Chapter 164

  “There are a couple of choices before you, Celeste,” Reaz said to her, kneeling and looking at her eyes. She truly tried to sound her best. “Either you become lone powering, booming seed and flower with a weak stem, or you are going to act well for start and get better. Or you become part of a much greater force and team and become an umbrella, sun, or their shadow. You are a young, ignorant even, and odd black sheep.”

  “Sheeep?” Celeste cocked her head, doubtful that word meant something good from the sounds of it.

  “What I meant is, your future is doubtful like your past, and no one will pity you or want you if you aren't speaking or doing your part. You need help. A lot of help. Not force, by the way. You need to get up.”

  For all that she knew, Celeste was already up and before sunrise.

  Dreadus stepped between them and shoved Hound from her grasp before tossing it back to Celeste, who caught it with some rolling deficits that ended her on the ground some dozen feet away.

  “I don't like your tone, Reaz. Want a duel or what? I haven't done that with you in a while.” Dreadus pushed his finger to her, and with surprising force and cracked fingers, he felt really good about it.

  Reaz stepped back and blinked, and something in her heated up. “My words are reasonable.”

  “Yeah. I don't like them.”

  “Are you denying them?”

  “No. I deny myself, her, and you. I deny that she is wrong and needs too much help. Do you think everyone is from the same seed, soil, and bag? Maybe we can learn from her rather than push her to some path that this society thinks is good. I say she is unique and we don't need to know what brings her to this level yet. I want to know her. You do as well, but you act as if she is some brat from some camp you just found on the street. She isn't. She is fine even when she lived in her broken world.”

  “Is that so?” Reaz calmed down and wanted no trouble in the middle of the street.

  Not just people were watching; there was always some form of surveillance when Walkers troubled the street or sky. Citizens should be aware of that understanding, while Walkers and how they acted was often very prominent. Nobody made trouble for them and the street was wide and empty for a long distance away.

  “Hey...” Celeste suddenly appeared behind them, saying the same thing as Reaz a minute ago. “I am... not dumb. Just... weak. Is that wrong?”

  “No.” Dreadus said.

  “A bit,” Reaz argued, and sparks flashed between her and him.

  Celeste moved to Dreadus and hugged his arm alongside Hound, who almost snapped his jaw and fell, so he used paws and hugged her neck. It was awkward. He should be on his feet by now, but not all preferences were suitable or likable when the Federation was right there in all of its glory.

  And Walker's scent and Arcana were all over the place, bringing forms and aggravating reality to this Dark. Celeste was more important. This time, hugs were fine, if not warm.

  Reaz's lips twitched, and Dreadus had a victorious smirk. “See?”

  “My observations aren't wrong!” Reaz argued.

  “Places are... buildings? What is... Association?” Celeste inquired to Dreadus who ignored her complaints.

  “A place that might help you,” Dreadus said honestly. “Me included, probably, and show some stuff. Some of it is what Reaz said. Helpful stuff, really.”

  “Go!” Celeste pointed nowhere and seemed to find her lost voice. It was a very forceful but necessary command indeed.

  Reaz and Dreadus exchanged looks and resolved nothing. “Solve the aftermath of our mission. By now, things should be proceeding well, and some people must be looking for us.” Dreadus ordered as he left with Celeste still clinging onto his arm.

  Reaz cursed in her mind and eyed a pair of siblings poking around a corner. “Hey!” she pointed at them. “Solve our reports.”

  Then she departed to Dreadus, leaving the siblings with cold faces and open mouths behind.

  They couldn't argue back since she left without saying anything else. The sister felt she should point out someone else or follow that trio. It was a fun activity for this team, but the remains of this team were dealing with wounds, and that run, which left the siblings as sole members who could report up. With their leader and vice-leader being busy caring for a single girl, maybe nothing here was fair.

  “How ridiculous,” the sister complained.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Let's go see what they are going to do. Behind them. Like shadows.” the brother insisted, whispering to her sister's ear like a little cheeky devil.

  The sister frowned, thinking of their choices and order. “But our... rewards? Report? This isn't it, brother. It is tougher. It needs someone.”

  “So...” he smiled.

  His sister could mention order and talk about the sense of the whole world, but her steps were already halfway across the street and heading to the Emblem Association. Of course, she didn't stop her brother. They will always stick together, no matter what.

  The brother followed her steps, knowing this wasn't a big deal because no one cared about Dreadus.

  Everyone was already used to how their team worked, and this tremendous success would simply mean more problems. Jealousy, interrogation, and questions would soon follow and it was bothering for all of them.

  There was a reason Dreadus had his complete attention on Celeste. He didn't want to deal with that, although half of the reason was that he genuinely felt responsible for her.

  As for Reaz, she was forceful and almost as stubborn as their captain, so she followed her desires. Management was indeed a very annoying business.

  ***

  Emblem Association was a vast building complex the size of mountains.

  For Celeste, it was as if she looked at gargantuan beasts with glistering scales and a big maw right before her, swallowing and opening on its own.

  And people were walking in and out of its mouth without any issues. Either they were brave or they were stupid, or they lived in that hole called door, and this giant tower was their home.

  Looking at it, she was scared and hugged that sturdy arm tighter. Reaz was right beside Dreadus, but he took her for an annoying fly after she insisted on sticking around.

  He walked inside, oblivious to quivering Celeste, who wasn't right in her head to be worried about a simple automatic door.

  She closed her eyes, moved her bare legs, and in a few moments, opened her eyes as something soft was down. It wasn't grass or soil, let alone something wet and sticky. It was a carpet.

  There were vast hallways that slightly resembled her little home cave, but not really. This place was bright in different hues, and the walls were the same, decorated, and way too freaking smooth. It was no cave for sure, or even a home.

  There were no beds. No shelves with treasures. No cuts either. She thought of it as a rather weird cave anyway, and her mind forgot about that door soon afterward.

  Dreadus approached the counter, where there was an older woman in charge of all sorts of visitors.

  “Oh, what brings your kind here, sir Dreadus.” she bowed at him slightly and eyed his slightly suggesting guest and appearance.

  Hound was one thing, though she noticed that collar in her expert insight. Academy made its mark on this Dark, and it wasn't fine to question it.

  “A new... pet?” the lady said hesitantly.

  “Nah.” Dreadus denied and went straight to the point. “I want to visit Second Head.”

  “Vice-director Maul?”

  “I have a slightly tricky situation at hand. Shouldn't be a problem. He owes me.”

  “Well, every Head is busy because... of your team, or so I've heard. I see what this is about, dear. I see where this is going and I don't think this will end up well for anyone. You should ask for permission first and not to any head. I am sure Sir Rey will see to it, even when he is busy,” the lady said without much politeness and judged everyone before her.

  “News travel fast.”

  “Not surprising when this involved and crashed us like a new moon! Such a big conglomeration of hunters hasn't happened in years! Maybe even a whole decade.” She argued and tossed him some card. “Don't expect too much from Maul. He is still a head deep into some manners. Probably because the First doesn't want him around for this, so don't tease him too much.”

  “Thanks.” Dreadus waved and had no time for small talk. He left and approached yet another big mouth, but this one was closed and looked shiny, as if made of metal.

  Celeste quivered once more and felt like this place was strange with all these weird doors. In a way, she appreciated her dropping hole much more than ever before.

  “Don't worry, Celeste. Maul is a good man. More than twice the man as I am.” Dreadus said shamelessly, feeling the fact that he wasn't worth much.

  Reaz was almost ready to give him her mind but chose not to.

  She was silent and curious to see through this matter, or what was Dreadus planning. If Dreadus really wanted to do this, he could toss her aside and she couldn't do much about it. The fact that he let her in must indicate his demands and accepted her presence.

  The fact that he didn't do that directly meant she was still useful. Which was just impossible to deny since her family was rich and kind of great. Now, Reaz was in charge.

  Soon, the mouth to the elevator opened, and Celeste jumped behind Dreadus. It reminded her of that helicopter monstrosity and its... moving sides. This one was small, looking like a smooth cage, and it churred in some monstrous noise.

  Dreadus sighed and walked inside without her. She reluctantly dropped his hand, standing before the entrance and hugging Hound.

  “See? It is safe here. It won't eat you.”

  She still hesitated.

  “Carefully. It can still chop you in half and trash with the spine if you leave your head inside. Not recommended, by the way,” When Reaz chucked and walked beside Dreadus, Celeste found the courage or excuse to be stubborn and stronger than that hug.

  As she went inside, she no longer went for his hand and rather stood in the corner.

  Dreadus pressed some buttons, and the mouth closed, crushing Celeste's mind once more that something wrong was happening. In a moment, her mouth quivered, and gravity and space shifted. It was like a pulling, haunting dream, and she felt as if she was weightless.

  She tossed herself into another corner, where she hugged Hound and cried as she crouched.

  Both Dreadus and Reaz found that shocking and surprising, as well as strange.

  Elevators moved down or up, so was it stranger than a helicopter? This one wasn't even that bad due to the general limitations of power, speed, and size of construction.

  Odd as she was, neither of them went ahead to comfort Celeste.

  Hound was already there and quick to act, and he started to lick her with his bizarre tongue. Celeste struggled against it at first and felt how unnecessary it made her feel. Nightmares were no more, but new or old memories might come back.

  After a few moments of ferocious licking, Hound couldn't stop. Dreadus moved and crouched beside her. “Are you... good? Sorry. Maybe we have stepped on a bad foot. Is it the lights or something sensitive? Oh, you are crying too. Ah. It must be the space. Is it too tight? I mean, Australia is quite vast. I see.”

  Celeste wiped her tears with Hound's fur and pretended to be strong and proud. She got up from her safe corner just when the door opened. Then, she ran away as if a firestorm had formed behind her, leaving Dreadus and Reaz behind.