Chapter 28 (Kin)

  I was the only one not standing. I could see the others had rushed into the clearing even though I couldn't tell where any of them came from. My vision shook violently, distorting everything into a mess of shapes and colors.

  Inside my core something else was happening. It was as if my core was expending energy on its own—an outward burst of energy radiating outwards, being pushed out against my will. It was a response to the initial hum that swept through me.

  "Kaliah! Kaliah!" Sorina's voice echoed as I tried to pick myself up from the ground. My arms shook weakly, as I could hardly even support my own weight. Warmth entered my core, and then a level of energy like a surge of adrenaline. Blinking hard a couple of times, my vision seemed to even out a little. It wasn't clear exactly, just not as shaky. And I could feel my limbs once again. I turned to see Sorina with her eyes closed, pressing her blue hands to my back.

  As she felt me stir she opened her eyes and smiled at me warmly. "Can you walk?"

  "I-I think so?" With the new energy I'd received I tried pushing myself up. It was difficult but Sorina helped me so it wasn't a solo effort.

  "We have to go!" Wuying called over to the two of us.

  "Where's Ruslan?" Wuying asked, looking between the five of us gathered already.

  "I'm right here. There was no way I was leaving any of these behind." He called from behind us. As he hobbled closer with a sack heavy with crystals, I felt another wave pulse through me. With Sorina's energy giving me a boost I didn't drop to my knees again, but it still froze me in place. I could feel Sorina trying to shake me as you would shake someone awake. The problem was that I was awake, and yet I wasn't able to do anything.

  As my core responded with another pulse I could tell just how much closer it was now than it was before. And in the next instant, a shadow of black glass crashed to the ground, cutting our vision of Ruslan off. Dust and debris filled the air and yet through the cloud we could still clearly see the radiant glow of purple cutting through the particulate.

  "Milos cover left, Zamir stay back and cover Sorina." Wuying ordered them out of their dazed shock. Its face—as soon as I saw it I recognized it. It was the same face as the creature I had growing in my core.

  "RUSLAN?!" Sorina had let go of me and I felt myself starting to drop back to the ground. I gritted my teeth and tried my best to hold myself up before Wuying rushed to stop my fall.

  "Sorina! What are you—?" Wuying called after the Epistar who rushed to get around the creature.

  "I'll distract it!" Milos called out as he rushed after Sorina.

  "Zamir, draw its attention so she doesn't get herself killed." Looking over I could see he was wracked with nerves. At least unlike me he wasn't frozen stiff, and could stand on his own.

  "Y-yeah..." Zamir raised the pistol and pulled. A second later a beam of bright yellow energy illuminated the sky. The creature was so big it didn't take great aim to ensure the shot hit its mark. The bolt of energy splashed against the creature like liquid metal, sending sparks across the creature's obsidian-like carapace. It took a step back and shook its head violently and let out another pulse, this one different from the ones before. Before it was like sonar, looking for a specific response. This one was like a voice, specific and full of intent and meaning. Meaning made clear through both my gift and the Titan I had growing within my core.

  *Anger. Fear. Searching—Where is it?*

  Moonlight refracted through the obsidian-like crystal, casting a violet gradient of ethereal power pulsating in the night, bathing everything in its titanic presence.

  Suddenly the creature moved. Its movement seemed slow, then it was gone. I felt the wind of its movement rush past me and as if my mind finally caught up with my eyes, I could see it looming over Zamir. His aim was still trained on where it was, but he slowly moved his neck, looking upwards to see the giant Titan. He dropped the pistol, the life draining from his face. We watched in quiet terror, in awe, as the obsidian wing swept through his torso. His body bisected and the two parts flailed independent of each other. His body hit the ground and I forced my eyes away from the brutality I'd just seen.

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  "ZAMIR!" Wuying let out a broken scream, reaching out to him and stopping as the Titan snapped its head over to her. She adjusted her stance and shook her head, focusing again. The Titan sent out another pulse. I could see Wuying's barrier ripple against the energy. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, keeping space between me and the train-sized creature. It lurked forward, each step heavy, the blood of Zamir sliding off effortlessly from the pristine surface of its wings.

  "Kaliah I need you to run, no matter what happens just run." Wuying said over her shoulder.

  "I—I can't." It was no exaggeration. It wasn't because I had this notion of protecting my companions here—I hardly knew these people. It wasn't because of any sense of honor. I genuinely could hardly hold myself up let alone run. The energy wave washing over me carried new thoughts. It was questioning, frenzied.

  *WHERE?*

  "I think it's looking for me?" I said with realization. The way its energy was resonating in my core, the way it was searching. The crystal I absorbed, the embryo growing inside of me. It was the Titan's, and the Titan wanted it back.

  "All the more reason for you to run!"

  "Ruslan, please… No, please come back." Sorina wept on the opposite side of the clearing. She hovered over Ruslan's body which seemed to have been caught in the explosion of flying debris from the Titan landing. The crystals in his pack had gone flying everywhere. And they illuminated the scene with purple and blue light that pulsed brighter with the Titan's energy washing over them.

  The Titan shifted its focus to those crystals. A pulse followed.

  *THERE? CHILD?*

  "Sorina, run!" I weakly wheezed out. Wuying realized what I was trying to warn and rushed forward. Her blade cut a crescent arc into the side of the distracted Titan which thrashed in pain as it turned its attention back to Wuying. It swiped at her with its crystal wings and she deftly dodged beneath it, cutting along its length. Blue light sparked against the obsidian scales, reflecting onto the forest floor. The Titan let out another pulse, this one hitting me like a wave.

  *STOP.*

  The impact caused Wuying to stagger and this small hesitation led to its tail crashing into her chest. The crack of the impact echoed as her body flew back, hitting into a tree.

  "No." I whimpered quietly and began crawling towards Wuying who lay unconscious between me and the Titan. Just on the other side, the Titan redirected its attention again and started towards Sorina and Milos, who was trying to get Sorina to move.

  The Titan opened its mouth and I could feel it gather energy from around it and condense it. A purple sphere of vibrant energy grew in its mouth and then fired out with incredible speed. Milos dove, pushing Sorina out of the way, and the beam erased a hole out of his torso. Sorina, distraught, staggered to her feet and walked to Milos who was still standing. She placed her hands on his shoulder. Blue light bloomed from her hands and she began recalling his energy. Her face was devoid of anything. I couldn't hear anything she was saying but I could see her mouth moving.

  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She muttered as the Titan closed in on her. Parts of Milos's body started to reform as energy was called back, his body being rebuilt in front of me. Maybe if she had more time, if she was in a safe place it would be fine. But as it was, she still stood in the way. The Titan, with the flick of its front leg, kicked. Milos burst into particles and Sorina… Sorina was gone.

  I gritted my teeth. I just had to make it to Wuying. She was close enough. If nothing else I could help. The Titan looked through the crystals strewn across the ground as I clawed at the earth, feeling the dirt fill my nail beds as I pulled myself closer to Wuying.

  *No. NO. NO! WHERE?!*

  A new pulse echoed through me. This one the same as the first few that froze me in place. My core, reacting on its own, forced out a response. The feeling was sharp, as if I'd gotten the wind knocked from my lungs.

  It finally turned its attention on me. Its focus was clear and sharp. My hand reached Wuying's arm and I pulled myself up over her body. I was exhausted but looking over at her I could see she was still breathing. A gash bled on her forehead and her ribs were undeniably broken, but she was alive nevertheless.

  The Titan crept towards me. Its eyes blazed with furious intensity as it knew we were the only two left. As it got closer its energy pushed against me even more so. I couldn't breathe. That feeling of trying to breathe in a burning building was back. As the Titan drew closer I wanted to run, and again I couldn't.

  As it hovered over me it sent out a pulse. Its eyes searched through my own as I quivered in my fear. Never have I ever been faced with something as intimidating and awe-inspiring as this creature that stood before me.

  *Where is it?*

  This pulse now lighter, not as intense—motherly, as an adult would speak to a young child. It struck me that I was a young child. Did it know? Did it understand? I wondered.

  "I—I don't… I don't know." I stammered, my voice quivering. The creature lowered its face and placed its long fox-like snout against my torso. Instinctively my hands came up to push it away, but then it did something that surprised me. It sent out a new pulse, this one lighter, quieter… it was warm, soothing.

  *Here?*

  My core responded now, the response coming from me like a gentle exhale, a sense of relief and calm following the sensation.

  I nodded wordlessly, confused and in awe, my fear still screaming out inside of me. I just watched this creature murder everyone around me, and yet, I haven't felt this level of peace in so long. It was calming me through its power and it almost felt wrong to accept this gift.

  *My kin… You.*

  I could feel its energy filling me. It searched through me and Infinity drank it in greedily. Through it I could feel the creature's grief, its confusion, its anger, and now its acceptance. It knew I was not the same, but it didn't seem to care. The energy it gave me felt like it imprinted on me, leaving behind its mark of approval, of protection. A blessing from a Titan.

  "I'm… I'm sorry." I said quietly. The moment reminded me of when I killed the weasels. I was the same. I hadn't changed not one bit. This realization tore something within me and unleashed a stream of grief I wasn't expecting. And yet the moment of grief and guilt was just that. A moment. The Titan's tongue, wet and rough, licked me and more soothing energy rushed through me.

  *You, child, are mine. Protect what is mine.*

  In each of these pulses there was so much information carried in such simple expressions. More nuance than what I could explain in words. Titans had far more wisdom, knowledge, intelligence than what I believe mankind gives them credit for. Before me stood a creature with unimaginable experience.

  A pulse—something that felt like remorse, but then contentment—flowed over me quickly before the creature backed up and looked down at Wuying. I backed up, trusting in the creature now. It lowered its head to her and filled her with its energy. After a moment it backed up. It looked around at the state that the rest of the camp was in, at the crystals, at what it had killed over. And in an instant it pumped its wings and kicked off, disappearing into the night sky just as quickly as

  it had come. I sat there frozen with my thoughts as I looked over the camp, holding Wuying in my lap.