Chapter 5: Children of Destiny

I have theorized that the complexity of the brainwaves is what sustains my creations. Meaning, that if they could adapt their infection to a more complex host, say a sentient lifeform such as a human or other Demihuman species, then they could achieve a more stable connection, and the host might not deteriorate as is the case with the more simple lifeforms. However, whether this would satisfy the hunger of the specimens or not remains a mystery. After acclimatizing to the brain patterns of one host, they may still hunger for more.

Ryan woke up groggily. He was getting quite tired of that happening. It took him a few moments to remember what had happened, and when he did, he began to wonder if he had died and gone up to heaven.

Then Ryan felt something on his chest. Something warm, soft, and pleasant to the touch. Ryan opened his eyes and saw none other than Éclair Hamashe sleeping peacefully on his chest. That was when Ryan became certain that he had died and gone to heaven.

Éclair looked more beautiful than ever as she rested with her arms crossed under her cheek and her head buried in Ryan’s bosom. Éclair’s angelic, silver hair slowly bobbed up and down gently in tandem with Ryan’s breathing. Her face seemed so serene with none of the worries, pain, or fear that Ryan remembered earlier when they were being attacked by Parasites. She was dressed in that same half-torn blue dress that she’d been wearing for the last few months, but she bore none of her previous wounds, and she seemed a lot cleaner too. The soft white light that permeated their idle environment made her silver hair look slightly sparkly. They seemed to be surrounded by glowing plants, but Ryan didn’t concern himself too much with their surroundings at the moment. All his attention sat squarely on the gorgeous girl napping with her head very near to his heart. It almost made the nightmarish events that had occurred so recently seem distant, a dull memory of pain that was completely overshadowed by the joy Ryan felt at seeing Éclair alive, content, and at peace as she slept so close at hand.

Ryan started to feel terrified that this beautiful, dream-like setting was only just that, a dream, and that he would soon wake up to the nightmare of watching hundreds of Parasites tearing him and Éclair limb from limb. With a slightly trembling hand, Ryan reached up to stroke Éclair’s wonderful hair, if for nothing else than to confirm to himself whether this was real or not. His fingers slowly slid into her smooth hair. She was real. This wasn’t a dream. He removed his hand from her hair, content in his discovery. Finding tears in his eyes for reasons that he could not fully explain, Ryan leaned up quietly and studied the contents of Éclair’s amazing, flawless face, wanting to hold onto this moment for as long as possible.

“It’s alright, Ryan, “ said a gentle voice behind Ryan. “This isn’t a dream. You and Éclair are both safe now.”

Ryan turned around to see Zanderius Alastar, Éclair’s godfather, and the man that Ryan knew had been taking care of him for years now from the sidelines. He sat in the corner of the cavern of vines on a white crystal chair. He looked a little different than when they last met, though Ryan supposed that a being as powerful as Zand could look however he wanted to look. His skin was less tanned. His face less wrinkly and more smooth, though his nose was still a little crooked. His getup was different too. No longer those gray hobo rags. He wore a really cool set of silver armor, a nice white cape draped around his shoulders. Ryan had always wanted a cape, but only higher-ranked Elementals got capes.

“Zand. You came.”

Zanderius nodded slowly. “I did.”

“And neither of us are dead, right?” asked Ryan, still not completely certain, especially with these idyllic settings.

“No,” answered Zand, shaking his head happily.

“Thank God,” said Ryan, breathing easier now. “Then that means I kept my promise.”

“You did at that, young Uruks,” said Zand proudly. “You did at that.”

“Wait a second! What happened to all the Parasites?”

“Oh, them,” said Zand, somewhat distracted as he seemed to be fiddling oddly with that strange watch that he carried with him. “I took care of them.”

Ryan was awestruck. “All of them!”

“Yes,” answered Zand simply, like it was something trivial.

“Well,” started Ryan. “How long do we have before more come? Those buggers are really persistent.”

“Oh, we have plenty of time. In fact, we have all the time in the world.”

Ryan chuckled slightly at that. “What? You make it sound like you killed every Parasite on the planet.”

Zanderius only remained quiet, smiling pleasantly at Ryan’s quip.

As the moment lingered, a thought dawned on Ryan that shattered all his preconceived perceptions of reality. “Did you?”

“I already told you, Ryan. I took care of the Parasites. Every single one of them ... on this world, anyway.”

“So, you just killed literally millions of Parasites?” asked Ryan, hardly believing his own words.

”501, 256, 012 to be precise, including their Infected slaves as well,” answered Zand matter-of-factly as if he had done nothing more than swat a fly.

My God! How powerful is this guy? thought Ryan, too stunned to speak.

As Ryan processed this alarming news, he heard Éclair make a noise as she stirred.

Éclair’s violet eyes fluttered for a little while as she focused on his face with an intensity that he had never seen from her before. “Ryan, you’re awake?”

“I think so, but if I’m dreaming, then don’t wake me,” said Ryan, smiling wryly.

As they both sat up, Ryan half expected Éclair to hit him for the ill-timed joke, but instead, she threw her arms around him so fast that he hardly had time to breathe.

“You’re awake! You’re awake! Thank God that you’re awake!” she sobbed as she quivered against him.

Ryan was overjoyed beyond words at Éclair’s reaction, even though it sent waves of pain coursing through his fragile body. Weakly, Ryan returned Éclair’s loving embrace with as much gusto as he could muster under the circumstances.

“I was so frightened, Ryan,” cried Éclair softly into Ryan’s shoulders. “I was so frightened.”

Ryan found himself tearing up as well, his voice breaking slightly as he admitted, “I was, too. But it’s better now, right? Things will be better now.”

“I hope so,” said Éclair softly.

Suddenly, Éclair broke away from Ryan and looked at her godfather, whom Ryan had just remembered was still watching them, and with a somewhat disapproving look. Becoming self-conscience, Éclair disentangled herself from Ryan and stood up abruptly while dusting herself off.

Well, that was a short hug, thought Ryan in disappointment. Is that all my epic sacrifice was worth?

“You fought well, Second,” said Éclair politely, all the affection in her voice gone as she returned to her cold demeanor. “I am relieved that you are recovering so quickly. It would have been unfortunate to lose such a talented Elemental.”

“Well, far be it for me to inconvenience anyone with my death,” said Ryan sarcastically, slightly annoyed with Éclair’s change in attitude, even if her godfather was watching. “I wouldn’t want anyone to be put out by the loss of talent. That’s the most important thing, right?”

Éclair flushed slightly in annoyance and embarrassment. “I’m trying to tell you that it is good to see you well again. Just take the compliment and move on. No need to make things difficult.” Éclair seemed very uncomfortable as she kept eyeing her godfather from the side.

Ryan probably should have been more understanding, but this felt too much like what their relationship was like before. Ryan knew that he and Éclair had come too far to go back to all business, not after what they had survived together. Besides, he was still angry at Éclair for trying to force him to abandon her earlier, something that would have left him broken-hearted and dead inside. If she couldn’t see that, then maybe they weren’t as close as he had hoped.

“Oh, yes indeed,” started Ryan ironically as he rested his hands on his thighs. “My sarcastic undertones are most difficult to cope with, kind of like a certain girl I know who tried to commit suicide earlier.”

“Ryan!” gasped Éclair, turning away from her godfather.

“And now it’s back to business as usual. I guess I should be happy for the awkward hug,” said Ryan glumly as he turned away from her.

“Well, I hope you were,” countered Éclair angrily under her breath. “Because it’s the last one you’re ever getting from me, I can assure you.”

Ryan spun back around, sprang to his feet, and pointed a finger at her face, unable to contain his anguish any longer. “Did you even care that I came back into that pit for you?”

Éclair crossed her arms and turned away, a clear sign of knuckling down. “I told you not to. In fact, I begged you not to. But you have to be the stupidly heroic one all the bloody time. If you had just listened to me and left when I told you, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt so badly in the first place.”

“And you would be dead, and I’d be heartbroken!” Ryan shouted, waving a hand through the air as he grew even angrier. “Yeah, that sounds like a great alternative to me getting a few booboos!”

Éclair turned back around and scowled at him. Ryan could almost physically feel her indignation rising. “Neither of us would have been stuck in that pit with thousands of Parasites bearing down on us if you had just done what I asked earlier and stayed with me in the cave!” As Éclair’s voice grew louder and louder, her face was inching closer to his little by little. He was so angry that he almost didn’t notice ... almost. “We might have avoided that nightmare altogether, but once again, Ryan Uruks has to prove how dreadfully manly he is to everyone ... even if he gets himself killed pointlessly!”

Refusing to shrink away from Éclair’s aggression, Ryan raised a finger in the air as if to say something witty. However, he came up short as he couldn’t come up with anything, and just conceded with, “That ... is a valid point.”

I know we’re fighting right now, but this is turning me on for some reason! God, I really am sick ... especially with her godfather sitting right there, a guy who can literally incinerate me with a thought if I get out of line with his adopted daughter.

Disregarding that thought, Ryan paused for a moment, racking his brain for a good comeback. Then he grinned, and said, “But I never asked you to come after me, especially not in your condition! Now who’s being stupidly heroic?”

“Alright, fine!” cried out Éclair with upraised hands and leaning even closer. “I admit it! Spending so much time with a mentally challenged personality like yours as my only source of company has caused some of your idiocy to rub off on me! Is that what you wanted to hear?!”

“Yes!” retorted Ryan before thinking of his response more carefully. “I mean no! I mean ... curse your female wordplay skills!”

“Ahem,” said Zanderius, uncomfortably clearing his throat.

Éclair suddenly looked beside herself with embarrassment as she knelt down reverently in front of her godfather. “I apologize, godfather, for my unbecoming behavior. Despite Ryan’s taunts, I should know better, especially with you here with us.”

“And I apologize that your goddaughter is so bad at showing her true feelings,” grumbled Ryan unapologetically as he sat down on the bed, shuffled away from Éclair, and leaned on his hands.

Éclair gasped in outrage before growling in a very unladylike fashion. “I might be, if I had any feelings for you to speak of!”

“Well, you did stay at his bedside from the very moment you woke up, “ admitted Zanderius, almost hesitantly.

“Papa!” cried Éclair as if betrayed.

Ryan turned back around to see Éclair’s face changing red with more embarrassment than anger. Zanderius raised his hands apologetically as if he immediately regretted saying anything.

Imagine that! An almost all-powerful Elemental warrior put off guard by his adopted daughter’s discomfort.

“You really stayed by my bedside the whole time that I was unconscious?” asked Ryan in a softer tone, some of the indignation he felt earlier draining from him.

“I ... I was,” stuttered Éclair, flustered in a way that Ryan found adorable. “I’m a medic. I wanted to stay close so I could monitor your vitals, that’s all. It was nothing more than that!”

“Mm-hmm,” said Ryan with a knowing smile.

I guess knowing that she cares is enough for now, thought Ryan, already feeling better. I still don’t know if she loves me like I love her, or if she can grow to love me that way. But at least she cares.

“Papa, a little intervention, please,” pleaded Éclair, her cheeks flushing the brightest crimson that Ryan had ever seen on any girl’s face.

“Well, I can concur in that a change of subject is in order,” said Zanderius, looking more put off by the second. Clearly, teenage relationships were not this guy’s cup of tea. “Ryan, this is the first opportunity we have had to talk openly with one another. I’m sure you must have many questions for me.”

“Other than the deets on Éclair’s most embarrassing childhood moments,” joked Ryan playfully.

Éclair seemed to mutter something angrily under her breath as she turned her head away, though he could still tell that she was blushing terribly.

Ryan chuckled quietly before turning back to Zanderius while still propped up by his arms. “Yeah, I suppose I got plenty of those as well.”

“Well, what would you like to know? This is one of the few times that I can be candid with you. With both of you,” said Zanderius, being surprisingly uncryptic for once as he looked from Ryan to Éclair.

Éclair’s interest seemed piqued as Zand had implied that he had answers for her questions as well.

Ryan could only process this for a few seconds as his excitement began to rise. Finally! I’m going to start getting answers from a guy who probably literally knows everything! And for once, he’s not being cryptic with weird riddles and shit!

“Okay, first thing,” started Ryan, knowing that this was probably going to be a long conversation. “Why have you been so dodgy all this time? I know you’ve been helping us, and I’m pretty sure that it was you who saved us from the Fallen the first time?”

Ryan paused a moment to study the old man’s face carefully, but Zand’s pleasant smile was nigh impossible to read.

“All I want to know is,” Ryan went on. “Why have you been hiding around in the shadows all this time? Why couldn’t you just come out in the open and talk to us like a normal person?”

“Ryan, I already told you,” said Éclair, rather defensively. Ryan could tell from Éclair’s tone that she had the utmost respect and admiration for her godfather, and given what he knew of the guy, he could hardly blame her. “Zanderius was wrongfully accused of my family’s murder. He’s been a fugitive from the Empire for years. He’s had no choice but to hide.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t explain why he couldn’t just stay at the Fire Ministry with us,” insisted Ryan. “Saria obviously knows him, so there’s no way she’d rat him out to Chissler. And besides, this guy is strong enough to exterminate an entire planet’s worth of Parasites. I think he can handle himself.”

“Ryan,” replied Éclair chidingly. “You’re being rude.”

“No, Éclair,” said Zand suddenly, causing Éclair to flinch in surprise. “Ryan has a valid point. I have not yet told you all the details of my exile.”

“Papa?” said Éclair questioningly. Zanderius seemed pained by her gaze, as if he had betrayed her somehow.

He really cares a lot about her, doesn’t he? He’s a lot like my dad in that respect. He’s a good father.