AWOL

by Traci Harding

  Mythric was curious to hear her say so.

  ‘Apparently Zeven is harbouring some top secret charge who has been badly injured saving Ray’s life.’ Aurora conveyed what she garnered from her daughter already.

  ‘Really.’ Mythric was intrigued to learn this, and came to crouch beside Ray. ‘And this charge of his, was he the one who upset Grandma?’

  Aurora gasped, as she realised Mythric was implying that Zeven might be harbouring Khalid — Zeven’s disappearance and Khalid’s jailbreak would have happened around the same time.

  Ray froze, afraid to answer. ‘Grandma is wrong about him, he is good now! Grandpa?’

  Mythric stood, incensed by the news. He was shaking his head, unable to believe his son would aid the man who had ruined all their lives.

  ‘He’s been fighting his demons,’ Ray appealed, gripping Mythric’s arm to make him listen, and ensure he didn’t pop off anywhere.

  ‘I’m sorry, Ray.’ He pulled away from her. ‘You’re too young to understand —’

  ‘Mythric!’ Aurora moved to grab him and prevent him leaving, but he’d already vanished. ‘Shit!’ she freaked and then covered her mouth. ‘We are in so much trouble.’

  ‘Not if we fix this.’ Ray grabbed hold of her mother’s hand. ‘Shall we?’

  Aurora gasped, torn between wanting to know the truth, and reporting Mythric’s AWOL to the captain.

  ‘Quick, Mama, before I lose my charge,’ Ray urged. ‘Top Secret saved my life, I can’t let Grandpa hurt him more!’

  ‘Oh, what the heck.’ Aurora resigned herself to the consequences. ‘Let’s go.’

  ‘I’m sick of being left behind to babysit, while you all run missions without me!’ Vadik was protesting, as Zeven readied everyone else to move camp from their idyllic hut on Frujia. ‘I don’t even have anyone to babysit any more, if nature-guru is going with you.’

  ‘I told you, I don’t have clearance to take you where we are going.’ Zeven was frustrated; any amount of delay could cost them dearly.

  ‘Then get it!’ Vadik insisted.

  ‘I don’t have time!’ Zeven stressed. ‘Telmo!’

  Telmo moved to approach Vadik. ‘Now listen here —’

  ‘No way!’ Vadik backed away from the fair whizz-kid. ‘Every time I talk to you I forget stuff.’

  ‘Then be a good chap and forget stuff on your own.’ Telmo clicked his fingers.

  Vadik’s face went blank and the big guy wandered off downstairs as Telmo moved to inspect the readouts on Khalid’s stasis unit.

  ‘Thank you.’ Zeven approached, readying himself to transport the stasis unit with him. ‘Are we good to go?’

  Telmo glanced back to Zeven, but looking beyond him, the smile fell from his face. ‘I think there will be a delay.’ He referred Zeven to Mythric who had just appeared behind him.

  ‘Where is he?’ Mythric demanded to know, as Zeven and Telmo stood with their backs to the stasis unit, as if to hide it.

  ‘You are not supposed to be here,’ Zeven warned his father. ‘You are in breach of your AMIE contract.’

  The warning was wasted on Mythric, who pushed Zeven and Telmo out of the way to look inside the unit, and seeing Khalid, he slammed both fists down upon it. ‘No wonder Satomi was furious! Why?’ Mythric’s wrath turned on Zeven. ‘Why would you betray your family like this? Why is the timekeeper allowing you to?’

  ‘That’s a long story.’ Zeven maintained his calm, just. ‘But in short, in another universe, you and I made a vow to save Khalid from his curse in this one.’

  ‘Bullshit!’ Mythric shoved Zeven backwards. ‘I have never wanted anything more than to kill him with my own bare hands!’

  ‘In the universe parallel he saved all our arses. Yours most of all.’ Zeven stood tall to defend his decision. ‘And you don’t have to kill him now, because he is dying … from injuries he sustained saving your granddaughter!’

  ‘It’s true, Grandpa,’ Ray announced her arrival. ‘Please don’t hurt Daddy.’ She ran to Zeven’s defence.

  ‘Aurora!’ Zeven was worried when he noted that Ray had brought her mother with her this time — was his wife about to turn against him too?

  ‘Take Ray out of here,’ Mythric ordered Aurora, who ignored him and wandered over to the stasis unit to gaze at the man in question who was covered in festering wounds.

  ‘This could have been Thurraya,’ Aurora uttered, with a deep sense of gratitude in her voice. ‘Whatever Khalid has done in the past, I am thankful that I am not observing my daughter’s cold body in here.’

  Mythric’s anger ebbed only a moment. ‘It does not absolve him of what he did to your mother. If you don’t let him die, I will kill him myself.’

  ‘If my son dies, how shall he ever make amends for the crimes of our curse?’ Ahura walked up the stairs into the main floor of the hut.

  ‘Your son?’ Mythric was baffled by the new arrival who appeared a taller, more comely version of Khalid. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘This is Kaveh Ahura Mazida, Khalid’s true father and prince of the race we have come to know as the Old Ones,’ Zeven did the introductions.

  ‘The Old Ones?’ Mythric had always thought them a myth dreamt up to explain how the inter-system gateways came into being. ‘But Chironjivi —’

  ‘Was the father of the curse, and that is all,’ Zeven explained. ‘If anyone has been wronged in this situation it is Khalid and his father, who have both suffered due to that curse for fifty long years!’ Zeven concluded his case. ‘It is the curse you have a beef with, not Khalid.’

  ‘And where is the curse now?’ Mythric wondered.

  ‘The amulet I removed from Khalid’s hand, to which Chironjivi is attached, has been hidden by Telmo.’ Zeven pointed him out to Mythric, for they had never met in this timeline. ‘But the “Soul Keep”, to which the rest of the ghostly crew at Dead Man Downs is attached, has been stolen by a couple of Phemorians, and I strongly suspect one of them was Mother.’

  Aurora and Mythric both gasped at the accusation.

  ‘How would she even know about the curse?’ Mythric defended. ‘I didn’t.’

  ‘I bet you didn’t know she could shapeshift either?’ Zeven posed. Again his father was stunned. ‘That’s how she covers her psychic tracks,’ Zeven explained.

  Clearly this was news to Mythric, who shook his head in disbelief. ‘She would have told me.’

  Zeven shrugged. ‘You may have been married for thirty-odd years, but you really only knew Satomi for one of them … I’m sure there are many things she did not tell you.’

  ‘If that is true,’ Mythric didn’t like the implication, ‘it is only because her life was cut short by —’

  ‘The curse!’ Zeven stated before his father laid blame in Khalid’s quarter again. ‘The curse that Mother has now stolen half of!’

  ‘To what end?’ Mythric supposed. ‘Perhaps she intends to destroy it?’

  ‘Maybe?’ Zeven wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. ‘But more likely she intends to use it to extract some sort of revenge on Khalid, and AMIE. Which is why I have to leave here, and quickly!’

  ‘And go where?’ Mythric posed. ‘Where in the universe do you think you can hide where Satomi —’ He gasped as he realised there was only one answer. ‘Oceane! The timekeeper gave you permission to counter our one main objective.’

  ‘Ironically,’ Zeven admitted, ‘it is our only option.’

  ‘Then you should get on with it,’ Aurora resolved first, and approached to kiss her husband. ‘I trust you have the best interests of all in hand.’

  When their lips parted, they both looked to Mythric and Ray ran to join them in their stand.

  ‘If I were to tell the rest of the crew what you are up to, AMIE would be no more.’ Mythric obviously still felt this was an act of betrayal.

  ‘Well, you must do as your heart compels you,’ Zeven replied, as he lifted his daughter up, kissed her farewell and set her down again. ‘As I must.’ He looked to Telmo and
Ahura waiting alongside the stasis unit containing Khalid’s body. ‘Let’s go.’

  ‘I want to come,’ Mythric waylaid his son, who shook his head.

  ‘That’s a very bad idea. I’m not healing Khalid so that you can beat him up again. The whole reason I brought him to Frujia was to try and give this man some good life experiences, because basically he’s had jack-shit! I don’t think you beating the crap out of him is really going to teach him what compassion is, do you?’

  Mythric was a little stunned by his son’s sound psychological reasoning. ‘When did you get so bloody wise and forgiving?’

  ‘After I ran a mission in the future, and came back here to prevent the disaster that led to that mission from ever happening.’ Zeven felt he may as well confess everything.

  ‘The timekeeper sent you back here.’ Mythric’s eyes narrowed, looking to place blame for his wife’s hostility in another quarter.

  ‘No.’ Zeven again shocked Mythric with his denial. ‘Telmo and I ran this mission of our own accord. Taren knew nothing about it until a week ago, and even then I didn’t tell her I intended to aid Khalid. But from the previous timeline I knew he was about to break out of prison anyway and cause us all manner of grief. Now, he is saving our lives.’ Zeven motioned to the stasis unit. ‘Did I make the right choice? You tell me.’

  Mythric was absolutely speechless — it was all too much to process.

  ‘A week ago,’ Ahura offered his view, ‘I thought I was a monster. But it turns out I’m not. The truth of what really happened lifted a veil from my eyes and now I see the path ahead far more clearly.’

  ‘Mother never gave me a chance to explain,’ Zeven told Mythric. ‘Does she really think I would do something like this just to spite her? I’m doing this in the hope that, once we shovel away all the lies and bullshit of the past, we’ll discover that we have all been deceived by our selfish, power-hungry forefathers and mothers, and we don’t need to repeat their horrendous mistakes, or bend to the will of the curses they created for themselves. I’d like to think that humanity has evolved in the last thousand years.’

  ‘I get it,’ Mythric conceded, his anger waning. ‘And I still want to come.’

  Zeven was still reluctant.

  ‘If your mother shows up to exact her vengeance, I may be your only hope of getting her to see reason.’ Mythric made a good case.

  Zeven cocked an eye. ‘Welcome to the AWOL club.’ They shook hands on the decision. ‘Damn fine to have you aboard.’

  ‘Come here, pumpkin,’ Mythric waved his granddaughter forwards for a hug. ‘Charge up and take your mum back home.’

  Ray was happy to oblige. ‘You won’t hurt Top Secret? Or be mad at Daddy?’

  ‘No, baby.’ Mythric hugged her close. ‘You were right. Daddy knows what he’s doing, so the least I can do is be helpful, right?’

  Thurraya nodded to confirm, a smile on her face that only lasted a moment as she turned back to her father. ‘What about the monkey, is Karisha all right?’

  ‘She’s perfectly fine,’ Zeven assured. ‘Telmo just had to wipe out her memory of us, and she’s now back in the jungle where she belongs.’

  With a satisfied smile, Ray returned to her mother and took hold of her hand. ‘I guess we fixed it, huh?’

  ‘You bet we did.’ Aurora served her a wink, and looked back to Zeven. ‘What shall I tell the captain and Taren?’

  Zeven grinned. ‘I think we could venture so far as to tell them the truth.’

  His team all nodded in accord.

  ‘So proud of you.’ Aurora blew Zeven a kiss, as did Thurraya, before they vanished.

  ‘You have a very beautiful family,’ Ahura told Zeven and Mythric.

  ‘Yep,’ Zeven grinned, ‘for a philanderer who was the son of a shameless flirt, I think I did good.’

  Mythric finally cracked a smile as well. ‘Now if we can just get your mother past the past, we’ll be home free.’

  ‘But first things first.’ Zeven looked back to Ahura. ‘Let’s see about mending your family. Shall we, gentlemen?’

  They all laid hands on the stasis module and focused their intention on being on Oceane.

  To request an audience with the Qusay-Sabah Clarona, Taren materialised in the waiting room beyond her mother’s room of council, as there was a court official at the desk therein who saw to the Qusay’s appointments. Her mother had told her at their previous meeting that she intended to reassume her official duties, and that Taren could not just pop in and out at will, she needed to take the proper channels.

  Usually this room was rather full with people, and she would have appeared unnoticed, but the chamber was entirely empty, all bar one occupant — a Valourean clad in purple leather, who she assumed must be a high-ranking member of the order of the Qusay’s guard.

  The warrioress rose immediately from behind the desk to confront Taren — not the least bit fazed or surprised by her mysterious appearance. ‘State your name and business,’ she requested in a very intimidating fashion.

  ‘My name is unimportant,’ Taren informed. ‘I am here on behalf of President Anselm of Sermetica.’

  ‘Really?’ The burly woman backed up a few paces, looked Taren up and down, and then smiled. ‘So you are one of Anselm’s new psychic army?’

  ‘That is correct,’ Taren replied.

  ‘You are very small of frame for a warrior,’ she scoffed, sounding pleased about that.

  ‘But just the right size for a peacemaker.’ Taren didn’t take offence. ‘Peace! Peace is not something a general gets to talk about very often.’

  So this must be the infamous General Prochazka. She was something of a legend on Phemoria, as she had been head of the Qusay’s guard for over seventy years and a Valourean for over two hundred! Clearly she was a woman in her prime; her stern countenance only added to her formidable beauty. Prochazka may have been a soldier, but everything about her screamed untamed — from her thick locks of long, unruly chestnut hair to the stormy green-blue of her eyes. The question for Taren was — what was she doing sitting in as the Qusay’s secretary?

  ‘And it is not often one sees a legend doing a cleric’s job, General Prochazka.’

  The flattery brought a forced smile to her face. ‘I am just seeing to it that our Qusay’s first day back in office all runs smoothly, Doctor Gervaise, or should I say, Princess?’ She bowed, but her sights did not leave Taren, nor did the grin leave her face.

  Perhaps the family resemblance was strong, or the Qusay had confided in the general about her? Perhaps the very fact that she had exhibited PK gave her away? ‘Well, now it is clear that we are both aware who we are dealing with, may I please have an audience with my mother?’

  ‘But of course!’ the general announced in a tone that seemed overly accommodating. ‘I feel very sure my Qusay will want to see you. One moment.’ The general bade Taren to stay put as she strode over to the court doors and entered, closing the door in her wake.

  Something felt odd to Taren, and the Juju stone on her arm had begun to ache, which meant something certainly wasn’t right. Her gut instinct was to leave immediately, but her head told her she needed to find out the cause of this premonition, because if something was off here, she must ensure her mother was protected.

  It took far too long for the general to re-emerge from the courtroom, and when she did she was followed by a whole battalion of Valoureans, who marched in a two-by-two formation through the large waiting area and out the doors at the opposite end of the room, without a sideways glance in her direction.

  They look like they are on a mission.

  ‘My Qusay will see you now, Highness.’ Prochazka did not do the honour of showing Taren into the courtroom, but did a sweeping bow that flowed into an about-face, whereupon she fell in behind her troops and left the room.

  What was that all about? Taren could feel the cynicism just oozing from the general. Either she didn’t approve of Phemoria’s plan to form a governing body, or she had some other beef wi
th her.

  At this point the cleric emerged from the courtroom. ‘The Qusay-Sabah Clarona will see you now,’ she announced, holding open the door of the court.

  So Prochazka was awaiting her troops. Taren roused half a grin, realising the general had been toying with her to a degree. But why — if she realised she was the heir to the throne — would she show such disrespect? Perhaps the general didn’t believe her claim, or thought her too young to bother about? Or was there another reason? If Satomi had pulled a coup already then Taren was no longer the heir to the throne — Zeven’s young daughter, Thurraya, would be! That realisation was something of a shock, but there was little point speculating. Taren would know the truth soon enough, and it wasn’t as if she was blindly walking into a trap; she’d had her suspicions before she’d come.

  Upon entering the room of court, Taren couldn’t help but notice the large armed force of Valoureans standing at attention around the interior walls, but this was not unusual.

  ‘Qusay,’ Taren bowed before the woman who appeared to be her mother.

  ‘You have word from President Anselm?’ The Qusay’s tone was very formal, and there was not so much as a hint of a smile on her face.

  ‘We have obtained some information regarding the Princess Satomi’s movements, which the president felt should be brought to your attention,’ Taren advised.

  ‘Oh really?’ the Qusay asked, intrigued. ‘I have been concerned about my dear sister. What have you learned?’

  ‘We have reason to believe that the Princess Satomi may have been involved in the theft of a very ancient, very evil artefact, that is a component of a curse we are attempting to counter.’

  ‘You think that my sister might try and use this evil implement to steal my throne?’ the Qusay supposed with concern.

  This was not her mother, Taren felt sure of it. The true Qusay had been very emotional the last time Taren had seen her — feeling for the first time in her entire thirty-odd year reign was overwhelming — and even with a queen’s countenance, she could not have cooled so much in a few days.