“This looks familiar,” Kalah whispered as the soldiers shouted for them to start walking. The Earth 3012 soldiers’ skin was darker than Zykeiah’s.
“Here we go again.” Zykeiah smiled.
“Did they take your sack?” Sarah asked.
“Yes.”
“Mine too.”
They marched across the soft battlefield, a huddled group of banged, bruised and dying people. Sarah noticed that she and Zykeiah were the only women in the group.
“You there!” The female soldier pointed to Sarah. “Stop.”
She stopped and two of the male soldiers who had the same straight, black hair and dusty brown skin grabbed Zykeiah and Kalah from the group. The Minister Knights and Sarah had been segregated from the prisoners of war.
“You are not from Saturn Four.” The male soldier lifted Zykeiah’s sack and shook it.
“No,” Zykeiah answered.
The female soldier looked at the male soldier and shrugged.
“This is not of Earth 3012, either. Where are you from and what are you doing here?”
“I can only speak of my mission to the General or the King per my orders from my queen.”
Again the male soldier turned to the female solider for answers, and again the woman simply shrugged. “Follow me, we’ll take you to see General Cullen.”
The soldiers did not return their belongings.
* * *
General Cullen rested the bulky bag of silver coins on the table of his study. Valek needed to be paid or else he would cut off their supply of Solance. That simply wouldn’t do, for Saturn Four had seemingly unlimited resources and Earth 3012 did not.
He had decided to deliver the payment to Valek personally to assure him that he meant to keep good on his promises.
Hard knocks on his quarter’s door roused the General from his thoughts of how to deal with Valek.
“Who is it?” he snapped, already tired and weary.
“Sir, we have returned with more prisoners from Saturn Four.”
General Cullen swung open his door. “Why are you bothering me with such mundane matters? I am busy.”
The soldier cowered and stuttered, “B-but sir, three of the prisoners are not from Saturn Four.”
“What?” General Cullen stepped into the hallway and shut his door. “Where are they from?”
“T-they refused to say. They asked for you.” The soldier recoiled from the General and scooted back against the wall. Slender, but forceful, General Cullen inspired fear in each of his soldiers. The General’s torture tactics were legendary on Earth 3012.
“Where are they now?” General Cullen bellowed.
“In… in the dungeon.”
General Cullen dismissed the soldier and walked back into his study. He picked up the bag of silver and placed it in his desk.
Who could be visiting Earth 3012? Valek would have contacted him before coming and the king’s daughter and sons had been killed long ago, so it was not a suitor.
General Cullen hurried through the drafty hallways of the king’s castle. The smell of moss and fungi saturated the hallway’s stale air. He continued down the hall that led from the General’s quarters to the dungeon, which was south of the kitchen. The king’s quarters and the servant quarters were located there.
General Cullen did not mind being close to the dungeon. Sometimes to remove the stress of the day, he would visit the dungeon and play with the soldiers of Saturn Four. They provided plenty of entertainment. After which, he’d climb the stairs back to his quarters and fall right to sleep.
He could smell the urine and decay as it floated up from the dungeon. The cries and screams of the new arrivals as they were branded also greeted him at the top of the stairs.
Smiling, the General continued on to the dungeons.
* * *
Kalah sat on the slab of red-colored rock and rubbed his head.
“Still aching?”
“Yeah, but it’s waning.”
“I have some herbs in my sack. If we get it back, I should be able to heal the ailment,” Zykeiah whispered.
“Thanks, Zykeiah.
She stood by the cell’s door. It was made of wood, and if necessary, Sarah’s sphere could be used to collapse it. Sarah had suggested it several times already.
“We need to meet with the General,” Zykeiah said flatly, indicating the end of the discussion.
“How long does it take to go and get him?” Sarah’s internal voice was alive and muttering that something wasn’t right. “Something isn’t right. I can feel it.”
“Settle down.” Zykeiah patted Sarah’s shoulder as she paced by the cell’s back wall. “Stop pacing, everything’s alright.”
“No.” Sarah leaned back against the wall and tried to concentrate on the mutterings inside.
They heard frequent yelps and shouts of men being tortured. To the left of where Kalah sat was a pool of dried blood and across from their cell was a young man who had been badly beaten and stabbed. He was chained to the wall and his blood pooled beneath him. Fat, hairy rats scurried about across the man’s face and they tracked bloodied footprints across his cell.
“Which cell are they in?”
Sarah heard the voice and knew instantly that it belonged to General Cullen.
“Last one on the right, sir.”
His boots made little noise on the hard surface floor. His bony face seemed haggard and malnourished as he stopped in front of their cell and smiled.
“Do we know each other?” he asked.
“No, but we were sent here by Queen Zoë of Veloris,” Zykeiah answered as she stepped back from the cell’s door.
She didn’t trust him and neither did Sarah. Kalah had stood up and he remained standing behind Zykeiah.
“Veloris? The ice planet?” General Cullen’s smile faltered a little. “You are far from home. What does your Queen want with Earth 3012?”
“It concerns Valek and Solance,” Zykeiah said softly.
If General Cullen knew what Solance was, he did not show it on his face. He merely glanced down the dungeon’s hallway and called to one of the soldiers, “You are dismissed.”
“Now tell me, strangers, what it is you want,” he said, directing his attention back to them.
“Sir, my Queen wants your aid in rescuing our fellow knight from Valek’s prison,” Zykeiah said.
“Why would I want to do that?” General Cullen sneered.
“Sir, Valek is selling Solance to both you and Saturn Four.”
“What? Impossible!” General Cullen spat spittle across the distance between him and their cell.
All resolve General Cullen had tried to maintain was lost as his face grew red and his tone held a smoldering wrath. “What kind of sham is this?”
“It is the truth!” Zykeiah spat back. “He is double-crossing you. Now, assist us in defeating him.”
General Cullen ignored her as he spun around on his heels and stalked away.
“That did not go well,” Kalah said.
“We’ve got to get out of here.” Sarah clasped both her hands together, generating a small sphere.
“I don’t think he believes us either.” Zykeiah moved back against the wall. “Okay Sarah, do your thing.”
Sarah raised her hand and threw the compact sphere against the wooden door. She then raised her hands and the sphere burst into flames.
The crackle of the wood as it burned sent small bellows of smoke into the air, forcing Zykeiah and Kalah to place their hands over their mouths. As a hole appeared in the cell’s door, Sarah put out the fire with yet another sphere and kicked the damaged wood until it collapsed.
As the door crumbled, they raced into the dungeon’s hallway.
“Now what?” Sarah asked.
Zykeiah shrugged “I need my daggers. The General went this way.”
General Cullen had dismissed his soldiers, but he failed to order them back to the dungeon in his haste to leave. Sarah and the Minister Knights quickly mo
ved down the dungeon hallway and reached the stairs that lead up to the castle. They noticed their belongings thrown on top of a huge basket of what looked like trash.
“Idiots!” Zykeiah smiled as she lifted her sack and felt around inside for her daggers.
Kalah retrieved his sack as well and his sword that had been carelessly thrown aside.
Sarah reached down and picked up her sack, too. They were fully armed again thanks to the temper of General Cullen.
“Someone’s coming!” Zykeiah whispered and they hid to the right of the staircase.
The female soldier from the field walked past them. Her attention was focused on something else.
“Shella!” the General’s nasal voice boomed.
“Sir?”
“I am going off to Solis. Listen, watch those three strangers from Veloris. They are not to be fed anything until I return.
“Yes, sir!” she said and departed. The General’s footsteps could be heard climbing the stairs.
“Guess where we’re going?” Zykeiah announced as soon as the coast was clear.
“Solis?” Sarah asked.
“Yes, Sarah. Come on, we’ve got to catch up with the General.”
They swiftly raced up the stair and stopped short as General Cullen emerged from his study with a bulky sack and two palace guards.
The shadows of the damp hallways hid them as General Cullen passed by.
They followed about a mile behind the General, utilizing the shadows and the mournful gloom of the dimly lit castle to disguise their trail. General Cullen was so full of confidence and so sure that they were imprisoned that he didn’t look behind him.
As General Cullen left the castle, two guards escorted him to the clearing to the west of the castle’s grounds. Earth 3012’s climate was too hot during the day for daylight travel. The earth had been scorched and fires were frequent amongst the little vegetation that grew.
Across the clearing the land melted from dusky browns and reds to pitch black. The ground became soft and moist despite the dryness of the surrounding area, which indicated the destruction of a transporting Circle.
Sarah watched from the shadows of the scraggily scrub brush beside Zykeiah and Kalah as General Cullen walked into the Circle and vanished. The two guards argued with each other but stayed outside the Circle with their guns positioned beside them.
“Aren’t we going too?” Kalah asked.
“No. We need to prepare and plan.” Zykeiah inched back from the brush. She said softly, “We will stay here for the night.”
She removed her sack and dug around. She pulled out a tiny vial of brownish-colored leaves. “Here Kalah, this will aid the pain in your head.”
He took the vial and poured the leaves into his hand. He stuffed them into his mouth and grimaced. “They taste awful.”
“Yes, but they will help.”
“Tomorrow we will get rid of the two guards and go to Solis,” Kalah said.
“Yes.” Zykeiah nodded her head. “Once we get to Solis, follow me through the tunnels to the castle. We’ll try to locate Marion. He might be in the dungeon. Or the warehouse.”
“Why wouldn’t he be in the cages?” Kalah asked.
“Because Valek wouldn’t want Marion giving the other souls ideas about escaping. He would be isolated.”
Sarah watched as the guards, tired of standing, sat down on the ground. The wind howled, blowing sand and black dirt across the clearing. The guards could not hear them.
“We will need to split up to find Marion. If you find him, leave Solis as quickly as possible.”
“Leave the others behind?” Kalah shook his head. “No.”
“Marion and the queen are the most important thing. Marion is strong enough to destroy Valek. Nothing is more important.” Zykeiah’s eyes watered, but no tears fell. “Save him.”
“The Antiqk Oracle states that the Minister Knights will rid the galaxy of Valek, not the knight,” Sarah said softly. “We will leave together.”
“Enough. You have your orders, both of you. Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow will be long.” Zykeiah curled herself around her sack and closed her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Valek, be a dear and answer a few more questions,” Richard pleaded as Valek again tried to sneak past the king’s guestroom to the warehouse. There was still plenty of inventory that needed to be counted, and Orono had disappeared.
Valek had hoped this day would be different and somehow make up the loss of time he had wasted on Richard and his advisors.
He wasn’t any closer to signing a contract with Earth 4016 then he was before the king arrived.
With that in mind, he sighed and walked into the room. “Yes, Richard?”
The advisor with the beady eyes and overlapping stomach stepped forward and said, “We want a sample of Solance.”
Valek could not believe his ears. He did not give out samples and Richard had been advised of that during their initial conversations. Nothing wasted product more than free samples.
“No, I do not give out samples of Solance,” he said calmly, despite his rising temper.
“Valek, we insist. We have an opportunity to try it. You refused to give us the ingredients, and now you refuse to give us a sample. How do we know you’re not a magnificent trick master?”
A trick master? Valek felt his temper boil over and he squinted his eyes at the pudgy advisor. “What did you call me?”
“Valek, he didn’t call you anything. Arthur is simply saying –” Richard started to explain, but before Richard could finish his sentence, Valek had unsheathed his sword and with a swish had severed Arthur’s head from his body.
The head made a “thud” sound as it landed on the floor and Arthur’s body collapsed on top of his severed head. The advisors behind Arthur were sprayed with blood and Valek bent over to clean his sword on Arthur’s robe.
“How’s that for trickery?” he snapped.
Richard’s mouth remained gaping open, frozen with shock.
“MaxMion! Get in here!” Valek roared.
MaxMion, who had been sleeping downstairs in the dungeon, hurried up the stairs and into the guestroom.
“Here is your breakfast.” He pointed with his sword at the robust advisor.
MaxMion cackled and pounced on the heap. He ate with big, chopping bites.
Richard and the remaining advisors drew back in disgust. Several of the advisors had lost their breakfast and were busy wiping their mouths.
“I suggest, Richard, you make up your mind before the end of the day. I have given you all the information necessary to form an opinion.”
Valek turned and stalked out of the guestroom leaving Richard to stare in horror.
* * *
“The mind control should have disappeared, yet you still do not speak,” Manola said as she braided Amana’s hair. “You are mine; do not be afraid.”
Amana’s heart, already eclipsed by loss and loneliness, burrowed further into despair.
“My precious little one, you look so sad.” Manola maneuvered Amana’s tear-stained face so that its direction was pointed at her. “Are you not happy with me?”
Amana stared back at Manola as her lips formed the word ‘no’, but no sound was made.
Manola’s eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open to a round ‘O’. “Why not? I care for you. I wash and feed you.”
Tears and gloom filled Amana’s eyes as she simply continued to stare at Manola. Inside she wanted to reach out with both hands and strangle the life out of Manola until she could hear her gurgle. But for now, she merely looked back at Manola and refused to answer.
Amana knew that Valek’s mind control had vanished, for she could think on her own without pain. The heavy fog that had surrounded her mind had lifted and the world was once again smothered with Solis’s darkness. Yet within that darkness, she had noticed that she could make her own decisions.
But Manola watched her each and every moment. When Manola was not with her,
she was chained, hands and ankles, in Valek’s bedchamber. Manola often stripped her of any clothing and she was left naked and barefoot.
When they were together, Manola led her around in nothing more than a sheer gown made of worm-spun silk. She seemed to be in a constant state of arousal and insisted that Amana be ready to kiss her and love her whenever she demanded it.
The first time had been a few nights prior and Amana had scoffed at the idea of loving a woman. But her mind was still partially controlled by Valek, so her will was easily bent to whatever Manola wanted.
Insatiable, Manola stayed awake for hours, one orgasm after another until sometime near the arrival of the next day’s sun, when she finally allowed Amana to sleep.
“I know you miss her.” Manola patted Amana’s head. “She is probably dead by now.”
Amana’s lips started to quiver and the shaking trickled down to her toes. “No! She is NOT dead!”
Manola recoiled as if slapped. She stepped back quickly from Amana then squinted at her with disdain, despite the smile that tugged at her lips.
“There is more spirit there than you have led me to believe.”
The candles flickered as Amana’s ragged breathing tickled the flames. She did not respond to Manola’s taps and caresses. Anger pulsated through her and she fought down the urge to snatch Manola by her lustrous, red hair and smash her face into the rocky floor. Her sister was alive.
“How much spirit?” Manola questioned as she pulled out the chains to lock her up. “I must think about this more. Come.”
No response from Amana; she felt low, burden down and resentful. Sarah survived. She knew that no matter the situation, her sister was alive and would come for her. She stretched out her hands and allowed Manola to clasp on the now familiar chains to her wrists.
Then she remained still as Manola put the chains around her ankles. She could smell the fleshy scent of the cages, for the night’s wind had turned toward the castle. She remembered the cages and how Sarah had watched out for her when they first arrived.
Amana thought back to how she had once tried to assist a newcomer named Katelin who had been Manola in disguise. Now that same person she had tried to help had her chained to the bedchamber wall of the master, Valek, as her love slave.
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