Subject 305-b

Chapter 9

Nic woke up drenched in sweat, and to the smell of food cooking. Athena was standing in front of a fire place turning a handmade cooking rack. The smell was very weird like wet rabbits. Athena grabbed some plates and sat down beside Nic.

"How did you do it?" Athena asked.

Nic knew Athena would kill him if he told her. He awkwardly shifted his legs.
"I don't know what your taking about." Nic responded.

Athena rolled her eyes, irritated she huffed, "You know exactly what I'm talking about Nic don't make me hit you."

Nic avoided further questions by acting like he seriously had no idea. Athena rolled her eyes and walked away. She couldn't know the truth, that Jake had succeeded in making a human war weapon. Nic stood up and handed his plate to Reyna and walked over to Athena.

"Athena I need to find Jake do you have any idea where he could be?" Nic asked.

"Yes actually but first you have to tell me how you know him human." Athena remarked back.

"I can't.." Nic stumbled over his words "I don't won't to tell you that. It could put you in danger."

Athena and Nic argued for a few moments before she sighed and told him that she knew how he could find Jake and handed him a backpack filled with food and threw one over her shoulder with extra clothes. Athena was obviously still angry.

"Well we're going to need food and clothing. So take that bag and go into the back room I've got something for you."

Nic nodded his head and walked over to a small door and pushed it open. He saw a red leather jacket, black pants, and a pair of boots. He threw the clothes on and slid on the boots. Nic noticed small katana like sword but sharper and lighter hanging on the wall along with a lot of other weapons, ranging from daggers to clubs. He grabbed the sword off the wall and slid it into the holster that was attached to his pants. Then something caught his eye, two oddly large wrist bands sat on a table, but they where not wrist bands. When Nic slid them on he noticed something on the underside like a mechanism of some sort. He started making weird movements with his wrist/hand, and when he flicked his wrist upwards a steel eight inch blade slid out. Nic examined the blade for a moment and when he flicked he wrist down the blade retracted. He slid his sleeves over the mechanism part where just the blade would show when needed.

Athena was waiting outside wearing her black hunting leather hunting gear. She had two swords on both hips and a dagger strapped to the side of her thigh.

"It will take us about four days to get to the ship, two walking day and night but let's not." Athena was going to say more but when she saw what Nic had discovered she laughed.

"Never had much use of those wrist blades they where my fathers and so was the sword... They suit you." Athena mumbled. "But umm here, you'll always need an extra weapon."

Athena handed Nic a gun and and a holster, Nic clipped the holster to his waist and placed the gun into it.

"Where did you get these?" Nic asked.

"Took most of guns and other items of value of the lizards," Athena smiled, " I didn't think they would need them anymore."

"Why aren't you using one?" Nic wondered, noticing that Athena did not have one.

"I uh, I'm not comfortable with guns. My family has a bad history with guns. Why do you think Reyna is in a wheel chair." Athena's was voice heavy with sadness. "My mother was shot about seven years ago when Jakes men first invaded."

Athena and Nic started heading toward their destination, it was noon and the sun was blaring down on them.