Chapter 5 - Join Me

As if on cue, two hands busted out of the ground. Fei evaded the hands, then took the skies. "Oh brother, don't tell me he's immortal" Fei wondered. He quickly dismisses the idea, "Wait, if he was he wouldn't have died to begin with. Did he respawn?" 

The word respawn resonated with Fei, reminding him of the special mechanics of Dragonoid creatures. These creatures were extremely powerful and known for respawning a certain number of times after death. Dragons are critically endangered species who rarely shows themselves in the sights of humans. They live a hundred times of a human life span, and they have few weaknesses in battle. 

When Hiome came out for the third time, Fei's confused expression gave him joy. Fei sent another wind scythe hoping to end things quickly. Hiome dodged the attack, then leaped into the air with his little dagger in hand. 

"You're still using that" Fei said confidently. He did not bother to move out of the way, for the dagger would not touch him regardless. 

So he thought, Hiome defied his target's expectations by thrusting his blade into Fei's stomach. His speed was instantaneous, impossible to follow with his eyes. Fei's nerve delayed the pain of the thrust, proving how fast Hiome moved. 

With that one attack, Fei fell to the ground harshly on his back. "H-how?" Fei groaned, out of breath.

Hiome landed smoothly next to the prince. "You werent thinking Mr. Fei. I bet for all your life, physical attacks has never harmed you in the outdoors. This might had been your first experience of it. I should be flattered" he giggles. 

Fei tried to get up, but to no avail. His limbs were shaking too much. "Is it over for me?" Fei wondered to himself. For the first time, in an environment where the air held dominant, Fei received a lethal hit. The act of feeling pain was something Fei was familiar with, but never had he doubted the powers of his best friend until now. 

"Before you die, I thought I should tell you the reason for all the inconsistencies happening. Why the bleeding from your wounds keep stopping? Why I keep coming back to life? Those questions are pretty simple, if you had known of me in advance."

"You were a Royal Family member, so it puzzles me how you are not aware of my talents beyond murder. I am one of the few people trained specifically for this day, to murder a member of the Royal Family. It was why I was born, my purpose for living." Hiome spoke, happily. 

Hiome raised his left hand, and rested it on his chest. "Behold, this is what I was born to become". The boy went through a transformation right before the prince's eyes. 

In the cause of the power up, the atmosphere changed drastically. Dark clouds covered the sky, the wind got even stronger, the sound of the grass being blown filled the air. The air was three times denser than before. Just the simple act like breathing required a lot of focus. Two scaled horn appeared on Hiome's head, his eyes changed from grey to yellow and he grew a whole feet taller. His entire skins was now covered with silver like scales as well. Behind was a tail that was half the length of his body. This boy was no longer human, he was a monster. "I am part Dragon now, meaning I have seven lives" Hiome stated. 

"And my gift is to reopen wounds you have received in the past, no matter how long it was. I am not sure where you got so many slashes from in the past, but you must know. The wounds you have on your body now, was caused years ago by someone else, not by me. Which is why it can bypass your wind barrier. And as for my current strike that breached your wind barrier, don't worry, It only took me longer than expected to adjust the speed required to breach your barrier. It was never a full proof way to protect yourself."

Fei's reaction to Hiome's transformation was lacking surprise, he kept a straight face throughout the change. "you were creepier as a human child. Gaining the features of a Dragon only makes you look weak"

Hiome was what people call Chimeras. These are humans who were bilogically experimented on, to attain the appearance and properties of other species. Hiome was engineered to becoming A Dragonoid Human Chimera. 

ZAAAP!

From the cloudy sky, five million bolts of lightning struck down on Fei's vulnerable body. His entire body was electrocuted. 

Fei's body was burnt to a cripse, but he was till breathing. 

ZAP! ZAP!

ZAP! ZAP!

After several lightning bolts entering the body, Fei became curious as to how his body was not shutting down. On the exterior, he was burnt and in excruciating pain, yet he still hung on. Gradually, an immunity to every bolt strike was taking effect. 

"Oh, do you have other gifts?" Hiome asked, confused as well by Fei's survival. 

Fei nodded no in reply. This was not the work of his ability, but someone else's. A person who was present during the whole fight's duration, but chooses to remain hidden even now. That person being Sue Fong. 

The wounds on Fei's neck stopped worsening, and closed itself. Fei felt better after the wound suddenly stopped bleeding. "A child must be taught a lesson" Fei uttered, while trying to sit up. 

ZAP!

He fell after another bolt to the face. If Hiome now had Dragon properties, there is a chance he will need to die five more times before he was gone for good. That was a very tall order for the exhausted prince to accomplish. Fortunately for him, all the injuries Fei had suffered from began healing. The slash marks, and his fatigue were gradually fading away. He had Sue to thank, she was silently healing her brother right in front of Hiome who had yet to sense her presence. 

"What's this? I understand why the bleeding sotpped, but why are your wounds disappearing?"

Fei did not answer, instead he glared at Hiome menacingly. 

"You even survived bolts of lightning in your injured state. Prince Miguel never told me you were such a hard cookie" Hiome complained. 

"Miguel, I was under the impression Ricardo sent you" Fei said. 

"No, I haven't heard him giving out any orders about you" Hiome confirmed. 

The dragon boy blitzed towards Fei, grabbing hold of his hair. Yet again, another instance where Fei's wind current did not protect him. 

SWOOOOOSH!

The wind reacted late, but it blew Hiome away from Fei before anything major happened. Before getting too far, Fei held onto Hiome's tail and pulled him forward for another jaw shattering blow. Fei's fist connected with HIome's face, but the boy barely budged. Hiome simply kicked Fei away from him to gain distance from the sharp particles. 

Coughs! Coughs!

Another wound was opened on Fei, but this time it was internal. 

"Try healing that one" Hiome grinned, racing towards the prince. Fei whipped up a wall of wind, preventing Hiome from charging headfirst. Fei expected the boy to jump above the shild, to land another hit, which he was greeted by a wind scythe mid-air. 

He dodged the attack and suddenly disappeared out of sight. Hiome then reppeared right next to Fei, with his palm holding onto Fei's head. 

ZAP!

Desperate to finish things at last. Hiome poured electricity into his target's brain, in an attempt to kill Fei instantly. The moment Hiome tried retrieving his hand, Fei shocked him by grabbing onto it it. 

"That's not gonna work" said Fei, still alive. The prince swirled a few sharp particles in Hiome's direction but they were deflected by his hard scales. "This is not funny anymore" Hiome sighed, grabbing onto Fei's head again. 

Both had their hands gripping each other tightly. The air concentrated itself into a single point on Fei's left index finger, while HIome prepared for another lightning bolt to the head. 

SWOOOOSH!

ZAP!

Both received deadly wounds, but Hiome fell on his knees first. A hole was made through his chest by Fei's wind strike, while Fei was still unaffected by lightning. 

Fei was only immune to Hiome's lightning, lightning from a different source would still harm him. He developed this immunity thanks to Sue's presence in the battle. Aside from her healing and invisibility, she also has the gift to cause either herself or someone else to adapt. Her adaptation skill was so powerful, to the point she never receives damage after a few hits in a fight. 

Coughs! Coughs!

However, he could be immune to lightning all he wants but the wounds he was receiving all are different each time. Preventing him from actually adapting to them. "My heart is burning" Fei complains. He remembers this feeling as a child whenever he eats oily food. For this pain to resurface again after decades was a testament to how dangerous HIome's gift was. 

Hiome's hole regenerated quickly, and he proceeds to blitz passed Fei. Using his claws, he tried to jabbed his hands into Fei's back. The air trapped his arms in his tracks upon touching Fei, pushing him away from. 

"What?" Hiome was sure he could have harmed Fei just now with the speed he was heading. This time, he decided to accelerate even faster. Hiome charged for the final strike, at a speed Fei could not hope to follow. "It's up to you, friend" Fei smiled, as he coughs up more blood.

Hiome appeared behind Fei, swinghing his arm down his head. The air swirled particles into Hiome's eyes, halting his advances yet again. By pure reflex, Hiome backed away before his injury got even worse. "The wind is reactinig to me now?"

"So did you really think I wouldn't adapt to your speed sooner or later?" Fei smirked. Just as how Hiome adjusted his speed to bypass the wind's protection, the wind did the same to prevent his cherished friend from being harmed further. 

"Wow, to be bless by the air this much must be the pinacle of Royalty" Hiome praises his target. 

A slash on Fei's cheek suddenly appeared, on top of his internal injuries and heartburn, he was till vulnerable. Fei asked, "Could we end this? our fight does not have to continue if you turn back and abort you mission"

As Fei finished talking, he alreadly lost sight of Hiome. Fei turned around only to receive a stab in his right eye. In that same moment, Hiome's left eye healed itself causing their situation to be reverse. 

"AAAWWW CRAP!" Fei screamed out. Hiome was thrilled to hear the prince's sceram, it motivated him to go for the head next. He tried to land the final blow, but was quickly blown away.

"Hmm, you know your gift should be a lot more violent than this. Based on my reports, you have been holding back right? Guess what, I have been doing the same too" Hiome teased. 

"Why don't you create a tornado?" he asked Fei. 

Fei's injuries healed once he stood his ground again. Hiome's smirk withered as he saw it. "That's it! I am getting annoyed" Hiome started to look around. 

A voice spoke out of the blue, "It's not like my brother cannot beat you up, you just caught him at a bad time is all."

Sue was finally ready to take center stage. 

"Who's there?" HIome called out, keeping his guard up. 

"My time of spectating is over" Sue said, as she became visible again. She appeared right beside of Hiome, and proceeded to lean on his shoulders, as if they were friends. "Yo!" she greeted casually. 

"Fei?" Hiome called out, but he blinked a few times and corrected himself, "No, you're the twin who ran away. So you're still alive" the boy said amused by the sudden news. 

"I have something good to report after this" he added.

"Report? How will you report something when you're dead?" Sue questioned the boy. 

Sue revealed the reason why she chose to remain hidden until now. Thanks to Fei's effort, it made her able to fulfill the conditions needed to end this battle swiftly. 

In just a second, Sue's right arm that was leaning on Hiome's shoulder got sliced off. "Please don't touch me" Hiomie said, with a serious expression. He was upset to find out another person was present and he did not notice until now. 

"So, you two reunited. That's what I love to see. Dying together will be poetic" said Hiome, feigning confidence. Sue's right arm regenerated the same time it took Fei to stand on his fee. The siblings stood side by side rearing to go. "Now you choose to help" Fei sighed. 

"Don't give me that, I was obviously helping in the shadows. Healing you and giving you immunity. I'm why you're still alive. This makes it twice I save your life today" Shawna states. 

"You did all that?" Hiome said, overhearing everything. 

"It's too late my boy, you are an eyesore. If you revert back to your human body, I might consider saving your butt" Sue suggested. 

LIghtning was not going to affect either of the twins, and Hiome could regenerate even in his human form. He decided to revert back to normal. 

"Sweet, but I am afraid you are still royally screwed" said Sue, taking out a hairpin. "This is your condition right?" she said pointing her pin at him. Her words shook HIome, he stood there with his jaw dropped. "How did?" he was to shocked to even finished. 

The boy's body then shredded to tiny pieces, all of his organs spilled everywhere. The scene reminded Fei of when he hugged Hiome tightly, while ripping him to shreds with his sharp particles. The boy died on the spot, and not a trace of him remained. 

"How did you inflict that wound from over here?" Fei asked, even he was shocked. 

Sue replied, "Seriously brother, have you forgotten my gift over the years?"

Fei figured out the answer to his own question soon after. Sue Fong had the abiliity to copy other people's gift and permanently owns them as her own. Any gift she sees in action for more than ten minutes, she is able to copy them for a life time. Thanks to her ability, she was one of the very few individuals who possessed several powers. The healing she gave Fei, her fast regeneration, her adapatablity and immunity, her invisibility and now the demonstration of Hiome's own wound inflicting powers, displays how deadly of a persoh Sue was. 

It was plain to see that Sue could had saved her brother at any given moment, but chose to leave him helpless. She found Hiome's gift useful to copy for herself so she by time for the condtion to be met. 

What made the situation better was that Fei delivered life ending moves to Hiome, such as shredding him to nothingness by the wind. 

That meant, all Sue needs to do is inflict that exact same wound on HIome over and over again until he dies for good. That was the shocking feeling Hiome felt, realizing the situation before his death. 

When Hiome appeared from underground again, he was not the same smirky boy rearing for another found. He looked at Sue, with complete emptiness. 

"You're right, I fell for you trap. You have my gift now and I have suffered several life ending injuries in the past, excluding the ones dealt by Mr. Fei. I can't beat you, in a two versus one scenario either" Hiome admitted, dropping hid dagger. 

"Your gift only activates when having a weapon on your person. That's why you keep a dagger with you, despite not needing it to inflict wounds on others" Sue explained. 

"I get it" Fei said, impressed by his sister's work. He hated the fact he was used by her, but was stil pleased with the results. Sue walked up to the boy, on his knees feeling defeated. "What' now? How many lives do you have left?" She asked.

"Two" Hiome replied swiftly. 

"Should I take them?" Sue questioned.

"If possible, I would like to keep them" Hiome answered truthfully.

"So, start begging and grovelling" Sue demanded. 

Hiome nodded no to her request. He sternly opposed to the idea of begging for his life. "Don't even go there" he told her.

That brought a grin to the woman's face, "Great, join me Hiome on my quest. If you don't, you can die right here"

Both Fei and Hiome stared at Sue, in awe. "What?" they both said in unison. "I need a few allies if I am going to save the people of the Cold Mountains. You would be great help, please consider it, I'm being serious"

Hiome's eyes widdened in response to Sue's proposal. 

"I am a monster lady, there is no good in accepting me" Hiome said, with a depressing sigh.

"Which is why I am asking for your help. If you return home defeated as you are, what value would you hold to your family? To your kingdom? Do you truly want to go back to the place that never congratulated you for your efforts?"

....

"You have committed the gravest sins, which is murder all in the name of your country. And yet, they never thanked you or even considered your feelings. YOu are fifteen years old, but yet you can transform to a partial dragon. That suggests you were subjected to experimenting" Sue ranted on. 

Hiome lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with Sue. 

"Come! IF you don't, you'll die" Sue urged.

"As in you'll kill me?" Hiome asked.

"No, any choice you make that isn't helping me will result in your death sooner rather than later. Think carefully and choose what the heart wants, you sicko" Sue placed her hands on the boy's cheeks, then pushed him in her chest, squeezing him tightly. 

"This is what a real hug feels, warm right?" Sue smiled. 

Hiome nodded agreeing with the warmth. 

"You can experience that kind of warmth, when with me. How about it? This is the last time I am asking" Sue proposed. 

Hiome stared at the floor, conflicted. He has only known murder for his country, never has he considered to go against the people who has raised him before. His mind is telling him to refuse the offer, but his heart says otherwise. Deep down, Hiome wished he was treated more than just a murderous machine. Only being called to when getting a mission, only getting partial respect when completing a mission successfully. Hiome truly, wonders what kind of experience he will hold if he takes Sue's hand right here and now. The woman who outsmarted him, outclassed him and killed him without any difficulty. 

"Well?" Sue quesitoned.

Hiome nodded yes in reply, unbeknownst to him, tears were falling down his cheeks. 

"Good call, what about you Fei?" Sue asked, pleased with herself. 

"No way, I love the fact that we get to see each other again, but I have a feeling you will just use me until the day I die." Fei sighed.

Sue grinned, "You're not wrong, you would be the perfect bait just as you were this evening. Next time, don't hold back so much, go wild on the enemy"

Fei pointed at the scenery they both witnessed together earlier, when the sun was out. "I want others to come to this grassy plain in the future, and see the beautiful scenery jsut like we did". His reason for holding back was foolish at first glance, but considering how low Fei felt, the scenery meant way more to him than the average person. 

"Haha, I have a weirdo for a twin" Sue smiled. The two siblings shook hands and wasted no time heading their separate ways. If Fei was being hunted by assassins, staying in his current location was no longer a smart move, while Sue and her newly formed companion Hiome, will infiltrate the Arcland borders. 

These two paths will cross once again.