“Your friends are smart to follow you.” He glanced back at me. “You lead them not because you are told to, but because you want to, and you use excellent judgment while doing so. Although you told me you’re not their sole leader, I don’t believe that now. You are their battle leader, but your judgment and decisions go beyond the battlefield.”
I never really thought about it that way. I’d been created to do as ordered, and lead others had been one of those tasks. But even after I broke away from Zarda, I found myself in leadership roles, and I didn’t exactly hate it. It put a lot of attention on me, sure, but I liked the tactical aspect of it all. I didn’t want to take positions that put me in what would be thought of as “glory” roles. All I wanted was to win. To be right for once.
I smiled despite myself. “Thank you.”
He nodded, a half-smile on his lips, and I went back to working on him.
Once I determined his wing was good, I let go, and with my eyes shut, leaned against the cave wall. The membrane of his wings was thin enough that it wouldn’t take long to heal, but unfortunately, it would take a little more time for my thigh. My eyes snapped open when Raikidan touched my thigh. I stared at him as he applied more ointment to it. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“You missed a spot,” he said, his tone calm enough to assure anyone but me.
I grabbed his hand and pulled it away. “I didn’t miss a spot.”
He grunted and pulled his hand out of my grip. “What, don’t want me touching your leg?”
I crossed my arms. “I’d prefer you didn’t.”
He grinned and grabbed my leg again. “Then I guess I’ll be applying more of this stuff.”
I growled at him.
“I—inally—ot her!” Ryoko screamed through Raikidan’s communicator.
Raikidan growled and threw the communicator on the ground. I couldn’t help but laugh as he rubbed his ear. “Serves you right.” Pulling myself over to my communicator on the ground, I grabbed it and placed it around my head. “Good job, Ryoko.”
“—Old—ight—I’ll ge—u—uys out—oon,” she told us.
I looked over at Raikidan and watched as he shifted back to a nu-human form. His scales sunk into his skin as if they had never been there, and his healed wings folded back and disappeared under his bodysuit. No one would ever know he had ever looked that way now.
He picked up his communicator and moved closer to me. “How’s your leg?”
I looked down at it. “I can feel it healing, but it’s still pretty banged up. I’m going to have a hard time walking, but I’ll manage.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the boulders that blocked the cave entrance began to shift. Not long after, Ryoko poked her head through a good-sized hole in the wall.
“Glad to see both of you safe!” She winked. “Hope you two were good while you were alone in here.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course, she’d make a comment like that. Ryoko grabbed another boulder and tossed it out of the cave and over the cliff face with such little effort you’d think they were made of paper.
Raikidan helped me up and crouched down a little. “I’ll carry you until your leg is better.”
“I’ll walk.”
He grunted and grabbed me. Throwing me onto his back, he walked to the entrance of the cave. I sighed unhappily and sulked.
“Aww, you’re so cute when you don’t get your way, Laz,” Ryoko teased.
I huffed and muttered a few curses. Not only was I weaponless, I was also being treated like a child. As we made our way down the mountain, something heavy suddenly pulled on my back and shoulders. Looking back, I found two carbines strapped to me.
“The system showed you two lost yours during the cave collapse,” Aurora called in. “You can thank me later.”
I grinned and grabbed my carbine, making sure I was ready for any attack Raynn’s team would throw at us, but just as we made it to the base of the mountain, the ground started to shift again.
Chapter Eighteen
White walls and floors surrounded us. My leg now healed, I was able to walk on my own down the corridor, Ryoko and Raikidan close on my heels. The field had changed twice since we had reached the mountain’s base. The first change had turned everything into a desert, although, thanks to Aurora, that didn’t last very long. Unfortunately, while Aurora was hacking the system to make the change, Blaze was removed from the fight by Nioush.
I peered around the corner and held my finger gun at the ready just in case. “I’m going to kill Aurora for making this a maze.”
Raikidan chuckled and peeked around the corner with me. Empty. We continued on. Reaching the end, we rounded the corner and ran into two people. Taken by surprise, everyone readied their guns.
Sighing, I lowered my gun. It was only Rylan and Argus.
“Don’t do that!” Ryoko hissed.
Rylan ran his hand through his hair and put his handgun away. “I could say the same for you.”
I looked around. I had this feeling we were being watched.
“You feel it too?” Raikidan whispered.
I looked at him and nodded. At least I wasn’t the only one, though it was strange Ryoko showed no signs of the same. Maybe she’s too distracted… or maybe the nerves are getting to us.
“Now that we’re regrouped, what should we do?” Argus asked. “Raynn’s team is being oddly elusive.”
I rubbed my chin. Even if this was a maze, normally they’d be wreaking havoc by now. “It is strange. It’d be in our best interest if we—”
I stopped and looked around. There was a strange thundering noise echoing through the corridors. “Rylan, I want you and Raikidan to get moving. The two of you are going to need to find a good sniping point. Ryoko, Argus, and I will continue looking around.”
Rylan removed his sniper rifle from his back and grabbed my shoulder. “All right, just be careful. That noise is making me uneasy.”
I grabbed his shoulder and nodded. Leaving them, I led Ryoko and Argus down the corridor.
We rounded a corner and hit a dead end. I ground my teeth together, my frustration rising within me. This was the fourth dead end, and this situation was all too familiar. I wasn’t sure how long we had been walking around, but I did know the thundering noise from earlier had stopped completely and we still hadn’t run into Raynn or his teammates. I didn’t even know where Seda was. Looking up at the team board was the only relief I had in knowing if she was still alive or not.
Ryoko sighed and sat down. “This is stupid! Raynn is the one who challenged us to this, and now he’s the one who is hiding.”
“Aurora, can’t you change the map again?” I begged.
“Sorry, babe,” she replied. “I’ve been trying, but I’m locked out. I’ve taken a few digital peeks at Ezhno’s system, and even he’s trying to change it.”
I had a feeling I now knew what that strange noise was. If Raynn wanted the map to change and he wasn’t getting it, he was probably throwing a temper tantrum. “All right, thanks, Aurora. Keep trying if you can. Raikidan.”
“What?” he asked.
“Have you guys found a place for Rylan to snipe from yet?”
He grunted. “It didn’t take us long, although Flower here was picky and made us look at four other spots before he was happy.”
I chuckled at Rylan’s new nickname and full-out laughed when Rylan smacked Raikidan. Calming myself down, I spoke to him again. “Are either of you picking up movement on the scanners?”
“Nothing,” he said.
I nodded. “I need you to do something for me.”
“All right, what is it?”
“I’m tired of feeling like a rat looking for cheese. Are you able to heat sense?”
I prayed he could. Raikidan took a moment to respond. “I can. How did you know about that ability?”
“As a fire user myself, I’m also experienced with the technique.”
“Okay, give me a minu
te to use it.” Moments passed and Raikidan finally got back to me. “I’m seeing two figures standing around some ways off in the direction you’re facing. There are two other figures acting as lost as the three of you, and I’m seeing two others fighting. I’m assuming by their movements they’re our psychic friends.”
I counted the number of people he listed off. “We’re missing one.”
“That’s all I see.”
“Aurora?”
“The system says they still have six active on their team,” she said.
I didn’t like the sound of that. Nothing could sneak by a heat sense—not even something cold blooded. Then it hit me. “Aurora, I really need you to get information on that other teammate they pulled in. It’s urgent. More urgent than changing the map.”
“I’ve tried my best, babe. I can’t get in. I’m sorry.”
“Bullshit! I’ve never known you to not be able to do something or give up. Now get your fingers typing and get me that damn information! Also, while you’re at it, do me a favor. Take down these walls in front of us. I want to take out these two enemies Raikidan said were just beyond them.”
Aurora chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
The sound of Rylan’s rifle firing rang through the maze. The team board pinged and crossed out one of Raynn’s teammates. “That was for Dan. Watch yourselves, though. The other one ran off.”
“Noted,” I stated. “Raikidan, keep an eye on that loose one so Rylan can set up his next shot.”
“Wouldn’t this be cheating?” he asked.
“Utilizing our natural abilities isn’t against the rules.”
“Very well.”
“Ready yourselves,” Aurora instructed.
The floor began to shake, and walls shifted. We watched as some of the maze walls rearranged themselves and others disappeared into the floor. After a short period of time, we were faced with a long corridor that opened to a large, square room. In the center of the room stood a very confused Raynn and a man with tan skin, clean-shaven face, golden eyes, several types of piercing and gauged ears, and a short, green, unstyled mohawk with sideburns. Doppelganger. From the way he was standing, I guessed him to be the original.
Ryoko stood up and positioned herself in front of Argus and me. Raynn grinned and tossed his cigar on the ground. Doppelganger stood still as several copies pulled out of his body. It was quite a disturbing sight. As each copy pulled out, it would join the others in the forming lineup.
“Destroy them.”
I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t in the mood for this. Not waiting for Ryoko or Argus, I ran at them. Doppelganger would pose a problem due to the army he was creating, but my focus was Raynn. Taking him out would diminish the morale of what was left of his team. They couldn’t function without him shouting orders.
“Laz, wait!” Ryoko yelled.
I ignored her and picked up my speed. Doppelganger’s copies swarmed and ran at me. I took out my last grenade and pulled the pin. Tossing it, I watched it detonate, but I didn’t stop running. Using my momentum, I scaled the maze wall. As my fingers touched the wall, the small hidden spines under my skin surfaced and secured my hold.
Reaching the top of the wall, I continued running. The ground below was covered in smoke, but I didn’t bother to keep my attention on it. There was no way the copies could survive that explosion, and Doppelganger was continuing to make more. Many of them started to open fire on me. The bullets whizzed past and a few grazed my bodysuit, but thankfully none were direct hits, and I hardly felt them. I ran too fast for any of the doppelgangers to get a good shot, aiding me.
As discreetly as possible in the situation, I exhaled an ember and manipulated it in my hand. Jumping into the mob of doppelgangers, I balled my hand into a fist. As it collided with the ground, I forced the fire I held out in all directions, incinerating every doppelganger it came in contact with.
Lifting the fire up, I forced it to come back to me and swirled it around my body until I pushed it out into one large blast. It rushed through the rest of the corridor, incinerating everything it came in contact with. As it reached Raynn, he jumped away. Doppelganger appeared paralyzed as the fire rushed toward him, and I prayed it would hit him. Doppelganger was unable to move as he made copies of himself. But after another copy came out of his body, he moved just in time. Shit, not fast enough.
“Bitch,” Doppelganger muttered. He pulled out a pistol and aimed it at me, but it was kicked out of his hand. He looked at Raynn and glared. “What the hell?”
“She’s mine,” Raynn said, his focus on me.
I narrowed my eyes in disgust. I really couldn’t stand Raynn or his teammates. They were self-centered, arrogant pricks. Raynn himself was known to leave teammates behind to save his own ass, though none of it could ever be proven well enough to demote him while he was still in service.
Raynn cracked his knuckles. “Let’s dance, baby.”
I grimaced. There was another reason I hated him so much. He was worse than Blaze when it came to women.
Doppelganger got up and readied his gun, but he was shot at. The bullets ultimately missed, but it stalled him long enough for Argus and Ryoko to rush into the room, Argus with his gun at the ready. It’s unusual for Argus to miss at such a range. I wonder what happened.
Doppelganger backed off. As Argus and Ryoko advanced, he fled, and Argus and Ryoko were quick to pursue. Just Raynn and me now.
Not wanting to waste time, I charged. My fist collided with his arm, which he blocked easily. He took a swing at me, but I moved out of the way. I went at him again, but the result was the same, so I backed off and quickly thought it through. He was a Brute class, an old one, but still a Brute. Brutes pretty much fought the same way, meaning I had to think about how Ryoko fought.
I waited for him to come to me, and sure enough, he did. He rushed and swung a fist. Ducking, I grabbed his arm and swung my legs up and kicked him in the face. Pushing myself into the air and twisting so I’d land facing him, I drew a dagger from my arm and prepared to throw it as he stumbled.
“Eira, look out!” I looked up to see Raikidan running toward us on the top of a wall. What was so important that he had to leave Rylan’s side to warn me?
“Listen to him, Laz!” Rylan shouted through the communicator.
I turned, and my eyes widened. I should have listened to their warnings sooner. I wasn’t fast enough to move out of the way of the slab of wall that was flying right at me. It crashed into me, and my body collided with the adjacent maze wall. I cried out in pain as blood rushed into my throat.
“Eira!” Raikidan shouted.
I tried to move, but it was as if the slab was being held there.
“Nioush, you bastard. This is my fight. Stay out of it,” Raynn spat.
I ground my teeth. Of course Nioush would come out of nowhere and screw things up for my team.
Nioush snickered. “Sorry, Raynn. I couldn’t help it. I know how much my baby sister hates seeing her friends hurt. Don’t you, Seda?”
“Leave her alone,” Seda ordered. “Your fight is with me, not them.”
“Oh, but you’re mistaken,” Nioush said. “This is a team battle. Therefore, I choose whomever I wish to torture.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Team? None of you know the meaning of the word.”
“Silence, wench!” The wall slab pressed harder against me.
I refused to cry out in pain. I refused to give him that satisfaction, regardless of how difficult that was to do. The crackling of flames sounded, and the pressure of the slab lessened.
Nioush chuckled. “So, you’re a Firebreather, outsider. A rare find. What backwater country village did the wench find you in?”
Raikidan exhaled more fire and the pressure increased.
“Careful, Firebreather,” Nioush warned. “I don’t want to kill her just yet. I enjoy seeing my baby sister feel pain.”
“Rai…kidan…” It hurt to breathe. I thought I could hear the wall cracking, but maybe that w
as my ribcage. I was in so much pain I couldn’t tell.
“Yes, Raikidan, listen to her. She’s in such torment she can barely speak. She can only beg like a dog.” Nioush snickered. “I can sense the anger in you. I hope you’re not taken with her. She’s quite good at breaking hearts. They all are.”
I grunted. “No one cares… that a woman broke your heart… Nioush. So, do us all a favor… and keep your mind… on the battle at hand.”
The wall slab pressed harder into me.
“Shut up!” The sound of a distant gunshot rang through the maze, and Nioush chuckled. “Your other man toy is also tired of seeing you in pain. Do you enjoy toying with them, Eira? Do you find satisfaction in using them and then throwing them away?”
“Go to hell.”
“Ladies first.”
The wall started to press into me with even more force, but stopped when Seda yelled. “Let her go!”
A large wall slab crashed through the wall next to me.
Nioush chuckled. “Patience, Sister, your turn will come soon enough.”
Seda really threw that? I wondered how much energy she was using up in this fight. She was only a Seer and here she was in battle. No, that’s not right. She wasn’t a Seer or a Battle Psychic. She was something different than that. She was something in between, or was it beyond the two? She told me this once before… what was it?
The sound of magnetized bearing echoing from a railgun firing pulled me back to the battle at hand. “Hey, Battle Psychic wannabe, over here.”
Ryoko? I had to admit, I was a bit confused. The team board hadn’t told us Doppelganger was dead, and it wasn’t like Ryoko to leave a chase. Or come up with such a poor insult.
The rounds continued, along with the sound of fire. Nioush grunted and the pressure of the slab wall lessened. He’s getting overwhelmed. But as soon as I thought I could push it away, the pressure slammed back into me.
Raynn chuckled. “Didn’t think you could get away that easy, did you? Nioush may be overwhelmed by the three attacking him, but I’m still here and I’m going to make sure you are dead by my hands.”
Destiny (Experimental Heart Book 1) Page 28
