City of gods - Hellenica (31 page)

The demon gave up just as she was about to start the second decade of waiting.

“Stop,” it cried. “I beg you, stop! I’ll do anything you wish, just stop!”

Kayana stopped meditating and then floated towards the demon.

“I’ll only stop if you tell me your kind’s origins, leader and purpose,” said Kayana. “If you refuse, you’ll be trapped here for eternity with me.”

“You can’t ask me that,” said the demon. “If I tell of my leaders, they’ll do far worse to me than what you’re doing now.”

“If you tell me truth I’ll make sure your death is quick and painless,” said Kayana.

“All I ask of you is
death
,” said the demon. “A slow, painful death at your hands will still be better than—”

“I promise you death,” said Kayana. “Now, tell me where you’re from and what your kind’s purpose is before I slow time even further.”

“All right,” said the demon, “I’ll tell you my tale. Cease your floating and sit with me; my name is
Yaotl.
”

/***/

The demon lit a fire and reverted back into what Kayana assumed to be its original form. It kept the shape of a man but its flesh disappeared into smoke. Kayana sensed fear from it; not fear of her, but fear of what would happen if it were to return to its master as a traitor.

“Your Academy is destined for things, you know,” said Yaotl. “All gods know this in the back of their minds. Powerful gods like Dagon take action, not for what it is now, but for what it might be. Its potential is extraordinary.”

“How so?” asked Kayana.

“The Academy will bring the world truth,” said Yaotl.

“What is this truth?” asked Kayana.

“I don’t know,” said Yaotl, “but the world will follow you. Gods, people, spirits and even demons will follow the Academy in time.”

Kayana meditated on that for two weeks; the demon waited patiently and when she came to, he spoke again.

“But the Academy by itself does not anger my god. His name is
Quetzalcoatl
,” said the demon. “It’s the Horsemen. The Academy is simply setting the stage for you to come to your destiny, perhaps the world’s destiny.”

“I’ve heard much talk of our
destiny
,” said Kayana. “We’re to end the world, even though none of us have the power or desire to do such a thing.”

“Destiny is a funny thing,” said Yaotl. “It involves a long, circuitous path out of its owners’ control. Oftentimes two destinies collide, and there is only room for one.”

“And your Quetzalcoatl’s destiny is opposed to ours?”

“Indeed,” said the demon. “There is only room for one.”

Kayana slowed time down only with herself and thought upon that for a week. To the demon it was a mere second.

“We are to end the world,” said Kayana, “and from what I understand of the god Quetzalcoatl, his destiny is to return at world’s end and save it. From what I’ve heard, he is a good god, and our destinies are not incompatible.”

“It’s not that simple,” said Yaotl. “The Horsemen have been feared since the dawn of time, but the world needs you, not to help end itself, but to help itself
start over
. You’ll wipe the slate clean so the world may be born again. Quetzalcoatl wants the world
as it is now
, to dominate it. Not the domination of Dagon—control through money and fear—but the domination of the soul. He wants to unify the world under one god and teach us how to live together.”

“It sounds noble,” said Kayana, “but no plan that starts with sending demons into dreams can be noble. He dominates through fear; at least Dagon dominated through fear
and
a paycheck.”

“I assure you Quetzalcoatl’s intentions are noble in the long run,” said the demon. “But for now, he does what he must; destiny is a dark business.”

“Dagon also claimed to do what he
must
,” said Kayana. “He called it
getting his hands dirty
, and promised a better tomorrow in exchange for torment today.”

“Fine,” said the demon, “you win this round of rhetoric; I can’t tell you what the world will look like in a century, or even tomorrow. Quetzalcoatl’s Utopia or the Horsemen’s Armageddon, which is better? I don’t care, all I ask is that you kill me now; when word gets out that I’ve spoken with you, they’ll begin their hunt for me in earnest. So kill me thoroughly; if any part of my soul survives they’ll find it, and you’ll hear my screams whenever you close your eyes.”

Kayana looked at the demon; he was telling the truth, and had nothing more to tell her. She floated above him and then made her right hand sharp and hot. She ripped out his heart and burned it to cinders, and watched him closely as he faded into nothingness. The creature thanked her with a gasping breath, gave her a respectful nod, and was gone.

Kayana dispersed the dome and turned time back to normal. She then flew towards the sky and looked for a way back into reality; she’d had enough dreaming for one night.

/***/

Kayana refrained from speaking of the demon, but told Cassander of his own dream, and he nodded in silence.

“I don’t remember my dreams,” he said, “but I suppose it makes sense. Spartan life teaches you how to survive and how to kill, but it doesn’t teach you how to deal with matters like that.”

“Was the dream true?”

“Yes,” said Cassander. “But in reality, somehow it’s still worse.”

“I felt your grief,” said Kayana. “It was educational.”

Cassander laughed.

“Would you like another lesson in human emotion?” he asked.

“Of course,” said Kayana.

“Then stay right here,” he said with a smile and walked off.

/***/

Tommy showed up ten minutes later with two odorous plants in his hand; his suit also looked strange. Kayana chose not to look at him, and instead stared forward. After a few moments of silence, Tommy spoke.

“Cassander said you’d be here,” said Tommy. “I brought some flowers.”

Kayana still didn’t answer, but she took the dying plants with her gloved fingers and put them at her feet. She recognized his presence with a brief glance.

“I made some clothes for us, for our team,” said Tommy. “Saoirse and I made them, actually.”

Tommy handed Kayana a dark, form-fitting suit.

“The primary color is black, but mine is lined with green,” said Tommy. “Yours is lined with black; notice how it’s even darker.”

Kayana examined the material; it was like nothing she’d ever seen. Her material was thinner than anything she’d ever felt before.

“Saoirse designed our clothes to match our abilities,” said Tommy. “Mine wraps around my suit, but I also have clothes I wear on the inside. It protects others if take off my helmet. Yours is thin but solid, so it allows you to feel things without killing them.”

“Thank you,” said Kayana. “Is this all?”

“One more thing,” said Tommy. “Look at me.”

Kayana looked at Tommy. She stared back at him and tried to deduce his intent, but couldn’t quite grasp his feelings. His heart was beating rapidly and she could smell the sweat coming from his hands.
It’s a fight-or-flight response,
she thought.
Perhaps there’s hidden danger down here in the Manitou.

“I like you,” he said.

“Understood,” said Kayana. “Anything else?”

“No,” he said, removing his helmet and looking at her, “I really like you. Cassander told me that you don’t experience emotions the same way we do, and I need to describe precisely how I feel for you. So here goes …

“I’ve always had friends, but I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel for you. I feel deeply for you, in the way that couples have felt for each other since time immemorial. I can’t expect you to understand how I feel, but I know you can understand the
depth
of what I’m experiencing. You sense emotion and analyze it; all I ask is that you take in how I feel now and know that it’s for you.”

“Your heart’s beating quite heavily,” said Kayana, “as if you’re in danger.”

“I am in danger,” said Tommy.

“Do you fear me?”

“Yes … no,” said Tommy. “Yes, but in a good way. Do you understand?”

“No,” said Kayana. “Not in the slightest.”

Tommy smiled and then looked at the artificial moon. Tommy reached out and grabbed her hand; his palms were still sweating, but her cold skin soothed him a bit.

“I’d like to be with you,” said Tommy, speaking as if he had rehearsed it. “To be with you—just you. To hold hands like this, and talk with each other. I want to elevate our relationship to a new, exclusive level. Do you understand that?”

“Somewhat,” said Kayana.

“Cassander said that you might,” said Tommy with a smile.

They sat hand-in-hand, silently, for another ten minutes.

“He also said that you had patience like no other,” said Tommy. “But tell me, how do you feel about me?”

Kayana thought for a moment on this.

“I cannot say that I have feelings for you, Alderon,” said Kayana. “If you died right now in front of me, I wouldn’t shed a tear; I’m not equipped to feel such emotions, for you or for anyone. The emotions of which you speak are foreign to me; it would be akin to explaining fear to an inflamed Berserker, or bloodlust to an innocent child.”

Tommy held on to her hand, but she noticed that his heart began to race again, and his eyes welled up with tears. He didn’t cry, but he did grit his jaw and nod in acceptance.

“However,” said Kayana, “I am interested in learning of these emotions. Cassander cared for two people much as you desire to care for me, and the mere loss of those people has wounded him so deeply that he all but lives in Purgatory.

“I would like to attempt to experience that depth of emotion,” said Kayana. “And I would like to try experiencing it with you, Thomas.” 

“Good,” he said, smiling.

An alarm on his wrist went off; it was time for morning call. Kayana got up, but Tommy pulled her back down gently.

“Can I walk you through these woods? Have this moment last a little longer?”

“It makes no difference to me whether you do or not,” she said. “I have no feelings and—”

“I would like to,” said Tommy, interrupting. “Please let me walk with you through these woods.”

“You may,” said Kayana.

Tommy took off his helmet and left it on the ground. He walked with her through the Manitou underneath the artificial starlight as the artificial sun peeked through the forest. They mainly walked in circles; Tommy told her that some dangerous creatures were growing in the Manitou now, so they didn’t walk too deep into the woods.

Twenty minutes into their walk, Tommy held Kayana’s hand. He was sweating, but calmed down and stepped onto a small rock to match her in height. He put his lips on hers for a moment, and then put them back there for a moment longer.

“How was that?” he asked.

“It feels,” said Kayana, “like it
should
be
.”

/***/

They got back to their quarters an hour after breakfast. No one missed them at morning call; the Academy officially gave the Horsemen the day off to make sure that all the Spartans were clear of demons.

Saoirse was wearing her suit already; it was black with white stripes. Kayana then put her suit on and it fit well.

“Are you sure it’s safe?” she asked. “I can feel everything as if it was touching my bare skin.”

“Tommy made the fiber so that you won’t harm anyone with your touch,” said Saoirse. “But I added a hidden design element, just in case. Do as I do.”

Saoirse balled up her hands and expanded them outwards in a quick motion. Kayana did the same and bits of material on her gloves loosened to expose the insides of her fingertips. With another hand movement the material covered her hands again.

“Just in case,” said Saoirse.

Gunnar came out, and his suit was the most impressive of all. It was lined with red stripes and held countless pockets and compartments. It was sleek, and Gunnar had them feel his muscles. They were hard to the touch, even harder than Gunnar’s muscles usually were.

“It’s lined with adamantine,” said Tommy. “
Just in case
.”

Kross whined, and then spoke to Saoirse. She spoke back to him, and then addressed the group.

“He wants a suit too,” said Saoirse. “I told him:
soon
.”

“I agree,” said Gunnar. “The Four Horsemen need a scout.”

Gunnar pet Kross, who laughed in appreciation; this was his pack. Saoirse and Gunnar smiled, but Tommy did not.

“I don’t quite understand it,” said Tommy. “We’re the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? I mean, aren’t those guys bad? I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You have deadly powers whether you like it or not,” said Gunnar.

“Yet I don’t use them,” said Tommy. “I’ve spent my life preventing others from getting my sickness. Saoirse doesn’t hurt anyone, and I’ve only seen you attack bullies, Gunnar. Kayana is Death and she perhaps has the greatest sense of justice of us all. The Four Horsemen’s destiny is to end the world? I don’t know if any of us will want to do that.”