by Jaz Johnson
“Yes.”
“Even if you knew they had done nothing wrong?” Looking at Saphora for a brief moment, he frowned, shaking his head and returning his attention to the road.
“Why are you asking me this?”
“How many times?”
“What?”
“Deported an innocent man? Locked away an innocent man. How many-”
“Once,” he said in aggravation. Saphora paused, almost surprised by his answer. She nodded, reading his expression.
“You hated it.”
Glover sighed, blinking a few times and adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. “Would you ever do it again?” Glover was silent, his jaw clenching. “Would you?”
“No,” he finally answered. “Never again.” Switching lanes as he approached his desired exit, he grumbled. “Next question.” Saphora nodded, looking out the window as she thought of another to ask. And as she did, something in the side mirror caught her attention. It took a moment for her eyes to make out what it was. But when they did, they widened in horror. Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to keep breathing. And with a strained exhale, she found the words,
“Oh my god.”
********
“I don’t see why I have to conceal my hair as well,” Hydra complained, constantly adjusting the baseball cap that Maverick had instructed her to wear. Her navy locks were tucked beneath the cap as neatly as it would allow. Finally giving up with trying to coop with the strange sensation, she dropped her hands in her lap with a sigh.
“Because I don’t think it’s a good idea to give people the chance to recognize you,” he explained, handing her a pair of sunglasses. “Here,” he said, putting them in her lap. Opening them up, she turned them around in her hands, her brows pinching together in wonder.
“What are these?”
“For your eyes. The rods go against your ears.” Blinking, Hydra slowly raised them to her face, gasping once she did. She looked around a bit panicked, her hand reaching forward.
“The sun! Your sun has stopped!” Maverick rolled his eyes, wiping his hand down his face as he shook his head.
“Those are sunglasses. They make the light less harsh. And they also make it harder for people to see your eyes.”
“Naming them after something that gives light, when they take it away. You humans are so strange.”
“Hey, I didn’t come up with the name, alright? Just wear-“
“Stop! Stop your vehicle!” Hydra urged, pressing her hand against the passenger window. Maverick pulled over as quickly as the road would allow, and looked over in her direction.
“What? What is it?”
“There. Can you see that?” she asked, pointing out into the distance. There was black smoke rising from the area. She stared for a moment longer before looking back at Maverick.
“Smoke,” he answered. “That looks like it’s on the highway. Near Saphora’s house, too.” Hydra tapped urgently against the window, ice spreading from her index finger onto the window each time.
“Get us there. Now!” Maverick leaned back into his seat and shifted gears, speeding off down the road and cutting someone off in the process. Hydra gripped onto the car door to steady herself as the speed of the car picked up with each passing second.
“How do you know it’s him?” Maverick asked, speeding around cars with ease.
“Is fire a normal thing to happen spontaneously on your roads?”
“Good point,” he answered, cutting off someone else and speeding onto the ramp to the highway. But once they were on the road to the highway, Maverick had no choice but to slow down when meeting the traffic that was building up due to what was in front of them.
“Can you not go any faster?”
“Not unless you want me to wreck some cars.” Hydra groaned, trying to peer around the cars. In a fit of desperation, Hydra gestured to the side of the road.
“Stop over here,” she instructed. Maverick peeled off as asked and parked the car. Not a moment after, Hydra was getting out of the car and starting to run down the road towards what was causing the traffic – Tebias. Maverick fumbled to get the keys from the car, getting out of the car and rushing after her.
“Wait up!” he shouted, trying to catch up with her surprising speed.
“Stay back!” she warned. The battlefield was no place for a human. Especially Maverick. But Maverick ignored her warnings, and did his best to keep up with her, wanting to help. It took about five minutes for Hydra to come close enough for her to see the scene. Saphora was cowering behind what was left of a flaming red Chevy. She was holding onto Glover, who was injured and immobile. Blood stained his forehead and neck, and a good portion of his clothing. Tebias was on the other side of the highway, whose traffic had also grown denser in the mists of the calamity. He was approaching fast, igniting the already burning car, waiting for Saphora to either come out from the wreckage, or be blown to bits. Sobbing, she held onto Glover tightly, not knowing what to do.
“Saphora!” Maverick called out from behind Hydra, once he had gotten close enough to see. “Saphora!”
Barely hearing the voice over the roar of the fire and horns of the cars, Saphora turned her head in shock, desperate for what she thought she heard to be real. And when she saw the impossible sight of Maverick and Hydra running towards her, she smiled, tears streaming down her face. Tebias’ head snapped over in their direction, a snarl ripping from his throat. With rushed actions, he sent another fireball hurling towards the car. The car bounced at the impact, and then, a moment later, exploded. Hydra’s eyes went wide as she sprang towards the blossoming fire. Maverick, however, skid to a painful stop, nearly falling to the ground as his arm raised to protect his face from the heat that surged through the area. Blinking furiously, he looked over at the now blurred image of the growing flames. Breathing heavily, he jerked his arm away from his face and fought to steady himself on his feet.
“Saphora!!” he screamed in denial, watching the flames with some hope that she would come running out of them. But with every passing moment, the hope began to dwindle. Hydra rushed up to the scene, spinning on her heel to dodge the incoming fireball. Her left hand aimed at him, firing several ice spheres. Two hit him in the shoulder before he moved to get out of the way, his hand reaching up to remove them with a groan. Hydra’s right hand sprang forward towards the car and unleashed a stream of water onto the fires, rushing to put them out. Her other hand soon joined her as she coughed at the thickening air.
“You better not be dead,” she said to herself. People were screaming, getting out of their cars to move away from the danger. Hydra drew closer to the flames as they began to die down, and ran to where she had last scene Saphora. But something stopped her, and ignited hope in both her and Maverick. Clearing the majority of the fire, Hydra could see that her water was falling down onto some kind of sphere. And as more fire was extinguished, it was clear that it was a force field. Saphora was inside, eyes shut tight, and arms tightly wrapped around Glover. Hearing the water being poured over her head, she peeked her eyes open. She looked around at the force field that she was producing in both shock and joy.
Seeing this, Tebias growled in distaste, ripping the second ice sphere from his arm. Hydra stopped as Saphora stood up, after having gently placed Glover on the ground. She spoke into the receiver that was once attached to his hip.
“Officer down. Officer Glover is down, please send help. There was an accident on the highway. Please hurry, he’s hurt badly,” Saphora said into the device before dropping it and turning around to face the burning remains of the car.
“No!” Tebias shouted in anger, his hands flaming. With new found confidence, now that she had help to take on Tebias, she raised her hands and leaned back for a moment, before thrusting forward and shoving her hands out. The remains of the car skid forward at an alarming pace, right into Tebias, crushing him against the guardrail. Hydra looked over at the now running Maverick, and then looked behind her, seeing
that there were on a bridge. She looked down at the water below with joy, coming up with a way to escape the situation before the authorities.
“Come on! We need to get to the car!” Maverick shouted, running up to them. He immediately went up to Saphora, gripping onto her trembling shoulders.
“Are you okay? I saw the – you blew up,” Maverick breathed, looking about her features in search of marks or burns or anything that would assume pain. Saphora nodded, keeping her eyes on the car.
“Fine, I’m fine. Hydra?” she asked panicked. The car started to move, insinuating that Tebias was not ready to give in. Hydra’s hands shot forward, this time sending large pillar-like spheres flying at each end of the car remains. They pinned the car against the guardrail, and therefore Tebias. He roared with rage as he tried to get free from the burning mass against him. Once done, Hydra turned back around.
“There’s no time to go back to the car. We are going to jump,” Hydra advised. Both Saphora and Tebias turned around to look at the water below. Maverick looked back at Hydra like she had lost her mind.
“Are you out of your mind? Jump into the river? And then what?!” Maverick argued.
“Leave that to me,” Hydra explained. Saphora looked back at her, wondering if that meant what she thought it did. Hydra nodded. “This river comes close to the abandoned house. We can emerge there. Saphora, you’re going to jump with Maverick. Use your force field to contain you, to conserve the oxygen until I get you.” Saphora nodded, feeling like she had a good enough control over herself to create a force field on command.
“Wait, wait, we’re actually doing this?” he asked, looking back and forth between the two. “Oh my god. We’re going to die. This is how I’m going to die,” Maverick complained, nodding. “At least blowing up would have been quick,” he argued as Saphora grabbed his arm.
“Jump!” she said pulling him over the edge. They leaped into the air over the guardrail. Saphora curled her body, keeping her eyes on the water and focusing. Maverick, on the other hand, was failing everything but the arm that Saphora was holding, and screaming the entire way down. He held his breath when diving into the water, and closed his eyes tightly. He curled his body up, huddling close to Saphora. But as the moments passed, he noticed that there was no water. There was no feeling of the river around him. One eye peaked open, followed by the other as they both widened. There in the depths of the river, he could see the thin film of the force field. Without him even noticing, his let go of his held breath, breathing in the oxygen that was contained in the protective sphere. Slowly, he reached forward, placing his hand against the surface. He looked back at Saphora, and jumped when seeing her eyes - a glowing white. But she returned his glance, and smiled.
“I’m doing it,” she said softly, as if her volume would affect the sturdiness of the shield. Maverick smiled, his brows raising as he exhaled. He nodded, looking back out at the water.
“Yeah you are. So cool,” he somewhat laughed. “So now what?” he asked, looking back at Saphora. She was looking straight ahead, her expression caught between fear and relief. Her hand rose, her index finger pointing in front of her. Maverick turned back around, squinting into the darkness of the water, trying to make out what she was pointing at. Finally, after some effort and straining of his eyes, he was able to make out what looked to be a giant snout coming towards them, with snake-like movements. Maverick stood somewhat dumbfounded as his brain fought to accept what he was seeing. The option for denial however was quickly shot down as the snout opened, revealing the drakon’s toothy mouth. The suction caused from her opening her mouth pulled Saphora’s force field into her mouth and sent Maverick into a fit of screaming cries.
********
“I can’t believe I’m alive right now,” Maverick said, walking into the abandoned house. Saphora trudged into the house behind him, nearly stumbling into him in her exhaustion. Keeping that force field going took no small amount of energy, and her strain was showing. “I can’t believe I was inside a dragon’s mouth, and am alive to say this,” he said, shaking his head.
“Drakon,” Hydra corrected, following them into the house. Maverick turned around to look at Hydra.
“What?”
“Drakon.”
“That’s what I said.”
“No, you said dragon.”
“Isn’t that what you just said?”
“Drakon. I am a water drakon,” Hydra insisted. Maverick raised his brows and scoffed, nodding as he walked further into the house.
“You’re confusing, is what you are,” he grumbled. “How does all of that fit into this … this little woman that you are now?” Hydra shook her head.
“Do not try to understand our anatomy,” she sighed, looking behind her to gaze out of the front door. “If we are lucky, your authorities will capture Tebias. With the state he is in now, they may actually be able to hold him.”
“Why is he after her anyway? What’s his problem?” Maverick asked with aggravation. He stopped to turn around, waiting for her answer as Saphora made her way to the marble countertop. There were now a few scratches and dents, but she was grateful to see it had survived.
“It is because she is the only chance of them failing. Without her, they are sure to take down the kingdom.”
“Who’s they? Just who is he getting his orders from?”
Hydra paused with a grimace.
“His mother.”
********
“Worthless!” spat Ares. “You’ve always been weak, you pathetic boy. How is it that you cannot not even manage to defeat a child? Handicapped, at that!” Ares screeched from the communicator in Tebias’ palm. His head lowered, he took the scolding. “You continue to fail me, Tebias.”
“She is not completely so. Each time I face her, she has regained more control of her power-“
“Excuses!” she hissed. “You dare give me excuses? Fourteen years you were on that wretched planet! Did you think she would be helpless forever, you fool?” Her pale grey eyes were crisp in their fury. Tebias ground his teeth at the pitch in her voice.
“Mother, I-“
“No! You do not have the right to call me such a name. I will not have a son as inadequate as you.”
“… I am not what I was when arriving to this planet … Time has taken my strength. Hydra now guards the girl. My fire cannot match her water,” he admitted, biting down on his pride. Ares laughed mockingly. The melodic ring echoed through his ears.
“Yes, time. Time is to blame?” Ares scoffed, shaking her head. Her blood red hair shifting against her shoulders as she did. “You are not to make another movement until Vasuki arrives.” she instructed, ending the transmission and thrusting her communicator from her desk onto the floor in rage. She groaned flinging her arms for a moment before attempting to settle down. From the doorway, Ulric’s voice could be heard.
“The girl lives, then?” he asked from his leaning position against the doorframe. His arms crossed, as well as his legs.
“She not only lives, but she grows stronger! Because of this cursed boy.” Ulric chuckled and stepped into the room.
“Don’t you think you’re being a bit harsh on the boy? She is an ekechi, after all,” he pointed out, coming around the desk Ares sat at and leaning against the windowsill behind her. Ares scowled.
“Am I to hear excuses from you as well? She was helpless when landing on that planet. Not a clue as to who, or what she was. He is useless,” she insisted, pushing her chair back and standing up to walk around the front of the desk. “And what’s worse, he’s becoming even more so. He’s only going to get weaker until Vasuki joins him. Now I’ve got to go through the trouble of sending her to that worthless planet.”
“You should be happy, dearest. The two of them will rid you of that girl,” Ulric offered, as he pushed her chair back in under the desk.
“It should have been done years ago.”
“Mm, but if he had, you wouldn’t have given birth to our secret weapon,” argued
Ulric. And Ares smiled, slowly turning to face him.
“Ah, yes. My pride and joy.”
“I wonder how she would fair, going up against the girl.”
“I do too. But I have no problem never finding out. I would rather her dead,” Ares said with a light shrug, turning back around. “Guard!” she shouted. Almost instantly one of the guards from outside the room came rushing around and through the doorway, bowing to Ares.
“Yes, my mistress,” he answered gruffly.
“Bring me Vasuki,” she ordered. The guard nodded.
“Yes, my mistress,” he succumbed, before rushing off to find the wicked snake. Ares turned back to look at her lover, her shoulders slumping.
“Why must everything require so much effort?” she asked him with a bit of a whine. He chuckled, stepping forward to lay comforting hands on her bare shoulders.
“Because it wouldn’t be worth it if not.”
“I shouldn’t even have to go through this,” she sneered. “The throne should be mine.” Ulric nodded, placing a kiss upon her forehead.
“And it will be, dearest. I’ll see to it that it is.”
Ares smiled, tilting her head back to hover her lips just a breath away from his.
“Mm, with you by my side, yes?”
“Of course.” Ulric briefly placed his lips against hers. She sighed.
“How I wish I had found you before the first. Then I would have been spared the birthing of such a useless boy. Perhaps even have had another with you,” Ares moped. Ulric chuckled, shaking his head.
“Hades was a handful as it were. And don’t even get me started on the girl. We’re still rebuilding the left wing.” Ares giggled, breaking from his embrace.
“You’re jealous that you couldn’t partake in her making.” Ulric scoffed.
“Jealous isn’t exactly the word.” Ares smiled.
“Oh, but just think of the service she will provide for our goal.” Ulric shook his head, smirking questionably at the purely professional tone in which she spoke of her children.