“Move faster, old man.” the guard said.
“Old man? Old m— How dare you speak to me this way!”
The ties around my wrists started to hurt as much as the headache rising from the sound of my father’s voice, yelling and annoying every Jalyon around that escorted us to Vishan like prisoners. I didn’t have time to say anything or to throw my fist into the tattooed man’s jaw for calling me Hidramma — a stupid title to emphasize on one’s parents and bloodline’s status — that they handcuffed me and dragged me back into the streets, where my father was waiting, his nose and face wrecked, and where the Luminis hadn’t started their routine.
They’d let us see the way into the Jalyon’s territory, until we arrived in front of an enormous steel gate that must have taken years to forge in secret. Only a handful of people, besides the Jalyons, were allowed in here, and even they were blindfolded through the city itself. Because what they had built was something so vast and grand that it could be considered a capital. “Come on!” said one Jalyon, kicking my father in the knee to push him inside.
And as we entered the gates, I realized we were not blindfolded.
Passing through the villages, the habitations, populated exclusively with male Jalyons, looking at us like freaks, I understood Vishan wasn’t planning on freeing us. If we were getting out of there, it would be on the back of one of their vehicles, then dumped outside of their borders and left to rot or be eaten by the monsters that fed on dead bodies.
Everything was created in a way so their vanity and arrogance were spewing out of it. All in shades of black, white and gray, harmonizing with the colors of the decaying planet around them, burnt grass, dry earth, leafless trees. They erected columns, statues, gigantic esquires over the walls, all in tribute of their leader: Vishan.
It was grand, but sordid. The houses, the monuments, the ruins they used to store the artifacts and golds they stole, to expose what they were capable of, skulls of beasts and Kleits hung on trees, poles and stakes. Jalyons were known for two things; their hate for women and their hate for Kleits.
Kleits were rare and terribly dangerous. Pink skin, pointy teeth, horns growing from their temples over the years, a horrifying look and an even more terrifying power: lasers coming out of their fingers, eyes, mouths, that could kill or destroy anything instantly. The Jalyons saw a worthwhile opponent through these characteristics but Kleits were not the violent kind, despite their first impression. And what made a Jalyon happier than an enemy who fought back was an enemy who didn’t.
The Kleits were enslaved, used, beaten and almost completely eradicated from Zelian. Some of them managed to disappear but so few of them survived. The Jalyons drained out all of their capacities and used their fatal laser to create numerous weapons, a whole arsenal that they unleashed over them afterwards, as a final demonstration of their unstoppable and undeniable power.
Kleits remains were now displayed as trophies all over their camp. Their horns were nailed on Jalyons’ front doors, and for the most atrocious ones, Kleits’ eyes in jars hung by a thread as decoration, their thin black slit staring at the horizon for eternity.
Tearing my eyes away from a glorified massacre of one species, I glanced at Hidram. He was focused, looking right ahead, ready to face the person he had an understanding with, certain he had some leverage over the most calculating and disloyal storyteller who ever existed on any planet. I knew we had to play the next few minutes carefully. And I wasn’t confident in what my father could say. Moreover, we were not supposed to arrive here tied up.
We walked further and further into their territory, my instincts shouting to run, as fast as I could and never look back, even if it meant leaving my father, leaving this place, leaving this planet. Since this wasn’t how we had imagined the plan, and with Kâl nowhere in sight, I figured I was all alone in this situation. I could maybe find a portal, maybe the Jalyons kept one of them functional for themselves, maybe there was a way out of this, peacefully. But my hopes were crushed when I saw Vishan, standing in front of his remarkable tenement, white stones and marble columns, large fires on either side of the wooden double doors, his hand on his sword’s pommel, a large grin showing chiseled teeth, and the most dreadful stare I ever crossed.
Before Hidram began to speak, I felt a caress on my serried hands, my fingers almost numb from the handcuffs shearing my skin. Her lilac scent filled my nose and I tensed as much as I felt relief. “Ah! There you are. Vishan, I can assure you, this is all a big misunderstanding—”
“Shut up, Hidram.”
His voice was death incarnate. The over-prominent silence was even more marked when he spoke, as if every other sound was muted when he opened his mouth.
He was physically wrinkled by the years — over a hundred — but his posture and attitude could fool anyone of his abilities. Profound dark hair, bright blue eyes piercing anything and everything. He was covered in leather, just a light t-shirt over his chest and large trousers with black boots. Jalyons were practical, and even if Vishan was mostly a supervisor, he was not afraid to put his own hands at work sometimes.
Kâl murmured in my ear. “Stay quiet.”
It took all of my self-control not to jump at the sound of her voice. I managed to remain still but anger and fear creeped inside of me. She had been so convinced of our plan that we hadn’t imagined a plan B, in case this scenario would unfold. She was the Shadow and I was the Weapon, but right now, I was tied up and she had to stay invisible, waiting for the right moment to strike.
I would stay quiet but what about my father? One word and he could doom us all.
I obeyed and watched closely as the Jalyon’s Chief began his descent of the numerous stairs he had to come down to reach us.
Hidram shook his head in my direction, implored me silently to back him up. I did nothing of the sort. “Vishan, please… We had a deal.” he reminded.
“You threw that deal into Samay’s ass when you killed the boy.”
“I didn’t kill anyone!” my father exclaimed.
“You know damn well what I mean by that. Your little protege killed Kahill.”
I didn’t look away when he bared his teeth at me. And I wanted to knock my father out so he couldn’t say one more word.
“He was important to me, Hidramma, very important. Every Jalyon is my blood. My soul. And you murdered a very own part of me. Like an animal. Slit his throat and let him bleed to death.”
Kâl spoke again. “He did witness the whole thing.”
“Like you did?” I muttered only for her to hear.
The others started agitating around us. All of them were spying on me, waiting desperately for their master to unleash their imaginary chains over their necks and having their justice once and for all. My heart fastened in my chest and I felt like falling on my knees to surrender my head to them.
“It’s only fair we have our revenge, don’t you think, Collector?” Vishan continued.
“We have the stone. We have it, please, just take it and let us leave,” my father cried.
Silence fell, until they all laughed.
“The stone was just an excuse for a bigger objective, you dumb little man.”
My body flinched. Kâl was right. He had planted that stone himself and used one of his own as bait. Just to get to me, and force me into a crime. I could have avoided all of this if only he didn’t see my back, my tattoo. I would have fought, until we were both drenched out and found time to flee with the stone. But even then, Vishan would have used my trespassing into his territory as enough evidence of my clear provocation. And we would have stood in the same spot as right now.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“I regret nothing,” I dared.
“He was the first man you killed, right? I can see it in your eyes.”
This, I hadn’t suspected. Did he follow me afterwards? Watched me on the sidelines when I collapsed into Hidram’s arms? “Maybe the first, but not the last,” I answered, switching my focus onto the Jalyons around me. I heard a growl behind my back and four of them leaped forward. But their leader raised his hand and they all stopped. I grinned. “Good little dogs.”
“Careful, my dear. Careful,” Vishan responded.
Kâl’s firm touch appeared on my neck and she murmured. “Do you want them to kill you already?”
Her question was waiting no answer but I wanted to shout at her everything I was feeling looking at that hideous monster in front of me. I felt her thin fingers work on my handcuffs before inserting something on my palm. “You can move, but stay still. I gave you the Nyx Powder. On my signal, crush it. We’ll have a few seconds to neutralize all of them. I count a dozen.”
I analyzed every single one of them standing around me and made my decision on where to start while the Chief and my father kept negotiating.
The Jalyon standing right behind me wouldn’t be much of a problem. I only needed to stretch my leg and knock him down with a swift blow in the crotch. But the ones near Vishan, they would be the most complicated to reach, knowing Kâl would jump on Vishan’s throat the second my fingers would touch the Nyx. And since I was brought here unarmed, I didn’t have any tools to take care of them from afar. Two of them guarded Hidram. The rest was all around.
I dipped my chin slowly, watching the heated argument the two charlatans were contesting. “I could kill you both in a blink of an eye, so don’t push me too hard,” Vishan threatened.
“I’m sure we can come to an agreement,” my father bargained. “You did set us up when we never mingled into your affairs before! You came to me for a deal.”
“That’s not how it works and you were just too stupid to figure it out. Maybe if you talked it out with your son here, he would have smelled the trap but you were so blinded by the liberty I shimmered in front of your face, you jumped right at it. Too bad you two aren’t a loving and trusting family.”
His cocky grin irritated me to the point where defending Hidram wasn’t completely inconceivable. Just for the sake of contradicting him. And also because my entire life was about to crumble beneath my feet if he took out my father.
After everything he did, I found myself nervous to lose him. Even if he was the reason we were in this mess, imagining a world without him destroyed the foundations of my very being. Even if I dreamt so many times about my freedom, about the end of my mercenary career, it was all I knew. I did his missions, I obeyed his tasks but the rest of it, he took care of. There was always food on the table and our house stayed protected from the enemies he made through the years. I wasn’t aware of everything he handled in the dark. And I never felt concerned because I was blinded by the rage toward him, toward what I had to suffer. It wasn’t with just a few words and a little bit of thinking that I was about to forgive him, but I could start understanding.
Time stretched itself and I listened to their voices, still wondering why the Jalyons’ Chief didn’t execute us already. I couldn’t think of an answer and didn’t want to. I just knew I had to stay focused to avoid losing everything in a second.
The sun traveled its way out of the horizon, reminding us time kept going. “Whatever it is that you want Vishan, I’m sure I can provide it. Please, give us a chance to repent ourselves!” I couldn’t stand and wait. My wrath boiled in my veins and my fists were blanching my knuckles no longer truly tied behind my back. We were making fools out of ourselves and I couldn’t bear to watch their smiling faces bragging about their little scheme.
“Don’t you understand?” I yelled at Hidram. “He doesn’t care.”
“Listen to your son, Hidram, he’s smart,” Vishan said, before gesturing to what stood around us. “I hope you liked the place, because it’ll be the last thing you see.”
“Oh please!” he whined, almost dropping on his knees.
I recalled the reasons for the set up and the project Vishan had. “Let my father go.” I intervened. The latter stared at me; his eyes watery and his chin trembling.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you were in position to give me orders, Hidramma.”
“I killed your friend. Kahill. I’m responsible. Let him go. Take the stone, keep your word on this deal and he’ll leave, trust me. You’ll never see him again. Keep me as your prisoner, if you wish.” We gazed at each other, he whispered my name softly, as a thank you, and I fought the urge to lift my eyes to the sky. I added to Vishan, “I’ll work for you if you let him go.”
“Son…”
“No, Hidram, let the boy speak. I could use someone like him.”
Kâl pivoted between the two oblivious Jalyons and eyed me. She slowly lowered her head. “Let Hidram leave, and then we can talk about all of this inside,” I proposed. Without his Weapon, the Collector was nothing. Vishan had no use in killing him or leaving him be, it was all about me.
Few seconds passed before Vishan spoke again. “Uncuff him,” he ordered, pointing at my father.
While they approached him, I sensed Kâl switching positions, just enough for me to see she was giving me the green light. Whenever I wanted, I could use the powder. And I waited for them to untie Hidram’s hands. As opportunist as he was, I figured he would take the chance to run away while the powder was effective.
The cuffs fell on the floor and he winced while massaging his hands.
I crushed the Nyx.
He took just a second before sprinting away from us, disappearing behind the smoke screen the Nyx created around us. Kâl beheaded the two guards in a single thrust. And I froze, admiring her strength.
Before the fog immersed us completely, a knife found its way to my face. I only had seconds to shift, the Jalyon slicing my shoulder instead of cutting my whole arm off.
I could now only count on my hearing and my scent to apprehend my opponents. Their hands and bodies, covered in weapons, stabbed and punched in my direction, leaving me seconds to dodge or parry, since I was utterly blind.
They were all around me, I had no way to determine how many were attacking me.
Kâl’s struggling screams pulled me out of my thoughts. She was defending herself like an animal while I wasn’t completely concentrating. I shook my head and one second later, I intercepted a knife aimed for my jugular and lodged it into one guard’s eye, before breaking another one’s neck.
They kept coming and I kept knocking them down, until my breath was uncontrollable and my sensations were narrowed to one mission. Like I was taught to. I was a machine, unstoppable, fierce, strong, unbeatable. They fell like flies, launching themselves forward and collapsing in one strike. All I could see were flashes of the blood splattered, their members dislocating, their faces churned from the pain. My body moved as a choreography learned a long time ago and never forgotten. I couldn’t feel anything while driving them to the ground. Ending their lives. And there was no time to mull over the fact that I was pitiless.
I was focused on them trying to murder me.
On them trying to murder the Shadow.
Besides the Nyx, our whole plan had dived head first into the abyss, and our only way out of this was through. So, I continued punching, twisting, breaking and slicing until I was out of breath, my hands, clothes and face covered in Jalyon’s blood. Until I recovered some of my lucidity, watching at the pile of bodies on the ground and letting myself immersed in the satisfaction. Until no one else came to fight.
And as if the powder was waiting for us, it resolved itself.
So many corpses were lying around my feet. My veins drugged up on adrenaline, their blood mingling with my own, as I lifted my gaze and had a hard time saving face.
I thought I was going to see Kâl’s satisfying grin, her strong body painted red as well, telling me she could have handled a thousand more, Vishan’s head above her arm, his own frozen glare joining the Kleits’ as a revenge well served.
But he was standing, very much alive, his dark hair tousled with the fight, a large cut under his left eye that almost blinded him. And he was holding Kâl by the neck, crushing it enough to draw tears in her eyes, her face flushed from the battle but also from the rising shame building in her. She failed. And her beautiful visage betrayed her deep feelings. His other hand was bending her wrists behind her back and his smile was the one terribly glowing.
My heart, my thoughts, my breath, it all stopped.
Words slipped out my mouth. “Don’t touch her,” I growled. And the light in her eyes faded while I realized the secret I had just shared unconsciously. Silence had never been so deafening.
“Her?” he repeated. I swore.
Vishan grabbed the device on her throat and sent it multiple feet away. The remaining Jalyons advanced and their breath caught up in their lungs at the sight of the Shadow revealing her identity. He ripped her hood, her mask off and pulled her hair backwards, her eyes still closed, but her wrath pulsating so vigorously, anyone could hear it, see it. “The Shadow is a she.” He turned towards his subordinates and they all plastered devious faces. My gut wrenched inside my stomach and I felt so utterly guilty for the betrayal. “You are in real trouble, Hidramma.” He spoke. And his rictus made me lose my mind at what he was planning on doing to her.
Manipulated by my own rage, I ran, my eyes fixed on his. I didn’t hear Kâl’s warning. I didn’t feel someone catching up to me, I only felt the pain of the blow on my head before everything turned black and I collapsed face first in the dirt. The last image in my mind struggling to fade was Kâl being dragged toward their fortress, as I passed out.