Gods From the Machine (18 page)

“
She was brought to Glenhaven after the first attack on Fyria, wasn’t she?” Nick said.

“
Yes, but I relocated her once more. Poor child, always on the run, never able to stay put for very long. It’s terrible isn’t it? She’s never had any real friends all because she had the curse of being born in this family.”

“
At least she has a grandfather who loves her deeply and is willing to do anything for her,” Nick said.

“
I appreciate that, my boy. I don’t know, sometimes I think I’m making all these mistakes. I’ve never had to raise someone so rebellious,” Peter said.

“
That’s not true, you had to raise me.”

The old man chuckled, and a smile crossed his wrinkled face.

“Most humans are narrow-minded creatures in that they only see what they’ve been taught to see. You know you’ve always been a son to me, Nick. No matter what anyone says, you’re not a monster,” Peter said.

Nick nodded.
“Alyssa was her name, right? Alyssa Masters. It has a nice ring to it. I’m sorry I never got the chance to meet her.”

“
I’m damn glad you didn’t,” Peter said, “You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let her near a punk like you.”

Nick couldn
’t contain his urge to laugh, and soon they were both laughing raucously. Even in the most serious circumstances, Peter could always change the flow of the conversation and make things easier.

“
Will you be coming back on schedule?” Nick asked after their laughter settled.

“
Fyria is very far and it will be even longer because we’ve decided to take an alternate route to avoid an unwanted confrontation. Bartholomew thinks it will be approximately three months we’re expecting to be stationed there. Should any problems arise in my absence, you can always contact us,” Peter said.

“
Bergice…I still can’t believe it. Once he’s taken care of, it’ll only time be a matter of time before the other two remaining members reveal themselves,” Nick said.

“
Hopefully not too soon…for our sakes.”

Two senior knights came into the room, and helped Peter carry his supplies, with the exce
ption of the long sword lying on the table. It was Peter’s most prized weapon. He picked it up with one arm and slung it behind his back.

“
Promise you’ll be on your best behavior, boy. If anything happens, I want a full report as soon as possible, understand?” Peter said.

Nick bowed.
“Yes, Supreme Commander. Have a safe journey.” With that, Peter was gone.

He g
azed over Peter’s desk as he walked around, only the sound of his boots squeaking across the marble floor. Three months without Peter. The knights on their way to Fyria would be tested and pushed to their limits in combat, all while he sat safely behind the veil of the Holy Shield, behind an impenetrable fortress. The protection this stronghold offered was unparalleled. They said no demon could breach these walls. That was proven false when Doctor Numerous broke through and led an army and a Crowned Prince to siege Fyria.

Nick
went to his room and pulled his suitcase from his closet. He emptied his drawers for the bare essentials and packed them all away. He had to leave before Matt, Daniel, or Paul returned. If he was going to Fyria, he had to go without their help or knowledge.

Maybe he wasn
’t ready, but maybe he was. If he hadn’t killed a demon yet it was because he was always hiding behind in the comfort of the Garrison base and never venturing out and doing what needed to be done. He was going to find Doctor Numerous and Bergice and kill them personally, just like the prophecy predicted. But before he made the journey, he had to visit Quinn one last time.

He drove to h
er house and knocked. No sooner did she open the door did she leap into his arms and embrace him in a warm hug. When they separated he noticed she was wearing an apron. Over her shoulder, he saw freshly cooked vegetables and meats on the table. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy. She must have been crying for some time.

“
What’s wrong Red?”

“
I just saw the news announcement,” she sniffed. “I thought you would have been gone by now.”

“
No, not yet. I wanted to say goodbye,” Nick said.

“
But the news said everyone already left. Don’t tell me you’re planning on going alone?”

“
I have to.”

“
Then I’m going with you,” Quinn said.

“
Don’t be ridiculous.”

“
Because I’m acting impulsive like you? Sleep on it tonight, and if you still feel the same way tomorrow then I won’t stop you.”

“
Alright.”

After the
meal Nick was left with dread in the pit of his stomach, unable to sleep with all these thoughts rushing through his brain. Quinn was sleeping soundly with her head nuzzled comfortably on his lap. He thought about just taking off, but he didn’t want to go without at least saying goodbye. How were the others doing? Paul and Daniel were probably going off the deep end, wondering where he had gone. Paul probably put Matt through a line of questioning for his whereabouts and he probably reasoned that he left to visit Quinn for the night, thinking nothing else of it. It would all come to a shock when he didn’t return in a few a days. Nick imagined the looks on their faces when they found he had disabled the vehicle tracking device.

Nick wasn
’t looking for a companion on this trip. In fact, the less people involved the better. If he was alone no one would ever get hurt.

He woke up
covered in drool, unaware that he even fell asleep. Quinn was nowhere in sight. She must have relented. Nick crept out quietly, only to find to her sitting in the passenger seat of the car.

“
Quinn…”

“
I said I wouldn’t stop you, but I never said I wasn’t coming along. So let’s get going, Emberson. We don’t have all day.”

Nick shook his head and smiled. He got into th
e driver’s seat, started the engine, and without another word they were on their way.

10
. Dolere Flos

Passing through Hyperion was a bit of a sidetrack to Fyria. And though it wasn
’t exactly the fastest route, the roads between the cities were protected by powerful holy magic, which made it the safest. Driving down the long strip of road, Nick saw different Hellbeasts trying to break through the invisible holy wall that acted as a barrier between certain death and destruction.

Inside the
city walls, they needed to grab some supplies for both food and shelter for the long journey. Nick stopped at a busy downtown market.

H
aving Quinn would actually be quite beneficial to this journey. Her strong knowledge in demon history from living nearby Thorne for so many years could provide great insight on enemies he either forgot or had never heard about. Her cooking skills were vastly superior to his, and having someone to talk to would keep his mind sharp. To top it off, he got to spend time with her, which was the main reason why he was hesitant to leave in the first place.

They walked around the markets hand in hand,
stocking up on tents and toiletries. Afterward, they found a boutique for stylish female clothing, and finally a supermarket where they could pick up fresh groceries. When they couldn’t find the necessary ingredients for a special dish Quinn had in mind, they explored other shops until they did.

The whole time Nick couldn
’t help but notice that downtown Hyperion was very different from Glenhaven. People were always on the move, walking in and out of stores and along the streets, never slowing to appreciate the beautiful scenery. This was typical behavior for city people since there weren’t any familiar faces or “usual” customers, and everyone seemed to go about their own business. Hyperion itself felt hollow, as if it lacked a heart or warmth which gave the city an almost foreboding impression.

However, the bigg
est difference between these people and the Glenhaven residents was the people here seemed to hold an intense grudge against Garrisons, and were quite vocal about their dislike of knights. He couldn’t walk past a single person without hearing a rude remark or chides against his way of life. It angered him, but he kept his emotions in check to avoid causing an unwanted commotion.  Luckily, he made it a habit to never wear his official uniform and could just blend in anywhere.

“
Why does everyone here hate us?” Nick asked quietly, as they past another obnoxious anti-Garrison couple to enter a supermarket.

“
There are a lot of reasons,” Quinn said. “They think having such a strong military power can infringe upon their freedom. You know, if you think about it, it’s kind of justified too. I mean, protection is nice, but at what cost? Also, many people here had family members who lost their live during service in the wars. That’s why people enjoy living in cities that are strictly civilian—they prefer to live without the reminder of bloodshed.”

“
They wouldn’t be talking that way if this place didn’t have a Holy Shield. If you ask me, they complain because they have it too easy. They’ve never had to ward off a demon attack or been put through the psychological trauma of taking a life,” Nick replied.

“
That may be true, but I also want peace. What better way than by becoming a living example?” Quinn picked up a small shopping basket.

“
I think you would fit right in here with Garreth,” Nick said.

“
Oh right, bring up the ex-boyfriend just because he lives down the road.” Quinn tossed a few cans of soup into the bin.

“
Well, as the current boyfriend, don’t you think I’m entitled to ask some questions? Unless you’re too afraid to answer them…” Nick said.

“
Go ahead, ask away.” Quinn put a few packs of potato chips in the basket.

“
Okay, what ever happened to him to make him hate the Garrison so much? I’ve never seen such resentment.”

“
That’s easy. Unlike the people here, Garreth was originally a part of a Garrison and loved everything about the holy knights. He was in the Wisdom Unit, and a genius whitesmith. His parents were also the ones who invented the Holy Shield. When the time came, and an archangel named Gabriel had to choose an apprentice, he was supposedly the prime candidate. But unfortunately for him, the Supreme Commander of the Glenhaven Garrison advised Gabriel against it. Garreth lost his dreams, and the rest is history.”

“
Yeah, he told us the last time we visited. To be rejected like that…it must have crushed him,” Nick said.

“
It was worse because Gabriel is his older brother. Being turned away in favor of Paul broke his heart. He was never the same person.”

Nick was at a loss for words.
Gabriel was Garreth’s brother? In all his years, Nick found it strange that he had never heard the archangel mention a sibling of any kind. Then again, it was easy for him to hide it, considering most members of the Garrison were discouraged from divulging too much personal information in the event they got captured and demons could use that information against them. Even still, it was almost cruel to not acknowledge you had a brother.

“
Any more questions?” Quinn dumped the basket of meats and vegetables on the cashier’s counter.

Nick shook his head.
“No that’s all the information I need for one day.” They purchased the groceries and walked back to the car to load everything.

Once they were
back on the road, Nick rolled down his windows and turned up the mood music, letting it blare on his way out of the plaza. As soon as he pulled back onto the road the Fyria, however, he was caught in a major traffic jam. He slammed on the brakes, bringing it to a screeching halt. All the cars were at a complete stop and people were leaving in droves in all directions. From up ahead came roars that sounded like animals. Screams echoed downtown, with groups of people rushing out the doors of stores and buildings, their faces gripped with fear.

“
Demons!” they cried.

“
Help us! Please!”

“
Someone call the Garrison!”

Nick pee
red through the windshield. There they were: Hellbeasts. They appeared to be wolves and they looked hungry. But how could they have broken through the shield?

He turned to
Quinn. “Stay here. Roll up the windows. Lock the doors.”

“
There’s too many for you, you can’t go alone!”

“
It’s my responsibility to make sure these people get away safely. Just stay here and don’t make and sudden movements.”

Nick
stepped out of his car before she could protest further. Leaving it parked in the intersection along with all the other abandoned vehicles, he ran into mass of fleeing people and came across the beasts—ten of them—combing the streets, searching for their prey. They weren’t wolves, but hounds. The difference was insignificant. They were still carnivorous demons.