“Yeah. There’s a lot of historic areas there. Most are... ruins last I saw, but I also didn’t travel far from home until I enlisted.”
“How old are some of the places?”
“Thousands of years. We don’t even know why most of them were built to begin with.”
“Wow.”
“It’s a shame they probably don’t appreciate history themselves.” I snarked.
Reaper sighed. “War changes how history is valued. We’ve destroyed our own monuments during war.”
I rolled my eyes. Reaper looked disappointed in me.
With a shake of my head, I put my attention elsewhere. Something I couldn’t see caught Fenris’. After a second, he looked at me. Then back to this tiny space between buildings. I watched with him. A blink and instead of being this near seven foot tall metal monstrosity, Fenris was a wolf. Tall enough to look me in the eye. Ears folded back, tail down. He was onto something.
Something peeked from the shadows. A little hooded head. Then it took off, running down the street at full speed. Someone wearing all black.
Fenris growled for a brief second, the sound rattling the bones in my chest. It got the attention of the others.
“I think that’s our guy!” I said.
“Follow him!” Reaper turned around to wave Mjolnir back over. I took off running after the guy. Fenris was right with me. Well, he was walking. Actually caught up to me and held out a hand to stop me from going further.
If he knew we were chasing him, he would probably just hide. I waited there at the corner for the others to join us and Fenris led the way, walking.
“Wait...is he tracking him?” Sparrow asked.
“I think.” I answered. “He’s a...dog...right? I think. Maybe. Looks like one.”
The man must have seen us when we rounded the next corner. He took off in a hurry, making a beeline for the docks. He looked over his shoulder frequently.
Reaper made a call for Willis to come get us.
"Can we get a beacon on it?" Ruby looked to Reaper.
"If I thought to bring one."
"Good thing I did!" I dug into a pouch on my hip and took off running ahead. The target was already inside a bird shaped ship, he wouldn't see it coming.
I just needed in throwing distance.
The engines were on. I shoved my way through a few ravens that tried to stop me from getting there. Threw the beacon. A palm sized disc with a magnetic hold.
It hit the hull, the door that let the guy on.
The others caught up to me. Reaper grabbed my shoulder.
"What would I do without you, Jack?"
"Probably die." I laughed.
"All right, let's follow him. He may be going to another target."
Just on cue, our shuttle lowered down in front of us. The side hatch swung upwards, and we all piled inside. Willis took off before even shutting the door.
"Did we get any identification?" Reaper asked.
"Couldn't see a face." Sparrow answered.
"I thought I smelled something floral." Mjolnir stated.
Fenris gave a firm nod.
"Floral? Like perfume?" I held onto one of the handlebars at the seats. None of us had bothered to strap in.
"I'm not sure." Mjolnir frowned.
Back on the Syndicate, Willis and Reaper rushed up to the bridge. The rest of us stayed put at the shuttle, with Ruby taking over the pilot seat.
We waited there, filling the empty void of time with small talk. Sparrow brought up the typical question of settling down. Retiring from the military and starting a family. I could see Ruby's face twisting up in fear. He wasn't ready for the thought of that.
My answer and Mjolnir's was just about the same. We didn't really plan to retire. He wanted to start a family, eventually. I never thought about it. I enjoyed fighting too much to bother. The grunt life, while hard, was all I had. Why ruin a good thing? Sparrow, on the other hand, wanted kids. She wanted a family and to have a home on some peaceful, vibrant planet.
Of course, Fenris said nothing. Just stared at each of us. I got a feeling he had no idea what we were talking about. He was studying us just like we were studying him.
"LT?" Sparrow whispered. I barely heard her. "LT?"
Something hefty came to rest on my shoulder.
"Jackal, are you okay?" Mjolnir leaned down to look me in the face.
I blinked. Rubbed my eye.
"You spaced out there, LT." Sparrow hugged her helmet.
Fenris was even looking at me curiously.
I was at a loss for words. I remembered looking at Fenris to see if he would try to join the conversation. That was it. I must have been staring at him. There was something about that strange creature that kept luring me into some kind of trance. A song that I could faintly hear in the back of my mind. Familiar yet unable to remember the words.
I sat down in one seat and sighed.
"Are you feeling okay? You look sick." Sparrow leaned over her lap.
"Yeah. I'll be fine."
"There might be a bug going around. I've heard of some others getting sick."
"Didn't you go down to the core during the radiation leak?" Mjolnir picked at his teeth.
"I was in a suit. Decontaminated, too."
He then pointed to Fenris.
"What about him?"
"He went through it, too."
"That doesn't mean he doesn't have some sort of bacteria we have no immunity to!" Sparrow exclaimed. "He's an alien completely to all of us. We don't know where he's come from, or what he even is."
I sighed. "Fine. I'll get a checkup after this mission if it'll make you feel better. Fenris, you probably should, too. Just to be safe."
THIRTEEN
"Veguria?" Sparrow clutched her helmet. "What in the stars would he want on Veguria? It's mostly barren!"
"Veguria is home to colony Empyree. It's a joint task colony owned by both the Federation and the eldiravan." Mjolnir stated. "There are precious minerals on Veguria that the eldiravan need."
"And the Federation wants to colonize the planet for tourism. So the ravens provide jobs for those that stay, and the Federation brings income from outside." Ruby added.
"All in all, it's another attempt to keep peace between us." Reaper sat back in his seat, taking full advantage of the belt to hold him in place. "Granted, I've heard it's a cold war in the streets. Seems we can't live together well."
"He may be after a new target." Jackal suggested.
"Irzazee suggested that as well." Reaper nodded. "He said the Captain in charge of the ravens is disliked among the humans. Drast'Oebev is his name."
"Why does that name sound familiar?" Jackal scratched his head.
"He was a field Captain in the war. Guess he retired to run a colony."
"That would explain the resentment."
"So, we're gonna find him, right?" Sparrow looked to Reaper. "If we do, then that assassin guy should definitely show up eventually."
"That's the plan." Reaper nodded. "We find Drast. We watch him. Keep an eye out for that guy to show up. If we take him down quietly, we won't disturb the peace. It's best this operation isn't found out about by the ravens."
"We're here, Captain!" Ruby announced.
"All right, the air here is safe, let's not waste our tanks."
Two workers who jotted down the shuttle greeted them. In no time they were off, wandering through the colony. It was easy to see in the colony's early stages there was an attempt at mixing up the buildings. Two cultures clashed head on.
Stark white and grays with smooth edges were decorated with beautiful plants from earth. Darker colors painted the other buildings, near blacks accented with brilliant oranges and yellows, sharp angles ended with arrowheads. Their decorations were sigils, statues, and small fire pits.
These buildings were mostly abandoned, used only by children who ran amok playing. The first dozen buildings ended abruptly in their union. They split a small marketplace in half down the middle
with a fountain humming at its center. They carved stars and sigils into the marble. Its centerpiece a statue of both founders of the colony. Drast'Oebev, and Arnold Steinwegenr, arms outstretched to the world.
One side of the marketplace was built for the eldiravan. The other for humans. While nothing truly marked the separation, it was an unspoken rule. An invisible line drawn on the ground. Not even the children dared to cross it. Beyond the market was dead space. Empty land meant for homes that neither race wanted to claim. Instead, the colony stretched out in either direction of the market, following the statues of the fountain to keep the races separated.
As long as one did not look to the other side, the beauty and peace of a new blossoming colony was a wondrous sight to behold. Cheerful people all around, starting new lives.
The eldiravan soldiers patrolled their streets, keeping the peace. A human police officer was sat around every other block, not caring about what was happening around them unless someone approached.
Jackal, Fenris, and Ruby split off from the others. Reaper would handle finding Drast’Oebev. Jackal would search for the assassin. It did not take long before Mjolnir suggested they split up. He could enter the eldiravan area with no trouble. If the assassin was targeting another eldiravan, then surely he would hide among them!
They spent hours walking around the colony. Yet there was no sign of their assassin. Mjolnir eventually gave word he found Drast’Oebev in his office, which was his home. Reaper wanted to set up for overwatch upon nightfall, predicting they would catch the assassin in the act.
They met up in the marketplace, converging at the fountain.
“Any luck?” Sparrow sat down on the edge of the fountain.
“No.” Jackal frowned.
“Did find something weird though.” Ruby held up a finger.
“What’s that?” Reaper crossed his arms over his chest.
“A lot of the folk wanted little to do with us. They were nervous.”
Jackal chimed in, “They were talking about some sort of world devourer.”
“I’m pretty sure they were talking about him.”
“Fenris?” Reaper raised a brow.
“Yeah.”
“That would be an impressive title.” Mjolnir smiled. “How would one earn such a name?” He looked at the wolf.
The wolf sat upon the ground without a care in the world. Its attention was elsewhere. Watching over the people who were taking wide births and bowing their heads. None looked at it directly. Humans and eldiravan alike reacted the same.
"Stay away from it, we have nothing to offer it today." One father stated quietly, ushering his toddlers along the path.
"Are the eos arriving here, too?" A woman whispered.
"I haven't heard anything! I don't see the others either." Another whispered back.
"If it's here alone, then it must be bad outside the colony."
"Isn't your husband in the mines tonight?"
"I hope he'll be safe out there. I heard the eos like living in mountains."
"It's looking at us. Let's go." One woman grabbed the other's arm, and both hurried off.
Ruby looked to the others. "Eos? What is that?"
"I've never heard of it." Mjolnir's nose twitched.
"Something must be going on we haven't been informed of." Reaper said. "Hey, Irzazee, could you check the database for anything related to the word 'eos'? It may be a race of people."
"Yes, sir! I'll look right now." Irzazee replied over the radio.
"It's getting dark, let's start moving." Reaper gave a nod of his head.
Mjolnir led the way. The crowds diminished as the sky darkened. Whenever the group neared, others abruptly turned away. Shut doors and windows. Turned off the lights. Perhaps the avoidance was not due to humans, but Fenris itself.
With nothing to offer the Devourer, the folk of the colony feared they would be sacrificed. For them, it was best to stay away and pray the wolf would not call for them.
The group split up around Drast'Oebev's home. They tucked themselves away around corners and rooftops.
Of all the homes they saw in the colony, Drast'Oebev's was the most luxurious. Fit for an emperor! The finest silks and leathers. The brightest of the colors of their colony. Statues of himself and those before him. He had his own personal courtyard, planted with wild fauna.
They caught sight of him fresh from a shower. His family was already gathering at the dinner table. A baby, three children, two adolescents, and three adults. His wife was putting the last touches on dinner. The food they had looked better than any food they had seen in months, even though they had no idea what any of it even was.
Ruby groaned about how they hadn't eaten yet themselves. He couldn't bear to watch them eat so well! Not on an empty stomach.
When they had finished eating, Drast'Oebev gave his wife a kiss and stepped out. They expected him to be in for the night, but he must have had business to attend to.
Reaper gave the order to follow him at a suitable distance. He wandered through the quiet colony, taking a predetermined path. Few people walked the streets at this hour. The stores were closed save for a bar which produced an occasional drunk stumbling out onto the street.
Oddly cold, the air seemed heavy. The darkness of night thick and encroaching. Drast'Oebev was feeling it. Eyes of shadows watching his every move. He hugged the lights as he passed underneath. He headed for the lowest part of town, where the weakest of the eldiravan stayed in homes that were shacks when compared to the rest of the buildings.
He slipped under a short bridge, careful not to slip down the muddy bank. There were three others waiting for him. None had a light to avoid being detected from far away.
"Ooh, boy! This is shady as hell!" Ruby said.
"Sure is. Wonder what this little secret is about." Jackal glanced up to Fenris, who had not left his side. "Can you see them?"
Fenris gave a nod of its head.
They were just out of earshot of the eldiravan. Which was fine. They needed to find the assassin, not eavesdrop.
"I can't see them very well." Reaper announced.
"Don't worry, I can see them." Mjolnir said.
"Fenris sees them, too." Jackal added.
"I've got movement on my end!" Sparrow chirped into the radio. "Someone in a black hood. Looks like our guy."
Fenris pointed out towards the bridge.
"He's climbing up on the bridge." Jackal said.
"Got eyes on him! Moving in." Mjolnir slipped through a stall to the rear of a truck parked on the side of the road.
"I'm moving, too." Jackal said as he inched forward. There was a smaller truck near he could get behind. Everyone began closing in, moving as quietly as they could. Some had the advantage of the bridge blocking them from view of the eldiravan.
Mjolnir was just about to pounce when the assassin jumped off the bridge.
No one needed to say it. They already saw it. Everyone moved in swiftly, no longer caring about being seen.
At least until they saw it.
Black smog rolled like ocean waves across the dirt. It spread out, encircling Drast'Oebev in icy shadows.
Jackal looked over to Fenris to see the creature holding out a hand. The gas fell from its open palm and flowed across the ground.
"Hold it!" Reaper called out.
Everyone stopped.
The eldiravan looked around. One of them coughed and grabbed at his throat. Another backed away. Drast'Oebev, stricken by confusion and fear, stayed in place. The smoke surrounded him, but remained a few feet away. As long as he stayed there, he would be fine. He hoped.
Mjolnir backed away when the gas rippled at his legs. He covered his snout.
The Syndicate knew the smoke was bad, though they did not know its effects. The assassin was like a shadow, tucked somewhere under the bridge.
The three eldiravan, stuck in the smog, yelled out. They thought they had been set up.
Ruby, under the bridge, spied the assassin who he
sitated going for his target. He tackled him to the ground at the edge of the smoke.
The assassin was surprisingly small. Easy to subdue. Ruby pushed his face into the dirt and pulled an arm up. A knee between the shoulder blades and some pressure, the little assassin could go nowhere.
"I got him!" Ruby shouted.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Drast'Oebev called.
"Okay, stop! Stop doing that!" Jackal waved a hand at Fenris.
The creature's arm lowered. The smoke lingered with no sign of dissipating. When Jackal tried to run into it, Fenris stopped him. The wind changed. Blowing under the bridge and spreading the smoke further.
Ruby picked up the assassin and pulled him away from the smoke. Sparrow and Mjolnir converged on him. Reaper headed for Jackal.
The three eldiravan were crying out in pain. Their mouths and noses stained with black veins. They scratched at their throats as if it would help open them up to breathe. A thick, orange liquid pooled around their eyes before draining down their scaly cheeks. They coughed it up, a mixture of their blood and a black liquid. Under the lights of the Syndicate team, their earthy skin turned purple from the inside out.
They dropped to their knees, now no longer able to cry out. They could only squeak and gasp in desperate attempts to breathe. The tendons and veins in their necks popped out from their skin under the strain. Blood oozed out from thin membranes; nails, ears, lips, around their scales and spikes, and even from the pores their hair grew out of.
"What in God's name…." Reaper exhaled.
"Good thing we never took the risk." Jackal said.
"Fenris, can you make it stop?" Reaper looked at the creature.
It shook its head. It quickly retracted at the sound of a cough.
Drast'Oebev could not hold his breath, or it didn't matter if he did. He coughed. In mere seconds he was on the ground with the other eldiravan, wheezing and hacking.
Jackal cursed under his breath.
The wolf pulled back from them. Sat upon its haunches. A grave miscalculation. They were trying to save Drast'Oebev, not kill him. It should have gone after him to get him from the smoke. Why didn't it?
The wolf whined, or so Jackal thought. He looked at it. Even with it sitting there, it was still at eye level. Its cloak hugged its frame.
The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) Page 11