Act 2: Resurrection

Chapter twelve: Insubordination

Kai stood in an open field. Alone. The sun gave a pleasant warmth, illuminating the green plains before him.

Peace.

That was what he felt at that moment. Peace. Surrounded by a tranquil sea of grass and flowers, with low hills dotting the landscape like waves in a sea.

Peace.

"Hey! What—!"

Peace…?

That…was not what he should feel at that moment. No. Conflict. He was in conflict. He had been for years. How could he feel peace at times of conflict?

"This has been going on for long enough."

The sun's warmth became heat, and its hue turned red. Soon he found himself sweating. The grass began to shrivel and die before his eyes, slowly turning the fields into a wasteland, bathed in a crimson hue.

"Hey! Let me go!"

"Kai."

He turned and looked over the now red lands. A silhouette stood a distance away. He could not see their face, but he knew who they were.

"Let her go, Flamma! Killing her won't do anything for you!"

"Sarah…" he whispered.

"Back off!"

Sarah's silhouette raised a hand, palm aimed towards him. As if to push him away.

"Andr, can y— Crevan! No!"

Kai felt his death approaching, but he did not move.

He woke up with a start.

Crevan leaped towards him. Kai was just able to roll to the side. The Red Fox nimbly landed beside him.

The immediate rush of adrenaline dispelled his remaining drowsiness. He scrambled back—only to find himself against the wall.

With hands still bound, Crevan reached for Kai, his sharp claws threatening to cut Kai's throat.

Kai acted on instinct. He grabbed Crevan's bound wrists and redirected them up and away from his neck. Crevan moved in with his teeth, but Kai pushed him, sending him stumbling back.

Kai took Crevan's momentary disorientation to snatch his dagger off the ground.

With a feral growl, Crevan reached forward once more, but Kai was able to snake his off-hand around Crevan's arms and plant his knife into the Fox's neck.

Crevan fell silent.

Kai looked him in his wide eyes.

Then the mob smiled. And he dropped to the ground, blood flowing from his open wound.

"You see!" Flamma's voice sounded through the cave. "That thing tried to kill Kai in his sleep. Killing is the only thing mobs know."

Kai glanced through the room. His momentary relief was gone as soon at it had come.

Flamma was holding Mystia from behind, a dagger at the witch's throat. Athena stood a small distance away, an arrow at the ready, prepared to shoot. The other mobs and Hunters surrounded the scene, weapons drawn.

Kai looked to Raulyn. "Captain… What is happening?"

Raulyn—who stood with his sword drawn, looking uncertainly to both sides—gave him a glance. "The witch approached to ask for water," Raulyn slowly said, the sound of his voice instantly quieting the remaining arguments. "Flamma ambushed her. She seems to be convinced that the mobs will turn against us when given the chance. She may be right…"

"Andr?" Minerva whispered. Kai suspected the Hunters could not hear her, but he was closer to her than the others.

"I don't know if I can," Andr whispered back. "If I move a muscle, she'll kill Mystia."

"She will indeed," Raulyn affirmed. It seemed he had heard it too, despite standing farther away.

"Now's not the time to get all hesitant…" Minerva whispered to the taller mob. "Do something!"

Andr stood frozen. "I…"

"Come on!"

"What do you want?" Athena finally asked the Hunters. "You've got her. Now what?"

"We do not need you for this mission," Flamma said. "You are too dangerous. We will take the witch with us, but the rest of you will leave."

"What about Jack?" Athena cautiously asked.

"Jack is no longer your concern."

"You're going to kill him, aren't you…"

"Him. The Rogue. Tristan, if we have t—"

"The question is," Raulyn said calmly, "do we need the mobs to survive the Aether?"

"We do not," Galen said, walking over to join Flamma. "Flamma is right. They are only trouble."

"Agreed," Ilyoin added.

Raulyn glanced at them, then turned to Rayallv and Kai. "And you two?"

A silence fell.

Kai glanced around. Something…suddenly felt off. The glowstone lanterns that illuminated the room seemed…weaker, somehow. He could swear the cave was darker than it had been when he woke up.

But it wasn't just regular darkness. There was something more to it. Something was fighting against the glowstone…

"Sir," Rayallv said. "In that abandoned mine, I almost fell to my death, were it not for…" He glanced to Minerva.

"Trickery," Flamma dismissed.

"It could have left me to die," Rayallv said. "But it did not."

Raulyn turned to Kai. "Kai I understand you and the Stray worked together in those mines?"

"Yes, sir. It was Flamma who alerted the mobs."

"You have already told me everything."

Flamma gave Kai a glare—but her expression was harder to see than before. It was definitely getting darker.

Ilyoin seemed to notice it too. "What is this?" he whispered. "This—"

Kai flinched at the brief purple light.

A shadow grabbed Flamma's hand and yanked it away from Mystia's throat. It shoved the witch away.

Flamma tried to resist, but the shadow backhanded her, sending her to the ground.

Kai started as realization hit. Andr?!

Galen attacked. Andr teleported and knocked him to the ground from behind. She then grabbed Galen's sword, teleported yet again, and held the weapon at Raulyn's neck.

It all happened in a matter of moments. Stunned at what just occurred, Kai stared dumbly at the tall mob, who was glaring down at the Hunters' captain. Andr had been calm and quiet throughout the trip so far, but now… A purplish glow emanated from her. But it wasn't light. Normal light didn't smother glowstone the way this did.

And that…mob. That powerful creature now held a sword at Raulyn's throat.

Kai looked on, stunned. Ilyoin's eyes were wide. He had dropped into a stance, but he did not attack. He knew the Hunters' files better than anyone, and he knew that Andr could not be killed by simple steel or manpower.

Raulyn had not moved at all, and calmly looked Andr in the eye. "What is your plan here?" Raulyn asked. "Threatening my life is not your goal, is it?"

"He's right," Athena spoke up. "We need him. Andr…"

Andr let out a growl—a deep guttural sound Kai had never heard from her before. It made him shiver.

Thankfully she moved away from Raulyn, lowering the sword.

"I'll…" Flamma said, slowly standing, still dazed from Andr's attack. "I'll kill you…"

The tall mob turned to her and raised a hand, preparing to strike again.

"Andr," Athena called.

Andr froze. She blinked, and the glow from her eyes and her body seemed to weaken a bit, allowing light to flow back into the cave. She slowly lowered her arm, looking…confused? Embarrassed?

Finally she stepped back, rejoining the mobs.

"Very well," Raulyn calmly said, breaking the silence. "Now that that is done… Kai. You and the Stray are well-acquainted. Keep the peace for a moment while I take care of something." He strode over to one of the bags and rummaged through it. He took out a piece of parchment, a feather and a small bottle of ink.

"You…brought that with you, sir?" questioned Rayallv.

"It is always useful to bring," Raulyn said as he started writing.

Kai glanced to Athena, who had lowered her bow. Minerva's and Rayallv's respective weapons were down as well.

Silence dominated the moment, broken only by the occasional whisper and the quiet scratching of Raulyn's writing. Mobs and Hunters were standing as far apart as the small underground chamber would allow, with everyone closely packed in their respective group.

Kai found himself making eye contact with Athena, who slowly beckoned and stepped forward. Kai separated himself from the other Hunters—ignoring their protests—and met Athena halfway.

"What's he doing?" whispered Athena, glancing to Raulyn.

"I do not know," Kai replied. He was just as confused as everyone else was. "What just happened with Andr?"

"I… I don't know. She's been acting a little weird since Ironhand, but I have no idea what that was."

Kai fell silent. At least Andr's intervention had saved the witch's life.

Finally Raulyn finished writing. "Ender," the captain ordered, extending the parchment. "Take this."

Andr hesitantly obeyed. Her strong, menacing demeanor from before was gone, replaced with her usual, more timid behavior.

"Now," Raulyn said, "as the letter states, I hereby declare that after this journey your group will be taken off my high-priority list…on two conditions."

That really caught her and the other mobs' attention. A bargain? To have Raulyn ease his hunts on them?

"What conditions?" Athena asked.

"Simple," Raulyn said. "Firstly, you will not betray us—before, during or after our visit to the Aether. Secondly, you will now teleport Flamma back to Ironhand—safely—and give that parchment to one of the Hunters there. They will recognize my handwriting."

"What?!" Flamma cried.

Raulyn glanced at her, saying nothing.

"Why?" Flamma whispered.

"Insubordination," Raulyn said. "You disobeyed my order to stay in Ironhand. Then you disobeyed Kai's orders in the mine, and now you disobey another order by ambushing the mobs. You were never supposed to be here at all, and after the trouble you have caused, I will not let you stay." He pointed to the document he had handed to Andr. "You will be taken to our jail until we return from our quest, and then I will decide whether you remain a Hunter or not."

"Sir…!" Galen tried.

Raulyn turned to him sharply. "You and Ilyoin wanted the mobs gone, too, even though you knew we needed them. I am letting you stay now, but I will not have you endanger our alliance."

"It will kill me!" Flamma cried, eyeing Andr. The Huntress seemed genuinely afraid. She should be; Kai found he had a new fear for the Ender as well, and he would not be surprised if Athena and the other mobs had similar reservations.

"No," Raulyn said. "Not if it wants to return home without the risk of us coming after it." He looked to Andr. Andr, in turn, looked to Athena, who nodded.

"Do it," Athena said.

Andr nodded—looking as surprised and disturbed as everyone else—and did as she was told. Soon, she and Flamma had both vanished.

A silence fell. Raulyn gave each person in the room one last glance before turning and stalking towards his sleeping bag. "We should pack. The sun is close to setting."

"Raulyn…" Athena spoke up.

He turned to her sharply. "I only sent her back because of her insubordination, and I made a bargain to ensure that your friend will not leave her to die in some desert. That is it."

He turned and began packing.

"He is right," Kai whispered to Athena. "Raulyn is not doing this for your sake. He dislikes making bargains with you, but he hates seeing one of his Hunters dead."

She looked at him uncertainly.

"You tried to see the good in me," Kai softly said. "Do not make that mistake with him."

He walked away. He should do something about Crevan's body—maybe bury or burn it. The mob had tried to kill him, but Kai felt for him regardless. Crevan had lost everyone he had cared for. At the very least, he should have a somewhat proper farewell.

Athena watched Kai go. Oh, how much she wished they could be friends…but despite Kai's reservations about humanity's way of doing, he wasn't going to become a sympathizer anytime soon. He'd made that clear.

She noticed something glistening on the ground. She walked over and picked it up. It was the Elyfotist symbol, the K she'd seen hanging from Kai's belt. It must've gotten loose during his struggle with Crevan. She should return it to him.

"You and him…" someone quietly said to her. "It's almost like you trust each other."

Athena turned to see Minerva.

"Just remember what he is," Minerva said. "And what he does for a living."

Athena remained silent. 'Remember what he is'? That sounded like something a Hunter would say about a mob. Minerva had a point though; Kai was still loyal to Raulyn and would turn against the mobs if ordered to do so.

"You mentioned the portal might've been in the Skyfound Hills, right?" Minerva said.

Right. Athena had told the others about that. They agreed it was quite the coincidence; Raulyn happened to have caught a mob at a location that was rumored to have an Aether portal. Raulyn was also the only person present who'd ever laid eyes on an Aether portal to begin with.

"That thing with Andr…" Athena whispered.

Minerva gave a glance. "I've seen that before. When you and Kai were in that mine. Mystia said it wasn't normal."

"It's not. She's usually so…quiet."

"Beware the quiet ones."

"She's not like that," Athena defended. "I guess she's just…disturbed. With what's been happening to Jack…"

"Aren't you friends with Jack too? I don't see you radiating purple light-darkness."

This is different, Athena thought. Andr had grown closer to Jack than any of the other mobs, and she was far more powerful than any of them.

But Minerva had a point. Andr's display of power and rage just now… She had looked about ready to kill those Hunters, and she was certainly capable of it. And that purple darklight? That was new as well. Judging from Andr's behavior after the incident, she'd been shocked as well.

Athena felt unsettled. This was more than just wanting to get Jack back. This was an indication that there was more to Andr than anyone in the Realm knew. She had never shown this side so far, but maybe that's just because she'd been able to hide it all this time. Now it was coming forward.

The idea of it breaking free was one Athena wasn't comfortable with. They had to find Jack; maybe he could help Andr maintain control.