Blood Calls

by Andrew Wichland

  “Well, this is certainly our lucky day,” he said eagerly. “We now possess two slaves of great quality.”

  Robin eyed him, trying hard to hide his disgust as the canberus drooled a little in excitement.

  Then it said, “Both he and the other are at least ten times stronger and faster, and they can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell far greater than our standard merchandise.”

  “I think caution is warranted, Valarka,” the centaur said. “We don’t even know what they are. And you forget that those sensory strengths are also weaknesses, considering sudden bursts could hinder and disable them.”

  Valarka looked up at the centaur. “Isn’t it obvious, Karon, that they’re biologically engineered? Probably before they were born.”

  Karon shot Valarka a look and then stepped closer to Robin.

  “What is this?” the centaur demanded, tapping Robin’s bracelet with the tip of his spear. “The other has one quite similar to it.”

  “It monitors my organ functions,” Robin said, by thinking fast. “Without constant monitoring, they fail.”

  Robin locked eyes with the centaur. “In other words, take it off or damage it, and I could have a heart attack just walking.”

  For a couple seconds, there was silence. Karon stepped closer. “And why should we believe that?”

  Robin smiled. “We all know how temperamental and unpredictable bioengineering is. Can you really take that risk?”

  The pair looked at each other. Finally, Karon commanded, “Computer, scan the bracelet around his wrist and decipher its functions!”

  At once the scanner dropped down to be level with the bracelet. After scanning it, a holographic image appeared and rotated in the air.

  “Analyses:

  “Metallurgy: unknown.

  “Power source: unknown.

  “Function: Neuro connections, heart monitor, organ monitor…”

  “Enough!” Valarka barked, coming forward. “It seems he was telling the truth.” He turned his eyeless sockets. “Now that we know that we can sell them for the highest price, let’s get this over with. Computer, finish processing.”

  Looking at the scanner, Robin watched as a spray injector was brought forward.

  “What the heck is that for?” He started to struggle.

  “A little this, a little that,” Karon said as it came closer and closer to Robin’s upper arm. “But you’ll always remember this as your last moment of freedom.”

  As the tip came into contact with Robin’s deltoid, it made a slight hissing sound. Robin bared his teeth in slight pain and discomfort.

  “Knock him out and put him with the rest!” Karon snapped. The pair turned and left.

  As soon as the door closed, Robin saw nozzles slide out from the wall. As some type of gas hissed from the nozzles, he was knocked out cold.

  Chapter 6

  Freya

  Some time later, Robin woke up on a hard surface and rolled onto his back.

  “Easy there, son,” a gentle voice said.

  “What the heck was that?” Robin moaned, his hand covering his eyes.

  “Knockout gas,” the voice said. “Though frankly, I’ve never seen them use so much to knock out a single person.”

  “I’m not sure I should take that as a compliment,” Robin said. He sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Especially the way my head feels.”

  He opened his eyes and immediately noticed the ragged clothes he was now wearing. Then he jerked back. An Anubis was sitting before him, bent over him in concern. “You’re a… you’re a…”

  “An Anubis,” he said, nodding and resting his back against the wall. “And judging from your reaction, the last time you met one of my people, it wasn’t a pleasant experience.” He raised one arm, resting his hand on a bent knee.

  Letting his eyes roam over the Anubis, Robin nodded. “You could say that.” He shifted to move fast if he had to.

  “I am sorry to hear that,” the Anubis said, and Robin thought he heard genuine sorrow in his voice. “Please, there is no need to fear me. After all…” He lifted his arm to show the laser shackle. “We’re both prisoners.”

  Robin took note of the drone collar around his neck, his gold veins, and his lower jaw.

  “I guess you’re right about that,” Robin said, feeling himself relax a little.

  The Anubis cocked a smile. “Not to worry. You’re not the first to react like that. And you won’t be the last.”

  For a moment, the pair looked at each other. Then Robin smiled, shaking his head.

  “I guess that’s true,” he said and offered his hand. “I’m… I’m Robin.”

  The Anubis paused and then took Robin’s hand in a firm handshake.

  “You may know me as Tekmet,” he said. “But I suggest from here on out you call me 1967191799.”

  Robin chuckled. “Like hell am I going to refer to anyone by a number or answer to one.”

  “We thought that way at one point,” Tekmet said, “but eventually we all had to submit. It has to do with the injection.”

  “What was it?”

  “Nanites.”

  Robin stared at the Anubis. “Well, that explains a few things,” he finally said. “With those little bastards in our blood, they can track us, give us a nasty shock, or…” He looked away.

  “Blow us up,” Tekmet finished. “If we try to escape.”

  “Does anyone have any idea what their range is?” Robin asked.

  Tekmet just looked at him. “No one has lived long enough to find out,” he said solemnly. “And I suggest you don’t join the ranks of those who try.”

  “You’re certainly more cautious than the last Anubis I met. At least he didn’t encourage us to just give up.”

  “Really…” Tekmet said slowly. “Tell me, who was that Anubis?’

  “Maltanore,” Robin said, and Tekmet jerked forward, his mouth parted. “Only he didn’t fare as well as I did.”

  “How so?” Tekmet demanded.

  Smiling, Robin said, “Well, to explain, I think I’ll fill you in on the oldest and best possible way to pass on a secret. Lean forward.”

  When Tekmet leaned forward, Robin said, “I’ll whisper in your ear.”

  Then he whispered, “I separated his head from his shoulders.”

  When he drew back, Tekmet was staring at him.

  “Is there a girl here?” Robin asked.

  Tekmet waved his hands. “Quite a few.”

  “How about one with long black hair, my height, eyes that change color, and three-pointed ears?”

  Tekmet frowned, rubbing his chin in thought. “That sounds like 918—” he started, stopping halfway. He and Robin looked at each other. “That sounds like Freya,” he finally said.

  “Freya?” Robin asked. He could feel his heart fill with hope.

  “Yeah, I’ve known her since she was a child. Which isn’t saying much, considering how old she is. We went through several masters and mistresses together.”

  He jabbed his thumb to the side. “She’s over there, seeing to an injured woman.”

  Robin’s head whipped around. At once he spotted Freya. She was tying a strip of cloth from her clothes around a cut on a woman’s leg.

  “Thanks,” Robin said. He climbed to his feet and started toward her.

  A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind. What kind of person is she? Have they broken her? How long has she been living this life? Will she believe what I am about to tell her? Does she have one of the missing armors?

  As he drew close, Freya paused and slowly looked up at him. Her ragged clothes were so worn, Robin was surprised they were still in one piece. As she shifted her arm, he caught sight of the unmistakable bracelet around her wrist. It bore a light, sky-blue crystal that, like his, was pulsing regularly with colored light.

  “I haven’t seen you before,” she said, her eyes going up and down his frame. “You must be new.”

  “You could say that,” Robin said. He sat next to
her. “It seems you have a healer’s touch.”

  She said, “Considering that treatments are far and few between, we all have to look out for each other.”

  She finished tying off the makeshift bandage. The woman nodded her thanks, carefully climbed to her feet, and limped away to join another group.

  “Tekmet tells me your name is Freya,” he said, and she froze.

  Slowly she turned to look at Robin and then at Tekmet.

  “It’s rare for him to open up to people,” she finally said. “Especially new arrivals. That he would tell you my name when my designation is—”

  She shifted slightly back, as if she felt a little uncomfortable under the intensity of Robin’s gaze.

  “I will not call you by a number,” Robin interrupted firmly. “And I don’t want you to do so ever again.”

  Instead of replying, she finally stared boldly back at him. Eventually she said, “Even though you know what would happen if I do that? Anyway, why do you care?”

  Biting his lip, he tried to steady his nerves. “Because… I think we both know that I’m your brother.”

  Chapter 7

  Never Take My Soul

  Freya stared at Robin with a deep frown. “And what makes you think you’re my brother?” she asked skeptically.

  Despite the disbelieving tone in her voice, Robin couldn’t keep the smile from his face. He shook his head and asked, “How many people do you know with eyes that change color like ours?”

  Her eyes narrowed as she looked into his.

  “Or three-pointed ears like these,” Robin said, shifting his hair to reveal his ears. “Or a necklace like this,” he said, lifting his chain to bring the dragon tooth into her line of sight.

  She clasped her necklace in her hand.

  Then Robin added, “And we both know that you’ve known since the first time we saw each other.”

  She blinked in confusion. “When was that?”

  “When you were being transferred,” Robin answered.

  Again she blinked. He continued, “But then I was covered in high-tech armor. Even so, you looked at me quite frequently.”

  For a second, she remained silent. Then she turned to fully face him. “No, that can’t be right…” she said, eyeing him. “That was a sentinel.”

  Robin explained. “Like I said, I wore high-tech armor. Have you ever seen a sentinel that looked how I looked then?”

  She lowered her gaze. Finally, she said, “Can’t say that I have.”

  Then her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “So where is this supposed armor you wore?”

  Robin glanced around and nodded toward Tekmet. He gestured for Freya to follow him to the Anubis.

  “Let’s discuss it back there, not here.”

  To his relief, she followed him, and they both sat down beside Tekmet.

  “Okay,” Freya said. “It’s just us for now. Where is this armor?”

  For a moment, Tekmet looked at them both with confusion. Then, before Robin could reply, the Anubis held up Robin’s hand.

  “Freya,” Tekmet said, “this boy’s bracelet is just like yours. It’s here.” He showed her the bracelet.

  Freya quickly lowered her gaze to the bracelet on her own wrist. Then she snorted.

  “Ha, ha, this is our armor? What happened to the rest of it?” She continued to laugh. “Did your armor vanish into thin air?”

  Robin was only half-paying attention to her. His eyes were on Tekmet. “You know what this is, don’t you?” he asked in a low tone.

  The Anubis frowned. “Actually, I do. But I was beginning to believe they were only a myth.”

  His serious tone and expression seemed to silence Freya. She said, “Tekmet, what are—”

  He quickly placed his hand over her mouth.

  “Quiet, Child!” he hissed, his eyes searching everywhere. “No one else must hear us. And cover those bracelets up, both of you!”

  He tore two strips of cloth from his clothes and handed one to each of them.

  “Tekmet, what is going on?” Freya asked. She covered her bracelet just as Robin finished wrapping his.

  “If he’s telling the truth,” Tekmet said, “then these bracelets contain the legendary armors of the knights.”

  Freya stared. “The knights? As in the Dragon Knights in the fairy tales you used to tell me and the other children?”

  “As I have told you many times, Freya, fairy tales and legends often have the ring of truth to them. And they can in the darkest times bring us into the light.”

  Tekmet looked at Robin. “Why are you here? How were you captured if you are a Dragon Knight?”

  “I came for my sister,” Robin answered simply, tilting his head toward Freya.

  “Sister…” Tekmet muttered, eyes wide. “Are you Jun and Chikako’s boy?”

  Robin blinked in shock when he heard his parents’ names. “How do you… how do know them?”

  “I only met Jun once,” Tekmet said. “On the other hand, I have known Chikako for years. She even saved my life a couple times.”

  Robin stared.

  “Now tell me the truth,” Tekmet said. He leaned his snouted face so close that Robin could smell his dog breath. The Anubis whispered, “Are these truly the legendary armors?” He glanced at Freya. “Does this mean both of you are knights?”

  Knowing that his answer would bear the weight of a starship and would forever change lives, Robin nodded.

  “Yes,” he said simply. “We are both Dragon Knights.”

  Tekmet inhaled a puff of air and sat back. His voice grew lighter as he said, “Then I hope you have a plan for getting out of here.”

  “Well, step one is complete,” Robin replied. He turned to Freya. “Get to Freya.”

  “And step two?” Freya asked.

  Smiling, Robin uncovered his bracelet. “Give them hell,” he answered. The crystal pulsed steadily. He focused to expand his armor. However, like before, nothing happened.

  “Not again,” Robin growled. He rapped the bracelet with his knuckles. “I thought I had this solved back on the ship!”

  Freya looked at him for a moment. Then her gaze shifted to Tekmet and back to Robin.

  “Well,” she said. They both looked at her. “I don’t know about the two of you, but I’ve had all the excitement I can take for one day.” She climbed to her feet.

  “Freya…” Tekmet said, reaching for her.

  “They’re fairy tales!” she hissed quietly, whipping around to face them. “They’re nothing!”

  Then she turned to Robin. “As for you…you may be my brother, you may be not. But remember this… I am a slave! I have been a slave since I was a small child, when our village was taken because I wandered among a couple scouts that had landed on our world. For that I deserve this life!”

  She waved her finger at him angrily. “Whoever, you are, you are trying to give me the worst gift for a slave! You are trying to give me hope! To give a person hope and then let it get ripped away…that would break even the strongest person.”

  Then she whipped around and stalked away, leaving silence in her wake as the two watched her go.

  After a moment, Robin slowly turned to Tekmet. “Is it true?”

  Tekmet looked at the floor. “No matter how many times I’ve told her it wasn’t her fault, and despite what everyone else says, she still blames herself for what happened,” he said. “She may have looked like a teenager, but she was still just a child. To shoulder that kind of blame and ridicule. Over the years, I’ve done my best to keep her hope and spirits alive…and I have always loved her as a father.”

  As Robin stared at Tekmet, the Anubis climbed to his feet and walked away, leaving Robin alone. He lowered his gaze to glare at his still-pulsing bracelet.

  For an uncounted amount of time, Robin remained where he was, leaving only for food and water from their dispensers, getting to know a few people while he did. But when he approached Freya again, she turned and walked away from him without a word.

&
nbsp; With no way to keep time after what seemed like days, Robin still sat alone, staring at the bracelet. It continued to refuse to deploy, and he glared at it.

  “Still at it?” Tekmet asked as he approached.

  Robin looked at him and nodded. “I don’t know why it’s not working… but I know that it’s our best chance to get out of this mess.” He looked over at Freya, who was teaching a clapping game to a few small children. “She still won’t talk to me?”

  Tekmet shook his head.

  Before Robin could speak again, a large grinding sound from above filled his ears.

  “What’s happening?” Robin heard someone ask.

  “Unless I’m very much mistaken,” Tekmet said, “a ship is docking.”

  Soon silence fell. All eyes went to the hatch on the far wall. Robin waited quietly with the group. At last, the door slid open with a mighty hiss, and Valarka appeared with a man bearing a staff.

  The canberus spoke only to the man by his side. “As you can see, we have many great specimens.” He waved one pawed hand. “Please, all are available for your temporary will.”

  Smiling, the man stepped closer to the group. “Yes…very nice,” he said. He cupped the chin of a young girl so that she would have to look at him.

  Robin froze in horror as the man moved through the crowd and stopped before Freya. He watched as he examined her, turning her head left and right.

  “Well, aren’t you a beauty?” he said. “You’ll do.” Then he turned back toward the door, grasping Freya by her upper arm.

  “Hey!” At once the man froze. All eyes turned to Robin as he strode forward. “Get your hands—”

  He was cut off when a surge of pain shot through him. It was like his blood was being electrocuted and on fire all at once. He dropped to all fours, teeth bared and clenched hard in pain.

  At the door, Valarka pressed a button on his remote. “I apologize,” the canberus said to the man as he released the button.

  The pain slowly ebbed, and Robin breathed deeply.

  Valarka continued, “He’s newly captured and has yet to learn his place.”

  Robin raised his murderous gaze to the pair.

  “Well, then it’s time he learned,” the man said as Robin regained his feet.