Escape from Harrizel (42 page)

We finish eating and gather for another few
hours, until the sun moves further across the sky. Jothkore and
Sampson retrieve me this time, both with six baskets tied together
to create one massive bundle, strapped across their backs. Sampson
takes my basket filled with plump Marowines and adds a second
bamboo container to it, strapping it on my back in the same fashion
as theirs. It only adds a little weight but nothing I can’t
manage.

“That should do it. Is it too heavy?”

“Nope.”

“Good,” Sampson smiles, gesturing away from
Ellae. “Best we get you back.”

We make for the Castle, Sampson navigating
the sea of multilayered foliage, constricting and controlling as we
push through. I’m at his side.

“Do you think he’ll let me come with you
again?”

“I don’t see why not,” Sampson considers,
“we need extra food and with Jothkore’s restricted hours, extra
hands wouldn’t hurt.”

“Did it take a lot for him to let me go with
you?”

He scoffs, “I don’t know
how
many
times I had to reassure him it was safe.

“Too many!” Jothkore adds behind us. “But
fourteen if you want a number.”

“Yes, something like that,” Sampson agrees.
“I had to talk logistics and security. Only way it’d convince
him.”

“Thank you,” I offer. “He said you’d protect
me better than he could.”

“He underestimates himself.”

“You’ve seen him fight?”

The Bathing Bubble last night was too eye
opening for me, something I still haven’t quite wrapped my mind
around. He was a machine, soaring through the shadows like he
belonged there. Like he was born to manipulate them, to control
them.

“Oh yes,” Sampson smiles to himself,
swimming through the greenery. “Before
and
after.”

“Before and after what?”

A moment and then,“…
I
trained
him.”

“That’s why he has that mark on him. The
Chuloo?” I keep quick to Sampson’s feet, desperate to keep him
going on this subject. “Because he’s an Arizal solider now?”

“Yes, he is an Arizal but I’ve given him
all
the knowledge I can. He’s also been trained on Vermix
intelligence, as I have. The others call him Rox,” Sampson glances
at me, “which means unbreakable, I’m sure you’ve been told.”

“Yeah, Pratt told me.”

“Rox, in my language, is a title given to
the
warrior
,” he catches my eye, which holds mine,
registering my comprehension.

Reid is a warrior?

“But he knew how to fight before you got to
him?”

“Oh yes. Reid was already well-trained in
the art of combat—perhaps a lifestyle from his time on earth? I’m
sure his memories will reveal a great deal,” Sampson nods, trudging
through swinging vines and oversized foliage. We arrive at Reid’s
room some time later and I hand over my pack of Marowines to
Sampson and Jothkore who drop it off at Able’s bunk.

The next few days pass the same way. Out
before First bell rings, gathering food for hours and back before
Leisure Time, Sampson and Jothkore relocating all the collected
food to Able. It’s only one day until freedom, when Beshib leaves
and we take back the Castle.

I’ve been gathering all day and we’re
heading back with the haul, as usual. We’re outside the Castle and
underground, Sampson and Jothkore keeping to my sides. They start
slowing and I figure it’s just a break until they swap words in
their language, Jothkore motioning to me. Sampson shakes his head
and repeats himself. I don’t know what he’s saying but I recognize
the same pattern of sounds. He says it once more, resting a hand on
Jothkore’s shoulder.

The two turn to me.

“We have to go deliver these,” Sampson
motions to the packs on his back, “time sensitive.”

Jothkore’s already freeing my haul and
flipping it back on his.

“Straight across the Courtyard and up,”
Sampson indicates to the outline ahead on the wall.

Are they not walking me up? But they
shouldn’t have to, not with all they’re carrying,
plus
mine.
Everyone’s most likely in the Auditorium for Leisure Time, or will
be making their way up to their rooms. It’ll be fine. But still, I
know I should push it further. I know Reid would want me to make
more of a fuss.

“I don’t have a sirolla.”

“He’ll be in his room,” Sampson starts
moving away with Jothkore, severing the conversation. “Be careful,”
he tosses over his shoulder and disappears with his babeeb down the
hall.

He’s gone before I can form a response,
before I realize what’s happening—I’m alone and without guard. And
I’m only at the bottom wall. There are a solid twelve flights of
stairs and a Courtyard of well-situated trees to cross before I’m
at Reid’s room.

I slide the door open and peer into the
empty Courtyard.

Nothing.

Scanning all four stairwells down to the
Auditorium and up, high into the tower, I search for anything. Any
movement, any source of life that could reveal the danger. But
nothing moves. Everything’s still.

Silent.

I slip out, sliding the door closed behind
me. Something in my core tells me not to move. Not to go further
into the open square. Even the black tarantula trees seem to hold
their branches out in warning—
stay back
. But I can’t
retreat. Sampson and Jothkore are gone so the only way is forward.
Out across the Courtyard and up twelve flights to Reid’s room. If I
jet into a run, I could be there in just a few minutes. That’s all
I need.

Breathing deeply, I push myself forward. My
feet hit the purple and gray-checkered ground with slight smacks,
echoing loudly off the open square. Halfway across the Courtyard,
when my heart’s already thumping rapidly, I see him.

Stepping out from one of the black furred
trees, he’s the size of a boulder. I don’t have a minute to think.
He sets off for me at a dead run and suddenly I’m frozen.

Shit
.

I should’ve pressed Sampson and Jothkore to
escort me—
demanded
it—but it’s too late. Too worried about
being rude, I’ve paid for good manners with my life. Because with
the way that King is running at me, I’ll be dead in seconds. Saying
a final goodbye, I try not to let my bladder go, aware that one
blow from him could smash my head in.

Movement to the right.

Reid jets out, sweeping across the ground
under the King’s legs, tripping him. His massive body plunges to
the checkered marble, the impact sending him tumbling and cursing
as he slides a ways to a stop. But before he’s able to get up, Reid
springs on his back, twisting his arm and jabbing him with rapid,
pointed fingers. He flies off the King, leaving him paralyzed.

Reid looks to me and my breath catches.

Then we see the rest—Kings emerging behind
every tree in the Courtyard. My body is suddenly frozen again, a
new fear taking over. We’re insanely outnumbered. Who am I kidding?
Reid.
Reid is
insanely outnumbered. He’s a few feet across
from me, pacing methodically slow, like a wild-cat sizing up a
fight with its prey. His eyes dart around the circle of Kings,
calculating as he nods to himself, hands on his hips.

They’re crowding in and I do my own quick
count.

Eleven…

Twelve...

I’m almost full circle when another
nauseating sight trickles through me. We’re
really
in
trouble. Even more Kings arrive, sneaking out from the shadows of
the stairwells and Courtyard edges, all slowly moving in,
encircling us.

Fifteen…

Sixteen…

Seventeen…

Are they
all
here? And what about the
Rogues?

The Kings increase their lingering steps to
hurried strides. Reid snatches me behind him, poised, still and
ready for the attack. He doesn’t seem afraid but me—I’m shaking. My
heart’s racing and all I can think about is how impossible it’ll be
to get out of this. There are too many and only two of us. How
can—

Everything happens at once.

Bodies flood the Courtyard, colliding with
the oncoming Kings to ignite an all-out riot. Rogues fly up from
the Auditorium and down the stairwells, smashing into the outer
layer of the Kings’ quickly descending circle, drawing their
attention to close range duels. Several Kings resist the
temptation, pushing past, bulldozing for Reid and I like prized
treasures. Will they be the one to deliver us to Grisham? And what
will Mantis reward them with?

Reid flies around me, moving gracefully
through the air as he blocks each King that comes at us. He offers
fierce jabs, interweaving kicks to the head, chest and legs,
immobilizing their progress before they’ve made any, always keeping
our tiny bubble safe. The Kings fall to the ground one by one,
yelping and cursing in pain, roaring to themselves to get back up.
Some even try and Reid crosses back over them, knocking them down
with final blows.

The four remaining Kings fly at us at a dead
run, death promised in their dark, fury-infested eyes. Chief swims
between them, tossing the glass rod through the air. Reid catches
it in his right hand, steadying his stance, concentrating. Closing
his eyes, he listens, ready to pounce.

Just when the Kings surround us, Reid jolts
into action. Sweeping the rod around him, he busts all of their
knee caps, the four hitting the ground with a hard thump. But he
doesn’t stop. He flies over them, bringing the rod down, stilling
their yelping with additional strikes to their wounds.

Even with the riot ongoing, another King
gets past the Rogues and flies at us. But Reid caps him, the King
falling to the ground before he gets within feet of me. Blood
sprays, the two Clans ripping into each other, some pulling out
blades. Screams ripple through the air but then, as quickly as it
started, it’s over. Silence replaces the sound of flesh hitting
flesh and painful, agonizing yelps. The movement stops and the
Courtyard is splattered with fallen bodies, half the Rogues
standing over them.

Reid pants and surveys the lot. He nods at
Tucker.

“Rogues,” Tucker commands and they tend to
each King, laying them on their stomachs and roping their ankles
and wrists behind them with the same twine like rope.
“Quickly.”

The Rogues set off dragging their claimed
prizes to one of the nearly invisible doors on the Northwest Wall.
Remaining Clansmen follow after, wiping all left over blood from
the area.

Finally, with Reid glancing around,
satisfied by the quick clean up, he turns to me. “Are you
okay?”

My mouth hangs open with a thousand
different responses, the most urgent slipping out first. “Was that
the rest of them?”

“Not all. We don’t have Mantis and Grisham.
But don’t worry,” he promises, “we will. Right now as a matter of
fact.
Able
,” he calls.

“Yeah, Boss?” he sprints across the
Courtyard.

“Stay with her. Do
not
leave her
side.”

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“To bring you Mantis and Grisham.”

“Where?”

“To bury them.” He nods at Able a final time
before darting to catch up with Tucker, Chief, Harrison and
Jace.

“Come on,” Able tugs me close to him,
slipping his arm in mine as we follow the Rogues. “We’ve got to
go.”

Sampson and Jothkore wait in the tunnels for
us, Jothkore helping to guide the Rogues through the labyrinth,
though, by now, they seem to have the hang of it. Sampson clings to
my side, a babeeb in his hand as he looks down to me with an
apologetic frown.

“So sorry Fallon. It would only work if you
walked out there alone.”

“Couldn’t throw me a clue?”

“They lost too many Kings with false
information…” Able starts in on my other side. “They needed to see
you. Needed to have an honest reaction.”

“But wasn’t it obvious that it was a trap?
Seeing me alone?” I follow Sampson who holds the babeeb out in
front, lighting our way.

“Of course,” Able nods, keeping our arms
linked tightly together, “that’s why they sent the new recruits in
first—pawns to see the set up. They couldn’t afford to keep risking
their men like that.”

“So…”

“So when they saw Reid come to your rescue,
they thought that was it,” Able shrugs, “what’d they know? They
thought they’d just grab you both and be done. Easy enough.”

“They knew he wouldn’t be far from you,”
Sampson selects the left tunnel when we come to a fork. “Wouldn’t
leave you so vulnerable. They just had to wait for him and that was
it.”

“Also,” Able starts in again, “I’m sure the
Kings thought with their remaining Clansmen—only seven I might
add—and
all
the new recruits still on their side, they’d
have it in the bag, no matter what we had set up.”

“They didn’t expect the other Rogues?” I
ask.

“I’m sure they did,” Able grins. “But they
underestimated us, didn’t they?”

“So wait,” I look between him and Sampson,
“you said only seven of them were actual Kings?”

“Yep.”

“What happened to the rest of them?”

“Captured throughout the week,” Able laughs.
“This was their final chance and now with Rox going to get Mantis
and Grisham…” he shakes his head. “We’ll be set for tomorrow.”

Is that it then? Are the Kings done? It
seems so surreal to think it actually worked. And that tomorrow is
the day, the beginning of Beshib’s ten day departure before he
comes back and everything changes. Tomorrow we’re taking back the
Castle.

We follow the Rogues as they drag semi-limp
Kings through the tunnels behind them. Some still struggle but with
their arms and ankles bound behind their back and only a small
length of twine between, it’s useless. There’s nothing they can
do—or
are
doing—other than tiring themselves and after a
while, most stop trying.