Chapter 9
Kadaj wiped sweat from his brow. The weather was turning unseasonably warm, and his body was not acclimated to the change. If it got much warmer, he might have to rethink wearing black. There was almost no breeze out here in the wastelands, and he noted Chaos had shed his outer garments, revealing his wings and headdress to whomever happened along – which, thus far, was no one.
Somehow, he had expected the job to be more glamorous than this… or, certainly, less boring. Still, it was better than mopping up at a bar – who knew bars were so disgusting? – and they had taken down a couple smaller groups of monsters on their first few forays out as armed guards. Not particularly challenging, but better than this monotony. He enjoyed the physical release of fighting and the sense of being good at something. Meanwhile, Chaos seemed content with the prospect of obtaining gil. In that regard, his companion struck him as remarkably single-minded.
He was glad he had been able to get his winged associate hired without Chaos having to show up for an interview, too. That would have been awkward. Hello, here is my roommate who wants a job killing monsters, boss. What? He looks like a monster himself? No, those aren't wings, those are just… Oh, his teeth? Well, yes, he has been meaning to see a dentist about that. His eyes? Well, um, he has an eye condition, you see… Yes, it was for the best that the contractors had hired his companion sight-unseen and no-questions-asked after his own interview.
The procedure was pretty straightforward: escort the cargo – whether a caravan or single truck or something else – to its intended destination and collect a flat predetermined fee for its safe arrival. Sometimes it meant riding on top of the trucks, sometimes it meant walking alongside. Sometimes it was a round-trip gig, and sometimes – like now – it meant walking back after the cargo arrived at its destination. What he wouldn't give for a motorcycle about now.
Any monsters destroyed in the process were quickly photographed before their dispersion into the Lifestream, and the photos transmitted via cell phone to the main office where their bounties would be credited to the proper accounts.
The job did seem to be working out, despite the boring aspects, and he supposed he owed Tifa a "thank-you," but since that would mean going back to Seventh Heaven and possibly seeing Cloud again, it probably wasn't going to happen right away, if at all. He wasn't bitter, exactly, towards the spikey blond; he just didn't know how to feel about him yet. On the one hand, the swordsman was giving him a second chance and hadn't killed him again when given the opportunity. On the other hand, he sensed the man's rejection and judgment… and, perhaps, that was even worse. It was like he was living in the man's shadow and was never going to measure up to the "hero" of the Planet. It wasn't enough to just not be evil, not when he was living in the wake of a veritable savior.
He needed to find his brothers: the only real solution to these depressing thoughts. So far, though, he had not been able to turn up so much as a single clue. He had asked around in Edge, as surreptitiously as possible, as well as putting the question to his current employer. And… nothing. He wasn't about to give up, though.
His hand brushed against a bulge in his pocket and he idly extracted the phone Vincent had obtained for him. Flipping it open, he glanced through the preprogrammed numbers: Vincent, Cloud, Tifa... Those were to be expected, he supposed. Reeve, that name sounded familiar – he would ask Chaos about him later. Rufus. No thank you. He was tempted to delete the number then and there.
A moment of déjà vu swept over him as he recalled the last occasion on which he had used a cell phone. He had called Rufus and had to endure the rude behavior of one of the Turks before being put through to the Shinra executive. The memory left a sour taste in his mouth, and he recalled how the smooth-talking man had blatantly lied to him. He flipped the phone closed and shoved it firmly back into his pocket.
Kadaj looked around at the surroundings. This segment of the terrain between Kalm and Edge was dusty and barren. Not only were there no monsters to fight, there wasn't even anything to look at. He adjusted the blue cloth he had taken to wearing at his neck to catch sweat and dust, neither of which was very comfortable if it got under his leather outfit.
But, there, in the distance. A bit of movement near a stand of boulders on the horizon. He looked to Chaos, ascertaining his companion had seen it as well. Technically, since they were on a return trip and not currently guarding a shipment, they didn't have to engage any threats, but anything beat this boredom, and the bounties were always welcome. With unspoken agreement, they left the road to investigate.
"Guard hounds," Chaos identified them as they drew nearer. "Deepground used packs of them to pursue their enemies. These probably went feral after the Tsviets were defeated."
Kadaj nodded. That made sense. Chaos had updated him on the details of Deepground and the Tsviet threat during some idle moments back at the warehouse. They paused now, still at a distance, to watch the animals. Dark blue-black fur rippled over lean muscled frames as the animals caught their scent and turned to watch. Red tentacles attached at the base of their necks snapped in agitation. A large one, presumably a male, roared.
It was a bit of a shame to have to destroy the creatures. They didn't have any more control over what they were than he did. They never asked to be genetically manipulated into monsters by sadistic or profit-minded Shinra scientists. He hadn't asked to be coalesced out of Sephiroth's darkest ambitions and contaminated Lifestream. No one would choose to be made a monster. He shot a quick look at his companion. Well, maybe Chaos would – he seemed quite comfortable with his identity as a monster.
He turned his attention back to the guard hounds. Yes, they were beautiful in a way. Nonetheless, the creatures posed a threat not only to the transports, but also to innocent civilians traveling between Edge and Kalm.
In silent agreement, the pair continued towards the pack of guard hounds until their proximity triggered the dog-like animals to initiate their own attack. From there it was a flurry of snarling teeth, lashing tentacles, Souba's bright gleam, and the flash of Chaos' gauntlet. Typically flamboyant in his combat, Kadaj kept this encounter as brief and straightforward as possible given his distaste for the task. Meanwhile, Chaos was his normal, bluntly aggressive killing-machine self.
In a relatively short span of time, blue-black bodies littered the ground, and the pair found themselves once again unopposed. Kadaj grimly set about the task of photo-cataloguing each kill so the bounties could be registered and credited.
Having finished, he looked around for Chaos, finally locating his companion on a rock-strewn mound of dirt some distance away. Closing the distance between them, he realized what had drawn the winged one over, and immediately wished he hadn't. A den… an occupied den.
Chaos unemotionally dispatched the first of the two kits as Kadaj approached. Chances were the monster was debating whether it was edible.
"Wait," Kadaj said even as Chaos snatched up the second pup… kit… cub? What did one call the offspring of guard hounds? His directive to wait was shocking to himself as well as Chaos, who turned to stare at him in question.
The pup thrashed in Chaos' metallic grip, attempting to whip at him with its pitiful tentacle. Grasping the kit by its scruff, just behind the tentacle, Kadaj took the creature from his companion and studied it. It was darker than its fellows, more nearly black than blueish, and sported a white patch running down its underbelly from its chin to its tail. It had ceased its struggles under his inspection, perhaps as a result of the transfer from the steely golden claw to Kadaj's own, more fleshly, grasp. Or perhaps the kit was studying him back with its own over-intelligent, tawny gaze.
Chaos eyed him suspiciously, "Don't let useless human emotions keep you from what is necessary. They are too young to survive on their own out here. It would be no kindness to leave them alive to starve or be attacked by other monsters."
He chose not to acknowledge the comment as he continued to study the creature held helpless before him. Again he marveled at the inherent beauty of the specimen. Not much bigger than a large bag of potatoes now, the pup would mature into one of the deadly beasts such as they had just conquered – rising above the waist in size and armed with teeth, claws, and vicious tentacle. Well, it would have, had it not the misfortune to be found and its kin killed. For a moment, he saw himself. Young, powerful and full of promise. Brought down before his time. Family slain. Alone in the world, against the world. Vulnerable, and without allies.
Kadaj froze. It was the first time he had honestly considered the possibility – the possibility Loz and Yazoo were not coming back, that he was completely and utterly alone.
No, they were out there – he refused to give up on them. But, still, what if?
Still held by its scruff, the pup brought its tentacle around to encircle his forearm in a gentle caress. He froze. The action startled him more than anything else the creature could have done.
"Uh-uh. No. You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking!" Chaos' outburst did not distract him from his contemplation of the dog-like science experiment. "It is a monster. It may look cute and cuddly now, but don't forget – don't ever forget – it is just a monster."
"Just a monster…" Kadaj repeated. "What are we, then? What do you think people see when they look at us?"
"Oh no. No, you don't. Don't even go there. That thing is nothing to do with us. Don't you even think of filling my lair with filthy strays."
With one hand, Kadaj stripped off the band of blue cloth he wore at his collar. Snugging it tightly around the guard hound's muzzle, he eliminated the threat of teeth. Then, using both hands, he nestled the large pup against his chest and breathed in its scent. Pine – oddly enough, given the desert-like surroundings.
"Let's go home."
Behind him, his winged companion sighed audibly. "Just remember, I don't do litterboxes."
"It's a guard hound, not a cat."
"Same difference."
Thank you so much to the loyal readers who are still hanging in there! Hopefully you enjoyed the addition of a guard hound to our little group. Your support means so much to me. Special thanks to The Moss Stomper for reviewing again.
Regards,
~ Vendetta ~
08/28/15
