“You cannot hide forever, you have to come out at some point, and the more you hide, the more people are going to stay weird and confused and demanding.”
Retvik sighed, not liking how the Raptor was berating him over the phone. While she had admittedly done a lot to keep him and his team safe and secure, he hated how she was absolutely right. He, Nyssi, Kayel and Tenuk had been hiding in his home for the last few days and none of them had really gone out.
In fact, they’d made one single excursion, and Retvik and Tenuk had remained at home. Nyssi and Kayel had gone out in Nyssi’s truck to buy some petrol and pick up some extra clothes from their apartments. As they’d arrived at Nyssi’s shack, they’d found a sea of flowers laid in front of it. Kayel on the other hand discovered that the apartment building he lived in had been sealed off and everyone else had left. Sure, there were only nine residences total and most of those were empty, but now the entire building was essentially abandoned. While there were a handful of plushies left outside Kayel’s apartment, someone had scribbled the words “Lying L-Class Freak” across the door.
Needless to say, Kayel had quickly grabbed whatever he could and they’d rushed back to Retvik’s place, where Kayel proceeded to lock himself in his bedroom and whimper for a bit.
“Did I tell you what Kayel found at his apartment?”
“You did, Retvik. I informed the Ksithan police, as I know Kayel has… issues with the R-Class. But these things will only get worse. Plus, everyone already knows who you are, Retvik.”
“The others need protecting, Kyr Raptor.”
There was a long sigh down the other end of the phone. Phovos knew she was going to have a problem now. A Rethavok that believed it was protecting something was almost impossible to argue with. The Raptor lowered her voice and started speaking more slowly, a bid to try and convince Retvik to at least see things her way. While also repeating his name a bit more than usual in a bid to keep things friendly and personal.
“I know, Retvik, I know. But, as big and powerful and semi-divine as you are, you can’t protect them forever. And at the same time, people will find out and start pushing. I got a message from the All-Ksa of the Skyavok, asking if I could pass a message of thanks to Kayel, and the Lord Prince of the Spasts has been pestering me, asking if I can let him meet with Tenuk. Or, should I say, the elder Lord Prince, Tanos Tou Ahvran, because I have met little Tanos before when he actually was a child, and I remember his scent. Nyssi is fucking lucky she is a Temthan, everyone just wants to meet her and say how awesome she is.”
“You said that you did not want us to be public though. And I need to protect-”
“Retvik, things have changed. The whole universe saw you kill a fucking deity. Mostly you and Kayel. You are public entities now. And I need you to come out, step forward and reveal yourselves before someone else does it for you and puts you all in danger.”
“We are already in danger.”
“Puts you in danger further…” Phovos corrected herself. “Let me put this another way, Retvik. Where do you think is safer? Your nice little cottage home, or the training areas filled with gladiators that are all fiercely loyal to me, where I also have Rethan and Banikan security forces roaming around?”
“I thought… I thought parts of the arena…”
“Our good friend the Thantophor came by and helped fix everything up. We have already reopened, and the crowds want to see you. Retvik, you’re famous now, and not just as a gladiator. Even the Rethans love you now.”
“Still, I feel uneasy about all of this…” Retvik paused. He felt something tapping on his leg. “One second please, Kyr Raptor. Tenuk wishes to speak to me…” Retvik glanced down at Tenuk, who was wrapped up in one of Kayel’s hoodies. “Is something wrong?”
“Uh, yeah. There’s someone outside.”
Retvik blinked, then glanced at the front door. No one had knocked or rung the doorbell though. With a low growl, Retvik left his communicator on and open, then went to the window next to the door, nudging the curtain to one side so he could have a look.
It was dusk outside, and long, dark shadows spread across the little path leading up to Retvik’s house. Just as Tenuk had exclaimed, there was definitely someone there, a Rethan with white plating, but most of their features were covered up by pitch black armour. They didn’t seem to be very tall though and not too muscular either, and were mostly just wandering back and forth, not actually stepping on Retvik’s property, instead remaining on the pavement and grass between Retvik’s home and the road, where Nyssi’s truck was parked.
“That’s… not a government Rethan, is it?” Tenuk whispered.
“They are not wearing any red, so no…” Retvik frowned, growing more and more concerned. The Rethan was clearly scoping the place out, but they seemed to be completely alone. If they wanted a fight, Retvik was pretty sure he could take them, but something seemed almost otherworldly about this lone Rethan.
“HEY!” Nyssi suddenly squeaked from behind Retvik and Tenuk. “What you looking at?”
“Fucking Time Drakes, Nyssi, you scared the shit out of me!” Tenuk squeaked back. “There’s someone outside, watching us! A weird, freaky Rethavok!”
“Oh, can I see?” Nyssi pushed Tenuk to one side so she could have a look. “Ooh, they have a cape on! Retty, got any idea who they are?”
Retvik grunted, trying to hide his worries. He picked up his communicator again. “Kyr Phovos, are you still there?”
“Yes. What is going on, Retvik? Do I need to send the police your way?”
“I will be blunt, even if you did, there is no way you could get anyone here in time or, well, do anything. There is a Rethan outside who I believe is a Below Twenty, and I think they mean business.”
“A Below Twenty?” Phovos’s voice echoed down the communicator. “What does that mean?”
“Any of the first twenty Rethan Legions. Some of them are public. Most of them are special ops. They can make vok disappear faster than my sibling Rethais can…” All of a sudden, Retvik stopped talking. He turned back to the window and took another look at the Rethan outside. On their upper left arm was a golden band with three spiky studs on it. The insignia of a Rethan General. Curiosity now trumped Retvik’s concerns, and he took his communicator to snap a quick picture of the General.
However, much to Retvik’s dismay, he’d accidentally left the flash on. The sudden bright light immediately alerted the Rethan, who proceeded to-
“DID THAT RETHAN JUST SHADOWJUMP?” Tenuk screeched as he fell backwards, nearly taking the curtain with him. “THAT RETHAN JUST SHADOWJUMPED! YOU TWO FUCKING SAW THAT, RIGHT?”
“Is everything okay?” the Raptor asked via Retvik’s communicator. “You all sound terrified.”
Retvik blinked several times, as did Nyssi, neither of them really comprehending what they just saw. After a little too long, Retvik finally answered.
“Uh… no, not really, Kyr Raptor. The Rethan standing outside has left. By shadowjumping away.”
“Rethavok can’t shadowjump, Retvik. We both know that. It goes completely against your elemental affinity. Must have just been a very, very large Skyavok or something.”
“Nah that was definitely a Rethan…” Tenuk muttered. “Way too much armour for a Skyan.”
“Will you four finally show yourselves?” Phovos asked again.
Retvik sighed, then muted himself.
“Phovos wants us to reveal ourselves, right?” Nyssi shrugged. “Can’t be as bad as you three getting stolen away by your various governments, right?”
“I guess…” Retvik frowned. “I suppose it is much harder to be kidnapped if everyone knows who we are…”
Tenuk tutted, crossing his arms. “I’ll go public, but I’m not going out there as Tanos. Tanos is dead, I’m Tenuk now and I’m sticking to it. You don’t seem too bothered though, Nyssi?”
Nyssi smiled a little, a tiny toothy grin. “The Temthan government is fucking retarded, couldn’t organize a piss-up in a brewery, there’s no way they could sneakily kidnap me…” Nyssi glanced away, having spotted movement upstairs. “Heya, Kayel!”
Kayel hesitantly headed his way over. “You guys want to go public, like everyone wants us to?”
“Retvik’s scared we’re gonna get kidnapped. Or at least, you and him!” Tenuk explained. “We just saw a Rethan outside that shadowjumped away when we spotted it. We’re all on edge. Can’t be stolen so easily if-”
“Wait, a shadowjumping Rethan?” Kayel gasped. “How?”
“It might have been a really big Skyavok?” Nyssi offered her own opinion. “Either way, Retvik thinks they were special ops or something sent to spy on us, and Phovos is right, if we let people know who we are, then our chances of getting kidnapped drop by quite a lot. Plus, we can always ask Phovos for some extra security or something. And people are slowly working out who we are anyway, so if we break the news first, it stops people getting… invasive. Like that Rethan we saw outside.”
Kayel took a deep breath, then relented. “Fine, fine. You’re right. It’s not like people aren’t figuring it out anyway, after all, Spasts are rare, I’m bright yellow and most vok know Retvik anyway.”
“Very well…” Retvik picked up his communicator and unmuted himself. “Kyr Raptor, we have decided, we shall reveal ourselves.”
“Good. Come in tomorrow, nice and early, and we will sort everything out, make things nice and easy for you…”