by A. J. Ross
That was the beginning of their mutual relationship. Before then, with the exception of a few in the Fiie army, the Grii did not bother to use audible language. Once Grisian started to learn, many of the Griician women in Kymurii were inspired to do the same. Braii learned to understand Agaan, and Grisian officially employed her as his translator. He had given her access to their world, at the same time creating a new one, just for her. Being seen by him meant everything to her.
Now it was her turn to see someone who was just as lonely as she had once been. Her need to care for the boy felt like instinct rather than choice. Though her intent to use him had not changed, it was now coupled with a full sense of responsibility to protect him. The Kayorians hadn’t even bothered to give him a name, so he was expendable. If she got away without him there was no telling what the guards would do to him. She needed to plan an escape for two, and to do that she would need something better than the shard of broken porcelain beneath her mattress.
“Riian,” she said, “you understand that I am a prisoner, right?”
Drying his eyes, he nodded.
“If Rahilius kills me, I can’t be your mother. But I am a warrior, and if I can get a weapon, I can get us out of this place and find a home, just for you and me.”
He nodded. His bright eyes were locked onto her, and he hung on her every word.
“Are there any weapons in this place?” she asked.
Again, he nodded.
“Do you think you can get me one?”
His optimistic eyes were instantly filled with dread.
She quickly reached for his hand and held it between hers. “It’s okay,” she said. “Forget about it. I’ll figure something else out.” She sighed and smiled, “It’s time for you to go now, before the guard gets suspicious. I’ll see you tomorrow, Riian.”
Braii lay in bed looking up at the ceiling. Instead of solving the problems she already had, she had created a new one. She played scenarios in her mind of escaping with the child. He was small and wouldn’t be able to run as fast as she could. If she tried carrying him, it would slow her down and they would both be caught. The only way for them to successfully run away, was if there was no one left to follow behind them. She needed to carve a clear path through Rahilius’s house, and for that she needed a legitimate weapon.
She thought about the glass under her mattress. Killing the guard outside her door wouldn’t be difficult. The problem was she didn’t know how many guards were inside the house, or where Rahilius was. She needed more information. At that moment she felt a twinge of relief. She had an ally. Riian would be her eyes on the outside.
Thanks to her new position as his “mother,” he was eager to please her in whatever way he could. He answered every question she asked in as much detail as he could recall. Together they created a map of the house from her room to the exit. There were actually three possible exits, a front and back door, and one exit from the second floor. There were four guards in the house at all times, two more in front of the house, and two guarding the front gate. The guards were armed, of course, but according to Riian they weren’t the most responsible. They would drink when Rahilius was away. This was good news for Braii. Drunk guards would be easier kills.
As they ate their dinner one day, Riian asked, “Where did Grisian go? You said he was gone, but where? Where did he go?”
“Well, he’s dead” she said softly. “Rahilius came to my planet Graiis. He killed Grisian and brought me here.”
“Will you go back to Graiis when you are free?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “When I am free, we will go to Graiis.”
His sigh of relief made it clear he had been holding his breath for her response. The Kayorians had practically given him to her. They had treated him so poorly and left him starved for any small kindness. Recruiting him was almost too easy. Protecting him though, would be a bigger challenge, especially without an adequate weapon.
“Mama,” he said softly, interrupting her from her thoughts.
“Yeah.”
“I found a gift for you,” he said as he reached into his ragged clothing. “It’s your father Grisian’s stick.”
Braii’s breath caught in her chest. What he pulled out wasn’t a stick at all. It was a handle. She got down on her knees to be at eye level with the boy. He reached out with his tiny frail pale green hand to give her the Ivory colored “stick” with Grisians sign on it. She carefully took it from him. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
Misreading her reaction Riian whispered, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get the weapon.”
She laughed out loud and tears filled her eyes. “You did good,” she whispered joyously, gently lifting his chin. “This is the best gift I have ever gotten. I promise. I’m going to get us out of here. We leave tomorrow. Promise me you won’t say a word to anyone. You will listen only to me and obey only me, or we will never escape. Do you understand?”
He nodded quickly.
“Now, where did you get this stick?”
He started to fidget nervously with his tiny pointed fingernails, “From the table in Rahilius’s room.”
“Where is Rahilius?”
“He’s not here.”
“When does he get back?”
“In the morning,” he replied nervously.
Braii let out a brisk sigh. “Okay, change of plans. We need to leave now. I don’t know if he’ll miss this,” she said, referring to the Fiie she held in her hand, “but I can’t afford to risk it. Do you trust me?” she asked sternly.
He nodded, visibly trembling.
“Good,” she said as she stuck the Fiie handle down between her breasts. “Then do exactly as I say. When I tell you to come, you follow my voice and come to me. Not before. Do you understand?”
He nodded again.
“Guard!” she called. She took the black silk booties from her feet and tossed them aside. Snatching Riian’s hand, she moved him to the other side of the door. She touched her index finger to her lips signaling the boy to keep quiet.
The guard unlocked the door without so much as an inquiry. He was used to letting the little boy in and out of the room, and allowing him to stay as long as he pleased. The moment he pushed the door open she drew the Fiie and pierced him through his belly. His large body, now with a burnt gaping hole in its center, hit the ground with a thud.
She stepped over it, making sure to plant her bare feet silently on the cold marble floor. She slowly made her way down the long well-lit hall with every one of her senses functioning at their highest. Her heart beat quickly, but didn’t race. She took slow deep controlled breaths, listening for any sound outside of her own breathing. Her eyes were focused in front of her. There was no sound from any direction, so she had no idea of where the other guards were inside the house. With Rahilius away, it was unlikely they would remain at their originally assigned posts.
She had memorized the map Riian helped her draw. There were three more guards in the house, and she needed to be sure no one would come behind the child and use him as leverage. She heard footsteps approaching the corridor. There were several open doors to empty rooms lining the hallway on either side, so she backed into one of them and waited for the guard. Standing perfectly still with her hands at her side, she held the Fiie loosely in her left. She measured the proximity of the guard by the sound of his boots, growing increasingly louder with each step. As soon as the guard reached the doorway, he turned and looked directly at her. Without hesitation she slit him in half upward from his genitals to his skull. She retracted the Fiie and stepped between the charred halves, and back out into the main hall. She looked around to reassess her position. She was already six yards from her room and nine from the back door.
She exhaled slowly. “Riian,” she called in an even tone, “Come.”
The boy came running towards her, his small bare feet slapping against the hard floor. Just then another guard rounded the corner on the opposite side.
“Riian, stop,�
�� she ordered. He stopped in his tracks and stood still where he was.
The guard drew his sword and ran towards Braii. She braced herself, waiting until he was about an arm's length before engaging the Fiie. She dodged a swipe from his sword simultaneously extracting the smoking blade. She countered with a clean slice across his belly, severing his body in two.
“Riian,” she called over her shoulder, “Come.”
The boy came running and stood next to her as she retracted the Fiie. “Listen,” she said “stay two meters behind me. There’s still another guard in here.”
The two moved cautiously through the house with only four meters left to the door. She heard a guard calling someone’s name. Possibly the name of the one that she had just killed. She gently pushed Riian into another hall and gestured for him to keep quiet. She stood several feet in front of him just out of sight from the main hall, and waited for the guard. He ran right past them, focused on the body of his comrade a couple of meters away. Braii stalked him from behind. She cut his legs from under him and he collapsed and fell forward, quickly rolling over so that he could see her. “Don’t kill me . . . please . . .” he begged.
She paused for a second, before plunging the Fiie into his chest. “Four,” she said to herself as she retracted her weapon. “Riian, by my side,” she commanded.
He ran over and stood next to her; his eyes fixed on the decapitated guard in front of him. He reached up and slipped his spindly fingers into her palm.
“We’re okay,” she said softly. “Are you ready to run?”
He nodded.
She opened the back door and stepped out cautiously into the daylight. There wasn’t a guard in sight, which meant they were watching the front of the house but not the back. She moved towards the trees holding Riian’s hand. They stooped behind a bush, and Braii tried to find an exit. There was a six-meter-high wall around the property, and apparently no door on the back side.
She sighed. “We’re going to have to go through the front.”
She led Riian to the side of the house. “Stay here. I’m going back in the house to get the guards outside the front door.”
As soon as she stepped back into the house, she was face-to-face with one of the guards. They ran towards each other, weapons drawn. The guard was faster than Braii was expecting, and his sword caught the left side of her waist. She cried out in pain just as the other guard entered the house. She regained her composure, switching the Fiie from her left hand to her right. This time when the guard swung on her she ducked and spun-kicked his legs from beneath him. He fell to the ground as she stood over him and sliced him across his chest.
“Mama,” she heard.
Riian was standing in the doorway. He had heard her scream and came to rescue her. The other guard looked back at the little boy. Without hesitation Braii threw the Fiie piercing the guard from behind. He stumbled a few seconds, then fell to the ground. She went over to him and retrieved the Fiie by its handle protruding from his back. She retracted it, and put it back between her breasts. She looked at the cut on her side. The dark brown blood was seeping through her dress. She couldn’t feel any pain, but didn’t consider its absence a reliable indicator of whether or not she was seriously injured. She tore the bottom from her dress and tied it tightly around her waist.
She reached for Riian’s hand, “Let’s go.”
The two went out through the back door and walked along the wall. She could see the guards in the distance watching the outer entrance gate. They were talking and laughing casually. She pushed Riian behind a bush. Her best chance was to sneak up on the guards. If she could catch them by surprise, she would be able to kill at least one with minimal effort. The second one would be more difficult. She was tired. She wrapped her arm around her waist, starting to feel the pain of her wound.
Then it occurred to her, all the guards, including the ones at the outer gate, were used to serving her in different shifts. When she would fuss and complain, they would grudgingly assist her. This was what she had been conditioning them for; a moment just like this. She would play on the image she had planted in their minds as to who she was. She would play the damsel in distress. Her oozing wound would be her co-star. Maybe she could at least separate the guards and fight one of them at a time.
“Guard,” she cried out. She ran slowly toward the guard holding her side. There was terror in her eyes. “Help me. Someone came into the house and cut me . . . They killed the guard . . .”
Both guards looked surprised to see her out of her room, but her condition disarmed them. If she was hurt, that meant someone had broken into the house and assaulted her and possibly the other guards. They told her to stay where she was. Both guards took off running courageously toward the house, swords drawn. Once they had gone inside, she called Riian and he came running. She took the Fiie and cut the lock on the gate. Using all the strength she had left, she pushed it open just enough for her and Riian to slip through.
They ran. She didn’t know how long or how far. Several miles from Rahilius’s compound at least. The sun had gone down, so there wasn’t much daylight left. Braii began to look for a place where they could hide. There was a village ahead in the distance, but she didn’t know if it was a village for humans or Kayorians. She decided not to risk it. She was exhausted and in pain. They walked a little further until they came to a small bridge. The area looked isolated, but even if it wasn’t, she still had the Fiie for protection.
She ushered Riian under the rusty metal bridge. It had a little nook on each side, just perfect for one person. It was damp, but the weather was warm. She lay down in the brown and green grass growing wildly at the base of the bridge, barely noticing the sharp grass blades lightly scratching her skin. For now, they were safe and nicely hidden under the bridge and among the tall grass. Riian tried to rest his head on Braii’s chest. She removed the Fiie so he could sleep comfortably, and kept it tightly clenched in her right hand as both she and Riian drifted off to sleep.
“Wolfe. Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you. You’re never at home, and your mom keeps asking me where you are. I found someone who can help you learn the Fiie.”
Lincoln’s face flushed. He forgot he had told Logan about his problem. He had been so focused on the training. Tsamiit did not even allow him to rest on the weekend. Today was the first day he’d had a break since the training started, and it was only because he had requested the afternoon off. He needed to go and see Penny in the hospital.
“Actually . . . no,” he said guiltily. “I’ve already figured something out.”
“Really?” Logan asked. “Well, that’s great. What did you do?”
Lincoln smiled hesitantly, “It was just like you said Logan, something came up. I was able to convince the general. I’ve been training for the last few weeks.”
“That’s a relief,” Logan said. His eyes were genuine. “But there’s something else I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s Penny . . . She’s missing. There’s a possibility she’s been hurt. Someone kicked in her front door and she’s gone. I know you have a lot to deal with right now, I just wanted to let you know. The council is organizing a search party. We don’t even know how long she’s been missing, and her boyfriend said she might be pregnant. I know you two haven’t been on the best terms lately, but you were close in the past. Do you have any idea where she may have gone? Any information you can give us will help.”
Lincoln quickly shook his head but didn’t speak. Logan placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes and said sincerely, “Don’t worry about Penny. Worry about your mission. The council will find Penny and get her back safe. I promise.”
All Lincoln could do was nod.
“Well I’ll catch up with you later,” Logan said. “And try to spend a little time with your mom. She keeps calling me, because she’s worried about you.”
Lincoln nodded and watched Logan walk away. He was in full-sca
le panic. What had he done? Penny’s boyfriend knew about the baby? And to make matters worse, the council was searching for Penny. He had to cover his tracks fast or everything he had worked for would come undone.
He went to the hospital and sat by Penny’s bed. She looked so peaceful as she slept in her comatose state. Lincoln touched her shiny light-brown hair and whispered, “I know we’ve had our problems. I didn’t think I could forgive you. But if you could just do this one thing for me, I could forget about everything that happened between us.”
As he was speaking the nurse walked into the room. “Good afternoon,” she said cheerfully. “I’m glad to see you again. Even though Penny can’t hear you I think it’s good for the baby to hear her father’s voice.”
Lincoln nodded. “Nurse,” he said softly, “Can you tell me who else would be authorized to visit Penny?”
The nurse was thoughtful. “Well,” she said, “almost anyone. Friends and family are usually able to visit all patients.”
Lincoln cleared his throat. “It’s just . . . I think someone may have been trying to hurt her, and I’m afraid they may come here and try to hurt her again.”
“Oh my gosh,” the nurse exclaimed. “Who would want to do that?”
“I don’t know. She has lots of friends, but she has strong political views on species relations, so she may have a lot of enemies. I don’t know what to do to protect her.”
The nurse remained silent for a while. “Well, we do have another option,” she said. “Create a list of her close friends and family, and we’ll turn it in to the receptionist. This way, anyone who isn’t on the list will not be allowed to see her.”
Lincoln’s eyes lit up. “You would do that?” he asked sweetly. “That would be amazing. I would sleep so much better knowing no one can get to her.”