Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 4

Fracture

It took everything Maverick had to keep them both in place, one hand resting on Adam's arm. Inside her the void creature recoiled as anima energy bubbled up into his skin growing hot through his sleeve and radiating in Maverick's palms. It was only fortunate that Adam was so fully covered by clothing and a mask. Perhaps, people around them would have noticed the subtle glow, but that was not a chance they should have been willing to take.

Adam shifted, feeling his blood beginning to boil through his skin. It was one thing to worship the void, that was fine, everyone could choose even if that choice was clearly stupid, but to threaten his son was another thing. Kay wasn't involved in this, had never asked to be involved, and now these assholes were painting a target on his forehead

Destroyed

The word echoed around inside his head along with memories of Kay, smiling, and laughing, playing in the sand and cuddled up asleep holding his stuffed fish. How these people could target a child and think that they were in the right. Whatever this was had rapidly moved from a religion to a cult to a terrorist organiztion in a matter of few minutes.

Adam understood that targeting him or Sunny made sense. Both of them were military actors with political affiliations, but the moment these people targeted his son, a civilian noncombatant, was the moment he lost whatever sympathy he had for them.

You didn't target children.

Even worse to target specific children.

Even worse to target his son.

The oracle raised her hands, dark hair spilling around her shoulders, but whatever beauty he might have seen in her before had now been marred and twisted beyond recognition. Her smile was a gastly sneer, her long, slender nails were claws, her beautiful face was a grotesque perversion, "Step forward my fellows, connect yourself to the void, feel its energy course through you."

Behind her, the bone growth began to pulse with a slowly growing orange energy.

All around them the crowd began to move forward, feet shuffling and tripping like a horde of zombies, their eyes wide and their mouths open as they reached out towards the alien tumor.

As soon as their fingers touched bone, the chance was almost immediate. The Subtle orange glow grew brighter, heads tilted back, and exposed skin began to boil with shadow as their void companions were drawn upwards through their skin and to the surface, drinking in the energy.

At his side Maverik could feel the pull, but refused.

The oracle smiled

"Drink it in, drink in the energy of our enemies! Their souls refined for our purpose!"

Adam's hands clenched.

He grabbed Maverick's hand and moved forward to follow the crowd, which was forced further back and towards the center of the void growth in their effort to find an open spot. Maverick kept her arms crossed in an effort to avoid touching any of the cultists, whose bodies squirmed with pusing orange energy and shadowy ecstasy.

Adam kept his eyes forward, focused on the center of the tree.

Maverick glanced at him, not sure what he planned to do, not sure whether she should stop him or encourage him.

They continued their slow march forward, one of the last people in line before growth.

The only open spot, within reach, and without a cultist running their grubby hands over the bone, was the central section at the apex of what might have been the trunk, the point where all other branches spawned from.

It seemed like as good a place as Any.

Adam lifted his hand, but stopped as Maverick caught him around the wrist.