The Species of Power [Draft 1]

Chapter 27

Caton had insisted that Ruth and the others stayed with the rebellion for a few days. If Ruth had had her way they would have been gone a day ago, but he did have a point; one day was not enough to recover from what Ruth and Mark had been through. The two days they had stayed at the rebellion had gone by slowly. Ruth spent her time alone in her room, by choice. Her mind ran in circles over and over again. She thought about sneaking away from everyone else and going on a solo mission to retrieve the final blade. What was stopping her? She was the only one knew where it was, she had the map. Not only that but if what Nev said was true, that she had a greater purpose beyond these blades, then she had to survive this. Fate wouldn't let her die. She could pull this off.

Ruth's mind worked to anticipate every problem that could possibly arise from her going alone. She seriously considered extracting some blood from Mark, Samia and Margaret while they were all sleeping just in case she needed the blood like last time. But what good would that do in the end? Mark did have a point earlier, that he was probably needed to infiltrate the temples, and he was the one who Nev actually liked enough to give the blade to. Ruth worked and reworked her plans into thousands of scenarios.

Ruth groaned from frustration after planning an uncountable amount of times. She plopped herself on her bed and tried to relax for a while. Ruth stared at the ceiling of her windowless room. The cement walls made her feel like she was in a prison. She wanted to be outside in the streets, just walking. She didn't realize how much she loved the outdoors until she had to be inside all the time. Ruth stood from her bed five minutes after she had laid down and started pacing around the small room, back to thinking. Ruth didn't stop pacing until a few knocks on her door shattered her thoughts.

Ruth rolled her eyes. "Come in!" she called as she sat on her bed.

Caton slipped in and close the door behind him, carrying a bag of unopened chips. Ruth wasn't surprised to see him; he had visited her the most in her few days of staying at the base.

"Hey," he said as he took a seat beside Ruth on the bed. "I brought you a gift."

Ruth chuckled. "Why thank you."

Caton opened the bag and the two started munching. "You know," said Caton in between bites. "Everyone thinks that you're on your period."

"Interesting," Ruth said. "How did they come to that conclusion?"

"I guess because you never leave your room," said Caton. "Except for meals and bathroom breaks, and they're hypothesizing that you'll have extra deadly rages when you're menstruating."

"That's a fair guess," Ruth said. "But they have no idea how female Children of Rage bodies work."

"They don't," said Caton. "And I'm going to keep playing dumb, because it's funny and I'm sure you don't want visitors... unless they bring food."

"Right you are Caton," said Ruth. "So I'm afraid that when these chips run out you're out of luck."

Caton laughed, and the two of them munched for a few more minutes before Caton decided to break the silence. "So," he said. "What's going on?"

Ruth chewed a chip slowly before responding. "Who says there is anything going on?" 

"I do," said Caton. "Because you've been through a fair amount of trouble, and your face is giving you away."

Ruth sighed, she got to let her guard down for so long that she forgot to put it back up. Caton, like her, was a master at reading faces. They both had to be. Ruth looked at Caton's eyes that were so sincere. She had to tell somebody... and even though Ruth would live, the outcome was still unforeseeable. Everything that they had done could all end with their failure, but if she found a way to tap into this unleashed power within them then, without the blades, they could still stop Elder Nev. Ruth knew she couldn't do it alone.

"Caton," Ruth said. "There was a reason why Nev didn't let me back into my body right away."

"Alright," said Caton. "I'm listening."

Ruth told him about what Nev said about the their potentiel powers. She didn't spare any details about what Nev had told her. She told him why exactly why she hardly left her room, and about her plans which she expected him to deny when he got his turn to speak.

"Okay," Caton said when Ruth stopped speaking. "Okay okay... wow..."

"I know," Ruth said. "But you can't tell anybody about this conversation."

"Of course not!" said Caton.

"Including Garret."

"Obviously not Garret," said Caton. "Why would you think I would tell Garret? Why would you think I would tell anybody?"

Ruth smiled. "I don't know about anybody but with Garret, well... you give things away on your face too."

Caton's face reddened while Ruth suppressed the urge to giggle. Caton stood from the bed and started to pace, just like how Ruth had earlier. "This conversation definitely stays between you and me," said Caton. "Also, you are not going to the temples by yourself, I don't care if you are guaranteed to live through this, you won't meet the objective without a team."

Ruth sighed, and nodded. "I know; I can't figure out an outcome where I can succeed by myself."

"It's impossible," Caton said. "But no matter what, whether we win or lose this battle, you are going to have to contact the Goddess of Bane. But you are not going to do it alone."

Ruth couldn't hide the joy beaming off her face. "You'll come with me?"

He nodded. "We rebellion Children of Rage need to stick together. Especially since there is only two of us."

Ruth jumped up and wrapped her arms around Caton's neck and gave him the biggest hug she had given in her life. Caton, a little startled, hesitated at first but ended up returning the hug. "I was so scared of doing this by myself," Ruth said as she let go of Caton. 

"I know," he said. 

"Just don't die," Ruth said. 

Caton smiled. "Seems pretty doable," he said. "I've been doing it for nineteen years now."

"You'd be surprised at how challenging it can be sometimes," said Ruth.

"Don't worry," said Caton. "I'm good at dealing with tricky situations." He went back over to the bed claimed the rest of the chips and started eating. "Anyways, I think we've gotten a lot done tonight, so why don't you come and join us for some late dinner where Garret will entertain you with his bird calls."

"Garret can do bird calls?" 

"Not very well," said Caton. "That's what makes it entertaining."

"Alright," Ruth said. "Just give me a few minutes."

"Fine," said Caton. "But don't take too long; I refuse to let you spend your last night at the rebellion alone."

Ruth nodded and Caton left. Right, Ruth thought. We're out in the world tomorrow. Of course the second she wanted to stay, that's when she remembered that she had to go.