The Mayor wriggled down the hall body slowly, painfully recomposing. Pain that as someone born into a high status family was completely foreign to him. Though only a branch he was still one of the Bakers. The blood of their family flowed back to the founding of the nation. Satellite families had cropped up across the whole of the nation. His brother had been the one to inherit the branch family's main house.

  He thought about his brother, it was all he could do to distract his mind. Dwelling on the pain did not seem to help, and thinking about the so-called gods' plans made it worse. Mad as he was he was no fool to believe so easily in gods even when being given such immense power. He hated his brother for causing him to fall so low.

  If he had been the head of this branch then power would have been guaranteed to him. Zeus would have never appeared before him. The might of the full Bakers would truly be behind him. Still for years he clung to hope. Enough of his children had been sent off to their satellite positions and filled whatever gaps they requested. Still they had not rewarded him, not in the way that someone from the branch family should, let alone the main house.

  The rage at his family, and brother drove him forward. Leaving a bloody trail along the ground as he went. Once he had his un-aging visage he would sever ties with this god. Making him no more than a foot soldier, it was preposterous. The audacity of the man. The elevator whirled in front of him.

  At some point he’d drug himself to the silvery doors. The Mayor could be considered a lucky man, in most ways that mattered. Whenever he needed something it would come to him in the form of a person. Noticing this he’d lived a life fully believing that nothing would ever truly come between him and his goals.

  The power of luck that had burned itself upon his soul was effervescent since the day

  he was born. When he required extra help to master his studies, a passing scholar had been willing to work for his family. At the time of his life when he wanted to rebel and be separated from his family his brother had been born.

  It had trended through his whole life. Even that woman who he once called his wife was called upon. To him she had been a miracle, the greatest find that he had come across. Having lost his place among the branch family, he wanted to build a family that would be even greater and grander than theirs. The power obliged, pulling her into his web.

  Beatrice Gordium, a graceful woman, wise beyond her years, and struck low by her own family. They were well known for their binding skills. Skills that were levied against her for her supposed crimes. To Mr.Baker they had not been of any real concern. The drive to sleep with numerous people didn’t seem an unpleasant prospect to him at the time. To her family it was unforgivable.

  The Gordium’s wished to bury her, vanish her into obscurity. Their plan to marry her off cheap to some no name man was a resounding success. Soon her infectious nature had blinded the Mayor. What had been a simple push from his power had become a full blown obsession. She had been the perfect jewel to place upon the crown that was his garden.

  The elevator stopped at the basement level. His face split open what was rebuilt there, vile and twisted. The elevator was called to his floor as he waited. The prey was not but a few floors down. Then he would satisfy his lord and be on his way. His mind drifted to his next step, a task already considered finished within his mind. Considerations over how to replace his guards ballooned as he waited.

  A floor above his Allison reached the elevator unbeknownst to her it showed it was still on the descent. The cat within her arms let out a battered meow. Licking at its charred fur and flesh. It’s larger than normal eyes begging the girl for unspoken assistance.

  “Down worry, I’ve got you FirePuff.”

  At the sudden naming it stopped licking, giving her a stink eye. Taken aback by a small amount she apologized to the cat. Why she was apologizing to the injured thing, even she didn’t know. Oddly it seemed more than just a simple cat. Which was a preposterous thought to the girl.

  “Well, maybe something less crispy for a name. Deliala sounds nice. Don’t you think.”

  The cat’s only response was not to get upset at the name. For Allison that was enough. She was trying to lose herself into the conversation as the sounds of the world were both quiet and loud. From outside and for a time down below she could hear odd noises. The ground shaking and rumbling. At the same time nothing else was making noise.

  No, passing nurses, nor a single doctor or patient for that matter. It was the feeling she had when all alone, bound to the bed without a future to look forward to. The cat hissed lightly as she had squeezed it just a little too much. It was the last source of comfort she had here. Once she caught up with Karah it would be better, safer.

  “Sorry little one. I just don’t like this, I guess I've been getting used to people again. Doesn’t it feel strange when your life is just filled with those that you can talk to? Maybe, not since you're a cat. Say, would you be my friend?”

  The cat looked up at her contemplatively. Two eyes met within the glow of the yellow hall lights. For a moment it seemed to Allison that Deliala had nodded at her. She thought to herself how odd the cat was.

  Their ride to the lower floors finally arrived. She would get the cat sorted and then see about finding Karah. They had gone the same way so it shouldn’t be that hard.

  ***

  “Shit and then I put your brother in a headlock. He couldn’t get away so I just pulled him in close and then…Well, you’ll learn about that when you're older. It’s a given to say that we had a good time.”

  “Wow, were you really able to lock down my brother? But you're so small.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “I believe Karah is the one with an unfair advantage.”

  Karah had taken to regaling Teddy and Renee with the tales from Nate's hoodlum days. It was all idle chatter. The aim was to relieve the children's stress, Karah wouldn’t admit she was doing it to relieve her own. They weren’t long for the safety of the morgue.

  “Could you show me? I want to be able to beat my brother at least once.”

  “I figured a punk like you would say something like that. You two really are brothers. But sure I could show you the hold. Not that it would do you any good.”

  “Why not?”

  “She’s not human, dear. If your brother was the same race she’d be unable to do much against him.” Renee Said.

  “Hurtful little punk. You're damn right I ain’t all human. But that doesn't mean I would lose to someone else. I can only lose if I choose to do so.”

  The group strangling just a ways behind the doctors stopped in place. Karah was twisting around showing the proper choke hold to an invisible partner. Just as she was to show the move the elevator dinged. They hadn’t noticed the elevator’s retreat upstairs and now were caught by surprise as a hand reached out of the door. Following it the rest of the Mayor lurched out.

  Scraps of clothing hung disjointedly off his body. A shape that was still in a great deal of disrepair. The others were further down so his sight landed upon that of the two brats. He didn’t know who the third child was but killing one or three children mattered little.

  Cracking resounded from his arm. Where the wrist was located the revitalized flesh what little there was ripped open once more. The forearm from the inner side of the elbow went up and out. One of the two arm bones wet with gore dripped red blood across the ground. From the tip of the bone a shimmering course of energy formed into a long curved blade. The visage was not unlike that of a praying mantis.

  “Shtop there shildren. Shtime too gife it up.”

  It was poor luck that the Mayor had damaged his skull so many times in a row. Amongst the parts that he could repair the hardest was the head. This was doubly so for things that were one and done for most people. Still he advanced on broken limbs as his other arm split open to match.

  “Renee take Teddy to the others. This one is for me to handle.”

  “I can help.”

  Teddy put on a brave face trying to stand just a bit taller. Karah would have hated it if any normal person had done the performative act. In this case he was Nate’s brother and only a child. It was just enough for her not to get angry at his outburst and instead feel he was similar to his brother. A soft wry smile crossed her lips.

  “Don’t worry I have him.” Renee said.

  She took Teddy by the hand and drug him away. Technically speaking she was the oldest of the three of them, when counting past lives. This meant she knew when it was the right time to high tail it. Though she was often unable to outrun whatever came after her.

  The Mayor's body was enhanced but not to the degree he had any true edge over Karah. She took a step launching toward him at high speed. Scales covered her limbs as they clashed. Sparks sprung up as his magic mantis blades raked at her scaled forelimbs.

  A punch twisted out from her body so fast and hard that he was sent spiraling into the ceiling. The sounds of snapping bones followed as he hit the hard cement above. His body was already in a horrible state but this amount of damage was becoming familiar to him. The mantis blades spun backwards stabbing into the ceiling.

  His wrecked body skittered across the ceiling ignoring his opponent and targeting the only thing that could prevent more damage. Karah jumped toward the ceiling a fist cratering a hole. He had been more spry then she’d anticipated. Whipping his body around to dodge her blow.

  “Ssshall we reunite shildren.”

  Teddy hazarded a glance back and paled. The Mayor lunged from the ceiling. His body splaying open. The back legs having become saltatorial the push off force was tremendous. Karah streaked down the hall matching his pace before diving into a slide. Teddy pulled Renee behind him in a single motion. He was prepared to give her a true chance at life, even if it cost his own.

  Trying to kill the Mayor hadn’t worked and wasn’t the main mission. Nate had told her to protect them and she’d be damned if they were injured on her watch. She made it just before his blades reached the two. Scooping one into each arm, blood splattered behind her as she moved.

  His original plan to take the children had been thwarted but he had managed to injure her. Having figured her for someone that was beyond a normal human he didn’t hope for it to kill her. At least not right away. If she were to lose enough blood that would be an acceptable outcome.

  “What's the matter little girl? Lose some of that fire?”

  Karah sheltered the children behind her back. Hers was not particularly large but at that moment the children’s eyes were locked onto it. Two large gouges dripped thick viscous blood. They could see their own deaths within that blood. Renee was most affected; it was a natural course of things, since that man was outside upstairs.

  “It’s hopeless we’re going to die again.”

  Renee dropped to her knees. The strong conviction that had been flowing through her body started to flow out along with Karah’s blood. Having been pushed to her limit so many times in the past this moment was all too familiar to her. Just on cusp of safety Fate’s cruel hand would push down upon the scales.

  It was a never ending cycle of hope and despair. They were her only true companions, what was the point in forsaking them. Time was endless and this punishment would flow right along with it. What crime she had committed was blurred with time. All that remained was the cycle. Tears flowed down her face.

  “Shut your trap you punk. Who do you think you're betting on here! You think I haven’t been stabbed, cut, or bludgeoned before. I’ve had worse wounds from an old woman than this. Let's go, you old bastard. These children are mine and you can’t have them.”

  “I think we both know it's only a matter of time till they are mine. Once I have them I can get the corpse vault from the doctor. He wouldn’t just give up on a child. I know his altruism all too well.”

  Without delay he engaged with Karah once more. The close proximity of the children meant she was limited in what she could do. Pushing in would have him aiming around for them, long snapping blades angling around her small body. Pulling back to defend would allow him to attack her without answer.

  After a flurry of blows they stopped. No ground had been lost or gained. Instead they had made it down a small distance closer to the morgue. Teddy had been dragging Renee who was still stuck in a state of defeat. All Karah need do is push for the last few yards and they would be safe.

  *DING*

  Allison amidst the silence of the pause in battle emerged from the elevator. She had been wearing a slight look of worry when she exited. That look twisted into a one of pure horror when she spotted the thing that was accosting Karah. Blood drained from her face and she gagged at the sight of him.