by Andi J Feron
We were quickly acclimated into the cult and began daily life. We were given different assignments. I was a lady-in-waiting for Toma, the wife to Feodore. From that point on I wore a white garment.
Toma wore a lavender dress and hat. Pale blue flowers were embroidered throughout her gown. Her long blonde hair poured past her waist, and it was my job to brush it. It was a surprisingly demanding position. I learned to start at the bottom and work my way up, or else I would be yelled at.
I learned the art of weaving purple flowers into Toma’s hair. The other servants brought me dozens of the tiny flowers. The flower stems broke easily and I would often have to start the row over. I resentfully completed the tedious tasks every day. I didn’t sign up to be a hairdresser when I took this mission.
Weeks passed and there was still no sign of Talon. We needed to follow our mission, not settle into a medieval fantasy. After about two months of tending to every demand of the snobbish queen, I was invited to another dinner for new recruits. The dinners happened almost every week, but I was rarely invited. I would locate Talon tonight and find a way to achieve our mission.
Toma and I walked to the recruitment dinner and sat near the front of the room. I scanned the room for Talon and spotted him stationed as a guard. Talon soon saw me as well and gave me a small smile.
I looked back at him sternly. Come on, Talon, get serious. We’re here for a reason.
He frowned, as if unable to interpret why I seemed miffed with him. Miss Snooty Pants became annoyed when two of her flowers dropped out, and I was forced to put them back in. I sensed someone was watching me. I looked up, expecting it to be Talon again, but instead it was Feodore. I caught his gaze then went back to fixing Toma’s hair. The ceremony was the same as last time, and five new teenagers were set to join us, if they survived.
That night there was a knock on the door of my small room. I opened the door and a soldier informed me I had been called to see the king. I was wearing only a nightgown and the soldier allowed me to put on a heavy robe and boots before he escorted down through the castle. I was brought to Feodore’s bedchamber.
An enormous four-poster bed was pressed against the wall to the right of where I walked in. To my left was a grand window that stretched out into the courtyard where I imagined Feodore could keep tabs on the activities of his people. Across the room and directly in front of me was another large wooden door.
Feodore crossed the room to stand right in front of me. “I have found you favorable, and I would like to make you a mistress.” He pointed to his bed.
I backed toward the exit. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“It’s not really a request. You made an oath to serve your king in whatever capacity he determined.”
I moved closer to the door. “I do serve the king, by tending to his wife. In fact, I’ll go get her, and she can help you out.”
I kept my eyes on him as if he was a bear ready to tear me apart.
“You will do as you are told!”
I almost made it to the door when he snatched me and carried me to the bed. He flung me down on the mattress, and I socked him in the jaw. His large palms covered my neck as he pressed tightly. I rammed my forehead hard into his. I grabbed a candlestick on the bedside table, slamming the end of it into the back of his head. I leapt off the bed and headed for the second door, hoping it held better things.
The door opened to a mostly empty room with a few wooden chairs off to the side. Two large paintings of sunflowers were hung to my left. Across the room was another door, and as I bolted for it I spotted Talon next to the door I ran out of.
Talon gasped. “Seraphine?”
I looked at him briefly and kept running.
Feodore chased after me, screaming, “Guards! Stop her and bring her back to my chamber! She will submit and then we’ll feed her to our god!”
One of the guards grabbed my arm, and I flipped him onto his back with my other hand. I swiftly rammed my boot into his face, causing blood to gush from his nose and eyes. I dodged his hand as he attempted to grab my ankle before I rammed my boot into his face a second time, rendering him unconscious. Feodore lunged at me, and I swung my fist toward his jaw, but he dropped to the ground as Talon barreled a brick into the back of his head. I glanced around and saw the other three guards slumped unconscious in various locations around the room.
“I had this you know!” I huffed.
“Yeah, looks like you did,” Talon scoffed.
“You always think I need a man to save me. I’m not your sister.” I was tired of him acting as if I needed to be coddled like a child.
“No, you’re my partner, and that’s what partners do, have each other’s back.”
“You’re an idiot. You’re not acting like my partner. You think you have to save me.”
“No, you’re the one acting like you have to do it alone when you were given a partner. We help each other.”
I rolled my eyes at him. Talon didn’t get it at all. He was so arrogant, thinking that I needed his help. Lucius was the last person I let help me and I would have been better off without him. Talon grabbed my hand, and I started to resist until I remembered he was a tracker. He knew exactly where we were going.
Hopefully Feodore and his guards would stay unconscious long enough for us to find the Khalbytians and get out of there. We ran out another door on the opposite wall from the king’s chamber. We descended a staircase back into the catacombs.
I pulled my hand away. “What about the mission?”
“We’re completing it. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get you in here for the last two months.”
We ran down several tunnels, making various turns. I was incredibly grateful that The Fates had bestowed the gift of tracking on Talon. After running for what seemed like miles Talon stopped. He put his hand behind his back, indicating we needed to wait. He peered around the corner before motioning me to take a look. There were about ten guards in front of what looked like a pit.
“Project something,” he whispered.
I projected the image of a Khalbytian in front of them. They all dropped to their knees, their faces pressed to the floor as though it was a god. That was not the typical reaction my projections of Khalbytians generated.
“Feodore is going to kill us!” one of the guards yelled.
“We have to get Glycon back in the pit before Feodore finds out he escaped,” another said.
“I think we should be more concerned with Glycon killing us first,” a third chimed in.
They all jumped and grabbed sticks that were leaned against one of the walls. I projected the Khalbytian running down a tunnel in the opposite direction. As predicted, they all frantically jumped up and ran after him. I showed him taking a series of turns I hoped would confuse them. I let go of the projection, leaving them to search in vain.
Talon and I ran toward the pit. We began scaling down until we made the bottom. The pit was lit slightly, but I couldn’t identify the source. At the bottom, a Khalbytian laid in front of us. There were bones all over the place. He leaped straight at me and thrust his claws toward my chest. Talon shoved me out of the way and I smacked against the ground. I projected a large red dragon that caught the Khalbytian’s attention.
“You aren’t like other humans.” The Khalbytian’s voice was a growl, low-pitched and gruff.
My mouth hung open and I stared in disbelief. We had always been taught the Khalbytians were soulless monsters. I had never thought of them as individuals who I could have a conversation with.
I let the projection go. “We’ve come to find you.”
“To kill me.” He slouched back into the corner.
“No, I mean, maybe we were supposed to.” Talon breathed heavily.
The Khalbytian sighed. “Well get it over with then.”
I felt compassion for him, but I was unsure if it would be a mistake. “No, we won’t kill you. Why are you here on Earth?”
He picked his head up a little. “I am tr
apped here. This group of humans won’t let me leave. They feed me well, but they leave me in this pit. I have been here for so long. I want to get back to my ship and leave, but I don’t know where it is.”
“How did you get here?” Talon mumbled.
“I was sent as a scout to see what humans are about, and I landed where it was cold because I can only handle cold. These catacombs are almost too warm. I was attacked and knocked unconscious, and when I awoke I was trapped in this pit. I don’t know what they want. They have kept me here so long. I am ready to die. Kill me.”
“I can get you to your ship.” Talon still sounded breathless.
I wondered how two months off of our regimen made him so out of shape.
The Khalbytian looked at Talon. “How? Every time I scale the wall, they stab me with sharp metal sticks. The sticks have a warmth to them, and I do not tolerate the heat well.”
“Let us take care of them. Follow us.” I looked up, trying to decide how to climb up.
“Hold onto my back,” the Khalbytian grunted.
With his claws, he anchored himself to the wall of the pit. Talon and I each clasped onto a spike on his back. It was only sharp on the end, so the smooth sides were safe handles. I projected myself to see what was waiting at the top of the pit. Four of the cult members had returned to check the pit. I made a Khalbytian appear behind them, and they pulled out their spears to attack him.
I made the projection look like it was running to lead them back on a wild goose chase through the tunnels. We made it to the top, and Talon led us through the labyrinth of the catacombs. He kept moving forward until I could see sunlight streaming in front of us. We found the exit and Talon kept going until we located a chasm containing the Khalbytian’s ship.
“Thank you my friends! My name is Dramto, and I will not forget what you have done here today.” Dramto bolted for his ship and climbed inside.
I watched as it flew away. “I think we did the right thing.” I didn’t receive a response from Talon. I turned to see him stumble to the ground.
“You that out of shape, Ace?”
“No.” He gasped for air as he pointed in front of us. “There’s a…cave.”
“Talon, what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine. We…have to get to…the cave.” He could barely talk.
“Let me look at you!” I demanded.
He tried to stand up, and that’s when I saw what the dim catacomb lighting hadn’t allowed me to see. His white uniform was stained red, and a puddle of blood seeped into the snow in front of him.
“Talon, Dramto got you when he leaped at us, didn’t he?”
“I’m…fine. Let’s get to the cave.”
He pushed himself up, and over the next hill was the cave. The wind was blowing harshly as we sought refuge. Talon collapsed inside the cavern.
“Talon!” I turned him onto his back, and the sun shone in enough that I could see there was a red trail from the entrance of the cave. He’d lost a lot of blood. “Talon, look at me. We have to stop the bleeding.”
I took off my robe, and used a rock to tear the sleeves on my nightgown. I put my robe back on to repel the chilled air. I rolled the sleeves together and applied as much pressure to his wound as I could. His eyes were closed.
“Talon! Look at me Talon! You can’t sleep right now! Talon!” I pleaded with him, trying to contain my hysteria.
He opened his eyes slightly. “I’m fine Seraphine. I just need a nap.”
“No! You have to help me. I don’t know how to get help. You need to tell me where I am.” I pushed back tears, trying to stay focused.
Talon touched my hand, and my mind was flooded with where we were on a map and where our Siberian base was. I concentrated and projected myself. I found it difficult. I hadn’t projected that far before, but with adrenaline surging, I saw myself in a briefing room with several commanding officers. They looked at me and jumped up. I was having difficulty holding the projection. I ran over to their map, hanging on the wall and pointed to our location. They ran over, and I hoped they understood as I disappeared.
“Talon, hold on, help is coming.”
Why did the moron have to jump in front of me? It didn’t matter if I died, I didn’t have anyone. If Talon died, his little sister would be alone. He let his eyes stay closed, and I was scared he was already dead.
“Talon, you have to get back to Allie. You have to keep her safe.” I pulled to the side of him I knew was the strongest. His love for his sister.
“Promise me, Seraphine, you’ll take care of her,” he mumbled.
I screamed at him. “Talon Cooper, she’s your sister. You wake up now! She’s going to think you abandoned her. Wake up!”
“I’m…so tired.”
“Ace, I know you are, but please, you have to keep talking to me.”
“Let me sleep Seraphine.”
“No! Wake up. You can’t sleep. You will not die here. You will not leave your sister alone. You will not leave me alone. You are my partner, and that means you have my back.”
He smiled slightly, his eyelids opened just a crack. “I thought that made me an idiot.”
“Maybe a little.” I smiled back, but his eyes went closed again. “Talon!” I screamed hysterically, and he gave no response. “Talon!” I could no longer stop my tears as they flowed down my cheeks.
I continued to hold pressure while I sobbed into his shoulder. He drove me crazy, but I didn’t want him to die. I screamed his name until my voice was nearly gone. I felt defeated, and enough time passed that I thought we were not going to be rescued. Even so, I still held firm pressure on his unmoving chest.
“Seraphine! Talon!” I heard several voices call for us.
“Over here!” I yelled as loudly as my hoarse voice would allow.
They received my message. I moved out of their way so that they could assess Talon.
“I found a pulse. It’s pretty weak, we need to get him back to base now,” one of the medics said.
They applied pressure and placed him on a stretcher, carrying him to a waiting helicopter. They motioned me on board, and I quickly sat beside him.
“Will he be okay?” I asked with a shaky voice.
A medic put an IV in Talon’s arm. “We have to get him back to base to assess the damage.”
There were several more personnel waiting for us when we arrived back to base. They immediately joined the medics from the helicopter and together they rolled Talon into the base. I ran after them, but I was stopped after the third door we went through. I watched as the door shut and Talon disappeared.
Talon looked so pale. I should have been a better partner to him. I should have been a better friend. I hadn’t been the kindest I could have been to him. I was too stuck on not having him help me. I wasn’t used to someone ever wanting to save me. Now he was probably going to die and leave me like everyone else in my life had. I was so mad at myself. It should have been me. Why did he have to be such a selfless idiot? I pushed tears away.
I was led to the debriefing room where I informed them that the cult only had one Khalbytian. They wanted to know what I thought happened to all the previous teams that were sent. I told them my guess was that they either died from the snake bites or they were the bones that rested in Dramto’s enclosure.
I didn’t tell them Dramto escaped. Instead, I lied and said Talon and I killed him. I told them we burned the body to destroy evidence that he was there. They let me know I would be assigned to Saturn base. I asked about Talon and was only told medical staff were doing the best they could. I boarded the plane, still wondering if Talon had even made it. I looked back at the Siberian base one last time, thinking I would probably never see him again.
Chapter Seven
Talon - June 15, 2006
I opened my eyes. The massive raw ache reached my brain, making me aware of my chest injury. I didn’t know where I was. An IV was stuck in my right arm and a monitor displayed my heart rate and oxygen level. I tried to sit up wh
ich pulled one of wires and my monitor shrieked.
Why am I in a hospital?
A nurse was at my bedside. “Talon, you’re okay. You’re at the base hospital in Siberia.”
“Seraphine?”
She was the last thing I remembered. I clearly recalled her voice yelling my name. She wouldn’t let me sleep.
“I’ll get the doctor.” The nurse left.
The doctor walked in, and reminded me of when I was nine in the hospital, which made me think of Allie. I had been away from her for over a year, and I wasn’t even able to talk to her on the phone. I had tried many times to find a way to contact her and failed. All I had been able to do was track her every so often to make sure she was still safe. She probably thought I had abandoned her at this point. I didn’t know what I would come home to.
I tried to sit up again, but the pain made me grimace. “When can I go home? I need to see my sister.”
“I think you’ve earned yourself some leave after taking care of that Khalbytian for us,” Admiral Jacobson responded for the doctor. Everything from our mission came rushing back. I wasn’t sure what Seraphine had told them, so I just nodded. Jacobson continued, “Once the doctor clears you, we’ll send you home.”
“Seraphine, sir. Is my partner okay?”
“Yes, she’s on a new assignment.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder.
I felt a ping of sadness, wondering if we would ever be partnered again. She had become a good friend, even if she did drive me crazy from time to time.
Admiral Jacobson accompanied me back to Maine base. After completing some paperwork and receiving one last assessment of my wounds, they released me. Ms. Lilly wrapped me in a hug the moment I walked into her shop.
“How was the exchange program?” she asked.
“It was good. Nothing like being submerged in a different culture to broaden one’s perspective.”
“That’s great. Allie has been missing you something awful. I was worried for a bit because Allie couldn’t reach you with her phone, but then that nice man stopped by. He let us know you had been sent to a remote location and couldn’t be contacted.”
