Chapter 11

An excerpt from my work. Thank you to everyone who continues to read and support my work.

Ben didn’t know what to do, his hands were shaking too badly, a pain in his side made him notice some of the blood was his, whatever had hit June had hit him too and the wound now burned. He didn’t care though, he held her as tightly as he could, his tears making it hard to see, he sent little waves of healing through her again and again but he knew, he could feel it, she was gone. A soft cough came from a man across the room, almost a giggle. “I think it’s him Regaus,” the light lilting voice said in a high singsong tone like chimes in a breeze. A loud thump from the dining rooms far corner made Ben look. The two men were standing back where the band had pushed tables over against the wall, the dim lights above seeming to cast strange shifting shadows. Ben had to blink a few times to focus but try as he might his eyes had a hard time. Their clothes looked like armour and seemed to shift in colour. Greys and blacks shifting like soap shimmering on water. The one who spoke suddenly moved, if you could call it moving. It was so fast Ben could barely follow him as he crossed the room. “Are you him? Is this him Regaus?” he came to a rest at a table only a few feet away. Suddenly sitting backwards in a chair long sleek hair falling across his face a crooked smile twisting his thin lips as he rested his chin on the chair back. The the man called Regaus spoke up with a voice like a rasping smoker, “I think you’re right Luka. You are, aren’t you?” he stood further off but Ben could tell he was talking to him too. He turned and looked back at the seated man called Luka, “I think it is him, the one the kind master wants collared.” He was standing there holding a man at arm’s length by the throat and the man just dangled limply feet not touching the floor. Holding him up as if he was no more than a child, fingers wrapped around the other man’s neck Regaus snapped the man’s neck back like a twig. Drawing him close he bit down hard till blood bubbled from the man’s throat the wound flowing steadily to the floor, gorging himself. After a moment he stood straight wiping the back of his hand across his mouth, licking his hand slowly like a cat. All Ben could do was watch, his body felt heavy, and so tired, these monsters in pale skin, he was slick with blood just smiling back at him. Regaus released his grip on the dead man’s collar letting the body fall to the floor and looked at Ben with a cloying smile, feigned sympathy thick in his tone. “Luka I think we’re being rude, can’t you see his friend is hurt, he is obviously distraught, show some compassion.” “You’re quite right my brother, where are my manners. Is she alright there friend, she’s got a spot of red on her, lift her shirt and let Luka kiss it better.” He tipped back his head letting out a malicious little giggle. Regaus, joined in to with a hearty chuckle, suddenly shifting across the room to stand next to Luka. Their laughing clawed into Ben’s head tearing at his last shred of restraint, the rage inside of him bubbling up, he reached out for aether and drew strength from his rage, pulling the energy he had stored in his pendant with it. Ben lashed out drawing heat from the air and the energy inside him, plasma bursting from his free hand in a violent blue arc. He lashed out again and again, wide arcs of plasma crackling out before him. He had never used his powers to attack but his anger showed him how. When he finally stopped, chest heaving, sweat pouring from him, the room was filled with smoke and fire. The table they had been at turned over now had taken the brunt of Ben’s wild attack and they stood staring at him smiling like fools. Ben was at a loss, the energy from his pendant was almost gone. He stood up slowly resting June’s body down, he folded a towel under her head closing her eyes. He held her head in his hands staring at her, “why?” “HA, Regaus, he finally speaks.” “Yes and he wants to know something Luka," Regaus smacked Luka playfully in the chest. Luka just giggled like a child and whispered to his Ben, "right, right, what’s that now, you have a question?” “Why did you kill her?” They looked at each other then back at Ben, neither smiled nor laughed they just stared. Ben could see it in there eyes, they genuinely didn't get the question, “you don’t understand? You said you were here for me, so why her?” “That’s how the game is played boy, you suffer we get paid. It’s all business.” Luka’s wicked smile revealed long eyeteeth, his pale skin and long dyed black hair with the white roots showing through. Ben realized now, these two were Strigoi, nothing but scum, bloodsucking monsters. “You’re in pain at losing her, then we have done our job. So come along put on this collar and we can all go,” Regaus said reaching into his pocket and drawing out a small link of steel. He tossed it at Ben’s feet and put his hands in his pockets shuffling his feet like he was in no rush. Ben looked down at it, he knew once he put it on he’d be done for. Ben knew it would be designed to inhibit kinetic powers. “Look boy, if you don’t put it on, me and Luka have to find more people to hurt.” He stepped over to one of the serving girls, running his nails down the line of her jaw. Ben couldn’t remember her name, she was new, he regretted not learning it now. Her body had been flung across the table, her eyes were wide and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Regaus’ finger traced little circles across her collarbone before smearing the blood with one of his sharp nails. He sucked the blood from his finger letting out a faint sigh as he did. “Fear; so sweet you could spread it on toast,” he paused a moment looking down, “there’s an idea.” He reached down and scooped up a loaf of sweet bread that had survived Ben’s outburst mostly unburnt. “Waste not want not folks always say.” He smeared the bread across her face and took a bite. “LEAVE HER ALONE!” “Luka you must try this. Best bread ever!” Luka smiled but didn’t move, his eyes still firm on Ben, he just kicked a chair back up and plopped himself back down resting his chin on the back rest. He laced his fingers together resting his chin on the back of the chair again but even sitting like that Ben could see it in his eyes, this man was ready for a fight. His hair hanging in front of his face waved back and forth as he tilted his head looking at Ben. “You know the twenty or so here were just the beginning, and some of them are still alive, when we leave there may be a few who can get help for the ones who aren’t dead yet. If you’re good. I ate already, but Regaus here skipped lunch. That one man’s hardly enough to sate a man of his stature.” Regaus looked up from his bread roll, “I am famished.” 

“See. So be a good little mongrel and put on the collar.” Luka’s eye narrowed suddenly, his hands tightening together, “or will Regaus be finding his next meal here?” The air was getting thicker with all the smoke, it burned Ben’s lungs and made it harder to see, Ben just couldn’t see any other way out. He knelt down and reached for the collar, but a cough from the kitchens made him look up.  

Standing in the door to the kitchen was Emera, his chef’s coat was open and his usual stoop to his back was gone, if Ben hadn't recognized the beard he’d have thought this a different man. He walked smooth and cool, each step as careful as a dancer around everything in his path till he stood between Ben and the collar. He stood there tapping the ladle head against his other palm. 

Emera Smiled, “I wouldn’t be throwing around the term ‘mongrel’ too much. I don’t see antlers on your forehead.” He gripped the head of the ladle tight and twisted it off like a bottle cap tossing the spoon part aside. He held the three feet of wooden handle loosely by the end and leaned down striking the end against the floor like a matchstick sending up a shower off sparks as it raked the ground tearing up chunks of the floor and even the stone and metal of the foundation all tearing away. The pieces of debris began glowing red hot fusing into one piece, a long blade true and straight, the end drawn out to a point it looked like an old style knights sword without the cross bar. As the blade waved through the air it left an arcing trail in its wake, Ben had seen it once before, the edge of the matter blades honed so fine under intense pressures was so sharp it cut through the very particles of the air and caused snaps of energy release that were then absorbed into the blade fueling it further. It was an awe inspiring sight.  

Emera stopped and pulled a crumpled looking cigarette out of his coat pocket holding the glowing hot blade to his face and lit the smoke against it taking a long pull, letting it out through his nose. His voice rasped as he spoke, “been over a thousand years since I had to draw Daphne, thought it fitting I stick with tradition and have a drag.” He coughed heavily waving the smoke about and threw it aside looking a bit sick. “As disgusting as I remember. Glad I quit, filthy habit. Now before I have to put Daphne here to use, I think you two best shove off, the kitchens closed.” As large as the blade was Emera swung it with ease and finesse, twirling it about in a few short circling flourishes. Grounding the tip he looked the two Strigoi over and gave a quick nod to the door. Luka looked back to Regaus who was still smiling then turned back to Emera. Luka’s grin wide and toothy like a hungry cat also.  

“Look Regaus, another little mongrel who thinks he can fly among the gods. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Regaus smiled and raised his hands together cracking each finger slowly, “finders bonus, they are hunting kinetics.” Both Strigoi suddenly moved, Luka ducking left and Regaus running right at Emera. Ben had sat there long enough and grabbed at the last of his energy in the pendant sending a quick jet of blue plasma into Luka’s path. Luka grabbed up another chair and spun it through the air. Smashing it to splinter inches from Ben’s head. Ben readied a trickle of energy into a web that he knew would stop any more furniture but what came next was like nothing he had ever seen. Luka was fast almost too fast for Ben to follow, jumping back across the room he grabbed a handful of hair from a woman on the floor tearing it free from her head. He stood up sliding back his sleeve his hand wrapped in some weird bracer, a small gem glowing at the center. Luka suddenly threw a lock of the hair across his open palm sending the hair streaking across the room like a scattergun shredding table tops walls and ceiling alike. The web he threw up did nothing as a dozen shots burned through the openings in the weave and blasted him back against the wall, stars swimming across his eyes as the air was driven from his lungs. Ben slumped to the ground falling heavily to the floor boards. His head ringing from the impact he looked up to see Emera in front of him sword ablaze swinging back and forth deflecting more shots away from them. Table legs and plates embedding themselves into the wall around them. The trickles of blood running down Emera’s arms and legs showing he was quickly losing the fight. Ben tried to stand, to pull more energy through the pendent but there wasn’t even a trickle enough to heal the throbbing in his head and he fell back down. He was out of options, his voice horse from the smoke he couldn’t even plead for them to stop, to spare Emera at least. A pair of hands wrapped around him then, lifting him up, strong hands that moved him like he was a child helping him to the kitchen door. With the smoke and shadows clinging to the hall he thought it was Daphne who had come to his aide. When they stopped he found himself looking into the eyes of a Mij. “Ben what’s going on? Who is this?” Ben looked up to see Emera standing over them. His body resting heavy on his sword its glowing hot tip driven into the tile floor leaving a smoldering spot. He was covered in sweat and ash and bleeding from several cuts but looked no more the worse for wear. Ben’s own wounds were quickly knitting closed but he noticed Emera’s cuts weren’t healing at all. 

“Emera you're hurt.” 

The old chef looked down at his body, “yeah, it takes a lot to charge a matter blade I barely had enough to cast up the illusion to make it out of there. But that’s no matter we have to go. Hey thanks lady you saved us there, if you hadn’t grabbed him, well I don’t know what I’d have done.” “I owe him, and I will not let him die till I am free of that debt.” 

“Lousha, Dema, whatever your name is, thank you;” Ben looked into her huge unblinking eyes and decided he was too tired to argue, she only shrugged walking over to Emera to check his wounds.

"Forget it woman, I need time to rest, my body will do the healing,” Emera grumbled.

Ben pulled himself up to his feet and walked to the back door, “now we got to get out of here, before they figure their way around whatever illusion Emera cooked up.” 

 “Good idea, make for the street the shuttles gone.” 

“What about Daphne? I heard you mention her but I haven’t seen her!”  

“Don’t worry Ben, first we have to get out of here.” Ben nodded knowing it was just a waste of time to argue, his mind wandered to the people. All those still trapped inside were done for. As they bolted out the back door they ran down the side of the next building over; coming out into the front street. The windows were bright the glow and flicker of the flames would spill out soon and it would be too late. Without stopping he ran past the nearest power line pole and with a quick jolt of power severed the power line to their side of the street. In seconds Ben could hear the siren of Delta service crew. They would find the fire in time, and hopefully some of the people inside. They ran for quite a time but as fast as he could he could barely keep up, his useless attack had wasted so much of his reserves and he was running on fumes. After what seemed like hours they came to a small quay in the south end of the warehouse district. This end of the warehouse district was much older and still showed a lot of the first Mirridiannan architecture, with its sweeping arches made of stone that looked more like trees than something manmade rising out of the surf that supported most of the area. White coral they had mined from the sea bed had been used in all the buildings and decorated even the peers pilings and it was one of these buildings they headed for; it was an old boat house Ben had been to once before. Emera walked up to the door tapping the lock with his key popping it open. 

“Why are we here immortal," Dema asked, "he is in no condition to travel. He barely survived those Strigoi, do you really think to hide from them, your blood sings to them like a siren, they will be on us soon, we must leave.” 

Emera gave the grumpy mij a sour look, “could you pause between complaints please, I mean I didn’t even see you stop to take a breath that whole time.”  

“Mij breath through our skin.” 

“Oh, well still, what do you purpose we do?”  

“I know where we may barter for safe passage.”

Emera waved his hand as if batting aside the idea and continued walking. “Ben is fine just tired, right boy; besides we are getting out of here, I called in a favour; friend of mine’s gonna meet us here soon.” Ben was so tired his arms and legs felt like they were made of lead, but he didn’t want to look like he couldn’t hack it if Emera could. Lousha folded her arms across her chest, a slight change in her posture that spoke levels of annoyance. 

“Just hurry then, I wish to be gone before those blood hounds find us; and the sooner we leave the sooner we can rest.”  

“Rest, ha, come on you two, look alive, there’ll be time to rest when you’re dead.” A soft whistle and a snap broke the silence of the night like the crack of a whip. Emera had been holding his blade, the edge flat across his shoulder one second, and in the next his whole arm simply ceased to exist turning to mist before their eyes. Droplets of crimson red flying through the air painting the three of them, the square shafted sword clattered to the cobbles, the blade crumbling, all light draining away from the once brilliantly glowing edge. A soft hissing laugh floated from the nearby alley. 

“Looks like its nap time for you then, old mongrel," came Luka's subtle drawl, both Strigoi stood there, the faint lights from the streetlights seeming to make their armour shift violently about, their eyes glowing like some midnight predator. They didn’t move or even seem to care as Ben tried desperately to stop the bleeding, they just stood, and watched, all grins. Ben could see the wound was massive, it had destroyed Emera’s arm completely. Whatever had hit him had torn his entire shoulder apart. Like some huge beast had taken a bite out of him leaving a ragged void where his right arm had been. 

“Ben you have to run, get away from them.” 

“I won’t leave you Emera, why won’t it heal? Come on.” His power was already trying to heal him, but Ben could see it was a losing the battle.

Emera was just too weak to stop the bleeding, he just smiled up at him holding onto his shirt so that he looked into Ben’s eyes. “Oh Ben I’m so sorry, it’s too much;” he coughed blood, the wound on his side opening more oozing warm blood around Ben’s hand. 

“No, come on boss, you can’t go out like this. You’re an immortal, you can’t die like this.”  

“It’s okay son, I don’t even feel it, I’m just cold is all,” he grabbed hold of Ben’s shirt pulling close. “I knew what I was getting into when I drew my blade son;” he smiled up at Ben, but Ben couldn’t smile back, it was more than he could handle anymore. “Ben listen to me, I’ve lived a very long time. I was born on earth for crying out loud, no human has been there in two thousand years. In all this time I never knew my purpose, not till now.” Emera closed his eyes, the massive wound slowing its flow of blood. 

“Hey stay with me boss, Emera, come on, you’re the boss, you can’t just quit on me. What am I gonna tell Daphne, how do I tell her you died.”  

Emera’s eyes filled anew with fresh tears, “no worries there Ben, I’ll see her long before you do;” Ben's mind reeled anew, slamming his fist against the ground beside him, a burst of aether he couldn’t control ripping up the street behind him.  

Regaus coughed, “oh, I suppose that was us; please, we can hardly keep track of who we killed tonight, but you could have stopped us.”  

Emera’s grip pulled Ben back to him, “it wasn’t them boy, Daphne’s been dead a long time.” Ben’s world was rocking beneath him and threatened to force him to pass out. Emera's fist grabbed him hard, his eyes blinked tears flowing freely down his cheeks, yet still he smiled. “I lost her centuries ago, an eternity can break a man Ben I told you I was weak, the Daphne you knew was just a memory, my self-invoked penance for failing her.” A violent cough racked Emera; the flow of blood from his wound had slowed and Ben could feel Emera slipping, the aether that bound him fading into the void. 

“Emera…?”

“Don’t make my mistake Ben, I know it wasn’t my fault but I could never let go. You can’t …” 

 “I already lost June, now you and Daphne too.”  

“Poor June, please Ben, don’t… blame yourself… Ben… sometimes… we loose… people… at the… hands… of… tyrants…, please… don’t… blame… yourself.” 

With that his friend was quiet, Ben laid him out setting him gently down on the cobblestone, folding his coat under Emera’s head, it had soaked right through with blood staining him to his skin. He looked at his hands and didn’t recognize them, his own but cold and stained in death. His friends were gone their lives extinguished, cut down before their time, and for what? Ben could feel his rage building like never before, but smiled in spite of the moment, looking down at Emera, he was still smiling too. There clutched in Emera’s hand was a bit of chain, Ben looked closer realizing in a flash what it was, the pendant. Ben reached up to his neck and inhaled deeply, it was as if he took his first breath. 

Without the pendant he felt lighter, he felt whole, he felt aether. 

Ben could feel it deep inside him, all around them, it was a rush of energy as a part of them. Emera had always told Ben never to seek his aether in anger, but here, now, he couldn’t understand why. He reached for it with his senses touching the torrent of power and felt as it rushed through him, filling him up washing away fatigue, and sadness. It filled him till he wanted to scream to match its fury with his own. He had never tried this without the pendant before, where before he had felt control as he pulled from a trickle of life, now he could feel himself loosing it all to this ocean of power. 

 This, this was the infinite energy Emera always told him about.