Others

“We came so far through the darkest of peaks

Undead will rise

Your brother dear

He fell to the sword of a mighty lord

Once upon a time You remember peace?

Completely

The land is cloaked in deepest blue

The shadow of eagles across the moon

Endure the pain, it’s easy now

In words can I say it?”

Hiroyuki Sawano — Darkest (5:17)

       Kenny was coming home from another job, but such tasks’d gotten much less frequent and petty in the last few months. They’d managed to nip any trouble in the bud and keep it from escalating. The men, Ackerman had carefully and meticulously selected from the general staff, were not excellent, but they worked quite well, at least their loyalty was unquestioned, and that was an important factor. After all, skill and ability could be acquired and improved, but loyalty had to be there from the start. So far, all twelve of the first set of Special Forces had remained, though some of them were not yet accustomed to all that Kenny and Kiva were used to. The Reaper was annoyed by this and often snapped at them. But on the whole the work was not uncomfortable; after all, he didn’t have to do anything difficult.        Kenny was often with Uri. Sometimes on rare trips, more often at his home. Ackerman knew, that his friend didn’t have many years to live, so he wanted to see more of the man, who gave some light and purpose to life. For himself, Kenny knew, that he would continue to protect Uri’s dream even after his death. He was glad that the world inside the Wall had become more secure, that things had returned to a shaky, but still normalized state. The same could not be said for family matters. Rod faced the direct consequences of his decision: Alma was pregnant. It wasn’t so obvious yet, but something had to be done. Kenny didn’t miss this opportunity to make fun of Rod, and that was before his wife found out, but it was only a matter of time. The Reaper advised Reiss to clean up his mistake as soon as possible, as he doubted the sincerity of Alma’s feelings, but Rod hesitated. Well, it was up to him, Kenny would find it even funnier to watch the further development of events.       Ackerman was glad, that his ward was devoid of this feminine calculation and cunning. He did not have to think about what to do with her, because she did nothing harmful. Not that she was deprived of any of her desires, but they did not interfere with him in any way. For instance, she’d recently asked to go to Industrial City again, and Kenny hadn’t found anything wrong with that, had even gone with her. The trip was pleasant and diluted the workday. The girl ordered something like a piercing stiletto for herself from Master Kinmaer. The craftsman was happy to see the girl again and completed the work in two days. In theory, the girl explained, why she needed a long blade. To pierce limbs, such as an arm, and while the blade could be used to control it a bit, a second knife could be used to inflict wounds that would normally be difficult to leave in a fight. Kenny was soon able to see this tactic in practice, and was quite satisfied. The agility and suddenness of the movements made up for the girl’s lack of brute strength. Though she tried to keep up with Ackerman, her body was not like his.       Kenny was walking home now, and somewhere inside it felt good to know, that he wasn’t walking into an empty house, but to a place, where he was welcome. He had no doubt, that everything would be done when he got inside, and nothing would irritate him. The girl was seen already as something obligatory, as an extension of his hand. Yes, a special kind of bond had been established between them, based on their inner similarities, for they were both predators in this life. Everything that had passed had only made the bond stronger. When Kenny came home, he didn’t see the girl, but one look out the window was enough for him to realize, where he would find her. It was starting to get light outside the window. The man hummed and headed to the second floor, where he climbed onto the roof. Kiva was already sitting there, looking up at the east side of the wall.       Ackerman didn’t scold her for this little predilection, remembering that her childhood had been devoid of it. He sat down beside her, stretching his legs and gazing at the sky, that seemed so indifferent to him. The girl only glanced at him and held out an unopened bottle of wine, just what he wanted. As always she had guessed his wish. They sat in quiet, unbroken by the predawn silence. Kiva watched with childlike delight and awe as first the glare, then the edge of the sun appeared from behind the wall. She seemed to hold her breath, as if something could go wrong, as if a natural mystery was being performed before her eyes. Kenny was in a peaceful state with a slight smile on his face, with a complete sense of peace inside. So unfamiliar. So…not for the kind of people they were.       When the sun finally surpassed the Wall of Sina, then Kenny broke the silence, expressing their common thought: “It’s too good, it won’t last forever, Kiva.” “Your true, Kenny,” she smiled, looking at him with open eyes, “but we’re still here for now, and we’re living in the now.”       Kenny smirked, took a swig of the bottle. “You’re right about that. We’re still here.”       And there was no need for either of them to say anything further to understand each other. Why, when they already knew perfectly well, what they could say out loud. They didn’t need words. After all, they were so alike, that similarity might have frightened outsiders. But not themselves, who understood the reasons why. So they met the dawn of a new day, sitting side by side on the roof, the two of them enjoying the silence.