The Game

After 3 months her plan was taking shape. More than fifty clones were being used in the lab and outside to find the resources necessary to keep the project running. Some of them were wearing white coats, others simple clothes.

It was strange for Gadreel, Hector, and Janus to watch them, because they were exactly like them.

Resheph and to one of her kind were still in the chamber, a bigger one, in the dark.

The lab expansion was in act as three rooms were being added to the ones already existing.

Cressida was at her desk, working on a black liquid. She had just a vial of it. On her side she had Khosrow's pod.

"Cressida, the clones have seen an aircraft flying over us" told her Gadreel

She left what she was doing and stood up.

"It can't be. Put on the protective gear. Hector stays here" ordered her

They went outside.

The sun wasn't high yet, but the air was tick.

Around them were lying the rubbles, still and corrupted by rain and wind.

A buzzing sound started ringing in their ears.

"Do you hear that?" asked Janus

She remembered it. She was too familiar with that sound.

"Should we go inside in case they decide to attack us?"

"No. I want to meet whoever is going to land here" stated her without moving

They waited.

Then, when they heard the buzzing over them, looked up.

A Dragonfly was descending with grace. It had a symbol on the side, one which was unknown to them.

Gadreel brought his hand to the gun.

Cressida looked at him and shook her head.

Janus was shaking. She took his hand.

When the Dragonfly landed soldiers with breathing masks came out of it.

After them got off the last passenger who was wearing clothes of a different fabrics, with medals attached to it.

He moved toward them with his squadron.

"I see that you've done a nice work here" started him, comfortable

"Yes, we managed to start something" told him Cressida

"You should be the beautiful Cressida Marduk, I suppose" said him while taking her hand, which she shook away

"How do you know…"

"Don't Janus…"

"Lady Cressida, I need to talk to you immediately. You can call me Timur by the way" announced him

She was standing straight. Without flinching.

"You leave your soldiers here and we can go in"

"Only if you leave yours too"

She nodded.

Then the military man and her went inside, leaving Gadreel and Janus outside.

As they went in, they got out of their suits and sat down.

"Why are you here? After what you've done to my planet" rushed her

He was still looking around, amazed by her scientific stuff.

"We tried to remove a galactic menace, you're welcome. We intend to help you with the restoration of Slaaf"

"Why?"

"Because we want to. You don't deserve to live like this"

"And why would I trust you? Your planet…"

"Agaklythos"

"Agaklythos should've send humanitarian aid, not its army"

"And I agree with that, but the King wanted to be sure that nothing was still harming you"

"Alright. How are we going to help us?"

"We are going to send you all the resources necessary to finish your project and rebuild Scarbray. Periodically our Dragons will bring you everything. We're going to leave some of them to you too. Isn't it great, is it?"

"That seems too good to be true. What are you going to need in exchange?"

He tilted his head toward the lab and the pods.

"No, never"

He passed one of his fingers on the pod containing Khosrow and started ticking on it.

"Stop"

He kept going.

"Please, stop"

He didn't care.

She rushed toward him with a bistoury. He was too fast and disarmed her easily. She was being restrained by him; his hands ready to choke her.

"I like, I really do but you should hear what will happen if you won't do as you won't conform to our requests"

She was trying to free herself, but the clutch was too tight.

Finally, he let her go.

She was panting.

"Speak…what?"

"This planet will be ours. Periodically we'll need you to send your results and research. If you will fail to do so, and I hope for your sake that you won't, we will act. Obviously this is going to be a long, long lasting deal"

Her legs started trembling slightly.

"How long?"

"Let's just say that we need you alive as long as our Empire endure"

"But how am I supposed to do it? I'm not made to live for centuries"

He started putting on his protective gear.

"How am I supposed to do that?" asked her again

"I think that the answer to you question is already in front of you Lady Cressida"

He went to the elevator pushed the button.

"We won't need you to come inside by the way, I think that you have a lot on your plate right now"

The doors opened and he got in.

"And remember that, Lady Cressida. From now on we will be always watching you. Every communication, every step you'll decide to take against or for us, we will know"

The doors closed.

She stood there, scratching her head and hands. The heart was hammering her chest.

They got back. The blood, black and red, was still in their hands.

"Whats happenned?" asked the Shaxes King

They looked at him. Pyramus face was red and wet, his eyes shiny like pearls.

"Whats happenned?"

"The enemy attacked us while we were there. Kera, Lunukin and your men died during the ambush"

The creature punched the ground with his paw.

"Theys…willy pays forr thiss"

As the Leader started gathering his men, to discuss about the event, they went to their spot.

Gluskap saw them and stood up swiftly.

"Slow down Kap. You're almost there give it time" told him Pyramus while he was drying up his tears

"Stay with him. Do something useful" ordered Kurban to Gluskap, who looked at him with an annoyed sight

"Hey…what happened? Are you okay? Where're the others?"

Pyramus threw himself in his arms, trembling.

"Where are the kid and the old man Py?"

"I…I can't tell you"

Gluskap frowned

"Why?"

"I said it…I can't. I promised"

"I understand but last time we talked about being sincere and transparent. You were the one who insisted to have a relationship based on it"

"I know what I said but this time we can compromise everything"

"That black blood on you and Kurban, did you, do it?"

"I…I…"

"You did it then. Kera and Lunukin perished in the process?" asked Gluskap quietly

"It was an incident…it wasn't supposed to go like. They…they attacked us suddenly, without a reason, like something or someone was controlling their head and instincts"

He nodded.

"Please…don't tell Kurban that I've told you that, I promised" begged him

"I will. I know that this alliance lingers on the mutual trust between Shaxes and 'Birds. Your secret is safe"

Pyramus hugged him with more strength.

"Nonetheless I'm worried about one thing now"

"What?"

"What are we going to do if it will happen again? As far as I can see our men are outnumbered and outpowered"

"I agree but it happened once. It's an accident. You don't know them as well as me and Kurban"

"I'm aware of it but we shouldn't underestimate the risk. Our allies should be a certainty. We don't need another enemy"

Meanwhile in front of them a flock of Shaxes were reaching the room where the elders and the King discussed about their future moves.

"Is it me or they grew in number?" asked Pyramus

"It seems so"

A block of guards was standing in front of the Academy. Each citizen was being screened and checked as usual.

Common people strolling around to reach jobs and own houses.

It was quiet. A strange silence. In days of riots and fights in the streets.

It seemed all too normal. And stale.

There has never been a brighter day.

Then it started from far away.

A pounding sound, like feet thumping on the ground.

"Do you hear it?" asked Malsumis to Tithon while keeping his ear to the wall

"What?"

"Listen to the wall"

Tithon did as his cellmate advised.

His hear started perceiving an impulse, rhythmic and restless.

"Yeah, distant but clear"

The guards outside their cell were focused on them. They didn't care about it.

She was watching the marching crowd. Her legs were quivering, her forehead sweaty.

Beside her, in the shadows were standing two veiled figures.

"Bring me the Guards highest official" ordered her

Soon he materialized behind her

"What's happening? You were supposed to eradicate the opposition"

"We don't know my Lady. Both the Tower and the Academy are experiencing the same situation"

She was thinking. It didn't look like a casual event. Someone was orchestrating it.

"Bring Ikuinen to me" ordered her

"What about the rebels my Lady?"

She squeezed her lips.

"Fire on them, without killing them, use the Dragons if necessary. Arrest whoever tries to get in"

"But…my Lady, we can't fire on them. We don't want to risk to…"

She went beside him and put a hand on his chest.

"Not another time my son," said her

No one had to die.

Fanon was walking in front of the crowd, heading for the Academy. Behind him common people and Whiskers.

In front of them the guards were looking at each other. Unable to understand what was going to happen.

Then they stopped a dozen of feet from their destination.

The guards removed the safe from their weapons while the Whiskers did it too with what they managed to find.

"Move a step closer and we will fire on you" announced one of the guards

Fanon put a foot forward.

"Is it really happening?" asked Malsumis to Tithon

"I think so" answered him satisfied

Suddenly their cell opened, and a couple of guards got in and grabbed Tithon.

"I guess that…be careful you bastard…I guess that the Lady miss me" joked him

Malsumis looked at him getting away and smiled at what he said.

The guards were looking at him with disgust.

"You should try to smile once, fellows. It could be your last day after all"

The guard shoot on the ground.

Fanon made another step forward. More guards fired on the ground.

"Another step and the next bullet will be for you Whisker" announced the guard

His comrades didn't take it well and were waiting his signal to get their revenge.

"Let us pass through and join us. Together we can bring her down," told him

The men on the other side grinned.

"Why would we do that? She grants a job to everyone and well, the Supreme Leader was a careless selfish asshole"

"All the Whiskers are jobless thanks to her. Only lies," shouted someone

"Before the Supreme Leader everything was better and everyone had a job, you should thank him if you're like that right now"

"Lies, just lies"

Fanon looked behind him. They were ready.

The crown was roaring under her eyes. She was feeling them and all their hatred.

"Well, well, look who's there" started Tithon while he was being brought to a table.

She turned and looked at him.

It was hard for her to act around him. His eyes were the same as Khosrow.

"Is that your doing?" cut short

Tithon chuckled.

"How? I've been in a cell in the last months"

She tilted her head and then shook it.

"Do not use me as scapegoat for your choices"

"I'm not. You knew though. You knew that the people would've revolted against me, didn't you?"

He puffed and then moved closer to her.

"I'm not the artist"

Fanon was waiting. The guards' weapons were doddering. None of them wanted to shoot but their fingers were there.

"I think that you should go home, all of you"

No one flinched.

"We don't want to shed…."

A gun fired.

The people were struck dumb.

The Whiskers roared, followed by the citizens.

And rushed against the guards.

Pyramus was walking around the tunnels to check the Shaxes, to understand what could've triggered the ones he used to know. A feat which was taking longer then expected. The number of creatures more than doubled during his time there, an aspect which was hard to understand for him. It was like someone was increasing their number on purpose.

The he passed beside Pyramus and Gluskap's spot and noticed another weird thing.

"Where are they?" started asking to the Shaxes around him but none was able to answer him

The veins in his neck started pulsing and his head initiated a train of thought which he preferred to avoid.

"You never told me why you choose me" said Tithon

"You…were a good candidate for the role"

"Which role? Your puppet"

"You wouldn't understand"

"Try then. I've nothing to lose right now. You've taken away Lilith and I don't know why and how Endymion is still alive"

As he said that, the two girls stepped in the light.

The guards where being overwhelmed at the Academy. For every Whisker who died, two commoners took his place.

They were advancing. And growing. The ones who lacked good weapons at the start were now holding them.

Fanon was leading the Whiskers who were still alive inside the building. Their superior fighting skills were giving them a large advantage against the less experienced guards.

The veiled figures of his lost partners were standing in front of him like ghosts.

"You can have them back if you stop this madness"

He was looking at them, while trying to decipher their expression, in vain.

"What I should do exsactly? You put me in the position I used to be"

"Get back to it. Enjoy the life you always wanted"

"I wanted to change this city too"

She puffed and shook her head.

"No one asked you to do it"

"I can say the same thing about you"

She recognized Khosrow in those words.

"You don't understand what's at stake here"

"Then tell me, stop telling all that lies" insisted him, annoyed

Under the Tower the people winning too. Without guns and such they were being able to stand before the guards, who created a human wall between them and the Tower's entrance.

"Push together. For our Supreme Leader" screamed a Whisker

The situation was becoming hard for the guards who were being crushed by the human huddle.

Someone started panting. The pressure was hindering the people ability to breath.

"I think that we should fire on them. We're going to die anyway" proposed a guard, who was desperately trying to contain the people in front of them.

"We can't do that" shouted his superior.

Kurban was still looking for them, asking everyone who passed by. Then he saw the Shaxes King and rushed to him.

"Where're Pyrams and Kurban? Where're they?"

The Shax jolted.

"Pyrammus iss withy my generrals, sharring hiss knowyledge abouts they ennemy. Don't yous remembery thats we're preparring fory what willy comes nexxt?"

"Where? Show me where?"

The Shax looked at him and then nodded.

"Come with me"

"What then?" insisted Tithon

Gehenna was going to answer him when a servant appeared behind her. He was holding two transceivers on his plate.

She invited him to bring her what he was carrying around.

One was a simple transceiver, the other looked different. Rounded with a strange symbol on it.

"My Lady, should we…resort to the…B plan? Here…we're…not…being able…to hold them" shouted a voice on the common transceiver.

"Do it" ordered her coldly

"Things are getting out of hand…."

"Don't cheer yet, I always have a plan B. I've more experience at this game"

Tithon was sneering.

"What?" asked her annoyed

"You have always underestimated the power of the one under you"

Fanon was almost there. Only a block of guards was between them and their goal.

They were surrounded by the bodies of friends and enemies.

"Fanon, commander, their firepower is too much for us" shouted at him one of his comrades

"Oh, fuck it" said another who got up and started shooting but he didn't last. After the third bullet he got one in the head and collapsed on the ground.

"What should we do?"

"Grab a corpse"

"But sir, we can't do it…they are…"

He took the Whisker by the collar

"Their death won't be in vain. Now take a body and, on my signal we charge. Am I clear comrades?" screamed him

They did as he ordered.

Then he roared and dashed forward, followed by his teammates.

The crowd was almost at the door.

"At this point I don't care" said a guard who embraced her gun

"Kill them all"

People started falling on the ground.

Then the buzzing of propellers started resounding in the square.

The civilians looked up and started trembling.

"Dragons…" screamed one who started to push back

"Let me go back…I wanna live" said another one

And those appeared, in all their metallic dread and magnificence.

"I'm sorry…my Lady but we have…to" said the guard on the transceiver

"No…Don't…Hear me…"

"Your safety…is…more…"

"Please…stop…please…" was begging her

The guard weren't answering anymore.

"Stop…now…stop…"

"It had to go this way" said Tithon satisfied

She was squeezing her hand in a punch. Her breath wasn't as usual. Her chest was expanding and compressing at a high pace.

"No one had to die…no one should die…you…you…"

"What? Say it out loud"

"You're going to destroy everything. This city…this planet…"

He moved close to her.

"You can still stop this madness. Free me and Malsumis and we'll recall the people and the Whiskers back to their positions…under our iron fist. Imagine that, we can be king and queen, you and I"

She didn't know what to do. She was turning her head around, looking for a solution, a way out of it.

"It's your choice"

Pyramus was there, talking to a group of Shaxes naturally.

To him it looked surreal. He never imagined that a couple of Strangers could have been able to earn the Shaxes trust in so short a time.

He saw him.

"Excuse me" said the kid while he detached from the gathering

"Where is Gluskap?" asked Kurban abruptly

"Hey, slow down. Why all that rush?"

"Where's he?"

"I don't know, probably outside, why?"

Kurban couldn't believe it. He used to be the enemy.

He shook his head and put his hands on it.

"What? What's going on?" asked Pyramus worried

"Do you still have the object, the thing with the fish on it which fell from his pocket the first day?"

"No, why? I gave it to him. It seemed important to Gluskap"

"No no no no. Where is him?" asked him again

"Last time he went outside. I don't know if he's there"

As soon as Pyramus answered his question, Kurban ran away.

The kid stood there, confused.

"If you care so much about your citizens, our people…"

She was unsure.

"Recall your guards"

The transceiver was still there. She was looking at it. She was trying to find a solution.

Tithon stood up and went to the window.

"You should see it. The product of your pride"

"I can still win it…I'm…winning," said her

He turned toward her and grinned.

"With a bloodshed. It doesn't look a like a win to me"

The guards on the Dragons were firing over them. The rioters were dispersing under those.

Fear was dominating their hearts.

"Hold the line" tried to say a Whisker who was still pushing against the guards' wall. Beside him other people who still believed in their victory.

"You have to stop…you can still save yourself" shouted a guard to them

One of the Dragons was approaching them

"Hold the line, hold the line" screamed the Whisker again

It was closer.

Closer.

They were almost at gun range.

Then a sudden and swift hiss.

Another one.

"Hold the line, comrades. Stand for our Supreme Leader"

She was still conflicted.

There wasn't a better choice. It wasn't so easy.

She stood up and went toward him.

"At long last" said Tithon pleased

"I agree…call your…"

An explosion went off and shook the building. Both of them felt on the ground while the windows shattered.