Fragment of Destiny
Chapter 42 - The Monster Within

Tess touched the hard ground with the palm of her hand. She could feel the water beneath it searching for a way out. The excavation team had yet to break the seal but already the pressure was enough to form small fissures in the asphalt at her feet. She could also feel other tremors in the rock. The malravians were coming.

Tess had been skeptical upon hearing Samuel’s plan to flood the city. It relied too heavily on trusting malravian aggression for her liking, but it had worked so far. The trapped team had given the shapers valuable time to reach what Demetrius had called pressure points. With the malravians approaching now it would mean that she was the next diversion. Though she had no intention of dying. She would kill every last malravian her self if need be. Evens so it was comforting to hear the rattle of the dusk blades overhead.

Closing her eyes, Tess let herself feel the vibrations in the rock as the frenzied tunneling approached. Reaching out with an invisible hand she began the molecular realignment causing the stone to harden slowing their advance. A smile creased her face as she could almost feel the malravian claws shatter as they attempted to tunnel through. In much the same way as finding the hurt in a person, she could feel the tunnels. Feel the path and pattern below the surface. Shifting the rock, she readied her first trap. Like sending an impulse to her limbs she commanded the stone to become weapons. All at once hundreds of stone lances shot across the tunnels crisscrossing in every direction slaughtering the malravians in mass. Stone lances snapped like twigs as the remaining malravians powered past. Despite her best efforts, she could feel them much closer now. At last sheer force of numbers prevailed. The ground burst apart and the malravians swarmed towards her.

“They have reached the surface,” Tess called over the mobile com they had given her.

“Copy that I see them,” Came a quick reply from the dusk blades overhead.

Just as they had planned Tess summoned a heavy wind to slow the approach to a crawl while the dusk blades went to work with deadly accuracy. Explosions from rockets and the rattle of heavy door cannons attempted to keep pace with the incoming enemy.

All at once the shooting stopped. Tess felt the ice of fear wash over her as her support team reported the inevitable. Clearing out the malravians from sector three had depleted their ammunition and there hadn’t been time to go back to sector eight for more. She had known this would happen eventually and was already prepared with her second trap. Above her, thousands of small gray spheres hung in the air like a massive grid. Each ball a bundle of compressed air and stone compact enough to turn anything within ten feet into pulp when she allowed the air pressure to normalize.

Like bullets from a gun, the spheres shot forward and buried themselves into the oncoming horde, killing a huge swath of them. Now her spheres waited like mines. At this increased distance it was a struggle to hold them tight as she waited for the next wave to surge forward. When she released the invisible bonds, the world erupted in a shower of shrapnel so heavy it was like a summer monsoon. Reflexively she summoned a wall of stone in front of her. Thousands of fragments buried themselves into her barrier some so deep that she could see the points of them on the other side of her two-foot-thick wall.

For a brief moment, everything was still. Then the ground at her feet began to shake as it the world itself would be cloven in two. A moment later water burst from the second level of the capital building and static hissed in her ear as the com’s came to life.

“That’s it. The seal is broken, evacuate the area.”

Her moment of elation was cut short as a wave of dizziness caused the world to spin violently. When the spinning stopped, she tasted blood and the world was on its side. The ground beside her seemed to shimmer with a purple film that sucked the very air from her lungs. Then everything went dark, and she felt her body go limp.

Steel rods held together by will power clattered to the floor and the monster inside her stepped free of its prison. Suddenly her eyes opened and Tess felt like she was in the sensorium again. Only a passenger someone else’s body. Sweet breath filled her lungs and molten blood coursed through her veins. A massive hole opened below her the ground melting away like tissue paper to a flame. Every part of her shook with a torrent of rage.

A malravian reaper stood in the partially exposed tunnel below her. It seemed to smile at her before vanishing through a wall. A moment later the wall disintegrated in a shower of stone fragments but the beast was gone. Again, she felt the world spin and this time knew it for what it was. She was being drained, just as she had done to the other reapers, now this one was doing it to her.

The tunnel quaked then collapsed rock and dirt covering her as if she were already dead. She felt her body twitch and spasm under the weight yet somehow the pain seemed distant as if it were really happening to someone else. With her last breath, she felt a feral scream tear through the rock. Like the flicking of a switch, the rock and dirt around her turned to coarse sand. Indiscriminate rage filled her like the sun. Death and destruction spun about her in a tempest of sand that downed dusk blades, shredded skimmers, and tore the flesh from everything that lived, human or malravian.

The vortex of death seemed to vanish as soon as it came yet somehow linger for eternity all at the same time. Blood drenched sand lay in a mire at her feet. She could feel the pull of ascension crystals and at once a glittering host rose into the air before her.

As each crystal turned to ash and collapsed to the ground Tess could see something forming in her mind’s eye. As the last one crumbled and faded, she once again felt a strong sensation that she was separated from her body. She looked down and found herself sitting in a dark room, her arms wrapped around her legs and she was weeping over the lives she had taken. At the edge of the dark room, a small silver door shimmered and wavered as if made of fog. She knew she needed to open it, yet somehow fear of what lay beyond was worse than the blackness around her. She watched as in the distance the door flagged as if hit by a strong wind. Suddenly the urging to reach the door was stronger, much stronger, and she knew if she did not reach it before it was gone she would die.

Gathering all of her strength Tess rose to her feet and reached out a hand towards it. At once the door was no longer so far away. Pure ice washed over her in an instant as she touched the handle. It shimmered gold and evaporated in a brilliant flash of light.

Tess blinked spots from her eyes, she was covered in blood, her arms, and legs. She could feel it cooling, sticky gobs of it covering her completely. Around her, there was nothing and no one. No people, no buildings, only the red sludge at her feet.

Stunned as she was by the sight Tess hardly noticed the cold water that seeped around her ankles. In the direction of the capitol building, something shimmered purple as it moved across the top of the water. Then she recognized it for what it was. A lone reaper stood atop the water, swaths of purple mist curled about it in the low breeze.

Something lurched inside her and she felt the desire to kill take hold once more. “Not again…” Tess whispered through gritted teeth. “I will not!” Tess screamed. The cage inside her slammed shut once more, and the hunger was gone. Suddenly she felt the weight of what she had done. Tears stung her eyes as she lifted a hand shakily into view. There was so much blood on her on everything. Without thought to what or how Tess forced the water risen to her knee into a wave. She let it wash over her again and again. She had to be clean.

Tess more felt then saw, the reaper as it approached. It glided atop the water with a deadly grace that hinted at a predator toying with its prey. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel when it was close enough to attack. Did it really believe she could not sense its presence? Tess opened her eyes and twisted away from the deadly thrust of the malravians massive claw. It was slower than her. In the same fluid motion, Tess reached out and grasped the reaper, her claw-like nails making rivulets of blood as it attempted to pull away. Then miraculously it did. Her grip closed in on air and the reaper was gone, leaving only a trail of blood along the water. Already it was too far to drain as it retreated towards the capital building. Riding on wings of air Tess raced across the water after the reaper.

Inside the capital building was a maze of half-flooded halls and stairways. With this reapers ability to phase through objects it now held the mobility advantage. Tess knew hunting the reaper here would be far more dangerous than doing so outside, but the choice was not hers to make. She could not allow this monstrosity to escape. Though by the feel of it, escape was not what it had in mind. When she chased ripping through walls like paper, it retreated, always keeping just ahead of her. When she waited though it would come to her but always from an angle she did not expect. It quickly became apparent that the malravian had no intention of fighting her openly instead it would try to drain her while maintaining a safe distance. Each time she retaliated blasting the walls or floor to peace’s where ever the reaper had been only to have it slip away. If things kept up as they were Tess knew she would find her self to weak to fight back. Already each attack left her swaying where she stood. If the reaper was too fast to chase than her only option was to set an ambush.

The reaper retreated after another successful attack, instead of chasing Tess tore a hole in the level above and the one above that. All the way to the sixth level, well away from the reaper and the flooding. Bits of debris cumulated in her palm surrounded by an ever-tightening globe of air. Soon it was no bigger than a marble and easily concealed within her hand. This time when the malravian attacked she would be ready. It took only a moment of waiting before purple mist began to flow through the floor under her feet. Her insides burned like fire and she struggled to maintain control over her orb. Before she would have gone immediately on the offensive only to have her query slip away. This time Tess waited. The draining stopped as quickly as it started only a small prick to get her off balance.

Tess feigned exhaustion taking a kneeling position on the floor, careful to keep her weapon concealed. After several seconds the draining started again, this time it came with ravenous force, her entire body felt as if it would melt away at any moment. With the last bit of strength, Tess shot her orb through the floor and released it. The flood collapsed out from under her and in a sickening crash, everything went dark.

Tess opened her eyes cold water jolting her awake. The first thing she noticed was the sour scent of minerals that nearly choked her. She lay on her back with something hard pressed into her side. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness as scant bits of light trickled down through a gap in the rubble. She tried to move, but the more she came awake, the more everything hurt. Amid the scattered debris, there was no trace of the reaper. Overhead, the sound of a dusk blade making passes across the city could be heard as a searchlight blinded her momentarily before the dusk blade moved on. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to just lie there and sleep, even though she knew they would never find her if she did. But pain like a hot iron would not let her sleep as it pressed against her with every breath.

Funneling a stream of air through the opening Tess attempted to create a barrier around her that would force the debris away. In the end, all she could muster was a small puff of dust. Tess closed her eyes and gathered her strength to try again but each time her progress was no greater, rather she grew weaker with every attempt.

Tess had no idea how long she had been trapped under the collapsed remains of the capital building, but eventually, she could hear the dusk blade pathing overhead again. As the light shined over the rubble, Tess managed to send up a signal. A plume of dust escaped the rubble like a spout, the particles catching in the light. This time the light did not move on but instead lingered as the roar of the dusk blade came low overhead. Then she could sense someone nearby a wave of hope seeping down to her.

“Hello, is anyone down there?” Someone asked, their voice muffled by the layers of rubble.

“I’m here. I’m down here.” Tess said with all the strength she could muster.

“We have a survivor down here. I am marking the location, we will need a strong man and a medic.” In a moment the dusk blade moved off, but the man stayed.

“Hey hang in there, and we will have you out as soon as the dusk blade gets back alright.” Alright, Tess thought, as she closed her eyes again. “Hey stay with me. you guna live?”

“Yes, I’ll live.”

“You know they left me here to keep you talking. Keep you conscious. So no dying on me ok.”

Despite herself, Tess smiled. “Ok, no dying.”

“Good, they don’t feed me if you die and I like to eat. My name is Jin by the way. What’s yours?”

“Tess.”

“What kind of a name is Tess?”

“What kind of a name is Jin?”

“The kind my parents gave me. It’s a family name. Jin Teranus. I used to make furniture until the last few days got out of hand. How about you?”

“I never really had an official assignment.”

“How about unofficially?”

Tess thought about it for a moment, how could she describe it, a person who sees visions of the past? In the end, she decided to go with, historian.

“A historian, well damn, once we get you out of that hole you will have a lot of work to do documenting this mess.”

The sound of the dusk blade grew louder as the rescue team returned. “Do you know if my father is ok?” Tess asked, diverting the subject.

“We got to worry about you first, ok. But I promise once we get you out of there, we will find your father.”

Tess nodded a sob causing the pain to flare up again. she hadn’t actually expected to be rescued. She had been ready to die, and at last, the realization that she wasn’t going to was sinking in.

Overhead she could hear the strong man beginning his work. Powerful hands tossing man size chunks of debris like a stack of papers. When they reached her the strong man helped her up coddling her gently as if she were made of thin glass and would break at the slightest touch. Once on board the dusk blade Tess let herself relax, the weight of exhaustion ushering her to sleep immediately.

When next she woke Tess had no memory beyond the first few moments in the dusk blade. She found herself lying on a thin mat with a dirt floor beneath. Daylight seeped through a crack under a canvas flap that served as a door to a small dirt hut. Someone sat beside her, she could feel it. They were content almost happy even. It was a good feeling and Tess allowed herself to soak it in before attempting to sit up.

Stiff and sore but otherwise intact Tess turned to see a young woman around her own age who faced a stone fire pit while tending a small pot that filled the hut with a delightful aroma. The young woman must have heard her move because she immediately turned around. The woman’s face beamed a smile, and Tess knew her in an instant.

Ju hurried to her and gave Tess a gentle embrace. Tess didn’t care how sore she was. She ignored the pain and hugged Ju back clutching her tight allowing all the pent-up emotion to run free.

At last Tess let go. She wiped tears with the backs of both her hands. Small half sobs half laughs making their way to the surface. Neither of them spoke, instead, they just smiled stupidly at each other for a long moment.

“I am so glad you are ok. The doctor said you would be. He was amazed you had lived at all and in such good shape no less. They said the entire capital building came down on your head you know,” Ju said, breaking the silence. Tess tried to remember what had happened, at the moment it was all just one big blur. “I am glad to see you made it through all of this. How is your father, is he ok?”

“He is fine. He is helping with the rations distribution and making food for everyone.”

“Have you seen my father? Is he doing ok?” Tess asked.

“The last I heard him and Demetrius were sent with a team to scavenge what they could from the remains of lab corps.”

“And Samuel?”

“He is-”

Just then the canvas flap opened, and Samuel entered his piercing purple eyes locked with hers. The intensity on his face softened immediately, and Tess could feel a massive knot of tension begin to unravel even before the canvas flopped back into place behind him. A broad smile spread across Samuel’s face as he looked from Tess to Ju. At once, the room was filled with a warm glow that made Tess’s face flush. Tess looked back and forth between her two friends for a moment.

“Oh, is there something the two of you need to tell me?” Tess asked.

Instead of saying anything Samuel walked across the small space and kissed Ju squarely on the lips. Ju, embarrassed swatted at him but held his hand when he tried to pull away.

“It’s a long story, but once things settle down, Ju and I plan to get married,” Samuel said letting the joy he felt show plainly on his face.

“What?” Tess coughed, “Oh my goodness that’s wonderful.” Tess said. She struggled to her feet and wrapped them both in an embrace for a long moment. The joy they felt now spilled over onto her as well.

“Aside from her father you are the only other person who knows right now,” Samuel said.

“You haven’t told your mother or grandmother?” Tess asked.

At that, the mood in the room went sour both Samuel’s and Ju’s faces taking on a dark expression.

“I’m so sorry,” Tess whispered.

“Yeah well, it’s not your fault.” Samuel paused a moment before continuing.

“I actually came here to see how the two of you were doing. You had it pretty bad. It’s good to see you are on the mend. However, since you are up, I do have a favor to ask you. I need help. There is just so much work to do.”

“I take it all of the malravians have been killed then?” Tess asked.

“To the best of our knowledge, but everyone is still on edge. The mist wraiths are gone too, or at least we have not seen any since the Aurora incident. I don’t need you to kill anything or blow anything up. I need your help putting all the pieces back together.”

“So, you are still in charge then?”

“Mostly. Larry and I have been working together to make decisions. The enforcers listen to me, and his militia listens to him. As for everyone else loyalties seem to be split. I don’t want any more fighting and least of all between us survivors. But already I can see faction lines beginning to form and tension is high right now for everyone. Especially over the way, Crescent was handled. We need a unifying voice to hold things together.”

“And you want that person to be me?” Tess asked.

“Yes. Everyone saw what you did during the battle. You are a hero, and right now that is what I need to hold everything together.”

“How can I be a hero? I didn’t save anyone. I killed them all. Killed them then drained their crystals. Samuel, I am a monster, not a hero.” Tess said, and suddenly she felt like she was standing over a precipice of utter darkness. Tears flowed freely down her face and she could feel Ju’s comforting arms around her. There was no judgment, no condemnation in that embrace and it eased Tess away from the pit of doom.

“Very few people suspect that was you. They blame the reapers for what happened. The few who do know. They do not hold it against you. It was a tragedy, but it does not change the fact that every single person who is alive owes you their life. Ju and I, Demetrius, your father, everyone. We would all be dead right now. Above anything else you have to remember that.”

“Just leave me alone,” Tess said.

“Fine. I will for now. But remember, we need you.” Samuel said. He pecked Ju a small kiss before leaving.

“Here, the soup is ready,” Ju said and handed Tess a stone bowl full of the steaming liquid. Tess stared at her reflection in the bowl. Even now she could feel the raging hunger to kill everyone around her and absorb their crystals, but even worse she could feel the pull of another hunger. A desperate need to find something she had lost. It weighed on her heavily, and she knew, no matter what happened now she had to put an end to Corwin. Only then would she have some measure of peace.

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