Chapter 17

Chapter 17

 

Penny in the air…

 

 

Cam sighed as he sank down onto the bed in the small apartment he and Kailah were sharing. Councilman Gin had offered them a place to sleep in the Compound. They, along with Skiff and Don, were to accompany Esma and Chelry the next day on a sweep through the city to search for any remaining Chaos Pairs and/or Beasts.

Kailah sat on the edge of her bed opposite him, “Cameron, I’m worried.”

“Join the club.” Cameron growled in response, “I don’t know what’s worse, the fact of Mistress and Skrim getting away, again, or Gin not sending the summons.”

Kailah’s red eyes softened as she regarded Cam’s tired face. Sighing, Cam let his head fall forward, he wasn’t just worried, he was downright terrified at the implications his brain was connecting with what dots he had. He didn’t look up as he heard Kailah take off her boots and get into bed.

“Get some sleep, Cameron.” Kailah’s soft voice drifted to him barely above a whisper, “We’re going to be busy tomorrow.”

As the sun sank below the horizon it cast the room in its fiery glow. Cam watched Kailah’s covered formed till the sunlight was gone completely. When her breathing evened out in sleep Cameron stood carefully and crossed the aisle between the beds. As he watched her sleep, dread slowly consumed him. Sighing softly he turned and climbed into his own bed. The return of the Chaos Pair that had taken his first Caster weighed heavily on his mind.

 

Skiff motioned behind him that the alley was clear. Don moved from his position at the back to the other side of the mouth of the alley. When he was in position Kailah moved to crouch next to Skiff. When she was in position Cameron went to the edge of the next alley.

The four of them had been leap-frogging down the western approach to the Compound along with Esma and Chelry, plus two more soldiers. So far they had not encountered anything out of the ordinary, besides the lack of people. Esma’s group covered the northern edge of the street while Skiff’s covered the southern.

The two groups had set out from the Compound just after dawn along with three other groups of eight that were using the same tactics to scout the city. Behind their groups squads of soldiers were making a more detailed inspection of the homes and alleys along their route.

Three agonizing hours later they reached the western gates. When the all clear signal was given by Hoyles, one of the soldiers assigned to Esma’s group, everyone relaxed somewhat.

“Glad that’s over with.” Don grumbled as he stretched taut muscles, “Now we just wait for the all clear flare from the Compound, right?”

Skiff said nothing as he shot their flare into the sky, his stance still on the alert. Cameron didn’t blame him; he was still on edge as well. The encounter with Mistress and Skrim had really shaken him, more than he was willing to admit. He felt eyes on him and glanced up to see Kailah watching him. He tried to smile reassuringly but he could tell she wasn’t buying it.

The all clear flare startled them all when it exploded over the Compound. Skiff saluted the squad of soldiers that approached. The soldiers returned the salute then took up their positions around the gate, securing it. Skiff motioned for his squad to move out. Cam sighed in relief as they headed back toward the Compound.

 Out of habit he glanced back toward the gate and stopped dead in his tracks. Skrim smiled at him, completely whole, holding a bloody sword standing in the midst of the bodies of the relief squad. Before Cam could draw his sword he was knocked off his feet by an explosion behind him.

Sprawling onto the ground he looked over his shoulder to see Mistress approaching from the rear through the smoke. Swearing, Cam struggled to his feet. Skrim appeared out of nowhere, knocked his sword away, grabbed him by the hair and held a dagger to his throat once again.

“Oh, no, no, no, Cam-my-man,” Skrim almost sang in glee, “you’re gonna watch as Mistress takes yet another Caster from you.”

Panic tore through Cam, but for some reason his strength was fading. His side hurt and glancing down as much as he could he saw blood spreading from a protruding piece of debris. Mistress stepped uncaring over the unconscious forms of Don and Skiff, heading straight for Kailah.

“No!” Cam screamed, trying to break free of Skrim’s vice like grip, “Get away from her!”

Mistress didn’t even glance at him as he screamed for her to stop. Kneeling down she drew a dagger from her hip. Slowly she placed the cold edge of the dagger against Kailah’s throat. Cameron struggled all the more against Skrim’s hold on him, he had Cameron by the hair, his legs wrapped around his body pinning his arms to his sides.

Suddenly Mistress looked up and over Cam’s head. She stared past Cameron and Skrim for what seemed like an eternity, her dagger poised to kill. Finally she scowled and sheathed her dagger, standing up from the still unconscious Kailah. Still staring past the two men she slowly walked toward them.

Kneeling in front of Cameron she leaned forward until her lips were almost touching his ear. Skrim held Cam perfectly still so he wouldn’t turn and bite her, like he was desperately trying to do.

“Listen well, Sword.” Mistress voice was low with a slight accent Cam had never encountered before, “Forget your vengeance, there is more at stake than petty pride.”

Cam stiffened as she pulled back and stared into his eyes, “A storm is coming, Sword.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t going to finish us all off.” Cam snarled as Mistress stood up, “I didn’t know you Chaos had any concept of mercy.”

Mistress sneered, “True to form, all of you Order automatically assume any Pair not part of your precious order is a Chaos.”

Cameron didn’t get to ask her to clarify that statement due to the butt of Skrim’s dagger slamming into the back of his head and knocking him unconscious. As Cameron slumped forward Skrim stood up and sighed.

“Are you certain it’s wise to leave them alive?” Skrim sheathed his dagger, “We’ll just have to fight them later.”

Mistress didn’t reply as she regarded the unconscious Cameron. She furrowed her brow in thought as she glanced over to the form of Kailah. Walking over to her she knelt down and rolled her over. Skrim watched his Caster study the enemy Caster’s face intently, confused at her sudden interest. Mistress stood up still staring at Kailah.

 Slowly an evil smile crept across her face, “It couldn’t be.”

 

Cameron jerked awake when smelling salts were held under his nose. Sneezing till his eyes watered he tried to sit up. Strong hands held him down and sudden pain shot through his stomach.

“Don’t move, Cameron.” Chelry’s voice grumbled at him, “You’ll just open up your wounds.”

Cameron didn’t listen as he tried to sit up again, glancing around wildly, “Where’s Kailah!?”

“I’m right here,” Kailah’s hand gently pushed on his left shoulder, “I’m alright, calm down.”

Relief flooded through him and he fell back onto the bed. He took her hand in his and held it to his cheek. A lump formed in his throat at the thought of how close he had come to losing this precious hand.

“What happened to the Chaos Pair that attacked us?” Cam’s voiced cracked as he continued, “Did they just leave?”

“We’re guessing so,” Kailah answered softly, “there’s no sign of any other Pairs in the city, nor Beasts.”

Skiff’s voice came from the entrance to the room, “What the hell was that? That wasn’t any ordinary Pair, I could have sworn Esma eradicated that guy!”

All eyes turned to Cameron. He met each one in turn, all of them of varying degrees of concern. At last his eyes met and held Kailah’s, her crimson eyes patient and kind, waiting for him to explain.

“The Pair we fought today was the same Pair I lost Shalia too four years ago.” Anger fringed his voice, giving it clarity as he continued, “At that time I had killed the Sword known as Skrim, I had completely chopped him to pieces, same as Esma, but somehow he was still alive.”

Esma’s gaze remained impassive as Cameron continued, “I don’t know by what magic this could happen, all I do know is that they are not a Chaos Pair. Mistress herself told me.”

“What do you mean?” Skiff folded his arms, “What else could they be if not Chaos?”

Cameron shook his head, “I don’t know. When I called her a Chaos she laughed at me. Then she warned me that something else was happening, she said a storm was coming.”

At that moment, with impeccable timing as always, lightning cracked the sky outside Cam and Kailah’s borrowed apartment. Everyone in the room jumped; except for Esma nothing startled her. Nervous chuckles and smiles were shared.

“Well,” Don stretched, “guess she was right.”

 

A few days after Cameron and Kailah left along with the two swords they had arrived with and Esma and Chelry, Councilman Gin was standing at his office window pondering the events of the past few weeks. His assistant came and went depositing a tray of tea on his desk in the process. Stroking the goatee that matched the golden hair of his head he surveyed the city without actually seeing it.

Sighing he turned from the view of his recovering city to sit at his desk. Gin had had a private conversation with the Captain Wraithorn. A very intelligent man, if a bit stiff, he had patiently waited for Gin to ask the questions and hadn’t answered past what was least required of him.

Councilman Gin had his suspicions about how much the good captain trusted him, but he didn’t begrudge the man his cautiousness. He had asked Skiff his thoughts on the seemingly immortal Pair.

Skiff had leveled a gaze at Gin that sent shivers up his spin as he answered, “I don’t know and it scares the ever living daylights out of me, Councilman.”

Propping his elbows on the desk, Gin rested his chin on the back of his interlaced fingers and stared at the rapidly cooling cup of tea. Gin had to agree with the good captain. Immortal Pairs was a fairly frightening concept. Leaning back in his high-backed chair of office he sighed.

Of all the things that had happened, the note sent to Maltoris troubled him the most.

Reviews

[Wolven]

Verrrry interesting. Was not expecting Skrim and Mistress to pop up again so soon. That and the plot twist that they aren't a chaos pair... but immortal? Sounds like there are a lot more cans of worms to open up. especially after Mistress' warning to Cameron.
As always, Don gives that all graceful comic relief. :)
You're doing really well with this Dreamer. I was just thinking, having read The Hobbit (which might be a bit excessive in this regard) and other like novels, the Fantasy genre has always had a tradition of having songs in them. Those, and poems- which though they might not be your strong suit, are often a good insert for a story like this. Food for thought.

[Dreamer]

yeah i'm sneaky like that >:3
personally i skip over songs and poems in books >.< i know i'm horrible

[Wolven]

Nah. I guess it comes down to personal preference.