Several days had passed since Abel had moved over to Astha's place. They had spent a lot of their time going through the reports, having a healthy stack to follow up on now. The large map was now tacked to the wall with pins set at each location that had anything they felt was significant.
Their conversations had stayed to safer topics of the difference between the empire and the Vatican, an enlightening topic for both. Also Abel set to learn more about Astha's upbringing, and overall the Methusalah culture. While she had taken some coaxing to open up about her childhood it had helped to pass the time in the evenings.
Abel had kept to the two feedings a day that Seth had prescribed, and was feeling quite well for it. None of the darker urges from 02 and the electricity seemed to be settled as well. Astha had remarked by the third day that his colouring had improved and he was less pale than he used to be.
It was well into the late afternoon when the communicator alarm went off in Abel's pocket.
"Hello?"
"Abel, it's William, do you have a minute?"
Astha looked up at him curiously for a moment before grabbing a few things and giving him some privacy, he smiled in thanks.
"Of course, have you had any luck?"
"Well, not yet… things in the lab haven't been playing nice with the virus, the rotters... But we have confirmed sightings of Dietrich at Krakow. Inquisitor Petros was deployed in that area for other reasons and since we have given him descriptions of the known members he was able to report. As far as I know he hasn't engaged in any battles yet... but you know Petros, it's only a matter of time."
"That's a lot further north than we had been getting any clues for, thanks for the heads up Professor."
"Anytime my friend. Has your friends research gotten anywhere with the virus?"
"Not that's portable or lasts longer than two days in storage."
"Hrumpf that's the same I'm getting too. Damned thing is too hungry to go dormant in suspension."
"Keep working at it, I'm sure it will come around."
"How have you been? Things staying quiet inside and out?"
"A steady diet has done wonders… considering how hard being here could be for me."
"A well fed wolf hiding amongst sheep isn't so bad then?"
"So far… Astha suggested a bit of training in both forms."
"That's not a bad idea. You'll be fine Abel, trust yourself a little, now that you're not starving anymore, control should be better."
"Perhaps you are right… Everything good at home?"
"Ester is doing great, Caterina is back at Milan for a few weeks again, that nagging cough seems to have come back while she was in Albion. Tres is all back to tip top shape, and I've assigned him to Caterina as a full time bodyguard. The rest of the crew is busy as usual, soon I'll be back at the university grading papers."
"Thanks for the update, Astha and I should be travelling in a few days, to monitor the area when the trade will happen."
"Best of luck, I'll keep plugging away in the lab for you."
"Thanks again and take care."
Abel clicked off the communicator and set it down beside him. No luck still with the best scientific minds he had ever known… perhaps Astha's idea wasn't so far fetched anymore. A slight shudder went through him, the idea of having to take her blood filled him with dread. He had only gotten used to the medically donated blood Seth was procuring for him, to have a friend bleed to sustain him just felt so wrong. A light knock at the doorway brought him out of his thoughts.
"Abel? You ok? Seth sent a note saying she would be over soon." Astha said as she walked back into the office, Izabel trailing behind her.
"Oh, ok that's good timing actually. William called to let me know there's some sightings in Krakow of that guy who controlled Radu last year. If he's there, then trouble is not far behind."
"So, when do we leave?" She leaned down and petted the tiger for a moment before walking over to the map.
"I think we should still watch the exchange before we go north." He looked at her back, as she stood looking over the map. Not even a blink at his news and she was already looking at how to get there, her eagerness for action surprised him.
"We need to do some training then... I found a supplier of bullets for your ancient gun, even a laser light add on for training."
"You're really set on this aren't you?"
She turned around and faced him, her stance challenging, one hand on her hip, the other waving in the air as she spoke.
"I think it would do you a lot of good. And I'm really curious now what you can do in either form. I'm itching for some activity and you must be tired of all this sitting around."
Remembering Williams words, he sighed in resignation. "Very well. Let's go early in the morning when there's fewer people around."
Astha's eyes lit up with victory as she nodded in agreement. "I'll pick up the supplies then, and perhaps some more sensible clothes for you?"
He looked down at his civilian clothes curiously. "What's wrong with these?"
"You'll likely wreck them, I'll get you some sturdier ones that are not black."
"I like black, it's what I've been wearing for over twenty years."
"Live a little, color does wonders for a person."
"No red." He said after a while.
"Deal."
"Do you need my size?"
She shook her head, "I ordered your civilian clothes with no trouble. Remember, I have seen you in hospital wear so I had a good idea what you actually looked like under those robes...
Now that you're looking robust, I'm sure some color would help, what with your silver hair and fair complexion… not to mention blue eyes are rare around here. It'll be my treat, if just for my eyes only." She winked at the last statement, amused at his slight blush. In the last few days she had discovered that flattery and flirtation always got an amusing reaction from him.
He coughed to hide his embarrassment, "I.. uh well ahem… if you're going to do it anyway, I'll leave it in your hands."
She smiled openly before cueing Izabel to follow her and waved at Abel, "I'm off for a bit then."
Abel was stretching his legs walking around the gardens when Seth stopped in. He smiled when he saw how quickly she could charm the tigers into all sorts of friendly behaviour, while they still treated him coolly. She was dressed in her tea seller outfit, tall striped socks and a simple uniform of red and white. At her hip was a well worn leather satchel.
"So a few days of daily dosing, how do you feel?"
"Much better actually… I haven't had a bad night, nor heard anything from Lilith since we started this. I feel mostly myself now, not some half starved mongrel chewing on his leash."
She smiled at him, noting herself how much he had improved since his arrival. Gone was the exhausted haggard look replaced with a more robust complexion and some flesh to his frame.
"No issues around people?"
"None, not even a twitch, thank god."
"That's good news… I'm still having trouble with the virus… I don't know how we are going to make it work for you yet without a fresh sample every two days."
Abel nodded his head "Professor just called today and said the same thing. Perhaps Astha will be right after all.
"If you give me more time, I'll make it work." She said with a touch of irritation.
"There's been sightings of Dietrich at Krakow… after the exchange happens we need to go north. As it is, we should be at the trade locations a day or so beforehand to be safe."
"I'll keep at it, for short trips I'm sure we can do a few vials and if necessary Astha… where is she anyway?" Seth looked around the gardens, expecting the striking woman to be striding towards them any second.
"She's gone to get supplies and some clothes for me. I've agreed to let her take me to an isolated training arena to do some practice… in both forms."
He watched her eyes widen in surprise.
"I wish I was free to watch. It's been forever since I've seen you in action. I admit I'm curious what being fully fused looks like."
"Am I the only one who thinks it's a bad idea? I don't remember anything when I woke up after going full fusion… what if that happens again, here with all the... food it could want."
"You're the only one right now deathly afraid of you. You have so little faith in your control that a test is exactly what you need."
That stopped him, he had been so worried about everyone else's safety from him... had it become the excuse for his fear?
"I… um…well."
"Exactly." She moved closer and poked him in the chest with a finger. "Yes, you Can be dangerous but it doesn't mean you Are dangerous. We can't remove the crusnik so learn to live with yours at the level you've been forced to fuse to. Here, you don't have to hide your skills you were already born with, and with management we can keep the cravings and problems it brings at a minimum, we've seen that already in a week. Bring forth that capable man who I know is in there, you're going to need him to finish this with Cain." She huffed a little and stepped back, having gotten a bit more emotional than she intended.
He brought forward his hands and cupped her still outstretched hand.
"Ok, ok I'll try, no more excuses."
Green eyes met blue and softened, blinking away unshed tears.
"Good."
The tigers that had been lounging on the grass nearby, leapt up and darted towards the gate.
Abel stepped away from Seth, looking as well at where the tigers had gone.
"Sounds like she's back, the tigers always get bouncy when she returns."
"I should get back to the palace… I have some ruffled boyar feathers to fix yet. Here, I brought you more vials, "she reached into her satchel and gave him a handful.
He took them, nodding in thanks as he pocketed them, then they walked towards the gate.
They could hear Astha talking to the tigers, in that conversational way pet owners always seem to use when greeted by their animals. "You poor things had to watch Abel while I was gone, the travesty of it all."
"Hey! I'm not that bad, I like them just fine, they are the offish ones." Abel grumped in defense.
Astha was knelt down picking up her bags as the tigers kept bumping her hands for pets.
"They are slow to warm up to most people honestly, but they like to try to get sympathy any chance they get."
"So it's training day tomorrow?" Seth asked.
A smug grin spread across Astha's face. "Yes, he agreed and I won't give him a way out of it now."
"Where are you going?"
"Near Çorlu, there's an old storage building and yard that the owner has abandoned that should be fine to use."
Seth nodded. "Come to the palace when you're done, I want to hear how it goes. Good luck and be careful." She waved at them both and left the property.
"I've got a few boxes of bullets and the laser muzzle for your colt revolver." She handed him a heavy bag. "And here are the clothes, no red like you asked."
He took it and looked inside, all of it was wrapped so he couldn't see anything. "Thank you Astha, I do appreciate you getting me the extra clothes and such."
"I did it as much as for you as for me, tovarish." She smiled.
"I hope tomorrow goes as well as you are thinking… are you bringing your spear?"
"Of course."
"That's harder on clothes than a bullet…"
"Learn to dodge better." She grinned. "But no seriously I will have to set on low power so it won't damage anything."
He sighed in relief, and motioned for her to head back into the house.
"I'll go get my stuff sorted out then for the training, I'll see you at supper."
Abel slept poorly that night, waking often to check the clock and adjust his pillows once again. He wasn't sure if it was nerves or not but it felt like the night that never ended. Once it was remotely morning he got out of bed and dressed for the day. Astha had picked up for him several uniforms that vaguely resembled the guards at the palace. The colours ranged from warm beige, rich chocolate to a medium/dark blue.
He grabbed the dark brown linen pants, and the lighter cream shirt with long sleeves, both lacking the ornate embroidery seen on most outfits. Abel tucked Lilith's cross inside his shirt before readjusting his ponytail. He then strapped on his gun belt around his narrow hips, criss crossing it with the ammunition belt he had filled with blanks. He tucked in a vial of blood wrapped in a chill packet into a small pouch of the ammunition belt. Lastly he pulled on his armored boots and settled his glasses on his face.
Astha greeted him in the dining room, a basket packed with food and drinks sat beside her. On the table was a platter of fruits, cheeses and breads as well as tea. She was dressed in a simple slim red t shirt and dark blue leggings that looked well worn.
"Couldn't sleep?" He asked as he sat down with his breakfast.
"Not really, been sitting too long so getting out has me all jittery I guess." She poured him his tea and pushed the sugar bowl his way.
He smiled in thanks and sat down to tea and breakfast.
"Like the clothes?"
"Very not black, but yes they are nice, thank you."
"You're welcome, they look quite good on you."
She grinned at his immediate blush before changing the topic. "What kind of training have you done?"
"I don't think there's any I haven't done. I've had guns, hand to hand, guerilla tactics, sword, power weapons, thrown weapons… hmmm sniper, obstacle, war scenarios and under water is some I can think of."
Astha's jaw was slack as she listened to him rattle off all the types.
"I didn't think the Vatican was that extensive…"
He grinned knowingly. "It's not, but I haven't always been a priest."
"Obviously. Weird special ops or something?"
"Something like that… I was trained for a remote location to be head of security for a large group."
She nodded. "Makes sense. I'll think of what we can do at the site then… I picked up a box of training bots for targets, so we can work in a team instead of against since that could cause issues with your… condition."
"Good plan and thank you for taking my warnings to heart a little."
They arrived to the abandoned yard, a large several story concrete structure. Behind it was a tall fenced yard of roughly three hundred feet by five hundred, that had various large crates and steel containers somewhat haphazardly set about. It looked like a good setup for gunfire and obstacle training to Abel.
"So, here we are…now what?"
"Take the box of bots to the middle, and press the green buttons. They are supposed to have enough programming to pick locations to their advantage for combat. It's a new model I guess."
He nodded and packed the large box out.
Inside were twelve round shiny metal balls about the size of a cantaloupe, and after some looking he found the red and green buttons under a small clear cover. He pressed the button and stood back to watch whatever it was to do.
A slight hum could be heard as the bot activated and then it floated up about chest height to Abel., A. few clicking sounds and he could see a red laser light scanning the surroundings.
"How does it know to stay within the fence?"
"Their range isn't crazy big yet, that's why I said the middle of the yard as they can't do over 200 meters." Astha answered from behind him, carrying their laser vests and their basket of food.
The first bot floated away to hide along the one storage unit a short ways off. Abel and Astha activated the rest before going towards the building.
"So the laser vests set up a small sensory field around us that detects when we are hit. I've had good luck with them so far even with my spear for detecting the laser light beams. The bots are set up similar so once you lock a bead on them and pull the trigger it will flash its acknowledgment." Astha pointed at his gun. "The muzzle on your gun senses the firing without bullets in the chamber obviously and sends a pulse down the laser beam." She explained.
"That's a pretty good system, I'm actually looking forward to this now."
The vests were simple black flak jacket style with wiring that could be felt between the layers.
"Want me to go first? Our objective is to get across the yard and to neutralize all the bots. Totally easy stuff."
He nodded, looking around to see where he would sit to watch.
"Across the yard on the southeast corner is a small platform and a chair." She pointed over his shoulder to help him locate.
"Alright, go show me what you can do then I'll return the favour." He smiled and left to go to the platform.
On her arm was a time tracking device that would also record her overall performance. Astha's best score was an 87% for accuracy, time and strategy.
A few stretches, an adjustment to her spear and she was ready.
Abel watched her from the platform, she came out and was moving towards the first bot immediately, in a low readied sneak. A few seconds later a red light flashed and she was moving to the next target. A third bot started trailing behind her and a beam red shot past her shoulder as she dodged and rolled out of the way, landing behind the racks. The noise triggered the second bot to patrol to the sound as the third gave chase.
Astha leapt up and ran across the opening to another storage unit, getting full coverage. She knelt down and pointed her spear where she had been, the two bots were quickly disabled as she shot. Hearing a slight hum she moved forward again, along the side of the storage unit wall, ready for the next bot to come around the corner.
There were nine bots remaining, and she wasn't quite to the middle of the yard yet.
Taking a deep breath, she activated haste and leapt forward passing the storage unit and out into the open, her speed blurring her for a few seconds. Skidding to a stop at the far side of the yard she crouched down behind a larger crate to wait for the bots to follow her.
Only 5 tracked her, she had moved to quickly! "Dammit!" She jumped up and shot the five bots as they hovered into range. Four were still in yard… scanning around she noticed one to the far left, it had retreated back after scanning the yard. She grit her teeth, running along the wall edge, ducking behind another crate to get a better shot. No luck, it wasn't coming back around, she was going to have to chase it. She jumped up onto the crate, a bold move even in her mind, making enough noise to attract the bots attention.
Two bots hovered up and red laser beams were directed at her, hastily flipping herself out of the way, she narrowly avoided a hit. On landing she twirled her spear around and fired at the bots, getting one and missing the second one. This time the bot did land a shot on her arm. The body scanner lit up to show the hit. It wasn't considered a lethal blow so it allowed her to keep in the simulation. "Grrr!" Ducking down behind the crate she moved over again and straightened up for another shot which was successful.
Two bots remained…they must be further in the yard. She got up and moved swiftly inwards, taking care to keep cover as she could. As she passed the larger storage unit, she heard the slight hum of a bot behind her, quickly turning around she fired at the speeding bot, almost missing as it sped towards her. "Gotcha!"
In her distraction, the last bot swung around the other side and was closing in to range quickly. She spun her spear around, instinctively using it for a melee attack with the butt of the handle. The bot veered upwards to avoid the blow, and Astha let the momentum of the spin bring the head of the spear around to shoot the bot, deactivating it. A quick look around and she ran to the back gate, ending her session.
She could hear Abel applauding from his spot on the platform above. Taking in some deeper breaths she looked at her score… 64% overall.
"That's what I get for showing off I guess." She muttered to herself as she waited for Abel to join her.
Abel made his way over, having seen her session he could see she was still apt to rush into a fight than take the time to assess things, as well as she was willing to use herself as bait was interesting.
He looked at her appreciatively, she was leaning against the wall, her spear resting on her shoulder. Sweat glistened off her skin, clothes hugging her form, hair tousled from her run… he ruefully smiled at the gritty beauty she possessed. He then noticed the slight frown as she looked at her wristband.
"Everything ok? I thought that was a good run, the bots are smarter than I would have guessed."
She looked up, her golden eyes meeting his. "I know, it took me by surprise too. I thought for sure I would have gotten them after I reached the far side."
"Do we have to reset them?"
She furrowed her brow for a moment. "No I believe they reset on their own... so it's your turn now." She smiled widely.
"Will you go up on the platform to watch or?"
"Of course! Oh and here is the performance tracker." She quickly unbuckled the wristband and placed it on his left arm. "I have it all set for you now. Good luck." She grabbed her spear and jogged past him to go to the platform.
He walked to the building, anticipation making his blood pump quickly. It had been a while since he was allowed to display his natural, if enhanced by the scientists of his youth, abilities. He tightened his hair tie, rolled the sleeves of his shirt to just before his elbows, giving his hands no encumbrance. He double checked the laser muzzle on his gun, getting a feel for the slight weight change. Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he walked out to the yard.
Looking around he listened for the slight hum of the bots… turning his head slightly he could hear two nearby. Going forward, he stepped out into the open, and looked left first, then to the right. The bots were not as fast as he thought, some lag time it seemed. They appeared at the same time from both sides, he leapt straight up, shooting left then right, getting both bots as they had just started their beams. He landed quietly and rolled forward, staying low as he moved to the first storage unit.
Again he waited, focusing on the sounds around him. It seemed only one bot was ahead, to the right. He stood up, moving quickly, his long lanky body making little sound but gobbling up distance easily. Looking around the corner he spotted the bot and fired. Another one down, nine left he thought.
Remembering how Astha's dart out didn't seem to work as well, he decided to keep moving to the right. Moments later another bot swerved around the edge of a crate behind him, only to be shot a breath later. Abel kept his momentum now, crouched a little, he weaved around the crates, sensing the right side was cleared of bots. Looking out towards the middle, the largest storage crate would likely be where another set of bots were at. He moved towards it and just before reaching it, he relaxed to let his footsteps become noisy.
The bots responded quickly, but not how he expected. They hovered over the top of the crate and had their beams aiming towards him before line of sight was made.
"Sneaky!" He flipped over and to the side to avoid the shots, shooting the bots in the process.
Another bot had flown over behind him, nearly landing a shot on his leg before he too got a shot on it. He moved to stand with his back to the crate, listening for the last five bots. His cheeks ached a little as he realized he was smiling. It felt so good to not play down his instincts.
Astha could see the smile on his face even from up on the platform, and it in return brought a smile to hers. He was remarkably faster than she anticipated, and his accuracy seemed spot on. If this is his normal… what would crusnik be like?
He couldn't sense the last few bots, they must be hiding out like they did for Astha. Wanting to stretch his legs a little more, he turned to the left side of the yard, and in a stride jumped up on the medium sized crate, getting some height advantage as well as giving away his position for a few moments before jumping up on the next taller crate. Quickly the bots detected him, coming from behind the last storage unit, their beams were swirling wildly as they tried to lock into him, but he dropped back down off the crate, gaining some cover as he fired several shots, taking out the two closest. A moment later the third and fourth bot appeared, a shot was registered on Abel's leg before he got it deactivated. "Damn. Sloppy work there!" He turned towards the exit, running past the crates, as the last bot zoomed around behind him unexpectedly. He planted his feet and leapt up, flipping himself into a roll, he shot at the apex of his rotation before landing and striding through the gateway.
He moved over to the wall, resting a hand on it steady himself to catch his breath and holster his gun. Astha was there a few moments later.
"Very nice! Here, let me see your wrist for the score." She reached for his arm, a sliver of her wondering if he would shy back from the contact, but instead he lifted it up for her to access easier.
"Your score was...83%, did you get shot?" She looked at him, curiously.
"Yup, second last one got my leg."
"That explains it, every shot you take drops you by ten percent."
"Ahh. Well it was a good session anyway."
"So… now for the main attraction?"
He looked at her sternly for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure how to handle your cavalier approach to… this."
She shrugged a little. "It's my way, I've trained tigers who would rather devour me than listen and being that one step removed gives me a clearer head."
He nodded, bringing up his arm to wipe the sweat from his brow. She noted he wasn't nearly as worked up as she had gotten from her run, which was reflected in his score.
"I did bring a vial… should I take it before or after?" He asked, fumbling with his gun belt for the pouch. Internally he was searching for Lilith's cooling presence, it had been gone the last few days with the regular feeds and quieter nights.
"As long as I don't get too close I'll be ok right? Being in the car might be more troublesome if you're a bit…peckish." Astha said, giving him an encouraging smile.
"That's true…" he sighed. "And you are right I need to see what happens in a controlled environment."
She grinned at him and made a motion of putting a mark on the wall. "I'm keeping a tally of how many times you admit that."
It was Abel's turn to roll his eyes.
"Of course… now in all seriousness, I want you to stay on the platform and switch your spear back to combat mode… just in case. You should aim for a wing if you have to."
She looked at him dubiously before nodding, taking out her spear and doing the adjustment.
"Thank you. Let's get this done before I change my mind"
With Astha waiting on the platform, Abel went back into the building, he took off his glasses, the training vest and the new shirt, not wanting to wreck it with his wings. He held Lilith's cross to his forehead and recited a quick prayer, hoping to feel her stir within, before letting it hang against his bare chest
"Well… here goes nothing."
He walked out into the middle of the yard, the bots were inactive due to him not wearing the vest anymore but they hovered somewhat in a loose 60ft circle around him anyway. He pulled his hair tie off, tucking the ribbon in his pocket. His silver mane draped over his shoulders and back, reaching halfway down his torso. He looked up at Astha up on the chair, he could feel her eyes on him.
"Here we go, wings and all." He called out to her. He saw her nod and give him a thumbs up.
"Lilith, I hope you're ready as well." He said quietly. Closing his eyes he started the sequence.
"Crusnik 02 activate, 80 percent."
Instantly he felt the hot tingling adrenaline rush within him, his long hair lifting from his bare shoulders, the near sickening pull in his mouth as his human teeth converted into the monstrous maw of fangs. The next breath brought the blistering pressure of his wings as they burst from his shoulders, massive jet black feathers reflecting the sun's filtered light. He straightened out is arms, flicking his wrist as the nanomachines generated the enormous, terrifying bone scythe and it's chain formed like a spinal column.
The dark urges of 02 were more subdued than he remembered… he flexed his shoulders a little as he delved into his mind, looking for Lilith.
"Abel, why are we activating?" He finally heard her within his mind. She seemed like she had just awoken.
"I'm testing things… is everything alright? I couldn't feel you..."
"Yes, with you routinely giving us blood, 02 has been dormant, which means I am too."
"I need you, I'm going to push to higher activation and I don't want to lose myself."
"Oh, this is a change… I will be ready to step in if you need. 02 and I have reached a truce." He could feel her mentally caress him with encouragement. "I have you, my dear."
"Thank you, Lilith.".
Abel opened his eyes finally, glowing red with a black pupil was all to be seen. Dusky grey skin replaced what had been a healthy light pink. Small arcs of electricity could be seen dancing in the air and ground around him, unfortunately striking several of the bots.
He twitched his shoulders again, letting his wings flare out fully to either side, taking a deep breath, he looked up at Astha.
He could see her, her eyes focused on him, her arms slack at her sides and a loose grip on her spear. Was she afraid? Did seeing the full version in daylight give her terror?
She watched him in astonishment… he was a sight to behold! Deadly, monstrous with incredible wings and the ominous blood scythe… magnificently terrifying. She couldn't take her eyes off him, her mind reeled at the fact that this is what hid within him. Like watching a predator with morbid fascination, he was otherworldly… Like a moth to a flame she felt so drawn to him.
she wanted to see him up close, to touch and feel the feathers.
"You didn't say anything about a weapon made of blood and bones… Where does that come from?"
Only Astha would reprimand him for details missed.
"Nanomachines." That was a hard word to say around all these teeth.
"Ah… you are more than I expected. Go on, show me what you can do!"
He nodded, feeling a cool trickle of Lilith's presence over his mind in response to his nervousness. "Trust us Abel.."
He moved his feet a little and looked up, bending at the knee, a strong sweep of his wings pushed him up twenty feet. Another push was nearing sixty, There he flexed and pushed to hold himself aloft for a few moments before another climb of nearly a hundred feet. He had forgotten the exhilaration flying could give him, he looked around at the world below, seeing it shrink away. He moved his scythe around to rebalance himself as he slowed himself to hover in the air, his wings pushing the air to hold him aloft. Looking around at the landscape he could see the barrier that Seth had created to save her people from the burn of the sun. Being above the barrier the sun was brutally strong on his skin, so he leaned forward to start his descent. As he sped towards the ground, the aura of electricity around him generated larger arcs, looking more like small lightning bolts, and giving the air a strong smell of atmosphere. He pulled back up a mere 15 feet from the ground, the wind of his wings pushing the bots and most of the dirt in the yard around. Astha had to grab the small chair before it too blew off the platform.
"What can that thing in your hand do?" She called out, pointing at his scythe.
He nodded, folding his wings out of the way and started to swing his gruesome scythe in large cutting motions. The chain that was like a tail to the scythe whipped around him, making a crack like a bullwhip. He then spun around and sliced through a nearby crate, the steel and wood giving little resistance to the blade. He focused his bio electric field and sent an arc towards a small crate that was further away, making it explode. Astha's surprised swearing could be heard over the sound of the crate crumbling. A terrifying half smile crept up Abel's face, exposing more fangs. He scanned around the yard, looking for another target, the displays fueling a want to wreck more things in the yard.
"Now what?"
Abel cocked his head to the side, not understanding her.
"At higher activation, what changes?"
He blinked slowly before responding. "I don't know… get off the platform and take some shelter... in case of lightning."
She nodded and quickly climbed down. Seeing she was safely standing under the platform, Abel took a deep, steadying breath.
"Are we ready for this Lilith?" He spoke within himself.
"Yes we are, I'm ready to activate fully again." He could feel her excitement now, the nanomachines were nearly vibrating in his veins pulling at him to activate completely.
"Crusnik 02…. activate 100 percent."
It felt like he had grabbed a live wire, his nerves were bursting with fire. A loud yell escaped him, as his body was completely fused again. Visibly his skin turned to a stormy blue grey, his wings which were big before added on more size and span. The air was almost thick it was so charged with electricity, the sting of atmospheric air was choking. And the scythe enlarged it's deadly blade, looking unwieldy even in his clawed hands, Abel's body shifted some, the leanness taking on a more impressive depth of muscle. His face changed some as well, losing his more human features as his cheek and jaw bones lengthen to accommodate the longer canines that now showed with his mouth closed. He opened his eyes last, their shape having a more tilted almond shape than before, the black pupils were oversized, almost alien like with the red surrounding them. Two small black tears slid down his face, a small sign of the intense strain of the transformation.
An all over body shudder shook him for a moment and a groan escaped his lips. He flexed his wings slightly, their size feeling awkward making his breathing slightly laboured.
Astha waited a moment and then started towards him, her spear held in one hand, slightly behind her. Her golden eyes studied him, wonderment stark on her face.
"Can I come closer?"
Abel swallowed as his gaze zeroed in on her, and the tail of the scythe began to swirl and coil around him with his nervousness, similar to a cat she noticed.
"Not yet… this is still too new." he grimaced as his voice was strange sounding, low, rough and deep, more growl than verbal.
She could see him struggle to talk around the teeth and an elongated tongue.
Astha was only twenty feet away from him, if he turned she could touch his wings. Up close she could see the large feathers, a deep ebony that reflected the light in a blinding shine. Layer upon layer they were draped elegantly along the wing.
"Your wings… they are amazing." She fought the urge to move closer.
"This isn't as bad as last time… I can think clearer than I hoped." He commented. She watched him flex his hands and shift his body around, moving the scythe around, mindful of where she stood. As much as she wanted to look into his eyes he wouldn't look up..
"Does looking at me bother you?"
His eyes darted up to her, scanning over her body several times before looking somewhat past her shoulder, not making eye contact.
"It's not as… bad as… I thought… it would...be."
"You're not as scary as I thought either." She gave him a brave grin.
The electricity around him sparked slightly, arcing from one metal surface to another as he chuckled in a brutal fashion with the low vocals of the crusnik.
He looked at her again, gauging the feelings he had swirling within him, restless and anxious but no urge to harm Astha… The crusnik seemed to tolerate her, not wanting to consume her blood.
"If you want, come closer… I seem to have things in hand for now."
He could hear her swallow and take a steadying breath, her heart rate was accelerated and he could smell the scents left on her skin from her bath, sandalwood, lavender and a touch of lime. As he focused more on her, his senses seemed to absorb her, the soft rush of air going through her lungs, the click of her teeth as she shifted her jaw around slightly, her thundering heartbeat was rhythmic almost hypnotizing. He looked up from the ground, letting himself look into her eyes. Never had the crusnik responded like this, hyper focus. She was just out of reach of his arms, standing in a wary stance but no trace of fear could be found. Her lips were parted as she exhaled out of her mouth, a slight smile of wonder shaping them. She studied him with burning intensity, from his crown of silver hair, his feral features and massive wings. Neither one noticed the arcs of electricity that leapt from crate and containers around them, so absorbed in each other.
"You are… incredible Abel. Dark and primal… I can see why you were so effective. Truly a top predator." Her voice was husky, breathless and barely louder than a whisper.
His eyes widened in surprise at her praise. She was enthralled by his dark side it seemed...
"Are you still ok with me this close?" She asked louder.
He nodded, and then watched as she stepped closer and reached out to touch his chest. As soon as her fingertips touched his skin he visibly flinched and in a whoosh of air and dust he pushed himself away, rubbing his chest where she touched with his free hand. She pulled her hand quickly back to her body, looking at him in apology.
"Sorry, I got caught up… why don't you stretch out and see what you can do? I'll be here."
He swallowed and nodded. Her touch had felt like a branding iron pressed to his chest, it was confusing and alarming.
In one strong sweep he pushed himself further into the sky, full fusion making the effort minimal. He felt powerful, coiled strength rolled in his muscles, he wondered how fast he could fly now… Looking back down at the yard he could easily see Astha, who had her hands above her eyes trying to watch him.
"Lilith, what are we capable of doing?"
"Everything, anything you want my dear. We have the power of the skies, the strength of a thousand men, the speed of the wind. There is nothing that can really stop us now."
He looked to the north, his thoughts drifting to Dietrich in Krakow and that Cain couldn't be very far away. His hand squeezed the scythe in a crushing grip. "He's still out there, wanting to burn the world."
"We could just go, stay in form and find him. There's nothing to stop us," Lilith suggested.
Imagines came unbidden of the horrible swaths of carnage he alone had done in the human methuselah wars… that now he could easily with this higher activation do worse things… how much would he destroy to kill 01?
A shrill whistle pulled him out of his thoughts.
He looked back down, having forgotten Astha.
She was waving at him to come back down.
He shook his head, clearing his darkening thoughts. She trusted him to be the one to stop Cain… to stop the burning crusade 01 lusted for. He took a steadying breath and swooped down to the earth again, letting the cold bite of the rushing air clear his thoughts.
Crackles of electricity filled the air as he landed, and with a shake of his forearm, the scythe and chain seemed to gush back into his wrist. Astha had her arms up to protect her face from the dust and debris his wings had kicked up with his landing.
"Crusnik 02… deactivation sequence to zero percent commence."
Astha's eyes widened as she tried to watch all the changes that occurred at once it seemed. The cascading of his hair around his shoulders, the pigment of his skin warming back to his more natural ivory. His hands seemed to just shrink slightly as the claws disappeared, and he heaved a large sigh as the wings absorbed into his back. Lastly the vicious maw of teeth melted back to his human visage. When next he blinked and looked at her, all traces of the monster was gone.
"So… how was it?" She asked, breathless.
"It was... more than I expected."
"I agree! I only saw a glimpse of you after the ship. What a difference knowing what you are made to seeing what you become. I understand now why you hide this, but it's incredible at the same time."
"It's been a long time since I've activated without something to fight… it changes things. I was in more control, usually in the middle of a battle I'm reactive and vicious… Damage is taken because it doesn't matter to me, only the result. It's deadly yes but not incredible as I'm barely more than a beast."
Astha shook her head, "No, you never once seemed like a beast today, I never felt like prey."
"It was like I said, better than expected… a first time for everything doesn't mean it's how it will always be."
She grunted softly, seeing he wasn't going to budge.
"I get what you mean about your wings being hard on clothes… but to fly…Was it hard to learn?"
He smiled, entertained by her curiosity. "It was awkward when we first found out about the wings, and amazing once we figured it out. I do admit the wings are handy."
She nodded, looking at his hands.
"A scythe eh?"
"The nanomachines creates it, I haven't a clue how or why it chose that. I don't understand why the transformation affects the changes it does. Cain has been mistaken for an angelic being with his wings of white and bright colouring, where I am cloaked in this monstrous darkness." He sighed softly and looked past her into the distance. "An evil thing is what the crusnik is there is no doubt, but what does it pull from the host? Was it from my rage that brought forth this demonic form?"
Astha looked at him, puzzled by his sudden melancholy.
He shook himself slightly then looked around the yard. "I don't think all the bots survived."
"Probably not… its fine they are meant to get tossed around. I'll pick them up if you go get dressed and then we'll eat before heading back. I'm not sure I want to do more training today... We may need a different site to be more challenging." Her eyes travelled over his bare chest and arms as he got out his hair tie and pulled his hair back into the familiar ponytail. "I feel you could handle a lot more than this."
"Perhaps, but it was still a good start and a nice change of pace… when we report to Seth, she'll likely have some suggestions."
"Now, go get dressed. How am I supposed to do anything with you standing half naked out here." She teased, gesturing towards his bare chest. Instantly she could see his face warm in color.
"Ah.. right! Meet you back inside."