Chapter 16 - Death, destruction.
He looked down at the mines and sighed. He just couldn't draw today. He shook his head and crumpled up yet another piece of paper. He tossed it out of the tower and watched it drift down towards the desolate lands below.
He heard a creak on the steps behind him and he turned around in time to see Dominic wince. "he-" He started to say but was cut off by a large explosion below them. The tower shook and the tower leaned to the side.
He heard Dominic curse as they plummeted the path of the wad of paper. Around them disintegrated the tower and fiery bits of blocks. As the ground rose up to meet them he flushed with pain and they stopped while the ruins of the tower fell burning around him and Dominic.
Shaking from the exertion he began to lower Dominic to the ground. His mouth went dry and he heard the pounding of that surging river in his head. He gasped in pain as Dominic looked up at him in amazement. His vision grew dim as Dominic's face twisted into horror and he felt warm liquid running down over his mouth.
His tongue darted out and tasted it and his vision blurred as he realized it was blood. Dominic touched the ground and his body started to shake uncontrollably. He settled himself down and felt blood running down the sides of his nose.
Dominic started walking towards him. He grinned weakly at Dominic and said. "Not supposed to do that..." He saw Dominic running towards him as the ground rushed up and grasped him as he fell into the darkness.
He walked down the stairs and entered the room with a triumphant air. He smirked as his eyes roamed the room and picked out the scorched tiles where the Doorman had stood, and died. "I was good, I helped him leave more of a mark here then he ever would have elsewhere." He whispered to himself in satisfaction.
He walked through the dimly lit room and acknowledged the Replacement Cognit with a nod before walking out into the bright streets. His eyes picked out their gleaming shells first. He gnashed his teeth together and bared them in a gruesome imitation of a smile.
He looked deep into each of their eyes. He reached out and tapped their rock hard minds and chuckled a deep skewed laugh. "Rulixe." He said savoring the word i his mouth.
"Achilles, you are going out of control." The middle one said. "We have to bring you in."
His toothy grin grew and he leaned forward. "I am Felic." He said in a hushed whisper. "And I know your weaknesses." He rose up suddenly and felt their defenses fall away.
"Run and Die." He told the two beside him. The middle one made to run with them. "Not you special one." He leaned closer. "I have a special job for you." The Rulixe shivered in fear. "I want you to go back to your Secret base and go to the ones that sent you after me. Then I want you to give them this message. 'You arrogant Rulixe pushed your precious pawn to far and it Broke under your weight.'
"Then I want you to count backwards from ten and on five flood your ducts with acid." The Rulixe nodded and scurried away hunched towards the ground.
He chuckled in delight as he heard screams coming from the directions that the other Rulixe had gone. He stepped out onto the road and walked towards the Council hall. They would hear him this time and they would accept his suggestion.
He woke with the river subsiding from his ears and an amber light casting down over him. He shook his head and looked up at the sky, but saw fabric instead. "Dominic?" He called with a groan as he attempted to pull himself up.
The amber light shifted and grew brighter as a flap lifted and Dominic peered questioningly in. "Well, Don't just stand there." He said exasperatedly. "Help me out."
Dominic looked at him strangely.
"Don't you remember, You can't walk..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Verbatim-"
"I can walk just fine."
"-To the last two times. Both times I helped you get out and your legs were worthless." The amber light shifted again as the entire bag swung away and he found himself suspended in mid-air.
He felt the pull of gravity diminish as he rose into the air. The river smashed through his ears again and he cried out. He smashed down on a rough metallic surface and woozily pulled himself from the carryon.
He looked around and found that they were on a large machine treading over Bedrock. "I drew one of these, Where are we?" Dominic Shrugged,
"Heck if I know. I think this thing is going in circles."
He shook his head and climbed up into the cabin, "I see your legs are actually working." Dominic said shaking his head. "There aren't controls up there, its all automatic."
He ignored Dominic and climbed into the cab. settled on a semi-comfortable bench and looked at the dashboard of it. He sighed as he realized that it used telepathic controls. He smacked himself as Dominic crawled in and sat beside him. "It is a better view, but alas no controls."
Andrew ignored him and felt the river surge again as he reached out to the machine. His head pounded as he reached out and felt the enigmatic presence of the machine. His body twisted and he gave a gasp of pain.
"Dude, Your Nose!" He faintly heard Dominic exclaim.
Presenting the shape and form of the ship he said. "Take us home," He felt pain in his ears then warm liquid dropping down the side of his face. "Take us to the ship." He gasped as he swayed from side to side. The pent up river exploded, washing clear of his mind rational thought and sense of awareness.
He walked into the Council hall parlor and looked at the preoccupied Spokesman facing the wall. He straightened his form and walked towards the large double doors.
"Achilles! You can't go in there! They are Deliberating!" The Spokesman threw himself in front of the door. He looked at the Spokesman in disgust as he contemplated his choices.
"Cognit. Let me into this hall immediately, I am late for my appointment. Introduce me with apologies for keeping me." The Spokesman shook his head.
"I apologize sir." He turned, flung the doors open, and marched into the hall. "Presenting Achilles for his followup appointment. I kept him under false assumptions, I apologize for his lateness and accept full responsibility." And with that the Spokesman turned and walked from the room.
"What mockery is this Achilles, Your motion was vehemently denied just yesterday. Why have you come and how have you convinced our Spokesman of such falsities?"
"Nothing dear Council Member. I just had a second motion to be declared." The council nodded and conferred.
"Very well Achilles, we will reprimand our Spokesman for not informing us sooner. Now what is your motion?"
"I propose that as a low strike back at the Humans, You provide resources to capture and detain a Human Globe." Most of the council nodded in agreement but two in the back stopped mid-nod.
"Achilles, What are you talking about? The Humans are fastly becoming our allies! Why would we betray the growing trust between us?"
"Because I told you to Rulixe." The council looked at the two and sneered. Defenses down he cut into their minds and made them agree as well.
"Thank you for hearing me out." He said before turning and walking from the hall.
He opened his eyes and blearily peered through the cab. He saw Dominic sitting over against the cabin door. He turned his head and looked out the window in time to catch a glimpse of the large ship rising up over them.
"Good, it worked."
Darkness eased around his field of vision as he saw Dominic look over in surprise. "What are you?" He demanded to know. "You talked to this machine and told it to take us here."
"Guess what? It actually brought us here. You on the other hand started gushing blood and passed out. I saw you fly onto the cab earlier after you fell out but I was sure I had been imagining it." Dominic shook his head and stared at him. "You stopped us falling too didn't you?"
He turned his head from Dominic's ramblings and looked out the window. He made out a faint shape that he recognized as a Barge Drop plummeting towards them.
"Ask the Pyritians." He whispered as he turned back towards Dominic. "They know a lot more than I do." He released his grasp and dissolved into darkness once more.