Deicide

January 25-30 23XX

"Get up, you unaccomplished alcoholic." Howlan grabbed Eden's elbow and pulled him off the couch.

Eden groaned.

"I'm not carrying you to the ship." Howlan grabbed his jacket and started getting Eden's things together. "Here." He tossed Eden his trench coat and mask.

"Thanks." Eden clipped his mask on. "You're letting me wear the trench coat?"

"You're hungover and you've been keeping your wings in often the last two days, I'm sure you're tired. Just wear that to the ship." Howlan grabbed Eden's bag and put it over his shoulder. "Ready?"

"Yup." Eden stood up, wavered, and joined Howlan at the door. "Can't wait to spend a whole week on a Ship."

"Do you want to get to Araceli or not?" Howlan locked the door behind them.

"Yeah, of course I do. I just wish it wasn't about to take a whole week to get there. Not to mention the amount of time it'll take to find where exactly we're going. All we've got is an entire planet." Eden adjusted his bag and coat. "We don't even know if Araceli has anything to do with the tips he gave me."

"Alright Mr. Optimistic, it's the only lead we have so far. It's a whole lot better than nothing." Howlan grabbed the back of Eden's coat to keep him from walking into the street.

"Yeah, sorry. Just woke up wrong," Eden mumbled, pulling his key to the Ship from his chain under his shirt.

"If by wrong, you mean hungover, tired, and upset with yourself, then yeah." Howlan faced forwards.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You were violent yesterday, you drank heavily last night, and you've been off all morning. You're upset because you killed that man before he could tell you everything, and you're upset because you took it out on others afterwards." Howlan waved at the man in his small booth in front of the Docks.

Eden said nothing. He unlocked the Ship and walked inside, heading to the top floor. Howlan locked the door and sat down. After a few more minutes than it took to enter a location in the ship, Eden reappeared with no mask. He pulled off his coat and tossed it at Howlan.

Howlan dumped the coat onto the floor. "What do you think that man's relation to all this was?"

Eden looked over. "I don't know. He has a hit list, could you search some of the names?" He pulled out the list and tossed it to Howlan.

"One of these names comes up in direct relation to a Project Ragnar." Howlan typed the name in. "Silas Finch. Another experiment."

The name rang in Eden's ears, and filled his chest with something sad. A big, heavy, damp kind of feeling. "Silas. . ." Eden's eyes glazed over as he spaced out on the floor. Silas. Silas Finch. He almost felt the inkling of a memory forming, but he was snapped back to the future by a sharp pain in his chest. "What kind of experiment? Is he like me?" Eden sat at the edge of his seat across from Howlan.

"Give me a second." Howlan went through a few sites and gates. "I can't see the specifics of anything, but it looks like he was given psionics."

"Right, explain it to me like I'm five." Eden sat on the floor at Howlan's feet.

"Sure, psionics include energy manipulation, psychokinesis, and extra-sensory perception." At the look on Eden's face, Howlan continued. "Energy manipulation could really be any sort of energy, we'll have to find out when we get there. Basically, he can take or give energy types, or if it's electrical energy, he can move and change it, or probably even generate it. Psychokinesis is like telekinesis, he can move and affect things with his mind. Extra-sensory perception is like brain stuff, he might be able to pick up on emotions, thoughts, and such."

"So he's super strong." Eden folded his hands.

"Not necessarily, he could be weak in all three areas. The experiment doesn't have a level of success either." Howlan continued to scan through files.

"But still, that's a lot of different powers. If I was an experiment, why am I stuck with just a set of wings strapped onto my back? I want fancy psychic powers too."

"Careful what you wish for, you don't even remember what happened. It could've been painful and messy," Howlan warned, putting his Glasses away. "And you've got way more than just some wings. You're stronger than an Orc, you've got the speed and endurance of an animal, and your fighting capabilities are the best I've ever seen. You haven't lost a fight in your life." Howlan's cheeks were tinted with a light pink, he glanced at the floor and took a breath. "In any case, we have another lead. We need to find Silas Finch."

January 26 23xx

"Are we really not making any pit stops?" Eden laid sprawled across three seats. "I'm already getting cabin fever."

"If we want to make it there ASAP, then no, we're really not making pit stops." Howlan sat still in one seat, reading a book.

January 27 23xx

"I swear to god, I am this close to slapping you." Howlan held up his left hand, displaying his connected forefinger and thumb.

"But your fingers are touching," Eden pointed at his hand.

"Exactly."

"Oh." Eden stared for a second before he turned and ran to the upper deck, locking the hatch behind him.

January 28 23xx

"Are you bleeding?" Howlan looked over at Eden, who had a blossom of blood under his shirt on his right shoulder.

"No?"

"That's not a question you answer with a question. What did you do?" Howlan got up and pulled Eden's shirt off.

"I was playing with my sword and I dropped it." Eden looked down at the floor, puffing air into his cheek.

"You must be the dumbest person I've ever met." Howlan grabbed their first aid kit from a locker, which was really just two rolls of duct tape, a few bottles of drinking alcohol, a needle, some thread, a lighter, assorted hand towels, and a couple shirts that didn't fit either of them.

"But you still love me, right?" Eden looked up at Howlan.

"Yeah, sure."

"You have to say it."

"Say what?" Howlan wiped off the blood and poured some alcohol on a hand towel.

"That you love me."

"Sure," Howlan leaned down to look Eden in the eyes. He grinned and pressed the towel to Eden's shoulder, "I love you."

"Ow, you twit." Eden squeezed Howlan's wrist.

January 29 23xx

"Can't you just read or something? Or start doing research? Or just find a place on Araceli for us to stay at for a couple days." Howlan leaned away from Eden.

"But that's boring, annoying you is far more fun." Eden laid across Howlan's lap and poked the tip of his ear.

Howlan lifted his legs and dropped Eden to the floor.

"Hey."

"Hi." Howlan didn't look up from his book once.

January 30 23xx

"I don't know if I'll last much longer." Eden had taken his spot on the floor.

"We dock tomorrow evening, you only have another day." Howlan poked Eden's ribs with his foot.

"Ugh."

Howlan sighed. "Just go to sleep then. In the morning you'll wake up and we'll have less than an entire day."

"But I'm so excited. I don't know if I'll be able to get to sleep." Eden sat up.

"You need some help?" Howlan smiled.

"How would you do that?"

"If I hit you hard enough, then-"

"No, thanks." Eden was quick to move away. "I'm sure I'll manage."