Chapter 9 - Revelations

Creed now rushed to attack the Sand King Chimera. He fired bullets at its outer shell protecting the inner skin of the monster. He knew that if pressured long enough the outer shell will give out. Jade fired arrows at it as well while moving with decent speed. Jephtah rushed at it and attempted a combat strike on the body but the Chimera was to strong that it sent him flying away. He flew towards Jade's direction but fortunately Jade caught him and the both of them got back up. Creed with his excellent agility and reflexes was avoiding each strike that the Chimera was throwing at him. He fired two bullets from his 45 which just lodged into the outer shell. 


"Damn!" Creed said as he landed on the ground. He rushed at the Chimera again to attack it.


Amidst the fighting, Jade and Jephtah now rushed at Creed's direction to help him fight. They never saw Creed like this before in an intense state of fighting.


"I never knew Creed fought like this." Jade said to Jephtah while moving towards Creed.


"Yeah. He's indeed a mysterious guy." Jephtah replied to her.


Jephtah now saw Creed fighting the Chimera alone and he helped him out. He jumped so high in order to get some power for his strike. He attempted a flying fist attack towards the outer shell of the Chimera. He connected with the strike with enough power and cracked the outer shell protecting the inner skin of the Chimera. He crushed the fins as well to prevent it from escaping. Jephtah landed on the ground and he saw Creed.


"Nice shot." Creed said to Jephtah


"All in the day's work." Jephtah replied with a smug face.


Jade was now there as well and she fired arrows at the inner skin that was exposed and it hurt the Chimera enough, but it was now rushing at her because she got it's attention by hurting it. It attempted to charge at her but Creed was there in a nick of time to get her out of the way.


"Thanks." Jade said.


"Anytime." Creed replied as he smiled at her. Now Creed put her down and went towards the direction of the Chimera. He fired pierce shots at the body of the monster and hurt it enough to stun it. The Chimera was now not moving and Creed now fired the final shot to it's body which was an exploding bullet. The Bullet lodged into the inner skin of the Chimera and it exploded along with the monster. The three of them eliminated the threat now.

"Woah.. wicked ammunition man." Jephtah said.

"All in the day's work." Creed replied as he began to light a cigarette and smoked it.


"So...Creed that's what was under the sleeve.." Jade said to him while looking at his left arm.


"Yeah. I lost my arm too in an accident. It happened a long time ago." Creed replied.


"Why were you covering it then?" Jade asked him

"Is it to avoid suspicion?" Jephtah added.


Creed felt a cold sweat with what Jephtah asked him. He felt that he knew who he really was. 


"No nothing like that. I was just embarrassed you know. That I have an artificial arm." Creed replied as he went near the 4WD Jeep. 


"The damages are minimal, but it would take atleast overnight to repair this. Good thing we have a repair kit inside the trunk." Jephtah said as he went on repairing the Jeep. 


"I'm gonna set up camp." Jade said. "Creed you wanna help out?" she added.


"Sure." Creed said. 

The two of them now were setting up camp in order for them to have a place to stay at night. Their Jeep had supplies that would last them for atleast 3 days if properly managed. After a few mins Jade and Creed were now finished setting up camp and were now gathering materials for their fire at night fall. Nightfall approached and they now had fire and they sat on the ground around the campfire while Jephtah was repairing the jeep. Creed was eating the food packets that were in the jeep's supplies and Jade was also eating the food packets. After eating creed lit another Mild Seven cigarette and started smoking.

"Ever think of quitting Creed?" Jade asked him.

"No I don't intend to. Smoking makes me feel good." Creed replied "You should try it." he added.


"No thanks. Anyway I gotta go to sleep the smoke is killing me. Would you mind smoking somewhere else?" Jade said to Creed as she attempted to sleep.


Creed stood up from the campfire and went to Jephtah's direction. He saw him fixing the Jeep and was almost nearly done. Creed tossed him his cigarettes, lighter and food packets which Jephtah noticed.


"You look tired and you could use a smoke." Creed said to him.


Jephtah ate the food packets hastily and took the cigarettes and lighter. He took one from Creed's Mild Seven pack and lit it with his lighter. He noticed that there was pattern on the lighter, an insignia familiar to him.


"So, fan of the resistance huh?" Jephtah said to him

"What are you talking about?" Creed said like he was trying to cover up something.

"The insignia on your lighter. The Resistance Armada, I used to fight for those guys. They opposed the republic and had a real vision. It all ended though with the death of our Leader." Jephtah said.


"So who was your leader? Was he a great person?" Creed asked him.


"She. She was a real person and a real fighter. I think you know her very well." Jephtah said like he was hinting something.


"What?" Creed said.


"You don't need to hide it. The way you fight, your moves, fight techniques, it's the same as hers. Not only that, your arm, the prosthetic one, I know that you lost it for her because she told us her stories." Jephtah replied.


"It could be a coincidence." Creed replied.


"Please would you stop. I know who you are Creed Dyskienth. The Republic's number one assassin, Grand Kaiser's loyal lap dog and most importantly, Our leader's greatest apprentice." Jephtah replied.


"I guess there's no point in hiding it huh. You did get one thing wrong though." Creed replied.


"What is that?" Jephtah replied.


"I don't serve King anymore. I'm a nomad, a wanderer." Creed replied.


"You don't seem to lie now, unlike your statements earlier. It must be true then that you have left Grand Kaiser's side. Why'd you do it?" He asked Creed.

"I've seen enough killing.." Creed replied.


"What made you decide?? Is it because of the death of Slade by your hand???!!" Jephtah asked him furiously as he held him by the collar.


Creed did not answer anything.


"So...it must be true..." Jephtah said as he punched Creed in the face.


"YOU COULD HAVE SPARED HER!!!!" Jephtah said.


"She wanted it. I just did what I was told." Creed said coldly.


"You were lovers at one point!! How could you just kill her like that?!!" Jephtah said as he attempted to throw one punch at Creed but he stopped it and threw Jephtah on the ground.


"You think I wanted her to die?! You think that I do not regret killing her?! If you are sad then what more am I??!! I have dreams at night about that day I killed her.. I wish I could take it all back but I can't.. She wanted to die by my hand. I gave it to her atleast for her to be at peace." Creed explained to Jephtah as he left and went back to camp.


Jephtah was now relieved, because he knew that Creed did not kill Slade with cold blood. He was relieved that he actually cared for her and cherished her.


"That's some apprentice you got there Slade." He said to the skies as Jephtah also went back to camp.