The Orphans of New Lur

by Blake Vanier

  “This seems like a crazy plan.”

  She smiles. “Exciting, right?” She hops up. “Once you’re free, you’re on your own; I’m not playing babysitter.” She pulls him up by the arm with little effort. “Alright, let's make you a tranquilizer dart.”

  She leads him through the Market, collecting things as she goes: a souvenir blowgun as long as Nero’s forearm that is dyed black with carved notches, some paper, a few pieces of leather, strips of cloth, apples, and finally, after many stops, ingredients for the knock-out potion. Once the Woman is satisfied, she rents a room in a hotel.

  Nero watches as she fashions several darts out of a porous woody plant and carves a groove along their sides to help collect the sleeping potion. She makes Nero a small leather strap for his wrist to hold the darts. He examines it while she mixes up the potion.

  She puts two apples on the table and grabs the dart gun. “I’m going to take care of a few things. It will be a while, so in the meantime, practice with this.” She puts a dart in the blowgun, firing at the apple. It sinks deep into the center. “Real easy.” She tosses the blowgun to him, walking out.

  As soon as the door closes, he loads the blowgun and fires. The dart ricochets off a lamp and sticks into the wall. He lets out a deep breath. Maybe she won’t come back and I won’t have to go through with this crazy plan…

  10

  The Nero Assault

  Nero

  The light flowing through the curtains is just starting to dim, while a pit of despair grows unabated in Nero. He lies on his back, staring at the ceiling. Finally, the door opens and the Woman walks through. She is carrying two small bags and some sticks. Nero does a double take when he sees she is wearing a pretty, light yellow summer dress, hair loose.

  She glares at him. “I don't even want to hear it. I'll do whatever it takes to get a job done. That includes wearing dresses.” She tosses him one of the bags. “There are some pieces of candy left, if you want them.”

  “Thanks.” Nero opens the bag and swallows a few chocolate-covered raisins. “So what's going on?”

  “Everything’s in order and the time is approaching.” She sets the rest down, then notices the apples on the table. Darts litter the area, but the apples are relatively unharmed. “Did you manage to hit one?”

  Nero puts down the raisin he was about to eat. “A few times.”

  “Well, I hope you get it right when you need to.” She grabs the blowgun and starts to shave off the dark stain with a knife, making it look like a stick. She takes the leather pouch she made for the darts, filling it with a thick paste. “Once you’re free and get a chance, all you need to do is put the darts in here. They'll be covered with the sleeping potion so you can use them when you need them. Just remember, the potion will work faster closer to the head or the heart, especially close to large arteries. Now, take off one of your shoes and loosen the laces.”

  The Woman grabs the sticks, the blowgun, a long piece of cloth, the darts, and the holder. She takes the leather dart holder and ties it to his ankle, then stacks several darts into the blowgun, sealing them in with wads of cloth on both ends. Using the sticks and the blowgun, she makes an ankle brace with a wrapping of cloth, then roughly pulls his untied shoe back on and over the brace. Nero winces, but keeps his mouth shut.

  She steps back to look at it. “Perfect, now you just need to act pathetic, and we should have an excellent little disguise.”

  Shouldn't be a problem. Nero's nerves make it hard to breathe.

  “Remember to watch the time. Should be about nine-ish when I create the distraction.”

  Nero looks at the little numbers on his watch. “Okay.”

  “You’re going to need your energy, so I got you some fish and chips for dinner. You can eat it before we leave.” She walks over to the bag on the table, pulling out a white box.

  Nero looks inside, without a hint of an appetite. I couldn't eat anything if my life depended on it. He looks back at her with a lack of enthusiasm.

  “I don't care if you’re not hungry, you’re going to eat the food with or without my help,” she says coolly.

  Under the constant stone-cold glare of the Woman, Nero manages to finish the entire meal.

  “Good work.” The Woman stands up, heading for the door. “I need to get something from the front desk. We'll leave when I get back.”

  As Nero waits, a sharp pain grows in his stomach. His vision starts to blur. By the time the Woman gets back, he is nauseous and he can hardly focus on anything. “I'm―not feeling so―good.”

  The Woman smiles. “Excellent.” She rolls a wheel chair next to him. “Hop on.”

  Nero struggles to move; everything hurts. His dinner is threatening to come back up. What's wrong with me? I don't think I can do this.

  The Woman pulls him onto the chair, tying his hands and feet together.

  She's really going to sell me as a slave! The whole room sways back and forth; cold sweat breaks out on his face.

  A blanket falls over Nero, covering his tied hands and feet. The next thing he knows, he is outside. She pushes him down the walkway that runs along the edge of the water.

  I need to escape… Nero pushes with his feet, but his strength is gone. They reach the pier and approach the same ship that swallowed his friends.

  He tries to lift himself one last time, but a firm hand from the Woman dashes his hopes. They reach the ramp to the boat, where she talks with a few men. The conversation nears an argument, but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot make sense of any of it. Finally, one of the men throws Nero over his shoulder. The sudden pressure on Nero's stomach makes him feel like he is going to pop. He tries to focus on the man's feet, but they move in a blur. The cool breeze, which was the only thing comforting him, disappears. The air grows thick and warm.

  They travel down stairs and through endless corridors before the man opens a large metal door. Suddenly, Nero is thrown into a cage. He hears a click, then silence, though he has a feeling he is not alone. Lying on his back, Nero fights the nausea. The musty animal stink seeps through his nostrils, making it all the harder.

  The aching abruptly begins to fade. The nausea vanishes shortly after. Was this part of her plan? Nero pushes himself upright. For the first time, he looks around his prison. He is in a small, metal barred cell in a room full of cages. Most of them are empty, except for a few strange animals. One cage has a Nero-sized orange cat with long white barbs lying against its back. Another cage has two huge, light-blue birds with short powerful beaks and four-centimeter-long black talons. The last cage has a grey crocodile-like creature that is several times the size of Nero. All of the animals stare at him.

  Nero shifts uneasily, checking his watch. It is ten minutes after eight. Oh man, I really need to get out of here. He looks at the door to his cage and his eyes fall on a small lock securing the latch. His hopes plummet. Oh No! How am I going to do this? She didn't teach me how to pick locks! I knew this was a bad idea…

  You’re whining.

  “No I'm not!”

  The cat growls at him.

  “Yeah, yeah…” Great, I'm losing it and I'm trapped in here with myself. Nero looks around the room with its grey metal walls. What would the crazy woman do if she were here? She would pick the lock, of course…

  A board by the door catches his attention. There are locks hanging from hooks, and each one has a number above it. All but four of the hooks have locks. The empty hooks have keys. Nero scrambles to the door of his cage and looks at the lock. It has ‘22’ written on it.

  Yes! Now, I just need to get the key… A tingling sensation runs over his scalp and through his entire body. The hostility he felt working with the Woman returns. I will not be trapped in this cage! He grabs the bars and strains to pull them apart.

  Stop and breathe. Don’t let your anger control you. Collect your emotions, accept them, and then let them go, or you’ll never save your friends.

  Nero stops. The bars have not moved. My friends. I n
eed to think. He breathes out, struggling to silence the hostility. With more effort than before, he manages it. Alright, the key.

  He closes his eyes and reaches out to the room, pushing his essence toward the board. By the time he reaches something solid, any contact is fleeting. His ability to maintain focus at this distance is excruciatingly difficult. Frustration begins to consume him, but he forces himself to exhale. His mind clears, slightly. How am I supposed to grab the keys if I can't even feel them? He looks at the board, easily spotting the key on the hook with the label, 22. He turns around and slides down the bars. I don’t have much time… I need to figure this out. He thinks back to his first attempt to use his essence when the world of light appeared to him. Was that something I can use? Was that Aether? He grabs the bars of his cage. There’s only one way to find out.

  Nero closes his eyes, searching for the tension pulling on his essence. Once he can feel it, he lets some of the tension go. Faint white lights appear out of the darkness, taking shape as the bars of his cage. He relaxes further. The details of his surroundings creep outward like growing crystals. Suddenly, the pull on his essence increases. The world starts to collapse. He grits his teeth, resisting the pull. With a considerable effort, the collapse slows. The world returns to a semblance of normality. The pull on his essence continues, but after a while, he finds that his subconscious begins to do the work. He relaxes, inspecting the world.

  His surroundings are defined in white―the cat and the crocodile-like creatures included―but the two birds have a swirling green light that obscures their features. He picks himself up, looking at the glowing white board with the keys. Okay… Here we go. He reaches for his essence, pushing it forward. A thick white tentacle that looks like it had been caught in a garbage disposal sprouts from his chest.

  “Ah!” He jumps, losing his concentration. The tentacle retreats. That is so creepy. Is that my essence? He pushes again, and the tentacle reaches out. A chill runs through his body. Definitely creepy. He moves the tentacle up and down, feeling it respond when it touches the bars of his cage. As he pushes it out further, it becomes more ragged. He focuses on his essence, clearing his mind with deep breaths. The tentacle thins and becomes more solid. Okay, this is good… I think. He pushes his essence forward again, and it maintains its shape until it reaches the board. Almost as if he were touching it with his hand, he finds the key, wraps around it, and tugs. The key comes off the pin with a surprising amount of effort. It clatters to the ground. This is really good! The two birds flap their wings. Nero drags the key across the floor to the edge of his cell.

  He fights against the pull on his essence, forcing it to where it was before. His perspective shifts back to the normal version of the world. The key with a 22 written on it is within reach. I can do this! A wave of triumph rushes over him. At the same moment, the buzz over his scalp disappears, taking the hostility swimming in the back of his mind with it. What’s going on with me? He shakes his head. Friends first.

  Nero pulls apart his ankle brace, extracting the blowgun equipment from the tangle of cloth. He ties the leather strap onto his wrist and inserts the darts. Moments later, he is fumbling with the lock and is free.

  The birds squawk, looking back and forth from him to the other animals.

  I don’t know how to help and I need to find my friends. Nero turns his back to the birds, walking toward the door.

  Another squawk pierces his eardrums, causing him to duck. The birds flap their wings and bob their heads.

  “Shhhh!” He checks his watch, twenty minutes until nine. This is stupid… “Alright, hang on.” He goes to the board, grabbing the three single keys. Okay, important point number one is that I don't want to get eaten. He looks around the room for ideas. Maybe if the door is open they'll ignore me.

  He slowly opens the heavy metal door to the ship, peeking out. No one is around. I like cats. Let’s start with him… or her? The cat jumps up, arching its back. The barbs stick straight up, a low growl coming from its throat.

  “Easy there, kitty.” Nero holds his hands out.

  Another squawk rings through the room. The cat turns to the birds, more relaxed. Sensing his opportunity, Nero slips the key into the lock and takes one slow deep breath. In a jerky fit of motions, he turns the key, removes the lock, throws the latch, and dives into the nearest cage. All the while, the cat watches with its head cocked at an angle.

  Nero pulls the cage door shut, spinning around. That was close! The cat has not moved. “Arrgg. Come on, get gone!”

  The cat looks at Nero one last time before it canters off. Once Nero is satisfied the cat is a long way off, he moves to the grey crocodile. It tries to snap at Nero.

  Jeez. “You’re welcome!” He says as it waddles away.

  He reaches the birds. They fly out with friendly squawks.

  Nero smiles. That could be a good distraction. Using my brain! As he walks toward the door, it hits him he has no idea what to do. How am I going to―

  Suddenly, a young girl’s face pokes around the door. She is about Nero's age, her face is smudged with dirt and stricken with fear. “All of them! Do you know how they escaped? Somebody is going to be in big trouble! The Captain is going to peel their skin off with a butter knife!” she yells.

  Nero's mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Panic boils in his stomach.

  Anger flashes across the girl’s face. “Don't just stand there! We need to get them back, or he's going to take it out on all of us!” The girl runs into the room, grabbing two sturdy poles with wire loops at the end. She gives one to Nero and runs out. “Come on!”

  Nero takes a couple sluggish steps after her, then stops. She must think I'm part of the boat. Can I use that to my advantage? I bet if I just panic like the girl… Yeah, that works with my strengths!

  Nero starts to run down the halls of the ship aimlessly until he crashes into a man dressed in a dark uniform.

  The man holds up his hands to stop Nero. “Hey, hold on a second. What are you doing?”

  “Animals escaped!”

  The man's jaw drops. “The big grey one too?”

  Nero slowly nods. “I need to check on the jail. Where is it?”

  The man shakes his head. “I don't think so. You're going to help me bring the animals in.”

  “I can't.” Nero tries to move by, but the man bars his path. What am I going to do? I can't waste time! Nero panics. He pulls out a dart, kicks the man in the shin, then sticks the dart into his arm.

  “Ow! What the heck?” The man pulls the dart out of his arm and grabs a handful of Nero’s clothes. “You wanted to check on the jail? Well, I'm going to give you a firsthand tour of the inside, you brat!”

  The man drags Nero down through the narrow bulkheads. The crew is running and yelling. They hardly glance at the two.

  At last, the man stumbles through a door. The room has six prison cells, one of which has Nero’s friends. They scramble to the bars when they see him.

  A small guard stands up and greets the man dragging Nero. “Please, tell me you've come to relieve me of this job.”

  The man holding Nero shakes his head. He moves his mouth. Nothing comes out.

  The guard puts his hand on the man's shoulder. “Hey! You alright?”

  Nero feels the man's grip go slack. A moment later, he crumples to the ground.

  The small guard tries to catch the man, but instead falls with him. “What's wrong with him?”

  Nero shrugs. As soon as the guard turns his back, Nero sticks him with a dart.

  “Hey!” The guard jerks up, pulling the dart out of his neck. “That hurt.” He grabs Nero’s arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Nero’s whole world is buzzing with adrenaline. He can hardly put two thoughts together. “Sorry?”

  “Sorry isn't going―to―cut it…” The guard puts his hand on his head. “Whoa. All of the sudden, I'm feeling pretty funny.” He collapses to the ground.

  Oh, thank goodness that worked! Nero fumbl
es with the keys on the guard’s belt and approaches the cell door. His friends are hanging onto the bars, watching with mouths open.

  “Holy crap, Nero. What are you doing?” Ryder asks.

  “Uh, rescue mission.” Nero fumbles with the keys.

  “Don’t ask stupid questions, Ryder.” Iona pushes open the door. “Thanks, Nero. I didn’t think you had it in you.” She walks over to the two collapsed men.

  “I'm shocked, too,” Korbin says walking through the door. “Umm, thanks.”

  “Seriously, Nero, this is amazing.” Ryder pats him on the back.

  Thea runs out of the cell to hug Nero. “Thanks, Nero. I knew you'd come for us!”

  “These guys are knocked out cold, Nero. What’d you do?” Iona asks.

  “That crazy woman made sleeping darts for me to use.” Nero shows them the blowgun. “Though I can't hit anything with it.”

  “What crazy woman?” Iona asks.

  Ryder steps between them. “He can fill us in later once we’re out of this mess. First, we need to get out of here.”

  “Hold on a second,” Nero says. “Actually, we need to wait here.”

  “What?” Korbin says. “That's stupid. We just got out!”

  “Yeah, but―” Nero can feel all eyes on him. “I'm waiting for a signal.”

  “What kind of signal?” Iona asks.

  “Umm. I'm not totally sure. I'll know it when it happens.”

  “Alright, Nero, you got this far. But we’ll take it from here.” Korbin walks toward the door.

  Ryder puts a hand up to Korbin. “Hold on, Korb. You're right. Nero got this far, so if he says we wait, we'll wait.”

  Korbin's mouth drops open.

  Ryder picks up one of the men's wrists. “Help me pull these guys in the cell, just in case they wake up.”

  Nero can't help but let a smile slip. I’m doing well!

  Ryder and Korbin pull the two men into a cell, locking it.