Fair And Square

Flames dance in the center of a cave, casting waving shadows on the surrounding walls. Kyro sits on one side of the cave, leaning against the wall. Part of a centipede leg lies across his lap, and he grabs at the top where it once connected to a giant body, ripping the thick armor with a loud crack. Red meat is revealed beneath, and after tearing the rest of the armor off, Kyro adds the thick stretch of meat to the pile beside the fire.

While there is no tasty part of a centipede, leg meat is the least likely part to put one in a bad mood. Kyro had learned this the hard way on his first few visits to Kalar. There were many instances when he would eat the torso or head meat, only for all of it to come pouring out of him hours later. Sometimes minutes.

Parasites are off-limits for most Collectors for obvious reasons, and this includes Kyro. Critters are the best way to go, but catching them can be tedious. They stand atop rocks and wait until one gets just close enough to think they have a meal. Then, they scurry between the crevices and disappear, resurfacing several paces away as if taunting their predator.

"Do you think we'll find him out there? My father?" Ingen suddenly says from the other side of the cave. Despite his sitting position, he is forced to duck his head a bit to not smack the low ceiling. Small enclosures are a bane to Ingen's existence, however, it's not as if he has much of a choice at the moment.

Kyro peers over the fire at Ingen, one brow raised, "It's possible," he responds, "But neither of us knows what he looks like. My father was always tight-lipped about yours. Kirin was tight-lipped about everything"

Ingen hums, holding a cooked piece of meat in his hand. He tears a piece off with his teeth, chewing in silence, eyes to the ground, "I still remember the day Kirin told me that he wasn't my father. I had always felt that something was off, but..." Ingen raises his head, meeting Kyro's gaze, "...It hurt to find out that we aren't brothers."

Kyro furrows his brows, "We are brothers," he responds, "The blood in our veins makes no difference. My father raised us the same."

"I know," Ingen says, biting another chunk out of the meat. Kyro takes another from the fire, joining him in silent chewing. They cooked enough for Krash, but the man has still not awoken. The Tanzide lies still near the downward slope of the entrance, snoring quietly.

Kyro winces as tremors of pain strike his skull in waves. It's been a day and some change since he took his last dose of the Stones, and the weakness and nausea have already settled inside of his body like unwanted house guests.

As far as he can tell, Kyro has done well to hide his pain from the others. Ingen undoubtedly sees through his facade, but that man has always had an uncanny ability to sense how a person is feeling, especially Kyro. He is sure that Cage hasn't noticed, for if he somehow has, then Kyro can't imagine that he would stay quiet about it.

Kyro glances over at the grey bag set on the ground near the sleeping Tanzide. If he were alone, then Kyro would have relented by now, that much he knows. He would have taken just a sliver, convincing himself that he can quit later. However, the presence of Ingen, and especially Cage, forces him to think a bit more logically.

Kyro wants to be better, if not for himself, then for those he loves. He has no one to blame for his desperate clinging to the Stones but himself. He should have quit long ago. Ingen did it, he pushed through the pain, nausea, and thoughts of suicide, and he survived. It is a battle with oneself, and Kyro has grown tired of defeat.

"Who is your father, Ingen? You don't talk about him," A voice suddenly calls from the side.

Kyro snaps his vision to the source of the voice while gripping the hilt of his sword, and Ingen jolts in surprise. Kyro sighs, shaking his head as he looks at Cage in the back of the cave, "Let us know you're awake next time. You nearly lost your head," Kyro says in an exasperated tone.

"Sorry," Cage says, unable to hold in a chuckle. He looks at Ingen, meeting the massive man's violet eyes. They stare at each other in silence, until finally, Ingen sighs.

"His name is Bari. From what I've heard, he was a soldier, and a damn good one at that," Ingen says, his booming voice echoing through the cave, "But he left Raj, along with my brother and mother. A deserter. Irredeemable."

Cage nods slowly, flexing the pins and needles out of his left hand. He must have slept on it, "Why did he leave?" he asks.

Ingen shrugs, taking another bite, "Good question," he says, eyes glued to the ground.

Kyro's eyes linger on the violet-skinned man. Neither Kyro nor Ingen knows the answer to Cage's question. Ingen was a sickly child when he was born, and according to Kirin, it was thought that he would die before he reached his first month of life. Kyro guesses that Ingen's father was unable to leave his child unsheltered, but also didn't want to be burdened with tending to Ingen's sickness while traveling.

Kirin and Bari were brothers, just the same as Kyro and Ingen themselves. Would Ingen trust Kyro with his child? Maybe. Kyro knows he would trust Ingen, but alas, that situation is impossible with Kyro's condition.

"Cage," Kyro suddenly calls.

Cage meets the Rajin's gaze, brows raised. Kyro only stares back at him, but Cage understands what is being hinted at, "Oh, right," he says, anxiety suddenly spiking inside of him.

Cage looks between Ingen and Kyro, and they stare back with firm expressions. Cage gulps, "Do you trust me with this? If something goes wrong..." he trails off, but everyone in the cave understands what the next words would be.

Ingen nods, "This is the best chance we have of escaping Raj. There isn't much of a choice," he says.

Kyro hums in agreement, "If we wait until we return, then Ludan may have us executed. Plus... No one will believe that someone killed a Massor," he says, "You came up with this plan. Don't tuck your tail now."

"I won't. It's just..." Cage pauses. Kyro is right, this is his plan. Still, Cage can't help but wonder if he's truly ready to do this. No, Cage thinks, I don't have time to falter now. It must be done, the trackers must be removed.

Cage takes a deep breath, mustering a smile as he looks between the two Rajin men, "Who's first?" he asks.

Kyro points to Ingen, "Him," he says. Kyro glances at his fellow Rajin, brows furrowing as he sees Ingen pointing at him.

"You should go first," Ingen says, still pointing, "You are older."

Kyro shakes his head, "Then as the older brother, I say that you should go first."

The two men glare at each other, both unwilling to back down. Cage watches from the side, sighing at the ridiculousness of this argument. Suddenly, an idea pops into his mind, and Cage smiles, "I know what to do," he says.

Both Rajin men look at him with questioning expressions. Cage puts his hand out, shifting his hand into a fist, flattening it out, and then back to a fist, his first two fingers out and making a snipping motion, "Rock, paper, scissors," he says.

"Rock, paper..." Kyro furrows his brows, "...What is scissors?"

"Another game of yours?" Ingen asks annoyedly, "I hope it is better than that stupid game of tic-tac."

"Don't worry," Cage says, a smirk plastered to his face, "It should be simple enough for you, Ingen."

Ingen nods, oblivious to the clear jab at his intelligence. Kyro joins him with a nod of his own, "Explain this game," he says.

Cage does just that, explaining the rules of rock, paper, scissors. It only takes a few minutes, and fortunately, both Ingen and Kyro seem to understand well enough, "The loser will have their tracker removed first," Cage says.

Both of the Rajin nod, then look across the flames at each other. They raise a hand, then bounce them three times in the air, "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Kyro and Ingen yell in unison with a bit too much enthusiasm.

Kyro, scissors. Ingen, paper.

Ingen grins, "I win," he says.

"No, you idiot," Kyro snaps, "I win. Scissors beats paper."

They glare at each other for a moment, then look at Cage expectantly.

"I just explained this..." Cage sighs, rubbing his eyes, "Kyro wins. Scissors do in fact beat paper."

Ingen clicks his tongue, "You and your stupid games. This is ridiculous," he says, crossing his arms like a giant pouting child.

Kyro smiles wide, chuckling, "What did you expect?" he asks, "Did you think that you would suddenly become good at games?"

Cage chuckles as well, rising to a half crouch and walking toward Ingen, "Well, you first, Ingen," he says, "Fair and square."

Ingen glares at Cage, then sighs. He turns until his back is facing Cage, his legs crossed on the ground before him, "I expect to still have my head after this," Ingen says, still pouting.

"You'll be fine," Cage responds. He is thankful for the little that he remembers from his previous life, for the game has lifted his mood. Cage would be lying if he said he didn't feel a little anxious still, but the invasive thoughts have quietened enough for him to focus on his task.

Cage steps up behind Ingen. Even with the Rajin sitting and Cage standing, the tiny, slightly glowing sphere embedded into Ingen's neck is at eye level with him. Cage stares at the black bead with narrow eyes. It pokes out much like the seeds of those fruits he had worked on for so long, only slightly larger. Now that he thinks about it, Cage was never able to successfully absorb the seeds by themselves.

Cage shakes the thought from his head, as it will only lead to uncertainty and anxiety. He takes a deep breath, dashing away all unneeded thoughts. His habit of tunnel vision has been a blessing and a curse, however, Cage thinks that it will lean on the blessing side in this situation.

From the cut right sleeve of Cage's robe, those tendrils slither into existence. That black makeshift arm is formed, almost completely stable save for a tiny flourish of tiny tendril here and there. Cage raises the arm, making a fist with one finger pointed out. He places the finger merely inches from the sphere, his black eyes narrowing a bit more.

Ingen shivers, "That's cold," he mutters.

"Be still," Cage whispers. The black finger becomes skinnier, lengthening and slithering toward the tracker slowly. The tiny tendril wraps around the crystal sphere, dampening its glow. Slowly, Cage commands the tendril to absorb the tracker.

The finger reforms to its original shape, leaving behind a small hole in the back of Ingen's neck. Suddenly, black blood begins to trickle from the hole, and Cage blinks out of his focused state, "You're bleeding," he says flatly.

"Oh, for Betor's sake," Ingen clicks his tongue. He rips the bottom of his leotard's pant, exposing his bulging calf muscle. He wraps the piece of fabric around his neck and ties the ends into a know at the front. Ingen pauses, then turns and meets Cage's eyes, "It's gone? Truly?" he asks, a mix of hope and skepticism in his words.

Cage nods, "It's gone," he responds.

Ingen pauses, then feel the back of his neck where the leotard soaks up his blood. He rubs where there used to be a bump, but is now flat as it is supposed to be. Ingen chuckles, bursting into a fit of laughter, "You may not be so bad after all, Cage! You actually did it!" he says joyfully.

"Let me see," Kyro moves up beside Cage, down on one knee. He rubs the area where the tracker used to be, then chuckles himself, "I knew you could do it," Kyro looks at Cage, patting him on the back.

Cage smiles at him. His confidence rises through the roof. He actually did it. Now, he just has to do it again. Cage looks at Kyro, putting a finger up and twirling it in the air, "Your turn," he says.

Kyro nods with a smile. He turns and sits on his knees, the light from the fire shining on his nape. Cage goes through the same process as before, Ingen watching from the side all the while. Soon, Kyro is free from the tracker, and he wraps a makeshift tourniquet around his bleeding neck as well.

Kyro turns and faces Cage, his smile even wider than before, "Thank you, Cage. Truly," Kyro says softly, "I had once accepted that I would be a Collector until the day I die. You have changed that line of thinking... we will follow you on your journey to find your brother. That is the least we can do in return."

Cage nods, returning a slight smile. He glances at Ingen, who nods to him in agreement, "I should thank you two as well," Cage says, black eyes returning to Kyro, "It feels like it's been ages since I awoke here... I had nothing. But, now I have you two, and Yoru. I would be lost or dead if not for you all."

All three men share a moment of appreciation for each other. Kyro looks between Ingen and Cage, before finally settling on the latter, "You know, I once thought of you as a son, Cage. But that is wrong. A father teaches a son. Brothers teach each other. When I think about it like that, I see that you are instead a brother to me. So... Welcome to the family."

Cage nods, joy rising in his heart in an amount he has never felt before. He opens his mouth to speak, but a loud groan interrupts him. All three men look near the entrance of the cave, where Krash leans up from the ground, grimacing, holding his head with a fur-covered hand.

Krash's eyes widen as he sees the three men staring at him. He looks between them, and suddenly, his brows furrow as he looks at the tourniquets wrapped around Kyro and Ingen's necks, "Is that... some kind of fashion statement?" he asks, wincing from the pain thundering in his skull.

Kyro and Ingen look at each other, both noticing each other's tourniquets, which look like some kind of black scarf. They share a chuckle, it seems that their Tanzide friend is quite alright. They had worried for a time that Cage's throw may have caused a bit of brain damage.