The Smiling Sword Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Despair

Read chapter 10 of The Smiling Sword by IchorX on NovelPedia.

The Despair No one really talks as we move further into the caves. Probably because killing people killed the mood too. That is, except for Kite, who's still enjoying his bread while dodging Cinder's angry snatches. "Try harder," he grins, mouth full. "Sword, Neo, ya'll want some?" He waves half a piece. "No thanks," I say. "Save it, man." "I'll take it," Neo says, accepting it as Kite comes alongside me. He has short, clipped brown hair, growing unevenly, a happy, elfish face, albeit malnourished and slightly hollow like the rest of us, punctuated with warm brown eyes. "So, I'm assuming that was your first kill," Kite grins, hands behind his head as he floats leisurely along beside me. "It was pretty awesome. "Stop hounding him, Kite," Krim says. "Sword's got enough on his plate." "No, no, it's fine," I smile. "Talking carefreely helps calm my nerves, and helps me forget a little about, y'know…" "You'll get used to it, soon," Kite tells me. "You won't be able to stop, and you can't stop in here anyway. We all have to live, right?" "It's still murder. It's never right to kill, even if you have to kill." "Sure. It's murder. Murder's like candy, you just can't ever stop at one, y'know? It's like an addictive drug. You just wanna keep-" "Kite," Jora says from behind him. "You're being a total creep." "Right, right," he dismisses, catching himself. "I'm just tryna say that you'll have to do it a lot more whether you like it or not." "I know," I say. "I've already come to terms with that." But the way Kite said that makes me think. I wonder if he's done it before. Not in the Facility, but if he's used to killing people before this. What kind of person was he before this? What sort of life did have? My worst experience was being told by the officer at my doorstep that my parents had died, but like Neo I still led a happy life. How many others in my group can that also be said for? Can someone who's known nothing but green fields and clean houses really have the same mysterious vibe as Elemental? Or the bloodthirsty craziness as Luc? The cold-blooded decision-making as Krim? Part of me if dying to ask them, but the other part doesn't want to know. Then in front of me, Krim stops dead in his tracks. He cocks his head, brow furrowed. "Something is coming," he says. "Stay sharp." "What?" Chills run down my neck. I glance up and a black-haired winged scorpion spider is in my face, mandibles drooling venom. It's as big as my arm, with four huge pincers, eight legs spread across the whole roof, and a collection of beady black eyes on its face. "Ffffsssssssssssssffffffff," it says. I make a small squeaking noise, rooted to the spot, falling out my skin. Then Luc punches it in the face and explodes it against the rock. *** "There there…" Cinder says, patting my back. "Just get it all up…" I retch again, wiping sweat off my face. "I don't blame you," Cinder mutters. "I almost died of a stroke." "Y'mean heart attack?" "Same thing." I stand up straight and stretch. "I'm fine," I say shakily. "Thanks for the warning, Krim…" But Krim's ignoring me. "Not that," he says. "Something else is coming." "Worse than that abomination?" Kite asks. "The air smells different," Neo comments, looking around from my side. He's right. It feels heavy, metallic, almost electrically charged, prickling my skin. "It can't be anything we can't handle, right?" Neo says. He really needs to shut up. Everyone's staring at him, wide-eyed. "Oh no." "Neo…" "We're finished." "We're screwed." "Shut up and listen," Elemental hisses, brow clenched, a hint of desperation in his eyes. I strain my ears into the silence, and just barely hear it. A dull, metallic plodding, like heavy footsteps. "What is that?" I ask. Krim starts backing up, and so does Elemental, until they're level with us. My heart thumps. Thank god I'm not alone. Thank god I'm not alone. The group closes in with each other. Luc shifts to the front, fingers clenched tightly around his knuckleduste