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2024-10-29 19:42:56It 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
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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
ELIXA CHAPTER 41
“Ah,” Damian shouted, “I’m alive. I’m alive, I am freaking alive” His hands elevated into the heavens as he jumped, laughing and screaming at the top of his voice.Dust and sands rose in every direction, but there was no danger or anything to suggest a threat. The Darkeel had vanished, leaving him at the mercies of the artificial scorching heat which brewed the surroundings with its rough teeth. “Can you believe it, Cat? Catherine, can you see this? I am alive. I don’t know how, but I think I killed it somehow.” he walked toward where his gun had fallen and picked it up, beaming now with happiness and pride.There was something about his guise that reminded Catherine about her prime, about the times when she was still ready to conquer the world. It was mutual, and wish she could tell him
ELIXA CHAPTER 42
First, it came towards the right side of her face, forcing her back with an inhuman force. She could have kissed the floor from the impact, but recalling her training, she masterfully used her left hand to bounce on the floor and back to her feet.Something walked through the sides of Zach's face, anger, Nina was not sure, staying alive bothers her more. Taking another step back, she tried to drive her clenched fist into his left cheek, to keep him from pinning her to the wall. It was successful, at least her moving fist made it close to his face, to the intended target, until he stepped to the side and shoved his knees towards her abdomen. Nina had predicted that which made it easy to dodge. Cursing at her failed attempts, she spanned with her left foot, taking the boy's previous position and keeping herself from harm's way.Zach's face narrowed
ELIXA CHAPTER 43
Days have gone by since the incident in the training ground. According to the rumors she had heard, Zach had been expelled from becoming a firstborn and his chances of ever getting to prove his worth had been stripped away from his grasp. The authorities would have sent him home if he had parents to return to. They were orphans however, Freetown was the only home they had, the only place they had lived since heaven knows when. The school rarely punishes anyone, possibly because most of the novices in training hardly defaults. That must be the reason why most people think that the school had passed a harsh judgment on Zach. And as if it was not enough, he had been stripped of his power and reduced to a mere toilet servant. Left to Nina, she would have done things differently. She would have chosen a more subtle punishment, anything that would not deter his psychology. Well, too bad she was not the authority, the only thing she could do wa
ELIXA CHAPTER 44
It was happening again. The soot, the screams, the dust and ash and the smoke that had clouded the world, rising into the heavens and rapturing with the clouds. That sense of dejection and sorrow and fear. It was all happening again as if reminding her of what she was, what she had left at the brink of uncertainty. She could still hear the cry of her daughter and her husband as the fire consumed them, causing their skin to droop from their bones. Everything was happening again. She had not done anything then, and she doubted she could do anything now.Hissing, Catherine's hands reflexively went to her stomach. It had come so naturally, and it didn't amaze her when she saw the swelling tummy. She was pregnant, and would soon be put to bed. Her husband was supposed to make the cradle, to prepare the house for their second baby. But, there he was, shouting out her name as he burned with their da
ELIXA CHAPTER 45
Fun is not complete until they are spent with friends, close friends, and one that could breathe and speak their problems into your heart. Often we meet such people, and when we are with them, the time we spend is what defines the true meaning of pleasure. Carlos smiled at the thought and dropped the glass cup for a refill. He had just had his evening rounds, making sure his dealings were in check. Too lousy a hand could make things slip from his fingers. And he was not ready to let that happen, especially since the days were beginning to birth new threats. It has become easy for some lowlife fools to step up from the shadows and try to wheel life in their favor. That was not going to happen, not while Carl was alive.Round the table of four, hails of tobacco clogged the dim room, contrasting the disco lights which trailed through the center. The lights should have been bright, and colorful and should have lighted the room, at least, to kill the shadows. Yet, the fogging tobacco smok
ELIXA CHAPTER 46
Carlos pouted and using the back of his wrist, he wiped the blood that smeared the sides of his cheeks. Marcos was lying lifeless on the floor, blood pool stretching until they were lost under the divan. Carlos had never seen such devotion before. Not in his short life. For Marcos to have taken his existence, only one thing remains eminent, they were dealing with something that was perhaps greater than any of them. Something mystical and outrightly dangerous, so to speak. What bothers Carlos was that these groups were using his name and emblem. If they were as powerful and an intrepid organization-as Marcos’s action had depicted-why go through the hassle of using his identity and brand? Why not create a name from scratch and make it fearful. Or was this a quest for supremacy? Was this another way of sending a blind message that a battle line has been drawn? The grass suffers when two elephant fights. Who was the elephant and who was the grass? What was their aim? What do they want? Ca
ELIXA CHAPTER 47
The shouts and shrieks came when the first gunshot flared, bouncing on the smooth wall and resonating through their eardrums like an endless rhyme of a chiming bell. The two men in red and black had shut the door behind the last civilians, forming a barricade of their own. Side by side, they stood, keeping their hands on their weapon and looking anything but funny. Next from the east, towards the other side of the room, two other garrisons placed their shoulders on the northern door, blocking the back entrance. There was no possible way of escape, even if Carlos wanted to try, he would need to fight his way through. And given his current predicament, he was not in the position to. They were hiding behind the counter. Tina was nowhere in sight, the girl had disappeared, perhaps with the rest of the civilians. Her claims of being a lone wolf that was unfazed by gang threats spoke negatively of her. For one who claims to be tough, Carlos ha
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- ELIXA
CHAPTER 88
Catherine's muscles sang with fatigue as she hurried through the empty hallway. Her heart raced with her feet and her blood boiled within her veins. The urgency made her take the stairs, twice at a time. Amid the rustling voice of the wind, she could hear the mockery at the back of her head. The second bell had gone off, signaling the beginning of the cooling break for the inmates and the first shifts for the Wardens. It was their signal, the clue she and her friends had been waiting for.No, never. She thought. It was a trap. She should have known from the beginning. This was never going to work, the Shadowman knew their secrets and was waiting for them to make the first move. The plan had been a mistake all along.Catherine bit her under lips when she finally made it to the last floor. The door on the exit, brown and twice her size, stood
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 87
"What's his name," Catherine asked looking past the Founders on the field, towards the door standing on the far end."Drake." Vick breathed in before parting Catherine's shoulders, smiling in the process. " Don't worry, he is not worth your anger""How much does he know? How much did Damian reveal?""Don't get sick over that, Damian was smart to play the dumb game.""You are giving him a lot of credit, the deal was to remain quiet instead of revealing the one information that would probably get us killed.""Do be so mean. I thought you liked him""Yes I do, but not when he is dead. I like living creatures.""Hmm, someone got back their sense of humour."Catherine picked one of the cracked stones and dropped them into the wheelbarrow. The scorching sun had failed to hide under the forming cloud. It was sending merciless heat on the earth, almost shattering their skull. And the founders had not provided them with any water or shade.She needed to get away from this place, so sad Damian
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 86
Damian has never been to prison before, and he hadn't expected his first experience to be among wayward Founders whom society had rejected. Most of them stood tall, with veins trailing the sides of their long neck like tendrils of creeping plants. Their hands were pale and faces as dark as coal. The fairness of their skin was lost from the blistering heat of the sun, which left their skins in scales as a testimony of the sun's harshness. The wall of the prison stood in the far distance. Its edges were smooth and almost touching the cloud. It made Damian wonder if he was going to die here. There was no getting out. Nothing could save him and his friends. This was their doom and end. Unless Molhin and the council changed their mind, and he doubt that would happen anytime soon."Nobody mentioned prison would be this boring," Ygon said. She was the only one who is finding being locked up, funny.
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 85
"How can this be? All of it is impossible. It’s so absurd?" Nina fell on the couch, too tired to think. Her heart was aching and her world spun with confusion. It happened so fast. One moment she was delighted to be home, to be celebrating with her father the Emperor of the nine rings. And then, like a flash of lightning, it was all gone, replaced by a nightmare she had never had. How could this be? Where was good fortune when she needed it the most?"I don't have the answers you seek, Nina. But I must warn you, you must lie low, for now, everyone wants your head. They think you killed the Emperor." Rodian said unfazed by her sob and uneasiness."How can I possibly kill my father? It doesn't make sense.""Many would do that to ascend the throne. There is nothing man cannot do for the quest of pow
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 84
St. Vincent’s streets were the last place Carlos wanted to be. Coming here was a mistake, it has always been a misfit for him. The people and the air and the noise, all seemed off. He had never fit into society, not before and certainly not now. Everything about the street brought back old memories. On the shores of this very street, he had been abducted by the Garrison and sentenced to jail to rot there. It was a long time ago, about ten or so years before he formed the Red Heron crew. Yet, the memory and the need to breathe through an air pipe, instead of the normal, natural air, added more salt to his injuries. He hated the streets. The city itself was magnificent, with its silver tower almost touching the blue sky. Emron was the capital city of Bel Haven and the second most prosperous state in the entire Nine Rings. It was the seat of the Emperor, the home of wealth and power. A drawback to it, however, was the structure and la
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 83
Perfection was the best word to describe the event. From the procession to the people’s square, down to her very room. It was perfect. The last time she had seen so many people gathered together to celebrate her father was on his fiftieth birthday. She was so young then, but she could recall how everything had played out. It was a replica of today’s event, a cloned version of this one. The only missing piece was the presence of the Empress, her mother.Nina sighed and took the photograph sitting on the table. A smile appeared on her face without permission as her eyes studied the three people in the photo. Her father stood on the right and towered over them, and his younger version had a smile that Nina had never seen on him, ever since her mother passed on. The empress, a dark-haired woman, stood on the left and was laughing as well. Her bright eyes were wide and seemed to portra
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 82
CHAPTER 82Hope watched with satisfaction at the disarray in the people’s square. She was pleased with the ingenuity of her shadow man. Left to her, she would have sneaked behind and killed the emperor without the eyes of his guards. But the shadow man had done the perfect job. It had not only killed the Emperor but had played the Nina part well. It also used the people to create a diversion so it could get to the emperor. Causing a riot? Hope hadn’t seen that one coming. It was a great idea, one which Hope doubt she would have thought up herself. That riot had kept the garrison busy, leaving her Shadow to fight off the palace guards and the Firstborn. This was the best day of her life, one which she would celebrate for all eternity. Everything was falling in place. All her plans, it was just a matter of seconds.Her smile broadened when she heard the approaching footfal
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 81
Numerous hoverbikes and air shuttles covered the air as the parade continued through the streets. It was almost impossible to see the rays of the morning sun which sat in the sky like a yellow lens. The palace guards had taken the front and the rear, leaving the side and the middle to the able hands of the garrison. They were heavily armed, and their watchful eyes were attentive to pick out any possible threat. They kept watching the tall buildings, the streets and the crowd. It was the best they could do, they were the best in their jobs, and times like this call for their attention and professionalism. This was one of its kind. It was the golden jubilee of the Emperor, 50 years since he sat on the throne and ruled the nine rings with power and a rod of fire. Compared to his predecessors, he was an angel, but none of them had lived up to his age. None had sat on the throne this long and none had conquered more kingdoms or held so much p
- ELIXA
CHAPTER 80
The noise from the founders had quieted down, replaced now with a silence that could only be found in a ghost town. Even the courtroom looked empty and gloomy, from the tongue of light that created circular shadows. One look and one would think the room is empty; there were at least sixty-five thousand Founders who had gathered here, to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event. According to Catherine, the founders had a legend and prophecy in their land. It was a lost legend that would shape their lives and restore the balance to their nation. But after so many years, some of them were beginning to lose hope in the prophecy. Some have called it a joke and would laugh it away whenever it was mentioned. That was the reason why so many believers were enthusiastic. The unbelievers, well, they still held that doubt in their faces. Nothing about them has changed much.Kristen sat among the audience, b
