The Random

Chapter 22: Fire and Ice

Chapter 22: Fire and Ice

 

     Marcus knew the last train back to Ursinium would depart from York in less than an hour. He'd been half-hesitant and half-willing to go back to the Capital to relay a devastating news.

     Around the City Square, skyscrappers loomed like hands of the Earth reaching for the sky, tall and seemingly unshakeable, only to get dwarved by the more prominent City Light Tower. Amidst the scorching sun's blinding light, its peak cast almost invisible beams, hints of red playing under them. His eyes could have easily irritated by the sun, had he not worn his protective lenses.

     "You've outgrown your 'random' self, Waldemar"

       It was Albert Newton, coming behind him, a smile seemingly not to leave his face. Albert was among Ursinium's finest diplomats and he'd already gone to several countries before he got assigned to an ambassador's post in York.His hair were gray, but his face bear no lines to reveal his age.

    Marcus just smiled, suppressing his despondence.He walked to the square's benches, waving at Albert to follow, and then sat.His eyes found the peak of the York's Light Tower, lingering there for some seconds before shifting at Albert wheb he sensed he was already sitting beside him.

     "Impaler took the codex" Albert began. For a moment he let a long and helpless sigh fill in the silence that followed, throwing a gaze full of fury and hopelessness at the tower.

     Marcus briefly turned to look at Albert; he couldn't even think of what exactly to say. Instead, he stared for some frozen moments on the ground, some pool of rain water that fell some hours ago puddling around the bench's wedges.The sun reflected in full sphere on the water as ripples dimpled the surface.

     "The congregation needs to be told, be notified about this. We need to come together,again. This order needs to be fixed"

    Marcus gently flinched, but he remained quiet. On the water, his eyes were reflected, two small balls ablaze in red. Albert Newton turned to him; he knew what was happening. He could sense it, and why wouldn't he? Like Marcus, he was a former random himself. He turned his gaze on the water and there he saw Marcus's eyes gleaming. In the past years, he taught himself how to suppress his random attributes. He'd been successful and had not turned, even opened a single code, even once. But not now. As he lingered on the water, his eyes took its fiery form, blazing wolfish yellow.

     "The codex must be destroyed" he said, his voice shaking and glaring yet quiet. A hush of ominously chilly breeze swept through the plaza; that draw both of them from the water. Above, dark clouds started gathering in thick masses, hindering the sun to come into view.

    "Dr. Rubberr is with them-"

    "Michael escaped" Albert said, cutting off Marcus, sounding as if that was good news.

    Marcus just nodded,  a faint look of recognition flashing in his eyes.

    

     "We need to get to him as soon as possible. Impaler's waging a battle led by the Randoms and we cannot let him use the codex to win it"

     "You know what crazy frightening is, those kids that the government sends to the battlefield...they really don't know what lies ahead"

     Marcus's lips twitched. He understood Albert, he witnessed it himself, whatever that fearsome thing set to befall on those teenagers. He embraced himself tightly, Albert too, as colder winds came to sweep anew, fall of rain now becoming imminent.