Salt of The Earth: The Fall of Barcelona

by Vlada Asta

  For the first time since the beginning of the meeting something like pity showed on Aeterni’s face. Considering how perfect she was at hiding her emotions, that meant a lot.

  Robert got the hint, his eyes growing dark. Sebastian felt genuinely sorry for him… If you take the only hope away from a man, what would become of him?

  “Shall I answer?” Aeterni asked quietly. “You won’t like it.”

  “Tell me why not.”

  “Because even a Hente wouldn’t recover after such trauma. We may heal serious wounds, and do it pretty fast, but when it comes to rebuilding most of our limbs… There’s a limit even to our healing power, despite the fact most of the Hente bodies are homogenous and don’t have separate internal organs.”

  “But I had evidence of their recovery!” Robert raised his voice. It was easy to tell he wanted to prove he was right – to be able to believe that again. “There were cases when we put tracking devices on seriously wounded Hente. They disappeared, but then returned to the battlefield unharmed!”

  “Yep, but the key point here is where they disappeared to. If a seriously wounded Hente doesn’t fall into ashes at once, it has to be a truly powerful warrior worth keeping. Their bodies are carried back to their Mother, because she’s the only one capable of rebuilding them. So no matter what you do with these pets of yours, you won’t succeed. And mind the fact their Mothers can see everything that’s going on in your lab through their eyes. So the weapons you’ve invented are no longer a secret to Hente.”

  Her last phrase meant more for the humanity than the failed healing project. But Robert still didn’t pay proper attention to it, he reminded of a drowning man grasping at a straw. He needed hope to live. He wasn’t ready to accept the rest of his life in a crippled piece of flesh.

  “What about your Clan?” he asked. “You look like humans! Can your Mother… heal me?”

  “No… I’m sorry. My Mother has studied human anatomy carefully to make us this human-like, it’s true. But treating human bodies, rebuilding them… she can’t do that. However, there’s another thing she can do for you…”

  “What is it?!” Robert nearly screamed in impatience.

  “Keep it down, will you?” Aeterni winced. “I have sharp hearing, you know! As I was saying… My body was created from ten different bodies, and I got my knowledge of the world from them. Their memories are gone, but that’s for the better, or else there’d be a conflict of ten personalities in my head. And I’ve been thinking… What if my Mother tried to create a new warrior using only you and adding part of her original cells? Can she keep your memory and personality that way? I’m not saying it’s possible, but there’s a chance.”

  It was the most sinful suggestion Sebastian had heard in his entire life – to commit suicide and turn into a monster! But at the same time, there was something strangely right in that option. This one chance was better than the poor excuse of a life Robert had now.

  Laas understood it too. He looked upset, but not broken. Sebastian could only wonder what kind of willpower than man must’ve had.

  Aeterni was the one to break the long pause:

  “Listen, if you realized your experiments are hopeless, can I eat one of those lab rats? I’m hungry!”

  “You can eat both of them,” Robert replied thoughtfully. “I don’t need them anymore.”

  ***

  The idea of finding an ally in a Hente seemed alarming to begin with, but Alberta wasn’t too worried about it. All of that was happening somewhere far away! Then things changed: Robert liked that creature. She had to act now.

  The Hente’s ability to figure things out without words was unnerving. Aeterni understood the truth about Robert in minutes, while Alberta failed to do that after years of living with him! It turned out the predator was capable of more than simply killing her own kind.

  Alberta had no idea what else the creature could do. What if she?...

  It was hard to get a permission for that child from Robert. He knew his condition, but he was very strict about it: if she couldn’t tolerate her crippled husband, he’d file for divorce, that would only be fair. But she hated that option! Sure, she’d get money at first, and a sufficient sum. But then what? Even if Robert wanted to provide her with some financial support, his family would never allow that. Alberta knew the years when her beauty was still fresh were gone, she wouldn’t find a richer lover than Robert Laas. She had to deal with him.

  Actually, she didn’t need a child this much, she wanted sex. But she couldn’t tell her husband about it! She made a different accent in this situation: years were passing by, her maternal instinct was getting stronger, something had to change.

  Robert agreed with her reasoning, but he remained strict about it: if she was to get a child, it would happen only through artificial fertilization. Any form of cheating would be punished by immediate divorce and no financial support.

  She first went to the clinic just to prove her point, she wasn’t sure what to expect. But she met Mikael – and she was just gone.

  Naturally, Robert didn’t know whose child it was. She showed a medical certificate to him. But her husband wasn’t too glad to find Mikael living in their guest room!

  What would happen if he learned the truth? Could the Hente sense it? Nothing happened so far, but the thoughts of her secret revealed wouldn’t leave Alberta alone. After meeting the creature Robert became even more silent and introverted than before…

  Alberta waited for four days patiently. And on the fifth she gathered the courage to talk to her husband:

  “She’s creepy, isn’t she? I’m talking about that Hente!”

  “She saved your life!” Robert reminded.

  “Please! She was just hunting for food and saved me while she was at it. I don’t think she cares about humans at all!”

  “You shouldn’t make conclusions so carelessly, honey. It’s the most complicated creature I’ve ever met.”

  “And me?” Alberta pouted. “Am I simple to you?”

  “You’re not a creature, you’re a human – and my wife. As for Aeterni, I need to figure her out, but I’m not sure how.”

  “What’s there to figure out? Don’t you have more important things to do? Like your research, for instance… You’ve been so devoted to it!”

  “This research is a road to nowhere,” Robert smiled bitterly. “The sooner you realize you’re moving to a dead end, the better. It leaves you with more chances to make the right choice! I need to work with her.”

  “You want to meet that Hente for the second time?!”

  “Only this one. And more than one time. As soon as I’m confident about what I want to ask her, I’ll appoint another meeting.”

  Alberta’s worst fears were coming true. He was already under that monster’s influence! If things continued to develop, he’d start obeying her!

  The child in her body moved, as if agreeing with its mother. She had to get rid of that Hente.

  She could try doing it on her own. She had the authority for it, people in the city were used to her representing her husband. But it was a dangerous situation for such schemes. Robert wasn’t buried in his lab this time, he was contacting the outer world actively, and he could sense the foul play.

  So she couldn’t kill the Hente – or rather, organize its execution. Many people liked that creature, and Aeterni hadn’t made any serious mistakes so far. But Alberta could get her out of the city! Lady Laas knew that the small pack that broke through the border hadn’t been found yet. Many squads were leaving Barcelona in search of it.

  If the Hente jointed one of them, it would be great! Aeterni would have to abandon the city for at least a couple of weeks, and that time might be enough for Robert to forget about his interest.

  The Cardinal wouldn’t send the Hente on such a mission on his own. Alberta needed someone who could push him into doing this. She couldn’t manipulate the people of such power, but she could deceive them. For instance, tell them the presence of a Hente wa
s upsetting Robert, and the Hydrocompany was about to lose one of its best scientists! Nobody would ask Robert about it, they were too scared of his depression, so it was a perfect plan.

  Satisfied with her decision, Alberta Laas dialed the number of her father-in-law.

  ***

  The wind howled happily, tearing the remains of ad boards into shreds. It was impossible to tell what used to be printed on them, but pieces of fabric they were made of still hung from the naked metal carcasses. They were not the only reminder of human presence in these lands. At the distance the ruins of an old farm could be seen, surrounded by dry fields.

  The farm looked like an abandoned nest: the home of a big family in the past turned into a forgotten pile of trash. It could’ve spent dozens of years rotting in this desert, just like many other buildings in the region, if it weren’t for a powerful thunderstorm. A lightning hit the wooden roof, spread the fire across the walls and blew up the gas that was still stored inside. The farm set aflame in the evening and turned into coals by the morning.

  Years went by, and new life appeared here, poor yet stubborn. However, these fragile plants weren’t enough to cover the tracks of the great fire completely. The barn next to it turned into rotting boards, and no-one could tell where corn used to grow.

  Among this hopeless destruction only one detail seemed strange, shocking even. An old tree managed to survive the fire and all the other storms and hurricanes that followed. It kept old metal swings on its branches, put there by the diseased farm owners. The rich crown covered them from rains and burning heat, so the metal was only slightly rusty, and most of the wooden seat remained, even though faded and dry.

  Normally the swings were empty, moving pitifully in the wind, but not today. They were occupied by a little girl of around ten, thin and pale, in a pink princess gown, her long blond hair in two pigtails. A little porcelain doll that looked too stunning among this old destruction. Too clean, too tender and unaffected by the cruel reality of this world – like a ghost from the past. She was making the swings move lazily, her eyes half-closed, smiling to the warm sunset.

  She remained alone for a long time, but a man eventually appeared on the field, where the road used to be. He was walking slowly, but he didn’t change direction, and he must’ve seen the girl from afar. Anyone could tell that man was dangerous… He was at least six feet tall, muscular, wearing a long dusty coat. His black eyes were free of any emotion, and yet it was clear he was watching the child.

  But the girl seemed oblivious of him, even when he came closer and she just had to hear his footsteps. The man didn’t touch her, he stood a couple of feet away from the swings.

  “I didn’t expect you to come here,” he said, his voice low and gruff.

  “Why?” the girl asked.

  “You’ve never talked to us before…”

  “That’s because all of you were gathering together. That meant you were planning to attack, otherwise you wouldn’t agree to cooperate with each other. And now you’ve invited me for a private talk. That’s new, though I’m not sure it’ll make any difference. You’ve never been too wise. What do you need, Goar?”

  The man walked around the swings, keeping his distance, to stand in front of the girl. His shadow fell onto her face, blocking the last of the sunrays she was enjoying. The girl frowned and opened her eyes. They were as black as the man’s.

  “Your children are on my land now,” he explained.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m talking about the peninsula.”

  “Then it’s not your land.”

  “Not completely. But we’re planning to make it ours soon enough.”

  “Let me guess…” the little girl smiled, demonstrating her fangs. “‘We’ are you and Tsiara? You’ve been spending a lot of time together lately.”

  “That’s what the future demands. The peninsula is a tricky prize, and I know I can’t win it alone. I’m not ashamed of my weakness, because it’s not a weakness at all.”

  “You’re not the only one who’s hunting there. I’ve destroyed many of Illirika’s kids in Barcelona.”

  “I don’t know who does she think she is, but she doesn’t belong there!” the man claimed. “We’ll deal with her, but it’ll be easier if you leave.”

  “So you’re freaked out not by me eating your children, but by me doing it on this particular land? That’s funny.”

  “You won’t surprise any of us with your weird behavior anymore, Teresa. But is it truly weird? We all want to survive and remain strong. By taking other Clan’s territory we’re also killing it – either directly or by letting it starve to death. And you’re just doing it fast. In that regard, you are kinder than the rest of us.”

  “Are you trying to flatter me?” the girl raised her eyebrows. “You think that’ll impress me enough to forget about my goal?”

  “Just get your daughter out of there, it’s all I ask.”

  “Why should I? If you could kill her, you’d do that long ago.”

  “It’s not entirely so,” the man shook his head. “We’ve tried to kill her in the past, but we didn’t put any special effort into it. We’ll do more in case you deny to cooperate.”

  “Still not scared. Try harder!”

  “It’s not a game! If you sent this child to the peninsula, she must be really important to you. You’ll see what we can do – but it’ll already be too late.”

  “Maybe that’s exactly why I sent her there? To see what you can do when angry?”

  It was easy to tell the man, or rather, the personality that inhabited his body, was losing its self-control fast. The girl remained as composed as before.

  “Teresa!”

  “What? You have nothing to blackmail me with. You’ve already done everything you could to me. I don’t care what other threats you have. Aeterni will continue with her mission. And soon the rest of my children will unite with humans. What will become of you then?”

  “Your children are not enough,” the man said through clenched teeth. “And one of them will be gone right now!”

  He launched forward, ready to rip the girl apart with his bare hands. And the girl, so thin and fragile, just vanished from her spot, like a mirage. She was so fast no-one could track her movements, she reached the tree branches in less than a second. A moment later she was already attacking the man from above. She landed onto his back and confidently broke through his ribs with her little hand – that hand was the most powerful weapon on Earth to him.

  The wind carried its new toy happily – the cloud of ashes left from the man on the ground. The only person remaining by the tree was the girl; she looked at the black sphere in her hand thoughtfully.

  “The war has begun,” she said quietly to herself. “Who would’ve thought…”

  Chapter 9

  Ulmanas suspected that the situation was greatly influenced by the higher power. And he wasn’t thinking about God this time, but rather, about purely material beings. The order had to be issued by a very influential man!

  There were no other reasons to send Aeterni out of the city. That was the basic point of her agreement with humans: to protect Barcelona from Hente. Sure, she was feared, and yet her presence brought a feeling of safety.

  Now the atmosphere in the city was becoming tense again. People already knew that the streets weren’t safe, Hente could be waiting anywhere! The creatures became angry when Aeterni started slaying them, and they could attack any moment.

  The citizens wouldn’t want her away at a time like this, and the Church didn’t need it either. That only left the Laas family as the possible authority, and still it remained unclear why they wanted her out. No matter what the reason was, Aeterni and Sebastian were somewhere by the border now, and until they returned, there would be no peace in the city.

  When the additional patrol squads were formed, Ulmanas volunteered to join them. That contradicted his original plan of survival, but he couldn’t do it any other way. Seb
astian’s achievements amazed him, making him want to do something for this city too.

  That didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid. Actually, he was horrified! When he walked the empty streets at night, he felt like he was left all alone in the city. He kept reminding himself that the others remained nearby, but that helped for a short while. He felt calm only when he reunited with the squad.

  “So how’s Sebastian doing?” Brother Adrian asked. Ulmanas was to serve in his squad tonight. “Is it true that he succumbed to the Hente’s will?”

  “Who’s saying that?”

  “It doesn’t matter… some people. So is it true or not?”

  “Has Sebastian ever obeyed anyone’s will?” Ulmanas smirked. “You should be the one to know!”

  “True enough. At first I felt sorry for him, I thought that female would break him in one day. But now I can see it’s the best way for him to be useful to the Church. He’s too independent to accept simple service. But here… he’ll succeed like nobody else would. I hope they return soon.”

  “You think we’re in danger?”

  “Not officially!” Brother Adrian replied hastily, and then lowered his voice. “But I’ve heard that last night three sailors from the Kingdom went missing… It can’t be checked though, because they’re not locals.”

  “Fear begets rumors.”

  “I know. Do you think I’m scared of Hente? No, we can destroy them – like we’ve been doing before she came here. But she became a symbol of safety to many people, and I’m not sure how long we can last without that symbol.”

  “I think you’re exaggerating,” Ulmanas stated.

  “Maybe. We need to check one more block, let’s spread out. You take this street.”

  He had to walk alone through the darkness again. Ulmanas shuddered inside, but he didn’t let it show. He wasn’t going to embarrass himself like this!

  Only large streets were lit at nights. The smaller ones had tiny street lights installed and nothing more. It was a way to save electricity; the windows were mostly blocked, with nearly no light coming out of them.