Cure's Aftermath

Chapter 4 / The Mainland

Nicodeme flopped down in the sand after allowing the water to smooth him toward the beach. He hadn't quite grasped onto the situation yet. His brain was still frozen in a calm state of mind; not thinking anything. With Melanie's help he managed to remember his legs. Walking helped the process in his brain. Soon it'd sped enough along for his inner alarms to crescendo.

Smoke welled over town. Fires glowed a distance down the beach.

"It can't be..." coughed Melanie, stumbling a ways ahead of Nicodeme. "The Regime..."

"We were always a target..." his voice was unusually, hilariously composed. Nicodeme wasn't quite 'there' yet; the jolt needed more time to sink in. "The island is mostly populated by our kind... The Regime, they were always gonna come for our asses--it was just a matter of sooner or lat--

Guns charged above their heads. Red beams angled on the two. Collecting onto the dunes were armor-clad soldiers, taking aim. "Look, stragglers..." one soldier nudged another with his elbow before holding a finger to the side of his helmet. "Godspeaker. We've located a couple of survivors. Awaiting further directio--

"Don't shoot them!" Godspeaker shoved him out of her path and strode past the rest with just as little interest. Her scowling blue eyes fixed on Melanie, a terse smile offered to the human. "What is your name, lost one?" she inquired in a weighted voice.

Melanie stuttered, "I--?" Then she glared and snarled, "go to hell!"

"Don't be so fearful, lost one." Godspeaker folded her arms. "For I know you are only misguided." With that Godspeaker glimpsed distastefully at Nicodeme, who growled back. The creature's response did little to startle Godspeaker. Instead she hissed, "Why do you poison the mind of this poor young girl with your...presence, cretin? Why do you make her resistant to the great destiny that awaits her--with us?"

"Great destiny my ass!" Nicodeme scrambled in front of Melanie. Suddenly all the red beams converged on him, the soldiers recharging their shots in unison.

Godspeaker calmly lowered the weapon of the soldier beside her. "Don't. Shoot," she commanded once again, this time under an advisory tone. "Get them both onto the choppers. I'll see what I can do with the girl."

"Godspeaker, what about the Grymmex?"

"I'll make an example out of him when we reach the headquarters."

Godspeaker gestured for an escort, and walked ahead as the soldiers dragged the two prisoners alongside them--but not without some trouble. "Take your fat hands off me or I'll shove your balls up your pal's ass!" snarled Nicodeme. His frenzied jerking around did little but annoy his captors. It got him a club on the back of the head. His insubordination had been tolerated long enough.

Sand whipped back from the descending helicopter, forming a halo underneath it. Melanie dug her heels into the ground. One effortless yank by one soldier damn-near threw her on her face--without her arms. It felt laughable; their brute sizes combined against her own scrawny figure.

Godspeaker hoisted herself into the passenger's side, adjusting the slender metallic headset over her ear, and observed as her henchmen flung Melanie into the backseat, then tossed Nicodeme on the floor. "Careful with her," advised Godspeaker over the flub of chopper blades.

"Wh...where are you taking us?" Melanie stuttered, crammed between the two guards from before.

"To the mainland," replied Godspeaker. "There you will be given new life. He on the other hand..." The helicopter lifted off the island with a stomach-dropping jump. "Well...he'll no longer be an eyesore to the goddess when she looks upon her flawless creation." 

"You're delusional..." Melanie leaned down as much as she could towards Nicodeme. "Why couldn't you just...leave our island alone? We weren't in your way..." Nicodeme's Fae ear ticked at her voice.

Godspeaker's chuckled. Melanie's eye twitched as though she'd been pinched. "I believe you're mistaking holy judgement for insanity," Godspeaker purred. "They chose to live away from the Uropa's light. They strayed so far as to live among these miscreant extraterrestrials." Her glance at the small alien on the floor behind her was fleeting, unattached...but the gleam in her unnaturally bright blue eyes couldn't be described as anything--other than wicked. "Hmf. There are some who even stoop as low as to breed with these wretched creatures."

Tears blurred Melanie's vision when she twisted for one last look at her home. Fires simmered across town, creeping closer to the hills as the Regime did the last of its damage. Melanie scrunched the tears back and swallowed her despair, hissing, "I'm not joining your fucked up cult."

The air shifted, only it wasn't the helicopter blades above them anymore. It was something...else. "Shame," Godspeaker said after an engulfing pause. "I suppose I'll have to make an example out of you too then. I loathe being wasteful...but you allow me no choice--other than dumping you into the sea." Another gripping silence filled the space. This one was sucked all the air out, as if the Godspeaker were about to give the order. "But! How tasteless would that be?" she said, winked and readjusted to seat. "I like to use my imagination."