The Gate

by Jennifer N Hibbert

  As well as the being to whom they were all bowing, there were four women and five men on the upper deck, two of whom stood next to the throne: one on the left side and one on the right. These men, although also servants, were younger with smooth, well-oiled skin. They were tall, slender and had chiselled features. They were definitely better looking than the two guards by the entrance. Each held a large fan, which they moved up and down in a synchronised way either to create a cool breeze or to deter flying insects from the person on the throne.

  The four men on the top deck and the male servant dancing with the two maids all wore similar outfits: wrap-around kilts made from fine white silk with a pleated, gold satin sash. The upper part of their bodies was bare except for a small collar made from wired black net, which was intertwined with white beads and cowrie shells. Their wrists and upper arms were covered with gold bangles and leather armbands, the latter decorated with little gold trinkets that rattled whenever they moved their hands.

  They wore oval-shaped hats trimmed with strings of beads, and cowries dangled down to their shoulders. The hats were pointed at the front and embroidered with colourful thread. Except for the dancers, who were barefoot, the men wore sandals with leather ankle bands, fastened with golden trinkets that jingled as they moved.

  The four maids were dressed in similar outfits but their white skirts were longer, with slits down both sides. Gold-painted coral beads rested on their lower abdomens, forming the skirts’ waistbands. The girls who weren’t dancing wore the same beads around their ankles. All the girls wore bra tops decorated with shiny sequins, beads and cowrie shells. Kevin glanced at their necks; they wore similar capes to those worn by the men he’d seen at the entrance.

  As Kevin watched the servants on the structure curtsey, bow and shuffle around whoever was sitting on the throne, he became even more anxious. Whenever the music stopped, it was as though every other noise stopped with it. Even the occasional fluttering of birds’ wings and their chirping ceased.

  The person on the throne didn’t move in the sudden silence. The music started again but this time the tone was different. The three dancers in the middle of the deck curtseyed and bowed low to the person on the throne before moving to sit in the corner.

  A majestic figure rose from the throne like a wet seal emerging from sun-blasted water, glistening in the light. Kevin’s eyes popped when he saw how beautiful she was; he looked at Tobus, who smiled, raising his brows and shrugging his shoulders.

  She had radiant skin and wore a bikini covered in silver sequins that showed off her slender and shapely body. The bikini was covered by a sheer, flowing, white-satin dressing gown. The maid beside her curtseyed before moving behind her to gently slip off the gown.

  The bra cups were designed in the form of two arched swan’s wings, clipped together in the middle of the woman’s chest. The front of the bikini bottom resembled a single wing, which was spread open and covered her up to her flat abdomen, rising to her belly button. The back took the shape of two wings facing opposite directions to cover her buttocks.

  The woman wore bands of silver sequins around her arms and ankles, strings of which had also been plaited into her ponytail. Her ears were adorned with silver jewellery to match. She wore a metal crown embellished across her forehead with a round metal projection of a dancing cobra.

  The woman began dancing to the music. Her hair swished from side to side when she moved. It quickly became clear that she was by far the best dancer of all. She twisted and turned, immersing herself in the rhythm. Her body looked like it was wrestling with the music; eventually she won and danced with slower steps before gliding off victoriously, seeming to dance in slow motion as the music ended.

  The goddess-like female returned to her seat and everything went quiet again.

  Kevin looked at Tobus; Tobus could tell he wanted to move closer. ‘Be very careful in there. Many have the ability to see the invisible,’ Tobus said.

  Kevin nodded. Taking invisible form, he disappeared into the structure. When he entered, he immediately downloaded every scrap of information about the woman and her surroundings.

  He stood at the opposite end of Kylephina’s throne and his eyes tracked the two maids sitting very close to her; their names were Chalaza and Theresa-ata. They had been Kylephina’s personal maids from the day she was born. At least one of them accompanied her wherever she went and they always stayed close by unless she requested otherwise.

  Because Kylephina had the power to see the invisible, she was startled when she saw Kevin and wondered who he was. Their eyes met. Kevin stood still for a few seconds until she sat back in her seat and stared into space as though nothing had happened.

  Kevin was confused by her reaction. He returned to Tobus.

  In the time Kevin had been gone, Tobus had tracked Carrol and her companion’s scent and crossed invisibly to where they were imprisoned. He hurried back, without explaining the full details about their condition to Kevin. He knew Kevin had the power to access any information he wanted if he was in close proximity with the subject of the information; if not, he could access his database for a more extensive search. However, Kevin loved discovering things without using his powers just for the challenge.

  Tobus suggested that they return to tell Calbas what they had found. ‘In some cases, Calbas would ask us to deal with an issue as we saw fit but in other cases, we’re required to report our findings before doing anything,’ Tobus explained. ‘Unless, of course, we are attacked while conducting our investigation – then obviously we would have no choice but to defend ourselves. But in this case, Calbas wants us to report back.’

  ‘Why did he ask us to report our findings to him first?’ asked Kevin.

  ‘I don’t know. I’m just repeating his instructions,’ Tobus replied. ‘Certain matters can be sensitive.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Kevin argued. ‘We can’t return without the migrant and the lizard. Now is our perfect opportunity to rescue them before anyone alerts Varuk to our presence. Kylephina has already seen me; I’m surprised she didn’t alert the guards. Maybe it’s a trap. We have to act now, and fast. Besides, why should we let the girl and her companion suffer any longer? We can call for reinforcements if necessary. I’m sure Calbas has been watching our every move and will send help if needed.’

  ‘Okay, but we need to be very careful. Trust me, we don’t want to be seen by Lord Varuk. And remember, we are expected to do little or no damage to this habitat if possible,’ Tobus said.

  ‘Yeah, I know,’ Kevin answered anxiously, looking around and weighing their options.

  ‘The migrant and the lizard are over there,’ Tobus pointed. ‘Just so you know, the lizard’s condition is very bad. The girl seems okay. By the way, the lizard is my nephew; his name is Zatol.’

  Kevin, who had engaged his full supernatural senses, nodded. He looked at Tobus and said, ‘Let’s get them out of here before anything else happens to them.’

  Tobus led Kevin to the place where Zatol and Carrol were being held. They took invisible form and approached an enormous metal construction. It looked like it was built from metal, almost like an old locomotive, but it was rectangular in shape. It stood flat on the ground and was up to forty-five meters and nine cm long by eighteen meters high and perhaps another forty-five meters wide. On the top was a massive square grill that covered almost the whole of its roof. It was surrounded by different coloured light bulbs. It was a working spaceship.

  Metal bars and grills were mounted on its walls covering spaces shaped like square windows. Kevin’s eyes scanned the windows; he knew they weren’t designed to open. Tobus pointed at a specific window and said, ‘That’s where they are being detained.’

  ‘I see,’ Kevin replied.

  Two round air vents sat on the rooftop, one in the front and the other at the back. They were shaped like bicycle wheels, made of metal and rotating every so often from the force of the wind. One of the shorter sides of the rectangular-sh
aped structure had a large door in it.

  The front of the spaceship looked like a detachable flying saucer. It sat on another large round object with tinted glass windows that covered its entire width of thirty-one meters by twenty meters. From the ground up, it measured the same height as the main building. Kevin sensed that was the interrogation room where Zatol and Carrol had been questioned. It was connected to the main body by cables and metal struts.

  Kevin whispered his plan. ‘No matter what happens, as soon as we rescue them you concentrate on returning them to our base while I hold off the guards.’

  ‘I have a safer idea,’ Tobus said. ‘I will call Adorous now, before we enter. He’ll be here in the blink of an eye. When we have rescued them, he will conceal them in darkness and transport them in a wind tunnel back to base so that no further harm comes to them. Then we can both face the battle head-on. It wouldn’t be wise for me to leave you on your own, especially since this will be your first fight of this magnitude.’

  ‘Okay,’ Kevin agreed.

  They advanced towards the structure. Reaching the entrance, Kevin looked around. He saw ten heavily-armed guards patrolling the perimeters of the building. Some moved around periodically; others sat casually on a large stone, talking occasionally and looking around. There was a motionless guard posted on both sides of the main entrance.

  Kevin signalled to Tobus to enter the building using his invisibility powers; once inside, Kevin tracked him supernaturally. He watched Tobus use his shapeshifting skill and take the form of a tropical bird with colourful feathers and a long beak. He pecked at the other side of the door to distract the men. Kevin watched the surprised look on their faces; they were wondering who, or why, anyone would be knocking from within. They carried on as normal but the knocking continued until the guards finally opened the door and rushed in to investigate.

  They saw that it was a bird, which quickly took flight over their heads. They chased it around the massive interrogation hall in which Carrol and Zatol had been questioned. The bird evaded their capture by exiting through the door, which was now wide open.

  Kevin seized the opportunity presented by the distraction and invisibly entered the cell area in which Varuk’s men were holding Zatol and Carrol. Immediately he downloaded information about every person and things in the room. Two more guards stood in the corridor, one of whom was exceptionally large. He couldn’t walk down the passageway without turning his body sideways to avoid rubbing against the walls.

  Kevin also noticed the chameleon man who had caught Carrol; he was concealing himself against the prison wall but Kevin caught sight of his eyes. He trapped the chameleon inside an invisible wall so he couldn’t move.

  After that, Kevin swiftly created an invisible wall to restrain the second guard who was walking the corridors. He used an invisible rope to trap his body and cover his mouth, and the guard crashed to the ground. He began trying to free himself from the unseen shackles. He wriggled and struggled to break free but it was impossible.

  Kevin started looking into the cells and discovered Carrol; he was relieved to see that she was alive and awake. She was watching the struggling guard, perhaps wondering why he’d fallen face down like a plank of wood. He saw Zatol on the ground in the cell next to hers; however, it looked like his life was nearly snuffed out. He was passing in and out of consciousness and his life was dwindling with every passing second.

  Kevin decided to free Carrol first, as Zatol might not be able to stand unaided. He touched the cell door and a flame about a quarter of a meter high erupted on the lock. Kevin’s head jerked back fast. Carrol, who did not know what was happening, screamed, for seeing such a large flame before clapping her mouth closed. The eruption of flame took Kevin by surprise; he had not expected that after Varuk’s guard had locked the cell door with such secure locks they’d enforce their security with hidden flames. He quickly cupped his hand, which filled with water, and put out the flame. He took a deep breath and released the air from his mouth; it turned into snow and froze the lock. He made a fist and his right hand turned into a metal hammer with which he smashed the lock into tiny pieces.

  Carrol heard a burst of activity at the door but could see no one there. She covered her mouth in horror and her eyes widened. She hurried to the corner and crouched down, bracing herself. She didn’t know what to expect.

  Two minutes later, the door opened and Kevin appeared. Carrol’s hand was still over her mouth. She tried to move closer to the wall but there was no more room. She stared with popping eyes at him, without saying a word.

  ‘We are here to get you and your friend out. You’re Carrol, right?’ Kevin asked gently. Before she could answer, he continued. ‘We need to leave now. There’s no time to waste. I’ll get your friend over there,’ he whispered.

  Carrol couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She wasn’t sure how they would make it past all the guards, especially with Zatol being so weak, but she immediately jumped to her feet.

  Kevin left the cell and waited for her outside. He then moved to Zatol’s cell door and opened the lock in the same way he had opened the one to Carrol’s cell. Knowing that flame would erupt, he had the water ready and put out the fire before it even blazed. He and Carrol moved into the cell. Kevin leaned over and tried to speak to Zatol but the lizard didn’t respond. His eyes were open but he was too weak to speak or stand.

  When Carrol saw his condition, tears poured down her face and she sniffled, using the back of her hand to dry her nose. Kevin made a sign for her to be quiet and she clamped her hand over her mouth to control herself. Using his power over metal, Kevin pulled apart the cage that was trapping Zatol as though it were made of paper. With one hand, he crumpled it and tossed it to the side. Carrol’s eyes followed the metal, wondering if it was real or just made to look like metal.

  Using both hands, Kevin gently lifted Zatol up from the ground, placed the lizard on his shoulder and took Carrol by the hand.

  Tobus glided into the corridor; he was already stretched out as a carpet and ready to take flight. Kevin set Zatol on the carpet and nodded at Carrol to climb on; she immediately did so. Kevin threw open the door of the main entrance and saw the guards outside. Meanwhile Tobus, carrying Zatol and Carrol, zoomed past everyone and soared into the sky. Kevin shot into the air behind them.

  This set off a huge commotion. A siren blared and the guards started shooting at them. Varuk’s aggressive air fighters took to the air. In mid-air Tobus screeched to a halt, followed by Kevin and then Varuk’s air marshals. Ahead of them, about nine meters away and suspended in the air, was Varuk Bendy, the Dark Lord of Mars Vencin.

  Kevin and Tobus descended quietly and Varuk Bendy and his air marshals also dropped steadily to the ground. The air marshals carried ultrasonic weaponry, handheld flashing machines and ultrasonic blades, which illuminated and made a peculiar buzzing sound when in use. Once they had all landed in a ravine, Varuk laughed in a sinister way. Tobus positioned himself to shield Carrol and Zatol with his spread-out carpet in case Varuk or his defenders, who were behind them, moved suddenly.

  Varuk narrowed his eyes and gazed at Tobus. ‘I see you’re still running errands for my dear old man. How long are you going to carry on like this? You look pitiful and useless,’ he said.

  ‘Lord Varuk, there’s no need for insults. Just allow us to take these innocent creatures home. They’ve not wronged you, and it will save us all the trouble of battling you and causing destruction,’ Tobus responded calmly.

  ‘Not wronged me, you say?’ Varuk thundered. ‘So tell me why were they here in my territory? They’ve trespassed on my property and will pay with their lives if I don’t get the ransom I want for their release.’ He looked at Kevin, seeming to see him for the first time. ‘Let me guess: is this Father’s newest project – or should I say “invention”? Poor old Calbas. Does he have to resort to employing humans to do his dirty work now?’

  Kevin was shocked to hear Varuk call Calbas ‘Father’. Oh, is that why
the Gatekeepers have been very gentle with Varuk – and why he’s been able to do as he likes? Kevin thought. Perhaps being a father, himself made him understand.

  ‘Anyway, I don’t care who or what he sends. Tobus, hand over the prisoners and then you can run along to Calbas and tell him what I’ve said.’ He pointed at Kevin, Zatol and Carrol. ‘These three dies unless he delivers the new programming, he was developing for the Gate Project to me. And please tell him not to try sending you back empty-handed in the hope that you can rescue them. Or to get up to his old tricks to increase your power and retrieve them. You must be deluded to think you can come in here and rescue them from me,’ he said with disgust.

  At that moment, the valley was shrouded in darkness as thick dust was driven in by a gusting wind. Every ounce of visibility was lost from the ravine. Adorous, the son of thunder and commander of darkness, had released the darkness. With his wind, he swept Zatol and Carrol from Tobus and vanished into a huge dark cloud. At the same moment, Varuk dived towards Tobus and struck him. Tobus fell backwards but leapt to his feet again.

  Varuk’s air marshals were confused for a few seconds by the darkness and dust, but the debris began to dissipate and clarity returned to the dust-encrusted valley. The foot soldiers accelerated in their pursuit of Adorous and the dark wind tunnel, and they shot torrents of arrows to stop him from getting away. Kevin, who could see in the darkness, erected a metal wall; the arrows bounced off it and dropped one by one to the dry ground.

  Varuk’s eyes beamed anger; he was outraged when he realised his prisoners had vanished. He started to pursue Adorous. Kevin erected a blockade of stones in mid-air but Varuk ripped through it like a ravenous lion. For a few seconds, stones rained to the ground.