Reapers

by Ain Soph

  I turn another page and pause as a note falls to the floor. It looks like some sort of love note with the names of two people I’ve never heard of inside a large, flowery heart. An uncomfortable feeling overwhelms me, and I quickly stick the note back in the book before slamming it shut and placing it back on the shelf. I walk toward the front counter to see Edric still standing at the front desk, talking to the girl at the counter.

  Even though I’m bored and I’d rather brainstorm for our mission, I hang back by the bookshelves to give Edric a little more time to socialize. To pass the time, I look closely at the girl he’s talking to and daydream about the kind of life she must live. When she cried, were they tears of joy instead of sadness? Does she celebrate holidays with her family? Does she have birthday parties every year? My last thought brings a tightness to my throat along with memories of my dad. He celebrated Lucie and my birthdays every year, because that’s what humans did before the war and he wanted us to have those memories to hold onto as we grew. But I haven’t had a birthday in over five years. The biggest question on my mind is whether anyone in the Void has lost anyone to the Reapers, but I can’t even get information on Dryden. How am I going to get information on the Reapers? Talking about them in some militias is taboo. Who knows what it’s like in the Void.

  I glance once more toward the girl at the counter and realize with a start that I’m jealous. I’m jealous of all girls like her- girls that exist in this world who are able to live simple, happy lives filled with work, family, love, full bellies, and warm homes. A cold bitterness placed roots in my heart when when my parents disappeared, and that bitterness snapped after Lucie’s disappearance. I managed to bring myself back to sanity, but the iciness lingered, growing more solid in my chest since finding out about the Remnant’s betrayal. I was raised as a mercenary and a mercenary’s life in all that I’ll ever know. Even now, when I’m supposed to be relaxing, I can’t fully enjoy it. My mind is full of thoughts of a boy I’ve never met, a possible sister who died under my protection, and the potential of more clues about Project Artian. And all of this is so that maybe I can get one step closer to finding the Scarlet Reapers.

  I grab my hair in frustration and storm over to Edric, pulling him out the door as he waves goodbye to the desk girl. “What are you doing, Luxem? Why the bad attitude suddenly?” Edric looks down at me in concern and gently removes his arm from my grasp.

  In turn, I look at him in pure frustration. I’m frustrated with my life and the circumstances I was born into, and I know I’m taking it out on Edric, but as hard as I try, I can’t stop myself. I’ve bottled too much up, and the more I add, the less control I have. “We have a mission, Edric. We have to find Dryden. There’s not time for casual reading and flirting right now!”

  Edric raised his eyebrows and gives me a slight grin. I can tell even before he opens his mouth that he’s misreading every work I’m saying. “Flirting? Are you getting jealous, Luxie?”

  I sigh and turn away from him, not bothering to respond. It’s actually a miracle I’m able to keep my temper in check. How can he know me so well and still be so wrong about how I’m feeling? My disappointment and anger has nothing to do with who Edric decides to spend time with and everything to do with my anxious desire to finish the mission. It feels like a hole is burning into my stomach and it’s growing larger the more time we take to finish the mission.

  Edric stares at me for a few moments before realizing I’m not going to respond. He sighs and claps his hands together, walking in front of my downcast eyes. “Let’s head out then. Question some more people. Bribe them or something, maybe. People love gifts.” Edric bounces down the steps and holds his hand out for me in a show of chivalry. “Also, Luxie, I think you should know that since I met you seventeen years ago, I’ve never dreamed of flirting with another girl.”

  I give him a small smile and reach for his hand, but before I can grab it, a quiet, unsure voice interrupts us, “Excuse me?” A tiny girl with olive skin and black hair cut into a blunt bob walks a few steps towards us and gives a small wave. “I heard you’re looking for Dryden, Is that right?”

  I gulp as my heart starts to race at the possibility that this random girl might be willing to help us. I try to tone down the excitement in my voice as I respond, “Yeah… I have a message for him. I glance at Edric and see him giving the girl a once over, sizing up if she’s a possible threat to us. The probability of that is low, but it’s still a good idea to get a read on what kind of person she is.

  “Well, I think you just might be in luck then.” The girl gives us a cheeky grin and continues, “I happen to know his exact whereabouts.” She cocks her head and waits for our reply. I breath out a sigh of relief and restrain myself from giving the angel in front of us a (very out of character) hug. Finally, finally, we’ll be able to find Dryden.

  “It’s going to come at a price though.” Edric and I look at one another in surprise. Bargaining is a typical mercenary tactic we’re both used to, but we didn’t expect to encounter it from someone in the Void. “My name’s Artia, and I’ve lived in the Twilight Void my entire life.” Artia looks back and forth between the two of us with a deadly serious expression on her face. “I’ve never left and never seen any more of the world than what’s within the city limits. I’ve never felt true freedom. I can tell you where Dryden is, but when you leave this place, I want you to take me along.” Hearing Artia’s request, I’m reminded of Isoline and her naivety. I don’t need another girl counting on me to keep her alive. I don’t have the best track record.

  Before I can say anything, Edric chimes in beside me, “You have a deal.”

  I snap my head in his direction and look at him in angry disbelief, “We’re supposed to be a team here. You’re not even going to discuss this with me first?”

  Edric looks at me and nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders before turning back to Artia, “Getting you out of the Void is simple, and we’ve been desperately looking for this guy- Luxem, here, even longer than I have. Just give us his location and sit tight. We’ll come back for you when we leave. You have my word.”

  Edric gives me a sidelong glance and a slight nod, and finally his plan hits me. He wants to make a promise now that he doesn’t intend to keep later. I feel bad about the dishonesty of it and Edric discrediting his word, but there’s no way I’m going to allow Artia to come with us. “Edric’s right. If you can tell us where Dryden is, then I have no objection to you coming with us.” A lie, but a necessary one.

  Artia looks back and forth between us and squints her eyes, “I’m not having that.” She cross her arms and shifts her weight into her right leg. “How about I take you to where Dryden is, and that way, I can stay right by your sides, and neither of you can give me the slip.”

  Edric laughs while I huff in annoyance. He’s not understanding the importance of Artia not coming with us. I cannot have more blood on my hands. “There’s nothing funny about this, Edric,” I snap.

  Edric keeps a sly smile on his face and turns toward Artia, “You got it. For real this time. You have some smarts- I’ll give you that.” Sloan wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close, whispering in my ear so Artia can’t eavesdrop, “She’s our only lead on Dryden, Lux. If the girl wants to come, let her come. We’re in a jam, and that means we have to take what we can get.”

  I can feel Artia watching us closely, her eyes lingering on Edric’s arm wrapped around my shoulder. I can’t tell what’s going through her mind. She’s a mystery to me, and that makes her untrustworthy. I don’t want her coming, but for now there’s nothing I can do. I’ll just have to deal with Artia later (and I absolutely will). The most important thing for now is finding Dryden, and I can’t throw away our only lead because of my own worries and insecurities. I have enough control over myself to reign in my emotions when they’re starting to affect the missions.

  Artia clasp her hands together and thanks us, her eyes still slightly suspicious. It seems like, for the most part, the
conflict between the three of us is over. I clear my throat and move away from Edric so that his arm drops from my shoulders. Artia waves for us to follow her and takes off in a direction I assume will lead us to Dryden’s shop. I’ve been so busy trying to find him, I haven’t given much thought to what I’ll say when we’re finally face to face. It’s a reoccurring mistake I keep making- going headfirst into missions without planning how they’ll end (a lot like Edric does). When did I become so impulsive? Maybe it’s the numbness. Maybe I’m just running from the darkness. But I can’t seem to stop myself from rushing into mission faster than I can plan them, and it’s unlike me. I know what I want to ask Dryden, but I hope I’ll be able to find the right words when I meet him.

  “The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.”

  -Stephen King

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I don’t have as much time as I thought I would to plan out what I’m going to say. The walk isn’t anywhere near the distance I was expecting. The Twilight Void is a large city, but Dryden’s shop happened to only be a short two blocks away from the library Edric and I visited before Artia found us. The auto shop is in a fairly run-down, nondescript building. Whereas most of the other buildings are bright and colorful with strings of lights connecting them to one another, nothing stands out on Dryden’s shop. The dirty gray bricks just blend in to the cobblestone streets and darkness of the alleyways suffocating either side of it.

  “I know I walked past this thing at least four times,” Edric mumbles. We were so focused on asking other people around town, so sure we wouldn’t find Dryden’s shop by chance, that we didn’t investigate any of the buildings. We both made the mistake of assuming that the size of the Void and our unfamiliarity with cities meant we wouldn’t be able to find Dryden without help. Edric and I look at one another in slight embarrassment while Artia waves toward the building with flourish. She smirks at us and I look away feeling like a complete idiot. I may as well be brand new to mercenary work. Before this mission, I thought I had a good handle on how the world around me functioned. Now, I’m realizing I know absolutely nothing.

  Part of me is actually starting to envy Artifs for their endless bank of knowledge. I wish I could have something like that for myself. There are times when I feel like I’m not enough, and I have no idea how to be more. It’s always a battle to adapt to the changing environment around me- especially to do it quickly. But, I can barely keep up with how rapidly my own life is changing. It was only a little over a week ago that I was still working with and trusting the Remnants. So much more has happened since then and my brain is having a hard time maintaining an emotionally and mentally balanced state. Instead, I’m barely holding on, allowing a numbness to enshroud me like a safety net. It’s not healthy but I need a distance from the events transpiring around me if I’m going to focus on the mission.

  “Alright, well, there’s no use standing outside. Thank you, Artia for showing us his location,” Edric claps his hands together and rubs them back in forth in preparation for our first meeting with Dryden. “You ready, Luxie?” He turns toward me with a mischievous grin but all I can manage is a weak smile in return. We’re finally at the end of our mission, only moments away from meeting Dryden, but for some reason I’m having a hard time working up excitement. If Edric notices my tension, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he walks up the steps leading toward the entrance, knocking on the ornate wooden door. When there’s not reply, he glances toward Artia and I and tries knocking again.

  “Try the handle maybe?” I ask. I don’t want to meet Dryden by breaking into his shop, but we’ve come too far to let an unanswered knock stop us. Edric tries twisting the handle while pushing on the door but it doesn’t budge. Artia sighs and sits down on the steps, stretching her legs out in front of her, while Edric gives me a helpless look and shrugs.

  “What do you want to do, Lux? Wait here and see if he comes back any time soon?”

  “That could be hours from now! No way am I waiting around here that long,” Artia yells, looking at Edric in irritation.

  Edric snaps right back at her with equal attitude, “You want to leave the city with us, you’re going to have to follow our lead- actually, mainly Luxie’s lead.” He winks at me and whispers to Artia, “She’s the ringleader.” Artia scoffs and crosses her arms, looking at me to see what the plan’s going to be.

  I look down at my feet and kick the ground in front of me, stirring up a dirt cloud. Ignoring Artia completely, I look up at Edric and speak only to him, “We’ve come too far to turn around now, Edric. I’m willing to sit on these porch steps until Dryden comes back, no matter how long that may take.”

  Artia hops up from the steps and wipes her dusty hands on her pants. “Yeah, and then all we’ll need after that is for someone to see us all camped out here and alert him that there are mercenaries waiting for him at his shop. I bet he’ll rush back then. Anyway, shouldn’t you guys be able to break in? I thought mercenaries did stuff like that all the time.”

  “Mercenaries, huh? I guess we really didn’t blend in at all, did we?” Edric sheepishly rubs his chin and think for a moment.

  Both of them are trying, but I need to bring my own opinion to the table. Artia and Edric are forgetting that we want to appear as friendly as possible to Dryden. Right now, their thinking in the short term; their only goal is to wait in a comfier location. “We want this guy to work with us. If we break into Dryden’s shop, we’re not showing him that he can trust us.”

  Artia shrugs her shoulders, looking bored with the entire situation. It’s clear that she can’t care less about Dryden. Her priority is just getting out of the Void. “Who knows. I mean, I’m with you guys, and I’m pretty well known around these parts. Maybe it won’t be that big of a deal. I also thought mercenaries are supposed to be smooth talkers.” Where is she getting her ideas about mercenaries?

  Edric looks toward the door and then the window beside it, “I say we break in. We both have the skills. We might as well check out this guy’s place before talking to him. I mean, we don’t actually know anything about Dryden other than he was next in line to inherit the Remnant compound, and that doesn’t really give him any points in my book.” He starts inspecting the window, trying to see if it locks from the inside. I’m surprised Edric didn’t look around to see if anyone is watching first. Evening is descending over the city and a lot of people have already gone home to their families. Still, there are a few stragglers milling about as the shops close up.

  Artia watches Edric closely, and again, I can’t get a good read on her. I can’t tell if she’s bothered by him actually picking the lock on the front door (even though it was her idea) or if she’s trying to get a better look at how to break into a building. Surprisingly, I don’t care either way. I just want to get this waiting period to meet Dryden over with. I’m still not sure breaking into shop is the best idea, but Edric’s already put the plan in motion, and when he sets his mind to something, there’s no stopping him- much like I used to be (although my plans were usually a lot less risky). I bound up the steps and stand behind him in an effort to provide more cover from the few people walking around the streets. Surprisingly, no one’s paying us much attention.

  Suddenly my heart leaps in my throat. There’s a flash of coppery red hair, similar to mine, walking around a corner. I only caught whoever it was at the last minute, but she was definitely a fair skinned female with a tall, willowy build and fiery hair. The girl was taller than she would have been four years ago, but that’s years of growth, and our father was tall too…. Edric snaps out of my thoughts by announcing he’s finished. We should be able to enter the shop no problem now. I shake my head to clear it and draw a shallow breath. No, that girl wasn’t Lucie. Lucie’s gone. And plenty of people have similar hair colors to mine. Just because they’re rare, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep or maybe I really am going crazy, but just for a moment, I really thought I saw her. Edric twists the h
andle and pushes open the front door, and I divert my attention to the mission at hand. Stay focused. Focus. Edric walks into the entrance with Artia and I following closely behind him.

  The first thing my eyes are drawn to is piles upon piles of books scattered around the entrance. There are so many, I doubt the Void’s library and the Remnant’s collection combined wouldn’t amount to the number of books in Dryden’s shop. Artia stares at the look of awe on my face and whispers, “Dryden only accepts payment in the form of books. He had quite a few when he came stuffed into that beat up car of his, and then he gathered a few more from travelers stopping through. And even though he hasn’t been here long, Dryden has had a crazy amount of customers. I think maybe the library keeps their extra copies of stuff in here too.” I give Artia a genuine smile and look from title to title, trying to form an image in my head of the person Dryden is. Maybe I can gather some information about him from the novels he keeps in his home.

  As soon as the word “home” pops into my head, I turn to Artia to question her about it, but Edric beats me there first, “I thought this is supposed to be Dryden’s shop. It looks more like the house of some hoarder.” He gives a bored look toward the books stacked in front of him and mumbles, “He was definitely a Remnant. That’s for sure.”

  Artia shrugs and answers, “Yeah, I guess you guys wouldn’t know… He has a garage in the back of the house. That’s where he does all the work. This part of the building is his house. It’s actually not that uncommon for people to have business out of their homes here. So, yes, you two broke into his private haven. Sorry, I didn’t warn you!”