Iron Rain Pt. 20

"Is that what you are lover, a simple biped with a god complex?"

"Not anymore," I said.

"The moon," she said suddenly. "You are making it livable for you so when you finish changing no one will know."

"Chalk one up for Akira."

She took a step away from me and held up the cube with the ever changing life form within it. Then the tears came and I pulled her close to me.

"I am so sorry Akira, forgive me," I whispered in her ear.

She looked up at me as if slapped.

"I am the one who needs to ask forgiveness Kouryou," she said. "I abandoned you when you needed me most.

"Akira this is too much for me to ever ask of you," I said and she just smiled.

"How long have you felt like you have been alone," she asked out of nowhere and when I gave her that look she didn't back down. "How long?"

"Time is relative," I said. "One of the properties of the workshop is that I can control the flow of time inside of it."

"Let me guess, time moves real slow here," she said and I just nodded. "Okay how much time have you experienced inside this workshop of yours?"

"I don't know a couple of millennia at least," I guessed.

"Oh my god," she said sitting down hard and the tears flowed again.

"Akira I don't blame you for any of this," I tried but she shook her head.

"If I had been there for you, you wouldn't have gone so far as to... oh I can't even say it. Kouryou, tell me how this thing works exactly and don't leave out any of the details."

"I can only show you how it has affected me," I said and she just nodded.

I showed her a series of scans I had taken since receiving the Gift. There was nothing left that wasn't directly or indirectly touched by the symbiot.

"It holds a sort of racial memory of the Elder Things and its effects on the brain are the most significant. I am constantly barraged by ideas especially those things I am interested in."

"Does it hurt?"

"Only the initial bonding, that's a bit on the traumatic side."

Akira looked at the thing in the cube with more interest now. It seemed aware of her now and moved to the side of the cube closer to her. I could see the doubt on her face but also the ever growing resolve.

"Akira, this isn't something that can be undone. Don't do this for me... hell I can't think of one good reason you should do it."

"I can," she said smiling. "I can do this for us. Oh hell let's get this over with. How do I open this?"

"Just touch the top of the cube and it'll do the rest," I said.

"Okay you little fucker be gentle this is my first time," she said as she opened the cube.

The shapeless mass slowly crawled out of the cube and appeared to look around. Then it hopped from the cube to Akira's open palm. I couldn't look away as much as I wanted to. When Akira dropped her guard and began to say something the thing launched itself at her face and in an instant was down her throat. Just like I had her eyes rolled up and she slumped to the floor. I took her into my arms and held her until she woke up. Whether it was hours or mere minutes I couldn't tell. It felt like a lifetime before she stirred and her eyes flickered open.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it sort of tingles a bit," she said.

"So what do we do now," I asked and this actually seemed to stump her.

"I don't know... I really don't know..."

Epilogue: Part 2 [Sebastian Shaw]

It had been a little over a thousand years since the world turned. That's what they were calling it. The sun rose and set over different landmarks now since forces undreamed of gripped our world and gently nudged it into a new and safe rotation. If rumors were true and there was no reason to discount anything at this point Antarctica was now free of ice and much of the low lying areas of the world were flooded. It was close to a month before we realized that our new homeland was the entire continent of Australia. Once more it seems that it would serve as a home for the dispossessed and the unwanted.

However, there was plenty of hunting to keep us well fed and several impressive citadels constructed as homes for my children and I. I know some people might be turned off by the same meal time and time again but I must say that lawyers and politicians are rather tasty once they have run around a bit. It seems that my son has found a synergetic relationship between the human population and the Akhkharu. Who am I to nay say a meal when it's literally dropped into my lap? Take the stammering figure of the young man with his manicured nails and perfectly coifed hair. He is looking about utterly confused at his unfamiliar surroundings. His gaze meets mine and already he is pleading for his life as a small pack begins to surround him.

"Please I can make it worth your while if you don't hurt me," his voice is cracking and he stinks of fear.

"What could you possibly offer me," I ask him.

"I have money, lots of money stocked away," he stammered.

"What's your name lawyer man," Willie, one of the pack, asked baring his canines.

"My name is Carl Winters," he said softly.

"Oh no this is too rich, not THE Carl Winters," I asked. "A member in good standing of the Silver Twilight Lodge."

"Yes, oh my god Sebastian... SEBASTIAN what happened to you?"

"A slight brush with death," I responded with a laugh.

"What's going on old friend?"

"Old friend," I asked. "Surely we were members of the Order and never at cross purposes but never friends Carl."

"Can we eat him now," Willie asked.

"Don't you prefer your lawyers a bit more winded?"

"Ooh yes, make him run Father!" Willie cried out and it was picked up by the others.

"YES... make him run... make him run!"

"You guys are so spoiled," I said looking lovingly around me at the blood thirsty killers. "Tell you what Carl; see that tall rock over there. That's about what a thousand yards away. If you can reach that rock before they bring you down we won't lay a finger on you."

"Give him a count... give him a count..." the pack was in full blood lust now.

"Oh yes, I will give you a count to five and then they will hunt you down. Now be a good lad and get to your feet. Okay when I say go you..."

But a panicked Carl was off racing before I could finish. I had to admit the young man was in pretty good shape.

"Five," I muttered and the pack as a whole lunged forward and the chase had begun.

I'll give Carl one thing he never stumbled. I think he knew that to slow down was to die. I always cheered for the lawyers; I was a fan of the underdog after all.

"Come on Carl," I cried out and the pack giggled in response.

The pack was closing but not as quickly as they were capable of, like cats with a mouse they were playing with him. The evil little bastards were giving him false hope and would snatch it back at the last moment, kids. Then Carl did something that surprised us all, he put on a sudden burst of speed and it was obvious to all that he would reach the rock before they would no matter how fast they went. Gods I adored the cunning of lawyers! Snarling and pissed beyond measure the pack closed but his hand touched the rock mere seconds before the group could close on him.

"I did it! I did it! Fuck you all... I did it!" Carl spat at the pack who threatened to slay him anyway.

I clapped my hands as I closed the distance between us. The pack fell back knowing I would keep my word. I gifted Carl with a winning smile as he sat with his back on the rock catching his breath. Once I was close enough I crouched down and looked him in the eye.

"You are a cunning young bastard," I said and he just smiled and nodded still panting heavily. "I will keep my word and the pack and I will fall back and not lay a single finger on you, hehe."

"What's so fucking funny Sebastian?" Carl asked getting to his feet.

"Because my pretty he never said anything about me," Giselle, my new favorite, said as she stepped out from behind the rock where she had been hiding.

"Wait, that's not fair..." he whined.

"Life's not fair sweetie," Giselle said just before she pounced and tore out his throat with her teeth.

I looked down and watch the life slowly leave his eyes. I must admit it is my favorite part of the kill. Blood was a necessity but the savage subtlety that Giselle robbed a victim of his last was like an artist. She was able to drag it out until with a final soft gasp Carl expired. She stood up and shared his last breath with me and the kiss was as always darkly erotic.

"Shall I break him Father," she asked meaning to rob him of returning as one of us.

"No, he did make it to the rock and I am curious to see what kind of son he'll make. If he disappoints I'll let you have him as a plaything."

She knelt and kissed my hand like a dutiful daughter and lover. Then her head came up and she cocked her head to the side.

"The song..." she practically moaned.

"Yes daughter I hear it," I said. "It calls to the blood does it not?"

"Yes Father, will we go?"

"Of course, someone is inviting us to the once dead isle. Now that the ice is gone it is waking and we must greet it. We don't want to be rude now do we?"

"Oh no Father never rude," Giselle replied.

"Be a good girl and bring your brother back to the Citadel for orientation. I want to be alone."

"Yes Father," she said as she bent down and easily hefted the dead weight over her shoulder and carried him back home.

Once the pack was gone and I was alone he appeared. He was taller and he wore a new face but I would know him anywhere.

"Hello son," I said greeting Nick.

"Hi dad how are you doing?"

"We don't go hungry and the movie library will keep us amused for quite a while yet. How are you?"

"Things are running smooth for now," he said looking over his shoulder at the newly thawed continent he was fond of calling Hyperborea.

"You hear it too," I asked him.

"Yeah, most of the immortals do. The Old Ones aren't talking but are still living there despite the obvious."

"What do you think it is Nick?"

"Something very old and very pissed off," he said with a grim smile.

"What are you going to do," I asked curious as to what his foresight could provide.

"I have no fucking clue dad... it's as much a mystery to me as it is to you."

"Great," I whispered. "...just fucking great."