Arc 2: Chimera

Chapter 20: The Scarlet Sting Part I

 

Born a noble from the Nit Magedom almost a century ago, the former Human who later took up the name of "Raze" was raised from a young age with a solemn vow to always protect the nation. Although the country values its scholars more than its soldiers, he never wavered in his determination to become the noblest and strongest knight there was.

However, the project known as "Operation Tiamat" ruined his and many others' lives.

He spent a lifetime guided by discipline and justice, followed by another long life driven by madness and vengeance. Adopting the name "Raze" in his mission to rid the world of the Magedom, he longed to trample those who preyed upon the weak in the name of "wisdom". Under the leadership of the Chimera King, who was once the great general he served under, Raze waged a long and bitter war with the Nit Magedom.

Yet, time fragments memories and emotions. The decades spent fighting and killing did not curb the betrayal he and his comrades felt, it only made them hollow. The people who were responsible for their fate had gone and died, but they were forced to continue in this world with neither rhyme nor reason. Not a Human, not a monster either. Chimeras will forever linger in the line between man and beast, devoid of most illnesses and curses, yet cannot find solace in immortality.

For the past three hundred years, the Chimeras had retreated to the Extollan Wastes, eking out a living, trying to retain their humanity for as long as possible. As if seeking to make amends, the Nit Magedom never reclaimed this territory, barring a few independent villages that sprouted on their own. However, there settled a great enmity between Humans and Chimeras, built upon by years and years of hatred and bloodshed. Children were taught to run away from Chimeras at first sight, adults frightening them with exaggerated stories and legends. The fact that they once were loyal citizens of the Magedom were completely buried in the annals of the past.

Exhausted by all of this, Raze simply wanted to spend the rest of his long life in silence. He slumbered for long periods of time, sometimes only waking up once a decade or so. Usually, the rude awakening came from Linus, who needed someone to regale his stories with or to wander around somewhere in search of a thing or two. Occasionally, the Chimera King would pay a visit, bringing with him a mission to be accomplished, against forces who would foolishly try to destroy or use them.

The only time his routine was broken thoroughly was two years ago. He was woken up by Linus, armed with a new mission entrusted by the Chimera King.

"I'm telling you Raze, you're so lucky!" The "trustworthy" Linus was currently hanging around Raze's personal dwelling, eating barbecued Black Wolf meat. "That Addie was such a cutie, definitely my type."

Raze frowned deeply; this talk of "mate" and "giving in to instinct" was nothing but pure nonsense for him. He never had any inclination to touch a Human intimately, even before he succumbed to his fate as a half-monster. "Then why don't you take him for yourself?"

This time, it was Linus' turn to make a face. "You've forgotten that I'm at least a few decades younger than you. Mania won't be coming for me soon, so why bother getting attached and then watch the other person grow old and die?"

Ah, there went his insensitive mouth once again. The gap between Raze's skill in battle and his finesse in communication was ever so wide, even further tempered by his many years of wallowing in hate and grief. After hibernating for so long, the single-minded man had forgotten that all of them had once Human families, friends and lovers, all of whom they have outlived.

Though he felt bad, Raze's outward stern expression and rough-sounding tone did not change. "If you know that then why are you pushing him to me?"

"As insurance," responded Linus in a somber tone. "After the Chimera King, I don't want to lose you next."

Silence overlapped the once comfortable atmosphere, making Raze feel awkward. Still, he did his best to reassure his second-in-command. "I'm not suffering from any symptoms of mania."

"You don't know that!" However, Linus appeared to not be appeased in the slightest, looking like a cat with his fur all strung up. "The others were fine just a day ago then suddenly started attacking each other. We're all susceptible to mania whether you like it or not."

When Raze did not speak, Linus continued on. "I know you don't like Fleming's methods, but this is the only way to temporarily curb the aggravation of mania. Besides, the Chimera King wholeheartedly trusts him."

Raze knew the reasons behind Fleming's motivations and he of course didn't doubt him the slightest. The "mating" solution was crude and immoral, but there was no room to argue when it worked perfectly every time. The Scholar was also running himself ragged keeping direct control over the minds of the Humans in the nest. Otherwise, these people would either frighten themselves to death or worse, turn hostile and attack their companions.

"Anyway, what you fear isn't happening here. Addie couldn't be controlled by Psychic Magic, he's completely himself even now."

Raze's eyes widened slightly - the biggest shock he could show in his always impassive face. After living centuries with him, Linus knew that look well as he elaborated. "Yep, he's somehow immune to Psychic Magic. Said to be a Blessing from his Mage parents. He's also quite talented at Magic himself, the Shifting Sand had to bound him with the extra-powerful Sealing restraints."

"Doesn't that make him potentially dangerous?"

"Not if we keep the restraints on him," stated Linus, leaning comfortably on Raze's favorite stone chair. The homeowner was unfortunately relegated to sitting on his bed. "Besides, with that personality of his, even if we took it off him, fighting us would be the last thing on his mind."

The Chimera Captain was quick to see how his subordinate's mind worked. "So, you're keeping it on him to make sure he can't escape?"

"Right-o," answered Linus, crossing his arms with a thoughtful expression on his face. "And that guy isn't as simple as the others think. I have this gut feeling that he's hiding something big and if we let him let loose, it might not be very beneficial for us."

"Ah. Is this your intuition speaking again?"

Linus might seem lackadaisical and free-spirited, but he also had keen instincts when it comes to people. This was why his position as the Chimera battle corps' Vice-Captain was essential - he was taking care of things that their emotionally constipated Captain could not. Although Raze was gifted with a pair of eyes that could see through Illusions and Disguises, he could not detect well-spoken lies or even the subtleties of facial expressions.

"Yep, but I think he's harmless overall, so nothing to worry about." True, if Linus had decided that this Addie person was a danger to keep, he would have settled it by now. "Also, he's really cute."

Raze sighed heavily, hoping his prior assessment of the other man's people-evaluating skills still rang true. Linus was indeed reliable, but his judgment was prone to skewing when it comes to the ones he favored.

"No need to be all grumpy with me, I'm just saying he's got a relatively good character." Linus grinned as he twirled an unruly hair fringe with a finger. "He didn't scream when he saw us Chimeras, though he kept shivering like a wet puppy. He's also quite open to talking to us - none of the usual disgust or disdain appearing on his face. And while he looked absolutely terrified at the idea of being forced to be a sex slave, he hasn't made any suspicious movements so far."

"Hmmm. In that case, he's quite uh…" Raze searched for a while for the proper word. "Unique?"

"Definitely, so I suggest you should at least get to know him. No harm in wooing a potential partner, right?"

The big problem was that Raze never had to woo a partner before. Not that he was unwilling to have one, mind you, it was just that he didn't see the significance of having romantic relationships before. Not during his time busily occupied by knighthood and not during his darkest days seeking revenge from those who deserved hell.

Still, there was no reason for Raze to share his nonexistent love life to others. However, if he could escape from an awkward situation, then he would sure damn try his best. "I don't think I can stomach being close to Humans…"

"You've already outgrown that with those Human slaves mingling all over all the time."

"I still need to do the patrols…"

"Let the others do that. I'm sure Elias and his group were itching for a turn."

"Hmmm, we're running out of supplies so I can-"

"That's enough excuses, Captain; really, how childish can you get." Linus shook his head in an amused manner before turning uncharacteristically serious. "You really don't have to force yourself, you know. I just thought to have a little security, that's all. I'm sure everyone else feels the same - we can't afford to lose another leader."

"Now you're just guilt-tripping me." It was Raze's turn to shake his head. "Fine, I'll take a look at him."

"Great!" Linus was ecstatic, a grin almost splitting his face. "Now, let's go see him."

~

"When I said, 'let's go see him', I meant we come close and talk to him, not observe him from afar like you're surveying a skittery wild animal."

Raze ignored his Vice-Captain's complaints as he took a good look at the young man named Addie, from at least thirty meters away, from the top of a cliff overlooking the Chimera nest. The frown on his face became deeper as the time passed.

The reason behind his grim expression was crystal clear. "He seemed to be under a Disguise."

Linus quickly cut off his barrage of ever-growing protests. "A Disguise? Really? No wonder something's off - he was too cute to be true! Man, I feel cheated."

"No, his physical appearance didn't change much, just the hair and eye color." In fact, to Raze, the person looked more handsome in his original appearance. The ebony-colored hair and eyes really suited him, making the other person have a fresh yet charming vibe.

"Huh. Then why bother putting on a Disguise at all?"

"Hmmm, he's hiding his identity." Raze stated the obvious conclusion, but the motivations behind it remained a mystery. "He didn't sneak in, right?"

"Nope, delivered to our step like everyday goods. Man, I really don't like those Shifting Sand goons."

Raze echoed the same opinion. While he did trust Fleming, the same could not be said for his "associates". The illegal information guild craved the gold and precious minerals of the Wastes, and they did their job well in exchange for that, but it felt like there was something more sinister in their willingness to help the Chimeras. In fact, the members of the guild looked down on them, seeing the Chimeras as beasts who prey on their fellow Humans. Of course, they were somehow right about that, but it was downright hypocritical when they were willing to sell their own kind.

Knowing this, Raze came up with a well-founded theory. "Is it possible he didn't come here willingly?"

Linus nodded with a grunt, he seemed to have come up with the same thoughts. "Those shifty-eyed bastards! I bet all the Humans they've been sending over were kidnapped or forced!"

According to the Shifting Sand, the people they "commissioned" either voluntarily decided to work or sold themselves to slavery. Raze didn't really care about the circumstances behind the Humans in their nest, as long as no trouble came knocking on their doors. If this Addie person was caught illegally despite having a good background, the repercussions could be something the stupid guild couldn't handle…

However, watching as the young man chatted with the Chimera nurse Althea, Raze felt that things weren't as simple as he initially guessed. "For someone who had been kidnapped, he is unreasonably calm…"

The Vice-Captain's eyes suddenly widened. "Could it be? That he's someone sent by the Nit Magedom to check the Chimeras? Did the Shifting Sand do illegal things when getting the slaves, maybe preying on Magedom citizens?"

Raze had a fierce expression on his face. "A Magedom spy, huh. He should be eliminated as soon as possible."

Linus was quick to stop his bloodthirsty Captain. "Hold your horses, Raze. This is just my guess; we don't know for sure."

The red-haired man looked unconvinced, moving down the cliff to confront the enemy. "Regardless, we should get rid of possible threats to the Chimeras."

"How can that guy be a threat? We sealed his Magic, and his physique is as weak as a chicken."

Raze finally paused and Linus sighed in relief. "Think about it, Raze. If he's a spy, then he should have some information about the side he's working for. Rather than killing him outright, it would be better to coax him to our side."

The Chimera Captain wore an annoyed look as he digested the other man's suggestion. "Coax him? You still haven't given up with this 'mate' nonsense?"

Linus challenged with an exasperated expression mirroring that of his superior's. "What nonsense, do you know how difficult it is to find a Human that can handle your powers? Whether he is a spy or not isn't important here, we can force him if we have to!"

Raze grabbed Linus' collar, a ferocious aura spreading out of his body despite his outwardly calm face. "How dare you say that, when you know full well how despairing it is to not have full control of your own mind and body?!"

The silver-haired Chimera scoffed, though he refused to meet the other man's eyes. "It isn't the time to play the saint, Raze. The survival of our entire race hinges on this."

Linus pushed the other man out of his personal space, straightening his clothes and holding a grim expression that showed the storied ruthlessness held by Chimeras. "And isn't this just payback? We were forced to become monsters, so we forced them to become the monsters' 'pets'. Stop mixing things up with misplaced compassion."

The Vice Captain turned around, his posture still relaxed and nonchalant, but the words he uttered were bone-chilling and devoid of kindness. "Besides that, Addie isn't as innocent as he looks. Sneaking in with a Disguise, who is he fooling? Whether you end up killing him or fucking him, it's all up to you, Captain."

The wolf-shark-man-hybrid simply left; his footsteps airy and unburdened yet the one who stayed behind was bogged down by countless regrets and frustrations. Raze sighed heavily, exhaustion unlike any other wrapped around his entire body. Chimeras were gifted with a physique that transcends common sense, but they were not immune to mental stress or the ups and downs of emotions.

Was Raze getting soft? Did the decades of hibernation temper his cutthroat view of life and the world? No, he was still willing to end the lives of those who would challenge him and his comrades. His first thought was to kill the anomaly called Addie and there wasn't even a hint of reluctance or guilt in his decisiveness.

But despite all this, he was still unwilling to have others succumb to the same fate as his. To feel helpless as everything was taken away from you, there was no greater despair compared to being reduced to a shell of pure and unmitigated instincts. To be under the thrall of another wasn't any better, whatever the circumstances. Maybe the other Chimeras found pleasure in letting people feel the same pain but Raze knew well that the "fun" would not last.

Raze was simply… Tired. Tired of all this, weighing his own personal morals against those of the entire species. Tired of seeing through people's machinations and motivations, of seeking benefits while guarding against hostilities. Tired of being a substitute, when he himself knew he had no inclination of being a leader.

He simply wanted to end this fruitless existence, breathing yet not truly living.

However, the Chimera King must live. In order for Raze to die, the Chimera King must awaken and take the Chimeras to a new era…

Raze's only Human hand was shaped into a fist, his resolve tightening in a similar iron grip. As Linus said, he shouldn't misinterpret hesitation for compassion, nor should he let his impulsiveness get the better of him.

The Human named Addie… Raze needed to know more about him.