Surprise Substitute

Cage walks down the dirt road to the gates of Yellen, catching, killing, and absorbing insects and large rodents on the way. His muscles ache slightly, and his black robe is stained with dirt and grime, despite his multiple attempts to wipe it off.

His body is clean for the most part. Ingen had told Cage that Collectors wash in the river near Yellen, so Cage joined the Rajin in a quick, relaxing dip. Other Collectors had accompanied them, though they spoke little to Ingen, and even less to Cage. Ingen had joked with most of them, laughing and trying to lighten their mood. Most seemed to appr the gesture, but few stood any straighter.

Cage appreciates this about Ingen. The man does not make light of important things, yet he tries to lift the spirit of those around him when it counts. Even after saying that him and Kyro may not live to see next week, he caused Cage to crack up a few times with his jokes. Kyro has a similar temperament when he's in a good mood. When he isn't, Kyro is quiet, sometimes snappy.

Kyro has probably been working just as hard as Cage and Ingen. Cage fought several beasts in the forest earlier, jumpers, Skoans, and other bloodthirsty creatures. With Skoans and other armored creatures, there wasn't much Cage could do other than try and paralyze them, so Ingen ended up having to finish them most of the time. Either way, Cage is completely full for the moment.

Yet he cannot stop himself from snatching insects and rodents when he sees them. Cage will not have a month or two to get better with his powers as he once thought. If execution is the verdict placed upon Ingen and Kyro, then Cage has a little over a week at best. It's not certain that this will be the result of the meeting, but Cage still cannot push the anxiety from his mind. Even if he is not confident in his abilities, Cage will not stand by and watch his saviors lose their heads. He will do what he can in order to remove those trackers.

Cage nears that massive gate, and finds that it's open. This is not unusual. Cage does not know the schedule for this, but sometimes the gate is left open for those entering and leaving the city. Several guards stand on both sides of the gate, watching as Collectors wheel out sewage on carts. As he comes closer, Cage sees a familiar face pushing a cart out of the gate. Kyro.

Kyro glances at him, nodding. Cage returns the gesture, noticing the sweat dripping from his brow and his sluggish movements. A loud snapping sound echos across the land, and Perlo stands behind Kyro, a leather whip in his hand, a smirk on his face, "Keep it moving Bloodhound!" Perlo cackles. Kyro winces with the strike to his back, pushing the cart without halting.

Cage stares at Perlo, grinding his teeth. Anger burns his chest, and he once again imagines the Guard Captain with a mangled body and dead eyes. Does Perlo gain some form of satisfaction from targeting Kyro? He may be a slave, but Kyro is a person, a man that deserves much better than slavery.

Cage walks forward, his eyes focused on Perlo, who snaps the whip against Kyro's back once again, cackling all the while. He nears Perlo quickly, and the Guard Captain looks at Cage with a raised brow. Cage's hand itches. He could paralyze Perlo right here and crush his throat before the other guards can react. He could-

Kyro steps before him, placing his large blue hand on Cage's chest, "Stop," Kyro whispers, meeting those black eyes with his own, "This is not worth dying over. Go to Yoru."

Cage chenches his jaw, "But-" Another snap interrupts him, and Kyro closes his eyes tight with the pain, "Who said you could stop!?" Perlo yells.

Kyro opens his eyes again, pushing Cage away gently, "Go," he says, turning and returning to his work.

Cage's eyes linger on Kyro, drifting to Perlo a moment later.

The Guard Captain returns his own gaze, a condescending smirk on his lips, "If it isn't Yoru's pup!" he says, "Careful now. Yoru can only protect you for so long. I would hate to take her 'student' from her," he cackles again.

Cage pauses, staring at Perlo. He smiles, earning a look of confusion from the Guard Captain. Cage then turns and walks through the gate, the smile lingering on his lips, Perlo watching him with furrowed brows. Those black eyes coupled with the stainless white smile send a shiver up Perlo's spine.

Cage has been wondering what would happen if he absorbed another person. The only problem that had halted him from testing before this was his lack of a test subject. Killing those undeserving doesn't sit right with Cage. But now he has a test subject, and Perlo deserves much more than just death.

If Cage absorbs the Guard Captain, will his soul appear as it did with Mavyl? Mavyl's soul had only appeared in this reality when Cage attempted to interact with it, so perhaps he has control over whether it will happen again. If so, then Perlo's soul will never see the light of day.

Cage walks through the busy streets of Yellen, passing by shops, homes, and busy plazas, merchants yelling about sales to passing ears. Cage sees quite a few foreigners as he travels, some of them being ones he has seen every day. They must live here.

Cage has learned that on this particular branch, Raj is one of the last planets free from Utherian rule. Raj is a well-known planet in this branch, and upon hearing about the freedom and safety this planet offers, quite a few foreigners have migrated here. Although after reading about the several other armies that conquer every planet in their path, Cage wonders if Utherians are the only threat that will visit this planet in the future.

Rajin soldiers are some of the strongest around, and with the Rage Stones, they're even more formidable. Yet with the Massor on Kalar, the one source for the stones, that power-up may run out. This would not be so important if not for the withdrawals that every soldier will face. Even at his massive size, it took Ingen a full two weeks to recover from the withdrawals.

If Raj is invaded while the entire Rajin army is out of commission, then there will be no safe place left on this branch. Cage looks around at the blue, violet, and crimson faces surrounding him. Every one of these people, Rajin and foreigner alike, will be killed or enslaved if someone does not take action.

Cage finds that he feels little at this realization. He can't bring himself to care about these people. However, this is the home of Kyro, Ingen, and Yoru. While he may not be interested in helping Raj himself, he will do so if that is what they wish. They will go with him on his journey, so he feels obligated to return the favor in any way he can.

He still doesn't know if Kyro will agree to leave Raj, but Cage is confident that he will. After all, other than Yoru and Ingen, what is left for him here? He has done so much for his people, yet his only reward is slavery. All because he cares for his family.

Cage arrives before Yoru's three-story home, the white marble reflecting the sunlight. He walks through the metal gate that splits the wall surrounding the home, making his way to the front door. The home is quiet, Yoru must still be at the Scribe office.

Cage plans to change clothes and head to the library himself. His lessons are still ongoing, and due to last night's events, the latest lesson has been delayed. The lesson will be on Vas and Anima magic, which is something Cage has been very interested in ever since seeing Kyro use Vas. He may not be able to use these magics himself, but it will still benefit Cage to know how the powers of his enemies function.

Cage passes through the foyer, walking into the living room. Sunlight leaks through the tall windows at the side of the room, shining on the low table-

"Cage! You're finally here," Alyra calls with a wide smile on her lips. She sits at the end of the low table with her legs tucked to the side, wearing the same black dress she wore when first meeting Cage. A stack of books lies on the table, along with a tall and skinny bottle of a light blue liquid that almost seems to glow.

Cage furrows his brows as he meets the silver eyes of the woman, "Alyra? What are you doing here?" he asks.

"Yoru asked me to come. She said she'll be busy for a while, so I'm taking over your lesson for today," Alyra responds in her usual friendly voice. She pours that blue liquid into two wine glasses, "Want some?"

Cage walks over to the table, sitting down with crossed legs near Alyra. He looks at the glass with a wrinkled forehead, "What is it?" he asks.

"Moonfruit Wine," Alyra responds, setting the glass down near Cage, "I'll leave it there, and you can decide if you want any."

Cage looks at the glass, then at Alyra, "Does Yoru know you're drinking alcohol in her home?" he asks.

Alyra scoffs, taking a sip of her own glass, "Yoru gave me this wine," she says, grinning at Cage, "Do you really think all of the fruit in her garden is just for food?"

"Oh. I guess not," Cage says with raised brows. He already knew that Alyra is a bit of an alcoholic, but Yoru? "I never would have guessed that Yoru is a drinker. She hasn't mentioned it to me."

"Nearly every Rajin woman drinks. Especially Yoru. She deals with so much on a daily basis, if anyone needs a drink, it's her," Alyra says, taking another sip, eyeing Cage and his hesitant expression, "Oh, don't look like that. Men have the Rage Stones, and women have alcohol. Everyone does something."

"I don't think it's a bad thing, I'm just surprised," Cage says, glancing at the books on the table, "Anyway, did Yoru say what she's busy with?"

Alyra shrugs, "I'm not sure, but a foreigner did follow her into her office," she responds, "A Lion-class Tanzide. I've never seen one of those before."

Cage nods, hiding his surprise. Could it be the Tanzide he saw in the library yesterday? Yoru did say that it's extremely rare for a Lion-class to leave their planet, so it must be the same one. What business would he have with Yoru?

Whatever it is, it needs to be done quickly. Cage needs to tell Yoru about her brother's possible execution as soon as possible. They need to come up with a solution as soon as possible, and the meeting is only two days away.

"Alrighty, let's get right to it," Alyra says finishing her glass and setting it on the table with a clink. She takes the top book from the stack, "Vas and Anima magic, right? It's a good thing Yoru chose me for this subject."

"Really? Why is that?" Cage asks.

"I've been studying the two magics since I was a child. Not exactly for academic purposes though," Alyra responds, a giddy smile on her lips, "Magic is so cool, isn't it? With Vas magic, you can bend the world to your will, and with Anima magic, you can manifest your soul into power. When you really look deep into it, none of it makes sense, but that's what makes it so amazing!" She speaks with an overwhelming excitement in her voice, her eyes lighting up with every word.

Cage can't help but smile himself, "It sounds like I'll be in good hands," he responds, finding himself drawn to her big silver eyes, "You're beautiful," Cage says. He freezes, embarrassment rising to his cheeks in a red tint. That was meant to stay in his head.

Alyra pauses, eyes wide. She shrinks into herself, and if it wasn't for her crimson skin, Cage thinks her cheeks would be just as red as his, "Thank you, Cage," she says, voice nearly a whisper. She takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly, "Anyway, have you never heard about Vas or Anima? You would have to live under a rock to not know."

Cage nods. Yoru prepared him for questions like this, "I was sheltered by my parents, and I rarely left our home. The first time I went outside was when I had to flee the planet. Everything is new to me," he responds.

Alyra nods, a slight smile forming on her lips as she opens the book before her, "Okay then. We'll start with the basics," she responds.

"Thank you," Cage says, anxiety poking at his brain slightly. He expected her to question him like she did when Cage was registering. And what does that smile mean? Does she know? Did Yoru tell her? Or did he slip up somewhere?

Cage will have to be wary of this woman from now on. She's more clever than she seems.