Renegade Reborn by J. C. Fiske Page A

peace. Where others feel death, I feel life. Where others feel conflicted, I feel free. The Drakeness, it knew what I wanted, and it gave it to me. It shut off my ability to reason, to see friend from foe, and I, I couldn’t resist it, and that, that’s the problem. I wasn’t strong enough. I chose not to prepare for the impossible. I got too caught up in my own damned pride and arrogance. I underestimated my opponents, my inner turmoil, and by doing that, I’ve damned myself, but, I won’t damn all of you . . .” Gisbo started, then held his words back and sighed deeply before continuing.
    “ . . . Drakearon, what he did to me . . . I, I can’t feel. I can’t cry. I can’t get a release. There’s just, there’s just this numbing pressure, this tightness in my chest and stomach, like I’m on the verge of a heart attack that never comes.”
    “Gisbo . . .” Glinda mouthed.
    “There was just so much tragedy, so much death, all at once, that my mind can’t process it. Something’s broken inside me, making me doubt myself, and all my actions. I’ve never felt this way before, and until I fix it, I’m a danger to myself, but more importantly, I’m a danger to you all. I’m sorry, I’m just, so sorry. Please, Rolce, Niffin, everyone? Please don’t come looking for me again. If I ever hurt any of you . . . again . . . it would be the literal death of me.” Gisbo said. He turned to walk away, then stopped. When he spoke, he spoke to the ground, unable to look at his friends anymore.
    “You know? My whole life, all I wanted was solitude. All I wanted was to be left alone, and now that I’ve had it? Well, it’s funny. All I think about is you guys. All I think about . . . is her.” Gisbo started, then swallowed hard, turned his back on his friends, shoved his hands in his pockets, and made his way for the exit. He was about to clear the arena and reach the doublewide door, when a figure stepped out of the shadows and blocked his path.
    “For one so full of shit, it’s amazing you can still walk.” Rake Lokin muttered, and with one quick snap of his fist, he cracked Gisbo between his eyes, knocking him out cold, and crumpling him to the ground. Everyone else ran across the arena, staring wide-eyed at the downed Gisbo, then, at Rake.
    “What did you just do?” Rolce asked in a panic.
    “I cashed in a promise. The moment seemed right.” Rake said, as he bent down, and lifted Gisbo up onto his shoulders.
    “What, what is this? What are you doing?” Rolce asked.
    “Doing what you can’t,” Rake said, as he carried Gisbo through the doublewide doors.
    “Which is?” Rolce asked.
    “Fixing him,” Rake said, without turning around, as the doublewide doors shut behind him. Suddenly, Jackobi appeared beside them and he put a hand on Rolce’s shoulder.
    “We’re going on a little trip, Rolce. Don’t wait up. You’re right, we’ve sat back long enough. It’s time to do something. You say you’re not a leader, and maybe that’s true, but you damned well led us here. Take it a little further, get everyone out of this depressive darkness, and blow it up on your way out,” Jackobi said.
    “But what if we need this place? What if we . . .” Rolce started. Jackobi looked all around and sniffed the air with a disgusted face.
    “Nobody needs this place,” Jackobi said as he threw two travel bags over his shoulders and joined Rake and Gisbo beyond the double doors, leaving Rolce, Grandfield, Whip, Niffin, an unconscious Crass, and Glinda speechless. The silence, it was so discomforting, so . . .
    CRISSHH!!!
    Everyone spun about toward the source of the noise to see Grandfield, holding a freshly opened beer can with foam pouring down the sides.
    “What?” Grandfield asked, as he raised the can to his lips, and tipped the warm beer back without remorse.
     
    When Gisbo awoke, he had the odd sensation that he was floating. It was peaceful, but only for a moment as a sudden burning, digging sensation