We reached the elevator platform a few minutes later. I was exhausted and wrung dry by that point. We found Sidney still huddled beneath the desk where I’d left her.

She screamed at seeing my bloody stump and the state of my ruined armour. She also stared at me in objective wonder. I heard her mutter a: “beautiful,” and decided the first thing I would do when we got back on the Erebus was have Andrea cut my damned hair.

It felt utterly ridiculous bearing with it.

“Wait,” I halted before Nikhara could press the button to call our elevator. “Sidney, is there an armoury down here anywhere?” I asked the caramel-skinned woman.

Sidney blinked owlishly at me, and tilted her head. Her eyes unfocused for a moment as if my words were running thickly through the air like molasses to reach her.

“Yes,” she said finally, and jerked her head in a nod.

“Can you show us--”

“Marcus, do we have really have the time to rearm?” Nikhara interjected.

“Yes we do. I saw no active ships when we landed on the surface. If anything is to arrive, Andrea will inform you. Sidney?” I turned back to the vacant researcher. She fidgeted as her eyes snapped back to focus on mine.

“Can you show us?” I repeated.

“O-of course. Just … follow me,” she said her voice stuttered and wandering.

She strutted out away from us. Her high heel shoes clicking sharply across the floor as we followed behind her. Hopefully, they had some kind of rocket launcher tucked away in the armoury.

I grimaced as the bone on my arm flowed slowly up. Rebuilding its structure, creeping ever on to form a white skeletal hand. Which is when I noticed small veins of pale green running along the bones surface. I blinked and halted. My skeletal hand displayed before. I watched as the viridian veins pulsed weakly. The light dull and slow. For the briefest of moments my eyes drifted to Sidney’s bare caramel throat, and I felt it calling to me, alluring me on to taste her.

I snapped my attention back away.

I couldn’t. At least not without permission, I couldn’t. The very fact that I amended my thought that quickly told me that something had indeed changed within me.

This boost, or enhancement, or magic. Whatever you want to call it, required feeding. It was sacrificial in nature. It couldn’t make something out of nothing after all. It needed to feed so that I might benefit.

I ground my teeth together, feeling that my canines were no longer as long as they had been. Rewards through sacrifice. I snorted and watched as the ‘magic’ currents in my bones dimmed ever slowly. The skin, tendons, muscle’s and flesh all crept up my arm at a snails pace. At least, that’s how it felt anyway. By the time my hand had reformed I was sweating profusely. My long hair stuck to my brow, cheeks and neck irritably.

I caught up with Nikhara and Sidney just as they move to a reinforced door. Sidney stopped short; her hand half raised to press down on a DNA scanner.

“I-I don’t have clearance for the armoury,” she mumbled.

I shot Nikhara a look and my orc-dryad wife took notice of my haggard state and my reformed hand.

“Move aside please, Sidney,” Nikhara said gently to the woman.

Then she began to drive her tower sword into the thin seam between door and frame. It screeched and ground as she levered it open. Inside were a variety of weapons and bullet proof vests. I took a heavy handgun. This one more of a modern make than my revolver. I grabbed several magazines for it, and a holster. Then I grabbed a submachine gun. The light frame of the weapon and the slight press of the unfolding stock was comfortable against my shoulder. Three magazines were available for it from what I could see. I slotted one into the gun and other two in my webbing along with the rest.

Nikhara grabbed a massive sniper rifle that came equipped with a mount frame that could unfold and either attach to her waist and shoulders. Or to a supporting wall and ground.

I could almost make out her grin, by the way her breaths seemed to quicken as she viewed the rifle over. Unfortunately, it only housed one magazine, containing seven rounds. And the rounds were large, about the length from my wrist to my middle finger.

I grabbed a small handgun and past it over to Sidney along with a spare mag. She looked at the gun, at me, back at the gun and took it gently. Then she surprised the hell out of me by checking to make sure it was loaded, and whether a round had been chambered or not. Then she reached past me to grab a chest holster.

“I’m ready,” Sidney announced in a small voice. I still couldn’t place her accent. It was only slight, as her Zarian dialect was perfect.

I nodded at her reassuringly and gestured for Nikhara to make her mind up. She decided to keep the sniper rifle. Now carrying that over back, thanks to a strap and the support limbs wrapped around her. She followed with her sword out and ready. We came to the elevator shaft and I pressed the button. We waited and I looked around for Blue Bitch.

“Where’s Andii’ drone?” I asked aloud.

“She’s already maneuvered it up the shaft. It’ll fly above us as we climb and exit before we arrive.”

“Whose Andii?” Sidney asked us.

“My wife,” both Nikhara and I said at once. I grinned as Nikhara chuckled.

“Oh, o-okay,” Sidney nodded her understanding, yet her confusion was plain as day. The elevator arrived shortly after and we all stepped within. I looked up and saw that the ceiling hatch of the cabin was still missing. Nikhara grunted and leaned against the wall as Sidney resting against the back wall, her trembling hands pressed to cover her face.

I could see that she was a real beauty beneath the dirt and blood, and ruined make-up. Her clothes suggested that she liked to dress professionally yet provocatively. Her tight clothing not at all diminished by the ruined state of it.

I blinked and turned my thoughts away from mentally gawking at the terrified doctors body. I looked at Nikhara as she sighed loudly and removed her helmet.

“You alright?” I asked her, as her dark bluish-green hair fell in a thick wave of silk out from under her helmet.

“Yeah. Just missing bed is all,” she said and smiled tiredly. I nodded my agreement to her. What I wouldn’t give to spent the rest of the day in bed with my wives.

Her lavender eyes crinkled as she saw my gaze wander over her concealed figure.

“Your married?” Sidney asked either of us. I blinked and glanced at her. She fidgeted slightly and looked down abashed.

“Yeah, we’re married,” Nikhara told her. “There’s another wife waiting back on our ship. She’s … quirky.”

“I smirked and chuckled lightly, “quirky huh? Andrea’s more like a sex fiend.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that … ever,” Nikhara groaned. “That little Blue-haired tramp gets enough attention as is.”

“I try to be fair,” I grinned and shrugged my shoulders.

“Yeah, cause Andii plays fair in return huh?” Nikhara snorted sarcastically.

“One of us has to be responsible,” I gestured towards her.

“Fair enough,” the orc-dryad grinned slyly.

“How did you both meet- if you don’t mind me asking?” Sidney added hurriedly. I looked up and saw that our stop was approaching quickly. We had arrived far sooner than I expected.

“Well Marcus and Andrea were already together by the time I met them--”

“Save the discussion for later,” I said and gestured upwards. The women followed my gaze and shuffled with nervous energy. The cabin went quiet as Nikhara slid and twisted her helmet back on. Sidney took deep shaking breath and white fisted her knuckles.

“You’ll be okay,” I told gently. “Just stick with us.” I looked to Nikhara and she nodded wordlessly as she took point position.

“Company,” my orc-dryad wife a moment later.

“Does Andrea have a full count?”

“No. She’s busy avoiding fire from the ‘arrow-slinging-cockheads’ as she put it.” Yes, that sounded exactly like Andrea.

“Okay. Nikhara, how’re your suits vitals?”

“Roughly fifty-seventy percent all round.” So not too great yet good enough.

“You stay point. I’ll keep the good doctor safe,” I said and gave Sidney a thin-lipped smile. She weakly returned it. I couldn’t practically see the mental exhaustion waving off her. I could only imagine what she’d been through. Or considering the fact that she was alive down, could others be as well?

If so, the caramel-skinned doctor/researcher? whatever she was, hadn’t said anything regarding the possibility.

The elevator gave a soft ding and the doors slid open. Nikhara burst through the gap the instance there was enough space to do so. The stock of her sniper bounced and clanged as it tap against the opening.

Why my wife had a propensity towards large objects was either a huge ego boost for me. Or she was compensating for something I lacked. Either way my submachine gun rattled as I pulled the trigger on a leaping hunter.

I pressed one hand back and kept Sidney within the elevator cabin for the moment, as Nikhara decimated the grouping of knights.

The hunter I’d shot fell at my feet. Hunger like I’d never known before surged through me. It wasn’t for the meat, nor the life of the thing. It was for the essence that empowered it. A small interconnecting draw, like a tether linking between it and the one who made it.

The man Jessica had called, master.

With one hand I picked the dead hunter up, and used it as a shield for the elevator doorway. Arrows thumped into it, and I leaned forward to drive my fangs—they were no longer canines—into its neck.

The dark blood and magic humming through its lifeless body sent ripples down my spin as I devoured it. Sucked it dry. I heard a frightened scream behind me from, Sidney but I ignored her.

My senses narrowed to pinpricks and then broadened incredibly wide. Sound, scent’s and taste drained through me and I parcelled out all distractions as my fangs broke away from the husk.

I tossed the dried-up body down and sprang forward. My left hand waved out and broke the neck of a ranged knight. My submachine gun rattled fire at the next and I looked on, watching each individual bullet exit the barrel with a short plume of smoke and fire.

I twisted around and grabbed the ranged knight I’d backhanded. I gripped her leg and swung her bodily around to fling her corpse square into a nearby wall. A crater depression formed under the impact. And the knight who’d been standing there previously was blown to smithereens.

I flowed in dance of ignited energy and looked around to see that Nikhara had made short work of the other enemies.

Disappointment hummed through me, yet I was pleased to see that Nikhara was unharmed. Sidney however, I could hear having a panic attack. Her breathing was halted, and she was scrambling to make sense of the situation and her reaction to it. I’d had a panic attack twice in my life. It was a frightening experience to go through.

I knew what was happening, and no matter how much I tried to informed my mind that I wasn’t drowning in hot air. It refused to listen.

I blurred forward and crouched before Sidney as she clutched at her throat and chest. Trying to both cool herself down and breath more easily.

“You’re going to be okay, Sidney,” I informed her gently and reaching out I placed one hand on her forehead and the other on her cheek. Her eyes stared at me widely in shock. “I will not harm you. I’m sorry I frightened you. I… needed to do what I did in order to protect you.” It was a lie. And I knew it.

Her breathing calmed noticeably as I spoke to her. My left hand, which was bare, was cool against her brow. My right gauntleted hand softly stroked her cheek with my thumb.

“What- what are you?” she asked thickly, swallowing past a lump in her throat to get the question out.

“I’m not sure. I was otherwise human, a few hours ago. Now I’m starting to suspect I’m not, or at least not any longer.”

She jerked her head in nod. As if my words made sense to her. Maybe they did. What had she said when we’d first met her? “oh god, they freed the seed.”

“I suspect you might know something about who- what I am. At least a little,” I said gently. Making sure to show no reproach in my voice. Her work no matter how diabolical it could’ve been. No matter how secretive the underground facility was. Everybody she had known and worked with were dead.

“You’re a Draugur. Or some kind of variant of one,” she informed me, her head tilted quizzically, and I saw more of the professionalist she must’ve been.

“Do you know much about them?” I asked and tried to suppress my excitement.

“Not much I’m afraid,” she shook her head. Curly dark-brunette hair waving about her neck like ringlet tassels. “What I do know is very little. I’m a psychiatrist by trade. I was hired privately by a company named Dawn Sect to monitor the mental activity of the research staff below.” Her voice was stronger now. Speaking of something as menial as work was a needed normality.

“The specimen. The main aim of the facility was to extract, evaluate and potentially eliminate the specimen found beneath the tree. This was what I’d gathered at least from my various sessions. The Draugur Seed is what they called it. Dawn Sect sent samples gathered from a previous site found in another territory. The sample was to be used to accelerate the Seeds growth. Then the strange aliens attack before they could begin, and that blonde woman… s-she ordered everyone killed.”

“Okay,” I said finally after a moment, “thank you for telling me.”

She smiled with radiant exhaustion. “Thank you- both of you for saving me. And for being kind.”

“Not a problem. You able to keep moving?”

“Yes,” she jerked her head a nod. Her eyes drifted to my fangs. I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth and my fangs retracted, like I had flicked a switch.

“Lets keep going. Nikhara, does Andrea have any readings of our suspects movements?” I asked the orc-dryad as I helped Sidney to her high heeled feet.

“Yes. He’s heading northwards along the street. Andrea suspects that he’s aiming for the tallest building,” Nikhara answered me and gestured to the tallest building in the city.

Big red letter scrolled around the building. They said: Prios agency firm. Apparently the name: agent, was the official term for Yashrin confederation lawyers and law workers. Which included privatised militia. In quotations, “security guards.”

Maybe the Yashrin Confederation knew more about the events of what was happening here than we knew.

The building was roughly three-hundred-ten metres tall. The top quarter of the building twisted like strands of steel woven together.

“We need to get there soon, at least before he--” before I could finish my sentence ten hunters lead by four knights burst out, and down the steps from the security room. I noticed how the holographic caution tape didn’t at all register them as passing through.

“Nikhara, we need the Erebus now,” I said and ducked to my left, shielding Sidney by smacking aside an arrow with my bare hand. It bounded off the back of my hand into the wall beside me and shattered. Shards of black bone sprayed against me, and I felt several pierce my face and neck. An instant later my flesh pushed them out and closed over.

I ducked more fully behind cover as Nikhara dived for the open elevator door. I could hear the hunters hissing and growling, yet there weren’t advancing. None charged nor chased us. Arrows pinged off the door frame, ricocheting to somewhere on the platform.

“Marcus!” Nikhara called as another arrow skimmed past the still open door. I glanced over my shoulder to see her gesture at the open hatch above us. I thought about it. Leaning my head out a fraction, I took in that two of the knights were of the range variety while the other two used flails and kite-shields. The ten hunters were crouched behind them. I suspected that they’re plan was to draw us out.

Once we engaged them they would have us surrounded.

I could imagine that the instant the flail lantern head’s started to build momentum; the dull purple light of dark magic would blaze like a beacon from within the lantern-like cage.

Was the man somehow imparting a fragment of his power on the knights and their weapons?

I guess I would have to find out to be sure.

I was fast, for the moment at least. But was I fast enough to sprint the twenty metres and charge in the formed ranks of the xeno’s.

Fast enough to get there? yes.

Fast enough to fight against all of them and walk away unscathed? probably not.

I didn’t want to drain another hunter so soon. The thought of being drunk on this boost—enhancement—worried me. Would draining more constantly mean my appetite for it would rise as well? Would further changes occur?

I wished that the man- master, as Jessica had called him. Had given me more of a hint of what I was. Then a thought struck me. If the man was powerful enough to face us, why had he ran. And left behind a clone of some sort to divert or distract me.

“He’s vulnerable,” I whispered with glowing realisation. “He’s not escaping. He’s retreating, running away to gather himself and prepare.”

“Not these distractions,” the man in my dream words came back to me. Don’t focus on the Draugur- man- master- the fucking long-haired prince guy.

“Focus on the breach in the sky,” I whispered. But looking out of the elevator cabin resulted in nothing. An over hang blocked out all view of the sky immediately above us. Leaving only a view of the city below and around us, as well as the mag-train rails.

My mind flashed to the footage Andrea had gathered. The enormous alien ship I’d seen not only in the recovered footage, but also on route to here.

“Marcus,” Nikhara called and I snapped back to myself. She was still gesturing to me at my open hatch. I nodded and helped pass Sidney gently upwards once Nikhara had landed on the cabin’s roof.

I might’ve also gotten a peek up Sidney’s tight skirt. But I was not gentlemanly enough to admit that she did indeed have an amazing figure. Maybe even better than Nikhara’s in terms of curvature. I would never freely open my mouth and admit that out loud though.

I hopped the few feet to bounce lightly on the lip of the open hatch. It was as easily as lifting my feet. I wondered, is my speed and flightiness because of what I drank? The hunters are agile. All about speed and leaps. The Knights have endurance and incredible strength.

Something to test, at a later date if we survived. We stood patiently for a full minutes. Arrows kept being shot towards the open door.

“I don’t think they’re going to stop anytime soon, love,” I sighed and looked at Nikhara.

“Argh- fine,” she growled.

“It was a good idea,” Sidney said gently to her, and reached out to pat the orc-dryad’s forearm.

“Shall we go back down and charge them then?” I asked the women. Though Sidney would likely have to hang back.

“Sure,” Nikhara grumbled at me. “I’ll take point. You’re on support.”

“Will do,” I replied. Then I looked at the psychiatrist. “Do you want come down, or stay--”

“I’ll stay up here until you’re both finished,” Sidney cut me off before I could finish. I nodded and reached out to gently squeeze her shoulder. Then I flowed like liquid silk and touched down lightly.

“Shall we?”

“When your ready,” I gestured to Nikhara.

This novel is the work of Rhys Thomas. If you are reading this and it has not been published by Rhys Thomas, then this work has been stolen. Please report this to Amazon and me at email: [email protected]