Thankfully that kid didn’t run that fast, and I caught up to him almost immediately. However, he ignored my presence and continued on his way, deeper into the facility.
“Where are you going?” I asked as I jogged alongside him.
Part of me wanted to simply pick the kid up, and make a bee-line for the exit. But, even if he didn’t attack me if I were to do this, such actions would not inspire him to trust me.
“None of your business.” He replied.
His voice sounded annoyed and I couldn’t figure out if it was because he hadn’t managed to lose me in the hallways, or for some other reason.
“That is the opposite way to the exit, quite literally.” I told him, insisting on the exit.
Suddenly, I heard voices coming in our direction. I reached out my hand to grab Cain so we could hide together, but he dashed in the direction of the voices and vanished behind a corner. I pulled out my gun and promptly followed him.
When I turned the corner, I couldn’t help but gasp at what I saw. There were two bloodied bodies laying on the ground. A third, terrified, guard was pointing their gun at Cain. The kid seemed to have tried shifting into an animal form, but all he had managed was to grow claws and wolf ears. He held up his guard, clearly ready for the armed person opposite him to attack.
In a split-second decision, I aimed my own pistol at that guard’s leg. The bullet silently cut through the air, and the guard dropped their weapon before themselves falling onto the ground with a pained cry.
Cain snapped his head towards me. He once again had that unreadable expression painted over his face. I quickly rushed to the guard whom I’d shot. They tried to reach for their weapon, but I kicked it aside with my foot before knocking them on the back of the neck with a well-practised sword movement. I then quickly checked that the other two guards were still breathing. Their open wounds had closed, as their luck points seemed to slowly return.
“You can’t leave a trail of blood behind.” I spoke, trying to keep my voice calm, and not to think that thick could have as easily been me laid half-dead on the floor. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s very easy to follow.”
“They aren’t dead.” Cain said in a neutral, if not disinterested, voice.
“But they would have been, had your MP been higher.” I said as I turned towards him to meet his eyes.
As dangerous as he was, Cain was also a child. And I hoped that taking this authoritative approach would have some effect on him.
“We need to go now, really. I’ve been here for hours, and they probably noticed that you were gone-”
“Don’t worry, the security here is bad.” Cain simply said before turning around and once again heading towards his own destination.
“Then why are you still here?” I called, hoping to talk some sense into him.
In my mind, it didn’t make full sense either, but that was something that could be sorted out later, once we were back in my flat in Paris, and not here on the other side of the Alps.
Cain turned around and gave me an angry glare. Then, he took off again.
“Hey Cain – kid, wait up!” I called out before once again running after him.
----------------------------------------
I could not fantom how, but it looked like Cain had regained some MP since our last ‘chase’ through the corridors, as this time I struggled to keep up with him. At one point I could have sworn that I saw a smirk on his face as if he was taking pleasure in toying with me in this way.
It hadn’t been more than a few minutes since we’d met, and yet those few minutes had been enough for me to question my whole plan. Yes, I was immortal in a way, but so many people had seen me, and I had no doubt they could, if they really tried, trace me all the way back to France. Plus, if Cain refused to go with me, which started to look more and more likely, I wasn’t sure what I would do. These risks were all worth it if I were to get a powerful bodyguard out of this situation, but if I were to come home alone this would all have been a massive waste of time and resources.
Of course, there was also the possibility to take him by force. But that would only work against me in the long run, since I’d have to convince him that I did it for his own good. Whereas if Cain followed me of his free will, that would have been half the issue solved. The other half of the issue was getting him to stay with me afterwards, as he seemed to be more stubborn and head-strong than how the book had described him. In the novel, he’d follow Huáng Yǔháng to hell and back, painting the road red along the way. But loyalty was something I was willing to compromise on if a reduction in bloodshed was what I would be getting in return.
“Do you have a key card?” Cain said as he stopped in front of a large door with tinted windows.
“I do. But you have to tell me what’s in there.” I said as I started reaching into my pocket before quickly stopping myself. I didn’t want Cain to snatch the key card form the second I’d pull it out. I also needed to know what was in this room, in case the keycards might not work.
But I never got a proper answer. All I got was a pair of red eyes glaring angrily at me.
“Didn’t you say that you wanted to help me?” Cain asked, with a tone full of disdain.
“I said I was getting you out of here.” I corrected him.
He scoffed.
“There’s quite a lot of nuance there, isn’t that right?” He said, with an accusatory tone.
His reaction didn’t feel right. I was willing to overlook many things, for the sake of hasting our escape, but this wasn’t how a 12-year-old spoke, was it? This was making me question my whole presence here, yet again. But once more I could not back out now.
With a sigh, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the key cards. If they didn’t work, I would always have another go with my sword. This door didn’t seem to have any extra layers of security, be it electronic or runic.
Mind Stop
Effects of Eye of the Cyclops defeated.
Reaction time*2
I glared at Cain.
“Really?” I asked him.
“What?” He glared back at me. “Open the damn door.”
“Don’t tell me that wasn’t you.” I responded as I withdrew the key cards further away from the keypad.
“What?” He asked with increasing frustration.
He didn’t try to deny it last time he’d attacked me, and the earnest expression on his face only further confirmed it. It hadn’t been him. Which meant that we had finally been spotted by someone competent.
“Get behind me.” I said as I readied my gun and opened the door.
----------------------------------------
As soon as I pushed the door inwards, I felt as if I had stopped in time. Cain, whom I had told to stay back, dashed around me, and, in his half-human half-animal form threw himself at the man standing inside this small office.
That man was none other than Solomon, who didn’t waste a second, as he activated some sort of skill, summoning a circle of swords around him and Cain.
“I knew you’d come to me first.” He said with an amused smirk. “You don’t really want to leave, do you? You just want to prove that you’re more powerful than me. Crazy bastard. But, as always, I will oblige.”
I aimed my gun at the man. Despite what my skills said, I was far from a marksmith, and I didn’t want to kill him. The fact that I was looking at his profile didn’t help the matter.
Cain growled and jumped up, avoiding the flying blades, and using one of them as a platform to launch himself at Solomon. A sword made of light materialised in the hand of the military man, and he mercilessly slashed Cain with it. The kid lost balance, and almost stumbled onto one of the airborne blades, but corrected his trajectory just in time. He grabbed the sword in Solomon’s hand, and his animalistic features instantly vanished. The sword of light darkened, and the darkness began to spread onto Solomon’s hand, who did his best to conceal an expression of pain.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Let go of him!” I yelled, as I realised that the military man had some ace up his sleeve and that this was exactly what he had planned all along.
Solomon looked up at me. Our eyes locked for a second, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. He was smiling. The kind of vicious smile I’d imagine a snake would have after wrapping its tail and jaws around its prey.
I realised I had no choice.
Cain was in the way, but he was also very short. All I had to do was raise my gun. A voice inside my head told me not to do it, but something in Solomon’s expression told me that after he’d been done with Cain, it would be my turn.
With my eyes locked on my target, I pressed the trigger. At that exact same second, I noticed an arm reach out over mine and release the magazine. I barely had enough time to drop the gun, before it exploded at my feet.
Luck - 5
I snapped my head to the side and was met with a man whom I didn’t recognise at first. He was tall, dark-skinned, and wearing a lab coat – It was that guy from the lab whom I had spied on!
“You should have shot when you had the chance.” He said with a smirk as he pulled out a syringe and aimed it at my neck.
With a speed I didn’t know I was capable of, I grabbed my sword and blocked the needle with my blade. I then took a step back, raising the katana in a guard.
“Very well. Have it your way.” Hermand said with an amused smirk.
My face twisted in an expression of disgust. Just what was wrong with these men to attack everyone they met? Well, it made some sense in my case, but still –
With a swift movement of his arms, he threw two blades of wind at me. I brought up my arms in front of my head, blocking both of them. But I failed to notice a third blade only a few centimetres above-ground.
Luck - 3
It hit me in the shins, and I almost lost balance. Had the room been any larger, and had there not been a wall behind me, I would have ended up prone on the floor.
“Is that all you’ve got?” I taunted him.
They always did that in books, to reduce the attack accuracy of an opponent. But Hermand seemed unphased. He simply gestured for me to come closer.
Starlight
Blade of Namura damage + 2%
Damage type bludgeoning or piercing or radiant
MP - 1
I focused on my blade, using the skill, before lunging at him. Although I was by no means a swordswoman, hitting an unarmed and unmoving target proved to be surprisingly easy. I lashed him once, from the neck down to his chest, and stabbed him once in his side. Unlike his pal, he very visibly failed to contain the pain, despite not taking any physical damage.
He did that strange gesture with his arms again, and I braced myself for more blades of wind, but instead, a red ribbon appeared at the corner of my vision, telling me to duck under the flying blades and into the makeshift arena nearby. I did no such thing, as Solomon seemed way stronger than this guy. Instead, I charged at him with another sword attack.
He reached out to the wall, and grabbed it, pulling and moulding the cement into a makeshift shield around him.
I was forced to retreat and reconsider my plan.
Suddenly, I heard Cain cry out. I turned just in time to see him pinned against a wall, with a sword planted in his side, and another in his arm. Not only did he seem to be in immense pain, but also fully unable to move. I immediately put my current opponent on the side-burner, as I dashed towards Cain to free him.
“Stupid girl.” I heard Solomon’s voice, as a hand grabbed me at the neck and pinned me against the wall.
“Go to hell.” I responded as I blindly swung my sword in his general direction.
But my blade was met with nothing but air.
“You aren’t even trained in combat.” Solomon continued, still holding my neck, but moving just out of reach of my sword. “What were you even trying to achieve?”
I noticed that the hand holding me began to glow. I braced myself for another attack, but nothing of the sort came. Instead, all I saw was a series of System windows.
MP - 11
Starlight
No longer active
No MP
Short Voyage
First security cordon
Geneva central embankment
++ Random ++
++ Add location ++
Solomon let go, having seemingly decided that I was now harmless. He gestured to Hermand to stay back.
Taking advantage of those few seconds he was distracted, I dashed towards Cain, and freed him from the blades holding him up against the wall. He fell onto me, unresponsive.
I tried to focus and teleport us away from here.
Short Voyage
Restrictions Exceeded
“Shit.” I swore under my breath.
“Now, girl, let go of Subject Alpha and we can talk. You won’t get hurt, I promise. As long as you tell me who put you up to this.”
Had I not been holding Cain with one arm and my sword with the other, I would have clenched my fists in anger and frustration. This had all gone so wrong. And although I had a physical way out with my ‘short voyage’ skill, I could not morally allow myself to take it.
So, my only option was to stall, and hope that Cain would wake up and take care of the situation. Afterall, if neither of the men were attacking, there was a very high chance that they were both low on either luck or MP.
I gently put Cain on the floor and turned around to face the duo. Hermand had leaned against a wall, with his arms crossed over his chest and a pissed expression on his face. Solomon seemed more calm, almost arrogant even.
“I work for a certain organisation.” I began, trying to come off as genuine. “Unlike you, we don’t have a fancy name, but we do have modern equipment and decent security. Let’s just say that if you were to break into one of our facilities, it wouldn’t take us over two hours to catch you.”
“I don’t think provoking him is your best move, all things considered,” Hermand said in a dismissive tone.
“Yes, you’re right.” Solomon responded to him, “but all things considered, shouldn’t you be watching water-grass grow right now instead of bothering me?” He continued in an arrogant tone.
“I saved your life!” Hermand exclaimed.
I wasn’t sure where this beginning of an argument was coming from, but I wasn’t going to let this opening slide. Cain was still unresponsive, but Solomon had turned towards Hermand, as if ignoring me.
I aimed for his neck with my sword.
The white metal of my blade hit a rod of ethereal light. Solomon didn’t even turn towards me, as he blocked my attack. From my angle, I could very well make out the twisted smile on his face.
“David what the actual fuck are you doing?” Hermand asked, as confused as I.
I tried to retrieve my blade closer to my body, so at least I’d be able to guard, but Solomon twisted his wrist, blocking my hand behind his. I tried to widdle out but to no avail.
“Proving a point to you.” Solomon responded as he shoved me against a wall.
I swore under my breath and tried to regain my composure, but to no avail. Solomon pointed his sword made of light at my neck. It was so close I could feel its heat against my skin. A voice inside my head told me that the easy way out, and home, was to impale myself on that sword.
“Is that point that you’re only able to go after women and children?” I asked.
It had become abundantly clear that death was the only thing he wanted to threaten me with, since if he’d wanted to properly hurt me, he would have already done so.
“Shut up!” Herman snapped. “Who the fuck do you work for? How did you get in? Answer me!”
The sword of light came closer to my skin and I realised that this was it. I had failed. There was no way I would be able to get Cain out of here now.
So, I did the next best thing, and locked eyes with Solomon.
“Do you really want to have my death on your consciousness?” I asked.
My voice must have come off as too calm, or the man must have figured something out, as his expression suddenly changed into that of realisation, as he pulled his blade back and said:
“You’re right. You will be no good dead.”
Luck - 50
He swung his sword at my chest. I did my best to block it, but with my non-existent swordsman skill, all I managed to do was to slightly deviate it from its course and slash my own hand in the process.
With a groan of pain, I slid to the floor, as I watched a spot of red slowly soak into my shirt. The pain didn’t even register, but my head started spinning. I wasn’t sure if this was what running out of luck points felt like, I wasn’t even sure if I had fully run out, since a wound like this would have been lethal. I waited for my ‘restoration’ skill notification to pop up, but nothing came.
Herman said something, but I couldn’t make out the words.
I needed to do something. My sword felt warm in my hand once more. That’s right, I could, and should, just finish the job myself, I thought. But a voice inside my head told me to get up and fight. If not for Cain’s sake, then for my own.
With a pained groan, and using the wall as a support, I got up.
Solomon turned towards me with an amused expression.
“At least tell me why you’re doing all this.” He said, as he lifted his guard.
“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Hermand interjected.
Several things happened at the same time. Hermand, having gone past the point of no return of annoyance, threw several more wind blades at me, with the intent of knocking me out. I raised my guard, easily blocking them, but also leaving myself exposed to Solomon. However, no attacks came from his side. In my peripheral vision, I saw Solomon’s body fall to the ground, his neck covered in red.
Hermand was as surprised as I, and when he looked at me with a perplexed expression, a bony hand with blood-red fur sliced through his guts with its claws. As he too fell to the ground, the creature slowly morphed back into the form of a small child.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Whatever that form had been, it wasn’t one of the ones Cain took in the book. It was a mixture between a deer, a wolf, and a skeletal human, and although Cain had regained his human form, my heart was still pounding with fear. He looked at me with an expecting expression, which slowly shifted into concern as I continued to remain silent. Finally, he spoke:
“You said you knew the way out.”
All I could do was nod.
But my mind slowly returned to me, as I started thinking about how this experience proved that my ‘mind stop’ skill only worked on magical fear, and not my own fear. Which raised the question of how it was able to see the difference –
“Yes, let’s go. Do you know where the central generator or the main security rooms are?” I asked, having finally fully regained my composure.
“You said you knew the way out!” Cain answered with tired anger.
“Yes, I do. But I need to hide our traces.” I said.
I then bent down to search through Solomon's pockets. His body didn’t feel quite right under my touch, but I didn’t dwell on that thought. I found his keycard, and gestured to Cain that we were good to go.
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