Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 33: Inevitability

August 30, 4021 09:41 [Khar Khot- Sacred Earth Training Facility]

Blood drops manifested in Akula's mind, sparkling like brilliant rubies. They were amorphous, malleable like jelly, yet when he willed them, they became as hard as diamonds. Crystalline lattices weaved across floating crimson spikes, seemingly infinite in number. They were puppeteered by thin strands of red leading back to his fingertips. He grinned, gnashing his teeth excitedly. Akula's crimson irises glowed intensely. He snapped his arms forward, crossing them as an onslaught of blood spikes flew past him, embedding themselves into Skadi's shield.

She braced herself behind it, wrapped in a suit of armor. The tanky suit was rusted green, strips of viridian peeling off of it. Sparks flew as the rate of spikes increased, tearing through her defense like paper. A spike shot past her head, grazing her helmet. She had kept the visored headwear from the Simulation room, using it to analyze their fights.

"Easy!" she yelled. "You almost skewered my head!"

"Sorry!" he called back, halting the flurry of crystals. He returned the blood to sterilizing vials held within his tactical belt. "Whaddya think? That was pretty good, right?"

"Better than good," Skadi scoffed, shedding the old armor. "This is Garuda armor. It has a rich history and a rich legacy. It's the prototype for modern-day DIVE Suits. Yes, it's old, but it's built to withstand a blast from a Virya shotgun, point blank. Those projectiles you're shooting are incredibly dense, yet pliable. I want to study those in the lab once we're done here. We can probably get Slump to help us. I'm sure Dot's busy with the Lancers."

"Thanks, but why didn't you use your DIVE Suit? Aren't they supposed to offer better protection?"

Skadi shook her head, exasperated. She stared him dead in the eyes, flexing her forearm. Bone erupted from underneath the skin, tearing through the dermal layers, protruding like a claw. Blood dripped profusely from the wound, stemming as she retracted it, her skin sealing up in moments.

"What?!" Akula's jaw dropped. "What the hell is that Trait? We've been training for weeks and all you've used is that hunk of metal! How come you haven't used this instead?"

"'Osteokinesis'. It comes from the genes of Trichobatrachus robustus, the hairy frog. I have free reign over my osteoblasts and osteoclasts; they're cells that form and degrade bone, respectively. Although, it's not a suit-friendly Trait and it hurts like hell, so I have to resort to using the Garuda armor instead. Luckily, Dot says he's working on a second version of the armor that's sleeker in design and offers more protection. It's supposed to be near completion, so I'm hopeful for that."

"That doesn't sound too pleasant."

Skadi sighed. "No, it really isn't."

"The way you jumped around the Simulation Room..."

"Yes, that's also from the hairy frog."

Akula whistled, impressed. He snapped his fingers, a thought occurring to him. "So that's how you won the boat race!"

"H-huh?" Skadi's cheeks turned a rosy hue. "W-what are you saying? I've never taken part in a boat race!"

Akula grinned deviously, waggling a finger in front of her. "Nyahaha! It was definitely you! No way would a regular human being be able to jump to another boat, grab the flag, and then jump back to their own. We saw you in Yuèliàng at the Duānwǔ Festival!" he laughed. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me, I tend to come across a lot of them. Although, I doubt the leap you made into the crowd was very inconspicuous."

Skadi scowled, punching his chest. The ding of metal echoed from the armored red vest he wore over a puffy white cropped jacket.

"What would you know? You can enter the city by yourselves. I was rarely allowed anywhere without personnel tailing me. It's suffocating and humiliating. I managed to slip away for a brief moment that day, able to explore the city with no supervision, under my own jurisdiction. It was exhilarating! Once I got a taste for it, I couldn't go back."