by Andrew Gates
There was a moment of static, followed a few seconds later by the familiar voice of Ezenkharam.
“I read you, Supreme Chieftain. I am surprised to hear your voice on the comm,” she replied.
“I am borrowing Kho Kozakh’s helmet. I apologize for interrupting you during your mission, but I must ask you a question.”
“Of course, Supreme Chieftain, anything.”
Ikharus gulped.
“Do you recall the location of Soh Saratti?”
There was another moment of silence on the other end of the comm, followed by a tone of surprise and confusion in Ezenkharam’s voice.
“The Sorrevahni general? Yes, your Majesty. I facilitated his transportation to his current holding facility. To my knowledge, he has not been moved since then.”
“Where?”
“It is an isolated detention center in the mountains, but I am afraid accessing the center will not be easy. That region is now controlled by Kho Prekhon, a radical loyal to the late Kho Veznek.”
Ikharus sighed a frustrated sigh. He remembered receiving the message from the one called Kho Prekhon weeks ago. Prekhon had numerous rebels at his command, all vowing to destroy Kho Ikharus. Infringing on Prekhon’s territory would not be wise.
“Our greatest prisoner is now in the grasp of rebels,” Ikharus said with an exhale.
“Unfortunately, yes, your Majesty.”
Ikharus clenched his claw around his scepter.
“Then we must take him back,” he said. “Kal Jakhu, are you on this line too?”
“I am, your Majesty,” she replied over the comm.
“We must find Soh Sarratti no matter what. We need to secure him alive. I must speak to him. Is that understood?”
“Understood, your Majesty,” Jakhu said.
“After you finish your current task, how soon can your team be ready?”
“Soon, your Majesty, for I have good news.”
“What is that?”
“The mission you have given us is complete. We have just found and located Kal Flokh,” Jakhu explained. “We are bringing her in now.”
Ikharus let out another sigh, this time of relief. She is alive and safe, he thought. He even felt himself smile in the helmet.
“Good,” he said, trying to hide how happy he was. “You have demonstrated excellent work in the completion of your mission, as always, Kreed Scion. Bring Kal Flokh to the undercity unharmed and meet me to prepare for your next mission. I will be here in the command center, awaiting your arrival.”
“You ask us to meet you first, your Majesty? Am I to understand that you do not want us to depart on our next mission immediately?”
“You understand correctly, Kal Jakhu. You are to meet with me. Soh Sarratti may be the key we need to stop this enemy,” he said. “That is why I will be coming with you.”
* * *
Several tense minutes passed in the command center as the generals and their staff raced to dispatch emergency crews, control damage and continue to assess the situation. Ikharus decided to stay largely out of it, knowing that his interference would only slow down their important work. Instead, he remained on the sidelines and studied data on the so-called “Chiefdom of Vezaria”, where Kho Prekhon now laid claim, and where the captive Soh Sarratti now resided.
The region was mountainous and relatively isolated, home to animals like wild yerok bear, tyran wolves, meglok snakes and ruor hordes. It was not the typical place for Kholvari to settle, but Ikharus supposed that was what made is such a suitable location for a prison.
He studied the geography, the terrain, the climate. Nothing about navigating this place would be easy. To make matters worse, there was no doubt in Ikharus’s mind that Prekhon’s rebels already knew the region to the utmost detail. If a battle were to break out, Ikharus and Scion would be up against Prekhon’s faction on their own turf.
The usefulness of this mission was a long shot. Ikharus knew that well. But if there was a chance that Soh Sarratti could give them information on how to defeat the Hive, if the enemy even was the Hive, then it would be worth it.
They needed any chance they could get.
“Supreme Chieftain,” a voice said, suddenly pulling Ikharus from the topographical map on the monitor before him.
He stood up from his seat and turned to face the speaker, Kho Vylan. Ikharus had not realized until now how weary his head of security appeared.
“Kho Vylan, what news do you bring?”
“The other half of Kreed Scion has just returned with your civilian,” Vylan announced. “They are waiting just outside for my permission to enter the command center.”
Ikharus felt like beaming with excitement, but he did his best to hide it.
“Good,” he said, waving his claw. His scepter was still balanced against the chair. “Bring them in.”
“Right away, your Majesty,” Vylan replied, subtly bowing before proceeding to the door. He nodded to the two sentries standing beside it and they activated the door.
Ikharus felt his heart race as the door slowly rose. He could see the pointed feet of the females on the other side. As the door slowly moved up and up, he could soon make out more of the one who this whole mission had been for.
And then, at last, he saw her clearly.
“Kal Flokh,” he said, practically whispering the words.
Even with her tattered clothes and weary eyes, the builder was just as beautiful as Ikharus remembered. Her soft smile met his gaze, forcing him to smile back without even realizing it. She began to bow, but Ikharus waved his claw dismissively and promptly approached her.
“Kho Ikharus,” she said, looking up at him with warm, innocent eyes.
“Kal Flokh,” he said again. He reached out and pressed his claw against her right shoulder. “It warms my heart to see you safe.”
“Thank you, Squa- sorry, I mean to say, your Majesty.”
Ikharus felt himself let out a subtle chuckle of amusement.
“There is no apology needed. I am still getting used to the title myself.”
“I could hardly believe the news when I heard that you had inherited Kho Veznek’s role. To think that you, Kho Ikharus, are the new Supreme Chieftain… it was unbelievable. So much has changed since our paths last crossed. Your title, your duty, your…” Her eyes met the stub of his shoulder. “Your arm.”
Ikharus lowered his head. He hoped it did not bother Kal Flokh to see him this way, so disfigured and damaged.
“Sorry. I hope it was not too bold to say so,” she said.
“No, not too bold,” Ikharus replied, lifting his head to meet her eyes again. “You are right. Much has changed.” He let out a sigh. “And what of you, Kal Flokh? What has happened to you since we last met?”
“Nothing good. After Kal Khtallia was assassinated, I did not know where to turn. I was confused, you see. The official story said that an evolved-one was responsible for the attack, but there were rumors, whisperings of other tales. Some spoke of rebels, others of Sorreveous, others of the Kreeds. I feared I could trust no one. I detached myself from the world, destroyed all means of contact. I hid, hoping no one would find me.”
“Who did you think would attack you?”
“I did not know. But if the Supreme Chieftess could be killed, so could I. It may sound strange, I know. I confess, my decision to go into hiding was not based out of logic, more out of fear and confusion.”
“Take heed in the knowledge that you are safe now, Kal Flokh. We shall keep you safe here in the undercity.”
“Thank you for this, Kho Ikharus. I appreciate all that you have done for me. It is strange to think that I did not expect to ever return to this undercity. Fate should have it that I can never truly escape this place.”
“It would seem so,” Ikharus agreed, chuckling.
It was quiet for a moment as Ikharus and Flokh stared into each other’s eyes. Neither of them spoke. But then the quietness was interrupted as Kozakh cleared his throat.
�
�Supreme Chieftain,” Kozakh said, prompting Ikharus to turn and face him. “Kal Jakhu has brought you the civilian, just as you requested. Should we proceed with our next mission now?”
Ikharus slowly nodded his head and stepped away from Flokh, suddenly remembering what he was supposed to be doing.
“Yes, yes, of course, Kho Kozakh. Thank you for reminding me of our priorities.” Ikharus turned to face Ynoka and motioned to him. “Kho Ynoka, please prepare a room for our guest and see that she is safe and comfortable there.”
“Understood, your Majesty,” Ynoka replied, bowing.
“Where are you going?” Flokh asked with a look of worry forming across her face.
“I apologize, Kal Flokh, but now that I know you are safe, we must be getting on. Kreed Scion and I have a mission.”
“A mission? You? But you are Supreme Chieftain. Why are you going with them?”
“I go because I must.” Ikharus patted her on the shoulder, knowing his answer would not satisfy her. “Take care, Kal Flokh. I shall see you when we return.”
“Of course, Squa-, I mean, your Majesty,” she replied, bowing.
“It is truly good to see you.”
With those words, Ikharus grabbed his scepter from the seat, then turned to face Kreed Scion, still standing at the ready. He nodded to the squad.
“Kreed Scion,” he said, “form up.”
Chapter Thirteen
Procedure
Mr. Jallah Sane
Daytime was beginning to fade as night slowly took hold of the world. A glowing vista of oranges and pinks decorated the sky like streaks of paint. If seeing the sunset from the ocean felt unreal, seeing it from the sky was another experience entirely. Jallah had never realized how big the world truly was and how small a player he was in it until he saw it from kilometers above.
The boy let out a sigh and pulled his gaze away from the window. Margery, seated next to him, was already asleep. It was about time for the day to come to its end.
So much had happened in one day, it almost did not seem like a day at all, more like an entire week. When he awoke that morning in Country Roads, he never anticipated what would happen next: from connecting with Dr. Parnel, to meeting the mantises, to their trip, however brief, to Rakhaan, and now their final journey to the city called T’Dakho.
The unexpected adventure clearly took its toll on the whole group. Everyone was afraid, nervous and tired, especially the youngest girls. Fortunately, they finally fell asleep after hours of nervous trembling.
Their hosts did not fare much better. While it made sense for the humans to cower and tremble, for some reason the mantises seemed uneasy too. At first, Jallah did not know why, but as time went on, it became clear that something had happened, something serious. Jallah did not know what it was. Dr. Parnel and even the mantises here might not have even known either, but something had happened, something big. That much was clear.
Jallah wiped his hands across his face and eyes. There was so much to think about and it was all in one day, one long, tiring day.
Hoping to distract himself, the boy reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out some of the nuts he had brought with him from the dome. He popped a few into his mouth and crunched on them, then held them out for anyone else who might want a bite. There were no takers. Most of the others had already taken some earlier on in the flight. After double-checking that nobody wanted any, he put the remaining nuts back.
Jallah felt his eyelids grow heavy. He arched his neck down and let the tiredness take hold as the darkness continued to envelop the world outside the window of the ship. Welcoming the sleep he desperately needed, he allowed his mind to slip.
It did not take long to remove himself from the real world. Within seconds, the image of the vial and its bright blue liquid quickly entered his thoughts. In his dreams, it hovered before him in an empty black void, yet shined with the luminosity of an LED from the station. Seeing the sight of the vial, even in his mind, made Jallah smile. He knew it was a dream, yet the sight of it was comforting.
“The vial,” he muttered aloud. “I need to see it. I need to feel it.”
The boy moved toward the hovering glass and pressed his hands against it. As he touched it, he suddenly felt something touch him too. He quickly spun around, shocked to find himself wrapped in a blanket of long, thin tentacles. They curled around him, tying this way and that like knots. His limbs were soon immobilized. No matter how much he squirmed, he could not break free. Before he knew it, except for his head, his entire body was engulfed in the tentacles. His head was the only thing still exposed.
“Tentacles,” he observed aloud, still aware that this was all just a dream. “I don’t get it. Why are there tentacles here?”
This was not the first time he had dreamt of tentacles. He was starting to detect a pattern, an image finding its way into his mind again and again. But why? What does it mean?
He did his best to turn and face the vial again, his head being the only thing he could still control. The vial behind him seemed to grow brighter and brighter. He felt compelled to stare at it, as if looking at the sight would somehow break him free of his bondage.
The tentacles clasped down harder around him now as the vial grew brighter. It seemed the two were at war with one another. The brighter the vial grew, the stronger the tentacles tightened their grip.
They’re fighting each other, Jallah realized. The vial… what was it from my last dream? He tried to remember the words, but the grip around him grew too strong. He could hardly concentrate.
Soon the vial grew even brighter than ever before. Jallah could feel its warmth, as if it were a second sun. The intensity was so great, he had to turn his head away.
That’s when he remembered the words from before.
The vial is the key.
The ship’s sudden jolt caused Jallah to open his eyes again and quickly look around the cabin. To his shock, it was much darker than it had been only seconds ago, before he slipped into his dream.
“You’re up!” Margery said, fully awake and smiling at him.
“Margery? You’re up? I thought you were asleep.”
“Asleep? No, not anymore. That was hours ago,” she replied.
“What? So I’ve been asleep for-”
“A few hours,” she said, finishing his sentence for him.
Jallah felt groggy. He wiped his eyes and blinked a few times. I slept for a few hours. It only felt like a few minutes.
“You woke up right on time,” Margery continued. “Dr. Parnel says we’re almost at the city. We’re landing.”
“Landing? Now? So we’re in... what’s it called?”
“T’Dakho,” Dr. Parnel said, spinning around to face him. “We’ll finally meet the Supreme Chieftain and this whole journey will be over.”
“I still don’t understand why they wouldn’t let us go to space,” Jallah said, though his question garnered no response. It was a shame they had to come here instead. He had been looking forward to space.
T’Dakho’s lights began to shine through the windows on either side of the ship. Jallah peaked out. The lights outside were artificial, but powerful, almost like shining beacons from the station. They lit up the city in oranges and whites like an electric grid.
“Wow,” he muttered as he stared at the sight.
The ship continued to descend until it lowered into some sort of cavern. The lights of the city were out of sight now, but the cavern itself was well-illuminated. The interior was massive and rectangular. The walls seemed to be built out of some sleek black metal unlike anything he had seen before.
At last the ship touched down on solid ground. Jallah could immediately tell from the way all movement seemed to stop at once. One of the young girls nervously shrieked in the back, though her parents were able to quickly calm her down.
The hum of the engine died away shortly after and the cabin grew silent. The mantises stood up first, followed by Dr. Parnel.
“Get up. It
’s time to go visit the big man,” she said, motioning to the other humans.
Jallah and the others all stood. His legs felt stiff. He shook them out and twisted his feet. It felt good just to stand again.
“How long were we flying?” he asked. He had lost all sense of time.
“Four, maybe five hours,” Dr. Parnel answered.
“That long?”
“About. Think about it. We just flew from former West Virginia to Guatemala, with a brief stop in Rakhaan, wherever the hell that is.”
Jallah simply shook his head. Surface era geography meant nothing to him. She might as well have been speaking another language. If only Iris were here to explain it to me.
The rear door opened and a ramp dropped down to the ground outside the ship. Grey, Selena and the girls were the closest to the exit. The parents each held a girl in their arms, keeping them calm as best as they could. Once the ramp was fully extended, they descended to the floor.
Dan and Ophelia followed behind the four, then Margery and Jallah, then Dr. Parnel and the mantises. Jallah still found himself uneasy around them but he was slowly getting used to their presence.
Outside the ship, Jallah and the others found themselves in a massive hangar. Other ships were docked already. Mantises busily scurried about, walking from one ship to another, carrying supplies, or simply standing around growling at one another. Whenever the mantises caught a glimpse of the humans, they would stop what they were doing and stare. Jallah turned away from them. He did not like the way they looked at him like he was some sort of exotic fish on display.
Four mantises approached. Two wore fitted metallic shirts and two wore the same black armor of the soldiers that had flown with them in the transport, and that had attacked the station. Jallah was starting to recognize that this was a soldier’s uniform.
Dr. Parnel pushed her way up to the front of the group. One of the mantises in the metal shirt began growling at her. As always, Dr. Parnel nodded back like she understood its words.
“Pleased to meet you, Kho Ynoka. Where is Kho Ikharus? Take me to him.”