Chapter Thirteen – The Power Of Horror
28th Apr 1:03 PM
When I slid out of the water and onto the shore of North Brother Island I felt a familiar mind press against mine. Even with the brief contact I had before it retreated I could tell that it was annoyed.
I swore silently to myself, I’d pay for that later. The implications of pissing Serena off were downright cataclysmic; this was not going to end well for me. The house was silent as I approached; looking every bit the abandoned hospital it was supposed to be.
“-David, inside. Now.-” Cassius’s voice came from my device, it looked like Serena wasn’t the only one that was pissed.
“Yes captain,” I replied, walking to the doors. Yep, double-boned.
She stood next to the stairs, striding towards me as I entered. “We need to talk,” she said evenly, “What the hell was that?”
“I’m sorry Cassius,” I said with my head lowered, “I just needed to vent.”
“You will address me as captain,” she snapped, “And remember its significance. I am the leader of the Argonauts, and that means I give the orders. You don’t just get to run off and smash something whenever you feel like it. I need you on hand when something happens, not flying around doing whatever you want! What if Silverlight attacked here? We work as a team, we live as a team. If you want to stay with us, I suggest you watch the ground you walk on.”
“Yes captain,” I nodded, not meeting her eyes.
“Good, if you pull anything like that again I’ll have no choice but to remove your status as an Argonaut.”
“Yes captain,” I said again.
She sighed, turning away, “Just remember your place as one of us David.”
I said nothing as she walked away, staring stupidly at the ground in shame.
The waters churned behind the ferry, kicking up a light white froth. Belisarius studied it as New York eventually vanished in the distance, fading from a few vague bumps into a flat horizon. He was constantly mindful of the Zealots that now moved freely around the deck, one hand gripping the scythe tightly.
“You seem tense Archaean,” a hooded Niphal said, with what could only be an amused chuckle, “Do we unnerve you that much?”
Belisarius remained silent, his knuckles whitened under the gauntlet.
A series of clicks and guttural sounds came from across the deck, and the Niphal immediately fell silent.
Chiron approached, and the other Zealot backed away across the deck. When he was out of earshot the superior leader spoke. “His tact may have been wrong, but the question was reasonable. Why do you fear us?”
“Am I supposed to not?” Belisarius countered, “We’ve been at war for longer than either race can remember, and I’m supposed to be completely fine with being so close to so many of you?”
“Then you should not have come.” Chiron replied, not unkindly, “Fear has no place among us, and neither do you if you display it. Which raises the question, why did you come?”
“Because everyone would be doomed if I didn’t,” he said, not trying to think about the weight the words held.
“Carrying on despite of fear is noble, but ultimately the undoing of many warriors. You must master your fear, and accept the possibility that you will possibly die among us.”
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Argonaut - The Apprentice (Part II)
Science FictionDavid has returned. Three years have passed since the events of Megiddo, and the Kinetic now lives apart from his team back in Valhalla. Of course, his story isn't over yet. That would be too simple. The secret of the Archaeans has been revealed to...
