Rachel’s ears were stiff as Fiona guided them in a rapid descent to the dark jungle below. The moon was only a sliver in the sky, only providing a small bit of the energy she’d become accustomed to.
Hayan, Coral, Rose, Gisele, and Scarlet were with her inside Fiona’s Wind Shield, the air being pushed away to hasten their flight and provide them with some comfort. It was like driving in a car without the ability to shift yourself all that much since the Fairy was controlling their movements.
Clay gave them next-generation military-grade earpieces that acted as their radio, equipment in a backpack, and drones were being spread out from Cahira’s turtle to create a communication bridging point across the country; currently, it was the Pirate Queen in her ear, though.
“... Rach, can ya hear me?”
“Heh,” she smiled at Scarlet, who returned it, “I hear you, Cahira. What’s up?”
“Okay, just so ya know—eh, mi abilities ‘av been upgraded since the ol’ Legend Quest stuff, an’ ye monetary loot ya get in mi party be instantly transported back to the ship treasury—whichever vessel I be usin’ at the time.”
She paused as Selvaria piped up, sounding fairly chipper since she filled up her Water Pool just outside the Cuban border. “Cool! So, it’s like an auto-loot function?”
“Uh—ye got me there—I suppose it be auto-loot … I got no clue what a beamin’ shimmer toe is, Galatea—huh, the more ya know,” she mumbled, talking to the recently evolved telepathic seal.
Rachel’s mind flashed back to what Fiona mentioned on their way over; Gisele was jealous of the flying animal’s new skill, which meant her Lunar Phoenix would probably get some communication ability at some point, but until then, Fiona was her translator.
“Anywho,” Cahira mumbled, “it be workin’ on da cash flow, which is me hope ta feed this dragon, but eh—the items not be so fortunate ta be endin’ up in mi rig.”
Rachel chuckled. “Right. In short, if we find any chests or something, then we should grab it and haul it back.”
“I knew ya’d be catchin’ the drift,” she laughed, “but the gems be the important bit. Mi Daily Quests give me some low-grade junk, but it be like tryin’ to feed ya two peas and callin’ it a meal. Ya followin’?”
Fiona began spinning Gisele in parallel circles with her, wearing an amused grin while listening to the woman; her bird was carrying the Fairy’s radio. “Got it, Cahira! We’ll collect all the loot.”
Rachel’s vision fell to the long island below, tracing the distant view of the mountains in the distance and vast swamplands to their west. After seeing Cuba from the sky, she relized just how small it was compared to Florida and the U.S. as a whole; sometimes she forgot how large the U.S. was compared to other nations.
Scarlet cleared her throat. “Eh … Cahira, are we going to find clothes and stuff like Lunar Nia as we go on?”
The question had popped up in Rachel’s own mind; she just hadn’t had the chance to vocalize them to the redhead.
“You know, heh,” Scarlet smoothed back her hair from their swift, near windless descent, “get more personal item drops? ‘Cause that would be really awesome!”
Cahira’s distracted tone focused on them again as Selvaria tried hushing her hyperactive seal to let them talk. “Huh, well—stuff like that only be droppin’ on the Legend’s Quest, but it be possible, dough. Still, don’t get your hopes up on windy weather.”
“Okay…” Scarlet sighed.
Of course, Nia couldn’t resist a comment when her name was dropped. “Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha! Yes, Nia is the greatest! Everyone wishes to have the shining black abyss that brings the … the … psst, Rachel, what’s a good word,” Nia earnestly whispered.
He-he-he.
“Stop laughing and help! Oh, my goodness, this is embarrassing … You’re embarrassing me!”
No one can hear you, Rachel mused.
“Duh! Still embarrassing…”
Ahem…
Fiona scanned the countryside as they made it to a beachside town, getting a few more landmarks straight from Tom.
Rachel wasn’t the navigator, so she mostly ignored it, instead, she took some private time with her precious outfit, and for the first time, Rachel tried to tap into the ‘edge’ to help Nia; after all, it was appropriate for the combat outfit they’d designed together.
Studying a large alcove in the distance, Rachel internally gasped. Nia!
“W-What?!” she squeaked at her sudden serious tone change.
I can … I can feel the power swelling within you—in my breast … No! It’s not time, Nia! You must restrain yourself!
“Huh … oh … OH! Yes! I … I can’t! Rachel! It is for my precious dream…”
This … this power … W-What dream could possibly come from this … this darkness? Rachel asked, trying to restrain a smile that brought a curious stare from Scarlet, the Rabbit Gang, and Gisele; Fiona was too focused on the land and small map she hovered in front of her to notice.
“The ultimate ideal that both villains and legends failed to achieve … that is...”
Don’t say…
“Yes, my fellow long-eared compatriot…”
Rachel could see a white-haired rabbit girl, ears stiff as her own, standing at the edge of a large cliff in the distance as she stared at the falling sun, her orange and pink highlighted locks blowing in the sea breeze.
“World conquest, Rachel! Together, my fine threads will drown this planet in the abyss that is Lunar Nia!”
Her imaginary dusk fell, and Nia turned to stare down at her Lunar Hare a ways away on that cliff, fire in her large multi-hued kid-like eyes. “Take my hand…”
“What are you doing?” Scarlet laughed, watching Rachel try to restrain her laughter. “Eh—heh, what’s up with those expressions Nia’s tattoo is making on your back? She looked frustrated a while ago, then she was surprised, and now she’s all ‘dark lady mode.’”
Rachel laughed, trying not to sound a little embarrassed since Nia had pulled something out of her that she’d never do on the surface. “She’s just being Nia.”
“Nia is supreme!”
Cahira seemed to get into a discussion with Maria about the possibility of tilting the results of drops in their favor by wishing for it, leaving Fiona to puzzle through some of the directions they’d been given and connecting it to sight. Rachel was too focused on her little edgelord, though.
… No, please, Nia! I’m not ready—it’s too soon!
“Te-he-he-he … But it should prove entertaining. Join with me, my loyal subordinate, and I shall share my body and the world with you!”
Rachel suppressed a snort. H-Huh?! Your body?! What about mine?
In her internal image of the small girl, she swiftly struck a pose, hand reaching for the dark edge of the fathomless sea. “It is inconsequential, for my name is Lunar Nia, and I am also known as the leader of the secret society of Denier…”
She gasped. The ruler of the shadow realm, the Lunar Abyss?!
Nia turned around in her imaginary world with a devious, yet cute smile. “He-he-he. Now that you know my secret identity, I can’t let you leave with your life!”
No! Her quivering stomach now brought Fiona’s curious eye. You … you kind of volunteered me to give it away, though…
“Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha! Will you swear fealty to the Lunar Abyss or die—which will you choose?!”
Rachel sighed, emotionally sending the signal she would join the team. … Do I at least get dental … sick days?
“Dental, yes! Sick days, no! My dark dream is to never have sick days!”
Aww…
“Welcome to the secret society of Denier!” she chimed, and a resonation similar to The Oscillation reverberated within her for half a second.
Rachel’s playful mood fell as Tom got on the call, but the sensation brought her fingers and attention to her head, utterly ignoring the general. Nia … What did I just feel happened between us?
“Yes! We’ve entered a new bond, secret member Rachel! Oh, we need to give you a code name, Lunar Abyss … Oh, Lunula Danger! No! The Shimmering Fiend of a Thousand Mini Skirts! Or, oh! Oh! I know! Your new nickname will be Lunar Eclipse, the Mad Hare that illuminates the insanity of a million-billion worlds!”
She held out an imaginary hand with a bright grin. “Welcome to the cause, comrade! You may address me as, ‘Your Excellency!’ Let those that hide in the light of the accursed sun fear the hidden society of Denier as we grow! World conquest! Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
Rachel could feel a certain unexpected pull from the girl’s direction, even if it was all fun and games; whatever just occurred wasn’t imaginary. By letting a little of the girl’s playful mannerisms continue and trying to bond with her a little, it had caused something to manifest between them, and upon inquiring, she found out what—Nia leveled up, and she’d gotten a new Skill.
Lunar Nia (Level One): Mythical Tool, Living-Type, Level Two, Novice Grade, Rank Max; the living outfit that wants nothing more than to join her mesmerizing master in battle!
Living Denier I: (Cooldown: N/A; Cost: Moonlight; Duration: 1 Full Night; Range: N/A) Reactive, Repair-Type, Level Two, Novice Grade, Rank Max; Lunar Nia can grow with the wearer, transforming into dazzling displays of fine art that compliment her master. She’ll work hard to live up to the expectations placed on her at being the best damn piece of fabric in existence! If damaged, time and moonlight to fix her up! The longer she is worn, the more her Proficiencies will advance, and the more combat she sees, the more experience and levels she will gain! Treat her well!
Flaunt It I: (Cooldown: N/A; Cost: N/A; Duration: Until Deactivated; Range: N/A) Passive Aura, Enhancement-Type, Level One, Novice Grade, Rank Four; increases all Stats by 12%, including 3rd party effects.
Absolute Terror I: (Cooldown: N/A; Cost: N/A; Duration: Until Deactivated; Range: +1.25 Meter) Passive Aura, Enhancement-Type, Level Five, Novice Grade, Rank Ten; the max-range of all Curses are increased by a set amount and no longer affects allies.
Absolute Territory I: (Cooldown: 1 Day; Cost: N/A; Duration: 6 Minutes; Range: 2.5 Meters) Reactive Aura, Control-Type, Level Four, Novice Grade, Rank Seven; can’t be tripped, can’t be stopped, allows bypassing Low-Grade Territory or Movement Impairing Effects for her master and surrounding allies!
Not Teasing Me I: (Cooldown: 1 Day Reset; Cost: N/A; Duration: 5 Charges Daily; Range: N/A) Reactive, Control-Type, Level Two, Novice Grade, Rank Five; repels all Low-Grade Mind Control Effects in conjunction with Nia’s Item Ranking.
The Game I: (Cooldown: 1 Week Per 5 Item; Cost: Item; Duration: N/A; Range: N/A) Active Fusion, Enhancement-Type, Level Four, Novice Grade, Rank Nine; Nia can absorb other pieces of armor and weapons to incorporate them into her designs and strengthen her master! She can only pull in Low-Grade items at the moment.
Less Is More: (Cooldown: N/A; Cost: N/A; Duration: Until Deactivated; Range: Exposed Skin) Passive Aura, Lunar-Type; all areas of exposed skin gain a dampening field equal to Lunar Hair and any damage taken to those areas is linked with the Skill, further leveling it!
Hotly Contested: Cooldown: N/A; Cost: N/A; Duration: Until Deactivated; Range: N/A) Passive, Lunar-Type; Rabbit Gang has unlimited duration when Nia is worn! Although, cooldown applies if the little guys are destroyed; it starts with their destruction.
Troubled Waters: Cooldown: N/A; Cost: N/A; Duration: Until Rachel Wakes; Range: N/A) Reactive, Lunar-Type; If Rachel ever loses consciousness while in any form of danger, Lunar Nia will take control of her subordinate member’s body and protect her master!
Subordinate … but I’m the master—Moongmor and the paradox? No level—No cooldown or cost—it’s beneficial, sure, but … She must have leveled up to create three outfits in a week by the time we created these clothes … Why didn’t I notice this sooner?
Nia was practically crying when she learned what both of them had gained. “Wooh! I’m the greatest secret society leader in existence! The abyss protects its own! Praise the leader!”
Rachel was still stunned at the small changes that made a huge difference in what she’d just learned about her outfit. After bonding more with Nia, The System told her the status of the denier girl, Mythical Tool, which wasn’t a surprise, but the fact it was hidden was.
Having her edgy little outfit running around with her body when she was in the most vulnerable state she could be in was somewhat of a double-edged sword to her pride.
“Hmm?! Hmm?!” Nia was lifting an eyebrow at her. “What’s with that response, Lunar Eclipse?!”
Heh—he-he-he… Rachel was so taken aback by it all that she hadn’t noticed everyone looking at her, Tom asking if they could hear him, and what was happening to her. I’m glad to have your support, Your Excellency. It’s just too sudden.
“Fu-fu-fu! Understood!”
World conquest?
“World conquest!”
“Rachel?” Scarlet whispered; they’d reached a nearby jungle canopy just beyond the shores of the beach; she could see houses in the distance.
Laughing at Nia embracing the ‘edgelord’ mentality she’d learned from the Vespertine Reaper, Rachel ended it with a sigh; in a manner, Scarlet was affecting her through Nia, but it wasn’t all that bad. She could see the fun in pretending, and Nia was too adorable.
She waved her hand. “I’ll tell you later—Nia’s just cute.”
“Yes! You praised me; my unseen evil eyes are awakening!”
“I bet she is,” Fiona giggled. “Tom’s just trying to give us the rest of the plan.”
Rachel nodded. “Yeah, uh, go on, Tom.”
“Right … in short, we don’t have reliable intel. The internet and phones are minimal in Cuba; they rely on quite a bit of older technology. Discover key points, take out the possible threats that will give our troops troubles, and we’ll target the areas you mark.”
“Roger,” they all responded.
Tom directed them first to Puerto Padre, a coastal city nearby that had the most tourism in the Las Tunas province. She kept her ears sharp, listening to the chatter to isolate the areas that sounded the most depressed and desperate.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
On their nighttime flight through the areas, Rachel listened to as many conversations she could tap into that were in English, which was turning out to be more troublesome than she liked.
There were over a hundred thousand voices she could cycle through, but out of those, only a small percentile was in her second language—if only she could use Maria as a translator.
Stopping above the treelines, Rachel growled, “I can’t understand most of this country … They’re speaking Spanish. I can’t really direct anything to you, either…”
“Eh, yeah, that wouldn’t help, chica,” Maria growled, sitting with Clay, Tom, and Cahira in the communication room they’d set up in one of her mansion’s rooms. “I hate Cuban Spanish!”
“Why?” Fiona asked, lips pursed while studying the thick foliage below them.
“It’s just annoying! You have to find a consonant, or to try to figure one out before they stop speaking—Even if you think you’ve got the damn thing, it’ll probably be a butchered ‘r’ as an ‘l’ or vice versa—to hell with lookin’ for a ‘s’, shit…”
“Right…” Rachel mumbled, not fully getting her rant. She soon tuned out the woman’s tirade as Clay and Tom went through reports that were coming in; it seemed there was some frustration from her time in Miami for the West Coast born Mexican.
Instead, Rachel continued to scan for English speakers, and eventually, she learned what she wanted.
For some of the rural areas, it was more or less life as usual; however, there were bands of caravans going between small towns to gather soldiers for the local warlord.
Máximo Nores had been a ranking official in one of the largest prisons in the Las Tunas province. He was an ultra patriot for his ‘ideal country of Cuba’ and from what she’d gathered, he had a decent amount of support among the military and Demi in the area.
He saw The Oscillation as an act of providence, but he wasn’t Christian or Catholic, it was some obscure religion Rachel never heard of, and that part scared a few people.
Of course, his followers weren’t so indoctrinated into the religious side of his movement as much as what they were promised. Some of those men and women used the power they’d been granted to satiate their desires unbeknownst to Máximo, but for the majority, the place was fairly disciplined and orderly compared to what they’d first thought.
Máximo didn’t require subservience to his religious beliefs but did expect compliance with the new regime, and part of that was the relocation to the province’s capital of Las Tunas, which was actually an order his followers were somewhat resistant to, wanting to enjoy the beach and luxuries normally allowed only to tourists.
In Cuba, there were places the natives weren’t allowed to go under the previous regime, and they wanted to revel in those pleasantries, including the fabled internet. Most of them had little to no knowledge of basic technology the U.S. took for granted since the internet was extremely expensive for locals and exclusive to the larger cities.
Las Tunas might have been the capital of the province, and according to Tom, they’d tried to expand their tourist prospects as the ‘City of Sculpture,’ but had little success compared to the gorgeous beaches of its coastal edges.
There was a rail system that normally transported many of the rationed goods the previous regime sent them from the other provinces, but it hadn’t operated since The Oscillation, causing a shortage for nearly 150,000 residents trapped in the area, including tourists.
Much of the climate was a tropical savannah, having distinct wet and dry seasons—currently, it was the dry season, and water was becoming hard to come by after using much of what they had in stock by distributing it evenly amongst everyone.
Cuba did treat their water with chlorine to kill bacteria, but Tom insisted the group should avoid it because of the pollution risks. Rachel made a note of it; they may have been enhanced, and who knows how their immune system responded now, but it wasn’t worth the risk of getting sick on the mission.
Rachel stared across one of the small nighttime towns; fewer than four souls were walking around. “Tom … these people are close to dehydration—many of them are sick from the water, as you warned, and medicine was quickly eaten up in the first week—They need a lot if they’re going to survive the coming weeks—days for water.”
“Alright—We’ve been preparing supplies for situations like this; it won’t take long to transport the necessary equipment to provide clean water in the short term. Anything else?”
“What about communication?” Clay mumbled as Scarlet vanished in shadows to help a boy that was in danger of being eaten by a crocodile.
“... It’s mostly been cut off. From what I’ve gathered, the last thing out of Havana was a repeated message to submit to the new regime or come to challenge it—Their current issue is dealing with the Amancio and Colombia municipalities.”
“Ah, I see,” Tom sighed. “I thought those might be a weak point, given the info we’ve gotten. They’ve been forcefully taken by the Camaguey province warlord. Correct?”
“Sad,” Fiona frowned. “What about the people?”
Clay breathed out a long sigh. “To warlords, they don’t produce anything, but offer to let you live if you follow their rules, which basically means become their servant. They kill those that resist in brutal ways, and make everyone feel following is the only option.”
Tom leaned back in his chair, causing a creak to echo across the radio. “Camaguey’s already the largest province in Cuba—Hmm, we need more accurate information to make long-term decisions…”
He paused, collecting his thoughts or looking at new data. “... We know the Demi force in Havana have conquered far more land at this point, but what’s the situation like in Camaguey; have you gathered any useful news from the locals? Is the warlord more humane? Is it more authoritarian, like where you are, or chaotic?”
“Not humane in the slightest,” Rachel gravely replied, vision shifting to Scarlet as she returned, mud on her boots but a smile on her lips. “From what I’ve heard, the guy carving out power in Camaguey is far less structured than Máximo; it’s basically the Wild West—give him tribute, and he’ll let you do whatever you want to an area.”
“Hmm … You were talking about troops getting armed?” Clay pressed.
“Yes, Máximo’s rallying the men in the area to take back that half of the province … I think I have a way to at least get a meeting with him—He’s kind of paranoid with the U.S. to the South, but I’ve got a plan.”
Tom listened to her plan and agreed it would at least get them in the door. If they could turn the warlord into at least accepting their help, then perhaps they could work things through at a more stable pace. Knowing his personality through word of mouth from the English speakers, he was far more brutal than the easy-life free cultures they came from, but he got things done.
After an hour of scouting out the 455 square mile province, Scarlet and Fiona saving a few people from stupid mistakes to gather extra food or water, she’d roughly determined what was the best course of action.
Traveling to the nearby small town of Majibacoa, shadows enclosed their group as Scarlet teleported them into a small house in the rural sticks. She’d heard the discussions the Demi pair present had as they spoke in private, laughing at how easy things had become for them.
Fifteen women and two Faekin were inside, an Auf and an Erlking; the two had used their rank, Demi abilities, and Máximo’s name as a means to trick families in the town to hand over their young daughters and new mothers for protection from the coming war.
The Auf may have looked like a small child, but he was a man, and the Erlking was a rather large giant of a creature.
Rachel was spying on them from the moment they started speaking English about their deeds in private, using the language since it was less widespread than their native tongue. Many of the hideous activities they were boasting about were done before The Oscillation, and one was the collecting type.
A company of the soldiers was outside, left in their charge since they showed powers as Faekin that could be useful to the effort in the makeshift militia, and most of Majibacoa had been stripped of their men for the fight to the West and North, leaving the women and children with few people that could handle a threat.
From what she’d heard from others, Máximo figured the U.S. wouldn’t cause much of a problem for the people themselves. The town was close enough to the border of the U.S. controlled area to be fairly protected by that buffer while the warlord in the neighboring province had already shown hostile actions to the other areas, putting them at a higher risk factor and forcing his hand; he needed the manpower, so he pulled most of the able-bodied people from the southern areas.
However, that left the less savory types to prey on the defenseless that escaped his notice. It had Fiona and Scarlet’s jaw locked with anger.
Rachel leaned against a wall as everyone froze. “Hello, Juanita, Jeremías—isn’t it a lovely night?”
The crowd swiftly retreated toward the small kitchen the room led to in the small Cuban house; an elderly woman named Elisabet Céspedes owned it, and she had a granddaughter, Rene Costa, that just gave birth to a baby boy—the woman was men’s target.
“Take them out!” Nia shouted.
In time, Your Excellency.
“Okay, Your Majesty … the Lunar Abyss will devour them!”
I thought I was Lunar Eclipse?
“Well, they gotta be pulled into the Lunar Abyss to be devoured by the Lunar Eclipse! Duh…”
Ah. Right. Right.
The women began speaking Spanish to one another in a panic, shouting for the men outside. On the other hand, the two Faekin were giving them appraising looks, vision creepily moving down their bodies.
“Ah—American?” Juanita, the Erlking, said; it was somewhat difficult to understand his English. “Do y-you know about the combat North? We are d-defending our country!”
The door swiftly opened for the armed men outside, quick to answer the calls of the women, but Fiona threw it back in their faces with a Wind Wall, blocking the entrance. They shouted Spanish that none of them understood.
“Nu-uh-uh!” Fiona said in a strained tone, trying to use her grandfather’s breathing technique to keep Warpath in check. “We’re having a private conversation!”
“W-What do you want?” Rene whispered in fright; she spoke English fairly well compared to the Faekin, and the other young women and kids all looked to her for support as they pressed further into the corner.
The Auf hummed, holding up his hands with a forced grin. “I know I haven’t seen these ones, and—are those blobs of goo—what a pretty bird you have…”
Gisele sniffed at his statement, head tilting in the air as her long tail flicked to the side on the chair back she rested upon. Rose, Coral, and Hayan were in a triangle formation around the group, sinister grins on their faces.
It was Scarlet’s blood that finally triggered their defensive reaction as it left her skin, a dark grin on her black lips. They tried to jump to the ceiling but were forced into an awkward position by the crimson liquid, wrapping around them in a partial cocoon.
“Hey! Hey!” Jeremías yelled, his small, child-like body trying to outmaneuver the dozens of spikes that closed around him, locking the imp in place. “What—You wanna fight—W-What’s your beef?!”
Scarlet popped her tongue, nose twisting with agitation; Rachel knew she wanted to just put a spear through them.
Rachel smiled, walking closer to stare into both of their confused faces; they obviously never expected to be attacked this far away from the fight. “Juanita, tell me, how many women have you raped, killed, and taken trophies of—locks of hair, right?”
The shock of being exposed out of the blue caused his jaw to go slack for a moment. “How…” Sudden realization about why they might be there struck him, causing the lanky, elf-like creature to revert to his more hideous, bearded state, and struggle against Scarlet’s bonds. “N-No! It’s—you’ve got nothing!”
“Hmm?” Rachel smirked, gaze falling to the black flames that were slowly flowing up his fingertips. “Awfully guilty.”
Jeremías, the imp, feigned ignorance. “Wait! You’re serious—bro, sick! You’re sick! Hey, get me away from him! Please! I’m just a kid—I … I got powers, and…”
Juanita swiftly reverted to Cuban while struggling against Scarlet crystalized blood, holding him in place; they were blocked off from the girls’ sight.
The soldiers broke through the back door, having run around the edge, but Fiona’s second Wind Wall kept them in the next room, struggling against the invisible barrier. They were shouting at the Fairy, floating in the doorway, unable to see anything else inside, and slight pushes kept them off-balance, unable to aim their guns. They seemed worried about hitting the women inside because they were being very cautious.
Rene was white-faced as Rachel continued, too stunned to pose another question until more information started coming out, and she began translating to the shocked and terrified women.
Rachel’s glowing four-leaf clover eyes moved to Jeremías. “Oh? And you were after Rene, taking women with breast milk in town to pretend to be their babies—now that’s sick.”
“Woah, there!” he sheepishly laughed, showing the face of an innocent little child that spoke far too fluently. “That’s not illegal, right? It’s not like I kill their babies or anything—I just need it to live! Right? We all have needs after the whole light thing changed everyone!”
The three women with children hugged their babies close to their breast at the revelation, pressing against the back corner of the house since Fiona blocked off access to the other room to prevent the men outside from interfering.
“How can you lie so easily like that?” Scarlet growled, nose twisting.
Fiona’s own countenance darkened at the lie. “You have an insane appetite—you’d leave these women as skin and bones, their bodies desperately trying to provide for your hunger—how many children and women did you kill before The Oscillation. How many towns for your sick fetish?”
He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look—you don’t seem to be an angel either, honey…”
A blood spike cut a small cut across his cheek, with Scarlet losing her cool. “don’t ever compare me to you!” The women flinched at her tone, long past the point of trembling, and Fiona ushered them to the door, telling them they could go outside since the men were all at the back.
Rachel walked over and grabbed the man in child guise by the throat as they left; his eyes bulged at the sudden action, gagging while thrashing helplessly against her arm. She pulled him out of the partial cocoon, holding him in the air. “You see—the two of you are our access card, which means, sadly, I can’t crush your throat right now … ’cause I really want to.”
Tossing him against the wall, he gasped as the air left his lungs; he coughed and sputtered for several seconds, tears streaming down his chubby cheeks as Rachel walked over to leer down at him. “You’re lucky Fiona learned a bit more about controlling her anger…”
“It’s close,” Fiona whispered, fingers twitching to call upon her fire and roast the imposter. “... Very close.” A ball of fire the size of a chair appeared in front of her, driving the men out of the house in a panic. “I want to turn them to ash…”
“You see,” Rachel bent down and picked him back up by the collar, sliding him up the wooden wall, “she hates anyone that would harm a child, and my vampire friend here is the same—so, it’s either confess to your boss and live, or we kill you here and now.”
“I—I’ll do it,” he rasped, still struggling with his tiny form; he didn’t appear to be a combat type.
“Heh—not me!” Juanita growled, flickering like a strobe-light to escape Scarlet’s blood and launch a surprise attack with a black flame weaving around his hand, at least, that was his plan.
She slowly turned, bringing the Auf to face the ugly face of his Fae friend; the man-elf’s eyes bugging out, mouth gaping open as over thirty finger-sized spikes of crimson crystal penetrated his chest, stomach, limbs, and head—two sharp points slowly slid through his eyes from the back, causing the boy to scream.
“I’m not complaining,” Scarlet shrugged, “more blood for me.”
Jeremías’s chest convulsed after the sudden panic, and Scarlet lazily held up a hand, drawing all of the Fae’s blood into a spinning crimson sphere. Her glowing red eyes shifted to the deceiver as she popped it into her mouth, showing off her fangs. “Mmh … He really was nasty to the core…”
“No fair,” Fiona mumbled, hair rising as her aura turned from red to yellow, electricity sparking around her form. “I want the next one—I gotta unwind somehow after hearing all that; plus, I don’t have to kill him…”
“He has less blood anyway,” Scarlet replied, extracting her blood from the husk. “Hey—are those girls going to be okay?”
Rachel dragged the remaining Faekin outside by the collar, body locked up from witnessing his friend’s death. “Probably not after that—Let’s go check.”
Making it outside, the soldiers all pointed their weapons at her, shouting in Spanish.
“I don’t speak Spanish, guys…” Rachel sighed.
“The darkness consumes them?”
Not yet—They’re just scared.
Most of the men’s legs were quivering, and Rachel gave them a lifted eyebrow as the silence stretched, but eventually, Rene spoke up in Spanish. The soldiers gave her confused looks, but lowered their weapons as she whispered, “I … I just want things to go back to normal…”
The baby boy in her arms started crying and she hugged him tighter to her chest, breaking down as the other women closed in to hug each other.
“W-What are you … Why take him?” one of the older men worked through, having trouble with the English words while pointing at the imp.
Fiona piped up, pointing her finger at Jeremías. “Tell them!” When he didn’t respond, Rachel held the deceiver up, and sparks danced across Fiona’s illuminated figure again. “Tell them!”
“I … I…”
“Tch!” Fiona, nose creased with disgust, and small bolts arched from around her small frame in a controlled shock, somehow not traveling to Rachel’s hand.
Jeremías locked up, muscles spasming before Fiona cut the electricity, causing the man’s tiny chest to heave. Coughing and gasping, his eyes were now bloodshot and wet as he choked through his words. “I … I killed babies … mothers—I did it for the milk! I just wanted to suckle a little … just a little…”
“In Spanish!” Fiona ordered, threatening to shock him again.
It took a moment for the men to realize what he was saying, and once Rene confirmed his confession, one man in his sixties jumped forward and punched him in the face, breaking his nose and causing blood to spray everywhere.
Rachel stepped in and held him apart, but several other men looked ready to do the same; however, two caught her attention—likely accomplices in the acts.
Fiona waved her hands up in a panic. “Hey! Hey! We need him! I know … I want to kill him, too!”
The rest of the conversation was translated through Rene, but it didn’t get them far; in short, they were afraid all the time and just wanted their families and stability back—food and clean water.
“Rene,” Scarlet whispered, rubbing her back comfortingly as she contracted hiccups, “can you tell them we’re going to bring him to their leader? They can join if they want, but they’ll need to see me as a friend.”
When she translated, their expressions hardened and a confident smile lifted most of their faces; the other two in the back weren’t so thrilled at the prospect—that would come later, though.
Rene took a shuddering breath after listening to the men, the sounds of insects filling the night breeze. “Umm … They’re saying they want to escort the prisoner with you…”
“No—hold on,” Scarlet mumbled, giving the three a light glare. “You guys need to stay here and protect them! They need someone to make sure things stay smooth.”
Rachel pointed at the two in the back. “The rest of them, sure, but not those two; we need a witness, after all.”
“Ah, I get that, and you’re totally right, Scarlet,” Fiona said, scratching her temple with a sheepish smile. “I got a little too gung-ho, huh?”
The pair of conspirators were hesitant but agreed with peer pressure. Fiona took that as an invitation, and they were all levitated to the prison Máximo was operating out of.
Once inside the intimidating facility, Rachel passed several checkpoints with men far more hardened than the ones they’d left; she could see it in their eyes—these men had not only seen death but participated in it.
The walls of the renovated prison were filled with ammunition and weapons; they’d gathered a full military armory, and Demi of various kinds were readying themselves for the war to take back their land and loved ones to the North and West.
When Rachel first met Máximo, he wasn’t what she’d expected. He wasn’t that big of an African man, only as tall as Rachel, but he exercised regularly based on his strong physique, and everyone seemed to respect him by the way they acted and spoke about him.
He watched her drag in the blubbering bloody mess of an imp and the husk that used to be a Fae. Máximo puffed on a cigar, likely using it to cope with the stress his new position gave him; the water supplies had run out days ago, and food was going next. “Hmm … I’ve been told some American changed people were draggin’ in some scum—I’m pretty sure this one was in charge of a unit, though … talk.”
Rachel held up the man and told the story, and both the co-conspirators collaborated; once they finished, Rachel turned a threatening smirk their way. “That’s not all—I believe these two were in on the whole operation.”
“What?”
“No! No! That’s—umm, that’s sick!”
They trailed off as Máximo took a few more deep drags of his cigar, vision drilling into the pair. His gaze shifted to one of the pretty black-haired women standing off to the side of the room. “Araceli.”
The woman seemed almost dead inside by her hollow dark brown eyes as she smoothly walked over to the men and whispered in their ears, stroking their arms; she spoke in Spanish, so Rachel had no clue what was said—the response was easy enough to follow.
Their bodies tensed, likely infected with some kind of hormone by their hearts’ quickening response; soon after, both started to babble.
“Mhm … Thanks, Araceli.”
She nodded, returning to her post as the other twelve lieutenants in the room listened with stone-cold faces.
“Is that it?” he asked, drawing again to breathe out a thick fume that burned Rachel’s nose. “Ya liked it a bit, huh?”
Both men collapsed to the floor with the sobbing imp; the door behind them was sealed and blocked by a large Water Buffalo Beastkin that was built thicker than her cousin; she couldn’t see much of his face behind the thick hair, but each person here seemed competent in their own right.
Máximo smacked his lips, pulling out the cigar to sniff, nose twitching, yet his voice was steady. “Where’d ya come from? From our East? The U.S. by yer tone.”
She nodded, hands clasped behind her back. “We’re here to help restore order in Cuba. I have a direct line with a four-star general that is in charge of overseeing this operation. We’re committed to seeing the people regain their ability to live in a protected society.”
“Mmh … The U.S.? Doubtful,” he snorted, and three of his trusted men chuckled. “… With the U.S. there’s always some stipulation,” he growled, fingering his cigar with a glare. “I’m not aimin’ to have my people extorted because we’re in a tough spot—Cubans would rather die than submit—we won’t become some kind of vassal state.”
Rachel’s tone was even. “I never said that you would become a vassal state. I said we’re here to give this land back to its people—not you, but the people. I’m sure you have your own ideas of how this nation should be run, but in this new world, you need unity. The U.S. can help.”
“Really … like it helped in the past?” he scoffed, glaring at the three traitors. “We do things differently in Cuba—the U.S.S.R. were the only ones that came to our aid … Where was the U.S. when they collapsed—huh? Nowhere, but on a ban list—and you closed your borders when my people needed help!”
Rachel solemnly held up a radio from one of the bags Fiona was levitating. “I’m not here to discuss the politics of the past. Speak with General Dallas, and I’m sure things can be cleared up—mending needs to begin somewhere.”
“Heh, right … Some things cannot be mended,” he grunted, angered blue eyes shifting to the three as he got to his feet and walked to them.
A clump of greenish goo materialized from his palm and he walked over, grasping both man’s fallen faces; they screamed, clawing at his arm, but he took them to the ground, steam floating out between his hands as he melted an imprint into their skulls. It wasn’t long until they were convulsing, then dead.
Jeremías tried to run, but he wasn’t opening the door with the Water Buffalo Beastkin in front of it; the muscular man reached down and lifted him up by the head, screaming and kicking.
“You’re a disgrace to Cuba,” Máximo snarled, sticky hands wrapping around his throat. The Demi’s chest heaved, throat flexing as his skin was swiftly eaten away until only his spine remained; he died of the pain long before suffocating.
Rachel, Fiona, and Scarlet watched, but her two friends were a bit more conflicted by the method of execution. Still, they held their tongue.
Máximo rubbed his palms together, wiping the remains on their clothes for it to be eaten away until the slime vaporized with some of their shirts and stomachs. He returned to his seat to pick up his cigar again, clearing his nose. “I’ll listen to what your general has to say—but I will do things the Cuban way. I won’t be bullied by the U.S.”
Rachel handed him the device from the backpack they’d brought.
He glared at it for a moment before looking up at them. “Stay if you want—I’ll say what I think, and if I sense somethin’ foul … I’ll do anything to restore order to Cuba. This is my country, and I will see it thrive again!”