Part 35: The Nine, Happiness,Interruption
"You know what, guys," Kai declared, stretching his stiff limbs. "I would never, ever visit the Dead Land again."
The nine of them stood just outside the ravaged territory, a dirty, crazy-looking bunch covered head-to-toe in heavy dust whipped up by the constant chaotic winds. The faces of Jex and Dr. Orion showed only mischievous satisfaction, knowing the grueling pain they had intentionally inflicted by leading the group through the most treacherous terrain. The rest—Jog-Jog, Kai, Lena, Maya, and Black—wore the extreme fatigue of survivors. They had fought everything from aggressive Ekunolfs[1] to airborne, flesh-eating Gillforas[2] and venomous Horned Snakes, all while dodging collapsing ruins and Orion's sudden, unexpected wind slashes—all in the name of "training."
"I feel dead," Jog-Jog groaned, rubbing his shoulders. "You know, I never really trusted that Orion guy. He looks like some freak who enjoys the pain of others," he added in a mock-sad voice.
"Ha! 'Training' my ass," Maya chimed in, adjusting her glasses. "He's just getting back at us for eating the last ration and not sharing it with him."
As they talked and laughed at their own clumsy mistakes during the deadly drills, they walked toward the road. Arike, calm and pristine, had abandoned her human form and was resting on Jex's shoulder as a beautiful bird of prey.
"I think she likes Jex," Lena gossiped under her breath to Maya.
Maya chuckled. "She likes anything utterly crazy. Imagine having a father as crazy as —Orion—and then falling for chaos itself—Jex."
Their laughter, light and genuine, was a stark contrast to the despair of the ninth member. Markas had lost the ability to show any expression other than a horrified, terrified look. He watched their camaraderie, their casual acceptance of brutality, and could only mutter, "M-m-monsters... They call themselves human still... What am I doing here... I want a hot bath... I'm hungry... I think I'm going to pass out." Dumbstruck by the ease with which these supposed humans fought, Markas was a wreck of fear and reluctant amazement.
As they neared the road, a dilapidated hoverbus floated down to pick up passengers. The nine of them ran like a desperate, dirty hoard to catch it.
The passengers already onboard stared with wide-eyed shock at the onboarding crew. The sight of nine grime-caked, wild-looking warriors created a moment of intense awkward silence. The sound of the bus's engine restarting finally broke the tension, and the crew was forced to stand for the entire trip into the city.
As the bus hissed to a stop, they scrambled to alight.
"That," Jog-Jog announced loudly, stretching his arms, "was the worst trip ever."
Black nodded, a rare smirk on his face. "Way worse than getting chased out of the city by an angry tiger woman."
"Whew! Ladies first!" Kai shouted, mockingly gesturing toward the hotel door, eager to escape the grime.
They rushed into the hotel lobby, still looking like walking piles of dirt. The awkward silence moment happened again, multiplied by the luxurious setting. Every clean, well-dressed guest and employee turned to stare.
"Now I'm starting to hate looking like this," Markas blurted out, unable to contain his frustration. This made it worse; everyone, including the rest of the crew, turned to face the sobbing, dirty man who had broken the silence.
They quickly paid for their rooms and rushed in for a much-needed shower and change of clothes.
Muscle tension dissolved in the hot bath. The weariness of the Dead Land melted away.
When they all met again at the hotel entrance, the awkward moment returned, but this time, it was one of pure, silent admiration. Their dirt was gone, revealing the intoxicating, unique beauty of Lena, Maya, Arike now in human form, and the chiseled, intense appearance of the men.
"Do we still look like shit?" Lena asked, checking her reflection, oblivious to the stares.
"Oh, Jog-Jog looks like shit," Kai quipped, pointing at their perpetually grumpy friend. They all laughed, the tension broken.
They went to the restaurant and devoured everything they desired, sharing genuine laughter. Markas, the perpetual oddball, was now comfortable. These crazy, terrifyingly powerful people were now his friends. He knew they wouldn't hurt him. Arike, ate silently, a small smile touching her lips at their jokes.
They chose to be happy, appreciating the small, simple joy of food and laughter, knowing the wars and dangers that lay ahead. As the sunset painted the sky, they moved to the rooftop to enjoy the view of the city—beautiful, unpredictable, unorganized, but still a place that felt like home.
Orion sat with Jex, making a small gesture towards the young warriors laughing together, the group that bore the burdens of impending world destruction. Orion smiled, a rare moment of soft pride. Jex smiled back, his voice gentle and final.
"They can handle it."
The warm evening turned to night, and they finally went to bed.
BANG!!!!!
A loud explosion ripped Black from his sleep. He sprinted out of his room, his adrenaline spiking, sensing immediate danger. As he reached the corridor, a woman slammed into him.
"Please, help me!" she cried, her voice ragged with terror, and flickering in her eyes blackness, and unstable dark smoke cracked with embers, showing around her like a broken and weak aura. She fell to the ground, exhausted, and injured.
Black looked towards the direction she was running from and saw two figures emerge from the shadows: Zeldor and Talia, the silent, lethal assassin twins of Primus, their eyes fixed on Hind.
"Please take her inside," Black told Lena, who had rushed out almost immediately, alerted by the blast.
Just then, Jog-Jog and Kai burst out of their rooms. Jog-Jog saw the assassins and instantly took up a fighting stance, the grin of a man eager to test his limits spreading across his face.
"Hey, Kai, wanna take on this guy with me?" Jog-Jog challenged, his excitement palpable.
Kai didn't need to be asked twice. He reveals the terrifying face of his twin brother Solon and pulled the giant sword from its sheath off his back. "The Orion" training in the Dead Land is about to be tested" he added.
"I guess I'm taking the girl, then," Black muttered, his golden eyes hardening as he faced the silent threat of Talia, while Kai and Jog-Jog squared off against Zeldor.
"Arrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhh!"!!!!!!!!!
[1] A wolflion like animal mutated due to the apocalypse
[2] Large bird that feeds on flesh, suddenly appeared after the apocalypse