by Quil Carter
“You guys… don’t know where Elish is?” I said, my voice catching.
Theo shook his head a second time. “Not at all. He got Klein to fly him somewhere and Klein started bleeding from the ears by chow that night, and stone dead by dessert. Elish didn’t want anyone to know where he went.” Theo shrugged and motioned to the shower. “Get cleaned up, that smell on you is making me twitch.” He gave me a lurid wink before trying to get a glance at my backside.
I snapped my finger in his face and he looked up at me. “I am seriously not in the mood. I just fucking killed my ex-boyfriend,” I said darkly. “Go get Gage some fresh air while I get cleaned.”
The copper-eyed chimera blew a sigh, the strands of his black hair flying up before falling back over his arched eyebrows. “I suppose you technically are still Elish’s husband, dead boy. Alright.” He left after that.
This is why Elish hated stealth chimeras, and that knowledge was most likely why Silas decided to make me one. We were more susceptible to… weird quirks.
To put it lightly.
I locked the door and turned on the shower. While the water was warming up I started exploring the damage that Kerres had done to me.
I grimaced as I probed down there, and winced as a jolt of pain punished me for it. I could feel a tear, and when I raised my hand I saw the tips of my fingers coated in glistening red mixed in with streaks of opaque… his semen.
I wiped it on a face cloth, jumped into the shower, and started washing the rest of his presence off of me. Inside and out, no matter how much the hot water burned me down there, and fuck did it ever. The hotter the water was, the more I felt like I was getting clean – cleansing my body with fire I suppose.
Proud of me, Master? When I see you in the greywastes I’ll get to tell you Kerres is finally dead and would never darken our lives with his presence again. No more being given a pass by King Silas, Kerres was dead.
This drew a smile to my face. I washed my hair twice and scrubbed myself to raw. At least I wasn’t that filthy besides the blood… Elish had been bathing me regularly, I think it was just to distract himself from his troubles.
I turned the water off and got out. I opened the cabinet underneath the sink and got out a brown towel, threadbare and matted, old like the ones we had used in Moros. I was used to fluffy towels that felt like angels rubbing against you, but even this would be a step up from the rags we’d be given in the greywastes.
When I was dried and dressed, I walked into the now cooled, but still incredibly rank, bedroom.
Though I scowled when I saw that the rest of Kerres’s body had been moved. He was now slumped over the bed on his knees, and with a sheet draped over him. There was also a strange buzzing I could just barely hear. It was coming from something covered because it was muffled and barely audible.
I shrugged it off, my mind already too crowded to play detective. I walked into the living room and saw Theo standing in the entrance to the house; the warm and welcoming outside behind him.
“Why’s Kerres moved?” I asked him. I grabbed a canvas bag and started filling it with weapons. Kerres’s house was full of them.
Theo looked back at me, a cigarette in his hand. “Gage wanted to say goodbye. He’d spent time with him,” he responded casually. “Kicked me out for it too. He’s odd.”
“Can we leave here now? Is Jade okay?” I heard Gage’s weak voice croak. I saw his black jacket sleeve; it looked like he was leaning up against the side of the house.
I walked out with the bag and gave Gage a look. “Thanks, man. How did you manage to find that whackjob?”
Gage wiped his mouth, there were splatters of grey, pungent vomit on a gnarled bush behind him. He looked horrible, and from the sweaty and glassy expression on his face, it didn’t seem to be over.
“I… need to go back inside for a second. Don’t follow.” A spurt of thick grey vomit erupted from his mouth and Gage quickly dashed inside. I swung the backpack over my back and looked to where Theo was standing. He was all dressed in black leather from head to toe, sticking to his skin and accenting every inch of his body. They certainly did love to dress us in these types of outfits.
“He found me. I’ve been taking over for Jack being Skyfall’s Grim Reaper,” Theo laughed. “He literally thinks every stealth chimera is Sanguine and he thought I was him. That boy has trouble recognizing us. Supposedly we all look the same? Anyway, he owes Sanguine for helping him, so we shall be rescuing Sanguine. Who else is going to find him with Jack charred and burnt?”
“Charred and burnt?” I followed Theo as he started walking towards a red sports car parked in front of Kerres’s house, and when I glanced over my shoulder I saw Gage emerge from inside, still wiping his mouth.
“Yes, dead boy. He was the one trying to kill you.” Theo looked over his shoulder and beamed at me. “No one is really sure why. Perhaps he finally snapped? Master Jack has always been such a calm man, but oh when you see that mask get ripped off, it’s nothing but flames and demons.” Theo got into the car and I folded the seat back for Gage.
Jack, or the Grim as a lot of us called him, was a tranquil man that had an aura I’d imagine a Buddhist would have. He walked around with a grace and peacefulness to him that told us he’d reached enlightenment, and only wished for you to keep your drama away from him. He was just something else, and I always felt myself calmer when I was around him, almost transfixed with his presence.
On the other hand, however, I didn’t dispute Theo’s words. The more you were around stealth chimeras, or any chimera in general, the more you learned that under every single one was a thousand layers, each one peeling back to reveal a darker colour, until you eventually reached black. Some chimeras had more layers peeled back than others, and some had nothing left on them but darkness. I saw Jack’s aura, one that told you he had all layers on him still, but when I started to learn how to read chimeras… I realized the closer I looked, the more I could see that every layer had been glued back on with such haste and panic, you could still see the bloodied fingerprints.
He was, in all respects, an emotional fraud, except he believed himself so much he was his own victim. That’s how Jack could emit such a level of calm, because he mentally had given himself no other choice.
Interesting man, but…
… why was he trying to kill me?
I thought about this as the car started speeding towards Black Tower, Jack’s skyscraper. If Sanguine was banished, and not soon after Jack went crazy… I would bank on my master being a part of Jack’s rage. I was constantly in the crosshairs and they knew I had become Elish’s one and only weakness.
“Are you okay back there, Gage?” Theo called. I saw him look at the guy through the rear-view mirror. “This is the only car of this type still in existence, so tell me if you’re going to puke on my leather seats, okay?”
“Y-yeah,” Gage said wearily. “I’ll be okay.”
“So agreeable and polite. This guy was encased in concrete for decades?” Theo said as he pulled out a remote phone resting in an empty cup holder. Then, with a cackle, he pressed down on the gas and we lurched forward, closer to the tower that loomed in the darkened corners of the city. “I need to make a call. Tell me if someone fat is crossing the street, the skinny ones will be merely speed bumps.”
I shook my head and sighed internally; the noise of the revving motor drowning out all other sounds. I found myself staring out the window as Skyfall flew past me, and if only for a moment, being shocked at where I was.
I was healed, thanks to this strange odd-eyed man behind me who I knew nothing about. I’d gone from being brain-dead, a vegetable who couldn’t even breathe on his own, back to who I had remembered I’d been. I’d been brought back to life, and my soul had been breathed back into this shell.
When we got out in front of Black Tower, I trailed behind Theo and walked with Gage.
“Thanks… for healing me,” I said to him. He still looked sick over what he had seen. This was
strange to me, but I remembered the heaviness I’d seen in his aura, and I realized that I was perhaps being unfair. I was so used to being around my family, and my family danced in blood, they didn’t throw up at the sight of it.
But even though he looked so fragile, like he was made out of paper, he had already shown an incredible amount of endurance and an impressive amount of power. He might be the most powerful person in the world. He’d demonstrated healing powers that would have killed Silas within a minute if the king had tried to do the same. There was no doubt in my mind that this man could be a great ally to my master’s campaign.
My master’s campaign.
A light bulb went off inside of my head. I think… I think I knew where to find him.
The last thing I remembered was us being in the northern greywastes. He told me if Reaver showed signs of releasing radiation and exploding, I was to run to a town called Mantis… and demand to know where Dr. Mantis was.
Holy shit. I knew where Elish was. He was going to the northern greywastes to wherever Reaver and Killian were. Of course he would go back and try to find them.
Gage gave me a thin smile; his eyes were heavy. “I just feel this great pull to help him… they’re telling me to find him and whenever I find the wrong one, they’re not pleased,” he said to me in a timid whisper.
He was speaking about them again, but who they were I didn’t know. I wasn’t going to ask. I only wanted to find my master, and once Gage was on our side, maybe Elish could help him with his head stuff.
But until we found Elish, I would make a point to be this kid’s best friend. Not only because he saved me, but because I think Elish would want me to. I was Elish’s social skills when he needed to get in with someone without intimidating and dominating them. This kid wouldn’t respond to it, but he’d respond to me. Another one of my many uses.
Gage’s eyes dropped to the ground, and he took in a shuddering breath. “That poor man…” he whispered. “He was so broken.”
My mouth twisted to the side. “You do know… Kerres was suffering, right?” I asked him.
Gage was quiet for a moment, but when I held the door open for him to walk into Black Tower, he gave me a slight nod. “We all get what we deserve. I gave him what he deserved. You… I don’t understand why you were so brutal to him. Why it was so… gruesome?”
“Does it matter in the end?” I asked honestly. “Dead is dead.”
“You could have just let your mind kill him… it would’ve been faster.”
I did a double take. “You… know about that?”
Gage nodded and we walked into the elevator.
“Do you know that since I’m mortal using it kills me? That’s how my brain got fried.”
It was Gage’s turn to do a double take. He looked confused at this, but then I saw his scowling face soften, like he had took in the information and had accepted it. “I never thought of it like that, but it would be deadly. You’ll not live long then.” Gage said this rather matter-of-factly.
“My master will make me immortal soon,” I replied back. “I think he’s going to do it as soon as he realizes I’m alive. If he… doesn’t kill me for being dead that is.” Elish’s face filled my mind, and I felt my heart skip. I wanted to find him with such intensity I felt like I could transport myself to his location, that my will alone would bring me to him.
How was he?
“Theo…” I said as we all stood in the elevator. “Where’s Sanguine?”
Theo watched the illuminated numbers above the elevator’s doors slowly climb up. “Northern greywastes. Silas locked him back inside the basement where they found him.” Theo’s face darkened just as my eyes widened. “It’s a horrible place. I… know I stand the chance to be punished for it, but I am hoping that Silas’s depression will have him handing the reins permanently to Garrett; and once he does, Garrett will be fetching Sanguine anyway. Jack will be resurrecting for weeks with his injuries, and it is up to me to save Sanguine and Crow from their psychosis.”
Northern greywastes? Fuck… perfect, fucking perfect. I just needed to locate where Mantis was and I would find Elish, Reaver, and Killian. I knew it.
“Locked him inside of a basement? Why?” I heard Gage ask, his voice strained and upset.
Theo walked through the elevator doors, in front of us was a simple concrete hallway and a beige door that would lead us to the rooftop.
“Because he freed you, my friend,” Theo replied. “Silas was livid.”
Gage’s confused facial expression turned to shock. He had a really animated face that reminded me of Reno in a way. But Reno’s animation was usually to make him more goofy and funny, Gage just kept showing me new ways of looking terrified. “We have to find him. I have to heal him. They need him to be strong. The… the others aren’t strong enough.”
The others aren’t strong enough?
Weird.
“That’s why you’re coming, pretty boy,” Theo said and pushed the door open. “But first, Jade. I have something for you. This is a special gift from me and Gage to you, dead boy. We couldn’t leave without them seeing you. They will, of course, keep your secret.”
Theo walked into Jack’s rooftop garden and I followed. I could see, beyond the marble statues and greenery, the Falconer and… and something else…
My walk slowed down when I saw two men sitting side by side on a bench, facing away from me.
One of them had raven black hair with scars visible on his scalp, the other… was wearing a pair of black cat ears on a headband. They were both tense and unmoving, as if they themselves were expecting something bad to happen to them. It made me want to draw up their auras, and I saw, weaved into their colourful hues, a heavy sense of despair. Yes. I could see the black flecks hidden in the dimming colours. My friends were deep in grieving.
“You two look like your best friend’s died,” I spoke, my mouth twitching to a smile.
Like a bee had stung both of them, Big Shot and Luca jumped to their feet and turned around. Big Shot’s expressive eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, just as all of the colour drained from Luca’s face; the poor sengil was looking at me like he was seeing a ghost.
“KING JADE!” Big Shot yelled happily. “JADE!” He ran towards me and roughly slammed his hand on my head. “KAH!” he cried, every tooth visible as he grinned widely. Oh, were those green eyes ever bright. I’d never seen my half-raver friend so animated and full of life.
Big Shot threw his arms over me and hugged me, squeezing my body to his and constricting me so tightly my ribs creaked. I hugged him back and laughed. “I missed you, Big Shot.” I looked past him and saw that Luca still hadn’t moved, nor had his dumbstruck expression changed; I don’t even think the poor guy had blinked.
I patted Big Shot, and after giving him one more squeeze, I gently pulled him away and turned to Luca. I walked up to him, and was surprised when the first movement Luca made was to take a step back. I don’t think he was able to believe I was still alive.
“It’s me,” I said to him through my smile. “I managed to escape with Gage’s help.”
Luca’s brow furrowed. He reached up and touched my face gently, and when he saw I was solid and not a manifestation, his lower lip tensed.
Then poor Luca let out an emotional wail and jumped into my arms. The sengil, one who took pride in not showing his emotions, in being a wallflower, out of the way, obedient, and never distracting his masters with whatever negative emotion he might be feeling, sobbed openly as he clung to me.
“Shhh, it’s okay, Luca. You don’t need to cry.”
“Jade… Jade… I’m so relieved. I’m so happy!” Luca cried. “You have no idea what this means. Oh, Master Jade. I can’t believe it’s really you.”
My smile was so wide my cheeks hurt. “I’m here, Luca. I’m healed too and I’m going to go find our master.”
“You need to find him!” Luca sobbed. “Jade… he left Skyfall. He left as soon as he realized you had died. I’v
e never seen him like this before. You have to find our master.”
My heart lurched and filled with despair, and that despair translated to tears in my own eyes. “I will, Luca. I’ll bring him home, I promise.”
Luca sniffed and I felt him nod. He pulled away and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his white shirt. “He changed so much when you were ill,” Luca said. “He loves you, Master Jade. You must find him. I can only imagine how sad he is to have left Skyfall. Please bring him home.”
“I will,” I whispered. And I put one arm around Big Shot, who was still grinning so wide the world could see, and one arm around Luca, and hugged them both. “You two take care of each other while I’m gone. Promise me, Big Shot?”
When I pulled away Big Shot nodded, and Luca did as well.
“I protect family,” Big Shot said gravely. “Luca is family, this is my truth. You find husband, I’ll look after little slave.” He rested a hand on Luca’s head and patted it lightly.
I gave them both one more hug and a goodbye for now, before turning to Theo. He was standing beside the plane with several figs in his hand, looking rather proud of himself. Gage was beside him. My new friend looked somewhat happier than he had been previous, but his eyes still held a lot of heaviness.
We all boarded the plane and I saw Theo hand Gage a fig and me one as well.
“Promise we will find Sanguine first? He’s locked up because of me,” Gage said as he gently took the fruit Theo was offering him. He turned it around in his hand like he didn’t know what to do with it. “I’ve already caused a lot of trouble.”
I decided to throw the kid a bit of love, reaffirm my commitment to get him on our side.
“I promise, we’ll find Sanguine. And it’s not your fault,” I said to him. I took his fig and split it in half and handed it back. “Look. You seem pretty bewildered with what you’ve been thrown into, but… it’ll get quieter after this. Our lives will all calm down.” I glanced as I heard the sliding metal door of the Falconer close, then Theo disappear into the cockpit.
I directed him to the back area of the Falconer with a hand on his shoulder, and dropped my voice. “I’m going to be leaving on my own after, to find my master. Elish has caused some friction here, and I don’t want Theo knowing where he is.” I motioned to the cockpit; I could hear Theo whistling as he set everything up. “I want you to come with me. I’ll protect you, these nuts won’t. Want to come with me? You’ll be like eight hundred miles from Silas, and you’ll be safe.”