Chapter 17

The apparatus coughed and steered to the left. Cory could see sweat pouring on Edgar’s forehead.

“We’re going to crash, aren’t we?” he shouted the question, feeling in his gut the danger they were in.

“This is all I can do,” Edgar shouted back, trying to cover the sound of the hollowing wind. “Hold on tight!”

Cory felt in every muscle in his body how their machine impacted with the ground. The sand dunes seemed to have been their savior, though, and, as he moved to get up, he was glad to discover that every bone in his body felt intact. The wind was storming up the sand, getting it in his eyes, his mouth, and any other place that was not properly covered by clothes.

He hurried to find Edgar. The man looked a bit shaken, but he was fine.

“We’re alive!” Edgar raised his arms gleefully.

“That we are,” Cory exhaled.

The Aerian had dirt on his face, but he was smiling.

“It’s quite a heck of an adventure so far, isn’t it, Cory?” Edgar kept yelling, while striving to walk straight through the sand engulfing his feet.

“It sure is, my friend, it sure is,” Cory grabbed his arm to help him out.

Sitting on top of a tall dune, they looked around.

“Well, where to now?” Cory mostly spoke to himself.

“I suppose we should keep going west,” Edgar said energetically, and started descending, with Cory following close.

It was a good thing they felt so energetic, Cory thought. The road ahead of them was still long.

~A Good Servant~ The Trainer in charge looked through the books on the table and the floor.

“There is nothing in here,” he flipped through the pages. “Nothing but empty pages.”

Another Trainer stared over his shoulder. “I told the Head Trainer we should have never let that idiot Hector here in Aeria, to poison young minds.”

“You know very well the Head Trainer had no choice,” the first one spoke. “He ... We had to let time run its course. Hector is dead now.”

The second Trainer puffed in annoyance. “It took him long enough to die.”

“He could not be ... eliminated.”

“What are we going to do now? It looks like they practically disappeared.”

“The desert will take care of them. They could not get too far in that contraption.”

“Should we organize a search?”

The Trainer in charge hesitated for a moment.

“It looks like wasted time at this point. But do the usual. Even if they escape to one of the free cities, they cannot do anything. They are powerless. They are all powerless.”

“Yes, brother. We are the only one true power,” the other agreed. “But ... they chose to travel west.”

“There is only Tresalt west. They’ll die at the gates. And that if they get there.”

“Are you sure of that, brother?”

“They’re men. No man has ever entered Tresalt.”

~A Good Servant~ Cory licked his parched lips for the umpteenth time. It looked like there was nothing but the desert around them. Edgar had fallen silent, walking next to him.

They had been walking through the desert for hours, and none of them dared saying the obvious. They were lost. Edgar stopped and knelt on the sand.

“Cory, let’s take a small break, please,” he asked.

“Edgar, we should just keep going,” Cory insisted, taking his friend’s hand and helping him get up again.

“We are too far from any livable place, aren’t we?”

Cory nodded.

“Let’s just walk,” the former servant insisted. “We’ll get somewhere, somehow.”

Edgar sighed and got up again.

“Well, the good part is that the Trainers won’t kill us,” he said philosophically.

Cory took his hand and they started walking again. He could feel Edgar growing more and more weary. His hope was not going to die. Not just yet.

They continued to walk like that. Cory could feel his legs growing numb, but he wasn’t going to let Edgar’s hand from his, and he wasn’t going to say that they were lost.

“Cory, look!” Edgar suddenly shouted, pointing at something at the horizon. “It’s something there!”

Cory could feel laughter bubbling in his chest.

“I bet it’s Tresalt! Let’s go!”

It was Edgar’s turn to drag Cory after him.

~A Good Servant~

“You are responding very well to retraining, Lucas,” the Head Trainer showed his teeth in a cold smile.

The brunet nodded briefly. “Thank you.”

The green eyes looked calm, serene. The Head Trainer’s fingers were tapping against the armrests.

“I am more than impressed. I was expecting ... at least a bit of resistance.”

“I am here to serve,” Lucas spoke.

“I have important plans laid out for you. We intend to make you First Ruler, in Xavier’s stead. My brothers and I are all in an agreement on the matter.”

Lucas bowed politely.

“In this role, we want you to handle an important mission.”

Grey orbs searched the candid emeralds. “As you well know, there are still a few scattered cities across the continent that are still not under our control. The people there live under the illusion that they are free, when all they do is live like animals. We need to put order into things.”

“What do you have in mind, Father?”

“Some evil can be made right. But some is so twisted, that you need to cut it right from the roots. We have worked hard to streamline the production of population in all our cities. A simple efficient wipe out would be in order.”

“Do we have the resources to do that? I doubt it,” Lucas offered his input.

“Not just yet, but we are getting there. We still need to hear from Aeria. They are continuously working on our most important project.”

“I am afraid I do not know too much about it. I suppose I wasn’t involved in it.”

“We decided long ago to let the scientists work separately on different parts of the project, without letting anyone in charge. However, since their research is so advanced, it is time that we start developing the final stage.”

Lucas’s expression was imperturbable.

“When we will start the wipe out process, Tresalt will be included, too.”

“Tresalt?” Lucas expressed his surprise. “But that is where all the women live.”

“When our project will be finished, we will not need them anymore. Their inferior nature will no longer influence or play a role in our creation.”

“Is that possible? I do not have extensive knowledge of their biology, but women cannot be replaced in the reproductive process.”

“That is exactly what we are aiming for. To replace them once and forever.”

Lucas continued to remain impassible.

“Are you sure everything is all right?” the Head Trainer demanded.

“Why shouldn’t it be?” Lucas chased away some lint from his lapel.

The Head Trainer continued to look at him, but Lucas didn’t flinch. His demeanor was nothing but flawless. He rose and bowed politely, as the grey ghost gestured for him that he was free to go.

“It’s odd,” the Head Trainer spoke out loud.

“What is, brother?” another Trainer emerged from the dark.

“Lord Lucas ... I was expecting something else.”

“His response to retraining is absolutely impeccable. As expected from a son educated by us.”

“It is expected, of course. But Lucas is not ordinary.”

“None of our brightest sons is ordinary.”

“I am not talking about his intellect. I am talking about his emotions. What do the tests say? You were in charge of the program, I think.”

“Yes, brother. His fundamentals were changed, as indicated. We noticed no emotional distress throughout the process. His mind absorbed everything, like a sponge. Now that you mention it, I thought it to be a bit strange, too. Only in retraining performed on younger minds, I’ve seen such response.”

“Do you have a theory about this?”

The Trainer hesitated for a second. “Could it be he destroyed the surface of his cortex on purpose? I highly doubt it. He doesn’t have the means. It looks like his emotions are no longer there at all. Another explanation would be he suffered so much at some point, that the failsafe implanted in his brain decided to wipe everything related to an emotional response, to protect itself.”

“That could be, indeed,” the Head Trainer agreed. “I know Lord Lucas has a brilliant mind, but, as you say, he doesn’t have the means to perform such a complex task. Either way, he is now completely ours. There is nothing between us and our final goal.”

The other Trainer bowed reverently.

“Soon,” the Head Trainer spoke slowly, “soon there will be no one else but us and those who serve us.”

~A Good Servant~ Xavier examined thoughtfully the bracelet around his wrist.

“When you were asleep, I wanted to take it out. It looks like solid platinum or something. It would have fetched a nice price on the market,” Ayn sat next to his lover. “The problem is I could not take it out.”

“Couldn’t you have just asked nicely?” Xavier glared.

“All right, I am asking you nicely. Give me that, and I’ll turn it into money. Like magic, you know,” Ayn snickered and stole a quick kiss from Xavier.

“I cannot take it out, either,” Xavier said simply, licking his lips and pretending to be unaffected by the small signs of affection Ayn was displaying so casually.

“No shit,” the guy showed his surprise. “Should we use a tool or anything? That if you are not particularly attached to it.”

“I’m not. Not anymore,” Xavier pondered while looking at the bracelet and letting his eyes slide over the faint glow. “If we take it out, you won’t sell it,” he said determinedly.

“I won’t?” Ayn smiled like he knew better.

“You won’t because it’s not a regular bracelet.”

Ayn straightened up. “What is then?”

“It has cutting edge technology incorporated in it. There is an alarm system, and also a tracking device.”

Ayn tensed. “Do you mean those in Drena know where you are? Right now?”

“The device seems to be dead. I doubt its signal range was designed to work this far from Drena. Nonetheless, if we sell it, we could be found.”

“You mean you could be found,” Ayn said slowly.

“Yes, I could be found.”

“And ... don’t you want to be found?”

Xavier turned to stare at his lover. Ayn was tense, although he tried to assume a relaxed stance. Without a moment of hesitation, Xavier let his right hand slide across a slender thigh, dressed in tight denim. Ayn exhaled as Xavier’s deft fingers reached his crotch and grabbed his manhood through the fabric.

“Only those who are lost can be found. I am not lost. I finally found myself.”

Ayn’s lips parted. Xavier pushed him on the bed and glued their bodies together.

“Dry humping is no fun,” Ayn pretended to pout.

Xavier bit him softly on the lips. “It won’t be dry for long, I promise.”

His hands traveled at the hem of Ayn’s t-shirt, pushing it up, to reveal taut abs, raising and falling under the skilled caress.

Ayn’s hands mirrored his as he was made to shed the white t-shirt donning his upper body.

“I like it so much when I can feel you like this, so close to me, skin on skin,” Xavier murmured, between small, tentative kisses that were only meant to fuel their desire further.

Ayn grinned wildly. “Do you love me or something?”

“I’ve been known to do worse things that this,” Xavier chuckled and, without further delay, he pushed himself up so he could help his partner out of his jeans.

He looked at the dark organ, twitching and weeping, resting on Ayn’s lower belly. He bent to lick the precum.

“Fuck, Xav,” Ayn grabbed at his hair. “Have I ever told you how much I love your blowjobs?”

“Countless times.”

“Then I’ll tell you once again. You’re the best cocksucker who’s ever lived.”

“I suppose I should take it as a compliment.”

“Hey, keeping that position may be tricky. Less talking, more sucking.”

Xavier didn’t have to be told twice. In one fell swoop, he engulfed Ayn’s hard cock into his mouth, and started deepthroating. Ayn’s hands were holding him in place, guiding him to take it deeper and deeper.

Suddenly, Ayn pulled at his hair, forcing him to stop.

“What?” he asked annoyed.

“I want to come inside you, but not in your mouth.”

“You’re quite demanding, aren’t you?”

“Please,” Ayn flashed his gorgeous smile, making Xavier roll his eyes.

“Oh, no, you said the magic word,” Xavier teased, but he let his lover get on top and undress him completely.

He was made to stay with his ass on the edge of the bed, and rest his legs on Ayn’s shoulders. As always, the young man was taking his time to make him ready. He could not deny that Ayn’s deft tongue and mouth playing with his nut sac and his hole were making him see stars behind his eyelids.

“I love eating you up,” he heard Ayn talking. “You’re opening up for me, like you’ve never done for anyone. Tell me, Xav, please.”

“What do you want me to tell you?” Xavier whispered.

“How I’m the best for you like you’re the best for me.”

“You are, Ayn. You are my one and only.”

It looked like Xavier had his fair share of magic words as that was enough to make Ayn straighten up and place himself between the other’s legs, ready for penetration.

“I love you, cocksucker,” Ayn said affectionately and kissed Xav deeply as he pushed inside.

“I love you, too, idiot,” Xavier replied as soon as he was allowed to breathe.

~A Good Servant~

“It doesn’t look like there is a door or anything,” Cory touched the tall wall in front of them. “We have no idea where that door is, so we will just have to go around it, until we find it,” he concluded.

Edgar looked at the tall wall, squinting.

“Or we could just yell. Hey!” he called loudly.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Edgar, but that doesn’t sound like such a good idea. What are the chances we will be heard?”

“You cannot know until you try it. Come on, shout with me,” Edgar encouraged him.

Cory shrugged and started to shout together with Edgar. The wall before them remained silent.

“I think it’s useless,” Cory said discouraged.

“Let’s just keep walking and yelling until someone notices us,” Edgar suggested.

They began dragging their feet. Cory knew they were both at their wit’s end, but didn’t have the heart to say it out loud.

The night was cold and it was approaching fast. When Edgar asked him to just stop a little so they could catch their breath, Cory no longer opposed.

They stood side by side, their backs against the wall.

“It was still a nice adventure,” he heard Edgar speaking like through a haze.

“For what is worth, I’m sorry I’ve dragged you into this, Edgar,” Cory expressed his apologies.

“No worries, my friend. It had to happen sooner or later, and if I had died in Aeria, lonely and without ever being allowed to experience anything, what kind of life would that have been?”

“You’re a good man, Edgar. I am proud to be called your friend.”

“Same here, Cory, same here.”

“What do you think will happen to us?”

“The temperature will fall fast. If we survive the night, we might just die slowly of hunger. Or cold. Or both. Not a nice way to go, I guess.”

Cory just nodded. As his eyelids closed, he sent his thoughts to Lucas. His memory was fading, and he was trying to hold on to it with all his might. Instead, another, bright and calm, engulfed him. The light inside was soothing and familiar.

“Mother, if you are there,” he found himself talking, “please guide us.”

A deafening sound made them jump to their feet.

“What was that?” he wondered.

“I have no idea,” Edgar supplied the exact answer he was expecting.

In the faint light of the moon, he saw some sort of a contraption descending quickly down the wall.

“Should we run?” the Aerian asked.

“I don’t think I have the energy for that. Let’s just wait and see what happens.”

The object landed next to them with a thump. It looked like a metal box, empty on the inside. There was no one in it, but it had a rope attached to it that now stretched across the wall. Cory pondered. Edgar was again, a bit quicker and jumped over the ledge to get inside.

“Come on, Cory, I suppose this is just the way of the people here saying ‘welcome’. I think it can hold us both.”

“Always the optimist,” Cory laughed, but jumped into the box, next to Edgar.

They waited for a while, holding their hands together. The case finally started to move upwards, much slower than when it descended. Cory felt as if it took forever for them to reach the top of the wall.

“All right, now what?” he tried to see something through the dark.

Suddenly, the box started moving again. Cory was pretty sure he was shouting louder than Edgar, as the contraption they were in started gliding on something that looked like rails with incredible speed. When the box finally stopped, they were projected against a wall, and they fell on the ground.

Cory could feel his head hurting like hell.

“Why on earth did you bring them up?” he heard a woman’s voice, not far from them.

“Since when we let people die?” another voice, much younger, responded.

“Not people, they are men,” the first voice said disdainfully.

“Still people, in my opinion,” the younger female grumbled.

Cory kept his eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious. He hoped Edgar was doing the same, in case he was not already out due to the impact.

“They’re cute,” he heard the young one giggling.

“Really, Diane, you’re crazy. We need to bring someone older than us here.”

A noncommittal grunt was the only response from the woman called Diane. They didn’t seem dangerous, Cory thought, and risked opening his eyes.

Suddenly, something cold and sharp was pressed against his throat and he gulped.

“We mean no harm,” he spoke softly.

“Don’t you dare look at us,” the older female hissed. “Diane, cover your face, idiot.”

“You’re no fun,” the younger one complained, but Cory could judge by the swooshing sound of clothing that she was obeying.

“Now, state your business,” the first woman demanded, while pressing the blade against his throat again.

“It’s kind of hard to do that while you’re almost chopping my head off,” he said daringly.

Diane laughed. “He has a point, Adrienne. Just let the poor guy breathe.”

The blade was removed from his neck and he rose on his hunches. The room they were in they were poorly lit, and the two women looked like two indistinguishable black silhouettes, covered in clothes from head to toes.

“I and my friend are lost,” Cory started talking. Next to him, Edgar moved, sign that he was, too, conscious. “Is this Tresalt? The city of women?”

“Yes, it is,” Adrienne answered sharply. “If you have half a brain, you go back where you came from, right now.”

“That’s not an option for us.”

“We cannot keep you here.”

“Yes, we can,” Diane intervened, and Cory’s eyes grew wide when the older woman practically slapped the younger one upside the head. “Ouch, that hurt.”

“Keep your mouth shut. We don’t know who these two are.”

“We’re here to see Tora,” Edgar spoke this time around, as Cory was too absorbed to observe the dynamics between those two.

The women stopped their quarreling and remained unmoved.

“There is no one by this name here,” Adrienne eventually spoke, and Cory could sense fear in her voice.

“Yes, there is,” he contradicted her. “Old Hector sent us.”

“Old Hector? The good ol’ sack of bones?” Diane spoke out of turn again, earning another slap from Adrienne.

“You two should just leave,” Adrienne spoke again, ignoring Diane’s protests.

“We have nowhere to go,” Cory insisted. “We are running from the Trainers.”

“And they didn’t catch you. Ha, you want me to buy this bullshit?” Adrienne stood her ground. “We will just let you back outside, and you will see about your business.”

“No, Adrienne, they will die out there,” Diane spoke more determinedly this time. “We will take them inside.”

“Like hell we will.”

“Who was put in charge of the gates? Was it you or me?” Diane spoke defiantly.

Adrienne masked her displeasure with a small grunt.

“Come one, men,” Adrienne didn’t hide her disgust as she said the last word, “get up and follow us. No tricks or you’ll see how sharp my blade is.”

Cory helped Edgar up and both started walking in silence behind Adrienne. Diane was escorting them from the back.

“Don’t worry about her,” Diane whispered. “She’s actually all milk and honey once you get to know her.”

“What are you doing, Diane? Chatting up the prisoners?”

“Prisoners?” Edgar expressed his surprise. “I thought we were guests.”

“That’s debatable,” Adrienne said philosophically. “Until we’re sure you’re here with no bad intentions, you are prisoners.”

They walked through an empty hallway, dark and humid. After that, a long flight of stairs, spiraling down, guided them to the lower levels.

The entrance to the inner city seemed like a labyrinth, Cory thought. He was pretty sure he would not be able to go back on the same path and reach the exterior, without getting lost.