The next twelve hours seemed to pass in a slow-paced blur. They had heard nothing more about the so-called 'attack' on Naunet Riva. It had taken all those hours for Avin to get a permit to go down to the city. The tall man had ended up pulling the relative card. Yuki had given proof of his partial ownership to the Residence that was now a rather large ice crystal. Rinn sighed, feeling somewhat anxious. He didn't like having to wait. He needed to be down in the city to find out what had happened. He didn't feel the sad man's presence anywhere...nor did he feel Zenarith. Or Byakuya. He didn't like not feeling them. It seemed so unnatural.
He tugged on Avin's sleeve, almost as if wanting to reassure himself of the other man's presence. They had boarded an airship hours ago. Rinn's tail twitched anxiously. He just wanted to be in the city. He'd never have thought such a thing before. The city used to frighten him so badly. It still did, to a point. He did not like being around large crowds for extended periods of time. It wore him out, mentally and physically.
Rinn sighed softly. He was so...bored. He didn't mind flying, usually. Watching the clouds and imagining the shapes had been entertaining for the first few hours. He'd paced through the entire air ship, exploring as much as he was able to. There were only so many places one could go. He sighed. Why did Aeros have to move so far from Naunet Riva? It had only been two weeks since they arrived on the city, and even with it moving slower than normal, the city had moved quite far from where it had been when they arrived.
He sighed and stood. He stretched, and then began wandering around the room. Avin was sleeping in the corner where Rinn had left him, leaning against the wall of the makeshift holding cell they'd put Nefe in. His ears drooped at the thought of Nefe. He really didn't like that man. He shook his head. No, he couldn't wake Avin to keep himself entertained. That wouldn't be very nice at all. Rinn sighed, looking down at the wood floor, wiggling his toes. A hand touched his shoulder, and he jumped, startled, looking up into Thalia's kind eyes. She smiled softly at him. “Bored?”
He nodded slowly, biting his lip. “Have nothing to do. Want to arrive now,” he said quietly, looking down. It felt a little silly to say. Rinn sighed, ears drooping slightly. He still had trouble expressing himself properly, and it got a little frustrating at times when he couldn't quite get his thought across.
Thalia smiled softly, nodding her head. “I completely understand. I also wish to return to the city as soon as possible.” Her eyes took on a distant look, and she sighed. Rinn tilted his head to the side. He knew something was bothering her. The waves of uncertainty rolling off of her were unsettling. He touched her hand, sending reassurance to her. She smiled widely at him and patted his head.
“Why don't you get some fresh air, and then maybe take a nap?” She suggested, standing up straight. “We'll be arriving in a couple of hours, and then we'll see what we can get for you to do, all right?”
He sighed, and nodded slowly, going near to where Avin was sitting. He sat down heavily, sighing, lips pulled into a pout. Avin pulled Rinn close, kissing his forehead. Rinn blushed faintly, tail waving slowly.
“Heya, kiddo,” Avin said, his voice still in the foggy just out of sleep mode. Rinn smiled, and crawled up on Avin's lap, laying his head on the other's shoulder. Avin smiled, rubbing his shoulders. “I know it's a long flight,” he said.
Rinn shook his head. It was better now that Avin was awake. A purr rumbled through his throat and he snuggled closer to the other, a smile curling on his lips. Avin always made him feel better. He felt calmer and less...bored. He blushed faintly as Avin traced his cheek and jaw with a finger. It sent tingles down his spine, and he wiggled a bit on the other's lap, trying to get rid of the warm feeling in his stomach that he sometimes got.
Avin chuckled, rubbing his shoulders. “Try to get some sleep, Rinn,” Avin said softly in his ear, petting his hair, rubbing his shoulders. Rinn smiled, laying his head on the other's chest, closing his eyes. Avin smiled softly, and whispered sweet things to him. Soon enough he was off in dreamland, oblivious to the rest of the trip to Naunet Riva.
* * * * * * * * *
His heart was pounding in his chest, crimson eyes wide as he surveyed the destruction. Ice had torn through stone and earth, leaving great gouges on the ground. Rinn shivered. He could still feel the residual emotional scarring in the area, and it sent chills down his spine. It didn't really matter how close Avin was. With this much emotional energy, Rinn rather thought that he'd probably feel it from ten miles away. He shivered again, ears pressed flat to his head. He swallowed hard, eyes following the path of destruction
He still couldn't feel Byakuya. That unnerved him more than anything. He took a deep breath, and started up the wide stairs to the entry hall. Avin stopped him, taking hold of his hand, his face grim. “It's...not pretty in there, Rinn,” Avin said softly, green eyes filled with concern. Rinn nodded, and smiled reassuringly at the other before pulling away.
A horrid stench filled his nose, and he covered his mouth quickly, stepping back a bit. Rinn's eyes watered. He'd forgotten just how sensitive his nose was to scents. He closed his eyes, trying to alleviate the nausea he felt. He tried hard to not look at the blood mixed with water on the floor. He shook his head and hurried up the stairs, slipping once on a patch of ice. His hand grabbed the railing of the staircase, but then he pulled it back instantly. Sticky wetness came off with his hand, and he looked down, his stomach reeling at the sight of red staining his palm.
Rinn clenched his fist tightly. He had to know. Byakuya couldn't be...dead...could he? He hurried down the hall, Avin following close behind him. Rinn's stomach lurched as his eyes fell on the displaced torso of a maid. The gaping hole in her chest still had fragments of ice within it. He paled, turning and retching in the corner, the acrid stench rising up through his nose, burning. He took a deep breath, trying not to think of the blood and gore strewn throughout the room. Everything was soaked with water from the ice that had melted.
Rinn shook his head and carefully stepped into Byakuya's study. It was a disaster. Books were strewn everywhere, torn to pieces, pages plastered to the walls and floor. Broken glass littered the floor in a circular pattern from the couch near the window. Rinn's eyes widened as a flash of light caught his eye.
A huge crystal sat at the window, cold rolling off of it like water off oil, and within it was a still form, red hair pooled on the cushion of the couch that was frozen with him. Rinn's hands shook as he lightly touched the ice crystal. “B-Byakuya...” He whispered, eyes wide. Tears threatened to pour out of his eyes. The ice was so cold...it didn't melt under his touch. He pounded on the crystal, trying to get to Byakuya within. “C-can't feel him,” Rinn whispered, trembling as Avin pulled him back from the crystalline structure.
He buried his face in Avin's chest, finding it difficult to even look at the frozen fire-elemental. He didn't want to believe Byakuya was dead. Even if that very situation had driven his friend Zenarith to madness. Rinn trembled, pulling away from Avin, placing both his hands against the ice. “Byakuya...” he whispered, sending out his senses, trying to reach something within the ice. He felt a flickering against his senses, but then it faded almost as quickly as he'd felt it. Breath shuddered out of his chest, and he was pulled away from the crystal, snapped out of his attempt at connecting with a dead man. He cried out with the pain from the backlash of his mind being pulled back so suddenly. Avin looked at him with a white, worried face, eyebrows furrowed.
“Don't be stupid, Rinn,” the man whispered. “We've already lost Byakuya...we...I... can't lose you too...” Rinn could feel the unhappiness rolling off of Avin, and it hurt...it burned his senses, the raw nerves sending pain throughout his body. He struggled to pull away from Avin. He couldn't bear to feel the pain from everyone in the building. He trembled, burying his face in his hands, shaking. Yuki stepped into the room, looking sick. The grief that exploded from the white-haired young man sent stabbing pain through Rinn's mind, and he screamed with pain, and then everything went dark.
Rinn woke some time later, in a dark room with soft blankets wrapped around him. It was probably the guest house, he figured, the smell of ice and blood still heavy in the air. He could hear murmurs in the other room, and choked sobs that probably came from Yuki. His ears drooped...poor Yuki...he'd lost his brother and close friend. Rinn couldn't begin to think what it would be like if he ever lost Avin. He didn't want to think about it. He took a deep breath, and stood quietly, sneaking to the door, ears twitching as he struggled to hear what was being said. The door opened a crack, light streaming through from the hallway. He winced slightly at the brightness, but made no noise otherwise.
“The cameras caught most of what happened,” Avin was saying to the others that were present. Thalia wasn't there, but Yuki, Kiro, and Fen nodded slowly in response. Yuki was garbed in black robes, his head down. Kiro was holding his hand tightly. Rinn smiled slightly. It was good to see Kiro expressing his feelings, even though the circumstances were terrible.
“The mystery-man...Sigma, I think he was called, was here that night, but he left. You can see him here, disappearing, and then Zenarith goes inside. Ten minutes later, and then this....” There was a loud rumbling noise, and then a static hiss.
Rinn stepped back from the door, looking down at his toes with a frown. Sigma...the sad man. Rinn couldn't figure out why, exactly, he was so drawn to the strange man. He always seemed so...sad. He shook his head. He wondered what Sigma had been doing there. Certainly the man hadn't hurt Byakuya. Rinn knew that was impossible.
He nodded to himself. It was decided. He'd find Sigma...find out what happened...and then find Zenarith.
* * * * * * * * * *
Rinn slipped out of the guest house, wrapped in a tidy, comfy coat he borrowed from Avin's baggage. It was huge, but that was okay. He needed the large hood and length of the coat to hide his ears and tail from the general public. He made his way to the gate entrance, wrinkling his nose at the stench the cleanup crew was making with their cleaning solvents. The smell of blood was dissipating slowly, becoming replaced with the acid scent of cleanser. He had to move swiftly. He knelt on the ground, touching it gently, closing his eyes. His nose wrinkled as he sniffed. He sent out his senses, shuddering at the burning sensation. His nerves were still raw, but...he had to do this. He had to find the sad man.
His eyes snapped open, a soft gasp escaping his lips. Rinn's eyes went slightly unfocused. “Sad man...” he whispered, eyes narrowing as he mentally assigned a color to the scent. Dark red colored the scent he found. It was faint. Not surprising, considering the ice that had nearly destroyed the whole residence, and the fact that it had been over twenty four hours since Zenarith's explosion to the time that Rinn now knelt there.
He closed his eyes, letting his nose memorize the scent. It smelled tangy...slightly off. Something had been wrong with Sigma when he'd left. Rinn's eyebrows furrowed, and he stood, pulling the hood over his head. He hurried out of the gate, wanting to be far along the trail, long before Avin noticed he was gone.
* * * * * * *
Sand. Blood. The stench of death. The screams of dying men. There was so much pain. Thalia trembled, stumbling through the shifting images. Everything was so dark around her. Men were dying, and she didn't know who they were.
“A dream...?” she whispered softly, eyebrows furrowing. It certainly wasn't one of her own...this nightmare belonged to someone else. A voice calling to her caught her attention and she turned, seeing a dim light in the distance.
She vaguely remembered going to sleep after seeing the destruction left by Zenarith. It had disturbed her to the point where she'd had to return to her own residence. The mental energy still remained around that mansion. She shook her head. This voice was so familiar. Where had she heard it before...? Aeros? It sounded much like the voice that had screamed to her there. She shook her head again. It didn't make sense. She wanted out of this dream...it frightened her.
She took a step forward, and the shadows reached out to her, trying to take hold, trying to pull her into the nightmare. She steeled her mental walls, and the light around her brightened, the shadows falling back with wails. The voice murmured again, calling to her.
All she could do was move forward, and keep walking.
* * * * * *
He was at that place again. Lined up along with the remainder of his comrades, armed to the teeth, and going over the orders they'd been given. Enter the hive-city and destroy the bio-gen queen. A simple enough order, but what it entailed was extremely hard to do. The bio-gens were large in number, and being sent in to their nest was just suicide. He was a soldier, however. He'd follow his orders. That was what he was trained to do. He signaled to his second-in-command to move forward, and the other nodded, eyes glittering with anticipation. He tightened his grip on the weighted chain in his hand, feeling more secure with its presence. He moved, feeling the odd pulse of time shift around him, and he grinned. It froze, momentarily, and suddenly he was there. The bio-gen's seethed around him, snarling, hissing, biting at him. The other men flickered into existence, their weapons slicing through the enemy, the monsters dropping like flies before them.
He felt elation run through him. They were succeeding! Only a few hundred feet to go, and they'd be within the hive-city itself. His weighted chain slithered out, sinking through several creatures at once, slamming them to the ground, gurgling hisses escaping the creatures.
Suddenly one was before him, the face more feminine, and so close to his face. “Mine,” the bio-gen hissed, reaching out a clawed hand to him. A hammer smashed the creature's face in, blood and brain matter spraying out in a blackened fan behind what had been the creature's head. He turned, eyes wide. His second-in-command...Rho. The name came to the fore-front of his mind and he grinned at the man, nodding in thanks to the other. The man chuckled and waved him forward, turning and smashing through more bio-gens.
He shook his head, grinning. Rho always had his back. He turned, slamming his boot into another creature's face. They'd made it past the first wave of creatures. Elation soared through his chest, and he grinned, waiting for his people to regroup. The next stage was infiltration. They'd slip into the city, killing any creature that attempted to stop them. By now, the were covered in enough bio-gen blood to mask their human...or mostly human anyway...scent.
A roaring hiss filled his ears, and he turned, eyes wide as a metal object hissed toward them, great spouts of flame roaring from its tail. His eyes widened with the sense of betrayal. He grabbed Rho's arm, pulling him along as he shifted, time popping around them as he ran. Time ran out far too quickly, and a loud concussing shook the air. Rho was pulled from his grip, and he screeched in pain as shrapnel tore through his side. He hissed with pain, glancing over his shoulder, eyes widening at the blinding light, roiling flames rumbling toward him. He squeezed his eyes shut, the dull pop sounding as he shifted his movement through time. He dragged himself as far away as he could go, the vision of Rho's lifeless eyes staring at him boring through his soul. He collapsed, time hissing back into movement, the heat of the explosion stinging his skin. His consciousness started fading, and he saw a woman in his fading sight. She was reaching out to him, her mouth mouthing his name.
“Sigma!”
His world went dark, and then he felt pulled in another direction. He lost track of time. He had no idea how long he was floating in that darkness. Hours...? Days...? He didn't know. When the world around him took shape and color again. The heat hit him first, then the brightness of the world around him. Sand...he felt its roughness against his cheek. He couldn't move...his throat was so dry. Water...he wanted water. No, it was best not to think of that now. He tried to sit up, and pain bloomed through his side. He hissed, eyes narrowing. He looked down, seeing the red life liquid that seeped into the golden sand, and frowned, wondering how he'd gotten such a wound. His arms couldn't move...and as he watched the blood seep from his side, his thoughts flashed through what had happened. His men had been killed. There was the explosion, and such a device was not a modern weapon. Missiles were a thing of the past. An ancient war machine that killed hundreds...thousands...even millions or humans. He snarled. Only the group he was created by would have been capable of such a thing. He had been betrayed. Fury welled up in his chest. He was going to die here...and the voices...screaming remnants of his memories of his men...they screamed at him to survive. But how...? He was injured; he couldn't even move. The world started to go dark again, and he screamed in his mind. He wouldn't die here! He couldn't! Revenge! He wanted revenge on those who had killed everything that had meant something to him. There was that woman again..calling to him....and then there was darkness again.
His world flickered in and out of view, scenes that caused his stomach to churn. His world solidified again, and he was kneeling by a bed, an old man, face weathered by wind and sand and sun laying there, eyes closed, lips parted and blue in death. Tears were streaming inexplicably down his face. A long, thin knife was sticking out of the man's chest. He touched the hilt gently, drawing his hand back at the symbol engraved on the handle. The double p. Rho.
He was startled out of his thoughts as a hand touched his shoulder. He turned, eyes widening at the sight of the face of a woman...beautiful, delicate cheekbones...dark hair...concerned eyes.
“Where are you, Sigma...?” She whispered.
“Thalia...?” He asked, confused. There was the sound of rushing wind, and then he was alone in a dark room. It was so silent, and he held his head. It was aching...his whole body was aching. He felt like throwing up the contents of his stomach, but based on the calendar he had on the wall, it had been three days since he'd last eaten, so he doubted anything would come up.
Sigma grimaced, sinking back on his bed, eyes staring up at his blank ceiling. He was so damn tired...
He tugged on Avin's sleeve, almost as if wanting to reassure himself of the other man's presence. They had boarded an airship hours ago. Rinn's tail twitched anxiously. He just wanted to be in the city. He'd never have thought such a thing before. The city used to frighten him so badly. It still did, to a point. He did not like being around large crowds for extended periods of time. It wore him out, mentally and physically.
Rinn sighed softly. He was so...bored. He didn't mind flying, usually. Watching the clouds and imagining the shapes had been entertaining for the first few hours. He'd paced through the entire air ship, exploring as much as he was able to. There were only so many places one could go. He sighed. Why did Aeros have to move so far from Naunet Riva? It had only been two weeks since they arrived on the city, and even with it moving slower than normal, the city had moved quite far from where it had been when they arrived.
He sighed and stood. He stretched, and then began wandering around the room. Avin was sleeping in the corner where Rinn had left him, leaning against the wall of the makeshift holding cell they'd put Nefe in. His ears drooped at the thought of Nefe. He really didn't like that man. He shook his head. No, he couldn't wake Avin to keep himself entertained. That wouldn't be very nice at all. Rinn sighed, looking down at the wood floor, wiggling his toes. A hand touched his shoulder, and he jumped, startled, looking up into Thalia's kind eyes. She smiled softly at him. “Bored?”
He nodded slowly, biting his lip. “Have nothing to do. Want to arrive now,” he said quietly, looking down. It felt a little silly to say. Rinn sighed, ears drooping slightly. He still had trouble expressing himself properly, and it got a little frustrating at times when he couldn't quite get his thought across.
Thalia smiled softly, nodding her head. “I completely understand. I also wish to return to the city as soon as possible.” Her eyes took on a distant look, and she sighed. Rinn tilted his head to the side. He knew something was bothering her. The waves of uncertainty rolling off of her were unsettling. He touched her hand, sending reassurance to her. She smiled widely at him and patted his head.
“Why don't you get some fresh air, and then maybe take a nap?” She suggested, standing up straight. “We'll be arriving in a couple of hours, and then we'll see what we can get for you to do, all right?”
He sighed, and nodded slowly, going near to where Avin was sitting. He sat down heavily, sighing, lips pulled into a pout. Avin pulled Rinn close, kissing his forehead. Rinn blushed faintly, tail waving slowly.
“Heya, kiddo,” Avin said, his voice still in the foggy just out of sleep mode. Rinn smiled, and crawled up on Avin's lap, laying his head on the other's shoulder. Avin smiled, rubbing his shoulders. “I know it's a long flight,” he said.
Rinn shook his head. It was better now that Avin was awake. A purr rumbled through his throat and he snuggled closer to the other, a smile curling on his lips. Avin always made him feel better. He felt calmer and less...bored. He blushed faintly as Avin traced his cheek and jaw with a finger. It sent tingles down his spine, and he wiggled a bit on the other's lap, trying to get rid of the warm feeling in his stomach that he sometimes got.
Avin chuckled, rubbing his shoulders. “Try to get some sleep, Rinn,” Avin said softly in his ear, petting his hair, rubbing his shoulders. Rinn smiled, laying his head on the other's chest, closing his eyes. Avin smiled softly, and whispered sweet things to him. Soon enough he was off in dreamland, oblivious to the rest of the trip to Naunet Riva.
* * * * * * * * *
His heart was pounding in his chest, crimson eyes wide as he surveyed the destruction. Ice had torn through stone and earth, leaving great gouges on the ground. Rinn shivered. He could still feel the residual emotional scarring in the area, and it sent chills down his spine. It didn't really matter how close Avin was. With this much emotional energy, Rinn rather thought that he'd probably feel it from ten miles away. He shivered again, ears pressed flat to his head. He swallowed hard, eyes following the path of destruction
He still couldn't feel Byakuya. That unnerved him more than anything. He took a deep breath, and started up the wide stairs to the entry hall. Avin stopped him, taking hold of his hand, his face grim. “It's...not pretty in there, Rinn,” Avin said softly, green eyes filled with concern. Rinn nodded, and smiled reassuringly at the other before pulling away.
A horrid stench filled his nose, and he covered his mouth quickly, stepping back a bit. Rinn's eyes watered. He'd forgotten just how sensitive his nose was to scents. He closed his eyes, trying to alleviate the nausea he felt. He tried hard to not look at the blood mixed with water on the floor. He shook his head and hurried up the stairs, slipping once on a patch of ice. His hand grabbed the railing of the staircase, but then he pulled it back instantly. Sticky wetness came off with his hand, and he looked down, his stomach reeling at the sight of red staining his palm.
Rinn clenched his fist tightly. He had to know. Byakuya couldn't be...dead...could he? He hurried down the hall, Avin following close behind him. Rinn's stomach lurched as his eyes fell on the displaced torso of a maid. The gaping hole in her chest still had fragments of ice within it. He paled, turning and retching in the corner, the acrid stench rising up through his nose, burning. He took a deep breath, trying not to think of the blood and gore strewn throughout the room. Everything was soaked with water from the ice that had melted.
Rinn shook his head and carefully stepped into Byakuya's study. It was a disaster. Books were strewn everywhere, torn to pieces, pages plastered to the walls and floor. Broken glass littered the floor in a circular pattern from the couch near the window. Rinn's eyes widened as a flash of light caught his eye.
A huge crystal sat at the window, cold rolling off of it like water off oil, and within it was a still form, red hair pooled on the cushion of the couch that was frozen with him. Rinn's hands shook as he lightly touched the ice crystal. “B-Byakuya...” He whispered, eyes wide. Tears threatened to pour out of his eyes. The ice was so cold...it didn't melt under his touch. He pounded on the crystal, trying to get to Byakuya within. “C-can't feel him,” Rinn whispered, trembling as Avin pulled him back from the crystalline structure.
He buried his face in Avin's chest, finding it difficult to even look at the frozen fire-elemental. He didn't want to believe Byakuya was dead. Even if that very situation had driven his friend Zenarith to madness. Rinn trembled, pulling away from Avin, placing both his hands against the ice. “Byakuya...” he whispered, sending out his senses, trying to reach something within the ice. He felt a flickering against his senses, but then it faded almost as quickly as he'd felt it. Breath shuddered out of his chest, and he was pulled away from the crystal, snapped out of his attempt at connecting with a dead man. He cried out with the pain from the backlash of his mind being pulled back so suddenly. Avin looked at him with a white, worried face, eyebrows furrowed.
“Don't be stupid, Rinn,” the man whispered. “We've already lost Byakuya...we...I... can't lose you too...” Rinn could feel the unhappiness rolling off of Avin, and it hurt...it burned his senses, the raw nerves sending pain throughout his body. He struggled to pull away from Avin. He couldn't bear to feel the pain from everyone in the building. He trembled, burying his face in his hands, shaking. Yuki stepped into the room, looking sick. The grief that exploded from the white-haired young man sent stabbing pain through Rinn's mind, and he screamed with pain, and then everything went dark.
Rinn woke some time later, in a dark room with soft blankets wrapped around him. It was probably the guest house, he figured, the smell of ice and blood still heavy in the air. He could hear murmurs in the other room, and choked sobs that probably came from Yuki. His ears drooped...poor Yuki...he'd lost his brother and close friend. Rinn couldn't begin to think what it would be like if he ever lost Avin. He didn't want to think about it. He took a deep breath, and stood quietly, sneaking to the door, ears twitching as he struggled to hear what was being said. The door opened a crack, light streaming through from the hallway. He winced slightly at the brightness, but made no noise otherwise.
“The cameras caught most of what happened,” Avin was saying to the others that were present. Thalia wasn't there, but Yuki, Kiro, and Fen nodded slowly in response. Yuki was garbed in black robes, his head down. Kiro was holding his hand tightly. Rinn smiled slightly. It was good to see Kiro expressing his feelings, even though the circumstances were terrible.
“The mystery-man...Sigma, I think he was called, was here that night, but he left. You can see him here, disappearing, and then Zenarith goes inside. Ten minutes later, and then this....” There was a loud rumbling noise, and then a static hiss.
Rinn stepped back from the door, looking down at his toes with a frown. Sigma...the sad man. Rinn couldn't figure out why, exactly, he was so drawn to the strange man. He always seemed so...sad. He shook his head. He wondered what Sigma had been doing there. Certainly the man hadn't hurt Byakuya. Rinn knew that was impossible.
He nodded to himself. It was decided. He'd find Sigma...find out what happened...and then find Zenarith.
* * * * * * * * * *
Rinn slipped out of the guest house, wrapped in a tidy, comfy coat he borrowed from Avin's baggage. It was huge, but that was okay. He needed the large hood and length of the coat to hide his ears and tail from the general public. He made his way to the gate entrance, wrinkling his nose at the stench the cleanup crew was making with their cleaning solvents. The smell of blood was dissipating slowly, becoming replaced with the acid scent of cleanser. He had to move swiftly. He knelt on the ground, touching it gently, closing his eyes. His nose wrinkled as he sniffed. He sent out his senses, shuddering at the burning sensation. His nerves were still raw, but...he had to do this. He had to find the sad man.
His eyes snapped open, a soft gasp escaping his lips. Rinn's eyes went slightly unfocused. “Sad man...” he whispered, eyes narrowing as he mentally assigned a color to the scent. Dark red colored the scent he found. It was faint. Not surprising, considering the ice that had nearly destroyed the whole residence, and the fact that it had been over twenty four hours since Zenarith's explosion to the time that Rinn now knelt there.
He closed his eyes, letting his nose memorize the scent. It smelled tangy...slightly off. Something had been wrong with Sigma when he'd left. Rinn's eyebrows furrowed, and he stood, pulling the hood over his head. He hurried out of the gate, wanting to be far along the trail, long before Avin noticed he was gone.
* * * * * * *
Sand. Blood. The stench of death. The screams of dying men. There was so much pain. Thalia trembled, stumbling through the shifting images. Everything was so dark around her. Men were dying, and she didn't know who they were.
“A dream...?” she whispered softly, eyebrows furrowing. It certainly wasn't one of her own...this nightmare belonged to someone else. A voice calling to her caught her attention and she turned, seeing a dim light in the distance.
She vaguely remembered going to sleep after seeing the destruction left by Zenarith. It had disturbed her to the point where she'd had to return to her own residence. The mental energy still remained around that mansion. She shook her head. This voice was so familiar. Where had she heard it before...? Aeros? It sounded much like the voice that had screamed to her there. She shook her head again. It didn't make sense. She wanted out of this dream...it frightened her.
She took a step forward, and the shadows reached out to her, trying to take hold, trying to pull her into the nightmare. She steeled her mental walls, and the light around her brightened, the shadows falling back with wails. The voice murmured again, calling to her.
All she could do was move forward, and keep walking.
* * * * * *
He was at that place again. Lined up along with the remainder of his comrades, armed to the teeth, and going over the orders they'd been given. Enter the hive-city and destroy the bio-gen queen. A simple enough order, but what it entailed was extremely hard to do. The bio-gens were large in number, and being sent in to their nest was just suicide. He was a soldier, however. He'd follow his orders. That was what he was trained to do. He signaled to his second-in-command to move forward, and the other nodded, eyes glittering with anticipation. He tightened his grip on the weighted chain in his hand, feeling more secure with its presence. He moved, feeling the odd pulse of time shift around him, and he grinned. It froze, momentarily, and suddenly he was there. The bio-gen's seethed around him, snarling, hissing, biting at him. The other men flickered into existence, their weapons slicing through the enemy, the monsters dropping like flies before them.
He felt elation run through him. They were succeeding! Only a few hundred feet to go, and they'd be within the hive-city itself. His weighted chain slithered out, sinking through several creatures at once, slamming them to the ground, gurgling hisses escaping the creatures.
Suddenly one was before him, the face more feminine, and so close to his face. “Mine,” the bio-gen hissed, reaching out a clawed hand to him. A hammer smashed the creature's face in, blood and brain matter spraying out in a blackened fan behind what had been the creature's head. He turned, eyes wide. His second-in-command...Rho. The name came to the fore-front of his mind and he grinned at the man, nodding in thanks to the other. The man chuckled and waved him forward, turning and smashing through more bio-gens.
He shook his head, grinning. Rho always had his back. He turned, slamming his boot into another creature's face. They'd made it past the first wave of creatures. Elation soared through his chest, and he grinned, waiting for his people to regroup. The next stage was infiltration. They'd slip into the city, killing any creature that attempted to stop them. By now, the were covered in enough bio-gen blood to mask their human...or mostly human anyway...scent.
A roaring hiss filled his ears, and he turned, eyes wide as a metal object hissed toward them, great spouts of flame roaring from its tail. His eyes widened with the sense of betrayal. He grabbed Rho's arm, pulling him along as he shifted, time popping around them as he ran. Time ran out far too quickly, and a loud concussing shook the air. Rho was pulled from his grip, and he screeched in pain as shrapnel tore through his side. He hissed with pain, glancing over his shoulder, eyes widening at the blinding light, roiling flames rumbling toward him. He squeezed his eyes shut, the dull pop sounding as he shifted his movement through time. He dragged himself as far away as he could go, the vision of Rho's lifeless eyes staring at him boring through his soul. He collapsed, time hissing back into movement, the heat of the explosion stinging his skin. His consciousness started fading, and he saw a woman in his fading sight. She was reaching out to him, her mouth mouthing his name.
“Sigma!”
His world went dark, and then he felt pulled in another direction. He lost track of time. He had no idea how long he was floating in that darkness. Hours...? Days...? He didn't know. When the world around him took shape and color again. The heat hit him first, then the brightness of the world around him. Sand...he felt its roughness against his cheek. He couldn't move...his throat was so dry. Water...he wanted water. No, it was best not to think of that now. He tried to sit up, and pain bloomed through his side. He hissed, eyes narrowing. He looked down, seeing the red life liquid that seeped into the golden sand, and frowned, wondering how he'd gotten such a wound. His arms couldn't move...and as he watched the blood seep from his side, his thoughts flashed through what had happened. His men had been killed. There was the explosion, and such a device was not a modern weapon. Missiles were a thing of the past. An ancient war machine that killed hundreds...thousands...even millions or humans. He snarled. Only the group he was created by would have been capable of such a thing. He had been betrayed. Fury welled up in his chest. He was going to die here...and the voices...screaming remnants of his memories of his men...they screamed at him to survive. But how...? He was injured; he couldn't even move. The world started to go dark again, and he screamed in his mind. He wouldn't die here! He couldn't! Revenge! He wanted revenge on those who had killed everything that had meant something to him. There was that woman again..calling to him....and then there was darkness again.
His world flickered in and out of view, scenes that caused his stomach to churn. His world solidified again, and he was kneeling by a bed, an old man, face weathered by wind and sand and sun laying there, eyes closed, lips parted and blue in death. Tears were streaming inexplicably down his face. A long, thin knife was sticking out of the man's chest. He touched the hilt gently, drawing his hand back at the symbol engraved on the handle. The double p. Rho.
He was startled out of his thoughts as a hand touched his shoulder. He turned, eyes widening at the sight of the face of a woman...beautiful, delicate cheekbones...dark hair...concerned eyes.
“Where are you, Sigma...?” She whispered.
“Thalia...?” He asked, confused. There was the sound of rushing wind, and then he was alone in a dark room. It was so silent, and he held his head. It was aching...his whole body was aching. He felt like throwing up the contents of his stomach, but based on the calendar he had on the wall, it had been three days since he'd last eaten, so he doubted anything would come up.
Sigma grimaced, sinking back on his bed, eyes staring up at his blank ceiling. He was so damn tired...
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