Chapter Twelve

Cheada braced his hands on his knees, panting and glaring hatefully at the door…still intact, as were the walls, though both looked as though they had seen better days. Cheada had been pounding with everything he had from the moment he'd found himself trapped…he felt exhausted. Fortunately or unfortunately, he had never been one to pay overmuch attention to his body in cases like this. He'd found in the past that it could be pressed beyond what it apparently believed to be its limits.

Time to prove that again. Drawing a deep breath, Cheada prepared to attack again; and stopped short as something struck the door…from the opposite side. Cheada stared, and as a second blast rattled the door, countered with one of his own. Finally, finally someone had found him…at this point he cared little were it friend or foe.

A startled shout came from the corridor as Cheada's attack hit the door, and suddenly the room shook with redoubled efforts of those on the other side. Stepping back, Cheada put a hand across his eyes and formed a ki shield around him as the door began to flex, glowing. A moment later it burst inward with a deafening explosion, shrapnel reflecting off Cheada's shield to embed itself in the walls.

Two battle-ready Changelings stood in the doorway.

'Oh, hell, it's started…what the fuck did Dalwen do…' Cheada raised his hands, open palms toward the soldiers.

"If you're here to kill Dalwen, I'm with you." The one of the left chuckled and stepped forward. He looked older than his partner; wisps of grey marked the fine hair framing his face. Crows' feet crinkled the corner of his one eye…a patch obscured the other.

"I've heard that one before. Tell you what, traitor, I don't care whose side you're on. I have my orders and I intend to carry them out as I promised. You could learn from that attitude, I'm sure." Smiling grimly, he pointed an accusing finger. Cheada threw himself out of the way as a narrow but lethal beam of ki sliced through the space he'd occupied. Crouching low, he grimaced and delivered his own attack, which was avoided with equal skill.

The younger of the pair was still hanging back, but apparently only because he'd been instructed to. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he was all but dancing in nervous anticipation, circlet and earrings bobbing and swinging as though sharing his agitation. Cheada's eyes flicked to him for an instant before returning to his opponent.

'So the kid's just an apprentice, hmm? Well, with any luck he's a shitty fighter and a good distraction…' He feinted, then lunged for the younger one, aiming a ki-charged fist for the over-decorated face.

Cheada awoke a second later to the sight of said boy standing over him: arm extended, palm flat, toward Cheada's head. Laying his other hand on his arm to steady, Zarbon let fly the attack he'd been developing since secondary training.

Almost in slow-motion Cheada saw it approaching, like some dim inexorable nightmare. He couldn't move…to slow…too late…

'Jeice…'

The flesh of his skull was burning away, thin facial bones snapping. He wondered if he was screaming; couldn't hear a thing.

'Forgive…me….'

"Zarbon? Zarbon!!" Zarbon blinked and looked up; concentration broken, the attack scattered and dissipated. His grizzled comrade gestured to Cheada's ashes with an expression of disgust.

"He'd dead, boy, don't waste your energy."

"Yes, sir." Tucking his hands behind his back, he waited for further instructions, trying very hard not to think about what he'd just done.

'Dead…he's dead. I killed him. He probably didn't hate me any more than I hated him, and I destroyed him.' Shock took the edge off his natural elation at having succeeded in his orders. The older warrior looked at him oddly.

"Let me guess…first kill?" Zarbon flushed slightly and nodded. Did it show that much? He was turning out to be a poor excuse for a soldier. Skirting around the charred blot on the floor, the Changeling soldier clapped Zarbon once on the shoulder and strode out the door.

"It gets a little easier, boy, don't worry. Come….the palace is empty. Time to move on." He marched to the nearest balcony and took off, not bother to check if Zarbon followed; he'd yet to see the young fighter so shaken that he couldn't do what was expected of him. Zarbon followed at a slight distance, choosing to carefully ignore the carnage in the city below.

'Don't think about it just don't think…'

Deep in thought, he followed.

* * * * *

Jeice paused in midair, looking stunned. Camber halted immediately, Ghud a moment later, turning to look at him with irritation and curiosity, respectively.

"Something wrong?" Jeice blinked, frowned, then shook his head and caught up to them.

"Don't think so, I just…felt something for a moment there. Odd."

"What did it feel like?" Camber asked guardedly.

"I don't know…just weird. It's nothing, don't worry about it. Let's go." He took off again and Camber forced himself to keep up, looking a touch pale. Sensing a private conversation, Ghud followed at a distance, glancing over his shoulder nervously.

"What did it feel like, Jeice?" Camber repeated urgently, voice low. Jeice gave him a questioning look.

"It doesn't matter. Why?"

"Because it could matter. Look," he muttered guiltily, "this is…a bit more delicate a situation than you've been lead to believe. Anything could be important; and even if it's not, well…then maybe I'm just curious. Is that a better reason?"

"Depends. What's this 'situation'?"

"I will explain that, Jeice…after we've settled for the day, okay? First things first…what did you feel?" Jeice sighed and continued flying, staring straight ahead through narrowed eyes.

"It felt…cold."

"Chills?"

"No. Just…like some part of me suddenly turned to ice."

"Does it hurt?" Jeice frowned, thinking.

"Did…not so much now. Now it just feels empty."

"And what do you mean by 'it'?"

"It, as in…as…hell, I don't know!" Jeice threw up his hands in frustration. "Why? What did you expect? Is something going on that's supposed to be affecting me? Is that it?"

"There's plenty going on that might affect you, Jeice. I don't have the time to go into it just now."

"Really. If the situation is so 'delicate', don't you think it would be best to brief me before something goes wrong?"

"Goes wrong?" Camber laughed weakly. "Oh, and everything has gone so right thus far, yes?"

"You're saying this was a mistake? You wanted to stay in Hell?"

"You're dodging the point, Jeice," Camber muttered. "We'd have all gotten out of that place one way or another."

"Then why are we fugitives? Why was it necessary to get out this way?"

"More pleasant than the alternative, at least for you." Jeice blinked.

"Me? What does any of this have to do with me?"

"Everything," Camber snapped sharply. "Is that good enough for you? Yes, we wanted out, but the timing…this wretched timing is because of you."

"But why? What did I do?"

"Not what you've done. It's nothing you could have helped. Never mind that now…just keep moving." Camber forced himself to pull ahead, only to stop dead as a perturbed-looking Jeice appeared two feet in front of him, arms crossed.

"We don't go any farther until you tell me what the hell this has to do with me." Camber growled and shoved Jeice, a bit disconcerted when the younger warrior didn't budge an inch.

"Jeice, there isn't time. I'll explain it later; dawdle too much and you won't be around for explanations. Let's go." He ducked aside to fly around Jeice, only to find himself staring into those hard black eyes again. Camber pulled back sharply, beginning to get a little unsettled.

"If it's my fault you're out here taking this risk, then I have to know why. I don't want to be responsible for harm coming to you if there was any way I could have avoided it."

"You can't avoid it, Jeice!"

"Then what good is it running away?" Camber stared and opened his mouth to make a reply, quickly cut off by Jeice.

"You won't tell me?" he asked flatly.

"I can't…not right now, we've got to…"

"Got to go," Jeice finished. "All right, then. You go your way…and I'll go mine. Safe journey, Camber; and thank you." Camber blinked once in surprise…and Jeice was gone. Whirling, eyes wide, Camber spotted only Ghud: tearing toward him, expression panicked.

"Where have you been?" Camber demanded anxiously.

"I went back to…check…" Ghud panted, out of breath. "Thought we might…be followed…"

"And?"

"We…are, it's…"

"We have to find Jeice," Camber interrupted. "Did you see where he went." Ghud nodded, brushing sweaty hair from his face.

"That…way," he gasped, pointing. "But…"

"That way. Got it." Camber almost took off before Ghud grabbed a fistful of his shirt.

"BUT…" Ghud repeated firmly, still breathing hard. "Suiz is…the one following. He saw me…gonna be here soon, I…don't know if you wanted to…wait for him…" Camber glanced back the way Ghud had come.

"Well, hell…follow me, Ghud. Don't question, just follow; at enough distance that Suiz can keep track of you." Summoning his waning reserves of strength, Camber glanced once more the direction Jeice had gone, then rocketed away in the opposite path.

All he could do now was buy time.


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