Amphitrite & Loic

Vetani pursed her lips and internally found herself wondering if her mother ever even bothered to educate her house members. Once he was done speaking she placed her arms against her hips and looked him dead in the eye. 

“Marjorie Torres, female champion of the house of Kinoz. She has been leading the rebellion and extraction – rescue of claimants and Aikekunai alike from the program since she was a little girl. She is currently in Brasilia with another champion called DeVian Desdon. You are to look for a house with a bright yellow tiled roof in the outskirts of the city, near the slums. There you will find a business with a human named Bruno. He will summon Marjorie for you. Tell him you were sent by me.” 

She spoke so quickly and so reverently, one would think she was a mentally ill devote. Once all the words were out she rummaged in her bottomless pockets for her cellular device. 

“I will call her and let you know of her arrival. She will not be so trusting at first. But she is a great mother figure to many of your kind. If you let her help you. You will find your ‘friend’ safe and sound before the week is over.” 

She dialled a number and put it to her ear as Amphitrite sat up suddenly and screamed as though the hounds of the devil were after her. Her muscles spasming before relaxing, only to start another round of torturous attack on the young moon claimant. Vetani, aware that Marjorie would pick up at any second diverted herself out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Marjorie had been knitting, sitting by her husband and drinking a sweet cup of warm coconut laced horchata when her small little pink brick of a phone began to hop across the table, its vibrations always amused her. She waited until the very last second, taking her prop glasses off, putting her needles down and with her non dominant hand, placing it to her opposite ear. So few a times she could be recall being directly contacted by Vetani Desvoy, that she found the urge to speculate what this call could possibly be about. 

“Marjorie?” 

“Vetani, a pleasure.” 

Vetani could hear through the illusion voice, a pretence that made Marjorie look and sound as though she was a mortal woman of ninety-nine. When really, she was as fit as a fiddle and in truth an attractive thirty year old champion who had lived the better half of two hundred years. Bruno, her husband for what it was worth turned his head away and continued to read the day’s sport section like a man would count his gold; sighing and scrutinising every letter and word for some hidden meaning. 

“I have someone in need of your assistance.” 

Those words felt like nuclear bombs and it caused Marjorie to shut her eyes and hum, she allowed herself to nearly sink into the earth – her greatest gift allowing her,  regardless of realm detect where someone or someones were. It was why the program were so anxious, to have her. She sensed the presence of Vetani, whose own energy was as unpredictable as a ball of writhing cobras. An Aikekunai was standing in a room nearby, another in terrible pain and the presence of Florita and Eviax. 

“I presume it is the Aikekunai who is in need of me?”

“Yes, one of Florita’s children.” 

“One of your siblings.” 

“I only share half of my blood with them, can you help him?”

“What is it he needs? Why did he not seek me out himself?”

“He doesn’t even know who it is you are. He brings with him a near-dead claimant who has been shot with what my mother tells me to be a bio weapon. Mass produced by Levei.” 

Marjorie froze, the horchata no longer sweet but bitter tasting on her tongue. She sat up straighter. Vetani knew then she had the attention of the champion. 

“I believe, Levei has sold this technology to the humans. Or at the very least is arming her knights with it.” 

“Why was I not told sooner.”

“I only just arrived. The near-dead one. She’s in need of our help and seeing as the Aikekunai was with her when it happened. Mother insists that you assist us.” 

Vetani has to hold her phone even closer to her ear as Amphitrite seemed to crash onto the floor and attack Eviax. The two wrestled, one in utter agony and the other attempting to soothe and coax (much to the annoyance of the first who was drooling at the mouth and screaming murder). It had not occurred to either Eviax nor Florita that the thing that was currently controlling Amphitrite; had detected Eviax’s element and was now attempting to jump host. 

“By all that is good about death itself.” 

Vetani hung up on Marjorie and stormed back into the room as great strong vines of green, brown and black rocketed through the floors and onto the howling claimant. Eviax; free of Amphitrite watched in some amount of horror as Florita bundled the compelled claimant in vines upon vines until no limbs could move and no sound could be heard.

“Loic, Brazil now. I will deal with this. You must go and you must tell Marjorie what it is you know and pray she has the resources to save your friend.” Florita commanded breathlessly. 

Marjorie had sent Bruno to bed early, stating that she would take charge of the business that night. Bruno, relieved and somewhat amused that he would be having a night off, decided he would spend it watching television of their black-white set and betting innocently on some poker match he had stumbled across. Marjorie herself stood in the kitchen and made batch upon batch of hot Churros, Prego, Castanhas Assadas and Pastel de nana. Handing out steaming plates to those who waited in queue with empty clean bowls, stomachs growling and looks of pure anticipation on their worn exhausted faces. 

Vetani had not done her the curtesy of describing what this Aikekunai looked like, nor what house he was in, or for that matter what he would be doing to arrive. She had watched the tap nervously – wondering if they would materialise in her sink, or perhaps the flames of the stove, or the metal cutlery in her drawers. Perhaps she should have her sons guard the perimeter of the house so that if and when this Aikekunai showed up, they would be ready….

It was Bruno who had first noticed things were off, he had been going to the bathroom when he noticed that their family’s fig tree seemed to have split in two and was growing into a doorway, he knew that his wife did occasionally do work for people who he had never seen and apparently could not ask about. He shouted in alarm. 

“Marjorie! THERE’S SOMEONE HERE.” 

His wife, his beautiful thirty year old looking wife (She was actually far older than he was, just that her appearance lied) rushed towards his direction as he pointed shell-shocked at their fig tree… that now looked ordinary. Had he been tricked? Was he finally going insane. He shut his mouth and wondered if Marjorie was annoyed for his sudden interruption. 

“What did you see.” 

“Our tree, it became a door and–“

“Must be a nature one. Go back to bed dear, I will meet them.” 

His wife turned, not before giving him a kiss on the cheek and summoning her own weapon wordlessly. Many people – including her own sons and adopted daughter DeVian had a habit of thinking that Marjorie was all for the intelligence and not for physical violence; in reality the champion of the house of Earth was more than capable of violence. She just chose mercy and words most of the time. It had been nearly a decade since Bruno had last seen the earthen Falarica emerge from the ground as though digging itself out of a grave, it was simplistic but hummed with power that suggested it would if necessary pierce an opponent not only once, but many times to the point of leaving the victim akin to a sea sponge, another point of marked difference was unlike the tradition of including an incendiary projectile on its tip; the weapon instead relied on the use of dust  and sand to act as a natural barrier and weapon against those who thought they could beat her by maintaining a certain distance. 

Bruno decided hiding under the bed would be the most worthwhile shelter whilst his wife walked the short distance to the front door in a defensive position. 

“Announce yourself and your intentions.”  Marjorie demanded. 

“So it is you who Vetani spoke on the phone. Pleasure.” 

Majorie lowered her weapon and decided to use it as furniture, just how much did Vetani disclose about her? Gesturing for him to come inside she kept her weapon close to her side as she examined him closely. It felt like she had walked into a boreal forest, no doubt Florita had chosen to impart on this Aikekunai a unique scent; one she supposed was not like the other male individuals in his house… what with smelling like Oregano. 

“My name is Marjorie Torres. I am as you have likely surmised, the champion and defacto leader of my house. Seeing as Flori is indisposed and utterly obsessed with murdering mother nature.” 

She listened to him speak and nodded approvingly, it seemed this ‘Loic’ was completely out of his depth here… granted anyone would be if they were being shipped to the hells-cape that was The Program’s main facilities. Marjorie almost took pity on him, she would have consoled if he were weaker; but something told her he would not go down without a fight. 

“You’ll be transported to the outskirts of the current whereabouts of the program with one other. A former and highly wanted Moon claimant. His name is Zackery Lun however the neurological damage  caused by the scientists have led him to believe his name is Dack.” 

Dackery or Dack for short, was in all meanings of the word a giant clueless child with a talent for causing problems with his large size and insatiable need to cushion or rather swallow up in his flesh anything with a pulse that was unarmed or holding food. Rescued around the same time as other highly valued assets, Dack was left quite literally to fend for himself after being separated from his comrades.   Nowadays the claimant lives under the constant supervision of Luis and Nivan (Both claimants who escaped at the same time as Dack). 

“He is simple minded but if you allow him to act as a physical barrier. He will be most inclined to help.” She folded her arms over her chest. 

As though the ground beneath them was shaking, a large sumo sizes male came stomping egregiously slow towards the yellow bricked building. Marjorie winced as Dack unknowingly trodded on her roses. Roses could be repaired and replaced she supposed. The giant male knocked on the window, ducking his head and giving Majorie and innocent smile. 

“Hello Dack. Your new friend will be out in a moment. Remember, you are to keep the paths blocked for him so he can do his job.” 

Dack entered before he half stomped, half waddled his way towards a seat and Marjorie winced when the furniture seemed to creak under the strain of his weight. There was only one other person who would be accompanying the unlikely duo. The sound of an engine running, a helmet being removed and high heels clicking told the Kinoz champion that the last of the trio would be arriving and making her presence known in just a second–

“HELLO.” 

Her voice was loud enough to wake the dead, but not quite. A tiny fair boned woman who looked both confusingly Japanese and Scandinavian at the same time waved and approached with her two war hammers. She looked excited and exhausted, feisty and annoying…. There were lots of words to describe her. 

“This is Verin Noba, she will be your escort. As the realm you will be venturing in belongs to her house.” 

“We’re also going to be breaking a lot of people out with us. I’m told you’re replacing the water kid that was meant to be coming along. You’re on a personal mission no?”

Marjorie preferred the middle of the three Noba sisters, precisely because Verin once she started speaking, did not know how to shut up. Pursing her lips and looking to the ceiling for deliverance. Marjorie told herself that she could just send Verin home and get someone else to come to her last minute. 

“WHOSE ready to go?” Verin said out loud. Dack did not respond, he was embarrassed that his weight had, as Marjorie knew it would… ruin her couch. 

Verin gestured to the dirt floor below her, though nearly invisible to the naked eye, Verin could see her shadow widening and taking the form of a doorway; she loved the darkness of the night but she especially loved the fact she could rely on her shadow to do what she needed: be it doorway to the Vortex or otherwise. Once the door was sufficiently large to be able to take on Dackery’s mass, Verin waved her hand… a set of stone stairs lifted from nowhere and nothing but shadows… the sound of carnival songs and deranged screaming came from the staircase.

“Word of advice, stay close and don’t try to create any light. If you do, I won’t be held responsible if you’re torn limb from limb by the forces that protect my realm. Got it?”  

She threw her plastic ball at the ceiling, it made a satisfying ‘thwack’ every time she managed to hit the very edge of the neon globe that acted as her only source of light in this forsaken place. Winifred threw it again, her stomach was growling and she could hear the Void asking her to swallow up the entire place and spit nothing and no one out. 

“I am so bored!” 

“Perhaps you should be less bored.” 

She sat up and looked around her empty room as a set of stairs seem to collapse the floor beneath her, and a tiny woman whose head she could not really see – Verin wore a veil when travelling through the Vortex. What appeared to be someone who could only be compared to that fat round creature in that game that people slept on… what was it called? It started with the letter ’S’. Last but not least someone that Winifred was sure would be trouble. 

“What the fuck.” 

“Shut up. We’re here to rescue you. Here to rescue a lot of people actually. Dack, go find the nearest big doorway to block please.” 

The behemoth of a man left the illusion staircase and stomped quite literally into the wall, causing the wall to collapse and Winifred to open her mouth in shock; why she had never seen another claimant just disregard the door and walk through it. She shook her head as the tiny woman offered her, her hand. There were shouts and what had to be an alarm going off, the actual building itself was sterile white with less than efficient light globes that were coloured slightly off-white, the hallways were for the most part identical, a part from the occasional signage that screamed 'do not run' and other little tidbits... it felt like a hospital but not the kind you walked out of healed. Winifred like every other inmate or experiment was dressed just like the rest, in hideous cream jumpsuits and socks, Verin noticed that the girl's right big toe was poking out of her worn socks. Dackery pleased to be back in a place that he hated with all his being continued to stomp through walls and cause claimants to shout left and right, Dackery would continue his effective stampede of damage, swallowing up in his flesh like stomach anything that came across (not to eat them, but to protect them in a prison that would release them just as soon as he was back in the human realm with Marjorie). 

“Come on, you first and then the others. Desdon right?”

“Y-yes, what the fuck who the fuck are you.” 

“I’m your saviour, so is he. So is the guy who just walked through the wall. Help me run around and get the others.” 

Verin looked at this nature claimant she had learnt was named Loic, she gave him a smile. 

"Good luck, we'll be out of here as soon as Dackery finds the list of people that Marjorie wants out of here and anyone else whose smart enough to know this place is a hell hole." 

The earphones were ripped from her ears and she found herself suddenly and most certainly awake despite the fact that she had told everything with a pulse that she did not want to be disturbed whatsoever for the next few hours. Suppose, that was too much to ask of mortal subordinates. 

“What is it?” 

Sigmutt looked at the scientist who had ruined her nap, their arm seemed to be detached and they were covered in sweat. Did she really have to leave her office to discipline the experiments? Sliding off the bed as elegantly and as slowly as she could possibly fathom. Sigmutt reached for her lab coat as the distant sounds of sirens could be heard below her. 

“It’s hard to explain.”

“Unless you are suddenly incapable of logical explanation. It should not in fact be ‘hard’ to explain.” 

“It’s… a thing.” 

“A thing? Have you lost all grasp of complex communication?” 

The human winced at the Postnos treasure who was now busying herself with looking through the footage on her personal tablet, she let out a huff of disapproval before putting her fingers to her lips and letting out and inaudible sound to the human, the human scientist had always wondered what Sigmutt was up to when she did as she was doing now. 

“What do we do?” 

“Well, it’s alive is it not? Still damaging the facility. I suppose I will need to take care of it.” 

The scientist had noticed that Sigmutt’s eyes were closer to hornet eyes in their hexagonal pattern… this happened sometimes, when the treasure was particularly pissed off at her human counterparts; perhaps the scientist wondered if they should make themselves scarce. Sigmutt continued to make a leisurely paced journey towards the sounds, she didn’t bother the stairs instead using the invisible electrical circuitry that filled every substance and thing non living to transport her to where this ‘thing’ was; or rather right behind it. Based off the visual footage she had witnessed thus far, this unwanted guest had left very little to the imagination; what with being a nature claimant and all. 

“You’re trespassing.” 

She spoke loud enough so that this thing could hear her but not loud enough so that the humans could hear, speaking of – the humans who were still present were currently either unconscious, being dragged away by other humans to get them urgent medical care or were cowering against walls crying having pissed themselves. 

She flicked her fingers towards the walls and as though the walls themselves were alive, those invisible wires… her invention of invisible circuitry started to form into limbs; the pure fuel and electricity would stop anyone’s heart from mere exposure to the area and perhaps they would have stayed limbs but that would be no fun… no fun for the nest of very angry and famished clockwork hornets. 

“Bzzz.” 

Sigmutt poked her tongue out as hornets the sizes of which were as minuscule as rice grains to as vast and large as whales descended in and upon the direction of the intruders. Sigmutt would deal with the other intruders later; the ones holding and assisting in the escape of her experiments. Alas, she had been taught by her mother that it was better to deal with the singular rather than the plural. 

“If they do not eat you up first, I most certainly will.” 

Now, perhaps that would have and could have been the end of the story. It might have been had Sigmutt realised she was walking into a trap devised by none other than her coworker...

To say there was a single pair of dry, clean underpants left, would have been a lie… at least that was the case for all the humans inside the Program’s facilities. Many of them realising too late upon the sudden appearance of something out of a horror film, that they had been in the literal sense: scared shitless. Some of them were lucky for they had passed into unconsciousness at the shock, whilst others were left trying to find a clean spare pair of undergarments – none of them had been briefed on the fact that they needed to bring underwear as today’s extra equipment. 

Sigmutt had not expected Vetani to help the intruder, whatever the hell he was now she had lost track of his transformation and had been left surrounded by copious amounts of dangerously crimson red liquid that seemed to smell of death and paradise all at once, flicking her cat of nine tails at Vetani who held duel tessen. One was a long distance fighter whereas the other enjoyed getting down and dirty and as close to her opponent’s throat as possible; it was Vetani who made the first move towards Sigmutt, using her plants as a stepping stone-ladder she lifted herself up towards the ceiling and dove towards Sigmutt who barely had a chance to roll out of the way, knocked by one of the fan’s sharp syringe like points, a burning sensation of acid filled her system and she gasped out in shock. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not lethal. OR at least it won’t be for a while.” Vetani chirped. 

The sytagen was given a thunderous response, electricity ripping through her as though a piece of paper in a hurricane. Vetani could only hope that her combat and her poisons would give Loic enough time to get through the rest of the program’s many levels and walls towards the antidote. Meanwhile, inside the lab that held the antidote, a series of nature claimants and humans were working on other varieties of medicines that could be used both for and against claimants and were undoubtedly unaware of the force that was about to barge in and shake their day in the worst possible way imaginable. See, the head scientist of that particular lab had decided it would be for the best that the alarms be turned off and that they work in pitch silence – later on he would come to regret that decision… 

A low earth-shattering sound of metal being twisted and bent out of shape stopped some of the scientists from working, they placed their hands down and away from their tools, some of them wondering if they should call for help or ask if something was the matter; the nature claimants amongst them felt the sudden urge to run like a deer would at the sight of a cougar or wolf. There were screams and the sounds of scientists running from their high chairs and benches and towards the opposing wall; some of them were glad they had not been using glass whereas others were wishing they grabbed their scalpels at the sight of what seemed to be a combination of several different species; the nature claimants realising who it was decided they’d rather protect the humans than fight the champion of their house… 

“What is he looking for?” 

One of the scientists asked above all the noise of metal and glass and other things like chemicals too mixing and turning into this vile viscous substance of muck. As it was almost wholly acidic in nature, it surprised none of them when a hole the size of a bathtub started to open up in the middle of the lab, eaten away by the chemical substance. 

“Can we help you Loic?” 

One of the nature claimants enquired, their hands on the floor with vines being produced – not as an attack but more so a defensive measure to keep the humans who were inside the lab safe from the progressively large hole in the middle of the room. 

“Where the fuck is he?”

Verin said to no one in particular as she swung one of her large war hammers down on a very dead light claimant, after he had disappeared – to do something, to get something whatever all hell had broken loose and any claimant who wasn’t trying to escape through the passage she had created or through the assistance of Dack had decided it would be brilliant to take her on… how wrong they were; now most of them laid unconscious and if they were dead they were piled up under her rather tiny physique. 

“We go?” Dack asked her. 

“Can’t. Not till he shows his ass again.” 

She turned her head just as she could have sworn that one woman covered in something that looked disgusting was throwing another one who was blonde and smelt like her sister into the walls with her bare hands only to be thrown  back the opposing way and the sound of thunder and lightning shook the remaining solid walls. Verin shuddered and shouted: 

“Loic! If you can hear me! Let me know if you’re still alive somehow or we’re getting out of here before we become food for the two females fighting like this is pride rock from that animation movie!” 

Vetani wiped at her bleeding forehead as Sigmutt got to her feet, her right knee bent at an angle that suggested that the leg had been torn off of her. Both of them looked a state and the fact that the poison hadn’t yet knocked her out told Vetani that either Sigmutt had a higher tolerance than she thought or there was something up the sleeve of the electricity treasure. She reached for her fans and Sigmutt did the same with her whip; Vetani wasn’t even sure what part of the program’s many layers they were even in, too many walls and too many parts had gone past for her to really care – she’d be able to get out of here easily anyway; what with her own portals and what have you. 

The claimant who had spoken up first and had gotten the attention of the legendary nature Aikekunai, did their best to keep both themselves calm and their resolve to not run for the hills and abandon the humans under their protection. 

“Could you tell us exactly what happened? This is the antidote lab… but you need to be specific. I am not trying to slow you down.” 

“I think he’s talking about the bullets.” One of the other individuals murmured. 

“Oh, um then it should be over there, in the mini fridges…the code is…” 

“Hibiscus. Every second letter is a capital.” That same other individual offered. 

The fridge in question was in fact still working and was illuminated on the inside, with vials upon vials of clear liquid labelled colourfully. One of the scientists who was closer to the fridge and less afraid of what they just had witnessed, what with a horrible creature becoming a man who looked ordinary if not a bit feral. Though their hands were trembling and held above their head so that Loic could see that they were just a human with literally no danger to them. 

“I um perfected them. You’ll want… the ones with the red labels… but gold lids… they’re cured and ready for use… the others are still being um…”

The scientists obviously had hoped that this intruder, this claimant would be polite enough to leave them something of their work, but alas based off the looks he had already directed at them, the scientists felt they were just lucky to be getting out of the lab and the day alive. None of them had anticipated the voice of a female would echo up through the hole in the floor nor that Loic would respond as he did, some of the scientists whimpered and the claimants tried their best to keep a firm smile and a sense of peace about them – sure inside they were freaking the hell out, who wouldn’t be? Faced in a situation whereby they’d have to fight one of the Aikekunai of the house? Even the dumbest and weakest of the claimants knew that it was a bad idea to even suggest the mere thought…

“You’re not honestly going to jump down the hole, are you?” 

The silence was broken by Vetani who though injured had a smile on her face and was leaning up against the open door. Sigmutt had fled after it was clear the Sytagen had the upper hand in the battle. She stepped into the lab and opened one of the drawers where she knew a first aid kit sat, undoing the clips she grabbed one of the antiseptic wipes and tore at its packaging, using it to clean her hands and the visible wounds that she could be bothered to reach. Some of the claimants relaxed visibly at the sight of her, though their expressions soon turned to concern when they realised that Vetani was part of the reason why their silent sterile peace had been broken; she had been assisting Loic. 

“That Darkness claimant really is a headache, isn’t she? So impatient. Must be a Xainayne thing.” 

Vetani commented as she stepped towards the hole in the floor and looked at Loic, he seemed uninjured – or perhaps he was injured, and his accelerated healing had just kicked in and so left him looking relatively unscathed. Vetani just knew that if he came back anything less than perfect, her mother would put her to task, and she’d end up punished. Scanning him over again, she planted her foot firmly against the floor and though there were no holes in her shoes, a deep puddle of viscous liquid began to consume the tiles before becoming clear and revealing the Fields underneath. Even the hole in the floor seemed to be covered up, the other humans and claimants alike were now on lab tables or pieces of furniture in order to avoid the acidic poison that started to eat away at the structural integrity of the place – whilst also leaving herself and Loic untouched. Giving Loic a mocking salute Vetani gestured. 

“I can tell them to go on ahead, we’ll take one of my portals instead. Grab what you need, and we’ll return to the Fields.” She offered him her hand. 

Meanwhile, Florita and Eviax sat on the wooden floor watching Amphitrite’s form, the claimant had stopped moving for now; occasionally Eviax dared to dab the girl’s lips clearing it of the spittle and foam that seemed to leave her at different intervals of the hour. Eviax looked at her aunt, who was knitting a fine emerald, green cloth made of vine, pine needles, moss, and some kind of fern. 

“Did you hear about Rome?” 

“Who hasn’t?” 

“Will you send anyone?”

“It’s my houses at risk, so yes, I will send someone. I heard that Destodai has asked one of her guards to take up the responsibility.” 

She was referring to Evans, Eviax blushed and went back to passing a sponge soaked with water over Amphitrite’s lips, the moon claimant snarled and snapped at the sponge like a rabid animal and Eviax cringed. She had no idea that this was what they did inside the program, creating problems like this… the sudden shift in environment as well as a portal opening up from the ceiling and coating both Florita and Eviax in a clear fluid that smelt of botanical herbs told the pair that Vetani was about to return. 

“You don’t think something went wrong?”

“No but knowing Vetani she is interfering. I will move the girl, you greet them.” 

 The mission brief was simple, Florita supposed; she had brewed herself a strong cup of mint, lavender and rose tea; it was slightly bitter, but the freshness of the mint made it worth it. She sipped and looked at both her daughter as well as her champion, they had indeed arrived back – Marjorie had checked in second later that Verin and Dack had been entirely successful with clearing the program of at least three hundred claimants who were all still reeling at the prospect of freedom. The antidote had worked wonders on Amphitrite just as Vetani had promised, and the moon claimant was now sleeping soundly on the couch, no longer in need of being held down by massive vines; the floorboards would never be the same that was sure. Florita placed her cup down and looked at the duo. 

“I have a new task for you Loic. Vetani and I will see to your friend’s full recovery. You are to head to Rome. There is something that Echowix left, something that could lead us to the Citadel. To our core.”