by Ross Buzzell
Konner speaks softly before he looks back up at the High Council.
“With your permission, my Lords and Ladies, I would like to dismiss myself. I have an injured soldier to attend to.”
“Granted.”
The High King nods to his son. He waves his hand and a portal opens next to Konner, revealing the hospital on the other side.
“Go to her and know that our prayers go with you.”
Konner bows slightly to his father.
“Yes my king. Thank you for your compassion.”
As a nurse walks by the portal Konner takes a step through. He passes through the void space before he heavily saunters through to the other side. The young nurse; clearly fresh out of school, jumps frightened as she sets eyes on Konner. To her he has appeared out of thin air. Quickly the nurse bows to Konner who immediately places a gentle, dirty hand on either shoulder and raises her. The look of adoration on her face puts a pit in Konner’s stomach. As he drops his hands he notices dirt left behind on either shoulder from his touch.
“I apologize for getting your uniform dirty.”
The nurse shakes her head as a deep rosy blush consumes her cheeks.
“Oh-oh my, it is certainly ok majesty.”
“Please, call me Konner. I am here to visit a friend, a Bara’Helor of the Off World Squadron. Do you know where she is?”
With an embarrassed smile the nurse, clearly frozen in place by Konner’s presence nods and points down the hallway.
“Room 126, right around the corner.”
With a soft smile, Konner nods to the nurse before he turns and begins to walk down the hallway only to call back to her as he moves.
“Thank you.”
The silence of the hallways is foreboding. In a place where healing is a daily occurrence, the ever heavy handed reality of death permeates the hallways like a dense fog, only to be broken in individual rooms depending on the news within. As the prince moves closer to room 126 the palpable, grim, invisible fog thickens. His heart begins to slam within his rib cage and his breaths are short and shallow as his nerves tinge at the idea that his teammate’s injuries are graver than originally though.
Konner rounds the corner at the end of the porcelain hallway. His eyes drift to the top of each door to see a glowing, floating light for each room number and a few doors down Konner’s eyes catch the numbers 126. The soldier pauses for a moment; he takes a deep breath before he begins to walk toward the door. The echo of each clomp of his boots through the otherwise silent hallway is painfully obvious to him. The thought of trying to tread lighter at this point seems futile to the prince. He soldiers on. His nerves grow even more on edge with each step that brings him closer to Baras’ door; as he reaches the opening in the wall Konner stops for a moment, he places his hand on the doorframe outside of the view of the room. The prince takes a deep breath. He closes his eyes and whispers softly to himself “Please let her be ok.” Before he has a chance to muster the courage to walk into the room, he hears a familiar voice, soft, yet strong, ring out from inside the room.
“Do you really think I would not recognize those marching sounds sir?”
Konner smiles and laughs to himself lightly.
“Am I that transparent?”
he calls out, still in the hallway.
“No sir, you’re just that loud.”
She teases back.
Konner takes a step forward. He had heard before of injuries similar to what Bara’Helor had sustained. He had also heard about how horribly wrong they could go. As all of the worst case scenarios run through Konner’s mind, he envisions her attached to machines with a computer speaking for her, that she is alive but paralyzed from the chest down or even worse, she had perished and all of this is in his head. While his mind races through these scenarios at the speed of light, nothing prepares him for what comes next. As the prince strides into the room and into Bara’Helor’s line of sight, his heart stops for a brief moment. All of his angst, fear and nerves seem to explode in a singular inferno of relief; Konner takes a deep and unsteady breath as a smile consumes his face, before him, on her bed, sits Bara’Helor. Her armor is in a heap on the floor. The young soldier sits before Konner in nothing but a tightly fitted piece of material that compresses her upper body in place for uninhibited movement in battle that cuts off three inches above her naval. And she is wearing shorts that are just as tight. They sit on her lower hips and run down a little above the middle of her thigh, leaving her toned mid-section visible. The muscular soldier slides off of her bed. A patch sits on her side which covers her wound and the patch has a slight tint of red in the middle where she has partially bled through. As Konner sees his teammate on her feet, his fears completely wash away.
“Is it only you tonight sir?”
Konner nods to his officer.
“I commanded the others to let you rest and to tend to their own wound. They will be here tomorrow, I am sure of it.”
Bara nods in satisfaction.
“Good, they need to take care of themselves.”
Bara attempts to take a step forward. Konner sees her knees wobble slightly under her weight and in a flash he is across the room with his head beneath her arm and his hand around her firm waste. She looks at Konner with a smile. He returns her grin.
“Nice catch sir.”
“You should be resting Bara. You are still too weak on your feet.”
Bara’Helor waves Konner off with a scoff.
“I’ll be fine sir; you know me. Patch me up and get me back in the fight.”
“This is more than a flesh wound Bara; this time you actually got hurt.”
Konner’s voice is steeped in concern. He can tell by the look on Bara’s face that she is able to pick up on his concern. She begins to walk. Konner has no choice but to move with her in an attempt to keep her injured side from being damaged any further. They cumbersomely move into the hallway. Before limping on in a bit in silence, Konner is the first to break.
“I’m sorry the mission went sideways and yo….”
she cuts Konner off mid-sentence; her voice is soft and strained with the exertion of limping, but genuine and strong.
“That was not your fault Konner. How were you supposed to know that our most trusted unit would turn on us like that? I watched the entire fight, while Na’era tended to my injury. I am probably the only one that saw the entire thing.”
she stops for a moment as the two approach a side door to the facility. On the far side is the freedom Bara’Helor so clearly craves. The young officer looks at her commander with a smile on her lips. Konner studies her face as it is mere inches from his own and he sees something he had not seen before in his life, admiration. True, being the High Prince and part of the royal family, he was admired by all. It is something that always makes him feel uncomfortable. It makes him feel as if he has not yet earned that admiration. This time is different, however, this time the pride in her smile, the forming of the dimples in her soft cheeks, that only form when her grin in genuine. The glisten in her eyes tells the prince that the admiration she has for him is not out of duty or because it is forced, but because she truly does admire him.
“Your team listened to you Konner. You commanded them flawlessly. When you trained us, you led us as best you could and the fact that your team was able to divide the Cryptea in such a way, and tear them apart so completely, shows that you are truly ready to lead your people when the time comes. And I know I do not have clout to make this statement bare any weight, but for that I am proud of you and I admire you Konner Lorian. I could not have asked for a better commander and the second I am fit for duty, I will be by your side with the OWS to continue our fight.”
Her words ring within Konner’s soul like a bell. Her faith in him carries more weight than any other complement he has been paid, solely for the fact that her words are genuine with no veneer to them. The prince smiles and nods to his teammate. He looks at the door then back at Bara. Konner nods slightly to her in thank
s to her complement as Man’Sanfur’s words; spoken to him years ago, surface in his mind. “Bara’Helor is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen sir, not only her form, but her heart as well.”
“You have a good heart Bara’Helor. Thank you for being genuine with me; it is not often that happens in my position.”
Konner’s words are genuine as well. His gaze falls to the ground. Having been open and genuine with another person brings relief to the prince. He feels Bara attempt to move forward. Konner looks back to her slyly.
“Was this whole thing an attempt to flatter me so I’d help you escape?”
An ornery smile forms on her face.
“That depends. Did it work?”
Konner shakes his head.
“Not in the slightest young lady. Let’s go back to your room.”
“Yes sir.”
Bara’s voice has a tint of disappointment to it. They slowly turn around and she tries to take a step forward but collapses into her commander.
“Ahh.”
she winces in pain as her free hand flies to her side to grasp her wound.
“I think you may be right sir.”
Without a moment’s hesitation Konner ducks down, he slings his arm behind the bend of her long, smooth, slender, yet strong legs. Ever so gently the prince lifts his officer off the ground with ease before gently walking her toward her room. Her arms drape themselves around his shoulders as her short blond hair sways next to his face with each smooth step. Soon they are back at her room; Konner enters, still carrying her. Ever so gently he lays her down in her. Ever so gently he releases Konner before he slides his hands from under her. Slowly Konner grabs the blankets and pulls them over her, covering her body slightly.
“You rest Bara. I will be back to visit you tomorrow, if you have not escaped by then.”
Konner could see the weariness begin to rapidly take over her symmetrical features. Her eyes begin to close. The walk clearly took more out of her than she imagined it would.
“You know me sir. Never in one place for very long.”
Her voice trails off as she slips off into an exhaustion induced slumber. Konner turns and leaves her room in silence. He extinguishes the lights as he exits, taking one last look at his now unconscious battle-mate.
“Rest well my friend.”
Konner whispers softly as he turns and takes the same route out of the facility that he had taken into it. Upon exiting the building, he is greeted by Drakesjäl who is ready to take to the skies with Konner on his back once again. The prince gently pats the beast’s neck which causes Drakesjäl to give a growling purr of enjoyment. Konner takes a deep breath as his head grows light from exhaustion; the world around him spins just enough to ensure his focus to stay upright. Konner’s hand quickly grips Drakesjäl’s neck as he leaps onto the back of his dragon. He grips the beast tightly with his strong yet exhausted thighs, reinforcing his grip on the dragon with his hands.
“Take me home my friend.”
Konner commands with a tired tone. At this point his eyes grow heavy and he fights to keep them open as his beast takes to the skies once more. The prince grips tightly to its back as the world is left beneath them only to be embraced by the sullen, silent, night sky. As Drakesjäl soars through the air, Konner’s perception of time goes out the window as all of his focus is centered on his nodding head to ensure that he stays conscious. Clearly the prince fails to remain awake for the entire trip, as a trip that should have taken some time ends seemingly instantly, with the graceful landing of Drakesjäl on the patio outside Konner’s room.
The prince is rattled back to consciousness by the dragon’s body shuddering beneath him. Konner’s eyes open to a blurry world which he gradually blinks into focus, only to see his pet looking over his shoulder at the exhausted prince. Drakesjäl, knowing Konner as well as he knows himself, leans his left side toward the ground. As Konner feels the hard stone beneath his left foot and instantly centers his weight over it. Holding his balance, the battle drained prince swings his right leg from his mount before standing on his own two feet. With eyes half open, Konner pats Drakesjäl before he speaks softly to the beast.
“Thank you boy, head on home.”
With a soft roar the dragon takes to the skies once more. As the sounds of his wings slicing through the air fade into the darkness, Konner begins to walk toward the window that leads to his room. Upon approach the prince presses his palm against the glass and with hardly any effort the window swings open. Konner steps into his room, so tired his balance is slightly askew. Konner catches himself and re-centers. With a quick sniff, Konner smells smoke, sweat, dirt and blood caked on him. Sluggishly he begins to walk past his bed to the far side of his room. As he makes his way past the fire place, Konner unstraps his armor with lazy fingers. He feels its compressive weight loosen before dissipating completely as the Energynium changes from a solid form into azure blue energy. Konner’s armor is absorbed into his bracer, the prince places his hand on the wall, as his armor fades off of him. A light scans his hand as his bracer fades into his forearm, which causes the wall to slide open revealing a small white room about as long and wide as Konner laying down two times over.
Completely disrobed Konner steps into the white room; the prince turns and faces a mirror that shows only his chest to the top of his head which is covered in dirt with some dried blood under his nose as well as crusted against his filth matted hairline. The prince looks down at his uncovered body. Most of it shows the same effect as his face. In a worn tone Konner speaks to the system within the room.
“On, hot.”
Instantly steam jets from three of the walls and the ceiling, fill the room in a thick fog of water which rapidly condenses on the walls, the mirror and the floor as well as Konner’s body. As the water condenses on Konner the grime and filth of the battle lifts from the prince’s skin and is carried off of him by the water before dancing in an abstract water color of brown and red. It circles the drain before succumbing to its fate of disappearing forever down the drain. As the water that drains off of Konner’s body gradually turns from mud brown to a clean clear, the prince moves toward a corner in the shower and leans against it; he closes his eyes as the steam jets follow him.
“Cleaner.”
With one tired word the property of the steam changes from its hot, harsh nature to something slightly softer, from the sensation of a fire hose to something more akin to a mister. As the shower releases a full body cleaner, Konner stands in silence, head hung while he is cleaned. His mind blank, Konner opens his eyes and sees a tuff of hair before his face that falls from his now clean scalp. Konner’s eyes focus on the stream of water that falls from his hair to the floor with almost a hypnotic stare. So tired his mind is unable to focus on any one thing; it goes as blank as the white room that he is standing in. All sense of time seems to vanish as he is hypnotized by the dancing waterfall, inches from his face. He stands, observing it for what feels like seconds and at the same time eternity, only to be brought back by a synthetic voice calling out.
“Maximum time for cleaning exceeded. Power off.”
In an instant the hissing of the steam jets vanishes and the steam dissipates. The prince stands, motionless for a few more minutes as the steady stream of water, on which his eyes are focused, turns to a gradual drip before ceasing all together. Konner pushes off the wall. He runs his fingers through his hair pulling it out of his line of sight before he turns around to see a towel hanging from the wall. Konner walks slowly over to the towel and grasps it before he ventures back into his bedroom. The prince dries himself as he exhaustively makes his way to his bed. Upon arriving at its edge, Konner drops the towel to the side of his bed before falling face first into the soft cloud before him. In a heartbeat everything goes black for the tired prince.
Konner’s eyes shoot open, his lungs burning, not from physical exertion but an external source. He quickly scans his area. He is in his room but something is off, everything seems brighter
, as if bathed in a burning orange light. Konner pushes off his bed only to feel a massive weight overtake his entire body. He tries to look down but is unable to. The prince takes a few labored steps before something catches his eye, his weapon. Dark clouds of smoke begin to fill the room as Konner holds his hand out to call his weapon to him, to no avail. As his lungs begin to burn even more, he feels the temperature of the room begin to rise. As quickly as he can, Konner gets within grasping reach of the weapon. Kneeling, Konner’s hand wraps around the hilt. As he lifts it the weapon seems far heavier than it had the last time he wielded it.
Confusion begins to set in, “What’s going on?” Konner thinks to himself. A loud banging on his door rattles him. He begins to move toward the door in an encumbered fashion with his fingers gripping tightly to his ever increasingly heavy weapon. Konner grabs the door to open it but the weight of the door has increased as well. It takes all of the prince’s strength to open it just wide enough for him to squeeze through. He looks into the hallway, nothing, no burning orange light engulfing the entire area, no smoke billowing. It appears completely normal. Konner looks back into his room to see the smoke reducing the visibility rapidly to zero. His lungs begin to burn even more with each deep breath, quickly Konner squeezes through his door with some effort and stumbles into the large corridor. The massive door slams shut behind him with a deafening ‘bang’ that echoes down the hallways. There is something different about the sound that catches Konner’s attention. The echoes reverberate as if being put in reverse. A strange noise fills his ears, something similar to a growl but off in such a way it is difficult for the prince to put a finger on it. Konner turns around to see Jil’Thorin crouched on the ground like an animal, her hair falling before her face, in a heaping mess as if it had not been cared for in weeks. Her armor is gone, replaced by ravaged clothing covered in filth. Behind her curled, snarled lips Konner gets a quick glimpse of her teeth. Her canines are more fanglike than tooth and her eyes are a golden grey with the pupils as slits from the top of the iris to the bottom. Konner takes a single step forward as he strains his eyes to ensure he is actually seeing his friend before him. Before Konner has a chance to call out to Jil, she lets out a short burst of a roar and charges Konner on all fours like a cheetah. She moves quickly and the prince tries to ignite his weapon to defend himself. It sparks and fizzles out almost instantly. Jil begins to get closer, Konner holds up his bracer, there is something off about it, no glowing glyphs and it is tattered far beyond his last battle. Konner summons a shield to deflect the incoming ‘friend’ but it fizzles out as well. Konner looks up to see Jil soaring through the air directly at him, baring fangs and screeching like a banshee. Without a moment’s hesitation Konner throws his weapon at Jil which makes contact, it hits her in the head which flips her around and she slams into the ground at Konner’s feet.