bod—”
The guard gasped before he could finish his comment, sounding like someone had choked him into silence. There was a strained groan, then what sounded like a body being flung into the cell with Zen.
“Now wait a moment!” Zen recognized the sound of the second guard’s voice. “I shall have words with the overseer. We were following his direct ord—”
The second guard went silent right before he too, was thrown into the cell.
An unfamiliar voice echoed inside the stone walls. “Bastards. They are lucky I do not separate their spines from their fucking bodies for what they have done to you.”
The male speaking slowly came into focus. He was white-haired and wearing at least two bodies’ worth of dark blue and silver armor. His black leather boots gleamed in the light. He walked over the hands of the unconscious guards, destroying the bones with a loud crunch. He continued onward, uncaring, and did not stop until he was kneeling next to Zeniel.
“Are you all right?” he asked, looking Zeniel’s body over for injuries.
They’d healed days ago, each one resealing thanks to the female who had visited him.
“I am fine. Are you the one they sent to get me out?”
The white-haired male stared at him, his silver and dark blue eyes sad.
“I am Dyletri. Although the last time you saw me, I was still called Salicyar.”
Had he too started out as a different being?
Zeniel blinked when clothes appeared on his body. Black leather breeches, boots as tough as the ones Dyletri was wearing, and a long sleeved, white tunic materialized out of thin air and onto his form.
“We cannot have you walking around balls-out. The females out there might appreciate it, but that is not a sight for my eyes. Agreed?” Dyletri gave him a small smile. “Do you truly not remember me?” he asked when Zeniel merely continued to stare at him.
Zeniel shook his head. “Forgive me, but I do not remember anything . . . except the things I brought to pass.” He moved to stand.
Dyletri extended a hand to help him. “None of it was your fault.”
Zeniel started shaking his head once more. He was having none of it. If he was learning to control it now, why couldn’t he have learned before killing so many?
You were not Zeniel then.
No, but what he had been was an abomination. Nothing would change that.
“I do not wish to speak of that at this moment.”
A wave of dizziness made the walls around him spin.
Dyletri placed a hand on his shoulder. “You have not eaten in centuries. You might not need sustenance to survive, but you have gone too long without. You will not regain full strength until you eat.”
Zen nodded. “I do remember that.”
“Well, I hope you remember this as well.” Still holding onto his shoulder, Dyletri dematerialized them.
Zen’s feet touched the ground so hard he was almost brought to his knees. He looked around, realizing they were in a clearing. In front of them stood two mountains, a waterfall cascading between the peaks. It ended in a round basin surrounded by large flat rocks. All around, human males moved back and forth, some tending to fires, others going about their daily business. Small huts were scattered throughout the clearing.
“We read all their minds before deciding on this place. They are pure of deed, every one of them. This group is a new religious settlement. They are determined to live holy lives,” Dyletri said.
“They are all male.”
Dyletri smiled ruefully. “This specific group is, but over time we can find you a female pure of deed and bring her to you.”
The idea bothered Zeniel on a level he could not understand. “That is not necessary. I am in no need. Why did these men settle here?”
“They are one of only a hundred or so small settlements left on the whole planet. They settled here to live lives of penance. Even if civilization were to spring back rapidly, these men want to stay away from it all. They want to appease the higher powers that
The guard gasped before he could finish his comment, sounding like someone had choked him into silence. There was a strained groan, then what sounded like a body being flung into the cell with Zen.
“Now wait a moment!” Zen recognized the sound of the second guard’s voice. “I shall have words with the overseer. We were following his direct ord—”
The second guard went silent right before he too, was thrown into the cell.
An unfamiliar voice echoed inside the stone walls. “Bastards. They are lucky I do not separate their spines from their fucking bodies for what they have done to you.”
The male speaking slowly came into focus. He was white-haired and wearing at least two bodies’ worth of dark blue and silver armor. His black leather boots gleamed in the light. He walked over the hands of the unconscious guards, destroying the bones with a loud crunch. He continued onward, uncaring, and did not stop until he was kneeling next to Zeniel.
“Are you all right?” he asked, looking Zeniel’s body over for injuries.
They’d healed days ago, each one resealing thanks to the female who had visited him.
“I am fine. Are you the one they sent to get me out?”
The white-haired male stared at him, his silver and dark blue eyes sad.
“I am Dyletri. Although the last time you saw me, I was still called Salicyar.”
Had he too started out as a different being?
Zeniel blinked when clothes appeared on his body. Black leather breeches, boots as tough as the ones Dyletri was wearing, and a long sleeved, white tunic materialized out of thin air and onto his form.
“We cannot have you walking around balls-out. The females out there might appreciate it, but that is not a sight for my eyes. Agreed?” Dyletri gave him a small smile. “Do you truly not remember me?” he asked when Zeniel merely continued to stare at him.
Zeniel shook his head. “Forgive me, but I do not remember anything . . . except the things I brought to pass.” He moved to stand.
Dyletri extended a hand to help him. “None of it was your fault.”
Zeniel started shaking his head once more. He was having none of it. If he was learning to control it now, why couldn’t he have learned before killing so many?
You were not Zeniel then.
No, but what he had been was an abomination. Nothing would change that.
“I do not wish to speak of that at this moment.”
A wave of dizziness made the walls around him spin.
Dyletri placed a hand on his shoulder. “You have not eaten in centuries. You might not need sustenance to survive, but you have gone too long without. You will not regain full strength until you eat.”
Zen nodded. “I do remember that.”
“Well, I hope you remember this as well.” Still holding onto his shoulder, Dyletri dematerialized them.
Zen’s feet touched the ground so hard he was almost brought to his knees. He looked around, realizing they were in a clearing. In front of them stood two mountains, a waterfall cascading between the peaks. It ended in a round basin surrounded by large flat rocks. All around, human males moved back and forth, some tending to fires, others going about their daily business. Small huts were scattered throughout the clearing.
“We read all their minds before deciding on this place. They are pure of deed, every one of them. This group is a new religious settlement. They are determined to live holy lives,” Dyletri said.
“They are all male.”
Dyletri smiled ruefully. “This specific group is, but over time we can find you a female pure of deed and bring her to you.”
The idea bothered Zeniel on a level he could not understand. “That is not necessary. I am in no need. Why did these men settle here?”
“They are one of only a hundred or so small settlements left on the whole planet. They settled here to live lives of penance. Even if civilization were to spring back rapidly, these men want to stay away from it all. They want to appease the higher powers that
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