Untold Deception

by William Staikos

  Seraculus held my hand. It startled me at first, but I held her hand. Glancing over I saw Elizabeth mouthing, “Kiss her.”

  It made me nervous; I guess if I’m leaving soon I should. I grabbed Seraculus by the waist and kissed her. She was startled at first but kissed back. We didn’t let go of each other. After several more drinks, Seraculus led me into her room. Sanoj followed me all the way up but quickly took the hint.

  “Meow,” smirked Sanoj.

  “Goodnight Sanoj,” I slurred, shutting the door behind me.

  When I woke up, Seraculus was in my arms. My head felt like it had been split open with an axe. I got my clothes back on and opened the door. Sanoj slept right outside the doorway.

  “Meow,” Sanoj perked her head up.

  “Yea yea,” I said while rubbing my head.

  We both walked downstairs, and there was Tora having coffee with Elizabeth.

  “Have a headache?” questioned Tora.

  “Yea…”

  “Here,” Elizabeth handed me a coffee with some water.

  My mind raced on something important.

  “Tora what is going to happen to the facility and Ovium insects?” I asked.

  “The insects have to be kept a secret. If people found out about them, they might riot out of fear. We need to keep the public working or Atral would fall apart,” stated Tora.

  “And the facility?” I asked.

  “Our scientists are researching that site. The P.S.O. liquid has been confiscated and shall be studied. We have voted on not using that dangerous prototype,” explained Tora.

  The facility reminded me of Jefora’s parents.

  “Can I tell Jefora’s parents the truth of what happened to their daughter?”

  “I can’t because of the information being classified, but you can say she died doing something else,” Tora explained.

  “Please arrange the meeting as soon as you can.”

  Within an hour both of Jefora’s parents arrived at the house. I stood by with Sanoj. They were already close to crying, so I felt that it needed to be as brief as possible.

  “Your daughter died in the escape of Abundan slaves. I was held captive with her, and we had shock collars. They used Abundans to force us to steal. During our escape there were many casualties, Jefora died fighting to protect us. I was the only survivor of the dispute. This information is classified, but I believe you deserve the truth,” I stated.

  They both sobbed as I told the story. The mother hugged me. “Thank you for telling me,” she said, a whimper escaping her lips.

  When they both left, the husband had her in his arms. I felt guilty but relieved they now know some of the truth. People would riot with the information of the Ovium insects.

  I spent the remaining day having fun with Seraculus’ family. The next day I went back to see the 12 councilors. I got my weapons back.

  “Hey Tora, any update on what’s going to happen to the facility?” I asked.

  “They have sent a team down already. All the memory banks were erased. We will use the prototype for Abundan amputees,” explained Tora.

  This satisfied me. I could leave this to Tora because I trusted him. It was sad to leave. Soon, I got on the train alone with Sanoj at my side. It was 4 p.m. when most Minyades are asleep. Journalists were waiting there still so I made sure to board it quickly unseen. All of the curtains were shut, and a man gave Sanoj a metallic golden collar.

  It read, ‘Government Certified Creature.’

  Tora’s family waved me goodbye. I waved back. Seraculus kissed me before we left.

  “Be back soon,” she winked.

  “Of course, I will,” I said.

  The doors shut and the train sprang to life. My robes were the same, but instead of gold, it had a white design. The clothing looked beautiful with the black armor. Both of my eyes were blue with contact lenses to help with the disguise. Hopefully, my black aura wouldn’t give away who I was. That and the bastil.

  It took a whole day to get to Kleto by train. I walked with a briefcase full of exact clothes. Not many people walk around with a bastil, here’s hoping I don’t get caught as Salan. I made sure to have a story planned if someone were to call me Salan. There are impersonators for any famous person. I should act like a fan. When we arrived, the conductor came back to see me.

  “I would like to thank you. I knew some friends in the military getting ready for war. As far as I’m concerned you saved them,” he said tilting his hat.

  I still wasn’t used to praise.

  “Oh, no problem,” I said.

  I glanced at my paper and saw the address I was supposed to go to. The Abundan guild is supposedly nearby.

  “Where is this?” I asked, forgetting Tora’s instructions.

  “Ninety-Six Tals street. Just walk straight down, and it’s along the train tracks, exact same direction of the train. Follow cobblestone roads until you see a large old building that kind of looks like a church. It has red, gold, and green ribbons around it. You can’t miss it. They keep it close by so that free agents can get onto a train right away.”

  I thanked him before stepping off the train.

  Tora gave me plenty of money. The guild provides a place to live for a 19-year-old like myself anyway. I will not use this money for the orphanage. The promise was that I had to earn this through missions. Walking through the street with a hood over my head and a katana on my back and a Bastil at my side, I pretty much cleared the streets of anyone coming my way. The whispers of curiosity started again, making it feel like home.

  “That’s more like it,” I murmured to myself.

  “Meow,” grumbled Sanoj.

  “We’ll be there soon, don’t worry.”

  The buildings were tall, and the city life was booming. I even saw some Felis, laughing and enjoying themselves. This was definitely a first-world country, unlike Faslow. Tora told me the economy had flourished during the war due to weapon selling. People here were very wealthy. There were horse carriages and a market full of fruits, vegetables, and meats. It felt almost too good to be true. A few girls passed by a fruit vendor, and I could hear their conversation from a distance.

  “I can only afford five apples instead of eight. I’m so broke!” exclaimed one woman.

  “I know, right,” replied another.

  Their conversation made me sick. I found the large building with the ribbons. The architecture here had a gothic style feeling to it. The Abundan guild still stood out with its height. It had two towers that seemed to scrape the sky. I approached the two big wooden doors.

  “Ready Sanoj?” I asked.

  “Meow,” Sanoj nodded.

  I took a deep breath, pulled the doors back and entered the guild.