Infinite: Power

Outeye #2

Outeye 2: Titus Reynolds.

Felix Burke clearly has a hostile attitude towards Chief Fendrick Craw during his visit to his house – farm in middle of nowhere – and I simply didn't understand why until I walked closer to him. The smell around him gave it away. He stunk in alcohol.

He had suddenly asked me and five dozens of Orphet assistants to follow him. He mentioned he had to check something. He suspected some clandestine spiritual activity developed at the Chief Tricker's home. He doesn't have his usual firm stride, which makes him look like a drunk wanderer. At any rate, we find nothing while we go all the way to the Craw's ranch and Chief Craw just won't let us go inside just like that. What surprises me is that Felix isn't even trying to trick the man into thinking this is a friendly visit. I doubt Felix is capable of thinking rationally at this rate. He looks angry and tired of everyone's shit. He's lost his patience. He's lost control and has become aggressive. We all wonder what could be so terrible to make him, an exemplary leader, lost his temper like this.

"I know you're hiding something, Fendrick. Don't try to fool me." Felix speaks to him with disdain. He's usually very kind to everybody. This is probably the first time I've seen him disrespect someone. Not that he actually holds respect for Trickers...

Belle Craw, the Chief's wife, is standing at the door at quite some distance. She looks terrified. The Chief doesn't let us in his territory. This might cost him his position, for Felix is very powerful and influent among the Orphets. But I doubt that even the Orphets stand by Felix when they get to smell his breath.

"Felix. You cannot come to my house without a warning or a call and accuse me of developing goodness-knows-what, trying to enter my place, disrespecting my wife and my position! Come on, son! You're smarter than that!"

"Where is Stawen? Is he here?!" Felix asks, looking around and dragging every word. I assume he doesn't move too much in fear of tripping. Fendrick Craw's silence is all we get. Felix turns his head to the rest of us. His silver eyes have a killer look. "Search the house and let me know if you find anything out of the ordinary. Take these." He hands some of the assistants a Spirit Stone, though not to me. He probably wants me to stay and foresee any answer because I'm the best of my class. However, we're on a Blind Point and Orphets are not allowed to use their powers in Blind Points. If I break the rules... I'll suffer the consequences.

"These stones will glow if there is any spiritual activity that's not controlled by the Orphets, or me."

Half the assistants start to enter the Craws' territory. Some of them begin to go round the house. Belle Craw runs inside and locks the door, and starts locking every window. This is insane. This is trespassing.

"Do not enter my house!" Fendrick shouts at them, and turns to the young man. "Felix. We are Trickers. There is nothing spiritual about us! You're scaring my wife! You've come to me with your soldiers as if I were a criminal! What is my crime?!" Chief Craw speaks with grief in his voice. It makes me feel so remorseful.

"I don't see your daughter anywhere around. Is she home?" He inquires, sharply.

"No. She's not." Fendrick replies. I can't see much, I forgot to bring my glasses, but I'm pretty sure he's turned pale. "She went to visit a friend."

"Then why are you not letting me in?" The white haired young man changed the tone of his voice. He's decided to approach the situation differently. There's something else in his voice. Could it be... despair? "If you don't let us inside, we'll have to force our way in and I'll present charges against you and your defenseless family. Is that what you want? To lose everything?! Because you know I could make it happen if you don't listen to me righ—"

He's interrupted by the roar of an old and red Ford Anglia as it parks in front of the terrain. Felix seems to have lost his breath. The young man who's always with him walks out, and by the look on his face, this is not going to be a friendly conversation.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, man?!"

"Stay out of this." Felix answers with a grave voice, maintaining his position. Stawen stops and wrinkles his nose, waving his hand with disgust.

"Phew, man, are you serious?! You smell like shit, old habits die hard, eh?"

"I'll deal with you later, you lying scumbag."

"No, you won't. You'll end it. Now." Another person joins the conversation. Not only Felix, but everyone stops doing what they are doing when she shows up. I've read about her, thousands of stories and pages. Her glorious life and conquests. Her disappearance from the public eye. Her beauty, her wisdom, her twisted sense of humor... they were all legendary. One rarely gets to see her in life, and even when I hate standing here threatening poor Chief Craw's privacy, I am so glad I can witness this with my own eyes. The woman, the young woman, and Stawen stand before Felix, blocking his way to Chief Craw and his house.

"Wincatt." Felix says, and has to clear his throat because his voice was too low. "Wincatt. What are you doing here? Why... why are you two...?"

"I had to call her." Stawen shrugs, and his face looks reproving. "Fendrick is my friend, Felix. You just can't do this to me."

"This is not the way you do things, Felix. This is disrespectful. And you're drunk, are you out of your mind?" Wincatt asks with a disappointed gaze. If I were Felix, I would run and hide. Her look could have ended a World War.

"Exactly. Whatever happened to follow the rules and shit!? This is a family home and you cannot come and break into it like it's your motherfucking territory! And what the hell are you guys doing, come back here or I'll shove those stones right down your—"

"Stawen. We get it." Wincatt stops him with a hand.

This is probably just coincidence, but the clouds in the sky are dark right above us and the sound of a storm fills the place. It's as if the nature is also furious. Just like Stawen's voice, thunders make every single one of us shudder. Lightning in a plain field... well, no one wanted to encounter them.

Some of the assistants return to Felix's side. The stones are still black, no glow comes from them until they walk by Wincatt's side. Of course.

"You know why I'm here." Felix speaks to the woman only in forced whispers. "I listened to you, I'm trying to find him, I'm trying to fi—!"

"This is not the way!" She exclaims with ice in her voice. "You came here so aggressively, outnumbering an innocent family—!"

"Sir!" One of the assistants shouted with a glowing stone in his hand. "There is something inside the house, at the back."

Felix gazes at Stawen and Wincatt with frustration. I cannot describe how heavy the atmosphere felt in that moment. We run to the back of the house, while two other Orphets hold Fendrick Craw and two others hold his wife to stop them. I am the one who opens the door – I have to force it twice – to an empty room, an empty bed, which was still warm and disarranged. And then I find medical equipment at one side, and the Spirit Stone glows brighter when I approach a golden bracelet upon a desk. It says FRANCIS. I take it to Felix without looking at Fendrick and Belle Craw, since I feel regretful enough already. They are crying and trembling. Felix then grabs the bracelet and grips it with a tense mandible. He raises his eyes to Stawen.

"You... hid him from me...? You son of a bitch!" And he throws a punch to the one he so called friend for so many years.

"Felix, stop!!" Wincatt throws herself against him and several Orphets grab her. A deafening thunder makes us cover our eyes and I could swear that I see Stawen's hand not only trying to stop Felix from beating him, but calling for aid to something we can't see...

A lightning strikes the Craw territory and we're all ejected in the explosion.