by J. Cee
J. Cee
Project Xero: Reblood
Copyright © 2018 by J. Cee
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Cover image by Mona Finden.
First edition
This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
About the author
Chapter 1
The skinned dragon corpse lay rotting in the city plaza. Wet gray flesh glistened under the hot sun, but no creature great or small had dared to scavenge the body of the fallen dread beast.
Ceph, the city of Xero’s newest Sanitation Officer, pinched his nose and let out a groan.
“Nuts!”
Ceph tugged on the tattered sleeve of the man to his left. “Is this the Sanitation Unit, East Line, First Zone?” He frowned at an oily residue the brief touch had left on his fingertips, wiping his hand on his trousers.
A somber man with flecks of silver in his beard gave Ceph a short nod punctuated with a grunt.
“Nuts,” Ceph muttered.
The stout foreman addressing the assembled crew paused for a second to glare at Ceph before continuing.
“As I was saying, the Tailoring Guild still have first rights to any remaining dragon hide. Everything else you can’t bite, spit, or screw gets brought to me. Everything. I don’t care if you find a button or a battleaxe.”
“Why would a dragon have a battleaxe?” Ceph whispered to the older man on his left.
The veteran grinned. “Know what happens when a dragon eats a warrior? In one way, out the other.”
Ceph wrinkled his face even more. “Gross. Doesn’t this fall under Animal Control’s—”
“Very gross indeed.” The foreman crossed his arms and stared at the whispering pair. “And since the two of you are so enthusiastic, you both start on bowel duty. Everyone else, start with the head.”
Ceph groaned again. The veteran shrugged.
“Wait!” Ceph’s words tumbled out in desperation. “What if we burn the corpse in a giant fire? We could sift the leftover ashes for any valuables. Wouldn’t we save a lot of time?”
Some of the other men chuckled. The foreman’s scowl turned into a wide grin.
“No, you idiot. Dragon flesh doesn’t burn. Now get to work.”
* * *
The men worked in breeches, their bare skin painted with a mix of fresh and drying ichor. After hours of hacking at the building-sized corpse with a pickaxe, Ceph grew numb to the sights and smells of the gory scene. He had signed up to be a Sanitation Officer, after all. Still, Ceph couldn’t decide which he disliked more, the discomfort or the tedium.
“Bowel duty’s not so bad,” the more experienced man, Nikola, said while swinging his pickaxe. “Think of it as a treasure hunt. Always exciting to see what comes out.”
Chunks of purplish meat littered the ground at their feet. The men would periodically pause to throw the putrid flesh onto a nearby cart.
“I know what comes out this end, and I’m not excited.” Ceph made a sound with his lips to demonstrate.
“Trust me, you got the better end of the deal,” Nikola said. “Sarge is a tough boss, but he’s doing you a favor as a fresh recruit.” Nikola jerked a thumb towards the massive maw lying in the distance. “You don’t want to make a mistake dealing with flame sacs and venom-coated teeth.”
Ceph’s eyes widened in alarm. “I thought this job was safe!” He paused to stare in concern at the men climbing over the dragon’s head. “I’d never have joined if I knew there would be dragons or anything related to the Everborn.”
Nikola raised an eyebrow. “Funny you should mention the Everborn. You know we report directly to a couple of them?”
Ceph’s eyes grew even wider. “What? Why would the Everborn care about cleaning up garbage?”
“Who do you think keeps what we find?” Nikola grunted as his pickaxe tore a large chunk of flesh away. He lowered his voice. “And despite what the Councillors claim, the Everborn are the true rulers of Xero. Everyone knows that.”
“Stop, stop, you’re going to get us in trouble.” Ceph closed his eyes and swore to himself. “I’m really having second thoughts about this job.” He opened his eyes and went back to work.
Nikola laughed. “I’m just giving you a hard time. This is like any other job. Do good work and get paid. That’s all you need to think about.” Nikola tapped the side of his pickaxe against a section of the corpse. “Hey, look. I think we’ve hit the jackpot.”
The texture of the flesh was different in that spot, a sheet of smooth membrane compared to the rest of the ragged fibrous muscle around it.
“Here we go,” Nikola said, swinging his pickaxe with extra enthusiasm. Ceph jumped back as a trickle of brown fluid burst out of a gash in the membrane wall.
“This isn’t flammable, is it?” Ceph asked.
Nikola shook his head. “Basic dragon anatomy. Flame sacs are near the neck, not down here.”
Ceph eyed the older man. “You seem to know a lot about dragons for a Sanitation Officer.”
“Goes with the job. The last few months have been especially crazy, right? Seems like we’ve been getting another dragon every other week.”
It had been nearly a year since the dragon raids had started. Every citizen of Xero recognized the now familiar clanging of the warning bells. Ceph mumbled his assent.
Nikola waited for the rush of liquid to slow before striking again. “The most likely dangers on this end are a half-eaten revenant or a baby dragon waiting for its first meal. They say a newly born dragon can eat an adult human, bones and all, in under three minutes.”
Ceph froze in the middle of a swing. “You’re messing with me again, aren’t you.”
Nikola laughed. “Had you going. Don’t worry, nothing here’s dangerous, except to your appetite. Just a few more swings and… ah, that’s it.”
Both Nikola and Ceph leapt back as a flood of murky fluids rushed out the gaping man-sized tear in the smooth membrane. They stared at the pool of dragon sludge on the ground, Ceph dropping his pickaxe in shock.
“Holy flames,” Nikola said to himself softly.
“Uh, what did you say? I’ll go get Sarge,” Ceph said, backing away slowly.
“No, I’ll get him,” Nikola said. “You keep an eye on her.”
Before Ceph could protest, Nikola was gone, leaving him with the silver-haired young woman who had emerged from the gore.
* * *
By the time Nikola returned with Sarge, Ceph had draped a cloak around the still unconscious figure and moved her away from the corpse. Sarge and Nikola were in the middle of a heated discussion.
“Of course, I have to call this in. Rules are rules,” Sarge said.
“You work with them. You know what they’re like.” Nikola’s voice was low but fierce. “She’s just a girl.”
Sarge gave Nikola a confused look. “What’s gotten into you? You’re not some young buck. This isn’t the first incident, and it won’t be the last. You know what it takes to survive.”
“Survive.” Nikola spat. “And at what cost?”
“Bah. Today’s my lucky day. First the dragon. Now this.” Sarge’s eyes shot an accusation in Ceph’s direction. “Right after I bring on the new guy.”
“I didn’t do anything, I swear!” Ceph waved his hands in denial.
“Enough of this,” Sarge said. “Don’t touch anything and don’t move.”
Sarge reached into his pocket and pulled out a small milky gem. He dropped it and crushed it under the heel of his boots. “When they get here, keep quiet and do as I say.”
Nikola shook his head. “You don’t know what you’ve done.” He cursed and joined Ceph, who was kneeling at the girl’s side.
Ceph glanced nervously at Nikola and then at the mysterious woman. Her face was smeared with viscera, but he could still make out a sharp featured face that was somewhat exotic, if not pretty. Her wet tangled hair flowed past her shoulders. She looked to be about his own age, probably around eighteen summers.
Ceph turned to Sarge. “Um, who’s coming?”
“Them. The bosses. The Everborn.”
Ceph snapped upright. “No, no, no. I’ve got to go. I can’t stay here.” His voice cracked in terror.
A strong hand gripped his shoulder. “You can’t leave until they get here,” Sarge said. “Get ahold of yourself. You’ll be fine.”
“I don’t care. I’m done with this job. I quit.” As Ceph spoke, the air next to him distorted, the outline of something shimmering into existence.
“No!” Ceph wrenched himself free from Sarge’s grip. He turned to run but slipped on the bloody ground.
A tall figure materialized in front of Ceph. It was a warrior, clad from head to toe in golden armor, the ornate kind that only the Everborn wore. The warrior carried a shield on his back and a sword on his hip.
The finger of a polished gauntlet pointed at Ceph’s prone figure. A deep voice emerged from behind the helmet’s visor. “You summoned me.”
Ceph fought the urge to scream and ended up hyperventilating instead. Sarge interrupted. “I’m the foreman here, sir. I sent the summon.”
The figure turned to face Sarge.
“Explain.”
Sarge pointed at the cloak-wrapped woman. “My men found this girl inside the dragon.”
The armored man knelt next to the pale girl and examined her. He stood and produced another gem, similar to the one that Sarge had used, crushing it between two fingers.
Moments later, a second figure wearing the white robes of a priest appeared next to the warrior. A lowered hood covered the eyes, leaving only the bottom half of the face and ash gray hands visible. White-hot flame filled the mouth, its holy light bright even in the harsh sunlight.
“My Word.” The warrior gave a terse bow to the newcomer. “Another one. Shall we take her away for the inspection?”
“Another? How tiresome. Finish it here.”
Ceph shuddered. The Word’s voice was light and musical, the kind of voice found among men who had surrendered to dementia. But this was no man.
The warrior turned to Sarge. “You. Cut this girl with that knife at your belt.”
Sarge looked troubled. “She’s just a girl.”
Not to mention the blood rot, Ceph thought. Even he knew that an open wound in this filth meant death.
The Word turned to Sarge. Its mouth pulsed with light. “Obey or perish.” Ceph stifled a surprised cry.
The warrior laughed. “Allow me, my Word. Taming these stupid beasts can be tricky.” He took off his golden helmet, revealing a handsome face with blonde hair, deep green eyes, and perfect white teeth.
The Everborn smiled at Sarge. “Listen. You only have to make a shallow cut on her arm, nothing serious. It’s a simple check.”
“Fine,” Sarge said.
Ceph had managed to stand back up next to Nikola by then. “What’s going on?”
“They’re testing to see if she’s an Everborn. Ordinary people can’t hurt the Everborn,” Nikola replied. “At least that’s what they think,” he muttered.
The warrior gave Nikola an amused look but didn’t say anything. Sarge, meanwhile, took hold of the prone woman’s arm and pulled out his knife. Despite his fear, Ceph’s curiosity took over, and he peered closer. He saw a bleeding gash on the girl’s arm after Sarge moved away.
“That settles it. Not the one we want,” the warrior said. He gave the Word a questioning look. “She can’t possibly be the Beastspawn, can she?”
The Word didn’t reply for a moment. “The prophecies are unclear.” He faced west towards the Firewall in the distance, the ever-present blazing sheet of flame that rose into the heavens. “Kill her.”
The warrior looked at the woman again. “She has a pretty face. I wouldn’t mind enjoying her first. I’ll kill her afterwards.”
Without speaking further, the Word took a step forward and vanished.
The rest of the Sanitation Unit had gathered to watch from a distance. A mixture of fear, disbelief, and even anger peppered the faces of the gore-stained crew. The remaining Everborn didn’t even glance at them.
The warrior pointed at Ceph for the second time that day. “You, boy. Bring me a bucket of water and clean this girl.”
Ceph gestured to himself. “Me?”
“Yes, dummy. Clean this girl. Or perish.” The warrior snorted.
Sarge stepped forward. “She’s just a girl. Is this really necessary?”
“Not necessary, but fun. As is this.” The warrior raised his hand at the foreman. Sarge’s eyes widened in shock as violet energy crackled in the outstretched palm.
“Madness,” Nikola whispered as a bolt of light slammed into Sarge’s body. Sarge exploded. The hot remnants of the foreman splashed onto Ceph’s face. Ceph fell backwards in fright, screaming, while the other workers looked on in stunned silence.
“Oh my god. Oh my god.” Ceph crawled backwards on the ground away from the carnage.
The warrior laughed as he turned to Ceph. “I like your flattery, but that’s enough. Bring me water. Now.”
Nikola spoke up. “Forgive the young one, sir. He’s a bit squeamish. I’ll get your bucket of water right away.” He beckoned to several of the watching men. “Indri, give me a hand over here.”
The heavy scent of fresh death filled the air as the warrior waited for Nikola to return. Ceph, still seated on the ground, didn’t dare move out of fear of attracting the Everborn’s deadly attention. The pale woman was lying on her side with her back to the Everborn, facing Ceph. He blinked. She was awake. A pair of large red eyes stared at him.
Ceph shifted his eyes to check on the Everborn, but the warrior hadn’t noticed anything. Ceph shifted his eyes back to the woman.
The woman’s mouth moved soundlessly, but Ceph knew what she was saying. He had seen lips moving in the same way countless times in his memory, one also involving the Everborn. Help me.
Ceph turned away in shame. He had to disappear, to survive, like Sarge had said. These were the Everborn. They were untouchable. Insects didn’t challenge the gods, did they? But his shame remained.
The sound of activity caught Ceph’s attention. Nikola was returning with a bucket of wate
r in each hand. Indri followed behind carrying an armful of rocks. He stopped by the rest of the crew and began talking to them in hushed tones. Wasn’t Indri supposed to help?
Nikola approached Ceph. He spoke loudly. “Ceph, give me a hand with the washing, like you were supposed to.”
Afterwards, Nikola leaned in so that only Ceph could hear his next words. “When it happens, grab the girl and run. Find the Waterwalker on the outbound docks. Ask for Kaine.” He paused. “Nice knowing you, kid.”
Ceph’s mind raced. Was Nikola trying to scare him again? No. Something bad was about to happen. They would all die. A choking terror filled his throat. He fought the urge to vomit.
“Ceph, Ceph!” Nikola raised his voice sternly for the others to hear. “You ready to help? This is your job. We’re all counting on you.”
The Everborn stirred. “Forget the boy. Is he slow in the head? Hurry up!”
Nikola hissed at Ceph. “Stay alive! It’s what you want, right?”
Ceph could barely breathe, but he nodded. “I’ll do it,” he said weakly.
“Good, good. No need to wait further,” Nikola said in a louder tone. As Nikola spoke, he rushed toward the waiting warrior and spilled the content of both buckets onto him. Green liquid, not water, drenched the Everborn’s hair and dripped down his suit of armor.
“Clumsy fool! What’s this filth?” The Everborn turned on Nikola in fury.
“Now!” Nikola roared.
Indri and several other men from the crew rushed the Everborn. The warrior gave an exasperated sigh and raised his hands. One of the humans threw a lit pipe at the liquid-soaked Everborn. The warrior screamed as he burst into green flames.
“What the devil? That hurts!” A blast of violet light turned two of the rushing men into bloody messes.
“The dragon teeth, the dragon teeth, quickly!” Nikola ordered.
Indri hadn’t been carrying rocks. He had gathered some of the smaller dragon teeth and distributed them to the workers. The remaining men raised razor-sharp teeth and stabbed at the warrior’s exposed neck and face.
The Everborn shrieked. “I’m going to tear you to pieces,” he growled through the pain.
Nikola looked at Ceph. “Run! The dragonfire and venom will only slow him down.”
