I held my hands in front of my face, keeping the sand from entering my eyes. Slow and small sandstorms would sweep onto me as I walked through the desert, searching for my group. It was bright out here, the ancient ruins standing tall over the sand and earth below. My eyes wandered over to one of the pyramids, figuring that my group ran in there to hide away from the large sandstorm that was clearly coming. Why did I leave them again?
I stormed into the lost pyramid, my feet stepping onto solid ground. I hadn't been in here for years, so I did realize how much it had changed. Waterways were set up along the inside, many areas near these certain rivers and columns in every directions. The Egyptians finally found a smart way to use their pyramids. For survival.
I walked along the edge by one waterway, turning in a direction that led to a big open room with columns, some odd objects that I couldn't recognize, and hieroglyphs covering the walls. I shrugged at the signs. I wasn't able to read them, so why care?
I heard a quick breath appear from one part of the pillars, so I froze in my place, my hand reaching for my holster. The silence was followed with some skidding of feet, pattering into another area of this room. I noted that no weapons were used at this point, so I pulled my hands away from my holster. I figured that it was just some tomb raider hiding out in here.
I shook off some dust and headed in the direction I was going, giving off a sign to the raider that I wasn't going to bother him. Instead, when I got close to the exit of this particular room, a foot flew out from behind its hiding spot and tripped me.
I crashed into the ground, but I rolled over onto my elbows so I could take one hand to grab my gun, and I could have myself lifted at a different height. As quick as lightening, I snapped out my gun, pointing it up at the unwanted person. I lowered my gun though, my face falling, when I realized whom it was.
Her bright smile certainly wasn't dull, and neither was her face. Her face was perfectly angular in a way I couldn't see a remake. Her eyes were a light green that I rarely saw anymore, and her hair was a dark brown that was slicked back into a ponytail today. Her body was an hourglass figure, tight shirt on her body as well as tight black pants. Boots that almost rose to her knees stood before me, one foot stepping onto my stomach. Her thin arms were crossed in front of her chest, while the grin on her face was menacing, to an extent.
"Look what we got here!" Teasingly, she gave my side a little kick.
"Zelia! You can't go around attacking people! Especially ones that know how to kill you in seconds," I grumbled, standing up without taking her open hand.
She chuckled. "Come on, Zach, just lighten up."
"No, I won't lighten up," I brushed off some sand from my coat. "I could have killed you."
"Not unless I stopped you," Zelia winked, racing off into the darkness looming in future rooms.
"Zelia?" I called after her, the thought of darkness engulfing me began to terrify me. I heard stories of the Egyptians magic, particularly in tombs. I wasn't too excited to step out into a place where they use to cast spells.
I sucked in some air before entering the next room. It was filled with sarcophaguses lying across the room. A shiver ran up my spine as I quickened my pace to leave. Fear followed in after me as I felt eyes on my back. Sweat ran down my back, realizing that I lost where Zelia took off. Damn Zelia and her speed.
Soon enough, I heard voices ahead of me. I exhaled when I saw torches brightening a room after this one. I rushed in, finding my group, which was a group of six, including me. Zelia and Lydia were the only females. What made that only worse was that Zelia tried to act like a guy while Lydia disliked Zelia and was snooty. I never understood how the girl got into our Institute. Her father must have paid her way in.
"Took you damn long enough," Brady remarked, getting to his feet and slipping in my direction.
Brady was the actual leader of our group. He was twenty-three, the eldest, and clearly the strongest. I was the most intellectual, compared to him by little, so I was just as powerful as he was. The one thing that I didn't possess was his death look. He could look at you and it was that glint in his eyes. A glint that showed death itself.
"Sorry, I got lost out there," I muttered, moving past him so I wouldn't have to hear him complain. Not to my face at least.
"You got lost?" Stanton huffed a dark laugh. "Can't you see the pyramids from a hundred miles away? It's not like they are only ten feet tall."
I mimicked him, just to tick him off. It worked, luckily. He pounced to his feet, but a voice convinced him to not attack.
"Stanton, I wouldn't recommend to do that," the voice was soft and special, all in one.
We all glanced at Charles, Stanton's twin brother. They both had jet black hair and misty gray eyes, but they could never be similar. Charles was shorter than me, while Stanton must be my same height. Stanton always allowed his hair to fall in pieces on his forehead, but Charles thought it was right to have his gelled back, in a gentleman manner. Stanton was a dark and cold person, and Charles was much more quiet and peculiar, almost as if he was fighting himself to not go to a dark place. There was a mysterious feeling about Charles, something that none of us could find. It was almost as if he wanted people to not know who he truly was. Charles easily caught people's attention, even if he was quiet and full of thought. He spoke in a tone that most people couldn't resemble, a low and soft way that made him seem like he was talking slow. Anyone could understand him, unless they weren't paying attention. But, again, that was rare. Everyone usually had their eyes locked on Charles when he needed or wanted to speak. It was as if he were a god himself, here among the living.
"And why the hell not?" Stanton growled. Yes, Stanton hated his brother, but even he couldn't ignore Charles.
"Because," Charles grinned, his eyes meeting mine. "We all do not want a fight among the Company."
I flashed a grin in return. "Of course we don't."
"That's right, Stanton. So, sit your ass down," Brady snapped at Stanton.
Both Charles and I began to snicker in the background, with Stanton glaring at us in an annoyed way. He wouldn't disobey Brady. And we knew that.
"What are we doing in this place, anyway?" Lydia's voice was cracking and her face was dramatic. I could tell that she wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible.
"Some guys have been stealing away oxygen from the Source," Brady said, brushing some sand off the hieroglyphs, admiring them. He had always been interested in this kind of stuff.
"Why in the world would they do that?" my voice was hoarse, for a reason I couldn't figure out. Maybe it was the sand getting to me.
Brady shrugged though. "Probably trying to save up some extra oxygen in case the Internal War begins."
We all shivered, except for Brady. We have all grown up learning about the Internal War since we were small children. It was a legend that was surely possible, a legend that spoke of the Earth causing a catastrophic explosion inside itself, which could hurt all of us here as well. We are a race that could live in this place, so it would be difficult if the world seemed to explode. Our government was trying to figure something out as help.
"The Internal War is just a fairytale," Lydia snapped, her own fear brining on denial.
Brady spun on his heels, his brown eyes narrowing at her. "That's what you have been told by your idiotic father. You wouldn't know a war if it was right before your eyes. Lydia, the Internal War is so damn possible that you wouldn't even be able to comprehend it."
Lydia's facial expression was so shocked that she was actually still. I chuckled as I moved around the group, leaning myself against a pillar. I took out my knife and begun to twirl it in my fingers. My hands felt like they had to be doing something at almost every second, especially when I was bored.
"The Internal War will either bring us to an end or a great change," Charles said, his voice soothing me into oblivion. I didn't blink though. It was a normal inside feeling that many didn't notice you experiencing.
Brady lifted an eyebrow in response, but only shook his head. Charles didn't see since he was staring straight ahead, almost in a trance. I watched him as he blinked a few times, his eyes gazing at an invisible entity. I tried to see what he was looking at, but clearly, I couldn't understand. Charles got to his feet, gliding across the sand toward the wall ahead of him, his eyes fixed on one of the images. His boots crackled on the sand as he did, a sound that made me cringe. Memories tried to swarm my mind, but I pushed them away with no affect.
"Now, we just need to find where these assholes are," Brady spoke again, turning back toward us, both hands on his hips. We all only eyed him, nervously.
Charles froze in front of the wall, his eyes lying on a certain hieroglyph. I walked up next to him, studying it. I recognized her sun disk crown.
"Isis," I muttered, nodding my head. I looked over at Charles, who's face was full of admiration.
"The Great Goddess! She told me!" Charles yelled before tearing off in the opposite direction, ducking around a corner within in seconds.
Brady ordered us to grab our packs and take off after him. Luckily, Charles didn't bring anything with him outside of his belt, so none of us had to carry extra. I threw my pack over my shoulder, running close by Brady, keeping a lookout for Charles. Unfortunately, he disappeared from our sight instantly. Worry quickened my heart. Did these fugitives get him? I pressed my legs harder, going faster than the others, so I could try to find him.
"Zach Stark! Get your lousy ass back over here!" Brady called after me as I slid ahead of them, moving farther and farther away.
I found an opening that led out of the pyramid, definitely not the same entrance I came in through. It was the length of a hallway, thin enough for both my pack and I to crowd through, only an inch leftover.
I was at the brink of insanity. I couldn't handle it if something happened to Charles. He was much like a brother to me, an unknown force bringing me close to him. I screamed as I slammed myself against the wall I was running through, my fury overpowering me. I could see the light on the opposite side, so I gained more speed and agility, bouncing against each wall in a manner that made it quicker to reach the end.
The sun was bright and the sandstorms had come to an end. My boots sunk into the sand, an action that I never cared for. I didn't like beaches too much. I hated taking my boots off when I got there. I got use to wearing my shoes on the sand, but it always did still feel odd.
I saw a shiny reflection come off of an object, and when I squinted my eyes to see more, I huffed and pulled out my goggles. Placing them on me and allowing it to read my fingerprint, it automatically focused on the scene before me. I could see Charles racing after an abandoned temple that had a little spirit area right across from it. How did I know that it was meant for spirits? Because it was a building that only had pillars in them, nothing else, not even walls. That meant it was a spirit house.
I stood there, checking over everything to see if I could find the fugitives. When all I could find was Charles, I waited for the others to catch up to me. Brady was the first one out, his eyes glaring at me. I motioned for him to hurry along, which he gladly did.
"What is it?" He panted. I laughed. He must have had a hard time catching up with me.
"I found Charles. He's heading straight for the spirit house."
"Spirit house?" Brady's voice was rough and his puzzled expression gave it away for me.
"It's the pillared building," I frowned. How did he not know this?
He nodded as an answer for my questioning of his stupidity. Okay, maybe he was in certain areas?
Brady called after the others, explaining where we were going. Brady and I made our way over the place, dusts of sand whipping behind us. With my goggles, I had full lock on Charles' location. It told me that he stopped moving, and when we rounded a corner, I saw that he was squatting behind a large rock, or piece of this ancient building. I couldn't tell which one it was.
Charles had a large smile planted on his face, he lifted a finger to his mouth, indicating that we keep quiet. I fell onto my knees beside him and took a couple of peeks over the rock into the building. I saw a shadow move. Yup, definitely a hideout. I grinned like a madman.
The others came up to us, getting down low. Brady took his time getting closer to the ground, but I was the lookout. We knew exactly what we had to do. We had to take them down, and fast.
"Let's get going, shall we?" Brady asked, a famous line that I heard thousands of times.
We all jumped up, stalked into the pillars, and took out our guns from their holsters. Each one of us separated from one another, taking over a certain area of the spirit house. I had the loudest voice in the group, so it was my job to call out.
"All hands in the air! This is the Company!" I yelled, my voice booming so loudly that it bounced off the walls.
Four men came out from their hiding spots, following my directions. Zelia and Lydia took one, Stanton got two, and Charles got the last one. Brady and I searched the place, sniffing out for the oxygen. I heard Brady clink a few bottles together, so I figured he found some. I kept on, my eyes going over every angle I could find.
That's when I saw it. I mean, her. She was sitting against a pillar, hands tied behind her back and a cloth around her mouth. She mumbled and muffled a scream as I came near her. I didn't think they would have a captive with them. Her hair was very light blonde, with big large natural curls that brought out her pretty face. Her eyes were emerald green, a color that I normally didn't even see. Zelia's own eyes were pale compared to this girl's. She was perfectly thin and shaped. All I could do was stare into her face for a moment, but I fixed myself and took off the cloth.
"Took you god well long enough!" She yelled, a strong British accent in her voice. She jerked at her tied hands, using all of her might. I could see the straining in her neck. I picked her up, moved behind her, and took the rope off her hands. She nudged away from me, brushing herself off and moving into view of the others.
I heard a low whistle and glowered. Stanton.
"Why, hello?" Brady was very confused now. I came out after her, gaining only a more puzzled look. This could seem very wrong on so many levels.
"Bonjour! Thanks for saving me. Now, can you take me home?" I could hear the edge in her voice. I held back a snicker.
Brady was stunned, Stanton physically turned away to laugh, Zelia and Lydia glared, while Charles stared at her, his eyes glinting.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm Arissa, nice to meet you," a smile spread on her lips, but I could still feel something hidden behind it.
"That's an interesting name," Lydia went wide-eyed.
Arissa nodded. "Certainly. My family is interesting."
"Yeah, I could see that," Stanton chuckled.
Charles gave him a dirty look, and even I saw Stanton cower back a little, so it must have been terrifying. Who would have thought a girl could have made him glare at Stanton?
"And how do you suppose we get you home?" Brady was standing tall, his back erect.
"The same way you got here."
Brady shook his head. "It's not that easy, sweetheart. If you were a captive, then you may know some things about these fugitives and what they are connected to. You are a reliable person for us now. And since you are coming with us, you'll seem some of our secrets."
"And?" I think Arissa knew exactly what was coming.
"Being welcomed into the Company's secrets is forbidden. Unless you are part of the Company," Brady explained, glaring.
Arissa gulped.
"What our dear Brady is trying to say is that if you know our secrets, you must be either killed or become one of us," Charles spoke, coming to her side, reassuring her with his calm voice. All eyes were on him.
Arissa's mouth was wide in fear when she slowly traveled her eyes back on Brady. You could see it clearly in her eyes. She was mortified.
"I doubt you really want to be killed," Zelia said, her voice oddly rude.
"If so, can I kill her? She seems like a fun person to kill," Stanton's eyes glinted in humor and attraction.
I looked at him, disgustingly, before eyeing Charles. Charles was biting his lower lip, a motion I have only seen twice on him. He was intensely waiting for something to happen, anything but the silence. I could see the small blaze in his eyes beginning to burst into flames. Something was up his sleeve, a plan that only he knew.
"I don't want either," Arissa blurted, her mouth dry and voice cracked.
"Well, you have to choose one. We are not allowed to place in you prison with these men here," Brady nodded toward the fugitives. I went over to them and kicked one in the side so hard that he yelped. I couldn't help but grin.
"I don't want to die," Arissa spoke, her words tumbling out as she thought. "But it means death for both roads."
"What do you mean?" My head snapped in her direction. I thought she was mumbling.
"I would die either way. Becoming one of you would mean I am a slave to the government, which is death in a way. I might as well be the walking dead."
"That can arranged," Stanton stood up, rubbed his hands together, and stalked toward Arissa. I remembered the time when Stanton was about twelve and he touched a man that was threatening us. We all watched the man's skin burn and the flesh was barely left on his body. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. He became the walking dead itself, a creature that no longer had any sign of life, but was continuing to live. We all had odd abilities that came along with us, but Stanton was tested earlier.
"No, Stanton, that's not required," I stuttered, pushing him back. He did go back, but he pushed my hands off of him first.
"Arissa, listen," Charles stepped in front of her, his eyes falling on hers. I smirked when I saw her face turn to awe. Most people that gazed into his eyes always had a sensational reaction. "We don't want you to die. And we are not slaves for the government either. We are here to keep this place will live on safe, in case the Internal War happens."
Arissa huffed. "The Internal War can't begin without the External Wars."
"External Wars?" Charles' eyebrows furrowed.
Brady sighed. "Sweetheart, we are already in an External War. We are in a large one. Some unknown person is taking a huge chunk of the people, creating a world where everyone turns against one another. We don't know who this person is, or what group he controls, but he's getting more and more powerful. He's going to find a good time when our world is about to collapse to take over everything. He knows exactly what he's doing. There are no clues as to who he is. He's somewhere in larger continent, that all we know. Our Company is sent to search for him."
I looked at Brady, sideways. "Is that the real reason we came here?"
Brady nodded. "The Institute sent a message saying there were fugitives here as well, so we only got a side mission. There's no trace of the guy here though."
"Now, are you going to join us or what?" Zelia snapped, putting her weight onto one leg.
Lydia only watched the scene, snottily. I groaned silently, wishing I could punch her in the face.
Arissa studied each and every one of us. Her eyes only took longer on both Charles and I. I stomped my feet, nervously, feeling like I was being criticized by a girl that just barely showed up. Why was this feeling here? I'm a trained fighter. I would be able to kill her in a second. I shouldn't be feeling like she was a higher purpose than me. I only bore my eyes into her with frustration when she looked at the others.
"Let's take these guys to wherever you take them, and visit my father. Then I'll join you."