Page 78 of Xeda

Aeriz tilted his head. "I guess we enjoyed the fight too much. Got distracted. Ports are shut down by now. No matter. Now we'll take our revenge first."

Xeda looked around and saw more of the fighters, some that hadn't started with them in the medical bay, who had been freed of their collars. Likely found in whatever rooms they had been locked into and let loose. They were taking over the building, going up each level and hunting the people who wronged them. He heard the screams of these people, heard shots in the distance of guards trying to keep them back.

Xeda looked back at Tazyn, who was clutching his hand.

"You still want to fight me, Tazyn?"

Tazyn snarled at him, taking up his weapon in one hand.

"Let me." Aeriz moved to block his way. "You had your victory. Now let me have mine."

Xeda didn't protest. He didn't have time for another fight anyway. As he stepped aside, he caught the shimmer of movement behind Tazyn.

Niks.

Xeda moved onward as Tazyn and Aeriz circled each other, then he made for the elevators. He found a strip of a ripped banner and grabbed it, quickly cinching it around his severed arm, halting some of the blood loss for now.

When he got to the elevators, he found they had stopped working. Cursing, he made for the stairs instead, leaping from one set to the next.

He hadn't had a chance to gauge which level Ophilia was on. He only knew she wasn't in their old room judging by the height. She was somewhere farther above. Five, maybe four, floors from the rooftop.

He rushed up to the top, using his sense of smell to hopefully guide him, but finding it weakened from the smoke. When he had passed at least ten floors, he knew he had to be getting close. He started to slow, then halted at one level when he caught a familiar scent.

It wasn't Ophilia's. But it was one he knew just as well. And she might be in the same place.

He kicked down the door to the passageway and saw several men on the ground, including one fighter who had already made his way up but had gotten mowed down by gunfire, taking out a few before he died.

He slipped past them without a thought, then kicked down the door to Sal's apartment.

Gunfire burst out, and he took one shot in the leg before quickly dodging out of the way. He rushed the man with the gun whose aim was thankfully way off and jumped him, sending him to the floor. The gun fell from his hands, and he kicked it away before knocking the man out. He kept going, kicking in doors, the scent of fear getting stronger, till he got to the back room and found a group huddling by the window.

Sal was there. With his sons and his woman. Xeda couldn't deny he felt a thrill at seeing their terror and their tears.

Sal got to his feet, putting out a shaky hand.

"Xeda," he said softly. "Listen, let's talk this out."

"Where is Ophilia?" Xeda growled in his face.

"Sh-she isn't here, okay. She's with House Capura now."

Xeda lashed out and grabbed Sal by his collar, dragging him closer, making sure Sal saw the points of his long teeth. "Where?" he hissed.

"Two floors. Their apartment is two floors up."

Xeda picked Sal up by his feet. "Do you think you deserve to live for just that information alone? Do you think you should be forgiven?"

The woman wailed, clinging to her sons. Cristan wailed almost as loud as her.

He heard noise at the door and turned his head to catch some of the freed fighters—a couple grex and corax—stalking inside, catching sight of them.

"It's just a game," Sal said. As if that was a good enough answer.

Xeda turned back to him, his expression twisted, a growl tearing up his throat. "And you lost."

Sal didn't deserve a swift death, and Xeda didn't have time to make it slow. He let go of him, letting him fall back to the ground.

The fighters came around, looking at them hungrily.

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