De'Vas Chronicles Book 5: Chapter 7

Three hours later, Ash had gathered in the council chamber with the other council members. Before them, Councilman Loki stood at a podium with a projector screen displaying clips of recent news coverage behind him. The clips showed a group of paranormals and mages appearing out of thin air, then charging the building while firing weapons and spells at the guards. Most entered while the orc with the flask and the sniper harpy remained outside.

“This is a damn shit show,” Roc said as he munched on a donut. Unlike his usual barrage of snacks whose origins remained a mystery, Ash knew exactly where the donuts came from. More than a dozen boxes were set out on a table in the back of the room, along with several thermoses of lukewarm coffee.

“It is,” Ash answered, sipping his coffee from a styrofoam cup while the blood-covered orc lifted the flask to his lips. “It’s a real shit show.”

He looked away from the screen to answer a text from Faylen. He had to cut his date short with Selena due to the emergency meeting, and as word spread, his girls kept reaching out to check on him.

Ash: I’m okay. It will be a long night here. Don’t wait up for me.

Faylen responded by sending a picture of herself on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. Lilly and Naomi were in the background, waving.

Faylen: We are sleeping in the living room at the Red House tonight. Wake us when you get home.

Ash knew instantly that ‘we’ meant all his girls were staying there tonight. He wouldn’t be surprised if Eva and Rachel were also there. He promised he would and asked her to tell them all he loved them. She responded with a heart emoji.

“Information is still coming in,” Loki started to say, drawing everyone’s attention. “Tensions are high, and the media has latched onto this attack.”

The projector switched to a twenty-four-hour news channel showing several people sitting around a table. Ash didn’t recognize the news station, but he knew it was one of those bullshit debates.

“We always knew what happened in San Juan was a possibility. These beings we call Paranormals are an invading force, and it seems that we can’t peacefully coexist,” a man said.

Loki clicked a remote, and the channel shifted to another news station.

“I don’t care if the company was a part of WillCo! This is not how we do things on Earth!” a man roared, pointing his finger in his palm.

The lizardkin cycled through a few more stations, Ash’s translation ring activating whenever it was a station not in English. Some blamed WillCo, citing that the attack only focused on their building. Others said this was always going to happen, pointing to the chaos caused by rifts. Some even suggested there needed to be another Humanity First summit, the first having established the districts.

Ash grimaced at the various newscasts until Loki paused the screen.

“Several districts are also experiencing buildups of military personnel outside their borders. Jets have been spotted making passes over those districts. As a result, some of you will be going to these areas tonight, in case the worst happens. Prioritize getting the populace to the portals if it does.”

Murmurs rose throughout the council at his words. Ash gritted his teeth, recalling Hitomi’s words about war being inevitable between humanity and De’Vas. The tattooed lizardkin patted the air in an attempt to silence everyone.

“We are trying to assure the governments that this was not an action taken by us. We are having some success in opening lines of communication with the United States and other world leaders. Still, the next several hours are going to be the most critical,” he continued. “We will take a small break, and I’ll prepare the orders for those of you who will be stationed in high-tension districts.”

Loki then stepped away from the podium and off the stage, moving for the door in the back of the council chamber. Ash followed, tossing his styrofoam cup into the trash. Loki looked over his shoulder, meeting Ash’s gaze, then continued. As soon as they made it to the hallway and the door closed behind them, Ash started to speak.

“I—”

He only managed one syllable before Councilman Loki faced him and placed a hand on his shoulder. A flash of blue light surrounded both of them, and suddenly they appeared in Loki’s office. The words Ash was going to say were still on the tip of his tongue.

“That damn fox!” Loki said, his voice hissing as he took a seat in his chair and rubbed his scaled face with both hands.

“So you recognized the flask, too?” Ash asked, abandoning what he originally was going to say.

Loki looked up at him.

“I’ve never seen it firsthand, but I’ve heard the reports and heard legends of it back on Vas. I had expected Hitomi’s plans were to attack De’Vas first, take a few districts under her control, and then push against the humans,” he sneered, showing his fangs. “Instead, it looks like she’s going to force us to choose a side.”

Ash took a seat in front of Loki’s desk.

“This isn’t something we can win.”

Loki nodded with a tired expression.

“And it’s a fight the humans can’t win without untold devastation to themselves. Despite the fools on TV, both De’Vas and the human governments know this,” he said, then sighed. “But trust is thin on both sides. We need someone who can act as a bridge between our two worlds. Councilman Grayson, I’m afraid I will have to depend on you in the coming future as a potential representative of De’Vas.”

Ash paused and stared at the lizardkin.

“It’s because I was born human,” Ash said.

Loki nodded.

“The Mage Laws are controversial in many nations, and I don’t doubt you’ll experience less resistance than any other council member. You have also lived among both sides.”

Ash frowned.

“I see your point.”

He didn’t like the idea of something so big riding on his shoulders. He wasn’t a diplomat. Hell, a little over a year ago, he was just a delivery boy.

Loki leaned back in his chair.

“I’ll be in contact with you soon. Also, I plan to be visiting Vas soon to bring Cleo back and update her on what has happened,” Loki said, the pupils of his eyes slits. “With war looming, I would prefer the Nightmare Queen be here.”

With that, Loki gestured toward the door.

“Go home. Rest. Spend time with your loved ones. The next few days are going to be stressful.”

David

David felt tears roll down his face and drip from his chin. He made no move to wipe them away. He was afraid that if he moved, he would turn away from the TV. So he sat there, forcing himself to watch his friend’s final moments.

As soon as Ghost and her team finished raiding the labs under the office building and escaped, Thorin dropped his battle axes and knelt. He smiled as he looked up at the sky, and David saw him draw a deep breath. The old orc made no move to try to block the hail of gunfire, no move to use the flask Hitomi had given them to heal his wounds. His mission was done, and, as he had told David, he accepted a warrior’s death.

“Goodbye, my friend,” David said as Thorin slumped to the ground.

The world would remember the orc as a monster. They wouldn’t know the man who struggled to breathe because WillCo crippled his lungs in an experiment that was punishment for failing to retrieve magical reagents and items from his homeland. Despite all that, Thorin had been quick with a smile and always tried to help those on the ship. That would be the Thorin David and the others aboard Delta would remember.

David finally wiped the tears from his face. The TV showed a news anchor talking as police gathered around Thorin’s corpse. David frowned before forming a fist as he pulled on his magic. The metal table the TV set on curled in on itself, crushing it.

“Boss,” a voice said.

Turning from the ball of metal that had once been the TV and table, David saw Carrie standing in the doorway. Her wings folded, with the rifle resting on her shoulder. He stood and faced her.

“Has Hitomi returned?” David asked.

Carrie shook her head before turning and leading him down the hallway of the ship.

Good.

He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the fox right now. They walked in silence for several yards before coming to a hatch and entering it. Ivy and Ghost stood among a crowd of people wearing a familiar off-blue medical smock that turned David’s stomach every time he saw it. They were the only clothing given by WillCo to their test subjects.

Ivy looked at him with a gentle smile, but he could see the sorrow in her eyes. Behind her was the mural of Thorin she had painted, the old orc smiling.

“David, we just finished orientation for our new arrivals,” the satyress said to him.

Over twenty people turned to face him. Men, women, and children, all of them paranormals or mages. Many with visible scars left by WillCo. David met each one of their gazes, then nodded.

“Welcome to Delta. We don’t have much, but you are one of us now, and we take care of each other. I wish I could tell you that you’re safe, that you don’t need to live in fear. I can’t, at least not yet. We are in a war for our very survival against WillCo, and they will stop at nothing to erase us,” David said, pausing to let the gravity of that set in. “We have allies in this war. Powerful individuals who have promised us a safe place to live once it is over. I’m sure you have many questions, and I will do my best to answer them.”

There were always questions from those they rescued from WillCo. Usually, the same ones, such as asking who their allies were and when they would be safe. He would always give them the same vague response. Given time, many would learn of Hitomi’s visits and her repeated promise of ‘soon’.

Some mages asked why they hadn’t gone to the media or posted online about what was happening and exposed WillCo. He hated answering this question because it drove the hope out of their eyes. They had. Several attempts were made to get the truth out, but each time it would quickly vanish online or be ignored by media outlets. Only when they reached out to De’Vas did anything happen, but instead of spreading the truth about WillCo, they sent Hitomi.

Ghost and Ivy waited patiently for him to finish answering the questions. Then Ivy led the group of new arrivals to the kitchen for a hot meal, leaving him and Ghost in the room. Ghost fidgeted with the sleeves of her shirt, her short blond hair still a mess from the raid. They waited for the voices to fade away from the corridor.

“Did you find it?” he asked, turning to face the blond mage.

Ghost waved her hand, canceling her invisibility spell, and a black carrying case appeared on the floor next to her. He guessed its size was three feet by two feet.

“How did she know this was there?” Ghost asked, biting her lower lip.

David stared at the strange case and shook his head. The more he learned about Hitomi, the less he liked or trusted the fox.

But what other choice do we have?