Fate's Game [GL]

Feeling the chill going up her body from the cold night, she began to feel uncomfortable laying on the ground. She stood up with the support of her arms, while her right one was still slightly hurting from the relocating.

She was sure what she had to do now. The best was to bring Emil to safety, before the others in her team found him.

Directing her eyes to his glowing silver ones, she said, "I will help you escape, I owe you this!"

Hearing this, Emil wanted to retorted back, that she didn't owe him anything, but bit back the comment. If he can get scratch free out, he could take the team back to the barracks.

"I know a passage I found this morning, while preparing the ambush. From there, you can follow the water flow and escape. But I advise you not to go back to your supervisors, the old man would kill you before you reach them." Chameleon continued.

Emil's anger grew, was she implying right now for him to go alone and abandone his comrades. Just thinking of that left him agitated and the thought of Sasha being in death's hand, almost crushed his heart in pain and anguish.

Trying to control his temper, he spat out," Are you telling me, I should escape alone and leave them all here to die? I will never be a chicken and abandon them!"

She narrowed her eyes at his foolishness, of swatting away her good-will. She might have sworn her life to him, but that didn't make her stupid. Let alone help him, how should she help all of them? No way! She will not give up her live for extras!

"No, you will escape! And you know why? Because you're the only one who can avenge their deaths! Now-"

"They are not dead yet!" He interrupted her. "We can still make it out! I only need to know where they are, so I can bring them away to hide!"

Chameleon was silent for a long time, then she broke eye contact to rummage through her pocket, bringing out a mobile phone like thing, with an antenna.

She couldn't change this stubborn attitude of this man, so she didn't try anymore. The best was to show him, how hopeless the situation really is.

Emil eyed her suspiciously. Was she calling assistance? Did she trick him in believing in all this helping to escape, masquerade? But there was no need for her to lie to him, she can deal with him pretty much, without any kind of support.

Noticing his suspicion, Chameleon gave him a quick glance before turning back to the display of the device.

She softly said, "It's a device for sending messages to my team members. It has a perimeter of 50 miles, without the possibility for someone to see our conversations. With 50 miles they should still be in the vicinity. As you might have thought, I'm not the only one who has chased after you guys. We are right now five people and you guys are eight."

While talking to him, she started to write a message to her team members, asking them of the progress of their mission.

"I will ask them now how many they have killed, if there are some alive... I will help you! But don't have your hope up to high, with Skelett there, they won't survive for long!"

Frowning about all the information, Emil walked without taking caution next to Chameleon, to stare at the display.

Every minute was of importance now, the more time they squander the higher was the risk that his comrades are already on the other side.

Chameleon: How many did you guys get?

The glasses guy was the first to answer.

Glasses: I got one! He was a piece of cake!

His answer was followed immediately by Muscle and the other one Rico, both of them each got one too.

Surprisingly, the name of this Rico guy was normal, maybe those weird names meant a higher position in their organization. Who knows!

Emil seeing that three out of eight where already dead, drew his eyebrows closer and closer. But this time out of worry, that Sasha might be the one who died and not that he lost his brothers in arms.

Right now his priority laid alone by Sasha. A selfish thought, yes! However love makes that happen! He just didn't realize it.

Some seconds later he saw a string of letters that began to sting his eyes, his heart skipped a beat and he felt like smashing everything to pieces.

Glasses: Oh right! I met Skelett some seconds ago, he said he got three. So there are two left to go.

Right, six minus eight are two, so two are left. One was Emil himself and the other one... unknown.

Having now made clear that she only had one additional person to rescue, left Chameleon heave a sigh of relief. For one, would be easier to rescue than all of them. She gave a thumbs up to her team members for doing a fast job.

"You see! I can only help you and the other one who survived to escape, the others are dead! We can't resurrect people from the dead! Let's go now!"

Turning her head to him, she saw a stiff Emil standing there, his body was like paralyzed, staring at the display repeating those words "got three".

Chameleon nudged him to break his stupor, but failed to do so. The thought of Sasha being no more, gnawed on his heart, burning it up like an inferno.

The display flashed another message.

Glasses: Hey Chameleon, did you get the leader of this group of chicken? You know he is the main target, he has to die for the mission to be successful, but no one has found him yet.

"He's alive!", murmured Emil.

It was a short text, however, Emil's heart calmed down, reading again and again to make sure he hasn't seen wrong. "The leader!" So they didn't kill Sasha yet. He had a chance to bring him safely home!

He stood silent for a second deeply broodling about something. He was actually thinking which path Sasha might have took. He asked if Chameleon had a map. He traced all the ways he could have taken and decided where to look for him.

Chameleon did not oppose his decision, she was inwardly happy for him to take the initiative to run away, that was precisely her wish.

Making themselves on their way, they soon reached the point where Emil thought Sasha might be. It was a place he was familiar of, in the training phase years ago they found a cave and spend the night there.

Seeing where Emil brought them Chameleon's eyes widened in surprise, what a coincidence, that was exactly the place with the hidden passage.

There was a water source in the cave that has an underwater way, that lead to the other side of the tropical forest. Emil didn't know about that and Chameleon only found out, because of the urge to take a bath.

She didn't tell her team members about her findings, as said they had no team air around them, they were all loners and she did not like to take crap from anyone.

Emil went in the cave, it wasn't that deep and big animals would find it too small, so there was no big danger to go in. He searched, bit didn't find a trace from Sasha.

Should he not be here? Did he make a mistake in his conclusions? Emil ran out to search the surroundings, maybe he was hiding.

His heart was squeezing more and more, in his whole life he never felt such a whirl of emotions, as if someone could rip his heart out his c.h.e.s.t while he was breathing.

What kind of weird agony was that?! He was only his cousin and brother for life. Just what was this feeling?

Chameleon looked bewildered at him. What was he searching for? The darkness did not give him an easy time, for whatever he was looking for.

Then, something fell in her field of vision, on a plant there was some strange stuff on it. Going there, a strong smell penetrates her nasal cavity, she would never mistake this for something else.

It was blood!

Her head churned with thoughts, she looked back to Emil who was still looking for something.

Was this blood related with his actions? She didn't know, but she still called Emil to come have a look at it.

Seeing the blood, Emil grew frantic, his head swirled around, he looked for more blood and he did find more.

He traced it back to an inconspicuous place with some bushes. He went and parted them. And look Sasha was there!

He was unconscious and blood was trickling down his forehead, but it was a light cut nothing life threatening. He was stuck in a crack similar to the one Chameleon fell into, just much smaller, enough for Sasha to get stuck.

That was the reason the black vipers did not find him. He was well hidden and unconscious, he couldn't react to any kind of taunting or provocation, otherwise he would have sprung to his death willingly, when it meant to protect his comrades and his honor.

When Emil saw him, he felt such a relief, his heart was beating from joy, never ever, was he so glad to see Sasha. And that was when he understood, it was love! He loved Sasha! He was shocked by his feelings, but right now it wasn't the time to dwell in them.

He and Chameleon freed him from the crack and brought him back to the cave. Emil started a fire to warm themselves up.

He knew Sasha would be mad when he wakes up, for he lived while everyone else died. But that didn't matter to him, if at least Sasha could keep on living.

Before departing, Chameleon described how he could use the underwater passage to get out from here. When Sasha would wake up they could swim and leave here for good.

It was time for them to split ways. She said, she would take care of the aftermath, that awaited her, with the escape of them both.

She was almost out of the cave, when Emil turned to her and muttered a thank you.

In the crackling fire his face was illuminated. He had said to Chameleon, she had no need to owe him anything, but he was really thankful to her. He was glad, he did the right choice by rescuing her.

Chameleon still heard the almost inaudible thank you, without turning back she stood at the entrance and said, "Sera" and disappeared.

"Hmm?" Emil was confused.

"Sera..."

Looking her figure being swallowed by the darkness, he repeated her name.

Never would he have thought, that soon their paths would cross once more.