Chapter 146 146. Freedom

Chapter 146 146. Freedom
Rick

The sounds of their screams never really leave. They are just dull, hide behind the wall of ambition and need for vengeance.
I don't know who I would be without the noise. Without the sounds of their voices to remind me of why I can't leave this earth yet. Why do I need to fight no matter how hard remaining here is sometimes.
A ghost of everything the Assembly took dragging behind me like prisoner chains.
I lean against the cold wall outside the infirmary and stare at nothing.
The warriors are getting better with the young hunters' weapons.
I smirk imagining Aldren's face when an army of magic wielders faces off with them.
My wolf shifts beneath my skin, restless, ready to get his pound of flesh. To paint the earth with their blood and the sky with their pain.
We need to tell her, he says.
I know. She deserves to know but they also deserve their piece.
Give them something better. Give them justice, his wolf says.
A passing volunteer glances at me and gives me a respectful nod.
I clear my throat and push away from the wall and head into the infirmary.
“How are you sleeping Rick,” Kiara says as I enter.
Every day I relive it.
Every day I wonder if I could have done something different.
Every day I know I couldn't.
That somehow makes it worse. It makes me face my own failure, my own lack of preparedness and idealism.
“Fine,” I reply automatically.
She gives me a bullshit look. “So you're just here to gossip then?”
“Very funny.” I take a seat on one of the examination tables. “Your tonics have been helping.”
“Glad to hear it. I’ve made a new batch for you.” She pulls out a flash light, checking my eyes, my throat and placing her hand on me to scan my endocrine system. “Looks like it's doing well with your body.”
I grunt not liking coming in here but knowing very well she won't give me the tonics without checking my health.
She packs up several bottles of tonics and hands them to me. “This should hold you over until after the battle. You sure I can't convince you to stay.”
“Not on your life,” I smirk to lessen my gruff reply.
I don't hold it against her, she is a healer so it's natural for her to want to keep others safe. Her concern is wasted on me though.
“Have a good day. Don't work too hard,” I toss out as I walk out of the door.
We're closer now, four days out from battle and the itch I feel at lying to Aria is starting to nip at my heels.
The others could make all the difference, my wolf presses.
If they agree, I answer in a half hearted attempt to thwort his logic.
She should still know. So should they. If the world is going to change, their place in it could also, he argues.
I dump the tonics in my room and head to the arena to check up on the warriors.
They look good. Everyone has a decent grasp of their added element and even if they didn't, just having it and taking the Assembly off guard will give us enough of an advantage to overwhelm them, at least in the beginning.
“Why do you look so morose?” Aria says looking over at her brother as three males try to take him down.
“Your eyes must be playing tricks on you again.”
She looks at the warriors. “Are you not happy with our progress?”
“They’ll do,” I say, watching as the training room transformed into another battle.
“Well that makes me confident,” she gripe.
“You should be.” I mean it. Aria has the kind of power inside her that could level a city if she wished for it. “Your brother would have been an excellent sypher.”
“Yeah. I'm starting to realize there is not much he can't do.” The note to her voice sounds self admonishing.
“You're excellent on yourself. Like your mother.”
That gives me a small smile.
“Alright, what's on your mind. You're talking small talk and that isn't like you.”
“I'm old. I'm allowed to just blurt out my opinions and beliefs whenever I want. I earned it.”
She cocks her hip out, crossing her arms in a position that is all attitude. “Now I know you're bullshitting me. Since when do you call yourself old?”
Guilt starts to rear it ugly ass head and I contemplate how I’ll move forward.
All of the remaining syphers moved deep into a rural town. We survived by pretending to be human, trusting and leaning only on each other. There are only seven of us in total but we are survivors.
Sacred and fueled by the ghost of our past.
They know what I came to do and they gave me their blessing but now I know that I can't leave them there as I wish.
They need to be part of this fight.
Aria needs this.
The shifter world needs this. To see the Assembly, despite how they have tried, hasn't taken our lineage from us.
“Rick,” Aria ventures.
“Huh,” I blink past the war raging in my head.
"You okay?
"Yeah.”
I look at Aria and suddenly I’m standing in front of my wife, promising her I’d avenge her, that is take care of our son. The same son that was way braver and bolder then I ever was, who died for a further walk freely amongst his people.
My decision is made at this moment.
“There's something you should know,” I say without preamble.
Aria face’s me giving me her full attention. “Alright, what do you have for me?”
“Let's talk somewhere private?”
Her expression changes instantly. “Fuck your scaring me Rick.”
“There is no need to be. It's just best if we do this, just you and me.”
She purses her lips but doesn't say anything else. Leading us down a corridor into one of the empty office rooms by the Alphas war room, we step inside.
“Okay so what is it? And no dramatics please, I don't think I can take it.”
“We are not the only Syphers,” I say, ripping off the band aid.
“ What? How?”
“After the Assembly ordered our murder, a few escaped. We’ve been living under the radar for years.”
“How many?” she asks.
“Seven, including me.”
“Seven,” she repeats almost breathlessly and she plops down onto one of the chairs.
“I didn't tell you because it is my duty to keep them safe and I'm not certain all of them would concentrate on joining this war.not when it's not theirs."
Her head snaps to me, eyes blazing with the endless fire that she wields. “ Of course it is. They are shifters.”
“They have also been hunted every single day of their lives. They suffered things most would only imagine.”
“More of a reason to fight,” she says.
“I know this but we cannot predict what the others will do, what they are willing to do when they have finally found a sense of normalcy in their lives.”
“What about freedom? They may think they can finally stop looking over their shoulder but if they can't walk around as they are, how free can they be.”
“I agree with you.”
She blinks. “You do.”
“It's been becoming more and more clear the longer I've watched you train.”
“So why did you tell me now?”
“Because I want to head back to the town and see if I can bring some of them back, to fight.”
“Do you think anyone would come,”
“It is hard to say, but I'm sure a few can be convinced.”
“Can you make it in time? We head out in four days?”
“If I leave now I'm sure I can.”
She stands and the girl coming into her own in her place is a confident, assured Luna. “Alright. Don't worry about the others, I'll handle them.”
“All I ask is that you are selective with who you tell. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up and I don't want to put those who choose not to fight at risk.”
“You have my word.”
I squeeze her shoulder looking her right in the eye so she sees the truth in words. “Regardless of who comes back with me, I will be by your side on the battlefield.
“I'm going to hold you to that.”
I give her one final look before making way out of the mountain.
I fail my family, my son. I was too afraid to stand when I needed to.
Not anymore.
Nothing will keep me from achieving his dream, from fighting as I should have.
From convincing the others it's time to step out of the shadows.