The Touak Melchior motioned slowly in his hospital bed as the physicians worked to remove his bandages. He knew soon that the tribunals would come and take him for questioning regarding the Shandori and the death of their beloved Dr. Hawter.

Melchior felt justified however, even as he saw his comrades leave the facility. His people had tried to do unspeakable things to the Shandori, himself included. Hoping to prey on their kindness, he had asked them to save the Touak. Yet even as Melchior planned during his time with Garin, the Shandori leader, he realized forcing them into servitude made them just as bad as their enemy.

The Generals soon came through the door, their presence terrifying the physicians and nurses.

Melchior faced them even as pain radiated throughout his body.

He already knew what he would say to them and he also knew what not to say about her.

Melchior felt his pain spike as they carted him off to the tribunal, his IV bags clattering in their haste to have him tried.

He gazed at every camera that he could see as they moved, feeling a sense of dread as they followed him. She would murder them all if he gave a hint of information regarding Garin and the others. It felt like the knife was already at his throat, and any word from his mouth might be his last.

Likely, we would not see it coming, seeing as she is already in the Vault's systems...

Sheila.

One of the greatest marvels he and the others had uncovered was now in control of the entire Vault.

Melchior would have regretted digging her up if he had not recovered so much information about the Shandori from her. As his comrades planned their escape, Melchior had passed out as he saw her confirming with her masters about their plan.

The creature Selok and his kind… that race of creatures was a particularly rare breed of being known in the lands of Umbria, the reclusive Telika. That would mean they would be heading east, straight into the badlands.

Melchior paused his thoughts as the generals entered the tribunal, a massive room lined with scientific minds and the cold feeling of justice. The banner of the Touak nation hung in the center, a rising sun with an eye in its apex, sitting over the arch judge Hammel.

Presented in the center with all the eyes staring down at him, Melchior realized how alone he was now. The feeling passed almost immediately as his colleague Pepper came into the room, her eyes still showing the emptiness that held her in her brothers control.

He blamed himself for that folly, he had not protected her when he could have. Now a slave to her dead brother, her mind was blank from Hawter’s tampering, unable to show the glint of intelligence and brilliance that Pepper once exuded.

Hammel spoke before the others, his voice booming across the room,

“Dr. Melchior, a pleasure to meet you in my chambers.” The Arch Judge stated, almost sounding legitimate, but Melchior knew. This man always saw him as a monster to be chained for the experiments he worked on.

This would be a sham trial.

”Many times have you eluded justice, but it was pardoned for the neccesity of your science and the sake of the Touak. Yet I cannot help but feel that it was all for your damnedable ego. Now I feel as though this… incident, is yet another gross misuse of the Touak’s resources to service your demented sense of pride.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Hammel straightened himself as he leaned over his desk, looking down on Melchior with hatred, “One of the council members lies dead, your projects escaped into the wilderness and another fine doctor is standing next to you with not a word to say for herself, or anyone for that matter! Your ridiculous sense of fulfillment has made a mockery of our kind, and above all, allowed dangerous creatures to escape! Did you not realize that one of those abominations was infected? This facility, its people and everything we hope to save was put in jeopardy when you allowed them to leave! Now…”

Hammel smirked evilly, “I believe it is time you reaped the seeds of your failures.”

Hammel motioned the guards to lift him off of his bed, the stitches in his side started to rip, forcing him to his knees.

He could do nothing to stop them, nor did he try. They were right, his failures amounted to the possible end of his kind to the Skiritix, and no amount of justification or good intentions would save him.

He turned his head turned to Pepper, her eyes still showing no signs of life, but she breathed still. If there was one thing he would have given to do before all of this, it would have been to bring her back from his brother’s madness.

Her head leaned slightly, and for a moment he could see. On her neck deep under her feathers a metallic device lay on her spine. Melchior did not know where his strength came from, but as he managed to throw all four guards off of him, he grabbed Pepper.

She did not react to him latching on to her. Pushing the feathers aside, he took hold of the device, pulling on it as hard as he could. The device held with a tug, but showed signs of weakening. He pulled harder as the guards began to reclaim him, and with a snap the device was released.

His movements with the device ripped his stiches completely open, and he could feel his body grow lax from the exertion.

Melchior fell, his legs giving way to the pain as he laid next to Pepper, her eyes looking at him. He could feel his life begin to ebb, but he fought it, hoping against hope that he would see her spark return.

Melchior barely made note of the commotion around him as his vision grew darker, his eyes not pulling away from Pepper’s. He tried to cry, tried to beg for her forgiveness as his arms grew heavier, his body feeling weaker with every beat of his heart. One of his eyes closed on its own, and Melchior could feel the other growing heavier.

…

Pepper gasped, and her eyes darted around as she became lucid once more. Her thoughts came flooding back, lucidity bringing with it all the horrible things she was subjected to. She cried freely as she woke from the monstrous nightmare. She remembered it all, the people she was forced to kill, Melchior, and the Shandori, and Hawter’s horrid mocking smile.

She smiled widely as she looked up into the sky.

There was no sky though, no clouds greeted her. There was commotion however, and she could feel the Touak around her scurrying.

What was keeping them so occupied?

Standing up, she was greeted with people who gasped at her sudden movement breaking apart to reveal something horrible.

Melchior lay upon the ground, one of his eyes closed, and all of his blood leaking out on the metal floor.

His face was splatted red, medical stitches torn to reveal a gruesome sight underneath.

Her moment of freedom and happiness quickly turned to despair as she pushed them aside to get to Melchior’s face. She cradled his head as she pleaded with him to come back.

She screamed, "Mel, Mel stay with me! please Mel! MELCHIOR!

She held Melchior, praying for him to wake.

One of his eyes was open.

She felt a shimmer of hope.

He smiled at her, speaking to her with no sound, but she could make out the words, and they tore into her heart.

“Forgive me.”

He closed his eyes, and his smile faded away as he grew still.

Pepper placed the head of her teacher and friend down, her face grew cold as she kneeled in his blood.

“I forgive you Mel…”

Pepper felt the tug of soldiers pull her away, but she did not fight them.

They carried her to the center of the room, the Tribunal looking shocked at her teacher’s final moments only realizing that she had been brought before them shortly after.

“Ms. Pepper.”

She never took her eyes of of Melchior... she couldn't.

He's gone... that stubborn assholes actually... why?!

“Doctor Pepper, if you please.”

“My apologies, Dr. Pepper. Were it not for the risk involved we would give you time to grieve for your… colleague. Alas we must know what happened to the experiments, the ones called the Shandori so please, tell us.”

Pepper looked up to the people she was supposed to care for, her people who she would have given anything for, and cried.

She felt nothing but hatred for them now, nothing but loathing for the people she thought she could trust.

Mel was dead, dead because of her, and gone because of HIM!

She wanted to burn the whole damn facility to the ground.

Instead, she took her hand and placed it against her head in a mock salute.

“Go to hell.”