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Gale stood at the exit to the Embryon compound, watching Serph, Heat and Argilla head down the road toward the Maribel base in Manipura. His grey eyes held no emotion, as usual, but even he had to admit that his heart held some disquiet, causing ripples in the perfect calm pool of his mind. He wasn't certain he agreed with his leader's logic in determining that he would not betray the Maribel, regardless of the outcome of their mission. It wasn't that the alternative plan did not have merit, but in a strictly tactical sense, it made sense to keep the plan on the backburner as a possibility. Instead, Serph had seemed to dismiss the idea entirely - in response to urgings from Argilla, granted. But they were both acting...strangely. It was as if they were allowing emotions to override their judgement, not something that Gale had observed in them before. All of the Embryon had always done what was necessary, with ruthlessness and expedience. That was why their gang had grown to the prominence it had in such a short time. Serph was a skilled, capable leader, and Gale was certain he would not have made the same choice a few days ago. The fact was, he was having a difficult time coming to terms with the changes he observed in all of his compatriots. With the exception of Cielo, they were acting oddly. Changing. Was it the lights? That was the only variable which had changed to his knowledge, and certainly it was reasonable to presume that something that could change their physical state so profoundly could also change their mentalities. But if their minds have changed, isn't it logical to assume that mine has as well? he thought, feeling something inside him shudder and violently repressing the foreign sensation without even consciously realizing he was doing it. No. No I have not changed. I am not being ruled by my emotions. The green haired man turned abruptly and strode back toward the building, taking the elevator down into the bowels of the Embryon compound. He exited the elevator a few moments later and strode down the hallways, not really heading anywhere in particular, but turning his feet vaguely in the direction of the room in which they were keeping the strange girl they had found in the battlefield. She hadn't awakened yet, but he hoped that when she did, she would have some answers. The orange-toned lights were familiar and restored a sense of normality to his shaken mind. He found himself enjoying the sensations until he took conscious note of them. He should have no need for such trappings, or any use for 'comfort' or 'normality'. There was something wrong with him. For a moment he felt another foreign sensation run through him. It was called 'fear', but he didn't know what it meant. Shaking his head sharply, he deliberately eliminated the sensation from his mind, ruthlessly restoring his poise. No, he had not changed. He was calm, and logical, as he had always been. It was just this situation - it was natural to feel a sense of disconnection and confusion under these circumstances. After all, he had gone from a simple life merely focussed on killing or acquiring every other gang in the Junkyard, to having a demon in his mind, wanting to come out and...eat people. In fact, if he felt discomfited, that was the obvious thing to blame it upon. Vayu had his own presence in Gale's mind, and while he kept a stranglehold on the demon, it...whispered to him. The pleasures of the flesh. He had never heard that phrase before. But he now understood it, at least in a sense. "Uh, Gale sir?" came a familiar voice and the green haired man turned. The man standing before him was a veteran of the Embryon, though not one of the leadership. His name was Grayson, Gale recalled. The younger man ran a hand nervously through his short, straw-coloured hair and then rubbed his palm dry on his pants. "Sir? Do you know what's happening? Did they say anything to our leader?" He fixed pale eyes, not the usual grey, but a golden colour closer to the colour of his hair, on Gale. There was a plea there, which Gale read without fully understanding the emotions behind it. The older man stepped toward Grayson, nodding curtly. "The Karma Temple has stated that the gang that defeats every other one in the Junkyard shall be elevated to Nirvana. We intend to be the ones who survive." He reached out and put a hand on the frightened man's shoulder, squeezing in a gesture he intended to be comforting. Grayson tensed, and Gale could feel the bunching of his muscles even through the glove, and the thick material of the uniform he wore. "Do you really think we can?" he asked, hope tingeing his voice. "We will do it," Gale said firmly. "We will entertain no other option. Serph, Heat and Argilla are already putting our plan into motion." "Y-yes sir," Grayson whispered. There was a scent hanging about the other man and Gale leaned closer, trying to figure out what it was. There was a jolt that ran through both men and he suddenly realized that Grayson had been backing away. His back had just fetched against the wall of the corridor in which they stood. Inside, Vayu beat at his mental walls, and he frowned faintly, the only outward indication of the discomfiture he felt. A moment later, he recognized the sensation he was feeling, and his eyes widened slightly. The hunger. It was like nothing he had ever felt. "Sir?" Grayson whispered, his voice sounding like he was being strangled. "Sir, please..." Realizing that he was now holding Grayson tightly with both hands, Gale released him abruptly, but even though he sent the command to his legs to move, he didn't step back as he had intended. "It's all right," he said, though the words were meaningless. Listening to the rapid breaths of the boy he had pinned to the wall, Gale closed his eyes and lowered his head, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. Control. He needed only to control... But he could smell his fear. It was almost as compelling as the scent of blood and warm flesh, encased in a thin shell of canvas and Kevlar. Their lower bodies were pressed together, and Gale could hear the fluttering of his heart, feel the heat of his body. He swayed dizzily, feeling a rush of sensation go through his body. And then suddenly that hot blood was splashing over his tongue. There was screaming in his ears, and feeble hands beating on his shoulders. Vayu growled and his leg snapped out and upwards, the spine in his foot impaling his prey through the stomach. The prey let out another high shriek and then went satisfyingly limp. Vayu pinned the sack of meat to the ground and bent nearly double over it, feeding with relish. Hot blood and flesh danced on his tongue, slurped down with relish accompanied by loud smacking sounds. He fed quickly, wanting to taste the sweetness at its peak before it dulled as the body cooled. And then. "Gale?" Vayu ripped a length of intestine out of the body cavity and turned, chewing and swallowing the delectable morsel. "Gale, what the hell are you doing?" Something inside the demon recognized the man standing at the other end of the hall as Cielo, marked him as familiar and not an enemy. The rest of him only saw more food. The best bits of this one had now been devoured and the body was beginning to cool. Vayu abandoned the meal and lunged at the new one, already anticipating how hot and delicious his blood would be. "What the--!" Cielo exclaimed, back-pedalling quickly as Vayu darted down the hallway towards him. "Gale, stop!" Still back-pedalling as quickly as he could, Cielo pulled out his gun and fired a warning shot over Vayu's head. "Stop, Gale! Get a hold of yourself!" Vayu only relished the man's weakness, sadistically delighted that he would hesitate to fire directly at him even in the face of such danger. Roaring a challenge, the demon rushed at Cielo, then slowed at the last moment, toying with him. Flesh tasted better when flavoured with adrenaline and terror. They burst from the interior of the building into the central courtyard. The incessant rain made the flagstones slippery and fell in a cool mist to blanket the two. There was another rattle of bullets as Cielo fired at Vayu again, slipping and nearly falling as he continued to back up as quickly as he could. The bullets went wild, and Vayu hissed, lunging and opening his mouth in anticipation of sinking his teeth finally into Cielo's throat. And then he heard a clear voice, rising in melody. He hesitated just short of the killing strike, and hissed as Cielo scrambled away and out of his reach. The noise was like a blanket, wrapping around him, smothering the blood lust, dampening his senses, soothing the urges to strike and kill. Vayu dropped to his knees, wrapped in comforting, maddening, muffling, beautiful sound. Gale blinked up into the silver eyes of the girl, feeling the warmth of arms around him, of her legs under his back, supporting him. She was still moving her mouth, making those clear, beautiful sounds with her voice. "What...is that?" he whispered. "It's...a song," she told him softly, her lips curving in a smile. "A song," he echoed, forming the unfamiliar word with precision and wonder, feeling yet another unfamiliar emotion ripple through him. Rapture. | |
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