Feral Empires: Fanning Flames

by Stephen L. Hadley

  “You must really hate kids, huh?” the captain growled. “Go ahead. See what happens.”

  Liam tried not to react. And, in his defense, his expression did not. His eyes, however, flickered toward the women in the water.

  It was all the evidence the captain needed. Stalking forward, the man reached out and grabbed the barrel of Liam’s rifle and slowly pulled it from his hands.

  “Smart,” the captain said.

  “What do you want?” Liam asked. Without meaning to, he glanced at Jenn a second time.

  As he’d feared, she was too far from the boat for her vines to be any use. If she’d been closer, he could have waited for her to ambush the riflemen, then use the chaos to pounce alongside Kathryn. But, under the circumstances, he couldn’t take the risk. While Kathryn could no doubt handle the crew on her own, there was no guarantee that he could reach those in the water in time to heal their inevitable wounds.

  “What do I want?” the captain echoed. He seemed legitimately perplexed by the question.

  Without warning, he lunged and used the butt of his stolen rifle to bludgeon Liam squarely between the legs.

  Liam doubled over, clutching himself as a wave of pain and nausea struck him. It faded almost immediately, but the memory of it lingered far after the sensation had passed. Evidently, the part of his enhancement that enabled him to virtually shrug off knife and bullet wounds did not maintain its potency when dealing with matters below the belt.

  “I want some damned respect!” the captain snarled. He seized Liam by the hair and yanked his head upright. “You soldier boys come swaggering through, acting like the fucking ground ought to thank you for walking on it. Hell, the Occs treat us better than you lot!”

  Liam grimaced, grabbing the captain’s wrists and struggling to relieve the pressure on his scalp. It was a losing battle; the man’s forearms were like iron. And, as if mocking him, he spotted his own, desperate reflection in the man’s oversized belt buckle. It depicted a pair of crossed anchors, forming a cross that perfectly quartered Liam’s features.

  He twisted in the man’s grip, trying to escape the sight of his reflection and catch Jenn’s eye, instead. Something deep in his gut promised that if he could only see her, he would instinctively know what to do.

  “Look at me when I’m talking to you!” the captain roared.

  Liam’s legs turned to water and he sagged. He continued to clutch the captain’s wrist, no longer trying to free himself, but instead merely hold himself aloft. His heart pounded, a sudden irrational fear making his every movement a flustered twitch.

  Stupid. Stupid. It was so stupid! He’d destroyed the Institute. How could words still do this to him?

  Liam squirmed, no longer seeking Jenn’s face, but rather Kathryn’s. To hell with it all! He was out of options! He’d do what he could and deal with the consequences later.

  “Kat!” he yelped, the pain in his scalp constricting his throat and making his words jump an octave. “Fast and—”

  A gentle hand settled on Liam’s shoulder and the fingers gripping his hair loosened suddenly. Dropping to the deck, he immediately scrambled backward and climbed to his feet.

  Nora stood before the captain, head no longer bowed. Instead, she moved with the smooth, graceful confidence of one who knows exactly what they’re doing.

  “Put down the guns, Captain,” she said, quietly enough that Liam could barely hear her, despite being only a few feet away. “You don’t need them.”

  The man bristled. “You don’t tell me what I—”

  His harsh words ended suddenly as Nora reached out to grasp him through the front of his trousers. She stroked him there a moment, then cocked her head and chuckled so earnestly that Liam could not even conceive of it being an act.

  “Don’t tell you what you need?” Nora teased. “Even when it’s obvious?”

  For a few seconds, warring emotions played out across the captain’s face. Eventually, he settled on one and a wicked smirk spread from cheek to cheek. He gestured casually and the riflemen at the rail lowered their weapons. They did not stow them, of course, but merely relaxed and waited.

  “Alright, bitch,” the captain said. “Let’s see how good you are.”

  He started to reach for Nora but she immediately pulled back out of reach. Before he could lash out, however, she laughed again and stepped back into arms reach—then further. Pressing herself against the captain’s chest, Nora writhed a moment, and then sank slowly to her knees. Her hands trailed across the man’s trousers, exploring him from knees to hips.

  Then, in a single, effortless motion, Nora unbuckled his belt. She did it so seductively that Liam did not even realize what she was doing until the buckle reached her lips.

  Nora turned, met Liam’s eye for the briefest instant, and delivered a long, purposeful lick across the surface of the buckle. Standing, she tossed the metal disc toward the sailors at the opposite end of the boat. And then, before anyone could even think of stopping her, she turned and flung herself over the side of the boat and into the water.

  “The hell?” barked the captain.

  Liam couldn’t help it. He laughed, then side-stepped to place himself between Kathryn and Nora’s parting gift.

  “Kat,” he said calmly. “Fast and str—”

  The buckle exploded.

  Chapter Six

  Liam grunted as he climbed to his feet. His ears were ringing and it took him a moment to comprehend the carnage in front of him.

  Kathryn hadn’t needed a moment; the Runners lay dead or dying on the deck of the slowly capsizing boat. Those who’d been caught in the initial explosion were easy to identify by their scorched limbs, or lack thereof. And yet, Kathryn’s victims were no less recognizable. A half-dozen corpses littered the deck, throats slashed and faces contorted with shock, pain, and fear.

  Kathryn crouched at the shattered stern, back turned. At the sound of Liam’s rising, she turned and hurriedly tiptoed his way, avoiding the bodies and spreading pools of blood. Her hands and cheeks were flecked with blood, but miraculously, there was not a speck of the stuff on her dress.

  “Liam!” she said excitedly. “Fast! So fast! Did see?”

  He started to answer when the boat lurched violently and began to tip. Even standing with one foot on the rail, Liam’s ankles were immediately dunked in the river. Hastily scooping up his rifle to avoid losing it in the rising water, he gave Kathryn and the Runners a final glance.

  “Yeah,” he lied. “I saw. Let’s go, Kat.”

  Kathryn was already a step ahead of him. Letting out an unstealthy whoop, she leapt feet-first into the water. Rolling his eyes, Liam followed after her in silence.

  The already-murky water had taken on a fiendish shade of maroon by the time Liam found his footing and began wading ashore. From the corner of his eye, he could see unmoving shapes bobbing in the shallows. Whether Runners or militiamen, he never discovered. He avoided looking at them, choosing instead to observe Kathryn’s progress ahead of him. Then, as she dragged herself from the water, his attention turned more broadly to those waiting on the narrow, muddy flat.

  Julie knelt at the forefront, carefully positioned between her son and the grotesqueries on and around the sinking boat. She had busied herself wringing the water from his trousers. Nora, Jenn, and the newly arrived Kathryn stood a few feet removed, each tending to their own needs. Jenn had momentarily transferred Morgan to Nora’s arms and was carefully adjusting her waterlogged armor. The child had begun to fuss and so Nora did not even notice Liam’s attempts to meet her eye.

  That, at least, he had in common with Kathryn. The petite woman turned from face to face with the expectant brightness of one anticipating praise. Receiving none, she scowled and trotted toward Liam as he stepped, dripping, onto dry land.

  Grinning, he reached out and ruffled her hair. Wet as it was, it remained a damp, indelicate mess that suited her perfectly.

  “Good job,” he
said.

  A thought occurred to him then and he spun. Squinting, he gazed across the river and tried to make out the details of the other side.

  Where Scott had once stood, there was now only empty shoreline.

  “He just left,” Jenn said softly. She still did not look at him, but stared across the water with an unreadable expression. “That was loud enough for the Occs to hear. I’m sure Scott will find another place to cross. Or we can come back to get him once things quiet down.”

  Liam nodded instinctively but continued staring across the river. The longer he did so, the greater the guilt and sense of foreboding weighed on him. It wasn’t the first time he’d been separated from Scott, but it was the first time he hadn’t had a clue when they would reunite. Worse still, three of Scott’s men were dead because of him. Perhaps if he’d objected more strongly, they—

  “Liam.”

  Jenn’s voice broke through his introspection and he turned. Jenn was looking at him, finally, but her eyes were cold and resolute, rather than comforting.

  “We need to go,” Jenn said.

  “Where?” he asked, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.

  It was not Jenn who answered him, but Julie.

  “North,” she said. “It’s only about a day’s walk to New Lewville. That’s the first place Scott will look for us.”

  Liam looked around but found no one offering a contrary opinion. Jenn had gone back to adjusting the vines that made up the bulk of her armor. Nora held Morgan and waited calmly at Julie’s side. Kathryn played with her knives.

  “North it is then,” Liam said.

  ***

  Though trudging through the woods wearing damp clothes and waterlogged boots was unpleasant for Liam, his discomfort was nothing compared to that of the others. His blisters healed instantly, but within a few hours, he was wincing in sympathy as Nora and Julie limped along the narrow game trails.

  They did not stop, however, until Nora tripped and only just avoided crashing to the ground with Morgan still in her arms.

  “I’m sorry!” Nora yelped, her voice hoarse with horror at the near-accident. “I’m so sorry!”

  Julie said nothing as she helped Nora back onto her feet and gently but insistently took her daughter back.

  “We need to stop,” she announced, glancing in Liam’s direction. “We’re all tired and I need to feed this one.”

  It took Liam a moment to break free of the fog that always overtook him during long marches. After a quick glance around to ensure they were not overly exposed, he nodded and stretched.

  “Good idea,” he said. “We could stop here for the night, if we need to. I’ll—” Liam trailed off as Jenn hauled herself up into the trees without warning. He grabbed for his rifle, startled enough by her unexpected flight to bring on a burst of adrenaline. But there was no danger; the woods remained as quiet and empty as before.

  Silence settled in the wake of Jenn’s departure and Liam gritted his teeth as he noticed Nora and Julie exchanging glances. Kathryn, too, looked around in confusion.

  “Say, kid,” Julie said in a forcedly casual tone. “Don’t suppose I could trouble you for a bit of blood, could I?”

  “Sure,” he muttered. The distraction was a welcome one.

  Making his way toward her, Liam rolled up one sleeve and waved Kathryn over. She obliged happily, nipping his forearm in the indicated spot, then watching hungrily as he massaged the area around the wound until blood welled.

  Seated on the leaf-strewn ground, Julie kicked off her boots and drew up her shirt to nurse Morgan. Without looking at Liam, she lifted a hand, smeared her fingertips through the blood, and began to massage the stuff onto her blistered heels.

  “Weirdest fucking thing I’ve ever done,” she said, shuddering. Then, after a moment, she sighed and relaxed. “But damn if that doesn’t feel great.”

  Liam turned to Nora next, offering his already healed arm and indicating the remnants of his blood. The woman fidgeted, then nervously accepted his offer and followed Julie’s example. She offered Liam a brief smile and bobbed her head in thanks.

  He did not return the gesture, instead turning to gaze up into the green canopy overhead. He couldn’t see Jenn, but he trusted her wisdom enough to know she wouldn’t have gone far.

  “You should go apologize,” Julie said, quietly.

  Grumbling, Liam folded his arms and continued staring upward. He had a fairly good idea what he’d done to upset Jenn, but her sudden sulkiness had left him feeling belligerent.

  “I don’t even know what I did this time,” he lied.

  “Men usually don’t,” Julie said. She snorted. “Go do it anyway, would you? I’m hungry.”

  Sighing, he pulled the rifle from his shoulder and handed it to Julie. At her surprised expression, he offered a thin smile and a weary shrug.

  “You’re a better shot than I am, anyway,” he said.

  Julie eyed him for a moment before smirking.

  “You’re damn right I am,” she said.

  It took several minutes of frustrating conversation to impress upon Kathryn that, no, she should not climb up after him. Eventually, however, Liam accomplished it and he began the long, unsteady climb up into the grove’s upper reaches. The sea of greens and browns made a maze of navigation and so he did not see Jenn until he had climbed nearly ten feet above her.

  Jenn sat on a thick, sparsely leafed limb, her legs stretched out along it and only a single vine securing her waist to the nearby limbs. She gazed numbly into space, running her fingers along one of the bark plates that formed her helmet. It sat in her lap, tiny fronds and leaves squirming and stretching toward her hand with each pass of her fingers.

  Liam almost called out to her, then thought better of it. He descended slowly, moving carefully to avoid losing his footing. Strangely, the climb down made his stomach churn in a way that ascending had not.

  “Jenn?” he called softly, when at last they were level. “Can I talk to you?”

  She stiffened at the sound of his voice, eyes snapping towards him. Then she looked away, just as sharply. After a long moment of tense silence, she shrugged.

  “I’m sorry,” Liam said. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. I don’t know exactly what—”

  “I thought you were her friend,” Jenn said, interrupting. There was an odd quality to her voice and it took Liam a moment to realize she’d thrown his words back at him.

  He sighed.

  “I was upset,” he explained. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “You should,” Jenn snapped. She folded her arms over her chest, pinning her helmet between her knees and her forearms. “You were right. I was ready to do it. I was going to let them rape her.”

  “What?” he said.

  Jenn hunched her shoulders and hid her face against her arms. From there, she peeked out at Liam with a single, haunted eye.

  “I was going to do it,” she continued. “I was ready. I convinced myself that it was her life, or ours. And I was going to pay that price if it meant getting us across the river.”

  Liam had nothing to say to that. He sat in silence a moment, then maneuvered to a more secure seat and gave Jenn’s vine-wrapped arm a gentle squeeze.

  “It’s not your fault,” he said. “The Occs—”

  “The Occs think like that,” Jenn said, giving no indication she’d even heard his attempt at reassurance. She hugged herself tighter. “You remember it, don’t you? People were just another resource, like food or ammo.”

  “I remember.”

  “I don’t want to think like that.” She gazed at him, eyes pleading. “I don’t want to be like them.”

  “You’re not,” Liam snapped. He leaned precariously, bracing himself against a stray branch, and dragged Jenn’s chin to face him fully. “Jenn, listen to me. You’re nothing like them.”

  Jenn scoffed under her breath but also smiled faintly as she reached for Liam’s hand. Though she
pulled it away from her chin, she continued to clutch it desperately. She ran her fingers over his larger ones, over and over.

  “You’re sweet,” she murmured. Then, even more softly, asked, “Hold me?”

  Liam moved to oblige her. Then, without warning, his foot slipped. He had just enough time to squawk in dismay before the world turned upside down and he fell.

  Fortunately, he didn’t fall far. Even in her emotionally vulnerable state, Jenn proved her merit. Her vines lashed toward him, seizing his leg and arresting his fall after only a few feet. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quite fast enough to keep him from bashing his head on the trunk.

  Grunting, Liam blinked away stars. He was so disoriented by the sudden blow that it took him several seconds to recognize Jenn had hauled him back up to her level. She kept him inverted, too, and judging by her smirk, deliberately.

  “You could have just said no,” she teased.

  “Thanks,” Liam said. He reached for a branch, intending to regain his footing. Before his fingers could even brush the bark, however, Jenn swung him away from it. She beamed at him.

  “Jenn,” he growled.

  “What?”

  “Put me down.”

  She made a show of considering the request, then shrugged with mock indecisiveness. With a flick of her fingers, she brought him closer and coiled a second vine around his other leg.

  “I could,” she said. “But where’s the fun in that?”

  Jenn trailed her fingers up his chest and across his stomach, pulling the perforated shirt free of his trousers and allowing it to pool around his collar. Exploring the perfect skin beneath, she leaned in and kissed him gently, just below—or above, as it was—his ribs.

  “Jenn,” Liam repeated. “I’m not sure… I don’t think this is the best time.”

  She flinched, pulling back as if stung. After a moment’s hesitation, she gestured and used several more vines to flip him the right way. Guiding him back to a sturdy spot on one of the nearby branches, she waited until he had his footing secured and then averted her eyes as her vines withdrew.