Perim time! W00t!


The Files of Kazdan Kalinkas

Book Three: Shadow of a Boy

Chapter Seven: Epiphany


"Did you ever walk up to the edge of a cliff, stare into the abyss as your mind wonders if you should take on more step further into that night. Well your mind says you won't but your heart says you might."


I still thought it was a bad idea.

Every part of my being was rebelling at the idea of going back to Perim. But maybe Tom was right, maybe this was just what I needed. Not only could I get away from those idiots in the Port Court but maybe this would stitch up some old wounds that hadn't quite healed right.

So I stepped up beside Tom in the Transport Center, held up my Code Scanner, and for the first time since I'd got back home, I ported to the one place that I was honestly most terrified to go.

Kiru City was pleasantly warm and my winter attire made it feel stuffy. I shed my jacket and tied it around my waist. Tom gestured for me to follow and we both headed down the street. I was aware of someone following us and glanced to my right. Hifdan darted into the shadows. I made a noise at the back of my throat, almost a growl, but Tom didn't hear. We stopped outside the Arsenal doors and he raised, knocking on the doors,

"Bodal! Bodal, hey, open up! It's me, Tom!"

There was silence for a while and then the door opened and there stood the most boring, most annoying Creature in all of Perim wearing that stupid superior look of his. I lingered back behind Tom, wary. I didn't know if Bodal knew who I was or not.

"Hi Bodal!" Tom waved with a fake grin plastered on his face, "I came to help out, just like I said I would! And I brought some help to!" He pointed to me.

Bodal swept his gaze over me, that arrogant expression never vanishing, and muttered, "Hmph, the mongrel."

My insides went cold and at the same time my blood boiled.

Mongrel.

So not only did he know I was Ghost but he also knew that there was still some of that stupid Virus in my system.

Mongrel.

I didn't know whether to be angry or upset. He knew. How many other Creatures knew. How many of them knew what I was, who I was, what I could do, and what I had done.

Mongrel.

I took a step back, "Maybe I should just port back. This was a bad ide—."

"No!" Tom snarled, grabbing my arm. He was livid with rage as he rounded on Bodal, dragging me forward along with him, "Apologize!"

Bodal blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Apologize to Kaz!" Tom spat, "You've got no right to call him that!"

"Er…Tom, it's…okay…" I muttered, even though it wasn't. I was actually pretty offended.

"Not it's not!" And Tom obviously shared my point of view. He dragged me into the Arsenal, making Bodal back up hastily, and the doors slammed shut, "Apologize!"

"Alright, alright," Bodal huffed in that obnoxious nasal voice of his that made me want to punch him, "I'm sorry."

Tom snorted like he didn't believe it but let go of me and straightened up, "So what do you need help with today?"

"Those parts for the Pyro Blasters finally came in," Bodal led us around some shelves stacked neatly with organized Battle Gear, "I need you to sort out all pieces-parts in accordance to what type they are." He pointed to stack of about fifteen giant metal crates, "There they are. I'll come back later to see how you're doing." And he strutted off.

I frowned after him, "He seems to think that this'll keep us busy for a while."

"It won't?" Tom reached up and hauled the top crate off the nearest stack, setting it on the floor, "Trust me, most Creatures aren't big on organization. These pieces will probably just be tossed in here randomly." He pried the box open and sighed, "Oh, the joys of Perim." I knew the only reason he did this was for the scans but, really, this was too tedious, even for me.

I rolled my eyes and glanced around. The shelf closest to us held rows of Pyro Blasters. I looked from the Battle Gear, to the parts that Tom was setting out, and then back to the Battle Gear,

"Hey Tom, are those parts going to be replacing the ones in those Pyro Blasters on the shelves?"

"Hm? Yeah, why?"

"I think I just found a way to make this easier."


It got hot very quickly inside the Arsenal. I'd unwound my scarf and stripped off my sweater, leaving them in a pile with my jacket on the floor nearby. All I was wearing now was a tank top. Even Tom had removed his top and was sitting in only his jeans and tennis shoes.

I'd showed him how to take apart, clean, and repair a Pyro Blaster and now we were taking them apart, replacing the old parts with new ones, and setting them back in their places on the shelves. Bodal might pitch a fit at first but at least this was less chaotic than having piles of the different pieces sitting around everywhere. No pun intended.

At some point during this, I dozed off, draped over the Pyro Blaster in my lap. Only to be awaken by Bodal's screeching,

"What are you doing!?"

"Fixing your Pyro Blasters."

I sat up, yawning, and rubbed my eyes. There was a sore spot on my stomach where the handle of the Battle Gear had dug into my midsection and I rubbed a hand over it. Then I was suddenly aware of Bodal's eyes on me. I looked around at him.

"Sleeping on the job, half-blood?"

I glared at him and, not breaking eye contact, finished putting the Pyro Blaster together and set it back on the shelf. Then I scrunched my nose up at him and huffed, turning away to get more parts.

"I told you not to call him that!" Tom snarled.

"Drop it, Tom." I replied, "I thought Creatures had more sense of personal space than humans but obviously I was wrong. Apparently they're all just rumor spreading gossip hounds just…like…us." I flicked my gaze over my shoulder, grinning to myself. Bodal looked flustered and embarrassed, "I guess I shouldn't expect anything less. I mean, come on, look at the way the UnderWorlders treated me. I suppose," I sighed dramatically, "That I've just come to associate all Creatures as cruel, thoughtless, brutal, savage, heartless, wastefull, selfish—."

"That's enough of that!" Bodal snapped, "Go take breaks, both of you!" He stomped off, looking like a mix between angry and upset. I chuckled to myself.

"Why'd you egg him on like that?" Tom asked as we both stood up and stretched.

"Because he deserved it." I answered, arching my back so it gave a satisfying pop, "Ahhhhh, let's go get some fresh air." Tom eyes my tank top pointedly and I shrugged, "If they don't know, they can be curious."

"I think you're being a bit too relaxed." He said as we slipped out the front door and hurried into the shadows of the side alley off the main street, "Usually you'd be pitching a fit about your scars showing."

"You can hardly see them." I argued, standing in the shade and leaning against the cool brick, "Besides, it's not like there's anyone back here any—."

"Kaz." A deep voice said.

I cursed loudly and skidded back into a corner, my arms flying up in a defensive posture. Maxxor stood before us. I hadn't even heard him come up. I stared at him warily. Would he be just like Chaor? Would he want to use me as a weapon to? Were all of them…just the same?

"I didn't mean to startle you." The OverWorlder said in a low voice.

"Like hell you didn't!" I snapped, taking a deep breath to calm myself down, "What do you want?"

"To talk." That was all honesty in his voice and in his eyes. My mind was screaming at me not to be an idiot, not to trust him, I'd only get hurt again, but I didn't know what else to do. I glanced at Tom; he was looking at me with an almost pleading expression on his face. He trusted Maxxor. I figured it would be okay to trust him too. Well, maybe not trust. But at least hear what he had to say.

"Alright, so talk." I muttered and for some reason, it sounded breathless, almost as through I'd been running for a mile or so.

"Do you know what's going on in the UnderWorld right now?"

"More or less," I said with a half-hearted shrug, "Chaos and confusion, Lord Van Bloot's on a rampage, and Chaor's missing."

"That about sums it up." Maxxor nodded.

"So what?" I grumbled, "I'm not a part of that anymore. I. Don't. Care."

"Will you come back to Perim tomorrow?"

Okay, that was an out of the blue question. I looked hard at him, trying to figure out what he was up to. He just stood there and looked at me with an open expression of honesty. Tom was glancing between us with a worried look on his face.

"Yeah, maybe." I responded slowly, "Dunno though. Why?"

"There's something I wanted to show you. If you are willing."

"Sure. I guess so. Can Tom come too?"

"No." Maxxor responded and Tom turned a disappointed look at him, "This is for your eyes only. After I show you, you can decide whether you'd like to share it or not."

My eye narrowed, "Maybe I won't come at all then. I don't trust you. I don't trust any Creatures anymore."

Maxxor sighed, "I swear on my life, Kaz, that no harm will come to you."

"Funny, I distinctly remember you once saying that the good of your tribe came above everything else." I sneered, tense, ready to port if I had to, "And wouldn't capturing me make something good for your tribe."

I thought I'd made him angry. I thought maybe I'd pushed some buttons. Instead, Maxxor just looked…sad. Almost as though he was blaming himself for what had happened. That really threw me off. Why was he sad? That didn't make any sense.

"If you don't want to come, I won't force you." He said in a low voice, "But if you do, I will wait for you here at dusk." Then he turned and vanished into the shadows again. I looked after him, then glanced at Tom. Tom shrugged, looking a little lost.

"Let's go back inside." I said, "I'm porting home."

"But we're not finished yet!" Tom argued, following me back into the Arsenal.

"I don't care." I pulled my sweater on, then my scarf, and held my Scanner in my hands, "I don't want to be here anymore."

Before he could argue, I'd ported out.


I argued with myself all that night.

My curiosity never died, not even with common sense telling me that it was a stupid idea. What was it that Maxxor wanted to show me that Tom couldn't see? Tom had said that I was under Maxxor's protection and the OverWorlder had sworn on his life that he wouldn't hurt me.

And why had he looked so upset?

I rolled onto my side, tangled in my bed sheets, mind whirling with thoughts. It was late. I couldn't sleep.

Why was Maxxor so upset about my lack of trust? I just couldn't figure it out. And what was it that he wanted to show me?

I fell into a dreamless sleep only to wake up early and continue the argument.

To go or not to go.

Distracted, I met Tom outside the movie theater with my hands in my pockets, fingering my Code Scanner.

"Kaz?" Tom waved a ticket in my face, "Uh, hello? Earth to Kaz." I blinked and took it from him slowly, "Wow, what's eating you?"

"Mmmm…" I said as I stood beside him in line for popcorn, "I don't know whether I should go see Maxxor or not." I ran my finger along the edge of the screen, my Scanner still in my pocket.

"Do you want my completely unbiased opinion?" Tom asked.

"You can give those?"

"Oh ha, ha." Tom scowled at me playful, "I'd say go for it. And not just because I trust Maxxor." He added when I opened my mouth to argue against him, "It's because if you don't start trusting someone you're going to be a hermit for the rest of your life!"

"I trust you guys."

"I mean, besides us!" Tom said exasperatedly, his voice getting louder, "Of course we're your friends, Kaz, but seriously…" He trailed off, looking at me desperately, "Just go see Maxxor. And if things get a little hairy you can just port right out." He turned his back on me to order our treats.

I thumbed the button on the top of my Scanner while it was still in my pocket.

Tom was right. I was being withdrawn, maybe even cowardly. And I could get out fast if I needed to. I wasn't going to hesitate anymore, not like before.

I pressed the button down and smiled to myself, hoping I hadn't made a mistake.


Song: "Epiphany" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

This should be fun. I wonder what Maxxor wants to show Kaz so badly. (gasp) Maybe Maxxor's a bad guy too!?

Then again…