Emil had fallen behind and ran hard to catch up. It looked like Kale had been found and saved from the Guardian commander. He ran to catch up and watched his back for Agonotti who were gathered all around, watching the drama unfold.
Emil watched Tiet stare at the Guardian and dare him to stand and fight. Then he looked at Kale, his lost friend. He looked weak from the fight, as though he could hardly stand without his father's assistance. Their eyes met as Emil ran toward them and suddenly he felt a chill wash over his senses.
The eyes seemed black as midnight. A feeling so familiar and terrifying overwhelmed him. It felt the same as when the little girl in the wilds when she went berserk under symbyte control and he remembered then that Kale also carried one of the parasitic organisms inside him. The beast was in control.
Emil tried to shout a warning, crying out, "No!"
But it was too late. A laugh tried to escape Kale's pursed lips as Lucin looked away from Emil to the man who was Kale's father. Tiet looked away from the Guardian leader, Elam, still lying on the ground, and into his son's face. For the brief moment he was allowed, Tiet saw someone else looking out through his son's eyes and regret filled his soul-regret for what his son was going to do.
Lucin summoned Kale's energies and quickly thrust his hands upward into Tiet's torso releasing a kinetic burst that sent the Barudii warrior's body up into the air limp like an old rag doll. He landed in a heap, nearly fifteen feet away, gasping for his breath.
Emil leaped at his symbyte controlled friend and engaged him in hand to hand combat. Emil didn't want to have to kill him. Then he remembered the med-kit. He had one of the injection cylinders given to them by Mirah in his own pocket. I've got to get it out and inject Kale with it before he gets his hands on a weapon. When they had sparred hand to hand, the odds had been more even, but when Kale had a weapon in his hands he had no equal.
Emil grappled with Kale and blocked several well placed punches and kicks that could have paralyzed with proper contact. The symbyte isn't as good a fighter as Kale on his own, he thought.
Emil whipped the metal injection tube from his pocket trying to keep it concealed. Surprisingly, Elam had not engaged in the fight. The Guardian leader had his weapon in hand again, but remained clear, apparently waiting to see who would win out in the struggle.
Another quick flurry of punches and kicks passed between the two adolescents with Emil being the slightest bit faster. The last kick made contact with Kale's ribs and it felt like a solid hit. The symbyte boy gasped for air and Emil followed quickly with a forearm smash to the side of his friend's face that bloodied Kale's mouth and nose and buckled him to his knees.
He seized the moment and brought the injection cylinder up and plunged the tip down into Kale's shoulder near the base of his neck. Kale jerked the cylinder away, but the payload had already been delivered. Fury passed over the possessed Kale's face and he acted as though he would now explode upon Emil, but the elixir began to take effect.
Kale's body seized and he fell back to the ground gasping and writhing in apparent pain. The Agonotti still kept their distance, allowing the winner to be announced before they made any move to interfere. Thousands of others still pillaged the city and preyed upon its inhabitants as they moved out further into the rural areas in search of food. The city of Odem was already doomed, no matter what.
Elam figured out his accomplice was defeated and blasted at Emil kinetically. He defended himself with a counter that knocked them both backward. Emil retrieved his kemsticks and joined them to form a staff. He ignited it and moved in toward the Guardian leader, meeting Elam's every strike with careful spins and flourishes.
"You're not going to win this, boy!" Elam shouted.
But Emil never answered him a word. He had always been taught never to engage the psychological tricks of an opponent. Ignore the rhetoric and concentrate on the fight. Many a battle had been given up due to emotionalism and he needed all the help he could get in this fight.
Elam pushed hard against him and drove him back with his attacks. Emil sensed Elam trying to get through with a mental attack as well. Elam's mind probed all around the boy like obscene tentacles searching for a weakness to exploit.
Kale still lay on the ground and had apparently slipped into unconsciousness. His body trembled as Lucin's symbyte form fought for life, awash in the antibody injection concocted by Mirah.
Tiet attempted to crawl towards his son. He groaned as he tried to get to his knees. Several of the Agonotti attempted to move in on him-they enjoyed the weak-anyone who couldn't defend themselves.
Tiet pulled another kemstick from its clip and positioned it between the predators and him. Fortunately, they seemed unsure about moving in while he was armed. The boy moaned as he crawled to him. The Agonotti hovered in the near vicinity, watching him for a moment's lapse in his defensive posture. Emil kept Elam occupied, but how long could he keep it up. Emil allowed himself to be driven back again and again by the Guardian leader.
Kale suddenly sat up and Tiet almost brought his kemstick around to defend against his own son. Kale jumped to his feet and grabbed Tiet's weapon as though it were being offered to him. "Thanks, Father."
He leaped away with the ignited weapon. Apparently the serum Mirah had developed had worked and Kale was once again in command of his own faculties. Kale attacked the Guardian from behind and the tables almost instantly turned as Elam began to give up ground to the young man. "Emil, help my father!"
The young Horva complied and headed to the defense of the king as the Agonotti moved in closer, seeking a prey in him. They began to morph weapons from their forms. Their fear was retreating and their confidence growing.