Godling (Kairenz Jistora Book 1)

by Dusks, Rydre

Zlade and I watched as Oraia traipsed to the door and opened it, walking out and shutting it solidly behind her.

  My heart felt as if it were at the bottom of my stomach. Zlade looked at me with worry.

  "I’m so sorry, Crow. I didn’t realize what she was going to say,” he breathed.

  "I don't know what to do," I uttered. "Oraia is going to call the cops on me regardless if I find Stelliot or not."

  "You're not in the wrong," Zlade commented. "I know the laws better than she does--I work in the Tower. From what I heard, she'd be putting herself in more danger by talking to the police than you would be if you did."

  "But she's a good liar," I countered. "She managed to worm her way into getting visitation rights by lying. She wants revenge."

  Zlade sat up. "For what? You haven't done anything to her. If I remember correctly, Crow, you were a complete wreck when you came to live with Toanwar. She tore you to pieces by leaving. She's the criminal here. If the authorities knew how her addiction had affected Stelliot's physical and mental health--"

  "They can't know, because if they know anything about Stelliot still being taken care of by an unmarried parent, they'll do their best to take away my rights. The records may have Stelliot with my last name, but the official documents say that Toanwar is his primary guardian. And even though Toanwar isn't married anymore, he's still got the Tower's favor. I'm nothing but a black-skinned savage here."

  Zlade shook his head in disapproval. "We'll do our best to protect you, Crow, just like we vowed when you came to live with us."

  I let out a long-awaited breath, solemnly gazing over at the TV. I didn't know what to say. Stelliot was kidnapped, Oraia was out to get me, Saydea wanted my soul...

  "If I were you, Master, I would buy a motorcycle," Click suddenly spoke up.

  I snapped back to attention. "...What?"

  "I think it would be wise to leave GreyCross for a while. Taking a smaller transporting vehicle besides your car would be less easy to spot by authorities on the road to the eastern gate," Click elaborated. It was unusual for Click to speak up with his opinion about anything.

  "Click, I can't. Stelliot's kidnapper might still be in GreyCross. I can't just--"

  The thought of the ten thousand jels came back to me. I knew I could put them to use somehow, but... a motorcycle?

  "Click’s got a point," said Zlade. "If your ex-girlfriend tries something, it would be best for you to hide. You already know how much Era barely tolerates the Strejca. Death might be your most merciful punishment if you get ratted out."

  This only made me feel sick and weak-kneed. "I'm going to go lay down for a little while."

  After taking a hot shower, I dropped into my bed emotionally exhausted, but only able to drift into a light sleep. It was difficult to fight back the fears about Stelliot, and terrible images of my son's possible fate invaded my dreams. I woke up teary-eyed and shivering, clutching the sheets to my chest in the darkness of the bedroom. What could I possibly do if Stelliot were injured or killed? Gods... what if he was tortured? I squeezed my eyes shut hard, even though they had already been closed.

  Perhaps you ought to use your hackerbot's advice.

  The voice startled me, although it shouldn't have. Any leads on Velzae? I asked Sylvain.

  None yet. Velzae is not in GreyCross anymore. I cannot feel him. Take advice from your robot, Crow, and travel across the border. If you cross that border, Era will not be able to reach you.

  You know I don't trust you even remotely more than I do Velzae.

  But you know to heed me. I am attempting to help you. The Strejca have me incapacitated for now. The most I can do is tell you where I believe Velzae is, and hope that you will follow my instructions.

  I decided to say my next words aloud. "Saidias Orlan told me that you and Dentrin are plotting something. How do I know you're not just trying to get me out of the city for your own reasons?"

  Crow Hightower, if my scientific father or I wished to harm you in any way, we would have done so by now. Now start thinking logically and take your well-being into consideration. You are suffering, and you will only suffer worse if the president of Iason catches wind of what is going on amongst the Strejca and Saydea. If you leave, I will do my best to guide you to Velzae's possible location, and you can travel back to GreyCross once it is safe to do so.

  I knew Sylvain would not wait for me to respond. He was done speaking, and I had made up my mind. As far as I was concerned Velzae was playing with me like a toy--not Saydea. Orlan may have spoken truths about me being safer the less involved I was, but my main concern was Stelliot.

  Getting back up, I threw on my coat I'd left on the floor and walked back out to the living room. Click was still there, but Zlade wasn't.

  "Going out again, Master?" he asked nonchalantly.

  "I'm going to listen to your suggestion, Click, and get myself a smaller ride."

  "Okay, Master. Be safe."

  I left the house and made my way further into the city by car. Most of GreyCross's shops accumulated towards the heart, spreading out around the Tower in the very center. The motorcycle shop I knew of was three miles out from the Tower--not normally considered the safest area for a Strejc, but manageable, seeing as how Insidd lived even closer to the center than that.

  After depositing the check, I stopped my car just short of pulling into the bike shop parking lot when a loud thunk sounded on my roof. I waited a moment, leaning closer to my window, and was answered with Va'th's upside-down grinning face. I rolled my eyes and parked before getting out as Va'th slid off the roof and back onto solid ground.

  "Do I have a tracking device on me that I'm not aware of?" I wondered irritably before walking through the glass doors of the shop entrance.

  Va'th followed me. "Insidd asked me to keep an eye on you."

  I avoided eye contact with him ungratefully. "Good hell, it isn't like I'm suicidal. Why is everyone freaking out so much about my welfare suddenly?"

  Va'th chewed on one of his lip rings before speaking. "Well, Insidd didn't really want me to say anything, but since I'm your friend, I will. He's trying to find out what it is about you that makes Dentrin so excited. The boss is starting to think that Dentrin is going to try to do something unfriendly with you, so he's asked me and a few others to keep watch around you."

  "Oh... so Insidd thinks I need bodyguards." I wanted to tell him that Dentrin had already assaulted me, but I felt it wasn’t the time to get into that.

  Va'th was about to speak, but an employee had approached us. He was very obviously a robot, as his words were clunky and preprogrammed, and his appearance resembled plastic casing.

  "Welcome. What can I do for you?" he asked, jerking his head to one side to look Va'th up and down in a blocky fashion.

  So used to Zlade's beautifully human-like mannerisms, seeing a robot this simple made me feel awkward. "I'm looking for a small but very fast-moving motorcycle that's durable enough to run on sand."

  The employee stood still and quiet for a moment, taking in my voice and registering it to try to make sense of it. Va'th caught my attention.

  "Sand? Crow, are you planning on leaving the city?"

  "I'll tell you in a minute," I answered just before the employee spoke again.

  "We do not have any motorcycles in stock currently that can run across sand except for dirt bikes."

  "No, no, I'm looking for something with a lot of speed. Dirt bikes aren't fast enough."

  The employee paused again. I sighed in annoyance at his low-level processing skills, glancing around the shop at the display bikes. Some of them were fancy, others more basic. I didn't care about the design--I never had when it came to vehicles.

  "I'm afraid my search came up with nothing, sir, but we do have something that you might be interested in besides a motorcycle," said the employee. "Would you care to follow me, please?"

  "Oh boy," Va'th exclaimed behind me, clapping his hands. "I'll bet it's a scooter!"

  Fearing th
e worst, I followed the employee around a group of motorcycles and stepped down some stairs into their garage, where a couple of workers were testing out some new model bikes. A rather flashy one rested off to the side and looked like it was designed for speed, but it had no wheels. Instead rounded, blue-tinted metal filled with many tiny holes took the place of the tires. It stood up on stands so that these devices wouldn't touch the ground.

  "What... is that?" I wondered as we came closer, leaning in a little to take a better look at the faux wheels.

  "This is a hovercycle," said the employee. "This is our first imported model from Ifearor. It has been test driven already, and has shown to be superior across any plain when compared to the typical motorcycle. It can exceed speeds over two hundred miles per hour, though this is not recommended inside the city, and only with protective gear on. The thrusters keep the vehicle afloat with continuous bursts of air, with special resistance fuel that will repel contact with any typical mineral base. For example: dirt, stone, glass, vegetation, tar, and even carpet. However, it is recommended not to try riding over water. The air support and resistance is able to support just over four hundred pounds, ideal for two small-sized riders," he explained.

  I ran my hand along the smooth seat and gazed at the dials just below the handlebars. The outer coating was a glimmering white, looking striking in contrast to the blue thrusters. It truly was a beautiful bike.

  "And how much does something like this go for?" I wondered.

  "Ku zika zika jela," said the employee. "But you can make a down payment on it for only seven thousand jels."

  The number the employee had given me was ridiculously high, but I was willing to take it. When authorities were involved, there was no guessing what lengths they would go to catch their criminal, and if anyone decided to rat me out to the police, an escape like this was well worth the money.

  "I'll take it," I replied.

  Va'th quirked an eyebrow. "You're not even going to test ride it first?"

  "I know how to ride a motorcycle, Va'th. Kajaru had one. This should be no different."

  The employee left to retrieve paperwork, so I decided that I would take that time to tell Va'th about Oraia's dirty ploy.

  "That's just sick," he uttered before biting at one of his lip rings again. "She's got to have a connection to the Tower to get away with rights to see Stelliot." He looked back at me, more concern on his face. "Are you sure you should be listening to Sylvain?"

  "I want to keep myself safe, Va'th. I'm sure the Strejca will keep searching while I'm away even if I don't find Velzae in Souloroh."

  The employee came back, and I signed the papers. After purchasing some protective gear as well, the employee opened the garage door for me.

  "Va'th, I'll ride this home. Could you take my car back to Toanwar's for me?" I asked as I suited myself up and fit on a durable full-face helmet.

  Va'th only gave me a half grin and the Ifearian sign for "no problem," before catching my ignition card and taking off around the corner to grab my car.

  I straddled the hovercycle and used a new ignition card that the employee handed me to turn it on. The vehicle came to life with a whoosh, and bursts of air began rushing out from the thrusters. The machine made a satisfying pulsating sound as I squeezed one of the handles and felt the thrusters begin to roll like wheels. At first it retracted its stands and made a slow pace toward the start of the road, but quickly sped up the moment I squeezed the handle more, and I found myself riding the air. Dust and dirt from the road kicked up behind the hovercycle's thrusters as I made my course home, taking shortcuts through alleyways and attempting to stay off the Arutesa, or main freeway. The new bike proved its value as I slowed to a stop in front of Toanwar's house, feeling satisfied with how smooth it navigated the city. I was about to turn it off and stand up when a shout came from the road, causing me to pause and turn my helmeted head to see.

  It was Va'th, and he'd left my car on the shoulder of the street across the way, waving frantically for me to move. I didn't need to figure out why. Toanwar's door had been left open, and within seconds two armed policemen came out from the house and pointed their guns my way.

  "Strejc! Stay where you are! The Tower orders you to remove your helmet and state your name!"

  "Screw that," I uttered and pulled away from the driveway, back on the road.

  "Stuopo!" they called after me. Their guns went off. One narrowly missed the back of my hovercycle. Va'th hurried to catch up with me, driving down the other side of the road to come level with my bike.

  "Crow, there are cops all over around here! They've been waiting for you!"

  "Make a diversion!" I shouted.

  "How?"

  "I don't know--be yourself!" As I turned down another way, I watched Va'th block off two police vehicles with his car and begin shouting his home language at them. There were gunshots, and at first I thought they had come from where Va'th was, but then I realized they were from more officers who had managed to catch sight of my flashy ride. As fascinated as I was at first that the hovercycle had come in white and brilliant ice blue, my feelings had turned to annoyance now. But it was fast, and that was what I hoped to rely on. I turned down a skinny alley hoping to get the police off me, but stopped the hovercycle in surprise as another police vehicle blocked the only way out.

  They really planned all this out, didn't they? I thought bitterly.

  Knowing I would crash if I kept going, I halted completely and shut the bike off, getting off it and ripping off my helmet.

  "Stuopo!" one of the authorities shouted again.

  I made my way over to a staircase stationed by a couple of garbage cans and climbed upward, stopping at one end beside a door when one of the cops shot at me. I looked around for any place to go. If I went inside the building, if it were unlocked, they could still trap me. From this angle I could easily leap off from the landing and make it on top or even over one of the police cars. With my biking chaps, hunting coat, and gloves still on, I probably wouldn't be at too much risk of damaging or messing up a limb. I bit my lip with a deep inhale and stepped up onto the railing, hoisting myself into the air. For a brief second I felt my heart flutter from the feeling of descent, then I landed on my toes and rolled. I'd made it past the car and was now on the sidewalk. Fueled only with adrenaline I sprinted down the pathway. I wound my way through streets and around buildings. For a time it seemed as if I'd lost them, and I managed to find a small hiding place beside some parked cars so that I could catch my breath.

  My break cut off abruptly.

  Something loud, grinding, and heavy hit me in the side and sent me sailing into the brick wall of a building. With the wind knocked out of me and my shoulder throbbing but otherwise fine, I crumpled to the ground as denizens around me shouted and rushed out of the way. I didn't need to look and see what it was--I knew what it was--but I scrambled up and turned to see anyway.

  A MetalArt. Standing perhaps eleven feet tall, this type of machine was known for its glossy chrome exterior and relentless force. They were often used in the Iasona military. This one had arms like clubs, and they reached down to its knee joints. I thought it extreme for the Tower to send basically a robotic tank to stop me, but figured Era knew how powerful the Strejca really were. We were trained to rarely let anything stand in our way, no matter how impossible the mission. The only exception had been a couple of days ago, when Phazer had been injured by the lab experiment.

  I didn't have much of a chance to reach for my gun, but I tried anyway. I pulled it out and pointed it at the MetalArt's broad chest, unleashing an array of bullets. The MetalArt, its inner workings now filled full of tiny, exploding projectiles, buzzed a couple of times, its limbs jerking, then stalled right there on the street. I backed up a bit and turned to continue my escape, but was answered with the barrel of a gun in my face. In my effort to get away from the MetalArt the authorities had surrounded me. I searched my surroundings, but there was no way I could escape this one. Police
and their vehicles circled the area, and every officer had their firearm aimed my direction.

  "Strejc Crow Hightower, you are under arrest for the betrayal of Strejc laws, the hiding as a witness to a crime, the attempt to escape authorities, and the destruction of Iasona military weaponry. Drop your gun or we will not hesitate to execute you publicly."

  I felt hollow while attempting swallow my pounding stress. I wasn't exactly afraid--if they planned to kill me, they would only do it right now if I shot at them or tried to attack them. Silently, I dropped my Jux and raised my hands so that they could see I was no longer armed. At least... visibly.

  "I never betrayed Strejc laws," I uttered.

  The cop who had the gun to my head lowered it to some degree as another grabbed my hands and pulled them tightly behind me, binding me. "At this present time, you no longer have the rights to any possessions, any words in your defense, or any say in the choice of your punishment. As a Strejc, you should know that orders for citizen punishment come directly from President Era. It's not our duty to decide what you did and didn't do."

  "And what is my punishment?" I asked, wincing a little from the tightness of the cuffs.

  "Four years in camp Roavo, Souloroh," the officer said. I could see in his eyes that he didn't agree with any of this. "You will be held here until the shuttle comes, and your friends and family will be notified after your departure."

  I gritted my teeth roughly, wishing the illest of fates on Oraia. So much for Strejc protection, I thought. Va'th, where are you? Sylvain? Toanwar...? My desperate inner cries were left to echo in my head with no answer.

  6

  Camp Roavo

  They'd left the cuffs on me the entire ride. They chafed my wrists uncomfortably, but the real pain came from my sleeping, prickling fingers.

  The shuttle was a swift-moving transporter able to carry over seventy passengers and moved across the Rove Desert of Souloroh with ease. It had been some time since I'd seen the light of day outside of GreyCross. The last time I'd traveled across this desert was to go to Ckin. Roavo was quite some distance away and further north, closer to my birthplace the Gasaidiatt, or "Holy Forest" in native Anli.