The Dream Shifter

Chapter 253

Regaining his position, he gripped Fumiko's extended arm and started to pull her over his shoulder. "If you're wondering, I've negated your power. Watching your fight with Stamatia I saw something was off about you. Seems my guess was correct. I don't know what this means you are, but you're as normal as everyone else now."

Cosmas glared down at the two bodies of Seiji and Nerine. He removed the swords from them. Blood continued to pour out around them. "Tch…damn bastard… how'd I miss his heart?" Cosmas materialized a weapon in his hand. "That's some force of will to stay alive…but not a lot of good it is going to do you with a blade through your heart." He moved the sword to hold over his back. "I won't be missing this time."

The sword slid down into Seiji's back. A new source of blood poured out as the metal came closer. "Almost—" A slab of wood suddenly erupted from the ground and knocked Cosmas' hand away. The impact sent the sword into the air trailing blood before it disappeared.

Cosmas nursed his bruised hand as he glanced over at the cause. "I thought I dealt with the Captain's back up…" The one running towards him was not the same MP user he knocked out earlier. However, it did not take him long to figure out who it was. "The fight must have drained me if he was able to materialized next to me…" He stood up and turned away before turning invisible. 'Can't have myself discovered…though I'll need to find a time to silence these two… I hate loose ends…'

Arriving late and slightly short of breath, Miltiades surfaced from the dark of night. He personally released himself from the infirmary after everything that happened. Knowing that they attacked their camp made him want to do something. He was not about to let them go around hurting everyone. Unfortunately, he realized that he was late. "What happened here? Who was the one that fought him?"

Burdened with only questions, he searched the area quickly trying to find anyone. The one he stopped disappeared and left nothing behind. "Why were they trying to kill him? We were only given capture orders. The orders haven't changed while I was out?"

A shallow weak cough dripped more blood to the ground. It drew Miltiades back and impressed on him the critical nature of both of them. "I have to fix them up. We'll have answers back at camp." Ripples expanded out from his feet. Particles of light floated up off the ground starting to cling to Nerine and Seiji. "I've got to hurry, or all I'm healing are a couple of corpses. A dead prisoner will be even more trouble…"

In the Command Tent, the situation calmed immensely. While the chaos in the camp was unplanned for, it still produced results. Early reports gave signs that the fighting was ending and the radar backed it up. They would soon have more captives and half of the group subdued. Everyone felt the battle turning to their side. They had a victory, finally.

No one spoke a word about it to Simonides.

Simonides remained still after he got in the last reports. The troubling news he gained from the last fight left his entire body tense. He could not believe his instincts failed him. Outside of the timing, everything went as he hoped. Yet they acted counter to his information. It did not sit well with him. 'He's dead. It was my orders.'

Amidst the turmoil in his mind, he looked around at the other reports and the radar. The ugly image it present of his camp. He paid a terrible price for his trap. 'So many died tonight…my miscalculations…' Even with the bad timing, he never imagined how much damage they would cause. He thought his preparations were enough, but caught off guard in the worst possible time. 'I shouldn't have relaxed the guard…what did I miss? What don't I know about them?'

The peace times Atlantis faced rarely saw any causality. Only mistakes caused them. His mistake caused it. A clean record burned to ash in a single night. He continued to question himself. Simonides remained silent as he glanced at his soldiers. They watched him and the scene waiting. Most understood well enough, he saw it in their eyes. However, the longer he held his words the stronger the tension returned. The ease faded away as though never existing.

As Captain, he knew he had to face mistakes and even the worst of mistakes eventually. He knew it, but it did not make it any easier. Simonides stiffened his body and faced the men. "Bring the prisoners to the detention tents. Make sure to have MPs are always on watch! Keep their powers sealed at all times! They won't be escaping!" His hand rested on the radar. The scan of the camp left a sour taste in his mouth. "Gather all able body men! This camp needs our help!"

The Commander nodded in agreement to him. He turned around barking orders to the individual officers. It only took a few seconds for the tent to almost be empty. Abeiron walked over to Simonides. "These things happen, sir. We are victorious."

Simonides slowly shook his head. A point of the radar made his eyes shrink and features narrow. "Not yet…we still haven't received a recent report from this area. I know Photine appeared against orders, but we still don't know the outcome or who this third person is." He was not sure if he should believe it, but his gut was nagging him stronger than it before. Something felt wrong. "Abeiron send another MP."

"Sir?"

"I won't see another mistake tonight."

The weight on Yumi kept her from moving. It scared her. She could see herself moving slowly to kill the woman. Yumi did not think she would go so far. However, the image of the boy came back to her. She remembered him, but only vague notions. One thing she knew for sure was that he was dead. His body was nearby her. 'When…did I while I was in delusions? I did it…there wasn't anyone else…' She could not remember how it happened.

Every time she tried to recall it, her mind went blank. It made her head ache trying to think about it. She knew she had to know, but something stopped her. Why could she not know? What stopped her? She had so many questions. Yet she had one answer that was larger than the questions. He was dead. She did not even know their name. She knew nothing about him.

Yumi sat down next to him. Her hand stretched out towards him, but stopped. She could not touch him. 'What right do I have…' She never thought their rescue would have such things happen. It was not even a consideration. They only wanted Yori, not to hurt anyone. 'She'd say they were just following orders…but still…'

Another c***k shattered the silence. Chiharu stood in front of Yumi, her hand finished moving. "There's no time for pity and guilt. We're still in enemy territory and your brother isn't safe yet." She grabbed Yumi's arm, as she was still stunned. "Get moving! If you freeze over something like this you'll be the next to die!"

It took a few moments for Yumi to process everything. But with Chiharu yelling at her, she felt her body moving on its own. She stood up to face her. "Someone died! Because of me! Do you even understand what that means?! Life isn't something that is so worthless it can be tossed away without a second thought!" Yumi felt her chest pounding and her breathing hastening. "I'm not like you!"

Chiharu's features narrowed. Her body shook a little as she lost some of her control. She slapped Yumi again. A couple different emotions fought to come to the surface with her struggling to keep them in check. "Don't think you know anything about me," she delivered with a tone so heavy it masked out the venomous undertones.

Yumi staggered a step back. She always knew Chiharu had another side to her. But she did not expect it to be so cold or dark. It felt like she stepped on a landmine. She wanted to say anything, but the piercing eyes kept her silent.

Shifting looks, Chiharu ended her stance and turned away. She felt Yumi starting to move again. In the end, moving forward was all that mattered. They could not stop moving. 'Something's off…' The air suddenly changed with a heavy mood. Chiharu froze and spun around trying to determine what her senses warned her. However, it was too late.

A light flashed quickly through the air before a wet noise rang out. Chiharu turned her head towards Yumi. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight. She bolted over to reach Yumi even though it was already too late. Nothing could be done.

Still confused, Yumi stumbled a little from the force that slammed into her. Everything felt slow to her sight. She saw Chiharu running towards her with an unusual expression. It made her wonder what happened. Something hit her, but it happened so fast she did not felt anything. "…what…" Yumi tilted her head down to see what hit her.

A large sword pierced her body and hand, which tried to protect her. The blade ran through her heart. "…oh…" she whispered, upon the discovery. It did not felt real to her. Her eyes looked up and saw Photine behind Chiharu with her hand extended. It was all happening too fast. Her mind started to go blank and an awkward pain reached up into her chest clinching down tightly on her. Yumi lost the strength in her legs, beginning to fall backwards. "It's over?"