Untitled
So much for thinking of what to say. As the orange light of late afternoon faded into the blue hue of evening, David decided that he could no longer wait for this Nathaniel person. Thinking back on the instructions that his friend gave him, it was one of the last: To reveal their plans in hopes of gaining more insight to what is going on. David knew that Nathaniel was an important piece to this puzzle he was trying to solve; afterall, Alexander was adamant about him observing him. Why?
David was about to turn away from his waiting spot. Maybe Nathaniel changed his mind right after he made the call. There is a high chance he was convinced not to come. He was the enemy. But his friend was just as determined to gain Nathaniel’s cooperation, and he was unsure if he should skip this step. I’ll try again another ti- Wait. He wasn’t sure if there was going to be a next time, for as he was heading back up the path, there lay the man he was waiting for. Nathaniel was not moving. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, I am not in the mood to carry him, David thought, as he picked him up and adjusted him around his back like an immensely heavy backpack. Despite the lingering ache of his limbs from regeneration, there was no doubt in his actions. If his friend really needed this guy, then so did David. He was useless dead. As he reached his car with a hefty sprint, David shoved Nathaniel into the back seat and pushed the pedal at full speed to the closest store he knew was run by the members of his friend’s group. That turned out to be a Shoppers Drugmart a few blocks away. He parked his car haphazardly before half dragging, half supporting the limp body of this stranger into the store. Walking straight up to the cashier, he said, “Code black. Now.” The cashier was neither shocked nor surprised by the words. He simply gave the two of them a quick look before announcing on the intercom through a coil-corded phone- Well. There was no sound coming from the PA system, so it may have been a separate line that led to whoever the cashier was talking to. Once the conversation was done, he directed David towards the back where the pharmacy was. David wasn’t paying attention as he walked down the aisle. Employees had now gone around asking customers to leave the store for various reasons. There were some who were closing down blinds and turning down certain lights. By the time he had reached the counter, the whole store was shut down. There was no one left in the store except them and the pharmacist, a young male with sharp eyes, his skin tanned an olive shade. "How can I help you, David?" he spoke, a deep but welcoming tone. There was no need for introductions at this point. David was certain this was his friend. He was unsure how he knew, but he wasn’t going to waste more time dwelling on the subject. He assumed magic was at play. “Nathaniel is dying.” The man scratched his chin in wonder, his stubble prickly and unkempt. “Ethen is a Taint. He isn’t dying. He’s suffering a temporal shut down of his organs.” He gestured the two of them around the counter and into a backroom where they laid the new identified stranger Ethen onto a seat. The pharmacist began to examine the body and noticed the cuts that did not heal. “So this is the result of the new weapon Flynn has been producing.” David was still stuck on the whole organ shut down thing. “Can you explain this to me, why this is happening?” Without turning away from Ethen, he began taking tools and started picking away at the flesh around the wound. “Ethen hear saved my life again, but just as you are betraying your family head, Ethen has been rebelling against his leader.” "But why? How do you know that? And how come he can’t heal his way out of this one?" The pharmacist had gathered quite a pile of skin. The cuts that he stopped picking from were slowly healing, but there were still a lot more he had to do. “I know because too many members from these groups dividing Taints and Elementals from one another come to me for salvation. Sanctuary. Something of the like. Simply because I believe we are more alike than everyone else believes.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. “As for these cuts..” He gestured David toward him to take a closer look. David noticed the bubbling effect immediately. It did not only affect him but it also affected Taints. The pharmacist noticed. “Seems to me you had an encounter with Flynn’s weapons, yes?” "I lost my forearm, but I was able to reject it from my system a lot earlier. It looks like this, uh, Ethen guy had these cuts for a lot longer than me." "Exactly," he replied, "Flynn believes having the blood weapons of biologically stronger Taints held by a much more skilled Taint will kill Elementals. He has attempted to kill me once with it. Without any real knowledge at the time, I only knew the weapon was unable to do much damage except make things harder for me to use my magic. Slower. Kind of like trekking through quick sand. The Taint member in my group that was with me at the time suffered a worse fate, almost like Ethen’s here. Not knowing what to do, they died from the poison of their own blood." Finally turning away, he wiped the areas with a disinfectant. The pharmacist continued his explanation. “Anyway, at this rate, he is still going to die. His heart has shut down to prevent the poison from travelling to his brain using his veins as his guide. Unfortunately, that only means it’ll take longer for it to seep through. Which is where you come in.” In the next second, the pharmacist jammed a needle right into David’s arm and sucked up the tube with a dark red ooze. With a swift motion, he removed the needle, replaced the tip and injected it into Ethen’s resting arm. Once David’s blood was fully injected, the pharmacist turned his attention back to David and began bandaging the needle. “Ok, ouuuuuch. That was a huge needle.” "Indeed, but we need the blood of a terra-elemental, the regeneration type." "I know." David sat down in the spare chair that was available in the small, cramped room. "I-I remember how I was suppose to die." The pharmacist didn’t seem too surprised by the development. He was already aware of Yuki and David’s relationship prior to that day. The real question was why did it take so long? Taking a seat next to David, he took his arms and examined them. “These arms, your arms, belonged to a good friend of mine and Alexander’s. At the time, Alexander based his home at a church, with an orphanage, and I found it ironic how a man obsessed with war would do such a thing. Anyway, we had him buried there.” There was a long moment of silence. David knew exactly what he was talking about. The orphanage where he was from. Where Lorena was from. Where most of the guardians were born. They all died that day. All died to the only Taint child there. Yuki. "We were not made the same way as Yuki did, right? We were all human before." "Right," the pharmacist said. "At the time, everyone believed that Taints and Elementals were so radically different that they were poison to one another. When we met again after the orphanage was dealt a bad hand, I knew you has an Elemental-Human hybrid. Now you have Taint blood mixed in too." David nodded. ” ‘Xander’s been experimenting.” The pharmacist laughed. “That’s Alexander for you. Truth be told though, you were always an Elemental. That orphanage belonged to one my members who wanted to raise all of you into believing you were human. You had untapped energy as a terra-elemental and it was more powerful thanks to those limbs of yours. The Taint blood that is in you now actually negates those abilities from growing.” "What do you mean?" "It means that when Elemental blood and Taint blood are mixed, they become more, hm, human? Taint blood is poison for Taints and and Elemental blood is destructive depending on the pairing. The reason why Taints can kill us with their blood weapons is because it’s concentrated. Overpowers the Elemental energy which keeps us alive. It is the same the other way around. But if we equal it out, we can be more human." He took his supplies and began cleaning up. "At least that’s what I believed, and so did Julien and Emma." "Who are those people anyway?" David held his head. "I.. wondered who Emma was as soon as I remembered." "Alexander’s lover." David looked up. He was looking for signs that this was some kind of sick joke, but the pharmacist continued to clean his tools without looking at him. "She had been part of his family as one of the most powerful aqua-elementals, just like Alexander. A formidable foe to strangers, but we knew how sensitive she was. At her age where every Elemental were having children, she couldn’t." He shook his head before continuing his story. “After what happened at the orphanage, Emma could not take any more of Alexander’s experiments. She took Yuki away with her at the time.” The pharmacist turned around. He looked distressed. “This Taint child who was also capable of blood magic.. where in hell did she spawn from?” "Do you think she may be a different breed entirely? Do you think.." No. Another click. “How long did Alexander li-” They were interrupted by their guest.
"Why isn't he picking up his phone?!" Cain yelled, frustrated about Ethen not picking up his phone for the tenth time.
He left an hour, picking up his car at a friend's house but why wasn't he picking up his phone? Ethen is the type of person who would always pick up his phone especially when Cain called.
Making another call, he didn't pick and went straight to voice-mail. Now, Cain is getting worried. He shouldn't have let Ethen left by himself during the night and offer to drive him there. However, Ethen is strong enough to protect himself from danger. He's known as the Unforgivable, no Elemental will dare attack him. But how about Taints?
Cain knew there were Taints who hated Ethen; their jealousy of how powerful he is and a possibility of treason against their kind but Cain trusted Ethen. His pride for their kind is strong. He has killed far too many Elementals than all the other Taints combined. When he joined the group, all he did was do the dirty work. No other Taints were as brave than Ethen who didn't give a shit until one day, the day of Julien's death, he broke down. Never listened to anyone's orders. Never accepted any assignments. Never came out of his room when they lived together.
He remembered the days where he stood in front of Ethen's door, waiting for him to come out or convince him to leave. Not for an assignment but Cain was worried. He could not take or watch his best friend suffering over a traitor's death but Ethen wasn't the only one. Though Cain wasn't close to Julien, he respected him as a role model. Everyone did.
"Maybe his phone died," Sasha pointed out, staying calm while she's setting up the table.
"It's been an hour, he should be home by now," Cain trembled, pacing around and looking at his phone to see if Ethen would call him back.
"Don't worry, Ethen can manage," she stated, going back to the kitchen to plate the floor.
But he is worried. Always had and always been. They've never seen each other for five years. He was busy with the group but to be honest, they were keeping him away from Ethen. Why? They tried to convince him about Ethen's treason for joining Julien and forming a group to go against their kind. There was no way. Cain was there of Julien's death. He watched Ethen stabbing his body multiple times on the chest, decapitated his head and a strike through the skull with his blood on his blade. He was there to observe Ethen from afar to see if he was doing his job but he disobeyed orders by stopping Ethen from overkill before he tried killing himself with his own weapon.
To give Ethen some time off, he left to work with the group by doing the dirty work without getting Ethen involved. Though Ethen blames him for leaving, he had no choice because it was his fault for asking Ethen to join. He's doing this for Ethen's sake. Now, the group fell impatient to get rid of the Elementals. They want Ethen's powers back. The power to instantly kill them. Cain was the first one to witness Ethen's true powers to kill both Elemental and Taints.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Panicking to pick up, he recognize the number but it wasn't Ethen's. "What do you want, Flynn?" he asked, frustrated not to hear anything what his boss has to offer.
"Is Ethen with you?" he asked, sounding desperate. Cain's first time hearing his boss panicking.
"No, he just left his apartment a while ago. What business do you have with him?" Cain hissed.
"Nothing, you don't need to worry," Flynn protested, ordering his men to leave through the line.
Sasha stood beside Cain, to listen carefully about what Flynn was about to say. Cain put it up on speaker so he could yell, "You better fucking tell me what you want from Ethen because you've tortured the hell out me to do your dirty work by convincing Ethen to do this stupid job! Ethen killed Julien and I was ordered to keep watch. He killed the man, he's dead! There is no way in fucking hell that man is alive!"
Cain took a deep breath to continue yelling but when he looked at Sasha, he shuts his mouth. He said something that Sasha should never know about and now, she knows. And she wasn't very pleased.
She grabs Cain's phone. "You fucking bastard! You promised me that I would kill Julien! And you let Ethen kill him instead! You've lied to me!" she yelled at the phone, hoping that Flynn didn't hang up.
He was still there, laughing on the other line. "I'm sorry, my dear. Julien was your lover and would you kill him? Do you have the power to kill someone who you once loved and was engaged to? I don't think so," he stated, talking to Sasha and ignoring Cain whose the owner of the phone.
Sasha fell silent. Cain took his phone back and by taking another deep breath, he asked again as to why Flynn wanted Ethen. Flynn spilled the beans. He tells Cain about their kind leaving the group to join with Alexander who has a plan that would satisfy the needs of both Elementals and Taints; a way to end the war between them.
Cain could hardly keep up with the information but he didn't care about that. He wanted to know why both Alexander and Flynn want Ethen. Flynn has no idea what Alexander is planning to do with Ethen but he wants to keep Ethen safe where non of Alexander's men could find him.
No, you're just like Alexander. You're going to use his powers to eliminate an entire race, he thought. Ethen is the key to stop the war and with that key, the Taints will have their revenge and move on.
"Alexander's men might be out there to capture Ethen. Do you have any idea of his whereabouts?" Flynn asked, desperately.
"No, I don't. He said he was going out to get his car back but he hasn't picked up any of my calls," Cain answered, getting worried about the possibilities.
"Find him. This is an order," Flynn demanded.
"I will but not for your sake but for mine because I'm his friend," he stated, knowing the consequences of disobeying orders but he didn't care.
"You dare disobey me! You are committing treason!" Flynn yelled.
Cain smirked. Before, he knew why Ethen left the group. This time, he will officially leave the group. To be free from orders. To live a life like the past with Sasha and Ethen. And fight beside each other against their enemies or foes. They will continue to survive.
"I am," he ended, hanging up the phone.
"Smooth, don't regret your choice," Sasha suggested, already making a mess with the food from her anger. She cross her arms, having a moment to think about something but Cain couldn't wait. He had to find Ethen. Both Flynn and Alexander have their eyes on Ethen and if one of them has him, how is the world going to face it?
"I need to find Ethen," he said, how obvious his statement is. He grabs his keys on the counter when Sasha stops him. He looks at her, mad but a bit worried.
"Let me come with you. I can track Ethen down better than you. They didn't call me, the Tracker, for no reason," she stated, smiling her fake smile.
Cain grabs her wrist, pulling her closer to him; letting her body embrace his. He puts her head on his shoulder, stroking her hair. "If you do, you will become a traitor to the group. Are you alright with that?" he whispered in her ear.
Her body starts to tremble. Though Sasha didn't have a huge role in the group, she joined because of Julien and the rest of her friends. She didn't want to be alone, waiting at home for their return. So using her abilities to track people down, she was useful to them for a while. Even though she suffer from Julien's betrayal and the constant interrogations, she continued to move on; better than Ethen and Cain. She still loves Julien. Her first love. Even though she didn't accept his betrayal, she still loves him so killing him would have been a struggle.
"As long as I have you and stupid Ethen, it doesn't matter," she said, nuzzling her face on his shoulder as she started to cry.
+ + +
"Yo Ethen, I heard what happened between you and Marcus' group. What did you do now?" Julien asked, patting the ground and tell Ethen to have a seat right beside him.
He listens, sitting down with his best friend on an edge of a cliff to look at the beautiful scenery of the Amazon forest. A beautiful scene, indeed. With blooming trees, birds flying and a long river streaming down towards the horizon.
"Nothing," he answered, hugging his legs and looking straight at the refreshing scenery.
Julien starts patting Ethen's head like a dog. When Ethen turn his head to ask what his friend was doing, Julien smiled. "Nothing? You did something. I heard you cut someone's arm and leg off," Julien smirked.
"And a torso. They suddenly attacked me for giving another Elemental a chance to live," he admitted, looking back at the scenery.
"You've spared another Elemental's life?" Julien questioned.
Ethen remained silent. Though it was a policy to all Taints to kill every Elementals they see, he couldn't kill this one; it was a woman pregnant with a child. She was at a disadvantage when she tried to run away so he let her go.
"Do you think you did the right thing?" Julien asked, staring back at the scenery but his hand laid on top of Ethen's head.
"I couldn't kill a woman who is pregnant with a child," he answered, not really answering his question.
"Then you did the right thing. Don't listen to them. If you think it was the right thing to do, then do it. No one's not going to judge you. Do you understand, Ethen?" Julien asked, putting his head on his shoulder.
Ethen smiled for a bit, "I will listen to you, Julien."
Again with the patting, Julien starts to laugh and kissing his head. "I know you're a bit too young to understand but trust me, I will raise you into a fine gentlemen. So, be a good boy for me!" he laughed.
He nods in agreement. Hugging his best friend back until, flames surrounded them. Burning everything from the plantations, the animals and even the sky.
Julien was no where to be seen as Ethen runs around to find his best friend. "Julien! Julien!" he called but no answer.
"Ethen!" a voice echoed.
A blink, the flames are gone. No longer in the Amazon forest, Ethen was in a different area. A burnt down house and in front of him, a dead woman bleeding from her torso and her face unrecognizable.
"Emma! Emma!" a man's voice shouted. Ethen didn't notice another body being arched down as he cried for the dead woman. He walks closer to get a better look when he recognize the man.
"Julien..." he said, reaching for his friend when he notice his blade and hands are covered in blood.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" he repeated, looking at Ethen. This was Ethen's first time seeing Julien crying. The man who he thought had a strong heart and always having a smile, now looked like a pathetic man.
"You have no right to apologize to me, you traitor," Ethen hissed, noticing he didn't want to say that as if someone's controlling him.
What he really wanted to say was, 'Why? Why did you betray us?'
"I wanted to live a different life. A happy one. Though Taints and Elementals are not meant to be, there are those who are innocently involved with this conflict. I wanted to protect them because I thought it was the right thing to do. To protect the innocent," Julien explained, hugging his wife's dead body.
"Shut up! You're a fucking traitor, Julien! You are a disgrace to all Taints! We've believed you! We followed you!" Ethen shouted, pointing his saber at his friend. But what he really wanted to yell, 'You've betrayed me, Cain and Sasha to live a good life! Were we not good enough to make you happy?!
He wanted to cry but he couldn't. His body stayed calm with the sudden urge to kill the man in front of him. He couldn't take it. He raised his saber, to slash the man in half until...
"Ethen, I have raised you into a fine gentleman. You've been my pride and joy. Loving you as a father has given me a chance to live a happy life as well with Cain and Sasha. I regret nothing but I do regret for keeping this secret away from you. I'm sorry," he apologized, kissing his wife and looking back at Ethen with a smile; ready to die.
"You are not my father," Ethen stated, slashing Julien's head after he whispered his last words to him. 'WHY?!" was the last thing he wanted to say before he killed him.
+ + +
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." he repeated multiple times, covering his eyes from crying. Waking up from his nightmare of the day he killed his best friend.
It's been the first time he ever dreamed about Julien. His first time dreaming of his regret.
He sat up to hug his legs together. It's been a while since Ethen ever felt empty, lonely and weak. His body tremble, remembering the horrible nightmare. His face, wet by his tears and his teeth crunching as he tried to stop himself from screaming.
This reminds him about his time shutting himself up in a room to mourn for Julien's death. His insanity taking over him and his attempts to kill himself. Even though he knew how to kill himself by stabbing his heart with his weapon, he couldn't do it so inflicting pain to himself was the only choice.
He summons his saber, the crimson black blade that did not belong to him. Julien gave up his blade to Ethen as a present. Ironic because he gave it up a week before of his betrayal. So, Julien planned for Ethen to be the one to kill him. Make sense.
"Ethen!" someone yelled.
Confused, he noticed he was in a doctor's room. Not knowing where he was, he remembered what happened at High Park; a group of Taints who are now Alexander's men attacked him with weapons that Flynn created.
Someone saved my life, he thought, looking at his stitched up wounds. His heart beating its usual pace. His memories still intact as he was scared that his mind would rest when his brain shut down. His leg, arm and head still intact.
"Ethen, are you in here?!"
Suddenly, the metal door flew across the room; hitting at the other metal door. Cain and Sasha ran inside, with knives in their hands. Confused as always, he looked at his companions.
"Ethen, you fucking idiot!" Sasha yelled, hugging her friend.
He puts down the saber beside him to hug her back, stroking her hair and patting her head to calm her down. She lets go, examining Ethen's body to see if he was injured until she saw the stitches. "What happened?" she asked, touching it gently.
Ethen push away Sasha's hand from his wound. Cain also came to look at the injury and didn't look pleased at the number of cuts and how deep they look.
"What the fuck happened?! Where the fuck were you?!" Cain yelled, demanding answers.
He was about to answer when they all fell silent for a few seconds. They all sensed a familiar aura in the other side of the room. Cain opened the other metal door, looking inside.
"David, why are you here?" he asked.