Chapter 17: Becoming the Monster

So, what the hell was happening?! The mist was causing everyone to lose their damn minds, tearing each other apart. I was lucky enough to be immune to such foul play, and so should many of the Knights leading us. They should have been trying to calm the situation. However, when trying to contact my own Knight Commander, my Communications failed. I’d have to go find him directly.

“Dammit… these heathens, don’t know honor!” I shouted as I ran through the crowd, listening as my comrades tore each other apart.

“Dammit, dammit!!!” I made it to the last known location of the Knight commander, but all I found was a body lying there on the hard ground. I thought it was just another poor Acolyte like myself, one who was unfortunate enough to not be blessed with the gifts I had. I was moments away from leaving them with my prayers and continuing my search, but I stopped when I saw the symbol on his clothing.

“No way… He’s dead? H-How could that be?” I examined his body and found a very clean, puncture wound on his neck, but there was no blood, only a blackness that seemed to eat away at his flesh. There was an Assassin, a very skilled one. There’s no way a Knight Commander would die without a fight otherwise. Was this Fog not enough? Did you really…

“Oh no!” It suddenly dawned on me what our enemy's plan was. Cause chaos, Kill their way through our higher ranks to send us into a panic. It was the only way to prevent us from making full use of our numbers. We should have expected something like this. Should we? How could they have made such poison on short notice? How could they interfere with our communications just as quickly? They must have also done something to the filtration systems in our helmets. No, it wasn’t that we were lax in our preparation; we underestimated our opponents.

“I knew we should have sent in Scouting drones. This is such a waste of life.”

I left the Knight commander there as I sped through the ranks of our people fighting each other. The Commander’s body was still warm; the Assassin couldn’t have gotten far; I needed to find a superior officer before the same fate befell them as well.

“Die Demon!!!” Someone shouted as they sprung at me from my right.

“I’m sorry, Brother.” I apologized as I pointed at my assailant's leg. Ice quickly formed and bound the man’s legs in place; soon, his entire body was encased in ice.

“Do not worry. The ice will thaw as soon as I leave this area.” I assured the man as I leaped away.

My journey to find a superior officer did not go as well as I hoped; I passed dead body after dead body. How many of them were there? I had heard the Black Market was filled with skilled assassins, but there was no way there could have been this many here. I looked ahead of me and saw someone fighting off several Acolytes. From the symbol on their chest, they were a Knight Lieutenant. Praise the Light; I found someone. The Knight seemed to be in her right mind as I heard her shout,

“I don’t want to kill you brothers and sisters, but don’t push your luck!!!”

I could see she must have been fighting off quite a few of them for some time. The fact that she had managed to hold out this long without killing them was already worthy of her position.

“Lieutenant! I will assist you!” I shouted out as I quickly threaded my System. Ice sprang from the ground encasing the Lieutenant’s attackers. I clenched my fist, and their encasings exploded. The concussive force was enough to knock them out but not kill them, at least through their battle suits.

“Good job, Acolyte; I was in a tight spot there.” She said to me after she checked where those soldiers were alive. She seemed more relieved that I wasn’t under the influence of this Fog than anything else. She looked at and then said,

“You’re not from my unit. What are you doing here, Acolyte?”

“All my commanding officers are dead. I suspect there are at least several Assassins in this Fog, looking to cut off the chain of command.” I quickly answered.

“Dammit, I thought something was strange. We should try to find as many other sane-minded individuals as possible and regroup.” She was about to command me to follow her when I interjected.

“I may have a way of dealing with the Fog, mam. However, I believe it would be smarter to find somewhere safe for you first. Once I clear the Fog, I fear you may be the highest-ranked officer here.” I was sure she would understand what I was getting at. There weren’t many who had the fortitude to resist whatever this poison consisted of. Among the Acolytes, I believe only myself would be capable of doing such. I doubt that more than a handful could fully resist, even among the Knight Commanders, while the rest were on borrowed time.

“I will not go into hiding while leaving my comrades out to die! We need to find others while subduing as many crazed warriors as we can along the way.” She shouted at me, and I closed my eyes with a sigh. This was precisely what they wanted, but I had to get through to her if we were going to make any progress.

“Lieutenant, please forgive my insubordination, but I believe in the long run what I’m saying will save more lives. Please, calmly assess the situation. You’re letting your emotions get the better of you.”

“You have no right to question my authority, especially in this situation. Since you have helped me, I will overlook your current lapse in judgment. Now follow me, soldier; we have to look for others.” She said as she towered over me. She was a very tall woman, especially when compared to my tiny human body. I would either have to blindly follow her or commit treason to save the lives of my comrades. No, I'd give it more time; maybe I can convince her. I sighed in resignation.

“Yes, mam.” I stood at attention.

“That’s better; let's move out.” Just as she was about to walk forward, a black hooded figure manifested out of thin air in front of the Lieutenant.

“You should’ve listened to your Acolyte. She’s smart.” The hooded figure chuckled as the Lieutenant fell over dead. Her throat was slit with the same black smoke coming from her wound. She was dead the moment the hooded figure appeared. I couldn’t feel his presence; not even the tracking systems in these helmets weren’t showing any signs of Soul Source coming from his guy. How the hell was that possible? Was there such a thing as Assassins with this level of skill? Even those disgusting Weproti had the faintest of Soul Signatures. I had spent most of my life honing my skill to track Soul Source just for them. Yet how could this man evade my senses?

“These things are useless!” I shouted in rage as I jumped backward away from the hooded figure, tossing the helmet off of my head. It was then that it donned on me. How was he able to pinpoint the locations of the Commanding officers? In the same way, they sabotage our filter systems and interrupt our comms.

“The Damn Helmets!” I grunted. My hair fell around my face as I stared at the Hooded figure before me.

“You’re correct, blondie. You may be a little too smart.” Dangerous intentions were accompanying that compliment. Before I could say anything, the man faded from existence right in front of my eyes. If I hadn’t seen him myself, I’d never have believed that someone was there. If he saw me as a threat, even if I wasn’t one of his initial targets, there’s no way he’d just let me walk away. With the helmet's help or through my conventional methods, I couldn't sense him. I’d have to get more creative.

I quickly began to run away. Standing here was asking to be killed, but I would not head out of the gorge. No doubt there was an ambush waiting for us. I could only imagine how many of my fellow Acolytes had fallen prey to this already. If they were as half as intelligent as I thought they were, they wanted us to panic and run out the narrow passageway.

I needed to get rid of this Fog before we could make our counterattack, or at the very least to retreat safely. However, first I would need to escape this Assassin. I quickly threaded my soul source,

“Thermal System: Ice Glide”

I chanted to myself as I skated away from the area. This was a system I had developed for quick escapes and traveling rough terrain. An ice trail formed under my feet, and the System would propel me forward faster than I could ever run normally. The trail would burst into a cloud of icy mist that would soon evaporate completely after I traveled over it. This helped cover my escape and leave no tracks for pursuers to follow. I never thought I’d have to use it here. I don’t know if I’d be able to outrun him, but Ice Glide could serve a different purpose during this pursuit.

The ice path beneath broke into tiny crystals, leaving a plume of icy smoke behind me. The Hooded Figure may be undetectable and make no sounds, but there is no way he could become intangible, I hoped. If he was a Weproti capable of evading my senses, then I would be doomed. I looked over my shoulder, and as expected, I saw the icy plumes giving way to some invisible force as it pushed through. It was him, and he was having no trouble keeping pace with me.

“Dammit.” I cursed under my breath. At the very least, while he trailed me, I’d be able to keep track of him. Far better than I could before. As long as he didn’t go after my confused comrades, I shouldn’t have a problem finding help. Just as I thought this, I saw the plume of ice shift to my right. He must have realized what I was doing. I waved my hand out in front of me. The icy plume that trailed now surrounded my body in a 5-meter radius. I clearly wouldn’t lose him, and he knew what I was doing. The best I could do was make an early warning system.

Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw the cloud opening again.; he was right on top of me! I slid to a stop swiping my left hand; the icy plume that surrounded me turned into a thin wall of ice, blocking my left side. It may not completely stop him, but it would slow him down at the very least. An instant passed, but there was no sound of impact on the ice wall.

“Shit!” It was a feint! He was never on my left. Only now did I remember that he moved through the plume of ice to my right, and now he was behind me. I heard no sounds behind me, no grunts, or any indication that anyone was there. However, I knew someone was, and I could not stand here doing nothing. I swayed and dipped my body to my left. Quickly, I turned around to see the hooded figure standing not far behind me with a firearm drawn. I felt a wind pressure brush by the side of my face, and in the next instant, a hole was drilled into the ice wall I had just created.

“You dodged that? Not bad. Why are you just an Acolyte? Seems the Followers of Light don’t know how to appreciate talent.” He said with a hint of mocking in his voice. Was he trying to recruit or ridicule me?

“I’d never join monsters like you!” I shouted at him definitely.”

“I’m a monster? And what does that make you guys, who came here to wage war on party-goers?” He said, with no emotion in his voice. He was correct, and I could say nothing in response. While the Black Market may be a problematic entity, most people here were civilians. We did come to wage war, all to capture one woman. It didn’t sit well with me before, and it still didn’t sit well with me now. However, I had a job to do, and if I was going to accomplish my goals for the future, I couldn’t go against orders… not yet. It also didn’t change that many others like me had dreams and goals who had no choice but to be here.

Now they were fighting each other to the death, not in their right minds. Those that survived would never be able to live down the fact that they had killed a friend. All for the sake of one woman!!! So many dreams would end here today, and many others would be forever shattered.

“This all could have been avoided if Big Boss came willingly!!” I shouted at him.

“No, this could have been avoided if you never came here at all. We’re monsters fighting for our right to exist, according to you. To us, you're the monsters. Hunting us down for simply minding our own business.” His emotionless voice reached my ears again. The sounds of my friends fighting each other around us did nothing to drown out his voice. As much as I wish it did at this moment.

“Let me put you on some game, sweetheart. Everything is relative. If you kill in war and lose, you're a monster. If you kill in war and win, you’re a hero. And right now, you and your people are looking rather monstrous to me.”

I stared in silence at the hooded figure in front of me. Unable to see his face, only hear his stabbing words that worked to shift my worldview. The worst part was it was working. I couldn’t deny anything he said; I could only struggle to blindly believe in what I had been told.

“I’ve always wanted to be a hero….” An enchanting voice echoed from behind me. In that instant, I felt the slight movement of the soul source, a signature that could belong to one creature, a Weproti!!!! I turned around and saw a blood mist rapidly shouting out of the hole that the hooded figure shot in my ice wall. The bloody mist turned into a clawed hand. I quickly skated off to the side, avoiding the blow, receiving a slight scratch across my face. More mist flowed out of the hole and soon formed a humanoid figure.

He stood there classically dressed. Absolutely pristine in his appearance. Chiseled yet delicate features, slightly tanned skin, and slicked back brown hair. His auburn eyes looked at me as he licked my blood off his fingertips.

“Humans, not the best-tasting prey, but it always feels like home.” He said with an alluring smile. He licked his lips as if savoring my… taste. A Weproti… dammit! They were the bane of humans; they looked at us as mere livestock. So were Ruling Races a part of the Black Market as well? I knew that must have been the case. There was no way they could have so much influence without ties to at least a couple of Ruling Races. The Only question was how many?

“If you're going to go for the kill, then shut up until after the killing blow is dealt. Your dramatics wasted my time.” The hooded figure shouted at the Weproti, whose shoulders slouched over a bit. He meekly grinned and said,

“Sorry, Little Boss. You seemed interested in her, so I thought it would be a waste to kill her. I’m not wrong, right? I didn’t know you were so greedy. You already have a lovely partner. Though I can’t blame you. I am partial to the innocent-looking blonde type myself.” He said teasingly. Little Boss? Was he related to Big Boss? I doubt those involved with the Black Market would carelessly call someone by that moniker otherwise.

This Little Boss was far more dangerous than I initially thought. I looked over at my ice wall, staring at the hole the Weproti attacked me through. Had he expected me to dodge that shot? Was this his plan the entire time? Lure me to his partner, distract me, and have this Weproti kill me before I knew what was going on? From the way he chastised this leech, that must have been the plan. I was dancing in the palm of his hand this entire time?! Dammit, all!

“I’ll be sure to let Nexi know that she should dye her hair then.” Little Boss responded with a chuckle. The Weproti tensed and began to laugh nervously.

“No need to tell Little Boss Nexi. She is perfect the way she is. So what do we do with her?” He changed the subject back to me. Another Little Boss?

“If you have taken care of all your targets, then we don’t have to do anything to her. We’ve already accomplished our mission.”

“She could be a problem later.”

“Yeah, she also could be a help.” Little Boss’s hood looked over in my direction. I still couldn’t see his face, but I felt that he was smiling at me for some reason. Did they think I could do nothing to stop them? It may cost me my life, but I had a feeling that if I killed the two of them here, I could save thousands of lives in the coming hours if this war to capture Big Boss continued. But was I willing to sacrifice myself and my future for the selfish whims of a few? No, it wouldn’t be for those pompous assholes who sent us here; it would be for those who were fighting with me.

My sacrifice may be pointless, but it would be worthwhile if it could help just a few. Who is good and evil is subjective. The losers are seen as monsters and the winners as heroes. I sighed at the truths of this ideal. I never cared about being seen as a hero or savior, but I wouldn't mind becoming a monster if it was to protect those I called my friends.

“I think you two are asking the wrong question. You should be wondering what I’m going to do with you. Delta!!!” I shouted at the top of my lungs as my Quqe mask appeared in my hands. Little Boss seemed to know exactly what was going on as he charged at me faster than my eyes could follow. However, that wouldn’t be enough to stop me. The space next to me rippled, and a deafening roar echoed from the space. Little Boss was sent barreling backward from the shockwave but landed on the ground gracefully.

My partner walked out from the space, Delta 2889: Designation Goti Zunh. He was an ice-blue wolf the size of a large horse. His amber eyes sized up Little Boss and the Weproti; a guttural growl rumbled the entire area. I put on my mask, letting Goti’s power combine with my own. Goti opened his mouth and a System formed; he shot out large shards of Ice at Little Boss. Who in turn drew his gun again, shooting the first volley of Ice shards.

The moment the bullets collided with those Ice shards, a massive explosion occurred. Those shards had highly compressed pockets of heat contained on the inside of them. It made the Shards unstable, and the slightest touch would cause a devastating explosion. Like myself, Goti had the Thermodynamic and Absolute Adaptation Bents. It didn’t provide me with much variety compared to other Senohoi. Conversely, I could take my Bents to their absolute limits.

The explosions happened far too close to Little Boss and the Weproti to be unaffected. As the dust cleared, I expected to see those sons of Bitches injured at least a little bit. Up to this point, I had no clue what these two were truly capable of, but I was confident that with Goti’s help, I could at least take the two of them with me if I was to die here. The dust was forcefully brushed aside by Little Boss with a wave of his hand. A strong gust of wind blew through the area, and he stood there, unharmed with the Weproti smirking at me from over Little Boss' shoulder.

That shadowy hood of his fluttered, and I finally got a peek at his face. I glimpsed those darkly glowing purple eyes.

“No way… a Dragon?! Why?!” I shouted.

Those eyes were the eyes of the Real Rulers of this Castle, the Dragons. Why were there Dragons in the Black Market? Why?

“Von… it’s time to go.” Little Boss said to the Weproti as his figure disappeared along with his presence. The Weproti turned into a bloody haze and vanished from my senses as well. How?! Little Boss, I could accept, but that Weproti?! How could he escape my senses as well? I felt him appear not moments ago, but now I felt nothing as he made his escape?

“Let’s get after them, Goti!” I shouted as I mounted my partner.

“That wouldn’t be smart, Luaniqi( Lu-a -nee-kee).” His voice echoed into my mind. I pulled at his mane in frustration; he was right. At the moment, we needed to help the others. I had never intended to reveal the fact that it was Senohoi. Most of the Acolytes didn’t have Bents let alone 2 like myself. Including the fact that I was a naturally selected Senohoi, it would put a target on my back from those who were jealous, and it came with far too many expectations. It would also intimidate those I once called friends and completely isolate me. Making it easy for the Followers of Light to try and use me. However, I couldn’t watch this nightmare continue.

“You're right. I should focus on saving lives, not taking theirs.”

“That is not what I mean. Those boys didn’t seem rattled by my appearance or intimidated; neither did. There wasn’t a hint of fear in them. Also, I can’t track them. Their scents, their Soul Source, nothing.” Goti corrected my assumption.

I let out a deep sigh. Goti didn’t need to say more; their lack of fear could mean 3 things. They were crazy, they were sure of their own escape, or they had Quqe of their own. I prayed it was 1 of the former. If they had Quqe of their own, with what they already showed, and all our commanders dead. There was no way this ground assault was going to succeed. Even with just the 2 of them and their Quqe, this would be a massacre, and I’d only be able to save a handful of people.

“Goddess, help us. Regardless, we’ll need to get this situation under control first. Let’s go, Goti.”

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