Pride x Familiar

by Albert Ruckholdt

I hesitated for just a moment, then gave Kell a smile of my own. “Without it…of course.”

  Inwardly, I regretted the decision, but there was no other way to get a compromise out of the Ventiss Family, and even the Raynar Primatriarch had agreed it was a good decision.

  Kell frowned noticeably. “That is indeed a pity.”

  Yes, it was. But Desanto’s demonstration of the Fragment’s power had resulted in many loudly voiced concerns.

  Arisa had no choice but to agree to the condition for his release. Needless to say, she was incensed. I didn’t doubt for a moment she would have killed the Ventiss Family representative had the two of them been alone in the same room.

  Kell’s voice intruded into my thoughts. “Well, if there’s nothing else, then I bid you adieu.”

  He ended the connection before I could utter a word.

  Bastard.

  If his family wasn’t directly related to the Avenir Primatriarch, I doubt he’d be so arrogant. But in the end, he was just being true to the character of an Avenir.

  I turned my chair so that I could look out my office window.

  Through plasti-steel glass I could see out into the interior of Island Three’s Habitat Three.

  The mammoth rock cavern was observing a night time cycle.

  I looked at the thousands of lights shining from the hundreds of buildings that occupied the habitat. Far below, the nighttime crowds made their way down the sidewalks, and traffic continued relentlessly lurching through the habitat’s streets.

  I held back a bitter sigh.

  With this, those kids will be spared. Alucard had no intention of having them face off against Crimson Crescent, and I agreed with her.

  With their lack of training and experience, they would be slaughtered.

  But if they could be properly trained, they were a resource that could be utilized.

  To that end, I believe Severin Kell realized this which was why he had agreed so easily to hand control of the Student Council over to the commander.

  I had to admit, I was interested in seeing how things would pan out.

  Reflections – 10.

  As I’ve explained before, the Cataclysm left behind a giant cloud of dust and debris that was christened the Hurakan Nebula. The asteroid Island colony of Pharos floated a couple of light-years within its border.

  But I haven’t explained what purpose Pharos served.

  The colony was an oasis – a port of call for the hundreds of starships that traveled back and forth through the mapped regions of the nebula. Freighters, mining ships, resource vessels, they all dove into the murky, cloudy space and kept the machinery of commerce and industry running.

  The Hurakan is a source of raw material. Trillions upon trillions of tonnes of it – the remains of shattered star systems and planetary bodies the trans-light shockwave claimed in the first hours of the Cataclysm. All of this material was simply too much to pass up. Even while Pharos was being constructed, mining and shipping companies were already charting and staking claims on territory within the nebula.

  It didn’t seem to matter that the Hurakan was a graveyard to the billions of people that died on those worlds.

  The Aventis are as greedy as the next Regular.

  However, there was another reason for building Pharos.

  It served as a home for the Prides intent on harvesting the Fragments and Artifacts slowly trickling out of the nebula. The Sanreal Pride used its ship building prowess and its experienced crews to sail deep into the nebula, acting as pathfinders for the mining and resource ships that would eventually follow.

  The Sanreals were always at the forefront of exploration.

  The other Prides would make efforts to compete against them, but the Sanreals had kept their edge over the competition for decades, until the Lanfears happened upon a collection of Fragments that boosted their efforts at space exploration. Fairly soon, they were finding some rather juicy Fragments on their own.

  If they weren’t trusted before, the Lanfear Pride was trusted even less afterwards.

  By the same coin, the Lanfears had never trusted the other seven Prides, not even their close cousins the Raynars. That’s not to say they didn’t work together with the Prides, they just did so with a measure of caution best reserved for dealing with dangerous foes.

  I might be generalizing too much.

  I knew that Arisa had a good relationship with the Countess, and with Severin Kell.

  In any case, the point I was trying to make was that Fragments and Artifacts found out in the Hurakan were returned to a secret repository on Pharos to be shared between the Prides. Each piece was carefully analyzed, and tested, then the Prides would follow procedure and allocate them to a compatible Familiar if one was available.

  However, there was little doubt in Arisa’s mind that the Prides were careful with what they shared. In other words, they undoubtedly kept the best pieces for themselves.

  What separated the Lanfears from the other Prides was they spared little effort concealing this fact.

  Chapter 10 – Aftermath.

  (Caelum)

  I was released from custody on Sunday evening.

  After spending the equivalent of a full day in an Enforcer containment cell, a small two by two meter block, I was happy to leave.

  I kept my mouth shut and my eyes locked straight ahead.

  The Enforcer sergeant handed me my belongings which had been taken from me on Saturday, namely my gym bag, palm-slate and id wallet.

  Then I was escorted to the building’s exit where a Lanfear representative was waiting for me. The young woman had the typical executive secretary look down to a tee.

  She introduced herself as Arisa’s personal secretary so I wasn’t that far off the mark.

  She walked me to a car, and once inside the vehicle it whisked us away from the building, merging easily into the evening traffic.

  Arisa’s secretary, Danaan, informed me I was to move into Galatea Academy’s dorms for male students. In fact my belongings had already been moved into my new abode.

  I asked her about Caprice, but all she told me was that Caprice was recovering well. However, I was prohibited from seeing her until her discharge from hospital which was expected to be around Wednesday. Afterwards, Danaan politely refused to answer any further questions regarding Caprice.

  So I sat quietly in the car, and proceeded to ignore the woman entirely.

  The car took us to the entrance to the boy’s dormitory building where the dorm manager, a middle aged man that could easily double for a professional wrestler greeted Danaan and I.

  I was relieved to hear there was no roommate to deal with. Compared to the cell I’d occupied for a full day, I found my new dwellings to be quite spacious. Essentially it was eight meters long, and five meters wide, with a bathroom and shower taking one corner of the floor space. This gave the room a distinct L shape. There was a smart desk, a writing desk, a holovid system, and a small refrigerator. The bed was wide and comfortable.

  My necessities had all been stored away in the closet and drawers. Someone had even gone through the process of setting up my books and slates in an orderly fashion on the shelving.

  I was curious about one thing, and so I carefully examined the contents of the drawers containing my clothes.

  I found them at the back of the top drawer of the wardrobe insert in the closet – Caprice’s racy black panties.

  Though I was relieved to find them, I had to wonder at the reaction of whoever had packed up my belongings. I was even more surprised to find the panties had been put back in the equivalent location. I wasn’t sure what to make of that.

  Since I was pretty much settled in, I checked out the dormitory cafeteria which was open until seven on Sunday’s. The place was almost empty. Only a handful of Academy students occupied it.

  I didn’t bother going over to say hello.

  What was the point?

  A Familiar saying hello to the Aventis?

  Truth was,
I was too tired to be friendly.

  With only a few minutes to spare, I avoided going hungry that night. Even then, all I was served by the kitchen staff were some small cold sandwiches, but it was better than nothing. Unfortunately, after eating just half a sandwich I found myself full, and had to bin the rest of the food. My lack of appetite was a result of having the Symbiote inside my body. It would take a couple of days for my eating habits to return to normal, as my body fed off the Symbiote degrading within me.

  I chose not to linger in the cafeteria or anywhere else.

  Dorm curfew was ten p.m.

  In my room I showered, changed into clean pajamas and fell into bed.

  As I lay down staring up at the ceiling, I raised my right arm and examined my wrist.

  No bracelet. No Fragment. It had been returned to the Lanfears, and I had no word on whether I’d be using it again.

  I noticed how helpless I felt without it.

  My world felt a lot smaller now.

  Despite feeling exhausted, I had trouble sleeping.

  #

  (Caelum)

  Second week, Monday morning.

  From the looks I received from my fellow dorm residents, while I struggled to eat a light breakfast, I had a fair idea of what to expect when I arrived in class for homeroom.

  Sure enough, when I opened the door and stepped inside, almost all conversation came to a stop. Almost all eyes focused on me, and I had two choices: meet their gazes or ignore them.

  I chose a mixture of the two, glancing at a few faces; ignoring the rest.

  I walked to my smart desk, feeling my classmates’ attention on me.

  With this I was certain Saturday’s event had circulated throughout Island Three, if not all of Pharos.

  I laughed inwardly, and tasted bitterness in my mouth.

  When I swept my gaze over the classroom, I saw varied looks on my classmates’ faces. I hazarded a guess most of them were probably wondering if I had my Fragment with me.

  Would I use it on them?

  Was that the question I read in their eyes?

  I was starting to get pissed and eventually I slammed my school carry-bag on the desk and glared back at the faces looking at me.

  “If you having something to say, Aventis, then say it!”

  A few turned away.

  A lot more returned my glare with disdain, especially the guys.

  I met each one with a challenge and the promise of violence in my eyes.

  The girls sneered at me so I concentrated on extending my canines as I had that afternoon in the garden. Pushing past the pain, I gave the girls a hungry smile that made full use of my long teeth. This brought about the reaction I wanted.

  They blanched and turned away.

  I laughed under my breath as I forced my canines to retract.

  It really was painful, but the satisfaction of seeing the girls turn away in fear was worth every bit of the pain.

  Then Haruka stepped into the room.

  At sight of her my heart skipped a beat.

  I sat down at my desk, trying to act nonchalant and probably failing. By some miracle our eyes had failed to meet, but I was aware of her glancing my way.

  Then something unexpected happened.

  She walked over to my smart desk.

  I had no choice but to look up at her.

  She looked down at me with an unreadable look I invariably saw on Caprice. She spoke softly but I heard her clearly.

  “Lunch time, at the garden.”

  What? Why did she walk over to tell me that? She could have just mailed the message to my account or did she believe I wouldn’t read it.

  She was probably right and probably wrong. I would definitely read it, but it would take me a while to work up the courage to do so.

  I guess she wasn’t in the mood to wait for an answer. Haruka turned away and then walked to her desk, perfectly oblivious to the curious stares she was receiving from our classmates.

  #

  (Haruka)

  When classes broke for lunch, I told Siobhan and Alistair I had a pressing engagement which earned me sour looks.

  They knew I was going to meet Caelum.

  I told them I’d be fine, and ignored their concerned looks.

  While I did take their words to heart, I wasn’t going to be dissuaded.

  When I arrived at the garden it wasn’t empty, but there was a secluded area yet to be occupied. That’s where I waited for Caelum, under the shade of a tall, thick tree.

  I thought he would keep me waiting, but he didn’t.

  Not long after he stepped into the garden, the few students making use of it noticed him and began to cast wary, fearful looks his way.

  I had debated meeting him in the rooftop courtyard, but at the last moment I chose the garden instead.

  He walked up to me with a guarded look on his face. “Aren’t you taking a risk, Haruka? Word of this will get around.”

  I nodded a little. “Yes, I know.”

  “Then why?”

  “Because I’m your friend, and right now you need a friend.”

  His face darkened. “What?”

  I had expected this reaction from him. I closed my eyes for a moment. “Caelum, the School Council President spoke to me, and to Alistair and Siobhan on Friday. We know what you’re doing for the academy.”

  This time, Caelum actually grew a little pale.

  So he didn’t know that Severin Kell had spoken to us. Seeing his reaction, I chose to tell him what happened after I fled the garden on Friday afternoon.

  He listened without interrupting me. Not once did he glance away.

  By the time I finished, Caelum had wary look on his face. “Severin Kell told you about the Fragments?”

  “I already knew what a Fragment was. After all, it’s common knowledge they’re pieces left behind after the Cataclysm. I also knew that only Familiars were able to use them, activate them, or operate them.” I gave him a steady look. “The President told me you and Caprice possess a Fragment. He said you were designated as Specials.”

  “Yeah, we do.”

  I noticed him reach for his right wrist but then abruptly stop. He dropped his arms to his sides.

  Caelum asked, “What else did Severin Kell say to you? Actually, why did he seek you out?”

  “Alistair is his younger sister. She called him after our encounter with Caprice. She wanted to know what was going on. He agreed, probably because he was worried about her and what she might say or do. She’s an Avenir like I am. So is Siobhan.”

  “I see. Birds of a feather flock together.”

  “You’re one to talk,” I snapped in a flash of anger. “Little Miss Faint Smile is a Lanfear like you.”

  He frowned for a heartbeat. “Faint Smile? You mean Caprice?” His expression grew hard, and I could tell I’d stepped on a nerve. “Caprice is affiliated with the Lanfears. So am I. That doesn’t make us part of the Pride. To put it simply we’re dogs on a leash. If we weren’t on a leash, people would be scared of us.”

  I almost blurted out that people were already scared of him and Caprice, and that included most of our classmates who were acting tough and arrogant to hide their fear.

  But given the chance, I didn’t doubt any of them would stand up and chant, “Burn them, burn them. Death to Familiars.”

  Pathetic.

  I shook my head in exasperation. “Whatever. I didn’t ask you here to fight with you. But even so, you have no right to criticize me or whom I choose as my friends.”

  He was quiet for a little while. “Friends, huh.” He looked down and laughed under his breath. “Yeah. You’re right. They’re your friends. What do I care. But why do you want to be my friend all of a sudden.”

  “Caelum…I’ve never stopped being your friend. You shut me out, I didn’t.”

  He was quiet for a long while. Then he looked away and shook his head slowly.

  “I’m sorry Haruka. I can’t accept your friendship. Not like this.”r />
  I felt my chest grow a little tight. “Caelum—”

  “You’ll just get hurt,” he said gently and looked back at me, “and I can’t bear to see that happen.”

  I shook my head quickly. “Caelum, that won’t happen. I’m not as naïve as I was half a year ago. I know where I stand. I know where you stand.”

  “No, Haruka you don’t. You don’t know anything about us Familiars. You don’t know what’s expected of us, or what we’re involved in.”

  “I just told you, the Council President filled us in. I know all about Crimson Crescent.” Hurriedly I lowered my voice and furtively glanced at the other students in the garden. Thankfully there were none close by.

  Taking a deep breath, I said, “I know about their attempts to break in.”

  Caelum gave me a dumbfounded look. He blinked a few times before asking, “He told you about that?”

  I nodded.

  He was quiet for another moment before bursting out into pained laughter. “I don’t believe this. That son of a bitch blabbed to you. What the Hell is his angle?”

  I saw anger and disbelief cross his face as he slowly shook his head.

  Caelum muttered. “What the Hell is that bastard after? Does he want you involved?” His eyes focused on me. “No, I won’t allow that.”

  “Allow what?”

  “Haruka, you need to stay out of my world. You have a nice, safe world now, a place where you belong. You have your friends, and your family, and I’m sure before long you’ll have a boyfriend. I promise I won’t get in the way like before.”

  Hearing that my ears flushed hotly.

  I realized he didn’t know.

  That was going to surprise him in a negative way.

  Caelum continued after a beat. “But my world is different from yours, and in my world the Aventis can get hurt. In my world, Familiars die for their affiliated Pride.”

  I gave him a dulled horrified look. “What?”

  Caelum sighed loudly. “I didn’t understand it at first. I’ve spent the last seven months taking things for granted, living with my head in the sand, and ignoring the state of play. But relations between the Prides aren’t all that smooth. There’s a great deal of rivalry going on, and I think in part it’s centered on their respective Familiars.”