Those That Tether (Chap. 6-12)

Chapter  6

We continue on the path to the quark filled cave.

Our conversation switches from what we'd do if we ever got out of here, to what happened 8 years ago.

"Like I said, one second no Purians in sight, and the next they were here instantly, as if they knew exactly where we were." Yuda continues.

"Yeah man, you wanna' know, what I wanna' know the most?" Malik asks the rest of us.

"What's that?" I ask back, full of  curiosity.

"How the hell did they get through my old man's tether."

"I don't-- wait your dad was a Tether user?!" Akil shouted in surprise.

"SHHHHH Jesus Akil, you want the whole damn Purian army to know too!" Malik exclaims back

"S-sorry I was just surprised, is all."

That's right.

I do remember hearing father speak about a few tether users being scattered through the village. In fact, I'm pretty sure Malik's father is the one responsible for keeping our village hidden for all those years.

"He's also the guy that hid our village ya' know." Malik continues.

Yep.

Apparently Malik's father, Richard, was a researcher/expert on Tethers. Real Smart guy. Very down to Earth too.

And for as long as I can remember Malik has shared the same formidable fascination with Tethers just as his father did.

"Yep. Him and his Transformation Tether, Sentinel Titan. And I promised him, before he left, that'd I'd get a Tether ten times stronger than his one day and find-"

"Transformation Tether? What's that?" Yuda asks.

Malik Sighs.

"Oh Yuda, Yuda, Yuda, I knew you were ignorant but uncultured as well? Such a shame."

"Oh Shut up and get on with it." Yuda says annoyed

"Alright here we go."

Malik's Smile somehow grows larger than before as he begins to "Educate" us on Tethers.

"So here's the deal, there's seven types, or rather classes, of Tethers and each with their own characteristics, similarities, and differences. Transformation, Transmutation, Manipulation, Innate, Domain, and the two most dangerous classes-- the Devour and Wonder class. Every Tether fits in one of these classes, and therefore has a class ability AND a Tether ability. Some might even come with a specific perk attached to it."

Immediately all of our hands shoot up.

"Hahaha, yes comrades become enlightened!"

Ever since we were kids, whenever Malik would get excited like this he'd always talk in that tone, like he was a king or commander or something.

"Uhhh Hajime you first." Malik continues in that kingly tone of his.

"So why are the Devour and Wonder classes known as the most dangerous?" I ask

"Hahaha, good question. I Don't know!"

Really.

"The truth is Hajime, the gap of differences between the Tethers is pretty large, however the gap of differences between the Devour and Wonder and the rest of the Tether... is that of the distance between Heaven and Earth... or at least that's how my old man described it."

Well that didn't answer my question at all, now did it. I will say this though, That just increased my curiosity tenfold.

"Speaking of your old man." Yuda starts, "Can you describe your father's Tether?"

"Now that I can do!" Malik's excitement is beginning to become quite suffocating.

"My old man's Tether was named Sentinel Titan pretty cool right?  He also shared with me and only me the power of his Tether so listen up!"

I'd be lying if I said his enthusiasm and excitement weren't rubbing off on me.

"Sentinel Titan took the form a really old looking shield, it's Tether ability was called Impenetrable, i'd never forget it, which allowed him to create barriers each with their own specific property, one of those properties being a barrier capable of reflecting light making anything inside completely unnoticed, hence how he hid the entire village from the Purians for years."

"Amazing. The Tethers are truly something else huh? No wonder the Purian army kicked our asses centuries ago." Yuda says.

"Twice." I add.

"Wait, but there's a catch." Malik continues. "The thing about Transformation Tethers is that they alone have the capability to take on different forms each with a different characteristic/ability, so in order for my old man to use different barrier properties he had to first switch forms of the Tether or else he'd just be stuck using one barrier property."

"So what other barrier properties could your dad use?" Akil asks.

Man, even Akil found himself interested enough to speak up and ask a question. Nice one Malik.

Not gonna' lie though, all this Tether talk is making my brain melt and smoke sprout out my ears.

"Get the earwax out ya' ears! Didn't you just hear me!" Malik Exclaims

Well so much for that.

"Sentinel Titan could only use one Property Per Form, so considering he kept the village hidden 24/7, I never got to see the other Properties, doi!"

"Sorry sorry! I wasn't thin-" Akil Stops. "Guys we're here."

That's right.

We've been so caught up in our conversation, I almost forgot the whole reason we're out here in the first place.

Mining Duty.

     Chapter  7

We make our way into the dark, ominous cave.

"So what's on the list today Malik?" I ask.

Malik pulls out a sheet of paper from his vest.

"Mmmm, well that's odd. It says we need to get loads and loads of Turquoise Acrylic Quarks." Malik says.

"Wait, Turquoise Quarks? Those aren't close to the cave entrance, those are close towards the back!" Akil exclaims shakingly.

"I'm afraid so." Malik stammers back unaffected.

"But who knows what's back there Malik!"

"Well are you gonna' go back and let Master Gorean know that you're not gonna' mine cause you fear for ya' safety?!" Malik fires back.

Akil shakes his head while staring at the ground.

"That's what I thought. Now, if we move in, get as much as we can, and get out even quicker we should be fine, okay guys?" Malik says to all of us.

"Right!" We shoot back.

Despite what Malik said, Akil has a point. We have no idea what's back there or if we can even get to the Turquoise Acrylic Quarks.

But we have no choice.

Fifteen Minutes or so pass, no Turquoise Acrylic Quarks in sight.

"Green, Bronze, Scarlet, Scarlet. Hey, it's a Turquoise Acrylic Quark!" Akil points at the wall.

"Nah that's a light lavender Quark, you colorblinded idiot."

"Hey go easy on him Malik, we have been walking for what seems like-- forever." Yuda says. 

Malik sighs, "I know guys, but trust me if we be patient we can get there in no-"

Bam.

The faint sound of something hard striking the cave walls.

"The hell was that, nobody should be in here besides us." Malik says surprisingly concerned.

Bam!

The sound was a lot louder than originally, to the point where we felt the vibrations.

"I told you guys this wasn't safe!" Akil exclaims.

"Akil just chill out real quick, we can figure this out!" Malik speaks up.

BAM!

The ground breaks apart underneath me and everybody looks back at me in horror.

"Guys." I say softly.

"Haji-"

I fall through the ground, feeling each bump with excruciating pain. I curl myself into a ball while constantly tumbling and tumbling seemingly endlessly.

Eventually I come to a stop.

I open my eyes to complete darkness.

"Wait, my plasma light."

I tap the light on my mining vest.

It starts to flicker before immediately coming back on.

"Hey guys! *cough cough* I gotta get out of here. *Cough* But...where even is here."

I look around with my plasma light to see the shadow of something on the ground a few feet from me.

I crawl towards it hesitantly.

"Is that... clothes?"

I pick it up to see a large piece of cloth, a cloak, covered with holes and different writings and markings I can't understand.

All except one.

"Is that japanese for... Gluttony?"

"ARGHHHH!"

I feel a sudden excruciating headache, like sharp needles in my brain before it comes to a complete stop.

"The... Conditions... have been... met." a dark muggy voice grumbles slowly.

I look up at the cloak just to see a beast's face staring right back at me.

In this moment it feels as if everything around me comes to a halt.

Chapter  8

At that moment, my plasma light goes out once again, and I'm surrounded by nothing but the pitch, black darkness. I started kicking the cloak back violently and began crawling backwards on all fours until I felt a cold liquid completely cover my hands.

I stop.

What now? Do I turn my light back on? Which is greater, the fear of uncertainty of what lies in the darkness unseen, or the fear of what I might see when the darkness is unveiled?

I make a decision out of crippling anxiety and turn my plasma light back on.

It begins to flicker until finally coming back on.

Nothing.

I see nothing, but the cave in all it's dark, ominous glory, no cloak or anything else out of the ordinary.

I turn back around to see what the cold liquid, I assumed to be water, was.

It was a large puddle of water covering the cave floor and glistening now because of my bright plasma light. I try to look at my own reflection to see how much damage I had taken from the fall but what I see stops me in my tracks.

The Cloak, it wrapped over my shoulders.

Before I could get the scream to leave my throat, my eyes had gleamed a bright golden color and the ground had instantly, and completely been consumed by muddy water.

I look up to the sight of skies complete with gray, and the ground completely covered in dark muddy waters as far as the eyes can see and the horizons meet.

Wait.

Muddy water. Gray Skies.

"I've been here before. But how and why?"

I try to stand up, but something is wrapped around my arms.

Chains.

Black chains spawning from the muddy ground that I sit upon.

I pull, I pull, and I pull to no avail, they just won't budge.

I keep pulling, this time more panicking and violently.

"Urgh, the damn things won't come off!"

Then suddenly the sky slowly started turning black as did the already dark waters, and the darkness started to creep ever closer to me.

Closer and closer and closer to almost there was no light left.

Just then right before darkness completely swallowed everything, the water in front of me rose and morphed into the same beast I had seen on the cloak earlier!

This time though it was much bigger and emitted this dark yet, bright crimson Cloudy Vapor stemming from its eyes and its mouth.

Bright enough to give light around us both.

After panicking I finally got the courage to speak.

"W-What do y-you want from me?!" I scream out to the beast.

It sits still for a couple of moments then begins to open its mouth.

"I want..." It begins.

"Spit it out!" I scream out of a mix between frustration and fear.

To this its face begins to change into a grimm look, almost like its... smiling.

"Are you... afraid of me?" it begins to speak more clearly,  "What I want... is to devour... everything."

"What?!"

"That fear inside you, the hatred in this world, the pain, those chains that hold you down, I want... it.... All. Will you help me achieve this goal? Ha...ji...meee."

"How do you know my na-"

I look down to think.

What it said before, about conditions being met in such.

It plays back in my head over and over.

And what Malik said before, back in the forest.

"I-I know what you are! You're a Tether, aren't you!"

"Perceptive. Call me... Gluttony." It grumbles out.

I throw my hands out as far as the chain allows.

"Then help me! You said your wish is to devour right? Then help me devour these chains that hold me down, like you said. Help me devour all of the injustice and hatred in the world."

Suddenly everything that's happened to me in the past eight years flashes before my eyes.

"And most importantly, help me devour those damned Purians that took everything away from me!!!" I scream.

Gluttony chuckles, "So you accept this burden, this contract of Gluttony, do you?!

I look down once more.

Should I? Father told me explicitly to stay away from those that tether, I assume that includes the tethers themselves.

No.

WHAT GOOD IS THAT ADVICE IF I END UP DYING HERE!!

WHAT GOOD IS THAT ADVICE IF I CAN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

WHAT GOOD IS THAT ADVICE IF I CAN'T EVEN LOOK FOR YOU!!

I look back up with confidence.

"I accept your contract!" I yell out sternly.

Gluttony grins.

"Contract... accepted. Adonis Transplant...begins."

"Wait, a what transplant?"

Gluttony opens up his mouth wide completely, and I see nothing but bubbling red goo, looks almost like red magma.

Except... there's what looks like... faces.

Suddenly Gluttony snaps his jaws over me shut.

A moment later, I wake up back in the cave sweating, the cloak still on me but this time fully on, arms in the sleeves and everything.

"Gluttony? Well, I guess that means I'm a Tether user now huh? Sorry dad... but I gotta' do what I gotta do." I whisper.

Just then I heard a loud scream in the close distance.

"That sounded like... Akil!"

Chapter 9

I start to make my way up the huge pile of rocks I fell down with.

Thoughts continuously racing through my mind as I climb.

What can Gluttony actually do? What should I do? How are the guys going to feel about this?

Eventually I made it to the top, where I first fell from.

"Akil!!" I yell out.

"Hajime, you're ok!! Come here, quick!" A close voice screams out to my right.

Wait, that's Malik's voice. That means they're all together, good.

Not good. Not good at all.

When I get there, Malik and Yuda are tending to Akil, whose left arm had been shattered, and covered in blood.

"Akil-- the hell happened!!" I yell.

"When you fell, some debris came somewhere from the roof of the cave and fell right above us, when Akil, surprisingly, pushed me out of the way. Luckily only his arm got damaged. Could've been worse. A lot worse." Yuda explains.

"Hey... whaddya' mean... surprisingly?" Akil says clearly in pain.

"Akil, save some of your strength. Damn it! It's all my fault." Malik slams his fist against the rock that I assumed hit Akil.

"Don't blame... yourself... we couldn't have... known." Akil struggles to say.

"Well who else is to blame huh!! If I had been more cautious you wouldn't have gotten hurt. If I weren't so weak, we wouldn't be trapped in this stupid cave!" Malik exclaims out of frustration.

Wait, did he say trapped?

I looked swiftly to my left to see the entire opening to the cave had been blocked off by large rocks.

"You'll find a way." Akil says calmly.

I look back down at Akil and see his arm had been finished being tourniqueted by Yuda.

"Wait... you'll?" Malik asks.

"Yes... you guys can't take me with you..."

"And why the hell not!!" Malik's frustrations elevate to the point where it's visible on his barely visible face.

"Because... Master Gorean, he doesn't see us as living breathing things, he sees us as items to go retrieve his products, and when one of his items breaks... he has no need for it anymore. If Master Gorean sees me like this... he'll kill me as if I was just another bug in his path." Akil says with a look of complete horror on his face.

"He's right Malik... but Malik's right too Akil, what are we supposed to do, just leave you here to die." I say to Akil trying my best to not exelate the situation even higher.

"I agree with Hajime, I think our main goal right now is to at least find a way to get out of this cave, then we can figure out what we'll do about Akil." Yuda says.

We all nod our heads in synchronization.

However it's plainly obvious that it's up to me to find a path out of here. Akil's clearly in no position for the job, Malik's usual bright spirit is shattered, and Yuda, beneath all that cool and calm exterior I know what's going through his brain right now, blood. Akil's blood to be exact. Not a lot of people know this but, Yuda hates blood, the sight of it, the smell, the touch, everything about it he hates, ever since we were kids. So I know it took everything he had to fix up Akil's arm. So it's up to me now.

But how? What's the first thing I do? As far as I know, there is only one entrance and exit to the cave, and now it's completely filled with rocks.

No, I'm thinking too much. I just need to act.

I get up and walk a few feet away to the wall of boulders and rocks and put my hand on it. I start sidestepping and analyzing with my hand along the wall of rocks to see if I noticing something, anything.

Just then, a small beam of light passes past my eye.

Light. Sunlight!

That means that this wall of rock isn't as thick as we thought and with enough force it could be brought down. But what kinda force could bring it down?

Just then I remembered the cloak on my back.

"That's right, I'm a Tether user now." I whisper to myself.

The guys must've not noticed the cloak because of the lack of light in the cave, because of the rocks, and the situation with Akil doesn't help either.

I inhale deeply.

"It's worth a shot."

I ball my fist up and launch it full force at the wall where the beam of light was, but instead of destroying the wall my hand crushed into the wall, my fist exploded leaving a small blood mark on the rock wall.

But, for some reason it doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it would.

It stings yes, but... not hurts.

"Hajime, the hell are ya doin' over there!" Malik yells in my direction.

I ignore him.

I need to concentrate, to think, how do I use this thing?

"I don't suppose you come with a instruction manual or anything do ya'?" I whisper to the cloak.

"Tch, I'm starting to sound a little like Malik."

Then something else that Malik said to me a long time ago, before the Purian attack, infiltrates my mind, "If ya' really want to do somethin', then you have to believe you can do it with your whole body, mind, and spirit. If you don't, well, it simply won't be done."

I close my eyes and continue thinking deeply.

My body, mind, and spirit huh?

Then suddenly, that line that the beast said to me, keeps replaying over and over in my head.

"Become Gluttonous. Become Gluttonous. Become Gluttonous."

So finally I say it, no, I scream it while cocking my hand back and spreading my feet apart.

"Become Gluttonous!"

In an instant, my hand has this weird feeling, as if it were being shrouded by a small cloud or heavy smoke. I look down to see my hand completely covered in that same dark and crimson Cloudy Vapor, that the beast was made of. Without a second thought or question I lunged my covered hand into the wall hoping it work.

Rather than crunching like before, my hand, no my whole arm seemed to move through the wall like cardboard or better yet paper. Once I stopped and quickly yanked my hand out of the wall, the hole that my arm created grew instantly making a huge gouging hole in front of me. A hole big enough for all four of us to walk through.

At the moment, as the setting sunlight brazed over my face, warming it like a mother's embrace from the cold air of the cave, I was filled with various new emotions. Confidence, determination, pride,... hope.

I turn back around at the guys, looking sternly at their shocked faces, mouths wide open but unable to utter a word, eyes lifeless but simultaneously full of questions.

"Guys, I know what we should do now." I begin, "We're going to go back to the village and free the rest of the kids, and after that... I'm going to take Gorean down, whatever the cost."

Chapter 10

Ignoring everything I just said Malik, filled with a newfound excitement, expressed said excitement after realizing that a Tether stood before him, and that I was the one holding it at that.

"God! I'm so jealous right now I could punch you, but I don't know what that thing's capable of so I'll just stay over here. But damn, Hajime that's really a Tether right?! You're not just yankin' my chain right?!"

"No Malik, this is totally just a random cloak and I totally just randomly destroyed that wall behind me of my own strength, what do you think?" I say sarcastically back to Malik.

Can't lie though, it's nice to see Malik back to his normal self, and from something surprising as seeing my Tether action. If i'm going to be a Tether user from now on, that's what I want to be, I want this cloak to be a Symbol of Hope for everyone when at their lowest, when they've feel like they've lost just about everything, just as I had.

"Nevertheless, you did hear what I said right?" I ask Malik.

"Nope. and none of that matters right now, my best friend is in possession of Tether right now! Isn't that friggin awesome?!" Malik expresses.

"Is it really though?" Akil walks into the sunlight, holding his now bandaged up arm.

"Akil! You're okay! I-" I stop to see Akil face even more horror than before. What's more is that he's staring directly in my direction.

"Akil... what's wrong?" I ask.

"We're dead. We're all... dead."

Akil shudders

"What are you-" Malik begins

" I was supposed to be the only casualty... cause of my arm, but now... you've found yourself a Tether of all things. That combined with the fact that we didn't manage to collect any Turquoise Acrylic Quarks... he's not only gonna' release his wrath on the four of us, no... he's gonna' kill the whole village."

We all stop for a moment, before Yuda also steps into the sunlight.

"Did you really mean what you said?" Yuda looks at me, "About saving the village and... taking down Gorean?"

"Yuda!" Akil snaps at Yuda.

Yuda walks closer to me passing Akil.

"Well did you?"

This is the first time in a while I've seen Yuda this concerned or passionate about something.

"I did."

Akil walks closer as well, except more aggressively and clearly angry.

"And so what, huh!? You think that just because you somehow got a hold of a Tether, you can beat the whole damn Purian Army!? Well, you can't! All we are to them... all we'll ever be to them, are insignificant insects for them to step on."

Tears begin streaming down Akil's face. Seeing this creates a tight pit in my stomach. He reminds me of myself, feelings of helplessness, of despair, of hopelessness.

And it pisses me off.

I walk closer to Akil and grab him by the shirt tensely.

"Were my mother and father Insects?!"

"Hajime!" Malik and Yuda come grab hold of both of my arms.

"Is Akila an Insect!?" The fire in Akil's eyes intensifies upon hearing this.

"I owe it to them ya' know! My father, my mother, hell all of us!"

Akil looks down at the ground, tears still dropping from his face.

"That's not your burden to bear,'' he says softly.

"THEN WHOSE IS IT!! It's our job as the next generation to try and actually give a crap!" I let go of Akil's shirt and nudge Yuda and Malik off of me.

"I'm going to take down Gorean if it's the last thing I do, whether you all are with me or not." I turn around and begin walking when I feel a hand grab my right shoulder.

"I'm with ya' to the very end. Even if your plan sounds crazy as hell." Malik says while holding his thumbs up while smiling as bright as ever.

I feel another hand grab hold of my left shoulder.

"If you really think you can beat him then..." Yuda pauses.

"Oh what the heck, count me in too!"

We all look back at Akil.

"Akil please... help me save everyone... help me save Akila."

Akil wipes the tears of his face with his unharmed right arm, before deeply exhaling.

He looks back up at me.

"Fine...but only to save my sister, okay."

I involuntarily smile at Akil.

"It's settled then. Now for the plan."

Chapter 11

We begin to make our way to a certain spot deep in the forest.

A spot that only the five of us knows of, from when we were kids.

A spot located in the opposite direction of the village where nobody can hear us, not even a Purian.

On the way to the spot I briefly tell the guys about how exactly I came across this newfound Tether.

Malik continues to crack a wide grin as always.

"So Mister Tether Expert, what's your take from all that? And what's with that creepy smile of yours?" I ask Malik.

"1. Not sure honestly, I mean there's so many unanswered questions, the main one being why the hell is there a Tether under the cave we've been mining in for years? 2. And because I might've just realized that you have more of a chance of beating Gorean than we thought."

"How so?"

"Because, Now I could be wrong but..." Malik Takes a long pause, while his grin does not, in fact it seems to grow even more than before.

"Well, you gonna' spit it out or not?" Yuda asks.

"Well... I think you might have somehow gotten your hands on a Devour class Tether."

We all stand in shock.

Yuda drops his face, while Akil chuckles.

"Some day this is huh? Now not only do you have a Tether, but now you have one of the strongest types too? It seems lady luck is shining brightly on you Hajime, can't say i'm not jealous as well."

At this point, nothing suprises me anymore.

"I mean, now that I think about it, it was somewhat obvious from the way it was talking to me in that... vision." I say.

"The Covenant." Malik says assuming I know whatever the hell he's talking about.

"The what?" I ask back baffeled.

"Oh my god, the vision that you had! It's been referred to as, The Covenant. In one of my old man's research papers it described that many people recorded Tethering, that right before they did they had a strange dream, in a strange place, with a strange being, and that it's different with everyone. These dreams are now being called The Covenant, or basically where the Tether connects to a potential host's psyche, to either see if they're worthy or not or to present their contract or not. I guess in your case it wanted to present it's Contract of Gluttony to you, whatever that means."

"So for me to have the second strongest class of Tether, I guess that means it can do more than just punch holes through rock walls huh?" I ask

Malik just shrugs his shoulders.

"You know what I find almost unbelievable, Malik? How is it that you remember all this stuff from your dad's papers that you supposedly read at least 8 years ago?"

"Photogenic Memory, get you some." Malik Snarks back.

We got lost in our conversation once again before realizing that we had arrived at our spot in the forest.

A small, weirdly placed oval of large rocks sat at the bottom of a hill surrounded by a crown of purple flowers, along with the faded engravings of our names on the rocks to symbolize the location of our "Spot."

*Haji, Akil, Akila, Malik, Yuda*

We all squeeze through the now smaller gaps in between the rocks to sit in a circle.

"So... what's the plan?" Yuda asks.

I look up to see everyone staring directly at me.

"Uhh, what's the big idea?" I ask.

"Well Hajime, to be frank, you were the one to present this little suicide mission of yours, plus the fact that you are the only one here with a Tether. So it just makes sense you're the one to come up with a plan. With a few added twicks of course." Akil says.

"As much as I hate saying this, I agree with Akil. Whateva' ya' thinks is best, we'll ride this cart till the wheels fall off." Malik says.

It's all up to me huh?

For my and everyone else's sake, I hope I don't screw up then.

"Well I think the rest of the kids should be our first priority if I'm to fight Gorean seriously. Yuda, how many kids do we currently have in total?" I start.

"There's 44 of us, 20 boys and 24 girls." Yuda respondes.

"Damn... it used to be 60 of all of us, but now..." Akil says.

"Even more so why we need to do this Akil, we owe it to them."

"Right."

I proceed to take a stick on the ground to the left of me, and draw a line in the dirt with multiple boxes on both sides to represent the main area of our village.

I take something very close to me out of my pocket.

"What's that Hajime?" Akil asks.

I gaze at the broken glass sitting atop the antique black face and constant rotating silver hands.

"My Father's wristwatch... one of the only things I have left of him." I say.

"I'm sure you'll see him again, alive I might add." Akil reassures me.

"Thanks Akil." I respond.

"OK OK, enough of the chummy crap, what's the time and the poorly drawn map have to do with our plan huh?" Malik blurts out.

"Gorean's check in time, right Hajime?" Yuda says.

"Exactly, Gorean comes and checks in on us, from wherever he comes from, every night at a specific time, Midnight. It's currently 8:30. It's gonna' take at least an hour or two, to get back to the village, and maybe another hour to round everyone up when we get there."

I begin drawing on my dirt diagram.

"So, I'm thinking we split into two groups, group A goes to the girls side and group B goes to the boys side. That's step 1. Step 2 is, both groups start of with one hut, give a brief explanation of what's going on and then tell them to spread the word to the other huts to speed up the process. Step 3 is to gather all of the children and make it to the forest before Gorean gets back for his check in, aka midnight. Then-"

"Then you give Master Gorean the business right?" Malik blurts out.

"Well... I was thinking that'd be more of a last resort, you know?" I say to Malik.

"Not wussing out are we? I mean you did say, and I quote "I'm going to take Gorean down, whatever the cost." Did you not?" Malik continues to mock me.

"Honestly I wouldn't put it past you Hajime, I mean a million of us couldn't beat them centuries ago so how can you?" Akil says, trying to reassure me.

Thanks for the motivation Akil, very comforting.

"Also, did you even have a plan for beating Gorean?" Akil asks.

"Actually no, it was a heat in the moment type thing, that's just like when I first used my Teth- I mean Gluttony, I didn't think about it or anything, it was more like... Instinct, it felt natural like I was made for it or something, or rather... it was made for me."

"Well they say Tethers do become an extension of one's own body, kinda' like an extra body part so to speak." Malik adds.

"An extra body part huh? Let's just hope that extra body part doesn't try and consume it's Master." Yuda says while looking at me in a serious manner. The way he looks at me, with sharpness in his eyes so deep it could cut the wind itself in half.

"Just Kidding, why ya' look so serious man."

Everyone laughs it off and dismisses it.

Yuda has always been a little strange at times, but that was a new type of strange, even for him.

As we continue talking more about the plan to make it as concrete as possible, the eventual setting sun finally rests pass the horizon, as night seeps out and the darkness takes us by surprise.

Chapter 12

We've been walking for about 30 minutes or so. Walking through the dark, cool forest, listening to the crickets and other insects fill the forest with their loud but calming chime, as the full moon's moonlight breaches out of the darkness to help guide our path back to the village. So much so that one could describe this as... what was that phrase father used to use?

Oh yes! Divine intervention. If such a thing exists... we need it now more than ever.

Akil looks back at me carrying his wrapped up arm.

"Hey Haji, you ok?" Akil whispers to me.

"Yeah I'm fine, thanks for asking." I respond

" 'Kay, just know whatever happens... we got your back."

"Yeah and appreciate it."

I guess Akil noticed my nervousness even within night.

I mean I'd be lying if I say I wasn't. Every step we take closer to the village, I feel my body turn colder and colder and my heart feels like it's going to either beat out of my chest or just stop beating all together.

But there's no time for that now. I can be anxious all I want afterwards, but I have people depending on me.

We finally approached the outskirts of the village, in the exact same spot I hid in outside of the village eight years ago.

Where this all started. I take one last good look at the village as a whole. A once beautiful, vibrant village is now a lifeless slave plantation with rot and vines covering half burnt and destroyed houses and huts, with one big stone wall smack in the middle of it all.

"Akil, you're with me, Malik and Yuda you go to the boys side, while we'll go to the female side." I whisper.

"Right." they whisper back.

Me and Akil slither through the bushes like serpents, pass the wall cutting off the two sections. Before long we arrive to the first house that looks decent enough to live in.

We knock softly on the door.

No answer.

We jiggle the metal door handle.

Doesn't budge.

We circle around the house quieter than a ghost, terrified of possibly getting caught by Gorean, which could mean a fate possibly worse than death.

We look through the old, partially broken window and see no sign of life inside.

"Where did all of them go?" I whisper to Akil.

"Where did all of who go, Haji?" a female voice whispers right behind the both of us.

We quickly turn around to see a shadowy figure behind us. Sequentially, I turn to see Akil about to open his mouth to scream, so I hurried to put my hand over his mouth. Eyes watery, he looked over at me as I held my finger up and made a "shh" gesture.

"Oh Akil, I thought you would've grown a pair by now, oh well it can't be helped. Now Haji you on the other hand... and the hell's up with the ragged cloak? More importantly, i'm happy to see you guys and all, what are you even doing here, oh yeah and-" the female voice continues to speak.

The more she speaks, the more the voice becomes familiar and apparent to me and Akil.

"Jesus christ, there's only one girl who I know talks this much without taking a single breath." I say.

Akil chuckles as I take my hand off his mouth, "Guess you haven't changed in these last few years after all... sister."

"Tch, likewise you're still a scaredy cat and you're still an airheaded moron." Akila says while taking off her hood revealing her porcelain, dirtied face, big bright silver eyes, and long, beautiful silver hair with shades of black, the exact opposite of Akil's black hair with shades of silver. Upon seeing her face after eight years, I just sit there in a trance unable to utter a word, as time seems to stand still.

"Yep I was right, still a moron and still freakishly awkward." Akila says, rolling her eyes.

"What? No, I was just-"

Akila leans in inches away from my face.

"You were just what? Gonna' stare me down the whole night huh?"

Before I could respond, Akil swiftly crawls over to hug Akila tightly.

"Jesus kid, squeeze any tighter and you'll kill before that bastard Gorean does." Akila says while laughing and squeezing back.

Behind Akila's shoulder, I get a glimpse of Akil's face, I haven't seen him this happy in a while, in fact his grin kind of looks like Malik's.

"Kid? I'm older than you remember. And he'll have to get through me first." Akil respondes.

"Oh yeah? And what is a pipsqueak like you gonna do about it?" Akila snapback.

Akil finds himself suddenly at a loss of words.

"Well, that's kinda what we're here for. Well partially, in a way." I speak up, simultaneously reminding Akil why were here in the first place.

"What do you mean?" Akil says looking genuinely confused.

"Well before I tell you, first why were you out here in the first place, and how'd you see us?" I ask.

"Wellllll if you must know, I was outside doing some late night gardening and I just happened to see you guys sneaking around, poorly I might add. At first, I didn't know who you were, Haji, but I can recognize my brother's scarry butt anywhere." Akila explains.

Akil tsks.

"So now that I explain myself, you should do the same, and best make it snappy, it won't be long before you gotta leave before Gorean comes back."

"Oh we are going to leave alright... along with you and all the other kids." I say

Akil begins laughing, " Ok, Ok Haji good one, and go where exactly."

"Anywhere but here."

"Ok Mr. Natsuki, suppose we did try to leave, what'd we do about Gorean huh? You don't think he will just give a farewell party and let us leave, do you?" She asks sarcastically.

"No, he won't have to because... because I'm going to stop him."

Akila looks at me for a few seconds before laughing slightly louder than before, while Akil frantically looks around to check if anyone hears.

"And how are you going to do that Haji? You gonna use those cheap little magic tricks you used to show us when we were kids?" She continues to laugh.

I exhale deeply.

"Listen Akila, I'm... finna show you something crazy ok? So don't freak out, please?" I tell Akila.

"Fine go ahead and show me your cheap new parlor trick, this outta be good." Akils says while smiling smugly.

I close my eyes.

I breathe deeply.

I've done it before, why wouldn't I be able to do it again.

Except before was on adrenaline and impulse, this time is different.

Doesn't matter.

I put my hands together.

"Um, is this fool praying right now?" I hear Akila say.

An extension of oneself right? I imagine the cloak's warmth covering my entire body, keeping me safe, protecting me, like a mother's embrace.

"Any day now sir." I hear Akila say.

I think about my mom, my dad, the village, the whole world.

Finally I think about one word.

Gluttony.

I feel the cloak, covering my whole body this time, it's faint but I feel it.

I open my eyes and look at myself, all round my body, arms, legs and all, is the black and red cloudy Cloudy Vapor, although it's fading in and out for some reason.

"See Akila, I told-"

I look up to see Akila speechless and eyes filled with terror, like she had just seen a ghost, or something worse.

An emotion I had never seen displayed by Akila.