Chimera Academy The Complete Collection

by Eva Brandt

  “Thank you,” I told her. “I know it won’t be easy for you to keep this a secret from her, but I think she shouldn’t have to carry this burden.”

  “I don’t know about that. She needs to learn these things eventually. But… Yes, perhaps it is a little too soon. I want to shape her soul, but not crush it.”

  Since we were in agreement on that, we could direct our attention to more practical matters. Charybdis was still dormant, and with the recent changes to the Harpy Squad, the Zephyrus wasn’t accessible to us. That meant August didn’t have a chimera he could use for the imminent mission.

  For a few seconds, all of us froze. Since we’d come together as a unit, we’d always dealt with our missions together, as a team. It seemed so wrong to leave him behind.

  “I could join you,” Sphinx offered. “It wouldn’t be a perfect fit, but we’d adapt. And it’d be easier with the four of us. Since Selene isn’t on Tartarus Base, it shouldn’t be a big deal.”

  I didn’t know who was more surprised by the offer, me, August, or Sphinx herself. She’d never been that inclined to trust us, especially since she was well aware of our original plans for Selene. But maybe this time, she realized that we truly did want to protect her charge, and that was why she’d decided to offer us her unconditional assistance.

  “Thank you,” August said. “I really appreciate this.”

  “Don’t thank me, Flight Lieutenant Cavallero. I’m not doing it for you, or for Terra. I’m doing it for Selene and Charybdis.”

  I couldn’t have agreed more. Our duty to protect the planet wasn’t nearly as important to me as my friends and my beautiful lover. It was nice to know Sphinx had the same priorities as we did.

  Together, our small group made its way to a large transport shuttle. We didn’t use the Venom, since it would’ve been too eye-catching. A smaller ship could carry our mechas too, although it wouldn’t be as fast as my private vessel.

  Since there was no one else in the hangars to monitor the launch operations, August helped us with that. He had to do it remotely, through his technopathy, but he managed well enough. Meanwhile, Pollux took position in the pilot seat of the shuttle and started the system.

  As the displays of the shuttle flared to life, a strange feeling erupted over me. Maybe it was just the lingering remnants of my conscience, but all of a sudden, I couldn’t help but think something bad was going to happen.

  I couldn’t turn back, so I grabbed Knox’s arm and pulled him aside. “Listen, Knox. If this goes downhill, you take Cerberus, Sphinx, and August, and you leave. Find Selene and make sure she’s safe.”

  “You think we’re missing something, don’t you?”

  “I know we are, but I can’t tell what it is.” I stared at the back of Pollux’s head, a shadow stirring in my heart. “I’m afraid, Knox. I’m afraid that no matter what I do, it won’t be enough, that I’m taking too long to get rid of that man. If I’d just killed him sooner, maybe—”

  “Don’t think about that now,” Knox cut me off. “It was too dangerous to act then and it’s still too dangerous now. We’ll deal with him when we’re in a better position.”

  “A lot of people will die because of my vacillation,” I replied with a sigh.

  “People die, Brendan. You and I both know that. What’s important is to make sure the right people don’t die.”

  I nodded. Fortunately, the list of people we wanted to protect was very small. Selene was safe with her mother, so we only had one another and the chimeras to worry about. We’d be fine.

  Even if we had to spill innocent blood, we’d bring Charybdis back and take over the crown. After that, all bets were off, and we’d finally be able to build the future I envisioned.

  * * *

  Selene

  “Where are we going today, Mother? To another terra-forming location?”

  “Not exactly. Today, I have a surprise for you. It’s further away than usual, but I think you’ll find it educational.”

  We were once again in one of the shuttles owned by the temple of Gaia, heading to an undisclosed destination where I’d learn more about my gift. It was the seventh time I’d come to Terra since the beginning of the term, and I’d grown a little more accustomed to the rituals my mother used while terra-forming. I was no longer so unsettled by the difference between my power and hers. I was unique, and there was no point in using anyone else as a standard.

  That didn’t mean I didn’t appreciate all her help. Without my mother, I wouldn’t have been able to get a good feel of my Gaia-oriented powers at all.

  In fact, it was because I appreciated this help so much that I felt very excited about this surprise of hers. “Don’t tease me like this, Mother. I should know these things if I’m going to help.”

  My mother chuckled but didn’t offer me a satisfactory reply. “I’ll tell you everything soon.”

  As it turned out, the settlement my mother took me to was located somewhere in The Ural Mountains, in Russia. The area had been badly affected by The Apsid Wars, and not just because of the aliens. In the wake of all the nuclear explosions and the fighting, the polar ice caps had once melted and many icy areas had suffered from heavy flooding.

  We’d had similar problems in my country, but after all this time and with the effort of the priestesses of Gaia, the continent had finally started to heal and stabilize. The situation was similar here.

  My mother only gave me the real details on it when we entered Russian territory. “This settlement isn’t on the list of cities approved by The Grand Judiciary,” she explained. “People usually come here when they don’t approve of the more severe dictates of the government. They want to start families, and they can do so here without risking attacks from The Grand Judiciary. We help them, insofar as we can, in exchange for keeping the settlement under control and not allowing the situation to escalate.”

  I could understand and approve of that. Not every woman was like me, and some would doubtlessly feel resentment for being refused the chance of becoming mothers. It was a testament to their kindness that they hadn’t picked up arms against the people who’d taken such a fundamental right from them.

  Either way, it made sense now that my mother had been secretive at first. As far as we knew, The Grand Judiciary didn’t have spies in New Washington, but it was better to not talk about the topic until we left the zones where they were most active. They didn’t supervise this region as closely as they did my home continent or Western Europe.

  The settlement itself was small, if beautiful. From up above, I got a good look at the whole village, and the first thing that struck me was that most of the houses seemed to be made out of wood. The lights were discreet, provided by torches lit with Gaia’s light, instead of the power of Tartarus.

  It was nothing like New Washington and it couldn’t have been more different from Tartarus Base if it had tried. I liked it and I hoped we’d be able to help the people here with their problem, whatever it was.

  The shuttle landed in a clearing in front of the village. When we made our way outside, we were greeted by a woman dressed in a robe very similar to my mother’s. Hers was lined with fur, however, a testament to the colder weather here. I was immediately grateful my mother had provided me with a change of clothes. I’d have stood out like a sore thumb dressed in my Chimera Academy uniform. With my hood on, I was just another servant of Gaia, and the people in The Ural Mountains were unlikely to recognize me anyway. The tournament hadn’t been transmitted here, so to them, I’d just be the High Priestess’s aid, and not Acting Pilot Renard, the tamer of the Sphinx. I wasn’t ashamed of my accomplishments, but I could acknowledge that my connection to The Grand Judiciary was problematic. So even if it was dishonest, it was better to hide my true identity. I didn’t think the inhabitants of the village would happily welcome me here when I’d become so deeply entrenched in the system that had oppressed them.

  “Welcome, High Priestess,” the woman said in heavily accented English. “You have our de
epest thanks for coming. We hope you can assist us with the issue we discussed during our last conversation.”

  “It would be my honor,” my mother replied. Turning toward me, she made the quick introductions. “This is my aide and daughter, Selene. Selene, this is Sister Anya Brevokic, the leader of the coven here in Gaia’s Haven.”

  I bowed at her, acknowledging her superior position. “Greetings, Sister Anya. Thank you for the wonderful work you do in Gaia’s name and for receiving my mother and I in your settlement.”

  “I am the one who is grateful. Without assistance from your mother and other High Priestesses, we would not be able to keep the haven afloat.”

  “I take it High Priestess Elena was here as well?” my mother asked as she started walking away from the shuttle.

  Sister Anya nodded. “With her help, we’ve managed to stabilize the situation a little, but I’m still very concerned. I fear for the future of the settlement.”

  “What exactly is the issue?” I asked, unable to control myself.

  Sister Anya didn’t mind my nosiness. “Over the past decades, we’ve been working heavily on solidifying the ground around the settlement and returning the mountains to their former glory. We’ve had excellent results, which was why our little home was able to grow. But as of late, we’ve had several alarming incidents. There’ve been a lot of avalanches, and we came close to losing some of our most talented magic users. One week ago, our crops burst into flames for no apparent reason. Our animals fled. It’s inexplicable, since as far as we can tell, there haven’t been any real disturbances in the energies of Gaia.”

  That did sound pretty terrifying. I wondered if I should really be here. It was a delicate situation and I didn’t have enough control over my powers. But I was just here as an observer, so maybe it didn’t matter that much.

  I’d have to follow my mother’s lead on this one.

  Sister Anya guided us toward the very edge of the settlement. Several people bowed in front of us as we passed, and I noted they were both male and female. It was a little surreal to see such a community. Women were holding hands with men, and fathers lifted their children over their shoulders so they could see us better.

  My mother and I were just people, and yet, our arrival was obviously important for this community. My heart clenched in my chest as I watched them all together, family units that weren’t separated by arbitrary standards.

  It had never occurred to me to question The Grand Judiciary’s rules on something so basic, but now that I’d seen this, how could I not? Nobody should have ever been deprived of the right to choose their own destiny. It was so unfair that these people had to hide like this, that their love for their partners was considered a crime.

  I shook myself and focused on the matter at hand. I wasn’t here to mourn one of the many injustices created by The Grand Judiciary. I was supposed to learn from my mother, so that I could protect my own family, my lovers, Sphinx, and the other chimeras.

  Sphinx didn’t speak to me, sticking to her decision to not contact me a lot when I was on Earth. Even so, her presence still lingered at the back of my mind and it helped. I wished my lovers could’ve been here too, that we could have held hands and shared the same open affection these people displayed. But until then, my connection with my friend would anchor me and guide me in my lessons.

  An explosion of bright teal snapped me out of my thoughts, freezing me in my tracks and echoing through my body like a tachyon blast. If I didn’t fall to my knees, it was only because of the amount of training I’d done with my lovers and my teachers. It was coming from somewhere to our right, almost blinding in its intensity.

  The irony was that my mother and Sister Anya didn’t seem to notice at all. It was unbelievable, since my mother was so much more powerful than me. But the truth couldn’t be denied. For a few seconds, my mother and Sister Anya just continued their conversation, as if nothing was going on, as if the sky wasn’t suddenly ablaze with an anomalous light.

  They only stopped when my mother noticed I wasn’t following them anymore. My mother turned toward me, frowning. “Selene? What’s wrong?”

  “Mother, can’t you see it?” I asked, staring at the horizon like a woman in a dream. “The blue-green.”

  “Blue-green?” Sister Anya repeated, sounding alarmed. “Where? Can you show us?”

  I pointed in the right direction, but neither of them was able to see what I did. “Impossible,” my mother murmured. “There’s nothing there.”

  Despite her words, she and Sister Anya took my claims seriously. Sister Anya summoned five other priestesses to join our small team, as well as a few men to boost our forces. I wondered why she hadn’t done that before our arrival. Had she deemed the location she’d planned to show my mother safe? I wasn’t sure, but one thing was certain. What I’d seen did not belong to that category.

  Once she ascertained that the group was prepared, my mother guided us forward. “Keep an eye out, Selene,” she told me. “Let us know if you see any change.”

  “I could take the lead,” I offered. “It would be simpler.”

  My mother shook her head. “If there’s indeed something dangerous here, you’re not equipped to protect yourself.”

  I disagreed, but decided to obey her anyway. Maybe it would be better to not use my tachyon manipulation here. My mother was the expert on Terra and I wasn’t arrogant enough to believe I had more experience than her.

  The whole group left the settlement behind and advanced through the wilderness. None of them could see the light, even if it was growing brighter and brighter. At one point, it became necessary to stop and shield my face, because my eyes were starting to hurt.

  “Selene?” my mother asked, noticing my discomfort. “Are you well?”

  “Fine,” I said, although that couldn’t have been further from the truth. “Come on. I have a feeling we need to hurry.”

  As it turned out, the spot I’d identified as the source of the problem was within a deep crag. For me, the precipice looked like a pool of overwhelming light, but for everyone else, everything was just darkness.

  “In there,” I said, pointing at the crag and clutching my chest. I felt like I was suffocating. Something was wrong, but I couldn’t tell what it was.

  “Selene!” Sphinx suddenly roared. “You need to leave. Get out of there! It’s dangerous.”

  I shook my head, unable to answer, but knowing I absolutely needed to see this through. “These people need me as much as the women on Tartarus Base do.”

  “Selene, you don’t understand. The whole place is going to—”

  Sphinx never got the chance to finish the phrase. The sky lit up, but this time, the light I saw wasn’t the cool blue-green. It was crimson, like spilled blood. It was a flare of tachyons and it was coming from the direction of Gaia’s Haven.

  “Oh, no!” Sister Anya cried, having obviously noticed it as well. “It’s The Grand Judiciary. They’ve found us.”

  In the light coming from the crag, my mother’s face looked ominously greenish, like a corpse. “Impossible.”

  She stole a glimpse at me, shock and betrayal flashing through her eyes. It didn’t take a genius to realize what she thought. But the mere idea was repugnant to me. I would’ve never sicced the forces of The Grand Judiciary on these innocent people.

  “We need to go back to help them,” one of the men shouted, keeping me from making the slightest attempt to defend myself.

  I agreed with him. Words were cheap. This wasn’t about me and my mother at all. Right now, my desire to prove my worth didn’t matter. We had to fight off The Grand Judiciary, long enough, at least, to allow the innocents in Gaia’s Haven to evacuate.

  Who had those monsters sent? If it was the Harpy Squad, we’d be in trouble. That must’ve been what Sphinx had tried to warn me about earlier. I couldn’t hear her anymore, and I couldn’t risk reaching out. I was already in pain because of looking into the source of the light. Trying to communicate with her when sh
e was still on Tartarus might very well cripple me.

  The moment I reached the settlement, I almost wished I’d followed that first urge. I wished my strained connection with Sphinx had knocked me out or even killed me. It would have been less painful than the sight that greeted my eyes.

  The Grand Judiciary hadn’t sent the Harpy Squad here. It was much worse. He’d sent my own unit, the Grand Chimeras.

  The first mecha I saw was the Typhon. He was so massive he towered over every single building. I would’ve likely seen him much sooner had my eyes not still been sore because of our ill-fated investigation.

  But bad vision or not, I had no trouble recognizing Brendan’s chimera. One of the snake heads had followed me around for the better part of my last semester, in an attempt to protect me. I’d seen the massive mecha play chess with Sphinx and we’d raced in the training areas of Chimera Academy. I’d spoken to him many times and he’d told me that he liked me. He’d struck me as cold, but kind, much like Brendan.

  I could see no sign of that kindness now. Typhon was only a massive, rampaging beast. He demolished three houses with his tail, and I just stood there, frozen, unable to move a muscle. An aura of poisonous fumes surrounded him, and people were running and screaming, covering their faces and trying to avoid it.

  I hadn’t known Typhon had that kind of skill. What a way to find out.

  As a woman collapsed in front of me, still clutching her ten-year old in her arms, a loud, animalistic snarl echoed to my right. Dazed, I turned, only to see the Cerberus land on one of the buildings. It was Gaia’s temple and it crumbled beneath his paws. The gigantic mecha opened his four snouts and a stream of fire erupted from inside him, obliterating everything it touched.

  “Selene!” I heard my mother scream. I couldn’t see her anymore, and I didn’t have the strength to go find her.