Legends of Nivarae

[Wolfsong]

I really should finish my other stuff first, but I can't seem to help myself XD
Anyways, this is a more seriously themed work, and will contain occasional adult things. All will be handled tastefully and with the respect due its...okay, that's stupid, I shut up XD
Enjoy.

Epilogue:

Voices...
I hear them...
I can't trust them...
No one of them...ever...

A sudden scream violated the casual serenity of the deceivingly homely outlook of Sector 3 and disturbed the rest of multi-billionaire and head scientist Reave Trust. Relaxing in the stone garden, the invasive cry jolted him from his calm reverie and forcibly returned his mind to the project at hand.
A well-built man of maybe thirty-five, he stood taller than the average man. He wasn't much to look at, his wardrobe leaning towards earthy colors, his hair a raven black and his skin tone a darker tan, but the striking contrast of his deep blue eyes commanded attention and respect. There was no nonsense to them, as serious as a funeral.
A new man entered the garden, a younger man in a crisp black suit. He stood by the entrance, waiting till Reave turned to him. No words passed between them, merely a glance was enough to convey the message. Reave rose from the bench, and the man turned to reenter the large cloud-white building just outside the garden.
The walls inside were stark white and bare of adornment. Various chemical smells scented the air, but something sharp and repugnant yet sickly sweet underlined these, a scent only the most delicate senses could discover.
It was the smell of madness.
Years ago, this scent had filled young Trust's mind with nightmares and horrors, nearly reducing him to the depths of insanity that surrounded him. Now he was its master, playing the insane as a puppeteer controls the strings. Its power was his, and he was its master.
After passing through and by many different passages, corridors and doors, they reached a door protected by one of the most advanced locking systems of the time. As the man in black proceeded to remove it, Reave Trust steeled himself for what awaited him inside. Finished, the man gave it a push, and the door opened smoothly.
Four tables, loaded with computers and various equipment, were the main setting of the room. There were four people here, one each table, and they did their work in silence. One of them suddenly leapt back, cursing at length, as sparks danced off the screen. "He's destroying the system!" he ranted, and then he saw the man in the suit and Reave. He froze.
The man stepped forward, in a stride before the static screen. He studied it a moment, then drew a pistol from his coat and shot the screen. It exploded in a shower of sparks, dead instantly. The scientist turned on him in fury and indignation.
"How dare you! That contained vital, irretrievable information! You bastard, you-"
"Doctor," Reave said quietly, and the scientist stared at him. Trust smiled gently at the angered man. "If the device was compromised, then no, it is not "vital". Our Subject is very sensitive. It is better, if it makes him...overwrought, to remove the object."
"It should be destroyed," the doctor proclaimed angrily. The other three stared at him in horror, but made no sound, no move; one returned to work with resignation in her eyes. "It is not even human! Its a monster, a danger to us all. It should be exterminated!"
Trust merely smiled and started walking the path between the tables. A door was before him, and its heavily fortified metal was dented and jarred in many places. He had a click, the doctor cry out, and a muffled shot, followed by the crash of flesh and equipment answering gravity's call. Trust ignored it all, and the door opened at his coming and closed directly behind him. The female scientist glanced at the mess on the floor, then at the man putting the gun back. "There's some cleaning solution in the closet down the hall, if you would be so kind," she said in a dull monotone. Another fool thinking her could out talk a superior. Well, he'd learned, just like the rest of them.
The room was filled with some obscure haze, though he registered it as fog. There was no sound, and to most the room would seem empty. He could feel the presence wit him, an individual as unique as himself.
"So you're back."
The voice was young, deceptively mild and gentle. Trust felt his foot nudge something and he glanced at the ground. There lay a body on the floor, a child not even in his teens. His eyes were open in mindlessness. "How are you today?" he asked calmly, ignoring the body now.
It took some time before he was answered. "Bored." Trust nodded softly. "How much longer do you intend to keep me here?"
"Not much longer," Trust replied noncommittally.
Someone stepped out of the haze. He could have passed for Trust's twin, save perhaps a brighter version of himself. His hair was whiter than the walls of the building, and his archaic robes just a shade darker. He was unusually pale, and looked almost fragile. His light brown eyes contained power and strength. "I want...out," he whispered, almost yearning. "Now," he added firmly.
"All in good time," Trust replied, equally firmly. He met the man's dark gaze, and the robed man smirked as neither dropped their gaze.
"Fine, I'll wait a little longer. Not much though," he warned. He stopped down, resting his hand on the boy's head. Trust watched him quietly, trying to probe his actions. In a moment, the boy's eyes suddenly lit up and he sat up, staring blankly forward. Trust studied him while the robed man smiled. "I've been practicing," he said. "He's almost empty now. He barely remembers his own name." He paused and seemed to be thinking. His face became more and more distraught. "What is my name?" he asked urgently, pleading.
Trust smiled slightly, amused. "How do you keep forgetting?" He reminded the worried man, "When you were found hanging over the cliff, you answered that query with Abysmaal." He remembered the first time he'd called the man by the name, and he had replied first with a puzzled expression 'that's not my name.' He'd never gotten more than that, and its absence disturbed him.
Abysmaal nodded slowly. "Yes...yes..." He stilled seemed confused. After a moment, he pulled himself back together and smiled at Trust. "I've something to show you," he told him.
Trust nodded slowly. "A new power?"
Abysmaal smiled softly. "I think you'll love it," he purred.

[Panda4christ:3]

Goodness Wolfy, how're you so good at this I mean honestly <3
I really like the character's names (though, that probably sounds pretty weird XD).
Pretty interested in seeing what happens next~

[Wolfsong]

um...thank you? XD
I'm glad you do, though. I love picking names for my characters.

Chapter 1

One of the skylights was flickering again. The quality of the replacements was decreasing steadily, and one wondered how long it would be till one stood in total darkness. Sector 6 was only a business sector, after all, and a low tier at that, so it tended to be overlooked in maintenance.
However, at the moment, that was the least of one person's worries.
"Excuse me!" the girl said, clutching at the sleeve of a passerby. "Have you seen my brother? He's got sandy ragged hair. Please, have you seen him?"
The man pushed her away with a 'don't bother me, child' and continued on his way. She watched him go, tears in her eyes.
"No one wants to help me," she whimpered. "Seth, where did you go? Please...why won't someone help me?"
Looking around, she spotted someone in less fancy attire. Quickly she rushed over. "Excuse me!" she said, rushing up to him. "I'm looking for my brother! He's...oh, Mr. Tamura!"
Mr. Tamura, owner of the tool shop on that street, had a gentle face and kind demeanor. He smiled at the frantic girl. "Good morning Maige."
"Good morning sir," she said softly, then instantly asked, "Sir,have you seen Seth? He didn't come back yesterday, and I'm worried sick the traffickers got him."
"I doubt that," he assured her. "Seth's a clever boy. Though his being out after dark is worrisome..." After a moment, he said quite seriously, "Whatever became of him, I suggest you get back home, off the street. I hear there's going to be another sweep today. The flower shop won't be hurt by a day's closure."
"A sweep? Oh Mr. Tamura, what if they..."
"Don't worry," he said. "I'll look for the boy. Go home, Maige."
Slowly, she nodded, then started moving. Her home was in Sector 4, and it would be a good couple of hours through the complex passages before she reached it. If she could just stay ahead of the sweep, she'd have a chance.
A sweep, or more correctly a search, meant men scouring the Sectors, seeking orphans and other undesirables, the kids especially as few missed a ragged dirty child. It was a well-known fact that those they captured were taken to the Labs on the first floor, to be used as experiments and test dummies. Sometimes, however, they didn't wait to find out if you were an orphan or not, and people learned to hide their children during a sweep.
Maige ducked into one of the tunnels the trains ran through and rushed along the tracks. The risks were great, but if she wanted any chance of getting to safety she needed to take the chance.
She ran in silence for the longest time, the only noise being the sound of her footsteps echoing off the walls. Wisps of earth-brown hair fell into her face; her braid had come loose while she was running. Her hand went instinctively to her head, then they dropped and she focused on running. Plenty of time for that later. She rushed around the curve, then stopped dead.
Three men stood there, almost like they'd been waiting. The two standing were dressed in a nondescript fashion, while the one slouched against the wall was dressed in midnight black with a snake-head tattooed on his cheek, its coils around his neck. The man straightened leisurely as she stopped cold. "You see Mich, I told you the sound was too light to be a man," he commented smugly.
The one he referred to as Mich was studying her with frank appraisal. "Okay, whatever. I'll pay when we get back." He pulled a small rectangular box from his pocket.
It was too far back to run, and besides she could be running right back into the search. The only way was forward, through the men who were trouble, and to hopeful safety. She bent down, picking up one of the loose pieces that had fallen from the track and held it up, her green eyes flashing as she prepared herself to fight.
The man snorted. "Oh look, she imagines herself a warrior now."
"Leave me alone," she said, trying to cover the tremor in her voice.
He smirked at her as he teasingly cowered back, openly laughing. "Oh, isn't she scary."
"Just get on with it Franz," the last one snapped, glancing around.
Franz grinned at him, then reached towards Maige. Quickly she swung the metal bar at his head, which he just deflected with his arm, which sported a metal wrist-guard. Instantly he grabbed her arm, twisting it back painfully so that she dropped the bar. "Don't fight," he said, reaching back to catch the metal box tossed to him. "And this won't hurt so much."
The wall suddenly burst inward, shattering rock raining down on them. Franz jerked instinctively back as a large rock just missed his head, and Maige pulled away, pushing past him.
"What the devil?!" he gasped, just as a rock smashed into his leg. Crying in pain, he reeled a moment before the damaged leg gave and he collapsed.
New voices filled the tunnels, their echoes thundering on the walls. Maige just ran, clutching her wrist. It had been twisted when she jerked free of the man's grip, and it hurt terribly. But she couldn't stop, had to keep moving.
"Someone's down that way!" one of the bouncing voices suddenly shouted. "Detain them! Hurry!"
"No - that way! He went that way!"
"Dash it all to he-"
Another explosion rocked the tunnels, and the ceiling groaned alarmingly. Almost weeping, Maige continued to stumble forward, terrified she would be found or, worse, buried under. She didn't want to die, not alone, buried in the cold earth. Another tremor knocked her off her feet, and one of the stone slabs of the ceiling began to crack. She cried out in pain; she'd landed on her injured wrist. "Help me!" she cried, reaching blindly for something to help her stand. "Someone please help me!"
She was suddenly pulled to her feet, and she raised her head in surprise.
"Now that I've helped you..." She found herself staring into a pair of beautifully clear brown eyes. "You help me." His hair was pure white, framing his handsomely cast face. She stared in wonder at this strange man. He smiled faintly, then tightened his grip on her wrist. "Come!" and he started running, pulling her after him.
"There!"
She glanced back fearfully. Three men in full black body suits were running after them; one was carrying with him a small device, though she couldn't make it out clearly. The stranger glanced back, then smiled. "Don't worry, we'll be alright," he said soothingly. He raised his hand, making some gesture at the ceiling.
The slabs started to crack, and particles were falling as they rushed under it. The instant she was clear, the slabs collapsed, burying the lead man and stopping the others. The stranger made another gesture, and more fell, til the whole section collapsed and barricaded the tunnel.
Maige stared in amazement, though at the speed he forced it was soon out of sight. She looked ahead to study him again. "Who are you?" she asked.
He glanced back at her, then grinned mischievously. "I suppose I should tell you, since we'll be together awhile. Heck, we're gonna be kinda like family for a bit."
"My-what?!"
"I helped you, you help me. That's how it works. And I need to stay under the radar." He laughed, still grinning. She tried to pull away, but he only tightened his grip. "You do it, or I'll leave you for the agents," he told her, still laughing. "And I know what the mad scientists here do to their test subjects."
"My brother won't like this," she protested weakly, and without any real strength. Her brother was missing, and that was a pretty solid threat he used. "Who are you anyway? A criminal?"
"Ha! More like a victim of the mafia running this place! how do you stand living in this hellhole?"
"Its home," she replied defensively. "What's your name?"
He suddenly froze, and she fell into his back. Despite that, he didn't budge. She straightened, grimacing, then leaned forward, trying to figure out what happened. His face, already such a pale tone, had gone a shade paler, and his eyes were wide and haunted. "Na...me," he whispered. "My...name..." He shook his head slowly, as though shaking off a fog. "I am Abysmaal, now," he finally said in a neutral tone. "Give me your cloak."
She stared at him a long time. He glanced at her, then released her arm. Slowly, she undid the clasp at her throat and the three buttons in front, pulling it open. Underneath the brown cloak was a navy blue dress, straight and simple. There was a little lace at the throat, but that was the extent of its frills. She pulled the coat off and held it out to him. He took it, studying the outfit. "Seems a little out of fashion for this place," he commented.
"I'm only middle class," she replied noncommittally. "My family works for a living."
He nodded and threw the coat over his shoulders, pulling the hood up over his hair. "So where are we going?"
She stared at him, her mind full of misgivings. "Why are they after you? What did you do, murder someone?"
"Why are you so convinced I'm some common criminal?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "I escaped one of their labs and they aren't happy about it."
"Labs? Are you Labborn?" She stared at him in some trepidation. He snorted.
"As if! No, they took me from outside the city. 'Saved my life' indeed!"
"Outside? You came from Outside?" she asked, excitedly, staring at him in a whole new light. "There really is an Outside?" He stared at her in surprise.
"What kind of place is this? You've never even seen outside of this city?" She shook her head slowly, eyes wide in wonder. He shook his head in amazement. "This ain't a city, its an elaborate cage!"
"No wonder you look so different," she breathed. "I've never seen anyone like you. Is everyone like you, Outside?"
"No, they're more varied than anything here. Seriously..." He shook his head again. "Tell me, as we go," he said, grabbing her arm as he started forward again. "Tell me about this city. Tell me how this crazy system works."
"Not here, they're doing a search today," she said nervously.
He smiled at her. "Lets find ourselves a place then, and you can give me the layout there."

[Wolfsong]

Chapter 2

Trust gazed silently out the window, hands clasped behind his back, impassive. The man in the black suit stood in the shadow of the wall, watching him. And in between them, seated on a chair,was the mindless boy. Not a word was spoken, and one could hear a pin drop in the surrounding, smothering silence. The view, visible through the glass wall, overlooked the bright and fancy houses of the rich and powerful. People in fancy dress walked gaily through the streets, carefree and careless.
Trust allowed himself an indulgent smile as he watched them, Proud fools they were, so full of their pomp and society. Most of them wouldn't last a minute in trial. Now he, he had outlasted them all, and what gifts he had gained from it!
The door opened, and a man entered. His face sported bruises and smudges, evidence of a lost fight. He glanced at the man in the corner, then turned his attention to Trust. "He escaped, Director," he reported. "He made it through the air vent, and escaped to the subway tunnel in Sector 6."
Trust turned his head slowly, meeting the man's eye with a dark gaze. "And? You did follow him, didn't you?"
"We tried, sir. He collapsed the walls on us, and successfully blocked the tunnels with a landslide that will take weeks to clear." He touched a bruise on his chin, the size of an egg with an ugly color. "I took the brunt, and only live thanks to the efforts of my companions. For my pains I was at least able to tag him so we can eventually follow him."
Trust nodded slowly. "Very good. Anything else?"
"Not much. We captured a couple men of the traffickers, but the third escaped. Also...I'm not sure how important this is, but the target had someone with him when he evaded us." He puled a couple of photos fro his pocket, along with a small metal box, "My partner took the pictures, and the box was confiscated from the traffickers. That is all."
Trust took the offered objects. "Dismissed." The man bowed, then left without glancing back. Trust studied the box, then held it towards the man in the corner. "Seems they've learned to capture electrical energy" he said quietly. "Considering the equipment they have, its quite impressive." The box suddenly rose from his hand and came to the man, who took it and studied it. Reave smiled faintly as he turned his attention to the photos. They were blurry, and it was clear the photographer had been running, but the two figures who were the focus of the pictures were still fairly obvious. Abysmaal was easy to make out, but the person with him was less clear. The first photo had only their back, and one couldn't put much into brown hair and cloak. Lots of people had that. The second photo was much better, as the person had turned to look back.
Trust crossed the room, his eye on the face in the photo. He glanced at the boy thoughtfully, then back at the photo. Lost in thought, his gaze slowly transferred from the photo to the view. From this side was visible the entrance to the second floor. The man watched him through half-lidded eyes, as if waiting for some action, some movement.
"What do you think?" Trust finally asked. "He's going to do everything in his power to escape the city, if only to escape me. He knows what I want, after all." Silence answered him. his gaze shifted as he smiled at his companion. "You feel...?"
Slowly, the man's cold gaze turned to the child. Trust fixed his gaze on him as well. "Him? Yes...do as you wish."
He stepped from the wall, moving towards the boy. Trust gazed out the window again, adding, "Only, don't snap what's left of his mind. We may need it." There was a choked-off cry, followed by silence.
His smiled slightly.

[Wolfsong]

Phew, been a while since I posted in here. Whelp, its a longer chapter than usual, so...enjoy.

Chapter 3

"I can't wear this over my head forever," Abysmaal complained, tugging at the hood.
"Tough," she retorted tartly. "Dye can be expensive down here, Ymil, so unless you've got a lot of money you'll just have to live with the hood for now."
Abysmaal groaned comedically. She glared at him. She had forced him to hammer down the name somewhat, as Abysmaal was an odd name, and unused as far as she knew in the city. They eventually changed it to Ymil as an acceptable public name. He found it very amusing, and even more so when he got on her nerves. There had already been several times she almost just stomped off and left him.
They reached a battered arch, beyond which houses were visible. Maige sighed in relief. "Sector 4," she said. "It isn't much, but its home."
He glanced around, then nodded softly. "Isn't much' is right." Maige whirled around in fury but was stunned to see a soft, genuine smile on his face. "It reminds me of home...if a little gray. Its nice." and he stepped through the arch.
Maige stared after him, then quickly trotted after him. As they neared the brick houses, she said softly, "I'm not sure you'll want to follow me home." He glanced at her questioningly but she cut off any questions he might have asked. "There's an abandoned house behind where I live. People don't go there anymore, except when the boys are having their 'ritual of bravery' thing, so you should be fine there. I'll meet you there in a few minutes, and then I'll answer whatever questions you have."
"Where do you live?" he asked softly. Maige stared straight ahead and didn't answer.
Eventually, she stopped in front of a gray building that, while not pleasant, was at least not sinister in appearance. She pointed to the place behind it, which despite its run-down exterior had a pleasant face. "You stay there, for now. I'll try and bring you some things in a few minutes."
He eyed the house in front, then the broken one, then her, before responding. "Alright, but if you don't show, I'll come looking for you." and he walked off, not looking back. Maige watched till he was out of sight, then broke into a run, hurrying down the street.
The building she came up to did have a sinister appearance, and there were no windows. Inside, the walls were dark gray with the single picture of a strict old man in a pressed suit. There was a desk, and a woman with a nice face sat there, rimless spectacles balanced on her nose.
Maige glanced in, shuddered, then rushed around the building. Ms. Marris spent her time keeping her face in a pleasant smile, and was pleasant with people passing through and the man she was seeing. With the children she was a demon with a pretty, smiling face. Maige wanted to avoid any contact with her, and hoped the side door was unlocked like it sometimes was.
There were no windows, and the side door was a squat, small thing. Bending over, she reached for the leaden knob. Taking a deep breath, she clutched it and twisted it.
It rattled a little but refused to turn.
Slumping, Maige quietly began preparing herself for the ordeal Ms. Marris would probably put her through when she went in. Ms. Marris knew she would be working at the flower shop until late, and she had a thing against "slackers", even if Search was a problem. She turned away from the door.
"Hey Miage, hold up!"
The wild red-haired boy slid off the roof, grinning as he dropped down beside her. She jumped, backing away quickly. "Loch! Don't do that!"
He grinned at her, saying, "Don't do what? Save your hide from the hag's care?" He held up a small key, smirking. "The appropriate words, now, would be "thank you"." He turned and started working at the lock.
"Thank you," Maige said with feeling. "I'm sorry, I just...can you help me gather some things?"
"Why, what's up?" he asked, pushing the door open, an eyebrow raised cockily as he grinned at her.
Despite herself, Maige smiled at him, his smile contagious. Loch had been one of those kids that got dumped on the orphanage door with nothing to prove his heritage, legacy, or parentage. Ms. Marris, who grouped the kids by age and family rank, had stuck him in the back rooms, which were small, dank and dark. Maige, who had been quite small at the time, snuck him to her room near the front because she felt sorry for him. Seth had helped too. Loch had never forgotten, and had been her stanch ally ever since.
"I...I found a kid, like us, but...I didn't want to bring him here. You know why. That and...he's...nervous around other people. I wanted to bring him some things, help him a little."
He smiled in understanding. "Is he a wild one? You need any help with him?"
"Oh no! I mean, he's really...um, shy," she said quickly, shrugging. She didn't like lying, and felt nauseous as she did it. But she couldn't let anyone meet this strange man, not yet. "It was difficult getting him to come with me. But he's hungry and-"
"Say no more. Come with me." and he slipped inside. She took a deep breath, swallowing heavily, and went in after him.
Inside, it was dark and rather cold. Marris had all the good stuff in her chambers, which was natural. It was every man for himself in this place, even one's job. Maige kepy her flower spot a secret for that reason, because flowers were a rarity in the city and she wanted the spot all to herself. Not only was it peaceful, but the flower shop was her one chance of buying her way out of the orphanage. She wasn't tough enough for the streets, so finding a new place was her best bet.
Several of the kids smiled when she and Lock came in, keeping quiet. They all had reason, as many used that door to evade Ms. Marris's attentions. Lock quickly explained the situation to a few clever ones who instantly set out to collect and steal, if need be. That was how you survived here.
"Take a load off," Lock told Maige, pushing her onto a bunk. "We'll get what you need and enough for you too."
"Me? But I'm not staying!" she protested, surprised.
"Nah, but you should be. There's been talk of abandoning this place." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "They may call this a workhouse, but we'll all orphans and both scientists and traffickers know it. This is a gold mine. Where do you suppose Danny, Kinsy and the others went? Heck, the **** probably sold them out herself."
"Loch!" Maige glared at him. He glared right back.
"I'm not taking it back, its true and our theories are likely true too. Its about time we left for good."
"I...I'll leave when you do!" she replied. "We'll be in this all together. We should stay together. We're all we have."
He stared at her, then sighed. "Fine. I know that look. We'll leave tonight then."
"We're leaving?!" a kid behind him suddenly piped up.
For a second, there was a stunned silence followed by a flurry of action. Lock grinned as the kids rushed about, gathering their meager belongings. Then the kids sent to collect came running back to deliver the goods before running to get their own things. Lock turned to Maige questioningly as she took the ratty blankets and pail of food in her arms. "You want some help with that?"
"No, I'll be fine," she said quickly. "Thank you Lock."
"No sweat. Hey," he added as she turned to leave. "We were thinking of the abandoned mansion behind ol' Cutter's house as a new home. Do you want..."
She froze even as her mouth said, "That would be nice." She realized with a sinking heart she'd have to move Abysmaal to a new place. Smiling at Loch, she hurried away, hoping her unexpected new acquaintance wasn't terrorizing the nice old couple in the house she'd claimed to live in.
The place was quiet when she arrived. Carefully dumping the blankets through the open window, she climbed cautiously in. "Ymil? Its Maige..." A board upstairs creaked and she jumped. but there was no sign of him. Shivering, she called again. "Ymil, if you're in here, please get down here. I brought food..." Still nothing. She stepped further in.
It wasn't a creepy place exactly. All the open spaces allowed the light to come in unhindered, and at the right time of day the dust flying in the air looked like sparkles. However, even with all that, the right sounds can still send chills down your spine.
She moved further in surrounded by those sounds. Despite the odd creaks, however, she was slowly losing her fear. At this point, it seemed so overdone, she knew it had to be him trying to scare her. "Ymil, I know its you. Stop fooling around or I'm leaving!"
Her arms were suddenly jerked upwards behind her back, stretching them painfully. Gasping, she froze in shock. A familiar voice whispered into her ear. "Well well. This is a surprise." Twisting her head around, she found herself face to face with the man from the tunnel, the one called Frank. Choking out a barely audible shriek she struggled to break loose. He chuckled as he suddenly released her, sending her crashing to the floor.
"Its interesting, our running into each other like this. It must be fate," he said casually as she rolled onto her side, clutching her wrist again. She glared up at him, trying desperately to come up with a defense, as he smirked at her. "Your timing is impeccable, by the way. I was just passing through, thinking about how slow business was today." Smiling sardonically, he extended his hand. "Won't you come with me?"
Her eyes widened, and she scrambled back, trying to reach her feet. He instantly dropped down, both hands landing with her head between them. He was practically on top of her now. Startled, her mouth opened to scream, which he covered quickly with his hand, his balance already adjusted. "Just be good and quiet now," he said softly, smiling. "I'll be gentle."
He suddenly was bodily lifted up and flung into the wall. Maige found Abysmaal standing over her, hands on his hips and grinning as he shook his head.
"You are a full-time job, you know that?" he remarked, crouching. She stared up at him with terrified eyes. His grin softened and he gently patted her head. "There there...you're okay. He's not going to touch you again."
"Ab...Ymil!" she gasped. She started sobbing as she sat up, then flung her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder. He stiffened, then sighed resignedly and put his arms around her.
"Sheesh, its okay Maige." he glanced up as Frank rose out of the rubble, clearly alright, if perhaps shaken. Abysmaal grinned slowly. "Tell ya what. I'll beat him senseless while you watch. How about that?" She pulled herself off him, not making a positive or negative gesture, but moved behind him, just watching mutely. He grinned, his lip curling back just enough to reveal sharp teeth, like an animal.
Franz studied this with a raised eyebrow. "Jeez, another Labborn? Or are you some female aristocrat's lost pet?"
Abysmaal chuckled, though it had a hard edge. "Aren't you a pleasant character, picking on little girls. Pathetic waste of flesh, that's all you are, the dust mote trying to claim significance against the stars."
"Oh, another poet. How droll. How wonderful." Franz shook his head, reaching into a pocket. "Back off, daydreamer, I want this one."
"Sorry kid, I want her right now."
His eyes narrowed at being called a kid. Pulling a metal glove out of his pocket, he pulled it onto his hand, watching Abysmaal with a vulture's steady eye. "Is that so. Well, with the right buyer, you'd make a pretty penny yourself. Shall we play, pet?" Snapping his wrist, the glove crackled with a strong electrical energy. He held up his over hand, a metal covered fist, and smirked.
"I've killed and tamed many like you."
Abysmaal snorted, crouching down. "Oh, I doubt you've met anyone like me." He radiated such confidence and strength. Maige watched fearfully, suddenly afraid for him. Franz shook his head with a pitying expression, tensing his arm. His gloved hand filled with electricity.
"Ymil, he could kill you," Maige warned, eyes wide.
"If he can hit me," he snorted. "Which I certainly question." He lunged forward suddenly with his arm swinging forward, his fingers taking on the form of a clawed hand. Franz ducked under his swipe, his fist shooting upwards into Abysmaal's diaphragm. Abysmaal grabbed his shoulders and vaulted over him, shoving him to the ground and almost into his own fist. Franz somersaulted and spun around, a huge grin on his face.
"So you are something more than a lady's pet!" he said. His whole face lit up as he crouched again. "Something more indeed...delightful!"
Abysmaal smirked and was about to launch himself forward again when he halted in mid stride, an alarmed look on his face. Franz tilted his head slightly, as though listening. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and he nodded to himself.
"Ah...I'll have to ask for a raincheck on that brawl. I suppose its just as well..." Glancing at Maige, then at Abysmaal, he said seriously, "Take my advice, don't hang around. Whether you're an escapist or not, the Search will definitely be interested in you."
"The Search!" Maige gasped, terrified all over again. She'd completely forgotten! Franz smiled at her.
"No worries love, if you get under cover fast enough. Au revoir!" He rushed past Abysmaal with inhuman speed and vanished out the broken window.
Maige ran to Abysmaal, who stared out the window with a black expression. "Ymil, come on! We have to get out of here! He's right that you're unusual, and that's one of the things the Search is always interested in!"
"You mean, like orphans? I noticed you didn't enter that house you claimed as yours." He gave her a deliberate look, while she fidgeted uncomfortably. "Just what kind of a city is this, that such things are even allowed?" he exclaimed in exasperation.
"I'll explain, everything, if we could please just go!" she begged, almost in tears she was so desperate.
Finally, after a few agonizing seconds, he nodded. "Where do you intend to hide now?"
"Its on the edge, but if we run we might make it. They've never searched there, ever."
"It" is what?"
"An old cathedral," she said softly. "Its where I...collect my flowers." She grimaced, then said, "Come, we need to hurry." Much to her surprise, Abysmaal suddenly lifted her up, cradling her against his chest like a child, and sprinted out the same way Franz took. Taken by surprise, she almost shrieked, and had to bite her lip to keep it from coming out. He seemed amused by her expression.
"So which way?" he asked.
"Um, north," she said, rallying her thoughts. It felt weird not walking it herself. "Till you reach the edge of town, then go northwest." She gasped as he started running again. He was extremely fast, running like the wind was carrying him. Her eyes softened, and she surprisingly found herself relaxing unconsciously. It felt amazing, the wind against her face.
They were nearing the edge of the city when he stopped cold. For a second, she didn't get it, but then, as he pressed into the shadows of the building, she saw the men in uniform crossing between the buildings.
"The Search," she whispered. Abysmaal waited till they were out of sight, then bolted. Someone shouted behind them, and she could see two men changing course to follow them. Whimpering, she buried her face in Abysmaal's shoulder.
He snorted, and just kept running.