Immediately, his body began to surge with an almost electric
-
like energy. He didn
’
t feel jittery or shaky at all; he felt rested and ready to take on any challenge that might come his way. First, he had to deal with this stench; he couldn
’
t handle it any longer. He stripped off his sheets and threw them in t
he alleyway outside of his apartment
.
They aren
’
t worth the hassle to wash. I have half a mind to
burn the whole damn bed.
He examined the mattress and his blood had soaked through and deeply stained the material. He knew no matter what he did to clean it, there would be no way to get the blood out, so he flipped the mattress and reminded himself he wouldn
’
t be living in Alexarien much longer. The smell was already better, even though it still lingered in the air.
Zarfa made haste to get showered and change into some clean clothes. He checked the clock again and it was about eleven. He figured he could go by Max
’
s about
noon
and hear what Crimson had to say. Right now, however, he needed food. His stomach was still revolting over the stench in the apartment, but he could also feel his digestive acids eating the lining of his churning stomach.
He grabbed his banking chip and headed out, locking the door to his apartment behind him. He made his way th
r
ough the alley cautiously. He knew that he would now have not only the Faraza looking for him, but the Psyker Scream crew as well. He didn
’
t want a repeat of the stealth assassins; he had barely managed to win that battle.
He found a small café around the corner from his home and went in to get breakfast. He connected to a multiprocessor interface access center that the café had available to the public and looked up records on Psyker
’
s leader, Badger.
None of the information he could find on him was of any use. Most of it was peripheral junk that fans of any rock band would eat up. The deepest thing he could find on the man was that his real name was Coy McRodger
;
subsequent searches of that name yielded no fruits
. He
’
d
got
ten
the stage name Badger in high school due to his awkward face and the wiry hair that covered his body.
Frustrated, he devoured his breakfast and left the café. If his job wasn
’
t to knock people around all night in a cage, he would be seeking a fight. It seemed to him as if there was too much going on in his life—the Faraza, Psyker Scream
s
, and Sarah. He knew Sarah was still alive; he had seen her in a raiding party before he left Ilyeion.
She remembers me? She
’
s a person still? Yeah, right!
It wasn
’
t uncommon for loved ones to come back as raiders. However, when they came back, they were never themselves. When the parties first started showing up, an attempt was made to try to capture live ones that were recognized. Many families had retrieved their loved ones only to be left with even more heartbreak.
There wasn
’
t one successful case of retrieval. Nobody was certain as to how they did it, but the Faraza always controlled those who had been captured. Their victims never remembered who they were; they usually didn
’
t even remember how to speak. They would fight at every chance they had to escape.
Ultimately, the efforts to retrieve people whom were recognized were stopped. The ones
who
had been retrieved and reunited with their families more often than not were successful in killing their family that wanted nothing more than to rehabilitate them and ease their suffering. Those who weren
’
t killed were maimed and sadistically tortured. Nobody was sure how the Faraza was brainwashing them and turning them into these mindless drones of destruction, but they were, so efforts to capture and rehabilitate stopped. That was why when the assassin told Zarfa that Sarah wanted to speak with him, he was incredulous.
There is no way.
Of course he knows about Sarah. I
’
m somewhat infamous with the Faraza. Why would he lie? What was his motive? To get into my head?
It worked. Zarfa began to think of all that had happened before he left Ilyeion. He was hailed as a hero and a champion there. In the years since his sister had been taken, he had killed raiders into the thousands. When they attacked, he
had organized
a small band of those agonizing o
ver their own losses.
They
would suit up for battle and head into the stree
ts with whatever weaponry they could find on short notice. They called themselves
“
Leg
on Nine.
”
Originally, Legion was given as a nickname
to Zarfa because he fought as if he were one on his own
, and the number he slew grew to match it.
He started with eight strong supporters that followed him into the first of his counter attacks against the Faraza. A year later, they had grown to roughly two hundred soldiers, and their ranks grew each day. Though they were gaining in numbers and strength, these soldiers faced loss at each battle. Of Zarfa
’
s original eight, only two remained alive
,
and one of them was crippled beyond the ability to fight.
Despite the danger, despite the loss, whenever the swarm arrived to ravage Ilyeion, Zarfa would send the call
,
and his warriors would heed it. They would clad themselves in whatever armor they could afford or make, and take up any armaments they could get their hands on. Some had rifles, pistols, and bows. Others could only muster a crude makeshift weapon or plasma blade. Some took trophies of the weapons the raiders had used, gaining pleasure in crushing them with their own instruments of destruction. Zarfa always took a backup plasma Tanto blade and a gauss pistol, but he preferred to kill with his bare hands if he could.
He remembered his army back at home waiting for his return, all of their hopes resting upon his shoulders. He carried a great weight; he vowed to bring the Faraza down. He was resolved to do that now more than ever, but what would he do when confronted with his sister?
What if that man wasn
’
t lying? Why would she want to see me?
He called to mind how it seemed
that
if when raiders saw him, they would concentrate the attack, almost as if they were intent on capturing or killing him. He always thought that this was because of the trouble he was causing them. He thought it was because he was infamous amongst the Faraza for killing so many of their men.
What if it was an order from…Sarah?
He shook his head in disbelief and exhaled a breath that he felt he had been holding for the last couple of blocks. He was so lost in thought he didn
’
t even realize how tense he was. Now, he stood outside the big black door that led into Max
’
s clinic. He took a couple of deep breaths to relax and tried to shake loose his tense muscles. He really didn
’
t want to hear what Crimson had to say, especially since something of her reminded him of his dear sister.
This bitch had better not mention Sarah too or I
’
ll kill her with my bare hands.
Zarfa opened the door calmly and glanced around the room. There they were, waiting for him. He was already on the offensive and he hadn
’
t even heard what either of them had to say yet.
* * * *
“
What do you mean he killed the two we sent? They were two of our best. T
hey even had tech on them that Zarfa
had
never
seen before. We knew he was dangerous, but this? We can
’
t afford capturing him. We either let him be or we kill him,
”
said Ghast, commander of the Faraza.
“
You said if I helped you that you would deliver my brother. I
’
ve made good to my end of the bargain. It
’
s about time you make good on yours.
”
“
That I make good on mine? Dear Sarah, don
’
t forget who made you and gave you strength lest you lose your head, fledgling.
”
Ghast glanced over to the messenger in the room and thought it would be best if this dispute between he and Sarah were handled with no eyes or ears on them. He waved him off then glanced down at his gun in a contemplative manner so as to send the hint that if he didn
’
t get out quickly, he would shoot the messenger. This underling valued his life, so he made haste out of the door while Sarah stared at Ghast, enraged with his proposal.
“
You dare to make me look weak in front of a low ranking solider such as that? Neither of us even
knows
his name. He is that valueless. They always send the nothings…you know my temper
,
being what it is,
”
Ghast spat out.
“
That I do,
master
,
”
Sarah said condescendingly,
“
but stop trying to distract my attention to the real matter. Zarfa is powerful; it is why we want him on our side. What is the toll up to? How many has he killed of ours in battle? One, two, three—
”
“
He has killed roughly two thousand; stop trying to exaggerate his greatness.
”
“
Oh yes,
only
two thousand…with his own hands. Did you forget Legion Nine? How many thousands have they killed?
”
The room was silent. Ghast and Sarah could hear each other
’
s breaths. Only the two of them stood in the room; it was his office in the underground catacombs carved out by the mud wasps. He sat behind a small desk made of dried mud, which had been crafted by the wasp drones. Sarah stood as an ominous cloud staring into his eyes with rage.
“
And that is exactly why I sent the two. That is why their orders were to take him, dead or alive. They had every trick up their sleeve to use, even tech that hasn
’
t been released to the
common
market yet, and still they—
”
“
Failed! I know, so now you send ten, twenty, thirty at a time! However many it takes! I want my brother and I want him here. I know we will have to condition him at this point or else there is no way that he will join us; he is too idealistic. However…and you had better be listening to me, I want my brother to be recognizable. I want my brother alive. I want him as my protector again in some way, shape, or form, but I don
’
t want him to be a drone. His power lies in his emotion
s
and his feelings. What kind of a protector would he be if he didn
’
t love me as he once did? Let
’
s face it, even if you had taken him the day you took me, he wouldn
’
t have joined our cause. He is going to be stubborn. He would rather die than be a member of the Faraza, even if it means he can have me back. In his mind, when he meets me again, I won
’
t be his sister. I
’
ll be his enemy. He was damaged too much when Mother and Father were
‘
taken
,
’”
she said.
“
If it wasn
’
t for your father, I would have you killed. I know he heard me say that in one way or another, but it is true. He values me only slightly above you, but I will not forget my place
,
and you…you had better not forget yours, worm,
”
Ghast spat back.
“
You are very wise to know no conversation between you and
me
is confidential. Down here, nothing is sacred. Someone is always listening, and that someone is ultimately my father. So, even if I am under you…get Zarfa back. Plain, simple. Got it?
”
Ghast was outraged. If he weren
’
t sitting behind a desk, Sarah would see his legs trembling with anger. It was all he could do to keep his hands from quaking the same way. He had been the leader of Faraza for the last twenty years; he still was. However, three years ago, when he had received the orders to capture Zarfa
and
Sarah
,
h
e had
beg
u
n to see his end was close at hand.
Their father, Thomas Cudrow, was at the heart of Faraza. Ghast, although being first in command and public figurehead of this cult of raiders, was merely a puppet following orders from Sarah
’
s father. Ghast viewed the capture of Thomas
’
children as a threat to his power and authority. He would rather see them dead.