rise of the saviors

by Stella Samiotou Fitzsimons

  “When you are ready to force your energy to your fingertips, cut the circuit at your wrists and allow only a narrow path open to your hands.”

  It sounds good in theory but how am I supposed to achieve that? I look at my hands, then at my wrists trying to imagine the energy pathways that need to be narrowed.

  My heart beats faster as I order my nervous system to channel the energy through my body. I’m so worried about finding a way to cut the energy off at my wrists that I lose focus and burn a small red mark on my right palm.

  I quickly let go of the energy and lick the fresh burn. The smirk on Eric’s face infuriates me. “Are you messing with me?” I yell at him.

  “No, Freya. You’re doing well actually. Listening to your body. Try again.”

  With my eyes closed, I redirect the energy to the point of focus within my nervous system before I release it in my body. When I feel it rush to my wrists, I use my mind power to slow it down and actually stop its flow like Eric instructed me. But then I’m at a loss. I don’t know how to thin out the energy before it gets to my hands.

  I glance up to Eric in frustration.

  “You’re in charge, Freya,” he says. “You can do it.”

  I look down at my swollen wrists and in a flash of revelation redirect some of the energy back up in my arms while opening up the passage to my hands for the remaining current. The energy field leaps up on my palms in a small steady stream. I am astounded. The energy flows continuously from hand to hand so effortlessly it feels like I’ve been doing it my whole life.

  “Good. Now rest a while,” Eric says. “I have a story to tell you.”

  *

  MALZOD AND KROLL catch up with me on my way to the garden. I note the increased speed of their stride and realize something has happened.

  “What is it?” I say, feeling my lungs tighten.

  “There’s news from the scouting teams,” Malzod says. “Rabbit and Scout are being held in a village.”

  “Where, Malzod? Which village?” I ask excitedly.

  Malzod opens up a map he’s been holding. “It’s number 58 in the navigation charts.”

  I study the map but can barely read the small digits.

  “We have to extract them as soon as possible so we can put our plan in motion,” Kroll says.

  “Yes, of course. And I need to be there to help,” I say. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for but instead of feeling relief, I grow intense and hostile.

  “Why you?” Malzod says raising his eyebrows.

  “I’m finally better at controlling my energy fields. It will be like stealing candy from a baby. And I want Scout and Rabbit to see a familiar face when they are rescued.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Kroll says.

  “No, you won’t. I have someone else in mind.”

  Kroll and Malzod do their best to take the task upon themselves, but they both know me well enough. It’s impossible to change my mind.

  Walking away from them the air smells sweet from the growing buds in the new flowerbeds across the walls of the dorms. I walk past the splendid colors all the way to the Saviors’ quarters.

  I know in my heart that this is the right thing to do, that passing on a chance for reconciliation and forgiveness is a sign of great ignorance. I imagine Damian’s face when I tell him that we can finally have our mission together. The one that will liberate our beloved friends.

  He’s not in his room, so I head for the common areas. When I don’t find him in HQ or the dining hall, I take my touchpad out. As I’m about to send him a message, Nya and Zoe approach.

  “What’s up?” Zoe says.

  “I need to find Damian. Have you seen him?”

  “I believe he was by the fields, not long ago,” Nya says.

  “Okay, thanks,” I say as I race off for the fields. I won’t calm down until I tell Damian that I’m sorry and it’s time to put our silly arguments behind us.

  I spot him on a bench with Daphne. They can’t see me as I approach from behind. They are laughing and she has her hand on his hair.

  I freeze on the spot not sure if I should take another step.

  He puts his arms around her. “I let you down once,” he says. “I won’t let you down again.”

  I retreat as quietly as possible leaving them alone. I don’t feel anger or disappointment or frustration. I am just empty.

  19

  Despite the dangers involved, Dom flies Finn and me to the plantation district with the only space pod remaining in Spring Town. I have added to the pod’s stealth capabilities with an extra energy shield.

  Know my strengths, know my weaknesses, I tell myself as the space pod lands in an open brown field. Finn jumped at the offer to accompany me on the mission to save Rabbit and Scout. I now realize Finn should have been my choice all along. The four of us used to be practically a family back in our camp days. Finn and I should be the ones to save them.

  The land is dried up all around for miles but turns gradually greener as we make our way to the big woods that we both know so well.

  I drop our protective shield as soon as we travel under the cover of the trees. It’s good to be free of the task of creating energy. I can finally relax and take in the wild beauty of our old stomping grounds.

  The plan is to meet the three Dark Legion scouts a mile north of the village where Rabbit and Scout are being held. The midday sun’s intense heat penetrates the foliage and lands squarely on our backs. The scouts have told us nothing of the condition of our friends and that has me worried.

  It’s been two weeks since Daphne fell from the sky and we still don’t have a final plan of where and how we should strike the aliens. If all goes well today, it might give us the push we need to move forward.

  “Tell me about South America,” Finn says out of the blue.

  “South America?” I repeat like a sudden reflex.

  “You spent over a week down there. You and what’s his name?”

  “Ha, you’re so funny.”

  “Was it as hot down there as this sweat box we call home?”

  I wipe the sweat off my forehead. “I was drifting in and out of consciousness for the most part. I can barely remember. I had a fever.”

  Finn puts an arm around me. “It’s a miracle you survived.”

  “I’d be dead if it weren’t for Damian,” I say pensively.

  “Always your hero,” Finn says with no ill intent.

  I’ve never told Finn, or anyone else, that Damian called for the Empress to help us. It’s a secret I decide to keep one more time. I don’t want anyone to connect Damian with the Empress and blame him for the bitch getting my DNA. They would question Damian’s motives. He is above reproach in my eyes and I want them to see him the same way.

  We cut through an area so dense with vegetation, it seems as if we’ve changed climate zones. Sunrays can barely reach the ground and as the forest gets darker and cooler it gives our frying heads a pleasant respite.

  It all seems to be going smoothly until I trip over an exposed, overgrown root and land on my knees and hands. “Ouch,” I say a second before I realize the ground is trembling violently. “What’s going on?”

  “Earthquake,” Finn answers. “A strong one.”

  It’s been a while since the last earthquake, but they always happen here and they are known to cause major damage to facilities. And I’ve been terrified of them since I was a child.

  “Well, we should be safe here in the woods,” I say.

  “Sure,” Finn says. “Unless the ground opens up to swallow us.”

  “You’ve been watching disaster films on Exodus,” I say. “Ella likes to hug you during the scary parts.”

  “Not anymore,” Finn says dismissively.

  “Trouble in Paradise?” I say.

  “Tick, do shut up.”

  I almost laugh. I don’t mind that they have broken up and I know it makes me a bad person. “That’s a surprise. Ella is like madly in love with you.” Maybe my guilt made m
e say that last bit per Ella’s request.

  Finn doesn’t respond. Time for a new subject.

  “I miss Rabbit so much it hurts,” I say.

  “They’re both part of who we are,” Finn says. It feels like an accusation.

  The Saviors were a family. We’ve been fractured and separated for far too long. I become determined to get us all back together. It’s the only way to feel whole again. Maybe then we can see a path forward.

  My knee suffered the worst part of the fall. I limp on behind Finn trying not to cause any delay. Finn occasionally turns back to check on me.

  “So, you won’t talk about Ella?” I don’t know why I said it.

  “Right after you talk about South America. You’ve never mentioned any details about your injury or how you ended up in Plantation-15.”

  He has cornered me. Not to talk about South America, at this point, would be as good as a confession. Finn would know I’m hiding something.

  “There was this one thing that happened that was really strange actually,” I finally say.

  “How so?”

  “Damian discovered this crack in the back of the cave we took shelter in. He managed to remove a whole block of rock and carried me down a tunnel.”

  Finn comes to a halt to watch me as I talk. “Are you serious?”

  “It was strange,” I go on. “A manmade tunnel leading to a hot spring.”

  “Wow, that is strange,” Finn agrees.

  “I was so close to dying, Finn. I was fighting an infection that had taken over my body. I could barely keep my eyes open and there was that sparkly, colorful spring that smelt like wild flowers and salts.”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t a dream?”

  “Oh, I’m sure. Damian was overcome with pain and worry over my condition. I’m sure he believed I’d never get out of there alive. That’s when he asked me to marry him.”

  Finn laughs. “Now I know you were hallucinating.”

  It’s sweet how he tries to find amusement in everything. “It’s true,” I insist. “Damian said he wanted to marry me and I said yes.” I pause for effect. “And then we did it.”

  “Oh, please. I don’t want to know.”

  “No, silly. I meant we exchanged vows.”

  Finn just about chokes. “You are insane,” he says. “Positively, definitely insane. Both of you.”

  His astonishment is amusing and endearing like Finn himself. “It doesn’t matter,” I say. “Damian and I are in a very bad place right now and it’s mostly my fault but the fact that we’re having so many arguments tells me that there’s something fundamentally wrong with our relationship.”

  “Does Daphne have anything to do with that?”

  I consider his words. “Yes and no. It’s true that he’s mesmerized and can’t even consider the possibility that things might not be what they seem but if I had handled things better…”

  We walk in silence for a while listening only to our footsteps. “Did you know I kissed Daphne once?” Finn says.

  “No way. You’re making it up.”

  “Honest. She kissed me once when she was having her visions of death and was going down a very dangerous path.”

  I am stunned at Finn’s willingness to talk about these things. He’s going through a lot of turmoil and changes of his own.

  The silence of the forest seeps deep into our souls. Centuries ago, people would come to the woods on an excursion or to celebrate a holiday. They’d come here with their families and friends. The children would sing and tease each other, they’d be chasing each other and die of laughter when they got caught. They’d sit by a fire like Eric and tell stories.

  “The thing about Ella,” Finn says interrupting my thoughts. “She lied to me. Or rather she omitted an important truth.”

  I smile. “How many times have I lied to you?”

  “Plenty. And Ella has lied before herself. This is different.”

  Ella wasn’t exaggerating. Things must be really bad between them. “If you think that you have to tell me all this, you don’t.”

  “Ella forgot to tell me she was trying to get pregnant.”

  My jaw drops so hard it almost dislocates. “And is she?”

  “No, she’s not. Unless she’s lying about that too.”

  I don’t know what to say. I’ve never heard such bitterness in his voice. But Ella’s deception could be too much even for him. Not that I’m in any position to judge. I’ve done some pretty awful things myself.

  Then I remember a conversation I overheard long ago between Ella and Lainey. Lainey was telling Ella that Finn would understand and that Ella would prevail in the end. I’d hate to think she was trying to entrap Finn all this time.

  “I see I made you speechless,” Finn says.

  Being speechless is often the best solution. I decide to go with it and breathe in the fresh scent of the tall trees and their overhanging branches. Finn and I used to be good at being silent together.

  There is a kind of beauty in isolation that cannot be put into words. I wonder if the creatures of the forest feel that loneliness, if they allow it to circulate in their bones and in their blood when they go out in search of food.

  A wave of thunder strikes high above the trees. Finn has walked ahead of me. I see him bend over. Something has gotten his attention.

  At first I don’t know what has happened. The ground begins to shake out of control and the trees echo terrible cracking sounds.

  Everything slows down. My breathing deafens me. I try to run but stumble with each step. Up ahead Finn turns back with terror in his eyes just as the Earth opens up and swallows him whole.

  *

  MY MIND NUMBS. The trees close in on me and the world becomes soundless and frozen. A raccoon scurries by and startles me from my haze.

  I crawl to the place where Finn vanished, fearing that the ground opened up with the earthquake like he had predicted. Agonizing with the thought of losing Finn forever, I lean over the edge of the gaping hole. I close my eyes and exhale when I see the hole has a visible bottom and Finn’s lying down on his back staring at me.

  The gap is about thirty feet deep but, luckily, Finn knows how to land.

  “Finn,” I yell, “are you okay?”

  “I’m alive,” he yells back.

  My heart skips a beat at hearing his voice. “I thought the Earth had swallowed you.”

  “It’s a Sliman hunting trap. The quake widened the edges just as I was examining it.”

  “You knew there was a trap?” I say astounded.

  “A lot of good that did me.”

  “C’mon, get up. You have to climb out.”

  He moans when he tries to push himself up. He barely moves.

  “Finn,” I plead with him. “Get up.”

  He makes an effort. Painfully, he climbs to his feet but quickly collapses.

  “I’m afraid I’ve broken a bone or two,” he says.

  “Dammit,” I murmur through my teeth.

  “You’ll have to do this without me,” he says. “Find the guards, get Rabbit and Scout and then come back for me.”

  “You’re crazy,” I yell out. “The Sliman could have sensors here.”

  “All the more reason for you to go now.”

  “I’m not afraid of a few Slimies. They’re no match for me. But you’ll be toast if they find you in this condition.”

  “Just go and come back as soon as you get Rabbit and Scout.”

  “I’m getting you out,” I say, angry at him for his desire to be a martyr.

  Finn says nothing. He closes his eyes and stays motionless. I am afraid there is internal bleeding.

  “We have a mission,” he finally says without opening his eyes. “ You can’t waste any more time. Just go, Tick.”

  Before he’s finished, I’ve looped my rope and found some strong roots to tie it to. I check the rope’s resistance and strength and cut the extra length off. Then I loop the other side around my waist to prevent a free fall.

&n
bsp; “Tick,” Finn calls out weakly to me.

  Without a word, I move over to the edge and get a good grip on the rope with both hands as I begin my descent.

  “You’ll get us both captured,” Finn says. “Climbing down a rope is a lot harder than you think.”

  “That’s why I got my gloves on,” I yell, a little bit irritated at his whining.

  “You brought gloves?”

  “Boy, you think me an amateur. Now, stop talking.”

  I wrap my legs tight around the rope to create some friction so I don’t depend completely on my hands and arms. I thank my good luck for having pants on despite the heat instead of shorts.

  The climb down is hard and extremely demanding on my muscles but when I jump down the last few feet and next to Finn, I want to scream with happiness. The way back up might prove impossible for me.

  I collapse next to my best friend trying to catch my breath. The ground is hard and there are piles of rocks around the walls.

  He’s laughing through his pain. “Bravo,” he says. “You’ve come a long way just to be trapped.”

  “You never believe in me.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Shut up. We have to do this fast so we can get the hell out of here. You’ll have to carry me up, by the way.”

  Finn shakes his head but he doesn’t talk back. I check every bone in his body applying pressure and flexing joints, causing him severe agony and excruciating pain several times. I conclude he’s got a broken ankle, a broken collar bone and at least three cracked ribs. I suspect more hairline fractures and a lot of bruising but we’ll have to deal with those later.

  “How did you manage all that?” I say giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before removing his shoe and sock. I focus inwardly to generate the right amount of white light.

  I combine Eric’s suggestions with my own experiences to control the flow and not overexert my body. Even with a receptor, the white light has always been the most taxing on me.

  The light is weak at first, but gradually grows into restorative energy. I bathe his mangled ankle in the white glow.

  “Move your foot,” I order Finn when I’m done. He does as I say and is able to move his foot and toes effortlessly.