Chapter 60

Adrian woke up with a groan. There was someone in his room.

“I want to die.”

“I have a solution,” Ma said with a chuckle.

He opened his eyes and wished he didn’t. It was like a literal spear of ice slammed into them. “To bright.”

“Boys and their hangovers.”

“Leave me alone.”

“You need to take an antidote.”

What? Then he remembered Jules had bought an antidote for all of them to have. He struggled to move, but his body was not responding. It was probably because of the period when he kept letting himself switch back to stage one and then using his speed to play pranks on people.

Mike had kissed a pillow. Jules had accidentally put a hole in the wall, then he had switched Omala’s drinks on her and she had drank Sambuca by mistake. She had spat it all across the table and screamed in anger.

It had been funny and worth it, but the instances of hangover debuff had kept increasing.

Strong hands, not Ma’s, grabbed him, pulling him up.

“Just open your mouth,” Ma ordered.

A foul liquid was squirted in. It simultaneously made his mouth burn and go numb while assaulting it with the taste of mouldy socks. Adrian attempted to spit it out, but multiple hands seized him and forced his jaws shut. He struggled desperately, but the hands did not relent.

“Swallow and I’ll give you something to wash the taste out.”

It sounded like the older woman was screaming even though Adrian was sure she was speaking gently. His ears were just that sensitive. He did as instructed. The hands released him, and a different substance was injected into his mouth. This was a little like milk. Hands clamped down once more.

He swallowed.

“Once more. Do you understand?”

Adrian nodded. The movement was not nearly as discomforting as he had expected.

He opened his mouth. Liquid was syringed in, he shut his lips and swallowed.

“Good boy. Just lie back and you’ll feel a lot better in a couple of minutes.”

Adrian did as ordered. He could hear them leaving as his domain skills were patching back together, so he knew there was no one else in the room. Because of the hangover, his skill did not extend out of the room, but he understood instinctively that it was temporary.

Eyes shut, he focused on the information being presented. Steadily, his awareness net extended. Ignoring walls. He could see that most of his party from last night was still comatose. Ma had only woken himself and Jules.

Kiyoko was downstairs.

Apparently, it was going to be the two of them picking their way through the mountains.

Finally, all the pain had faded away, and he rolled out of bed. Had a quick shower and went down to where Jules and Kiyoko were waiting.

The oracle was having tea, Jules a coffee, and then a second coffee was delivered just as he sat down to it along with a plate of fatty fried meat.

Kiyoko glared at him, her ancient features judgemental. “It worked, but you should have let her die.”

“I couldn’t.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She took another slow sip. “I think you know we can’t kill the echidna.”

“Obviously,” Adrian said.

“Of course,” Jules agreed.

“So, mountains?” he asked.

“I’m confident I can get you two through the mountains, but the bulk of people who go with you will die.”

“Then we leave them,” Adrian told them.

“Then I’m no longer confident that I can get you through the mountains.” Kiyoko had another sip of tea. From the steam coming up from the cup it was piping hot. Adrian felt his world collapsing. How could he start the journey while knowing it was going to cost the life of his friends? Yes, he needed to see his wife and kids, but some sacrifices were too much. “There is another way.”

Adrian’s head snapped up to study the oracle.

“It’s not as dangerous as you think, but only you, Jules and Charlotte can go, and possibly me, but I won’t try.”

“Why isn’t Charlotte here?” Jules asked.

“Because even if it’s in her best interests to go, she won’t.” The oracle shrugged. “Sometimes being able to see a lot is a curse.”

“What’s the plan?”

“We incapacitate the echidna and then run through its territory.”

She produced a map and laid it on the table. This is the narrowest point.” She traced the line. It was a little east of the Hume highway.

“What about the terrain?”

Kiyoko shrugged. “No one knows.”

“Then why wouldn’t we use the road.”

“The road is gone. Not decayed. That entire territory is from another planet.”

Adrian remembered the purple soil and knew that she was right.

“So, how do we incapacitate something that powerful?”

Kiyoko smiled a savage smile. “I have a plan.”

She shared her plan, and Adrian put his head in his hands even as his third cup of coffee was delivered.

“This seems dangerous.”

“Complicated, overly extravagant, but statistically sound.” Kiyoko smiled. “Plus, I have prophesied it.”

Adrian snorted at that. “Really, we are in trouble if you’re pulling out the, I’m a mystic line.”

“It’s the best way that doesn’t require convenient bodies to sacrifice themselves,” Kiyoko said simply. “You won’t succeed in the mountains without taking everyone, and most of them will die.”

“I know. You have said it. This just seems so…”

“You have a similar chance with this as through the mountains. You just don’t risk your companions dying.”

“Then we’ll do it.”

The oracle smiled and handed over a piece of paper with a long list on it. “This is what you need to buy.”

“Automatic plate recharge for fifty thousand energy? To save six hours of recharge time.”

“You need to train once and you want to leave an hour after dusk.”

Kiyoko got up and walked away.

“Are you sure about this?” Jules asked. “I don’t care what she claims. The mountains are safer.”

“I don’t believe it,” Adrian said tiredly. “Despite her side plans, I trust her. She has no reason to lie.” Adrian thought about the fungus in his bag of holding. Maybe it was urgently needed and Kiyoko was directing them down a more dangerous route for the sake of convenience. No that wasn’t her.

“Me too, but how can that?” she stabbed at the list. “Be safer.”

Adrian shrugged. “I’m doing it.”

Jules frowned. “Fuck it, so am I.”

She offered him a fist bump and they clashed hands.

“Don’t look so constipated.”

“I didn’t.”

Then he stopped as she burst out laughing. “Very funny.”

“I think I owe you more than that after last night.”

“That was pretty cool,” Adrian admitted. “Do you remember Omala?”

Jules giggled. “She had said like two minutes prior, that overindulgence when she was sixteen, meant the smell itself was enough to make her vomit. Then you switched her shots.”

“She didn’t vomit.”

“Yeah, but she spat a mouthful of that stuff right into Felicity’s face.”

“I know it was so funny.” Adrian giggled.

“I liked when you pulled the chair out from Mike and he fell flat on his bum.”

“Yeah, that was great, too.”

“They all were, apart from when you tried to prank me.” Jules was no longer laughing and Adrian suddenly felt very exposed.

“I stuffed up there. Those were not at all funny.” He agreed while he struggled to keep his face neutral. A stray smile right about now… would be…

Jules burst out laughing. “Best party ever.”

“I need to shop.”

“I’ll come,” Jules declared, standing up. It was like her standing was a signal he wasn’t sense. Above him, Ma moved to administer the antidote to the rest of the party, three burly guys accompanied her. He needed visual contact to use identification, but he was pretty confident that those men had put a lot of attributes into strength. He still remembered his mouth being forced shut.

“Let’s go.” he declared not wanting to break the news with the others just yet. Hopefully, Kiyoko would do it for them.

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