Chapter 16

  Weakness is as temporary as one’s will to overcome it. Those who are strong have a duty to protect the weak until they too can find their strength.

  -Collected Teachings of the Exalted Sovereign

  4 Days Later

  Since their foray into the ruin layer, training had gotten a lot smoother. Dom and Zenovia no longer competed for leadership and Phaidros stepped up to take charge. He still relied heavily on their advice, but whatever judgment call he made was the final say. The missions that followed had gone with little problems and the three were working together as a much better cohesive unit. A lot of the fears Phaidros had were beginning to fade away, with each new day bringing new confidence with it that they were getting closer and closer to a chance at victory over the Shaped Beast.

  The image of a horrible monster appeared in his mind; he had not seen the beast yet but Zenovia had described it to him. It was eerily similar to the shape of the silhouette he saw in the ruins. He didn’t want to give the reason for that any more thought than he had to; it was the one, final opposition in his way. One of the few, final uncertainties left in his life. The other was Charon, he had not heard a single word from his brother, he would rather not think that he was dead out in the jungle just like their father, but each passing day of silence ate at the edges of his confidence. He tried not to let it distract him from his training.

  The three were out in the jungle, armor clad as they went through drills against invisible enemies, moving among one another with the fluidity of water, practicing being able to move as if they were a single entity as opposed to three separate Ignited. It was said that the greatest of the Ignited could move like the nazeko, in perfect cohesion with one another as if their minds were linked and souls bonded in the dancing fire of their ignited potential. Phaidros could see the three of them getting to that point one day, but not before the end of their month time frame. Yet they were improving.

  That was until, in each of their visors, an icon appeared below their own. A sun with stiff branches of light rays being overwhelmed by a set of sharp teeth. Suneater. “The beast has come. Your time to act is now.”

  All three Ignited paused, sharing looks before Phaidros spoke up. “We still have several weeks, Sacred Suneater, why the urgency?”

  “It is striking out at those who linger beyond the wall. It must have been recovering from whatever wounds the previous hunters did to it, but it is back now.” The words brought the fear Phaidros had been doing so well to hide back to his forethoughts. “Your rite of vengeance is still being honored, but I am mobilizing the Ignited to evacuate who they can. They will be instructed not to harm your beast, but it will be placing them in danger and should another Ignited fall due to your inaction…”

  Zenovia continued where Suneater was trailing off. “Then the rite of vengeance is forfeit. If we’re going to do this, Phaidros, now is the time.”

  “No. You’re right,” Phaidros answered, so quickly that he even surprised himself. “We don’t need to kill it yet, just chase it off to buy us more time. We can do that, right?”

  “Hah! And here I thought we were going to have to do boring training for another two weeks. This beast is considerate to come to us instead of making us waste the efforts trying to hunt it.” Dom laughed, the jets of his armor already activating as he began to sprint back towards the city, Zenovia and Phaidros following after.

  *

  Within the jungle, Charon sat in a den dug underneath the jungle soil beneath a tree. He wore ignited armor that belonged to a dead Ignited, one of the three that had hunted him nearly a week ago now. Their bodies were still nearby, without heads that is. He needed those to tap into communications with the city. The desecration of his once comrades was numb on him by now. They were dead, he was alive, and if he was to keep being alive he needed to use what was left. The jungle did not care about such things, why should he? The Ignited never cared for him once he had cindered. Exaltation had been his only companion for two weeks now, his only comfort. There was little else for the book to teach Charon and he had to subsist through carefully plotted hunts in the jungle where his origin point could not be spotted. Nothing was a challenge for him; if any defied him, it withered and died and its vitae was used to fuel him onward.

  Beside him on a makeshift table was one of the helmets of the three Ignited, the other two in various points in the forest just within range of each other, and more importantly, the third being just within range of the city’s communication. It took some creativity to get the trackers out, while still making the suits be able to interact with one another, but being able to access the internal commands by simply reanimating the body made it much easier to get them out. He had wanted to keep track of city-wide communications, which kept anyone tuned in updated on notable hunts by fellow Ignited and updates to the commission board. The Shaped Beast would be one such hunt that was kept track of, so he tuned in every day to listen for it so he knew when it would be time.

  He pushed his vitae into the head within the helmet, his vision suddenly seeing two perspectives. He activated short-ranged communication with another head and helmet deeper in the jungle, which was relaying the communications from the third after a brief moment of static.

  “The merchant quarter is being attacked by the Shaped Beast,” a clinical voice recited. “By order of Sacred Suneater all warrior Ignited who are nearby are to assist with due haste. Do not engage the Shaped Beast. I repeat, do not engage the Shaped Beast.” Charon sat there in stunned silence. It was happening already? No, it was too soon, Phaidros could never be ready by now but knowing him he would surely try to fight it anyway. He needed to be there with him. Charon shoved himself from his chair, one hand reaching to the side with an open palm as a spear flew into his hands. It was the spear that he had used to kill the other Ignited, though he had learned since then that he could make it denser and denser if he poured more physical material into it and smoothed it out with vitae, thus turning what was once a wooden stick, into a staff or spear worthy of an Ignited.

  You are in a hurry.

  Exaltation called out from his knife lodged into one of the walls, he had found it after his previous fight had ended. Charon stopped in his tracks to look at the object. “Phaidros is in danger. He needs me,” Charon answered, grabbing his shoulder bag and tossing that over his shoulder with the book inside.

  You are not ready,

  Exaltation answered, making Charon hesitate.

  If you reveal yourself now, the Ideal will be made aware. When they are, you will be taken and the book along with it. All of the power you have gained will be for nothing. Let your brother fight the beast.

  Charon hesitated further. Perhaps Exaltation was right and he was acting too rashly. His mind was in a panic, no longer lagging like it had done weeks prior. The only reason he learned vitaemancy in the first place was so he could stand tall alongside Phaidros and avenge their father together. That was in the beginning though, before he had left to hide in the jungle, before he killed other Ignited to keep his secret. If he went now, he would surely be caught. Could he risk that, if it meant he could save his brother? Would Phaidros understand? Phaidros would do the same for him, wouldn’t he? I can’t wait for you, brother. That is what Phaidros had told him. “I’m not going to make him face this alone,” Charon had eventually said, though it came out with more strain than he intended.

  We can do nothing to stop you, child. If you must save your brother, then do so. We hope your faith in him is not misplaced and he will help you when the wolves begin to circle you.

  Charon was already hurrying for the entrance. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure Phaidros and I make it out alive.”

  Death is not the end, Charon. If you must, ascend.

  “No,” Charon quickly replied. “We’ll talk more later. I need to leave.” The sacrament made no more protests as he stepped out into the jungle. With one deep breath vitae filled him and he pushed it into the spear and made it float horizontally. He hopped atop it, then willed it forward, shooting in the direction of Dasos and pulling more vitae as he went.

  It was his time to prove himself.

  *

  The Merchant’s District was chaotic. Blood ran through the streets, large gashes tore through the concrete structures and stalls. Screams echoed throughout as people ran for the wall or ran to their ships. The Shaped Beast brought fear everywhere it went; with how many bodies it left behind, it was clear that it was doing this not out of some predatory sense of hunger but to bask in the fear of its prey.

  Phaidros, Dom, and Zenovia had arrived. They did not need to look hard to find the beast, as one looked into the potential of all around them and they could see it burning like a bonfire nearby. Where the rest of their souls looked like a small, white star with a flame surrounding it, the beast looked like a set of shining eyes peering through tall grass, burning with ferocious intensity.

  They heard the creature soon after, a high-pitched keening echoing through the air. Zenovia froze for a moment, memories flashing back of the last time she faced the creature. Dom nudged her with his shoulder. “No time to waste, we need to move!” The three ran through the city streets, passing mangled corpses and torn-up buildings along the way. Phaidros had never seen such destruction before and they were heading towards the cause of all of it. A brief flash of guilt speared through him as they ran. He had met some of these people only briefly when he went here with Daxia. Now they were dead, because he wasn’t ready fast enough, because he had to be the one to kill the beast and prevent all other Ignited from trying. He tried not to let that disturb him too much as they continued on.

  The beast stood towering over its prey, some poor family of four who had become paralyzed in fear like a bird stunned by a snake’s gaze. In front of them was Daxia, clutching something to her chest as she stared in wide-eyed fear and defiance up at the beast. Smoke gathered at the corners of her mouth but no fire came. The Shaped Beast had reached the heart of the merchant’s square, splintered woods and scattered bodies filled what was once a bustling center of commerce. It stalked towards them without rush, long tail swaying contentedly behind it as it raised its sword-like talons into the air. The people below stood in horror, clutching to one another for dear life as they stared death in the eyes.

  They were so distracted they didn’t hear the sound of the oncoming avalanche that was Dom. The Ignited roared across the square, hammer in both hands. He was a little more than half the size of the beast but still when his shoulder slammed into the creature it stumbled to the side. The hammer blow that followed soon after slammed into the beast’s stomach and sent it crashing backwards through a few stalls. “Beast!” Dom bellowed. “I have been waiting to meet you for some time now! Do not die easily or I will be sorely disappointed!”

  Phaidros quickly rushed to Daxia and the family. “Daxia? What are you doing here?” She was still shaken and a quick repeat of her name got her attention.

  “I was uh, helping with the evacuation but it came after us faster than I thought.” She shoved what she was holding into his chest. “I brought the ripper rounds, make sure Zenovia gets them.” Behind them, the beast reared back angrily, its tail helping keep it steady on two legs as it brought its weight down onto Dom before three rounds crashed into the side of its head.

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  Zenovia stood nearby on a rooftop where she got a clear view of the beast. It turned its gaze to her briefly, a look of recollection in its single remaining eye. It remembered her but otherwise the bullets seemed to only annoy it. It knew who the real threat was, at least for now. “We need your help, Phaidros!” she reminded him.

  Phaidros glanced down to the magazine of bullets in his hand then to her. “Thank you, I will, you should leave with the others.”

  “No promises, I’m shaking like a leaf right now but I’m going to stick by in case you guys need some emergency repairs.” Phaidros didn’t have time to protest; the family had run away as soon as the Ignited showed up and Daxia fled away from immediate harm. Now he turned his attention towards the beast.

  Its gaze turned back to Dom just in time, as the Ignited was using the time gained during the distraction to charge forward. He twisted around to gain momentum as his hammer came swinging around. It braced, one large hand coming up just in time to not only block the hammer but catch it. Dust blew around the two engaged fighters, the momentum making the beast slide a foot in the dirt before coming to a stop as the two wrestled for control of the hammer.

  Phaidros was not about to let his companions do all the work however. With the family rescued and no other innocents in the square it was just them and the beast now. The jets in his legs roared to life as he ran towards the creature from the flank. Its tail rose before lashing out at him. He ducked backward beneath it into a slide before popping back up into a run and sprung to its back. His blade wheeled through the air in a deadly arc before biting into its scaled hide.

  The creature roared in frustration at the gnats swarming around it as it braced both its feet, then firmed its grip on the hammer head before forcing it down. It looked Dom in the eyes and opened its maw to try and bite at him. The move forced the Ignited to let go of his hammer and back up.

  “Phaidros!” Zenovia called out and Phaidros leapt from its back just in time to have its tail not wrap around his waist and only end up grabbing him by the ankle, holding him upside down.

  “Zenovia!” Phaidros called in reply, holding the magazine of ripper rounds and launching it at her in a quick pitch. She caught it with one hand, the other already unloading her current magazine onto the ground and slamming the new one into place to take aim.

  The beast turned, ready to skewer Phaidros. This time Zenovia was ready, shots rang into its tail, the barbed edges of the ripper rounds deploying just before impact and doing just as Daxia described. The rounds ripped through the scales of the tail and exposed vulnerable flesh beneath. More importantly, it freed its grip on Phaidros. The young Ignited spun in the air, jets in his armor righting him mid-air as he swung his sword over the new opening. The motion severed the thin end of the tail completely off, a small spray of blood and roar following before he landed. “Thank you!” he shouted over the comms, turning to face the beast and seeing it was staring right at him.

  He froze. It was one thing to talk about fighting that which killed his father but another to see the razor-sharp talons and teeth and the horns and that look of anger in its eye, the other looking as if it had been gouged out. Even the fight with Dom had not prepared him. “Focus, little friend!” Dom shouted over the comms.

  The words brought him back to reality right as the beast charged at him on all fours in a pounce, mouth open. His eyes widened, all of his training going out the window as he ran away, a single talon catching the edge of his foot before a well-placed shot knocked the hand while tearing a gash into its hide. The creature raced after him, the instincts of a predator had taken hold and now it was locked on Phaidros.

  Zenovia poured fire into the creature as it sped after the young Ignited, blasting at claws and maws that got too close to him and tearing away more scales. “I made some openings for you, Phaidros, you need to act!” she shouted.

  They were right and he knew it; with a deep breath he steered the beast and him towards a wall. He leapt forward, jets carrying him upwards before he planted both feet upon the wall. With a quick twist he spun around right as he activated the stinger in his right arm. The spike speared through an opening Zenovia had made in its jaw. The force made the beast’s top half reel back while the bottom slammed through the wall as it fell flat on its back. Phaidros’ stinger retracted and he landed in a roll on the other side of it now.

  “That is how an Ignited does it!” Dom shouted.

  Blood trickled from the puncture in its face, the creature testing its jaw as it flipped itself back onto all fours, more shots ringing against its head. Then the sound was heard again, a deafening keen that made all three Ignited freeze in place as the beast’s Shaped powers began to worm its way into their mind, filling all thoughts with nothing but with deep seated, primal fear. They had been expecting this, Zenovia had told Phaidros about it, but to truly experience it was another matter entirely. Suddenly Phaidros was no longer a brave Ignited but a scared little boy staring down the monster of his nightmares. His frame trembled as the beast rose again, stalking forward and dragging its claws against the floor before swinging wide for Phaidros, intent on cutting him to ribbons.

  He couldn’t move. He stared death in the face, at least he could go to his father knowing he didn’t close his eyes before the end. Then a weight shoved him forward as Dom braced and the hand smacked him in the side of his armor. Plates cracked and shattered for a brief moment before Dom was sent spiraling into another building further down the square. “Dom!” Phaidros shouted. He looked to the icon on his helmet’s display to see Dom as orange, showing his armor’s integrity had been severely breached, but his soul and his potential were still holding on.

  Phaidros grit his teeth, Dom had managed to save him from that blow, but he was still in serious danger. The creature loomed over him as he hurried back to his feet before Zenovia had found her wits to keep firing at him. This time a shot managed to crack through one of its horns before a second split it in two. That got its attention and it forgot Phaidros for a moment before Zenovia activated her jets and started to lead it away. “Check on Dom!” she shouted over the comms.

  Phaidros did not argue, running to the cloud of dust and pile of rubble to see Dom forcing himself to sit upright. The entire left side of his armor was now splintered with chunks of chitin falling to dust. Phaidros could see exposed metal beneath with some tears even through that where the blow landed. Dom grunted, “That thing has an arm.”

  “Are you alright?” Phaidros asked, worried.

  “I will survive, Phaidros, can’t feel my arm but that’s better than you being dead. I’ll catch up to you both. Do not leave Zenovia with that thing.” Phaidros nodded then began to run off before Dom called from behind, “And Phaidros. Remember what I said. When you feel that fear, there is only one thing for an Ignited to do. When all your thoughts fail you, run straight at it. It will be better than just sitting there and being sliced meat.”

  Phaidros hesitated, then nodded and ran off. With no one watching Dom now he unceremoniously slumped back against the ground. “Ow,” the young Ignited heard uttered from behind him as he ran after Zenovia.

  The two had left his sight, but now that he had learned how to use his life sense, all it took was one brief flex of his will to be able to find them. He saw a white burning star running from a burning set of eyes amidst tendrils of shadowy light. The star stopped and three gunshots followed accompanied by a pained roar afterwards. The star then leaped up in a zig zag motion upwards, she was heading towards a roof. “Where are you, Phaidros? I can’t keep this thing distracted forever!”

  Phaidros leapt up on the roof opposite of her, the creature in the alley between the two of them. “Here,” he answered just before both of them stumbled from the buildings beneath them being crushed by the creature’s strength. The sudden holes in the wall made the tops start to crumble as Zenovia ran over and leaped to Phaidros’ building. The beast came up the new pile of rubble to charge at them.

  Phaidros surged forward, blade whistling through the air to slam into its wrist as it tried to grab Zenovia and pull her into the new cloud of dust. The beast retreated its hand before they both jumped off the side of the building that was still standing. The beast came crashing through seconds later. Phaidros turned to face it, sword swinging through the air in sweeping parries of its claws, giving Zenovia time to retreat further before she spun around to start laying covering fire into the creature so it couldn’t crush Phaidros but after six more shots the rifle clicked. “I’m out of ripper rounds, work with what you got,” Zenovia said quickly.

  Sparks flew through the air as its claws raked over his sword, each swing forcing Phaidros to give ground, forcing him nearly off his feet from the force of it and nearly taking the hope of a victory along with it. Hope was sputtering out yet he clung to it for dear life. It could not end here. He would not go quietly, this was about revenge at the beginning yes, but now it was about the others. He needed to help his team, his friends, to make sure they made it out of this alive.

  Hopes alone could not stop a beast like this however, not while he was only Ignited and not Shaped. The creature got a final good swipe in and it knocked the sword from his hands. Zenovia was in the middle of reloading her weapon, cursing under her breath. Phaidros looked at his sword flying through the air and then at the beast. His eyes widened. For the second time today he swore he was going to die.

  “Phaidros!” a familiar voice called, unhindered by a helmet. A blur of speed followed before Charon appeared, flying through the air with both feet planted on a spear. Phaidros couldn’t get over his bewilderment before Charon leaped from the spear just as it collided with some exposed flesh on the beast’s neck. He sailed through the air before landing in a skid on the other side, facing the beast which had staggered back, grabbing the spear in its neck and ripping it out.

  “Charon, what are you doing here?” Phaidros said, switching to open communications, eyes wide with awe.

  “Saving your life,” Charon replied. Phaidros was in pure disbelief of what had just happened and immediately switched his life sense back on to see his brother’s soul. He saw that it was overloaded with unlit potential, a teal tint to what was supposed to be pure white. He wasn’t sure how that was possible but now was not the time to ask these questions. Charon was here and that meant someone else for him to protect. Phaidros ran for his sword.

  The beast roared in anger and caught a bullet in its open mouth which caused it to sputter blood. Zenovia let out a sigh of relief. That’s when the keening started again. Phaidros had just grabbed his sword, turning around to his brother and Zenovia. As Ignited, the two had some resistance to the creature’s power, but Charon was not ignited. His brother stood there, trembling like a leaf in his armor. The creature rounded on him, claws flexed. Phaidros felt his feet carrying him forward before his mind was even realizing what he was doing. The whole world seemed muffled as he threw himself forward with everything he had. The creature’s claw raised, Phaidros wasn’t going to make it, it was too late. “Charon, no!” he cried.

  Charon thrust his hands forward, crying out in panic. Then both he and the creature suddenly reeled back in pain. Phaidros skid to a stop as the creature swiped at the air in front of him. Charon threw his hands out again and the screaming resumed. Phaidros then switched his perception back to their souls. Where before the flames of the Shaped Beast licked at the souls of all nearby, now there was a line of light between Charon’s soul and the beast’s and he could see the ignited potential of the beast draining.

  “Ash and cinders,” Zenovia said in muttered awe, lowering her rifle briefly. Phaidros even saw Dom running back over with Daxia—or was it away from? No, with. His hammer was over his shoulder and Daxia had some tool in her hand that looked like a blow torch. Both stopped to see what was going on.

  Charon’s screams continued, his hands remaining locked in front of him like someone’s hand forcibly pressed to a burning surface. The creature writhed in agony before finally it turned around, tail sweeping to slam into Charon, severing the connection while he tumbled through the streets. The creature wheezed, tail lashing in rage, spittle drooling from its maw from exhaustion but it was too angry to care.

  Phaidros was torn from his stupor. “Distract it. Distract it now!” he called, before he rushed the creature and Zenovia began firing at it again with Dom now trying his best to help without dying in the process.

  *

  Off to the side, Charon’s vision came and left in waves of blurry nothingness as all attention on him had been forgotten. He was in pain, indescribable pain, but his soul brimmed with vitae. The three Ignited were doing their best, but they could not stop the beast, it did not seem to even think of running away. Charon needed to do something, anything. His gaze drifted to one of the bodies left in the street, some ra man Charon had never met. Even if he couldn’t immediately move, he could still help…

  *

  Blades cut portions of scales free and hammers smashed others, but with every blow they made, the creature paid them in kind. They were all so distracted, they didn’t see the merchant running into the fray, going for the creature’s legs and grasping desperately at it.

  “Cinders, what is that person doing, get them out of there!” Phaidros cried.

  The creature was distracted by them for a brief moment before its tail snaked around and whipped at the person, splitting them in two from the force. Yet the torso continued to move. It was then that Phaidros had noticed something familiar. It was the man that Daxia had bought her coffee from, yet now his eyes were a distinct, bold teal color.

  He quickly looked around himself, seeing the other corpses begin to get to their feet on shaky limbs, all distinct. “The bodies, they’re getting up,” he said shakily.

  “Can look later, busy dying!” Dom warned. Yet Phaidros needed to know. His perception switched back to seeing the potential of his surroundings. In each of these bodies he saw a small, teal droplet of energy, potential he guessed, in the center and a network of lines that all extended to one origin point. Charon.

  Charon was still sitting yet moving his trembling hands about in strange gestures. The previously dead civilians all began to rush the beast in a suicidal charge. The beast took the bait, striking at all around it. This gave Dom an opening and he brought his hammer down on what was left of its tail, crushing it and making it fall limp to the floor. He barely registered the newly moving corpses; there was a fight going on, that was all that mattered to the zhuk.

  Phaidros stared in silent awe before the creature began to keen again. Yet despite its effects on normal people, the walking corpses went on as if there was nothing wrong. Phaidros saw bodies severed and cut to pieces before their bodies became like clay, reforming again and rushing up to the creature anew. A whole crowd was now climbing and amassing on it and weighing it down in the process. Phaidros finally shook his head and joined the action again as the creature tried to claw the bodies from it before slamming itself on the ground and rolling trying to get them off of it. Phaidros went for one of its arms, finding a gap amidst all the bodies and slamming his sword down on its wrist. It struggled, but Dom soon followed suit and Zenovia ran up to it to begin trying to fire rounds down its gullet.

  None of them noticed as the bodies’ hands started to shift into bone-like claws and spears as they repeatedly stabbed at the beast. All was chaos and screams. Then the creature writhed in one final death throe before falling still. All of the Ignited watched as its ignited potential snuffed out in an implosion before the Shaped soul drifted away towards the heavens.

  All was silent save for the labored breathing of all the Ignited. Then they all slowly turned to Charon. Now that he had a chance to truly look at his brother, he could see how his eyes had been the exact same teal color as all the corpses.

  “Charon…” Phaidros began, surprised to feel a small tremble in his voice. “What have you done?”