Finding Contentus

Chapter 137: Shedding

Renero and Ramsis had already passed Mount Killes in the East during their travels along the Nyra river, avoiding primals at every turn.

The highest volcanic mountain stood alone as a free summit, peaking upwards in the shape of a triangular cone forged by the earthly blacksmith of hostile ash, melting lava and molten rock. It hadn't erupted since Renero broke free from the Optimer plant he and his fellow brothers and sisters were kept in.

Silence accompanied the two on the boat as they neared Chanco in the West. They scanned the expanse stretches of vegetation that formed along their path, spotting scattered bushes, clustered trees and courses of sand that encased the flowing strip of water.

Renero's expression was untraceable. What nauseated him the most was how mighty he felt in Metro, and not in a good way, not in the right way of the strong that Amoar taught him. The wrong way of the weak. The one that wants to lash out at everything in its path.

Because the enormous influx of power that pulsed in his veins only amplified the overlapping screams that resided within him, a bottomless pit of consumed ghosts that he had sickeningly relished in killing.

The displeasure tasted like sulfur in his mouth. Ironic, for him as a Racaan to be immune to all poisons, only to find his soul poisoned by the effects of revenge that bred more victims instead of liberating them in the way forgiveness was designed to do.

He narrowed his hardened eyes. He had to remember that it wasn't him that enjoyed the bloodlust, but if anything, that made things worse. Loss of control in Primalstasis only added to the losses incurred during the monstrous state. Was a drunkard exempt from his accidental kills just because he was not sober?

"Ramsis, let's go on foot from here," he said in a dry voice.

Ramsis's deadpan expression betrayed a trace of wry amusement. "So I'm not the only one getting cold feet."

Renero jumped onto the baking hot wasteland of sand. Immediate stabs of scorching heat flared into the soles of his feet. And it felt criminally good, like an encouraging thrill that made his blood pump, demanding some kind of action, an enticing sport, a challenging hunt that would add more names to the list of weaklings he had stepped on and—

Renero spat to the side and made a clicking sound with his tongue. A camel appeared shortly afterwards. Renero blew on the camel's face as a greeting. The camel blew back.

Renero pointed his thumb in Ramsis's direction. The camel paused, fearing for its life at the mere presence of him.

"I'll kill him before he kills you, Miriro." Renero stroked Miriro's neck.

Ramsis looked around. "Clearly you'll kill all life before you kill me," he said bitterly before getting on Miriro. The male camel looked to Renero as the guiding map, or as the only entity keeping him alive.

Renero adapted to the climate and walked, making it so that he wouldn't get dehydrated or hungry, conserving energy like Miriro's hump stored fat. Ramsis rode on the camel unenthusiastically, knowing that even if he did succumb to starvation or thirst, well, he wouldn't die, and if he did, he wouldn't stay dead for long.

He squinted, half shutting his eyes and despising the dropping glare of the sun and the trickling sweat that scalded the scarred side of his face. Renero shook the sticky sweat from his hair, constricted his pupils and glared right back at the source of power he embodied in the flesh. Sunset had already descended, turning the clouds into yellow puffs of smoke, just as the blue sky became a waterless red pool.

They didn't have to travel for too long. Despite the blurring horizon from the bouncing heat, the tropical city soon came into view atop a scaling sand dune, glimmering like an invaluable stone amongst the valueless Sinine desert.