Chapter 32

Chapter 32

 

The Viper in the nest.

 

The man was about the same build as Cameron, but as he came to realize slightly faster. The enemy Caster was a Puppet class. He currently had control over a stone golem and was trying to squish Kailah with it. Kailah decided to counter attack with fire and was at the moment melting the stone golem’s feet to the pavement.

Cameron blocked another attack from the Sword and managed to get an attack in before he was back on the defensive. The two Swords traded attacks and feints as the rain mercilessly poured down on the two battles.

Cameron tried to use the terrain to the best of his ability but he was more used to fighting on flat surfaces, not shifting rubble. A number of times he was almost killed thanks to a foot sliding on rocks. More explosions rocked the two Swords from the left where Kailah was fighting, but Cameron was unable to spare the concentration to check on her. When Cameron’s weapons locked with the enemy’s, the man grinned and tried to stomp on Cameron’s foot. Cameron quickly picked his foot up out the way and, using that foot, kicked at the enemy’s knee.

Luck was with him as his foot connected, shattering the man’s knee cap. Crying in pain and surprise, the man twisted and fell onto his good knee, freeing their weapons. Cameron quickly pulled his sword back and sliced diagonally in a downward motion. The enemy Sword fell forward into the mud, his blood mixing with the rain as it pooled onto the ground around him.

Cameron stepped over the severed head to help Kailah. He needn’t have bothered, she was pouring so much power into her attacks the rain was evaporating from the heat around her. He shivered unconsciously when he heard her cackling as she controlled a snake made of fire. Using his better survival instincts, Cameron stayed back as the fire snake struck out at the enemy Caster. The man’s screams quickly faded in the roar of the flames.

The fire snake dissipated leaving Kailah surrounded by a six foot wall of flames. She looked in Cameron’s direction and he could see her eyes glowing red. She smiled triumphantly at him as he cautiously approached her. Cameron couldn’t help but notice that the golem was a small pool of lava off to the left side of the courtyard.

He held up his hand, unsuccessfully trying to block some of the heat, “Could you tone it down, Kai?”

The flames that circled around her died down to a simmer on the ground in a perfect circle. Cameron gingerly stepped over the edge of the circle and stood in front of her.

“You alright?” Cameron narrowed his eyes, hers were still aflame.

The glow began to fade along with the circle of flame as Kailah answered, “Yes.”

Cameron looked her over, she didn’t appear injured. He breathed a sigh of relief as her eyes turned back to their normal crimson. Turning, he walked to one of the remaining walls and leaned against it. The rain had slacked off to a light drizzle that did nothing to the fires hungrily devouring any vegetation that remained.  Cameron rubbed his tired eyes, watching Kailah walk over and stand in front of him through his fingers. She stood there with one hand on her hip a strange look upon her face.

“Have fun?” Cameron asked her sarcastically.

“Indeed,” Kailah replied sultrily, “but I could go for some other fun.”

“Woah!” Cameron cried as she leaned against him and he quickly grabbed her wrist, “You’re not getting THAT kind of fun, Princess. Kai would kill me.”

He let go of her wrist as she pouted. The look made sense to him now; Princess had come out to play. She still leaned against him and began tracing circles on his chest, “She doesn’t have to know.”

“Yeah right,” Cameron snorted. He was trying very hard not to stare downward.

Kailah’s shirt had ripped at the collar and the way she was leaning was giving him a great view of certain things. Cameron grabbed at her seeking hands again.

“Stop that,” Cameron demanded, “I have no clue why you get like this but it really is annoying.”

“Oh, come on,” Princess laughed, “I know you want it.”

She smiled and Cameron blushed, “Or at least part of you does.”

“Get off!” Cameron shouted and shoved her back.

She still laughed as Cameron glared at her, “When’s Kai coming back.”

Princess shrugged as she sauntered up to him again. She smiled at him seductively through half closed eyes as once again she leaned on his chest. Cameron sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“One kiss wouldn’t kill you would it?” Princess asked softly as she nibbled his ear.

Cameron looked back at her and she tilted her head back slightly, waiting. Cameron smiled mischievously.

“Sure,” He whispered.

  Princess smiled triumphantly as Cameron slid his left hand to the small of her back and curved his right to her hairline on her neck. Cameron leaned closer to her lips and breathed in her scent.

“Not,” Cameron said flatly and pulsed power to her nerve points under his hands.

Kailah’s eyes went wide then rolled into the back of her head as she passed out. Cameron caught her weight easing her to the ground and sat next to her.

The rain slowly put out the fires through sheer stubbornness. Cameron was thoroughly soaked. He heard less and less explosions off in the distance as time went on. He guessed the battle was ending. The bodies of the Chaos slowly washed away with the rain. Soon only the damage would be left to mark that they had ever been there.

Kailah groaned and held a hand to her temple, “What happened?”

“Princess was being obnoxious,” Cameron replied digging dirt from under a fingernail.

She grumbled something but Cameron couldn’t make out what it was as he helped her get to her feet. She tried to squeeze out her hair of the excess water. It had come loose from the tie sometime during the fight. Little ringlets clung to her face, causing her aggravation. Cameron reached out and gently tucked the strands behind her ears. She smiled her thanks to him,

“Gantervez!” Captain Pargle’s voice called out of the gloom, startling them slightly.

“Over here,” Cameron called back.

A few minutes later the captain and his squad rounded the corner on the other side of the courtyard. They were carrying torches that sputtered in the soft rain illuminating the destruction around them.

“Are you two alright?” Pargle asked as he crossed the courtyard avoiding the numerous holes.

Cameron nodded shifting on his feet, “More or less.”

“Good to hear,” Pargle sighed, “Maltoris has sent a back-up Pair to finish this section. You two are to report back to the Compound.”

Cameron glanced past Pargle, seeing the Pair he mentioned standing by the rest of the squad. The Pair were two females of about the same age. Both were older women but Cameron could tell they were powerful. He nodded to the Pair and they nodded back in greeting.

“Alright,” Cameron sighed turning to his Caster, “let’s get going, Kai.”

Kailah nodded and the two of them slowly trudged past the squad of men. Cameron smiled as he noticed the looks of amazement and admiration Kailah got from the young soldiers. He guessed they hadn’t seen a Caster in action before or the aftermath.

Pargle motioned for four of his soldiers to escort them back to the Compound. Cameron nodded in thanks to the old soldier and the small group set off into the night. The going was slow but thankfully uneventful. Much of the city had received some level of damage. Some parts were completely destroyed. The market quarter seemed to have taken the brunt of the attack from what Cameron could make out in the gloom.

The small group made it to the entrance of the Compound. The soldiers saluted Kailah and Cameron then headed back out to reunite with their squad. Cameron watched them disappear into the night. With a heavy sigh he and Kailah walked through the main gate. The sight that greeted them was nothing like Cameron could have expected. Half if not most of the civilians that were displaced by the attack were in the Compound now. Squads were keeping order to the best of their ability, and to their credit doing fairly well.

Tents stretched out around the entrance, in neat rows, disappearing around the buildings that served as the Pair quarters, Cameron guessed the catacombs were full. Thankfully someone had the notion of keeping the main roadway open, so the two of them were able to easily make their way to the main hall. Once inside they were ushered to Maltoris’ office.

He was standing over his desk, a map of the city laid out before him, puffing on his pipe. A few squad leaders were standing around the desk giving their input as to where and how their squads would be of use.

Cameron stood in front of the desk and snapped off a salute, “Reporting, sir.”

Kailah just stood there, Cameron was sure she was dead tired. Maltoris glanced at them and waved for Cameron to be at ease.

“Good to see you, Gantervez,” Maltoris mumbled around the pipe, “How are you holding up?”

Cameron glanced at Kailah who had wandered over to an unoccupied chair and collapsed into it, “Ah, we’re good.”

Maltoris looked from one to the other, unconvinced, “Mmm. What kind of Chaos was it?”

“Puppet,” Cameron replied, “Judging from the size of the puppet I’d guess he was sixth level.”

Maltoris nodded, “We’ve had reports of a handful of low level Chaos throughout the city.”

“Have we gotten any reinforcements?” Cameron asked wincing; his head was starting to pound.

“Yes,” Maltoris replied straightening up and stretching, “therefore, you two are relieved until noon tomorrow, or unless some other blasted emergency happens.”

“Bu-“

“I have more than enough able bodies that I need not rely on a spent Pair,” Maltoris raised his hand, cutting off Cameron’s protest, “Your Caster is asleep in my chair and you are dead on your feet.”

Cameron shut his mouth with a snap and looked at where Kailah had sat, her location registering for the first time in his tired brain. She was sitting with her head propped on her right hand, a little bit of drool trickling out the corner of her lips, in Maltoris’ giant desk chair. Cameron turned back to Maltoris, who wasn’t actually, but still managing to be laughing at him. He conceded defeat and saluted, not quite as crisp as when he had walked in though.

Maltoris returned the salute then gave his attention back to the battle at hand. Cameron left him to his work and walked over to his sleeping Caster. He stifled a chuckle when he heard her soft snores. Gently, he shook her shoulder whispering her name. She started awake shooting out the chair, lightning ready to strike.

“Kai!” Cameron quickly stood in front of her, “Kai, it’s ok, we’re safe. Power down.”

Kailah blinked in confusion at him, but did as he said. She sheepishly glanced around the room at the shocked expressions directed at her. Cameron offered his arm to her and she gratefully took it. The two of them walked out the room, neither looking back and headed for their apartment. Cameron didn’t need to see out of the corner of his eye to know that Kailah’s cheeks were burning.

The trek to the apartment was uneventful, thankfully, but still wet. Cameron glanced up at the dark skies, having to squint into the rain. The few torches still alight sputtered their defiance to the onslaught. None of the civilians taking refuge in the Compound wandered outside. Cameron was thankful there had been no need to house any of them in the apartments. He wasn’t sure if he was up to playing host to strangers.

They entered their apartment and immediately went to their rooms to change clothes. Cameron tripped over Fudgums along the way too tire to curse the cat. He shivered when he came back into the common area. As he was getting the fire started, Kailah came out of her room, Fudgums in tow. She smiled at him then went into the kitchen. After a few minutes Cameron smelled coffee brewing.

Once Cameron got the fire going he went and sat on the couch. Not long after he sat down, the fire giving slowly warming the room, Fudgums crept out of the kitchen and jumped up next to Cameron. Without thinking Cameron began to pet the cat, his mind wandering while he watched the fire eat hungrily at the logs. The cat began to purr, moving its head to different angles so Cameron would scratch the preferred parts of its chin or ears.

“Told you, you’d get used to him,” Kailah smirked coming back from the kitchen carrying two mugs of coffee.

“Too tired to fight him,” Cameron sighed accepting the cup she handed him.

She sat down on the other side of the couch, tucking her bare feet under her. They sat in comfortable silence while the both of them were warmed by the fire and the coffee. The rain was a soft echo now and it had been a good while since the last explosion.

Fudgums rolled over onto his back so Cameron could scratch his belly. He smirked at the cat as he realized he had grown fond of the giant fur ball. That illusion quickly shattered as Fudgums latched onto his hand and bit him, hard. Cameron cried out and jerked his hand away, glaring at the cat. As the cat sauntered off, Cameron checked his hand for any serious injuries.

“That little b*****d,” Cameron grimaced at the four puncture wounds on his hand.

Kailah set her coffee down on the end table and scooted over to sit next to him, “Let me see.”

Cameron begrudgingly held out his hand to her, “How is it, you’re always treating me for cat inflicted injuries?”

“Because you always manage to acquire them,” She replied softly, looking up at him as she held a handkerchief to the wounds.

The laughter in her eyes was intoxicating. Cameron felt he could drown in those crimson pools. Slowly he leaned forward, somewhere in the back of his mind expecting Don to burst in at any moment. Kailah delicately licked her lips and leaned forward slightly, her eyes half closing. Cameron’s heart was beating in his throat, the butterflies doing the tango with his stomach. She was so close.

The crash of lightning splitting the night sky made both of them jump backwards. The rain poured with a vengeance as the last surviving torch sputtered out in the courtyard. Cameron’s eyes took a minute to be able to see again in the gloom of the firelight. Kailah still held his hand and he gripped hers reassuringly. She squeezed back and Cameron could feel her shivering slightly. Without a word he gently pulled her to his side, wrapping his arm over her shoulder. As the clock chimed one in the morning, the two of them sat and listened to the rain both remembering past horrors of rainy days and both taking comfort in the other’s presence.