Dagger

Chapter 21

Kieran walked down the grey hallways of the abandoned warehouse. He was leaving from situating all the animax users that had come back from their training. Some of them were young, and he felt something in his stomach that he had never felt before...

He rounded the corner to hear cheering. There in the middle of the room, towering over the crowd, was a grungy smiling Damon. Kieran eyed him from head to toe, but he didn't approach him. Instead he sat down and began to eat. He couldn't help but overhear what had happened to Damon, as his curiosity got the best of him. Although that was just an excuse he used to make himself feel better, when in reality he eavesdropped all the time. He seemed to know about a lot of things he shouldn't, maybe that was the reason that he was always sent him on missions. Maybe they were just keeping a close eye on him.

A chill swept down his spine at that last thought and he tuned his ears to the loud talking behind him. His eyes rapidly darted between his food and the men.

A man on Damon's left punched him in the arm. "Heard you got caught." Kieran heard the joking in his words and guessed he had a large smile on his face. He could only guess as Damon blocked his view of the man that had spoken.

He seen Damon shrug. "Yeah, but then I exploded the room." Exclaims of awe and excitement filled the room. Damon opened his mouth and the room quietened down. "And." He reached for something and a shiny metal dagger appeared in his hands. Kieran now fully faced Damon and the crowd, his eyes wide. "I got the dagger back."

The room erupted into cheers, Kieran's eyes lingered on the weapon. Since he had the dagger that surely meant he had interacted with Forest, which meant he was alive and according to Master, a threat.

He watched, those thoughts swimming in his mind as Damon approached the fireplace and gently placed the Dagger back on its pedestal on the mantle above the roaring flames. He narrowed his eyes at the dagger, as if it were his enemy. Anger began to course through him. He threw his utensils on his plate with a clatter and he exited the room. He walked down the hall, his fists clenched in anger at his side. He was angry that Forest had managed to get away. Maybe he was angry at himself for letting him get away, he didn't know. Something happened to Forest, and Kieran's guess was that society had accepted him, which seemed to irk him even more. Forest should've been shunned. Whatever happened to Forest, he wished that Damon had killed him.

His anger was shoved to the back of his mind as he was distracted by voices that muffled through the door. He couldn't help himself and he decided to ease up close to the wall beside the door and listen. His heartbeat and breath sounded louder in his ears as his veins pumped with adrenaline from fear of being caught.

He recognized Master's voice through the wood of the door. "How are we looking on numbers?"

He heard shuffling of papers before the voice of Jonathan replied, "I think we can carry out the next phase soon, once Damon deems the users ready."

"We need enough to compromise the communications and transportation of the city, as well as the power and Proelia."

"That- that seems like a lot at once, are you sure?"

"We get a good grasp on the city, then disorient its protectors and inhabitants. Then we have control and control means power and the only thing left after that is to truly have the city by taking out the Guardians and the Prime Minister. Besides, I'm sure it'll work this time, especially since the fall of the animax department and not to mention our quick work of all those 'strong heroes.'" He sounded disgusted at those last words.

"Understood, quite clever there. I'll see to it that Damon gets the users trained in a timely manner."

Then he heard shuffling as the door handle moved. Kieran then jogged a little ways down the hall before he slowed down to a walk to make him seem inconspicuous. Kieran walked back to his room, where he sat on his bed, his hands tangled in his hair as he tried to sort out the conversation in his head. Master truly wanted to take over the city, which meant that Forest might be right. He heard of Master's plans to make this place better, but it never felt this real. And now that it was confirmed it didn't seem like a good idea, but then again he never experienced life outside of the Silver Blades...

Maybe Forest wasn't crazy after all.