The Last Alignment: Cry of the Scorpions (2 page)

“
No, I suppose I would
not,” Hektor answered as he looked back down at his lap. He closed
his eyes and tried to make sense of his current situation. He had
been dead. Really dead. And now, he wasn’t. But if he had died and
were dead, would he have been aware of the actual fact that he was
deceased? He was here now, so did that mean that all this time that
Hektor thought he was gone he really wasn’t? What had happened to
him if he didn’t die? It had felt so real…more permanent than all
the other times…

“
This is it, right? It’s
been a while.”

“
Excuse me?” Hektor was
drawn from his thoughts and took in his surroundings. “Yes,” he
said leaning forward. “This is it.”

They pulled into the driveway of a vast
house that looked as if it was once very handsome and well kept.
Vines grew to cover a considerable amount of the structure and
greenery overran much of the landscape. Hektor soaked it all in
unbelieving that he was back at his home. Though he knew what was
to come and what it meant, he still could not suppress a grin.

“
I want to leave her in
here for a little while,” Victor said shutting off the engine. The
statement stopped his mind from reminiscing and Hektor nodded and
got out of the car. They walked up to the front doors and examined
the barely rusted silver box that rested where the door knob should
be. Hektor hit the green button and the box shuttered to
life.

“
Do you remember the
code,” Victor asked.

“
I believe so,” Hektor
said punching in six numbers. There was a click, and the door
popped and opened slightly. Dust fell from the seal that surrounded
it and a dull but polluted and horrid stench met them as they
stepped into the familiar dwelling.

For the most part, the place was in good
condition and still looked every bit as splendid as Hektor
remembered. Dust, grime, and dirt seemed to cover everything, but
that was due plainly to years of the place being uninhabited.
Everything was where it was supposed to be and neat, but upon
entering the living room they both discovered the source of the
worst part of the overall stench; on a couch rested the two
intertwined skeletons and remains of Hektor’s Huskies, Ernest and
Benjamin. Hektor felt a twinge in his stomach.

“
Ah,” breathed Victor. “I
forgot about that aspect of this place.”

“
You go ahead and get
cleaned up. I will tend to this.”

“
I’m fine. I’ll wash my
face, but there’s no point in getting too cleaned up if we’re
staying here.” Victor grabbed a corner of the long couch cushion
that held Hektor’s beloved animals and slowly pulled, dust and
filth falling to the carpet. He then lifted the cushion, held it at
arm’s length, and walked off leaving Hektor standing alone in his
living room.

The legs on his coffee table bore bite marks
and there was a broken vase on the floor. Other than that, Hektor
saw no other damages done by his dogs as he wandered around until
he looked at the carpet that led to the kitchen; there was a trail
of wood shavings that were speckled with old blood. Hektor followed
them and saw that one of the lower cabinets that held Earnest and
Benjamin’s food had been scratched up. There was more old blood in
the large indentation that they made which meant that they had hurt
themselves trying to get in to it. Hektor undid the latch and
opened the cupboard to see that three bags of kibble were all
standing tidily, clearly untouched. He examined the thick oak door
and the fact that they had managed to hollow it out as much as they
did without quite being able to get through made him feel
worse.

“
Hektor?”

He turned around to see Victor looking
prepared and definite. “I’m surprised this isn’t in worse
condition. It’s been a long time. Do you plan on fixing this place
up?”

“
Of course,” Hektor said
knowing what was about to be requested of him.

“
Then I want Justine to be
buried in the back with the others,” he said. “I had other
arrangements, but I know she would have preferred it this
way.”

Hektor nodded his approval. The silence that
plagued them both in the car returned as they stood mere feet from
one another. Hektor once again lowered his gaze and decided that he
would be the one to start the conversation that needed to happen.
“Victor, I know that you have questions. I show up out of nowhere
unannounced, and the next thing you know you are being attacked and
Justine is killed. I-”

Hektor’s eyes widened in surprise as Victor
grabbed him and held him in a tight embrace. Unsure of what else to
do, he hugged his friend back as a sense of relief and ease
steadily filled him.

“
It’s good to see you,
Hek. I mean it.”

“
It…it is good to see you
too, old friend.” Hektor smiled.

“
You must have some
questions of your own. Can we go out on the back patio, then?”
Hektor nodded and led the way.

When they were outside, they both rested
their elbows on the thick wooden banister and looked around. The
backyard was as unkempt as the front, but the tips of headstones
could still be seen as far off and hidden as they were. The sky was
lightening as daylight approached and Hektor took a slow, deep
breath. “You are aware of what my presence indicates.”

“
Yes,” Victor answered
plainly. “It’s not over. Either there’s a new threat, or like you,
Mordikin still lives.”

“
It is Mordikin,” Hektor
said resting his forehead on his forearms; he was feeling
lightheaded and was appallingly dehydrated. “The woman who attacked
me was possessed.”

“
Well, from what was left
of her head I’m pretty sure I knew her.” Hektor looked over at
Victor. “She was my mail lady, and the guy was one of my neighbors.
He was a trainer at one of the local gyms. That’s not a
coincidence.”

“
Agreed, but I believe
that what we experienced tonight was just Mordikin testing his
powers. Those were Agonimen.”

“
Agonimen? But, why would
he-”

“
I am assuming that he
returned before me, but I do not think that his powers have fully
come back to him just yet…like mine,” Hektor added. “I should have
been able to Sense the Agonimen when I was standing outside of your
house and I could not. I should have been able to Sense the female
Agonimin downstairs before she grabbed me and I could not. I had to
focus unnaturally hard to find your essence when it has never been
that way before. Any of the other times that I have died, my powers
were fine when I awoke.” There was a note of acrimony and
self-blame in his voice and Victor noticed.

“
Hek, you were gone
for
fourteen
years.” Hektor closed his eyes in bewilderment at this news.
Had it really been that long? How much had happened within that
time period? Since Mordikin returned before him, how much had he
already accomplished? How much did he know? “I don’t think you’ve
ever been down for that long of a space of time. That’s why we all
thought you were gone and that it was all over. But looking back on
what happened, I don’t think it’s too bizarre that you are here
now,” Victor said reflectively.

“
Are you proposing that I
needed fourteen years for my body to recuperate?”

“
Yes. Does that not make
sense to you,” Victor asked. Hektor looked down at his feet. They
were no longer painful and most of the cuts and blisters that
covered them were not only gone, but the pieces of glass that had
been lodged in his feet were now lying beside them freckled with
blood. “That was a remarkably bold thing that you did,” said
Victor. “The damage that you took was concentrated and powerful.
There was no way that you were going to just get up and walk it
off.” That was the only logical explanation so Hektor accepted it
though he felt like there must have been something more. “Where did
you wake up and how did you know that I was going to be attacked,”
Victor questioned.

Hektor tried his best to
recall. “I woke up in the same place it happened in almost the same
spot where Mordikin and I were struck down. I was buried, I was
disoriented, and I had no idea where I was or who I was. But for
some reason, all I saw was light. It was like everything around me
was glowing. I thought I heard someone speaking, and the next thing
I knew I was standing naked in the middle of a large crater. I
wandered and I found these clothes in some woods and put them on.
As I stumbled around, everything started slowly coming back to me
and when I remembered properly, the first thing I did was try and
Sense for you.
Any
of you. I felt the Agonimen first and intended to go after
them thinking that they were stragglers from before. Clearly, they
were not. I felt you right after and immediately began making my
way. Once I found the Agonimen’s aura trails, I followed them and
the path ended at your house.” Hektor massaged his knuckles trying
his best to stay awake. His brain seemed to not want to do anymore
remembering, so he decided it was his turn to ask questions.
Besides, Victor knew what happened after that point. “Who told you
what happened at the battle,” he asked.

“
Talia,” Victor replied,
appearing deep in thought.

“
Talia? Why
not-”

Victor held his hand up. There was a
seriousness in his facial expression that alarmed Hektor. “Don’t
say his name around me. I’ll talk to you about that whole situation
some other time.” Victor knew that Hektor was about to press the
matter and so he quickly said, “Right now we need to figure out how
Mordikin found me.” Hektor could not deny it; that was a very
urgent and chilling issue. “I have a fake identity and everything
that I own is under that fake identity. As far as anyone knows,
Victor Alder died ten years ago.”

“
Why do you have a fake
identity?”

“
The others in my
Alignment have them as well.” Before Victor could go on,
comprehension set in and Hektor understood; Victor’s appearance was
in no way a reflection of his actual age. So, they all faked their
deaths once they got “old” and obtained new identities to shield
themselves from suspicion or inquiry. Victor noticed that Hektor
had put things together and continued. “As soon as you contacted
me, I got out of bed and went into the hallway. I intended to go to
the front door, but I heard one of the doors downstairs open and
close so I stopped. When the Agonimen attacked, Barbra went for
Justine and Michael for me, but I knocked Barbra down the stairs
before she could open the door to Justine’s room.”

“
They were more than
likely under orders to not only kill you, but everyone in your
household,” said Hektor. “I was purely an unforeseen factor.
Mordikin probably did not think that he needed anything stronger
than Agonimen. Or, he could not conjure up anything
stronger.”

“
So, if you hadn’t been
there, I probably would’ve been killed?” It sounded like gratitude
more so than a query, but Hektor didn’t acknowledge it. How many
times had he saved Victor’s life before? It was his duty. “How do
you think Mordikin found me,” Victor asked. “Since the Agonimen
were so close, do you think that he’s based here in
Montana?”

“
I do not know, but I do
not think it likely that Mordikin has set up camp here,” said
Hektor. “He would have Sensed me and he would have shown up himself
to try and kill me.” Hektor looked out at the morning sky. “I need
to contact Ravi,” he said standing up straight. “We need to know if
the others were attacked as well.”

“
I don’t think they were.
If something happened up until now I definitely would’ve known,”
Victor said placing a hand on his stomach.

“
I still need to notify
them of my presence.”

“
I will do that,” Victor
said standing straight up as well. “You said it yourself. Your
powers are weak right now. If you had trouble contacting me when
you were standing outside of my house, then how do you expect to be
able to contact Ravi? Besides, you look like hell and probably feel
the same way, and you aren’t as sharp as you normally are. A worn
out Hektor is good for no one. You should get some
rest.”

Hektor could not argue Victor’s claim; he
was exhausted and in no condition to formulate plans or make
assumptions and deductions. Nevertheless, there were two things
that he intended to talk about before he rested which trumped all
the other thoughts that he could not seem to settle in his head.
“They are all sixteen now, correct?”

Victor knew what he was talking about at
once. “All except one. Her birthday is the fifth of October. It’s
August.”

“
Have they had any
preparation or instruction so far?”

“
Yes,” Victor said
quickly. “Even though you were gone, it was still felt that they
should be trained if for any reason so that they know how to
control their initial powers.”

“
Good,” Hektor said
slightly relieved. “Now, what is it that you are not telling
me?”

Victor was clearly surprised, but he fixed
his expression. “Wits seem to be coming back alright,” he said
lightheartedly as his small smile faded. “I have to admit, Hek.
They know nothing of what their purpose or history is and they know
nothing of you. They think that their families just have these
gifts. Hell, they don’t even know that we are all still alive.
Neither do our children.”

“
Why were they not told?”
Hektor’s voice was unsympathetic.