Reapers

by Ain Soph

  Ulric closes his eyes and takes a long inhale, almost more like a sigh, before starting to speak. “There are some things you need to know before I give you this mission- your last mission.” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I feel my heart stop for a quick moment before beating again. What is he talking about? I need this militia. I need their information. What am I supposed to do if they kick me out- and why are they even getting rid of me? Militias don’t do that unless a mercenary seriously messes something big up, and I haven’t done anything of the sort. I want to say something to him, to plead my case, but instead I let him continue uninterrupted. “It’s true that the Remnants have thrived under the Scarlet Reaper’s protection. Unfortunately I can’t give you their location as it’s always changing. They keep their work spread between various bases so that if their compromised, not everything is lost. They do have a main base, but I’m unsure of its location. That’s strictly on a need to know basis and I’ve never needed to know. What I am certain of is that they can’t be found unless they want to be.” I feel a sinking ball of dread filling my stomach. All this time that I’ve been looking for them, Ulric’s known that they’re impossible to find.

  “There’s...more I must tell you. In return for the Reaper’s protection, we provide them with scientific and engineering knowledge obtained by the book our mercenaries have recovered and most importantly...” Ulric drifts off and clears his throat before beginning again, looking me straight in the eyes. “We provide them with warm bodies to use in their research.” I feel my blood turn to ice and grip onto the arms of chair as though I’m going to faint. If it weren’t for the temporary paralyzation that invaded my body the moment he spoke those words, I would have thrown the end table, smashed his pretentious tea cup, grabbed him by the shoulders, and shaken him. Instead, I’m bolted to the chair so motionless I doubt it looks like I’m even breathing. I’m not working for the very militia that’s responsible for the kidnappings. I’m not supplying books and information to the camp that took my sister. I can’t be. I’m not. I can’t be. I lean forward in the chair and release a choked breath. I’m going to be sick; I can feel my stomach churning with nausea. But I need to hear the rest I want to kill Ulric right here right now, but I need to hear everything he has to say before ending his life.

  Ulric continued, ignoring my obvious distress. “The Reapers want to perfect our species in one body. A human/ Artif hybrid that will unite our two races. But they need bodies to practice with. The Remnants supplied the humans while an Artif camp I’ve never heard of supplies the machines. You were useful to us for a very long time, Luxem, and I’m sorry to say we didn’t give you anything but false promises. You can’t find the Scarlet Reapers unless they come to you. I will confirm for you though, that your sister, Lucie, was among the humans we kidnapped all those years ago. She was the youngest human we ever delivered to them, and it’s weighed heavily on my conscience ever since.”

  I blink unshed tears out of my eyes, willing myself not to cry. The Remnants are the enemy now, and I refuse to show that level of emotion or vulnerability in front on the opposition. This is war now. I wait until my eyes are fully dry and raise my head to meet Ulric’s somber gaze with a poisonous one of my own. “So why now, Ulric? Why tell me anything at all if I could have stayed useful to you?” I want to tear him limb from limb. I’m seeing pure red, but instead of acting on it, I just sit, paralyzed still, in my chair. Is this what going into shock feels like? I’m very aware of my own body, but it feels like I can’t control it or make it do anything I want it to. Its just sitting here limply, as though it and my mind are two separate entities.

  When my sister disappeared, I felt heartbreak like I had never known. It was unbearable, and I haven’t that amount of pain since, despite pain and loss being part of the job. Now though, I’m feeling more anger and hatred than I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s like an uncontrollable force welling from somewhere deep within my body, growing more powerful as the depth of the Remnant’s betrayal hits me.

  Ulric grabs his tea once more and takes a delicate sip before resting it in his lap. “The Dagger Corps mercenary that came today brought a letter with him that contained a message from his leaders. They know about Project Artian, the name the Reapers gave their experiment. I have a clue about how they found out...and I’ve actually been expecting this message for some time, hence bringing you here today for your mission. It’s too late to do much else though. They’re coming for us regardless- except little does the Dagger Corps realize, they will never get to us before the Reapers collect their debt.” Ulric brings his hand to his mouth and closes his eyes, remaining perfectly still except for the slight rise and fall of his chest. “I wanted the Remnants to be scholars and peace keepers. We were never meant to get mixed up in all of this. When the war started, civilization as we knew it fell. The chaos, brutality, murder...humans had been so reliant on Artifs, wanting them to be more and more realistic, it was a recipe for disaster. And the Reapers, well they took full advantage. They’re smart- smarter than the rest of us.” Ulric looks at me with teary eyes and a red face, “But I have to believe someone can change that, someone can stand up to him. For whatever reason, they’ve chosen the two of you, and now it’s up to you two to fix things.”

  Ulric looks pitiful, a sorry old man living in deep regret of his actions, speaking in gibberish and riddles that made no sense. Perhaps he had faith that Project Artian would fix our broken world, or maybe the Reapers used force to make him do their bidding. I don’t care. Ulric leads the militia that kidnapped my little sister, that possibly even kidnapped my parents. My life has been full of tragedy, heartbreak, and struggle after struggle, leading to nothing but dead ends. And in the end, after all that I’ve had to deal with, the Remnants still tricked me into working for them. They blatantly lied to me and kept me in the dark, so that they could use my skills for their own purposes. I have more questions than Ulric is probably willing to answer, but I’m not above using force on him to demand some answers.

  I draw a sharp, thin dagger from my boot, its handle engraved with thorny vines wrapping around the hilt and twirl it between my fingers. “So the Dagger Corps are coming for you and you know that there’s nothing you can do? Has your favor with the Scarlet Reapers dwindled to a point where they won’t even come and save you? You were their lap dogs for so long though, weren’t you, Ulric?” I feel on the verge of screaming, but I don’t want to draw attention to Ulric’s study. No on can interrupt us, not until I have answers and Ulric’s dead. “Why choose me for your deathbed confession? Is it to ease your guilt over kidnapping a child?” I grip the handle of the knife hard enough that my knuckles turn white. It’s taking every ounce of self control I have to keep myself from going over the edge.

  Ulric places his tea cup back on the end table and shakes his head, not bothering to acknowledge the smooth blade I’m hovering in front of his face. “We’re not going to make it to tomorrow morning, dear. We’ve been compromised. At this point in time, the Dagger Corps only know of our involvement in Project Artian, but I highly doubt they know of any details beyond that. If they were to storm our base, then they would capture myself and the others in charge of the Remnants, with the intention of extracting whatever information they could from us. As I’m sure you understand, this is simply not an option. There is a chapter in our contract with the Scarlet Reapers that dictates if such a situation were to occur, we are to orchestrate... mass fatalities, effectively stopping any outside forces from obtaining top secret information. If we fail to do so, the Reapers will send the Artif camp they have working for them to pay us a visit, and we will become the next test subjects for their experiments.”

  I curse under my breath as I drop the knife, but the horror of what Ulric’s saying has my brain unfocused and scattered. “There are children in this camp, Ulric! They’re innocent. They don’t know anything about Project Artian or the mess you got them involved in.” My voice is raising with each word I say and Ulric motions
for me to lower my volume. I quiet down, but gape at him in disbelief. How dare he act like he can give me orders. People need to be warned. Maybe there’s still a way that I can save their lives- as long as they’ll believe me. Chances are though, they’ll have too much faith in Ulric to listen to anything I say. Regardless, I at least have to try.

  “You can’t save them, Luxem. A painless death is a much better alternative to becoming the Scarlet Reaper’s test subjects. My hands are tied at this point, and I have to make the choice that’s best for my people.” Before I can respond, Ulric raises his hand once more as a reminder to me to keep my voice low.

  “How could you deliver innocent people to a fate that’s too horrible for you to face yourself? How can you even sleep at night? You can’t be a test subject- it’s just too awful, but you’ll force others into experiments that you’re scared of?” I whisper my disappointment and disbelief. I don’t care that much about staying quiet- not at this point, but Ulric’s hypocrisy has me at a loss for words. He used to be a man I trusted and respected. I’ve never been so wrong about someone in my life. I stand over him continuously spinning my knife, murderous intent glittering in my eyes.

  “Bliss tea in large doses is fatal. It’s painless, but deadly. You could kill me now, but I’m the only one in this camp that knows the Scarlet Reapers will come for us if we’re alive to see the sunrise. You know that if you try to warn them, they won’t believe you. Most of them trust me so blindly, they’ve never even questioned if there’s anything we add to their tea. They just think it has all natural ingredients, and the majority just think it’s a luxury we provide them out of the kindness of our hearts. You don’t understand why I had to do what I did- why I had to do any of it, and I know you never will. But what I’ve told you so far is as much as I’m able to, and that’s for your sake. If you know too much, you’ll never live to make the changes that need to happen. And for the camp, I’m afraid you’re too late anyway. It’s already been done. This will all be over in only a matter of time.”

  As soon as Ulric finishes his last sentence, I punch him, knocking him back in his chair and drawing blood. I step above him and hover over him with the dagger pointed at his chest. I’m ready to kill him, to get revenge for all the innocent lives he stole, but I make the mistake of looking into his pleading eyes, too soon, I feel my resolve start to crumble. I have no sympathy for him, but I recognize that desperate, frightened look in his eyes, and I realize that as much as I need my revenge, as much as my hatred is consuming me, I can’t kill him. If I allow my hatred to overtake my emotions to the point of murder, there’s a chance I’ll never recover myself. I barely brought myself back after Lucie’s disappearance. And I can’t warn the camp; I’m too late. Ulric made his move with the impromptu Bliss Night long before I showed up.

  I drop back in the side chair with a sigh and stick the dagger back in my boot. The Remnants are going to be invaded by the Reapers; that’s a fact. But don’t they at least deserve a chance to fight back? Would they even be able to fight? The Remnants are weak and sheltered, living in a comfortable bubble that’s been protected up until now. They won’t stand a chance, and more than likely, they’d meet terrible fates because of their gentleness. But when did making the right choice mean letting innocent people die? There’s a way out of this. I know there is. There has to be a way to save everyone here. But I just can’t think of it- I can’t think straight at all. The information Ulric gave me is spinning around my mind and keeping me from being able to focus on anything else. I need to get out of here, away from the Remnant camp, out in the fresh air...I just need to leave. The nausea comes back again, this time stronger, and I grip onto the chair, trying to swallow it down.

  “I’m leaving now, Ulric. I have to go. I don’t want to be here anymore. I don’t want to be a part of this. The Remnants are doomed, and I hope you remember that the innocents in this camp will needlessly die because of you. You involved them in this. You had a choice; they didn’t,” I throw my body out of the chair and use my momentum to slam open the door to the hallway. As Ulric calls for my return, I sprint faster toward the exit, desperate to get away from him. I’m anxious to leave the compound before I make eye contact with any of the Remnants milling about. I found the information on the Reapers that I’ve been needing, and even though I didn’t get a chance to ask about Dryden like I wanted to, at this point, that’s the least of my worries. I want to get as far away from this camp as I possibly can. The lights feel suffocating. The amber color that once was so warm and inviting now makes the building look hazy, as though it’s setting the walls around me on fire. I don’t know if it’s from the running or the shock of information to my system, but I’m light headed from my breaths being too shallow. As hard as I try though, I can’t take a full breath, and the suffocating feeling combined with my desperation to leave makes this hallway feel like it’s going on forever.

  Bulfort steps in front of me as I reach the entrance of the manor and holds his hand up two inches from my face. If he had acted that out of line before my meeting with Ulric, I would have made sure he regretted treating me with such blatant disrespect. Now though, all I can do is simply stand here like a deer in headlights. “Our glorious leader has been calling your name since you left his study. I must ask for your quick return.” Bulfort puts his hands behind his back and turns up his nose at my insolence toward their commander. He looks behind me and his eyes widen in surprise as he rushes in the direction he was just staring. I turn around to see Ulric limping over to me. The blood is cleaned from his face, but his lip is still split and his jawbone is already bruising. The other Remnants relaxing around the room quiet and stare at Ulric as he slowly makes his way toward the exit where I stand, completely frozen in place. Ulric never leaves his office. To see him out and about is a rare sight, and it seems wrong somehow. He belongs behind his desk, not out here with the aristocracy. I want to leave as fast as I can, but the sight of Ulric working so hard to tell me one last thing (whatever that thing may be) makes me pause. If I don’t listen to what he has to say now, I will forever wonder what was so important that he chased after me for it.

  Ulric is out of breath, shooing Bulfort away in an effort to quiet the man’s incessant chirping about the wounds on Ulric’s face. I don’t understand how Bulfort can have so much Bliss in him, but still be so unbelievably tense and uptight. As Bulfort ignores his leader’s shooing, Ulric waves to the rest of the camp and smiles to let them know they have nothing to worry about. Some Remnants look at each other in doubt, but they decide to trust Ulric and resume their conversations. Deep thinking and complex situations aren’t their strong suit. Ulric pushes Bulfort away once more and finally the man walks away (disgruntled and giving me death glares). Ulric waits until Bulfort is finally out of earshot to lean in toward me and whisper in a hushed tone, “I told you I had one last mission for you, but you ran out of my study before you could receive it.”

  I stiffen and curse at him, “How dare you even think that I would be willing to complete one last mission for you? I want absolutely nothing to do with you. In fact, I want as far away from this camp as I can possibly get.”

  Ulric shakes his head and grabs onto my arm as I turn to go, “But obviously your curiosity has kept you rooted to this very spot. What are your plans now, Luxem? What’s your next course of action?”

  I brush his hand away from me with disgust and lean away from him. “I hardly think that’s any of your business. I’m not a part of this militia anymore. This militia doesn’t even exist anymore,” I spit. Truthfully though, I don’t have anything even close to resembling a plan. According to Ulric, the Reapers can’t be found and I didn’t have a chance to get any leads on where Dryden could be. Ulric might know if Dryden is among the missing, but I can’t bear myself to ask him. If he says yes, then my last bit of hope is dashed, and I have nothing to hold on to. Before I even arrived at the Remnant camp, I was thinking about how there is only so much a person can take before they crumble,
and I’ve been past my limit for a long time. If Dryden is among the disappeared, then I may finally give in to the darkness and crumble. After today, I won’t even have a militia to work for. My conversation in Ulric’s office has jumbled my mind to the point where I can’t even think up what my next step will be as an out of work mercenary. All I can think about is running, something that I’d done all too well in the past.

  “You need to talk to the leader of the Dagger Corps,” Ulric pleads. “What you’re looking for can be found there. It’s the same way they gained information on the Reaper’s project and our involvement with it. The Dagger Corps needs to be your next destination. Grab your friend- the mercenary who delivered the message, the same one you were talking to outside. Do this,” he hisses in my ear, far too close for comfort. Ulric is starting to lean in much farther toward me than he was before, and I glance around the room, I notice the aristocrats’ sluggish actions and shifty eyes. Even Bulfort looks tired and drawn, lounging on an armchair, staring at the ground in front of him. The Bliss is starting to kick in, it’s fatal dose affecting them. I need to get out of here now.