More islands were scattered across the turquoise ocean, most of them covered in jungles with mountains overlooking the waters. The horizon, however, didn’t carry the same tropical tranquility. The sky darkened on that side, thick, almost black clouds gathering over the distant islands. It looked like a perpetual storm, swirling, flashing, and thundering ferociously all over.
“Most Perfects were so skillfully indoctrinated that they fail to see another way. Most of the times, a reset is necessary,” Raphael continued. “Cut off the head, remove the memory chip, have the Perfect start fresh. In your case, the decapitation occurred first, then we thought we might as well remove the memory chip and prevent Ta’Zan from overriding it. As long as there’s a chip in there, the mind can be manipulated.”
Douma nodded once. “That makes sense. I would probably do the same. But why hasn’t he tried to come after you?” she asked.
“I’m… different,” Raphael replied. “Ta’Zan wouldn’t want me as his enemy.”
“Yeah, you never really explained that part,” I cut in. “We know you left him because you didn’t see eye to eye and whatnot, but none of us know why he didn’t come after you or force you or, I don’t know, kill you. Because Ta’Zan must know how to kill Perfects. He would’ve had a plan B for your kind.”
“I’m faster than he is. Don’t think he didn’t try,” Raphael retorted with a grin. “He understood that he couldn’t… undo me like he did others, when they got out of line.”
“Hold on, so, you’re telling me that Ta’Zan has killed Perfects before,” I said, my pulse quickening. Raphael sighed, and I took it as a yes.
“Who did he terminate? How many? When?” Rose asked.
“Three of my batch,” Raphael said. “They were the first to speak up, to tell him that what he wanted us to do was wrong. I didn’t have the courage at the time. I kept my head down, but I couldn’t shake the anger, the grief I felt when I saw them die. I’d only known them for hours, technically speaking, but they were my brothers. I loved them.”
“How did he kill them?” Ben replied.
“There’s a toxin he uses. I don’t know what it’s made of. I tried to get some information, but he keeps it hidden and well protected. Access codes and whatnot,” Raphael explained. “Even Amal and Amane don’t know its contents.”
I gasped, then scowled at Amane. “You knew?!”
Amane shook her head, equally stunned.
“Sorry, I should’ve been clearer. Amane doesn’t even know about it. Amal does. She’s the one who suggested something for Ta’Zan to use, in order to keep us in check. She knew he’d have a riot on his hands if he didn’t control us, somehow. She understood that his doctrines and subliminal images wouldn’t make us fully compliant,” Raphael added. “Amane was gone by the time Ta’Zan developed the toxin. Like I said, he did try to use it on me, but I’d already seen how it worked. I dashed out of there and left. I let people think he gave me a choice to leave, and Ta’Zan maintained the lie, too. He couldn’t have anyone knowing I practically slipped through his fingers. It set a bad precedent.”
“You didn’t tell us any of this,” I snapped. “You’ve been keeping information from us.”
Raphael raised an eyebrow at me. “Up until a few hours ago, my support was supposed to have been one time only. Now that we’re in this for the long run, I figured you all deserve to know. I thought you’d appreciate me being forthcoming.”
“We do! We do,” Rose said, then took a deep breath. “It’s just that… we’re pressed for time, Raphael. We have no idea how long until Ta’Zan figures out the technology he needs to go out into space. We’re stressed out, to say the least.”
“Well, I don’t know what that feels like, but I understand the concept of urgency,” Raphael replied. “Listen, you’ve got a monster of a mission ahead of you. So, let’s just take this one step at a time,” he added, changing the subject. He pointed toward the darkened horizon. “We need to get there. Merinos is in the middle of that stormy, extreme cluster. Let’s get the Draenir on our side; let’s gather some more rogues and Perfects along the way, first. Then, we’ll talk about infiltrating Ta’Zan’s coliseum and that damn toxin. Okay?”
We took a minute to mull it over, until Rose spoke up again.
“That’s fine,” she said. “So, we’re going to Merinos, through that… what is that, a thunderstorm?”
“Much worse. It’s an entire region consisting of hot and cold pockets,” Dmitri explained. “I remember it from when we first mapped Strava. The currents are extreme. Winter here, summer there, and in between there are strips of stormy waters. Merinos is smack in the middle of one such strip.”
“It’s how the Draenir survived and stayed out of sight,” Raphael said. “Well, that and the rich serium deposits on that island. Nobody ventures into that area.”
Zeriel chuckled. “Except us.”
“You did come with us out of a sense of adventure, didn’t you?” Ridan retorted with a half-smile.
“I’ve had my fill already. I’ll take some peace and quiet, any time of the day.” Zeriel sighed, prompting Vesta to giggle.
“Yeah, you’re clearly not a warring type,” she said.
Zeriel shook his head. “Never. If I have to, sure. And the same goes for my people. Otherwise, however, we’re peaceful. We swim. We play. We laugh. We lie on stones and bask in the sun.”
Douma watched the exchange with sheer fascination, and Dmitri couldn’t take his eyes off her. His aura burned bright with threads of gold. By that point, I’d understood what the gold meant. Dmitri was falling for her, and I had mixed feelings about that. Even with a wiped mind, I still couldn’t fully trust Douma.
As long as Ta’Zan was still alive, as long as his Perfects were hunting us, and as long as we’d yet to tell her the whole truth about how she’d ended up with us, Douma, to me, was a potential problem. I didn’t want it to go sideways, for Dmitri to get his heart broken in the process.
“Nobody really likes to go to war,” Raphael said. “Except most of my brethren, maybe. But even that can be fixed, once Ta’Zan is out of the picture.”
“So, you agree with our initial assessment,” Rose replied. “That if we kill Ta’Zan, the Perfects won’t pursue his mission to conquer the universe.”
Raphael nodded. “I think so, yes. Like I said, we’re the result of training and conditioning. We’re taught to believe certain things. But, if we increase our numbers, if we get more Perfects and Faulties on our side, the others will begin to at least wonder whether what they’re doing is wrong or right. Once Ta’Zan has a sense of doubt sown into his ideal world, he’ll slip up. He’ll make mistakes. He’ll lash out. That’ll be our way into the diamond coliseum.”
“All we need is a couple of disgruntled Perfects to help us,” Nevis chimed in.
“Can we count on you, Douma?” I asked.
She looked at me, slightly surprised. “I… I think. Yes. I may not know anything about my old self, and I’m still wrapping my head around… everything, but I do know that I can’t just sit back and let my maker ruin entire civilizations. I don’t think it’s in my nature.”
I would’ve been inclined to disagree, knowing how fanatical and insufferable she had been before the memory chip removal, but I believed her now. My only hope was that she’d stick to it and not let us down.
Most importantly, I hoped that she wouldn’t let Dmitri down.
Kailani
I zapped the whole group from one island to another. That was as much as I could do without wearing myself out—Raphael had insisted that we take this slowly and carefully, one island at a time, so I would preserve some energy in case we ran into potential hostiles.
Every time I teleported the group, even across the smaller distances, I depleted some of my energy. I had to admit, the Perfect had a point. Besides, a little weather discomfort was worth preserving my strength for later use.
Far behind us, still around the island where we’d rested, flashes
exploded in the sky. Perfects, angrily looking for us. I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Abaddon’s wrath.
According to Raphael, Araquiel’s group was less inclined to hound us like before, knowing that we were with him. But Abaddon was reckless and relentless. He was most likely the self-appointed leader of the pack now, chasing after us, determined to rip us to shreds. All Araquiel could do at that point, along with Oriphiel, Elyon, and the others, was to stay close to him and send as much information back to Ta’Zan as possible.
Abaddon was going to catch up with us, eventually, but we wanted to get to the Draenir first. From there, if we managed to get them on our side, we had a few more fighters to at least distract the maniacal Perfect, while we hopefully rallied more rogue Perfects and anyone else we could get to help us, before going straight to Ta’Zan’s coliseum.
The closer we got to the thunderstorm cluster, the harsher our climate. Heavy rain pelted us, each drop smacking my face with an uncomfortable sting, even through the mask’s fabric. The temperature dropped as we made our way through the cyclone.
The waves crashed against the rocky shores of the island we’d landed on. In these parts, the beaches were a rare sight, as the water was too aggressive to sustain a sandy surface. The islands were chewed down to the stone around the edges, with thick woods and rocky peaks in the middle. We kept going east, while Raphael guided us through the storm strip.
“I see Abaddon is still the most persistent from the bunch,” Raphael said.
We stopped at the base of a mountain, deep in the woods, to rest for a little while. We’d been at this for hours, and, according to him, we needed to take five-to-ten-minute breaks to rest, for our energy to last longer.
“He’s determined to kill us. We made him really mad again,” Elonora said.
“I cut his head off, right?” Douma asked.
“Twice,” Dmitri replied with a grin. “You’re quite adept at keeping up with that psycho. Your speed matches his.”
Douma nodded slowly, then settled between the curling roots of an old, dying tree. “We keep going, after this break, right?”
“Yes. Another fifty miles to the east,” Raphael replied, giving her a warm look.
“Tell me again why you think these relatively frequent breaks are necessary,” Elonora said.
“You people aren’t accustomed to the planet’s atmospheric pressure,” Raphael said. “It’s slightly heavier than your world’s, for sure. I can tell from the way you all walk, from your shoulder drops and how quickly you tire.”
Dmitri rolled his eyes. “The difference is minor. We measured. Only a couple of units.”
“It makes all the difference, as far as endurance goes. And I think it’s why we come across as stronger and faster than you,” Raphael replied. “Again, it’s not a game-changer, per se, but it does help our cause if you get a few more minutes to rest than usual.”
By the same standards, if we were to bring Perfects back to Earth, Eritopia, or Neraka, for example, where the atmospheric pressure was basically a little bit lower, they were going to be even stronger and faster than here. Godlike, even…
“I have to admit, I’m a little less preoccupied with Araquiel and the others with you around,” Ben said to Raphael. “It helps to have this kind of muscle.”
“Meh. I’m already tired of beating Araquiel into a pulp.” Raphael sighed. “I kept telling him, over and over, not to mess with me, not to get all high and mighty. It gets boring having to kick him around like that. I get zero satisfaction, at this point.”
“So, what you’re trying to say is that having Araquiel and his crew chase us around is no longer thrilling for you, but boring,” I replied, slightly amused.
Raphael chuckled. “Yes. Abaddon, however, is a bit more interesting. He’s unhinged and a bit more unpredictable.”
“Harder to beat?” Elonora asked.
He laughed again. “Puh-lease. I’ll crush him like a bug until I’m bored with him, too.”
“Then I agree with Ben here,” Rose replied, smiling. “It’s good to have you with us.”
“Don’t get comfy with that,” Raphael replied. “I could be gone in an instant. Something might happen. Worst-case scenario, Ta’Zan might find an efficient way to deliver that toxin and take me out. Don’t bank on me to save you all. I may not have that power.”
“Okay, everybody take ten minutes,” Rose said to us. “Drink and eat something. Rest. Check your supplies and so on. I’ll send another message to Calliope via interplanetary travel spell.”
We scattered around the small campsite. Elonora took Dmitri for a quick hunt, leaving Nevis to watch over Douma and Amane. The Faulties proceeded to climb up the trees and pick some fresh fruit. Kallisto seemed particularly happy with doing that, making me wonder what she wanted to do with her life, provided we all survived what came next.
Ben stayed with Rose, while Vesta and Zeriel went to a nearby river to refill the portable water flasks we’d found in the Draenir stronghold. That left Hunter and me with a little bit of time to ourselves.
My heart skipped a beat when our eyes met. We hadn’t said much to each other since the kiss. Granted, we’d been running for our lives.
“Let’s sit down for a bit,” I said slowly.
We settled by a large black rock. Pink moss had grown on it, covering it in what looked like a fuzzy carpet. We didn’t speak for a while, until I finally burst.
“What was that kiss about?” I asked. “I mean, you did that, and then you went silent on me. What am I supposed to get out of that?”
That had come out harsher than intended. It made Hunter blink several times.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t mean to leave things like that,” he managed, leaning closer toward me and cutting my breath off. My heart was already pounding, my lips still tingling with the memory of that first kiss.
“What happened?” I whispered. “What was that kiss about?”
He frowned, keeping his gaze fixed on me. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know, Hunter. I… We’ve been best friends for so long,” I said, my voice trembling. “I don’t want to lose that. Ever. But the kiss… It did something to me, and I’m not sure you understand how it changed things between us. What it meant to me.”
Hunter didn’t say anything, but his expression softened, and the cool blue in his eyes seemed to melt and seep into my very being. It was too late to back down now, so I kept going, ignoring my shaky hands. His nostrils flared, and I knew he’d picked up on my scent, my vitals. He was aware of my frayed nerves.
“Thing is, I’ve seen it happen before,” I added. “The friends getting physical, then everything going down the drain. I really don’t want it to happen to us, too. You’re the closest to my soul. No one gets me like you do.”
Hunter gave me a soft nod, then reached out and cupped my cheek with one hand. I couldn’t help but close my eyes for a moment, his touch making my heart hum.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen next, Kale,” Hunter finally said. “I don’t even know whether we’ll survive this or not. But I do know that I will never forgive myself if I don’t follow my heart on this one.”
“And what does your heart say?” I murmured, slowly resting my head in the palm of his hand. The effect he had on me was downright hypnotic. It was impossible to resist him.
“The same thing it’s been saying for years, Kale,” he replied, his voice raw and slightly shaky. “To come to you. To tell you how I feel. To show you… For years, Kale. For years, you’ve been the only thing on my mind. We grew up together. I know what you like, what you hate. I know your deepest fears, and I remember every single milestone in your life, because I was there. I’ve been there for so long. I don’t even know when it happened. I just know that, at some point in our lives, I fell for you, and it turned into something impossible to ignore. I tried, believe me. I tried to shove it to the very bottom of my consciousness, telling myself that it was just a phase.
But it wasn’t. I know that now.”
My chest hurt. My eyes stung.
Everything he was telling me was exactly what I’d been going through. What I’d been feeling toward him. It was mutual. This unwavering love for him… he felt it, too. How had I missed it? Had there been signs? Had I been blind this whole time?
All of a sudden, the years we’d spent around each other felt like a bit of a waste of time. We could’ve followed our hearts. We could’ve spoken up sooner. We could’ve been together already…
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked.
“I was afraid!” he replied. “I thought you wouldn’t feel the same. I didn’t want to risk it. Like you said, our friendship is so important. You know me better than most. I didn’t want to lose you, to put you off. And, frankly, I was afraid of how I’d feel if you turned me down. So, I buried it deep and did my best to date… to move on. I was terrible at it.”
I couldn’t help but laugh lightly. “Yeah, you’ve had a questionable choice of girlfriends.”
Before I could even react, he leaned closer and kissed me again. The entire world exploded around me, in billions of bright lights. I melted, like wax against the flame, putting my arms around his neck as I pulled myself closer to him.
He groaned softly, then held me tight against his body. For the first time in days, I felt safe. And incredibly happy. Hunter put a lot of hunger and passion into that kiss, as I parted my lips and welcomed him. His tongue tangled with mine, the taste of him throwing my senses for a loop.
He pulled back for a moment, giving me a most loving smile. “How stupid could I have been, to not see that we were on the same page?” he muttered.
“I guess we were both afraid to lose what we already had, so we didn’t even talk about what else there could be,” I replied. “I buried myself in magic, and you… well, you buried yourself in all kinds of girls.” I giggled.
“I have wasted so much time being afraid to tell you how I feel,” Hunter said, his brow furrowed. “I don’t care what comes next, Kale. I just know I’m not letting you go. Ever again.”
A Shade of Vampire 64: A Camp of Savages Page 21
