by T. C. Edge
She must have thought better of it, or found him asleep.
As the fire dies, I sit across from Velia in silence, merely happy for her company. Slowly, we allow the flames to fade and become nothing but a small blanket of glowing embers. I watch them die away and think once more of the inferno that engulfed the compound, it’s own sea of ash still burning out there in the desert.
I think again of the training room where we fought Knight’s Terror. Of the lab and the tubes and shadows. Of the boys’ faces, kids who were grown in those tubes, who lived and died in those tubes. Only four made it through the gruesome process, only four managed to get out. And after living in that subterranean facility for so many years, now they’ve finally been unleashed.
And all they know of the world is what they’ve been taught by the Baron, by Knight’s Terror. They will hate us with a passion, programmed to kill and destroy and cause utter chaos. Bred for a single purpose: to destroy this world of ours, to carry out the final wishes of their ‘father’.
In the dim light, Velia’s soft voice brings me back out of my thoughts.
“What are you thinking?” she asks.
I look into her hazel eyes, orange firelight reflecting on their surface, and a smile naturally rises on my face.
“Nothing,” I say. “Just…I’m glad we met you.”
“We?” she asks, half smiling.
“Me,” I say. “I’m glad I met you.”
She stands and moves over to me, bends down, and kisses me once more on the cheek. “Me too, Theo Kane,” she says. “Me too.”
And with that, she turns and disappears up the stairs, drifting away into the darkness. Leaving me alone once more with only my thoughts for company, and the gentle crackling of the dying fire in my ears.
5
Fifty Fifty
I wake in the darkness of the sitting room, the dying embers of the fire just clinging to their final moments before fading out. I sit up in the comfortable armchair, my body aching all over from the numerous battles I’ve had to face in recent days and weeks. From training in the cave, and fighting in the stadium, to facing the savage storm, I’ve barely had a chance to recover. I feel like I could go back to sleep and not wake for a month.
I stand, thinking it best to head upstairs and climb into bed for the rest of the night. As I do, however, my ears are drawn to several noises coming from outside of the house in the quiet residential chamber.
I hear voices whispering harshly, people moving about. I stand and wander to the front door, and peek out to see several soldiers being mobilised and moving up towards the passage that leads to the main chamber.
I watch them as they go, and as I do feel the urge to follow. Quietly, I open the door and shut it without a noise, not wanting to wake the others upstairs, before moving off down the street towards the exit.
As I walk up the passage, I continue to hear voices speaking and feet rushing. It seems there’s some sort of commotion that’s leading them towards the central city chamber.
Reaching the end of the passage, I scan the great cave ahead, searching for the source of the activity. I walk towards the main street, silent now at this time but for a few guards and other sentinels, and see that a small crowd of security forces are gathering towards the main archways leading out onto the plateau.
I move down the street towards them, and see Athena amid the rabble. Then, coming from a side passage, I see Markus, looking weary and flanked once more by his personal guard.
I don’t try to hide my presence as I approach. Instead, I move straight towards the gathering, keen to discover what’s happening and, if needed, offer any aid I can. It’s Athena who spots me first, her eyes sweeping towards me as if she knew I’d be coming.
She steps out of the crowd, her eyes alert.
“Theo, what are you doing up at this hour?” she asks.
“I heard a commotion,” I say. “I wanted to know what was going on?”
Clearly she sees no reason to keep me in the dark, an explanation being quickly offered.
“Our scouts have reported a vehicle coming up the mountain. It appears to be a merchant, he says he has an injured man with him.” Her eyes narrow. “We think it might be Link.”
“Link?!” I say. “How do you know?”
“He’s been stopped at the tunnel checkpoint, and our guards have passed on a description. There aren’t many men who look like Link.”
At that point, Markus appears, the news already having been delivered to him by his guards.
“How close are they?” he asks.
“Just coming through the tunnel now,” says Athena. “They’ll be at the main gate any moment.”
“OK, let’s go.”
The two turn and quickly begin marching out onto the plateau and towards the grand city gate. I follow in behind, joining the guard of Watchers protecting the city Master. Around, other soldiers on duty watch as we pass by, whispering among themselves as they speculate as to what’s going on.
We’re at the gate in moments as it begins to draw open, grinding on heavy gears. Ahead, a merchant vehicle appears, driving quickly forwards. Armed soldiers surround it as it skids to a halt in the dirt, and a man jumps out with his arms up in surrender.
Athena and Markus rush forwards, and I follow right behind.
“Lower your weapons,” calls Athena, approaching the man. “Where is he?” she asks quickly as she reaches him.
He leads us around to the rear, where he opens up the back of the vehicle. Inside, lying in a pool of blood and surrounded by hanging collections of clothing, is a towering man I immediately recognise.
And so do the others.
“Right, get a medic here NOW,” shouts Athena, moving in and pressing her fingers to Link’s neck. I watch her eyes narrow, then widen. “He’s alive…his pulse is faint, but he’s alive.”
She turns to the merchant as a medic comes pouring forward, several soldiers behind him carrying a stretcher. He quickly sets his own fingers to Link’s neck, before scanning his body to perform a quick diagnosis of his injuries. I look at the great man and see several holes and cuts leaking blood, his skin growing paler by the second as the scarlet liquid drains from his body. Clearly, however, the merchant has attempted his own rudimentary treatment, applying bandaging and tourniquets where needed.
As he’s loaded on the stretcher and rushed inside, Athena begins her questioning.
“Where did you find him?” she asks, her voice rushing.
“A way down to the East,” says the trader. “I thought this would be the closest place to bring him…and the safest.”
The middle aged man watches as Link is carried off inside. I can see that he knows who he is. Most people do.
“Down to the East?” asks Athena. “Where exactly?”
“Nowhere near anything,” says the man. “I was just travelling through the scrubland, heading back to the regions, when I saw an old car, and a trail of blood leading out of it. I followed it and found him among some rocks, passed out. He must have driven from wherever he was…I don’t know how far or which direction he’d come. I just put him in the car and brought him straight here.”
Athena’s hand drops to the man’s shoulder as he looks once more to see Link being taken off.
“You did the right thing,” she says. “You might have saved his life.”
“Might?” I ask.
She looks across at me. “We can’t know yet, Theo. Where’s Ajax?”
My thoughts rush to my friend, back in our room. I grimace at the thought of him finding out.
“In bed,” I say.
Then, my mind takes another step forward, and a single name comes crashing out of my mouth.
“Drake! What about Drake?”
I look at the man, who shakes his head, looking confused.
“I only found Link,” he says. “There was no one else.”
Markus, who has stayed quiet up until now, adds in his voice as he turns to Athena.
&n
bsp; “Athena, take this man and go and inspect the site where Link was found. It might offer us some clue as to where he came from. Take my Watchers with you.”
Her eyes narrow and she nods.
“I’m coming too,” I say suddenly. “I can help.”
They look at me together. Markus shakes his head.
“No, you’ll stay here where it’s safe.”
“I’m stronger than most of these Watchers,” I say defiantly. “Athena knows. I can help.”
Markus looks to Athena.
She nods. “He’s right, Markus. Theo can hold his own against most. He and Ajax are the most gifted of those I’ve trained. I can vouch for him.”
Markus looks at me once more. “So be it,” he says. “I know from experience that age counts for nothing if you have such power. I will go and inform Ajax of the news and bring him to the medical chamber. You two, take some of my guards and inspect the site.” He turns to the merchant. “Can you lead them back there?” he asks.
The man nods. “I know these lands well,” he says. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Good,” says the city Master. “Now go, and good luck.”
With that, he marches off, leaving several of his personal guard behind, all men and woman who have been trained by Athena in the Watcher arts.
We’re quick to act, no time to waste. Leaving the merchant’s car where it is, we rush inside towards Athena’s jet and climb aboard. The merchant looks quite out of his depth, most likely never having stepped foot on such a transport. At Athena’s order, he takes up a position in the cockpit alongside her and the pilot, quickly summoned from his bedchambers. I hover in the doorway, listening in.
“Will you be able to navigate your way back from the air?” Athena asks.
The man looks unsure. “I haven’t flown before. I can try my best.”
“That’ll do,” says Athena. She turns back to me. “Theo, take a seat in the back. It won’t take long to get there. And try not to worry about Drake…I’m sure he’s fine.”
Her words do nothing to comfort me. In fact, she should know better than to utter them at all. Frankly, they’re the sort of words you’d tell a child who’ll just believe anything you tell them.
Truthfully, my mind has already turned to the prospect that my grandfather is dead. If he was with Link, and they could do that to him, then what hope would Drake have? It’s a painful thought, but I have to use logic and be realistic. Link escaped, and Drake was killed. That’s the only conclusion I can come to right now.
I take a seat as ordered, and stew on the prospect of another major casually. This time, it’s far closer to home, my own blood. I grit my teeth and stare out of the window at nothing, my hands shaking as the thoughts tumble through my mind. And before I know it, we’re sweeping down low to the ground, zipping through the air in search of the site where Link was found.
I hardly know how much time passes as I sit and stare blankly outside, the world rushing past in a blur. The only sign of passing time is the light. When we left, it was still dark. When we touch down on the sand, the sun has already risen, the open plains now painted yellow and brown.
We’re led out into the burning desert by the merchant, the Watcher guards clearly well trained and immediately forming a protective cordon as we go. Immediately, the sight of the abandoned car appears. We rush towards it and begin a quick inspection.
All over it are bullet holes, the interior splattered with blood. It’s an old vehicle, fairly non-descript, the sort of modified desert jeep you see around these parts all the time. It looks as though Link was shot through the door as he made his escape from wherever he happened to be.
The only indication of the direction of travel comes from the position of the car. It appears to be pointed towards Petram, Link perhaps attempting to get to the city himself before he stopped. Both the merchant and Athena are able to attest that there’s little in the opposite direction, nothing but long swathes of empty land before reaching the old remains of Knight’s Wall, and the regions beyond.
“Why did he leave the vehicle,” I say out loud, my eyes searching the trail of blood.
“I suspect he ran out of fuel and sought refuge in the shade of the rocks,” says Athena.
She begins following the blood to where the merchant found him, a large pool gathered in the shadow of the little outcrop. Other than the drops of blood, there are no trails; neither footprints nor tyre tracks from the car. Out here, the blowing winds tend to scatter any such thing before they can settle.
“Anything else you can tell us?” Athena asks the merchant. “Anything at all?”
He racks his brain and shakes his head.
“I’m sorry. I just found him here and brought him to you.”
“And he was unconscious when you found him?”
“Just about. His eyes flickered a bit but then he passed out.”
“OK,” says Athena. “We’ll do a quick sweep from the air, see if we can spot anything of interest. Other than that, we’ll just have to wait for Link to wake up so he can tell us what happened himself.”
She says it with conviction, not allowing herself to even consider the thought of Link not making it. Ever since the war, the two have been on many missions together and share a close bond. Even though she’s not showing it, I know that she’ll be feeling all of this inside.
The faces of the other men show that they’re feeling something too. It’s a concern, a fear even, something that Watchers aren’t meant to let in. But right now they can’t help it, and I know just where their thoughts are leading them.
If Link can be beaten, then anyone can…
We rise back into the air, hovering slowly off in the direction the jeep seemed to come from. Soon enough, we have a long aerial view of the area, no clouds hindering our sight below. Athena moves around, handing out telescopic goggles.
“Put these on,” she says. “They’ll allow you to see much further. Scan for anything suspicious.”
We put on the goggles as the jet hovers ever higher, giving us more desert to inspect. From the naked eye, there’s little to see below. When I put on the goggles, however, I find my eyesight magnified a hundredfold, my vision stretching off for miles in every direction. Suddenly, what was merely a dot on the desert floor becomes a detailed view of the jeep once more. I slide my finger along a little touchpad on the side of the goggles, and my vision dives even deeper, the tiniest details appearing clear before my eyes.
With orders to search, that’s what I do, all of us scanning the world below for any clue as to where Link might have driven from. I look forward and push the telescopic goggles to their limit, looking as far ahead as possible. There, many miles from where we are, I see some of the old ruins of Knight’s Wall, the old dividing line between the Deadlands and the regions.
If he was coming from that direction, it’s possible that he was attacked somewhere over in the regions themselves. Frankly, it could have been anywhere; a mile from here, two miles, ten, a hundred. The jet sweeps around for a while as we continue to scan the world below, but no one comes up with anything of interest. In the end, Athena calls a close to the brief investigation, ordering the pilot to return to Petram.
We arrive back quickly, and I waste no time in darting down from the jet and rushing into the city. Athena accompanies me, the two of us hurrying down to the medical chamber to get an update on Link’s condition.
When we arrive, we’re told by Markus that Link is currently in surgery, the doctors doing everything they can to help him.
“Right now,” says Markus, “it looks like a 50-50 shot at best. They’ll be working on him for a while. Did you find anything at the site?”
Athena shakes her head, her eyes hooded. “Only that Link seemed to have come from the direction of the regions. Nothing much to go on.”
Markus curses quietly under his breath, equally frustrated as the rest of us.
“Did you tell Ajax?” I ask him.
He nods sole
mnly, and raises his eyes down the passage. “He’s down there, outside the surgery room. Poor kid.”
“Thank you, sir,” I say.
Then I turn and move down the passage, and find Ajax standing in a corner, his eyes dark. Ahead of him is a door, beyond which his father’s life hangs in the balance.
I move over to him and lay my arm around his broad, muscular back. It’s tense and hunched, his arms folded and chin embedded in his neck. I look into his eyes and see that there’s a slight redness around them, his jaw so firmly clenched shut you’d need a crowbar to open it.
“I’m sorry, AJ,” I say. “I’m sure he’ll be OK.”
He nods slowly, and raises his eyes.
“Drake?” he asks softly.
I shake my head. “He’s…missing,” I say.
“Sorry…” he says. “Whatever happens, we’ll find him.”
“I know we will, AJ,” I say. “I know we will.”
The words come out, because they’re all I can say at a time like this. There is no space for doubt, even for logic. Not here, not now.
Link will be fine. Drake will be found. Neither of us can consider any other option right now. Neither of us have a choice.
6
In Our Blood
I stay with Ajax for hours in that little room, waiting for the doctors to emerge. Here, in Petram, I never knew provisions even existed for such delicate work. Yet they do, and for many hours the surgeons do their best to patch up Link’s wounds and refill his body with blood.
The girls come to join us at one point, Vesuvia immediately moving in to give Ajax the sort of embrace I can’t offer. She hugs him tight, his eyes set firm, as Velia steps in beside me.
“We heard about your grandfather,” she says. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” I say, looking forward. “Just…trying not to think about it, I guess.”
She nods and takes my hand in hers for a brief moment, before letting it slip away again.