Chapter Fifty Three - Resignation

Chapter Song Suggestion "Wind Guide You by Jeremy Soule"

*note : all dialogues like so {example} are spoken from the predator's perspective

---------------

THE PAST | Veres

The soft giggle from his wife had him looking down. She appeared amused with her nose buried in an antique book. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and they were outdoors having a picnic in their backyard. "What's so funny?" he asked, curious to know what she was reading.

"These old era children's stories are so simple yet clever. It's a shame that authors don't exist anymore in predation," Venetia lamented. "There's this one about a thirsty crow and another about a monkey and crocodile. Each of them has a moral story to teach our baby boy." She lovingly rubbed her still flat stomach. "I can't wait until he's born."

"We don't know yet if it's a he or she."

"Well, I hope it's a boy who looks just like his father," she remarked cheerfully. "And after that, I hope we can give him a baby sister — one he'll love and protect."

He smiled. Venetia was an only child, and she made it no secret how she always wanted a sibling. It was no wonder she wanted their children to grow up side by side. "That will have to wait until you return from your one month exploration expedition."

She squinted at him, setting down the book. "Are you hoping that I'd rather not go?"

"I know how much this expedition means to you," he began, torn between telling the truth and understanding her passion for ocean life. "Even though you're still in the early phase of pregnancy, promise me that you'll be careful. No reckless business and, no endangering your life for others."

Venetia's cheeks rounded with joy, and she tugged him down for a quick kiss. "Thank you, Veres. It means the world to me that you understand how I feel." A gentler kiss. "I love you."

His expression softened, his thumb feathering the downy softness of her skin. "I love you, too."

---------------

PRESENT DAY

Engrossed in his wife's recounting, Veres didn't notice Eira creeping closer with a knife in her hand.

"There is beauty in this world, Veres. I want our little one to be able to experience it all – the good and the bad…," Venetia's voice trailed on.

"Venetia's dream was never about the past," Eira made it clear. "She looked towards the future, to the family you were both building. You despaired when you lost them both. You have to let go of the past, Veres. This isn't how Venetia would have wanted you to live."

His face was implacable, his eyes hard. "You may be right but, without Venetia, my world is meaningless. I've had my revenge and now I wish to purge this world before I leave. It is my responsibility as a fellow scientist."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," she said, her voice brimming with conviction. "It's also my duty to uphold and protect mankind's future, even those who don't deserve it. What you're doing won't change anything. You can take the man out of the environment but, you cannot take the humanity out of him. Emotions are what makes us human. Killing everyone and creating a utopia of predators isn't going to create peace."

Veres made a disagreeing sound. "The governing power matters. Why do you think Levente got away with his crimes for so many years? Children's minds are malleable, like a sponge ready to soak in everything the adults teach them." He shrugged. "Of course, there are cases of strong-willed children who aren't willing to bend. All they need is a little incentive."

Eira was now close enough to touch him. There was no point in dragging out this conversation. Veres would never see eye-to-eye and their convictions were set. "Then I'm not sorry that it has come to this. Both you and Levente have destroyed too many lives and it is unacceptable." Her knife slashed at him, but he fluidly caught her wrist as if he had been expecting her attack.

"Don't be foolish, Eira," he bit out, eyes turning wild. "Do not make me kill you. It would be a waste of your capabilities. Think of your child. He or she is a special existence like that little girl you call Jade."

"What does Jade have to do with this?" she demanded, redoubling her efforts to wound him.

"She's exactly like you — a child born from a peculiar parent. She wasn't made in a lab; she was born with inherent powers. It's the only reason why Levente succeeded in making a monster out of her."

Eira cried out when he twisted her arm and roped her into a chokehold. Though her lungs burned for air, she forced her muscles to relax and stomped on his shin before digging her elbow between his ribs. His grip loosened and she bashed her head into his face, freeing herself completely.

She snarled viciously, "I was willing to overlook my parents' death, and I sympathized with you over the loss of your wife. But now I know nothing I say will change your mind. So" – her hand pulled back in time to stab him deeply – "this is for my father and everyone else that has suffered at your hands."

He released a derisive laugh – the sound of a man confident of his near immortality. Even the wound in his chest didn't bother him. "You know you can't kill me, Eira. Our regenerative abilities are incomparable, and I can command my predators to wipe out all your comrades if you don't stop this nonsense."

Undaunted, Eira bared a ferocious smile that knitted his brows. He flinched when she twisted the knife deeper. She didn't want to risk him regenerating. She needed him vulnerable. "Oh, I know very well that I can't kill you. I'm not the one that will have that privilege. You constantly remind me that I have much to learn about predators, and you're right." Her lips twisted at that well-worn phrase. "There are so many things to appreciate about them — mainly their sense of loyalty."

Eira released a razor-sharp whistle. "You've lived a longer life than I have and experienced real love when you least expected it. But all those experiences were wasted on you because you refused to evolve, Veres. Man cannot move forward without change and that's why you are going to lose."

On the verge of a retort, Veres noticed her white dragon diving towards them with its jaws unlocked and its belly glowing blue. He had never seen anything like that before. Fiery blue flames reflected in his eyes as he witnessed his end, left without a second to breathe before it consumed him from head to toe – a numbing pain licked his limbs and torso, freezing him from the inside out. He didn't realize he was shouting until the frost overwhelmed his lips and sealed his voice forever.

Eira bit her lip bloody, bottling the urge to scream as Xue Long's cold fire iced over her fingers and wrist. Until the very end, Veres shown her a glimpse of the very humanity he tried to erase – his fear had been palpable and overwhelming. In those last few seconds, she wondered what his his final thoughts were.

Her eyes reflexively shut when Veres's body shattered into thousands of tiny, glittering pieces. Reviving him would be impossible forever.

A rush of wind swept by as Lars appeared on Aeolus, the tip of his reaper smoking with the high intensity of that shot. "That will be the last of Falconer," he remarked stiffly and dismounted. "Great job, Eira." Golden eyes shifted to her lifeless hand, encased in ice. "Is this why you needed the clawtail?"

"If you knew, would you have let me go?" she challenged stubbornly.

"It would have saved you from a month's worth of detention," he returned deadpanned.

She spluttered, too focused on his words to protest when he lifted her into his arms. "That's an unreasonable punishment!"

"Then let's hope you learn your lesson. This is your Captain's order."

The bald way he wielded his power over her, and her lack of it, made her fingers itch for a blade. "I wouldn't be so sure. Are you willing to be abstinent for a month?"

A dark brow rose sardonically, matching his flat tone. "Sexual blackmail?" He snorted. "We both know that I can have you begging for my cock when I have you flat on your back with my tongue inside you."

Damn it. He was right.

She clamped her mouth shut and cradled her frozen hand against her chest as he deposited her on Aeolus's back.

Xue Long appeared beside the Gryphon, her chest rumbling with a note of desolation. {Master hurt because of me?}

With her good hand, Eira comforted the dragon. "Don't worry, little one. It doesn't hurt." In fact, she couldn't even feel her hand.

Xue Long remained unconvinced judging by her disturbed rumbling.

"Another lesson to learn," Lars murmured. "You may think that you're being considerate by not telling the truth but, sometimes, it only hurts the one you're trying to protect."

It was a casual comment, but she heard the underlying steel.

Did she hurt his feelings? "Were you…hurt by what I've done?"

He shook his head. "I understand you well enough to know how your mind works but, for predators, they might misunderstand your kindness as being unreliable. Trust me, I've learnt it the hard way with Aeolus."

A sense of helplessness shot through her. "I had no idea. It wasn't my intention."

"I know," he said gently. "But it's best for you to tell that to Xue Long when you have the chance."

While she mulled over her actions, Lars brought her to Anaelle for immediate treatment.

"Stay here with Anaelle," Lars instructed firmly, setting her down on the makeshift cot.

She tugged on his sleeve, worry lacing her voice. "Where are you going?"

"Wild predators are still crawling all over Ataxia. The boys and I are going to put them down."

"Take Xue Long with you," she insisted. "She'll be of help."

"Alright." He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later. Anaelle, keep an eye on her."

"I enjoy being alive, Captain," Anaelle jauntily saluted Lars's retreating backside as he mounted Aeolus with Koga.

"We'll be back," Florian winked, joining Kaiser who awaited him beside Xue Long.

Eira chuckled, accepting clawtail into her arms. Over the past few weeks, the pup had grown into the size of an old era panda cub. Its eyes were now open, resembling Eira's emerald green orbs. It was the first time she had seen them, and the exact shade was startling. Could it be the effect of their shared DNA?

{Mommy} It squeaked.

She scratched under its soft chin, enjoying this rare bonding session.

"I need to melt the ice in order to treat your hand," Anaelle explained, firing up a hand torch. "This might hurt, depending on the damage. I'll try to be quick."

As the ice melted, Eira winced at the pins and needles igniting along her nerve endings, spreading from her palm to the tips of her five fingers. "I think it's working. I can feel my hand." She flexed her digits. "I was prepared to lose a hand."

"My guess is that your body was already regenerating from the inside out," Anaelle surmised. "Because of clawtail's DNA in your blood, your wounds heal faster and unless you lose a limb or an organ, you don't need the cub to personally heal you."

"Which means I'll never have to worry about being permanently disfigured," she murmured.

"Exactly but, that doesn't give you a free pass to be reckless when you fight." Anaelle held her in a piercing stare. "So, how does it feel to take down the bad guy?"

"Honestly? It's anticlimactic and sad," Eira admitted. It was strange how Veres's death created a gaping feeling in her chest. "I can't believe it's really over. Everything happened so fast it became a blur, and I don't know what's going to happen from here on."

Anaelle's gaze drifted over the aftermath of Veres's attack, the sounds of ongoing battles raging in the background. "I'm certain our Commander-in-Chief has already been notified of this tragedy."

"Why have I never seen Commander Armanev in Ataxia?"

"As the head of military defense, it's his duty to oversee all the bases across the nations. My guess is he's still in Solaris with the United Nations Security Council." Anaelle heaved a blank sigh. "Well, you don't have to worry too much about what comes next. They'll inform the Captain and in turn, he'll let us know. For now, focus on healing and we'll take it from there."

Their dorms were completely destroyed and there was a power outage. They had no choice but to camp under the stars after Lars reported to the livid Colonel who was devastated by Ataxia's destruction. Colonel Emory didn't return alone. Standing beside him was Commander-in-Chief Mihal Armanev – a tall, well-built man with his heavy dark hair brushed back in disciplined layers, possibly in his mid-thirties.

Eira bent to Florian's ear. "Isn't our Commander-in-Chief a little young? How old is he?"

Florian's lips twitched in amusement. "Don't let him hear you say that. He's very sensitive about his age. And he just turned forty this year."

Eira concluded him to be a compelling and influential man to achieve the highest authority in Ataxia at his age. She noticed Lars shaking the Commander's hand before the men said their goodbyes.

"What did Colonel Emory say, Captain?" Anaelle asked on behalf of the team.

"There will be a meeting in the morning with the Commander." Lars looked as exhausted as everyone felt. It had been a long day and their future seemed…obscure. Now that Ataxia's power structure was in shambles, what would happen next? "Let us set up camp and retire for the night. There's something personal I would like to inform everyone."

After erecting their tent, Lars approached Eira with a bottle of water. "Here, drink this." He grabbed her hand, gently examining it. "How's your injury?"

"Thank you," she murmured, then wiggled her fingers. "It's healed."

He looked momentarily astonished.

She smiled. It was rare for her to catch him off guard. "I know. My regenerative ability surprises even myself."

"It's a good thing" – he murmured thoughtfully – "given your tendency for reckless behaviour."

She didn't appreciate how dire he made her sound and mischievously stuck her tongue out.

He regarded her with open amusement, placing a hand over her belly. "Are you still feeling nauseous?"

"About that…," She covered her hand over his, meeting his gaze squarely. "You were right. I'm pregnant."

The air around him shifted, turning dense and serious. It bespoke his usual self and yet, something was different. "You're certain?"

A quick nod. "I would never joke about our baby." Eira wasn't sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her. He seemed…relieved and the shadows in his eyes cleared almost instantly, revealing distinct pools of amber. Curiosity melded into her voice. "Why do you –"

"Dinner's ready!" Koga shouted, breaking into her fascination. Anaelle started passing out servings of hot stew, roast chicken, with bread and cheese.

"You'll know soon enough." Lars motioned for her to join the rest, gathering in a cosy circle around the campfire. He was content to see everyone in a good mental state of mind despite Falconer's attack. Earlier on, when he confronted the Colonel, Lars made up his mind about his future — and Ataxia wasn't it.

"Captain, what did you want to tell us?" Florian asked, taking a hearty bite of his sandwich.

Fire snapped and crackled as the team quietened down with anticipation.

"After today, I have made a decision that would affect everyone here. Many years ago, my parents were murdered by Lieutenant General Levente and I was abducted by his cronies to serve as a kill hunter since I was fifteen. Ataxia's corruption was deeply rooted in child experimentation and Eira and I were part of that insidious project. Fortunately, we were spared the tragic fate of the dead and eventually came to be as we are. I stayed in Ataxia to avenge my parents and now that Levente's crimes have come to light, I plan to reclaim my father's honour from the Commander-in-Chief." He paused briefly, taking in Koga and Florian's dismay. "Not many are aware but, I've been a captive here for fifteen years and it's with an unburdened heart that I declare my intent to resign as the captain of unit six."