The men didn’t back down. Instead, they laughed at her.
“Ya must be the daughter of that arrogant, trouble-making, son-of-a-”
Anadilcia had heard enough, she reached into her backpack for the only machine she thought might be a weapon, whispered to the girls to stay down, and hit the button.
The circular plate whirled free from her hand and raised a few feet into the air above her. It let off a high pitched scream that caused everyone to cover their ears. Anadilcia felt an overwhelming wave of heat pass over her head, so intense it felt like someone had lit a fire right above her.
After a few seconds the scream ended and the object fell to the ground and sizzled.
For a time, the room was silent, she held her eyes closed tight. The smell of burnt meat hit her nose followed by the smell of blood. She opened her eyes and saw the men who had been standing there just seconds before, their bodies cut in half. Some had tried to duck, but it was too late. Whatever had shot out of the machine cut straight through their skulls. It didn’t matter where the weapon hit, the cut was clean and full.
Her stomach turned at the sight and smell. She felt like she would be okay until she heard Karina behind her losing what little lunch they were fed that day. Most of the other girls followed, crying at everything that has happened. She found a corner and let loose, but the whole time reminding herself they had to hurry.
Once she was in control again, she rallied the group and headed for the exit, passing over the mangled corpses of four men who just wouldn’t listen to reason.
* * * * *
They came out of the tunnel and Anadilcia searched for the hooded man, but saw nobody.
“This is it, this is where I was told he’d be!”
“Who? Who are we looking for?”
“A man, I don’t know, I think he lives in here.”
“In here? Are you sure you could trust him?”
“I-I don’t know. I trust my father and he trusted him, that’s good enough for me. You need to get those girls out of here, just head around that way and you’ll see the cave entrance. I’ll catch up as soon as I can.”
Karina hesitated for a moment, but gave in, “Alright, be careful.”
“You too.”
Karina took the girls down the far path, a path that Anadilcia had taken all too many times recently and knew would lead them straight outside. At least she hoped she remembered correctly.
As soon as they were out of sight, the hooded man stepped out of the shadows. Anadilcia couldn’t believe that she had missed him. She had been staring right at him when he just seemed to appear. She shook her head and rushed over to him.
“I got it. Can you stop it?”
She handed him the device, now showing five lights all blinking red.
“This is not good. There is nothing that can be done, it will explode and it will be soon.”
Without hesitation, the hooded man launched the device down into the pit with uncanny strength. Anadilcia stared in wonderment, was he even human?
“The pit will dampen the blast, it should stop the chemicals from reaching the surface. But we must hurry and leave, or we shall be caught in the blast.”
The man didn’t wait for her to respond. He turned towards the tunnel Anadilcia had sent the girls and took off with such grace she almost didn’t realize he was moving. Though she could hear his light footfalls, it was almost as if he floated along the floor as he moved. She had to use all of her remaining strength just to keep up with him, yet he seemed to put no more effort into his stride than as if he was walking.
When they reached the edge of the tunnel, they saw Karina and the other girls held at gunpoint by some of the more stupid looking brutes. Anadilcia recognized them as the same ones that chased her the first time she had escaped.
“Well lookie what we have here, two more to add to the pile. Oh and even better, it’s the little brat that has caused us so much problems!” Obrien said
“I doubt the boss would mind if I killed you after all the problems you’ve caused. Of course I would tell them it was an accident. After all, you are holding a gun,” Henrik teased.
“Yeah, yeah! I’ll beat her up too!” Duffey said, as the rest of them shook their heads.
“No, you dumb-” Henrik paused, “Anyway, I don’t know who your friend is, but you’re out numbered, three guns to none.”
“Henrik, I think we should leave them be,” Egan interjected.
“What? Why would we do such a thing?”
“I think you should listen to your friend, Henrik,” the hooded man said, striding towards the man.
“What? Who are you? How do you know my name?”
“I’ll give you this one chance to lay down your arms and flee.”
“No way! Do you have any idea how many problems this girl has caused?”
In one swift motion, the hooded man reached Henrik, disarmed him, disassembled the gun, and pushed him so hard he ended up against the wall.
The other three just stood with bewildered looks on their faces.
“Now, as I was saying. It is in your best interest to leave here and never return. A rather large bomb is set to go off any second that will cause this whole place to implode. Anything or anyone inside will be crushed.
“If you still insist on fighting, I’ll make it quick, but I cannot promise you will wake up. So please, you have ten seconds to make up your mind before I make it up for you, and I think you know how that will end.”
Egan was the first to drop his weapon and back away, looking back at Anadilcia and mouthing something before turning to run.
The other two followed, picking Henrik up and carrying him with them.
“Now then, if we could hurry out of here-”
“You didn’t tell me that device is going to cause the whole place to cave in! My father is still inside!” Anadilcia said, turning around to head back in.
“There is no time, he knew what he was doing. He knew the destruction that could be caused. Do not let his sacrifice be for nothing!”
“NO! I won’t give him up!” She yelled, tears once again streaming down her cheeks, “I wont!”
The hooded man grabbed her under his arm and motioned to Karina and the others to hurry.
They had only made it a short distance from the mines before they heard, rather than saw, the device explode. At first it was a deep sound, almost as if a cannon was shot underwater, then followed by a buzzing noise.
Seconds of an eerie silence followed and then the whole ground began to rumble. The noise grew louder and the earth shook violently.
“Keep running, do not stop until we reach the safety of the rocks ahead,” the hooded man yelled, though Anadilcia could hardly hear him.
As they reached the outcropping of rocks, the explosion reached the surface, sending pieces of the mines skyward.
She watched as the whole mountain began to fall in on itself, dust and debris flying through the air.
Aegion…father…
* * * * *
It was ten long minutes before the rumbling stopped, even longer before the dust cleared. They had made it to the safety of the outcropped rocks and no one had been hurt, but Anadilcia didn’t care. Without her father alive, none of this meant anything.
The other girls were celebrating, all except Karina who stood next to Anadilcia, comforting her. The longer she cried, the more she felt angry rather than sad, a trait she knew she got from her father. This thought made her laugh, but only drove the anger deeper inside.
“You…” Anadilcia said, finally standing and making her way over to the hooded man, who was leaning against one of the rocks. “It’s YOUR fault!”
Everyone went silent and all eyes turned towards the two.
“It’s your fault we were in this mess in the first place, if we had just left the device alone, it would have exploded there in the Treasure Room and we would have all escaped! It’s your fault my father is dead!”
He didn’t say a word.
She knew her accusations were irrational, but she didn’t care.
“Why? Why was it so important that we retrieved the device that you were willing to endanger our lives while you sat and watched?
“And worse, when I wanted to go back in after him, you stopped me! I’d rather be buried under all that rubble with him than out here! Why didn’t you let me go? Why did you stop me?”
She was yelling at the top of her lungs, tears streaming more now than any other time in her life. She wanted revenge, but more than that she just wanted everything to be okay, though she knew it never would be.
“I-”
The hooded man began, but stopped at the sound of a cough coming from the other side of the rock.
“Why are ya cryin so hard? Yellin like that, gonna give away yer position! Didn’t yer daddy teach ya anything?”
Aegion came around the rock, limping, with most of the artificial skin torn from his arm and knee. His clothes were burnt, ripped, and stained. He could hardly walk or talk.
But he was alive.
Anadilcia’s stomach sank, she didn’t think for a second he could have survived! Before her mind caught up to her body, she was already half way to him, arms stretched out. When she reached him, she jumped into his arms, causing him to wobble and fall to the ground.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it,” she said, laughing in between cries.
“I like the sound of that much more than you cryin. How bout no more of that,” he replied in kind.
“As long as you don’t go and get yourself caught in mines that are about to explode again, that’s a deal!”
She got up off of him and he pulled himself to his feet.
“Did everyone make it out okay?”
Karina stepped up to answer, “Yep, thanks to these two.” She pointed towards Anadilcia and the hooded man. Anadilcia found it odd that even in the daylight, the mans face could not be seen.
“Well, I donnno who ya are, but thanks,” Aegion said, moving to shake the hooded man’s hand.
“It was nothing. I should be the one thanking you. You saved this land from a fate worse than death.”
“I know it, met a man down there, a channeler by the name of Azmaveth. Told me the whole story. Kinda odd that he’d reveal Malos’ master plan to me, now that I think bout it.”
“Then you know well what you have done. Is there anything I can help you with in return for your help?”
“The only thing I want now is to find a place beyond the reach of Malos for me an my daughter, and that’s somethin I don’t think any man can help with.
“Well, if there is anything you can think of, do not hesitate to ask.
* * * * *
They made camp near the rocks that night. The girls weren’t up for any more traveling and neither was Aegion. The hooded man tended to his wounds, even tweaking Mia’s machines a bit and making them even stronger. He seemed to have knowledge of robotics far beyond what a man living in a cave should, but Aegion didn’t complain.
A few stragglers from the mines came wondering into their camp at night, looking for a safe place to rest. Each and every one of them said they felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from their heads and they had no idea why they were helping Azmaveth.
Late in to the night, when all but a few were sleeping, Egan joined them.
“I’m not gonna cause no trouble, I promise.”
“Then yer welcome to stay here, but we all go our separate ways come mornin.”
Egan agreed and took a seat next to Anadilcia, despite Aegion’s watchful eye.
“I’m glad I get to see you again. I wanted to apologize for…well for everything. I didn’t want to follow them, but I really had no other choice. So many times I wanted to just leave, but I had no where to go.
“If it wasn’t for you and your father, I may have been stuck there forever. I just-”
“No need to say anymore, it wasn’t your fault. But you need to decide your own future from now on.”
“Yeah. Now that Azmaveth is gone, and my home with him, I think I’ll try to find a new place to start. Somewhere far away from here.”
There was a pause in the conversation as they both stared into the sky, the stars shining brightly through the sundust. It wasn’t that common to see this many stars out, and Anadilcia took it as a sign of good things to come.
“I’ll probably head south, out past Lutetia and the Wilds. Who knows, maybe I’ll wander for a while, until I find a place to call home. Maybe if you’re ever out that way…”
“After everything that has happened, I don’t know where we will go next, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that fate brings you what you need when you need it. I’m not sure how much I put into that, exactly, but if fate has us crossing paths again, we will.”
This made Egan smile.
“Alright, we’ll leave it to fate then!” He said, getting to his feet and walking away from her with a smile. He found a spot near some of the other stragglers that came into camp, friends of his no doubt, and settled in for the night.
In no time, it was only her and Aegion awake.
“Can’t sleep?” Aegion asked, sitting next to her.
“So much has happened these past few days, just trying to let my head wrap around it all.”
“Ah, well there’s time enough for that. Ya need yer sleep, ya probably haven’t slept in a few days.”
She chuckled, “Yeah, that’s true. What about you?”
“Feel like it’s my job to watch over everyone here. I’ll sleep soon enough, though. It’s gettin late, doubt any one else will wander in. Besides, we’re not the only ones awake.”
Aegion nodded his head towards the hooded man, who gave the slighted nod back.
“I have a feelin we’re in no danger while he’s around.”
“Yeah…who is he, I wonder.”
“Reckon we’ll never find out, but he’s a friend, and that’s enough for me.”
She reached over and gave him a lasting hug before finding a comfortable place to lay down.
Anadilcia didn’t know exactly when it happened, but she fell into a dreamless sleep. Aegion was right, it had been too long since she last slept and she was exhausted.
When she woke the next morning, Aegion was already up and most of the camp was empty. Those that were left were gathering what few things they had and headed out soon after, thanking Aegion for letting them stay.
“Where’d everyone go?”
“Well, Egan and his friends took the girls to a safe place. Somethin bout them is different, like they are in control of themselves for the first time. They wanted to make up for their part in all of this, and I didn’t see any harm in it.
“Karina seemed to take a real shine to him, that’s for sure. Guessin maybe they’ll hit it off, travel together, who knows.”
“That’s good. And our hooded friend?”
“No idea, most likely stayed until he knew we were safe and took off, but he was gone when I woke.”
She helped him put out the fire in silence, and then they grabbed their things and turned towards the horizon.
“What’s next?”
“Hmm, donno. Where do you wanna go?”
“It doesn’t matter, I’ve already found what I was looking for,” she replied, hugging him.
He put his arms around her and whispered, “me too.”
Epilogue
Dear Emma,
This’ll be the last entry I make. Since I met Anadilcia, I’ve been beat, shot, a mineshaft collapsed on top of me, and I’ve cried more times than I can count, but to have her by my side makes it all worth it.
I have someone here now who is counting on me, someone to live for. She reminds me so much of you. Every time I look at her, I see you in those beautiful eyes. She’s a frisky one, though, maybe too much like her dad for her own good.
Meeting her has made me realize that my whole life I’ve been stuck in the past, stuck on the night that my parents were kille
d and stuck on the night when I left yer side. It’s only now that I realize it was my past that haunted me, not some mythical curse of bad luck. I didn’t get close ta people because I didn’t let myself. Bad things didn’t happen because of me, but instead good things happened because I was there to help.
It’s a realization I’m still tryin to sink my brain into, but I think I’ve finally found peace, happiness, and a purpose in life. And it wouldnta been possible without ya.
Our future looks bright. Well, at least it looks interestin. Soon after parting ways that night, I realized that the mysterious man who helped save us did pay me for our help, but it wasn’t in cash. He had left a note in my pocket with instructions on how to leave Gallia behind.
He told us there was an old underground warehouse along the cost that once was used by the ruler of Gallia before the time of Malos. Inside, I’d find a very old, but still fully functional, airship that ran off of nothin more than sundust. It’s a technology that died with the kingdom, but was more efficient than anythin available now. It could sustain flight as long as there was sundust in the air.
How he knew this is beyond me, he is more of a mystery every time I think about it, makes my head hurt!
Sure enough, we got to the place he described and found it. A bit dusty, but otherwise in perfect workin condition. It was Anadilcia who figured out how to control it, she’s a smart one that’s for sure, an we set our destination across the ocean, thanks ta a map I found in the depths of that mine.
I don’t know where we’ll end up, or what we’ll find, but we’re together and leaving Malos far behind. An don’t worry, I’ll keep her safe. No matter where we land, it’s gonna be better than this place.
If there was one thing I wish, it’s that ya could be right here by our side. I still miss ya every single day.
One last thing, my love, I wanted ta thank ya for always believing in me, even after I left. I wish I had enough sense ta find ya while you were still alive, even after all those years. I know you encouraged Anadilcia to find me as yer dyin words. I’ve never stopped thinkin bout ya and wish we had more time together, but now I have a chance to make up for that with Anadilcia.
The Planet Without A Sun (Sinesol Universe) Page 11