This chapter is written a little bit weird. I originally intended to have chapter seventeen to be the only chapter in third person but the way things turned out, I had to do the little thing at the end of this one. So please pay attention because there is going to be a shift from Kaz's POV to 3rd POV. Thanks and enjoy the trauma! X3
The Files of Kazdan Kalinkas
Book One: Not By Choice
Chapter Eighteen: Goodbye
UnderWorld Rule #18: Always know where your weapons are.
Hair.
It's amazing how fast that stuff grows.
In a little over six months, mine had grown just past the base of my neck and was getting annoying.
Lucky for me, Creatures were resourceful.
H'earring had a whole bunch of odds and ends he'd picked up from all over Perim. In an almost magpie like fashion, he'd gathered up things from as useless as funny shaped rocks to shards of broken Sting Blades that could still do some damage. So, after a bit of scrounging about, the two of us managed to find a bit of thin, worn leather that I could tie my hair back with. Now it stuck out in a little tuft at the nape of my neck instead of hanging in my face and annoying me.
Bet you're wondering how that's relevant, aren't you?
It's not, really, but before any of my friends had shown up, I'd just been lazing around H'earring's place or working myself ragged in the training room. The voice had been silent for quite a while and for that I was glad. Perhaps the presence of my friends had gotten rid of it.
But it hadn't gotten rid of Chaor.
In fact, after the incident where he slaughtered me ruthlessly in the basement, he'd been moodier than usual. I hoped he was taking it out on his subordinates.
Days passed...
Tom and Sarah and Peyton showed up every night with snacks and talk. True to her word, Sarah had brought the stuff to make smores and we'd sat around a blazing fire, joking and laughing as though we were on a camping trip instead of in the UnderWorld. I could imagine it so, if wistfully.
It was the end of what I calculated to be my sixth month in the UnderWorld that ruined everything.
I should have known something was coming. Chaor had never left me a lone quite that long. H'earring had been right, he had been planning something.
And I was too blinded by the elation of seeing my friends to notice.
It was almost noon when a couple of palace guard ranked Battalion soldiers came for me, which was odd. I say it was odd because usually only low-ranking grunts came to give me missions. But I was paying little attention to detail at that moment in time; to excited by the idea of the strawberries and whipped cream my friends had promised last night.
I waved H'earring a good-bye, nodded at Cherri, and followed the two Battalion soldiers down the street. One of them kept glancing over his shoulder at me. I narrowed my eyes at him and clenched my fists, wishing I at least had the Destiny Claw with me. I felt a little safer carrying it around in a Location where all the Creatures hated my guts.
"Already gotten used to the idea of carrying a weapon." Great, the voice was back. That should have been my first clue that something was wrong, "You're quite the obedient little killer, aren't you Kaz?"
"Shut up." I growled and the same guard looked at me again. I directed a grimacing snarl in his direction and snapped, "What!? You gotta staring problem!? Take a picture, buddy, it'll last longer!"
He quickly looked away.
Newbie.
Activity inside Chaor's palace was at an all time low. Another thing I would have noticed was odd had my head not been fifty thousand feet above good old terra firma and floating in the clouds. Usually, the palace was bustling with goings-on; raids being planned, territory lines being drawn and redrawn, servants waiting on their masters every whim and desire, and—very rarely—some cleaning going on. Chaor wasn't big on a presentable household.
Now the place was practically empty.
The throne room, however, was lined with guards. I eyed them warily and took note that Takinom and Agitos were absent from their usual places at their Lord's side. Then I locked gazes with Chaor himself.
We simply looked at one another for a few moments and then he said in a low, casual sort of voice,
"You've got a spring in your step, Kaz. Care to tell me why?"
"You've left me alone." I blurted out. The voice in my head chuckled and started chanting "liar, liar, pants on fire" again.
Chaor snorted and flicked some imaginary dust off the armrest of his throne. Being very pompous, wasn't he?
"I've got another job for you, Kaz." He said, blinking slowly as he held my gaze. He waited, gauging my reaction.
"Figures." I mumbled just loud enough for him to hear.
"I've been planning this for a long time. It's what I made you for. It's been your whole purpo—."
"You didn't make anything!" I snapped at him, "You think you've got it all figured out but you don't! I'll get out of here, Chaor, and then you'll wish you'd never done this to me!"
Chaor grinned and my stomach flip-flopped. The voice in my head started repeatedly singing "Pop Goes the Weasel". I ground my teeth against its efforts to drive me up the wall.
"You've got a lot of guts talking to me like that." Chaor said coldly and too late I saw the glint of silver sitting underneath his great hand on the armrest.
"Wait, Chaor, I—!" My words were lost in a gasp that escalated into a scream of pain. I jerked around on the floor, screaming. Then it was over and I felt stupid for thinking I could get away with bad mouthing him.
"Apologize." He growled.
"Sit on it." I spat.
"Apologize, Kazzy." His eyes glowed with power as he leaned forward, a crimson shadow of simmering rage.
Swallowing my pride, I licked my lips and said hoarsely, "I'm sorry."
"Good." Chaor sat back, looking pleased, "Now get up." I got to my feet, glaring at him. He seemed to like it, "Now, about that mission. It's really, very important that you get this right and follow our plans exactly because if one single thing went wrong…"
There was a squeak and a crunch of crushed bones. I looked around towards the wall and saw one of the Palace Battalions grinding his heel down into the ruined body of a rat. I gulped. That wouldn't be me, it would be my friends.
I looked back up at Chaor and I must have looked desperate because the grin on his face got even bigger.
"What…do you want me to do?" The words wanted to come out in a whisper but I forced them out in louder tones.
"I want you to go to the OverWorld…" He paused, drawing it out, grinning like the maniac he was, "And sneak into Kiru City…" Kiru City!? Was he insane!? Well, of course he was, but Kiru City!? Chaor kept talking, "And, very quietly, I want you to sneak into the palace…walk all the way up to the top floor…" He made a walking motion with his fingers, still grinning, "And I want you to get into the largest bedroom on the top floor…and…" He paused, "Then I want you…to…kill Maxxor."
The words hung as heavy as hail in the silence that followed.
Kill…Maxxor…?
Kill Maxxor?
Kill Maxxor!?
I just couldn't seem to get my head around it.
"But you can get your head around the fact that you're a killer?"
Chaor and Maxxor were bitter rivals. It was the one of the most popular rivalries in all of Chaotic and there was always some "Chaor-vs-Maxxor" talk going on in the Port Court. It was the subject of a lot of debate. Even Tom and I had argued about it on occasion. Well, actually, we'd argued about it a lot.
But the point was Maxxor and Chaor were…they were…they were just right! Maxxor and Chaor fighting was like peanut butter and jelly or milk and cookies! They were things that just went together! They were supposed to fight each other and that was the end of that discussion!
And now Chaor wanted me to off Maxxor.
That was taking the coward's way out.
Whatever, tiny, miniscule amount of respect that had remained for Chaor vanished. I tore my gaze away his and looked at the floor. He was a coward. Nothing more than a back-stabbing coward.
The presence in the air indicated that he was awaiting a response from me.
He wanted a response. Fine. I'd give him the one I'd been longing to say every time he shoved another assassination in my direction.
"I won't do it." I murmured, glaring at the floor.
"What?" Chaor growled, leaning forward.
"I'm not going to kill Maxxor." I snapped, looking at him with as much fury on my face as I could muster, "I won't do it." He reached for the silver rectangle, "Yeah, go ahead and zap me all you want I'm not doing it! I'm not going to sneak into Kiru and destroy your enemy for you! I'll get rid of the guards! I'll give Intress a run for her money! I'll sneak into that ash-blasted Arsenal if you want me to! But I'm not going to kill Maxxor! That's your job! That's what you're supposed to do! You're taking the coward's way out!" I was shouting now, worked into a temper, and jabbing my finger at the UnderWorld ruler, "You know what! I quit! I'm going home! I don't care how! I'll find a freaking way to do it! So take your stupid orders and shove 'em where it hurts!"
I swung my arm down, panting, feeling scared and exhilarated at the same time. This could be it. This could be the end of Kazdan Kalinkas.
Chaor looked at me coolly and then sat back on this throne, "Fine."
"That's right! Go ahead and blast—what?"
"Fine. Don't kill Maxxor. I take back the order."
"R-really?"
"Yes."
I should have known right then and there that something was up. Chaor didn't let up on something if he wanted it done and I was as stubborn as any of his subordinates. Normally, he would have snarled at me, kicked me around, and zapped me until I couldn't stand.
But when did I ever pay close attention to the way Chaor was acting? He had two moods: grumpy and pissed off beyond belief.
"But you know, Kazzy," He only used my nickname if he was annoyed with me. I froze, tensed, ready to run, "Soldiers who don't obey orders are a problem. You know my rules. If I let you get away with something, everyone will think they can undermine my authority."
Points for using "undermine," but that didn't make me any less wary.
"I've been thinking about something for a while now." Chaor stood up and stepped down the dais, "You've been sneaking around and sticking your nose where it doesn't belong again, just like you used to do before. And you've been trying to get away from my commands." Those angry blue eyes narrowed at me and I felt myself floundering in trouble, "Punishment, Kaz." And he raised his hand.
I turned to run and was plowed over by at least twenty Battalion soldiers. There was nothing but a blur of bodies. I swung my fists left and right and kicked out at anything I could reach. I went into a frenzy, screaming and flailing until a familiar, agonizing pain sent me screaming into immobility. The voltage had been turned up so high I thought I was going to be torn into tiny little pieces. When I shook off the last vestiges of pain, I screamed in anger and struggled but could not get away. The Battalion soldiers held me tight and dragged me down a hallway as I fought, tooth and nail, to get them off me.
I knew what hallway we were going down.
It was the one that led to Ulmar's in-palace lab.
The one he used when he made "modifications" to the IRA.
One of the guards released me long enough to open the door to the lab and then they were dragging me inside, right towards that Evil Dentist Chair Of Doom. I wasn't going in that thing without a fight. As soon as they moved to readjust their grips and get me into that chair, I pushed them away and bolted.
They tackled me.
I fought back.
One of them hit my in the back of the head enough to knock me silly for a few seconds but not unconscious. Those few seconds were all they needed to slam me into that stupid chair, lash me down, and leave. I howled and pulled at the bonds uselessly. What else could they possibly do to me? What other way was there to mess me up?
Ulmar walked in and I started hurling insults at him at the top of my lungs. He jumped up and the chair and slapped a disgusting hand over my mouth.
"If you want to keep your tongue," He hissed, "I'd suggest you shut your mouth." And he jumped down again.
I shut up. I didn't doubt he would rip out my tongue. Chaor would probably encourage it. Instead, I watched him scurry about the lab, flipping switches and turning dials.
"What're you doing to me now?" I asked in what I hope was an exasperated tone.
"I've been hoping to use this for weeks but Chaor wanted a good excuse." Ulmar answered with his usual sneer of superiority, "You're not going anywhere after this! You won't have anywhere left to go!" He paused in his activity and glanced around at me, "I call it The Virus. There really isn't any better name for it."
"What's it do?" I demanded as he went back to his work.
"It acts something like a Danian Parasite…" The little Creature sniggered evilly, "Remember that blood sample I took from you? No, of course you don't. I'm surprised you even have the brain power to remember your own name."
"I am not," I growled savagely enough for Ulmar to look around at me, "One of Chaor's mindless drudges, Ulmar!"
Ulmar grinned like he knew something I didn't know which I didn't doubt he did.
"You just keep telling yourself that." He scoffed, tapping his fingers against a panel of machinery.
"Right, fine, you're smarter, is that what you wanted to hear!? Just tell me what this stupid Virus of yours does!"
"Tsk, tsk, so impatient." Ulmar turned his back to me and I hissed in anger to hide my fear. I couldn't take this anymore, "The Virus acts almost like a Danian Parasite, except for one…" He hit a button, "Little," He hit another button, "Thing." He hit another button and a small, metal door popped open in front of him. He reached in and pulled out a very large and very unfriendly looking syringe, "You'll be an UnderWorlder, not a Danian!"
And he laughed.
I screamed for help.
A hopeless thing to do but my brain had shut down and all I could see was that syringe filled with black liquid coming closer and closer and I couldn't stop screaming.
It was like I could see the end of the world—the end of my world—in that needle point.
"Goodbye Kazdan Kalinkas." Chuckled the voice, "Hello Ghost."
Cherri was luckily out in bazaar shopping for food when the Battalion practically kicked H'earring's door down. H'earring started to protest but stopped when he saw the unconscious Kaz hanging between them.
"What happened to—?" The Battalion ignored him and the little Creature fumed for a brief moment. It was always the same with those palace stuck-ups. Thought because they worked in Chaor's presence they could blow off everyone else. H'earring followed them down the flight of stairs into Kaz's room, silently cursing them.
"Stay out of our way." One of them growled at him and H'earring bristled but said nothing. He wasn't in the mood to get into a fight, too worried about Kaz.
The two Battalion soldiers dropped Kaz unceremoniously on the floor and went about busily doing something to the far wall. There was a clinking of chains and the hissing of small fires and sometimes sparks but neither of them said a thing. H'earring glared at them the whole time.
Finally, the two soldiers stepped back, did a once over of their work, and left. H'earring lifted an ear and listened to their footsteps recede down the street and away from the house. Then he dashed to Kaz's side.
"Kaz! Kaz!?" He shook the human boy's shoulder, "Kaz! Come on! Wake up!" There was no response. H'earring sat back and looked him over, "Oh Kaz…what did they do to you now…?"
Embedded in the wall over Kaz's prone form where five, heavy rings made of steel, each with a chain leading off of it. The ends of the chains were fused directly into Kaz's armor; one on each wrist and ankle and one at the base of his neck. H'earring shuddered. This was so wrong.
And unfair.
Chaor had become nothing more than a bully.
"H'e…H'earring…" The Creature looked down and saw Kaz blinking up at him through glazed eyes, "Wa…ter…"
"Okay, Kaz! Just stay right there!" H'earring glanced at the chains, "I'll be right back!"
He bounded up the stairs as fast as he could, filled a shallow bowl with cool drinking water, and went back down as fast as he could without spilling any.
Kaz greedily gulped the water down and leaned against the wall, looking exhausted. He raised an arm with a slowness that made it seem like it weighed a thousand pounds, and looked dazedly at the heavy metal chain attached to his wrist. Tears weld into his eyes and trickled slowly down his cheeks.
"I'm never getting…home…" He groaned, dropping his arm down with a rattling of chains and closing his eyes, "This is…the end of the line, H'earring. I'm…finished…" He let out a heart-wrenching sob and lay down, curling into a ball on the floor.
H'earring was at a loss for what to say. He could only stand there and watch as Kaz sobbed brokenly into the stone.
"What'd he do, Kaz?" The Creature finally whispered, "Did he get your friends?" Kaz shook his head, "Then what happened!? Tell me what's wrong! We can fix it!"
Through shaky sobs and sniffles, Kaz told him everything.
And H'earring saw why Kaz had finally given up.
Here Ends Book One of the Files of Kazdan Kalinkas
