by Zel Spasov
Wheezing, Charles crawled toward Monsieur Gèroux, who had freed himself from his ties. Bernard grabbed Cayden and pulled him to the barricade, which was bending beneath the pressure of the attack. Although “The Rabbit” could barely breathe and the blood in his veins burned like acid, he kept moving. Things were going well for them—“The Sloth” was overwhelmed by attackers, the barrier was about to collapse, and Cayden was in the hands of Monsieur Gèroux. Right at that moment, Bernard clutched his head and shuddered. He stumbled and started yelling. What was happening?
***
Bernard could already taste victory as he dragged Cayden toward the barricade. The hospital staff was going to break through at any moment, after which he was going to hand Cayden over to Doctor Dimitriou. She would reward him generously for this act. At last, the people in the psychiatric hospital would treat him with the respect he deserved. He couldn’t imagine a better feeling than that.
Is this what we’ve become? a voice said in his head. Bernard ignored it. Disloyal, ungrateful traitors?
“Shut up,” Monsieur Gèroux said irritably.
You can’t silence me. I’m part of you. We are two sides of the same coin, the voice said again.
“Quiet!” growled Bernard.
I’m putting an end to this madness! said the voice. Intense pain exploded in Monsieur Gèroux’s skull. Bernard screamed and clutched his head. His surroundings vanished, replaced by a white fog, his cries drowning out the noise around him. He lost track of where he was. Gradually, the pain subsided, and he got up on his feet. A human figure he instantly recognized emerged from the white mist—it was his brother, Zacharie Gèroux.
“That's enough,” his brother said. “I’m taking over.”
“As if I’m going to let you,” said Bernard. “Everything is going as planned. The barricade will fall, and we’ll turn Cayden over to Doctor Perfect.”
“She will destroy us. The woman is an embodiment of absolute evil.”
“It's all evil to you!” said Monsieur Gèroux. “Every time I try to do something for the both of us, you say it’s wrong!”
“Persephone will kill Cayden and then us,” said the captain. “Don’t you see what happens to the people under her care?”
“I see only the deal I made with her. For us. You’re going to ruin everything!”
“I want to save us.”
“We don’t need your saving. Things were going well before you intervened.”
“It's time to step aside, Bernard.”
Monsieur Gèroux fused his fingers into steely clamps and bared his teeth. “Make me!”
Zacharie grappled him, bringing him down, but instead of hitting the ground, they were swallowed by the white fog.
First, the sound came back. Intense ringing in his ears, which was quickly replaced by yelling, oomphing, and banging—these were the sounds of the battle going on around him. Colors and shapes emerged from the whiteness. Gèroux was lying flat on the ground without any memories of how he had gotten there. He leaned on one hand and stood up.
Someone attacked him from behind, knocking him down with a brute force. He recognized his assailant—Charles.
“You son of a bitch!” Charles shouted. “You aren’t taking Cayden with you!”
“It’s me!” said Gèroux. “It’s Zacharie!”
Charles halted his attack and gave him a distrustful look.
“It’s me,” said Zacharie again. “Bernard’s gone.”
“How can I trust you?” Charles asked.
Behind “The Rabbit,” an enormous man appeared and swung at his head. Captain Gèroux pushed Charles aside. The attacker's fist smashed into Zacharie's chest. Charles used this opportunity to kick the guard in the crotch. While his opponent was holding his groin, “The Rabbit” grabbed a cup and broke it on his head, knocking him out.
Charles helped Zacharie stand up.
“I guess you really are the captain,” he said. “If it’s a trick, you’re going to pay.”
“Come on, let's deal with the orderlies,” Zacharie said.
He understood Charles's mistrust. The brothers Gèroux shared one body and constantly fought for control. This time, the captain had won, with Bernard taking a back seat. It was necessary until the situation in the hospital stabilized.
The captain noticed one of Doctor Dimitriou’s henchmen approaching Cayden and hit him with an open palm on the temple. Zacharie let out a rebel yell and swung at the next attacker as Charles rushed to help Lenny, who was dealing with three enemies at once.
The battle continued in full force as Pete Townshend's guitar energized the air.
***
The guard swung at Cayden, who rolled to the left. The blade hit the hard floor and bounced back, sparks flying in the air. Cayden got ready to face a second attack, but it didn’t follow. Monsieur Gèroux’s sword was sticking out of the guard’s chest.
“Now I saved your life,” the wolf said.
“That would be true if you’d stopped him before he tried to stab me.”
“I waited for dramatic effect.”
“He could’ve killed me!”
“It would’ve been dramatic,” said the wolf, shrugging his shoulders.
The sound of drums and electric guitars came from somewhere.
“Where's that music coming from?” Charles asked, appearing next to Cayden as if from nothing.
Blink.
The music boomed from the stereo, while Cayden lay motionless on the floor of the psychiatric facility. He blinked several times. What was this weird place? Just a moment ago, he had been in the middle of a battle with Agapea’s soldiers. He stood up, still dazed by the sudden change of his environment. Wherever he was, there was a fight here no less fierce than the one in Agapea. Next to him stood a man vaguely reminiscent of the Rabbit, Charles. The man asked him if he was all right. Cayden shook his head in confusion.
Someone yelled to his left. A man dressed in white clothes lunged at him. Cayden took a step back...
Blink.
… and returned to Agapea. A boar from the city guard stood in the place of the man dressed in white. Cayden reacted quickly to the shift. He repelled the attack, knocking the guard down with a kick in the legs. Together with Jean, Charles, and Monsieur Gèroux, he joined the captain and the three badgers, Peter, Gregor, and Theodor. The wolf brothers positioned themselves next to the Sloth, who, with the help of his long and powerful hands, was dealing with dozens of enemies at once. The badgers moved through the guards like a hurricane of hair, claws, teeth, and clubs. Charles and Jean jumped on the faces of the guards, biting and punching them. Cayden lost his sense of time—he felt like he had been fighting for hours, though only a few minutes had passed.
The forces of the Resistance slowly pushed the guards out of the warehouse. The soldiers retreated, joining their remaining forces outside and surrounding the Resistance fighters, who were trapped inside.
Blink.
The world shifted again. The patients pushed the orderlies and the guards out of the canteen and into the wide corridor, where Persephone’s subordinates had the advantage of numbers. As the patients retreated to the dining room, the two sides held their positions and waited. This time the shift didn’t surprise Cayden as much. There was a rhythm to it. He readied himself for a fight with the orderlies...
Blink.
… and found himself in the warehouse surrounded by the guards. If the fighters of the Resistance went into the open, the enemy would slay them. They had to find another way. Cayden ran to one of the doors and glanced outside. He immediately pulled back, an arrow flying past his head. His brief glimpse revealed two worrying things.
First, the guards had the numerical advantage.
Second: explosives.
“They're going to blow up the warehouse!” he shouted.
Blink.
The techs and the security guards divided in the middle. A man with a gun in his hand appeared from the corridor. Cayden shouted, “They're goin
g to fire!”
Blink.
Panic ensued. The members of the Resistance trampled each other in search of an exit. Some went outside and were instantly slaughtered. Cayden could only think of one possible solution.
“Everyone back in the tunnel!” he shouted.
Blink.
The patients desperately sought cover. Cayden started turning over the tables in the dining room. Charles, “The Sloth,” and Zacharie helped him. Then Cayden ordered everyone to hide behind the furniture.
Blink.
The badgers jumped in the hole without hesitation. The warehouse emptied as the fighters of the Resistance retreated underground. Cayden stayed behind to make sure everyone had gone in the tunnel. The last one remaining was the Sloth.
“You’re next,” Cayden said.
Blink.
“Hide behind the table,” he said to Lenny, who had drawn himself up to his full height.
A loud, whip-like sound cracked in the air.
Blink.
A wave of warm air lifted Cayden off the ground as flames engulfed the warehouse. A thunderous explosion drowned out all other noises.
Then there was silence and darkness.
First came the thought, Am I alive? Ringing in Cayden's ears replaced the quiet. Pain flooded his body. He felt something big and heavy, covered in soft fur, on top of him. It was the Sloth. The mighty beast stood up, shifting the beams that had collapsed on his back, and fell again to the ground. Cayden saw deep wounds underneath the Sloth’s burnt fur coat. The warehouse had become a wreck, the ground covered with debris. The Sloth had protected Cayden from the power of the explosion, sacrificing himself to save him.
Blink.
Cayden instinctively recoiled when he heard the sound. Silence followed. Was he dead? Something big and heavy had fallen on him. As he pushed the object away, he realized that it was Lenny’s body. There was a bullet-shaped hole in his chest, from which dark-red blood gushed. He had stood in the path of the bullet to protect Cayden.
Blink.
Charles and Jean climbed out of the hole. They saw the Sloth lying on the ground and gasped.
“No, no, no!” the Rabbit said, putting his hands on the Sloth’s chest. “It can’t end this way! Come on, get up!”
The Sloth gave them one last look, filled with peace and quiet, and smiled. Then the light in his eyes went out.
Blink.
Charles and Jean stood over their friend’s lifeless body, crying. Neither of them could believe “The Sloth” was dead.
Cayden was in shock. Feelings of sadness and horror were struggling to come to the surface, but he pushed them down, as he had no use for them. They wouldn’t help him in completing the task and saving Mira.
Blink.
The sight of the mighty beast lying on the ground sent the badgers into a blinding rage. They roared—not a battle cry, but a howl filled with pain and anger. As the guards had counted on there being no survivors after the explosion, their blood froze when they heard the howl. Countless small, furious beasts emerged from the smoking ruins and charged them. The badgers bit their feet, scratched their faces, and hit them mercilessly with their bats. The attack of the tiny, hairy monsters was followed by an offensive by the brothers Gèroux, who moved in sync with one another like a terrifying hurricane of death. Their blades flashed under the sun, a watchman falling dead with each glimmer.
Blink.
The patients overwhelmed the surprised orderlies and guards. The ranks of Doctor Dimitriou's subordinates caved in.
Blink.
The badgers made a hole in the defensive line of the guards and used the opening to escape.
“Come on,” Cayden said to Charles, fighting back the tears in his eyes. A lump rose in his throat. “We have to go.”
“No!” said the Rabbit. “We can’t leave him here!”
“We don’t have time!” yelled Jean.
With great difficulty, Cayden managed to separate the Rabbit from the body of the Sloth and ran for the gap. His legs were like jelly, but he didn’t stop. Cayden gritted his teeth, hugged Charles even tighter, and crashed into the enemy’s lines, breaking through to the other side.
Blink.
Cayden glanced back at Lenny’s lifeless body before he and Charles slammed into the ranks of the hospital staff, punching a hole in their defense.
Blink.
The Resistance fighters pulled back toward the castle, repelling the attacks of the guards, who were following them closely. The group moved quickly and soon managed to increase the distance between itself and its pursuers. The soldiers stayed back to regroup, disappearing from sight. Just as the rebels thought they were out of danger, they reached a city square, where they encountered more enemies, riding on firehounds.
Blink.
The security staff cut off their escape. They led German Shepherds on leashes with them. The dog’s hair was standing on edge, their teeth bared, their ears tilted backward, and their eyes flashing with murderous malice.
Blink.
The firehounds inflated their throat sacs and spewed hot lava in Cayden’s direction. He jumped away. The attack missed him by centimeters, melting the stones beside him.
Blink.
The guards released the dogs, ordering them to attack. The pit bulls lunged at the patients.
Blink.
Cayden got up on his feet and was about to rejoin the fight when somebody put a hand on his shoulder.
“No,” Captain Zacharie Gèroux told him. “Fighting will slow you down too much. Take Charles and my brother and go.”
With these words, the captain jumped into the melee, almost immediately going out of view when a hound spat a stream of lava. Cayden wanted to help him but stopped himself, as he remembered his mission.
“Charles, Jean, Bernard, with me!” he shouted.
Charles hesitated. He also didn’t seem to want to leave the others to fight the firehounds alone.
“Go ahead!” Peter said. “We'll deal with the guards.”
“We have a more important task,” said Jean to the Rabbit. “The fate of Agapea depends on us!”
The Rabbit joined Cayden and Jean, followed by Bernard, who was cursing at his brother.
“Moron!” he yelled. “Stupid idiot! I won’t stay to watch you commit suicide!”
The three of them headed for the palace together with a small squad of badgers.
Blink.
Zacharie Gèroux was being pressed into the ground by a huge dog. The animal tried to bite his face near the hairline, but the captain held it back. With all his might, he tried to get the dog off him, but in vain. The animal’s sharp teeth were getting closer and closer to his throat. As Zacharie saw that there was no way out for him, he accepted his fate. He would gladly give his life for his companions. Monsieur Bernard Gèroux had another opinion on the matter, though.
“Moron!” he said. “I won’t watch you commit suicide!”
Bernard took control. He grabbed the dog’s collar and pushed the animal off himself, then got on its back. While still holding on to the collar, the monsieur took the leash and twisted it around the animal’s neck. He pulled tightly. After a minute, the dog stopped struggling and relaxed on the floor. Bernard kicked the beaten animal aside and joined Cayden.
Blink.
As the group neared the castle, Cayden noticed that the city was unusually quiet. The stillness was a striking contrast to the festivities during the Festival of Nine Moons. From time to time, Cayden noticed a window being closed at the last moment. The inhabitants of Agapea were all hiding in their houses to clear the battlefield. The quiet made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge. The Red Evil knew they were coming.
Chapter 16
T he group arrived at the raised wooden drawbridge in front of the palace.
Blink.
“Now what?” asked Monsieur Gèroux.
They were in front of a large, locked door. It led to a series of small rooms, which, according to the
map they had stolen, were going to take them to the outside courtyard of the psychiatric hospital.
Blink.
Cayden felt the red ruby pulsate in his pocket, stronger than ever before. He could sense the power residing in the gem. Its whispers caressed the surface of his mind, trying to sneak their way in, but he shut them out. The ruby was a tool he was using, nothing more.
“I have an idea,” Cayden said.
He took out the gemstone, which glowed in the night.
Blink.
Cayden pulled out the keychain Jean had stolen from Persephone and started looking for the right key for the door. He struggled to find it because there were dozens of keys hanging from the chain.
Blink.
Cayden squeezed the ruby and lifted it up into the air. The gemstone shone brightly in the night. The drawbridge creaked, then slowly started lowering. Guards appeared in the distance. They were a few hundred meters from the group and fast approaching. The bridge continued to drop bit by bit.
“Can’t this thing work any faster?” Jean asked.
“Do you think it has gears?” Cayden replied.
“Shake it a little; it may go quicker,” Charles said.
Cayden shook the ruby with distrust. The guards had already halved the distance between them.
Blink.
“Come on.” Cayden was talking to himself while looking for the right key.
“They’re getting closer…” said Charles.
The guards were nearing them, their faces distorted by malice.
Blink.
“Faster,” Cayden said to the ruby, but without any effect.