Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 

Painful Awakenings…

 

 

Cameron awoke with a start, gasping in a deep breath and clutching his chest. He breathed slightly easier when he didn’t feel a giant hole under his desperately seeking fingers. Euphoria quickly cut short, Cameron cursed and rolled sideways dodging an attack. The rapier stabbed into the tile where his head had been a second before, it ricocheted throwing his attacker off balance and gauging a chunk out of the floor.

She recovered as Cameron leapt to his feet, reaching for a sword that was no longer there. He cursed then dodged another jab aimed at his chest, slipped on some rubble and almost fell back to his knees. The small woman pressed her advantage of Cameron’s poor footing only to pull up short as Skiff stepped in, blocking the attack with his sword. Skiff had apparently had the wherewithal to strap on his sword before this whole escapade began. Cameron’s brain caught up to reality and he recognized Gan Ainm’s pixie like face as it scrunched into a scowl of annoyance when Don also joined the fight.

Her eyes flickered around the room, stopping on each slowly stirring body then returned to the two Swords facing her. Opius groaned and Gan quickly side-stepped to stand over him.

“Ah, mine petite fleur,” Opius slurred his words, like he was drunk, “didst thou findeth yon tableth?”

A curt nod was apparently all he needed as an answer, “Spectacular!”

Gan helped the swaying Opius to his feet, never taking her eyes off Skiff and Don. Having gained a position mostly perpendicular to the world, Opius addressed them all with a flourish of his long fingered hands.

“Darlings, it was an absolute wonderful party, but mine associate and I must head home, I fear I’m a little inebriated.” Opius hiccupped, his eyes unfocused and starring at a point up and to the left of Cameron’s head, “Yesh, verry-um-indeebrited.”

Not quite sure what to expect next from the eccentric elf Don and Skiff exchanged glances, tightening their grips on their swords. Opius orange eyes fixated on Cameron, burning into him like two tiny suns. He smirked, turned and waved his hand over his shoulder in small circles.

“Too-ta-loo,” Opius called to them as a purple scar appeared in the air in front of him, “Until next time, mine lovelies.”

The tear ripped open wide enough for the Chaos Pair to step through, Opius staggering and Gan back-stepping. Cameron got a good look at the other side of the portal from where he was standing and shuddered. The howls of Beasts echoing through the portal and around the great entrance hall confirmed the connection to a Chaos Zone. Opius paused just on the other side of the portal. He looked over his shoulder, making eye contact with Cameron, and gave him a wink. The portal snapped shut disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.

Cameron shook his head in bewilderment.

“What a strange individual.” Surkaust soft voice nearly startled Cameron out of his skin. The small man seemed to take no notice of Cameron’s rather rude retreat into a defensive posture.

Don and Skiff wearily watched Surkaust, taking the precaution of standing out of sword length from each other. Silver eyes impassively regarded the actions of the Swords encircling him. Esma joined, her eyes narrowed dangerously, jaw clinched tightly. The silver eyes flicked back to Cameron and he watched as they slowly turned black, like ink falling into a pool of water.

“If you all are quite done, I am bleeding to death.” A voice cut the tense moment and the eyes turned back to silver. Looking to where the voice had come from, Cameron winced at Xerkieda glaring at them, clutching her chest where Gan had stabbed her. Chelry quickly appeared next to her and began working his Casting skills on her. The fact that she was still able to rebuke them and not have passed out from blood loss, was a testament to her stamina. Or, and Cameron leaned more to this reasoning, her cantankerous character to continue to be a thorn in the side of the universe.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cameron saw Surkaust move toward Kailah, who was sitting on the floor her face pale as death warmed over. Immediately he interposed himself between the two, Kailah shielded behind him.

Surkaust stopped his advancement, the hem of his robes brushing the ground, stirring up dust. His cold eyes flicked from Cameron to Kailah and back, no betrayal of the thoughts churning behind the silver disc. Xerkieda’s sudden coughing took his attention away from the two of them and he floated over to the incapacitated Councilwoman. Her body wracked with another horrific cough she spit blood onto the already crimson floor. Surkaust circumnavigated the edge of the blood and handed her a handkerchief with his benevolent smile curving his lips.

She accepted it ungraciously and wiped the blood from her mouth, “You let them escape,”

“An unfortunate conclusion, I agree, but we are all accounted for,“ Surkaust’s smile widened at the tone of her voice, his own light and jovial.

Her thin eyebrows converged in a deep scowl as she glared at Surkaust then spat out more blood. Chelry finished his work on Xerkieda and sat back cross-legged on the floor, exhausted. Esma came and stood beside Chelry, though slightly between him and Surkaust. Xerkieda stood to her feet, brushing down her robes now stained beyond redemption, her haughty persona revived.

“Your help in this matter is appreciated, Surkaust,” Xerkieda sneered, “despite the lack of a favorable conclusion.”

Surkaust inclined his head slightly, “Indeed, Councilwoman. Should you require further assista-”

“What is wrong with you people?!” Don interjected, his voice hitting a higher octave due to stress, “We were just horribly slaughtered by this guy!”

Surkaust turned toward Don wearing an expression akin to a man being scolded by a bug, “I beg your pardon? As evident to the contrary, all of you are here, healthy and whole. I have slaughtered no one, horribly or otherwise.”

“B*****d!” Don started for him, murder in his grey eyes.

He never made it to his target; Skiff intercepted him with a heavy right straight to the jaw. Skiff glared at Surkaust with Don collapsed at his feet. The small man raised his eyebrows in surprise as Skiff saluted him, then drug Don by the scruff of his tunic a little away from the group. Xerkieda swayed slightly, taking in a sharp breath.

“My good Councilwoman, as I am no longer needed,” Surkaust said slowly, his eyes flicking around the room at the hostile faces, “nor wanted, I shall take my leave.”

Xerkieda didn’t bother with a response past waving her hand in a shooing motion in his general direction. She turned calling out for a servant, that immediately came running from a side entrance, and left the rest of them there watching her slumped back in stunned silence. Surkaust snorted softly in derision and moved toward Kailah making as to go around Cameron. Kailah snapped back to herself and started scrambling backwards. Surkaust stopped quickly, his smile faltering, when Cameron, again, interposed himself between the two. Ice glared down silver once more.

Surkaust rolled his eyes, “What is it now, Sword?”

“Stay away from her.” Not the most poetic line in the world but Cameron was too doggone exhausted to give a care at this point. The small man in the red robe had pushed one too many buttons today and Cameron was not about to let him hurt his Caster any more.

Flicking dust off his immaculate sleeve, Surkaust responded with a sigh, “If you fear another episode like unto the one experienced in the dream, you need not. As Xerkieda will tell you, once she is recovered, it was necessary to end the dream state without killing or giving any of you permanent brain damage.”

He paused looking Cameron up and down, “Though I’m not sure if the second can apply to you.”

“Shove it, creep.” Cameron stated flatly, “Stay away from her.”

Surkaust’s smile returned, though this one far more malevolent, “Or what?”

The part of Cameron’s brain that seemed to be in charge of all its faculties was screaming at him to not push the little man in the red robe anymore. Unfortunately, Cameron wasn’t listening to it. His hands clenched into fist, his jaw set, Cameron’s whole being wanted to rip this man apart. A gentle pressure on his back accompanied by the intoxicating smell of flowers and spice soothed his rage, slightly.

“Cameron.” Kailah’s soft whisper was more than a warning. Surkaust raked his eyes over Kailah’s form, noting the confidence she acquired from Cameron. His eyes narrowed dangerously for a moment, and all too soon the benevolent smile returned.

He gave the dark haired beauty a small incline of his head, as close as he was going to get to a bow, “Until next time, my dear.”

Without further ado, the little man left dodging chunks of stone and door on his way out into the slow light of dawn. The remainder of them watched his retreating form in cautious silence. With the sunlight pouring its warming embrace onto the world, birds began to sing their joy to the giant of the sky, almost seeming to urge it to rise faster. Cameron felt Kailah shy away from him after Surkaust had left. The sudden absence of her warm touch shattered the surreal moment bringing back to his mind what he had seen in the dream.

He glanced over his shoulder to see her turned away from him, her arms crossed tightly like she could hold herself together with them. Cameron’s heart lurched in his chest and he started toward her, comforting words forming on his tongue. Just before his fingers touched her slightly quivering back the scene from the dream flashed across his mind, stopping him. He clenched the outstretched hand into a fist and lowered it to his side. Spinning on his heel, Cameron stalked off to where Don was slowly regaining consciousness.

“By the stars, that smarts,” Don said, gently rubbing his jaw. He turned a glare on Skiff who ignored it.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at him, “It would’ve hurt worse had you gone through with your ill-conceived retribution.”

Don spit out some blood from a cut cheek and mumbled, “Messier too, I’d imagine.”

“You’re welcome,” Skiff replied, his voice tired. He turned to Cameron, “Now what?”

Cameron thought for a moment looking to the rest of the group then turned back to Skiff, “We could leave.”

Don raised his hand as Skiff started to speak, cutting him off, “I vote yes.”

“We concur.” Esma startled Cameron as she spoke from next to his elbow, he hadn’t heard her move. He glared at her in aggravation, like his heart needed another jolt this morning. He raised his eyebrows questioningly at Skiff.

“You’ll get no argument from me,” Skiff answered his silent question, “I’m tired of councilmembers.”

Kailah had silently joined the circle, though distinctly away from Cameron. Cameron noticed but said nothing, stubbornly determined not acknowledge her slight.

“Then I suggest we gather our belongings and vacate the premises with all due haste,” Esma suggested, setting off toward their accommodations, not bothering to wait to see if anyone followed.

Everyone did and the group made its silent trudge back through the winding corridors. Gan Ainm had apparently been through here, judging by the blood stains scattered along their path. Cameron wondered what the petite fighter had done with the blasted tablet. Each group peeled off at their respective abodes leaving Kailah and Cameron to enter theirs alone. Ever the gentleman, Cameron opened the door for Kailah; her eyes never left the floor.

  He stepped through after her and slammed the door behind him, “Alright, out with it. Why did you lie to me?”

“What are you talking about?” Kailah’s red eyes narrowed in confusion as she turned to face him, “When did I lie to you?”

Anger flared in the pit of his stomach, quickening his breath, “Don’t play innocent, Kailah, you knew Mistress and didn’t tell me.”

“You are brain-damaged if you think I would hold back something as significant as that!” Any insecurity left was burned away as she set her jaw, her red eyes flashing, “Do you really not believe me, Cameron?”

“Shaliah pulled what she showed me from somewhere, Kailah, so you tell me,” Cameron matched her tone, his fist clenching, “What am I supposed to believe?”

“Me, Cameron, you’re supposed to believe me!” Kailah exclaimed, placing her hand on her chest, “I’m your Caster, Cameron, not Shaliah.”

Cameron made a disgusted noise rolling his eyes, “I know that, Kailah, but how am I supposed to believe you when you keep the truth from me?”

“What truth?” Kailah demanded her tone hard.

Cameron crossed his arms, “The real relationship between you and that silver-eyed b*****d for one.”

Kailah clenched her jaw, pain flickering through her eyes swiftly replaced with anger once again, “There isn’t one, Cameron, I’ve told you all that there was.”

“Apparently not, in the dream you were placidly conspiring, along with Surkaust, with a known Chaos Pair,” Cameron accused, pointing at her.  

Kailah looked confused, “What are you talking about? I never met them!”

“You’re lying!”

“No I’m not!”

“Then explain what I saw!”

“How can I if I don’t know what it is?!”

Cameron threw his hands up in disgust, turning away from her. The anger didn’t dissipate and he spun back around, “In the dream, I was shown a memory, of you and Surkaust meeting with Mistress and Skrim, talking about a paradigm of something.”

“You were shown something in a dream, Cameron,” Kailah said, her tone indicating she was losing her patience.

Cameron made a slashing motion with his hand, cutting her off, “No, Dream Casters pull memories to work with, that meeting happened, Kailah.”

“I still have no idea what meeting you are talking about!” Kailah screamed, “I never met them, Surkaust certainly didn’t take me to secret meetings with Chaos Pairs!”

“Alright, then assuming that’s true,” Cameron matched her volume, “what did you two do, huh?”

Kailah clenched her jaw, tears of anger begging to brim in her eyes. Cameron waited for an answer, breathing hard. 

“Well, Kailah?” He pushed but still she said nothing, “Were you two lovers?”

Kailah blanched, “No, of course not.”

“Then what? Friends, colleagues, bridge partners?” Cameron scoffed as each time he listed something Kailah shook her head in denial, “What were you, Kailah?”

“I was tortured!” She shouted, the tears overflowing.

Cameron was stunned into silence, Kailah continued her voice almost too quiet to hear, “He tortured me for months, Cameron. In the dream state I had to re-live through those days, each one worse than the last.”

“Kai-“

“When Gavin found out he tried to punish Surkaust.” Kailah’s eyes were hard, “Surkaust murdered him.”

Cameron shook his head confused, “Wait, you said Gavin retired.”

“He did, but he still tried to save me.” Kailah scoffed, “Why do you think no one has heard from Gavin in years?”

“Why would he torture you though, that makes no sense?” Cameron tried to understand.

Kailah shrugged her shoulders, laughing bitterly, “I don’t know, he said he was trying to make me Paradigm Shift or some nonsense,” before he could ask more she held up her hands, “It doesn’t matter his reasons, the fact remains I have no relationship with that man and certainly no loyalty with Chaos, past or otherwise. I don’t know what you saw in the dream, Cameron, but it was not true.”

Silence fell in the small room as the Caster and Sword stared at each other. Cameron didn’t know what to think, let alone believe. His heart told him that Kailah was telling the truth, and he so wanted to believe her. The logical part of his brain, unfortunately, kept bringing up the dream. Dream Casters recreated memories, twisted however they please, but the underlying memory still present. The fact remained, whether he wanted it to or not, sometime in her past Kailah had met Mistress.

A knock sounded on the door, startling them both. Cameron opened it to reveal a haggard faced Skiff flanked by Don. Skiff’s blue eyes flitted from one to the other, sensing the tension.

Like the professional he was, Skiff ignored it, “We’re heading out, are you two ready to go?”

Cameron glanced back at Kailah then shouldered his pack that had been left by the door yesterday evening by Xerkieda’s servants. He picked hers up as she approached and handed it to her without comment. She glanced at his face but could read nothing of the thoughts behind the ice blue eyes. Muttering her thanks, Kailah brushed past the three of them and joined Chelry and Esma further down the corridor. Don and Skiff followed after the retreating backs of the orange haired giant, gray-skinned elf, and dark haired beauty.

Watching her back, Cameron sighed to himself. He shut the door behind him and followed in their wake, still unsure of what to believe.

 

Reviews

[Wolven]

I for one rather enjoyed this chapter. :) Not only because I love Opius and Gan as characters, but Surkaust's little one-liners and actions were fun if a little threatening. The one about brain damage was brilliant. :D
At the beginning though, having been in the dream world for so long, it ought to take a moment for Cam's mindset to readjust. And considering that up until then, Opius had hogged the show surely Skiff, Don and everybody would have forgotten about Gan Ainm, so just shoving her in so quickly and simply referring to her as 'Gan' at the first moment is likely to leave people confused. Even the readers would need to adjust to it as well.
I'm also just a little disappointed by Gan's lack of actions against the boys... but that said, when they go down the corridor, the 'Bloodstains scattered along the path' leaves us wondering exactly how good a swordswoman she is... though I think it might be more interesting if it was described as something like 'judging by the artistry of bloodstains scattered along the path.' Something long those lines.
The argument sequence was fairly well thought out, although I find it odd that Cameron didn't go into more detail about the meeting with Surkaust Kailah, Mistress and co given her flat denial. I would have thought he would make a bigger deal of that particular can of worms. I think a brief explanation of the 'Paradigm shift' might be useful too, otherwise readers are left with a term they're not so well used to. Plus it sounds important.
Overall though it is a rather enjoyable chapter. looking forward to whatever comes next.