The fight had started in a fairly standard manner. Two skilled, ruthless fighters clashing with power and precision, each testing the other’s limits, adapting and countering with escalated fervor each exchange. They traded blow for blow, their footwork a dance of experience and raw talent. They both could have thrived in the professional circuit if Oaklen’s musings were to be believed. If the fight had remained purely technical, it might have ended in a close contest, but that was before essence came into play.
Sarah recognized its activation immediately. To those blessed and attuned to The Great Watcher, the subtle warping of the air was a signal flare. She narrowed her eyes, watching the shift from all angles. The man’s ability bore the marks of Flesh and Bone if she had to guess. She memorized the man's face and committed his name to memory for later.
The outcome was now inevitable. An essence user was not a challenge easily overcome, especially bare fisted. It would be a slaughter. No matter how slight the essence it always tipped the scales. She shot a glance at Callum, wondering if he would notice. His victory was about to be unfairly stolen, and with it all the money he’d wagered. Yet Callum remained utterly unbothered, watching the match with a steady, disapproving gaze. Poor fool probably hadn’t noticed, how could he. The match was over.
Then Bellamy adapted.
It was a shock to all the egos to say the least. It was entirely brute force, a continual suffocation as the man continued forward, seemingly unfazed by the various blows. There were three ways someone beat an essence user, overwhelming force that knocked them out, suffocation, or attrition until they could no longer pull from their core. Bellamy had chosen the first.
Sarah tweaked her estimation of both fighters. It appeared that even though Pavel was a Harbinger, it was a fairly recent affair. Not more than two years. Otherwise he would’ve learned how to both coat himself in essence and how to infuse it into his attacks, but it appeared he had done neither.
This Bellamy on the other hand, she should recruit him.
The Puritans would salivate at the thought of someone like him – a fighter who could best an essence wielder without relying on their supernatural gifts. But no, Thrysa would hate that. Sarah would approach him, or send word to higher ups to send someone else to recruit him. The Church could always use strong fighters.
Yet through it all, Callum’s expression barely shifted. Even when his brother landed the knockout blow, even when he won a staggering twelve thousand Ord his face remained set in stone. His impassiveness only faltered when his eyes widened.
Sarah followed his gaze and her stomach dropped.
The body was twitching.
It started with a subtle flex of the fingers, then energy like a ripple formed waves that surged through every limb. The waves ricocheted within Pavel’s body, some combining into colossal spikes, some dimming into a flatline. The strange interference caused the body to spasm in an erratic and unnatural way, as if the corpse was being constantly pulled and pushed apart all at once.
Then the essence hit a crescendo. Pierced the flesh and grew. Skin split and twisted, bones creaked into new shapes like warped wood. The mouth opened in a silent scream, hands spasming as if grasping desperately at something unseen. Then the former champion tore apart.
The jaw and rib cage wrenched itself open. The jaw grew into an open maw as the head lolled into the newly created chest cavity that was shrinking and melding together to form another, sideways, set of teeth. His legs warped and doubled, folding in on themselves as the body reshaped into something monstrous.
Panic rippled through the crowd. Screams rang out. People surged for the exits, but Sarah’s heart plummeted as soon as she saw the first man impact it only to find the door barred and locked. She turned, trying to find another exit, but Callum was already moving, he grabbed her arm and pulled her from the crowd, both taking a moment to nod at the other in mutual understanding. Entering the stampede was suicide.
They ran for the edge of the arena, where Callum struggled to flip a heavy oaken bench. Sarah dropped down to help and together they upended it, forming a makeshift barricade to hide behind.
The pair pressed flat to the ground, steadying their breathing. Neither managing to get theirs under control.
A whistle eventually cut through the air.
Then screaming.
A sickening rip.
Silence.
Sarah shivered. Her mind raced, bile rising in her throat. She didn’t have to see to know. The sounds alone painted a picture that she wished were worse than any reality. Her breaths quickened, heart hammering out of her chest.
The voices.
Not around her, but rather inside her head. The other egos.
‘You have to let me switch with her!’ Cass shouted, the noise reaching her despite the depths of her mind the egos resided in. Urgency cracked through her voice.
‘We can’t’ Oaklen countered, firm. ‘She’s safe for now–”
‘Safe? SAFE? She’s not a combatant Oaklen! She barely knows how to wield essence. We need to–’
‘Cass, calm down we have the emer-’
‘Calm down.’ A dangerous laugh ‘calm down? Are you even paying attention-’
‘Cass,’ Jim’s voice cut through, edged with authority of a senior ‘Let Marla talk’
Silence.
‘Thank you’ Marla’s voice was level, controlled. ‘We’re all prepared to make an emergency switch if things get worse. Then we’ll switch you in. But right now it’s better if we can get out with Viracio without revealing we’re Brinn.
‘Marla’ a smooth, measured voice chimed in – Vic. ‘She knows she can switch. And we all know Cass can escape this level of essence beast. She’s worried about Sarah. She wasn’t designed for this. She was intended to not have dealt with essence as much as the rest of us’
Oaklen considered, and interjected. ‘Well, she needs to learn eveneutally. She’s seen this plenty when one of us was in charge. First hand experience … maybe it’s time she learn a bit more’.
“Don’t be so cold-hearted’ Thrysa finally chimed in, ‘The poor girl’s scared out of her mind. Who cares if they figure out we’re Brinn? As long as we don’t switch in Jim, the plan stays intact. Sarah would just need to watch from here’.
‘I can hear you’ Sarah hissed internal, her mind having traveled to that far off place away from her conscious thoughts.
Silence.
Someone started to speak, but a sudden movement snapped her attention outward. A figure vaulted over the bench.
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Bellamy.
“What are you still doing here?” he demanded, staring at Callum, voice low but sharp, and even greater confusion growing as his eyes landed on Sarah.
“I wasn’t going to leave you” Callum shot back “But now that you’re here let’s go. We can’t handle that thing”.
Bellamy hesitated. His expression darkened, lips twitching as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it down. “You two go. I have to get the rat.” he gestured toward the private box where Viracio sat, his leg bouncing in a nervous tick.
“Nope. Leave him” Callum said flat. “He’s not worth dying for.”
Bellamy pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s complicated. But trust me – it’s better for everyone if he stays alive.”
Callum snarled. “Fine. But I’m helping”
Before Bellamy could argue, Sarah spoke up, voice trembling but resolute “I. I can help too”.
Oaklen raised to the surface of her thoughts, approving.
Bellamy frowned. “No offense, but they don’t pay entertainers enough for this”
“I have essence” her throat was dry and it felt like there was a lump in her throat, but she forced the words out. “Primarily Watcher, but also some Reasoning. I can distract the beast. Guide you, maybe”
Callum tensed, but Bellamy considered her for a beat before nodding. “Alright, tell me about your ability”
She paled further.
Callum sighed “Life or death. No time for secrets”
She nodded, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves before explaining “I can create eyes at chosen points in space that can be visible or invisible”
Callum frowned, “But the Peninsula moves, and pretty fast. Does it have some understanding of relative motion?”
She shook her head, embarrassed. “No. That’s what Reasoning is for. I can create and destroy them really fast. It ends up looking like a film reel.”
Bellamy nodded. “Okay, if you’re a Harbinger I can’t tell you what to do. Just make sure you guys cover yourself with essence. The Jackal’s ability is to manipulate forces. Long story short, he’ll use vibrations to pull apart your atoms if you’re not careful”
Sarah bulked, her blood ran cold and she could feel the other egos re-assessing their previous positions. Most enemies weren’t so overwhelming they didn’t give you a chance to fight back, even if the odds were near impossible. But this? Just dying because something made a noise at you? That though rattled her.
‘They both have essence’ Jim commented, his tone gruff ‘He would’ve died in the pit if he didn’t, and he addressed both of you with that comment’.
She acknowledged the thought and created an eye toward the ceiling. The flickering of a movie showed her the dog gnasing its teeth at the floating red dust particles that used to be a crowd. It nose twitched in frustration, but besides that it seemed entirely preoccupied.
She relayed the information to the two brother, and they began to plan.
“Can you create multiple eyes at a time?” Callum eventually asked.
“My limit is ten currently. I can manage thirteen, but that’s far less table”
Callum cupped his chin, before nodding.
“Okay I have a plan.” He rubbed his hands together. “My ability lets me de-corporealize to varying degrees. While I’m like that, I can move through space freely, but if I phase out completely, I’m blind to everything except essence signatures. So, Sarah, if you position your eyes around the arena in safe spots and help me navigate, I can pop in and out to get it’s attention. Like the deadliest game of Wack-A-Mole.
Bellamy was clearly unhappy, but didn’t say anything.
‘Decent plan is what the others think’ Jim whispered, ‘we don’t think your eyes would be good bait, not enough mass, can’t be chased and make noise like a human.’
Sarah exhaled but gave Callum a nod.
“Bell,” Callum continued, “As I keep it busy you make your way to Viracio. Once you’re there, get to the door with Sarah. Then, once you’re both out, Sarah, put an eye in an empty space up top and I’ll move to it.
Bellamy closed his eyes, thinking thorough the steps. When he opened them, he gave a slow nod.
“Alright. Let’s do it”
They moved swiftly.
Sarah steadied herself in an effort to breathe easier. Be the river, not the water. She extended her essence outward, forming her eyes one by one until ten invisible sensors were watching. She spread them in blind spots, around corners, in such a way that if Callum moved in a certain way, The Jackal would never turn to the door.
She caught a glimpse of his expression, his body was stiff, jaw tight, shoulders tense, he rubbed his hands together in nervous anticipation, but his voice remained level when he spoke.
“Alright. I’m off. Guide me in”
Sarah nodded, deactivating all eyes except for one at the far end on one of the benches. She gave a little room at the top so Callum wouldn’t phase into the bench instead.
There was very little visual indicator, he just evaporated in place, not even leaving a ripple for her to track him as he moved –strange.
Not even the Jackal noticed. Until Callum re-entered reality. Then softly, so softly she thought she imagined it, she heard him singing.
“Of, the bold young lad went down to the sea”
With a coin in his pocket and a song for the breeze.”
His voice, low and playful, drifted through the arena as he stomped and the bench and clapped, taunting The Jackal who slowly turned towards him. It snarled, and licked its lips. The head lowered, the back arched, and the creature began walking closer, hugging the side of the arena.
“The fish did dance, and the waves did rise.
For the sailor boy with the roguish eyes”
The Jackal passed Sarah and Bellamy a quarter of the way around the arena, and they carefully and slowly began making their way to the door. Sarah kept one hand on Bellamy, focusing the rest of her attention on the shifting images her floating eyes fed her. She moved many of them closer to the dog, watching for any small movement as-
She noticed the twitch, she dismissed every eyes as the beast lunged.
“Oh, the bold-”
Callum saw the eyes disappear and followed suit.
Sarah sent two tendrils of energy forward and created invisible sensors at two locations, one of the left side, the other on the right, as the dog crashed into the stands where Callum was previously standing.
The sound of breaking wood and crushing stone his her ears as she shivered.
It let out a low growl of frustration as it realized its prey was no longer there.
“-ever to weep,
The storm it howled, and the gull did cr-”
Another pounce. This time Callum didn’t need any warning as he vanished once more.
Each time he flickered back into existence another verse slipped from his lips, and his voice grew boulder, the tune swelling with feigned confidence. She would’ve thought it a nice performance if not for the fact they were all one mistake away from dying.
He almost made it look like a dance instead of cat and mouse.
After the fourth time, the Jackal stopped trying to react to Callum and begun trying to predict where he’d be. It manifested in wild, random leaps which grew faster and faster until it was more of a rampage than anything else.
“The bold young lad, he ran and ran,
With death at his heels and blood on his hands,
The wind it laughed,and the tide did turn,
For the bold young lad who’d yet to learn”
He finished an entire verse this time, the beast finally calming down and simply studying him. Sarah pulled Bellamy down behind a series of benches as the creature scanned the entire arena.
It sniffed the air, eyes flicking to any frow. It tensed its legs. Callum disappeared, but it didn’t leap. Sarah furrowed her brow, Bellamy dragging her to her feet as they approached the door, but Sarah pulled him back down.
What was it doing?
She placed the sensors down once more, trying to get a better read– and barely caught its movement.
Its eye twitched to the side the moment she created the sensor. A coincidence? She shifted one slightly, and the beast’s ear flicked.
Then, without warning, it lunged – nat at Callum, not at them, but at the air where the sensor was moving. It snapped its jaws around nothing and landed in ac rouch, muscles coiled.
Sarah’s breath hitched. It could track her sensors. What the fuck.
She could see the ripples of essence in the air, but this thing – this thing could actually see them.
Her blood ran cold as she dismissed every sensor she had. But the Jackal didn’t relax. Its ears stayed high, its gaze sweeping the arena. It was waiting. It knew something had changed. It stepped away from the far end of the arena towards the door.
She created a sensor behind it for a split second, its tail raised and it glanced behind it. It paused for a second, considering, before it began walking sideways. Legs criss-crossed as it continued slowly.
There was no way to communicate with Callum now that he was somewhere else, and they hadn’t set up any emergency communication plan. She almost felt like laughing. What a novice mistake.
Sarah let out a soft whisper, “It’s learning Bellamy. It’s figured out the trick”
Bellamy met her eyes, not understanding at first then his face darkened. He cursed and glanced at the private box Viracio should’ve been.
But Viracio wasn’t there
Sarah’s stomach tightened as she scanned the arena. Then she spotted him.
Halfway between the box and the door, Viracio crawled on his stomach, inching his way forward in soft gasps. He dragged himself forward in short, frantic bursts, keeping his head low and using the benches to hide his approach. He flinched at every, not so quiet noise and she saw blood on the tips of his fingers as he continued to claw forward.
They stayed hidden as Viracio continued his approach. It gave Sarah enough time to think. She needed to communicate with Callum, but how. She had the ability to create ten sensors, they had said a sensor was where he was supposed to be, so how else could she communicate with him. Multiple sensors in one place? There were no preset symbols they made. But there were symbols that meant something regardless.
She created an X with 9 sensors and a dot next to it. She held her breath hoping he would get the message. He didn’t reappear and she heaved out relief.
She kept the one sensor where it was and created a check mark opposite the private box, with another sensor beside the check. She kept it there for a moment before dismissing every eye except the one near where she placed the X.
She then created three more sensors at obviously inconvenient locations, either on the ground, high in the air, or inside the private box. Callum came back where he was supposed to, and the dog lunged towards the sensor in the private box.
Callum sung once more
“Oh, the young lad, nevr’ runs out of luck.
But the sea don’t care, no it don’t give a fuck!”
Viracio was close enough to the door that they all sprinted to the exit. Bellamy reached it first, he raised his hand, and to Sarah it looked like everything was sucked into the black hole that was that man's palm. He touched the door and suddenly it swung open, suddenly nothing blocking the other side.
“GO GO GO”
He yelled. The three of them shot through the doorway as Callum gave one final bow to The Jackal and disappeared.
Sarah let out a breathless laugh, shaking her head. What a ridiculous–
Then the world exploded once more.
Gunfire.
It filled the upstairs, mixing in with glass shattering and more people yelling. She cursed her luck as they plunged into another field of chaos. Penny’s was getting raided.