Chapter 24 [Head Above Water]

Pisces 6/2261 12:56

The village was dead silent. The beautiful stone houses were half broken. Streaks of red and black covered the ground and buildings. My gaze scanned everything. A body sat beside a crumbled doorway. His scorched hat falling off his burnt skull. In his broken hand laid a crumbled picture. Don't look. Don't look. I walked over and knelt beside him. I carefully took the bloody plexpar from him. I flattened it. A baby with messy red hair and wide green eyes sat in front of one of these houses. A streak of blood stained the baby's cheek. I took a shaking breath in. The body was still staring at his hands.

I bowed my head, running a hand through my hair. I pulled at my hair for a minute. Too late. Too late. Damnit. I took another shaking breath and returned the picture to the man's hands. The Legend stood beside me. He reached a hand down to me. Breathing hurt. Every breath sent fire through my body. I stared at Legend's hand. I took his hand and let him pull me up. His grip was filled with power, yet impossibly gentle.

"I should have gotten here sooner," I muttered. He let me go. I rubbed my forehead and sighed. "Bloody hell."

I found myself staring at a bloody handprint on one of the unbroken walls. It streaked towards the door. I walked over to it and followed it inside. The blood drops on the ground went to the back door. I crossed the room and peered out the door. Only a step away was the cliff. A drop of more than fifty feet into a rushing river. And nobody to be seen. I swallowed and took a step back.

"Hell," I whispered. Part of me wanted to follow them. Leap off the rocks. I took a step forward, then another. Until I stood at the edge. I watched the raging tide below me. A piece of my mind told me to take a final step. The call of the void. I felt a hand grab my wrist. Strong and careful. Legend. I looked back at him. He pulled me back gently, giving me a chance to jerk away. Instead, I let him pull me back. I didn't really want to jump. Legend didn't let me go until we were out of the house. When he did, I took a shallow breath in and out. I looked at the rest of the buildings. My mind felt... hazed. Confused. I scratched my head, messing with my hair.

"Uh... look at the rest of the houses." I tried to organize myself. "Maybe someone is alive."

He touched my arm briefly before turning and striding away. I walked the other way and checked each house. Empty. Quetzalcoatl body. Two Quetzalcoatl bodies. Empty. Child's toy. A soldier. I walked in and checked his neck for dog tags. None. Meaning his team was alive when he died. I glanced at his name, sewn into his shirt. Henderson. As I went to stand, a scream rang through the air. I jumped up and ran out, drawing my knife and holding it with my rifle. I followed the cry to one of the still intact houses. Legend stood in the doorway.

"Who's screaming?" I asked, peering in. Legend stepped in front of me. Before I could push him out of the way, a glass object shattered against his chest. I jumped back, my eyes wide. "Shit."

Legend stepped out of the way and let me look in. A girl, huddled in the corner, crying. Her long hair in tangles. She wore a tattered dress that pooled on the ground around her.

"Hey, kid. Enough throwing." I called. The girl raised her head, still whimpering. "Legend, you're freaking her out. Back off."

He took three steps back and knelt on the ground. He turned his gaze away, keeping an eye on our surroundings while I dealt with the crying kid.

"Monsters. Monsters. Monsters." She whimpered. I crept inside the double roomed house. The girl raised her head to look at me.

"Hey. Look at me. I'm a kid, just like you." I whispered. Her eyes jerked to my rifle and the knife. They were so wide I could see them through her dark hair. "Legend."

I turned and tossed my rifle to him. He caught it with one hand without looking. I couldn't help but be impressed. I slid my knife on the ground towards him. He stepped on it. I nodded and looked back at the girl, holding up my empty hands.

"Okay? Better?" I asked. She jerked her head in a nod. "My name is Jade Ryder. What's yours?"

"Hailee Evender." She whispered. I blinked at her last name. Evender? Reaper? She brushed her hair out of her face. I saw Reaper's eyes staring at me. I swallowed the pain in my throat.

"Hailee. Nice to meet you." I gave a slow nod. My mind raced as I tried to think of how to calm me. I glanced behind me at Legend. He was still watching our flank. "Can you tell me what happened here?"

Her eyes jerked to the corner behind me. One I hadn't glanced in. I turned and saw a... Zerian. His body laid dead in a pile. A knife stuck out of its skull. I looked back at her and saw black covering her hands. Zerian blood.

"You killed it?" I asked. She jerked her head in a nod. "Well done, kid."

"What is it?" She stuttered. Any resemblance to my old friend vanished. Reaper was never scared. This girl was terrified.

"That is a Zerian. A Legion soldier." I explained. "Do you know why they are here?"

Hailee fell silent. She opened her mouth before closing it again. Guilt shone on her young face as she stared at the ground.

"You suck at lying," I told her. Her face turned red. I stood and shrugged. "Okay. Tell me when you want, but we have to get moving. Come on."

I turned and walked back to my Legend's side. He passed my knife and rifle as he stood. The girl whimpered again.

"Don't worry. His name is Ethan... uh, something. He's like a..." I peered up at him and grinned. "Like a big canis."

"Why doesn't he have a last name?" Hailee stepped out of the house. She kept a wary eye on him.

"Legends don't have last names." I shrugged. I held up my wrist to show my barcode. "We have tags."

"Like an object." Hailee frowned. I glanced at my Legend. "That's... horrid."

"Horrid? Why?" I asked. Horrid was an ancient word, I don't think I'd heard anyone use it since I was a child. I nodded at my Legend to lead, then Hailee to follow.

"That marks you as an object. Not a human." Hailee said. Each word hit me like a slap. "It means they can treat you as they wish. Dispose of you. Like they did with my brother."

"I would love to see them try and dispose of me." I chuckled. "And they already tried with him. I stopped them."

"You're protective." Hailee glanced back at me. "You love deeply."

"I don't love, kid." I snapped. She rolled her eyes.

"You suck at lying." She taunted. I drew my knife and pointed it at her. "You hide behind a stereotype."

I heard something from my Legend. Like he was fighting back a laugh. My eyes widened, and I stared at his back. I tripped over a rock, nearly sending myself sprawling. I caught myself, looking up to see Hailee laughing.

"Shut it, kid." I snapped. So the kid had an attitude. I kinda like her. "What makes you so sure, kid?"

"I'm an empath." She said, her head held high. She was still shaking but I could see her trying to hide it. Trying to pretend everything was normal. I knew how she felt. "I can read people like a book and sense their emotions."

"Yeah, I know. I apparently keep running into you fuckers." I muttered. "But I don't feel emotions."

"Bullshit." Hailee chuckled. "If your Legend wasn't wearing his helmet, I could tell you what he is thinking right now."

"I can do that," I smirked. I looked at my Legend, taking in his every detail. The way he walked. How the rifle swung in his hands. His head tilted to hear us. "He's listening to us talk. He thinks this is extremely amusing, and he is trying not to laugh at me."

His head tilted the other way, and his steps grew shorter. His back straightened for a second.

"Now he is shocked I can do this. He is listening more intently. He's thinking that we should be paying attention to the mission, but he kinda likes this." I finished. I looked at Hailee and tilted my head. "I win."

"You proved my point." She laughed. "You love him so much you know his cues. I win."

"You little piece of shit." I narrowed my eyes. She laughed and turned away. "I don't love him. I don't love you."

"Denial." Hailee sang. I growled and forced my attention back to the mission. We walked along a worn path by the edge of the cliff. I saw my Legend glancing back at me every once in a while. After three times, I got mad. The next time he looked at me, I gave him a pointed look and took a step away from the edge. He gave a short nod. I rolled my eyes at him.

We approached a dense patch of forest. I jerked my eyes to it, unease filling me.

"You know, I'm shocked. I didn't expect someone so out of tune with their emotions to be an empath." Hailee noted. Her observation annoyed me.

"I'm not a damn empath, you absolute comet-head," I muttered. I ran a few steps until I was beside Hailee. My Legend slowed until he was only a few steps ahead of us. Hailee glanced between us.

"How long have you two worked together?" She asked. I frowned and shrugged.

"A few months," I answered.

"Know each other?"

"Few months."

"Really?" She sounded shocked. "I'm impressed."

I drew my knife and held it out to Hailee. She reached out a shaking stained hand. Once she took it, her shaking subsided a bit. I knew the feeling. At least with a blade, you had some sense of not being helpless. She held it uncertainly. I took her wrist and shifted the knife until she was holding it right.

"Like that," I said. She nodded, taking a few practice swings. "Good, but use your elbow more. Like you're lunging."

"Okay." She nodded. We were by the trees now. The bad feeling in my chest grew. Like a black hole forming. I kept my grip even on my rifle. I glanced at the trees, peering through them to see any movements. Nothing. At least, not from the trees.

A shadow leapt up from the cliff. His tail flashing towards me. I jumped back, managing to avoid getting stabbed in the chest. Instead, the blade of its tail went into my shoulder. The Zerian ripped his tailback, dragging me with it. Before I could react, I was in the air. My body spun in the air. My brain turning blank, save for one thought; I'm going to die.

"Jade!" A voice yelled. Then a higher-pitched voice screamed. I needed to focus, get my bearings, but my mind was too scrambled. I spread my arms and legs out on instinct. I managed to get myself level. Under me, was the raging river. The dark water churned, warning me of the dangers. If the fall didn't kill me, drowning would. A dark shadow appeared in my vision. His arms wrapping around me and pinning me to his armoured chest. I closed my eyes and curled my legs up. An armoured shell formed around me.

We hit the water seconds later. My head was thrown forward and smacking off his chest plate. I felt the skin on my forehead and cheek split. Then the cold water surrounded me. So cold, I instantly began shivering. My shell began to sink, letting me go. I threw my arms around his chest. For a second we were suspended in the water. Then the waves started to pull us down. I kicked my legs as hard as I could. My limbs felt like lead. Every bone, every fibre in my body hurt. I saw the sunlight glinting through the waves. So close. He's too heavy. His armour alone weighed at least a thousand. My lungs burned.

I'm going to drown. We're going to drown. No. No! I won't let you die! I screamed in my head, giving a final kick. Our heads broke water. I jerked my head around, struggling to see a way out. A rock stuck out of the water, no more than a foot away. I shifted my grip, holding my Legend with one arm. I grabbed the rock and pulled us to it. My muscles screamed. Fire in them, warming me against the cold rapids. I bowed my head against Ethan's. I couldn't drag him out alone, and he was completely limp. Unconscious, I hope.

"Ryder!" A voice yelled. I blinked the water from my eyes. My vision focused on two figures on the river bank. Hailee and Greflin. Leo Greflin. "Hold on!"

Thanks for the tip. I thought. The waves tried to pull Ethan away. His armour trying to sink him. Leo jumped in the waves and swam over. Bakae. Idiot.

Greflin grabbed Ethan's arm and looked at me. I shifted my hold to Ethan's other arm. Together we bared his weight in the rough water. The waves crashed around us, struggling to pull us down. I looked at Leo and saw the fear in his eyes. He knew the Legendary suits. He knew how much they weighed.

"Together," Leo said. I jerked my head in a nod. I pushed off the rock and swam to the bank. Ethan limp between us. I heard Leo's harsh breathing. Hailee knelt at the bank. As soon as we got close, she reached out and grabbed Ethan's armour. With her holding him, Leo jumped back up. He grabbed Ethan's arms and began pulling. The two of them managed to pull him out onto the rocks. I crawled out and collapsed.

"Ow." I gasped. I rolled onto my side and coughed up any water in my lungs.

"What the hell happened?" Greflin asked. "I found Hailee with a Zerian. She had stabbed it, and someone shot it."

"Is it dead?" I asked. My eyes locked on the wet rock under me.

"Yes." Greflin nodded. "I made sure."

"He just... jumped!" Hailee stared at my Legend. "He shot it, then saw you and jumped!"

"Bakae," I whispered. I raised my head, staring at Ethan. I crawled over to him. I touched his chest, my hands trembling.

"Is he alive?" Hailee asked. I swallowed, pain filling my chest.

"Legends never die," I whispered. I glanced up at Greflin.

"Legends never die." He repeated. He glanced up at the cliff. "He's fine. That is nothing to them."

"Really?" Hailee peered up. "That's a fifty-eight-foot drop."

"Ryder, what are you doing here?" Greflin asked. I kept my hand on Legend's chest as I looked back at Greflin.

"What are you?" I asked. I frowned and glared at him. "Also, fuck you!"

"I figured that was coming." Greflin shrugged. "I'm here cause I'm hiding. Minerva wasn't safe to hide in anymore."

"Why is she mad?" Hailee wondered.

"I ran off when they arrested me. But in my defence, he let me." Greflin nodded at Ethan.

"Well, now Selene is pissed at us," I growled. I stared at Ethan again.

"Lily is... a puppet." Greflin sighed. I went to ask him, but he cut me off. "I'll explain later."

"Great." I sighed. I stood on my knees and leaned over my Legend. "Ethan? Wake up."

Silence. The pain in my chest grew. I shook his chest a bit.

"Ethan! Wake up! Please!" I snapped. He jerked up, nearly hitting me in the head with his helmet. I jumped back, staring at him. He touched his helmet and glanced around, pausing when he saw Greflin. My body stopped listening to my mind. I threw my arms around him. I held him tight, hiding my face in his shoulder. The armour dug into my skin, but I didn't care. "Bakae. You scared me..."

Silence. I felt his hands on my back. His breathing was harsh, hitching. I pulled back and stared at him. Then anger hit me.

"What the hell were you thinking!" I yelled. He jumped, tilting his head at me. "Why would you— what the fuck! You absolute bakae! Ei chas betiia tu! Bakae!"

"What is she saying?" Hailee whispered to Greflin. He shrugged, his eyes wide.

"I have no clue. She's not from Lexi, so it makes sense she speaks another specified language." He muttered. "I'm more shocked she went from hugging him to yelling in a second."

"You're next!" I spun and glared at him. He jumped back and held his hands up.

"I'm sorry." He said. She watched me for a second before continuing. "I didn't know you knew Norian."

I stood, brushed my legs off. I scanned the rocks for my rifle. Gone. Hailee held one that she must have grabbed from above. I held my hand out for it. She handed it to me, timid and scared. I took it from her and looked down at my Legend.

"Can you stand?" I asked. He shifted and nodded. I held my hand out to him. He took it and stood, his weight nearly sending me toppling. Damn suit. Cleo better hurry with the new design. Maybe we could alter Ethan's suit. I turned and looked back at Greflin. "What do I do with you?"

"I don't know. Want some help?" He shrugged. I glanced at my Legend, who raised a shoulder.

"Why the hell not. Lily is already pissed at me for punching her in the face." I said. Greflin nodded, froze, then stared at me.

"Wait, you did what?" he stuttered. I smiled, squinting my eyes to show my smugness. "I'm impressed."

"Thank you." I dipped my head in a nod.

"You look very cute when you're smug." Greflin chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's see how cute I am when I am killing Legion." I turned to Hailee. "Hail, where is my blade?"

"Oh... uh... I lost it. I'm sorry. When Leo shot the Zerian, it went over the cliff." She bowed her head. I turned and stared into the waves. My knife. My mother's obsidian blade. Gone.

"Oh," I whispered. A pit opened in my stomach. Gone. Sorry, mom. I lost your blade. I choked the lump in my throat down and shrugged. "Whatever. How do we get back up?"

"This way." Hailee spun on her heel and led me away. As we walked into a cave, I remembered my own injury. I touched my shoulder, flinching as pain rushed from it. I had been so focused on my Legend, I forgot how I got thrown.

"Hey, Ryder." Greflin ran up to me. I dropped my hand to my side. "Ethan said you got hurt. You okay?"

"Yeah, it just cut my shirt." I lied. The bitter taste filled my mouth. He grabbed my arm, spinning me to face him.

"I saw the red on your shirt, idiot." He hissed. "Don't be stupid. Let's stop and take care of it."

"It's fine, Leo." I jerked my hand away. The shadows cast by the cave made Leo look even older. Almost like Jermia. Tired. Mad. Just wanting to end this war so he could rest. Leo was the Heretic leader. A name that was chosen because it means those who think differently from the mass majority. That must be hard. Doing what you feel is right while everyone says it's wrong. Like being a kid in the military, being told you're too young to be any good. "Why do it?"

"Huh?" he asked. I inclined my head to the side, still following Hailee to the surface.

"Why do you lead the Heretics when it means you'll be arrested?" I asked. Legend got close to us so I fell silent. I passed him the rifle. He took the gun and stepped around us, following Hailee. I slung my pack off my shoulder and dug through it. I pulled out my sidearm and a clip. The gun was damp but still worked. I set it up before holding it at the ground.

"I lead them because it's right. It's not easy. The right thing never is, but we have to do it. Lily is possibly the most stubborn and ruthless person I know." He paused. He looked at me and frowned. "Check that, second-most. Anyway, when she took the title of master, I knew talking wouldn't get through to her. She had to see it."

"You love her." I realized. He spoke with such fondness. A longing. I stared at him in shock. He smiled and nodded, giving a soft chuckle.

"Yep. I don't think there is anyone quite like her. We were together before I led the protest. She was... annoyed. But she never left me." He sighed. We stepped into the light. I squinted, covering my eyes with one hand. Legend stood beside Hailee, surveying the area around us. A dense forest sat a short distance away. The wood and village were behind us. "Even now, it pains her. Having to arrest me. I think that's why she sent you two."

"She sent her most defiant soldier and her Legend." I realized. I bowed my head and laughed to myself.

"Yep. That's why when I realized who you were, I wasn't scared." Greflin shrugged. "You risked your life so I could escape. Thank you for saving me. Again."

"I'm gonna have to start charging." I joked. I stepped beside my Legend. "Where do we go?"

"What are we looking for?" Greflin asked.

"Two teams. One from Lexi and one from Valkyrie. The last location of the Lexian one was that village. The other we never heard from as they landed. We flew over their D. O. point on our way here and saw nothing." I summarized. I glanced back at him and tilted my head. "Where would you lead your team if you were going after a Legion team here?"

"You don't know?" He asked.

"I work alone. So no." I answered. But I would go to the forest. Easier to hide and the Legion would try an ambush. Greflin glanced at my Legend and frowned. "Where, Greflin?"

"Forest. No one would want to be out here. Too open." He answered. "Which Legion?"

"Just Zerians from what we see. Tailers. Not gunners." I said. I glanced at Hailee. "Unless you saw any others?"

"No. Just ones like the one I killed." She answered. Greflin looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"All Zerian team. Meaning?" I muttered. I turned to look at Greflin. "You said that some of the Jareians aren't trusted. They're blackmailed, so maybe they no longer send them on important missions."

"So what's so important here?" Greflin mused. We all looked at Hailee. Her face reddened, and she hid behind her hair.

"Hail, I think we need to know what your hiding now," I said. She glanced behind her as if thinking of running. Greflin caught her arm before she could move. She looked between all three us, her eyes wide. "Hailee. Please."

"Fine." She sighed. "This way."

She turned to the forest. Greflin kept his grip on her in case she bolted. I took the lead, leaving my Legend to watch our backs. We walked into the forest, none of us but Hailee knowing what we would find.