“Where were you!” Zero screamed at him.
“Zero, please,” He climbed to his feet only to be shoved back down again.
Strong arms pulled him up and away from the fuming Telic.
“Don’t touch him!” Sara yelled back as Lee settled him on his feet.
“Who are you?” Zero looked her up and down with a snarl.
“Who are you?” She bit back.
“Stop. This is Al’s uncle, Zero. He lives here.” Sky gently broke out of Lee’s grip and stumbled forward. “This is Sara and Lee, friends from school.”
Zero stared at him, his face a perfect mask of hardened rage. “Zeph called us back and all we find is an empty house and your room soaked in blood. Where were you?”
“Skyden?” His dad’s voice called out, a voice filled with desperation. Zero snarled and moved aside as his dad flew out of the house and threw his arms around him. “Oh, thank the Havens.”
“We thought you were dead, or worse.” Zero crossed his arms and stood his ground. “And you were just out frolicking with your friends?”
“You have a very violent way of showing your concern, and he wasn’t frolicking.” Sara was an even match for Zero’s growling tone.
His dad let him go and held him out at arms length. “Zeph said you guys are being targeted by some assassin or something, that your friends were in danger…He sent this Roland kid over to search the house…” He shook his head; his face still wet with the remnants of grief, “Why didn’t you tell me. Why, why in this world would you keep something like this from me?”
He wanted to cry, but he just looked away. “I didn’t want you to lose that job.” It did sound stupid when he said it out loud. “I just didn’t want to worry you.”
“Priorities, Sky. Really?” Zero snapped.
“That’s why you…” His dad’s voice trailed off and his face went slack. The hint of tears threatened the corners of his eyes, but with a sharp inhale, his slouching posture straightened and he regained his composure. “Your room, what happened in there?”
“Captain, sorry to interrupt,” Roland strolled around the side of the house, his eyes trained on his tablet, “What was in the attic? It seems that, whatever the Man of Mist was looking for, was most likely there.”
“It’s just a bunch of junk from the old days.” Zero stepped between Roland and them, “Nothing of value.”
Roland just nodded and swiped across the screen. “hmmph.” Was all he said. He glanced up and finally noticed the rest of them there. “Oh, you’re back. Good.” He pulled out a pocket scan and ran it quickly over all three of them, pausing only briefly when he ran over Sky’s side. “You all seem to be in once piece.”
“He was here last night. He came to my town, that freak attacked us.” Sara stepped towards Roland, “Why is this happening?” Her voice, for the first time was edging on panic now that they were safe.
Roland nodded in a robotic manner, “Well, no need to worry now.” He said in a forcefully chipper tone, “Master Zeph has called a meeting to discuss the matter and how it should be handled.”
“Wonderful. A meeting. That certainly does help.” Sara scoffed and backed away from him.
“In fact,” Roland ignored her snotty remark and turned towards his dad, “We should leave now if we would like to arrive in a timely manner. He wanted us to meet at the Kane estate.”
Zero snarled, but said nothing. He simply turned his back to them and went back in the house with a slam of the door.
“The Kane estate. Strange place to hold a meeting.” His dad sighed.
“I’m sure he has his reasons.” Roland assured them.
His dad nodded warily, “All right. Let’s get going.” He said and looked around at them. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we were introduced.” He let a casual smile soften his face as he finally noticed the other standing around him, “I’m Victor, this little monster’s dad.” He extended his hand towards Sara. “And who might you be?”
“Sara,” She almost giggled as she took his hand.
“Pleased to meet you, Sara.” His dad shook her hand gently and looked over to Sky. “Is this that friend of yours you were telling me about?”
“I put up with him on occasion.” She laughed awkwardly, trying to pull his dad’s attention back to her as she stared at him with pure adoration.
Sky had seen it all before. He was used to it, especially around his dad. He didn’t know what the proper term for it was, but he had always heard it dubbed the ‘Craze’. He let himself wander towards Lee who was looking quizzically towards Sara and his father’s odd exchange.
“We should get going if we don’t want to be late.” Roland’s voice bit through the air.
Lee looked uncomfortably back at Sara, who was literally clinging to Sky’s dad, as he escorted her forward a few yards behind them. “Sara is acting a bit strange, would not you agree?”
Sky’s heart dropped a bit, he hated explaining it. “My conclusion is that she is strange in general, but yes, she is acting strange…for her.”
Lee gave what could have been considered a glare in his dad’s direction.
Sky shoved him a bit to get his attention back. “It’s not her fault. Don’t worry Lee, she’ll be back to normal soon enough. Meeting an Iko for the first time is…sometimes, a pretty intense thing.”
“I do not seem to be affected…or am I?” Lee looked down at his large hands and was obviously fighting the urge to look behind them once again.
“No,” Sky sighed. “You probably won’t be, at least not with the Captain since he’s an Iko of Protection. They sometimes call it the Craze, Iko’s involuntarily attract humans that are in need of there specialty.”
A light seemed to go off in Lee’s massive head. “Oh, yes, I have heard of this.” He turned back for an instant and came back around with a look of inquiry. “If he is an Iko of Protection, then he would draw to him those that are in need, insecure, vulnerable or weak, correct?”
“More or less.” He nodded slightly.
“Are we not taking your autobeil?” Roland questioned as his dad started leading the way up the driveway on foot.
“Don’t got one. We’ll have to walk there.” His dad shrugged without looking back.
“Wonderful.” Roland’s face fell. “He owns a ship, but not a beil.”
His dad led the way with Sara and Lee close behind. Sky hung back, feeling obligated to keep Roland’s slow pace.
“Perfect.” Roland wheezed as he came up beside him. “I was hoping to get a chance to talk with you.” He paused and let out a series of disgustingly wet coughing fits.
“Are you going to be okay?” Sky slapped him on the back.
“Quite all right. It’s just,” He put a hand to his heaving chest, “too much physical activity,” He paused again, clearing his throat, “makes me downright nauseous.”
“So,” Sky sighed, “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Yes,” Roland straightened himself out once he caught his breath. “First off, are you all right?”
“Honestly…not really.” He whispered, not wanting his dad to overhear. “I think I’m losing my mind.”
“Understandable.” Roland pressed his finger tips together in front of his lips, “You were hurt again last night?”
“I got stabbed, for real this time; I know I did, because Sara saw it.” He paused and inadvertently put his hand to his side, “It’s like it never happened.”
“Sara saw it?”
“Yeah. But, I told her that maybe it was something you had done to me earlier when you fixed me up. Is that possible?”
Roland stared at him for a beat, searching his face. “Perhaps.” He sighed aggressively and looked away.
Sky tensed. “Stop that.”
“Stop what?” Roland pulled out his tablet and pretended to have better things to do.
“Stop acting like you want to say something to me, and then never say it. If you know something, then just tell me.”
He scolded as quietly as he could.
“Well,” Roland found a new burst of energy and flashed a quick smile at the invitation, “Scientifically speaking, do you ever find yourself withdrawing from others, feeling like you don’t quite…belong?”
“Maybe. Isn’t that kinda how everybody feels?” Sky let his head fall back and closed his eyes, “I mean…I don’t know, do I seem withdrawn to you?”
“Yes.” Roland’s eyes drifted away and his voice grew softer, “I suppose I don’t know you very well and I’ve only seen you in the classroom, but I would say that yes, you don’t seem to interact very openly with others.” Roland nodded to himself. “Soulen was like that too, at first.” His eyes came back to meet Sky’s, his face serious, “Timid would be the right word I suppose.”
“Before you said you knew him. Were you friends?” There was a stab of pain in his chest at the thought of Soul.
“He was my first friend when I was a child; I was kind of a dork back then.” Roland snorted a nervous laugh. “We grew apart as we got older.” His face grew dark for an instant, “I just couldn’t understand him, I guess.”
“What happened to him?” Sky couldn’t help the edge of curiosity that crept into his voice.
Roland’s face dropped into a dead serious state. “Just when he started to open up, he shut back down and started hanging around with Con and the other Powers.”
“And that’s what you think is gonna happen to me?”
“They aren’t what you think they are. Con acts like your friend, but he’s not someone you can depend on.” Roland’s attention was pulled out across the desert, and a look that could have been guilt, passed over his face.
“It still doesn’t explain why I feel fine after being shot, stabbed and hit in the head with a club.” He trailed off, wondering if he really wanted the answer.
“No, it doesn’t.” Roland stared blankly, but Sky could see something going on behind his eyes. “You’ve lived a rather sheltered life.” He shrugged and looked away, “I have answers for you, but this isn’t the time or place.”
His initial reaction was one of anger, but he pushed it away out of the need to know, “Please Roland-”
“I already said what I am willing to say at the moment.” He said sharply, making an attempt to pick up his pace.
The heat of Sky’s temper bubbled to the surface and his feet came to a halt on the dry road in a puff of dust. “Tell me.”
“No.” Roland almost laughed the word.
“Tell me now, or I’ll make you tell me later, and I won’t be so nice.” His threat was empty, but came out with just enough malice to sound sincere.
Roland stopped and turned, his back to the others who marched on ahead, the distance between them growing with every step.
“Fine.” There was fear behind his eyes; actual fear. It might have been the first bit of genuine emotion he had shown since they had met.
Roland’s reaction fear caused a burst of anxiety to rip through Sky’s core. I wasn’t serious. “Why are you afraid?” His voice came out as a horse whisper.
“Because, I’m not stupid.” Roland snarled, focusing his attention on his tablet. “But, if you are going to be such a brat about it, then fine.” His attitude had shifted back to its condescending nature. “I’ll tell you.”
“Hurry up back there!” Sara shouted back, they were a good fifty yards ahead already.
Sky began to walk at her command, but slowly, not wanting to close the distance just yet.
Roland staggered after him, digging through his bag and mumbling. “Here it is.” He finally proclaimed and brought out a narrow halo card. “Here, read this over, and then we can talk.” He handed the card over smartly.
Sky snatched it from his hand, turning it over with a sneer, “So You Aren’t Quite Normal.” He read the illuminated tag line aloud. “Roland, what in the realm is this?”
“Keep reading.” He waved him on, “It doesn’t pertain 100% to your situation, but it’s the best I can do right now given our circumstance.”
Sky glanced back down at the card, only to have Roland grab it out of his hands.
“Actually, you need to put this on before we proceed any farther.” He handed Sky a small coil with a seal engraved on its surface. “Put that behind your ear. It will help block out…” He gestured directly at Lee’s back, “unwanted attention.”
Sliding the coil in place, he hesitated taking the card back from Roland. What is this going to tell me? He asked himself, suddenly afraid of the words hovering just beyond his fingertips.
“You wanted to know, so here it is.” Roland thrust the card into Sky’s hands, “Just replace the parts that say, Haven race, with the eternally damned Fury.”
Sky’s eyes shot down to the words before him, “The Halflings Guide to Fitting In.” His feet again stopped, but the world kept going. Spinning in fact.
“You’re not going to read it, are you?” Roland plucked it from his stiff grasp. “It’s fine. It’s not the best explanation anyway.”
“Roland.” Was the only word that made it out from the whirlwind in his mind.
“In my defense, you weren’t supposed to start exhibiting signs of your, quote-unquote, awakening, for some time yet. Getting yourself shot the other day really expedited the process, and here I am, having to deal with you in this irrational state in the middle of a desert, totally unprepared.” He drew a long hand down his face. “So, I do apologize for the bluntness of my approach. Come on, you must keep walking or they will start suspecting something is wrong and then this conversation is over.”
But he couldn’t feel his legs. His whole body was numb and his head was a million miles up. “What…” He whispered, but couldn’t finish.
“What does it mean?” Roland uprooted him from the ground and pushed him forward. “It means you aren’t human. Not fully anyway. Your father, your real father, was a Fury, which makes you-”
“But, that’s not a thing.” Sky mumbled, “I’ve never heard of that.”
“No one has, and, if we are successful, no one ever will.” Roland placed a light hand on his shoulder, “It is a very dangerous situation you are in. No one must know.” He squeezed his hand, ever so slightly, “Nod if you understand: No one must know.”
He was pretty sure he nodded, at least, he felt his head move.
“Good.” Roland went on, “Soul, for now, is protected by the Choir, but as for you, our best bet is to just keep your true nature hidden as long as we can.”
Soul.
“Please keep walking, they keep looking back here.” Roland retracted his hand and started fiddling with his tablet, “Master Zeph will step in after this little meeting at the Kane estate, I’m sure he’ll offer a better explanation, because, like I said, you caught me unprepared.”
Sky could feel the ground under his feet, but it had little meaning to him. I’m the son of a Fury. Is that why… His stomach released a new rush of acid as the world abruptly made sense.
“We have a bit of a walk ahead of us; I should leave you with your thoughts, let it all sink in.” Roland adjusted the small bag slung across his shoulder, “I’ll go on ahead and make sure they leave you be.”
“Sure.” He managed a whisper.
“Oh, and Sky,” Roland gave one last hard look before walking away, “don’t ever threaten me again.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Holy moldy, you look like a cat just threw you up.” Zeph had greeted them at the gates of the Kane estate. He slapped Sky on the back and shoved him out of the way so he could get next to Lee. “My, you are much bigger up close.” He reached up in an exaggerated fashion to pat Lee on the shoulder.
Marcus looked absolutely horrified that they were in his home. His eyes darted between them, but kept landing on Sky in a fiery abhorrence. “Master Zeph, if I may.” His words came out like molten lava.
“Nope.” Zeph smiled absently at him, “I don’t think that you can, General. Captain!” He shouted as Sara an
d his dad eased their way into the courtyard.
Marcus turned sharply to Octavian, a distinguished man nearing his golden years, with a thick helmet of salt and pepper hair. “Sir, with all due respect, we were told that Zeph had arranged for expert consultants to join us here tonight. Not children.” Marcus snapped.
“Oh, Marcus,” Octavian laughed in a deep, silky voice, “It’s nice to have real guests.”
Octavian was a brilliant man who truly believed in the good of humanity. If ever anyone would be destined to take down their withering Government and rule with a kind and noble heart it would be Octavian. Unfortunately it was that brilliance that had driven him to choose Marcus to lead his army. Al’s father was vicious, ruthless and knew what it took to win.
“I’m starving, if that’s even possible.” Zeph called their attention. “Why are we all standing here, let’s get inside, shall we?”
“Yes.” Gruffed Marcus, “Let’s get this over with. Sonya, you can tell Allen he may join us if he wishes.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Sky saw Zeph extend his hand to Sara; she looked as if she were about to faint. Meeting two Iko’s in one day was a bit much for anyone. Add to that the fact that this one was the founder of the Arche Academy, and yeah, if put in Sara’s shoes, he would be ready to pass out too.
“You’re spunky, that’s a wonderful trait often lacking in the youth of today.” Zeph had been saying, shaking her hand much longer than a normal person would.
“Master, shall we go?” Roland interjected. He leaned in towards Zeph, and whatever he whispered brought Zeph’s eyes straight to Sky.
“Very well.” Zeph said turning, “You kiddos go on ahead. I need to talk to the Captain for a moment.”
Lee and Roland obliged immediately, walking off towards the stone structure. Sky only moved because he saw others doing so, his scattered attention on Zeph. As Roland passed, Sky latched onto his sleeve, “What is he going to tell him?” He whispered desperately. “Are you guys going to send me away?”
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