by C A Ardron
Wolf glanced at him, his cheerfulness was definitely out of place in this conversation.
‘No,’ Dove agreed, her voice subdued. ‘Sarpien survivors are mentally unstable, unable to communicate, sometimes not even able to see or hear.’
Karen nodded. ‘That's true, but you're talking about the ones caught in the explosion caused by a sclithe's death. They're the ones the Dakkonin and Unician Orders round up after their battle victories. But if a Sarpien is further away than that, say two or three miles, then the chance they'll escape with their minds intact gets considerably higher.’
‘So if that's the deal with you,’ Hawk frowned, ‘how come you never went back to the Sarpiens?’
That was a good question. Wolf looked at the Unician, she was giving Hawk a hard glare.
‘You've not been a Predgarian for very long, have you?’ She grinned, but it seemed forced. ‘Not had any dealings with the Sarpiens or Dakkonin.’
Hawk looked stunned. ‘How did you know that?’
‘Because if you had, you wouldn't have asked such a stupid question.’
Karen's voice had remained calm, but her eyes were cold.
‘Hawk's only been with us a couple of years,’ Dove excused him soothingly. ‘Most Predgarians don't have reason to learn about such things.’
‘What?’ Hawk asked. ‘Am I missing something?’
Wolf thought he was missing something too. He'd been a Predgarian much longer than Hawk, but Dove seemed to know why Karen had become angry. Was this something only taught in the Order cities such as Predgariah and Draconia?
Lion cleared his throat. ‘Most Sarpiens...are forced into service.’
Wolf looked at him, forced?
Dove nodded. ‘The Sarpiens have a place called the coercion chamber. No one has ever escaped.’
‘What?’ Hawk asked, his voice rising in disbelief. ‘Not even Dakkonin?’
‘Everyone, even the most hardened Dakkonin veterans,’ Lion's voice was grave, ‘leave that chamber broken, willing to become Sarpiens.’
Wolf couldn't believe no one had told him about this. Were they brushing it under the carpet? Trying to make the daily struggle against the enemy easier by pretending it didn't happen?
He couldn't put the moment off any longer. He looked back at Karen, he'd assumed all her scars where from fighting Dakkonin - but what if they weren't?
‘That's what happened to you?’ Hawk asked, visibly shaken. ‘You were tortured until you gave in?’
Karen didn't reply, becoming very interested in the grey carpet instead.
Dove placed a hand on Hawk's arm, trying to calm him. ‘There is no shame in it.’ Her words, though spoken to Hawk, were obviously more for Karen's benefit. ‘There have been cases of even high-ranking Dakkonin and Darphon being subverted. Sarpien torturers are highly trained to cause pain but never kill.’
‘This isn't important,’ Karen told them sharply. ‘You wanted to know why I have a snake mark. Now you know.’
Wolf saw her swallow. To them it was just something to talk about, but she'd lived it. It was real, personal. She probably had nightmares about it regularly. Not important? It had to be one of the most important and terrible points in her life. Wolf was shocked to find he'd gone from disliking this woman to sympathising with her in less than a minute.
Lion nodded. ‘All right, We'll move on.’
Wolf could hear the same sympathy in Lion's voice. Without trying, Karen had won them all over.
‘Are there others like you?’ Hawk asked. ‘Ex-Sarpiens wandering the cities?’
Karen shook her head. ‘No, well, not many. The Sarpiens call people like me “walking dead”. They call us that because the moment we have the indecency to survive our master's demise, and don't immediately turn ourselves in to re-enter service, we've given ourselves the death sentence.’
‘Oh, Light,’ Dove breathed.
‘Most of us don't last very long,’ Karen continued in a quiet voice. She turned and reached for the denim jacket and her gloves.
Dove caught her left arm gently. ‘You don't have to, we don't mind.’
Karen looked at the taller woman for a second and then shook her off. ‘It makes me feel better.’
Dove stepped back as Karen covered up the snake with the jacket and proceeded to put her leather gloves back on.
The ex-Sarpien glanced up at them. ‘I don't like looking at it.’
Wolf nodded silently, he hadn't spoken once yet. He didn't think he could. He didn't need any empathy skills to feel the emotional pain emanating from Karen. If he was in her shoes, he didn't think he'd want to look at it either.
‘Karen,’ Lion spoke again. ‘Can you tell us anything about the boy and Jackal's plans for him?’
Karen pulled on her left glove, making sure it covered the snake head properly. She sat on the bed with a weary sigh. ‘I knew something was wrong, His story didn't make sense to me. By the time I realised what he was keeping from me, it was too late.’
'How do you know him?' Dove asked.
Karen gave a wry smile, ‘I don't really. I met him last night. He was being hounded by Jackal, I helped him escape. I put him up for the night and persuaded him to come seek you out.’ She shook her head, disgusted. ‘I revealed myself to Jackal willingly, I don't know why. I knew he'd catch up with me before I could get Jay to you.’
‘You've met Jackal before?’ Wolf asked, finally surprised out of his silence.
Karen looked hesitant. ‘Yeah.’ She offered no explanation.
‘What about the boy's fire ability?’ Lion asked.
‘I had no idea until he combusted,’ Karen shook her head. ‘I was just as surprised as you. It answers a few questions though. Jay told me that Jackal paid his uncle money for him.’
‘What?’ Dove asked, stunned.
‘His uncle sold him ?’ Hawk exclaimed.
Wolf couldn't believe it either. He was about to ask if she was sure but Lion was gesturing for them to be quiet.
‘I found this odd,’ Karen continued. ‘He could've easily taken him whether his uncle liked it or not. It was strange that it was Jackal and not another Sarpien too. I don't know much about the sclithe in this city, but Jackal's always in the Elite. Jay was adamant he had no idea why Jackal had turned up at his door though. It's my guess that Jackal already knew about Jay's aptitude for fire. Trine's general will want to turn him into a Sarpien.’
Wolf stared at her. Did she really not know?
‘Um, Karen,’ Hawk spoke up. ‘Jackal is Trine's general.’
Karen's features froze. ‘Jackal commands the Elite?’
Wolf's eyes widened within his helmet at her terrified expression. Dove shot forwards as Karen started to fall backwards on the bed. The short Unician woman caught herself a second later.
‘Are you all right?’ Dove asked sincerely.
‘I'm fine.’
Wolf didn't believe that for a second, her eyes were clearly unfocused.
Dove placed a hand across the woman's forehead. ‘You seem tired.’
Karen shied away. ‘Well, I did get stabbed today.’
Wolf frowned, the woman was trying to make light of whatever was ailing her.
Dove shook her head, a frown marring her pretty face. ‘No, it seems to be more than that. If I had to guess, I'd say Power fatigue, though I don't see how. Can you use the Power without a medallion, Karen?’
The hesitant look which crossed Karen's face gave them the answer to that question.
‘I'm guessing you're sleep deprived too,’ Dove added.
Karen looked chagrined. ‘How –’
‘I'm very good at my job.’ Dove cut her off with a secretive smile. She pushed Karen back on the bed. ‘You need to rest.’
‘No, I...’ Laying down again seemed to make the last of Karen's strength ebb away.
Wolf was amazed at how tired she must have been to suddenly fall asleep like that.
‘You've made her sleep again,’ Lion guessed.
Wolf stopped him
self from jerking. ‘You've forced her to sleep?' He knew healers could do that, but he'd never seen it put into action in such a way before.
Dove smiled at him and deactivated her medallion. The others followed her example since it was obvious Karen wouldn't be waking up any time soon.
The beautiful healer, her hair once more blonde, moved Karen around so that her legs were on the bed again. ‘She did well acting so strong in front of us, but she's exhausted. If she's going to stay ahead of Jackal, who she's clearly very scared of, then she needs to recover before she leaves.’
‘What are we going to do with her?’ Wolf looked over at Lion. ‘Are there any protocols concerning ex-Sarpiens?’
‘None.’
Dove gave a knowing smile. ‘You want to let her go.’
‘I'm seriously considering it,’ Lion admitted.
‘What?’ Wolf asked. ‘Are you serious?’
Dove now sent him that same smile. ‘You think she's dangerous, Wolf?’
Wolf frowned at her, fairly sure she already knew his thoughts. ‘No. Well, maybe. If she was a Sarpien then she can fight.’
‘But you don't think she's a danger to the public?’
Wolf sighed. ‘Probably not.’
‘I'd say she's the opposite,’ Hawk told them. ‘She tried to help that kid, after all.’
Lion folded his arms thoughtfully. ‘I'm concerned for her safety, If she has escaped the control of the sclithe, isn't it our duty to protect her?’
Wolf glanced at Karen's sleeping form. Lion was right – surely she was as deserving as anyone else of a Predgarian's protection.
Hawk's mouth twisted into a grin. ‘She doesn't strike me as the kind that'd want protecting.'
Lion laughed. ‘Yes, I can well imagine her arguing the point.’ He grew serious again. ‘In the meantime, we have to try and get Jay back.’
‘Isn't that more of a Dakkonin thing now?’ Hawk asked.
Wolf snorted. ‘If they can be bothered.’
‘Wolf's right,’ Lion agreed with a nod. ‘With the raid on East Sector, they have higher priorities.’ He grimaced. ‘I'll contact Martial Eagle, now that I have some solid facts maybe he'll listen to me.’
Wolf raised his eyebrows. He very much doubted that.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jackal paced the floor. There wasn't very much room to pace, since the carved out room within the Sarpien tunnels was mostly taken up by a large, oak table and some mismatched, plastic chairs. Jackal knew to keep well away from that old, rickety table, it had a habit of lacing Sarpiens with splinters.
Mantis had conveniently disappeared after the skirmish on Lister Road. Jackal scowled as the image of Mantis' latest kill ran through his head. All Mantis cared about was his death-count, didn't he realise what an opportunity he'd wasted by killing Karen?
Karen wasn't just any old walking dead, and Mantis knew that. Of course, that was the reason why the Insecta had singled her out. Jackal was positive the assassin had recognised her. It would be something he could gloat about to other Sarpiens.
He stopped pacing and leaned back against the jagged, rocky walls, ignoring the smoke drifting through the room from the burning torch attached to the wall by an iron bracket near the small chamber's entrance. He still couldn't believe that Karen was dead. All that time he'd spent trying to catch her, wasted.
He looked up as the Silver Harrier appeared in the entrance. He didn't enter the chamber. His medallion was no longer active, and Jackal thought once more that it was surprising the young, handsome man with his well-groomed, black hair held a silver medallion.
The talented warrior had been relatively cheap, having been sold by an old sclithe no longer interested in having a substantial fighting force. Jackal had made sure he was there for the bidding. Trine's resources were extensive – it hadn't been difficult to secure the young fighter for himself.
‘Well?’ Jackal asked.
‘The boy is in the cells,’ Harrier brushed some dirt off his brown jacket.
Jackal leered at him. The Avian was overly fond of his clothes; he'd find that clothing tended to get dirty and musty down here.
‘I alerted Cobra, as you asked,’ Harrier continued, not fazed by his general's expression. ‘He says the machine is almost ready for testing.’
Jackal nodded. ‘Is Swallow here yet?’
Harrier grimaced. ‘Not yet.’
‘You have a problem with your fellow Elite?’
‘No.’
Jackal grinned at the young man's overly quick response.
‘She wanted me to kill Wolf and Dingo, that's all. I didn't get round to it.’
Jackal shrugged. ‘No matter. They're only Predgarians, we have bigger concerns. After our ruse in East Sector, the Dakkonin will be on guard. I'm sure they'll have worked out by now the raid was diversionary.’
Harrier nodded. ‘Do you want me in the sky?’
‘No need. The tunnels are under lock-down until Cobra's project is complete.’
Harrier frowned thoughtfully. ‘It's a shame. That kid has a lot of power, he'd be more use to us alive.’
‘Dismissed.’
Jackal watched him leave. Interesting, Harrier was only twenty-two years of age. The Praying Mantis had been killing Dakkonin long before the Avian was even born, yet the silver warrior was already thinking more like an Elite than the Insecta.
‘Don't worry,’ he murmured after Harrier had left. ‘No one's killing Jay tonight.’
Jackal left the room, intending to grab some rest before Trine required his presence again. He strode down the uneven tunnel, heading for the intersection dimly lit by the torches. He slowed as Cobra appeared ahead of him. The Reptile warrior stopped and waited for his general to reach him.
‘I heard of your encounter with the Predgarians,’ the Unician's creepy voice echoed through the tunnel.
Jackal merely grunted and walked past, approaching the corner which led to the Elite quarters.
‘Quite the noise you made.’
Jackal bared his teeth. Cobra was playing his word games again, but he knew he couldn't afford to miss the bait.
‘Meaning?’
‘One wonders what the Dakkonin will think to current events,’ Cobra continued.
‘You know something I don't?’
‘No,’ Cobra admitted, ‘but there is always rumour.’
Jackal turned to face the sinister man. He looked perhaps mid-forties, but Jackal knew he was much older than that. ‘Rumour?’
‘Yes.’ The sorcerer gave an oily grin, obviously enjoying himself. ‘Rumour that a particular Avian will make certain the Predgarians and Dakkonin are in communication.’
Cobra walked on, chuckling to himself. Jackal glared after him. The bronze Reptile was infuriating but at least he'd warned him. He'd been purposefully vague, but Jackal was fairly sure he knew who Cobra was talking about. There was only one Sarpien in the tunnels in such a position to make sure two Orders of Light spoke to each other – the Green Swallow.
He continued to his living quarters and entered the cold chamber, closing the door behind him quietly. He only took the time to remove his black jacket in the darkness before sprawling onto his bed. The green snake revealed, its eyes cast a faint glow on one side of the room.
How to deal with this? He could have Swallow killed, but Lord Trine wouldn't like that. It gave the sclithe a distinct advantage having a Sarpien working amongst the Predgarian ranks.
His thoughts drifted back to Lister Road. After Mantis had killed Karen he'd decided to pull out. Harrier had already taken Jay by that point anyway; there'd been no reason to stick around. He could've continued the fight and killed some of the Predgarians – he'd been more than tempted. When Mantis had killed Karen he'd been angry, wanting to strike at something, but the presence of the Golden Lion had complicated matters. Predgarian or otherwise, he was still a gold warrior.
Jackal closed his eyes, trying to sleep for a little while, but it was still there, vivid in his memory.
His eyes opened, staring up at the jagged roof above him. He sighed, it was really over. There was no more visiting the past, no longer any chance of getting back what he had before. It surprised him to realise he was sad. He hated to admit it, but the three years he'd spent tracking Karen down had been good, fun.
***
Karen became aware of her surroundings again slowly. This time, as she sat up on the simple bed, the woozy feeling in her head was missing. She was glad of that; it had been hard trying to stay alert when she'd been talking to the Predgarians. It hadn't worked towards the end, the news that Jackal was Trine's general had taken her by surprise.
She didn't know why she'd been so shocked. It's not like Jackal hadn't been a general elsewhere. It made things so much more dangerous though. As an Elite he would have been acting mostly alone, as a general he could command Trine's entire army. She needed to move fast.
She looked around at the empty room and stood slowly. The Predgarians would be nearby no doubt. Checking that her gloves and jacket were in place, she stepped closer to the door, placing one hand on the white doorknob.
She turned it, quite surprised when it opened easily. They hadn't locked her in. She found that strange – didn't they consider her a prisoner? It was true enough that the white Avian had sounded kind, understanding. Who knew what the others were thinking though.
The captain and the Canine especially had been hard to read, and not just because of their helmets. The gold warrior had sounded young, but his voice had been calm, controlled. He was well-trained, probably in Predgariah itself. The Canine? Hard to tell, he'd barely said five words the entire time. Bronze Hawk obviously had a normal city upbringing, despite his fighting prowess. No warrior raised in an Order city could grow up without knowing about the Sarpien coercion techniques.
Karen left the room, looking left and right in the corridor with its plain, white walls. Spotting the stairs, she made her way towards them, staying close to the walls, not wanting to disturb any creaky floorboards.
She crept down the stairs, keeping her breath shallow as she glanced around. She noted the glass doors that led into the Centre's main reception. She would've headed straight through them but faint conversation drifted from her right.