by Yi Zhu
“It’s time to eat.” Lucia’s voice appeared out of nowhere.
Vince shook his head, and felt the sweat dripping off of his forehead. His eyes shot open and found Lucia’s face staring back at him, tense with concern.
“The nightmares will pass, my little brother,” she assured him, then leaned down and kissed him softly on cheek.
Vince propped himself up higher with the pillows on the nightstand. It had been weeks since the Tryout, but his body still hadn’t fully recovered. The last time he had tried to walk, Derek had all but carried him around like a baby after Vince’s legs gave away. The big enforcer had meant well, but Vince was so embarrassed by the experience that he chose to stay in bed until he could move around on his own.
To make up for the blunder, Derek volunteered to run Vince’s errands. Within a day, the enforcer delivered part of Vince’s winnings to the Dragon gang, and transportation was arranged for Amara’s gang to be brought over to Zone 1409. Out of gratitude, the Dragons had allowed the Wolf Gang unlimited access to their territory.
Now that survival was no longer a pressing concern, everyone in the Wolf Gang welcomed Amara’s orphanage into their ranks. Everyone except little Isha.
For weeks, Vince would often wake up to find Amara standing guard near him, and little Isha passed out while leaning against his bed. Usually, the awkward standoffs ended when Lucia came around and shooed both girls away.
Vince couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was, and Lucia was of no help. She always gave him no answers, but an annoyingly smug look whenever he asked her about it.
“Do something productive today,” Lucia stated sternly while handing him a textbook.
“You used to let me just sleep,” he whined.
“Because I was worried about you, and you were injured!” she replied with exasperation.
Vince grabbed the book unhappily and read the title. “Introduction to Technomancy. Where did you find this?”
“Why do you care? Just read the damn thing,” Lucia snapped.
Vince regarded his sister suspiciously, and though Lucia certainly had her bad days, she was uncharacteristically short-tempered today.
“Sorry,” Lucia began, “just read it, okay?”
“What’s upsetting you?”
“We found that book in a raided tinker house.”
“Oh … Did one of us get hurt during the scavenging?”
Lucia shook her head. Vince could see that something was definitely bothering her, but before he could press the matter further, she left the room.
Vince sat alone in silence for several minutes, and tried to flip through the book, but the boredom quickly proved too much for him, as all he found were words he could barely understand. Damn it, maybe Zed can help me after school begins.
Cautiously, the boy flexed his limbs. Though he felt no sharp pain from movement, the muscles were definitely less responsive than he remembered. Good sense told him to keep resting, but the curiosity proved too strong. Gently, he lifted his legs off the bed, and set his feet on the ground. With both arms, Vince shifted weight to his lower body bit by bit. Much to his pleasure, his body held up.
Though he would have liked to try running, Vince limited himself to a steady pace as he exited the room. As he passed by other children in the courtyard, Vince noted several unfamiliar faces. The strangers all treated him with utter reverence; some even bowed at his approach.
As the boy walked up to the front gate, there stood the last person he wanted to find. Isha’s little face lit up with joy as she sprinted full speed toward Vince without consideration for his physical state. Luckily for the recovering Wolf, Derek intercepted the girl and shooed her away. Clearly wounded by the enforcer’s inconsiderate interruption, she strode away looking horribly offended.
“Thank you.” Vince sighed as he imagined some of the pain he would have felt if Isha had leapt on him.
Derek winked. “Glad to see you up and running again, you know, figuratively.” With a small salute, Derek began walking away.
Vince rested a hand gently on Derek’s shoulder. “Do you know why Lucia’s so upset?”
Derek glanced around to make sure no one else was eavesdropping. “She’s been upset for days; you just noticed?”
“Did something happen during the scavenge run?”
The enforcer shook his head. “Nothing unusual. Besides, she was upset earlier that day, before the actual tinker hunt happened.”
Oh, Lucia. I understand now.
Chapter 26: Survive
Sawyn spat into the river out of frustration. The visits to the Great Divide had become part of her ritual over the past two months she had stayed at the Yellow Soil. Part of what drew her there was the perceived closeness to her brother, but the toxic river also provided plenty of waste for her to practice on. For some reason, her Riftborn abilities never seemed to improve.
Roughly two weeks ago, Sawyn had grown desperate enough to seek out the advice of adults. She had enough common sense to forgo the specifics, of course. Instead, she just mentioned difficulty mastering general physical skills.
“We, the people, are masters of adaption, and we evolve to survive. If you ever grow stagnant in your abilities, simply go bigger,” the orphanage elder told her at the time. She immediately asked for clarification.
“The first alchemists in the world lived extremely short lifespans, because the byproduct of Fye is poisonous to the body. But it only took two generations for them to develop a much higher tolerance, hence the original alchemist’s powers paled in comparison to the Elites of today,” he had continued. “When the need becomes strong enough to dominate all else, we can accomplish amazing feats.”
Sawyn had nodded and thanked the elder for the wisdom, though she didn’t fully understand it.
When she arrived at the river that day, she tested out his advice, and stuck her entire right arm into the water. Not only did she fail to notice improvement, the smell lingered on her for days.
Recalling that memory made Sawyn shake her head in disgust. Maybe I was doing it wrong.
A gentle southbound breeze swept by, cooling her face, but also bringing with it the stink of Fye. Though the chemical supposedly made her stronger, she didn’t enjoy the scent. Poor Brother, he must miss the air in the South.
Sawyn patted the bulge in her pocket where the book now resided. She kept it on her person at all times, as a memento to remember Zed by. Even though there was no reason for her to flip through it anymore, as she knew every line by heart.
Sawyn’s stomach growled loudly, urging her to head back toward the orphanage. Zed can’t perform alchemy, so he probably won’t become an Elite. Given Zed’s exceptional intelligence, Sawyn had no doubt he would easily pass the academic track, and become, at the very least, a Scholar.
As she walked, she tried to imagine Zed as an alchemist. It was difficult to picture at first, especially considering her brother’s opinion on alchemy. Plus, knowing how clumsy her brother was, she would be lucky if he didn’t accidentally burn the house down.
As she flipped through mental images of Zed shooting fire, Sawyn recalled that Elites were also supposed to be masters of martial arts, causing her to let out a wholehearted burst of laughter. I would love to see Zed try to fight someone.
Sawyn continued her journey while amusing herself with happy thoughts, and before she realized it, the short trip came to an end.
Something’s different about the orphanage today, Sawyn noted. There were usually people running around outside, chased by exasperated adults. Or at the very least, there would be some sort of activity going on. Instead, she was greeted by complete silence. Part of Sawyn wanted to go elsewhere, at least until she found some answers. Her stomach had other ideas, however, and she yielded to its demands.
Slowly, Sawyn stepped into the Yellow Soil Orphanage, and found the Elder standing in the courtyard. He smiled reassuringly and beckoned her to come closer.
The door slammed shut as she took a f
ew more steps toward the old man. She whipped her head around to see two masked figures in military uniform standing vigilantly. “What is going on?” she asked. And how did I not notice them?
Elder Barmut smiled. “Don’t worry, my dear, nothing bad.”
Sawyn had only known the old man for a few months, yet she knew the elder was lying right now. Although, from experience, she knew the he cared deeply for the orphans.
“I thought you said there weren’t any others?” one of the masked figures asked, hovering his hand around the gas tank switch menacingly.
“Yes, my apologies.” The wizened old man took a deep bow. “My mind isn’t what it used to be.”
He lied to cover for me.
With an annoyed grunt, the masked Northerner gestured for them to enter the main building.
Sawyn looked up and met the elder’s eyes, and felt a twinge of guilt. Even knowing that what he had done could have drawn the ire of the alchemists, the elder had stuck his neck out, hoping to spare Sawyn from whatever was to come. The elder put a hand behind Sawyn’s shoulder, and gently began leading her into the main building.
“Thanks for trying,” Sawyn whispered, and meant it.
The man smiled in return, and gently squeezed her shoulder. “It’ll be all right, my dear; you have done more for the children than I ever was able to. The money is enough to last us years.” A frown formed on his already-wrinkled face. “This whole process might hurt, but it will be over soon.”
Now that they were closer to the building, Sawyn heard a muffled scream come from inside. She recognized it as the voice of a child, and fear rushed into her mind.
“What is going to happen?” Sawyn demanded as she caught a glimpse of electrical spark out of the corner of her eye.
“They are testing all the children. The pain is intense, but it’ll pass.” He rolled up his right sleeve, and revealed a sickening handprint-shaped burn scar on his arm. “We all had to go through it once. At least they no longer use fire.” The elder smiled the most comforting smile he could muster, but it was of little help.
Waves of dread washed over Sawyn as she came to a horrifying revelation. The presence of trained soldiers, the “testing of children,” and the flashes of electricity could only meant one thing.
They were hunting for Riftborns.
What can I do? Sawyn thought frantically. Time stood still as she scoured her brain for a solution. There were two guards standing by the door, and considering there were at least seventy children at Yellow Soil, she wouldn’t be surprised to find several more soldiers inside.
For a brief moment, Sawyn contemplated surrendering. According to her book, aside from the restraints, Riftborns were given quality amenities due to the rarity of their kind. Maybe it won’t be that bad, and I can see Zed again.
Sawyn shook her head furiously, clearing her thoughts from the cloud of panic. I won’t become a slave without a fight. Outnumbered and inexperienced, she decided to take a gamble.
“Elder Barmut,” Sawyn whispered, while tugging on the old man’s sleeve, “I am a Riftborn.” She had no idea how the man would react, but she was out of options.
Barmut stopped and turned to look at her, but said nothing. In fact, his expression didn’t change at all. After a few seconds of scrutinizing her, he once again rested a hand behind her shoulders and urged her forward.
Damn, Sawyn thought, defeated. Though she felt some bitterness, Sawyn wasn’t resentful toward the old man. It was one matter to feign ignorance earlier, but actively helping her could cost him his life.
When the door to the main building was less than a foot away, the two feathered to a stop.
Barmut looked around to make sure the guards by the door weren’t watching. “There are four of them inside, but only one is an alchemist. The soldiers are standing by with restraints, and the moment the test fails, they will fire a net at you.”
“How do you know all this?”
“You are not the first Riftborn from this orphanage. But that’s not important now.”
Sawyn looked directly at Barmut’s guilt-ridden face, and pleaded, “Tell me what I can do.”
“If you truly are a Riftborn, then your only chance is to drain the alchemist’s tank.”
Sawyn mulled over the advice. In theory, if she could somehow absorb the Fye supply, she would be given a cache of power to tap into. With this surge of strength, she would have a chance to make her escape. There was one caveat to that plan, however. She had no control over her abilities. “What if I fail?”
“You won’t,” Barmut replied seriously.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because you can’t afford to fail,” he stated simply, and led her into the building.
A dozen children sat cramped in a corner of the room, while two soldiers were checking their bodies for damage. A finely dressed man holding a log book was handing out some sweets and trying desperately to soothe the orphans who were crying.
As Barmut and Sawyn made their entrance, a woman standing in the center of the room turned around and frowned. Every child in the room regarded the woman with hatred and fear, and Sawyn guessed she was the alchemist. A gas tank was propped up next to her on a small chair, and a long tube connected a breathing mask to the tank itself.
“You said this group was the last of them,” the alchemist complained, her displeasure obvious, and Barmut took a deep bow. “No matter; come here, girl.” The woman beckoned impatiently, and took a deep sniff from the gas mask before throwing it casually to the side.
Sawyn walked forward while suppressing the urge to look at Barmut. It wouldn’t be right to implicate him right before attempting her escape. As Sawyn moved closer, she kept her eyes on the gas tank.
Maybe I can dive for it. She kept moving in a straight line toward the alchemist but tensed both calves in preparation. When Sawyn was less than two feet away, she took the chance. She lowered her upper body, and sped toward her target.
A firm grip intercepted her almost immediately. Effortlessly, the battle-honed alchemist restrained Sawyn and yanked her away.
“What are you doing?” the alchemist demanded.
“I’m sorry … I’m just squeamish.” Sawyn blurted out the first excuse that came to mind. Evidently, she wasn’t the first person to react this way, as even the foul-tempered woman bought it.
The alchemist reached out, and placed her bare hand on Sawyn’s shoulder. As they touched, the alchemist closed her eyes in concentration, and squeezed. Lightning trickled out but immediately dissipated.
NOW! Sawyn’s mind screamed out as the alchemist’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. She took advantage of the situation and once again dove toward the gas tank. This time, Sawyn landed on top of the cylinder-shaped containers, and immediately wrapped her arms around the metallic surface.
Nothing happened.
The alchemist bellowed out orders, and every soldier sprang into action. Two of them lunged toward Sawyn, and managed to pull her down. Frantically, she wiggled around, and fought desperately for her freedom.
One of the men got thrown off with violent force, and landed on top of the alchemist. Sawyn pushed hard against the ground, and shook off the other soldier’s grasp. Without looking behind her, Sawyn bolted out of the building swiftly, narrowly dodging a net that zipped past.
“STOP HER!” he angry female voice howled behind Sawyn. The guards at the main door immediately fired off grapples toward the opposite end of the entrance, effectively blocking the path with the metal cables. Sawyn cut left, where the wall was only seven feet high, and connected with the building itself. With her increased agility, Sawyn jumped and pushed from one wall to the other, scaling over the shorter wall.
The moment Sawyn landed on the other side, she took a deep breath. She finally understood what the elder had told her weeks before. When the need becomes strong enough to dominate all else, we can accomplish amazing feats. Even without stopping to think, Sawyn knew exactly where she had to go. She loo
ked back briefly to see two of the soldiers hurtle over the wall after her. By now, they had unsheathed their Techno weapons, and though Sawyn didn’t know how they functioned, she wasn’t planning on staying to find out.
Sawyn looked toward the North, and took off running with all her might.
The world rushed past Sawyn as she made the usual six-minute journey in less than one, yet, somehow, her pursuers managed to trail closely behind. The Great Divide came into view, along with its horrible stench. Sawyn ignored the smell and continued sprinting as if the border was the finish line and dove headfirst toward the surface of the toxic water.
She couldn’t remember how long she swam, but somewhere along the journey, Sawyn’s Fye-imbued strength faded away, and treading water became increasingly difficult. The last thing she remembered was the foul liquid entering her body.
Chapter 27: Agendas
“How did you miss this, Neal?” Emelia paced around the ambassador's room impatiently.
“I’m not in the practice of pumping every single child I come across full of lightning,” the pudgy Elite retorted. “It was the incompetence of your soldiers that allowed her to escape.”
“Don’t you dar—” the general began.
“You might scare everyone else, Emelia, but not me,” Neal insisted. “I’ve known you ever since our Academy days. I might not be nearly as fit as I used to be, but I earned my Sigil just like you. Besides, if you bring this to Triton, we’re both getting blamed.”
Some of Emelia's anger slipped away as she realized that Neal was right. With an annoyed grunt, she sat down on one of Neal’s many intricate wooden chairs. To blow off some steam, she singed her handprint onto the backside of the seat with a trickle of Alchemy. It wasn’t pettiness, Emelia convinced herself; she was merely making a point in a discreet manner. “What do you propose?” Emelia crossed her arms innocently.
Neal stroked his round cheeks thoughtfully. “I don’t see how it’s really my problem. Triton already owes me big for volunteering for this Fye-forsaken post.”