“Try it, then, you filthy little coward,” she jeered. “I dare you. What’s the matter? Are you bitter because I almost killed you at the tunnels?”
Kayn looked down at her, his eyes bloodshot. He reached into his bag. Before he could pull out a weapon, Ven pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Kayn.
“I dare you,” said Ven, his voice barely above a whisper. His shoulders seared painfully.
“Don’t be stupid.” Kayn laughed. “If you kill me, then you don’t go home.”
“If Coralie dies, I’d rather not go home at all. Better if you just die right here. It would make us all feel a lot better.”
“Oh, really? What about your mother?”
“You son of a–”
Coralie lunged, knife in hand, and slashed Kayn across the side of his face. Ven staggered. Kayn wheeled around, clutching his cheek. Blood was slowly beginning to flow down in between his fingers.
“Say one more word, and the next time it’ll be your eye,” said Coralie.
“Coralie…” Ven said weakly.
She was shaking, clutching the knife tight in her hand. Kayn once again reached into his bag, but he still wasn’t fast enough.
Coralie rushed at him, baring the knife. Miraculously, she managed to tackle him to the ground and lifted the knife above her, ready to bring it down on his face. Ven leaped into the fray and tried to wrench it out of her hand.
“My, my.”
They turned. A group of people around Kayn’s age had surrounded them, weapons raised. Kayn shoved Coralie off of him and jumped to his feet.
“Do you idiots have any idea what a ruckus you’re making?” said one of the men. He was wearing a dark vest over a white shirt and looked a few years older than Kayn. In his hands, he held a golden revolver.
“While you were making all this noise, we managed to hear something interesting about you being from Cor. I don’t know if you know this already, but illegal entry into Crion is punishable by death. There’s even a reward for turning you in. Except that that’s a little boring. You see, entry into Crion is so coveted that selling illegal entries has become a business for Underworlders like us who fight to get the biggest reward. That’s how many people try to sneak in who don’t have papers. But this is probably one of the first times someone has snuck in from Cor.”
Kayn stood rigid, trying to grab his pistol from his satchel. Before he could move a finger, the man kicked him in the stomach so hard he flew back against the wall. The man then placed a metal-gloved hand on Kayn’s head and squeezed. Kayn yelled in pain as an electric shock went through him.
“Not likely, my ignorant friend,” the man said as Kayn crumpled to the ground. “You see, unlike in Cor where your weapons are all knock-offs, we are constantly evolving.” The metal wristplate he was wearing sizzled and sparked.
Ven and Coralie shrank back.
Suddenly, Ven felt a piercing blow to the back of his head and everything went black.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“I’m telling you, they’re going to fetch a fortune. Cor and Crion have been sworn enemies ever since that scuffle with the last Grand Magistrate.”
“Fine, then. Who’s going to be our primary buyer? Gennus and his guys?”
“No, they’re a bunch of greedy losers.”
“Who, then?”
“We’ll decide later.”
Ven opened his eyes. He could hear faint voices in the distance. A searing pain in the back of his skull alerted him to reality. When his eyes had adjusted to his surroundings, he found himself in a large underground basement. A strange screen with peculiar dials and symbols flickered in the background against a metal wall. Boxes were stacked like bricks, each labeled with numbers. Unfamiliar weapons lay in a pile on one of the chairs by the large, flickering screen.
The basement, or wherever this was, was immense. In the corner, a staircase led up to a second level, where smoking pipes lined the walls. An unpleasant copper smell hung in the air.
He looked around for Kayn and Coralie. When he tried to move his hands, he found them bound behind him. The wire was beginning to cut painfully into his wrists. After glancing around, he saw Coralie beside him. Next to her, Kayn had his back to them and was leaning against the steel wall. Nearby, a group of men and women were huddled together, talking amongst themselves.
“You okay?” Coralie whispered.
“Yeah, you?”
“Fine.”
Coralie looked away, worried. “Ven…they took the dagger.”
“What?” He looked around and sure enough, all of their belongings were gone. Terror filled him. “What if they realize what the dagger is, Coralie? They’ll know who Kayn really is and if they do, it’s the end for us.”
“That’s what you’re worried about? We’re done for whether they find out or not. I could hear them talking earlier; they’re deciding which gangs to sell us off to.”
“I could sort of hear them, too. What are we going to do?” He glanced at Kayn.
“I think he’s trying to pick up a metal pole and impale himself,” said Coralie.
Ven thought Kayn had every right to be suicidal. If these thugs discovered that the dagger was more than just a trinket, it would cause a worldwide scandal. Even if Kayn managed to return home with it after taking it to Roth’s Tomb, Ven thought it would be unwise for him to rule. But his anger for Kayn was so powerful that he almost hoped Kayn would end up destitute.
“We have to get out of here, Coralie.”
“How?”
Ven reluctantly gestured to Kayn. She rolled her eyes.
“Kayn,” said Ven. “Do you have a plan?”
“Actually, yes,” he whispered. There was a scar on his cheek from where Coralie had slashed him. “They’re a bit like you, Ven. They’re stupid.” He shook his sleeve and a small knife popped out. He spun around and turned his back to them once more. Precariously holding the knife with his fingers, he proceeded to hack away at the cord. Holding their breath, Ven and Coralie kept their eyes on the group of people talking. After a minute or so, Kayn was finally free. He kept his hands behind his back.
A petrifying scream rang out from somewhere in the building. The group of people looked around.
“Tell Eaves to keep it down,” said the man wearing the vest to his companions. “They always make so much noise when he reprimands them. Idiots. None of them seem to get that they can’t leave.”
Ven could feel his heart pounding painfully in his chest. Kayn closed his eyes and kept perfectly still.
“Where’s that one from?” said a woman, twiddling a knife in her hands.
“Muran, I think. She won’t fetch too much, but money is money, after all.”
Finally, the group of people turned to the three of them. Out of the corner of his eye, Ven saw Kayn trying to keep his hands hidden.
“We still waiting on these guys?” said the woman. “I’m getting impatient, Cross,” she said to the man with the vest and the golden revolver. “Let’s just have someone contact Gennus. Who cares if he’s cheap?”
The man named Cross narrowed his eyes and looked down at Kayn. Without warning, he reached down and seized him by the collar of his shirt. The broken cord binding his wrists fell to the ground.
“Oh, please. I don’t have time for this,” said Cross, rolling his eyes. In a swift movement, Kayn reached for Cross’ side pocket, grabbed Cross’ dagger from its sheath and drove it into his stomach. Cross’ eyes opened wide for a moment, but to Ven’s surprise, he began to laugh. He grabbed Kayn’s wrist and began to twist it back hard. With his other hand, he opened his jacket to reveal bronze chain armor underneath his clothing.
“Just take him to Eaves,” said Cross. “Tell him he can make as much noise as he wants. This one is getting on my nerves.”
Two of the other men dragged Kayn away and out of sight. Then Cross turned to Ven and Coralie.
“So, are we going to have the same problem?” He pulled Ven to his feet, and then Coralie. “H
mm, your friend is a moron,” he said, after seeing that their hands were still bound. “I hope you’re not too attached to that girly face of his, because it’s not going to look too spectacular once Eaves is through with him.”
“Where’s all our stuff?” said Coralie.
Cross around. “It’s not really your stuff anymore, now, is it?”
“You have to give our things back,” said Ven. “They’re important.”
“They shouldn’t be. You’re going to die, anyway. Why does it matter?”
“Humor us,” said Coralie. “It’s a sentiment. If we’re going to die anyway, then it shouldn’t matter.”
Cross smiled. “Alright, then. Since you’re so sweet, and since you haven’t given me a hard time so far, I don’t see why not.”
The two men who had taken Kayn away returned with the screaming woman. Ven began to feel sick. Her face was horribly disfigured and burnt, and she was near unconsciousness.
“Eaves, you animal,” Cross laughed. The others joined him. He pulled out his golden revolver, aimed it at the woman’s head and fired. Ven looked away and closed his eyes. “No problem. She wasn’t worth much, anyway. Shame, all she wanted to do was move to the city.”
Cross’ companions dragged away the woman’s corpse.
Ven suddenly felt fear for Kayn. While he hated Kayn, he wouldn’t wish such a horrible fate on anyone. We have to get out of here…We have to get out…
“Rom, give girly here back her stuff. It’s supposed to be a sentiment.”
They jeered. One of the women scooped up Coralie’s bag from behind a cabinet and tossed it to her. Ven frowned. They had only given back one of their bags.
Before Coralie could ask for the other, the door behind them burst open. Three heavily armed people stormed inside as Cross wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Gennus, you got our message, it seems.”
Gennus was the most monstrous human being Ven had ever seen. He slapped a massive hand on Cross’ back. “You weren’t trying to find a different buyer were you, Cross? When I heard you had snagged a bunch from Cor I was ecstatic.” He looked down at Ven and Coralie. “Hold on, you said there were three of them.”
“There are. Eaves is having a chat with one of them upstairs.”
“How is good old Eaves these days?” said Gennus. “Still mutilating everyone before he gives them to buyers? You know it doesn’t look good when you can’t make out their faces anymore.”
“So, pay up. They’re right here,” said Cross.
“Tell Eaves to bring the other one down first.”
Rolling his eyes once more, Cross motioned to one of the others to fetch Kayn. Moments later, Cross’ companion returned.
“He’s gone, and Eaves is…dead.”
“What did you say?”
Ven and Coralie looked at each other. Ven bent down and tried to open the bag in front of them with his teeth. When he got it open, all he could find was his wallet, the map and a few miscellaneous items, but no dagger. He wished more than anything that he had ignored his conscience and taken the Vigor when he had had the chance.
He turned to Coralie and shook his head. So Kayn had abandoned them. How had he managed to get the dagger?
Cross looked down at them. “Quite the friend you’ve got there. He’s gone and left you two behind. No problem. Two from Cor is still worth more than five from Muran. Hurry up, Gennus.”
“Wait,” said Ven, frantic. “He hasn’t abandoned us. He’s gone to get help.” He held his breath, unsure if his lie would work. But it was worth a try.
Cross raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”
“You know I’m right. He’s stronger than you think. He managed to kill one of your best men. He’s on his way to call some friends of ours, and you don’t want to mess with them.”
“I’m not so sure I believe you, little man,” said Cross.
“You don’t have to believe me. I’m just telling you what I know.”
Cross glared at him and turned to his men, fiddling with his golden revolver. “Go stand watch outside. If no one shows up in the next ten minutes, I’ll have to take Eaves’ place in giving this one a talking to.”
That hadn’t been part of the plan. No one was coming and Ven was in no position to fight off an armed gangster. Still, he had bought them ten minutes.
“I don’t have ten minutes, Cross,” said Gennus.
“Relax, my friend. You’re going to get your due, I promise. I’ve just never met a Coran before. I want to see how they fight. We may as well kill some time.”
Cross seized Ven by his hair and cut the cord around his wrists, then handed him a long, strange-looking knife.
“I want you to pick one of us, and fight us to the death.”
“What?”
“No, wait. Change that. You have ten minutes to kill your opponent. If you fail before the ten minutes is up, this one is going to end up like that woman from Muran,” he said, nodding his head in Coralie’s direction. “I’m sure Gennus won’t mind.”
Heat filled Ven’s lungs and his legs went numb.
“I’ll do it.” Coralie looked up at Cross, her eyes steely.
Ven turned sharply to her. “Coralie, I swear–”
She ignored him and focused on Cross. “Let me, please.”
“Well, you’ve put me in a bit of a bind,” he said. “But who am I to say no? This is even more interesting. It seems the women in Cor aren’t as meek as everyone claims.” He reached down, untied her, took the knife back from Ven and handed it to her.
“Alright, then, pick someone.”
Ven rushed forward to stop her but Cross punched him in the stomach.
Ven watched helplessly as she scanned the room. Her eyes fell on the woman brandishing a knife, but Coralie didn’t pick her. Instead, she pointed to the youngest man in the room. He appeared to be Kayn’s age.
Smart – she’s going to imagine Kayn’s face when she’s slashing away at him.
Her opponent grinned. His shoulders were oddly hunched and his arms were covered with tattoos. His cheekbones were horribly narrowed and his hair was matted and dark.
“I sure hope you didn’t pick Neesh just because he’s bony,” Cross laughed.
“No,” said Coralie. “I didn’t.”
They squared off for a moment. Ven’s breath had become short. He wanted to tear his eyes away and yet he had to watch.
After what seemed like a millennium of silence, Neesh lunged. Coralie expertly dodged his raised arm and ducked, slashing at his calf and drawing blood. Eyes blazing, Neesh grabbed her hair, but she drove the knife into his leg and sliced upwards as he pulled her. He yelled in pain, but succeeded in slashing the arm that had already been injured by that beast in the mining cave. Ven watched Coralie fight back tears as she aimed for Neesh’s face. But Neesh was ready for her. He grabbed her throat and began to squeeze. As he did so, he lifted his knife with his free hand and brought it slowly towards her eye. Coralie took her knife and tried to slash away at his wrist but he ignored the pain this time and squeezed tighter and tighter. Her face was beginning to turn blue.
“Stop!” Ven yelled. “They’re just supposed to fight!”
Cross stared on, amused. “Let go, Neesh. We’ve already lost one. We need at least two of them or Gennus is going to throw a fit.”
Neesh reluctantly let go and Coralie fell to the ground, coughing and wheezing. Before either of them could make another move, a thundering boom echoed around them.
“What was that?” said Cross. He suddenly looked at Ven. “I guess you weren’t lying about backup, then, were you?”
Ven tried not to let his shock appear on his face. Had Kayn actually gone for help?
The men Cross had sent to stand guard came bursting into the room, frantic. “It’s Seer and his Esoteric freaks. I don’t know how they found us.”
Fear flashed across Cross’ face. “No…that’s not possible. We changed our location. There’s no way they could have found us.”
“I
t’s them, alright,” said his friend. “I’d recognize Rogin anywhere.”
Cross cursed. “Tie them up again and get them out of here,” he said, gesturing to Ven and Coralie. “No matter what you do, don’t let Seer–”
A deafening explosion blasted the large basement doors apart. Ven threw up his arms and shielded his face, feeling a rush of dust engulf him as he ducked. He coughed, squinting his eyes. When the dust cleared, four figures emerged from the smoke. To Ven’s surprise, the largest one was carrying an unconscious Kayn over his shoulders.
“It’s nice to hear that Seer’s very name sends shivers down your spine, Cross,” said the one carrying Kayn.
“I’m not afraid of that monstrosity,” said Cross, a vein twitching in his temple. He clicked his revolver and aimed it at the other man. Before he could fire, the revolver flew out of his hand and landed at the other end of the room.
Ven glanced at Coralie, whose eyes were wide. Should they try and make a break for it?
“That’s not very nice, grandpa,” said a drawling voice. Standing in front of the large man carrying Kayn was a boy. He looked around twelve and had messy black hair. What struck Ven the most were his eyes. They were a bright amber and very narrow.
Cross began to retreat, and looked to his companions for backup. The boy grinned.
“Seer,” Cross said. “Still omnipresent, are you?”
“Of course,” he said sweetly.
Out of nowhere, a woman appeared in front of Ven and Coralie. She raised a dark gloved hand, grabbed Neesh and flung him with stupendous strength to the other side of the room, where he landed with a crash in a pile of metal. She lifted Coralie to her feet and smiled at her, taking her back to the others. Cross’ companions fell back, their eyes wide. A slightly plump man wearing a silk black and white suit aimed a gigantic brass rifle at the one holding Ven and sent him flying. On seeing his men dropping like flies, Cross let out a roar.
The plump man led Ven to Coralie and the woman, and another man.
“We would really recommend you don’t bother us as we leave,” said Seer, grinning. “Because if you take one step, I’m going to rip your eyeballs out of their sockets.”
The Regenerates Page 17