jordanabina
***THIS IS A ROUGH DRAFT OF THE SIXTH CHAPTER FROM MY SCI-FI NOVEL TRESKA VORN. IGNORE GRAMMATICAL ERRORS. COPYRIGHT @JORDANABINA 2023
The holding room Weyland was in was so dark that he lost his grip on how much time had passed. His mind couldn’t track how long he’d been lying on the smooth cold floor. Every once in a while, he drifted off into sleep but was quickly awakened by the sounds of steps treading outside the door. There were voices in the distance, and at times, he thought he could see a faint light from somewhere in the room, but each search led him only to another wall. His body felt heavy, and there was no response from his ear tech. He noticed his hands were trembling. After what felt like hours, Weyland heard voices congregating outside the door. There was the sound of a latch, and a ringing sound began to grow; the low-frequency hum seemed to be coming through the floor. Weyland’s eyes winced as light instantly filled the room, breaking through the panels on the floor that he was unable to detect in the dark. He sprang to his feet, searching for a hiding place, but the room was completely empty. It wasn’t the dungeon that had existed in his mind; instead, it was simple and unintimidating, like a room in a lab or hospital.
Weyland backed himself into a corner, his eyes fixed on the door. “Hello? Is anyone there?”
The door opened, and a tall figure wearing a strange Leaf officer uniform entered the room. The officer was wearing headgear and was equipped with movement gear that resembled gear found on Trell Vrain. But on top of his uniform and equipment was a long dark cloak, something uncommon in Rivix and against Leaf regulations. The figure came in dragging a chair across the floor, setting it directly in the center of the room.
“Please, sit,” said the officer, “Sorry to make you wait.”
Weyland was still trying to figure out what to do. He was angry, scared, and confused and couldn’t choose which emotion to allow to influence his decision-making. Trying to hide his disposition, he didn’t move or speak.
The officer walked around to the back of the chair, resting his hands on its frame, “Weyland, please take a seat now.”
Almost against his will, Weyland found himself going to the chair in the center of the room. His heart was beating out of his chest, and he was annoyed with the terror he felt flowing through his body.
Get it together, Weyland. Just play your cards right, and this will all be over; you don’t even know what they want yet. Relax.
Weyland took his seat, and the officer exited from behind the chair. The silence was deafening.
“Do you have any idea why you’re here, Weyland?” The officer was popping his joints in and out of place, cracking his fingers and arms, “Perhaps it’s time you told us the truth.”
“Listen, I had some malfunction in my sleep pod a couple of days ago, but I promise I didn’t tamper with it. I seriously have no idea what happened or what broke. You are welcome to check my flat—”
The officer stood motionless, with his back turned towards Weyland, “We’ve already been to your flat, Weyland.”
What—
Weyland stopped talking, realizing he was not in control of the conversation. The officer sighed, drooping his shoulders and dropping his head. “That’s not why you’re here, Weyland. You know that.”
Before Weyland could respond, he felt the security chip behind his ear engage and heard the small activation beep. The officer didn’t seem to notice and made no sign of concern.
“Weyland?”
It was Ora’s voice. Weyland knew he could not respond and could not tell if Ora could see where his location was.
“You see, Weyland,” said the officer, walking circles around him, “I don’t believe you. I think you know exactly why you’re here.”
“Weyland, are you hearing me? I have your location; should I sync with you?”
Weyland looked up at the officer, “No!”
“No?” The officer stopped and glared at Weyland, “Are you sure? Because I have a suspicion that you’re lying. I think you are more aware of what’s happening than you are telling me.”
“Weyland,” continued Ora, “They’re coming for you. Namira is coming for you.”
Weyland couldn’t respond. He could feel the tickle of sweat beginning to drip from the top of his head. He searched his mind, desperate for answers, but only found panic. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, officer. I came to the tally as required, and after my session, a group of officers physically assaulted me and brought me here. They didn’t tell me anything!”
A laugh came from inside the helmet of the officer and he brought his helmet so close to Weyland that he could see his reflection. In this brief moment, Weyland saw what had been hidden from him until now. Weyland’s two eyes stared back at him in the mirror-like surface of the officer’s face shield, glowing green.
The officer was so close to Weyland’s face that his breath fogged his face shield. “Don’t worry, Weyland, I prefer it this way. Don’t tell me anything; it’s much more enjoyable for me like this.”
As the words came out of the officer’s mouth, he disengaged his face shield revealing his face and broken smile. Weyland recognized it immediately.
It’s the officer from the restaurant. Ferro.
“Fate is either the best of friends or the worst of enemies, wouldn’t you agree?”
Weyland needed to find out if Ferro recognized him or not. If he did, he was making no notion of having so. Instead, he continued to pace the room with his hands behind his back. Ferro moved like water, fluid and with a steady pace.
“Do you think fate takes a side? Do you believe she favors some and frowns upon others?”
Weyland didn’t respond. At this point, he felt like no response was the best response.
“I’m recording,” said Ora, still linked to Weyland.
“When I was young, like you, I struggled to believe in things like fate. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea of destiny. I would’ve sworn that there were no forces at work beyond our understanding, nothing beyond the physical world and what I could see. But over time, the universe revealed her mystery to me. I realized that destiny was real and that she was cruel. For it seems she wants some to die and others to live.” Ferro cracked his neck and popped his back. “What do you think she has planned for you, Weyland?”
Weyland felt hunted; a predator was circling him. It was apparent to him that Ferro knew more than he was letting on, and the only way through this was to be as careful as possible. Ferro continued to stalk Weyland like a wolf, cracking his joints and adjusting his body tech.
“Fate reveals the frailty of our race and the idiocy of our courses of action. Fate doesn’t ask permission, never apologizes, and practices extreme patience. And her endurance is beyond time itself.”
Weyland felt tightness in his jaw, and he grits his teeth. Weyland looked up from the ground and locked eyes with Ferro. “I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let me go.”
For the first time, Weyland knew he was in the presence of an enemy, perhaps for the first time in his life. He was cornered like an animal, and something defensive was taking over. Something primal was setting in. Ferro noticed the change as well and stopped his pacing.
“Do you think it was fate that brought you to that stupid soup restaurant at the exact moment when we would see each other?”
Weyland felt his heart skip a beat, and his blood ran cold.
Oh, blitz. He does recognize me.
“Weyland, what’s going on?” asked Ora in Weyand’s ear.
“And then, just a short time later, here you are with green eyes. That’s a big change from the last time I saw you. Arrested by leaf officers at the tally. If fate exists, who does she serve?”
Weyland felt his muscles tense and the adrenaline pumping, “What do you want?”
Ferro laughed and smashed his fists together. “I mean, how could you ever explain the coincidence? Fate. Destiny. She must want you dead.”
Weyland shot up from the chair, engaged his face shield, and made for the door, finding it locked. He struggled to open it but to no avail. Weyland felt a hand grip his shoulder with tremendous force. Before he could respond, his body was flying across the room. He was thrown as if he weighed nothing. Weyland’s entire body remained in flight before colliding violently with the wall. A sharp pain entered his lower back, and he responded with a cry of agony.
Ferro’s voice turned violent. “Yes, escape! It’s the natural response. Run! Humans are such a predictable species. Get up Weyland!”
Ferro rushed towards Weyland, who had crumbled to the ground, and effortlessly picked him up by his vest. Weyland’s vision was blurred, and his ears rang; he could feel his muscles spazzing in his back. His headgear had snapped off, and there was the feeling of blood dripping from down the back of his head.
Grabbing him by the shoulders, Ferro stood Weyland to his feet. Ferro aggressively wiped the debris off Weyland, “Clean yourself up, Weyland; you still have a long way to go. Uh oh, you’re bleeding from somewhere; not sure how long you have now.” Ferro stepped back, looking at Weyland with a face of false admiration. “Are you ready to tell me the truth about yourself now?”
Weyland spit dust from his mouth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about; I’ve told—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Weyland tasted the skin from Ferro’s knuckles as they bashed his mouth. Ferro continued a barrage of punches onto Weyland, heavy blows that felt like hammers. All the while, the face of his attacker never changed and never made any noticeable expression. Weyland found himself on all fours when the barrage ended, searching desperately for air.
“Weyland!” cried Ora.
The circuit had popped out from behind Weyland’s ear and skidded across the room, sliding underneath the chair. Weyland tried to regain his composure, but he’d never experienced a beating like this. In fact, despite the movement gear and tech designed for defense in his chest, he’d never been in any physical altercation before.
“Stop pretending, Weyland, don’t simply let me destroy you. Use that sense of yours; show me what you’ve got. Let’s see what those green eyes can do.”
Finding a gust of energy, Weyland sprung to his feet and swung a closed fist at Ferro, barely scratching the side of his face. Ferro laughed and kicked Weyland in the chest, sending him flying across the room, crushing the wall paneling. The movement gear on Ferro’s leg enabled him with a speed that Weyland could not keep up with.
The lights flickered above their heads, and Ferro bounced in and out of visibility. Weyland was losing consciousness and unable to defend himself. Ferro reached down to pick up his prey again when he stopped, pausing to stare at his hands. A look of wonder and amazement began spreading across the perspiring face of Ferro, “Now, this looks familiar.”
Ferro’s weathered hands, white at the knuckles, were covered in blood. His face carried the look of pure excitement, the kind you might find on a child. He rotated and turned his hands repeatedly, looking at each part. Weyland used the energy he had left to drag himself up to a sitting position on the wall.
Ferro crouched down in front of Weyland, face to face with one another. “Let me ask you something else, Weyland,” asked Ferro, “and think carefully before you answer.”
Weyland lifted his bruised head and spit into Ferro’s face. Ferro ignored the spit and blood on his face and grabbed Weyland by the mouth. Weyland could do nothing.
Ferro spoke in a whisper. “Are you ready, boy? If you answer this correctly, I may let you live.” Ferro tossed Weyland’s face aside, releasing his grip, and retreated to the center of the room. Ferro gazed in wonder at his raised hand. “Do you know whose blood this is?”
“What?” asked Weyland, moaning through the pain surging in his back and the confusion flooding his mind. The sharp pain he experienced when he crashed into the wall grew by the second.
“I know you heard what I said. Do you know whose blood this is? Can you tell by looking at it? I can.”
“You’re sick,” Weyland replied, spitting blood from his mouth, “You’re sick—”
“Wrong. Try again. Here’s a hint,” said Ferro crouching down and talking in a low voice, “It’s not yours.”
Weyland couldn’t move. The game Ferro was playing was clouding his mind. He tasted blood in his mouth and smelt the salt of his sweat.
“It’s mine, you soulless—” Weyland said before choking on his saliva and blood.
“So disappointing, wrong. I just told you it wasn’t yours. Are you out of guesses? You’re such a disappointment, nothing like that sister of yours.”
Weyland winced at the words, and Ferro noticed.
“Who, who are you?” asked Weyland.
Ferro rubbed his hands together and continued his inspection of them. “Yes, I know so much about you, Weyland, or should I say, Weyly. Your sister will be next. But back to more important matters. No, this isn’t your blood; this is the blood of your father. This is the blood of Garrick Lykos.”
At that, Weyland began to lose his breath, slipping into shock. If he thought he knew what was happening, he had lost all hope. He felt all the blood drain from his face.
Did he say this is my father’s blood? How does he know my father? My sister? How does he know me? How does he know that name?
Ferro turned to Weyland with a malevolent expression, “Isn’t that right, Weyly? This blood isn’t yours; it’s your father Garrick’s.” Ferro crept toward him like a beast ready to pounce, “I would know; I’ve seen it before. It even tastes the same.”
Namira! Father!
His mind raced through the past events of the last few days; the dream, the change in his eyes, Namira; all of it. He started to understand why Namira had kept him unaware of her presence and why she didn’t see him immediately. He realized she knew this, Ferro, and must know what happened to their father.
Weyland exploded in anger. “What the blitz did you do? Where is my father? What have you done to my father?”
“The same thing I’m going to do to you and everyone like you.” Ferro stood above Weyland, looking down on his broken body. He straightened his back and took a long deep breath. He pulled a pulse rifle from somewhere in his cloak and pointed it at Weyland without looking at him. “Like father, like son—”
There was a deep rumbling sound in the distance, and the room shook. A moment later, the lights went out. Ferro reengaged his headgear and said, “What’s going on, officer?” Weyland could only hear muffled tones, what sounded like yelling and explosions coming loudly from the inside of Ferro’s helmet.
Weyland quickly used the opportunity to drag himself away from Ferro as far as he could. Ferro opened the door and looked into the hallway. The emergency lights had triggered, and Ferro closed the door behind him. Weyland searched in the dark to try and recover the security chip that had come loose from behind his ear. He waved his arms and hands across the floor in the black, feeling for anything that could be his tech.
I can’t see anything. Hurry up.
Again the room shook, but this time more violently, and the sounds of yelling were coming closer to where he was being held. Glass was falling from the ceiling, and sparks shot out from above his head. There were sounds of weapons and more explosions. Weyland finally found the circuit and did his best with sweat-covered hands to put it back into place. His hands were covered in blood, and keeping the small tech in his fingers was becoming more complex.
I almost got it. Hold on, hold on.
“Got it! Ora! Ora!”
“A distorted voice came through, “Yes, Weyland, I can hear you.”
“Where am I? Do you know what’s going on? I’ve been badly hurt. It’s Ferro! I think explosions are happening at my location—”
“Weyly!” A familiar voice blasted into Weyland’s ear.
“Kat! Is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me; Ora patched me through. Where the blitz are you, Weyly? Are you okay? I told you not to—”
“Kat, I’m in trouble. I can’t move, and I’m bleeding badly. It’s Ferro. It’s Ferro—”
“I know Weyly—”
“What? What do you mean you know—”
“Weyland, she’s coming. I’m watching the feed from her helmet camera. I, I’ve never seen anything like this before. She’s, well, she’s incredible.”
“Kat, what are you talking about? Please, I need help; Ferro will be back any second. I’m badly hurt, and I’m bleeding badly. He knows my dad, and he knows everything—”
“Weyland. Stay where you are; she’s coming. Be ready. I’ll stay with you.”
Again the room shook, and flashes of light were coming from underneath the door. The sound of voices and rifle fire was getting closer and closer. Weyland had flipped his body over to lay still on his back.
“Ora, please run a vital scan on my body.”
“Stand by.”
As Weyland turned over, he felt a sharp pain coming from the lower left side of his back. He screamed and turned back onto his stomach.
“Blitz! Ora!”
“Almost done.”
Suddenly two leaf officers burst into the room, closing the door behind them. Their helmet lights shined down on Weyland as they pointed their rifles toward his head and chest, providing the only light in the room.
“Don’t move! Don’t you move, citizen, or you’re dead!” said the leaf officer, “Don’t test me.”
“Our orders are to guard him, not kill him,” said the other leaf officer looking at his partner.
“Shut up and keep your weapon aimed.”
“Weyland,” said Ora, “you’re in bad shape. You’ve lost about twenty percent of your blood; you will fall unconscious in a few more minutes. It would be best if you dealt with the bleeding. Can you hear me, Weyland?”
Weyland spoke as softly as he could, “Yes.”
The officer smashed the butt of his rifle into Weyland’s stomach. “What’s that? Shut your mouth.”
Katsu took over the transmission. “Weyly, we can hear them. Listen, you’re bleeding badly from somewhere in your lower back. You need to check, and we think you’ve been stabbed with something.”
Weyland tried to move his right arm, but it wasn’t responding. He was a victim of pure exhaustion and fatigue. A silence fell from outside the door, making the leaf officers uneasy. They turned around, pointing their weapons toward the door, “What’s going on out there? Go check.”
“Why me?” said the other.
“Just do it, now. I want to know if the coast is clear.”
“Weyly,” Katsu’s voice sounded nervous, “she’s there.”
The leaf officer slowly made his way to the door, shining light on the door handle with his helmet. The other leaf officer took his attention away from Weyland, watching his partner make his way closer to the exit. Using the nose of his rifle, the officer cracked the door open and slowly made his way out. Everything was quiet; everything was still.
Weyland used the opportunity to slip onto his side, exposing the wound on his back. He worked with utmost care and effort to find the injury. His fingers confirmed what his nerves had already told him, and there was a piece of the broken wall jammed into his lower back. At that instant, the sound of rifle fire exploded from outside the door.
“She’s here!” The voice cried from outside the room, “Get him out of—”
The leaf officer turned and grabbed Weyland by the ankle, dragging him towards the door. Weyland screamed in pain.
“Go! Go!”
Startled by the cry of pain, the leaf officer lost his grip on Weyland, ran outside the room, and immediately began firing, filling the room with light flashes as the door slowly closed. The violence lasted for only a moment, and the silence that followed only increased the fear Weyland felt.
I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake. I can’t see, Katsu.
A familiar voice shouted outside the room, “Close your eyes, Weyland, now!” Weyland obeyed.
The door flew open, and two small arc rods flew into the room, exploding and scattering particles of artificial light everywhere, illuminating the walls around him like a galaxy of stars. Weyland could only see a blurry figure walking towards him through the glow.
“Weyland, I’m here,” wiping the blood off his face. “Weyly, it’s me; it’s your sister. Are you okay? Weyland, speak to me!”
“Namira.”
“You’re okay, oh God, you’re okay. We have to get out of here right now Weyland, right now. Get up. He will be back any second.”
Weyland tried to point towards his back, “I can’t; there’s something wrong with my back; I’m just going to rest a second—”
“Weyland, no! Stay with me.” Namira saw the damage and took out a med pack from her gear. She ripped the fabric away from the wound, tearing away the surrounding flesh. Weyland’s body convulsed at the feeling, and he grabbed her hand defensively.”
“Weyland, if I don’t get this out of your back right now, we will die here. I will pull it quickly and stick you with a med pack. It will give you what you need to stand up and get out.”
“I can’t—”
Without hesitating, she pulled the debris from Weyland’s back, stuck him with the med pack, and pulled him to his feet before he could process the pain. He passed out immediately.
“Weyland! Wake up!” Namira slapped Weyland and shook him back to consciousness.
“Blitz!”
Weyland was awake, but His legs were having trouble lifting his weight. In a few short moments, the med pack filled his veins with adrenaline, dispersing it into his bloodstream. The relief would be temporary, but he would be able to move.
“Weyland, stand up. You’ll need to follow me; I’m getting you out of here.”
As the med-pack kicked in, Weyland’s vision and ability to focus returned. It was the first time he’d seen his sister since leaving Trell Vrain, but this wasn’t the young girl he left behind. Her eyes burned green, her hair a white silver color, and she seemed to be entirely different. Her hands and gear were covered in blood, and her sword dripped with it.
Weyland looked wide-eyed at her face, “Namira? What has happened to you?”
“Weyly, we must run. When I open that door, you must follow me. Do you understand Weyland?”
“Where—”
“Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
Half conscious, Weyland was doing his best to keep us with his sister, who was running ahead of him. They traversed through dark hallways, abandoned rooms as well as luxurious suites. Weyland still couldn’t make out where he was and began to care less and less. His only desire was to get to safety and away from Ferro. He tripped a few times falling to the floor, and Namira shouted at him with a cry to continue and keep pace.
“Weyland, we’re almost there. Keep going. Don’t stop.”
“Namira, I can’t.”
“Don’t stop.”
As they turned a corner, they were met by a colossal leaf officer carrying a battering shield and pulse rod. He bashed them together, calling on Namira to come.
“Let’s go, little girl. This is where your escape ends,” said the Leaf officer.
“Weyland, stay behind me.”
As she turned, the glow in her face returned, just as Weyland had seen in his reflection just days before. She sprinted towards the giant and took him by surprise as she jumped directly at him. At the last possible moment, he covered her approach with his shield. Changing her attack mid-air, Namira ran up the shield and used it to launch herself above and behind the officer.
“Weyly, are you there?” asked Katsu.
“Yes, Kat, I’m here.”
“Are you almost to the roof? We’re here but can’t stay here long.”
“I didn’t know we were going to the roof. Namira is—”
“I can see her, Weyly. It’s unbelievable.”
In truth, Weyland was speechless. The sister he said goodbye to on Trell Vrain had transformed into someone else. She was a weapon. She was an artist. She was incredible.
“You must hurry, Weyly; Ora is tracking Leaf officers approaching us. They haven’t seen us yet, but they will.”
Namira’s blade met the officer’s rod with a flash of sparks and light. With a spin, she swept the legs from underneath the officer; he was dead before he hit the ground. Namira drew her short blade and used it faster than Weyland’s eyes could see. Namira turned back to Weyland, who was leaning against the wall, “We have to get to the roof, Weyly. Let’s go.”
They found the stairs and began climbing the twelve flights remaining; Weyland dropped in pain after just two. Seeing this, Namira ran and dragged him off the floor. Shots flew past them from down below. There was a squad of officers making their way up the stairs.
“Katsu, are you in position?” asked Namira into her ear tech.
“Namira! They’re going to find us! We can’t just stay—”
“Blitz Katsu! Are you in position, or are you not?”
“Yes, Namira! We’re here.”
Three floors left, Namira was practically carrying Weyland.
“Namira, eight officers are closing in on the both of you,” interjected Ora.
“Where is Ferro?” asked Namira.
“I can’t see him. I think his tech carries a cloaking device; he’s a ghost on our scanners. How did you get him away from Weyland.”
“I left an imaging tracer on the lower floors of the building. It sends a false signal of my location and can move up to four different times before the signal is lost.” replied Namira, “But there’s no way it’s still working. He must be getting close.”
Two floors left.
“Weyland, if you can’t pull yourself together, we won’t make it. You need to climb now,” said Namira.
Weyland felt another dose of adrenaline fill his body; Namira must have hit him with another vita pak.
“His body won’t be able to handle another dose like that,” said Ora.
“We don’t have any other choice!”
Weyland felt the temporary strength in his legs return and the razor-jet speed at which his heart was racing. They could see the door leading to the roof. Namira didn’t have trouble opening it, instead choosing to blow it open. She pulled Weyland through the doorway and dropped a shock bomb behind them. Weyland heard a resounding boom from a pulse wave down the stairs and the cry of several officers.
“We’re here, Katsu! Where the blitz are you?” demanded Namira pulling Weyland along, “disengage the cloaking unit from the glider.”
“Got it,” replied Katsu.
Weyland could see something like ripples in the sky on the roof’s edge. It was a small low-altitude ship.
“Let’s go Weyly, get to the glider!”
As Weyland approached, he could see Katsu in the glider’s back compartment, motioning him to come. The glider was unlike those found on Treska Vorn. This quick ship was made of Brizandiun, a light metal alloy found on Ghrosk that was used to make ships that could travel between planets and low ground use. He recognized this ship immediately. He grew up holding the tools that built it. This ship was the Mezulari, the messenger. It was built by the hands of Weyland’s father.
Weyland was out of breath, gasping for air, “Namira, it’s the mez. Where’s Father?” Namira didn’t answer.
Reaching the ship, the vision panel opened, and Katsu stood, reaching down to pull Weyland aboard.
“Take my hand Weyly, c’mon, take my hand,” said Katsu hanging down from the ship, “we have to get out of here now.”
As Weyland slipped into the open seat, his body relaxed, and he slipped away into unconsciousness. Katsu jumped into the front passenger seat and strapped in. As he did, a look of fear took over his face. The always joyful face of Katsu had changed to a mask of horror.
“Blitz! Namira, look!” said Katsu pointing towards the entrance to the roof.
Namira turned and drew her blade. Ferro stood in the distance, the wind blowing through his cloak. A storm had begun to set over Rivix.
“Together at last. I’ve missed you Namir—”
“Shut your mouth, you beast. I made you a promise, and I will keep it,” shouted Namira.
With ferociousness in her voice and with a furious rage, Namira turned and screamed towards the ship. “You must go now! Ora, take off immediately!”
The engine fired.
“Wait, no!” cried Katsu. “We can’t leave her! Stop! Ora! Blitz, you can’t leave her!”
“We don’t have a choice, Katsu,” replied Ora.
“Namira!”
At that moment, Namira was running towards Ferro, who was waiting with a smile. The glider lifted from the roof and dipped below. As the glider descended, Katsu stood frozen in shock.
“Ora, we can’t leave her. Where are you even going? Where can we go?”
“The coordinates have already been activated. It is a location of Namira’s choosing. Namira instructed me that if this situation was to happen, to follow her orders immediately, that’s what I’m doing Katsu.” replied Ora.
“Ora, listen to me. We cannot leave Namira behind.”
There was no reply from Ora and no reason to.
“Ora, go back.”
Weyland stirred and groaned in the back.
“When he wakes up, Ora, do you want to tell him you left his sister behind? After all she’s done today? Ora, go back. Now.”
After a moment, the thrusters engaged, sending the glider into a hard turn, sending Katsu smashing into the side compartment on the ship.
“A little warning sis!”
“Hold on,” said Ora calmly.
The glider was speeding up the side of the building, and the rain began to fall.
“Namira! Namira, come in!” cried Katsu. “She isn’t answering.”
“There! Look!” Ora shouted.
Just above them, from the top of the building, a flash of light and Namira’s body shot off the roof. Debris was chasing her as she blasted through the wall.
“Ora! Go!” cried Katsu.
The Mezulari was one of the fastest speed gliders on Trell Vrain; her agility and pace were unmatched, but this would be unlike any maneuver she had ever attempted.
“We have ten seconds before she hits the ground,” said Ora.
Before she finished speaking, Ora activated the gravity pull on all the seats, securing Katsu in place and Weyland, still unconscious. The gravity pull sucks each passenger to their seats and activates a heavy-duty harness extending over each passenger’s shoulders and waist.
“I’m going to match her speed and scoop her up,” said Ora, “but if I can’t get her in before we cross the threshold of a safe incline, then she’s going to hit the bottom.”
In a flash, Ora piloted the Mezulari directly underneath the falling body of Namira.
“You’re not going to make it!” cried Katsu.
“Almost there,” replied Ora.
Katsu looked up, and floating above the glider was the lifeless body of Namira. Her hair covered her face, and she wasn’t moving. The short battle had ripped her clothes, shattered her movement gear, and her sword was gone. She was seconds away from falling to a violent end.
“Almost there.”
“Ora!” cried Katsu.
“Now!”
Just then, Ora opened the vision panel with Namira floating right above it, and with only seconds to spare, scooped Namira into the cockpit of the glider. The wind was deafening, and the cockpit started malfunctioning due to the storm. Namira crashed into the floor, the vision panel was closed, and Ora started the impossible ascent.
“Hold onto her Katsu,” said Ora.
Namira had fallen directly into the lap of Katsu, who was holding her with all the strength he had left, but the force of the rapid ascent was making it difficult to keep his grip. Namira’s face was tucked under Katsu’s neck, and he could feel her breath on his skin. He locked his hands behind her back.
“I can’t hold on to her, Ora, you have to slow down.”
“Hold on Katsu.”
Ora was pushing the glider past anything it had ever done before as it tried to regain altitude after free-falling; as the air passed underneath the wings, the cockpit convulsed from the sheer force of it all.
“It’s falling apart. Hurry Ora.”
“Almost there.”
The glider just missed the edge of a neighboring building as it made it into clear skies.
“Safe altitude reached; we’re in the clear,” said Ora.
“You did it Ora. You saved her.”
“No, you did. Quick, give Namira the vita-pack inside the left storage compartment.”
Katsu’s gravity pull disengaged, and he flung himself towards the storage in the rear of the cockpit, dropping Namira to the floor in the process. Once in hand, he stuck the sharp needle into her thigh, and in a few seconds, Namira was conscious. Katsu dragged her up from the floor and placed her in the seat next to him, wiping her face from the rain and from her blood.
“Namir—”
Namira shot up and grabbed Katsu as if waking from a horrible dream, “Where’s Weyland?”
“We have him. He’s behind you. He’s alive but in bad shape.”
“Namira, are these coordinates correct? Asked Ora.
“Yes, Ora, go there as fast as you can,” replied Ora.
“I only ask because these coordinates lead outside of Rivix, over 100 grids away—”
I know Ora, you can trust these coordinates,” replied Namira, slowly regaining her composure. “They were given to me by someone I trust, and we must get there undetected.”
“We are not being followed, but we’re still 25 grids from the nearest edge of Rivix,” replied Ora.
“How did you save me from that fall? I told you not to return. You risked everything.”
“Katsu insisted that your survival was more important than you perhaps realize,” replied Ora, “I happened to agree.”
Katus was trying to look away and busy himself with caring for Weyland. Namira turned to him with a look she hadn’t shown Katsu before.
“Is that true? Did you decide to save me?” asked Namira.
There was a kindness in her voice, an invitation that Katsu had not been accustomed to before. It took more courage than he was used to needing to muster up a response.
“Yes, I’m glad you are okay. Ora did this incredible flight—”
“Thank you, Kat.”
In the brief moment that Katsu and Namira exchanged glances, Weyland writhed and moaned in pain, and the focus returned to the escape.
“Stay low and go as fast as you can Ora. We’re going to make it out of this,” said Namira, dropping down into the seat in front of Weyland, exhausted.
“Understood.”
“Namira, what happened?” asked Katsu, “What happened with Ferro? Did you, well, did he—”
“He beat me,” Namira said, staring out her window, “he beat me with ease.”
Namira’s eyes widened as she slipped into memory in her mind. The thought was painful and brought tears to her eyes. Katsu saw that Namira looked like someone who had been conquered, overpowered, and outdone. She went silent, and so did the rest of the ship. Namira thought of Trell Vrain, the first time she’d encountered Ferro, and the last time she saw her mother and father.
“You saved us, Namira. You saved Weyland,” said Katsu.
Namira said nothing; she couldn’t speak through the tears. The glider stayed low, and Ora slid the ship into the daily traffic on Rivix; the storm covered their tracks.
“Hurry Ora. We must reach the tree in time,” said Namira.
“In time for what?” replied Ora.
“Just hurry, please.”
“Understood.”
