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ELIXA CHAPTER 33
The sun was finally fading through the other side of the orange sky when they arrived at the city that grew out from the ground. Myriad of towers swelled from the dust, brown, elegant domes, sitting aloof on the single rectangular blocks, identical to several hundred that spread across the city. Oddly enough, there were gardens of green, sprawling through the base of the buildings and across the gates. Springs of blue waters also flowed from the far side of the city, towards the center gate and disappeared into the two hands of the world. For a desert land, palm trees and several trees whose names were not forthcoming danced with the north wind as if glad that the scorching heat was falling on the other side of the world.Kristen shifted the airpipe on her nose, patting the neck of the Bostrich and urging it forward. She followed behind the stiff-necked Vick who took the lead, smiling like a baby that had found its mother.Kristen's neck would have grown stiff as well, but instead, it
ELIXA CHAPTER 34
Vick grunted with irritation and followed the leading stairs, towards the front door, which had a wolf crest engraved on it. The familiarity brought back a feeling which made her want to close her eyes and inhale deeply. How long has it been? Two years? She rubbed the bridge of her nose, easing her shoulders as she promenaded. It didn’t matter. What matters is that she was home, she had brought back her last game, her last catch before winter. She was ready to be laid off, to resign from this life that she had lived since she could barely walk. If only Luke could see her now. If only he were alive to see what she had accomplished in a short amount of time. Of the Dwellers that had ever lived, she was the greatest and the most popular—even though the council disagrees. The council could rest in the pit of hell for all she cared, she was the greatest and without her effort, she doubted the wall would still be standing.“Did you hear any words I said?”The protest of the other girl made
ELIXA CHAPTER 35
“Stabilizing process. Checking, tissues and organelles. Scan in process”Claudius folded his hands on his chest, watching eagerly as the white light in the cylindrical scan hovered over his daughter, blinking and resuming when they got to their feet. She was asleep, and her breathing was stable. The paleness of her skin had returned to the olive color and was normal too. It had taken several heavy doses of the sedating agent to knock out her consciousness. The dose was large and could have killed two horses while sending at least ten men to their early graves. But her body system had absorbed everything as if it was mere water. Some of the technicians had been worried, afraid that they might lose the girl if the dose had been increased. But to Claudius, well, he knew what she was made of. She was not just his baby girl, she was an embodiment of his life’s work. The perfect progeny of what he had dreamed so long to have. A living miracle.“There is no anomaly so far.” Dr Ralph was sayi
ELIXA CHAPTER 36
She is an Airnos. Carlos kneaded the side of his nose before drinking directly from the bottle. The August rain had left Bel Haven with its cold, mailing its winds to remind them of the fated winter. Soon the man in white would cap the world with its blistering teeth. Just a few months remaining and all the greens and wetness would become white and mean. Winter remains the only season most people dread. It was the blight of the world, the reminder of what was and would be.Carlos gulped the wine again, and beat twice on the brown door. He had tried using the bell, but the girl would not respond. Not that he blamed her, of course. Her anger was understandable. He had messed up and had not heeded her advice. Everything had returned to shambles. He was back to square one. No crew, no friends and no goddamn enemy. No, he had enemies. Carlos Stones has enemies within and outside the Nine continent. Everyone wanted him dead. The Emperor, for attacking his manor, the firstborn, for being a t
ELIXA CHAPTER 37
“What are you doing here?” Mitch asked, tilting his head backwards as If that would give him a clearer view. The dark tattooed eyes, walked about Carlos, weighing and judging but not stepping aside for the older man.“Will you let me in?” Carlos snorted but did not meet his eyes.“Hmm,” Was all that came from Mitch as he shifted to the side, letting Carl walk into the small room. “Hope you kept your sorry state on the streets. Aren’t ready to babysit anyone.”Carlos ignored him with a taunt on his lips. He strode towards the cushion and dropped himself like a stash bag. After everything, they had been through. Why would Beth betray them? Was it the money, the fame, or the power? What on earth did they promise her? Why would she exchange the cat for
ELIXA CHAPTER 38
Silence passed through the men and women seated across in circles, towering above them like spectators of a gladiatorial fight. From one end of the hall to the other, it kept the serenity, almost giving the place a ghost name. Occasions like this would have left the entire city shouldering themselves to find space. It was a wonder that the few people that were invited were only men and women from powerful houses, whose words and actions speak louder than those of common men. There were no children, just a bunch of individuals who thought they could rule the world by sitting within the space of their homes, waving their wand of authority over anything they strongly want to change. Within the stones, just before the vertical lines that tendril from the ceiling to the floor, another circular seat cut those towering, but in a semicircle, stretching until they caught the walls. At least, seven people were seated, dark eyes blending with the s
ELIXA CHAPTER 39
It came first as a flush on his shoulders, moving through his joint and almost adding fatigue to his muscles. The first time had been better, he had kept the racing pace of his heart and had controlled the discomfort on his shoulders. But now it was different, and had everything to do with the fact that Catherine was watching his every move. Those piercing eyes could cut through a stone. Damian lowered his shoulders and knees, mimicking the posture Catherine had taught him moments ago. His breathing was hot on his nostril and the beat of his heart was almost chiming in his ears. He could feel his swelling head and the heat at the back of his head. Yet, notwithstanding the uneasiness, he kept his eyes on the target, knowing that a loss in focus could cost him his life. To impress Catherine was the priority too. That would hasten the step and further push his plans to find a way of escape. So
ELIXA CHAPTER 40
With the pair of scissors, Claudius took the first three petals on the green plant that had turned pale. It was not the first time he would notice some abnormalities in his calculations. The genetic engineers had removed one or two sequences from the plant. This was the best, so far. About sixty-six hundred plants had been planted. They had been trimmed and groomed to withstand the toxic atmospheric air. Sixty-six hundred was the best so far. They had recorded a hundred per cent yield, the best since they started some fifteen years ago. Plus, it was the final piece that would make the batch whole. He was going to sell it to merchants of course, but that would be only to keep his inventions and his creations from ever being extinct from the surface of the earth. Failure had eaten deep into his work too. Ever since Dorin passed on, he had found it hard to replace him. His demise was a tragic one and somehow, Claudius wishes that the situat