by Ky Tyrand
“The walls are probably ten feet thick,” said Je’nna, noticing the other girl eyeing them.
Ki’ara turned to the gate.
Sparks flew, and a new smell filled the air, as gobs of molten iron spattered down, bouncing and bursting like fireworks on the floor. A few cuts were all it took to make an opening large enough to fit through.
“The metal’s hot,” said Je’nna as she climbed through. “I’ll open it.” She raced for the button that would release the locks.
“Hurry,” said Ki’ara, impatiently. She could hear Je’nna hammering the button.
“It’s not working!”
No option but to climb between the bars.
“You’ll have to be careful,” Ki’ara warned Petch as she crawled through. She and Je’nna both had armor to protect them. “Don’t touch the ends where I cut.”
Ki’ara squeezed through without touching the hot metal. But when she turned back, Petch was lying on the floor.
The Princess teetered as a wave of dizziness washed between her ears.
Je’nna was shouting something. What was it? Her voice sounded muffled.
The floor came up at Ki’ara.
She saw the ceiling, swirling with blue haze, and then Je’nna standing over her. The other girl had her helmet on, pointing at her temple, shouting through her mask.
What is she saying?
Ki’ara felt like she was floating on a cloud, somewhere in a dream.
“Helmet!”
The word finally registered.
Ki’ara tried to concentrate on closing her helmet, but it seemed impossible. Nevertheless, her Mu’turi appeared to know what to do. Nothing felt real as particles of composite material flipped closed around her face, and Je’nna’s voice suddenly echoed into her ears.
“BREATHE!”
Ki’ara coughed and inhaled, clarity slowly returning.
“The suits have a limited inter-dimensional air supply,” said Je’nna. “We can make it through the ducts, but we’ll have to leave your friend.”
The room stopped spinning, and Ki’ara got to her feet. “Like Hell,” she said, seeing Petch unconscious on the other side of the bars.
They heard voices behind the heavy entrance door. Someone was preparing to charge in.
“Then we’ll have to fight,” said Je’nna.
“He’s in here because of me,” said the Princess. “I’m not leaving him behind. Besides, he might know what happened to To’mas.”
Ki’ara let out a breath when Je’nna finally replied, “They don’t know we have the suits.”
5
“Now!” Lieutenant Hearn led a dozen soldiers through the secure doorway.
With sealed masks, the blue mist had no effect on the Royal Guardsmen as they breached with guns drawn. Nevertheless, the haze cleared quickly as fresh air was pumped in.
What the men found was not what they were expecting…
The legless boy was unconscious on the floor behind the prison gate. But he was alone. Several iron bars were cut clean through, leaving an opening large enough for someone to climb through.
The message said there may be two girls, but there were no signs of either.
“Over here,” said one of the guards, his blaster pointing up to the open vent above the desk.
“Alright.” Hearn grinned. “They must have found a way to mitigate the gas. They’ll be heading straight for the second team. Hugo, Ulrich, check on the cripple. Get him back in his cell. And get Maintenance and Technical down here. Looks like they’ve got another round of repairs. They’ll be thrilled. The rest of you … with me!”
Lieutenant Hearn left with the brunt of his soldiers in tow.
The pair that remained, Hugo and Ulrich, grumbled as they went to work opening the gate. One of them had a special device, which he placed over the button, and spun a dial around the outside.
Back when the gate motors had been repaired, Technical had rigged the door to shut when the cell barrier was de-activated. The button to open it only worked once, so anytime the boy needed tending, the gate needed to be reset.
Brilliant plan, but a terrible nuisance.
Every time the boy was fed, a second person needed to be present to re-activate the switch.
“What do you think could have done that?” Hugo nodded at the cut bars, as he removed the gadget and pressed the button.
“I have no idea,” Ulrich whistled.
The locks released, and the men entered.
“Kid’s fine,” said Hugo. “Might have a headache when he wakes up, though.”
“Take an arm,” said Ulrich. “We’ll be waitin’ til Technical and Maintenance repairs this stuff, ya know.”
Hugo frowned. “We always get the crap jobs while they have all the fun.”
The pair had no idea.
They didn’t notice the two camouflaged figures drop from the ceiling near the entrance, landing silently on the stone floor.
Hugo didn’t expect his partner to suddenly collapse in a heap beside the cripple. “Ulrich,” he said. “You okay?”
He let go of the boy, and knelt beside his fallen comrade. “Ulrich?” Hugo caught a flash of blue light from the corner of his eye, before everything went dark.
6
Ki’ara’s doubled-up Niksuru made quick work of the prison’s door.
In no time at all, she and Je’nna were out of the secure chamber, and into the labyrinth of corridors. Each of them had a weapon in one hand, while clutching one of Petch’s wrists in the other. They dragged the boy behind them, as the heels of his prosthetics scraped across the floor.
The last time Ki’ara was in these hallways, she thought the walls were going to shake to the ground. Though everything seemed solid now, she spotted some recent repairs.
“Which way?” asked Je’nna, as they neared an intersection.
“To the right,” replied Ki’ara.
They peeked around the corner to ensure the coast was clear before dragging the boy out into the open, cringing at the amount of noise they were making.
There were voices ahead – women’s voices – and heavy boots running in the distance.
“They’re onto us,” whispered Je’nna. “Can we ditch him, now?”
Ki’ara’s cold glare was her answer.
The voices were much closer than the clomping boots, but they could tell there was commotion ahead.
“In here,” said Ki’ara, after rattling a door and finding it unlocked. They opened it to find the smallest of storage rooms, piled so full of odds and ends that there was barely enough space for one person, let alone three. Nevertheless, it was all they had.
The women’s voices were just around the corner, with the clomping boots not far behind.
The girl’s dragged Petch in, propping his torso up in a seated position while they stood above, trying not to step on his limbs. Ki’ara struggled to close the door as they squeezed in, but something was holding it open. It took her a moment to realize one of the boy’s prosthetic feet was jammed at the bottom.
While attempting to not spill out, Ki’ara reached down and dragged the artificial limb into the closet. But as she did, through the narrow opening of the door, her eyes met those of a woman rounding the corner.
Ki’ara recognized her immediately.
Her name was Ma’gy. She had helped care for Ki’ara when the Princess was very young.
The door clicked shut, but Ki’ara knew she was too late. The damage had been done. There was no wondering if she had been spotted. Their eyes had locked, and she saw the plump woman start.
Ki’ara had never liked Ma’gy much. Far too strict. With her perfect posture that tilted her chin far higher than it ought to be; and proper manners and etiquette – who cares which fork I use for my salad? – And her pristine attire that never had a wrinkle or a stain.
If anyone would give them away, it was Ma’gy.
“What is it?” – the girls heard a voice through the door. Ki’ara knew that it didn
’t belong to the elderly Ma’gy, but rather whoever had been walking alongside her.
There was no answer.
Ki’ara tried to warn Je’nna to get ready, but there was no need. Je’nna was always ready.
They could hear the stomping of heavy boots draw near. As soon as Ma’gy gave the word, the soldiers would be upon them.
A sudden loud thump shook the door. Ki’ara jumped, and had to force herself to remain silent.
Petch was the only one to make a noise. A mild groan.
Ki’ara’s heart was going to explode.
The boy groaned again.
The Princess considered nudging him, but feared it might make things worse.
Instead, she took a chance and covered his mouth with her foot.
She could apologize later.
If they lived.
“Watch where you’re going, you brutes!” – that was Miss Ma’gy’s accent, right outside the door.
“Get back to your room, woman!” – a strong male voice, almost as close as Ma’gy – “On the King’s orders, this place is under lockdown!”
Ki’ara could barely hear a word over the sound of her heart.
Any moment, the door would rip open and they would have to face a dozen armed guards…
She was ready, prepared to cut them all down if it would keep her friends safe.
But it didn’t happen. Though Ki’ara was certain that the silence meant the soldiers were getting into position, somewhere between the thumping pulses of her heart she heard the heavy boots trudge off.
Ki’ara was stunned.
Ma’gy hadn’t given them away. At least, not yet.
The Princess wanted to tear open the door and hug and thank the woman. But Ki’ara knew that Ma’gy was not alone.
“Despite what Tho’ran thinks,” said Ma’gy, in a voice clearly amplified for Ki’ara to hear, “He is NOT our King. Princess Ki’ara will surely return one day, and when she does, we’ll all be the better for it.”
Ki’ara felt goosebumps run up her spine.
“Careful, Ma’gy,” said her companion. “That kind of talk will get you into trouble.”
“Trouble I can handle,” said Ma’gy. “And I’m not the only one. Not for something this important. When the Princess is ready to return, and has the means to defeat her uncle and his alliance with those… demons, she will have more support than she knows.”
Ki’ara couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Ma’gy went on, “I just hope that she isn’t rash, for Tho’ran has far too many tricks up his sleeve. Princess Ki’ara will need an army behind her if she hopes to overthrow him. That dear girl will be going against the New Gods, you know. They’re the ones pulling her uncle’s strings. But she’ll do it, one day. I know she will. When she’s ready, and has the backing. And we’ll all be thankful for it. I just hope her well in the meantime.”
With that, the women walked off.
To say that Ki’ara was flabbergasted would be an understatement. Not only had Ma’gy not given her away, the woman’s words were in fact riddled with warnings and encouragement. She clearly did not think lightly of what Tho’ran had in store for Ki’ara.
“Mmmmph…”
The Princess lifted her foot from Petch’s face when she realized he was not only conscious, but that she was probably smothering him.
“Shhhhh … Petch, it’s me, Ki’ara,” she whispered in the dark. “Please don’t move or make a sound.”
The boy’s movements and noises halted as quickly as they began. Despite the fact that he had awoken in a dark, cramped, room, with a foot over his mouth and no idea what was going on, he trusted the sound of Ki’ara’s voice.
“We need to keep moving,” stated Je’nna.
Ki’ara agreed. “Petch, can you get up?”
No answer.
“Petch?”
“Oh, for crying out loud,” said Je’nna. “He’s asleep again. I say we leave him.”
“We’re not leaving him, Je’nna. If you knew Petch the way I do, you wouldn’t even consider it. He’s the bravest, most loyal boy in Avalon.” snapped Ki’ara. “I’ll carry him, if I have to.”
Je’nna cursed under her breath. “I’ll carry him,” she growled. “I’d hate for you to strain your little princess muscles.”
Ki’ara didn’t know whether to laugh, or get mad. Instead, she did neither; just happy Je’nna wasn’t insisting that they leave her friend behind.
“Help me lift him up,” grumbled Je’nna.
With barely enough room to breathe, the girls somehow dragged Petch up to a high enough position that Je’nna could get under him.
“Holy, dead-weight much?” said Je’nna, as they hauled him up and flopped him onto her back.
As always, Ki’ara was in awe of how strong the small girl was. Though not as heavy as some, unconscious Petch was by no means an easy burden. But Je’nna got up under him, flopping his arms around her neck and using her Mu’turi to fasten his wrists over her shoulders. It would be up to Ki’ara to carry Je’nna’s rifle, which she slung onto her back just like the pink-haired girl would, but with a little less grace.
Despite trying to keep quiet, Ki’ara was certain that if anyone had passed by the storage room door, they would be privy to an odd commotion.
Once the girls were set, they cautiously made their way out into the corridor.
“This way,” said Ki’ara. She knew these hallways like the back of her hand. But she couldn’t predict where the soldiers would turn up. And they seemed to be around just about every corner.
With Je’nna saddled down under a heavy and awkward load, it was up to Ki’ara to clear a path and quickly subdue any who would threaten the trio. She moved ahead, not making a sound as she peeked around corners and swiftly took action.
There was no time to think or plan, only to act.
The moment Ki’ara knew how much trouble awaited them at each turn, she would throw her Niksuru. For the sake of stealth, she didn’t release the Blue Energy until the weapon was on course, already streaking through the air.
Controlling the flow and speed of plasma particles, Ki’ara had found the perfect level that seemed to stun and knock-out the guards without killing them. At least, that’s what she told herself. The Princess wasn’t certain that there would be no long term effects or unforeseen damage. Nevertheless, the intention and attempt were there. She didn’t want to kill these people. But they were on the wrong side. And anyone getting in the way of Ki’ara trying to save her friends, risked life and limb. That was just the way of it.
When Ki’ara threw her weapons, the tight corridors made it difficult to maintain their momentum. There wasn’t enough room to loop the spinning devices in a circle. But she was getting pretty good at drawing them straight back after they slowed, like a plasma-filled, guard-stunning yo-yo.
For the most part, she relied on being able to move silently and covertly, using her Mu’turi both to create soft pads under her feet, and camouflage for her body. But there was a limit to the amount of actual ‘hiding’ that she could do within the confines of the narrow hallways. Nevertheless, she did her best to sneak up whenever she could. The guards were quieter that way, and put up less of a fight.
The ones that spotted her first, made noise. Sometimes a lot of it.
To add to the sounds, Je’nna was having a difficult time keeping Petch quiet. Not only would he groan and snore, but he was also taller than Je’nna, and there were times when his composite feet would drag on the floor.
At one point, she whispered, “His legs have to go.”
“He’ll need them, Je’nna,” replied Ki’ara. “And we’ll need him to have them.”
Je’nna’s response was to growl and shift his weight.
“Uh, Ki’ara…?”
The Princess looked back to see Je’nna leaning Petch against a wall behind her, while holding one of his separated limbs up in the air.
“I didn’t mean to, I swear,” she said adaman
tly. “I was adjusting him, and it just popped off in my hand.”
Ki’ara ran back to help her. The solution was to remove the boy’s other leg, which the Princess put on her own back with its mate, along with Je’nna’s rifle, securing them in all place with her Mu’turi.
“Well, that lightens him up a bit,” observed Je’nna. “Anything else we can tear off him?”
Ki’ara glared. “I can take him for a while, you know. If I use the G.R., even my delicate little princess muscles should be able to carry him.”
“Are you kidding?” replied Je’nna, “He’s nothing but skin and bones. I could carry him all day now that those hunks of metal gone.” With that, she pushed off.
“Why don’t you at least take the G.R.?”
“Don’t need it,” said Je’nna, stubbornly.
“Fine.” With the prosthetics on her back, Ki’ara ran ahead.
But when she rounded the next corner, four Royal Guardsmen were there waiting, catching sight of her right away. Things were about to get ugly.
And to make matters worse, shouting from behind let the girls know that the bodies of their unconscious victims were being discovered – a trail that would lead another group of soldiers straight to them.
7
Ki’ara threw one of her Niksuru and spun her way forward to strike with the other, grounding two guards before the remaining pair had a chance to react.
They drew swords, countering as fast as they could.
But Ki’ara was faster. With her helmet closed and armor activated, the girl had no fear of their weapons. She didn’t hesitate to block their blows with Blue Energy particles racing, severing steel and sending both opponents’ blades clanking to the floor.
These two didn’t have blasters. Good for Ki’ara. Not good for the Royal Guardsmen.
As they fumbled for their daggers, the Princess swiped her plasma blade at one, while withdrawing her other Niksuru into the back of the other. Both dropped as the girls charged by.
“This is it,” said Ki’ara, reaching for the door as the sounds of heavy boots and shouting approached from the rear.