Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
“Fuck!” Mine curses as he shifts mid-fall, grabbing me in a tight embrace. I barely have time to realize what’s happening or to help cushion our fall before we hit the ground.
Something soft breaks our fall, and we roll together down a steep slope. His arms are around me, never once letting go even though he stands to get hurt worse than me.
“Mine,” I call out as we come to a halt. “Are you all right?” I ask hastily as I visually check his body for any sign of injury.
He lets out a harsh groan and I immediately panic.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” I pat down his body.
“What is this smell?” He curses in disgust as he brings up his hand and pinches his nose with two fingers.
So worried I was about him that I didn’t register my surroundings, or the fact that Mine is indeed right. The stench is overwhelming.
Yet it’s not surprising as I look around us.
“What the—” My words get swallowed up by shock.
Mine opens his eyes and raises himself on his elbows, his expression mirroring mine as we realize where we are.
“Jesus fucking Christ, what the fuck is this, Minnie?”
“Stop swearing so much,” I grumble, though I feel like spewing some expletives of my own.
“Well, no shit. If this isn’t swear-worthy, then I don’t know what is.”
He gazes down at his body, his face turning a tad green. He’s covered in…bodily fluids. Of the decomposition type.
The entire ditch is filled with corpses. One on top of the other, they litter the entire landfill in a grotesque display.
At the top of the slope, the corpses are fresher, perhaps only a few days old. At the bottom, it’s mostly skeletons and scraps of clothing that survived the harsh heat of the blazing suns.
Yet it’s exactly that heat that turns this environment into a noxious one, the smell from decomposition making it hard to breathe.
Even if a prisoner wasn’t dead when he was dumped in this ditch, he certainly would be shortly. I have no doubt disease lingers around too.
“We need to find a way out,” Mine says in between muffled breaths. “Fast.”
I nod in agreement, though I can’t help but glance around at the mistreated corpses and think that they were someone’s family once upon a time. And instead of releasing the bodies in the care of their loved ones for a proper funeral, they were thrown in here, disposed of as if they were worthless.
No matter the crime, no person deserves such an abhorrent treatment.
How is this allowed? Somehow I doubt that the central command would allow for such egregious behavior. Then again, there is so much bureaucracy between the regional militias and the central command that I doubt this would ever reach the ear of someone important—someone with enough say to demand change.
“Fucking hell!” Mine continues to grumble as he gets to his feet and notices the stains on his clothes. “I’ve dealt with plenty of bodily fluids in my time but never without protective gear. Never mind that this is gross, but can you imagine the diseases?” He lets out a shudder. “What if I catch something? What if it’s something native to Aperion and it ends up killing me for good? We must find a way to get clean, Minnie. As soon as possible.”
“I’ll get us out,” I assure him as I reach into my pocket for the pin.
Mine might have a propensity for drama, but in this instance, I can’t say I blame him. He survived a terrible illness in his childhood, which is why he’s probably always so concerned about cleanliness and disease.
Even to my battle-hardened senses, this corpse landfill is not only unhygienic but also disrespectful and profane. Though all souls who die in Aperion head directly to the House of Psyche, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s a lot of bad energy tied to this place. The sooner we’re out of here, the better.
My brows furrow in concern when I can’t find the pin.
“Uhm… Mine?” I start nervously.
“Here.” He extends his hand toward me and gives me the pin. “You dropped it,” he adds nonchalantly.
I blink. Then I release a sigh of relief.
“That was very sharp of you,” I murmur. Just thinking of losing the pin among hundreds if not thousands of corpses was already making me spiral.
“I have my moments.” He shrugs, though I can see he warms at the compliment.
Drawing energy from the pin, I transport us up on the cliff and I remove most of the stench clinging to our clothes. The stains, however, are out of my control.
“We can head into the Capital, get some fresh clothes, and grab a shower at an inn,” I offer.
“I hope it’s not far,” he grumbles as he starts walking.
I keep up with his aggressive stride. “You were bragging about getting us free transportation just a while ago. Seems like we still need to walk.”
I expect a smart comeback from him, but he surprises me when he pulls me by the shoulders to his side.
“At least I have great company along the way.”
“You…you think I’m great company?” I ask, taken aback. That’s yet another thing no one’s ever said to me. If anything, it’s usually the opposite because I never live up to people’s expectations.
“Of course,” he replies instantly. “There’s no one else in the entire universe I’d rather walk with for miles on end.” He winks at me.
The two Aperite suns are blazing from both east and west, making the heat unbearable. Still, the flush climbing up my neck has nothing to do with the sweltering heat.
“Thank you…” I whisper shyly. “You too.”
He gives me a dazzling smile. He doesn’t let go of me as we march forward, keeping me close as he tells me all about Dracula and Bram Stoker, a classic tale in his world. I listen attentively, surprised by the way vampires are portrayed in this story. The ones I have heard of, some of which happen to make their home in Anthropa, cannot turn into bats, nor do they sleep in coffins. Although the latter I haven’t personally verified and cannot say for sure. Still, it makes for an interesting story to pass the time.
It’s almost the end of the day when we reach the outer district of the Capital.
There are very few shops still open, but we manage to secure clean clothes and a room at a nondescript inn for the night. Although I insisted on getting separate rooms, Mine managed to convince me that it would be a bad idea since I’m the only protection he has, therefore I must be with him at all times.
I agreed.
It might not be the most proper arrangement, but I think it’s a little late to worry about propriety at this point.
The room consists of a small bedroom and an even smaller wet area. Due to the fact that this is a rather poor part of the Capital, the amenities aren’t that great and we are warned that warm water would only run for fifteen minutes.
All wet areas in Aperion are operated by magical runes, for which people who lack abilities must pay a premium to use.
As soon as we walk through the door, Mine dashes toward the shower and locks himself inside.
“Don’t use up all the water,” I call out as I head to the window and pull the curtains aside to inspect the street. Although I don’t think anyone’s recognized me so far, I don’t want to take any chances, especially in the Capital since it’s not the same as a small village in the middle of nowhere. Fellow soldiers and courtiers could be walking around, and if they see me…
I shake my head. It’s better not to think of the worst outcome just yet.
The door to the bathroom slams open and Mine appears in the room, wearing only his pants, which rest dangerously low on his hips.
I blink and gulp down. I’m too tired for this type of temptation.
“Don’t tell me you already washed,” I say jokingly in an attempt to mask the low tremor of my voice.
He rolls his eyes at me.
“We only have fifteen minutes of warm water. Might as well make the best of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Take off your clothes and come to the bathroom.”
My mouth hangs open in stock.
“W-what?”
“Come on, Minnie.”
“We might be sharing a room, but I throw the line at sharing a shower,” I sputter.
He raises a lazy brow at me and then shrugs.
“I might take too long in the shower,” he adds suggestively. “A full fifteen minutes perhaps.”
“Mine!” I stomp my foot. His only reaction is to laugh.
“Come?”
When I don’t move, he turns back to the wet area and turns the water on.
The minutes trickle by and as I realize he has no intention of stepping out of the shower. I quickly take off my dirty clothes and run toward the washing room.
Yet the sight in front of me stops me dead in my tracks.
The water courses in rivulets down his body, and my eyes are drawn to his firm buttocks and toned back. Scars riddle his body, most of them concentrated on his back. Thick jagged lines start from his neck going down to his buttocks, with a few continuing down his left leg. His left side is the most visibly scarred, and the marks continue on the front of his body, with the thickest one being on his upper chest.
His skin might not be flawless, but it’s those imperfections that give him character and make him so appealing in my eyes. They make him seem real, flesh and blood, pure…masculinity.
“Done staring?” he drawls. “Only five minutes left.”
I shake myself from my reverie. My only two choices are to hang onto my modesty and go to sleep dirty or…
I let out an annoyed sigh and take off the rest of my clothes before I join him under the warm jet of the water. Although this is the first time I’m fully naked in front of someone, I try not to dwell on it. I can feel his eyes on me, examining every little inch of my flesh. Yet he doesn’t say or do anything.
I expected to fight him for some peace to wash myself, seeing as how he used such an underhanded method to get me to join him, naked, in the bathroom. But he shocks me when he lathers a good amount of soap onto my hair and massages my scalp while I go about removing the dirt from my body.
His touch is gentle yet firm as he carefully rinses the soap out before applying another layer and cleaning my hair properly.
With his help, I manage to get clean just in time for the water to run out.
He’s the first to get out. He takes a towel and pats down his body before he wraps it around his waist. I do my best not to notice the fact that he’s aroused, although it’s kind of hard with his male part tenting the material of the towel.
Even so, he was a perfect gentleman. Never once did he come too close to me or made me feel uncomfortable about my nakedness and the vulnerable position I was in.
Taking the other towels, he hands one to me as I step out of the shower and uses the other one to dry my hair. I quickly cover my nakedness, though he must have gotten more than an eyeful by now.
“We could have just split the time,” I grumble as he works on separating my strands of hair. After all, if he didn’t have any designs on me, why did he insist on sharing the washing space?
“I don’t trust your washing skills enough,” he answers, amused.
“What?”
“You have long hair,” he clarifies. “It takes longer.”
“So you wanted to shower with me just to make sure I washed properly?”
“Yep,” he hums as he continues to squeeze the moisture out of my hair. “You’re welcome.”
“You’re weird,” I say with a chuckle.
“Maybe, but now you’ll get a restful sleep.”
“Speaking of sleep…”
“Yes, Minnie, we are sharing the bed, too,” he adds indulgently.
Somehow I am too tired to argue with him on this, so I simply grab a cotton shirt from the clothes we’d bought earlier and shrug it on before getting in bed.
His eyes never leave me as he continues his ablutions, and once he’s done, he joins me under the blanket.
We’re both on our sides, looking at the each other.
Despite the horrendous detour we’ve taken and the horrors we saw both in prison and outside, Mine is surprisingly relaxed. He has a small smile on his face, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask, curious.
“You, me, one bed.”
I frown at his wording.
“Never mind. Sweet dreams, my dear Minnie,” he murmurs and he lays a kiss on my forehead. He closes his eyes and goes to sleep.
Despite how tired I am, I can’t seem to do the same. My thoughts are in disarray as I find myself more confused than ever about my situation and my purpose. The time is dwindling and the thought that I’ll have to leave Mine behind leaves me…cold.
Yet how can I allow myself to stay when a relationship with a human is not only forbidden but would make me an outlaw for all of Aperion. We might be together, but we’d always be hunted because I don’t for a moment believe the Aperite Supremes would allow a deity to get away with such an egregious rule break without making an example out of us.
If only I had been born a human, too…
“This is how males dress in your world?” Mine asks as he fastens a dark blue linen tunic around his waist before donning a thick leather belt around his midriff.
“The common folk. The nobility wear much finer cloth. Although for females, the dresses are also a bit more extravagant,” I say as I go about putting on my own ensemble.
The dress is made from the same ordinary linen as Mine’s, but this one is a lighter cream color. It has an empire waist and a high neckline, not leaving too much exposed flesh. After I tie back the dress, I add a thin brown leather belt under the bodice.
“The shoes are comfortable, though,” he comments after he’s put on the leather boots.
“Yours maybe. Not mine.” I crinkle my nose as I wiggle my toes around in the narrow toe box. Female clothing, whether poor or rich, is not made for comfort. These shoes are no different. They have pointy toes and a small, rounded heel at the back. As opposed to the male shoes, these ones are not made out of leather, rather of some satin imitation.
Once dressed, we leave the inn and head to the military headquarters that is in charge of sin demons.
The Capital is huge, so to get there faster—and without the chance of running into someone recognizing me—I buy us tickets on the Prohodos , a tram-like vehicle that services all the districts of the Capital.
It’s mostly used by s’Aperiotes since they make the bulk of the commuters from the outer districts to the central ones.
“Try not to speak too loudly,” I whisper to Mine. “We don’t want anyone taking notice of us.”
He nods.
“I’m surprised how similar Aperion is to Anthropa,” he comments in a hushed voice.
“In many ways, yes. After all, most other worlds are modeled after Anthropa. It’s just that those lacking a magic-based system had to resort to other alternatives.”
“Technology,” he mentions thoughtfully.
“Exactly. Although there are other worlds that have magic as their main infrastructure, Aperion is unique in that it is the source of all magic in the universe.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told you about the Supremes. There is one designated for each House of Aperion, and they are in charge of their element for the entire universe. Take someone from Anthropa for example, who is born with above average spiritual energy.”
“A witch?”
“Yes, a witch.” I nod. “Usually, they invoke higher beings to grant them power to perform magic. That increased spiritual energy allows them to create a direct link to the Supremes, which in turn allows them to perform spells. Say a witch desires to control nature. She will either invoke the Gaia Supreme or the Flora Supreme.”
He clicks his tongue against his teeth.
“That’s assuming the magic they practice is good, no?”
“Not necessarily.”
“What?” He chuckles.
“There is always an exchange. The goal does not matter as much as what the performer of the spell is ready to relinquish.” I shrug.
“And you say demons are bad?” He raises a brow.
“Of course. Demons feed on souls. They destroy creation. Our Supremes would never do that.”
“Huh…” he murmurs, seemingly unconvinced.
“Nothing is free in the universe, Mine. All types of magical beings that are not of divine origin will have to exchange something for their powers. Like that faerie for example. Her kind might be powerful, but they cannot ever give or receive something without striking a bargain. They are compelled to do so. Those vampires you spoke of. Their kind traces its origins to the House of Skia, and they exchanged immortality for an unquenchable thirst for blood.”
“Then where do you draw the line? If the goal doesn’t matter, then why do you crucify demons so much when your Supremes are equally capable of doing damage.”
“I told you the difference.” I roll my eyes at him. “The Supremes will never destroy a person’s soul.”
“But what if a mortal offers up their soul to a demon, of their own volition? What if they want wealth and fame and whatnot and are willing to forfeit their soul for it?”
“That is their prerogative.” I shrug. “But the only ones who are able to strike those deals are the Sons of Tenebreis. Since they technically have divine origin, they are able to fulfill wishes. But since the soul has unimaginable power, the bargain will always be in their favor.”
“But why is it so bad if it’s people’s prerogative whether to sell their soul or not? As long as no one is forcing them…”
“Ah, but that is exactly what regular demons do for the Sons of Tenebreis. They tempt people, corrupt their souls until they either enter such a bargain, or until they become demons themselves after death,” I correct.
“So they don’t consume them? They let the souls become new demons? So magnanimous of them,” Mine comments drily.
“They do consume them in most cases, at least until the demons are able to take on a physical form and get to a higher level. That’s when they prefer pure souls, so they simply kill people.”
“Fine, I’ll grant you that demons can be destructive. But what about witches and other beings who borrow powers from the Supremes and end up doing bad things with them. I’m sure that happens.”
“It does,” I reply nonchalantly. “That’s why there’s a special place in hell for them.” I smile. “As much as the House of Moirai controls certain points in people’s lives and their fates, there is always a certain degree of free will. And that free will verges on whether people do the good thing or the bad.”
“So your Supremes purposefully allow the bad?” he asks, his lips curling up. “Making abstraction of the demons and their role in corrupting souls. Doesn’t that free will mean they allow evil to exist?”
“That’s… The world is made up of balance. For good to exist, bad must exist too.”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” he probes deeper.
The Prohodos comes to a stop.
“It’s our stop. Let’s go,” I say as I pull on his sleeve.
He has a droll smile on his face.
“You don’t have an answer, do you?”
I scowl at him.
“I just told you my answer. Just like the first primordials were made up of good, neutral and bad, so is the world. Everything is a copy of the first creation.”
“That’s not an answer,” he presses on.
“Yes. It is.”
“Fine. We can agree to disagree.” He shrugs, his expression akin to gloating. My competitiveness rises to the surface.
“I don’t have time to continue this now, but don’t think for a moment that you’ve won.”
“Fine, fine.” Another smile.
The military headquarters are only a short distance from the Prohodos stop. It’s a rather nondescript building that blends in with the background. Only those who’ve been inside any military compound would know most of the conference rooms and training spaces are underground.
“We’re here. Wait for me, all right?”
His smile drops.
“How long will you be there for?”
“I don’t know. It shouldn’t be too long. I will just inform the General of the situation and I’ll be back.”
He half turns and motions across the street to the statue of a woman holding an hourglass.
“You have until the hourglass has run its course.”
I frown.
“Until what?”
“Until I come for you.”