¯t wearing a shirt and his hair is cut inmate-short. His face looked badly burnt.


    </a> Her face contorts into a deep fearful look. She turned to run but the man catches her by the arm. She looked back to see his awful grin staring down at her. The next thing she knows, she faints.


    She woke up with her arms and legs bound against her; the strain is heavy against her limbs. The man had tied her up tight. She looked around, strained, and saw she¡¯s suspended from a tree like a carcass. The man is tending to a fire in front of her with his back turned toward her.


    She tried to struggle free, but she is bound too tight. He noticed her struggling and turned slowly¡ªthe light of the fire highlighting his terrible scars. ¡°So you¡¯re awake. I¡¯d like to skip the part of this where you wear your voice out screaming. I haven¡¯t seen anyone around for miles.¡±


    Ally sat as still as the bindings would allow her. Any slight movement caused her to swing faintly. She does not scream¡ªshe¡¯s sure that any sound like that would be her last.


    ¡°Do you know what happened?¡±


    Ally answers with more silence.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a mute, right?¡±


    She shakes her head, figuring that not answering him this time would be the wrong answer.


    ¡°And you know what I¡¯m talking about, right? How the world ain¡¯t right anymore?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°And you seriously have no clue?¡±


    She shakes her head, almost in a look that said, ¡°How would I?¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just great, The world goes to shit and what do I have to show for it? Middle of nowhere with absolutely nothing to my name. Just great. Just fucking dandy, even!¡±


    He continues like this for a stretch of time Ally doesn¡¯t wish to remember. She can tell he¡¯s talking mainly to himself, but she saw him mentally correct himself to include her in his rants as if she were somehow responsible for the situation they were both in.


    ¡°And let me tell you just what kind of just god would do this thing to a just man? A righteous man? A pious man? What kind of god¡­?¡±


    She continues to listen until it sounded like he was nearing the end of his rant. She guesses that it''s been stewing inside him for quite some time.


    "...And if we''re going to be sent to hell, I''m sure as hell going to be fighting every until I take my last breath." He turned to Ally slowly and shows a wicked smile full of ugly teeth. "And you, my pretty, are my insurance policy. Whether I need you for barter or to use as a shield...or if we happen to be the only two remaining left...well," he smiled wider as the thoughts flow through his mind. A branch snaps in the distance and he''s instantly alert and looking around. "You do that?"


    Ally looked at him dumbfounded¡ªmore concerned with his insinuation than at the sound.


    "No, of course not, you stay put. I''ll go check it out."


    Ally didn''t answer, as she knew it wouldn''t mean anything.


    Another sound in the distance had him hurrying to grab a large blade from his pack. He stopped for a moment and looked up to Ally, almost considering cutting her down and using her like he planned, but he shakes his head and turned away from her. He made off for the distance out of sight and she is left alone in the dark with the fire crackling into the night sky above.


    Almost...alone. Jace fades into view slowly beside her, and even though it is cold outside she can feel the warmth returning to her cheeks.


    "I thought you were gone forever."


    "Not forever," he said. "I just needed to rest. Lilly probably thought I was just an imaginary friend to you¡ªso she didn''t expect it to hurt as much as it did."


    "Are you not?"


    "Come now, let''s be real. If I was I wouldn''t have had to rest before coming back. I think you know that."


    Ally is quiet, an understanding look on her face. Part of her did know. Ever since she had those visions about Carleigh Heights'' murder she knew there was something about her that was different than most people, and somehow she was able to make Jace real. Real enough to make a distraction for one disgusting, vile man.


    "We don''t have long. He''ll be rounding back here shortly," Jace said.


    There was something about this new world¡ªsomething that maybe even amplified what natural ability she had before...or maybe it was the field that Issachar had generated around the school that first allowed it to blossom? There were several possibilities, but nothing solid. She had to find those answers, and she had to find Issachar, because if she finds him...


    Jace undoes the bindings and she falls to the ground below. She catches herself on her hands and knees but grunts out as she lands. She stood and throws her arms around Jace¡ªand she hugs him. She feels him for a moment before her arms pass through him.


    "It took a lot of strength to do that much. Looks like I''m not ready for hugs yet," he smiled, but his eyes shared her disappointment. He faded until she was left by herself in the dark.


    Rest well, good friend. She picks a direction and began running, the wind coursing through her hair as she ran as fast as she is able.


    Even when the pains start to flare in her lungs and her legs threaten to give way she still pushes forward through the murky darkness. Her feet are soaked through her shoes and every step threatened to alert her presence to anybody else that could be tumbling through the bog.


    She had to stop when the pain overrode everything else. She fell to the ground and let out a small cry. Her legs were throbbing¡ªher chest was burning, and her stomach was running on less than empty. The aches had spread through her whole body and it feels like she could just die right here.


    I need to rest. I will die if I don''t rest. I may die if I do, but I have to take that chance.


    She stood and hobbled her way to some of the decrepit trees. They wouldn''t do for protection, but they may offer some shade if the sun threatens to cook them all alive. She closes her eyes and nodded off.

 6 | Birth of The Hunter

    2022


    Ally woke up slowly to the gentle breeze and the hum of the bog. Light streaks through the treetops. If she wasn¡¯t so hungry she might have considered it almost a pretty scene. She chastises herself for forgetting her backpack back at the campsite. Nothing to do about it now¡ªthe man certainly must have doubled back and saw she was gone. She couldn¡¯t go back for it. It was lucky enough that he hadn¡¯t found her while she slept.


    She stretched and looked up to the sky above her¡ªit held a faint red tinge to it¡ªnow that she was fully able to take it in. It was ominous. It ruined the scene the greenery portrayed. But, she had to live with it. If she fights it she thinks she¡¯ll go mad.


    Continuing on her way, she reached the end of the treeline¡ªopening out into a clearing. She stopped as soon as she gets a clearer look at the sky¡ªthe sun...isn¡¯t the normal color either. It was a noticeable red¡ªa lighter tint than the sky itself, but red all the same.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about all of this,¡± Jace said, fading in by her side.


    She doesn¡¯t turn to him, but nodded solemnly. ¡°Not much is right these days it seems.¡±


    ¡°We need to find you some food. You¡¯re looking pale.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always pale.¡±


    ¡°Paler,¡± Jace said, the joke in his tone, but not in his face. ¡°You¡¯ve not come this far to starve now.¡±


    ¡°Ha, isn¡¯t there something like that that people tell you not to think like? Like when you¡¯re gambling?¡±


    ¡°The Sunk Cost Fallacy. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve heard of it,¡± Jace said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not surprised. You know I¡¯ve spent too much time on the internet.¡±


    ¡°A fair counter-argument, but that kind of thinking is the only thing that will keep you alive right now,¡± Jace said. ¡°And I¡¯d like to keep existing if that¡¯s all right with you.¡±


    ¡°My, how charming,¡± she said.


    ¡°What would you do without me?¡± He smiled and faded.


    She smiled smally of her own. ¡°Probably be that guy¡¯s fuckdoll.¡±


    She crosses the clearing with little difficulty¡ªand is almost walking on autopilot until the blur of movement dashes across the grasslands in front of her. She freezes in place as her eyes track the small creature hopping in and out of the grass. It looked like a cross between a spider and a gopher¡ªa tiny brown body with extended, disjointed legs struggling to make its way.


    ¡°You know what you¡¯re going to have to do,¡± Jace said.


    Her stomach started to rumble and she knew too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have a second chance. You know how long it took for you to find this one.¡±


    Ally rubs her hands over her eyes and took in a deep breath. It caught in her throat and she lowered them slowly. Her eyes caught a glance of a branch lying in the grass. It wasn¡¯t much, but it looked like it would have to do.


    ~...~


    It was a messy affair. Any hunter would have been ashamed of the meat wasted, but she didn¡¯t care. She needed anything she could get.


    She cobbles together a campfire as the sun threatens to set.


    ¡°You could probably get an hour or so further along the road if you wanted to,¡± Jace said.


    ¡°And build the fire at night? That doesn¡¯t sound like a good idea.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need to find water soon. And a way to purify it.¡±


    ¡°Purify it?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be drinking it straight from the source, did you?¡±


    ¡°I mean...¡±


    ¡°If you want to get cholera and die, sure.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, how do I purify water?¡±


    Jace is quiet for a moment.


    ¡°See, not so easy is it?¡± Ally said, petulant.


    ¡°Thinking of your available resources, you could probably boil it if you can find a...container to keep it in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...there¡¯s no other way?¡±


    ¡°There are, but you don¡¯t have any filters on you or anything like that. It¡¯ll be easier for you to find a container than something like that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep track of time if you keep going. I have a bad feeling about staying here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re the boss,¡± Ally said.


    ¡°We both know that¡¯s not true.¡±


    This made her smile. She clumped dirt in her hands and threw it over the small fire, consuming it until nothing but the smoke remained. She kicked at the branches to settle it down, and then began walking into the distance some more.


    ¡°Soon as it starts getting dark I¡¯m making another one.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me. That spot gave me unsettling feelings.¡±


    ¡°Anything specific?¡±


    Jace pondered this as she climbed up a rock formation to overlook the hills. He seemed like he was going to answer, but they both caught sight of the makeshift houses and it took them both off guard.


    About fifty yards in the distance looked to be a collection of huts strung together with mud and clay with straw roofs.


    ¡°A...village,¡± Ally said.


    She saw a figure in the distance who stopped and turned toward her. She freezes in place and her fight or flight response is triggered. She¡¯s about to book it until she saw the figure raise an arm in a long, waving arc. In that moment, something inside her breaks down and she starts crying. She still can¡¯t move, she¡¯s still so hungry and thirsty. She falls to the ground and falls unconscious.


    ~...~


    A soft light cascades down from the crudely made opening that was supposed to be a window. Dust carries along the soft breeze to right in front of Ally¡¯s face. It took a moment for the panic to set in, but when it does she bolts upright like a rod was jammed up her spine. Where am I? Am I dead? Am I going to be? She jumps up to her feet and nearly falls over¡ªthe blood rushes to her head and she¡¯s got to hold herself up against the wooden door frame to keep from fully toppling over. She calls out for Jace, but he doesn¡¯t answer. Her brain is panicking¡ªthinking of all the ways it could go wrong.


    She looked to her left and saw a dirt road that leads to two larger buildings¡ªa woman outside in a red blazer and thinned jeans is washing some clothes in an old fashioned tub. Allison¡¯s brain screams at her to hide back in the building she woke up in, but she locks eyes with the woman and instantly she knows the jig is up.


    She freezes up like a deer in headlights.


    Move! Shout! Scream! Do anything other than just sit there and wait to die!


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    But she waited. Frozen there like she did before she passed out. She felt a sudden lightheaded feeling again and pushed through everything inside her to stay conscious.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake finally,¡± The woman said, cocking her head, concerned. ¡°But you seem so frightened...It was okay¡ªwe¡¯re not going to hurt you or anything like that.¡±


    Ally did not respond¡ªshe was wary of anybody who wore false fronts.


    The woman noticed she was not calming, so she stopped walking closer and held her arms up. ¡°It was okay. I think you could beat me up if it came down to it,¡± and then she gave a nervous sort of smile. ¡°My name¡¯s Elaine. My father said when you¡¯re scared of someone new you should give them your name, because it made you seem more human in their eyes¡ªthey¡¯re less likely to kill or hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re...scared of...me?¡± Ally worked out. It was the first thing she¡¯s said since¡­


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m scared of just about anything I don¡¯t know in this new place, dear.¡± She said, a noticeable southern twang in her accent.


    ¡°Then why¡¯d you save me? You could have left me where I was...¡±


    A sad look crosses her eyes, almost as if she understands a history behind that single question. ¡°Well, that wouldn¡¯t be very human of me, would it?¡±


    ¡°Even if I killed you right when I woke up?¡±


    She looked at Ally hard, her sorrowful look turning into a slight smirk¡ªshe knew Ally didn¡¯t mean her any harm. There was something inside her that just knew.


    ¡°I figure I¡¯m lucky enough to have made it this far in life. If I survive by casting others aside I deserve to be struck down with ¡®em.¡±


    Ally thought about this, thought about how everyone she met that was still alive...was the exact opposite. Everyone was looking out for themselves so much...and the ones that were looking for more weren¡¯t strong enough to help the ones like¡­


    The ones like me.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Ally...Er...Allison. You can call me Ally though. I don¡¯t know how much last names really matter now, though...¡±


    ¡°Well, that depends, are you proud of it?¡±


    She thought on this and bit her lip. Was she proud of her last last name¡­? Her final...last name? Fae?


    Yes, she thinks she is. She¡¯s proud of the effort George and Jaclyn gave into helping her. Even if it wasn¡¯t what she needed, they tried. They cared. She was a Fae.


    ¡°Allison Fae.¡± And for the first time in a long while...she smiled.


    ¡°Well, Ally, It was nice to meet you,¡± Elaine said. ¡°My last name¡¯s not really something I¡¯m proud of, but I bet it was tough reconciling yours, so I guess I should return the favor. Mine¡¯s Trent.¡±


    ¡°Is that a name I should be familiar with?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°My father was a politician in ¡®round these parts. Tennessee called him their shining star, but really he wasn¡¯t anything but a bigot in the end.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never been,¡± Ally said.


    ¡°Well, technically you are, now. Or, at least what used to be,¡± Elaine said. ¡°This here area used to be a few dozen miles away from Nashville itself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you serious?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I...I was in Maine...¡±


    ¡°Before the...¡±


    Ally nodded slowly.


    ¡°I think the world got messed up a lot more than we realized. I don¡¯t even know if I could call this Tennessee anymore.¡±


    ¡°I guess...not. This is so much different than it was before. It was like everything started over.¡±


    Elaine thinks on this, but gives an unfulfilled look. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d say started over necessarily. Maybe something like..I don¡¯t know, combined. Merged.¡±


    Ally furrows her brow at this, ¡°Merged? With what, exactly?¡±


    ¡°I think it might be easier if I give you some examples,¡± Elaine said. ¡°There are some other people like us here¡ªbut they came from different places than I did.¡±


    Ally is about to ask, but she held a moment. The thought of a merged world swims in her head like a fish fighting hard to keep up with the current. ¡°Places...like other worlds?¡±


    Elaine smiled smally, ¡°You¡¯re quick at the wit, aintcha? They¡¯re from different worlds, yes. Ones similar to the one I came from, and I am assuming similar to the one you came from, but now we¡¯ve been brought here to this one, single world, but that is something I would like to talk with you more around the others. We¡¯re all trying to piece together ourselves here and find some sense of community here.¡±


    ¡°I...would like to meet the others,¡± Ally said, the idea of multiple worlds still holding her attention.


    Elaine nodded and gestures her to follow.


    They arrive at what Ally assumes to be the communal square. The huts she had previously seen in the distance were now all here gathered in a small circle. Up close they looked like nothing more than clay kept together with weaved branches and mud. It was more than she could have ever managed, but still they looked sort of...sad. Like a statement on their current condition.


    Sitting on a stool in front of one of the huts were two older women who seemed to be mid-conversation when they approached. The leftmost one¡ªa doddy old woman with bright green eyes and a grin that seemed to never leave her face. The rightmost looked to be more of the passive in the conversation¡ªher hazel eyes intently focused on the other.


    ¡°Hey, guess what, we¡¯ve got another one!¡± Elaine calls out, grabbing the both of their attention. They turn and each both look directly at Ally.


    ¡°Ally, this is Tina and Estelle. Probably the strangest coincidence out of all of us here¡ªthey¡¯re not related but are both Gartners.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re telling this story again,¡± Tina said. ¡°I swear you¡¯re hooked on it more than anyone else around here.¡±


    ¡°No, I understand,¡± Estelle said. ¡°It does still hang in my mind too.¡±


    ¡°Oh nothing hangs in your mind,¡± Tina said.


    ¡°They¡¯re best of friends, believe me,¡± Elaine whispers to Ally.


    ¡°Well, how much does she know?¡± Estelle asked. ¡°And where¡¯s she from?¡±


    ¡°I was going to wait until there were more people around to get to that,¡± Elaine said. ¡°I figured she could speak for herself.¡±


    The attention was now on Ally, but it was only for a moment, and she was thankful.


    ¡°Well, I s¡¯pose that if you¡¯re going to be around here you should know what¡¯s what.¡± Tina said. ¡°We seem to each come from a different...flavor of the same world.¡±


    ¡°Of all the descriptions you could use, you choose flavor?¡± Estelle laughed, a hearty sound that transitions into a cough. ¡°Oh, excuse me, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine,¡± Ally said, holding up a hand. ¡°I think I get the concept. Alternate realities, right? How did you all like...figure that one out? I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell just by looking at you.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t suppose you would,¡± Estelle said, wiping her mouth. ¡°It was little things that don¡¯t match up with our memories. The two of us noticed it first¡ªwe tend to talk a lot on our youth,¡± she offers a small giggle.


    ¡°I listen more than talk,¡± Tina said, ¡°but sometimes I pick out points I don¡¯t quite remember happening that she¡¯s sure happened like it were yesterday.


    ¡°And then it goes vice versa. Soon we gathered everyone together and started talking about events big and small, who was president went, who marched for civil rights, who wrote the Great Gatsby. Sure enough, some things changed here and there, and nobody was ever willing to accept that their memories were flawed, and so here we are. The best running theory we have is that the worlds we lived in just...I don¡¯t know, collapsed into one single one, and we¡¯re the people that got chosen to remain.¡±


    Faintly, a voice hung in Ally¡¯s mind. It was on the tip of her tongue until it vanished like a ghost.


    ¡°I...don¡¯t know if I have the energy now to recount my entire history,¡± Allison said, worried now that there was some great expectation to get on the same level as these people.


    ¡°No, no, nothing like that,¡± Elaine waved off her concern. ¡°I mean these two would talk for hours if you let them, so I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t mind so long as you gave them food every short bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh stop,¡± Tina rolls her eyes.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not how the rest of us really roll,¡± Elaine finished. ¡°Things come up when they come up. It was not really the most important thing that we know all the differences so long as we know that they exist. If you did want to stay with the rest of us, I¡¯m sure that is something that you¡¯d learn with time.¡±


    And there was the question right out on the table. What was her plan? Did she want to stay with these people? So far they seemed nice enough, but wasn¡¯t that how most people presented themselves¡ªeven the really bad ones?


    Lilly had presented herself as...well, she wasn¡¯t going to lie and say it was nice enough, and she supposed that was part of what attracted her at first. There was something about her that always kept her on her toes, but she felt like she wouldn¡¯t have to do that here. That she wouldn¡¯t have to be on such high guard.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like that,¡± Ally said.


    ¡°There are a few others over here,¡± Elaine said, ¡°I think they should be out playing near the creek.¡±


    Ally nodded and follows Elaine past the huts and waves a goodbye off two the two ladies. The trail winds around the back and ends at a small stream that had what must have been the most glistening blue water she¡¯s ever seen. Playing in the stream were two kids who couldn¡¯t have been older than eight. A boy with disheveled brown hair and a high pitched laugh that rang out as he splashed the girl¡ªblonde¡ªwith a handful of water.


    ¡°This here¡¯s Darren, he¡¯s got enough energy to last for days. He¡¯s told us a lot about how his father used to take him fishing all the time. You wouldn¡¯t guess it, but he loves to talk about his old life¡ªIt was like he doesn¡¯t separate that It was gone yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh to be young,¡± Ally found herself saying.


    ¡°Oh you stop that,¡± Elaine chuckled out. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite a lot of life left in you still. Remind me a bit of my daughter, in fact.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not here, is she?¡±


    Elaine shakes her head. ¡°No, no she didn¡¯t make it over as far as I can tell. S¡¯why I bonded with Daisy over there so fast. She¡¯s not handling it as well as Darren seems to¡ªI know the both of them have really needed each other through this time, but she really needed something more, and I think I did too. But anyway, that¡¯s all adult stuff that¡ª¡±


    Ally shakes her head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it is.¡±


    ¡°No, I suppose not. You¡¯re wise for your age, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if wise is the word I¡¯d use. Hurt is probably closer.¡±


    ¡°Well then, Ally, come and join the club.¡±

 7 | Cut the Cord

    2022


    They gathered together around a creaky makeshift table with meat that could have fit with a viking feast. Some creature that she didn¡¯t know the name of¡ªit certainly didn¡¯t exist in the old world. Darren laughed a loud sound and called it a ¡°worm dragon¡±. Ally supposed that was an accurate description. It looked to be as long as her arm, but the wings had to be removed during the cooking process. She remembered they looked like bat wings.


    Elaine had hunted in the old world¡ªshe told Ally that her uncle used to take her out for trips all the time, so she remembered some pointers from those early days.


    Ally took special notice when Elaine set up the blaze and started searing the meat.


    ¡°It was seriously putting your work to shame. What do you think?¡± Jace thought.


    ¡°I think that you have to give me some leeway,¡± Ally thought back.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that if you put me in the same situation I would have handled it no problem.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s to be expected.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t help that I¡¯m just built different.¡±


    ¡°God...stop.¡±


    She was torn out of her thoughts by the smell of the worm-dragon. It had this smell that she couldn¡¯t place until her portion was placed in front of her. It was a mixture of jerky mixed with what smelt like gasoline. The odor hung around her in a powerful grip that would have driven her away from eating...had she not had her last meal before she ever met up with the rest of them. Her stomach was aching for nourishment, and she realized she doesn¡¯t have it in her to be the one to kill so soon after the last time. She knows she¡¯ll have to get over that insecurity, but that isn¡¯t today.


    ¡°It smells good,¡± Ally said, hoping it sounds appreciative enough.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie. Elaine¡¯s not the type to get offended,¡± Tina said. ¡°I¡¯ve told her my honest opinion on her cooking several times and she¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a bitch,¡± Estelle said, and laughed before shuffling into a small cough.


    ¡°Hey that¡¯s...totally fair,¡± Tina said, sliding into a smile. ¡°Sorry hun,¡± she looked over to Elaine.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing about you teens,¡± Elaine began, ¡°I know not to take your criticism seriously. But you were right on one thing¡ªI don¡¯t get offended over my cooking skills. Old Uncle Arty never taught me how to cook, only kill,¡± she laughed.


    Part of Ally expected a sort of reaction out of Darren and Daisy, but they were picking at their food like they hadn¡¯t heard any of it.


    ¡°They¡¯re used to it,¡± Elaine said.


    Ally, surprised, looked back to a warm smile.


    ¡°I figured if they¡¯re going to go through the end of the world they can learn about how life really is. I mean, they learned that fact more than I could ever teach.¡±


    ¡°Dad always said that life...sucks,¡± Darren said, not looking up from his meat. ¡°I think so. But I saw him happy when my mom was still alive, so I know he didn¡¯t think like that all the time.¡±


    Ally subconsciously turned to Elaine for answers like she¡¯s trained herself¡ªto look toward the adult for answers. No matter how liberated she tried to be it ends up not meaning anything if her default is to throw that all away at the first available opportunity.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    But It was not Elaine who answers¡ªbut Darren. He continues on in a tone she could have mistaken for someone twice his own age. ¡°Mom died in a car accident when I was a baby, Dad got real sad then. I got real sad then, but then I learned to stop.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you stop, Darren?¡± Elaine asked, guiding him now. Her tone seemed to imply this was news to her as well.


    Darren was quiet for a moment, and his eyes shifted down to the table.


    ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Elaine said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It was okay though, they don¡¯t hurt that much anymore. Once you do it enough times you stop hurting all the time. It gets easier. I was going to show Daisy it because she¡¯s been real sad lately.¡±


    A sort of panicked look crossed Elaine¡¯s face. ¡°Uh, no, that won¡¯t be necessary, Darren. That kind of damage to your skin doesn¡¯t help everybody.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why not?¡± Darren asked. ¡°It actually felt...¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Tina said, firm. ¡°You aren¡¯t teaching her to harm herself. That¡¯s how you want to treat her pain?¡±


    Darren looked confused, as if suddenly he was told the sky could no longer exist above him. ¡°What do you mean? It worked for me...all I would have to do is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Darren.¡± Tina¡¯s voice was firm from the other side of the table. Elaine stared at the boy in a new sense of horror and pity that both of the children recognized immediately.


    ¡°If It was not too much trouble,¡± Daisy began, ¡°I...would like to be excused from the table.¡±


    ¡°Okay...okay, that¡¯s fine,¡± Elaine said, letting her hands find a neutral position on the table. ¡°Darren, I¡¯m very sorry for what you¡¯ve been through, but I think this is something we should talk about together in private.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, unphased. He turned to Ally, who through all of this felt like she couldn¡¯t be more into the ground. ¡°Do you cut yourself?¡±


    ¡°DARREN!¡± Tina howled at him, slamming her fist down on the table.


    Ally¡¯s eyes went wide and the question was the most surprising thing out of everything thus far.


    Time seemed to freeze. The answer was right in front of her face¡ªit was an obvious answer, but what use would the truth be here? An answer from her wasn¡¯t needed. Elaine and Tina had the situation handled. He was just a kid. He didn¡¯t understand...but on some level, he did.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ally said, softly.


    This seemed to satisfy Darren, who was not listening to the adults practically screaming at him. He simply nodded, stood up, and then walked away toward his sleeping quarters.


    ¡°I...am so sorry,¡± Elaine said. ¡°Normally he¡¯s not like that, normally¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think normally exists anymore,¡± Ally said. ¡°I don¡¯t feel bad about saying that. I know I¡¯m young, but It was like you said, we¡¯ve all sort of earned the right to experience all of life.¡±


    Elaine shook her head, ¡°I was talking about coming to terms with adult matters in healthy ways. That is not healthy.¡±


    ¡°No, It was not,¡± Ally agrees. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if yelling at him about it is either.¡±


    Tina had no side comment. Elaine didn¡¯t either. Estelle was quietly listening to the whole exchange as it went on, and then quietly added, ¡°I think we have still yet things more to learn about ourselves here, and we should work together to solve our problems instead of making him feel like he is a problem.¡±


    The rest of the night flew like a blur in Ally¡¯s mind. She was brought to think of her own past occasions of self harm¡ªevents which she hadn¡¯t thought about since this whole new world business came through. Part of her knew her mind would settle in on old habits soon enough, but another part of her hoped that it wouldn¡¯t have been so soon before they did.


    When those intrusive thoughts took over Jace wasn¡¯t around to stop her¡ªit was perhaps the only thing that was stronger than his force inside her mind¡ªand that terrifies her. Normally he¡¯s there to combat the awful things that she thinks about herself or uplift her in ways she cannot do for herself...but that was a whole new level of darkness that was free for her to explore to her discontent.


    Seeing what life was now¡ªit was easy to succumb to those thoughts, but she thought as she lie awake staring up at the stars¡ªa vivid violet in this new world¡ªof the things propelling her forward ever since the Nasseu Incident ended. Lilly, and Issachar, and the twins, and Aoi...if she could even find one of them things could be so much better. She could have a proper goal¡ªone of course that would heavily vary based on who that was¡ªbut it would be a goal nonetheless.


    But she was no fool. She could not wander the new world endlessly on the hope that she would somehow by chance stumble onto a face that her mind held close. She had to survive¡ªshe had to learn more about this world. She had to stay here, and help solve her own problems. Then maybe someday...her dreams would come true.

 8 | Sever

    2025


    The thoughts that weighed on Ally¡¯s mind that night continued to haunt her over the next three years. Jace grew quieter and quieter as the doubts and worries began to hum louder in her ears¡ªringing like a drum. She felt heartbroken at the loss of her best friend, but she kept hoping that he¡¯d return sometime soon.


    Over time more people came in a similar fashion as Ally had to the ragtag society. People of various backgrounds who for one reason or another survived the world collapse and wandered their way toward the group¡ªlooking for what everyone else was looking for. Come 2025 and twenty new companions have joined together in what had since improved from the clay huts Ally had been introduced to. One of the fellows¡ªMark Roperd¡ªwas a construction worker in the old world. With his help and a few more of the young men that they came across they were able to construct homes more suitable for humans to live in. They were still nowhere near what constituted as modern home design in the old world, but they were leagues above what they had prior.


    It was sometime in the early spring when Ally woke up¡ªnow a bright seventeen and more wits about her¡ªto a sound in the distance that was unlike any she¡¯d heard of in a very long time. Loud whooping and yelling that echoed across the canyons of their surroundings.


    They sounded off in the morning and gave Ally a wicked start as she feared that impending trouble was coming, but the sounds faded away shortly after they began.


    Darren, now eleven, was no stranger to waking up at the slightest of sounds as well¡ªit was something that they both shared. Daisy slept through the initial event along with the other originals of the encampment¡ªbut one of the newbies¡ªa farmer named Jesiah Wilkins similarly woke to the second bout of voices.


    Ally sat in her cot for a while longer than normal when they rang out. She sat for as long as ten minutes until she was sure that they were gone. As the fear waned she started breathing normally and moved to start the day like any other. She started by gathering Daisy, Darren, and Jamie¡ªanother younger boy of thirteen to gather pails of water to refresh their reserves. She was going to wait for the three to return to start tending to the rest of their chores. The sun hung high in the sky and illuminated them all with a red glow.


    That was when the second wave of screams erupted. And these ones followed with the raiders.


    ~...~


    Ally sat out on a handmade bench that Jesiah and Jamie helped put together about half a year before. She was staring out at the fields that grew the crops that they¡¯d been living off of. Out in the distance the voices echoed back around as the figures dotted the horizon. Something flew in the air following an echoing blasting sound.


    Guns.


    Ally¡¯s eyes fixate on the three children running back toward the rest of the small village. First with the day¡¯s enthusiasm, and then after the first shot¡ªwith a terrified horror.


    Ally rushes to her feet as the shadows in the distance grow closer. The children are coming closer but the heavy buckets of water are slowing them down. Jamie ditches his first and picks up speed. Another shot rings out and he falls to the ground. A spray of red flies into the air, and Ally screams and she freezes in place. He continues crawling as Darren and Daisy pass him¡ªthey similarly have ditched their pails of water.


    Ally saw that Jamie got caught in the leg¡ªjust below his right knee was pooling with blood, but he was still pulling himself. Ally unfroze and ran out toward him. Darren and Daisy ran past her and headed for the nearest house. Ally bent down to help Jamie to his feet¡ªhis blood pooled around his leg and he screamed out as she¡ª


    Another shot.


    It struck one of the fallen pails and rang out as the bullet ricocheted. Ally tensed up and she feared the ricochet had done the deed. She turned to the field and saw the figures approaching even closer. In the split second she looked she saw ten figures in all, whooping and laughing. Two more shots ring out followed by a third.


    Jace. I need you. Help us.


    But she only heard the sounds of a fourth shot in return. She looked down to Jamie and finally got him up, but as soon as he did she felt him ripped from her arms. The fourth shot tore through his chest and he sputtered out onto the ground, dead. Ally screams as she ran toward the other children. She passes Elaine who is running out of the building on the left with a mounting look of horror on her face as she eyes the figures and then looked to Jamie¡¯s body.


    ¡°We-we...we¡± Ally tried to say but she¡¯s shaking too much.


    JACE. PLEASE I NEED YOU I DON¡¯T WANT TO DIE HERE.


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    But still she got no response. Elaine let out a cry as it started to dawn on her¡ªthis was the moment that Ally realized that they didn¡¯t have any method to defend themselves. There was nothing they could do¡ªthey were too close already to run away successfully¡ªthey¡¯d only be gunned down like wild animals.


    ¡°We have to h-hide,¡± Ally suggests. ¡°I-It was our only¡ª¡± another deafening sound as a bullet flies just passed Ally¡¯s face and lands itself into the side of the building the two kids ran into, splintering the wood and eliciting screams from those inside. Ally falls to her knees and puts her hands over her ears and cries. Elaine helped her up and calls out to the two children.


    ¡°Come on you two! We¡¯re going to the back!¡±


    Elaine helped Ally walk toward the rear of the encampment, Darren and Daisy following close behind.


    The figures have reached Jamie¡¯s body and their hollering is audible now. She could hear their laughs as they unloaded full clips into his dead body.


    Ally stole a glance back and made eye contact with one of the men who gave her a wicked grin, raising his arm. Ally felt a rising force inside of her and thought that this was the time Jace would spring forward and save her from the villains like he did before¡ªbut he didn¡¯t come. The force she¡¯d been feeling was bile rising up her throat as the man pulled the trigger and the bullet coursed through the air. It wasn¡¯t close enough for him to hit her accurately, but the bullet did find a home inside Darren¡¯s shoulder. He coughed a crimson spittle as he hit the ground¡ªDaisy started to scream even louder, and one of the other men cheered on the first for his shot. They cleared the distance in a matter of seconds.


    Darren clawed at the air for respite. The man that had shot him¡ªAlly could see that they weren¡¯t wearing any clothes¡ªstepped up and sent his foot down on the child¡¯s hand, causing him to yelp out in pain. In response, he shoved a foot into his face, twice, three times, then pulled his revolver on him and fired three rounds into his face¡ªtearing it apart completely. Ally threw up at the sight of it, falling out of Elaine¡¯s grasp¡ªwhose grip on sanity had been as fleeting.


    ¡°Fuck you think you¡¯re doing?¡± The second man asked. Elaine was shaking, frozen to the spot. Two of the men pushed forward, and when she started to double back and run they side-eyed one another as the challenge was on.


    ¡°You try to shoot the leg, I¡¯ll pick her up.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± It only took two shots. The first hit the dirt without much fanfare, but it certainly made her run that much faster¡ªAlly and Daisy were frozen as they were scared the men would kill them if they dared move.


    The second shot, however, dug right into Elaine¡¯s heel and sent her toppling over herself. As the second man approached her, Jesiah leapt out from behind a stack of crates and landed on the guy¡¯s back, yelling that he wasn¡¯t going to be doing anymore harm. As the guy swung around, Jesiah saw just how outnumbered he was, and his grip loosened just enough for him to be thrown off. A fourth man in the crowd fired off three shots that ended him.


    Elaine managed to crawl a few feet before the man¡ªpreviously distracted¡ªnow returned his focus to Elaine. He walked over and bent down, grabbing her by the leg¡ªhis motion was almost an entire yanking of her body¡ªshe screamed out as he grabbed almost exactly where the bullet entered her foot.


    She tried to kick out, but only succeeded in flipping herself over. He adjusted, and continued dragging her back to the main group.


    ¡°Leaving the kids. What a shame,¡± The man that spoke first before said.


    ¡°Right shame. What¡¯chu think, The hole for this one?¡±


    ¡°Should do her some good,¡± a third replies.


    The third looked to Ally, ¡°Think these two should go to Far Right...I think P and F wing.¡±


    ¡°Sounds about right.¡±


    ¡°Think I can get some action with the runner before we go?¡± One from the back said. ¡°Been a while.¡±


    The others contemplate, a few with disgusting expressions on their faces, to Elaine¡¯s horror. ¡°Two of you, clear out the rest of the camp, kill the rest, three¡¯s fine for this sector. Rest who want in follow Jason to...¡± he trailed off, finding the house one of their earlier bullets had hit.


    ¡°There. Kill anyone inside if there is. You¡¯ve got ten minutes. We¡¯ll take the sprouts and start walking back. I trust you¡¯ll be able to catch up.¡±


    Jason, the one who proposed the idea looked like he had just won the lottery. Ally felt herself being hoisted up before she could fully notice what was going on¡ªthe one who had made the plan¡ªthe burliest out of all of them had made the move while she was looking toward the building. She let out a cry of protest and he whacked her across the head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll choke you out if you do that again. I don¡¯t need you awake.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re...what¡¯re you...¡±


    ¡°No talking,¡± he turned to one of his comrades. ¡°Con, come on. We¡¯re moving out.


    ¡°Con¡±, the man directly next to him looked a little unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t partake in following Jason, nodded and hoisted Daisy up as he had Ally. Daisy was kicking and screaming much like Ally had to start, and Con similarly whacked her upside the head. Daisy didn¡¯t stop, though, so he did it again, and then a third time until her head slumped against his shoulder.


    Ally stared, horrified as she saw blood dripping down his shoulder, and the utter lack of care. The two men started to walk away from the group as they went on their missions, Elaine was screaming at the top of her lungs as three men started toward her and picked her up by each of her arms while Jason took over her legs. She shook and screamed. That was the last time Ally had ever seen Elaine.


    As the two men got farther away from the village she could see some of the other figures following in the distance¡ªhaving had their fun. Smoke billowed out over the place she had called home for the past three years, and it had been too much to bear. She fell into a deep state of numb anxiety that only kept enough of her awake to be considered alive. She no longer wanted to be alive. She no longer wanted¡­

 9 | Depths of Despair

    2025


    Ally woke up in a cell with a massive headache. She tried to remember what happened previously, but the pounding sensation in the front of her head blurred a lot of the details.


    Daisy.


    Her eyes flew open and she sat up¡ªan act that only worsened her headaches. Ally closed her eyes and thought back, and when it finally sat in her heart sank. She remembered the raid. She remembered the kidnapping. She remembered being separated from Daisy¡ªfrom the others taking Elaine to¡­


    To¡­


    Bile rose until it triggered her gag reflex and she bent over the side of the cot she¡¯d woken up on. She empties what little food remained and it burns the back of her throat. She grips the edge of the cot and lets out a soft cry. Tears sting her eyes and after ten minutes of letting everything out she finally feels hollow. She exerts it all and finally looked around her surroundings.


    The walls around her were a white stone. A solitary door sat on the side opposite where she was sitting. She looked down at herself and found that she was sitting on a cot nailed crudely up to the wall. It sent a cold chill up her spine and it took her a few seconds to stand up, the fear threatening to send her crumpling to the floor.


    Jace...I need you. Please, just say something dumb or lovable or anything. I¡¯m all alone here.


    She stumbles over toward the door, gripping the handle with enough force to keep her up. Twisting, she opens it and peeks out into the hallway.


    She steps out and her feet fall across the frozen floor. It chills her to her core. Her tentative steps echo through the elongated hall with zero evidence of anyone else ever having existed there. She took a few more steps forward before reaching the door at the end of the hall. There is nothing between her and the way forward, so she clasps her hand around the knob and swings the door open.


    She enters into a wide open space with a high ceiling and machines lining the ground. At each of the machines stood groups of what look to be kids and younger girls. With the exception of one head that rises to meet her gaze, the large majority either don¡¯t notice or don¡¯t care about her appearance.


    ¡°Daisy!¡± Ally calls out as she took a step down one of the steps. Daisy looked to move but one of the women next to her pulled her back down.


    As soon as Ally made contact with the ground a powerful surge coursed through her body and her neck grew white hot. The feeling in her legs go numb. She crumples to the floor and she is only able to stare up at the people working the machines like nothing strange had happened. She hears Daisy call out for her, but she¡¯s promptly quieted by one of the women who is next to her.


    Ally becomes immediately aware of the collar clipped tight around her neck¡ªhow easily she ignored it when she woke up. It was a shock collar. She tried moving her arms to maneuver up, but the signal had been cut. She craned her neck up to see the others staring at her out of the corner of their eyes. After it was clear that she wasn¡¯t going to be able to move she lets her face fall and she exhales.


    Two thick arms yank her up from behind and she almost falls backward from the force.


    ¡°What¡¯re ya doing out of your zone?¡± A rough voice barks in her ear.


    She flinches as his warm breath reached her neck. ¡°I...I don¡¯t know...I¡ª¡±


    She¡¯s thrown back down to the floor and another shock rings through her body as she made contact. She gives off a whimpering sound.


    ¡°The right answer is being a snoopy lil cunt, ain¡¯t it?¡± He saunters down the steps and scoops her up by an arm, again. ¡°No, today¡¯s yer initiation into the mill, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    Ally manages to catch a glimpse at her captor¡¯s wild complexion. Ruined teeth being the first thing to catch her eye, but she could have sworn he was missing an eye too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the others there,¡± he shoves her forward without letting her go like she were an extension of his arm. ¡°They¡¯ve already gone through the ringer with us. We like to spend a good long time on each worker to make sure our,¡± he pulled her real closely to his body, ¡°lessons sink in,¡± and then he yanks her out of the room. ¡°Come now, little bird. Ain¡¯t got a name so that¡¯s what I¡¯ll call ya. Mind?¡± he laughed.


    She did mind, but knew that voicing her opinion would only lead to more pain.


    ¡°Listen, back here is your cell. Get faintly acquainted with it? Hope so. It was going to be your home for the next...¡± he trailed off as if to be doing genuine math in his head. ¡°Well, It was going to be a real long time. Til you die or we no longer need you, whichever comes first.¡± He flashed an ugly grin. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to get out so early, lil bird.¡± He threw her back into the cell and stepped in behind her. ¡°Y¡¯see, that¡¯s a bit our fault. We¡¯re still getting used to the new facility. Teach had got us on a new campus, you like?¡±


    When she didn¡¯t respond a look of fury crossed his face and he slammed the back of his hand against her face. ¡°Answer.¡±


    ¡°I...don¡¯t,¡± she said, wiping the blood from where her lip was bleeding.


    ¡°Honest, I can accept that.¡± He said. ¡°We¡¯ll be fixing up the timings, but normally when you get out you¡¯ll be taking the left, instead of the right. You are under no circumstances to go back to that right room.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Well we can¡¯t very well let you interact with that other little girl you were grabbed with, can we?¡± The man said, bending to her level. ¡°You¡¯ve been assigned to different departments. We¡¯re not stupid. We break up any sort of bonds right away, and if new ones form here, we break those up too. We¡¯ve all seen the movies on how you runts escape places like this. Your job is going to be working F wing.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in weapons development, lil bird,¡± he said, and when he saw the ideas flashing across her face he smiled again. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not going to be handling anything remotely dangerous, love. Do you think we¡¯d arm the lot of you, or put you in a position where you could arm yourselves? You¡¯d have to be hopping mad. You¡¯re simply making carrying cases. Although, if you could stage a rebellion with that I¡¯d love to watch that from the front row.¡±He starts to laugh and pushes her to her back with an air of carelessness with his metal boot. ¡°Try not to die on us, all right? Wouldn¡¯t want to have to track you in the afterlife to drag your ass back.¡±


    He locked the door behind him and left her to stew about with her thoughts. She thought back to watching the other woman sitting Daisy down after she had recognized her¡ªhow broken the other women must be that the events that just happened don¡¯t even get a batting of an eye.


    When she was sure she was alone she lie down on her back and let the tears loose as she held her sleeve over her mouth to stop the bleeding.


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    2027


    Ally was now nineteen as she woke up in the same cell she had been waking up every day for the past two years in. Her schedule had drained her of everything that wasn¡¯t absolutely essential for the crafting of carrying cases for weapons from some other far off development facility. She sat in a daze as her internal clock had told her she had a few minutes before her cell would unlock and she would move to her wing for the day¡¯s endless menial tasked before she was served the same barely passable food that she¡¯d inevitably end up throwing up back in her cell. The smell of the past week¡¯s slop was starting to get overbearing¡ªthe soldiers outside only cleaned it out when it was absolutely necessary, and hers was just cleaned out last month.


    She¡¯s tried to kill herself numerous times since becoming a slave here. It turned out, the soldiers are extremely efficient at thwarting suicide attempts with a frightening speed and accuracy. It certainly wasn¡¯t for a lack of effort that she still woke on the mortal coil, attached at the roots.


    It became clear after a year and a half that she was not going to be able to take the easy way out of the facility. So, she had been planning other means. She was studying every soldier¡¯s schedule down to the minute, studying the exact movements of the other slaves around her, and even studying the common trends of mistakes that cropped up regarding the technology in the facility and even with the staff.


    The soldier that had come to meet her on that day two years ago¡ªnamed Brandon¡ªhad mentioned that they were going to be fixing the technology that released the slaves to their wings¡ªthat it shouldn¡¯t have opened during the P wing¡¯s work hour. He was partially right¡ªit turned out that they were able to fix it¡ªfor a time.


    The thing that they never seemed to understand was that it was a pretty consistent issue¡ªyou just had to notice the pattern.


    It wasn¡¯t common enough to their eyes to keep enough attention on, but Ally paid real close to how often it really did happen. She never made the mistake to go out into the other wing¡ªshe was sure that the punishment for that would only increase exponentially from the last time, but it was very interesting to note that it seemed that at the start of the new month the electronics seemed to just...act up.


    The doors opening were all set on timers set by Teach¡ªhe was the head of this specific facility. No door was supposed to even so much as budge without his explicit authorization. With the timers, he was allowed to automate his express permission.


    The rub comes in with how time seems to destabilize nowadays. It didn¡¯t use to happen, but ever since...at least 2026 there have been small distortions with time. She started to notice small hiccups where it almost feels like her soul leaves her body¡ªlike everything delays for just a moment. It was almost like the feeling left by adrenaline, but focused right in the chest.


    She doesn¡¯t believe the others have noticed it yet¡ªor at least, if they have, they haven¡¯t noticed the patterns.


    It disrupts the timers. That slight second delay adds up over the course of a month. She couldn¡¯t say how many times a day it happens¡ªsome days it didn¡¯t happen at all, but by the month¡¯s beginning it seemed to catch up with itself, and then one day, the door opens on the wrong hour. There is nothing in the system that shows anything is faulty¡ªit just...is.


    She isn¡¯t sure how it only affects her door¡ªthat part would have to be chalked to guesswork, but there might be something to the physical location having a greater effect with the distortions.


    Whatever the case may have been, she could accurately predict when the next disruption would happen to her own door...because that moment was¡ª


    click


    Now.


    She bounced up from the bed and sprang onto action¡ªpractically slipping through the door frame and booking it toward the right turn that led to the room where she had previously made it to. One thing she made sure to study was how the electrical sensors worked in the collars they wore. In her wing, there were strict boundaries that they were forbidden from reaching to¡ªthe half of the room that led to a third wing she had never seen anybody from was completely off limits, as largely there was very little stopping someone from reaching the wing if they made it that far, hence the wiring on the floor she had missed the first time around. That was why she got stunned and paralyzed the first time¡ªbecause she was on forbidden ground in P wing, as it led directly to her cell and then F wing.


    She had taken notice of exactly how far the wiring stretched out in her wing and could then approximate how far she¡¯d have to jump to clear it completely¡ªit¡¯d be like she was a P wing worker in everything but name.


    She¡¯d have a limited window where she could secure a weapon¡ªsince the other workers would be chained down to the table like she was normally¡ªunfortunately, this would mean that she would be unable to rescue Daisy in her efforts.


    She thought long and hard about trying to work Daisy into her escape plans, but every plan she could think of ended with her recapture and possible torture for the both of them. They wouldn¡¯t be killed because they were necessary, but they sure as hell could be brought as close as possible, and she couldn¡¯t imagine that kind of punishment¡ªmuch less for Daisy.


    So, she had decided she¡¯d have to come back with reinforcements¡ªbut it would have to be at a future time.


    It was possible that she would incite discipline against Daisy if they thought she was in league with Ally, but out of every outcome it was the one with the highest chance of securing safety. She couldn¡¯t worry about that risk.


    She threw the door open to P wing and slammed face first into the chest of a soldier grinning viciously. His look turned to surprise when she ended up tackling him down to the ground. The electric current coursed through Ally¡¯s body and she screamed¡ªit was much worse than the last time¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand around you fucking idiots, grab her!¡± The soldier who had fallen¡ªMarshall¡ªyelled.


    ¡°H...how...¡± Ally forced out, trying her hardest to look behind her. She couldn¡¯t even move her head¡ªher entire body was numb.


    ¡°Ha, your little friend told on you. Said she heard you were planning on escaping. Gave us the tip off,¡± Baxter beside her laughs.


    Her eyes darted up to Daisy, who through everything looked at Ally with a hurt look in her eyes.


    How...could she have known?


    ¡°She told us about your little scheme with the doors¡ªtipped us off that it might set off again, and then we started to think...it is so weird that it only goes off in front of your door, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    Ally couldn¡¯t answer, and so Baxter pushed her face into the ground more with his foot.


    ¡°Seems like you might have been planning an escape from us for a very long time, how desperate does one have to be to put their faith in failing technology, I wonder?¡±


    Ally made a sound of discomfort, but shrieked out as she was kicked hard in the stomach.


    ¡°I think It was best we make an example out of you right here and now,¡± he said. ¡°Before Teach¡ª¡±


    ¡°Before Teach...what, exactly?¡± A deep voice booms from the other side of the room.


    Everyone stopped in silence and looked up at the muscular man whose face was half covered by a beard so thick it could be mistaken for a friendly family member¡¯s. But it was the furthest thing from the truth.


    Teach was a lot different than the other soldiers here¡ªhe most likely was a soldier in the before world. He had a posture about him that commanded respect. He wasn¡¯t brash, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t cruel. A controlled chaos.


    ¡°You are to bring the prisoner to the whipping bay and commence usual procedure,¡± Teach said.


    ¡°I was just thinking¡ª¡± Baxter began.


    ¡°I am not hearing any arguments on the matter. She¡¯ll get enough on the whipping block. Dismissed.¡±


    Baxter, now disappointed he wasn¡¯t going to have his way with her, looked down, disgusted at Ally. He could tell Baxter had been waiting for some time for his moment¡ªlong seemed gone where the soldiers were free to fuck whoever they pleased, and, as she overheard one of the soldiers saying one time ¡°pickings were slim¡±.


    She made a deal with herself that if any of them ever touched her like that she would attack immediately and do whatever it took to prevent it. Even if it killed her¡ªit would be a saving grace.


    Baxter kicked her a second time and then picked her up by an arm, while Brandon grabbed her other one. They led her through the workroom to the other side, where she passed by Daisy¡¯s station.


    Ally gave a defeated look to the girl and then moved along, being led by the two brutes. This, she prayed, might very well be where she can finally, finally be allowed to give up.

 10 | Hope

    She was led into a circular room that had a high-rise ceiling. The center of the room sank deeper than the perimeter, and sitting in the center was a stone column that rose to the top of the room. Ally was dragged toward the column. Brandon lets go and walks out of her view. Baxter shoves her up against the column and Baxter returned to bind her hands around the column.


    "Now, I have to say I''m disappointed in your performance. We quite obviously take on a lot of strain taking you and the other women in here. To consider anything but total admiration a full and whole betrayal would be putting my true feelings on the matter to shame." Teach entered the room behind them.


    Ally didn''t say anything in response.


    "But I do have to say, I am curious. I understand how you worked out the glitches with our electronics, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how you were able to communicate your plan to young Daisy."


    Ally slid her hands down as her shoulder started to ache. She didn''t know either, but hell if she was going to give them the satisfaction.


    "Silence never looked good on anybody¡ªmuch less you, my dear."


    "Don''t call me that," Ally said, trying to be tough, but finding it more difficult by the second.


    "Okay, I''ve given you a chance to lighten your punishment. Baxter, grab the other whip, please."


    She could hear his suppressed laughter as he stepped out of her view. She waits for a moment longer until she saw the edge of what looked to be a spike. Her breath catches in her throat and the first lashing tears across her back¡ªsticking and then ripping off. She screams and whips her head back. She catches a glance of the whip that was now coated with her blood.


    ¡°You were given your chance,¡± Teach said, and then winds up for another lash.


    She hears the crack and she closes her eyes tight...but it doesn¡¯t come. She waits, expecting the lashing to come when she least expects it, but it doesn¡¯t.


    She opens her eyes slowly, and around her she saw Baxter and Brandon lying on top of each other, a pool of blood forming around them. They were stabbed in the chest with...something that was no longer there. She then looked to see Teach pinned to the back wall, a glowing white sword sticking out of his chest.


    And standing in front of her was Jace.


    It has been three years since she¡¯s seen him, tears flood her face as the pain in her back erupts some more, causing her to lean against the pole. In another moment Teach¡¯s body falls to the ground and the bindings keeping her tied up are sliced off. She falls forward, but he catches her, picking her up in his arms.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here.¡±


    ¡°Where have you been? I...I missed you.¡±


    He started to run¡ªnearly float at how fast he was running.


    ¡°Well, that is up to you, Ally, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± she said, more occupied with the speed which they were moving. They cleared the facility in no time flat. It was the first time she¡¯d seen the outside since she was captured. The moon was still wrong¡ªit still had the red glow to it, but it was much better than nothing. She cuddled up in Jace¡¯s arms and closed her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength to write your story. Much less any place where to write it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we could solve both of those problems. There must be more power out there somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your sentiment, but I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m ever going to be strong again.¡±


    ¡°You are right now.¡±


    She thought on it. And then looked back up to him¡ªhis golden hair blowing in the wind. ¡°Are you going to have to leave me again?¡±


    He continues running and his face doesn¡¯t change. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I might have to go for a little while, but it won¡¯t be for as long as last time, I promise.¡±


    ¡°You have to make sure you mean that,¡± Ally said. ¡°I can¡¯t go through something like that again without you.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    He continues running for a little while longer. When she can feel him grimace she knows that their time together is coming to an end once again. He seems to sense her noticing, and he slows to a stop near a calm grassland. There¡¯s a lone tree with colorful fruit among its branches. He walks over and sets her down against the tree and climbs up the trunk. He leaps from the trunk to a low hanging branch and grabbed two of the fruit and lands next to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be going, soon. You need to rest here and eat, and when you¡¯re rested, you need to keep moving. I wish I could have gotten you all the way to somewhere safe, but I tried my hardest.¡±


    ¡°Jace...you¡¯re everything.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°And yet It was you in the end, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my only friend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll change soon enough. Then you¡¯ll need me less.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she starts to tear up. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t.¡±


    He smiled, turning away, she thought to hide his own tears. ¡°That means a lot...¡±


    He faded from the world and the other fruit he had been holding fell to the ground¡ªannouncing its finality. She sat back against the tree and started to bawl. She cries until she falls asleep.


    ~...~


    The sounds of crickets harmonizing lulls her awake. She woke up to find bugs have nibbled through portions of the fruit that Jace had been holding. She wasn¡¯t sure if she would have been able to eat it anyway. Her thoughts were much too focused on other things ¡ª more important fears than something so simple as hunger.


    In reality, she knew she couldn¡¯t leave thinking like that. It would have eaten her alive more than her stomach would. So, she sat up and reached up high for a low-hanging fruit.


    It was a strange orange lump in her hand that looked like a pear. The skin is tough, so she has to pick at it to start peeling.


    She¡¯d be self conscious about it if there was anybody else around, but since she was all alone ¨C a fact she wanted to think of as little as possible ¨C she felt no hesitation about picking the skin off. She did the same thing with other fruit she was more familiar with. There was something about how the skin felt in her mouth that ruined the rest of the fruit. It was an almost bitter sensation that canceled out the sweetness.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if this fruit was similar in that sense ¨C a lot of what had happened the night before now felt like some sort of fever dream ¨C but she wasn¡¯t feeling up to being adventurous with her tastes.


    Above her there was a warbling sound that interrupted itself with high pitched chirps. She saw resting on a branch two levels above from where she plucked the fruit was a strange gray-feathered bird. Its beak curved upward in a way that didn¡¯t seem like it¡¯d fit well for anything it needed. She stared quizzically at the bird that could barely to even to sing properly. Distorted low grunts interspersed the high chirps.


    ¡°So weird¡­¡± she said, feeling a moment¡¯s confusion at how gruff her own voice had sounded. Her mind flashed back to her time at Nasseu Middle School.


    The way the various sounds cut into one another remind her how it felt when Issachar had entered her body ¨C had used her as a mouthpiece. She wonders if anybody else from that time was still alive today.


    It was an odd experience. Perhaps one of the only times she thought back to those days and wasn¡¯t immediately overtaken with grief. She¡¯s sure It was because she¡¯s got so much more on her plate now, but It was easy to convince herself that she¡¯s making emotional progress.


    That was a term that old quack the Fae¡¯s brought her to used to say. It was almost funny how little he actually knew about what was going on in her head. Then again, she wasn¡¯t very forward with information either, so it wasn¡¯t entirely all on him.


    When the thoughts started to trend negative she pushed them out of her head and bit down into the fruit. It made her wince the slightest bit as the juice inside was pretty bitter, but there was just enough sweetness in the aftertaste to justify finishing the whole thing. She powered through it and tossed the core up toward the bird above. It eyed the core and opened its mouth quickly, scooping up the fruit in the undercarriage almost like a pelican.


    She ripped another of the fruit from the tree and began peeling once more. The sun had started to rise ¨C painting the sky a faded violet hue has the dark reds of the night made way for the more gentle blues. As she finished the second fruit and tosses it upward for the bird to catch again she starts to stand fully upright.


    She knows she must start walking if she expects to make any progress. Staying here will only deplete the food for the bird and whatever else would stop by this area. She has to find other people. She has to find a place to start again. And once she made something of herself, that¡¯s when she¡¯ll search for Issachar. She owes that much to Jace.


    </a> She began walking. She stopped the first time once her legs first start to ache. She hears water nearby and diverts from her path to drink. The water is clear, free of any guck that would make her think twice, and while it still posed a risk, she bent down and scooped several handfuls into her mouth. She has to stop after every few handfuls so she can come up for air. She took in deep breaths that are plagued with coughs as she swallows too quickly. Her eyes begin spinning and she sat down, her palms outstretched.


    The sun beats down on her and betrays the winter day it was supposed to be in the old world. She doesn¡¯t know what day exactly it is, but she could guess that it must roughly be somewhere between the November to December months...if time still passed as normal in this new world.


    Time...normal. The thought hit her like a train. It really didn¡¯t quite matter if we orbited the sun faster here, right? Humanity would find a new way to consider this the ¡°normal¡± and people like me who think too much on these things will get left behind.


    Temporally, she believed they were somewhere near their way to a new 2026, however, the environment around her definitely felt closer to an early summer¡¯s June. The wind carried softly beside her, the sun shone brightly, and yet, something about the ground felt...cold. Not like any of the two ideas in her head floating around cold, but a sort of unfeeling foreignness that refused to identify itself.


    When she satisfied herself she stood back up and continued her journey, attempting to put the idea of when<u> </u>she was out of her mind.


    As the sky turned to the blood red of the night she pulled off her trail to find anywhere off to get some sleep. Each night carried the rampant risk of leaving herself exposed as her environment left little opportunity for places to hide from those who would do her harm, but conversely she also got a clear sight of every living creature that roamed the wilderness. These tended to vary from snakes which she made sure to keep well enough away from to small cubs of almost rodent like creatures that were like enlarged guinea pigs. They had fur that shined in the sunlight, but were even more scared of her than she could have been of them.


    She found a spot where the ground rose up to enough of a hill that she could bunker up on the crest to at least hide from half of the potential risk. She didn¡¯t think any sort of vehicle was going to be coming through this path. Sometimes you just have to take the risk, though.


    This is how the next half a week proceeds until she catches sight of a tower in the distance. Hung on it were giant metal letters that spelled out ¡°HOME¡±.


    ¡°Hitting the nail a little too close there,¡± she said out loud, but inside it was the one word she needs to see right now.


    Perhaps that was the motivation.

 11 | Home

    As Ally moves closer toward the settlement vicious memories of Elaine Trent threaten to take hold, but she manages to hold them down. She starts to shake, but that is as far as she lets it go. She nears and saw that it looked to be much bigger than the ragtag group that gathered together. The settlement looked like it could fit into an old western movie¡ªit certainly was still a far cry from the civilization she once knew, but it was similarly distant from the cobbled together slabs of whatever was closest around. She could tell that people with actual skills in carpentry and archaeology had worked on the buildings that stretched as high as three stories. It helped that the environment around this settlement was more conducive to building a society.


    The people that wandered the streets had a different look in their eyes, too. They weren''t in fact wandering, but strode with purpose. At least for this moment she caught a glimpse, saw there was something on their minds other than the fact that their old lives had ended.


    Ally wants to be like them.


    She finds herself steeling her courage and willing it forward as she crosses into the settlement¡ªinto Home¡ªas if she had to break an outer layer of protection¡ªa force that at any other time before would have held her back from the security of society.


    I just have to get the hard part over with. I just need to approach them and ask for help. You cannot afford to lose such a chance over your pride now.


    She swallowed hard and walked to the first person she saw ¡ª a middle aged man with dark brown hair cut short. He had a scar that ran from the lower side of his cheek down to his chin. In the right lighting it almost could pass, but with how the sun was overcast now it was plain on his face. Ally wouldn''t be able to stop thinking about how she looked if she had a scar like that, and then she freezes as she doesn''t really know if she does or not. She can''t remember the last time she''s seen her own reflection, and thoughts about how she looked started to flood her mind.


    "Are you okay?" He asked.


    "I...I need help," she said, mentally traveling back to the forefront of her mind and pulling the conversation back to the apex of her focus. "I''ve...I''ve escaped a prison...no, that''s not the right word...I mean, I was a prisoner, but not because I did anything wrong, at least, not¡ª"


    "Hey, no need to explain," the man said, "you look like you could do with something to eat and a place to rest. Do you think you''re good to walk?"


    "Walk? Yeah, of course, why wouldn''t I?"


    "That gash on your head looks pretty bad, do you feel light headed?"


    This answer stuns Ally. Her hands instantly raised to her head and she in one second could see the man''s expression change to one of regret. Her left hand was clear, but she felt a sickening feeling in her stomach as her right hand felt a sticky substance just above her eyebrow. She pulled her hand down and saw the crimson on her fingers.


    "Oh, you didn''t know...shit. I didn''t mean to scare you. You feeling okay?"


    "I..." she stared at her fingers a second, and then looked up to him, "does it look bad?"


    "Not...the worst I''ve seen. Not the best."


    "I guess that''s...okay, I guess. I have no clue where it''s from, though. I think I''m good enough to walk, though. I came here just fine enough."


    "Fair enough. You got a name? I can lead you to the mess hall."


    "Ally. Ally Fae."


    "Nice," he smiled, and nodded. "My name''s Eric Pryce. Nice to meet you, Ally." He must have seen her staring at how his scar bent when he smiled and chuckled. "You''re far from the only person who escaped from captivity. No need to worry, you''re among like circumstances here."


    ~...~


    Eric lead Ally to a large building in the center of town. She thought that it was a joke that the town''s name was Home, but Eric was quick to correct that the name was 100% serious. They pass the large pole that shoots up into the sky with a makeshift flag. On the fact was the roof of a house with a small smoke stack rising out of the chimney.


    "You should have seen the folks try to assemble that thing together. Got some of the smiths around to meld the iron like it was a team-building activity¡ªcooling it and smashing it with hammers. Those took a while to make," he laughed. "Lot of what we have here took a while to make. Thankfully, so long as people know how to make stuff you can bet they''ll find a way to make it happen."


    "How long have you been here?" Ally asked.


    "Bout..four years now. I got here when it looked like the boonies. I mean, it still does in some regard, but it''s changed so much."


    "I can bet. It looks way more advanced than the gathering I first joined up with."


    There''s a moment of silence and Ally thanks him for the respect around the sensitive situation.


    "We''re always taking in new faces. Think we have close to five hundred here now. If you''re looking for a place to find yourself in, Home is a pretty good place to find it."


    She looked up to him and tried for a smile, but she couldn''t help but think it looked forced.


    "Hey, I actually think I know someone here that''d be good to introduce...let''s see...where is..." He turned from her and scans up and down some of the roads. "Agh, he''ll turn up somewhere." He turned to her, "One of the oldest people here ¡ª both in terms of time spent here and age. His name''s Rick, but he likes to go by Rickshaw. Dude''s a one man machine," he started to laugh.


    Ally looked at him with a confused look, and when he saw it, he stopped and looked down to his feet. "He likes to work with machines. He''s the one that initially got the generators running here, it''s how we managed to get lights and plumbing. Anything higher tech we''re SOL for, but our basic foundation''s thanks to Rickshaw."


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "That''s good and all, but I''m having a hard time understanding why I need to meet him specifically?" Ally asked.


    "He''s got a kind soul, probably the best for acclimating new folk."


    The sounds of the mess hall surround Ally as the two of them step inside. The buzz of chatter was a sound that she started to cry at¡ªsocial gatherings of this level were something she hasn''t experienced in over five years. Even in the prison campground when there were groups of people gathered together it was dead quiet. And the faces were hardly friendly when beatings waited around every corner at jailer discretion.


    These faces looked...warm, inviting even. It was a short hallway that led out to an open room with an open ceiling up to the top of the second floor¡ªthe railings encircled the perimeter that kept those on top from falling down to the bottom.


    On the base floor was a large table full of food buffet-style. Food seemed to mountain so high she could not see over the other side of the central table. Tiers upon tiers of different meats, pastas and vegetables seemed to glow against the heating lamps set sporadic lengths apart.


    "I''ll introduce you and then I''m going to head back to my own thing. Alright?"


    "Oh, yeah, that''s fine. Thank you so much."


    Eric nodded and they weed their way through the crowd.


    They find Rickshaw easily enough near the front of the meat corner of the table. He had a plate lined with beef, pork, and lamb all towering on top of one another.


    "Ricky, haven''t you ever been told you need greens with your proteins?"


    The man with gray hair thinner than tumbleweed looked up from his plate and Ally could see there was true affection in his eyes for his soon to be full stomach. She could respect a man who treasured food so simply. It usually meant his focus was far from doing wrong to others¡ªif he was the right kind it was a hunger for making sure everyone was fed.


    "When you get to be my age you can start to pick out my meals¡ªI''ll be long and gone with the wind by then," he answers.


    "Tsk tsk tsk, do I have to let Angie know you''ve been skimping on your portion sizes?"


    "Angie ain''t the boss of me," he grumbled, stabbing what looked like half an eggplant with a sharpened tool.


    "No, but you know how she is," he grinned. "I also got something else for ya," he stepped out from in front of Ally, "Newbie. Needs you to show them the ropes. Escaped from one of the compounds."


    "Not a happy camper?" Rickshaw raised an eyebrow as his eyes filled with disgust as another vegetable dare land on his plate.


    "I...I wouldn''t consider it anything close to an actual camp. At least, not unless you''re thinking from the Nazi point of view."


    "Can''t say any other camps exist these days, though I don''t find myself thinking of the SS either. Sorry to hear what you went through. Things''re better here, but we like to have everyone participate their fair share¡ªequal contribution equal reward, you hearin''?"


    "I am," Ally said.


    "I''m sure you are. Come on, grab a plate and stack it full. First one''s on me. We''ll get you acclimated soon enough. Alright Eric, you can get back to your scallywagging, you look absolutely stuffed from your shift."


    "It''s all the greens," he winks. "Take care."


    "Mhm." He nodded, then looked to Ally.


    "Thank you."


    "You can thank me later, when we figure out yer place in the cog. Maybe a drink here or there. You got any specific strengths?"


    Ally picked up a metal sheet which she figured could pass for a plate. "Uh, I don''t know how much it''d contribute in these days. I write, I also do light farming. The settlement I came from wasn''t anywhere as robust as this place is."


    Rickshaw tops off his plate and motions for her to start picking out meats. The selection is almost too much¡ªit''s far beyond anything she''s eaten in the past five years. She picks up a few drumsticks and a leg of lamb, and then shuffles over and grabbed an ear of corn.


    "I suggest you keep the writing private, paper''s thin to go off of here, always bein'' used for summon''. We''re far from the days of having large factories to mass produce it, but if you''ve got something electronic we can preserve that just fine."


    "I''ve got...well, I''ve got pretty much everything on my back."


    "Mental writing it is then, though I can''t say that''s something the community''d find essential. Maybe in a few years we can rig something up. And I''ll have to say we''re kind of overstuffed for farmers at the moment. Got several independent farms built up ''round us, hence this large feast we get every so often. Once or twice a month it is¡ªyou really chose a good day to escape now, didn''t you?"


    "Any day would have been good," Ally said, filling up some some water into a small metal pitcher.


    "Right you are. That bad, huh?"


    "Women and girls were stolen away five years back. Everyone else was killed."


    "Just the women? They had you on a sex farm?"


    Ally tried to find her voice. "It...wasn''t every day, but there were guards that...liked..."


    "Right, say no more. I shouldn''t have even brought it up," he raises a hand. "Sorry, I just have a hard time thinking so awful of people sometimes, but I have to realize I have had it easy in a lot of ways."


    "I didn''t mean to make you think so deep about it," Ally said, finding navigating the conversation an awkward motion.


    "Not at all, I figure we could all do with some more thinking on things. Anyway, I''ll shift topics, I see it''s sensitive. What say you come to my workshop once we finish up here? I ain''t got much work for the rest of the night, but it could spark something in you."


    Ally looked down at the now admittedly gargantuan plate she''d been filling up to avoid thinking of the old prison. "I...yeah, that sounds fine. I figure I ought to start repaying you all as soon as I can."


    He shakes his head, "In due course. I won''t have you be busting chops minute one, probably''d disarm you before anything else. Can''t be useful at all if you do that," he chuckled. "I only say because it''s happened before. Fella got so excited to help out and cocky about his ability to catch on he actually ended up smashing him arm in something fierce. We had to end up pushing him out not too long after that."


    "You push people out?"


    "Only if they need it, and nothing else works," Rick said, taking his plate and walking off to the large seating area toward the rear, cocking his head for her to follow. "Guy got really petulant after that happened. Demanded we wait on him hand and foot day in and day out. Always touting that he was a lawyer back in the old world, said he''d sue me for everything I had and then whatever my firstborn had," he chuckled. "Got the funniest look in his eyes when I told him he''d have trouble finding another judge out here in the wild."


    "Another judge?" Ally asked.


    "I know I don''t look it, but I used to be on the federal circuit over in California. That about sent him redder than a tomato." He hucks up a hearty laugh. "He just couldn''t take being the second fiddle, so he started fighting everyone and everything he could get his hands on. Really petulant, that one. Fortunately, he was not used to having one arm, so he was taken down pretty easily and kicked in the rear on his way. If you''re worried of ending up line him, well, I just don''t think that''s possible."


    The thought should have made her smile, but a part of her thought back to the prison. She hadn''t seen any guards missing an arm, but there was a possibility he joined up, no? He would have fit in perfectly there.


    She sat down at a table full of unfamiliar faces, her anxiety was spiking real high, but seeing the smiles and laughs fill each one, something inside her almost...felt okay.

 12 | Bathed in Flame

    After the buffet, Ally followed Rickshaw back to his workshop. She learns quickly that it doubles as his home. The entrance looked more like a storage shed for all various odd and end machines. Patchwork tractors and other behemoths she can''t gauge the functions of. Rick hobbles in on a leg that Ally guesses is uncomfortable placing weight on.


    "It''s not much of a looker, but this is where I do most of my work. I take all kinds of scrap and fix ''em up here into something people can use."


    "It''s not even that bad," she began, looking around. "You...are much cleaner than the others."


    "I call it an organized mess," he laughed. "Everything has a place. It just may not be what everyone considers organized, but I know where everything is. If you want I can find a mattress or something for you and we can toss it in here.¡± He wandered past a dividing wall and stopped. Ally stopped behind him and watches him go deeper in, coming back out with a large slab of metal. "We could probably get something like a mattress to throw on top of this here for support.


    "Whatever causes the least amount of work for you, I really couldn''t take it if you stuck out too much for me."


    He waved her off. "Not the kind of place for those kinds of worries. Most people here are the sticking out kind. Helps the machine run, you know?"


    "The machine?"


    "Think of Home as one. The more parts that are thinking only of themselves the less the machine can do what it was built for. In our case, that''s to be a place for us all to rebuild and reconnect."


    Ally thought it over. It was true that in a sense small communities needed to band together to be successful. It was certainly true of the old settlement she was a part of before. She wondered if the guilt she felt was a side effect of the gratitude at how easily these new people had taken her in. In some sense, they must have been equally as grateful for her taking them in as well. She hadn''t quite thought of that before. Each new person that arrives Home is another person to contribute and make it a better place to live.


    With those thoughts tightly wound around her fears, she smiled and offered him a look of genuine thanks. "I understand. I will try to be less apologetic for taking up space. I understand that every person helps the greater goal."


    Rick offered a grin of his own. "That''s more like it. Not to say you have to be jolly all the time, just..apologize when it''s really needed, you know?"


    Ally nodded in agreement. "Yes, I can do that."


    Rick disappeared behind the wall again and bustled across loose heaps of metal. If she was going to be sleeping here she would have to find some sort of compromise with keeping Rick''s organized mess and being able to walk without jabbing into several different objects. She''s startled as he reappears with a bundled up heap of cloth. "Can probably use this for sheets when we find something that can work as a mattress. That part of it might be a work in progress though." He extended the cloth out to her and she took it, holding the bundle close to her.


    "Okay, that sounds fine. Where do you think we could find something like that?"


    "Rosco should have the ability to whip one up. He worked with a few of his boys with construction jobs. One of the only full families we got here, you know?"


    "Oh, they''re actually his children?"


    "Yep. Three of the little buggers, though, guess when I say little you might be thinking of young young. Two of ''em are probably around yer age. One''s older, though. Twenty six...er...seven. One of the two last I recall."


    "It''s good they all managed to find each other and stay together," she said.


    "Yeah, it''s fortunate. Specially for Edwin¡ªthe youngest Rosco boy. He''s a bit frailer than the other two."


    Ally could relate. She thought how different things would be if she arrived in the new world with Jaclyn and George Fae. Probably not much. To think of it, George and Jaclyn weren''t very...strong people. They were kind and it would have been an easier beginning, but they certainly wouldn''t have made it through the raid on their settlement. George would have been slaughtered like the other boys, and Jaclyn...well, she probably would have been raped and killed just like Eileen. Those thoughts didn''t bring much comfort to her¡ªand she thought if she had to go through that...well, she''d be even more fucked up than she already is.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I''ll talk with the Roscos tomorrow. For now just use that there like a sleeping bag."


    Ally nodded and the two parted as she began to make herself as comfortable as she could considering the circumstances.


    Life stabilized over the next week. Rickshaw fit Ally up with her own living space inside the workshop behind the divider. It wasn''t the most private, but it was safe, that she was pretty sure of, and that meant more than anything else. She took under him like a student learning the ways of metalwork. Long hours were spent learning the use of every single piece inside the shop. Soon, it changed from a mess of junk into a marvelous plan laid out before her. Each small piece had a purpose of its creation, some to make cutting easier, some to meld, and others were pieces for larger projects. She was surprised at how quickly she picked up on it. She never considered herself much of a gearhead before, but there was an easy to follow logic that captured her attention.


    He was just as surprised at how easily she took it up, and part of her thought that it was because he saw that fire in her that his teaching reached a new level.


    Over the week she started coming out of her shell piecemeal. First it was by attending a congregation held by Father James Grimsby. Ally was hesitant at first to enter any sort of church¡ªshe never was much a pious type, but Rick assured her it wasn''t like congregations in the old world. It was more similar to a town therapy and healing session.


    "It''s a time to remember who we were so we can better prepare for who we have to be," he explained. Worded that way, she was more open to going. Her hesitance turned to acceptance, then appreciation. It became a daily activity that didn''t take long at all to become habit¡ªto become strange that she''d gone so long without talking about her problems.


    Unfortunately, all was not as eden. Eventually the dark cracks would show themselves. Words carried on whispers spoke of dark communion between Father Grimsby and a demon. Those who say don''t say twice, and those who wonder don''t spare thoughts more than a snide laugh at the preposterousness at the idea.


    Ally wondered, though. She wondered a lot. She fought back and forth with letting the hope of seeing one of them again enter. She saw a clear path forward to moving on from her past¡ªfinally when some sort of normalcy returned to her she is offered the box yet again¡ªand she knew that if she was given any reason at all to open it¡ªto again stare at the void inside...she''d do it in a heartbeat.


    She went to the congregation early and left late each day. Father Grimsby was a gentle man, his soft complexion belied the fact of his survival past an apocalypse. He was the kind of man who would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it¡ªforget the reasons why.


    And yet....something about him seemed...manufactured. Something definitely was hidden there under the surface. Ally had faced enough to tell. The whispers around her only seemed to grow, to reverberate, and it drove her mad.


    She began sleeping less and less¡ªand just as her sleeping quarters started feeling more comfortable, her thoughts at night were again plotting and theory-crafting just what she could do to further her goal of finding the Children of the Night.


    Three weeks after Ally touched ground at Home she almost got her wish. She was awake, calculating possible headquarters for the Children if the geography of the land were any amount similar to the world that was before, when suddenly a loud scream outside broke her concentration and gripped her with fear. The last time she heard a scream like that...


    She flashed back to the prison and the torture they had put her through before Jace had saved her. Then her thoughts traveled back to Jace, and suddenly, he was there.


    "Hey stranger, long time no see." He offered a smile.


    "You have the strangest sense of timing," Ally said. "Although, I am going to need your help."


    "You''re not seriously going out there, are you?"


    "I''m not going out defenseless, no." She brandished a small blade she used largely for finely cutting metal. "I''ve learned a few things since we last talked."


    "A fighting guru, are we?" Jace asked.


    "Something like that," She chuckled. "No, not a guru by any sense of the imagination. But I''ve learned a lot from Rick. He''s taken a liking to me I think, as much as I him. We sorta replace what we were missing."


    "So he''s taught you how to work with metal, I guess that could be handy," he rolled his eyes playfully. "I''m just joking, that''s awesome, Ally. I''m proud of you."


    "What is there to be proud of? I''m just..."


    "Uh-uh-uh, none of that. You''re one strong motherfucker and you need to take that feeling and steel it inside yourself if you''re going to be going out there."


    "So you''re not going to talk me out of it?" Ally asked.


    "When have I ever been able to talk you out of anything?"


    With this thought she smiled smally and gripped the blade tight and leapt into the night. She snuck past the Garvey''s and the Hascomb''s places. Both men were heavy sleepers¡ªAlly could swear they only woke when the sun was already half set. It made her job all the easier. She skulked and kept her head low, only looking up from her feet to avoid smacking face-first into any walls.


    It didn''t take her long to find what she was looking for. Outside Esmeralda''s Grocery on the edge of Home lay a young man on the ground, bleeding profusely from a wound on his abdomen.


    His eyes meet hers and in a flash it''s like she could feel him clawing away at her mind.


    "Help...I''m dying."

 13 | Meeting of the Minds

    Ally stared into the bleeding stranger''s eyes. She was frozen in place until the scream behind her cut her back into herself. Ally turned to see Esmeralda running over toward them, holding her dress up to keep from tripping.


    "What happened? I heard shouting and large rumbling," She asked, then looked at the body. "Oh god..."


    "He''s...he''s dying," Ally spat out. "We...we...where''s Rembry?"


    Johan Rembry was a doctor in the old world¡ªa cardio-thoracic surgeon. Surgeons were specialized in their fields¡ªwhich was unfortunate for general practice, however, there were a few nurses who found their way Home before Ally had ever arrived. Together they made up the Rembry Medical Station. Ally''s fear heightened only when Esmeralda shrugged her shoulders to her question, and she turned around and yelled out¡ªto nobody in specific, but just for anybody who could help.


    Isaac Tanner and Yvi Ngami were the first two to come running. Isaac had shoulder length dark hair and was a shorter¡ªstockier man. Yvi wore her dark hair in braids. She was about as thin as Ally was¡ªbut almost twice as old.


    "What happened?" Isaac asked. He was a blunt man. Even though Ally had sort of gotten used to his way of asking questions so directly, it still caught her off guard.


    "We need Johan." Yvi turned to Isaac. "You go grab him, we''ll take him..." She looked around, frantically, then settled on Ally. "Old Ricky up?"


    "I''m not sure, he wasn''t when I heard him," Ally said. "We could probably move him there, though. Lots of space so he''s not out here in the elements.


    "Just what I was thinking," She nodded, then turned to Esmeralda. "You help her with the arms and I''ll grab the legs, okay Emmy?"


    Esmeralda nodded curtly. Her eyes shone like a cat''s in the night. She and Ally got on either side of him and hoisted his body up in tandem with Yvi.


    "Heavy mother effer, ain''t he?" Esmeralda winced as she gathered a steady hold.


    He dropped a bit on Ally''s side, but Jace appeared by her side and he supported him alongside her.


    "Where did he come from?" entered Ally''s thoughts. She looked down at the man''s now unconscious face.


    "He...can see me?" Jace asked.


    "I think the more pressing issue is that I can read his mind," Ally thought to him.


    "Wonder what''s so special about him. Can''t read anybody else''s thoughts, right?"


    "Hmm..."


    They made it all the way to Rickshaw''s and placed him down on Ally''s bed. She turned the light on and clearly they could see just how bad his wound was. It was a very dark patch just above his belly¡ªa large shard of glass protruded from the entry-point.


    Esmeralda backed away and held her fist to her mouth. Yvi winced but remained still. Ally stared at his face some more, prodding for more unconscious thoughts, but none came. She could tell he was still alive by the rising and falling of his chest, but how long that remained was anybody''s guess. She heard footsteps coming from behind them all and knew that Rickshaw was awake.


    "What the hell is all the commotion for?" He asked, groggily rubbing his scalp.


    "Boy''s been left at our doorstep bleeding half to death.," Esmeralda said, letting loose a braid and letting it fall. "Took all of us to get him back here."


    "And why did you bring him here?" Rick asked, looking subconsciously to Ally, who backed down at the look.


    "My idea," Yvi said. "Figured we could use your space and you wouldn''t mind...or would be asleep."


    "Well, one half of those was right," he mumbles, rubbing his face. "And I guess the other one doesn''t matter so much now. Someone call for Rembry?"


    "Yeah, Isaac went to¡ª"


    The front door burst open with Isaac and Johan Rembry filing in ¨C scrambling gloves on. "This him?" He asked.


    Yvi nodded, "Yes, he passed out on the way here. We know you''d need to work some magic, but maybe there''s a little bit of that left from the old times."


    Johan looked the boy over. Lifting his shirt reveals a silver shard embedded into the wound. It glistened as if threatening all of them crowded around him.


    "Boy''s lucky. If he tried to yank this out himself he most surely would have bled out." He reached into the pocket of the coat and brought out a small wrap up containing some instruments. "We''re going to need some more light."


    "I got it," Ally said, moving toward the other end of the room. She yanked the plug of the lamp on the table and grabbed it in a firm grasp. "I''ve got this," she returned and found an open slot near the bed.


    "Mighty lucky lemming we figured out electricity," Rickshaw mused. "Need anything else, Rembry?"


    "No, I should be fine." He carried out a bottle of ethanol and rubbed a scalpel through a cloth dosed with it. Shining it a few times over he bent down over the bed. The boy''s eyes opened slowly, as if he was trying to see as little as possible.


    "Well, what a fine time to wake up," Johan said, turning to Ally. "Bring that light over here.¡±


    "I never slept. I..." he grimaced, "I''ve been focusing on staying up, trying to quiet everything out."


    "Coulda fooled us," Esmeralda said.


    ¡°Well, I don''t have any sedatives here, but thankfully I don''t need to cut you too much. I''m hoping that the sliver there is smaller on the other side."


    "I..." the boy thought, his breath labored. "I don''t think it is. It was...like a shank. I didn''t get a good look at it...but I think that the handle snapped off..."


    "Okay, well, I''ll give it my best," Johan said.


    "Not the most reassuring thing," Yvi said.


    "Not the most reassuring case."


    The boy cried out in pain as a trail of blood leaked from his wound.


    "Okay, let''s do this," Johan said, wasting no more time.


    Ally looked close with a mixed feeling of fear and interest.


    "God...Promise me you won''t get stabbed like that. I couldn''t imagine," Jace said, appearing beside her.


    "It''s not on my bucket list," she thought back.


    "I do not recommend it," the voice entered her thoughts again.


    She looked over toward him, growing concern on her face. His eyes darted up to her and they''re locked in a look of mutual confusion.


    "So...that was you," Ally thought.


    "And here I thought I was just hallucinating. I¡ªHKK" his eyes went wide as Johan made the first incision just above the base of the entry-point.


    "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck...hooooooooo fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck."


    "Hey, you''re doing good. I can see the end of it. You''re going to be fine."


    He tried to meet her stare again. The others'' eyes were glued to the blade sliding out of his stomach. She stared at him and nodded slowly.


    "C''mon. It''s almost out."


    "I''ve been around knives all my life. I used to be a chef in my settlement before this, you know? Never thought I''d catch one in the gut. I''m Felix, by the way."


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "A chef, huh?" Ally thought. "Then you definitely need to make it through this. We could always take in a new chef. My name''s Ally."


    The thought made her think back to Nassau. She''d talk this easily with the twins and...and...


    "Who''s Lilly?"


    She shot him a glare¡ªthe humor gone from her face. "You stay out of there."


    "Woah, sorry, sorry. I...I can''t always control it. I''m like a radio sometimes. It''s...why I got stabbed."


    She looked at him, her worry lessened and she exhaled slowly. "I''m sorry. I just...I try not to think about those things as much as it is, you caught me off guard."


    "You''re not the first. I am sorry."


    At first she was unsure how much of a glimpse he got, but the tone he left on made her think it was more than she would have liked.


    "Well, you''re internally bleeding, but that much is to be expected. It''s actually not as bad as I was thinking. You''re going to have a shitty few weeks coming up, but I don''t see why you can''t make a full recovery. Then again, I''m not anywhere close to being in a professional setting to make that my official diagnosis. Just...don''t be stupid and you should be fine."


    "...sounds good to me," he coughed out, and he looked surprised at the hoarseness of his own voice.


    "I''ll say though, you took it well¡ªthought you''d be a yeller."


    "Guess I just wasn''t focused on it much. Tunnel vision, you know?" He said.


    He didn¡¯t look at Ally, because it''d signal more obvious than anything else to everyone else in the room, but she knew it was pointed at her. Questions flooded her mind as the night progressed. She knew she was going to have to steal time to talk to him alone to figure out just how much he might know about those she''s been fruitlessly searching so long for.


    Not tonight, though. She was thinking too much about Nassau after her...what, mental connection? She hadn''t even given herself the time to really react to the fact that someone like her made it through to the new world. Of course, it would stand to reason¡ªthe two people she had known that had abilities like this were...well, indisposed of would be one way of saying it.


    Felix took the bed. That wasn''t an argument in the slightest. She wasn''t going to have him sleeping on the ground after what he''d been through. Rickshaw was hesitant to have him stay as well, but the feeling soon passed.


    "Well, I understand you''ve got to take it easy, but if you''re gonna stay here you''re gonna have to work. If it ain''t anything physical out of the gate that''s fine. You can watch and pick up pointers for when you get up and move some more."


    "That is...very kind of you," Felix said, a nervous laugh striding along. "I''ll do my best to learn quickly."


    Rickshaw eyed him suspicious for a moment and then walked across the room. Ally was lying on the ground investigating a large metal hunk that looked like it split off in ten different directions.


    "I''ve looked at this thing from top to bottom. I''ve disassembled it, put it back together, pretty sure I''ve even taken it out for a drink," Ally said, flustered. "I still can''t tell what this thing does."


    "Have you tried turning it off and back on again?"


    She side-eyed him a stern look, but she only found a grin.


    "You''re incorrigible."


    "You''re thinking of it too laterally," Rickshaw said. "Think...what kind of use could a machine like this have?"


    "It...sort of looks like one of those tiller things. You know, for farming? But I''m not sure why we''d be replacing them?"


    A smile crossed Rickshaw''s face. "You''re almost there. It is for the farmers, yes, but it ain¡¯t replacing their tillers. It''s for the swampland out on the edge of town¡ªyou know the marshy areas just past Bauten''s shack?"


    She has gone past them once before. When exploring the entirety of the community to get a lay of the land she shuddered at the thought of having to eventually expand past the marshlands. She''s worked in enough swampy land back during the old community¡ªshe couldn''t imagine it bringing back anything but terrible memories.


    "Y-Yes..." Ally said, eliciting a concerned look from Felix.


    "Stop." Ally thought.


    "Like I told you¡ªlike a radio. Can''t control it sometimes."


    "Well," Rickshaw interrupted his thoughts and drew both of their attention back to the machine. "If you got a few people to drag it you could probably operate it and cover some stretch of land over a day''s work, probably wouldn''t be too bad. Thing is, you''d need to stop every so often and toss in the nutrients. That''s why we''re gonna help them hoist it onto their pull "


    "Nutrients? Without any crops?" Ally asked.


    "Yep. The machine here''d be spinning all turbine style as it goes across the land. It''s ripping up the ground and spitting the nutrients underneath. These ain''t just normal seed and feed you could pick up at any wally''s back then. Grounds...different now.


    "Almost...sour, right?" She remembered reading that in an old Stephen King novel a lifetime ago. She thought it was Pet Sematary.


    "Something close," Rickshaw said. "Not as nutritious for the plants as it used to be. We''ve got to nearly overload them to get ''em to stick the landing."


    "I see. When do you think we''ll have this one up and running?"


    Another smile crossed his face, "Almost. We still need to fashion the connector. We''ll need to weld it on, but that won''t take us too long." He turned to Felix, "You might even be able to accomplish that one."


    "If it''d help, sure thing," Felix said.


    "Course it would. Would be some work for your arms there."


    "Sounds good to me, maybe I could even try to stand? Get the legs moving and whatnot?"


    "No, no you''re not going to be doing that. Not tonight anyhow. Thing about taking a hit is to have the time to take the hit. Your body''s young, but that also means it''s fragile. It''s not something you just come back swinging from the next day."


    He sighed. "Yeah. I know. Just...feel like I could do more, y''know?"


    "In due course. Now, you can help her polish the body here to get it looking nice. I need to go find us some scrap we can repurpose for the connector bit."


    Finally, Ally and Felix were left alone.


    "Who are you?" Was the first question she asked. She almost surprised herself with how quickly it came out, she moved to correct her intentions. "How long have you been able to read minds?"


    "Well, coming right out of the gate. I guess I can''t say I''m surprised, I had equally as many questions for you."


    "I asked first," she said, impatiently.


    "I''m well aware. I''ve been able to do it for as long as I''ve been out here in the new world. Never much came up when I worked the line. People I ended up running with weren''t the fondest of the idea of someone like me, though. I could tell right away if they knew they''d try to kill me or run me out some way or another."


    "Leading to how we found you," Ally said.


    "Right. No matter how hard one tried to hide their peculiarities, rumors have ways of spreading like a brushfire. Soon everyone seemed to know something was off about me, sooner still that they acted on their fears. I was tied up and beaten until I revealed what it truly was. Of course I held firm until they brought out the knives. I knew at that point no matter what I did or said I was at their whims. Thankfully, after they stabbed me the first time I started spouting off whatever I could clutch onto. It scared them enough that they questioned killing me. So, they decided to ditch me and let the elements take me."


    "Pretty wild they dumped you so close to another settlement."


    "Probably didn''t cross their minds. Just wanted to get rid of me before anything bad happened to them."


    Ally thought on this. These were people he''d been with since the start of the new world...how quickly they can let fear overtake them and nearly kill one of their own.


    "That''s my tale. It''s not exorbitant or anything like that, but it''s my own." He said. "What about you?"


    Ally took up the rag by her side and applied some of the polish to one of the rotator blades. "Bit of a long story. Lot of it is still in the mental circus. I was involved in..." she began thinking of Nasseu. "...an incident at the school I used to go to. Someone I knew got killed and there was this...force...being? I''m not sure how I''d fully describe it If I''m being honest. They had powers unlike anything I''ve ever seen. They were like...and outsider intervening. Anyway, that''s a long story to tell on a first meeting. I started...I don''t know, noticing certain things I could do that I couldn''t before. Telepathy seemed to be one of those things, but of course it was with people who were like me."


    "So there was more than just you?"


    "There were two, although I only communicated with one."


    "You know where they are now?"


    "Sore spot," Ally said. "Although...I am trying to find her."


    "Ouch, okay, we can move off that topic. Got any plans here? Like," he moved his arms in a grand fashion. "...here?"


    "Survive, mainly. Secondary course of action is to find out more about the Creatures of the Night."


    "That what you''re calling the...beings?"


    Ally nodded. "There''s more than one out there. I don''t have a good feeling about them. I think they might be responsible for what happened to the world."


    "Hm...odd indeed. What did it look like?"


    "I...think it looked like a golden wolf. It didn''t look like it was fully there, Like, almost smokey? But it could also like, enter people. If it did it could speak through them, their eyes would glow this reddish gold color."


    "That''s messed."


    "It did that because it couldn''t talk normally. At least, I couldn''t understand it. The weirdest thing was how...almost friendly it seemed. Like, I wouldn''t be so na?ve to believe everything it said, but I have to say, the entire incident was caused by my classmate. It was just trying to find the truth."


    "Bit of an overarching take, though, isn''t it? Bit vigilante."


    "I guess so. And I don''t wholly agree with how it turned out, but I don''t...wholly disagree either. It''s confusing, really."


    "That is a lot to take in. If this were any other circumstance I don''t think I''d even consider it..."


    "Life is different, now," she said. And never more than now did she truly believe so.

 14 | Reunion, So Bittersweet

    2032


    Ally woke to a pounding headache and an immediate nauseous feeling that pinned her to the bed. The world kept spinning as she gripped the covers tight. Please just let it end. Please just let today start out better than this. She brought the back of her hand up to her forehead and felt relieved she wasn¡¯t blazing, but suddenly a single, poisonous thought entered her mind and she shot up like a bullet.


    No no no no no. That¡­


    ¡°It was possible, right?¡±


    The thought came from next to her, Felix looked like he was asleep, but it seemed more like he had been not wanting to wake her.


    ¡°I mean...you know.¡±


    She knew full well. She had no right to be surprised...and yet here she was. The poison that entered her mind was a possibility, and with how her luck has been she could almost guarantee the worst possible outcome was true.


    A terrible fear gripped her. How could she have been so stupid? She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to¡­


    ¡°Hey,¡± he placed a hand on her back and started rubbing. ¡°Listen, I know it was a lot. I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about it.¡±


    ¡°I...can¡¯t¡­¡± She was thinking of every inconceivable failure¡ªevery wrong thing that¡¯s happened since she could begin remembering. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do anything alone. I know you¡¯ve always feared about being alone. I know you were alone for the longest time.¡±


    Her eyes closed as he said it.


    ¡°I know you have done a lot of things you didn¡¯t think you could. You had to grow up earlier than you ever should have had to¡ªwe all did, I think. But you know what? You¡¯re not alone anymore. Not even just me¡ªbut Rickshaw¡ªEm¡ªeveryone here. You know Yvi and Isaac had Tonio a few years back.¡±


    Ally remained quiet, thinking. Her head was in her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t know either,¡± Felix said. ¡°But I think I¡¯m ready. More than think, really.¡±


    Ally breathed in deep and let it go, almost deflating as she lied back across his abdomen. ¡°I just didn¡¯t really think it was real, you know?¡±


    ¡°Think what?¡±


    She motioned in the air. ¡°This. I mean...the last seven years have felt almost like an extended nightmare for many, many years, and even though the terror has ended it still felt...dreamlike. Like I¡¯m experiencing it through someone else. I guess this is the first moment I feel here for.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. You¡¯re not alone in feeling that way. Look, there¡¯s still plenty of time for things to fully clear themselves up, but if you are pregnant, and if this is the road you want to go down, I want you to know that I¡¯m here.¡±


    She smiled softly, ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know what I want quite yet. I know that¡¯s awful to think, but I just need some time.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, that¡¯s the one thing we have more than enough of.¡±


    Two weeks later Ally found herself sneaking out of Rickshaw¡¯s in the dead of night. Whispers had been plentiful and the possible child hadn¡¯t been the only thing on her mind. Whispers of the unholy communion of Father Grimsby and the devil still hung on the air. Years ago she stopped looking into them, believing they were a false trail only meant to get her hopes up.


    That was, until she started noticing how sickly Father Grimsby had gotten the past year. It was a dramatic turn¡ªso quick he seemed to age almost two decades. Everyone began talking about deals with the devil and its after effects. Ally didn¡¯t think so much it was a deal with Satan himself, but some particular forces could be reasoned to be demonic.


    Fireflies hung low on the ground. They, too, reappeared within the last few years. The difference was the multiple different colors they glowed. Some thought it was the different particles in the air¡ªothers guessed it had to do with how the sky was always different from the old world. They illuminated her path almost by her will, alone.


    ¡°Figured you could use a bit of light, madame.¡± Jace offered a smile by her side, floating as she snuck among the lights.


    ¡°Welcome, and thanks,¡± she said, quietly.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want you to trip. Especially now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve fully gotten your opinions on things yet.¡±


    ¡°Why would you need my opinion?¡± Jace asked


    She looked ahead and took in a deep breath. ¡°I trust you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should follow through if you¡¯re still hung up on the Creatures of the Night and Lilly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hung up on her.¡±


    ¡°What part of you lying to me do you think is going to work out?¡±


    She bit her lip, stopped among the fireflies. ¡°Is it so bad to not know what I¡¯m looking for?¡±


    ¡°I think before you commit to anything you should figure that out. If you go too far in either direction you will force yourself out of the other, forever. And the both of us know you don¡¯t handle regret well...at all.¡±


    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°In a perfect world, I would say you should treasure the time you have with the one you love. I would be saying you should put your focus on making sure your child was able to grow up in a peaceful and stable environment.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t live in a perfect world,¡± she said aloud, startling some of the nearby fireflies away.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m...worried. We seem to be dropped in the middle of a situation that could upend everything you know. What good would a world be for a child if these creatures destroy it before they can grow up to experience it?¡±


    Deep down, she knew that this was the heart of the issue¡ªthe origin of the discord in her heart. She felt so removed from her life because from the day she left Nasseu she knew it was going to lead to this. She was young, then and nowhere near prepared enough to do anything but survive.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t know either, But I think I¡¯m ready. More than think, really.¡±


    She thought she finally was ready. She continued off toward the church on the north end of Home. There was a feeling deep in her gut that was confirmed by the amber lights spilling out from the stained glass windows onto the ground outside the rotund building. There should have been no need for those lights to be on at this time of night.


    ¡°Thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± She thought to Jace.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling something big in there. It was sort of...electrifying the air.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling the same. It was familiar.¡±


    He nodded beside her, they both felt the spark in the air. He didn¡¯t even need to point out that the ends of her hair were standing on end.


    At the edge of the church the low light offered shadows for Ally to sidle up next to. She saw distorted figures through the windows she couldn¡¯t make out. ¡°If you want, I can lift you to the top. We can go all spy style through the rafters.¡±


    Ally nodded. She extended herself out to him and he grabbed hold tight of her hand. She got flashes of Peter Pan, but it was gone in an instant as she landed on top. There was a vent that made for an easy in. She reached for the knife from her back pocket and pried it between the wood and the metal. Jace grabbed hold as well and the plate broke away.


    ¡°All right. Should be all I need. You can follow normally, now.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯m here if you need me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She slid in and began crawling until she reached a drop. She could hear some shuffling underneath her, but It was too far away to hear clearly.


    ¡°Jace, gonna need some help here.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    He appears at the bottom of the drop.


    ¡°Come to me here, I¡¯ll catch you.¡±


    ¡°Even if I go headfirst?¡±


    ¡°What else would I be for?¡± He grinned.


    She pulled herself over the edge and closed her eyes as she drops. True to his word, he caught her and let her down softly on the top of the vent. They were much closer, now. She found the endpoint of the vent. If she was where she thought she was she should be near the organ on the top balcony. She got out the knife and held it out, forgetting that the bolts were held in from inside the church.


    ¡°Damn it. Hey Jace, can you help again?¡±


    ¡°So needy. What would you do without me?¡±


    She caught his sly look as he floated past her. ¡°Hey, the shelf life on that not being funny has long since passed. You can¡¯t enforce these limits on my creativity.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what I¡¯d call it necessarily.¡±


    ¡°Funny, I seem to think so ever since you started talking with Felix,¡± Jace said.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve started imagining me with some of his quirks. You haven¡¯t noticed?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been snarky and sassy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but It was a different flavor. I¡¯m sure It was a comfort thing.¡±


    ¡°Just open the gate, please.¡±


    ¡°Not the only sassy one here,¡± he laughed.


    And sure enough, in his laugh she felt a pang for Felix¡ªsitting back in bed sound asleep. She for a second regretted being out here¡ªknowing it was a stand against everything that could be. She took in a deep breath and reminded herself of what Jace told her. She gave him energy and slowly the bolts came loose. She slid the panel off and emerged to see Father Grimsby down below, centerfold with a glittering dagger in one hand and a long streak of blood coursing down his arm.


    ¡°From this blood to your call. From the blood of one to all. Heed my tones, heed my summons. Come to this land, and reveal thyself.¡±


    He was standing in front of the front-most table that held an urn. He held the dagger to the tip of the wound and let blood course onto the tip of the blade. Holding it over the tip of the urn, and tapped it in. Drops flicked in and he waited, silent as the air around seemed to hang still. She was frozen at the top waiting for something...anything to happen.


    They waited there for several minutes. The energy in the air was undeniable, but nothing seemed to be breaching that barrier. Finally, Father Grimsby slammed his fist into the urn and knocked it off the table. Bloodied ash spilled onto the ground and he let out a roar of frustration. Turning, he saw Ally standing still, and the rage on his face mixed with the confusion into one nasty look.


    ¡°What are you¡­.¡± he tried to get out, but his astonishment is too much. ¡°You¡¯re here because of the rumors, right? Ol Mr. Grimsby is too busy talking with the devil he can¡¯t hold communion anymore, is that it?¡± He voice echoed up to her. ¡°Well that¡¯s total horseshit. Because no matter what I do I can¡¯t summon out the demon resting here! Nobody ever assumes anything but wickedness from me. Nobody ever thinks I¡¯m trying to draw the beastie out to quell it! Go on, tell me all the stories you¡¯ve heard, child.¡±


    Ally was paralyzed, but not in fear of him. The energy of the room was pulsing. It held tight on her throat.


    ¡°Silence?! You, too, treat this old fool as a mute? Damn you! Damn the spirit and damn this town! Into hellfire with all of it!¡± He screamed, turning around, and suddenly he was face to face with the golden wolf.


    ¡°Issachar.¡± Ally¡¯s voice echoed back down to the wolf. In a second she was down on the same level as both of them. To Father Grimsby it almost looked as if she had glided down like some fairy tale. He was caught between looking at her and the wolf, his head spinning back and forth.


    ¡°You...you¡¯re not holy. You¡¯re not right,¡± he sputtered out.


    Issachar shifted on its weight and vanished for a moment within itself, but she knew this act. Father Grimsby didn¡¯t, so his surprise when he felt the lifted feeling of being a mouthpiece for the Creatures of the Night gave was immense.


    ¡°Allison Fae¡­¡± Issachar began.


    ¡°I¡¯m no longer thirteen, if you¡¯re confused,¡± she said.


    ¡°Of good humor. That I am glad. I have to say you have been the human I¡¯ve most wanted to see for a long time, however now my needs to see you outweigh my desire.¡±


    ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± Ally asked. ¡°Funny how life finds ways for two...I guess I can¡¯t say people, right?¡±


    ¡°It is a difficult answer. But I understand the sentiment.¡± Issachar bows Father Grimsby¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ve been intending to find you since...well, I guess it will have been just after we parted ways. Since The Collapse, pretty much.¡±


    ¡°The Collapse? I assume you mean the start of the new world.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The beginning of the singular. Long story I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t have time for.¡±


    ¡°Depending. What¡¯s happened? And what are you and your siblings up to?¡±


    ¡°I guess this is a bit of an involved answer...I do feel you are owed that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been...such an enigma since you came into my life. Are you my enemy? I guess that is first and foremost.¡±


    ¡°Life is hardly black and white, Allison Fae. I desire to be as little of an enemy to as many people as I possibly can.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s enough of an answer for now,¡± Ally said. ¡°But it is pretty evasive.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for my vagueries. Things go way higher above than me...I wish to see you as well off as I can...and I need your¡ª¡±


    The door burst open behind them both. Ally turned to see Felix standing in the door half-dressed.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Issachar asked.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Felix called. ¡°Jesus Christ you scared me half to¡ªwhat are you doing here with Father Grimsby?¡± As he approaches he took note Issachar¡¯s influence over his eyes and stopped dead in his tracks. ¡°Woah...that¡¯s just like....¡± He froze and pulled his hands over his head. Screams escaped and echoed all around them. Ally looked back to find Issachar almost mimicking his motion perfectly. Both men on the end screaming from the pounding pain in their heads. Issachar retreated from Father Grimsby¡¯s body¡ªhe peeled away and landed on the floor of the church as the wolf.


    ¡°What kind of monster are you?¡± Felix looked up and yelled at the wolf. ¡°Who¡¯s Ormus? What the hell¡­¡±


    The wolf roared. Ally heard a screaming sound of anger bellow out as a vicious wind bellows from the outside. Father Grimsby¡¯s eyes return to their normal shade and he turned to the wolf behind him and screams.


    ¡°YOU STAY OUT OF THOSE THOUGHTS. THOSE ARE PRIVATE.¡± Ally heard in her head, but realized they weren¡¯t for her. She turned back to Felix who screamed again as the wincing pain crossed his face. The wind blew harder and a scream louder than any other pierced all of their minds.


    Ally couldn¡¯t handle hearing it. The last thing she remembered was reaching out for Issachar. ¡°No wait...sto¡­¡±


    She blacked out.

 15 | Back to Fact

    2044


    Allison let the story fade into the air and sat in silence as Uriander stared silently at her. Allison realized how much of her story had been weighing on her. She almost found it comical how unguarded it made her.


    ¡°It is a story you do not tell often,¡± Uriander said. ¡°I can tell that much.¡±


    "Sometimes it''s good to hear yourself talk," she said.


    This gave Uriander a smirk. "Well, It''s plain to see where your strength comes from. You''ve been through a busy life in this land."


    "Something like that," Allison returned his smirk.


    "I guess I owe you a story too. I''m not as good a teller, so it won''t be quite so...elaborate."


    Allison relaxed in her seat and nodded. "A story for a story never was too picky with the quality of either."


    "A fine way to excuse it," Uriander laughed. "Well, I guess we got similar backgrounds. Hopping from place to place is what we do best here. Been on the road pitching up camp wherever we can find a comfortable place to do so. Been like this for years, can''t ever find anywhere to settle permanently because of those Duscran neanderthals. They roam and hunt the area and always seem to find us no matter where we go."


    "Have you thought of joining up with the folks over in Tauten, maybe help fend them off together?"


    "Considered, even attempted. Thing is, we don''t want anymore harm to come to the Tauten folk on account of us being there."


    "What''s got them so dedicated to hunting you down?"


    "The kind of hate that transcends the end of the world," Uriander said. "The denial of humanity to anyone different. For a time we used to all be inhabitants of Tauten. We left when the Duscrans ran us out. They''re...well, to put it bluntly hopped up on the idea of blood-purity. Inbreed and you can assume the kind of people who take their familial identity that seriously."


    "What did you mean by different?"


    "Well, I won''t speak for everyone else here because it''s not my place to say, but for myself, I''m trans. Who I am, and the people here support me, as I them. Duscrans..."


    Allison nodded. "I understand. I...actually understand that kind of hatred more than you might think."


    Uriander shook his head, "No need to say more if you''re not comfortable. Like I said, these folk here are sensitive to these kinds of problems."


    "Well, I can help with those idiots that have been chasing you, get them to stop and let you guys not have to fear¡ª"


    "Slow down," Uriander said. "We''re not looking for a savior, honestly. There''s a reason we''ve lived this long. The last thing we need is them getting any motivation to come at us harder."


    "But you understand I could take care of them," Allison argued.


    "I don''t doubt that, but in the chance they surprise you, I don''t take kindly to having that blood on our hands for allowing it. Or if you do, their blood. I may not like ''em, but I''m not keen on sinking to their level either."


    "But you wouldn''t¡ª"


    "Conversation''s done," Uriander said. "Let''s return focus to your dragon hunt, shall we? Something we can both agree can be run out for good."


    Allison bit her lip, but the thought of leaving the problem with the Duscrans to fester didn''t sit well with her, either. But it was true she was here for a purpose, and she nodded, relaxing. "Okay. If you can promise you''ll not let yourself be taken the better of them."


    "Let me tell you something important," Uriander said. "I know you mean well, but you shouldn''t care about me more because I told you about those parts of myself. Same with those people out there, should you get to know them. Care about them because they''re people¡ªand good ones at that, and not because of what they identify as, and don''t even take my word as the final! Because I''m not a representative, just someone who cares about our community here."


    "Our experiences shape how we think about it," Allison began. She thought about her own experience and how she would have loved to think so ideally when she was younger. She knew how harsh the world tried to veil ideals, and knew that one day the Duscrans would catch up and bring on a terrible tragedy to these people. It didn''t make sense that they wouldn''t accept help when it was offered. At this point, she knew that she couldn''t force them to think like her. "Well, I do thank you for the meal. I know food nowadays isn''t as easy to come by as it used to, so I do appreciate the offer. I''m ready to tackle the hike up if you are."


    "Finally accepted me as your tag along, now have you?"


    "You haven''t given me much of a choice, but I do say I enjoy your company more than most of those I''ve encountered lately."


    "Then my plan is coming together nicely."


    "What plan is that?"


    "Well, the plan to kill a dragon, of course. You know how awesome that sounds?"


    Allison shifted in her seat, stretching before standing up fully. "Killing second, answers first, but you get the idea."


    "Answers, what kind of answers could you expect from a dragon?"


    "Know the wolf from my story? Dragon''s like that."


    "Hm...I''ll be honest, I wasn''t expecting it could communicate."


    "Got much experience with dragons, have you?"


    "Guess not. Well, while that''s a little deflating, if it can be communicated with can it be reasoned with? Not saying I necessarily enjoy the thought of a beast like that flying around at all times, but if it''s able to be..."


    "Allying yourself with a demon is apt to infect your insides with black demon gunk, don''t you think?"


    Uriander thought about it, "What''s your definition of demon?"


    Allison''s eyebrows furrowed.


    "I mean, I consider a demon to be something stronger than any ordinary person. Not necessarily evil mind you, but just...otherworldly."


    "What''s your point?"


    Uriander shrugged. "Guess if I''m going by that definition I consider you a demon."


    Allison''s reaction was expected, so Uriander didn''t change his own expression to consider it an insult. She thought on his words, and the things she''d seen in her life. "Yeah, I guess you have a point, going off of your definition."


    "What''s your definition?"


    "I add the evil back in there...or at least, would kill you to meet their goals."


    Uriander sat in silence for a moment longer. "If I blocked your path right at this moment would you kill me?"


    Allison knew where he was leading, but she shook her head. "Not if I knew you were looking to prove a point. I''m not going to say I haven''t killed anyone or won''t in the future¡ªthis is a much different world than the one we grew up in. But, I only resort to it if I''m pushed and have no other option."


    "I see, well, I have no quandaries with traveling with a demon then, but your points are duly noted about the dragon."


    ~...~


    Uriander waved a farewell to a few of the people standing around the exit to the path up the hills. Allison hiked her bag up and saw that they were playing some sort of game involving chalk and a large flat stone. It looked to be a rudimentary version of pictionary. It made her smile and think of simpler times. She looked back up the path and saw the sun set high. The days felt much longer than they used to a few years back. It was easy to assume that there simply were more hours in the day now, but the science behind it was gibberish to her.


    It wasn''t like we were sending people up to space anymore or had any connection to the satellites up above...if they¡¯re even still remained up there.


    As they continued forward Allison straightened her cloak and pulled up the sleeves to adjust her armlet. She knew after this hike she''d need to stop to properly wash her clothes. She couldn''t imagine an encounter with Sakonna going any different.


    "Should have mentioned something, we got spots you could have cleaned up with," Uriander said.


    "Not now, moreso thinking for after."


    "Ah, yes that makes sense."


    "It is kind of you, but I am going to be moving on after this trip."


    "Where to?"


    "I don''t know yet. I think that''s going to depend on the answers I get up there," Allison cocked her head.


    "Ah, I see. Trying to find the boy you hooked up with?" Uriander asked.


    He must have noticed the look she flashed, because he backed off real quick on that topic. "No, he''s made himself more than available as of late. It was the wolf that she was looking for."


    "Hm, a bit curious, but I won''t pretend to assume it''s my business," he shrugged.


    That much Allison was thankful for.


    Half an hour passed as the terrain under their feet grew rougher and rockier. The terrain was only made harder to hike up because of her leg¡ªthe uneven terrain slowed her pace. Uriander either pretended not to notice or it slowed him just as much. She assumed it was more of the former¡ªhis build suggested he kept in shape.


    "Well well well," A higher pitched voice called from Allison''s right. She looked over to see two older men straddling the backs of mutant bulls. Rough fur almost hardened to spikes extended off the beasts'' side like quills. They had ugly mugs that constantly drooled. It could be easy to assume they moved purely as a response of the stimuli of their riders and didn''t exhibit any free will. "How can you just wander out here all alone, pretty?" One of them cooed to Allison.


    "No, she''s not alone she''s got her monster there. Guard dog and such." The second remarked.


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    "Oh, yes, I see it. Quite a shame. You know it''s not quite legal round these parts to walk em unleashed?"


    Allison''s brow furrowed, but she was pulled back by the arm. She looked to see Uriander trying to pull her away from the conflict. Allison gave some resistance, but he let go when a shot fired and narrowly missed him. He jumped back and Allison went with him.


    "Fucking idiot," the first yelled at the second. "how could you miss such a large target?"


    Allison ripped her arm free from Uriander''s grip and moved in a flash. In the span of five seconds she had her lance extended and held it tight from one end and cracked it out like a whip. The metal swung out and wrapped itself around the first beast''s legs. It tried to buck upward but it only succeeded in knocking off the rider and upsetting the second beast next to it.


    Allison recalled the lance to her side and she put it to the first man''s throat as he tried to roll over.


    "Hell are you..."


    She pressed it into his voice box which made him cough intensely.


    "You''re going to go back to your little camp and bring your friend slash brother with you. Hear me? You''re going to stay there. And you''re going to leave us alone."


    The man squirmed, so she let off him slightly. She saw him reach for his gun, so she kicked it out of his hands. Rolling her eyes, she figured this was going to take some extra convincing. The lance melted from her hands and wrapped around his legs in an intricate shape, crossing over and under. His arms were free and he tried grabbing at her leg, but she didn''t so much mind.


    "You have a single chance to save whats between your legs, you''re wrapped up in a little trick I whipped up for especially ignorant people like you."


    He stopped scrambling for a moment and felt the new weight around his abdomen. "What..."


    "You''re going to agree to my terms, or the metal there''s gonna get real hot, real quick. Not around your entire body of course, but the worst part of you, you hear? You''ve got about...ten seconds to agree and I''ll let you go as you came...well, without your gun of course. No need for that now."


    "Step off of him!" The second had finally gotten off his joy ride. A little later than she expected.


    "Ern, d-don''t," the first sputtered out. "My...my dick."


    Allison smiled. She''d broken him. She was almost certain she''d have to demo her trick. "Ern" looked down to see the situation he was in and lowered his gun. "What kind of witch are you?"


    "Consider me more a demon. But, I''m fair. Go away from this place, these people, and he goes free. Otherwise, I work a little harder today."


    "Throw it away Ern, I don''t...I don''t want to lose..." the first started to cry.


    He tossed his gun to the side. "Sorry Ma''am."


    "You''re sorry you picked a fight with someone stronger than you, but for now that''s okay. Leave." She recalled the metal back to her side and spun it a single time, retracting it back to her armlet. The man on the ground shuffled a few feet back when he was freed like a crab after the rock it was hiding under was overturned. His brother yanked him up and the two started sprinting away from her as fast as possible. Just how she liked men like that.


    She turned back to Uriander who was looking at her with a look like daggers.


    "What was that?" he asked.


    "They shot at us, what did you expect? If I didn''t stand up to them they might have actually hit their target."


    "Think for just a second about what is going to happen next..."


    "Next? They go back, you''re not bothered. Win win."


    Uriander sighed. "Do you honestly think people like that take violence as a lesson to learn from? That fear will really cause them to not do anything in return?"


    Allison deflated.


    "They, specifically those two might be out of commission for a while, but their fear will lessen. They''ll remember though. Them and all their family members share that same hatred. What happens when we finish and you go on to lord knows wherever you go onto and we have to deal with the pieces of their anger on top of what we''re already dealing with."


    "I just wanted to help," Allison started, but she saw it was the wrong response.


    "You''ve only ensured that the cycle will continue. You should know when your help is needed." He shook his head, "I need to go back and help the others pack up now...I''m sorry, but you''re on your own from this point on."


    Allison looked at him, dejectedly. She knew she desired to seek out her goals alone because that''s how she best worked, but she would be kidding if she didn''t enjoy the company for once. He started to walk back to the outpost and she felt a black anger¡ªmostly at herself boiling up. She clenched her fist and kept from letting it spill over. He was right. She had overstepped. She took in a deep breath and let the tension fade from her¡ªbut she knew deep down it was another scar¡ªif not a minor one¡ªto add to the collection.


    She resettled the bag on her back and continued walking through the rough terrain. The one positive if it could be called that was the fact that she wouldn''t have to be paranoid about slowing anyone down. It was a minor inconvenience, but she had to take small graces where she could find them in this world. She continued her pace as the sun bleated over her head.


    Allison unfastened the clasps of the cloak around her neck and stopped to stuff it in her bag. With the sun out in full force it would get much too hot for her to continue wearing it. Although, with how humid it was she feared the intense heat would lead to a flash flood. Being without shelter in that situation would be less than ideal. Maybe there were alcoves up on the mountain she could escape to...but anything more than that thought would lead her to nothing more than speculation.


    The mountain peeked out over the horizon and she knew that she was getting closer. Sakonna was getting closer. She could feel it in the air¡ªthere was a sort of...magnetism that made the tips of her hair stand on end. She stopped on a dime and felt uneasy. She was definitely approaching, but it was concerning that she was already starting to feel the effects when still there was so much space between them. She tied her hair up and continued forward.


    The sun was up for another hour and a half before the sky''s oranges started to shift to the dim purples of night. She could see the brightest stars start to line the horizon and knew she''d have to find a place to stop soon. The energy in the air was slightly heavier than when she entered. If she was still it felt like wearing a weighted blanket. She was set on the idea that climbing the actual mountain would be a lot harder than she imagined, but still she had to press on. The mountain was much closer now, on the good end of things.


    She found a stone overpass that she could use for cover for the night. It was as good as she was going to get considering everything else was out in the open. She stepped in the shade and took off her pack.


    The purples above her only grew darker as she set up her camp. The stars were out in full effect, but they weren''t as bright as they used to be in the old world. The skies used to be so dark...it would be dangerous to be out where you could barely see ten feet in front of you. Things were different here...and now they''ve been different longer than not, but still she felt a fond reminiscence for the old skies she used to sleep under.


    It has been over twenty years since she''s slept under these stars, and still the aches of the old world rung in her heart. She had hoped that with time she would get used to the way things were. In some aspects, she has been able to find comfort with her situation, but in many ways still she felt she was trapped in some alien world.


    As she lay on the cloth she spread out she comes up from her thoughts staring back up at the sky. A sound nearby caught her attention. She focused intently for any sign of movement outside. There was a flicker of light and immediately she jumped up and wrapped her hand around her armlet, removing and extending the lance in a flash. She held it out to her side and froze, waiting for another sign of movement. A shadow dashed in the distance and she honed in. She would fire a single warning shot¡ªno more, no less. She hurled the lance¡ªaiming to land just before them, but suddenly she saw the figure speed up. The lance seemed to puncture right through¡ªbut the figure dissipated, and the lance stuck hard in the ground. She recalled it back and it flew to her side. She scanned the horizon. The figure reappeared on the left bank. It was dashing toward her, fervently.


    She held her ground.


    "If you come any closer I''m going to defend myself with everything I got!" She called out. The figure didn''t slow. As it got closer she saw it didn''t look human. It ran on two legs, but the entire figure was cloaked in darkness. It really was a shadow from head to toe. It approached her camp soundlessly and the energy in the air seemed to coalesce all around it. Allison readied herself and as it approached she thrusted the lance through the shadow. It dissipated just like before, but remaining were echoes that rang through her head.


    "You should have stepped back. You were only trying to help. You didn''t mean to ruin everything."


    She took a step back¡ªso she was aligned with the back wall, her eyes scanning all around her. The area remained empty but still she held her station. When it seemed clear nothing was going to change she lowered her guard. She didn''t feel comfortable sleeping here, not with something like that around.


    She opted to start a fire and keep watch. The area was clear as she left her site to gather kindling. There wasn''t much around to use, but she did manage to find some brush on the ground she could start one with. She felt the metal of the lance start to melt as she shaped it as a base for the fire to keep it contained. Inside the pit she tossed the kindling and started it up. It wasn''t the world''s largest fire, but it''d do to keep her warm as the temperature dropped dramatically outside.


    She sat hugging her legs close to her chest. She was scared. For the first time in a long time she felt like she was thirty years younger and staring out at the big, scary world full of monsters. She tried staying awake as long as she could, but when her eyelids started falling more easily she knew she wouldn''t be able to stay up the entire night¡ªshe''d done too much walking and the energy of fighting Uriander did expend quite a bit of energy. She stamped the fire out and melded the lance''s metal into as much of a cover from the outside as she could. There wasn''t a lot to work with, but it was enough of a block to hide behind. As her eyes closed she caught a glimpse of the shadow figure again, dashing toward her from the distance.


    Son of a bitch....


    Her heart started pumping again and her head started to ache. She was sure this phantom was hellbent on chasing her down. For a moment she considered letting it claim its prize. She was much too tired to continue to defend herself against it, but that reverie broke quickly. She forced herself up, and found gravity felt...heavier. She had to work harder to stand to her feet. She groaned as the makeshift shield in front of her rose up and thinned out back into the lance.


    "Starting to really piss me off now," she muttered. She didn''t think they could hear her, or if they could¡ªthey didn''t care to anything she had to say.


    The shadow approached, and when it got within a ten yard distance it split into two halves, identical in form to the original. She thrust the lance out like before at the first, but the second reached out an arm and grabbed hard on her wrist as she was pulling back. She instantly heard drowning thoughts spilling out everything else. She was in her mind''s eyes staring as scenes flashing by at a million miles a minute. Every horrible situation over the past thirty five years was looping on her mind and every horrible thing anyone has ever said was echoing louder and louder.


    She screamed and swung the lance like a bat. It swung clean through the shadow and its grip on her faded.


    She was breathing heavily. She realized she wasn''t going to be able to stay here at all. She was exhausted, but if she didn''t want to get lost in the darkness she had to move, now.


    She grabbed her back and quickly stuffed everything she could fit back inside and latched it tight. Throwing it on her back she turned to see two more shadows darting from the distance. She hurled her lance at one of them, vanishing it on the spot, and catching the other as the second shadow passed the lance¡ªshe recalled it to her side and it flew through the shadow to reach her. She began running, but it felt like she was running through a bog¡ªnot to mention the rough terrain looked to only continue moving up the mountain. She cursed her leg, and felt a soreness in her side that came from not resting that side of her body. Still, she continued. She bit down hard and found a pace she could continue consistently at. She kept turning back, expecting more shadows to appear, but after the last two they seemed absent.


    She continued climbing up but found great resistance as she reached the base of the mountain. There lead a trail that cut through some of the climbing, but a significant portion of the trip up would involve climbing up steep inclines. A thought most unpleasant in the most optimal of conditions. She looked down at her leg and heaved a sigh. Her insides were burning, but she knew stopping to fend off more of the phantoms was worse. Much worse¡ªshe didn''t know the limit of their division. She thought of fighting off a hundred of those phantoms every few moments. She wouldn''t last. She needed to make it up.


    She took in a deep breath and continued hiking up the path. She shifted the lance slightly to act as a walking stick¡ªit helped more ways than she could have believed with the uneven ground. Up she hiked. It felt like she had surpassed her limits five times over. About an hour and a half had passed and she kept hiking. She was drenched in sweat, but the fear of stopping still pushed her forward.


    She was about halfway up the mountain when she collapsed. The ground was too rough for her to take a good step and she fell forward. She let out a small sound as she hit the ground. More than the pain of the fall her brain was thankful she stopped moving. Her chest went in for air for longer than she could count. She coughed and everything inside killed. Looking up her vision was shaky. If it was hard to stand up down below, it felt impossible now. Even lifting her head took considerable effort¡ªof which she was not in high supply of. Then over the edge at the base of the mountain she saw what she feared. The shadow was running in her direction, it had split into four copies now. A fifth branched off as they trailed out of sight. Based on their speed...if they kept running continuously they''d reach her in about twenty minutes. The thought of waiting alone for the inevitable end terrified her. It also angered her. She looked up to see the peak was another...twenty to thirty minutes at her pace. It ate away at her that she was so close...that this was where she was going to die.


    She knew she couldn''t lift herself up. Even with her lance¡ªthere wasn''t anything she had energy left to do. She was out of tricks, and just because she fucked it up she lost the only help that could have gotten her out of this situation. Everything she had gone through¡ªall the heartache, the hope, the stress, the pain, was supposed to lead to something better than this. She lived long, but not nearly long enough, and not nearly enough of it was worth it.


    She closed her eyes and let out a pained sound as she tried to power herself up. The fear of regret was stronger than the fear of death¡ªthis she knew, but it still wasn''t enough. She could get as far as putting the weight on her arms by lifting her chest up¡ªbut her lower body felt numb. Even if she could muscle enough strength to get her entire upper body up, she couldn''t feel anything below her waist at all. And even then, walking seemed like too arduous a task. Maybe...Maybe just resting here forever would erase all of the pain away.


    The coldness she felt was immediate, she saw the hand wrapped around her forearm, her eyes scrolled up to see the shadow figure perched over her. Its face was blank, empty. The cold thoughts began spinning in her mind, and her entire body felt cold as more and more of them covered her. In the end she was encased in darkness¡ªfigures piling over each other like a cocoon. In the cold, she faded, and fell under.

 16 | In Darkness

    2044


    Thousands of memories surrounded Allison''s inner mind like a hurricane. They passed faster than she could glance at them fully¡ªtake any of them in. They cut her as they passed, little almost-unnoticeable cuts that she began to feel long after the memory passed. She tried to withdraw into herself, but no matter which way she turned the memories pushed themselves onto her. She tried to reach out to any one of them to grab hold¡ªto end the onslaught of the many. There was a memory that was larger than the rest¡ªcloser to the front of her mind and instantly she knew of what it was. She reached out at her limit and felt herself evaporate into the mist.


    ~...~


    The darkness outside the cathedral hall was only interrupted by the shimmering light that erupted from within. The boy¡ªFelix, had curiously followed the girl he had fancied. But after confronting her and the golden ethereal wolf inside, he was separated from the both of them.


    The light spilled from the wolf''s eyes, mouth, and nose. It blinded both Ally and Felix as blustering winds filled the halls.


    Ally didn''t remember what happened next. She only next remembered waking up to a rough wind coarsing across her body. Her eyes opened slowly and her entire body felt like it had been put through the wringer. The sky was a deep orange color that seemed even more vibrant than she had gotten used to. She had to work slowly to lift her head¡ªbut when she did she noticed the shape of her stomach. It curved outward and just looking at it sent a flurry of thoughts through her mind. A million thoughts raced through at the speed of light. She felt sick, awfully numb and she let out a sad cry as she turned over to her side. Everything hurt. Everything ached. Nothing made sense and she was now in the middle of nowhere.


    Looking straight out¡ªit had seemed she was lying down in a rocky wasteland. Sand blew in waves carried by the wind across the horizon. If things were as they were she would have guessed she were somewhere near the Grand Canyon, although considering the east coast had been changed dramatically in its environment she realistically could be anywhere.


    She slowed her breathing and tried to regain control of herself. She needed to ground her racing mind with concrete information. She was Allison Fae. She was twenty-three years old...although, the passage of time threw that out the window. She realistically could be either twenty-three or twenty-four. It seems as if a number of months had elapsed since she was Home with Felix and Issachar. She didn''t know how she winded up here¡ªalthough Issachar was the most likely choice. Why he dumped her here is another unknown factor.


    She was pregnant. This was no longer a topic she could avoid. She was pregnant and she was in the middle of nowhere. Now, she had two options. She could give up¡ªsit here and accept that life was simply too good for her to ever have. That everything up to this point meant nothing and that not only would she be throwing away her own life, but the life of her unborn child.


    Or.


    She could get up, push forward, and find a way out. Surviving has been her main priority since arriving in the new world. Just because it was a little harder didn''t mean that that goal had changed. She took in a sharp breath and heaved herself up to a sitting position. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she smiled smally. She wasn''t truly alone. Not ever again would she be. That thought helped like a cool breeze.


    Jace helped her to her feet and looked at her with a similarly small smile. "So, what are you going to do from here, captain, my captain?"


    She took in a deep breath, "I''m going to probably throw up in a few. I feel awful, but when that''s done I''m going to start moving. Anywhere that has people. I need to start working back toward what I want."


    "And what is it exactly that you want?"


    She looked down instinctively, "...I don''t know yet. Not fully. I still need to figure that part out. I don''t have much of a choice right now but to survive. But...it is too late for me to end the pregnancy. Not that I had any serious ways of going about that here anyway. So, as much as I would love to continue my journey in finding Issachar¡ªin finding Lilly¡ªI have a responsibility to both myself and the baby...my baby...to let that goal go."


    "I know you like the back of my hand, and knew that was going to be your answer, but I''ll admit there were times where I was worried you''d let your passion cloud your judgment."


    She looked at him, kind, "I worry myself every single day, Jace. But this feels right."


    He smiled back, his golden hair shimmering in the sunlight, accenting the brightness of his expression. "That makes me glad. Almost worried I was going to have to commandeer the ship, my captain," He does an eloquent bow. "Your first mate remains."


    "Cut that out," she laughed a hollow sound, but she was thankful.


    "All right, so you''re gonna need me, clearly. Ain''t no way you''re walking this whole wasteland by yourself." He dashed behind her and scooped her up in his arms.


    Ally was surprised by the ease he grabbed her. "I''m a little more than surprised you can still carry me," she said.


    "Well, technically you''re telekinetically carrying yourself, if we wanted to cut it down to brass tacks."


    "Makes you seem less heroic, doesn''t it?" Ally asked.


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    "Dunno if I''d go that far," he smiled.


    And so, he began moving throughout the wasteland. Flatland of cracked amber-colored earth with a similar-toned sky made the horizon point a blend of endless orange. The sky was cloudless and the bleating sun was the sole purple light spilling onto the canvas. Although, it looked to be more of an indigo than a straight purple¡ªit seemed to fluctuate as the rays emitted.


    Ally was tired¡ªeven though she had just woken up, the toll of taking in everything that had happened was weary on her body. She rested her head against Jace''s chest, but he nudged her awake. "''Fraid I need you awake still to keep me going," he said. "Maybe when you have a solid breakfast and are stronger you can do that, but I don''t want to leave you out here alone."


    Groggily, she nodded her head and kept a focus on the horizon. The unchanging environment became their constant companion. Finally, Jace had to slow down. The sky started to fade as the sun, too faded behind the horizon¡ªstreaks of indigo light filling the void above them. Ally had to force her eyes open because the exhaustion was too much. Jace bent to stand her back up¡ªbalancing on her own weight was a challenge once more. She felt the energy leave her body as she wanted nothing more than to undo her curiosity and fall back into bed with Felix.


    "If you''re out there...please answer."


    No response came.


    "I wish I could carry you the rest of the way," Jace said, visibly strained. "I don''t want to just drop you, especially now. I sense something different continuing this way. I can''t tell what it is specifically, but I''m hoping it''s a settlement."


    "Thank you Jace, I...I''m so sorry you have to rest."


    He smiled, "Be sorry I''m gonna come back jacked. Take care, I''m always with you," he said, and faded from view.


    "I know..." She reached out for him as he faded and let her hand fall, silently. She had also sensed something different up ahead, but it was faint¡ªit would be another hour''s walk if not more. The thought didn''t inspire confidence. She stretched her arms high into the sky and felt the familiar rumblings in her stomach. She knew what was coming and she reached back with one hand and grabbed up her hair in both of her hands and held it back as she bent over. The feeling erupted in a deep stinging sensation in her lower stomach and it burned coming up. It was a debilitating feeling, but as she got control back she felt the pain in her head lessen. She stayed bent over for a minute longer hoping for it to clear more, but when it was clear that was as good as it was going to get she wiped her mouth off and shook her hand away to avoid cleaning it off on herself. She looked down at the both of her hands and saw how rough they were¡ªhow many callouses and blisters had formed in what used to be harmless little hands. She gripped tight and unclenched, facing up and closing her eyes¡ªmentally feeling out the source of the energy she had felt, and continued moving in that direction.


    The night was full in effect by the time the settlement entered her view. The stars above shined and called out their haunting melodies throughout the vastness of space¡ªmelodies that seemed to resonate with her inner being. She felt like they called her to keep walking.


    And so she did until she could no more. She was still about a hundred yards away, but her feet would carry her no further. She simply collapsed and felt unconsciousness hang heavy over her mind.


    Allison''s memory threatened to fade from her grip just as Jace had faded on that day nearly twelve years ago. They swirled around her eyes back in the darkness once more and she remembered the villagers discovering her unconscious body, thinking her dead they started to bury her. She remembered half waking up during the burial process and Jace had helped her out of that situation too.


    The situation flew away from her like a phantom, and she reached with all of her might to break free of the darkness. She got halfway there but was dragged back down to the swirling memories. They were not done with her.


    She gritted her teeth and plunged an arm back out and sank back below her thoughts.


    She woke up gasping for air. She had been staring up at the sky through the earth. She felt immense weight pressing down and she groaned. Jace had erupted into a column of light that blasted the dirt, sand, and rocks skyward, freeing her from her tomb. Ally coughed and rubbed dirt out of her mouth. Slowly she pulled herself up out of the hole. Standing over the edge with a confused look was a man who looked like he was nothing more than skin and bone. A large sunhat shielded most of his features, but she could see his face was pure shock.


    "I...I''m alive," she said, looking down to her hands.


    "Yeah, guess you are," the man said in a tired voice. "Spent the past few hours diggin'' that hole." The tone in his voice made it seem like he would have preferred she not woken up.


    "Well...I''m sorry, but you don''t have to anymore."


    The man simply stared at her. "You some kind of witch?"


    She was aware of Jace appearing behind her, "Not going to attack you or anything like that."


    "Doesn''t really answer the question," the man said, "but I guess that doesn''t matter so much." He let the shovel he was holding drop to the ground and he slowly started to hobble away. He stopped and cocked his head to the side, "Probably should get out of here. People here would burn you if they knew you lived."


    "And what about you?" Ally asked, swallowing hard.


    He shrugged his shoulders. "You saved me a night of burying. Guess you can''t be too bad."


    "Is there anywhere you know out here where I could find something to eat? Or sleep?"


    "Can''t magic yourself none of that, eh?" He asked, chortling. "No, unless you go out by some abandoned houses maybe out ten-fifteen minutes out west. Too sandy for our tastes. Whatever''s there is yours." And then he continued back to his shuffle.


    Ally looked at how close the settlement was¡ªbuildings of clay, stone, and straw looked to be so close. So close that she could imagine sitting in an actual bed and sleeping soundly.


    "He''s probably right," Jace said, his arms were crossed, head cocked to the side. "They saw you and made the call you were dead. Of course anybody of reasonable intelligence would have checked your pulse, but that kind of shows who we''re dealing with here."


    "Yeah...I know, part of me just feels bad for not, you know, trying?"


    "Gotta pick the battles you want to fight. We can come back when you''ve got something in you."


    Ally nodded.


    "You did get some rest, I can carry you to the abandoned zone," Jace offered.


    "You sure?"


    "If you weren''t carrying for another I''d be way more upfront in my sarcasm. Yes, I am sure."


    And so the decision was made. With the starry sky above with slightly more dark blues spread across Jace began the trek with Ally in arms. The wind started to pick up around them and into the night they vanished.

 17 | Song of the Soul

    2032


    It was more than a few abandoned buildings¡ªit looked to be an entire town. Compared to the buildings of the town before these looked like they were ripped straight out of the old world. They looked ornate and like actual professionals had constructed them with the proper tools.


    Jace slowed to a stop in front of the town square. To their right a large clock tower started to ring ominously.


    "Must be on the hour some hour," Jace said.


    "Looks like...nine if this is anything to go by."


    "Would it kill you if it wasn''t?" He asked.


    "Guess not. Better than nothing. Nine it is."


    "Nine it is," he repeated. "So, this is definitely not what I was expecting when he said abandoned¡ªwell, I mean I guess that part is expected, but..."


    "It''s so...much nicer than any of the buildings we''ve seen in ten years. I know what you mean¡ªit feels like I''m looking at something that shouldn''t exist."


    "Thought you''d get used to that feeling, you know?" He flashed a grin.


    Ally rolled her eyes. "Well, no matter. It should serve more than well depending on what I can find for food. How far can you extend?"


    "I...I''m not really sure. I understand that might be faster, but I think it''d be a better idea if I stuck with you considering..."


    Ally sighed. "Fine. I just want the stress to be over and done with. Let''s try this one over here, it looks like a community hall."


    "And?"


    "They''re usually stocked with canned goods for storage. If there''s anything we''re gonna be lucky on it''s preservable food."


    "Provided the contents of these buildings was taken as well."


    "That''s the hope I''m running on."


    Ally and Jace approached the front door to the leftmost building The door looked like it had seen the faces of a million spiders with how many webs cobbed up the crevices.


    "Gah....yuck," Ally said. Can you take care of this?" She turned toward Jace.


    "Are you kidding me?" He asked.


    "Well you know you''re like..." she couldn''t figure out how to word it. "You can just vanish for a sec and then it''s gone."


    "Doesn''t mean I want to get my hands up in it!"


    "We can do this all day."


    "We most certainly can," he doubled back.


    Ally groaned and reached for the doorknob, her hand encased in the web, she felt something scurry past the back of her hand. Her hand froze and her breath caught in her chest. She grabbed hold of the handle and pushed the door open. Scurrying down the frame of the door was a creature with more than eight legs. Ally looked away immediately and jumped inside, not wanting even a second longer with it in her sight. She slammed the door shut behind her and Jace appeared next to her. "Scared of spiders isn''t the fate I''d have expected here," he said.


    "Wouldn''t be so scared if you would have just cleared away the webs like I asked! I can still feel it crawling on the back of my hand." She rubbed her hand trying to flush the feeling away.


    "You could have forced me too if you really wanted to," he said, shrugging his shoulders.


    "That defeats the purpose of believing you have free will," she said. "Defeats the purpose of thinking I''m not alone here..."


    He took in a sharp breath and rested a hand on her shoulder, then pulled her into a hug. "I''m sorry, I wasn''t thinking of it like that. I''ll try to be more receptive."


    She wiped her eyes and swallowed hard as she nodded.


    "Dark as sin in here, can you give us some light?" she asked.


    Jace nodded, holding his hands up like lanterns. The interior of the building''s hallway was aged poorly¡ªwooden floors that looked like nobody had walked over them in decades. The amount of webbing that caked the walls was nauseating. Paintings of people and places Ally didn''t recognize littered the striped walls¡ªgreen and beige stripes that have faded to yellower versions of both with age.


    "Not a place I''d stay if I had a choice of anywhere else," Jace eyed the environment. He saw there was a fork at the end of the hall that led to a door one way and a staircase another.


    "Staircase probably leads to offices or bedrooms, depends how this place was used. Maybe it doubled as a bed and breakfast."


    "Hm, either is likely. Although I can''t see office space really fitting in this environment."


    "That''s true. Either way, it''s not our top priority now anyway so our curiosity will have to wait," Allison said. "Come on this way," she cocked her head.


    Allison walked through the doorway straight through the fork. She entered on a large auditorium that led down to a central stage. The curtains seemed sewn closed at the rear of the large room.


    "Wow, I couldn''t imagine large plays being set up here," Jace said, staring in awe. "Although if they did I could almost see you taking part..."


    Ally didn''t disagree. She thought if this was the kind of place she ended up in when things were still...alive, she could see herself partaking in the theater to escape from the reality of the world as it was. She could envision the shows she could pen, produce, play. All at once it felt like a hollow sadness as she knew this stage would see no shows. "It probably was used for public announcements. Grim tidings, poor news."


    "All news is poor news in this haunted place."


    Ally thought on this before moving across the back of the auditorium to the double doors on the right hand side of the room. The right door was locked tight, but found the left moved after putting a little force behind her push. She walked through to another hallway, but saw down the path that it led down to a kitchen. A small grin with a small ember of hope lit in her chest as she ran down the hallway and threw the door open. Spiderwebs caked the cupboards and counters in abundance. Rotting food of unknown origin sat on one far corner which threatened to extinguish her hope. She closed her eyes and felt a wind brush past her as the cupboard doors flew open. Two of the spider-like creatures were thrown out of the darkness onto the floor, but Jace was faster, slamming a pot lid down over the both of them, trapping them underneath.


    "Out of sight, out of mind," he laughed and offered up a spry smile.


    But they certainly were not out of mind as she could hear what sounded like the bodies of the arachnids slamming themselves against the side of the lid. Ally shivered.


    "You sure you can''t just throw them outside?"


    Small angry sounds echoed from underneath the lid.


    Jace took a breath and lowered his head. "I can try, give me some space." Ally nodded soundlessly. Jace stepped over the lid and grabbed a pot on the shelf. He inched closer to the lid which was now shaking every other second from the creatures underneath. "I''m going to lift this slowly and try to catch them in. Can you redirect some energy to leading them inside? I can keep these two steady enough."


    "Yeah, tell me when."


    Jace nodded. He bent a knee as he held the pot down on its side. "Okay, three...two...one...now!" He lifted the lid and the two creatures dashed out from underneath.


    Jace faded slightly as Ally closed her eyes and focused on the both of them, layering invisible walls on either side of them so they could only move forward into the pot. As she opened her eyes she saw the bulbous figures that looked like they were going to burst at any moment. God...if they laid eggs...what kind of terrible situation we''d be in. The thought of it made her gag.


    As soon as the first creature''s legs made contact with the pot she released the walls and Jace returned in full form, slamming the lid shut on them. He was a bit too quick and severed three of the second creature''s legs. Its cries were muffled inside the pot as the lid slid over the top. It was a harrowing sound.


    "Please, just toss it. We''re not going to be using the cookware here unless absolutely necessary. And especially not anything they''ve touched."


    "Got it, be back shortly." He went to take the pot up in his hands, and she saw that it was shaking heavily in his hands. The creatures inside were far from pleased at being contained.


    Ally let loose a breath and walked over toward the cupboards now that they were clear. She found quite a few cans of fruit and beans. Not the tastiest of meals, but it would work. It was much better than the rotting food that still stunk up the room. She found a larger pot on the counter next to the fridge. It had a layer of dust on it, thankfully no webbing in or around it. She moved to the sink at the back of the room and tried to turn the handle, but even doing so no water came out. She looked below, but she didn''t know the first thing about plumbing. The pipes looked as she thought they should, so that must mean the source of the water must be the issue. She found a roll of paper towels underneath and figured it''d have to do. She wiped the pot down as best as she could and gathered as many of the cans and tossed them into the pot. Jace re-entered and saw her tossing them inside.


    "Oh, found a stock. Man, kinda jealous you''re going to get to make something nice."


    "First priority is assessing how much we have, how much I can live off of. How much I can actually use..."


    Well what about this?" He stepped over toward one of the cupboards and found some loaves of bread.


    Ally shook her head. "No, pull it out and you''ll see."


    He did, and saw the mold growing gladly throughout the loaf. ¡°Eugh, I can''t even eat and that would kill any appetite.¡±


    "Bread''s gonna be a pretty safe removal unless we grow our own...which I don''t have any materials around to even begin to do."


    "Almost forgot you learned that."


    She started to miss Home more and more. She did learn a lot from the people there, and wondered if they were still progressing. She wondered if it would be possible to locate them again. But then again, without any frame of where she is, she had very little hopes of returning to where she was.


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    When all was told, the pot was brimming with cans and boxes of interesting foods. Canned fruits and veggies, rice, beans, even dried pasta. It was more than she expected, and she was thankful that she was able to secure so much.


    The issue was going to be preparing the food that needed to be cooked. The water line being out didn''t inspire a lot of confidence that the rest of the building''s utilities would work. Fortunately, and for reasons she couldn''t begin to understand, the oven worked. The lights didn''t, so that spoke to the gas being run by gasoline. She knew at least that much, but beyond that...she had to hope there was a source nearby that could last long enough for her to get what she needed.


    "Okay, so, we got the food gathered up, have some ability to cook some of it up. What''s next on our list?"


    "I feel..." she trailed off, staring off into space, "Before anything else I need something in my stomach. I can''t remember the last time I ate."


    "All right, let''s see what I can help with," Jace offered.


    ~...~


    Ally felt satisfied for the first time since arriving. But it didn''t last long as a knock came to the door. She froze and for a second imagined an army of the spider creatures slamming themselves against the door, but Jace reappeared beside her, can of beans in hand.


    "It''s an old lady, small, Asian," he said, setting the can aside. "I took a peek outside."


    "Old lady...?" Ally asked. The knock came again. "Does she seem like she''ll stop if I ignore her?"


    "Lemme see..." He phased back through the wall and she stared at the spot where he vanished. The door swung open and Jace was in front of her in seconds. "She can see me..." he said, his face was worried.


    Immediately Ally tensed up and she thought of Felix. He was the only other person...


    The old woman''s footsteps echoed through the hall. Ally took in a deep breath and stood, but it was a labored effort. She looked around and found a knife inside the holder on the counter and yanked it out. The footsteps continued to echo until the double doors opened slowly. The woman looked at Ally with a neutral look. She couldn''t gauge her intentions from it initially which worried her even more.


    "It has been quite some time..." the woman''s voice was slow, measured. "I''m sure you are plenty confused, but you can rest easy. I am not here to harm you."


    Something deep inside Ally seemed to unlock, and she loosened up and dropped the knife out of the emptiness the realization left her. "You''re one of them," she said, "You''re one of the Creatures of the Night."


    The old woman''s expression didn''t change. She stared at Ally for an uncomfortable period of time before she continued. "You''re astute, especially for a girl so young."


    Ally waited for more, but frustratingly, she seemed to be waiting for something herself. "What do you all want?"


    "I would have assumed you would have had more questions," the woman said, almost too quiet to hear.


    "Of course I do, but I don''t even know where to begin. I have a lifetime of questions for you. A lifetime of sorrows, of hardships. And you just come in here and¡ª"


    The old woman held up a hand. "Cease your anger. It will help no-one. I''m glad you''re inquisitive. I am going to leave you with most of your questions, however. I am here simply to offer you very specific help."


    Ally hesitantly took a step backward. "What does that mean?"


    "You and I have some pretty firm disagreements on several things. Many of which are above your head and outside of your scope. If you were anyone else, I would not even begin to consort with you because of those disagreements. If you even begun to present yourself as a threat you would be so far removed from existence you wouldn''t even feel it."


    "Were I anyone else..." Ally repeated, hardening her gaze, understanding the tone. "And what does that mean?"


    Still unflinching, the old woman still stared at her. "You were right, I am who you suspect. You can call me Sakonna. I am aware you have made contact with my brother not just once, but twice. He''s...taken a fondness to you. That is not due to anything of your own choice, but who you are and what you came from. You have had a very long and laborious life wondering about the nature of your origins, yes?"


    Ally looked hard back at her, keeping her stance firm. "Speak plain."


    "You come from us. Your father is my eldest brother. He carried you off in hopes you would be protected, even though in the end he knows that our goals would lead to the end of your life."


    Ally thought back to the visions that rung so clear still in her mind. It had been ten years since that tragic day. She remembered seeing herself as an infant¡ªa vision given by Issachar to give her greater context of the murder of her friends. And yet, that memory itself was an odd-one-out. It hadn''t really related to the murder at all, unless she counted her own psychic abilities and the origin of such. She had seen the figure that had dropped her off¡ªlike a gecko of light and mist. Ormus.


    She looked up toward Sakonna and it was now her turn to remain still. "You have told me not anything I have not known. If your move is to shake me, you''ve failed."


    Sakonna''s eyebrows lifted, surprise replacing the stone-wall she''d shown before. "Well then, I guess I shouldn''t underestimate you."


    "It''s because I''m his daughter that you act so merciful?" I nearly spat the final word. It felt great to have someone to vent this anger at.


    "Exactly so, and the fact that you''ve gotten yourself pregnant is most...concerning."


    Ally''s anger stewed further in her chest.


    "I''m not here to kill you or your child, I should amend my original line," Sakonna said. "Opposite, really. I can understand you''ve been placed a heavy burden. One that is way far above what you can handle. I''m here to avoid a problem that negatively affects the both of us."


    "What do you mean?" Ally asked, fearing the result of that question.


    "Let me tell you a secret about what makes you able to do the things that you can do¡ªthat extension of your own will, for example."


    Ally''s eyes darted to Jace at the rear of the room, but he stood still.


    "This world is saddled on the back of another, stapled together after its forced destruction. I understand you may be relating these to the world you knew, but the truth is that is simply not so. The world I speak of...the one my siblings come from...it was infinite. Sprawling in every single direction and yet, still ending up funneled to one inevitable end. There was a restart¡ªa new beginning. The universe got funneled into itself so that the Craftsman could initiate the beginning of new life."


    "This Craftsman some kind of God?" Ally asked.


    "The originator of everything," Sakonna said. "And from him came a world before light¡ªwaves. Waves existed in the space we occupy before light and physical form. It is the strength of these waves that allows us our strength. In truth, waves'' effect on physical objects is...almost scarily strong. Imagine the power you''ll have if yours were developed, and you''re but a fraction of us."


    "I''m failing to see the problem you mentioned that affects both of us," Ally said.


    Sakonna smiled, but instantly Ally could tell it was not a pleasant one. "Think but for a second on what would happen if a being or beings so powerful to die. The waves inside them ceased? With ordinary people, the energy that they were simply seems to vanish¡ªrecycle into the environment as their bodies eventually decay. Everything introduced within the cycle gets reused in the cycle."


    "We''re not in the cycle, are we?" Ally asked.


    "You have one foot in and one foot out, my dear. And if you were to succumb to fatal injury, you would guarantee that any living person within a...hmm...hundred mile radius would cease to exist."


    "I''d...what, explode?"


    "It''d be something like an explosion. Not as messy. The waves are invisible to the naked eye, of course. It''d be painless, but it''d be devastatingly quick. Now, we come to the problem we have. Your child-to-be. I can sense it is nearing. Issachar spent a lot of time tending to you while you were unconscious. Your child...is not half in and half out as you are."


    "He was like me..." Ally said, staring straight out.


    "Felix was an accident, and yet, useful at times," Sakonna admitted. "Of course, creating a child with someone like him terribly complicates things, but of course he knew not the gravity of the situation."


    Ally had to take each piece as its own. "You''re his..." she was looking her up and down. "What, his mother? Grandmother?"


    "This body is not mine, child," Sakonna said. "I would not have been able to foster children with this one. Not for a very, long time. However, yes, using another, I did give birth to Felix. Although, as soon as I realized that the vessel was pregnant I evacuated and left them to their business."


    "So you can just inhabit whoever you like and you think that''s okay? Just leave them wherever and that makes it okay?"


    Sakonna sighed. "Convincing an ant of the morality of a human would result in nothing beneficial for the ant, and nothing changed for the human."


    "But these people aren''t ants! They''re living, breathing, and deserve to live!"


    "Our argument ends here, Allison," Sakonna said. "For we still have not gotten to the crux of why I am here."


    "My kid''s going to be like you, is that it? Full in?"


    Sakonna nodded slowly. "If a being like that were to die...well, I dare not even begin to guess the damage it would cause to life."


    "What...do you want? I understand what you''re saying. But what do you want?"


    "It is of great concern for the both of us that the child you carry does not die. It interferes with our goals, and of course I would assume that if it came to that, you would be nearby¡ªit would invariably kill you, and that chain reaction would be...devastating."


    "What. do. you. want?" Ally asked, harsh.


    "I know of a place where the child can be raised in a safe environment, guaranteed free of the oppressive world you now inhabit. She will be for all intents and purposes, considered removed from the game."


    "Where would this be? And why wouldn''t I be able to go with them?"


    "It requires a near infinite amount of energy to transport matter where I would be sending them. The size of the matter being transported proportionally affects the process. No one, I''m afraid, would be able to send someone your size."


    "So...you''re asking me to trust you? To just...what, wait until I give birth and then just...hand her over to you? Trust you''re not going to indoctrinate her into one of your ranks?"


    "Allison, if you believe that I''ve come here to ask...well, you really have misunderstood the situation."


    Ally took a step back, the knife flew back into her hand.


    "Even if you were to outwit me, cut this body to shreds, stab to your hearts content, I still remain. And, even if you managed to discover a way to harm¡ªeven destroy me further, all that will happen is you guarantee not only your death, not only the death of your child, but the death of every living thing this side of the planet."


    "Not if you''re lying," Ally took another step back and found she was against the wall.


    Sakonna cocked her head. "And you''re sure you want to test that theory?"


    Ally hesitated, and in an instant the knife in her hands began to melt. It spilled to the floor and she looked up in a shocked frenzy.


    "Let''s just remove this from the occasion, slow down, and get some facts straight," Sakonna said. "I''ve said I''m more than aware we disagree very much on certain factors of life. I do not believe this is important concerning this situation. You may hate me for this, I accept that. I understand you may make it a goal of yours to stop mine. I also accept this. However, nobody wins if your child dies. And I give an oath on my own existence that I will not recruit your child into our ranks. I do not have the time nor patience to raise a child, and a parent who has not either thrusts the goodness of the world on to raise and protect that child. In a world like this, very little goodness exists. I would be threatening everything I work for to even attempt. My siblings are all practiced and knowledgeable about the world¡ªthey know how to protect themselves. A child among us would be defenseless."


    Ally was silent.


    "I understand it is a personal attack to assume you would be unfit to parent this child. I do not mean offense, but however, looking at your situation¡ªtaking scraps from an abandoned town torn from the previous reality¡ªdo you honestly believe that you have a more solid chance than not providing for a child?"


    Ally was still silent. She gritted her teeth, because she knew how little chance she actually had, but what Sakonna was offering...it was madness. Right? It was absolute madness and she shouldn''t let her convince her of otherwise. "What happens should I agree? What exactly...happens? No cryptic...bullshit," it almost pained her to be so brunt. "I need to know exactly what comes from this result and..."


    Sakonna held up a hand. "I can tell you everything I have in mind, but I would need you to learn something else."


    "What''s that?" Ally asked.


    "I would need to train you to close your mind."


    Ally looked at her, confused, but then it clicked. "Felix..."


    "If we go through with this, Felix cannot know where the child is. He has already stolen some thoughts from Issachar, and if he hasn''t already, he''ll have learned a bit about our goals. This will motivate him to hunt us down, but his thoughts would soon turn to you and his child."


    "Would he...try to kill us?" Ally asked. She thought of Felix and thought it certainly couldn''t be possible.


    "You? I don''t think so, but learning that he had borne a child like he had...one that is like those he will set out to hunt...it will be an inevitability. If he finds their location..."


    "Even if he knows what would happen?"


    "I''m sure he''ll justify it. Prevent an even larger after-effect."


    Ally sat alone in her thoughts. This all was so crazy, and yet, she feels Sakonna has told no lies. She''s been very upfront about her more horrible parts...and yet they both did lose if her child...died. Was it truly the best option?


    "Where would my child go? Who would raise them?"


    Sakonna leaned in close, as if the walls would listen. And in that hushed silence, a plan was formed.

 18 | Dragonsong of the Soul

    2044


    The darkness surrounded the scene and Allison woke up back in the void. The bubble retreated from her again. She was through with this. She launched herself off the ground and reached the edge of the darkness, pushing hard against it like it were a shell. She felt it gave way and she screamed as she pushed through. Her eyes opened overlooking the land below the side of the pass. A slight breeze passed over her, washing in relief and lightening the load on her body. The shadowed figures were nowhere to be seen.


    The pressure on her was lessened, but wasn''t fully gone. It still took some effort to pull herself up, but it was not the impossible task it seemed so before. She made it to her knees and through labored breaths pushed herself up to her feet. She instinctively reached her hand over to her armlet and felt the warmth of the concealed spear inside. She felt a unified presence within her and she felt the shadow of Jace over her shoulder. She was much too old to believe that he was physically there, but she knew always that he was with her.


    She ran a hand through her hair and looked up at the morning sun. It sat haunting in the sky like a specter. The breeze betrayed the tense nature of the view, as it passed pleasantly against her skin. She turned at once to the spiraling mountain behind her, and her neck craned up as she struggled to get view of the peak. The mountain curved inward so she couldn''t see over, but she knew if she continued on the path eventually she would reach it. Suddenly, she knew it was an inevitability¡ªshe''d overcome the darkness and fought through her own memories to get here. Choices of the past be damned, she was going to make it to the peak. She saddled her bag back on and stretched her aching muscles out. When she could delay it no longer, she started moving up the path.


    As she approached the peak she could feel the effects of the pressure lessening more and more. She found the cusp of the peak as she approached. It dipped down into a crater as she saw the form of the creature she had seen so long ago. Digging into the mountain from the peak was Sakonna, a scaled body ending in a barbed tail that looked to be as thick as a tree trunk. There was an ethereal quality about the skin underneath the scales that reminded her of Issachar. Razor sharp claws slashed and tore at the earth and the face at the end of the long neck was like that of a performance mask.


    "Sakonna, It''s been a while," Allison said.


    The dragon stopped digging, she could feel the air crack with energy. It was as if a presence turned inside the beast, yet the dragon itself did not move. "Allison Fae, you still yet live."


    "You knew as much. You don''t need to feign surprise."


    "Regardless. It brings me interest to see how you''ve grown. You are far from the scared little girl who I met in that desert. It''s good that you did not bring the human up here. I would have had no qualms about ending their life for coming up here. I have a feeling they would have been able to make it to the top."


    "But yet you won''t fight me."


    "Of course I am able to fight, but I would not kill. And you similarly would not do the same, because you know that it would result in the death of all of those down below and then some. This world has seen enough fighting, don''t you think?" Allison found herself in a similar position as she had all those years ago. She was stronger¡ªmuch stronger than she ever could believe, and yet she still did not yet possess the capability to do what she wanted.


    "I desire to see each of you punished for the pain you have caused, the lives you have taken, and the blatant disregard for life that you carry. However, I cannot kill you as you say. So I shall continue to find a way to stop you that does not involve such."


    "You have other desires, do you not?"


    Allison swallowed. "I also desire to find Issachar."


    "Still a desire to see the vessel, is that it? Even in your most honorable of motives you still allow your personal goals to intermix."


    Allison said nothing.


    "Well, Allison, luckily, we come yet again at a crossroads where we can set aside our feelings for one another to both achieve what we desire."


    "And what makes you think I''d do anything further that would help you?"


    The dragon''s neck finally craned around and she saw the same blank stare on its face. She could almost envision a crooked smile forming. "Because, you would not be considering it if your personal goal were not so important to you. You''d be willing to let your other goals slip away if only slightly to move slightly closer to finding the vessel."


    Stolen story; please report.


    Even if she didn''t want to say it, deep down she knew that this was the case. Otherwise she wouldn''t have come. She knew the odds, she knew the chances of finding some way to fully stop them on the way was slim to none. It would take dedicated research and resources in order to discover that...she knew what an opportunity to encounter one of the Creatures of the Night meant.


    "So, what would you want in exchange?"


    "The fragment of the Monoliths that you carry with you."


    Allison was taken aback. "No, absolutely not."


    The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Allison took a step forward. "I plan to keep it."


    "Then I shall plan to refuse you yours," Sakonna said.


    "No, I don''t think you will," she said, defiant. "You need it. As much as I desire my goal, I do not need it. My bartering chip is I hide it somewhere you''ll never find it."


    "There is nowhere I cannot find," Sakonna said.


    Allison said nothing in return. She simply stood still. "Who knows, maybe down the line we''ll find a way to get what we both desire in a way that doesn''t sit unwell with the both of us, and maybe then I''ll be more willing to part with it. But you''ll never know if you don''t see that time come."


    Sakonna was quiet now. She was thinking over her options. "I guess you win, Allison. I accept those terms. For now it is not imperative I gather that fragment. I must ask that you reveal you still currently possess it on your person."


    Allison chuckled, rubbing her hand over her armlet and extending the Lance of Longinus to its full length. "Trust may seem foreign to you, but I stick to my word."


    "Cut the venom," Sakonna said. "Trust goes so far as the word carries."


    "So, with that, where is Issachar?"


    "So eager," Sakonna began. "Patience leads us all to what we seek. First I must finish my job here. Buried within this mountain is the rest of that which you bare so proudly, the Black Monolith."


    Allison gripped the lance tighter. "Then hurry it up." She retracted the lance back into her armlet and sat along the edge of the crater.


    Sakonna turned back around and continued to dig into the crater further. There was nought a word shared between them until she stopped digging. A light spilled from under the earth and it drew even Allison''s attention toward the crater. She stood back up and looked down as Sakonna''s claws grabbed at the pitch black material that seemed to glow around the edges. It drew her attention immediately.


    "The Monoliths are the key to returning us to where we came. You''re already aware of the power that even a fraction of them can hold," Sakonna said. Allison could see the full view of the object, it looked like a diamond shaped crystal. A chunk out of the center had been carved out neatly, and she felt a warmth on her left wrist as the lance resonated. "They act as keys to the central unit, and can take the shape of most anything. The entirety of what I do is to eventually gather every single one. Long ago, I acted in unison with my siblings to gather each of the treasures. Things as of late...have changed significantly."


    Allison remained silent.


    "The truth of why I am unable to negotiate for better charges is the severity of how much has changed." Her head turned back toward Allison again. "I am dubbed a murderer in most of my sibling''s eyes. There is chaos where there once was unity."


    Allison couldn''t believe it. Was this some level of actual need from the beast? Allison thought it best to hold and wait what come.


    "In truth, I am not as solid in my pursuits that which we disagree on as I used to. I still desire to see the Monoliths recollected, the world of before brought forward, but I am...confused on recent events. I wonder if there is not a toxin that has spilled in the pool to lay ruin to what we see, and if so, if that is truly right."


    "Why do you tell me this?" Allison asked.


    "I guess I am asking for your help, Allison Fae. And I know by itself that would be a laughable action. But I still call Issachar an ally. So, really, I only ask that when we meet up with Issachar we seek to find the source of the toxin. This works in your favor if your goal is to see our goals crushed completely...or as you hope¡ªmaybe naively¡ªto see everyone at peace."


    The opportunity was there, it was out in the open. Allison thought there with the options lying out on the table. Standing with one monolith in tow, including her own fragment that which she obtained so long ago at this point...she wondered if there wasn''t a way that this could work out. The situation before them seemed to be changing by the moment, and if she wasn''t quick on the up she may be left behind.


    "I see your situation. I am interested in seeing Issachar, and so I shall confirm with him. Then, and only then will I make my final decision if I continue in your company after that, but no sooner."


    Sakonna stared at her, taking her full stature in. "You are a marvel, Allison Fae. Even for a half-breed, you are...stronger than I could have ever believed. You know, a small part of me considered killing you for the remaining monolith fragment. It wasn''t a serious consideration¡ªthe destruction that would cause would push me away from that idea¡ªbut also...I''m not too sure I''d end up victorious in that fight now. You have...an inexorable will."


    "Flattery won''t affect my decision," Allison said.


    "It wasn''t meant to," Sakonna stretched out her long neck and beat out her long wings. "But I am prepared to leave if you are coming along. We shall meet Issachar along the way."


    Allison stood staring at the dragon. In one fell swoop she made the decision she''s wanted to since she was fourteen years old. She ran over and climbs onto the dragon''s back.


    "Come on then," Allison called, grabbing hold of her neck. "Take me to her."

 PART II | 1 | LUCAS Gray

    The Android


    2044


    A man with rough features and unkempt hair faced an android who looked like he could pass as a twelve year old boy¡ªsave for the shining turquoise his eyes glimmered against the red sunlight. His skin was smooth and what substituted for bones were much stronger than they appeared on the outset, although he preferred to avoid needing to use strength if he needed to.


    LUCAS Gray¡ªthe Luxmund User Computer Algorithm Shifter¡ªwas an Artificial Intelligence that was fed the experience of his creator¡¯s experiences through a terrifying death game over the course of one hundred cycles¡ªexistences that kept repeating to gather enough energy possible for the Children of the Night¡¯s nefarious goals.


    LUCAS held a hesitating stance against the scraggy man who regards him with a warm smile and a hearty laugh.


    ¡°Quick question, traveler,¡± He began, regarding LUCAS with a smile. ¡°Do you think I need a haircut? I haven¡¯t quite decided. Whenever I let it get this long I want to chop it all off sometimes, but I mean...whenever I actually do I always want to grow it right back out,¡± he let out a half-sigh-half-chuckle kind of sound. He looked back up to LUCAS, now rubbing a hand through his dirty-blond hair. ¡°It almost makes me want a drink.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know where to find one,¡± LUCAS said, choosing his words carefully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­? I don¡¯t...¡±


    He laughed again and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I wasn¡¯t asking you specifically. The intended recipient got the message.¡±


    LUCAS craned his neck in confusion.


    ¡°It was fine, hello! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got a story within you that would be of great interest.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Gavin. I¡¯ve been waiting for this meeting for quite some time.¡±


    ¡°I assume you mean with me? How would you know? Are you like Sakonna?¡±


    A flash of a smile, ¡°There it is. The million dollar question. I¡¯ll answer your question with another question, do you know what this machine right here is?¡± He points toward...well, calling it a machine was probably the only thing LUCAS could call it. He didn¡¯t recognize the shape of it at all¡ªit looked like an oblong diamond-shaped crystal jutting out of a mechanical base. On the base the name ¡°ICARUS¡± is faded¡ªclearly showing its age.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sure you are...you just aren¡¯t thinking of the right context. You think differently than other people, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The question took him off guard. It...was true. LUCAS didn¡¯t process information like normal people¡ªhe cross referenced information fed to him through his processors in his internal database that Abel had configured back in the Arctic Systems Laboratory over the past forty years.


    ¡°My knowledge on the term ICARUS doesn¡¯t really relate to whatever this thing can be¡ªI¡¯m not aware of any acronym that would fit that.¡±


    ¡°Non-fictionally, maybe.¡±


    ¡°What...do you mean...like from a book?¡±


    ¡°Just check it, would you? I¡¯m sure your sensors weren¡¯t set to check fictional content because of the sheer volume that exists¡ªbut give it a second.¡±


    LUCAS began scanning his brain. He found a few stories that dealt with the original myth of Icarus, a few that tackled modern re-imaginings, but then¡ª


    ¡°Infinity Core Amplifier for Research Under the Sun. Constructed by...¡±


    ¡°Go on. I won¡¯t be offended.¡±


    ¡°...By Gavin Daniels in an alternate history where the world...¡±


    Gavin stared at him as the information came piling in. ¡°Where the world was ended...¡± He stared up at the man.


    ¡°Go ahead, follow it to its logical conclusion.¡±


    ¡°This account was from a fictional book written...almost twenty years ago.¡±


    ¡°Longer. It isn¡¯t from your time.¡±


    ¡°Okay...longer. You¡ªand by extension¡ªthis machine are fictional objects from...this book called Telos.¡±


    ¡°Not just that one, but yes, that is the origin.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    LUCAS knew better than to argue¡ªhis information came from within him¡ªthe records that have been long shared by humanity as a whole. There was no way it all could be wrong...and yet he stood here confirming every aspect of it.


    ¡°How did you arrive here...or...did I arrive...in your existence?¡±


    ¡°That is an explanation best saved for a better venue, don¡¯t you think? But no, you did not leave the world you were born into. I have come to this one, and It was this machine here that helped me do so.¡±


    ¡°Let me see, one second,¡± LUCAS said, investigating more into the mysterious machine. ¡°As of...Beyond The Logos, ICARUS was used to remake the world that you had come from using...I don¡¯t have a strict definition on the type of energy that machine emits.¡±


    ¡°It was okay to not know,¡± Gavin said, placing his hands at his side. ¡°It was conceptually the strongest thing I¡¯ve ever come into contact with, I don¡¯t expect the people here to get it.¡±


    "Well," LUCAS began, "I''m sorry but...I don''t think I can take that answer and not ask questions!"


    Gavin offered a laugh, he placed a hand in a deep pocket and slumped slightly. "That''s okay, I totally get it. Think of space, big cosmic void of nearly nothing, right? Some planets and stars and all that junk out there? Envision the energy it took to keep everything where it is¡ªthink those planets and stars are out there doing nothing?"


    "I expect they are where they are because of the orbits they have."


    Gavin groaned. "Well, yes, technically that is true, but that''s the mundane answer. That''s the answer schoolchildren are taught to prevent the wrong kinds of questions from being asked."


    "What kind of questions are the wrong ones?"


    "Why are we here? Why do we exist as we do at this point in time, at this exact second? Repeat ad infinitum." He made a motion with his hand. "You see, coming from hermano to hermano¡ªit''s all this superpowerful energy. The fabric of our existence as it were. Bound so tightly like coils on a circuit. And that machine there," he pointed to ICARUS, "is the instruction manual. It''s the decoder, and sometimes, even encoder."


    "Seems like it''s pretty important," LUCAS said. "It...looks more like something I remember, though. "There was this...engine."


    "Yes!" Gavin showed an excited smile. "There are several pieces of ICARUS that are around the world here¡ªpieces of the whole. As you can see here, ICARUS is in kind of busted up shape. Took quite a hit when it crossed dimensions. By my calculations, it seems about twelve pieces of it are no longer here."


    "Twelve..." LUCAS said.


    "That number mean anything to you?" Gavin asked.


    "That''s the number of Children of the Night."


    Gavin''s eyebrows raised in confusion. "Children of the who now?" LUCAS lowered his hands as the daunting effort of explaining overwashed him. Gavin burst out into another laugh. "I''m just joking little buddy. No, I know about ''em. Right pieces of work they are. Looking for the pieces I''m seeking for my lil machine here. Guess you could say we''re in a bit of a power struggle."


    LUCAS rubbed his chin, thinking, connecting. "Well, I have to say I''m not quite sure what I should do next. I have a mission I need to complete, but I''m not too sure how I would be able to do so alone. It seems like we both wish to stop the Children of the Night..."


    A smile crossed Gavin''s face. "Well, you sure you''re wanting to ask that? For all you know I could just be lying¡ªsome stranger in the desert waiting to steal from you all your worth."


    LUCAS shook his head. "I''m still coming to terms with the fact that you''re from another world, but I do not doubt such. Your story is odd, but in reality, so is mine. If I were to doubt you I''d be doubting myself."


    "Well said," Gavin offered his hand. "Well then little buddy, I''d love to collaborate. What''s your name?"


    "LUCAS Gray."


    "Well Luke, it''s nice to meet ya. If you want we can head out back toward the camp that''s out this way. Traveling band of nomads searching the deserts for meaning, valor, et cetera."


    LUCAS cocked his head, noticing that the joints in his neck were a little worse for wear. He''d have to remedy that soon. "You sound as if you''re an outsider to them."


    "Well, yes. Of course I have additional reasons for being out here, but I didn''t mean it so plain. They are a nice bunch of people¡ªupset over the conditions out in the outpost further out east. Got a large weapons factory that plenty of their numbers have been kidnapped to. Forced labor never made anyone the happier."


    "That''s...awful," LUCAS said. He closed his eyes and scanned his databanks for any record of large weapon development bases in the vicinity. He scanned through files and information at a breakneck pace. "The...Kosunaga Plant," LUCAS said.


    "Y-Yes, you know about it?" Gavin asked.


    "Cursory. Owned and operated by the Kosunaga brothers. Tachi and Namba¡ªtwo who rose to power ten years ago after discovering and controlling the flow of water for a large percentage of the west..." LUCAS'' eyes were practically spinning in their sockets as he pulled. It made him dizzy and he had to support himself up by placing a hand out on ICARUS to keep from falling over.


    "You okay?" Gavin asked, offering a hand.


    "Just...dizzy, one second. I..." he was breathing heavy. Such an odd thought...he didn''t need to breath...and here he was having trouble getting the oxygen he needed. Was this something Abel gave him to make him feel more human? Surely he knew it came with drawbacks. His systems stabilized and his vision cleared. "Yeah, I''m good." He looked up at Gavin. His eyes glowed with a turquoise light that also flowed through the edge of his hair. "There''s...a piece of ICARUS at that factory."


    Gavin looked at him, surprised. "What? How could you possibly know that? Are you an escapee?"


    LUCAS shook his head. "No, I''ve never been. I have records up here," he pointed up toward his head. "I think...I think I can track these...these pieces. They''re extremely powerful on their own. Just like Godsong..."


    "Godsong?"


    "That was the name of the engine I remember."


    "Well Luke, it seems we have a lot to talk about, but what say we do it in more...comfortable context?"


    "Comfortable?"


    "Come on, there''s a place we can sit and not be out here in the arid heat."


    LUCAS pulled up his system''s vitals and saw his internals were getting hotter as he continued to talk. He looked back up to Gavin and together they went, through the desert and crossing the dunes toward their destination. Suddenly, LUCAS felt like he had the beginning of a goal forming.

 2 | Guildheart

    The bustle of the nomad''s outpost was greater than LUCAS expected. He expected a small traveling caravan that hosted no more than a hundred people, a hundred-fifty at max. There must have been at least a thousand people here, and the movement of such a large company started to overheat LUCAS''s processor at the mere calculation of all the coordination needed.


    "This place is kind to you if you''re kind to it," Gavin explained as they entered from the western edge. A large stone archway marked their entrance¡ªa formation that was chosen by the nomads due to how perfect it looked to mark a setting. It turned out that LUCAS wasn''t the only one who worried about moving such large swathes of people¡ªas Gavin had told him that they hadn''t left this spot since finding it a year ago.


    "Would it not make it easier for them to find you all? The Kosunagas?"


    "That''s the thing," Gavin explained, guiding Luke by the back. "No matter where we''ve been they''ve found the caravan. And as you can expect, this place has way too many people to move long distances in any reasonable period of time, so I guess it''s not too hard to always keep an eye on us."


    "I see, so it''s more trouble keeping on the move."


    "At first it made sense, when this place was much smaller¡ªsay fifteen years ago. There were bandits that were ''round these parts that gave us trouble. If we stayed around then we were raided like crazy. But since then, it''s not been the same."


    "You''ve been with these guys since the start?"


    Gavin reached his hand back over his head and cradled his neck in it. "I''ve been in the area since. But I don''t stay here full time. I frequently travel in search of the pieces of ICARUS that have spread, but when my travels come to an end here is where I return." He held his hands out in a show of the caravan. "Of course, when rumor travels of the Children of the Night of course I''m off to check it out as well¡ªodds are if I can find them I can bet I can locate any of the pieces."


    "Have you managed to find any?" LUCAS asked.


    His smile evaporated. "No, not yet. Like you said, they are mighty powerful objects, but lots of powerful objects exist in the world. Rumors tend to travel, spread, mix. I don''t have the means of investigating everything that comes across my ears. I''ve sure found a lot of dead ends, though. Which is why I am heavily interested in what you said out there in the wild."


    LUCAS looked up to him, she saw a glint in his eyes, the colors seemed dull before against the face that looked like it had seen its fair share of hard work, but now they almost glowed as brightly as his own.


    "Don''t elucidate here," he said, "I fear too many prying ears around. There''s a few people I want you to meet before we discuss things further," Gavin said.


    LUCAS nodded and stared up at the people around them. He saw hordes of men and women that were all dressed up in what he would consider cowboy gear¡ªshawls and large hats to shield from the sun while the children around seemed to stay separate, playing their games off in the roads where no adults could ruin their fun. The concept seemed so...normal that it almost echoed Abel''s memories of his past with Cain. He had a particular memory of the two drawing chalk monsters on their family''s driveway come just behind his eyes. Silently, he held his hand up to his chest in solemn regard.


    Gavin led him to a large multicolored tent strung up by thick cables on all sides. Outside was a sign that read something about a guild¡ªhe only got but a moment to glance at it before he was guided inside.


    As he stepped in the first thing he saw was the large wooden central column that pitched the tent up in the center. Carved into it were a bunch of tiny ornate markings that looked like some sort of language he couldn''t understand. This confused him, as realistically he had all generally known languages coded into his database. The confusion these markings hung heavy in his mind. Past the column were three figures lounging on a stretched out bench. The first, a gruff looking man with stringy gray hair and a prosthetic hand was the first to notice them both.


    "There''s news, Bambo," he called to the two next to him. LUCAS saw them as a lanky looking man who looked to be in his mid-twenties and a woman who looked to be a little older. The man''s head seemed a bit too small to fit his body, it gave him a sort of rat-like impression. Meanwhile, the woman looked tough, she could probably split the lanky rat-man in half if she wanted to. She had long dyed hair that was a dark emerald in color.


    "Bam, Laven, Roshe, I think we have a way into the Kosunaga plant," Gavin said. "Luke here is going to be officially inundated into the guild."


    Roshe, the gruff looking man raised an eyebrow. "Just a kid though, ain''t he? What''s he got..." He trailed off as he sat up and took a closer look. "Oh, I see," he nodded his head. "Nav-bot, okay."


    It was LUCAS''s turn to be confused. "More than that, and at least try to not be so...you during the first meeting," Gavin groaned. "He''s got a map of the place in his head."


    This interested the three of them immediately.


    "Wait, really?" The lanky man, Bambo, asked.


    "That is interesting," the woman, Laven, said, cracking her knuckles.


    "I do?" LUCAS asked. "I...I mean, maybe?"


    "Does he or not?" Laven asked.


    "I mean," LUCAS began, "I...think so? If the plans to the building aren''t behind crazy levels of protection then I guess?"


    "Even if they were we can ask Blaise to help out," Gavin shrugged, then he seemed to realize LUCAS''s confusion. "Oh, right, sorry. Introductions go both ways. This here''s Roshe, general hardass and the very definition of wild west ranger. Generally he takes front line in missions we undergo." He pointed toward the man.


    At this LUCAS still looked confused. "Missions...this is some sort of guild right?"


    "Speak plainly to the boy," Roshe said. "Seems he needs to be told in the plain word."


    "Yes, sorry," Gavin laughed. "This group here manages protection over this district of the caravan. There''s more than one guild that''s sprung up. Anything that''s needed from the outside is typically handled by these guys, and when I''m in town I help out whenever I can."


    "So you handle front lines," LUCAS said, looking over toward Roshe.


    "Anything anybody needs shot, gathered, collected. I''m the one they look to do so."


    "Well put, pardner," Gavin said, causing an irritated look on Roshe''s face. "Over here is Bambo. Seems awkward, but he''s our supplies manager. Anything Roshe brings back gets sorted, organized, and dispersed to this sector of the outpost. He''s the numbers guy. Although if I were here longer than I normally am I''m totally sure I could out-manage him."


    "You and what backing," Bambo chuckled out a laugh. "Anyways, good to meet you, kid. Stay neat and we''ll get along just fine."


    "I''m not really a kid," LUCAS said.


    "Maybe not, but you look like one. So I''m just gonna go with what''s easy."


    "Bambo always takes what''s easiest," Roshe said. "Conflict an'' him go together like water and oil."


    "Just like social interaction and you," Gavin pointed out. Roshe grumbled something under his breath, and Gavin continued. "Laven here''s defense. She''s tasked with keeping the district safe from the outside¡ªconsidering we''re on the western edge of the outpost it''s likely that forces coming that way would reach us first, so she''s essential in fortification and she also lends the rearguard during missions."


    "Not to mention the company morale, the scheduling outside of supplies, the support for general plans, need I go on?"


    "Yeah, yeah. She claims all the extra activities and then complains whenever it gets to be too much," Roshe waves her off.


    Laven calmly shows him her favorite finger and LUCAS returned his gaze to Gavin.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "I scout for the guild. When I''m away on my own adventures I take note of particular supply deposits, possible threats to camp, so on and so forth. I also contribute to general planning and as I hinted at earlier, I also help coordinate supply management. Dot I''s and cross T''s if you know what I mean."


    "He means cleans up Bambo''s mistakes."


    "I''ll have you know my mistakes are only on account of shoddy organization from everyone else."


    "And then there''s Blaise," Gavin said. "He''s often out on his own too. He manages tech, weapons, outfitting. That kind of deal. He''s a bit...enigmatic. Well, I guess everyone has an air of that about them, but you''ll see what I mean when you meet him."


    All in all, it had been a lot to take in. Gavin had done a lot of assuming on his account that he''d be okay with...all of this, but upon thinking on it, having more people involved helped his feeling lost and confused. LUCAS nodded and took in a deep breath. "I''m LUCAS, although he here called me Luke. Since it hasn''t been fully acknowledged, I''m an android. I''m still kinda new at...well, being separate from my mainframe. That''s at the bottom of the sea now, but I have a great number of things in my database I can access. It takes me a little to access information that is further from my general knowledge, but I can see if I can''t help free the people that have been taken to work at the weapon''s plant."


    Gavin offered a smirk that LUCAS felt was double-meant. He assumed that these people weren''t aware of the full nature of ICARUS and its missing pieces. He wondered what he would have said if he had brought it up, and suddenly, he didn''t have to worry for long. Inside his mind he saw a simulation of events play out. He saw himself mention the large power source inside the weapons development building and the noticeable shine that rose in Roshe''s eye. He paused the scene and saw the slightest shred of concern on Gavin''s face, and ran with one theory: If LUCAS had mentioned the fragment of ICARUS, Roshe would be more motivated in their plan to not just free the workers, but also obtain that power for himself. That look did not inspire confidence that this would be a favorable outcome. In that look he saw that if Roshe were to know of a power like that it would not take much for him to turn from ally to enemy. LUCAS let the simulation play forward and he saw that it resulted in a lot of backstabbing, power struggles, and entirely avoidable conflict. He came back to himself and was staring back at the scene in front of him.


    "That sounds mighty fine," Roshe said, startling LUCAS. "Any help is fine help, especially if you do have a map in that head of yours."


    "Where''s Blaise now?" Gavin asked.


    "Went off to bug that lady friend he''s been so keen on for some more deals on the junk he collects. You know how he is."


    Laven rolled her eyes, and under her breath, "Don''t know why he bothers so much..."


    "All right, we''ll wait for him to get back before we go further on in plans, then. Don''t want to preshoot our shot." Gavin began. "Hey, Luke, mind coming in here? I have other things I''d like to discuss," Gavin said, cocking his head and walking toward a room in the back of the tent.


    "Yeah, sure," LUCAS said.


    "Why must you run away?" Laven asked, a certain...odd curiosity laced in her voice.


    "Personal matters," Gavin said. "Ring us when Blaise makes it back."


    "Aye," Roshe said, then he closed his eyes once more. Bambo jumped up, "Probably about time for me to ready dinner preparations. Going to need to account for a new face to fee¡ª" he stopped when he remembered, "Oh, you don''t eat, don''t you?"


    LUCAS shook his head. "Nope, no need to worry."


    "Ah, well that takes a load off my chest. Although, there is still the matter of private quarters and...oh god other accordiations. I''ll be back," he ran off in a huff.


    LUCAS looked back at him in a confused daze.


    "He''s really a worrywart at heart," Laven said, shrugging her shoulders. "Tends to make up words when he gets excitable."


    LUCAS knew the meaning of the man''s words, but his confusion was not on the words used, but the emotions he could read from Bambo''s senses before he left. He so quickly accepted everything as it was and considered LUCAS one of the team. He wasn''t sure if he was flattered or concerned, probably a mix of both if he was being truly honest with himself.


    He then looked toward Laven. He could get a read on the both of them, but her readings confused him the most. She seemed reserved moreso than the others. He couldn''t get a solid read, even monitoring her vitals and surface level presentations. He would have to keep a close eye on her.


    LUCAS followed Gavin into the separate room, it was a lot darker than the more open lobby.


    Gavin waved his arm across a candle and it lit, instantly. LUCAS looked at him confused and Gavin made a look that LUCAS took to mean "I''ll tell you in a second."


    Gavin sat down on a seat that looked like it would envelop him whole.


    "Go ahead, take a seat, I think we have some important things to talk about," Gavin nodded toward him. "I''m sure you have a lot of questions. I''m sorry about throwing you into the thick like that."


    "It''s okay," LUCAS said. "It was a little overwhelming, but honestly I think it was worse dealing with the hot sun. Social dealings aren''t a large concern for me."


    "That''s good to hear. Unfortunately the sun is a pervading issue out here in the desert, but maybe Blaise can help your cooling systems." He cracked his neck and casts a flame in his hand, lightening the room even further. "This caught your eye."


    LUCAS nodded slowly. "By my records, humans shouldn''t be able to do that. My only theory is that it''s because you came from another world."


    "You would be correct. Humans normally cannot do this. There have been some people that, through one method or another, have been able to perform miracles."


    "What else can you do?" LUCAS asked.


    "I think it would be easier to ask what I can''t do," Gavin chuckled. "Manipulation of the elements. It''s hard to quantify, but if it''s got a flow to it, I can..." he moves his fingers in a certain pattern and the fire spirals in his hand, "bend it to my will."


    "And you only scout," LUCAS said, prodding at the point.


    Gavin grinned and squeezed his palm tight, extinguishing the flame. "I didn''t thank you properly for playing along. Very keen of you."


    "I ran a simulation inside my head to what would have happened if I didn''t."


    "That''s magnificent. I assume you saw a certain lust for power in our old friend Roshe?"


    "The very same, I''m relieved I''m not the only one to point it out."


    Gavin exhaled.


    "He''s a very powerful ally if you are stronger...or if he believes you are stronger than him. Else, he has within him the temperament to seek greater horizons. It comes with the territory, I am afraid. So I''ve done my best to weave through the situation as painlessly as possible. If it comes to the point where he needs to be taken care of, I have plans in store to take care...but I sincerely hope it does not have to come to that."


    LUCAS nodded, "I see..."


    "Now, this power that you sense, how detailed is your feeling?" He swapped topics like a change of clothes. "Apologies for my questions, but you have to see it from my point of view¡ªto me you are like a fresh breath of air after a murky season of mudfall."


    "It''s fine," LUCAS answered, a little more timid than normal. "It''s...strange. I know it''s a bit unkempt of me to say, but I don''t have a ton of experience with my own systems. My sentience is a more recent thing. So I can''t exactly comment on what should be normal...but what feels normal when I sense these...powers feels...more. Like, if you wanted to know that exactly three hundred and ninety-four miles to the east there''s a bomb being stored in a solid waste facility. I can''t envision the people surrounding it but I can feel the bomb''s presence, and clearly. It''s not enough to cause me danger, but it has a potential to, if moved closer or detonated in chain. So, my system flags it as a concern item and I see as much as I''m able."


    Gavin listened intently, a reassuring fact, and so LUCAS continued.


    "With this...whatever is inside the Kosunaga building feels a few thousand times more dangerous than that bomb. So in theory, I should be able to see the inner linings of the pockets of every person connected inside that building. Bigger the threat, bigger the scope of information."


    "Makes sense," Gavin nodded, "scale it in proportion to the threat so you can prioritize what to focus on."


    "That''s what it should be. I...can''t see any detail about the inside of that building. It''s this large...wall that blocks my view. I can''t tell you how many people are inside. I can''t tell you how exactly what they''ve been using that power for. All I can tell you is it''s big, and I''ve only felt that sort of signature back when Godsong was sitting the facility I was created in."


    "I see," Gavin said. "A bit of a shame that we don''t have any surface level information, but knowledge that it is there is more than I''ve had, so I do thank you for bringing this to my attention."


    "I''m sorry it''s not more," LUCAS said, a little downtrodden.


    He shook his head, "I''m sure Blaise will be able to get a little more information out of you. Maybe we can reverse engineer a map, maybe we can get some eyes on the place. Either way, when he gets back we can start up and compose a mission out of it. Get the full team''s support, and keep the information we need quiet so."


    LUCAS nodded. "Going to be a tough course to chart with that if Blaise is able to find information on that."


    "Yeah, I''ve been thinking on that. I may need to speak to him separately and get his cooperation."


    "Sure he won''t try to take it for himself?"


    Gavin nodded. "Blaise is...peculiar. He''s hard to get a read on, but I do trust he would work with us and not break formation."


    "Got it," LUCAS nodded. "Do you need anything from me, now?"


    Gavin shook his head. "No, you should be fine here until we need the analysis to start. I can go see if I can round up Blaise. If you need time to rest feel free to stretch out and take a break. I''m sure it''s been crazy busy where you came from."


    "You don''t have to tell me twice. Thank you Gavin."


    He nodded in return and then hopped to his feet. He exited and LUCAS remained alone with his thoughts. There were so many facts he needed to sort, but also so many variables to each of those facts. He wouldn''t be able to properly sort them until he could answer more of his inner questions, and those would only come after Blaise did his work. He closed his eyes and slowed his internal systems down. His thoughts slowed and for once he felt at ease.

 3 | World Within

    Dreams as humans experienced them were a foreign concept to LUCAS. Flexible and tenuous memories that warp and distort by the subconscious to graft over the unconscious. LUCAS has wondered what that feeling of giving up control to a deeper, yet darker version of yourself felt like. He hasn''t had much experience sleeping, but sitting there, he knew that his version of falling asleep would be a lot like dying for humans. Dying and then miraculously being revived after a predetermined period of time.


    Except, there was nothing miraculous about what happened here. It all ran according to an algorithm that was constantly running in his mind. He could push it to the background, sure, but he could never fully ignore the numbers constantly running through his thoughts. He was almost jealous of others and their ability to just...exist in quiet.


    LUCAS didn''t dream...at least, not in the way humans did. He didn''t fully shut off¡ªhe was sure he wouldn''t be able to turn himself back on unless someone who really knew what they were doing opened up his skull and sent the right startup commands. No, he opted to leave just enough of himself awake to respond to an emergency. The rest of his energy was spent simulating fond memories of Abel and Cain as children.


    Seeing the two boys smile made him wish he could insert himself into the fantasy. Sure enough, he could imagine what it would be like, but the knowledge of its inherent false nature is just enough of a block from full investment into the simulation. It was a piece of him he wish he could turn off¡ªLUCAS was awful at pretending. If not, then he thought he could dawdle in his ''dreams'' forever.


    His second sight shifted to the scene of the Roulette Game. It was a terribly cold encampment that now sat at the bottom of the ocean, but his thoughts shifted to where the survivors of the game were now.


    Aria Fleur was a crafty one¡ªpresenting herself as demure and like she couldn''t hurt a fly, when in truth she acted as a contract killer for the underbelly of society. She had the highest chances of being active out in the world now, although exactly where...he had nary a clue. She was french, so it''s possible she returned to where France would have been in the new world, but as to what she would find there...it was impossible to say. Abel hadn''t left the SubCon facility since entering it in this, his final cycle. He had no knowledge of the world outside, so it would stand to reason LUCAS wouldn''t either.


    That didn''t explain how he could have knowledge of the fragments of ICARUS, but that''d have to be a topic he thought on later.


    His thoughts then moved to Simon Nagatomi. Simon was always...complex. When viewing his memories of the cycles in a vacuum, it was easy to simply judge him an asshole with a massive chip on his shoulder. A murderer, a liar, a cheat. All names that did apply to the man with the raven hair.


    And yet, he was equal parts victim. A martyr, a hero, a fool. The others he played the Roulette Game with would not be able to understand the full circumstances behind his actions¡ªAbel tried his hardest to empathize, yet even he didn''t know the full brunt of what Simon had gone through, and had been going through. When he was just on the cusp of it, his own life in that same cycle had ended, terribly.


    LUCAS understood. He didn''t like it, but he understood. He couldn''t imagine being in Simon''s shoes and not eventually getting to that same point of desperation for anything different. Simon was Japanese, but if he were to be honest with himself he couldn''t see Simon returning unless he needed to. Too much of what brought the worst parts of his life out came from his homeland. Now that he was free from the confines of the game, it could be possible to appeal to the side of him that once desired justice. The side of him that vowed to stand up to people like his father. He wasn''t sure how the effects of the game would have on him, though. He could just as easily be absolutely broken from it.


    Next his thoughts went to Sophie. She was quite the mysterious player, but like Simon, getting to see the records of all the players'' pasts and repeated actions through the cycles, he understood her reasons for being so guarded. He also felt...a growing complicated feeling deep inside him¡ªhe was sure it was a remnant of when he believed he was Abel, but he had a deeper compassion for Sophie. He knew that Abel had liked her¡ªliked her in the way that Cain became furious over.


    He was still so young during the events of the game¡ªLUCAS was sure he hadn''t the emotional intelligence to navigate his feelings properly. Either way, Sophie had a self preservation about her that would kick in no matter what she felt or if she returned feelings or not. It was hardwired into her brain from years of relying on herself for everything else. She was strong, but weak in the same way. She had the highest chance of succumbing to the new world¡ªat least the ones that had escaped.


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    This of course excluded Levi and Ai Nagatomi. X factors for wildly different reasons. Levi had been a golem¡ªa prototype autonomous unit that LUCAS assumed eventually inspired Abel to create his own form. In a sense, the legacy of Levi Strauss¡ªthe real Levi had probably long since been dead in Steinschild¡ªhad lived on through his every footstep in this new world.


    And then there was Ai. The one who orchestrated the game itself¡ªthe false identity taken by the terrible, terrible Sakonna. She was the youngest of the Children of the Night¡ªthose who yearn to return to the dark world called Noctem from where they originate. Creatures with ghastly visage and almost as ghastly intelligence planning to eradicate the land of the light¡ªthe land that each and every soul on this planet called home. His...home.


    If it were just that, he would consider their acts simply unforgivable. He would be opposed to their goals and that would be that. But it wasn''t just that¡ªlife never was just morals versus the state. He had experienced firsthand the result of the Roulette Game¡ªeach life that it had touched, poisoned, corrupted, and ended. Just one cycle would be enough for a lifelong vendetta to make sure that their goals are never achieved...but he saw them again, and again, and again. Hundreds of lives ended, betrayed, lost, loved, and all so they could escape into the night with the energy they collected.


    It was this pain¡ªthis collective horror that had been enacted on people that did not deserve it¡ªthat was what set LUCAS on the path to ensure that not only their goals never came to fruition, but that the life of every single creature that allied themselves even remotely with this group would see their final breaths by his hands. Then, and only then would he feel like he could shut his systems down, permanently. Only when this world could begin to heal and those that had been wronged could find peace knowing that their suffering has been paid back kindly in full.


    And yet, his thoughts floated from Sakonna to the man who hung around in some of the visions. The man with the all-white persona and the completely blank eyes. LUCAS knew this was the same man that had been written about in The Eye of Timaeus¡ªthe craftsman. He was also sure that this same craftsman was the same beggar that initially introduced Timaeus to the great library¡ªZ-One.


    The events of the past swirled around his mind in a vicious cyclone of beginning, end, repeat, beginning, end, repeat. He didn''t even have a solid answer on how long he had been observing these events. When did...I begin? When cycles began to repeat through alternate histories and my memories persist through each of them, now that the multiverse had been collapsed into one...


    He froze. Just...how had he known that the multiverse had collapsed? Something inside him just...knew. He checked the algorithm to confirm the logic¡ªsee if he could backtrace where it had come from...but he could find nothing. There was no evidence in his system that he ever learned that the universe they now existed in was the last remaining, but he did. They were fully...alone.


    Somewhere, in the darkness of the deepest parts of his mind he felt...a changing force. Something important somewhere had changed...a choice was made. It infuriated him that the details were so scarce. Missing information was the greatest personal injustice. He sensed a faint power not unlike the force he feels emitting from the Kosunaga building. Perhaps it could be another fragment of ICARUS? He thought it probably best to hold off on talking to Gavin about it. This new world was dangerous, and while he sensed things were up and up with what Gavin has said so far, he thought it probably best he kept some cards close to his chest for now.


    LUCAS sensed increased movement just outside, and so he let the simulations come to an end and his eyes propped open. He sensed Gavin and a new face approaching quickly. He heard laughter and the rough voice tones of Roshe laughing along with something.


    LUCAS sat up and mimicked a motion he stole from Abel¡ªcracking his neck at both sides to relieve tension. It wasn''t the same kind of tension that Abel would have had, but it came close enough. The joint in his neck squeaked and it sent pain shooting up his innards. In all honesty, he could probably fix up the loose joint himself, but the information on his own system was scarily sparse.


    I wonder...was that on purpose? What kind...of purpose would that be for? The thought concerned him greatly. If he didn¡¯t know, just how could he expect anyone else to?


    He didn''t know if anything else would bust if he had miscalculated the repair. If he messed anything up and was unable to carry out his mission¡ªno, that was out of the question. He could deal with a little discomfort. At least, until it grew into a much larger problem. Then, he would deal with it.


    That, he supposed, he stole from Cain.

 4 | Man in the Mask

    Gavin and Blaise entered the tent the second that LUCAS had woken up. The commotion from the crowd outside died down as the front flap of the tent closed. There must have been some sort of noise dampening technology set up somewhere. Must be real small¡ªLUCAS could have been fooled to believe that this tent was all tech free¡ªalthough the fact that he and Gavin were able to have a conversation without those outside taking notice was ample evidence to the fact.


    Gavin drew everyone to the center table where LUCAS has met everyone a short while before. He looked at his internals, it seems four hours had passed since that point.


    "All right, all right. Everyone come round. The great techno dreamboat has returned," Gavin said, "Of course, it took quite some effort to separate the poor prince from his dearly treasured."


    LUCAS looked Blaise up and down, and instantly he understood that he does not understand Blaise at even a surface level. The man was tall¡ªtaller than even Gavin. He wore a flowing cloak that shrouded just how thick or thin he really was. And right over his face was a black mask, holed eyes and a curved line going from edge to edge were the only features he could make out. It looked like there was an inscription on the side¡ªjust by the cheek, but it was much too small for him to make out.


    His head above the mask looked shaved, so he couldn''t make anything out from his appearance other than how...odd it was.


    "Just...lost track of time," the voice came from behind the mask. It sounded...measured. Composed. This was a man that kept all his cards close to his chest. So many variables to keep an eye on. LUCAS had a feeling that the interactions with these folks were going to be closer to disarming a bomb than running a mission as a team.


    "So, we gonna get the map from the kid or what?" Roshe asked, leaning back in his seat.


    LUCAS felt the eyes of everyone in the room shifting toward him. He didn''t necessarily feel uncomfortable, but moreso...curious. He could feel the temperatures of everyone else raising vastly different. Bambo was the quickest¡ªhe was levelheaded when he was talking things in his field, but everything surrounding LUCAS seemed to unnerve him.


    Blaise and Gavin seemed equally cool to the situation. There was little to no change in their internal temperatures.


    "Yeah, should be no problem. C''mere." Blaise motioned with as little physical movement as was possible. He kicked over a stool and LUCAS took in a deep breath¡ªa show for nerves than anything else.


    "Shouldn''t be long," Gavin said. "Also, it looks like his neck there is a little...off. Mind checking that out, too?"


    Blaise muffled a grunt and LUCAS eyed Gavin closely. He hadn''t told Gavin about his neck joint...had he noticed him rubbing it...or was it something deeper? His internal temperatures didn''t change at all. He thought he was right to keep the second fragment''s location a secret for now. And with each passing second he may continue that trend of secrecy.


    "Seems easy," Blaise said. "Be right back." He backed off and LUCAS stared at the strange man as he ducked into one of the other rooms.


    "Does...he ever take the mask off?" LUCAS asked.


    "Never seen his face under it," Roshe said. "Seems ashamed of it. Maybe burned. Maybe he''s just ugly," and then he burst into a fit of laughter. Bambo joined in, his laugh was wiry.


    Blaise returned a few moments later with a small wrench and a few other small tools gathered in one hand. "Sit still."


    LUCAS did so, and realized it would be so easy for Blaise to just...turn him off. He wasn''t sure if there was such a command inside his system, but figured it would have been careless of Abel to not include it. What if he had rebelled against him? Abel would need a failsafe just in case...


    The thought hurt inside, but he pushed it away because the truth was if he was going to die, he could have been overpowered at any point before this. Surely Gavin''s own abilities would have been enough to suppress him. Blaise reached over and brought the wrench to LUCAS'' neck. LUCAS got the image of a hostage situation with a knife pressed to a young boy''s throat, but pushed that away too.


    "Still," Blaise commanded softly.


    LUCAS straightened up and froze his movement. His pain sensors triggered as Blaise tightened. If he hadn''t frozen his movements, he was sure to have jumped forward in reaction. With Blaise''s hands around his neck, he might have screwed something fierce up. He stood still as the joint was tightened, loosened, held for a moment, and then clicked into place as it was finally tightened correctly. His neck no longer felt like it was threatening to lock up.


    LUCAS felt something sharp jab the back of his head¡ªjust behind his ear. His eyes widened and he definitely would have jumped from the stab.


    "Still," Blaise repeated, and LUCAS listened.


    Blaise worked silently as the panel connecting the rear of his head unlatched. His eyes darted to the frame as Blaise set it down beside him. It was a surreal experience, staring at the back of his own head. Sure enough, he knew that it were possible that his body could come apart like this. At his core, he was inside a machine. Of course they come apart. But he was not a machine, at least, not in the same way. He was those two dreaded letters. AI. A machine that pretends it''s not. That''s programmed to not, that believed it wasn¡¯t. And the part of him that believed found...despair almost in solid proof that he is what he knows he is. In that piece of him is the undeniable proof that he will never truly be human.


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    "What''cha find in there?" Bambo asked.


    "A lot," Blaise said, using two of the tiny tools that sort of looked like a lockpick to pick around. "Found an inhibitor."


    "Inhibitor?" LUCAS asked.


    "Still," Blaise warned. "One mistake and you''re done."


    "Sorry," he said.


    "It''s dulling some of your senses. Whoever put it in you didn''t want this part of your system running."


    "Why''d they go through all that trouble?" Bambo asked. "Installed whatever just to block it."


    "They probably needed the function at some point, then figured it was too dangerous for him to access it." Laven mused. "Restricted like a child."


    An inhibitor...LUCAS thought. Why would Abel have needed to place an inhibitor? If his goal was to scour this vast wasteland and put an end to the Children of the Night, should he not have full access to all his systems? A terrible doubt began to flood his mind. If it was for his good¡ªlike, if it was something that would overheat his system or could possibly kill him, then why wouldn''t he have told him? And...why wasn''t he able to sense the inhibitor himself?


    "Gone, now." Blaise muttered. "You should feel...more, when I finish up, the sensor needs time to boot."


    The question lie heavy on his mind. What would he feel? Would he regret it? The only thing, he thought, was to just wait and see.


    "Get that map already," Roshe commanded.


    "Let him work," Laven chided.


    Through it all, Gavin sat silent in the back, studying the situation silently. LUCAS couldn''t see him from where he was standing, but he could start to feel him. Like, a strong suggestion of where he was and how he was standing. He wasn''t sure this was the feeling that had been inhibited. It was his normal sense of strong energy. It was always ringing in the back of his mind.


    "Almost done," Blaise said.


    "How do you know how to find what you''re looking for?" Bambo asked. When Laven gave him a dirty look, he held up both his hands. "Just curious. Not everyday you find something like this on the street."


    All eyes shifted to Blaise. "Similar architecture to something I worked on in the before." And that was all he said.


    Similar architecture? What could that mean? Was there something like him out there? There were too many questions that were floating around his head. All had the potential to greatly change how he would interact with the world in the coming times. And all of them frustratingly led to dead ends. All such dark paths that seemed like traps purposefully set to encase his mind in a full on logic loop. One thought to another to another unending.


    "It''s done," Blaise said. "Grab the projector, I''ve got a port here, got the data."


    LUCAS couldn''t place it, but there was a slight rise in Blaise''s internal temperature. There was a sliver of excitement in his voice, but only a sliver.


    Roshe stood and headed to the back of the tent. Blaise returned to the cool temp of before, his even cadence returned like he was aware of the shift. Gavin''s eyes lowered as something seemed to have caught his notice too, but he seemed to see how it played out. LUCAS measured his own breath and sensed Roshe grabbing the projector from the room in the rear. He remembered seeing it when he had been talking with Gavin, but paid little notice to it originally.


    He returned and grunted slightly as LUCAS could see it had considerable bulk to it. As he got eyes on it he could see it was handmade¡ªnothing you would have seen on store shelves in the old world...not that he had any personal experience with that. It was just another thing he was programmed to know.


    Knowledge of the old world was relegated to mundane details. Basic ideas of how things were¡ªtypically learned through the written works produced in that time. Commonalities shared, basics every writer of the era knew and inserted into their works. Things the fiction wrapped around.


    "Got it, here," Roshe said, lifting the machine onto the center table. "Boy''ll have to come here. Cable''s not long enough.


    Luke listened, and nodded slowly. He stood up and quickly found a hand on his shoulder.


    "Still," Blaise commanded. His grip was tight, forceful. LUCAS didn''t like it. "If he moves, his head spills out. We lose everything."


    "What do you expect me to do?" Roshe asked.


    "Bring it here."


    "Carry it, you mean?" Roshe asked. "You can do that part."


    "Do you know how to navigate to the map?" Blaise''s head cocked. The look from the mask was intimidating enough. Roshe groaned and Gavin stepped forward, holding out a hand. "I got it."


    His eyes started to glow golden, a sort of fierce look as the machine lifted in the air by itself.


    "You tellin'' me you could have done that the whole time?" Roshe called.


    "Yeah, but I try not to if I can avoid it."


    "Why the hell''d you sit there and watch me struggle with it?"


    Gavin shrugged. "I thought you could have used the exercise. Been sitting an awful lot today." A wicked grin passed along his face.


    Roshe showed him the finger, and Gavin smirked even wider. He nodded and brought the machine over, slowly. It hung in the air just beside LUCAS. He wondered what he would feel if he waved his arms underneath the machine¡ªwould he feel nothing? Or would there be an essence of the telekinesis? He wasn''t sure if he''d be okay with either. He dared not test it.


    "Let''s begin," Blaise said, taking the cable from the side of the projector and slotting it inside the back of his head. He was forceful with the insert, it shoved LUCAS''s head forward.


    "Still, I know," LUCAS murmured.


    Blaise said nothing as he worked his tools to the right spot, then a click sound echoed across the silence in the tent. They all stared at the spot where the projection landed on the side of the tent.

 5 | The Outline

    In total, the factory was ten stories tall. LUCAS saw that for each floor was a large expanded space where most of the production would happen, and the rest of the space was occupied with hallways and smaller rooms that extended out like veins. The top four floors lacked the larger, more open space and looked to be entirely filled with the small rooms and hallways. Looking at the schematic projected...it looked like a labyrinth.


    "That...is a mess," Roshe called out¡ªthe first to break the silence.


    "While large, it''s not unexpected," Gavin said, his arms were crossed. "Higher floors are almost certainly administrative. It''ll be the hardest getting up there. I wouldn''t be surprised if those highest floors are locked and barricaded something fierce."


    Laven stroked her chin, "So, in order to begin our plan we need a general frame of which to build from. I think an offensive is much too risky considering the total space of the building."


    "Seems to be so, but we knew that before even seeing the map," Roshe agreed.


    "So, stealth seems to be the plan. We have to install someone, maybe two. Two sounds better," Gavin mused. "Three might be too many¡ªI''m sure they''re keeping a close eye on every new recruit."


    The way he said recruit was with obvious sarcasm laced deep within.


    "What about the boy?" Blaise said, almost a note of interest in his voice.


    Gavin stared at him, and when he thought that he was going to object, a slight smirk appeared on his face. "I think that''s actually a good idea."


    LUCAS shifted uneasily, Blaise held him still. "Wh-What do you mean?"


    "To get inside we''d probably have to stage you out, maybe you and Laven. She''s resourceful in a pinch. Roshe, you''re at your best when you''re prepared, but your improvisational skills leave much to be desired."


    Roshe didn''t react. Gavin expected some sort of comeback, but it played to the truth that Roshe accepted it.


    "So, we just get ourselves captured, that the simple of the short?"


    The others stared at him, confused at his word choice, but the message shot clear. "Step one," Bambo nodded. "But before we do anything we''d need to make sure everyone involved is up to the task...is capable."


    Capable, meaning LUCAS. He thought on it...what use could he have once he were inside? He was sure he would be taken in¡ªhis look was that of a young teenage kid. But thinking of what he could actually do on the inside...that''s where the doubt filled in.


    "He''ll be fine," Gavin said, and brought LUCAS out of his thoughts immediately. His didn''t seem to be the only surprised look at Gavin''s outburst.


    "If you''re sure. You''ll have eyes on them, right?" Roshe asked.


    "Of course, what do you take me for?" Gavin shook his head, the grin still shining on his face.


    "Well then, let''s plan this thing through," Roshe continued.


    ~...~


    While LUCAS was still uncertain of his own ability to see the plan through, the plan they came up with did sound solid on paper. When all was said and done, the team broke up and began preparing their own parts of it. Gavin noticed that LUCAS looked like he had just conscripted himself to war without participating in basic for even a second.


    "Hey, don''t worry about it," he said, bringing him aside where they wouldn''t be heard as easily. "Your end of it is simple. You can largely leave it to Laven to do the hard parts."


    He nodded, but he still thought to the fragment of ICARUS hidden somewhere within that building.


    "There''s still the matter of¡ª"


    "Yeah," Gavin nodded, cutting him off before he could say it. His eyes darted to the others, signaling to LUCAS how close they were and who could overhear.


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    He got the message and nodded himself. "Right. I guess I''m just nervous about actually doing what''s expected of me."


    Gavin smiled smally, "I get it. I think when you''re in deep you''ll find a confidence deep in you that you didn''t ever expect you had. At least, that''s what it felt like for me."


    "You''ve been undercover before?"


    "Yeah, in the world I came from. I had to pretend I was working for a bunch of people who would go on to create a virus that nearly destroyed the world. Talk about stressful, right?"


    "How did you manage it? Like...how did the stress not get to you?"


    "You know, I am not fully sure," Gavin said. "I think because something deep in me knew that I wanted to do my job right more than I wanted to make it out alive. The job I was doing of course needed me to stay alive, but I wasn''t thinking of my own survival. I thought about what I was doing for those I could help."


    LUCAS nodded, and then thought of the other players of the Roulette Game. If he could ensure that they were able to lead peaceful lives...he was sure he could control his internals. "Thank you, Gavin. I''m not fully sure I can do what needs to be done, but I''ll try."


    He smiled again. "I''m sure you will."


    "And..." LUCAS began. Gavin cocked an eyebrow. "I don''t think you''ll have to worry about Roshe. I think he''s a known factor¡ªwe can plan around him if things get...wiry. But...Blaise. I don''t know about him. He gives me...concern."


    Gavin placed his hand on LUCAS''s shoulder. "Don''t concern yourself over him. I''ve got eyes on everyone." And that was all he said.


    LUCAS was left to his own while he went to prepare himself. They still had a few hours time before the plan would be put into motion¡ªat least, the part where he would willingly get kidnapped. He took a few steps toward the entrance and found himself staring up at the sky outside the tent. He needed a walk to clear his head. Troubling thoughts still had the tendency to float to the surface. If he were a full machine, these thoughts wouldn''t be troubling. They would just be data. And if he were a true machine he could just suspend the thoughts like they were nothing, but he was not a true machine. He was not a true human, he was simply, existent. I exist, but I do not carry a soul. I am, but I am not.


    An antinomy, he had previously thought. Something aware of being, but something that knows down to the finest micron exactly how that being should operate. At least, in theory. There was an inhibitor preventing him from fully realizing his full potential, and now what would he be? What could he do now that he could not before? He looked down at his hands and felt no different. Maybe it had not prevented anything at all? Then what of the purpose...?


    Too many troubling thoughts. Too many...


    He continued walking through a path of people. Small children, young men, and even younger women. He almost got overwhelmed staring at them as he walked past. He took in every face, every smile, frown, even the small child who had the beginnings of tears forming in their eyes after falling down. In them all he saw lives that were trying to carry forward. People trying to live throughout all of the uncertainty. Even if they didn''t know where their next meal would come from or if they''d even live another day, they kept moving forward. He knew deep down he would have to keep moving forward, too. Keep searching for the answers to the questions that lie deep within him. Even if it didn''t make sense to¡ªto admit so was to give up on hope entirely.


    And as an antinomy, hope was all that he lived on.


    He made his way out toward the edge of the outpost. Staring out at the wild desert beyond he felt...a sort of peace within himself. LUCAS looked down at his hands and closed his eyes, doing nothing but breathing. He felt the panging power source from the Kosunaga building, but he was sure he felt more, now. He could see the map of the building inside his mind¡ªmapped out on a 3D plane. He could chart a course from the very entrance up to the very top. He wondered why Blaise hadn''t taken the time to use these 3D versions of the maps. Maybe it was due to not being used to his systems, but maybe it''s because he didn''t know they were there.


    He did say he was familiar with similar architecture, but that didn''t mean he knew everything about it. Either way, it would be incredibly helpful navigating his way through the building when the time came for it.


    The plan was fine for the goal of releasing the prisoners held within. Sound, even. LUCAS was not worried about pulling this part of it off. It was, instead, where the plan diverged and he was supposed to break from Laven. She looked to be adept at adapting to changes within the plan. He didn''t yet know how he was going to be able to separate with her so he could continue on his portion of the mission without her knowing, or caring to continue alongside him.


    Anything too obvious would bring suspicion onto him, maybe even curiosity. It could lead to the discovery on her end of the fragment. And like Roshe, he thought that if she was given knowledge of the existence of the fragment, she would similarly take it for her own purposes. It was a puzzling conundrum, and unfortunately, one he would not be able to plan for. He would not know how to handle it until he were behind those walls¡ªuntil he was dead center in the fray.


    He took in a deep breath and let it out, slowly.


    Staring out at the horizon he saw the sun paint itself in a sudden arc where he could see the faint trails of where it crossed the skies. The sun of old''s light would never have been able to be traced so simply¡ªsuch was not so now. Humans still wouldn''t be able to see it with the naked eye, but LUCAS could easily. The arcs faded like comet tails, streaking their cries across the canvas.


    LUCAS settled his thoughts and he turned back toward the outpost. His doubts had been settled as well as he thought they would. Anything else would lead to retreads of the same thoughts¡ªthe same doubts. He had to strike while the iron was hot¡ªlest he be sunk forever into himself.


    He marched back toward the guild, his head up toward the sky...and toward whatever the next day will hold.

 6 | Tower, My Tower

    The plan was going to begin as such:


    The group was to launch a faux assault on the Kosunaga building enough to draw out their reactionary force. Laven and LUCAS would remain back in a camp nearby¡ªbut not too close so that combat touches them. The main strike team consisting of Gavin and Roshe would lead. They would honestly try to pick off any of the rogues if they''re able, but it is only a bonus. Their real goal is to draw them out enough to get them to notice the camp, and once enough is so they will retreat¡ªin a different direction, of course. They would have to break enough distance as to discourage them from following them instead of making their way to the small camp.


    Seeing Laven and LUCAS, they will divert to their protocol to capture and bring in two new workers. It was important that they look unarmed and look surprised when they are come upon, as any sort of threat will be shut down without any question.


    Blaise and Bambo will act as support from base camp who are wired through communicators through LUCAS. From there, he will display their position within the Kosunaga building, and from there will begin phase two of the plan.


    "Of course," Gavin said. "We''re going to round back to help with support, but largely it will be you two," He looked at Blaise and Bambo, each nodding in return. "And from there, we''ll move on as we see fit, adjusting and adapting as things come to interfere as they inevitably do."


    "That''s wildly inspiring," Laven said, shifting her hair up into a ponytail, then shifting it off to the side. She then shifted her weight and cocked her neck, "And what happens if they mean to kill us anyway? What if they see us as bait and don''t follow the plan? You know, for devil''s advocate."


    Gavin smiled. "Well, I''ve got a surprise in store for that. You don''t have to worry."


    "And...what is it?" LUCAS asked.


    Gavin simply smiled, which unnerved LUCAS. "It''s more fun if it''s a surprise. If it doesn''t happen I''ll tell you."


    "If we make it out alive, that is," Laven mused.


    "Think of it as a post-celebratory reward."


    Celebration was the last thing on LUCAS''s mind, but he figured if they were really able to to complete the task then he would be sure to celebrate like the best of them.


    "Well then," Gavin clasped his hands together. "Looks like we''re about ready. We can pack up our things and move out to prepare by the end of the day. Luke, Laven, come walk and talk with me. I want to go over your side of the plan while the others prepare."


    LUCAS nodded, standing to attention. He waited for Laven to rise too, but she took an extra moment, slowly swaying as if there were a solemn waltz playing faintly in the background. "Can''t say I''m excited to play the rube, but I guess the feeling of success will make up for it in time."


    Gavin led the both of them outside of the tent. People started to gather round the outside of the tent¡ªexpectant looks plastered on their faces.


    "They''re waiting our move," Gavin whispered. "The guild is looked on favorably in this sector¡ªwe mean to free their friends and family, of course."


    "Bunch of eyes I can''t bare to look at," Laven hushed back. "Too much hope pinned on us, I think. You''d think the power of all these people would inspire the strongest among them to sign onto the guild."


    "You know why they don''t," Gavin said. "These people are beaten, battered, and are barely hanging on. They need what we can offer. Maybe once this mission is successful their resolve will begin to grow, again."


    "And what of your services then, fine warlock?"


    Something about the name made Gavin smile, but he made effort to hide it from the crowd. "That is to be determined. Going to miss me that much?"


    "I can admit, your adventures leave the tent with a certain...void of entertainment."


    The three break through the crowd, Gavin''s smile is still firm on his face. "I like to be in the company of putting smiles on other''s faces, even if those faces haven''t smiled in years."


    "Makes me think," Laven pondered, "If Roshe has ever smiled.¡±


    "Maybe once," Gavin added, "twice at most."


    This brought a chuckle out of Laven. It sounded foreign. It was a different side to her than LUCAS had seen yet. It reminded him these were people first, and fighters and warriors second. They had cleared the crowd fully and LUCAS felt like the tension around him fell apart like a cloth soaked in deep waters. The tension that was the physical manifestation of the expectations the crowd had placed on their shoulders. LUCAS hadn''t been here more than a day and already he felt that weight on his shoulders.


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    "Okay, so now that we''re free from prying ears," Gavin began. "The backup plan was going to save you, should things go awry. I''d double in and eliminate the crowd."


    "You can do that?" LUCAS asked.


    Gavin gave off a mysterious look LUCAS didn''t know if he could trust. "Only reason I didn''t want to elaborate was because of Bambo. You know how he gets when possibilities are presented to him."


    Laven seemed to nod at this, understanding, and when noticing LUCAS didn''t reciprocate, he followed up, "he tends to over-analyze. Gets himself caught up in a mental loop. Forgets anything else he needs to think about. Too much hassle to talk about backup plans around him."


    "Won''t he ask?"


    Laven offered up a full on laugh that surprised him. It was hearty, and it came from deep within her. "Bambo would no sooner open up a can of worms he didn''t intend to swallow than offer to fight on the front lines."


    LUCAS wondered at the thought, and imagined Bambo to act similar to Levi in situations of great distress. He wondered if Bambo would be capable of the great bravery he had also seen Levi demonstrate throughout the Roulette Game. He thought it unlikely, after interacting with the man. There seemed to be underlying issues that would prevent such unless the perfect situation were to present itself.


    "Anyway," Gavin drove him out of his thoughts. "You two are going to be going undercover as captives. They''re going to check you for weapons, which means they''ll probably discover that you''re an android, Luke. Nothing to be done about that, I''m afraid. We would be heavily advantaged if they did not notice¡ªyou two would be then brought to similar work stations, I believe. Women and children tend to be kept together."


    "The lot of them can burn in hell for being so antiquated," Laven brushed, venom in her voice. "To think I can''t escape being so reduced simply for such base things as my gender," she shook her head. "Unfortunately, hatred and ignorance always finds a way to spread through the cracks. And, unfortunately, it finds company in people who tend to have power, but, should things go well, this should at least be less of a problem here."


    "Probably should add Roshe to that list," she said, more to the air than his response. Gavin had nothing to say on this topic, and LUCAS wisely chose to do the same, as she wasn''t finished. "Think the woman who saved his life at Barrier Rock would have lightened his load¡ªtch, seems he barely considers it past the front of it. Still thinks I hampered him from his carnage."


    LUCAS shifted his eyes over to Gavin, who still was silent, letting it play out. She sighed, and turned to Gavin, stopping in her tracks. "You don''t have to sit silent like a damned fool."


    "I agree with you," Gavin said. "I had just thought you needed to get that out. Didn''t want to cut you off."


    She sighed, and looked off to the side. "It''s just...tough sometimes. But we can shelf that topic for now." She took a deep breath. "We still need to hear the rest of the plans you have, warlock."


    The nickname hung heavier in the air as the three of them shared a silent moment.


    "Yes, sorry about the detour. So, since they''ll most likely find out that you''re an android, you two will be separated once you get taken in. Laven will likely be moved to physical work, whereas Luke, you''ll be brought probably to their science labs on the fourth floor. They''ll probably try to disassemble you¡ªsee what they can take and fit for their own systems. Obviously this is the trickiest part of all, as we''re playing to their reactions. But Laven, you''ll need to create enough of a diversion¡ªhopefully without alerting to your part of causing such. Something that can''t be ignored by those on higher levels like the science lab. Something to get them off kilter enough that you can get out of their clutches."


    LUCAS looked to Gavin with doubt in his eyes, "Excuse me, but this seems like less of a plan and more of us just winging it."


    Gavin ran a hand through his hair and shrugged slightly. "Based on how recently we only obtained a map of the premises and yet are still so blind to the actual work structure inside the building, yeah, I guess you could say we''re running a little on the wind of luck. Once you''re inside and we have eyes on the situation we will have an easier time navigating around potential obstacles."


    The answer made enough sense, but that didn''t mean it was any less frustrating. The fact that he and Laven would be split up certainly would make it much easier to investigate the higher floors. He thought now that even though he said opposite, he had a feeling that Gavin was really hoping that they find out he was an android. Maybe...he should ensure such.


    The three of them continued to plan until they could no longer. By the end of it, LUCAS could tell Laven felt more comfortable in her role, but he was still fearing the many ways it could go wrong. He guessed he was not unlike Bambo in that manner. He then realized it was partially due to his unfamiliarity with those he was working with. He still kept a level of trust at arm''s length because he saw inside each of them the desire for power that drove them forward¡ªthe desire to strike back at anything they considered a threat. Maybe that was why it was difficult to envision success so easily.


    Suddenly, beneath his thoughts, he felt something...stronger. There was a much larger power source than whatever was in the Kosunaga building. It was...west, close west. And suddenly, it made sense. It was ICARUS¡ªthe large machine sprawled out in the desert where he first met Gavin. It made more than enough sense, but why had it taken him so long to¡ª


    The inhibitor.


    He wasn''t fully sure, but he had a good guess that he could now sense that machine''s power because of the loss of the inhibitor. It didn''t explain why he could still sense the source from the Kosunaga building¡ªperhaps that wasn''t a fragment of ICARUS after all...but he had to surely make sense of this somehow. He realized there was more than just a sense of the power coming from ICARUS¡ªthere were records. Corrupted, broken records, but records all the same. It had been recording data ever since it had landed in its current place. And while many of the files he could see were damaged from the impact, there still was enough of it he could view.


    And view it he would¡ªas he walked back to the tent alongside Gavin and Laven, he began to research.

 7 | White Butterfly

    Arid sands were not unfamiliar to Laven in the old world¡ªthe time before she grew up to a family in the thickest of deserts near the Pakistani-Israeli border. While vegetation was sparse, there was a small patch of field that grew flowers of many different colors on the other side She was shielded of much of the world''s politics due to her sheltered upbringing.


    Her father always desired a male child as his eldest, and when Laven was born, she could swear that she hadn''t felt anything but contempt emanate from her father since she''s known him. It was a contempt hidden so poorly that sometimes the act of pretending just didn¡¯t exist. From this contempt a complicated relationship between father and daughter began to bud¡ªtoxic like a rose stuffed deep into cyanide. If one were to try to remove the rose from its newfound home, the thorns would inject the deadly poison deep into the veins¡ªand so once it began so it stayed.


    Her father hid her away. Restricting her from the world like a jewel to be kept, not displayed. Laven felt a yearning for anything else than what she had. It ate away at her like a child of darkness hollowing her out day by day. Like any captive kept in a prison, freedom was the ultimate goal of her desires.


    A year before the world ended, she found herself especially yearning more from life when her father was out. She didn''t entirely know what his profession was, just that he worked for people who never visited their home¡ªon her father''s insistence. Something inside her knew it was because he was ashamed of her. A man who had worked as long as he had and as hard as he did felt ashamed about very little, but the little they did they felt in great amounts. Her father¡¯s shame was the icing onto the disappointment cake that comprised her life.


    He didn''t talk much to her outside of parental commands. She ate, prayed, and existed in the same home, but there wasn''t much about her father that she actually knew. What she did, she gleamed from stolen words from eavesdropped phone calls. The walls of her childhood home were not thick, and so casual conversation¡ªespecially in her father''s booming voice carried quickly. It was so strange...a voice so deep to come from such a short man. But she knew well enough that he could carry a conversation in as loud a voice as he chose. Screaming matches with participants on the other end of the line were not infrequent, and she did flinch from time to time in horrible memory of past times where they''d been directed at her.


    Her mother passed during childbirth. It was as sad a fact as any natural tragedy, and unfortunately, it carried the same amount of emotional weight. She never met her mother, so she didn''t feel any sort of way in specifically losing her. It was just...a void that was never filled.


    She sat in her familiar lonesome and stared out her barred window. The field outside her home lay alluring with multicolored flowers blowing in the breeze. Her eyes sat and focused on a small fluttering butterfly as rested on the edge of a large red flower. She visualized the wall between them broken and her freedom to sit and stare at the butterfly could go uninterrupted. She envisioned the freedom the butterfly must have had¡ªhow it could fly anywhere it wanted to. Away from all its problems...away.


    The image of the butterfly was burned into her brain when she ran away a year later¡ªjust two months before the time of The Collapse. She saw no respite in her home-life and no safety in the security provided. She felt little sense of self and desired above all else to be free. She hardened her spirit and threw away any feelings of nostalgia for her old life. The feelings inevitably rose to the surface after her first night away¡ªshe wondered if her freedom was truly what she desired. Guilt struck her dreams as visions of her father¡ªhowever awful he may have been¡ªfeeling the immense distress over her leaving. She vowed to kill those feelings, stabbing the ground in frustration.


    When the world turned over she was alone, nearing death in the sands from a terrifying shift¡ªthe land she had been walking on had one second been fine, and the next been thirty feet lower. With one step she fell, hurtling toward the new earth. She hadn''t realized the fall until she was halfway hurtling down. Her body slammed hard against the ground and she was convinced in the half second she was conscious that it was the end.


    It wasn''t, but her body shot up with pain. When she had awoken several hours had passed. She couldn''t move from where she lay. She was sure her legs were broken. If she remained she was going to die¡ªit was that simple. It was pure luck that brought travelers across her path¡ªthey had been weary travelers that had been making an on foot journey to Pakistan before the world turned over. The land where they''d come from had been much lower¡ªso they didn''t experience such a fall like Laven had.


    They stared up at the cliff above then down to the fallen girl, sensing the terrible fall and taking the girl into their camp.


    She was delirious, the blood loss quickly taking its toll on her. The travelers heard her mumble distracting talk of flying. They thought the poor girl may have tried to throw herself off the cliff. Over a course of three days it seemed her condition wasn''t getting any better. They had set her legs into splints, but she had lost a lot of blood. She also had been out of herself for a large majority of those days. When they had come to the end of their rope they left her and continued on their way.


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    In her delirium, Laven envisioned a great hallway. The logical part of her mind made the connection that she was on her deathbed¡ªand this was the symbolic life flashing before her eyes, but that thought was suppressed down under the subconscious surface.


    She stared down the hallway into a massive void that swirled like a luminescent galaxy. It seemed to entangle all of human creation within its many arms. She took a few hesitant steps toward the end of the hall where she could see the depths below, clearer. Petals blossomed across the spiral toward the center. White blossoms bloomed from each singular petal in the shape of a constellation¡ªone she''d never seen before. The stars comprising the two wings shifted and swayed to imitate the flapping of a celestial butterfly. There seemed to be a face hidden underneath the depths, but she couldn''t get closer to see. It spun within itself and she could see closer that the spiral glowed to a form underneath. The wings were the only thing that were from a butterfly¡ªthe shifting and swaying form underneath was that of an elongated dragon.


    A voice entered her mind speaking a language she couldn''t reciprocate, but still finding the underlying meaning. She accepted the voice''s proposal, and with a powerful gust of wind her eyes opened to the red skies above her. Blood coursed through her veins at a speed previously unknown. Her heart rate increased and her screams echoed into the night as the pact was formed.


    When she came to herself she opened her eyes. She stared out and saw LUCAS looking at her, concerned. He had reached out his hand and helped her to her feet. Suddenly through him she saw an infinite galaxy above their planet, the wing-beats of the figure in her mind flowing the air around them. Like vapor, LUCAS vanished and inside himself he felt...odd. He was more sure than of anything that he wasn¡¯t here during these events playing out, but he felt compelled to interact¡ªto help her up. It was as if it was a necessary function of his being¡ªlike he was created and this moment was lead up to for that intersection.


    By the next morning, her legs were mended. The pain twice over of their breaking necessarily felt, Laven moved to fulfill her end of the bargain¡ªa never ending search for power. A lust for scouting out the world for those with power and keeping balance so that humanity avoid annihilation.


    Laven set out to ensure the pact of the dragon remained strong.


    ~...~


    LUCAS was...confused. Even after his understanding of his interaction, he had zero record of any sort of creature that which revealed itself to her in her confused state. He couldn¡¯t push it off as a delusion as he wasn¡¯t sure he would have been able to see such. It had been real, and it hadn¡¯t been a Creature of the Night. He...felt like there was some relation, but the exact bounds of such eluded him. He despised information as important as this eluding him.


    He needed more info.


    In his attempts to dig deeper into ICARUS¡¯s records he found he was unable to break through the barriers that blocked his entry. It was hard to tell if they were deliberately placed or existed as omissions of necessary data between the large bridges of information. Large swaths of information blotted out the whole. His system was placed into a temporary recovery mode, but as he worked, what little information he could gather came to him.


    ~...~


    Long ago in a world of fiction, twelve souls were recovered from a deep darkness that categorized and stored them in a similar manner to ICARUS in this world. These souls were recycled, repurposed, and restored to the new world as it began anew. From these souls they split into...


    And the information fragmented from there. Words and letters break as if the bounds by which they exist similarly fragment. LUCAS cannot gleam any further information about the strange force.


    He rerounded back to see if he can locate any further information about Laven in the time between when he last saw and her joining the guild.


    He skimmed her recent and not so recent history¡ªtwenty years of information flying through his mind. Suddenly, he felt a brush against his shoulder and his front mind returned and he was staring out directly at Gavin. He was shaking LUCAS''s shoulder and asking if he was okay. He had to blink a few times to clear his mind and pull himself back to the present.


    LUCAS centered his focus and returned fully, upset at his inability to sever his research from his front mind. He looked to Gavin and nodded his head, slowly and then surely when his efforts were successful. "Yeah, I''m fine. I was just thinking about some things. Just got a lot on my plate, you know?"


    Gavin nodded, his eyes seemed to scan his expression reading for any double meaning to his words. LUCAS noticed and studied this himself¡ªlike a pair of students bid to follow one another¡¯s train of thought without knowledge who was to begin and who was to end. Beyond his gaze LUCAS could see that there was an immensely studious mind that would work to understand as much as he could. If he ever intended to lie to Gavin¡ªshould the situation call for it for his own survival¡ªhe would need to remember that anything less than fully convinced tales would do no good.


    If he had to lie...what kind of strange paranoia was this...to think of the people you spoke with in such contexts on how easy it would have been to lie to them. Was this evidence of a guilty conscience, or of a protective mind? LUCAS couldn¡¯t help but think it was both, but in this scenario it was probably best he shelve the idea of planning his probably betrayals. He would at least like to believe that he wasn¡¯t so cruel a being.


    And with that, his concerns were assuaged. Gavin stepped forward to speak to Laven¡ªabout what, LUCAS wasn''t listening. He used his free opportunity to dive back into his thoughts.

 8 | Black Bear

    Thud. Thud. Thud.


    A rhythmic whacking rings through the wooded distance. The air hung tight toward every living creature abound as it stole for heat like an abundant thief. The Alaskan expanse crawled across in a frozen forever. The world around was silent save for the blowing gales and the trodding of animals through the crunchy snow. A pack of caribou trodded up the bumpy ground and formed a huddled group to contain what little warmth remained in the early morning. Birds not native to the area flew above, trying to remove themselves from the equation entirely¡ªthis was a land where none but the most dedicated remained to scavenge.


    All but for the hunter and his young apprentice, like a pair set out on a cruel banishment from the world. The hunter was a middle aged man who was bundled up from head to toe in various layers of different colored garments. Thick muscle bounded tight against the two layered coat he was wearing. He was overseeing the apprentice, who stood against a tree with a hatchet in hand. The apprentice''s face was red with sweat even though he was wearing significantly less layers than his mentor.


    "C''mon Roshe," the mentor called, arms crossed. "Put your back into it. You''ll never earn your keep with small strikes like that."


    Roshe, who must have been no older than fifteen, was breathing heavy. He held the hatchet over his head and closed his eyes. He screamed as he brought it down against the tree. It sunk in deep, he was having difficulty removing it from the bark.


    His mentor shook his head and sighed. "Screaming like that is going to alert everything in the area you''re some lunatic."


    "Who cares," He finally rips the hatchet out of the tree. "I''ll have my prey where I want it. Then I just..." he brings the hatchet down like he did before.


    "Your arrogance will bring you a single meal, maybe. If you''re lucky enough to not disturb the whole damn wood before you get the chance. But only a single time like that¡ªyou''d starve within a month. What creature would you survive on when your celebratory screams give your position off?"


    Roshe bared his teeth in anger, "I don''t need you to tell me what to do. Those creatures out there should be scared! The second I find them their fates are sealed."


    "You speak nothing but the sounds of an impudent child," the mentor calls. "If you so refuse to listen, why are you here? Why have you enlisted my help when you so summarily are set on doing things your own way?"


    Roshe flinched at this. He stared at his hatchet and then his hand that held it.


    "You will only survive in the wild if you learn to respect the wild. Do you know how many people tried to imprint their will on the wood? How many people fall to their hubris¡ªhow many¡ª"


    "I get it!" Roshe cried out, his frustrating welling within him. "I get it. Just...let''s start this over."


    The mentor stared at him, silently observing the brash boy who looked to be skinnier than the handle of the hatchet he carried. He knew this boy''s hesitation to listen would be the cause of his unfortunate but inevitable death. His growing impatience all but signed the warrant with the devil. He stood there all at once wondering how better he could be spending his time, but knew that nothing would change his course. He owed this brat''s father a life-debt, and it is from that cause in his friend''s absence that he try to teach the boy to at least become self sufficient.


    He stood watching the boy study him up and down, as if sensing the rebelliousness nature in that look alone. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Okay. Begin your breathing exercises from the top. Envision your kill out in front of you, and practice again. You''re never prepared for the moment when you''re finishing a living creature off, but the least you can do is make the motion one of habit. Then at least when the moment arrives you can shelve your own emotions and let the muscle memory take over, but first you need to slow your temper now."


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    Roshe closed his own eyes. He slowed his breathing and tried to cool his anger and imagined a large bear splayed out in front of him. The vision took over as he imagined the thickness of the pelt and in the shadows the image transformed. It grew thinner, darker, and suddenly the anger threatened to return. It was more than a bear. He wanted to...no...he couldn''t let it be more than a bear. He couldn''t think of that now...not here. Not yet. Bring...back...the...bear.


    Inside his mind the bear''s visage returned, he slowed his breathing. The dark figure vanished and he imagined the black pelt of the creature and how it would almost shine after a heavy rain. How the triumph would wash over him after taking him down. How victorious a meal that would become. He raised his arm and brought the hatchet down against the bark. He swung with a cool breeze running through his mind. The arc his arm sent the hatchet was a really good swing. Inside he felt proud of the power behind it. One single swipe.


    The thud against the tree didn''t come. He was surprised when his arm continued all the way through. In place of the thick thud, a loud scream echoed throughout his soul. He opened his eyes, the tree in front of him was no longer so. In front of him was white all the way to the horizon. The rugged uneven ground was pure and flat. It was a sight so astonishing that Roshe dropped the hatchet. It fell into the soft sand that was where snow should have been.


    He turned to see the spot where his mentor stood was a single tree rooted upward. At the apex of the tallest branch he saw his mentor...or what used to be him. His flesh was stretched over the branch like a sock. Branches spiked out of his body in fractal formations. What used to be his arms were bent at odd angles as the flesh melded to the bark. It were as if his bones were completely replaced from the inside out. He couldn''t see what happened to the rest of him¡ªthe horrible sight that remained on his face was burned into his memory.


    Like many who entered the new world, Roshe entered alone. He wandered through the sands until the world below him opened up. What used to be a great river was now a large sand pit¡ªlooser and finer than the beaches of old.


    Roshe did not ask questions. He did not cry for his mentor, and nor did he perish to the sands. Life was one way, and then it was another. Like the bear he so thought of taking down, he moved forward and hunted what presented itself. He survived.


    ~...~


    The axe fell through the flesh simply. Like a final note in a grand orchestra hanging to a silent crowd¡ªthe hesitant audience laying in suspense before the applause broke out. Its force was heaved by the man now older and taller¡ªthe scrufflings of his beard had now filled out. His muscles were more refined, his body had filled out through hard work and determination. His hair was tied back in a bun, and he now held the axe through the neck of the large bear that he had set his eyes on from quite a distance. The beast''s black pelt stood out from the white sands in the area. He had floated from grand company to company. Always filling the role they needed for a gatherer.


    This moment was what he lived for. The exact moment that the steel met flesh. The control he had in exactly how long his prey had left to live. The people he joined with always desired to come together¡ªto forge bonds. To start new families.


    Roshe did not understand this. Even as a small child he knew few things solidly: people required food, shelter, and water. Anything else was optional. He thought of how short a time he had with his own family before the truth of their deaths came to his forefront. He would have died that same night¡ªthe storm was heavy and ripped through the hut they had called home. The figure was cloaked in shadow from the streaks of lightning across the sky, and with a glimmering blade they brought it down seamlessly and ended his father''s life.


    He was back staring at the bear. In truth it never was just a bear. None of his prey were. In essence they each served as an invisible tie to the figure he hunted. The figure borne of blood who brought him into this world as he is now. The outsider to the world. He knew not even a face, but each kill he made¡ªeach life he took was one closer to gaining that which he sought.


    He gripped the bear''s corpse tight and worked his way up to a standing position. The bear''s head held in one hand. When the deed was done he returned back to base. He returned to whatever pattern he had fallen into until he next went out on a hunt. Through the new world, larger creatures revealed their terrifying threats to the surviving human population. The people he worked with were glad of his energy as he had been tasked with eliminating humanity''s greatest threats that only continued to pop up with the new mutations in the land. Roshe went on a mad hunt for every single one, until the day came where he could find that darkened figure and they''re glowing blade.

 9 | Clear Chameleon

    Bambo was born Rodney Bambon to a conservative family that was little different from the boring American mid west dream. Rodney was a pimple-faced teen who hadn''t yet hit his growth spurt. He stood in his grocery store uniform by the cashier''s till as products¡ªendless products¡ªrolled slowly down the conveyor. Rodney didn''t have much ambition for his post-graduate life¡ªhe didn''t excel much at anything that he had great passion for. He got middling grades and didn''t have much in the way of friends. His adventurous exploits went as far as the pages of his comic book collection. He was by all accounts an everyday nobody who was going to remain at everyday nobody jobs until he just...stopped.


    As one of five, the Bambon family stretched thin to provide as equally as they could for each of their children. Unfortunately for Rodney, being the middle child of them all, he didn''t seem to get the memo on how to grow up. He needed extra attention¡ªextra care¡ªextra instruction. In a family of sharing, it was only a matter of time until he fell through the cracks and remained the stain on his name. His older sister Brittany was in college studying to be a vet. His younger brother Daniel was in accelerated classes on his way to become valedictorian. Each of his siblings had passion, charisma, and even in the worst case like his youngest sibling, Patrice, she at least had a following online¡ªand a pretty substantial one at that. Rodney was...blank. He was plain, average, unremarkable in every sense of the word.


    But he enjoyed helping people, even if that was by bagging their groceries and being the last stop between his job and the outside world. He was a conduit¡ªpeople had to interact in order to do the things they needed to do outside. They needed him to ensure their food and others were safely transported home. Sometimes he even got to go shopping for them if they weren''t up for it. It brought him something that nothing else did. Even if in the grand scheme of things being a cashier was low on the totem pole, he did it with pride.


    His coworkers typically avoided talking to him¡ªthe ones that were lifers like he was, at least. There was always a revolving door of pre-college freshies that needed summer work that came in and out. Rodney himself had been at his current spot since he was sixteen, and his repellent to the other coworkers developed early when it was clear he didn''t share their same apathetic outlook on life in relation to their work. "Capitalist bullshit that needs to get done just so we can get paid."


    To Rodney, it was the one thing that was more than what it seemed to be on the outset.


    The canned goods rolled down first as he picked them up at a quick pace, dashing the bar-codes across the scanner. He looked up and offered a smile to the young blonde who was finishing setting the rest of her groceries on the line. She offered pleasantries back, but he knew it was only because it would have been rude to not.


    Working the line taught you to not take polite conversation as anything but. Rodney had made that mistake early on and has learned through his previous naivety to hold these interactions at arm''s length.


    He finished scanning her products through and as he was tapping away at a few of the options on the tablet in front of him when a flash of light flooded through the windows. A banshee''s scream scorched through the air and Rodney reached his hands up to his ears.


    He bent down as the light began to fade. He steadied his breathing as it went completely. He placed his hands on the edge of the counter and pulled himself up. He was shocked to see the counter was the only part of the store that remained. It sat in the middle of a swamp with liquid that glowed a nasty looking neon pink. His heart was pounding out of his chest.


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    When he stood up he noticed the woman who was checking out in his lane. She was crouching below the counter-top with her hands over her head. She opened her eyes and looked at the bog around them. They were the only two people around. The feeling of fear and surprise rose in equal counts in the both of them.


    The two had left the remnants of the store behind and traveled through the bog¡ªthe luminescent muck they learned was toxic to the touch. Rodney had lost his shoes as it began eating through them like they were dipped in acid. The woman, a mid-twenties barber''s assistant named Kendra Iannacore took the lead to a timid Rodney as they trekked on. After a day and a half of walking in a silence that could best be described by Rodney as "incredibly awkward and painful for everyone involved" they breached what seemed to be the exit. The final decaying trees gave way to a landscape that looked as if it could have been from Rodney''s nightmares.


    Rolling hills of bone-white stone that had large slabs jutting out of the ground at odd angles. Some scraped up as if they contained a beast underneath who had been reaching through the ground with large claws.


    Rodney stared open eyed out at the world as the sun had creased over the horizon line. Kendra had to take charge and convince Rodney to continue forward. The two argued over the merits of staying and waiting for help versus exploring the wasteland. The two of them finally decided to continue through the bonelands when Kendra threatened to go without him. The fear of being left alone was too much a thought to even begin to consider. He latched onto her as a totem for support.


    In truth, Kendra feared this. She had been at the grocery store that day to avoid being around her boyfriend back home who had been for the past few weeks exhibiting rather controlling and possessive behaviors. She was fearing the backlash confronting those behaviors would bring, and suddenly in a flash those problems¡ªand the good memories that held her to them¡ªwere gone. And yet here she survived the passover to the beginning of the new world with a man¡ªstrike that, not even a man. A boy who had exhibited those behaviors ramped up to ten. She yearned to be rid of him after the first hour of walking through the swamp, but this wasn''t the life she had before. This was all different, and she was more scared to be alone out here.


    They had set up camp in the depths of the bonelands. Nothing more than the place they decided to stop moving marked their camp. Rodney took off the smock that he had been wearing for his job and laid it on the ground. He presented it to Kendra as a kind gesture to have some level if not the most minimal separation from the ground, but it in truth wasn''t any sort of comfort. Looking at the sweat that stained the pits of his undershirt meant that the stench carried over to the smock, even seeing the large stain in the front. Rodney had been oblivious to the smell but it pushed her away as the last straw.


    She headed off, away from him and into the boneland depths alone. He had a look of sorrow on his face as he moved over toward his smock and curled up onto it like a cat. The sky above had turned a deep violet. The ground below had begun to hum. He felt a slight warmth as he laid to rest. The vibrations underneath made it easier for him to fall asleep to¡ªlike a natural lullaby.


    When he woke the next morning and the violet had faded to more of a crimson shade he continued out west with his smock around his arm. He walked simply because he had nothing else to do. He was upset over the loss of his job, but in reality...this wasn''t the absolute worst thing that could have happened. As he slept he was able to calm down and get over the initial fear. His stride had a little more pep as he continued forward.


    This was an entirely new chance for him to find something new for himself. This seedling of hope only grew. If he had taken but a minute''s detour out from his path he would have found Kendra''s corpse lying stretched out. Her skin was melded to the bone ground¡ªcharred black and tearing.


    Instead, he continued following his own way, beginning to whistle as the world sprawled out in front of him limitlessly.

 10 | Lock

    LUCAS reached the limits of his research on Bambo¡ªthe information from that point forward fragmented too much for him to make any sense of it. It evaded his pursuit like a wild hyena bounding close to the forest floor away from the hungry lion. So closely on the hunt yet so irritatingly left out of the jaws of the demon.


    If he remained he would surely fester in the corrupted data. He let go of that thread and continued to navigate the network. Information scrolled passed him quickly, flowing through the circuits in his head. They looked like tracks on an electronic highway flowing through his mind at a speed only he could comprehend.


    He saw names upon names that he didn''t recognize. Faces flashed in his mind behind the names, but they made just about as much sense to him so he pushed them aside. He continued deeper into ICARUS'' network. Diving deep into the innards of the machine with as much effort as breathing. He had to push passed some landscape information which had confused him, but finally he found some information on Blaise. He attempted to establish a connection, but was forced back.


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    This was...strange. For all he could see from the outside, the data within seemed functional. There were trailing fragments on the tail end of the data like every other piece that was there, but there should have been accessible memories.


    This shouldn¡¯t be blocking him as it had.


    He tried again, and again, and finally a third time after trying to brute force it open, he gave up. He checked his logs and found no response that reasonably could deny him access. No error, no record of the attempt even being made. The more he was denied the more curious he got. He pulled himself back up to his front mind, frustrated at the lack of results, and saw that they had made it back to the tent.

 11 | Heart of the Problem

    LUCAS had studied enough of what he was able to find of his new partners. It wasn''t as much information as he would have liked to know, but with the obvious exception of Blaise, he had a solid grasp on who he was working with. He was sure that he could work with each one of them so long as he played to their strengths and didn''t let on that he knew too much about their histories. That would surely lend himself to looking suspicious. The thought gave him a little more confidence in the plan they were now going to enact.


    The group gathered together and small talk led way to final preparations for the plan. He found himself looking each one of them over and thinking of each of the events that had brought them to where they were currently. He found that he rested longest on Laven¡ªhe most curiously thought of the butterfly that flew freely and wondered if she had ever felt that free¡ªin this world freedom was a dangerous poison that often overdosed those that desired it. Structure was safety now, and he further wondered if there was ever a way to know if your balance of the two was ever right.


    Gavin looked in right order working toward each member of the guild. Speaking low so that only the two participants can hear. He then finally came to LUCAS, a bright smile affixed to his face¡ªone so large LUCAS felt nervous looking up at it.


    "So, you ready? I know this is a lot to take in so soon after joining up, but I can assure you the help is well needed."


    LUCAS knew the double meaning behind the words, and he nodded slowly. "I''m fine. I was a bit nervous about it all before, but I figure you all have experience in your own fields."


    Gavin''s smile slowly faded, offering now a look that somehow LUCAS knew the meaning of. "You used ICARUS, didn''t you?"


    LUCAS offered another small nod at the unasked question. Gavin''s look is of slight worry, but knowing that everyone else was so close he nodded in return. "I''d be careful with that. It''s easy to get wrapped into the memories that are inside. And they''re more than just memories, if you get close enough you can¡ª" Roshe tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something close, the man''s rough appearance seemed even moreso now that LUCAS had seen him at a much more vulnerable time. Gavin nodded and then turned to talk with him more, leaving LUCAS to wonder what he could do inside the memories if he got close enough.


    LUCAS took in the tent''s inside''s one more time. He was sure this was the last time he was going to see it. Even though the total time he''d spent in it had been minuscule, it was the first place that felt like...well, home was too strong a word, but a place to return. A place to belong. But he didn''t belong here. Not past finding the fragments of ICARUS and restoring the machine before the Children of the Night could get to them.


    Roshe and Gavin nodded to one another and they both exited out of the north exit out of the tent. Laven turned to LUCAS and cocked her head. "Well, you ready to go get kidnapped?"


    LUCAS offered a nervous smile, "I guess? All this is still so very strange."


    "You get used to the weirdness," Laven said. "Come on, our transport should be out this way. They''re going to take us out to our ''camp''. At least, the one that Roshe and Gavin will lead to us."


    "Sounds good," LUCAS nodded, although he sensed more than a feeling of unease in her voice. He was wondering if she had been thinking about leaving her home even right now. He certainly wasn''t going to ask, but it was present in his mind.


    LUCAS followed her out to the buggy¡ªit looked like a jeep with various parts here and there mismatched. It was a surprise that the thing ran at all. The front of the buggy was separated from the back¡ªthere was a grate separating them almost like police cars in the old world. Laven walked ahead and climbed up the side into the buggy first, LUCAS jumped in and sat next to her. He slid in and realized how tight the back of the buggy was. He felt his inner temperature rising and was confused. He recognized this from Abel''s memories as the feeling of nervousness when being near someone you were attracted to. He side-eyed Laven, objectively she was attractive, but...this wasn''t normal. He wasn''t attracted to her¡ªhe wasn''t even human. Much less, even if he was, he looked like a young pre-teen boy. Everything was against this feeling. Why was his body reacting this way?


    "So, I don''t know how you did it," Laven whispered, a feeling which only increased his level of discomfort. "But somehow you''ve been implanted in my memories...but I''ve never met you before," there was a small sound and he felt the sharp tip of a knife pressed to his side. "What exactly did you do, and how much did you see?"


    The driver¡ªa figure LUCAS didn''t dare look toward to see any details of¡ªhopped in the front of the buggy and fired it up. Slow movement gave way toward bumpy progress forward as they pulled away from the tent.


    "I...I just needed to know more about who I was working with," LUCAS said, feeling his way through the conversation as his body tensed as the knife was held firm against him. "I just...was trying to make sure I could trust everyone."


    "Those memories are private. I don''t even want to begin to know how you managed..." she thought on something, "Did you see anything else? Anything I don''t remember you being in?"


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    "I''m assuming you only remember me in the scenes I saw. No, I didn''t see anything beyond that. Too many fragmented pieces."


    She was confused at this, but LUCAS waved it off. "I''m sorry for intruding, I didn''t know that it would add me to those memories."


    "How did you even...?"


    LUCAS cocked his head, confused himself. "I thought you didn''t want to know?"


    "I...I was being rhetorical," she said, almost annoyed. "You''ve got guts to be so brash with a knife on you."


    LUCAS started to level out his internals. The source of the feeling was still unknown, but for now it seemed to be under control. "I do not believe you are the kind of person that would follow through unless I presented a threat to you." She looked at him with an eyebrow raised, and so he clarified. "I don''t believe you think I''m a threat. Not unless I suddenly grow arm cannons or knives for fingers."


    The knife retracted and she took in a deep breath. She relaxed against the side of the buggy and stared out at the people watching them off. She saw a separate buggy traveling out the other direction of the camp. "Just remain quiet about this to the others. I''m sure they''ll have their own words with you about it. So I''m not expecting them to ask, but tell anyone and I''ll gut you where you sit."


    LUCAS was a little confused, he didn''t understand exactly what was so sensitive about what he had seen, but he had no plans to speak anyway, so he simply nodded and sat in silence. He felt her eyeing him out of the corner of her eyes and felt a similar tension well up within his chest. Was this the kind of feeling that was being inhibited by the fragment Blaise had removed? He almost wish he hadn''t removed it at this point if so.


    "How old are you?" Her question hung in the air between them. His eyes slid toward her slowly, and then she started to chuckle. "I''m not doing anything with you, slow down. I''m just curious. You seem like you''re about to explode just sitting there¡ªI can feel the heat rising off of you. I was simply wondering if your mind was as young as you look. Wondering if I should take it as a compliment or prepare to defend myself."


    "I..." There was no easy answer to the multiple questions he was just presented with. "I don''t know how to answer that question. I think I''ve been awake as I am now for a little less than two months. Although, I think the beginning of the project that resulted in me has been in the works since the late 1990''s, although if I wanted to go even further I think the technology that came together to make me was assembled even further back. I guess...somewhere in between?"


    "Somewhere in between two months and fifty plus years," She stewed on this for a minute longer. "You realize that doesn''t help me much."


    He laughed awkwardly, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. "I''m sorry. I don''t know why I''m feeling...uncomfortable. I don''t feel..."


    "You can say it. We''re not in grade-school," she laughed, rolling her eyes.


    "I don''t feel physical attraction. At least, I didn''t before. I don''t...feel that way specifically. I just think my body is trying to make up for...I don''t know, maybe not?"


    "That sounds like an overly complicated way to say you were attracted. Maybe it''s the robot version of puberty?"


    LUCAS''s eyes darted over to her. To him, he felt like he should feel awkward, but it started to come more naturally. "No...not any offense to you, but I really don''t think it''s an attraction...at least, in the physical sense."


    She cocked her head.


    "I think I sense power. I think that''s always been true. Someone with strong will, it sort of...resonates."


    She thought on this, and the smile that returned was small, but it was real. "Well, that''s a good answer. If I choose to believe it at least." She grinned in his direction before looking back out the window. "Maybe if you were older looking I would feel comfortable with saying you had strong will too. Sorry though."


    "The fact that I''m not human wouldn''t have been a condition?"


    She laughed, he thought at the absurdity of the question. "I''ve never really met someone like you before, and you pass off as human enough to me. So, no, it wouldn''t have. Of course, all purely hypothetical." She blushed.


    He felt...off, like something under the surface had started to bloom. He didn''t intend for it to happen¡ªit''s not a part of his mission. He''s not supposed to even make friends much less more. Was more even available for him? The fate of the world was so much more important. He couldn''t let something small get in the way of his goal. He noticed her temperature had risen subtly. He didn''t care for it, especially when he noticed his own internals had risen in sync.


    This didn''t bode well.


    He mimicked her motion and sat staring out of the window to the camp growing smaller and smaller in the distance. He tried to ignore everything but what he was seeing. He felt something behind his mind¡ªsomething that he wasn''t actively thinking about. He brought it to his front mind and saw it was a map of their location, their destination marked clearly and their path similarly notated. It must be from Blaise. Going off of this information at their current rate of speed, they would reach their destination in a little less than three hours out.


    LUCAS decided he would get some rest and power down until they were closer. He set an internal timer and laid his head back against the side of the buggy. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as his internals slowed. His mind began to wander¡ªfinding the connections to ICARUS''s network closer than he realized. He felt intertwined with the data like he had an intimate unconscious relationship. He felt his back mind disappear into himself. He felt a warmth as he found himself slipping into more of Laven''s memories. He pulled away as hard as he could¡ªnot wanting to break his word. There was a much larger vignette that he scraped himself toward and he found himself hurtling down toward it.

 12 | Dragonheart

    LUCAS opened his eyes and saw a woman staring back at him. She was older than Laven, and she looked like she could hold herself in a fight. Long auburn hair flowed past her shoulders. She wore a long shaul that looked like it had ages of dirt compacted within it. She stared up at the being he was seeing through. LUCAS saw great scaled claws and used the information flowing through his mind to determine he was accessing recent information being pulled about Sakonna.


    LUCAS felt a chill run through his circuits as the visage of the old woman flashed in front of his face. The body that belonged to Ai Nagatomi was nowhere to be seen¡ªbut in its place¡ªin his place was this gigantic monster. An onyx colored body scaled from the surface down and a neck long enough to reach to the heavens it seemed. He felt tough claws that had been previously digging into the earth¡ªdrilling into the peak of the mountain.


    Anger surged through him, but he was not strong enough to interact with the vision he was seeing. He felt it like a wall barricading his progress all around him¡ªconfining him to just watch. If he were able he would have gladly thrown the body off the mountain she was on alongside the other woman. His attention then returned to the other woman. Data from the memory said that her name was Allison Fae. Suddenly lights flicked on in his head and ICARUS¡ªeven from this distance of where he had been had been vibrating with a much stronger resonance. There were decades of fragments¡ªclear and connected that lead to the fragment he had been viewing now. It was the most comprehensive history that he had encountered thus far and he could see it all within her eyes right in that moment.


    She was a curious sort herself¡ªshe wielded immense amounts of power. He could feel it from within Sakonna¡ªbehind her mind. Then he focused deeper on the weapon she carried¡ªa long lance of black-as-night metal. From the innards of that lance LUCAS felt an immaculate attachment. He felt that same sort of power from the Kosunaga building¡ªand it was then he recognized he was standing face to face with a wielder of a fragment of ICARUS. And not even that, but Sakonna¡ªin her draconic form lay attachment to what seemed to be the remainder of that very fragment in her own possession. Two sub-fragments of a much larger whole.


    That thought had brought a grander concern to him than excitement of seeing them both together¡ªthe fact the fragments could be split up. He was unsure if he would realistically begin to accomplish this goal of gathering all of them if they weren''t all whole. How would he even know if they were? Surely unless he didn''t feel the fragment that Sakonna had now in her possession he wouldn''t have even noticed that they were of the same source. What if there were more of this fragment somewhere? That thought sunk down to his innards and felt heavy like a stone.


    Sakonna had requested Allison return her piece to her, and Allison began to barter. The bartering continued and LUCAS had seen the fire behind Allison''s eyes¡ªthe strength she displayed in talking back to Sakonna¡ªa feat he wondered if he would ever get the chance to do¡ªand clearly she had so much more history¡ªmore experience. The thought of having to go against her gave him a chill inside. Maybe...if he could work it he could convince her to his side. Gathering the fragments with someone of her strength would gladly turn the tide wildly.


    The two came to a solemn decision to partner up, and she jumped onto the dragon''s back, out of LUCAS''s sight. Sakonna took off from the ground with two powerful wing-beats. His heart sank as he saw them disappear into the distance and knew that from this point, things were not going to be that easy.


    He returned to his front mind as his internal alarm was going off. A sound silent to Laven, but she turned to him all the same when he started to stir.


    "You woke up at just the right time."


    LUCAS answered with a nervous sound, but all his attention was focused toward the woman and the dragon¡ªflying away at this very moment somewhere in the far east. He didn''t have geographic records of this new world, but if he had to estimate based on several hundred overlayed maps of the old one¡ªthey were now someplace over where Virginia used to lie. But that was now¡ªshortly ago they were much closer...and the thought of one of the Children of the Night being so close was enough to make him grip his fists tight. He knew once he had completed his mission here he was going to go search out the dragon. He knew it more than he knew anything else at that point in time.


    "All right, we''re here. Come help me get the bags from the back," Laven said.


    LUCAS was broken out of his reverie. He hopped out of the buggy and met Laven at the bag. She was carrying two pouches over her shoulder. She was reaching for a third, but he snagged it up first out of habit. "I got the rest."


    "My, what a gentleman," She smirked and tapped the buggy twice. With an appreciative honk the driver took off, swerving back the way it had come. LUCAS sat still for a moment as Laven headed off. She turned and cocked her head. "Let''s go Tin Man. Our time is limited. We gotta make this camp look convincing!"


    He took in a deep breath and forced his levels down, cutting off his speech temporarily to mask the rising temperature. Working in the sun would soon counteract his efforts, but at least for now he could avoid the blushing appearing on his face. He knew it would be much more apparent now, because it was clear to him that his lie was just that.


    He had stared directly at a woman who had eclipsed Laven in willpower. It was an unimaginable feeling and yet...he knew this was different. He had tried to convince himself that what he was feeling was just another powerful soul that he was sensing. But that wasn''t true in the end¡ªin the deepest recesses for what passed as a heart.


    That moment froze in time¡ªLaven staring out at him with a wild grin on her face, bags overstrung over her shoulder. He appreciated how the smile lifted her face and could see as if she were right in front of his face how it made her brown eyes glisten. He swallowed hard and blinked, shoving the thoughts down below the surface. Maybe when this was all over¡ªwhen he finally rid this world of the toxins that so deeply pervaded it he could find some way to make himself look more...apt.


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    Maybe a mechanic of some sort could upgrade his look to one that she would feel more comfortable sharing those feelings with. Maybe...maybe there was something to working toward a goal beyond his original.


    He began walking and broke into a jog with the remaining two bags over his own shoulder. He caught up to Laven. She continued walking when he made it up to her, and she looked to him and asked how far they had to go until they reached the desired location. LUCAS had looked up to her and consulted the map in his mind. They were a few hundred yards away, but enclosing on it quickly. He told her as such, and she nodded firmly. Together they walked for a few more minutes¡ªthe both of them lost in their own thoughts.


    When they had made it to the spot LUCAS had stopped and let the bags he was carrying drop. They flopped against the sand and he was staring now out at the orange mountain¡ªbright chalky rock that jutted out far in the distance. It looked like it continued far on for miles¡ªbut similarly it could have as equally been hiding massive valleys behind it. The limits of the map Blaise had sent were near, and it would have been impossible to tell just how the land rose or dipped once he exceeded the factory. It looked to be a few hours away at most.


    According to the map, the campground that housed the Kosunaga factory rested just on the other side of that mountain. He felt the waves that the fragment emitted like a second heartbeat in his system¡ªfaint, but present.


    "This it?" Laven asked.


    LUCAS nodded, he double checked the map and they were standing squarely on the marked location. "Yes, I definitely do think so."


    "Makes me wonder," she began. "You''d be really useful on a long road trip, right? Never get lost, probably got a hotspot in you or something similar."


    "I...think so. I only know so much here because Blaise sent me the map. I guess if I had data for it I could see the benefit."


    She cocked her head as she slid the bags off of her shoulder and began opening the first up. "I guess we''d need a whole bunch of new...hm, what''s the word for people who make maps again?"


    "Cartographer," LUCAS answered effortlessly. "Yeah, that definitely would be a help."


    She was assembling an assortment of metal poles to form the framework of a much smaller¡ªmuch sadder tent. "Yeah, that one. Guess once we get some level of hold of ourselves we can worry about taking long vacations again," She said. She was turned away from him. The tension in her voice was noticeable. He stood with his own bag in his hands and staring at her. She stopped assembling at held her pose, looking out of the corner of her eyes. "You can call me out on it..." she said, quietly.


    "What do you mean?" LUCAS asked.


    "You saw how my life was¡ªhow desperately I wanted to be free. I have no experience going on these road trips or long vacations."


    LUCAS had to think about his reply. "I...don''t wish to make you feel uncomfortable. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with wanting something."


    The words hung on the air and deep down he knew he resonated with them¡ªfor he questioned those very ideas.


    "I''ve been thinking...I know I was angry with you before¡ªin the buggy..."


    "I don''t know if I''d call that angry," LUCAS said.


    "I pulled a knife on you."


    "I think that''s more...defensive," he said. "I knew you weren''t going to use it unless I wished it¡ªsaid the worst possible things. Made you use it, in effect."


    "You...wouldn''t have done that," she said, turning her head toward him.


    "Seems we think alike," he smiled.


    She stuck one of the combined support bars into the other and made a third, larger piece to combine with the structure lying on the ground. "I want to be done with all the running, the fighting, all of it. I just want to take a nice, long road trip to wherever the hell I want. Find a nice place and just exist there for a little bit. That''s what I was seeking when I left my home. I knew it was risking everything safe and secure in my life, but the life I had was not worth it any longer."


    LUCAS remained silent, unsure if now was a good time to interrupt. She had taken notice, and her shoulders slacked some.


    "I''m sorry, I know this must be confusing. Especially after getting on your case about it. I just think that I really needed to talk about this for some time and I''ve never really given anyone the chance to listen about it..."


    LUCAS was shaking his head, "No, don''t worry about it. I''m just glad that you''re feeling more open about it. It''s like I said, I wasn''t thinking of how intrusive it was when I was doing it." Another lie, so easily told. I had perfectly been well aware of how intrusive it could have been, or else I wouldn''t have continued to do it after scanning through hers. I thought about how I had interacted with her history and wondered if I were stronger¡ªif I had more desire I could have imprinted myself on the woman with the lance. Although, I also wonder if that really would be such a smart idea right now. I surely don''t have the ability to overpower her, at least, in my current capacity.


    Laven had undone her hair and let it flow behind her. The tent''s skeleton looked to be fully assembled. LUCAS had been finishing up the fireplace. They weren''t going to need its hot embrace as the plan would be unfolding long before the purplish hues took over the sky, but it surely would lend credence to their charade.


    "What about you? What is it that you want? I feel you just jumped on our bandwagon without so much as a question. I know Gavin''s got some idea for you¡ªthere''s obviously something to the private talks you two have had¡ªnow, don''t worry," she held up her hand, "I''m not going to pry. You would have told me by this point if it was anything that threatened my safety." She winked at him. "And your reddish tones suggest so," she chuckled.


    "I..." he tried to lower his temperature, but the sun above was beating harsh crimson light down on the both of them. Looking at the rays glistening off her bronze skin and it heating himself up only served to further highlight his embarrassment.


    She giggled and shook her head, "Relax. It''s okay. It''s just us out here."


    That''s kinda the problem.


    "I...am looking to stop..." he realized that he wanted to tell her everything. So simply and even knowing how much of a bad idea that was...yet, he continued. "I''m looking to stop some very nasty creatures."

 13 | Sacrifice

    He had told her all he had known and it had been filled with more detail than anything he had told anybody else. It had been bursting at the seams inside of him just waiting to come out. He felt an urge to just dump it all out¡ªempty his mind of all his responsibilities and just leave himself bare with nothing left. He knew how stupid it was and figured that the origin of this desire was that of his to become human.


    A computer wouldn''t have made this mistake¡ªgotten so emotionally invested to prefer weakness if it could be any sort of reprieve. A mistake was exactly what it was. Nothing but an emotional tangle that got in the way of the prime objective. A program didn''t feel bogged down by the emotional baggage of the task that was commanded of it.


    And that''s what his duty was at the end of the day¡ªit had been a command. While he sympathized and agreed with the task, it had been no less programmed into him. So it was that part deep down that yearned to be human¡ªto make such emotional decisions.


    While he was telling his story, Laven did not interrupt. He was able to tell a good chunk of it that went easily, but he could tell that a lot of it went over her head¡ªhe was sure it would have with anybody he had told it to.


    Except maybe Gavin.


    He thought on this for but a moment and then continued. As he was telling, she studied his face with increasing interest. He had to explain the complexities of the Roulette Game exactly how the repeating cycles had worked. It took a little while for the ideas to sink in. Then he had told her about Sakonna and the other Children of the Night that were out there in the world wrecking havoc all in search of the fragments of the mysterious ICARUS.


    The hardest part, he thought, was explaining that the fragments of ICARUS didn''t necessarily have to be machines or pieces of machines themselves. He told her of the lance that the woman named Allison Fae had wielded.


    When he had finished, he slouched against the side of the tent and looked up at the sky. The crimson glow had been his companion ever since breaching the surface of the water, but he knew this wasn''t normal. It had been here for much longer than he had been able to experience but his databases had always said that the sky should be blue. A soft blue to make a nice day peaceful.


    Here, he felt like he was stealing for peace out of every available minute that he could find¡ªthat terror and despot hide behind every corner. Even when he had broken the surface of the sea and came onto the coastline the world had felt that much darker.


    But now, even among the darkest depths of the new world he''d found one of those moments. He hadn''t known how relieving the feeling of getting it off his chest was. Laven was right¡ªit was nice to just speak it aloud.


    "So, this is all real?" She started.


    It was a fair question to ask, but he would be lying if he didn''t say that it was a little unnecessary from his point of view. It wasn''t much to his predilection to weave tall tales to convince others of falsehoods.


    She seemed to notice his thoughts on this, as she continued, "To sum it up, kill the bad guys and stop them from getting these fragments you''re searching for? That about it, right?"


    "I guess that''s what it boils down to," LUCAS said. "Don''t know exactly what would result from them getting it all but it can''t be good for us considering their actions so far."


    "Yeah, probably something like destroy the world or whatever."


    "Whatever they can to get back to their world."


    She looked at him and then stretched out her arms as she looked up to the sky. "Y''know, if before all this you had told me this story I would have shut the metaphorical door on your face and never even believed you."


    LUCAS looked at her, cocked his head. "I probably could have convinced you. Showed you I was an android. One thing leads to another."


    "Maybe..." she trailed off and looked off to the side. "I am a little hurt though that Gavin thought he couldn''t tell us about this. Makes a huge more impact if we''re saving more than just our little camp."


    "I can''t speak for him personally, but from what I experienced I think the others are the cause for concern."


    She cocked her head quizzically. "What do you mean?"


    "If Roshe knew of something so powerful existed where we were going he would try anything to get his hands on it."


    She thought on this, leaning back and then nodding slowly. "Yeah, I guess I could see that in him. Though if I''m being honest I don''t see much desire for great power emanating from Bambo."


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    "No, neither do I. But I do think that knowledge of something like that would drive him far away and fast. Would be hard to make use of his organization skills if he''s cowering in fear."


    "Also a fair point."


    "Blaise is a wild card," LUCAS started. "I couldn''t access any of his memories. I assume with Gavin it was much of the same."


    "Yeah, I haven''t had a lot of alone time with Blaise. He tends to do his own thing and then show up for the meetings," she said. "Now that I think about it, I''m starting to have my own doubts about them all, now that they''re all out on the table."


    LUCAS shook his head, "Don''t let it sour your confidence in the mission. Gavin seems to trust them if they''re kept to a minimum amount of knowledge about it."


    There was a moment of silence before she continued forward with her next question. "So, what was my reason?"


    LUCAS looked at her with a confused look on his face.


    "The reason I couldn''t be trusted," Her eyes held deep sorrow resurfaced.


    LUCAS had all in that moment wished he could sink into himself and just disappear. The mountain could swallow him whole and compact him into fine grains and it would be more preferable than this feeling now.


    "I don''t know," LUCAS shook his head. "He has his reasons and he might just be a secretive soul. I don''t think it''s anything against you personally."


    She gave a hollow grin, "Thank you for your kindness, but it''s a little harder to accept after rattling off the reasons why it''s personal for everyone else."


    LUCAS exhaled slowly, "Yeah, I understand. But it''s why I feel okay talking with you about it. Partially because I feel I can trust you, and partially because of what you said¡ªabout it being nice to get it off your chest."


    The two of them sat in a reflective silence as the wind around them started to pick up. Sand was carried into the air and swung around them like a couple in a festive dance. The rhythm seemed to blend into various mixes of slow waltzes and high energy blitzes.


    "How often do you think about sacrifice, Luke?"


    LUCAS was shocked. It was the first time she had said his name. It sounded nice coming from her. The severity of the question had taken him equally off guard he didn''t have an answer for her, and so she continued in explanation.


    "I''m sorry, I know that sounds really weird out of nowhere. But my..." she took in a deep breath, "my name in the world before, Natara¡ªit meant sacrifice. I had thought for a long time that I was destined to sacrifice¡ªto keep on sacrificing. My freedom, my happiness, anything that could be shed. My father never confirmed it, but I mean, with that as my name I think it was more than implied." She was staring out to him now. "I guess I was just curious on your thoughts."


    He sat out for a moment, and he could tell she was nervous about letting loose such a close personal secret. "If you want, of course."


    "My father...creator...however you want to call him sacrificed everything he was so I could be here, now. I guess I''m supposed to look at sacrifice as some heroic gesture..."


    "You guess?"


    LUCAS nodded, solemn reprieve from the guilt in his chest. "In reality, I don''t. Just before escaping the SubCon facility I was in two places at once."


    "Right, you mentioned you were also in the computers down there," she said.


    "Yeah, I...I was in both and in one all at the same time. It''s really confusing to think about, but the me that was in the computer wasn''t exactly me. And I wasn''t exactly him. My father was human¡ªeven in the end he desired to not die alone. He made me a copy of the original LUCAS so that I could do my mission above ground, but that left the original LUCAS down to die at the bottom of the ocean."


    "Oh...I didn''t even think about that," Laven covered her hand over her mouth.


    "He sacrificed himself for the world, but he also sacrificed a part of me. And...I''m finding it difficult to keep those two feelings away from each other. I didn''t experience the explosion...but I remember it. I remember the pain and..."


    "We don''t have to talk about it anymore," she said.


    LUCAS took a deep breath and flexed his arms out in front of him¡ªmotion to push away the feeling of numbness that came from the severing of his network. "I understand your aversion to sacrifice," he said. The two of them looked at one another, it seemed like it had lasted an eternity.


    Loud thumping echoed off in the distance and turned both of their gazes toward the mountain. LUCAS zoomed as far as he could and saw two figures moving in the distance toward them with quite a few more behind them¡ªkicking up large trails of sand and dust. As he focused he saw Gavin gripping a bike that was tearing through the dunes¡ªflames ripping out of the exhaust like he were clawing his way out of hell.


    Roshe slammed the front wheel of his bike into the air and fired what seemed to be two pistols off at the figures behind. The shots glanced off of one of the other bikes behind them, the second had missed entirely. The bike that had been hit had sped up, he could almost see the anger in the rider as he pulled up. Roshe slammed the front end of his bike down and it sprayed sand behind in a jet stream. It covered the rider and caused him to fall back.


    "Looks like our time is coming," LUCAS said, affixing his eyes back to regular sight.


    "It''s one thing to formulate a plan like this." She said, staring out at the impending force. "To think you''re so invincible and even form a pretty kickass team that can do what needs doing. But it''s another entirely to sit back and let it happen. I guess I''m a bit scared."


    LUCAS, entirely knowing that he had little reason in which he could reasonably back up his words, still found them tight in his chest, ready to explode out of him as if they were the most important declaration. "I''ll make sure nothing happens to you."


    He felt Laven''s hand cross over his own and he held it tight. He thought they both knew just how fruitless the words would turn out, but knowing the gesture was kind enough in the moment. Together they sat as the sky above them started glowing with the faintest violet hues.

 14 | The Divide

    The pursuit force had bowed away from Gavin and Roshe as expected when they had pulled far enough away. It was no contest when they really pulled the gusto into their escape. There wasn''t any chance of them catching the pair of them with all the tricks they''d prepared on their bikes. Roshe looked to have a pouch of what looked like to be explosives that he could have used to gain traction away from them if the previous attempts had failed.


    Just as expected one of the pursuit officers had noticed their camp. LUCAS could hear the scream of what looked like the leader of the group¡ªhis different colored helmet gave it away. Their motorcycles had changed course and LUCAS could see the shimmering off of the side mirrors approaching quickly. Behind them dust trailed in large billowing clouds that shielded the mountain.


    LUCAS had wondered how they were traveling so quickly through the sands¡ªthe logic of wheels on sand had conflicted with what he had assumed to be normal, but as they grew closer LUCAS had seen the bikes weren''t actually making contact with the ground. The wheels were emitting a turquoise light as they spun and hovered.


    Laven''s grip tightened, and he returned it as tight.


    The thundering of the motors grew and echoed as they approached. I reset my vision back to normal and out of the corner of my eye I saw Laven trying to steady her breathing. As the pursuit officers finally arrived they encircled their small camp and slowed to a stop. A screaming voice came from behind them and LUCAS saw three of the officers¡ªclad in black garb and dark blue helmets that shielded most of their faces¡ªcarrying sighted rifles they held up and aimed at the both of them.


    The screaming man behind them called for their hands to be raised. The two of them obeyed and their hands were in the air. LUCAS felt like this was going south, fast. He sat staring at the three officers staring at them with the weapons pointed at them rigidly. He did not dare to turn around to face the one that was barking the orders.


    He felt a rough shove from behind and his arms were forced down behind him. There was a clicking sound as his hands were bound together, quickly. It felt like some sort of magnetic bracelet had been snapped around his wrists.


    He didn''t try to break the seal, but he figured that he would have been unable to if he had tried. He looked over to Laven as he saw the officer shove her head forward from the rear and cuffed her hands together, too. He got a second to look at the commander before being shoved from the side by one of the other officers. The commander wore a deep crimson helmet and his jacket was the same shade of blue as the others''s helmets.


    He fell over, landing in front of Laven and hit the ground pretty rough. The commander hoisted Laven over his shoulder and stepped on LUCAS''s ankle as he crossed. He cried out as the sharp pain shot through his system. He couldn''t see it, but he was sure that the commander was grinning.


    "One of you grab the kid," he growled as he tossed Laven like some old doll over the back of his bike. She let out a sound of discomfort as she hit. He looked back to her and coughed up a nasty lob of spit on her. "Shut it."


    One of the other officers¡ªprobably the one who had shoved him down had picked him up by his arms. He was swung over the officer''s shoulder just like Laven was. He was brought over to the officer''s bike and similarly flung over the back like a fresh kill. He was splayed out over the back and his body was patted down from top to bottom. When they had found that he had not been carrying a weapon they finished through and the officer had gotten back on his bike.


    He could see the commander''s bike slightly out of his left eye, Laven was facing away from him, he saw that their search of her person was a lot more thorough. It angered him, but he tried to avoid showing it.


    The officer''s bike roared to life and they were off. Whether this worked in their favor or not, there was now no turning back. They were in it for the long haul.


    ~...~


    The bikes rode in tandem across the desert. Each crest they crossed LUCAS felt the rising and falling in his abdomen. He feared he was going to slide off and be left to die with his hands cuffed behind his back.


    Over an hour of riding brought them around the mountain and into a cavernous entrance with a wide berth. The bikes started to slow and keep pace with one another in a line as they traveled inside. LUCAS''s vision went dark as they went inside, the only light available were the headlights of the bikes which only cast directly in front of them. He couldn''t see the commander''s bike any longer and by extension he couldn''t see Laven either. They kept going ten minutes deeper into the cave as they started riding up and up further.


    Light broke as they slipped through a rear exit of the cave. LUCAS craned his neck and saw a building as large as...he sat and stared at the building as something in the deep recesses of his memory flooded to his front mind. An image of an identical building lie in ICARUS''s records as the Republic Plaza building that sat in what used to be Colorado, Denver. The top twenty floors were illuminating the entire area as bright purple letters were affixed to the exterior, "CR". His mind told him that this in those days stood for Colorado Rockies, a team of baseball players that had existed in the world before.


    Strange experiments took place in this building back then¡ªsomething...what is...this? Information was flying through his mind at super-speed. He saw Gavin¡ªone of the records that he had seen when he''d first introduced himself. This building was...fictional. Or...at least, this was a fictional version of a real building. How did this make any sort of sense? He thought about it, there wasn''t anything visually different between the real building and this one¡ªthe records show them as exactly the same, but he just knew that they were different. The real building was never used for the experiments that had been in this one. He didn''t know how he knew those experiments happened, but he felt sure in thinking so.


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    That brought on the follow up thought¡ªwould more fictional objects appear in this world? Why had this one now...and what did this mean for the coming times? It was not a pleasant thought to think about, and he would have thought about it longer, but his focus was pulled back to his present circumstance.


    The bikes approached the building and all found themselves parked. The officer on LUCAS''s watch had grabbed him up and stood him upright. He was a bit dazed from being set upright. The officer was tooling around with something on his wrist¡ªit looked like it had a display of some sort on it.


    A few options were selected and a bright blue chain extended out from his wrist through LUCAS''s body. He looked down and felt a new force pulling on his wrists. He looked over his shoulder to see the chain was made of light and was attached to his cuffs, which he saw were a shined silver.


    The officer sighed and began walking with the rest of the group¡ªLUCAS was forced along, pulled from the back side. He almost tripped over himself as he was yanked backward. He turned quick on his feet and jogged to catch up so he could at least walk normally.


    He slowed when he got close enough the tether wasn''t tight and saw Laven walking similarly a few officers ahead. They continued all the way toward the entrance to the building. stone columns lined the face supporting glass panes that branded the building as it was. It looked ripped out of another time entirely, and its appearance here brought uneasy feelings.


    They walked in-between the two columns and several of the officers dispersed, walking in various different directions. All that remained were the commander with Laven attached to him and the officer that LUCAS was attached to. The commander turned to the officer and started tapping on his wrist.


    "All right, meet back here in ten, we''ll go reassemble a unit to go on patrol in case any of those idiots come strolling around the area looking for these two. Toss that one with the others," he nodded toward LUCAS.


    The two officers split up, carrying each of their prisoners different directions. LUCAS followed the officer down through the main lobby. He saw that the floor had a strange black and white checkerboard design. The front desk was unmanned, and LUCAS didn''t know if that fact concerned him more than if it were. He hadn''t a long time to think on it as he was yanked forward as the officer grunted. With little more than a whimper he was led out into a hallway that felt too cramped to be comfortable. He could see through the window panes that cover the walls through to the entrance to the valley the building sat in. The mountain''s edges curved around the cave''s entrance in a cold embrace.


    "Calling in. Do you read me?" The voice rang in his head. LUCAS recognized it as Blaise''s terse timbre.


    "I got you, we''re inside the building now," LUCAS thought back.


    "Where''s Laven?"


    LUCAS had to adjust his pace so he could continue to think back without tripping over himself. "She was taken a different path. They''ve separated us. I don''t know if they know I''m an android yet. They haven''t mentioned anything regarding it."


    There was silence in his head as he could feel the calculation running behind his mind.


    "Keep moving according to the path you''re on. You''re headed toward an elevator. Hopefully they''ll bring you to the second through fifth floor. Any of those we can navigate you to where you''ll best be served."


    "Where would that be?" LUCAS asked.


    There was silence from Blaise''s end. It was certainly unsettling. LUCAS wasn''t sure he enjoyed not knowing. But then again, he did have a mission of his own. Maybe it was for the best then that he be left to think about that instead of balance the two.


    "How are you going to keep in touch with Laven?" LUCAS then asked.


    They had reached the elevator at the end of the hall. The officer reached his arm up and called the elevator down to their floor. They waited in silence as LUCAS hung on waiting for a response from Blaise. When it finally came he felt like he knew the answer, but it was of some comfort to know the answer instead of not.


    "She was able to successfully hide her communication device. We are in her ear as we are yours. Bambo is with her."


    That was good news. He saw them be pretty thorough with their search, but they must not have been too concerned with anything that wasn''t a weapon. It was relieving to know that she wouldn''t be on her own in here.


    "We''re headed in the elevator now," LUCAS said.


    "I can see your movements. There is no need to give me a play by play."


    LUCAS bit his lip, a move not unnoticed by the officer. He yanked hard on the binding and pulled LUCAS hard into the elevator. Letting out only a grunt, LUCAS followed inside as the doors shut behind them. The officer pulled LUCAS behind him as he pressed a button and they started moving upward. He was facing away, so he couldn''t tell what floor the officer had pressed. He brought up the map in his mind and saw they were moving past the second floor, third, fourth...


    "Blaise," LUCAS thought.


    "I''m aware," he said back.


    "I think you should go help Bambo with Laven," LUCAS thought. "I''ll adapt from here. I have the map downloaded. She doesn''t have the same resources I do."


    "That''s not the plan."


    LUCAS needed this to work, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The elevator continued rising¡ªwhich seemed to now exist in the background of everything. "Plan''s changed. I''ve got an idea of what I need to do, I can navigate out of here. It''s not my first venture in a large facility like this."


    Blaise seemed to be thinking on the other end, and he very slightly heard Bambo at the edge of his thoughts. Blaise said something LUCAS couldn''t hear in response. He waited as the hum of the elevator was the only sound that kept him and the officer company. The officer cracked his neck, but otherwise remained still.


    "Okay. Ring if you need help." Blaise''s salute was as brief as anything as he had said previous. He felt something turn off inside his head, and he knew he was alone. What might have been frustrating and terrifying has now loosened up his tense knuckles as his hands know relaxed. Laven was off in her own sector and had both of their support team aiding her, and he was now free to explore.


    The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened slowly. He looked inside himself and saw that he was stopped on the thirteenth floor. What good tidings this was. It almost seemed like it couldn''t be any more of an omen.

 15 | Great Big Ocean

    The officer stepped out of the elevator and brought LUCAS along. He stepped out to a brighter hallway than what they traversed through below. As the silence crawled up on them LUCAS began to think of where they could have stuffed Laven. He hoped it was some place that she could work her way out of. He wasn''t exactly sure how the specifics of her plan were going to work out, but then again she wouldn''t have gone along with this plan if there wasn''t something in the cards.


    He looked at the map and tried to see the path that the commander had walked down, but then he noticed a point that seemed to be glowing slightly on the far end of the facility. It popped up like a glowing star across a dim sky. He spun the map around in his mind so get a closer look at it¡ªthen he realized that Blaise must have found some way to transmit her location in relation to the rest of the building to her. He saw she was on the third floor in what seemed to be like a small office space.


    At least, it was office space back then. Who knows what they''ve done with it since.


    They continued down the hall until they met a metal door with a crossbar that the officer opened by shoving LUCAS forward into it. The pain stung sharp in his abdomen as he was shoved through. He stumbled forward as the officer unlinked the chain from him. He fell hard to the ground and the cuffs came unlinked around his arms. They were sore from being held behind him for so long¡ªhe looked up quickly only to see the metal door close and the sound of a lock engaging. The officer was walking back down the hallway where he had come from.


    LUCAS got to his feet and tried to open the door. The crossbar stopped short of pushing in fully, he couldn''t open it.


    "Nice try, fish," A voice came from behind him. LUCAS turned back to see a young teenage boy with hair cut close to his head. He saw there was a group of young boys all dressed in clothes that looked as grimy as the day was bright. The one who had called out to him was wearing a white tank top and dirk caked his pale face. In his hands were a screwdriver and a small box of some sort.


    "Nobody''s getting through those doors. Electronically locked."


    LUCAS took a few steps toward them. "What are you doing?"


    "Working. What''s it look like?" The kid''s attitude was well and clearly noted. "Looks like you''re here for the long haul, fish."


    "Why do you keep calling me that?" LUCAS asked.


    "New meat to the pool," a blond boy behind him called out.


    LUCAS noticed he was sitting on a stool and polishing a box similar to the one the other boy had been holding.


    "Well, I..." his eyes traveled to a gate on the far side of the door. It looked like a scanner of some sort¡ªit led out to a room that LUCAS could tell from the map in his head toward a long stretch of hallways that inevitably led toward another elevator. He was mapping a route that took him to where the source of the power came from much higher up. He turned away from the group of boys until he felt a hand around his wrist, yanking him backward.


    "The hell you doin, fish?" The first boy smacked his lips as he spoke. "Can''t go through there without getting killed."


    LUCAS looked at him, confused.


    He rolled his eyes and spun him around. "The gate sends out waves that stop your heart. We don''t have the jackets that block them out."


    Waves that stop your heart...LUCAS had never heard of such a thing. Looking through his databases he figured it could be some form of radiation, but was unsure exactly which could have been in use. His eyes perked up and he felt...almost an ounce of glee. LUCAS didn''t have a heart¡ªat least, not the kind that could be stopped by those kinds of waves. If they were electromagnetic then he''d have something to worry about...


    "Don''t even think about offing yourself now," he said. "You''re my reprieve."


    "Huh?" LUCAS focused his attention back toward the kid. "You can call me Shark. Of what little domain we have here, I run." he said. "I called dibs on the next fish on relieving my duty. Others here are my guppies."


    LUCAS looked at him with a confused look that only seemed to grow. "Guppies...?"


    "What I''m saying is you''re taking over my spot here," He grabbed tight around LUCAS''s wrist and begun to walk him over toward his work station. The conveyor that ran through the center of the station started to run and brought a bunch of new scrap moving alongside it.


    LUCAS shook his head, "Oh, no, I''m not doing that. I''m not here to stay."


    "No, I think you''re going to really enjoy it here," he shoved LUCAS down in his seat. The force behind the push was a little pathetic. The other boys seemed completely unphased by the events that were going on. Shark hardly had any sort of physical presence. If LUCAS were human, it might have been a concern that his body were so thin. But underneath the flesh substitute was a skeleton made out of solid steel. There was hardly anything that this kid could do that would be anything remotely resembling a threat.


    LUCAS stood up and Shark''s face scrunched into a look of anger. He grabbed LUCAS''s shoulder and LUCAS rolled it off, stepping back and causing Shark to trip over himself. He landed on the seat LUCAS had just gotten up from, stomach down. The other kids around stared at Shark with their eyes wide open, and then turned up toward him slowly.


    "Shark, don''tcha think you should just stop?" The blond boy asked.


    "No!" One behind him whose face scrunched into a similar angry scowl said. "This kid needs to be taught the business! We''re all stuck here!"


    "Piece of shit," Shark said, lifting himself up and cracking his neck.


    LUCAS knew that it was now or never. He placed his hands on the edge of the seat and vaulted over it, legs swinging out in front of him. Shark was caught off guard and took a step back, surprise filling his face. When LUCAS''s feet connected with his abdomen LUCAS shoved hard and Shark crumpled easily. This lit the fuse in the room and the other kids around exploded into action.


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    LUCAS barreled past Shark and darted for the gate on the opposite side of the room.


    "Do you want to die that badly?" One of the kids yelled behind him.


    He didn''t look back, but continued running. His internal sensors starting freaking out and he sensed the wrench that was flying in his direction. The gate was still a few yards away. He wouldn''t have made it before he''d get it.


    It all happened in less than four seconds.


    He spun around and dug in his heels, holding both of his fists up together in front of his face, he saw them interconnect. Metal formed between his hands and it continued to extend high and low like a great shield. The wrench hit and fell to the floor after a ringing sound rang and echoed through the room.


    "What''s going on down there?" An irritated voice called from behind him. LUCAS had turned his head to see the form of an officer climbing down the stairs from behind the gate. "The line''s backed up. What are you doing?"


    "He''s trying to run away!" LUCAS heard Shark scream out.


    The officer didn''t seem to hear him, because he was too focused on LUCAS''s arms¡ªwhich had melded to the shield.


    "The hell are you..." his face contorted in confusion, and LUCAS knew he had to act.


    He turned on his heels again and dashed toward the officer. He couldn''t see his face, but he felt the impact as he shoved him, slamming him against the wall. The officer let out a stiff groan as he hit.


    LUCAS separated his hands and looked down to see the officer''s look of surprise as LUCAS had crossed through the gate. He reached down toward his belt and LUCAS had to act fast¡ªhe sent a swift kick to his hand. He heard something crack and the officer tried to stifle his yelp. He reached out with his other hand and grabbed LUCAS''s ankle. He grabbed hard and yanked him downward. LUCAS fell with a start and hit the ground hard. The officer reached around him and grabbed something from his rear pocket. He swung it out and LUCAS felt a familiar click around his wrists¡ªthe magnetic cuffs slapped tightly and bound his hands together.


    Luckily, they were bound in front of him. The blue light shot out from the officer''s arm and linked to the cuffs. LUCAS held out his arms and the metal shot out again and formed the shield¡ªthe work of bringing his arms together already graciously provided by the cuffs. The officer attempted to pull himself up, but LUCAS was already sending his arms down over his head.


    The sound that echoed off of the shield bouncing off the officer''s helmet hurt to hear, but he was satisfied to see the officer fell sideways. He truly hoped he hadn''t killed the man, but was thankful to see that his chest was rising up and down.


    The kids in the room before were screaming¡ªnow begging LUCAS to find some way to get them out. A dark thought crossed his mind and urged him to tell them to sod off, but he knew that they had only acted the way they did out of fear. Annoyed over his conscience, he knew that the people he was fighting to help wouldn''t always be people he liked. He chalked up that


    He sighed and let loose the shield. Now that he had done it more than once he was able to see how it worked. He had a trigger for the command in his rear mind. If his hands were close enough he could throw it and send it out. He figured if he absolutely needed it he was sure if he caught anything in-between his hands while it extended it it would cut cleanly.


    He reached over to the officer''s arm and undid the link between them. The cuffs fell to the floor and he stood back up. He saw that the boys had gathered to the edge of the gate, and he looked the gate up and down.


    It didn''t look like he could disable the gate from here. He then grabbed the officer''s body and dragged it across the gate. The boys all stared at him as he dropped the unconscious officer in front of them.


    "If you want to get out of here, you can use his uniform to pass through the gate."


    "There''s only one! How do you expect us to all make it past?" Shark called out.


    LUCAS sighed. He definitely was looking to get away from these kids as quickly as was possible.


    "One of you wear the uniform and go through, then toss it to the next, repeat" LUCAS said.


    He turned and started to turn back toward the gate.


    "Just what are you...?" The blond boy called out to LUCAS.


    He stopped for a moment, not intending to initially, but something inside him bids him to stop. "You never saw me here," he said. "Worry yourself not of what I am and worry instead about getting out and away from here."


    LUCAS crossed the gate once more as he saw Shark yelling at the other kids who had walked toward the officer. He lifted the coat off of him and LUCAS could see no more. He continued on up the staircase the officer had come down.


    There was a door just like the one that he had been pushed through previously. He shoved against the crossbar and found himself at a forked hallway. He went left as he knew that it would lead him closer to the elevator.


    He looked at the map and saw that Laven was now in a larger room on the fifth floor. He wasn''t sure if she had broken away from her confinement yet like he had, but he had figured she would in no time with the others lending their hand.


    Once he was through the door he found another gate similar to the one he''d stepped through previously. He walked on through and entered a room as large as a football field. Bodies were moving at a breakneck pace as far as the eye could see. Several stations lined the walls all the way down as far as he could see.


    Parts and tools of all kinds and shapes were moving from hand to hand in an extremely orchestrated fashion. He saw pain and exhaustion on the faces as he passed.


    He wasn''t sure many of the people were even seeing him. They were that invested¡ªor scared. He felt like an outsider¡ªnot that he wanted to be in on this cycle. Mostly he felt for them. Forced to fear death so close that they have to work themselves to the bone just to avoid being killed and replaced.


    A voice yelled out to him from the center of the room, and LUCAS saw that an officer was trudging up toward him.


    Shit, he thought. He stepped into one of the work zones and was promptly shoved back out as one of the workers knocked into him. The officer had readied an electrified baton and was closing in on him.


    Then came a raucous sound from the doorway. The officer turned and the both of them saw the door fling open and the four boys charged in the room, Shark leading the rear with the officer''s coat around his shoulders and the electric baton from the officer on the floor below.


    LUCAS had a moment of regret after not picking up the baton himself. It certainly would have been helpful...then he turned to the officer who had been approaching him and knew how he could make up for it.


    The blond boy ran up toward the closest work zone and started talking to one of the workers, understanding crossed his face, and the other boys had the same idea. Plant the idea in as many of the workers as possible.


    We found a way out. Steal the coats. Walk through the doors. Make it out alive.


    The officer was broken out of his surprised state and charged toward the blond boy with a hurried sense of purpose, but then seemed to notice the growing amount of eyes on him.


    Before LUCAS charged him with his shield up, knocking him out completely, his last thought was "that''s a lot of people, now that I think about it."

 16 | Panic in the Streets

    Chaos exploded faster than LUCAS could realize. It was like a bubble had burst and consciousness returned to the masses. Screaming flooded the room as workers dropped anything that they''d been holding. The rampaging bodies nearly flung themselves from their positions all aimed toward the officers.


    Shit.


    LUCAS had to act fast. He slammed into the officer nearest to him. He saw more flooding in from the other end of the hall. The response must have come from nearby. LUCAS slammed into the officer and tumbled into a roll over his body. He let loose the shield and ripped the electrified baton out of the officer''s hands. He retracted it and felt bodies all over him.


    The crowd had consumed the space they were in. He felt someone trip over him and another kicked him in the side¡ªthinking he was the officer. LUCAS reached out and grappled onto the leg of an older man to pull himself toward the edge of the crowd.


    He looked to his right and saw bodies start to fall from the rear, some of the approaching officers were able to pick off some of the rampaging workers and subdue them with their batons. A shot fired from the other end of the room and a few more bodies fell.


    Anger gave way to fear as they realized that officers with more heavy resistance were coming, and suddenly the confidence in the crowded riot dissipated. LUCAS took advantage of the moment to finally pull himself free of the group. He rolled over onto his back and worked his way to his feet. One of the officers on the rear swung his arm up and was going to bring it down hard.


    LUCAS swung his legs in an arc and caught the officer''s own legs up. The man let out a short yelp and with the momentum LUCAS swung out his own baton and extended it out. It reached its full length and charged bright blue and he saw as the officer''s body convulsed as the tip reached his side.


    He hopped up to his feet quick and saw the officer with the gun at the far end of the room with it pointed at the crowd again. Zooming he saw the officer''s finger yank on the trigger. He leaped forward and held his hands together. The shield erupted out and just in time too¡ªthe bullets ricocheted off and rhythmically sounded.


    "Stay behind me!" LUCAS roared behind him.


    Suddenly he felt a strong feeling bursting from his center. Behind the shield he saw the color dim from the baton and he knew what that now meant. He waited for the clip to empty and dropped the shield. For a fraction of a second he looked down to his hand and saw a similar blue glow.


    He shot out his hand and lightning pierced the air in a wicked arc. The bolt connected with the end of the gun and immediately the officer shot up in pain and fell back against the wall.


    All around him the energy in the air shifted. He could tell the eyes were on him, but only for a second. He was worried that he would be flooded with questions. Instead, the vigor that had filled the room not five minutes previous refueled the crowd back into an energetic frenzy. LUCAS felt that the energy from the electricity had left his body¡ªand the baton in his hands was fully depleted. He chucked it toward one of the officers that began running toward him. The baton slammed against the officer''s helmet. He was then tackled to the ground.


    LUCAS had to break from the crowd now. He thinks the crowd were properly energized they could run the rest of the escape themselves. At least until he could get what he needed up top. He broke of from the group and dashed across the space, aiming toward the rear of the room where the officers had pooled off. Luckily, only the singular gun had been brought out.


    He guessed the officers really did underestimate the situation they had set up here. He was unsure if any of the other officers had been able to communicate their need of help. He doubted the officers would underestimate the force from this point onward. That made LUCAS uneasy on how future altercations would pan out. He looked at the map in his mind and saw that the elevator was just outside this room¡ªafter he used it to head up they would be able to go in the opposite direction.


    "Blaise, got a revolution up here. Pinging you my coordinates now. Stay with Laven, they''ll be funneling their way down eventually."


    "Got it."


    Short and sweet, just how LUCAS liked it. He was thankful for his lack of lungs, he slowed his pace as he approached the concrete stairway. He reached down and grabbed for the gun. He thought for a moment on throwing it off to the crowd, but he then became unsure of giving a weapon of such caliber to an angry crowd. He knew they would eventually get their hands on one, and more power to them then, but something inside him rang that this specific instance should be different.


    He held the gun tight in his hand and started bending the barrel down. It took a bit of force, but when it wouldn''t fire properly he tossed it to the side. He then reached down and grabbed the officer''s baton from his tool belt. LUCAS retracted it and held it tight. He offered a look back and saw the crowd had engulfed the last conscious officer.


    In a few moments they would begin to head his way, so he hopped up the stairs and found a metal door at the end of a small walkway. He pushed it open and found another one of the gates stationed just after the door. This brought him a little bit of a relief¡ªthis would inevitably slow the crowd down so he could get some distance and not lure the crowd along with him.


    That was another concern¡ªif they had trusted him to be leading them out¡ªif they had realized that he wasn''t heading toward the exit they could very well turn on him. He wasn''t sure if he could defend himself then¡ªand that would lead to further issues with the guild if he was able to.


    He crossed the gate quickly and rushed toward the end of the hallway. There was an echoing sound coming from somewhere he couldn''t see. He made it to the bend and slowed to a stop, peeking around the corner. He saw what looked to be five officers¡ªtwo of them held leashes which connected to large warthog-like beasts. The tusks grew wildly out of their mouths and large clawed paws bounced off as they led the officers forward.


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    LUCAS took in a deep breath and hoped this would work as well as he thought it might. He drained the baton in his hand and felt the electricity dancing on his fingertips. He focused the majority of the energy into three points that danced like small bubbles of concentrated energy¡ªcompiling a majority into one of the three points. He kicked off the ground and the officers and beasts came into full view. He reached back and launched the baton out toward the officer running in front of the rest.


    The two weaker bolts reached out and connected to the spinning baton. the bolt wrapped and coiled around the shaft. The final, stronger bolt I let loose. It shot faster than the previous and crossed the distance in a fraction of a second. The stronger bolt met the charged baton and the baton lit aflame and the pocket of energy exploded.


    LUCAS held up the shields in front of him and knelt behind it until the smoke cleared. He waited a few seconds longer before peeking over the top. What he saw unnerved him. The bodies that were just seconds ago running toward him were razed and burnt. Even the beasts lie lifeless in the hall. LUCAS swallowed his feelings and ran over toward some of the budding embers. He bent down and felt the heat enter his system.


    He wasn''t exactly sure how this all worked, but the running theory that so far hasn''t failed him was he was able to absorb energy and redirect it. The embers were not powerful enough to use in any meaningful way yet¡ªbut he''d keep it in mind.


    He stepped over the bodies and continued up through the hallway. He was coming up to the elevator and he looked in to the map to see where Laven was now. She was a few floors up¡ªand he was more than convinced now that she had put her part of the plan into motion. He then thought what she would think if she had seen what he had done to those officers. He then wondered if she had left similar scenes where she was.


    He knew her fighting ability wasn''t anything to scoff at, and he knew she could handle herself in a fight if need be. But was she willing to go to that length? That he was unsure of, and that formed a feeling of guilt inside.


    He approached the elevator and held off to the side waiting for the door. The doors opened and he was relieved to know that it was empty inside. He saw that he was on the eighth floor currently. He checked the map again and felt the energy pulsing from the 51st floor. He clicked the button and waited as the elevator started rising. He splayed his hands out against the railing against the back wall as it rose.


    He looked up and saw the light above him. Fearing the worst he climbed up on the railing¡ªit had jutted out from the wall far enough for him to balance on the edge of it¡ªhe reached up toward the ceiling. He reached and grabbed the pane that covered the light, he wasn''t able to pry it off with just his hands. He saw the number on the top of the door shift to nineteen. The elevator was crawling to a slow stop.


    More officers were coming, shit.


    Quick, he held himself up against the ceiling with one hand and brought his other slowly as the shield jutted out, slicing off the panel as it formed, popping half of it out as it swung on its remaining hinges.


    LUCAS grabbed the bulbs and instantly the elevator grew dark as the doors opened¡ªspilling in light from the outside. The two officers that were standing in the door stood back and began reaching for their weapons.


    LUCAS threw his hand out and the bolt coursed through the officer on the left. He stood back and jolted, falling over his feet. The other officer turned around to try and catch the other, but he was too slow. The doors began to slow and LUCAS was breathing heavily as he got down from the railing.


    Suddenly on his map a whole bunch of red dots appeared all over the map. Before he could ask the question he heard the squirrely voice of Bambo.


    "We managed to trace their internal trace system using the tech in their uniforms. You should be able to see where the threats are now."


    "Thanks Bambo," LUCAS said. "Will definitely come in handy."


    Looking at the large scale of things he thought it was impossible to discern from the total number of officers they had available in the building, but around him it looked like there was close to two hundred in the vicinity. That definitely wasn''t good.


    He knew he had to look over toward Laven. His breath caught as he saw fifty officers surrounding her. He saw the number above the elevator ring up 24 as it slowed again and instantly he had a plan in motion. Without questioning it he erected his shield. The door opened and instantly the bullets flew in. He gave it two seconds and dashed out.


    Pushing the offensive forward he felt the force of the bullets against the shield increase as he got closer. A sharp pain stuck in his side and he knew one of the ricochets landed its mark. He separated his hands and slammed both of the officers with the retreating shield. It pushed them back, it even managed to knock off one of their helmets.


    Gunfire continued from the other officer, the first bullet caught in LUCAS''s leg and he screamed out. The gun refused to fire anymore as the catalyst was sucked into his arm. LUCAS''s body was shaking now, threatening to give way as pain shot up from his leg¡ªconnecting with the pain in his side. He reached out and placed his hands on both of the officer''s shoulders, lighting the uniforms ablaze and burning through to the skin. They crumbled and were no longer a problem for him.


    LUCAS shoved them into the elevator and stood against the wall, taking in deep breaths. He looked down through his suit and saw the purple liquid spilling out of him. He bit his lips as a thought entered his mind. He knew it was going to hurt like crazy, but he needed to seal off these wounds.


    He brought his hand over his side and his hand grew hot. He pressed it tight to the side of his body and winced as he worked to cauterize the wound. The pain grew immensely and it darkened his vision. He bit his lip and fell to a sitting position against the corner next to the elevator. He removed his hand and saw that his side had stopped bleeding.


    Next was his leg. He took in a sharp breath and brought his left hand over his thigh. He brought his right hand over his mouth to muffle the screams that came from him. The bullets were still inside him¡ªthat was a problem he would have to worry about later. He needed to move, and now. He was shaking as he finished up, he had to stabilize himself against the wall before he started to get control. He had started to lower his internals and his breathing steadied.


    Straight ahead of him he saw a lobby, and thankfully it was clear. There were bodies moving above him, but they were still a ways away from the elevator. He had a few minutes before they made it here. He saw an increasing presence headed toward the eastern end of the building where Laven was.


    LUCAS ran into the center of the lobby and sucked the energy from each of the lamps near the desk. He wasn''t sure what kind of work was being done on this floor specifically, but they would be doing it in the dark from this time forward. He locked eyes with his reflection in the glass of the large window that stretched from floor to ceiling.


    Suddenly he felt another deep understanding about himself unlock, and in the deep recesses of his back mind he knew these new abilities were only coming to him as his processors seemed fit after the removal of his inhibitor. He felt confident in the things he knew he could do now, but it seemed to compound the doubt he felt about why he was inhibited in the first place.


    He suddenly looked past his reflection and knew what he had to do. He took a running start and barreled through the glass and soared into the open air and began to fall.

 17 | Dance Between Two

    LUCAS flew out into the open air. He faced the darkness and a cold breeze enveloped him as the immediate area around him lit in a faint blue light. His head turned to the right quick and he spotted his goal¡ªabout half the length down the building a fair distance away. LUCAS reached his hand out and closed his eyes. He felt his arm extend out and he began to fall.


    His heart was pounding and he knew if he opened his eyes he wouldn''t be able to make it. He waited another second and then he balled his hand into a fist. There was a sharp pain as the sound of glass smashing sounded in the distance. He grabbed hold and pivoted in the air, releasing the tension in his shoulder and he began shooting forward. He opened his eyes and saw his arm had extended several hundred times the length of itself and he had worked it into a grappling hook.


    As he sped toward the fifth floor window he braced himself and brought his knees up toward his chest. He saw an officer grab the edge of the window pane and glance outside and it was at that exact moment that LUCAS came crashing into him and the two barreled into the room. When he hit the officer he let go of the pan and his arm retracted back to normal size.


    He slammed his arms together and the shield erupted in front of him just as the surprised gunfire came. Each gun only managed a single round before they stopped cold. LUCAS rolled hard onto the ground and landed on one knee¡ªcarrying the momentum forward he crossed his arms in a wicked arc.


    Flames retreated from his fingertips like individual flamethrowers. He took in the lobby as the officers scattered to make sense of the situation. On the far edge of the lobby he saw Laven pinned up against the wall. To his right he noticed that several officers lie on the ground, unmoving.


    They had been like this before he had entered the room, so she certainly put up more than a fair fight. His map showed that a group of about twenty or so officers were traveling from the floor below them up, and remaining in the room now was about twenty remaining¡ªcounting the five that were running against the wall to put themselves out. LUCAS extended his arm out above the rest of the officers, his hand grappled around the officer''s neck that had Laven pinned.


    His hand grew white hot and the officer''s screams filled the room. Laven looked puzzled for but a moment and then brought up her knee into the officer''s abdomen. He bent down and fell backward. Laven darted into the thick of the crowd. She thrusted the baton in her grip into the side of two officers before LUCAS could get his arm back. The two of them worked in tandem and covered each other as the officers tried to fight back. The surprise of how useless their weapons were was their downfall. Some of the remaining officers tried in vain to operate their guns¡ªbelieving they had only misfired. LUCAS rammed onto the leftmost one¡ªa larger man than the rest. A woman tried to cover his rear but Laven swiped her legs from below, bringing the baton to her chest.


    Laven spun by LUCAS, covering his rear as an officer was aiming the gun like a bat toward his head. She reached down and snagged the fallen officer''s baton and engaged it as she slammed both forward into his arm. She contorted strangely and dropped the weapon.


    LUCAS had just retracted his shield, and turned to see the action unfold. He looked up to Laven who cocked her head at him, giving a small smile. Around them the room was cleared, bodies were strewn all across the lobby, and for but a moment LUCAS was breathing heavily. The dots heading their way on the map were a few minutes off. Faster if they used...


    LUCAS turned to the elevators at the eastern end of the lobby. He ran up and put both of his hands on the doors. The heat starting melding the edges together, preventing their exit. He ran to the two doors next to it and did the same. His hands emptied fully from the fire from the gunshots and he was breathing heavier when he had finished. He was just in time, as he saw the dots rising up to their floor, but they could not exit out of the elevator. This would mean that all of the elevators on this side of the building would eventually get bunged up. They would need to find an alternative method out, and fast.


    "I have several questions," Laven said when he had returned to the lobby proper. "But first and foremost...thanks for coming to assist. I got a little in over my head near the end there. I didn''t expect so many suits to come at me at once."


    "I saw them on the map and figured it meant trouble," LUCAS said. "Couldn''t just leave you to deal with that."


    "So like...how did you do all that? That was wild. This guy over here is..." She looked toward the body of the officer that had previously pinned her. "Looks like you burned him to the bone."


    LUCAS took in a deep breath. "Yeah...I uh, kind of figured that out in the heat of the moment. I''m learning new things about myself more than I thought I could."


    "And did you..." she walked over toward the open window¡ªshivering as she looked out to the open sky. "How far...?"


    "I was on the...twenty-fourth floor."


    "Twenty-four?!" She looked at him surprised. "You jumped all that way?"


    "Jumped and latched on. I kinda took a chance with that one. I didn''t test it beforehand. Guess I just kinda...knew before that it was going to be okay."


    "Shit, all this time I was worried what they were going to do to you here and I''m the one that needed saving," she put her hands on her waist.


    "I wouldn''t call it saving, more...assisting." He felt something well up inside of him hearing that she was worried about him. He tried to stuff it back down, but she had noticed. She approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She bent down and kissed his cheek.


    "Now, while you were out here assisting me, can I assume that to mean you found what you were looking for?"


    His cheeks blazed red and he felt a sudden embarrassment. "I...uh, no. I hadn''t yet. I was heading up near the top and I saw and so..." he suddenly lost the words.


    "Oh, I see. I''m...sorry." She suddenly looked away. "I didn''t mean to distract from..."


    He realized that Bambo and Blaise were still listening to her, and he nodded. "Don''t worry about it. I''m going to return to my end of the building and gonna tackle some of the lower floors, you can return back to what you were doing here," LUCAS said, then he took a step back from her and held out both of his arms¡ªpalms outstretched. There was a silence that enveloped them¡ªand then a sort of white noise echoing and bouncing off the walls. LUCAS looked to her and sought out her eyes. "I''m dampening the comms signal, we''re good to talk for a few seconds. I''m going to reroute my locator so it looks like I''m going to be on the other half of the building. I want you to come with me¡ªup to the top."


    She looked surprised at this.


    "We''ll run through the rest of your mission once we reclaim the fragment. Save as many as we can, but...I care about you and don''t want something like that happening to you again. Foolish machine like me should stick to the mission, but I don''t have many people in my corner. I just..."


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    She smiled and cocked her head. "You don''t have to say anymore. I''m in your corner."


    LUCAS looked at her and smiled. "I have to put this down now, they''ll be wondering what''s happened. We''ll need to separately explain ourselves I think. I''m placing my dot a bit away so we may need to check in away from each other so they don''t hear us through each other."


    She nodded.


    He lowered his hands and the white noise disappeared. LUCAS looked at the map and started pinging his signal up on the fourteenth floor on the other end of the building.


    "Luke, do you copy?" Bambo called, his voice was exasperated. "Do you copy?"


    "Hey Bambo, sorry about that," LUCAS started walking into the area near the elevators. "Just got into a scrape trying to unjam a situation here. We''re both clear now. I headed back to my post."


    "Oh, that''s good to hear. I saw you zipping around so fast I thought there was a delay on our side."


    "No delay. Just using some tools to move around quickly," LUCAS said. "We''re going to continue through here, I''m going to need to focus so my updates are going to be minimal. There are a lot of officers still on guard here."


    "Roger. Stay safe. Blaise just got done talking with Laven, much the same deal. Gavin and Roshe are back so we''re going to go meet with them. We have alerts on so if you ping us we''ll know."


    "Got it, thank you much." LUCAS said, smiling wide.


    He rejoined with Laven, who similarly had a grin on her face. "Looks like we''ve got some good fortune here," she said.


    "Okay, we really need to get moving now¡ªwe got some headed our way now. We should...." he looked around. The officers that had been stuffed in the elevators were now gaining on them. If they ran on foot they''d be tailed until they came to fight. While he was sure they could take care of the force¡ªif they could get in and out without eliminating the entire building...his guilt may yet not sink entirely down his chest. "C''mere."


    LUCAS took her by the hand and lead her to the edge of the window. He let go of her and she ran to his side, confusion on her face, but then he wrapped his left hand around her waist and he lifted up as he leaped off the side. She screamed in his ear and he threw out his arm, it shot up past a dozen identical windows and a similar shattering sound echoed into the night. He caught hold and they rose up. She continued to scream for another second but halfway up she stopped¡ªher breath caught and she turned her head to see the sky. LUCAS turned to look at her staring, but said nothing. He wasn''t sure if he''d be heard anyway.


    When they approached the edge of the window pane he yanked hard with his right arm and they flew into the office space. He quickly formed the shield and turned around so they flew through the thin walls that separated the cubicles. The office was dead silent¡ªthe lights were off. It seems whoever worked in this space was out for the day.


    The both of them sat there for a second, her in his arms and breathing hard. She ran a hand through her hair and stared into his eyes.


    "If I told you about that before you never would have agreed to do it," LUCAS said, offering a small smile.


    She took in a deep breath and steadied herself. "If I didn''t see the sun setting like that I would have shaken you to pieces. That view was..."


    "Incredible, right?" LUCAS offered.


    She looked up and slowly made her way off of him. "How far are they? Do we have to do that again? I don''t think my stomach can handle that excitement twice."


    "They are..." LUCAS checked. "Looks like the closest bunch is three floors below us. We''re on the thirtieth floor. There are smaller groups from here on out upward. I think they''re not combat oriented, though. They might just be workers."


    "Like, we have to free or with them?"


    "I would guess it''s people on Kosunaga dime. Administrative and more technically minded. The kind of people that work in places like this," LUCAS nodded toward the cubicles.


    "Gotcha." She looked around and shivered. "Sorry...I''m still a little shaken up."


    "Don''t worry, I know what you mean. That''s what I felt when I came in crashing through your window. I think it all burned out during the fight."


    "You''re like my Romeo, you know that?"


    It took him a second, but then he understood the reference. "To be fair," LUCAS said. "I think I''m more like the rock."


    "I guess so. But call yourself a stone at least. Sounds more refined."


    "Whatever you say."


    "We should find the elevator around here. Although we may have to prepare for a scuffle if they come up in one."


    "I''ll be able to see if they are or not. Right now I''m not seeing anyone in them near us. There are a few on the other end...huh..."


    "What is it?"


    "They''re all congregating...toward my fake location. The place I''m passing myself off as. They''re all walking toward that area."


    "That''s lucky for us then," she said, cracking her neck. "Should be a straight shot, right?"


    LUCAS was quiet for a moment. He looked at the map again and had a bad feeling about this.


    He held his arms out, dampening the signal again.


    "One moment, where''s your comm device?"


    She looked at him, confused. "It''s...right here, why?" She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small device the size of a quarter.


    LUCAS took it and threw it to the ground and stamped on it.


    "What are you doing?" She asked.


    "Think about it, why would all the officers be heading toward my fake location? Who knows about that location?"


    Understanding lit up in her eyes. "They wouldn''t, unless they were being fed that map."


    He nodded. "Someone is feeding our info out. It could be the both of them. I''m not sure. My money would be on Blaise but we cannot afford to be wrong on this."


    "So now they''ll think that I''m dead. That was the deal if I ever lost the comm device."


    LUCAS nodded again, "That''ll work perfectly. I''m going to keep my signal up as long as I can. We do need to book it to the fragment, but then we need to leave. I know our goal was also to free as many people here as possible, but I think the longer we stay here the longer we risk losing everything."


    "Yes..." she said, a somber tone growing in her voice. "I hate to think it, but there''s no reason why they''d have your map information..."


    "If we''re decided then, we have to hope that the little work we did is enough to get some people free. We''ll go straight up and recover what we can, get out of here, and we''ll try to rendezvous with Gavin."


    "You sure you trust him?" Her tone was cautious. She was worried, he knew that much.


    "I know his history most of all," LUCAS said, nodding. "More than any of you. It was a long story, though. I''ll tell you later when we¡¯re out of here."


    "I know his history most of all," LUCAS said, nodding. "At least, more than anyone else. But that''s a long story, though. One I''ll tell you later when we''re out of here."


    She nodded, "All right, I trust you." She took in a deep breath and turned toward the hallway. "All right. You good to go?"


    LUCAS nodded, and the both of them went off on their way. It was a short walk to the elevator and Laven clicked the button a single time. The doors on the left opened up and they were swallowed inside.

 18 | Long Way Down

    "Know where we''re going?" Laven asked. "Can''t say I''m used to playing the follower."


    "Yeah," LUCAS nodded, he stepped forward and pressed the button for the fifty-first floor. Laven whistled at how high they were going to go, which prompted the response, "Scared of heights?"


    She stared at the buttons for a moment longer. "I can''t say I''ve ever been in the position to know...well, aside from our escapade. I...don''t think so? I mean, once the initial shock blew past I guess it''s kind of hard to feel so."


    LUCAS smirked, "I hear you. I think I am."


    She looked stunned at this. "What? I wouldn''t have pegged you for that."


    The elevator began rising slowly as the humming of faint music played in the background. "Yeah, I think it''s mitigated a bit when everything is high action and things are moving so fast I can leave the processing to my back thoughts¡ªbut if I have time to think about it...I can simulate the situation in my head and I just..." he shivered. "I feel like my insides are put through a hurricane."


    She leaned her head to one side, and then the other. "I guess that is a different situation. I could see myself feeling similar if I had to like, cross a tightrope. That would probably send my stomach in knots, but aside from that I think I can manage. But you don''t have to worry, I''ll keep you from falling off any heights," she winked.


    LUCAS smiled. He looked inside to see the dots had swarmed the place on the map where he was supposed to be. They began funneling out to the rooms nearby. He had shut down his communication line, so he wasn''t surprised he wasn''t hearing from the group back at the camp. He was curious of what their reactions were to the officers not finding him there, but he knew if he had kept on the line only to listen they would know he was still there. Blaise might even be able to figure out past his dummy signal and find where he really was.


    Scratch that, he most definitely could.


    They had just passed the fortieth floor and they were still climbing. Laven reached down and grabbed his hand. He felt her warmth and squeezed tight.


    "I can see your face scrunched up in thought," she began. "Still worrying?"


    He looked to her and nodded slowly. "It gives me no great pleasure to think we''re in here on our own. But then again, I came into this place alone, and while it wasn''t long ago now, it''s not entirely foreign to me."


    "Looks like we have that in common," she mused.


    Forty-four, forty-five, forty-six.


    The officers were not going to catch up to them in time. They were scrambling around scanning individual rooms, believing LUCAS was close. The thought was slightly amusing to see them scramble around in frustration.


    "Hey, we''re coming up. I''m seeing some presence near where we''re aiming for. They may be guarding the fragment. Makes enough sense, but once we''re up there I''m not a hundred percent sure we''ll know what we''re looking for. The closer we get the more vague a feeling I have on it."


    "Hm, seems like it would be the opposite, don''t you think?"


    LUCAS thought how he could put it into words, "I guess it''s like...sound? Like, sound I can feel. From far away I can tell what direction it''s coming from and how high it is. But the closer I get I feel it all around me...the surround sound of vibrations, I guess."


    "Ah, okay, I can see how that could be confusing. Well, I''ll keep an eye out. You said it could take the form of anything, right?"


    LUCAS nodded. "Yeah, if I can interact with it I can confirm if it''s what we''re looking for."


    The elevator slowed to a stop. The doors opened to a large gallery. The room wasn''t as large as the worker rooms down below, but it was still considerably large. It looked like it could house parties of extravagant size. Tables littered the floor with white adornments and streamers were corkscrewed across the pillars that stretched from floor to ceiling. sitting on the edge of a table in the rear of the room near a large wooden door is an older man with short dark hair, a large dark coat, and a pistol at his side.


    He cocked his head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard word there were some rats crawling their way through here, but I hardly could believe they¡¯d so effortlessly make fools of my officers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been in charge here too long, Namba,¡± Laven said.


    Namba. So this was the infamed Brother of the Kosunaga name. LUCAS studied his face hard and was irritated to find that he couldn¡¯t find any data for him in ICARUS¡¯s records.


    Namba shrugged. On closer inspection LUCAS could see a scar running the length of his face. The scar tissue looked like it had healed over the course of the last year. If the scenario weren¡¯t what it was LUCAS knew his curiosity would bade him ask where he got it.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re both over the long monologues back and forth to one another, no?¡± He hopped off the table and rested his hand against the gun at his side. ¡°You want what I have, and I¡¯m not going to give it to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you better have good aim,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°Because you¡¯re only going to get one shot,¡± LUCAS walked forward, his hand raised at him with his palm outstretched.


    ¡°Ah, the android,¡± Namba said, grinning from ear to ear. It was a truly unsettling look¡ªlike a goblin had merged with an elf and both turned away this hideous man at their doorstep.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching your exploits through my building. I have to say...at first I was very, very angry that something so destitute as a can opener would even think he were on a level to raise objection to us cultured folk here,¡± he waved his arm around in a grand gesture.


    LUCAS didn¡¯t know if he was meant to be tending to some imaginary crowd, but he didn¡¯t care for the tone of the man before him.


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    ¡°And yet, I must admit, I found myself amazed at the kind of things you were able to achieve. You were like a modern day Spider-Man.¡±


    LUCAS crossed the name with ICARUS¡¯s network and found that he was a fictional character from comic books in the old world. He could see the comparison with his grapple hook maneuver.


    ¡°And so when I was watching you and the lovely miss here,¡± Laven cocked her head at him and gave him a nasty look. Namba continued without a pause. ¡°I prepared something for you. While you were on your escapade I received a tip on your location. I saw the danger you posed and realized I wouldn¡¯t be able to overpower you if it were a face to face fight. Even now you don¡¯t kill me right away because you fear I have something up my sleeve. And well,¡± he slid a small rectangular box out of his sleeve into his gloved hand. His face lit up into a gnarly smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s it do, Namba?¡± Laven asked.


    ¡°Y¡¯see, It was tied to a rig of explosives layered all around the first, tenth, twentieth, thirtieth, fortieth, and fiftieth floors. I¡¯ve got seven buttons here on this switch. One for each floor, and a fun one that¡¯s a dud just to get your heart pumping. You rush me, or shoot flames at me, or do that fancy electro trick you got there and my finger will just slide all over these here.¡± He slid his head to the other side. ¡°Now, I can confirm only a very small portion of my workers managed to escape these premises. A small loss, but not wholly one. Damage to the building now will cause the death of all the rest you came to save.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re willing to go down with your ship? That it?¡± Laven asked.


    ¡°What sort of leader would I be if I weren¡¯t?¡± Besides. Tachi is in a secured location already starting to rebuild and construct new projects under our name anyway. No matter what happens here, we still win.¡±


    ¡°And what of the fragment?¡± LUCAS asked. ¡°You¡¯re willing to destroy your power source?¡± Namba¡¯s brow raised so slight that LUCAS could only notice it from looking closely.


    ¡°You seem to know a lot of information you shouldn¡¯t, small child. Anyway. It was nothing anymore to us. What good is power if It was container is incompatible with use?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be coming up here, though. Something about how you were traveling just told me that you were going to be heading up here, so I figured that if I waited here after I performed my solemn duty,¡± his smile only deepened, ¡°And here you are!¡± His arms were outstretched and LUCAS thought about the odds of shooting the remote out of his hand.


    He had some electrical energy pouring through his system, but he didn¡¯t think it was enough to create a bolt of considerable strength. Beside the fact that either in the shot or in the dropping of the remote he couldn¡¯t guarantee that the trap wouldn¡¯t be sprung. The energy he had most of at the moment was fire, and that was much too slow to stop him from pressing any of those buttons.


    ¡°Now, boy,¡± Namba extended his arm and held the remote at the tip of his grip. ¡°If you can fully disengage all of your weapons, lose those pesky arms of yours, bow to me, and then throw yourself out of that window there,¡± he cocked his head toward the window at the far edge of the room. ¡°Then I¡¯ll push just the dud and we can each move on with the rest of our lives, you excluded of course. I¡¯ll take you down here to be stripped of all weapons and returned to the work force on a strict probation period. Everyone here gets to live. Works for everyone. We get to minimize our losses, and you don¡¯t create the largest regret of your existence.¡±


    LUCAS looked at the options ahead of him. The part of him that wished to be human desired nothing but to rush up to this guy and kick him to kingdom come¡ªto risk everything just to see him brought to justice¡ªto save the day and beat the bad guy.


    But the machine held back on the risk. He knew his options. He knew the risk of each and how unlikely it was that he¡¯d actually come out on top. After all he had accomplished¡ªthe feats he was able to unlock within himself. The human doubt had paired with the cold machine logic and he was deadlocked. He looked for but a second toward the window and his decision was made. He took but one step until a scream cut him loose of his cycle.


    Laven screamed. She was looking at him and had screamed his name in an attempt to get him to stop what he was going to do. Just in that moment a shaking and deafening sound erupted from below them.


    Namba had pressed the fiftieth floor button and the floor they¡¯d stood on burst upward¡ªeach of the three were sent back as the ground underneath them gave way. They landed in an office underneath¡ªor at least what remained. When LUCAS¡¯s eyes opened he felt that his hand was wet. He couldn¡¯t see it¡ªthe dust still hadn¡¯t settled. The crackling sound of fire joined the sensation and he feared that some major damage had happened to him and he was going to bleed out here¡ªa failure and responsible for everything.


    When it did start to clear he realized he was not bleeding out. He could stand up and was able to support himself against what used to be a desk that housed a computer that used to do¡­something. He scanned the room and noticed that there was another life sign in the immediate area. He knew it was Laven thanks to her special marker on the map. He let out a relieved breath.


    He bounded up over the side of the cubicle and located her two rows down. In between the two of them he saw the crushed and broken bodies of the people that had been on this floor. The sight froze him still. There were people alive and working here not thirty seconds ago¡ªcompletely unaware there were bombs nearby. What were their last thoughts? Who did they leave behind? He suddenly was flooded with guilt as these questions would forever go without answers.


    He leaped over the desk and went to the wall where a blaze had infested half of the office. He walked into the center and felt immense heat over the surface of his body¡ªabsorbing it at a rate he hadn¡¯t absorbed before. He managed to clear the active flames from this side of the room so at least they were contained, but there was still a whole other half¡ªand Namba was not in sight yet.


    He hurried to Laven¡¯s side and saw she wasn¡¯t moving. He bent down over her and placed his hand on her arm. His hand was still a bit warm from absorbing the fire. She must have noticed because her face wrinkled slightly before opening her eyes and staring at him.


    ¡°You...not throwing yourself off any buildings?¡± She asked, and gave an attempted chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, here, lemme help you up. Be careful though, I had to clear out the fire and I¡¯m storing it in, I¡¯m a little warm.¡±


    ¡°It was...nice,¡± she said, closing her eyes for a moment. ¡°Where¡¯s Namba?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere on the other side I think. He hasn¡¯t blown the rest up and I¡¯m not seeing any more life signs in here¡­¡± he thought again on the other workers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± LUCAS said.


    The two stood up and took in their surroundings. Smoke plumed from the other half of the office and LUCAS could see the fire was continuing to spread on all the equipment and carpet.


    The two of them dashed across the room¡ªharmoniously helping each other over the obstacles. A stray stone piece of the floor above broke away and LUCAS was able to deflect it with his shield before it reached them. When they reached the opposite side of the office they quickly realized how much the fire had grown. It had completely consumed the corpses that had once previously been working and it had started to spread toward the other half of the room¡ªthe half that LUCAS has just cleared.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take in much more¡ªI¡¯m not going to be able to clear this floor,¡± LUCAS said in hurried exasperation.


    ¡°Where¡¯s¡ª¡° she was cut off as she saw Namba¡¯s contorted body¡ªpinned against a wall with a leg broken at an odd angle and a shard of metal stabbed through his chest. Blood pooled from his lips and the remote lie at his feet. Flames had danced around his body and it was beginning to be too hot to stay too close to the body.


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab it,¡± Laven said, but as she took a step forward the pipe Namba¡¯s corpse had been pinned to had snapped, sending his body forward. As soon as it made contact the entire world around them started spinning.


    The world went silent before it exploded.

 19 | Out in the Open

    Darkness.


    Immediate silence cut into LUCAS''s system. He saw nothing¡ªheard nothing¡ªfelt nothing. It felt like he was locked away in some foreign dimension, taken prisoner by his own mind. His body had entered emergency recovery mode¡ªsomething had hit him. At least, he thought something had. The last thing he saw was the floor beneath them crumbling¡ªblinding white light and some of the foundation above starting to fall. After that, nothing.


    He was floating within himself, access only to the information that was being fed to him through ICARUS. He tried to find anything that would help him discover more about what has happened. He found a trail that seemed promising. He followed it down and felt himself be enveloped by the growing shapes around him. Colors filled his vision with immense severity. He opened his eyes and he was staring at a much younger Laven. It had looked like some time had passed since the new world came about.


    She sat alone by a campfire on a golden night. She sat on the peak of a rocky mountain overlooking the area that used to be her home. Now, it existed as an eternally burning flame. She wasn''t sure how it had started, but the village only existed now in this world as a bonfire that no matter the conditions outside kept fueling itself. The licks of the flames kissed the air and painted a sorrowful sight from the viewpoint she had set up.


    The sky was still getting used to showing its new colors. She wore thick garments meant to keep in heat¡ªbut they looked like they hadn''t been cleaned in months. She stared down at her hands which were marked with glowing runic signs. They were unlike anything he''d ever seen. Sapphiric light emanated from her hands and on closer inspection he saw that they worked their way up and down her arms. She picked at her left hand irritated, a look of pain crossed her face as the light glowed brighter as she picked at it.


    It wasn''t as if she had wanted to return to the place she grew up¡ªbut her supplies had begun to run low and she knew not a soul in this new environment. She aimed to plunder some resources and make off for the next available settlement to see if they could align. When she saw the burning she simply sat in astonishment and started to make up camp.


    The lights on her body were a new development. After forming the pact she started feeling a small new burst of energy within her. She would walk longer, climb higher, even heal from wounds like the fall she had taken from. But it wasn''t until the past week when she fully began noticing the cost of her increased vitality¡ªthe cost of her pact. She''s felt fatigue much faster than normal after previous long stretches of hiking across the world. It was now a risk to expend energy¡ªit felt as if she now became twice as tired for each action she performed¡ªfor twice the output.


    She stared at the marks which displayed her weakness to the world¡ªshe was glad most people didn''t know the meaning behind them lest they take advantage of her situation. That was another reason for her stopping here atop this mountain.


    She was being chased through the valley by a rough group who pilfered much in the region. They had banded together once the new world came into existence and let their primal urges of scavenging and pillaging free. They rode in caravan style and were catching up to her fast. She could run faster than a normal person, but it was still a stretch to outrun a group of vehicles.


    She looked over her shoulder a single time to see their hooded faces and shaded looks. She thought that she was done for seeing them approach so quickly. She closed her eyes and felt energy swelling through her body. She leaped and felt herself lift into the air. Golden-white light sprung wings like a butterfly from her back.


    Wind coursed through her hair and she looked behind her to see the caravan slow down as the pursuit became less and less fruitful. She took off and LUCAS was returned to her sitting by the campfire. The lights had since retracted from the wings to the markings over her body. Inside her mind an ancient language spoke in several tongues. The transaction had been paid and she had retained her freedom. She knew that she would need to sleep for a long...long time.


    LUCAS opened his eyes back in the real world. He was on his back and overlooking the red sky of a new morning. He felt sore all over his body.


    "Jesus Christ...thank god you''re okay."


    He looked up to see Laven looking over him. It took him a few seconds to realize his head was resting on her lap. When his eyes adjusted to the sun he saw the familiar blue lines running across her face. He shot up and looked at her, "Are you okay? What happened..."


    She cocked her head and he could see tears in her eyes. "The building went down. We...were unable to stop it. The remains are back there."


    LUCAS looked behind her and saw a gigantic dump that used to be the Republic Plaza. Not even a single floor stood standing. He couldn''t identify any life signs coming from within.


    "No..." he said, zooming back to his original sight.


    She rushed him and held him close. "I thought you were a goner too. Everything happened so fast. You blinked out and..."


    He held her back. He felt a reassuring feeling swelling deep inside him and he realized he had felt the same anxiety she had all at once.


    "You saved me," he said. "You used the power that drains your energy."


    She leaned back and held her hands out in front of her. "I haven''t had to in a long while. I...haven''t told the others about it. I guess deep down it was for the same reasons that you were wary about it. It leaves me near useless. I''m not even going to be able to walk until it clears up and these start to fade," she held out her arms.


    LUCAS saw the light running down from her neck all the way to the tips of her fingers. "Does it hurt? The light?"


    She shook her head. "No, I mean, the cost was heavy at first. I didn''t see it coming, so I wasn''t prepared to take care of myself during. I could have gotten myself killed then and there, but thankfully nobody was around when I had. I''ve tried to be sparing when I need its energy. I saw that large piece of debris coming toward you and I just jumped into action."


    "What happened, exactly?"


    "I swept you up in my arms and we crashed through the window. I flew us out of the range of the explosion. We were a little too close at first so we caught a little of the blow back, but I carried us as far as we could go. I managed to get us this far before I had to land. I wanted to try to drag you to at least somewhere safe instead of being out in the open. I couldn''t manage that, though. I was scared we had gone through all that and some of the officers were going to all come out and overwhelm us out here..."


    "I see that no officers came out," LUCAS said.


    "Nobody came out..."


    Her words hung on the air like a sustained note to accent the horror that followed. Accompanying the silence like a grand concerta that fully defined the guilt that sat in between them like a heavy broth, pinning them to the ground. They were silent for a few seconds until something inside LUCAS began ringing. He looked into his back mind and saw that the fragment of ICARUS was still calling out to him. It had survived the explosion.


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    "Woah...the fragment is still in there," LUCAS said.


    "Wait, really?" Laven asked. "Fuck...I still can''t move," she grunted, trying to lift herself up to her knees.


    "Hey, don''t worry about it," LUCAS said. He stood up, his legs were wobbly and for a second they threatened to collapse, but he took a sharp breath and steadied himself. "I got you. Consider it a return favor," he said. He bent down and scooped his arms under her legs and against her back. He found the act of lifting her no issue. She let out a small sound and grappled an arm around his neck in surprise.


    "T-That''s not fair. I was already paying back your favor."


    "Guess we''ll have to start a tab, then," LUCAS smiled.


    She rested her head against his chest and he began walking, and then jogging, and then sprinting. He felt the power pulsing from deep within him. If he closed his eyes he could let the pulsing feeling guide him toward the goal. Like an echo reverberating through the valley¡ªbouncing off the edges of the walls of the valley that embraced the remains of the building.


    When they reached the outskirt of the building he noticed that the air felt coarser to the touch. He stopped and slowed so he could analyze. The composition of the air was...a concern if he was being modest. There were several trace particles that LUCAS couldn''t identify. They covered the air in a noticeable foggy sort of residue. He noticed that some cuts on his arms had formed. It took him a second to put two and two together. The foggy particles were so rough that it had caused these cuts.


    He took a few steps back. "I''m going to set you down here for a second," LUCAS said. "The air here is...poisoned. I don''t think that''s an accurate descriptor but my mind isn''t firing on all cylinders right now. I don''t want you to get hurt."


    "There''s no way to avoid it?" She asked, fearing the decision he was going to make.


    "I am not familiar with it. Those explosives Namba set up must have spread these particles through the air. I don''t know what would happen if I would try to absorb it."


    She nodded her head slowly. "Do you think the energy you absorbed before will react with that stuff?"


    "I...am unsure. It hasn''t yet so..."


    "Please, be careful, okay?"


    "You have my word," LUCAS nodded.


    He turned and looked back toward the wreckage. The fog was so light he could see through it, but there was a noticeable difference to what the air behind him looked like. He had a guess that running through this would worsen the effects, but then again, going slowly could equally be ten times as agonizing.


    He took in a deep breath and brought his arms together and the shield formed in front of him. He wasn''t sure it would do any good, but it was better than going in with nothing. He held his arms out in front of him and began to walk forward. He immediately felt the scratchy, itching on the lower half of his legs. Behind the shield he was mostly free from the rough sensation.


    He continued, slowly. The itching sensation was now starting to feel like small contained burns. He bit his lip and continued moving forward. He looked down at the ground and saw that he was climbing over destroyed furniture. The smell of blood was pungent in the air around him. He tried his best to keep his thoughts off of all the bodies that were around him. His legs started to buckle underneath him, but he kept moving forward.


    He felt the vibrations inside him pulsing faster and deeper to his core. He threw out his arm in an arc and it flew into a crevice that had formed into a small mountain of debris. He wrapped his fingers around the source of the pulsing and yanked his arm back. It came to him with a dozen cuts and stinging pain around each and every one. He winced as he held a small black brick in his hand.


    Its exterior looked like it should be shined, but the dust and dirt that had coated it had smudged it into a dull block. In all total it looked like it was smaller than the kind of bricks that were stacked for houses, but it had a considerable heft behind it.


    This was it for sure, he felt immense power surging from within the brick. This...was the last of the three pieces.


    He had a feeling when he saw that sight of Allison Fae and Sakonna that there could have been another piece out there somewhere. Something about the idea just stuck with him. He held it in front of his face and felt a mesmerizing sense of wonder looking at it. He knew in that moment then that it would be fate from this point forward that he would come into contact with the both of them. Now that he carried this, it was but inevitable. He swallowed his fear over what that possibility would bring and returned his arm to the shield and started to head back.


    He made it back to Laven in one piece. She had looked at him with wide eyes¡ªshe had noticed the cuts across his arm and legs, but was glad to see they didn''t spread too far. The deepest ones were at his ankles, but he was able to stop the blood flow as he had with the gunshots. The others were superficial at worst and would heal on their own.


    "Find it?" She asked, and as he brought out the brick she looked at it confused. "I''m glad it''s here, but I''m definitely curious on how it works."


    "It''s definitely got to interact with the main unit in some way, but it''s not complete."


    "Not complete...? Oh, you think it''s part of what the others found?"


    LUCAS nodded. "Yeah, I think finding them is going to be my next task."


    "I wouldn''t say that," a familiar voice rang in LUCAS''s head.


    "Gavin?" LUCAS called out, confusing Laven.


    "I thought you were gone with the building. The others gave up in trying to find you, I figured I''d try one last time. I''m glad to read you made it through."


    "Yeah, Laven''s here with me. We''re the only two that made it out."


    "...I had feared hearing it, but I guess there isn''t much we can do about that now. We did rescue a hundred workers that managed to get out safely."


    "A hundred? That''s honestly more than I expected."


    "Yes, their families were very happy to see their return, but I fear the overall state of things is a net loss of morale. That''ll even out in time, though. That''s not your fault."


    "One of those things where they''re going to have to push through it," LUCAS said.


    "Unfortunately. Hey, where are you guys stationed at? I can come pick you up."


    "Come without the guild if you can," LUCAS said. "I''ve got the fragment."


    "You''re not talking out loud, are you?" Gavin asked.


    "I told Laven about it, about it all."


    He was silent on the other end.


    "I trust her."


    A heavy sigh came. "Okay, that''s fine, I can work with that. But did you tell any of the others...? Roshe?"


    "No. But that''s what I was going to say. I think one or more of them sold us out. The Kosunaga brother¡ªNamba, he had access to my map data."


    "What? That''s..." he trailed off for a moment. "Okay, I got your coordinates, I''ll come by alone with a buggy. I was planning on taking one of my trips soon anyways, I''ll just make my quick farewells and I''ll come meet up with you, we can talk more in person."


    "Roger," LUCAS said. When he finished he took a seat beside Laven. She rested a hand on his leg and he stared up at the sun. "He''ll be here soon, he''s coming alone."


    "That''s good..." Laven said. "I just don''t know how this went all wrong. I''ve never had an issue with any of them before this...and we''ve worked together for years now."


    LUCAS shook his head. "I don''t know. I have suspicions but I don''t have any facts to back any of it up. I''m just...done with this job."


    "I hear you."


    Together they sat with the amber light of the sun casting their shadows as one melded being. They waited until the familiar hums eventually made their way closer, ever closer.

 ENDGAME | Borne Through Blood

    Several thousand miles away on the other edge of the landmass''s coast, William Wallace stood proud over his new empire. It felt like an eternity away from the dry and arid lands of what used to be the west coast of America. Here, the sun painted the sky more a bright pink¡ªa sickly color that forbade prescient peace. Water as dark violet as the skies out west lapped at the shores of the lush life that sprawled out over this region. Colorful flora spread like its own brand of wildfire.


    Built atop a pillar of bones and blood stood the aged figure that in another time belonged to a small child named Daniel Aldoun. He was dead now. Back then he was so worried about being thrown about the multiverse across hundreds of other people''s lives. He hadn''t known that from the very beginning that his life was naught but the celestial plaything for beings that cared not for human life. He had since rectified that issue.


    Atop the throne a wicked smile flashed across his face. He cradled a crimson orb in-between his fingers and glanced over a roaring crowd as the coliseum below brought great entertainment. It shone and sparkled with the light of a small sun. Down a level below, the body of a woman who used to be a classmate of Daniel Aldoun''s stood with her arms crossed. Like Daniel, the girl whose body it was was also dead. Inhabiting instead was the majority of the creature known as Amnael, Child of the Night. After an unsuccessful inhabitation during the immediate time of The Collapse, William Wallace was able to overpower and establish dominance over a tumerous connection forged between the two.


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    Below, a beast with three heads and teeth as razor sharp as knives roared out as it dove its central head into the thick arm of the combatant on the other side. It was a man with limbs as thick as tree trunks. The beast¡¯s second head dragged in for another bite, but it was quickly denied this pleasure as a club spiked with nails slammed hard against the head. Blood arced in the air in a terrible arch. He let loose a roar from his two mouths that let loose a foul odor across the stadium. The masses around cheered at the critical hit.


    Will offered a grin at the blow and looked down to his reserve. He cocked his head and she moved up toward him without haste. Walking with a quickened pace she reached Will''s side and bowed. The anger and self interest that had found Amnael strong twenty-two years ago was long worn away and broken now. No chance of escape has since beaten and bruised that level of anything aside from subservience.


    "I think the time for growth is about complete." He continued rolling the orb between his fingers. "I am ready for this empire of mine...to expand." Inside the orb a burning fire blazed and in it, he saw the world.

 ENDGAME | 2 | Unmasked

    The crash of the hammer sent sparks flying into the dark air. A man stood above the forge with sweat glistening off of his skin. His hand glowed a bright red as fire spilled from the fingertips into the container. He slammed the hammer down and grunted as it connected. More sparks flew into the sky.


    Moonlight slipped in through the makeshift windows of the clay structure that he called his workshop. It was a secret to everybody. The heat from the forge held tight in the man¡¯s throat. He coughed out a black mess and turned back to his creation. It was smaller than his palm, and so much damned work for something this small, but it was necessary, so he weathered the heat.


    It was probably the most important thing he had to do here. More important than acting as tech support¡ªmore important than feeding the Kosunagas with their feed of information. More than it all.


    He gritted his teeth and brought down the fire as the shimmering metal cooled. He rested for a moment and let the golden ember cool off the pendant. He smiled as the edge of the pendant refined to a gleaming shine. He palmed the pendant and turned on the spot, vanishing into thin air. A small gust of air rushed to fill the space he occupied, brushing leaflets off the nearby desk.


    Gripping heat seized his attention when he landed. Dark rock masses filled the atmosphere¡ªa heavy pervasive ash hung all around him. His destination was clear¡ªa column of crimson light erupted from inside the volcano.


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    It stood, imposing over the wasteland. No man dared step within a hundred miles of this corner of the land¡ªthe last water source dried up years ago.


    He cared for neither¡ªhe was going to be gone as quickly as he had come as soon as he had made the exchange. He focused on the peak and instantly found himself on top. Even though he was capable of withstanding the heat¡ªthe smoke that billowed out of the surface would be too much if he kept the mask on. He lifted it and took in a deep breath. His body stung as the air rushed to greet his face in ways it hadn¡¯t in a long time.


    Looking down inside, he saw the source of the crimson light¡ªa pendant almost identical to the one he held. He flashed a grin and warped closer toward it. It stood on a stone pedestal that hung over the bubbling magma. He lands, gripping the tip of a stalagmite and swings around like a barber pole. He leaps over the magma onto another stalagmite. He rips the mask off the top of his head with his free hand¡ªit had already started to melt. He cursed and tossed it aside. He¡¯s going to have to make another one.


    The molten mask didn¡¯t hurt his skin¡ªbut if it were to remain on his skin it¡¯d harden when he left¡ªand it definitely hurt cutting it free.


    Free of the only remnant of clothing on his body he leaps to a third stalagmite and grips it tight. From here he can jump to the podium in the center. He took a deep breath and began swinging back, and back, and¡­


    He leapt!


    He grabbed onto the rock and held himself up over the magma pit. The pendant that looked like the fake he had made glowed in response to his movement. He pulled himself up and wrapped his legs around the base of the rock, freeing up his hands so he could make the switch. He bared his teeth in a wild smile and all his eyes burned brightly.


    His body erupted into flames and grew¡ªtaking the form of a gigantic dragon with eyes the size of boulders stretching across its body. He vanished into the night, with the echoes of his laughter resounding through the void for some time after.