The Nibiru Effect

Memory 49

The girl is dead. I stare at her lifeless, bloodshot eyes and feel nothing but a dull emptiness. How can such a frail, innocent being be alive one second and dead the next? It makes no sense, yet at the same time, it makes perfect sense. For the first time in what feels like forever, things make sense. I now know what I must do.

Avalon will pay. I don't know how, or when, but she will pay for everything she has done. If taking her down means I get to go home, great. If not, so be it.

"Let's go," I say. I angle the centipede's antennae forward and, within seconds, we're underway. Jonn and Korri follow a short distance behind.

"We can't just leave them," says Kara.

She's angry, but I don't care.

We travel in silence for a while before I regret the rashness of my actions.

"There was nothing more we could have done for them," I say.

Kara doesn't respond. I'm wondering whether or not to apologize when Jonn pulls up next to us. Our eyes lock. No words are spoken, but I can tell we're on the same wavelength. Avalon must be stopped, no matter the cost.

"We're almost there," he says, pointing to the nearby city.

Arkania is massive. It may not be as imposing as Montréal, but it's a marvel of modern engineering when compared to the korrigan village. A massive stone wall encircles the metropolis, keeping all but the highest of buildings hidden. At the centre of the wall stands a colossal gate. For some reason, the imposing wooden doors stand ajar, giving us a glimpse of the city that lies beyond. I can make out a few stone buildings, but not much else.

We keep riding until we reach the gate. There are no sentries. In fact, there are no signs of life whatsoever.

"We should proceed on foot," says Kara as she slides off our mount.

"We may need the centipedes," argues Jonn.

"We're about to enter a populated area. The last thing we want is to draw attention to ourselves."

I expect Jonn to argue, but he doesn't. He dismounts his giant arthropod and chases it away with a kick to the flank. It scurries off with surprising velocity, vanishing in seconds. Korri and I also dismount, and soon all three of the centipedes are gone. I may have been a little freaked out by them at first, but I will miss them.

"Ready?" asks Kara.

Jonn doesn't bother answering. He strides past her and enters the city. Kara rolls her eyes but follows. Korri and I exchange a look and a shrug, then hurry after them.

The city is deserted. The cobblestone streets are completely bare but for the occasional piece of trash. The stone buildings appear to have been abandoned for quite some time. Plants are starting to grow where they shouldn't. A small animal scurries by, nearly running into me as it does. I only catch a fleeting glimpse of it, but it has the general appearance of a rat.

"What happened here?" asks Kara.

"Where is everyone?" adds Jonn.

I translate for Korri, but he claims he has no idea where the arkanes are. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I do.

"Let's go," says Jonn, taking the lead.

We travel deeper into the city, but the farther we venture from the front gate, the worse things get. Buildings are burned and ransacked. Bodies in various states of decay litter the ground. Some are fresh—no older than a few days. Others are mere piles of bones. The recently deceased bear the characteristic red veins and liquefied insides of the fire plague. There's little doubt in my mind Avalon is responsible for all these deaths. The more we discover, the more I despise her. And the more I despise her, the guiltier I feel. If I hadn't come to her rescue back at the subway station, all of these people would still be alive.