Chapter 135: Quinn Larisch (Part 7)
I invited Ryker to dinner at a place called ‘Sepana Diner,’ a loud and lively restaurant that was a big new hit in Saneth. Going out to eat after a long workday wasn't unusual for us, so it wasn’t all that suspicious. We’ve grown close over the past few years, so much so that I see Ryker as another parent of mine, and while I can’t speak for him, I feel like those feelings are reciprocated.
But in terms of Ryker actually helping me, I knew that this conversation would be a last-ditch effort. A final swing of the bat, hoping that he would choose to aid me and my family for all that I- well… we’ve done for him and this country. But after receiving our food and digging in, I explained to Ryker that I chose this location so we could talk freely without restraints. But Ryker grew disgusted before I could even bring up the topic of saving my father.
He insulted me for inviting him to dinner to discuss such selfish matters rather than talking about something important, like our next move to help Iasa get back on its feet. I assured him I had already thought such issues through, and I wasn't lying, but as he demanded to hear them, I couldn’t remember what I had prepared. I had lost the memory at some point.
Ryker scoffed at my mute response before slamming some money on the table and storming out of the restaurant. Leaving behind some money to cover the rest of the bill, I ran out of the restaurant and located the general walking on the sidewalk across the street. As I ran up beside him, Ryker shot me a nasty look but remained silent.
It took about fifteen seconds before I could build up the courage to circle around to the front of him, cutting him off as I quietly asked him for his help. I didn’t care if I came across as pathetic; my parents' lives were on the line. At first, he averted his eyes from me without slowing down his pace, but eventually, he pulled to a halt and simply glared at me.
Rubbing his lips together and slightly shaking his head back and forth out of aggravation, Ryker looked around and recognized that the street we were now on was completely empty, abandoned even. Returning his attention to me with an angry scowl plastered on his face, Ryker asked me a question.
“Do you think… I haven’t tried to save people before?”
The question caught me off guard, but I remained quick on my feet and gave him a response I thought he would want to hear, “Of course you have. You’ve saved thousands of lives during the war.”
His mouth twitching, Ryker steps toward me, “Quinn, do me a favor and use your f*cking head right now. I know you got a brain in there, so don’t bullshit me with another response like that.”
Exhaling through my nose but still standing my ground, I say, “Understood. I assumed you had tried to save people from the age of divination before, so I was planning to ask for your help again.”
Ryker slowly nods, “There we go. Now we can talk like f*cking adults without dancing around each other's words. Guess what, Quinn? Do you really want to know what happened to the last few people I’ve helped? Cause I’ll tell you, you’re mature enough to handle it… right?”
“Yes… General, I am.”
“Good, 'cause let me tell you, Quinn, they got their damn wish! They’re still alive past the age of forty! That’s what you want for your parents, right?! For them to be exempted?! Because right now, those people I helped aren’t free! They aren’t happy! They’re trapped! In a government lab! Only alive so they can breed and procreate as many little bastards as their bodies will allow so this country won’t trip on its face in the future! Is that what you want for your parents, Quinn?!” says Ryker, and I cower back, processing what I’m being told. “For them to eat, sleep, and shit in the same room for the rest of their miserable lives! All while they’re forced to conceive as many siblings for you as possible?! And who gives a damn about how loyal your mother and father are to each other because the queen will force them to mate with as many people as possible until they die! You wonder why I didn’t want to help you or your family?! That’s the reason why I haven’t!”
“Quinn…” the general socks me across the face. “Have you ever once thought about what will happen to you if you attempt something so damn rash?!”
“Of course, you haven’t…. you’re a selfish piece of shit,” the general socks me in the stomach this time, knocking the wind out of me. “But when it comes to your parents, you don’t give a damn about what you have to go through to protect them. Do you think I haven’t noticed how diligently you worked compared to the other agents for the past few years? I appreciated your work ethic, and you’re beyond talented, but it was obvious you’ve always had other intentions besides simply helping Iasa from the goodness of your heart. Your parents must’ve filled you in on the reality of things after I left that night. Otherwise, I don’t understand why you would work yourself to the bone for something you disliked to do so much. I know you hated your role as an interrogator… you despised it. I could see it on your face every day even though you did your best to hide it.”
The general socks me across the face again, “You’re a damn fool, Quinn. I’m trying to protect you! To protect your family! To protect myself… damn it! Have you ever thought about what would happen to me if I was caught aiding you in this endeavor? You don’t need to lie! I know you haven’t! You’re not that kind of person who cares about the well-being of others!”
With blood trailing out of my nose and my breathing labored, I’m unable to avert my gaze.
“I got lucky that no evidence surfaced about how I helped my friends in the past. I know my hands aren’t clean, but it’s because I’m still a free man that I must stop anybody else from attempting such a foolish thing! Because let me tell you… if I could go back…. I wish I had let things play out as intended! Execution is a quick, sometimes even painless death! I would’ve saved them from decades of barbaric torture!”
“I… I won’t make the same mistakes you did,” I utter.
There was a pause for a few seconds after I said that. I got punched a fourth time, then a fifth, then a sixth, but for each of these punches, Ryker channeled iris into his fist every time. The force of the rapid-fire punches threw me to the side, blood splattering out of my mouth onto the ground.
“I didn’t make any f*cking mistakes! Why do you think I’m still alive, Quinn?! Everything went according to f*cking plan! Anybody who gets exempted is sentenced to a hell far worse than death! The age of divination is cruel but a luxury compared to the alternatives! I need you to get that through your thick, stubborn brain of yours because if you say one damn word about this to anybody, they’ll have your head too! And I can’t– I can’t bear the thought of losing anybody else because I didn’t help them make the right choice!”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Feeling Ryker’s erratic breaths tickle my neck as he stood over me, I lay there for a few seconds before I dragged myself back upright. Matching his gaze, I could see it in the general’s eyes, the eyes that had never once shown such raw emotion in the four years I’ve known him. I could see his anguish about his past, concern for my well-being, and fury toward my headstrong attitude.
I understood how he felt, but… I– I couldn’t give up. My father was eight weeks away from dying, and I wouldn’t allow that to happen.
Activating my second ability called ‘Discast’, my secret training toward this ability is put to good use. The ground cracks beneath me as I swiftly create two discs small enough to cradle inside the palms of my hand and launch them to either side of Ryker’s torso. Ryker’s eyes immediately begin glowing a piercing mix of red and green as he’s thrown backward, my discs tearing through his shirt and marginally scraping at his sides. As he’s falling backward, I lunge toward him, and my fingers make contact with the skin on his stomach. Using override, I make Ryker forget that I just attacked him. A moment later, Ryker grabs the side of his head in agony as his eyes return to normal.
As the general falls onto his back, I jump on top of him and kick his arms out to the side. Before he recovers and comprehends what’s happening, I fabricate two more discs of dark green color, more tiny cracks rupturing the ground. Casting them toward each of his wrists, I stake the lining of his sleeves into the ground, pinning his arms out to either side of him. For extra reassurance, I create another two discs and fire them just an inch or two above the position I shot the previous pair of discs, further cementing the hold.
It’s not a hold that’ll keep him pinned down very long, but it’ll work for now…
“What the hell is happening– Quinn? What the hell are you doing?” asks the general as I quickly take off my shoe and sock and place the sole of my foot on his stomach.
Grasping what’s happening, the general's eyes glow that same blended hue of red and green once more. However, I had already manufactured another disc in preparation for this.
Holding the dark green disc between my thumb and index finger, I display it to the general and calmly say, “Relax, Ryker, I just want to chat.”
Realizing my bare foot was on his stomach, the general’s eyes dragged toward the lump under his shirt before meeting my eyes again, comprehending the threat I was imposing.
“So you were the one that took the shard…” says Ryker, his eyes still gleaming. “Are we really gonna do this? After four long years of working together… this is how you want things to end?”
“Not if you help me,” I reply, trying not to exhibit the fear I feel festering inside me.
“We both know that I’ll win this fight. Back down, lieutenant, that’s an order.”
“Right now, general…” I tap my foot on his stomach. “You’re in no position to give me orders.”
His eyes still sparkling red and green, the general’s gaze hardens, “Before we move on, I know that you can’t use your powers to erase or manipulate the memories involving a person’s iris. That means that no matter what your plan is here, I won’t forget that my powers exist or how to use them.”
I create another disc on the fly. Not for any particular reason… I just felt the impulse to do so.
“Quinn… are you really going to manipulate my memories too?”
“I will if I have to.”
“Hmph… very well.”
“Ryker, please. If anybody, at least save the lives of my father and mother at my expense. I plan to get them out of here, but only you and the other generals can authorize it. I’ll take the entire blame.”
“I can’t. For the last time, you’re not getting my help.”
“I can override you. I can make you help me,” I say, barely able to keep my voice steady.
“Yes, you’ll have to if you really want this. And even with my help, even after I've been brainwashed, we both know that the odds of you saving your parents are still extremely low. You understand that… and yet you still want to risk everything?”
“Risk or no risk, I don’t have a choice. If you were in my position, you’d do the same.”
“I was once in your position, and I did take the risk. And you will soon understand the consequences.”
Tearing through the lining of his shirt and freeing his hand, I cast both of my discs at his left arm, and they bury themselves into his upper bicep. He lets out an agonizing grunt, but he doesn’t stop moving his arm until he grabs my ankle.
As the general pushes down on my ankle and I force my weight onto his stomach, Ryker yells, “Do it! You’re smart enough to understand now that if you don’t override me, your parent's fates are sealed! Do it, Quinn!”
With a flurry of emotions bubbling inside me, I activate override, and manipulate a colossal amount of memories inside Ryker’s mind, tweaking them to my benefit. I didn’t erase who I was or my family but instead swayed every memory I could within Ryker to where he wanted to help me.
Only a split second went by in the real world as I stumbled back a few steps, collapsing to the ground. As dozens, no, hundreds of memories were erased from my mind, I voiced the torment as my mind suffered from inner confusion, chaos, and turmoil.
“Quinn, you alright?” asks Ryker from a few feet away as I held the side of my head, a mountain of sweat beading down my face. “What happened here? Were we attacked?”
“No… I don’t know,” I say as I hear footsteps approaching me.
“You’re sweating like a pig, and you’re pale. Are you sure nothing happened?” asks Ryker, extending his hand to me.
Grabbing his hand while pressing my other against my head, I reply, “Yeah… yeah, I’m sure nothing happened here. It must be the food.”
Ryker nods his head as he helps me up, “Makes sense. I heard Sepana’s food takes some getting used to. Need some help getting home?”
Letting go of his hand, I wave the question off, “No, I’m fine…”
Ryker backs off with a nod, but then a confused countenance appears on his face. Lifting his chin up, Ryker sniffs the air, “Do you smell smoke?”
My brows knit, “Yeah… I do.”
An abrupt emergency alert suddenly goes off on our watches, paired with an explosion just a few blocks away. Veering my attention toward the sound, I quickly spot a thick black and gray smoke rising above the tree line and into the sky.
Ryker brings his watch close to his mouth, “General Ryker here. What’s the situation?”
“We’re under attack by Racafi!” a fellow general replies. “I believe General Kane is fending off the intruders, but the pure has already been stolen! We just got notified that she has left the premises of Kane’s house without any communication from Kane! Enemy numbers are unknown!”
“Stolen?! How?! Where is Kane now?!”
“Kane’s location is unknown! His watch must’ve been destroyed at some point during the battle! His last known location was at Sepana Diner!”
“Sepana Diner?! Lieutenant Quinn and I were just there!”
“That update was from over three hours ago! If Racafi seizes control of the pure gemcore from us, all weight behind our negotiations will crumble!”
“I f*cking know that! Shit…! I’ll head to Kane’s house now, see if I can intercept the intruder and save Marissa in time. Keep me updated if you learn Kane's location!”
“Understood. Over and out,” the fellow general replies, ending the report.
Running off toward the explosion, Ryker yells back at me, “Come on, Quinn! We’ve gotta go!”
No. No! Why now?! This is the perfect time to have her escape! Ryker, I need you to come back!
Channeling iris into my lower body, I begin chasing after him, desperate to make contact and override his current motivations to stop the invaders from Racafi.
If I can override his memory of the report and erase it, I can save my mother! I can get her off the damn island! I can rescue her from the age of divination before she’s killed in eight days!