Drone

6 The Wall of Demons.

Someone groaned loudly. Who was that? Niklas suddenly became aware of himself. He was groaning. But why was he groaning?

"Oh pit, stay with me, man!"

Niklas felt something hard put to his lips, and heat flowed through him.

Niklas opened his eyes as life surged through him. The faceless man cradled his head and held a med veil to his lips.

Niklas surged, powered by the med. He swept the man's hand away, flinging the empty veil, and struck up to grab the man's throat.

The man was quick, deflecting Niklas' blow, hitting his forearm away with an elbow. Then, quick as a whip, he shot his dirty boot out, pinning Niklas' wrist to the ground.

Niklas lurched, and the searing pain of wounds opening ran across his back. The effect of the med was fresh and fueled his instincts.

Niklas kicked, but the man stayed on top of him. The man pulled out a makeshift shiv and held it to Niklas' throat.

"Hold still, soldier!" he snapped, "or you'll likely kill yourself. The med's the only thing keeping you alive!"

Niklas felt the initial effect of the med wear off, and suddenly, all of his pains returned.

He let out a bark of surprise. His whole body felt hot and swollen. Everything pulsed with his heartbeat.

"Easy," the man said, removing the knife and putting a canteen to Niklas' lips.

Niklas drank greedily. The cool water soothed his flaming throat.

"I only had a partial med dose. I didn't want to use it unless I had to, but I was losing you, see," the man started as he stepped away. "That stuff is deck difficult to get down here."

Niklas looked around. He was in a small metal structure. He had seen such structures before. They dotted all across Pit forest. It was a Fusillade ruin, or at least what had used to be a Fusillade ruin. The clan had long since stripped it of anything they could study.

The man had a pack and gear on the far side with a dead fire in the center. From what Niklas could tell, it was a temporary camp.

"What do you want?" Niklas demanded.

"You're welcome," the man rolled his eyes. "I saved your life, so I'll be asking the questions. Your faceless mark is new. What did you do?"

Niklas glared at him.

"If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"You're faceless," Niklas spat. "You betrayed the Clan!"

He looked at Niklas bewildered. "I don't know if you've looked in a mirror lately, brother, but we're in the same minefield."

"I am not your brother!"

He frowned, "It might take a while for you to come to terms with it, but you're not a drone anymore. Stop acting like it."

"I'm no friend to thieves or murderers. There is no valor in disobedience!"

He let out a low whistle. "Not a drone then, where you a zealot?"

"No!" Niklas snapped. The masks of the zealots flashed in his mind, and his stomach twisted.

The man nodded and held up a defensive hand. "I'll have you know I'm neither a thief nor a murderer."

"Lazy then? Sacrilegious?" Niklas continued. "It doesn't matter, you are dishonored. You betrayed your clan."