Post by Pajamzee on Apr 5, 2015 16:17:00 GMT
Yup. Take two. You know, I'm just gonna re-post the stuff I've written.
First up: The Epic of Peadair Cian (Which is now slightly different than what it was)
The Cian’s house, 8:32 A.M.
Britt sat up in her bed and yawned. The sun filtered through the yellow curtains and the kitten at the end of her bed looked up at her with large, green eyes.
‘’Good morning, Hobbes.’’ Britt said sleepily.
She got up and slipped her blue slippers on, quickly combed through her bobbed, blonde hair with her fingers, opened the door to her small room and walked down the stairs. Hobbes followed closely behind his loving owner, who picked him up and carried him down with her.
The stairs, like the rest of the old Irish house, were creaky. But Britt didn’t mind. The eight- teen year old was raised in an orphanage in England, North of Liverpool. It was a very unpleasant place on the edge of the town; it wasn’t even on the maps. Britt was sure that if it was on the map the government would have done something about it, maybe even putting in a new, much needed roof.
Her father had left her there when his wife had died, thinking that he couldn’t take care of such a young thing.
But only five years ago Britt had taken matters into her own hands. Judging on her looks, she asked Captain Peadair Alastar Cian to take her to Ireland, where she might find her family. As it turns out, Peadair just happened to be her father; and of course he adopted her back.
So you see, Britt would never mind this rickety, creaky, smelly old house. It was her home, and with all luck it always would be.
Britt walked in to the kitchen and saw her father, whom she called Ada, reading off of a small, rectangular piece of paper. Hobbes jumped down from Britt’s arms and went over to his food bowl. Seeing it was empty, he started to meow. Britt went over to the fridge and got an open half can of tuna and dumped it into his small bowl. Hobbes ate hungrily.
Peadair was a tall man, 6’ 3’’, and had built the house when he was only Britt’s age. His face was weather- tanned, having been the Captain of the Lollar Namara and sailing over the world with his exotic fish. His brown and graying hair was trimmed and well kept, his blue eyes always searching and steady.
Britt leaned over the back of his chair and read it over his shoulder. ‘’Good morning, Ada. What are you reading?’’ she asked.
Peadair frowned and stroked his chin.
‘’Well, Britt, there is a lot that you don’t know about me yet. And one of those things I never planned on telling you, ever. But I see now that I have to, lil’ lass. You see, I was- you know, just read the letter.’’
His voice was deep and reassuring with a thick Irish accent, but there was a hint of fear this morning.
Britt did read it, and looked up alarmed.
‘’S.P.I?’’ she asked.
‘’Secret Police Investigations.’’
‘’And they want you to do what now? You’re a spy? Since when? What is going here?’’ Britt’s brown eyes reflected the fear in her heart.
‘’I just got you back, Ada. This isn’t going to be long, is it? And really, since when were you a spy? Is this a joke?’’ she asked, flummoxed.
‘’No, lil’ lass. This is no joke. I’ve been a secret agent for a very long time, and I never thought they would call me back. They let me retire when I married your Mama, and I really did think that would be the end of my days working with S.P.I. I was wrong.’’
Britt looked at him with unbelieving eyes. ‘’You don’t say. So you’re just going to go chasing a man who is apparently from the future? Really?’’
Peadair chose his words carefully. ‘’Yes, I am. But Britt, we aren’t just trying to put him back in his own time period for everyone’s own good. He wants you dead.’’
Britt frowned, thinking thorough this. ‘’How do they know he wants me dead and why would he want me dead?’’ she demanded.
‘’They know because they had him, but he escaped. Very easily, I might add. Right through the wall; he scrambled the molecules and atoms to do it, quite fascinating, really. He wants you dead because your descendant doesn’t like the way he does things. You might say that this man, Tyre, is sort of out for revenge. Only he is doing it in a much different way than most assassins would.’’
Britt gulped. ‘’Assassin?’’
Peadair realized his mistake. ‘’Well, in a way…’’ he trailed off miserably for such a big man.
‘’Then I’m coming with you.’’ Britt said mater- of- fact -ly.
Peadair started. ‘’No, you most certainly are not! He is trying to kill you Britt, wouldn’t we just be making it easier for him if you, young and inexperienced, tag along with a bunch of trained men?’’
Britt smirked. ‘’Maybe. But it would be even easier for him if I stayed here alone.’’
Peadair realized he was caught and put his head in his hands, relenting. ‘’All right then, lass. But if you die, don’t blame me.’’
‘’I won’t. And Ada, what did you mean by ‘a bunch of trained men’? Are you referring to yourself as more than one person now?’’
It was Peadair’s turn to smirk. ‘’Did you really think we would be going alone? Of course not. I’m not all that stupid. We will be going with the Reed brothers. All of them cunning, all of them quick with a pistol, and all of them good Christian men. Don’t worry.’’
Britt groaned. ‘’Really? I thought this was just going to be us.’’
Peadair’s smile was wide enough to split the sky. ‘’I know. Now go pack your stuff, but only enough to fit in here.’’ He hauled a large purse out from under the table.
Britt gasped. ‘’You knew I would try to trick you into taking me!’’
‘’Of course I did. Now get moving soldier! Hup two three four! Hup two thre-‘’
‘’Thanks, I get it!’’ Britt said, and then hurried up the stairs to her room.
‘’Let’s see,’’ she muttered, ‘’Am I going crazy? I just volunteered myself to capture a guy named Tyre who is from the future and wants me dead so that my heirs never exist… yup. I am officially crazy!’’
Britt rolled her eyes. ‘’And now I’m even talking to myself. What gives?’’
Beara Peninsula Four- Way Stop 12:47 A.M.
‘’So where are we meeting them again?’’ Britt asked.
Peadair stopped at a red light at the intersection and tapped the steering wheel impatiently.
‘’I told you already. We are going to meet the Reed brothers on Beara peninsula. More specifically, the Ardgroom stone circle. It’s far enough away from the main town that we shouldn’t run into tourists.’’
‘’Okay. Ada, I have to admit that I’m a bit scared. I mean, El-‘’
Peadair cut her off. ‘’Don’t say it. We told them that we would never speak of them; even among ourselves.’’
Britt frowned. ‘’Okay then. Our adventure five years ago was one thing; but this is entirely different! I don’t know how I’m gonna handle it if we have to fight Tyre.’’
Peadair concentrated on the road. ‘’I know Britt. But you have your pistol, and you have me, and you’ll have the Reed brothers.’’
‘’I don’t want to use the pistol, Ada.’’
Peadair nodded. ‘’And I don’t want you to have to use the pistol, but you never know what might happen.’’
Britt nodded. ‘’What were their names again?’’
‘’Who’s?’’
‘’The Reed brothers.’’
‘’Britt, there is absolutely no reason for me to tell you. You’ll just forget; again.’’
‘’Come on, please?’’
‘’Very well, lil’ lass,’’ he sighed, ‘’ the oldest is Cody, then Cole, then Carter, then Carson. Their sister’s name is Clemintine, but she isn’t coming along on this one. She decided to help D’Angelo, their father. He fell sick a few months ago and still hasn’t gotten better.’’
‘’Ouch. Cole, Cody, Carter, Carson. Right?’’
‘’Right.’’
‘’Boy, that’s a lot of c’s. How much longer?’’
‘’Actually, Britt, we’re here.’’
The car ground to a halt on the stone of the shoulder of the road. Britt and Peadair both got out, glad to have the chance to stretch their legs after the two hour long drive.
‘’Really? ‘Cause I don’t see anybody or anything.’’
Peadair raised an eyebrow. ‘’I told you Britt, we work undercover. There is a reason you can’t see them.’’
Britt still looked into the distance trying to see if she could spot them. ‘’I still don’t see them.’’
‘’Nor will you, lil’ lass, not like that. Follow me.’’
The weeds in the field were tall and thick, and Britt had some trouble pushing through them.
Peadair, of course, did not have any trouble at all; seeing how tall he is.
‘’Cody!’’ Peadair bellowed across the field.
A young man with black hair and tan skin jumped out of the weeds two yards to their right.
‘’For pity’s sake, Cian, we are under cover if you hadn’t noticed!’’
Peadair pointed an accusing finger at Cody. ‘’Yes, and anyone could have called out your name and you would yell out mine like you just did, revealing the both of us! Please, Cody, try to use your brains.’’
Cody blushed in embarrassment. ‘’So, that was a test?’’
‘’Yes; what did you think it was?’’
‘’Well, sir, I should have known it was a test.’’
‘’Yes, you should have.’’ Peadair grimaced. ‘’I hope you aren’t always so rash.’’
Cody hung his head. ‘’We aren’t sir.’’
Peadair sighed and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. ‘’There is going to be a change of plan. Get your brothers. We have to hurry; I believe the man we are supposed to be tracking is tracking us.’’
Cody fingered the pistol in its holder on his hip. ‘’Don’t worry sir.’’
Peadair caught the gesture and his eyes narrowed. ‘’No, Cody. Not that way. This is not that type of mission; Tyre is to be caught alive and put back into his own time.’’
‘’Yes sir. I’m sorry.’’
‘’Don’t be sorry, just go get your brothers. I’ll meet you at Taste, but don’t use our real names, please. It wouldn’t take much for him to identify me, tall as I am, but it might keep him at bay.’’
Cody frowned. ‘’You expect him to be there?’’
Peadair raised both eyebrows in a peculiar fashion. ‘’Of course I do. After all, he wouldn’t just come to our time period unprepared.’’
‘’Yes, sir.’’
Taste, Beara Peninsula 1:26 P.M.
In the small town of Beara was an even smaller café by the name of Taste, and there a question haunted Britt. Finally, she could keep it in no more.
‘’How will he recognize us? We’ve never seen him before, have we?’’
Peadair gazed calmly at her, as if being chased down by villains who knew your identity but you didn’t know their’s was completely normal. ‘’No, of course we have not seen him. However, he has seen us. Both in his own time period through old photographs and in our time period through spying. He is crafty, clever, and covers his trail well Britt, but he did leave cameras in our house. Never a good idea. He knows most of our weaknesses and strengths, which is why I called the Reed brothers to help us. We will need it.’’
Britt grew somber. ‘’It’s that bad?’’
‘’Child, this was never a game. Please understand that. If you wish, I could take you to HQ and they would guard you while we searched for him.’’
Britt tried to balance the facts. Peadair was old, the Reed brothers slightly hasty. She herself was well balanced; she had good common sense, but not much field experience.
‘’No, Ada. Our team together will be perfect. I’ll help; this is my fight after all. He wants me, not you. I won’t put you in danger while I hide away.’’
Peadair gazed at his daughter lovingly, her face so fragile. ‘’My daughter grew up without me. Please forgive me for that, Britt. I made such a mistake giving you away.’’
‘’Of course I forgive you, Ada.’’
Peadair smiled. ‘’Thank you, lil’ lass. Thank you.’’
He glanced toward the door. ‘’And here are the Reed brothers.’’
The Reed brothers. Famed for being the best strike/spy team in S.P.I. Straight over from the Italian base and ready for some real action.
‘’I’m sorry we were late, sah. Car problems. Do you want to see what we found beneath our hood?’’
Carter said, and pulled a small device out of his pocket.
Peadair frowned. ‘’This is a warning,’’ he said, taking the gadget, ‘’He knows where we are and what we are up to. Did you notice anyone following you on the way here? Anything at all unusual?’’
‘’No, sir, all was as it should be.’’ Carson said, not letting Carter get a chance to say anything.
‘’Good,’’ Peadair said, ‘’Let’s get going then.’’
‘’Right.’’ Cody agreed.
Britt blushed, embarrassed to not know the plan. ‘’Um, where exactly are we going?’’
‘’To the old lab where Tyre first got here in his Time Machine. He will need to stay around the Time Machine in order to keep it safe. That’s when we will strike.’’ Cole said, slamming his fist into his palm for added affect.
‘’Ok-ay, but won’t all of the scientists or whatever keep him out?’’
‘’Of course they would, if any worked there. But this one was abandoned a long time ago, too much radioactive activity.’’
Britt gulped. ‘’Radioactive?’’
‘’Yup. Still time to drop out of this gig, you know.’’ Wasn’t he so nice?
‘’No way! I mean, you guys are super cool spies or something, so you probably have some sort of something to keep us from dying from the radiation, right?’’
Cole stared at her with eyes that matched his name. ‘’No.’’
Britt stared back. ‘’Great. So we die of radiation?’’
‘’Again, no. we wear the Rad- Suits or put on the Rad- Foam that are in the lab, left by the guys that worked there.’’
Britt let out air she had unconsciously been holding. ‘’Good.’’
All the Reed brothers burst out laughing, and even Peadair smirked.
‘’To go in there without something protective would be suicide, Britt. Remember, we are top agents. We aren’t stupid.’’ Carson said, being a little more serious.
‘’Okay. Sorry. I’m kinda new to all this spy stuff, even though I have read a few of the Sherlock Holmes stories.’’
‘’Ri-ight. Okay. Peadair, are we going to the airport or driving?’’ Carter asked.
‘’Carter, the lab is in America. Do you really think we could drive? As much as I hate going through the airport security, we don’t really have a choice.’’ Peadair answered.
‘’Ada, what about the pistols? Those cost a lot of money to put on a plane.’’
‘’We are not paying for all of this Britt, S. P. I. is.’’
‘’Oh. You know, I think they are going to hate us.’’
‘’Why?’’ Peadair asked suspiciously, ‘’What are you planning on doing?’’
‘’Do you know how expensive this is going to be? I’ll bet the Reed brothers eat a ton!’’
‘’Hey!’’ Cole objected, ‘’We don’t eat that much!’’
Cork Airport: 4:36 P.M.
‘’This is your captain speaking,‘’ the tinny voice came from the cabin up front of the plane, ‘’We may experience some turbulence and rough areas this trip. The storm is picking up, but we should make it through fine.’’
Britt’s face got a bit white, and the nearest flight attendant noticed. ‘’Don’t worry ‘bout that none, hon. He jus’ likes scaring his passengers a bit. What would you like to drink?’’
Britt scanned her cart of drinks. ‘’Apple juice, please. Are you sure nothing is wrong?’’
The elderly flight attendant chuckled. ‘’Positive, hon. He been the captain and I been the attendant on this small plane for over 50 years. And besides, he’s my husband. I know exactly what he’s up to. For you sir?’’ she said, handing Britt her drink.
‘’No, thank you. I don’t like using the plane restrooms.’’ Peadair replied quietly.
‘’Quite understood.’’ The attendant said laughing out right, and went on to the Reed brothers in the seats behind them.
‘’To what limits do you think he will go too to get me?’’ Britt asked her father, uncertainty in her voice.
‘’I don’t believe he will have limits Britt. He has already time traveled to get to you, I don’t think he will hesitate killing anyone and everyone in his way.’’
‘’Should I be scared?’’
‘’Of course not. I already told you, you have me and the Reed brothers. There is nothing to fear.’’
‘’But he is from the future, Ada. He could have all sorts of things that we don’t know about, things that could eliminate us easily.’’
‘’I know. But we have to trust that the Lord will take care of us if that happens.’’
‘’When that happens, Ada. I know he will have all that stuff, whatever it is.’’
‘’Again, Britt, we must trust God.’’
‘’Yes, Ada.’’
Britt looked out the window, but they were too high up already to see anything but clouds. So instead she took out her copy of the Lord of the Rings and began to read it.
‘’Well, Ada, maybe we could find a golden magic ring and turn invisible and attack him that way.’’
‘’You are how old again?’’
‘’Eight –teen, but you know that.’’
‘’Then you do know that that isn’t real, don’t you?’’
‘’Yeah. I wish it was though.’’ Britt sighed. ‘’How much longer? I’m bored.’’
‘’Only eight more hours.’’ Peadair said, smirking.
New- Tech Labs, TX, 7:56 A.M.
Once New – Tech labs, this place was now a dump.
Windows were broken, doors askew. Britt could not get over the feeling that it was haunted, and the weather did not help with that feeling. It was unusually cold for Texas that time of year, stormy and rainy as well.
‘’Thanks for the Rad- spray Cole.’’ Britt said, handing Cole back the bottle of spray they had found in the lab.
‘’No problem.’’ He said, and went off in another direction.
‘’Ada, are you sure about this? About splitting up into groups?’’
‘’My child, have I ever steered you wrong?’’ he hesitated, ‘’Actually, don’t answer that. Just trust me. This is the best way to find him. And remember, if you do find him and he sees you, shoot your gun. Not at him, just in the air. We will come a- running. If he doesn’t see you then come back here as quickly as possible. Understood?’’
‘’Yes, Ada. I know. See you soon.’’
Peadair watched as she ran off rather hastily. She is but a child, he thought, why did I bring her along?
He went to the door directly in front of him and walked through. It will take time to find Tyre, Peadair thought in irony. And it seems he has all the Time in the world and then some!
He searched each of the small rooms he went through thoroughly, and found hide nor hair of the man. He wondered when Tyre would show his cowardly face. But then again, Peadair did not relish meeting him. In fact, he dreaded it. If Tyre generation was smart enough to learn Time Travel, how could Peadair out smart him?
Suddenly, a shot rang out to Peadair’s left. Peadair ran in the direction he thought it came from. In the dark of the lab, he barely saw a man escaping through a door and into a corridor. Peadair ran to the door, but tripped.
On Carter.
Peadair turned his head lamp on, he hadn’t turned it on yet because he feared he would alert Tyre of their position. There was a sticky wet mess under the young man, but Peadair couldn’t see it. Carter was pale and moaned softly, and there was a large red patch soaking through his shirt.
He grabbed Peadair’s wrist as the older man bent over him trying to see if the wound was fatal.
‘’Peadair, it was Tyre, he’s here!’’ the poor man gasped.
‘’I know,’’ Peadair complied, ‘’but look at me, Carter. I promised your father I would bring you all back. You can’t die!’’ Emotion was thick in his voice.
Carter laughed weakly. ‘’Death is a part of life, sir. It’s inevitable. I’m not afraid, I’ll go see Jesus.’’
Tears sprang to Peadair’s eyes. He knew death was inevitable. Wasn’t it he who had held his wife in his arms when she had died? Wasn’t it he who watched as his little brother joined the army, and had been killed in training? Didn’t he know death? But he also knew life. Jesus had died so that he could live eternally. Death wasn’t the end.
‘’But Carter, what will I tell your father?’’
‘’Tell him… I’ve gone to a Better Place, the Better Place.’’ With that, the young man closed his eyes and breathed his last. Peadair picked Carter’s body and carried it to an empty room. He laid him on a table and found an old towel and covered Carters face with it. It was a crude place, but it would do until they had either found and captured Tyre or could call the funeral home. Peadair cried one last tear and left the room. He walked down the hallway Tyre had run down.
Peadair bent down and picked up a hair. Easily missed by most, but not by Peadair Alastar Cian. He was the top tracker at S.P.I. He looked carefully at the short brown hair, and knew that it did not belong to one of the members of their Crew. Even though he knew it was a trap Peadair followed the footprints in the soot of the slightly burned lab.
‘’A trap, of course. But at least a trap that will show me where he is.’’ He muttered.
Suddenly and without warning there was a cold ring of steel pressed against his neck.
‘’Yes,’’ came a deep, dark, velvety voice from behind Peadair, ‘’It is trap. But not the type you anticipated. Your daughter was right; I am far too dangerous for you. I am Tyre Shadrax.’’
‘’How do you know about that?’’ Peadair asked.
‘’Easily, old man. There are microphones on your neck and cameras in your eyes. Very, very tiny, so I wouldn’t expect you to know about those. And yes, they are made entirely of compounds unknown to your age. Completely undetectable in your lo- tech machines.’’
‘’Ho-‘’
‘’How did I get them there? By using my nano- bots. Every child from my time has at least one box of them. Mine, however, were disguised as flies, ants, and other little insects. Notice a little bug problem lately, Cian?’’
Peadair was silent. How could he not have noticed something that fishy? Or buggy, as the case may be. Now everyone’s lives were at stake because he didn’t pay attention. I’m such a fool! He thought, if Stella could see me now, she’d make sure I was dead, just for my inattentiveness. The grip on his shoulder tightened and the barrel of the pistol pressed harder.
‘’Well old man. You have found me. Too bad you will never be able to tell your motley crew where I am.’’
And the last thing I heard from my daughter was ‘see you soon.’ I’m afraid not, my dear. Peadair thought, bracing himself for the shot, there was nothing he could do.
It came.
But certainly not in way Peadair expected. He expected to feel pain, then to see the face of Jesus.
Instead, he heard a groaning behind him, the hand on him loosened, and the gun barrel fell away.
‘’At the risk of sounding cliché, I don’t think so Tyre. You’ll never get away with this, your type never do.’’ Cody said.
Tyre shrieked with rage. ‘’You shot my arm, you scum! That was my good arm!’’
Cody smirked. ‘’I know. And by the way, you’ve been beaten at your own game. You are surrounded. Put your hands in the air and drop your gun.’’
Tyre smirked cruelly. ‘’Not just yet.’’
He ran into what looked like a very tall cardboard box, and disappeared.
Carson was shocked. ‘’Well shoot me if that isn’t a disguised Time Machine. No, on second thought, don’t shoot me. I want to say that I’ve time traveled.’’
‘’You mean we’re going in there?’’ Britt demanded.
‘’Yes,’’ Peadair said, ‘’Hurry up lil’ lass.’’
Britt groaned but did as she was told.
The Future, 3:26 P.M.
Time Traveling was a strange experience. When one time traveled one felt young and old, weak and strong, nauseated yet hungry. It was light and dark, cold and hot.
They were all dumped into a metal street in midst of cars floating two feet off the ground.
‘’Stay low to the ground and get to the side walk!’’ Peadair commanded.
All obeyed without question or comment, not wishing to be smashed by floating cars three seconds after being the first in their time to Time Travel. An old woman with white hair ran up to Peadair once they were on the sidewalk.
‘’You are Peadair Alastar Cian, are you not?’’ she asked excitedly.
Peadair and Cody glanced at each other, and Cody shrugged.
‘’I am he. And you are?’’ he asked cautiously.
Even more wrinkles showed on her face when she smiled broadly.
‘’I am Ahnita, and I have waited a long time for you.’’
‘’You have?’’ Peadair was confused, and rather frightened. Was this woman working for Tyre?
A bit of the joy faded from Ahnita’s eyes.
‘’You don’t remember me?’’
Peadair shook his head no. ‘’Should I?’’
The woman cocked her head, thinking. She perked up after a moment.
‘’What is the year you are from?” she asked quickly.
‘’2017.’’ Peadair replied.
The woman nodded her head wisely. ‘’I see. But please, may I hold your hand for just a moment?’’
Peadair was about to say no, but then he saw the sad eagerness in this grandmotherly woman’s sea green eyes. Perhaps she would be important in his future; offending her now might be a terrible idea.
‘’Very well.’’ He consented.
She took his hand and closed her eyes. Memories, old memories, flashed before their eyelids. The time she had the cold and he comforted her… the first solo mission she went on and failed, when he had to save her… his fatherly smile when he helped her with her science homework…
All the while Peadair wondered who she was, and why he could see what she was thinking.
‘’Cian, we have to get him. He ran down the street into that crowd over there.’’ Cody said, pointing to a street not entirely covered in the floating cars. He always had owned the best pair of eyes around. Peadair nodded and Ahnita scurried away quickly, unimaginable joy filling her heart. Then Cody looked around and did a head count. ‘’Where’s Carter?’’
Peadair swept his hands through his silver hair as if he could sweep the troubles behind him and tentatively told them all that had transpired.
The three Brothers took the news better than Peadair had thought, but they were still very distraught. Cody took it the worst. Britt looked sad, but she hadn’t known Carter that long and found it hard to be too sad. It was she who reminded them of the mission at hand.
Peadair rubbed his forehead, on the verge of despair. That was a lot of people in the crowd, and Tyre was wearing the same silver- blue clothing that everyone else was. ‘’The only chance we find him in there is-‘’
‘’Thirteen point two four percent, to be precise. In all, I’d say you don’t have much of a chance of finding him in that mess of humans.’’
The Crew turned around to see a sliver robot spouting percentages.
‘’Can you help us around the city, then? We don’t know our way around.’’ Britt asked. She never had any problem asking for directions, even if the directions came from a robot.
Peadair glared at her. ‘’We can’t have that bot leading us around! He’s probably hooked up to some main core and will alert someone of where we are and that we are not from this time! Besides, I don’t like asking for directions.’’
‘’Would you rather show us around then, Ada? I don’t see as how we have much of a choice. And what is up with men and asking for directions?’’
Peadair sighed. Was he getting soft by being around Britt all the time? Probably.
‘’Very well then, lil’ lass. You win. Go ahead, um, droid thing…’’ Peadair said. He was definitely getting soft.
‘’My name is OB-1. I do not run on a main core, I am an independent android. Do you wish my aid?’’
‘’If you are not attached to any sort of tracking thing, than that would be great. Do you know a man named Tyre?’’ Cody said.
OB-1’s mechanics whirred for a moment, then he answered, ‘’He is not in my data base. Maybe he is a rogue?’’
‘’Probably. Is time traveling illegal?’’ Carson asked, stepping forward.
‘’Yes it is. If you are caught time traveling then you are wiped off the List. A shame indeed. Perhaps that is why I cannot find Tyre?’’
‘’That is precisely the reason. Now tell us, what can you do that would be helpful to us for finding the man?’’ Peadair asked, growing slightly annoyed that they had asked a tin can for the answer to the riddle instead of doing it the old fashioned way. Despicable.
‘’I could scan for him if he had any distinguishing notables.’’
‘’One of his arms has been shot, the right one. His left foot is metal. It clanks terribly.’’ Peadair said.
‘’That should be simple enough. One moment please.’’ Again the bolts in the android whirred and clanked noisily.
‘’He is that way.’’ OB-1 said, pointing to the huge crowd.
‘’We saw him run that way, you earth-vexing droid! Can you be more specific? We are losing time here!’’ Peadair thundered.
‘’His location his 3.4 north, 5.4-‘’
‘’Thank you, that way will be fine.’’ Peadair shook his head, and ran in the direction of the huge crowd. The rest of the Crew, naturally, followed him.
‘’Where is he? Do you see him?’’ Cole asked.
‘’Left!’’ Peadair shouted over the crowd. They were all trained soldiers and knew exactly what peadair meant; minus Britt, who just stood there. There was Tyre, running away again. But not in the way Peadair expected. This is the second time he has done something I did not expect! I
need to get back to HQ and run through the training courses again when we get back. Tyre’s movement jerked Peadair out of his thoughts.
He was running towards the Crew. Towards them? But that could only mean-
Peadair realized it first. ‘’Everybody, he’s trying to get back! Stop him!’’
But it was too late; Tyre had run out of the crowd and into the street with Peadair on his heels. Peadair literally caught hold of Tyre’s heel, but the younger man kicked Peadair in the face and got through. Peadair still held on to the disguised Time Machine like he had the first time, so it didn’t disappear with the Time-Traveling maniac.
‘’Hurry everyone, go through!’’ He yelled. The Crew obeyed; first Cole, then Cody, Carson, and Britt. Peadair went through last.
The Present, New- Tech Labs, TX, 8:16 A.M.
They did not land on the ground through only an inch of air like before, this time it was more like seven feet.
‘’Is everyone all right?’’ Britt called out. As she stood, she noticed a sharp pain in her left hand. Two of her fingers had snapped underneath her. The pain was intense, but she managed to keep back the scream that threatened to escape the barrier of her lips.
‘’Where is Cody?’’ shouted Carson, panicking.
‘’I’m here.’’ Cody grunted from around a corner. ‘’I think I broke my arm.’’ He gasped.
Peadair got up slowly, limping. ‘’let me see it, Cody.’’
Cody couldn’t move though, so Peadair laid the teen straight and looked at his arm. One glance told him something he didn’t want to know. ‘’It is worse than broken, Cody,’’ Peadair said quietly, ‘’It is shattered. There is nothing I can do. If it had simply snapped I would set it back in place, but I cannot do it like this. It would pain you far too much and I do not have the skill. We’ll have to get you to a hospital. Britt, do you still have your phone?’’
‘’Yes sir.’’
‘’Call the hospital. Tell them to meet us at Bayer Park. We can’t have the authorities seeing us here. Even though what we are doing is legal, the average police man would have no clue what we would be talking about if tried to tell him about S.P.I. Cody, we are going to have to move you. Brace yourself, this will no doubt feel worse than the pain you feel now.’’
Peadair carefully and slowly picked the young man up like one would a baby, being careful of his arm that hung down.
‘’Carson, put his arm carefully on his stomach. There we go.’’
Cody bit down hard on his tongue and tears escaped his tightly shut eyes.
Slow- footed and deliberately Peadair moved through the old, run down lab.
He was limping, Cody had broken his arm, Carson had two new teeth for the tooth fairy, and Britt had broken two fingers on her left hand; quite an extensive list of injuries. How could they find and capture Tyre with their two best men crippled?
Bayer Park, Kingwood TX, 8:58 A.M.
Cody moaned pitifully on the park bench.
‘’Be quiet Cody. There is no need of alerting Tyre to where we are.’’ Peadair’s voice was soft, but it was still a command.
“’m sorry Cian,’’ Cody gasped, ‘’But it hurts so much.’’
“I know Cody. I know.”
When Britt saw the pain that Cody was going through, her fingers didn’t hurt quite as much as they had. She started to look thoughtful. ‘’Sing Ada. They still aren’t going to be here for another thirty minutes. Just sing something.’’
‘’I don’t sing, Britt.’’
“Yes, you do. You’re in the choir at Church. Please?”
Peadair closed his eyes and sang in his deep voice reassuringly. He was as soft now as an overripe avocado.
‘’ Sinne Fianna Fáil
Atá Fá gheall ag Éirinn
Buidhean dár sluagh tar rúinn do ráinig chughainn
Fámhoídh bheírh saor
Sean-tír ár sinnsear feasta
Ní fágfar fá'n tíorán ná fa'n tráil
Anocht a theigeamh sa bhearna baoghail
Le gean ar Gaedhí chun báis nó saoghail
Le gunna sgréach: Fá lamhach na piléar
Seo Libh canaidh amhrán na bhFiann
Seo dhibh a cháirde duan oglaidh
Caithréimeach, bríoghmhar, ceolmhar
Ár dteinte cnámh go buacach táid
'S an spéir go min réaltógach
Is fionmhar faobhrach sinn chun gleo
'S go tiúnmhar glé roimh tigheacht do'n ló
Fa ciúnas chaoimh na h-oidhche ar seol
Seo libh, canaídh amhrán na bhFiann
Cois banta réidhe, ar árdaibh sléibhe
Ba bhuadhach ár rinnsear romhainn
Ag lámhach go tréan fá'n sár- bhrat séin
Tá thuas sa ghaoith go seolta
Ba dhúthchas riamh d'ár gcine cháidh
Gan iompáil riar ó imirt áir
'Siubhal mar iad i gcoinnibh rámhaid
Seo libh, canaidh amhrán na bhFiann
There, are you happy?’’
‘’Yes.’’ Britt said, smirking.
Sirens.
Peadair looked up sharply. ‘’It’s time to go. Carson, does Cody have his ID and Driver’s License?’’
‘’Yes sir.’’
‘’Good. We’ll come to the hospital to get you once you’re all bandaged up and your arm is in a cast. Don’t worry. I’m sorry to do this, but we don’t have much of a choice.’’
‘’I unner’stand.’’ Cody gasped in pain.
Kingwood, TX, 9:14
Peadair sighed. ‘’All right everyone, spread out. Tyre got here quite a while before we did, and we have sat out for over an hour as it is. It is imperative that we find him! Britt, you’ll go with me. Carson, Cole, you two should go together but you can split up if you like. All clear?’’
‘’Yes sir.’’ The Brothers said in perfect unison.
‘’Got it, Ada.’’ Said Britt, far less accustomed to the military life.
Suddenly, before anyone could move from where they stood, a huge black and red monster came out of the early morning shadows.
‘’I………. am……… Ssssssulllennnnn!!!!!’’
‘’Britt, look out!’’ Peadair cried, but he could see it was near useless; Britt would never use that pistol. This monster was straight of a nightmare. Huge claws protruded from his furry fists, and venom dripped from his fangs. He was twenty feet tall and ten feet wide.
Cole quickly pulled his gun from its place on his hip and let fly two quick bullets. Sullen roared so loudly Peadair thought his eardrums would split. The great beast swaggered but did not fall, so Carson fired three shots at him. Unfortunately, Carson was not as good a shot as Cole and his bullets only scraped the monstrous, growling beast, angering him more. Sullen swiped his huge claws at Cole, and he collapsed dead under them. Carson and Britt suffered the same terrible fate.
It was quick.
It was merciless.
But it was painless.
The poison in the great beast’s claws deadens the nerves when they came in to contact.
Peadair quickly ducked out of the way, under a bench. Before his very eyes he saw his daughter and two of the Reed brothers killed. The horror slid down his spine like an icy blade. In anger, Peadair rolled out from under the bench and whipped his own gun out. Sullen stomped heavily toward him, and Peadair fired swiftly at him. All of Peadair’s bullets hit their large target, but Sullen was in a rage and refused to lie down and die. Peadair quickly saw his effort was in vain and pulled his taser from a pouch on his belt and fired a bolt at Sullen. The monster was stunned only momentarily, and Peadair took his chance and ran away quickly. It burned his soul to run like a coward from something that had killed his daughter and his friends, but it would only be another life lost if he stayed. A grating voice slid over Peadair’s ears.
‘’I…... have……killed…….men…….from….the…….future,’’ Sullen rasped, ‘’the…..Tyre…..and …..now…….for……THE……NINJA!!!’’
Hui- Tori was small, slight girl. She was very quick on her feet and had a temper to match. But the most notable thing about her was not her beauty, for her face was almost always covered.
By a ninja wrap.
Hui-Tori was a ninja, and a good one at that.
Today, she was going to train in the small dojo that sat in the middle of a small modern town. Two other students trained there as well, Fan-Kong and Jie-Lian.
The parents of two were unaware that the reason their children were always back so late and tired from school was because they had been training, not because they were in drama class and band as they had been told. Ms. Undei didn’t really care where Hui-Tori went, so long as she was safe; she was only a legal guardian to her any ways.
But why would they lie? Because their sensei believed that they had been Chosen. For what, he would not tell them. Not a very good reason to lie, though. After all, their Sensei might just be a crazy old man, right?
Hui-Tori ran down the crowded street, backpack banging on her back and her long black hair kept getting caught in her mouth. She ran into the dojo and slammed the door behind her.
‘’Late again? You know the Sensei doesn’t like that.’’ Sneered Fan-Kong, who was sharpening his katana. He never had been the nice one.
‘’Oh, shut up already, will you.’’ Hui-Tori huffed, going to her locker and taking out her stuff. Apparently, Hui- Tori wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops either. But at least she had reason to be snappy, Fan- Kong didn’t. She didn’t remember her family very well, and she was lonely. Fan- Kong had a family, five brothers and three sisters, and two parents. He was never alone.
She walked over to the changing room and went in. When she was dressed in the traditional ninja’s garb she came out to find Sensei Chung tapping his foot and sipping his tea.
‘’You are late. What held you up?’’ the old, bearded Chinese man asked, lowering his cup of tea.
‘’It was Mr. Kern again. He decided to go longer into his lesson than he should have. Stuffy old science teacher.’’
The Sense’s gaze turned sharp. ‘’Respect your elders, young one, or you will find yourself in trouble.’’
Hui-Tori looked down at her black slipper- shoes. ‘’Yes, sir. I’m sorry.’’
Fan-Kong slid off of the table he had been sitting on. ‘’What are we learning today, Sensei?’’
Sensei Chung’s eyes misted over. ‘’We will not be training today. News has come to me that an old friend of mine’s daughter and two of her companions were found dead in a park in Texas. She held this in her hands when she was found.’’
He showed the three children a closed letter. Jie-Lian reached to take and open it, but the Sensei held it back.
‘’No. This is not for your eyes to see, yet. Trust me. What worries me most is what the letter says, and who it was signed by. Tyre is- excuse me, was- a man who time traveled from the future. Apparently he had a bone to pick with Britt, my friend’s daughter’s, descendants. He knew he would die. He wanted revenge on her descendants so badly that he was, ‘willing to die for his country to rid themselves of a pest.’ He succeeded, but he unleashed a deadly beast in order to do it. This beast is after us as well now, why I do not know. Today, we will put our training to use. Are you ready?’’
Hui-Tori answered for them all, and rather bluntly at that. ‘’No. We’ve never done anything like this before! And besides, what is this beast even supposed to be?’’
Sensei Chung sighed. ‘’I thought as much. Either way, you must do this. Surely you have noticed the marks on your right arm?’’
All three looked at their arms knowingly.
‘’How are they there, Sensei? What do they mean?’’ Fan-Kong asked, looking almost frightened. Frightened? Hui-Tori had never seen him scared before. The strong boy feared nothing, why was he scared now?
‘’They are runes. With them, you can defeat the monster, whom is named Sullen, I think. Those runes appeared on your fifteenth birthday for each of you, correct?’’
‘’Yes, Sensei.’’ They said at the same time.
‘’Good. You must use your katana and strike Sullen simultaneously, using only your right arms to wield the blades. That way you will defeat him, I believe. I know, it sounds strange. But in time you will realize what it is you must do. ‘’
‘’Forgive me, sensei, for hesitating, but this is very abrupt for us. We are only fifteen, and we must defeat a monster?’’ Jie-Lian asked.
‘’I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I will be with you. Fear not. Your parents are aware of your ‘class’ going on a field trip, Jie-Lian and Fan-Kong. Hui-Tori, your case workers know of it as well.’’
Hui-Tori glared at the ground, she hated it when anyone mentioned the case workers. She thought of it as a shame, even though it really it wasn’t. Her parents had died in an electrical fire one night when she was five years old. Luckily for her, she had been at her grandma’s house. Three months later her grandma died of pneumonia, and that had made Hui-Tori the last of the Ling family. All of her relatives were no longer living, and naturally the State took
control of the situation. Now she lived with her case worker, Ms. Undei.
‘’Okay.’’ Hui-Tori mumbled.
‘’Now I shall, um,’’ the Sensei coughed, ‘’Introduce to you another student of mine.’’
A young boy came out of the kitchen in the back of the dojo and waved shyly.
‘’This is Ben.’’
Hui-Tori looked over the boy. He had sandy brown hair and blue eyes, and was wearing the same ninja’s garb as hers. He looked like he was only five foot tall and a few more inches, rather short for his age.
‘’Hello.’’ He said in a small voice.
‘’Why is he here, Sensei? I thought you were teaching just us! And he’s not even Chinese like us!’’ Fan-Kong spewed angrily.
‘’No, he is not. But he has the mark, like you.’’
’’How are we supposed to fight alongside him, teacher? We have not trained with him! We don’t know how he fights.’’ Hui-Tori said.
Sensei Chung smiled keenly. ‘’You might just have to learn to get along.’’
‘’But that’s the dweeb that kept beating me in math at school.’’ Hui-Tori complained.
Poor Ben blushed and shuffled closer and closer to the Sensei as Hui-Tori, Fan-Kong, and Jie-Lian murmured angrily together.
‘’Maybe I should just go home, Sensei.’’ He whispered, ‘’I’m not helping any here.’’
Sensei Chung sighed and shook his head. ‘’You’ll have to stay, Ben. We cannot defeat Sullen without you.’’
‘’Oh, okay. Are you sure?’’
‘’I am sure. I am sorry that they are not accepting you, Ben. I thought would be better than this.’’
‘’It’s all right.’’
Hui- Tori cleared her throat to get the attention of the Sensei and Omar.
‘’We will work with him.’’ She muttered.
‘’Good. Now all of you follow me. We must get to the airpo-‘’
A huge roar shook the building and screams were heard outside, piercing and sharp as any two- edged sword.
Sensei Chung grew pale as he drew the katana off his back. ‘’Draw your weapons children. It looks like we will not need to find him, Sullen has already found us.’’
The five ran outside, katanas drawn and semi- ready to fight Sullen. But a funny thing happened when they started to grasp what the people were saying.
‘’Bear!’’
‘’Mad bear! Run!’’
‘’It’s got rabies!’’
Sure enough, there was a drooling bear running around in a frenzied state. A helicopter landed and a man in a uniform came out and shot the bear with a tranquilizer dart. Three other men jumped out as well and helped carry the bear into a cage in the helicopter.
Sensei Chung started to smile, and then laughed outright. ‘’We got all worked up over a bear! Maybe we should just stay at the dojo tonight and cool off. If we try to fight a monster in such a frightened way we will be defeated. I will go order the pizza.’’
The kids grinned, even shy little Ben. What some people will do for free pizza.
Four boxes of pizza later, the girls went to their own room in Sensei Chung’s house.
Two separate beds had been made up already. ‘’He probably knew we were going to end up spending the night here.’’ Jie-Lian said sleepily.
‘’Wouldn’t surprise me a bit. Sensei always knows what’s going to happen.’’
‘’What’s going happen tomorrow I wonder?’’
‘’We’re gonna find Sullen.’’
‘’Yes, but how will we defeat him? I mean, it’s not like we have special powers or anything. That only happens in books and movies… right?’’
Hui-Tori shrugged as she turned off the lights. ‘’I think so. But it would be cool.’’
No response.
‘’Jie-Lian?’’
The only answer was soft snoring.
Hui-Tori woke up to the sun shining through the yellow curtains.
The bed next to her was void of any living being besides a small fly, so Hui-Tori got up and changed out of her pajamas.
In the kitchen was everyone, seated and eating. Except for Ben, all looked as if they had very good appetites.
‘’Don’t eat too much, do you Ben?’’ Hui-Tori said as she sat down, with a small hint off concern in her voice.
Ben again blushed. ‘’I don’t get hungry very often. Not sure why.’’ He said softly.
Hui-Tori opened her mouth to say more, but the Sensei coughed in his throat, a clear message to stop.
‘’Are we up to the task today, my young friends?’’ he asked.
The spoon full of cereal stopped half way to Fan-Kong’s mouth. ‘’Well, yeah-- I guess.’’
Ben started to shake quietly, quite possibly with fear. Hui-Tori started to feel bad for him. He never talked in school except to answer questions, and as far as she saw no one ever picked him up from school.
‘’Did you tell your parents about this, Omar? Do they know you’re going to be … away?’’
Omar turned five shades of red. ‘’No. but they wouldn’t care. I spend nearly every night at Sensei’s house as it is.’’ He paused and looked around at them. ‘’I was adopted when my parents were told they couldn’t have kids. From what I know, they were real excited about me. And then Lilly was born. Of course they fell in love with her, and I was deemed a permanent house guest. Sure, they never said it out loud, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t think it. Like I said, they really just wouldn’t care.’’
Sensei looked down at his plate of fried eggs. He had hoped that his students wouldn’t pry that awful truth from the young boy’s lips.
Jie-Lian frowned and looked rather indignant, tears welling up at the edges of her eyes. She was very soft and compassionate.
Fan-Kong started to feel protective of this boy, who, though the same age as he, was so much smaller and had never been truly loved.
Hui-Tori looked at him with pity. He had seen much the same things she had; they both knew what it felt like to be without a true home.
There were three hard knocks on the glass door of the dojo.
‘’Stay here. I have stopped many black market traders, and in doing so I have made many enemies.’’ Sensei whispered, and drew the katana from its sheath on his back. They could hear the door open then slam, some hushed voices, and then the sensei came back in to the miniscule kitchen, a very tall man leaning on his shoulders. The man sat down in the chair next to Hui-Tori with a grunt, his face twisted in pain. His blue eyes were rimmed with red and his face was slightly swollen from crying.
Hui-Tori scooted farther away from him in her chair.
The Sensei went over to the small medical cabinet, as injuries were prone to happen with swords, although dull. He took out a small roll of bandages and some hydrogen peroxide.
He sprayed some of the peroxide on the man’s leg, resulting in another grunt of pain. ‘’That stings.’’ He said through gritted teeth.
‘’This, children,’’ the Sensei said while bandaging the tall man’s leg, ‘’is Peadair Alastar Cian. He is a secret agent, so don’t tell anyone.’’
Peadair groaned, ‘’if you didn’t want anyone to know, than you would do well by not telling anyone.’’
The Sensei ignored the comment, ‘’how did you do this to your leg?’’
Peadair hesitated. ‘’Well, I was time traveling. And when I came back, I expected to land close to the ground, like the first time. But we got here about seven feet off the ground. I landed on my feet, and gouged my leg on a sharp corner of the dumpster I landed next to.’’
‘’Time traveling, eh? You know, maybe the hospital would be best for you.’’
‘’Why? It’s not that bad, is it?’’
‘’No, but I only treat physical wounds.’’
Peadair glared at the Sensei.
‘’You read the letter, didn’t you?’’
‘’Of course I did. I also heard about your daughter. I am sorry.’’
Sadness once again filled Peadair’s heart and spilled out his eyes in the liquid form of tears.
‘’She died in front of me, Master. There had to have been something that I could have done!’’ He shook, not knowing whether he was angry or sad.
The Sensei shook his head slowly and stood up. ‘’There is nothing you could have done. You see these four young ones? They are the ones I spoke of during your apprenticeship to me. They are the ones who are able to defeat the dark monster, Sullen.’’
The Sensei got up from his chair and moved to each of his students. ‘’Hui-Tori has the power of telekinesis, the ability to move things with her mind. Fan-Kong has complete control of the fire element, something that matches his personality swimmingly. Jie-Lian has the ability to control the green living things. And Ben, well, I am not certain what his gift is yet.’’
This was news to all the children, and not taken lightly.
‘’We what now?’’ Hui-Tori demanded.
All the others added their agreement.
Sensei Chung slapped his forehead. ‘’I forgot to mention that, didn’t I?’’
Peadair chuckled despite his tears. ‘’You’ve always been the forgetful one, Master.’’
Sensei Chung’s eyebrows rose high, speaking volumes. ‘’Respect you elders, young one. Now, to business. Where is Sullen?’’
Peadair shifted in his chair uncomfortably. ‘’He will be here soon. I’d say that it gives the children three days to be more or less ready to use their powers. But Master, I do not believe that Sullen is the Dark Monster. He doesn’t exactly match the description.’’
Sensei Chung frowned, ‘’whether he is or not, we will be prepared.’’
A silver android walked up to Peadair, who was currently being lifted into the air by Hui-Tori telekinetically for training.
Hui-Tori lost her focus and dropped Peadair at the sight of the android. Peadair got up off the ground and saw OB-1 standing there. ‘’Why and how are you here?!’’ he shouted, thoroughly perplexed at the sight.
‘’I simply traveled with you. I was temporarily disabled by the fall, but I have repaired myself.’’ He said in his metallic voice. Peadair’s nose scrunched up and he grimaced. ‘’You repaired yourself? Ew. I am not a sissy, but ew.’’
Hui-Tori giggled, and realized that that was the first time she had laughed in a very long time. Of course Peadair had said that to get her to laugh. After all, he only ever saw pain in her eyes. It was good for her to laugh, as it is for all people, and Peadair decided that he would undertake the task personally.
‘’As you see fit, master. I am yours to command.’’ OB-1 said.
Peadair took a step back. ‘’What? No. I will not have a droid who is continually shouting useless information following me around!’’
OB-1 gestured with his arms. ‘’I am afraid that you have no choice, master. I am yours.’’
Hui-Tori caught Peadair’s arm. ‘’Mr. Cian, did he come from the future?’’
The tall man sighed, loud and long. ‘’I’m afraid so.’’
Hui-Tori looked into the blue eyes of the man towering above her. ‘’Can’t we use him for… something?’’
Peadair looked from the droid to the short girl with black eyes at his side and smiled, the left side of his mouth rising up slightly farther than the right, ‘’how about this. You find a reason to use OB-1 and you can have him. If you don’t, I will disassemble him and put him in the scrap yard. Clear?’’
Hui-Tori nodded vigorously. ‘’Yes sir. Doesn’t he know what Sullen is? After all, they are both from the future.’’
OB-1’s mechanics whirred busily. ‘’Sullen is a beast that was once half bear and half bull. However, our scientists decided to genetically modify him. That was the first mistake. The beast became so strong that he broke out of the lab.’’
Peadair raised an eyebrow. ‘’He broke out? Or did he have help?’’
OB-1 again consulted his inner computer. ‘’He had help from a man by the name of Tyre. I say, wasn’t that the man that you were looking for?’’
The tall man’s eyes narrowed. ‘’So he didn’t just let the thing come into our Time, he forced Sullen into it!’’
He sighed and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, putting his head in his hands. ‘’There is one thing he did not plan on; all of you, Hui-Tori. There is hope yet. Oh, and you can have the droid. A shame, I so wanted to keep him.’’ He said, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice.
‘’Oh well, if you want him you can keep him, and be careful not to let that sarcasm drip. Someone might slip on it.’’ said Hui-Tori, playing along.
‘’No, no, that’s perfectly fine, you need him!’’ Peadair protested, waving his arms melodramatically.
The droid looked from one to the other. ‘’I don’t suppose any one is going to ask me what I want to do. Very well.’’
Hui-Tori heard a noise behind her, and turned.
It was Sullen.
She screamed. Peadair saw the thing too and was quite tempted to scream as well.
He did.
But his scream was not that of fear, but anger. All of the pent up feelings he had held towards that beast released themselves in that moment,
‘’Ben, Fan-Kong, Jie-Lian, Sensei, hurry out here! It’s Sullen!’’ he yelled.
Every one ran out of the building that sat opposite of the Monster.
Fan-Kong was ready to squirt the thing with flames and be done with it, but Ben stopped him.
‘’Wait, Fan-Kong. I think I know what to do.’’
He slowly approached the beast. Peadair turned his head, not wanting to watch the inevitable.
‘’Good boy, good boy. Who’s the best little Sullen out there? Yes, you are!’’ Ben said in a bribing tone.
At first, Sullen stayed tense and ready. But then he rolled over on to his back and let Ben pet him.
‘’See guys? This is my talent! And Sullen is nothing but a big sweet heart!’’
Peadair fainted. Do you blame him?
That night everyone went to the local hamburger joint, with the exception of Sullen of course.
Cody got out of the Hospital and joined them as well, but he didn’t talk much. In fact, he hardly ever talked to anyone except for Peadair again; the pain of losing his brothers was just too harsh. Peadair slid into the bench seat and looked around the restaurant out of habit. His eyes rested on a middle- aged, slender woman with light brown hair. He thought he recognized her, but couldn’t quite remember. As it turns out, she was their waitress.
‘’My name is Lu and I will be serving you today. Can I start you all out with something to drink?’’ Lu asked. She had honest blue eyes and thick lips that no doubt always spoke the truth. Peadair dropped the menu he had been holding the memory hit him so hard.
‘’Lu? Lu Undei? ‘’ he asked.
At first Lu looked puzzled, and then recognition dawned on her face, too.
‘’Peadair Alastar Cian! My word, I never thought I would see you again! Where is Britt?’’
Peadair opened his mouth to tell her, but then realized it would be a long tale and everyone wanted to eat. Besides, the pain was still too vivid.
‘’How about I give you my number and you can call me later, okay?’’ Lu said. She had always been able to read his mind.
Peadair nodded his head yes. She wrote down her cell phone number on a corner piece of the paper of her notepad and gave it to Peadair.
She looked over at Hui-Tori. ‘’I hope you’re not giving them too much trouble, Hui-Tori.’’ she said kindly.
‘’I’m not.’’ Hui -Tori replied sourly.
Once Lu had everyone’s orders down she left.
‘’Who was she to you?” Cody asked.
‘’She was a friend.’’ and that was all he would say on that subject.
‘’Well, this has been the weirdest, saddest, and coolest few days of my life. When I was younger, I… well never mind. Being a spy was rather boring.’’ Peadair said teasingly.
All of the children immediately protested, wanting to hear the story. Cody smiled, but tinges of sadness threatened to overcome it, like a cloud trying to cover the sun. He knew what was coming next.
‘’We still have fifteen minutes until the food gets here. Please tell us?’’ Hui-Tori pleaded.
Peadair stroked the beard that was beginning to form on his chin from the lack of a razor, ‘’oh, all right. It started when I was fifteen. I was just walking along the street in my neighborhood, and a black car pulled up next to me. ‘Hey kid’ the man in the car said to me, ‘want to be a spy? You’ve got all the makings for it.’’’ Peadair began.
‘’Of course I said, ‘what, are you crazy? You aren’t just supposed to walk up to a person and ask them if they want to be a spy. You have to do it dramatically, like have a bad guy set the house on fire or something to make the person want to be a spy and track down the bad guy.’ I walked away quickly, thinking the guy was a lunatic. Looking back on it, maybe I had read to many comic books. But then, two weeks later, my house was burned down. Next time the guy stopped by and asked me if I wanted to be a spy, I said yes. As it turns out, that man was no less that Sensei Chung.’’
Fan-Kong’s mouth fell open. ‘’Sensei Chung burned your house down? Did your parents get out okay?”
Peadair decided that Fan-Kong must be a pessimist.
The very tall man laughed deeply and heartily. ‘’Sensei didn’t burn it down, Flynn did. And my parents were visiting my Grandma, who I called MeeMee,’’
Cody smiled curiously. ‘’MeeMee?’’
Peadair frowned in mock anger. ‘’Yes, I called her MeeMee. Now, as I was saying. That began my adventures with S.P.I…’’ the tale wore on long after their dinner came and was devoured; the Epic of Peadair Cian.
And now What's done of the Month's
The Coldest Month of The Year
February.
The coldest month of the year.
And so he was, bitter, cold, and trying to take over the world.
Oh yes. His allotment of time to hold the scepter was already the longest of all twelve Months, and now he would try to take up all 365 days of the year. Days were just minions, sheep. They wouldn’t resist him.
The other months, however… they might try to stop him.
No matter.
He would be king before they even caught wind of what he was doing. Or at least, that was the plan. The door bell rung suddenly, jarring February from his daydreams. He got up out of his chair, pale blue eyes flashing.
He did not like to be disturbed.
He opened the door, to find a slightly worried and very cold March. ‘’m-may I c-come in?’’ she managed to stutter. February was annoyed. Why did his house, no, scratch that, mansion, have to be the closest to March’s cottage? That annoying little goody-two-shoes…
March placed herself by the fire in February’s favorite chair. ‘’so, don’t you think those blizzards are a bit strong, February? The spring Months are going to take the scepter soon, and we prefer it to be a bit thawed out.’’
February ground his teeth. If there was one Month he hated, it was March. Her perfect attitude and gracious weather didn’t help the fact that he gave her the Scepter of the Seasons after his allotted time was over. In more than one way, February could be described as greedy.
‘’no, March, oh miss perfect, I don’t think the Blizzards are too strong. And you spring Months can Thaw at your own will, you don’t need my help. Besides, I like making Blizzards. ‘’ a crooked smile smeared itself over the Cold Month’s face.
He lifted his right hand and twirled in an oft practiced way. The storm outside quickly picked up, and the wind was so strong that it flew down the chimney and put the fire out. Snow piled up outside the door.
March paled. ‘’Oh, my. It looks as if the Storm has picked up outrageously. You know I can’t go home in this, February. I guess I’ll have to stay here for dinner.’’
February’s eyes grew wide. He quickly Subsided the Storm, and even had the Wind blow a path through the Snow. ‘’No, no, miss March, I have just made a path for you. No annoyi- I mean sweet young Lady like you needs to stay here!’’
March smiled innocently. She knew exactly how to get the storm to stop. ‘’why thank you, February, how kind of you. Would you like to walk me home?’’
If February’s eyes could have gotten any wider with fright, they would have popped out of his sockets. He absolutely detested all the Months, but March was the worst; So kind and innocent. Just thinking about her gave February the shivers. And that was not an easy thing to do, considering who he was.
‘’um, no March. Very kind of you, but dinner is in the oven and, and, I just simply can’t. I’m sorry.’’ He bowed slightly, hoping he looked gracious. March got up out of the chair, and moved towards the door. ‘’very well then. Thank you anyway.’’
As she opened the door, a strong gust of wind blew some papers off the table. March bent down to pick them up. ‘’I’m sorry, February. I’ll pick them up.’’
When she did, she noticed writing in February’s delicate hand. That in itself was not unusual, but what it said was.
In small, but dangerous words, was written this:
Day one: create large blizzards and snow the Months in.
Day two: build a larger palace.
Day three: gain control of the Days.
Day four: revel in the glory.
Day five: execute the Months.
March quietly put the notes back on the table, her heart pounding. She wouldn’t reveal what she had seen to February, she’d be as good as dead if she did. He had always seemed dangerous to her, and now she knew why. This was more than a simple ‘uh oh.’
This was bad.
‘’Well, I’m on my way. Good evening, February.’’ With shaky feet March walked down the path to her home. ‘’What’ll I tell the others? February’s betraying us!’’ She muttered through the cold. ‘’What will we do?’’
A Scare
March hurried over to November’s house after a quick bowl of warm soup to calm her nerves. She didn’t even knock before she went through the large solid oak doors; she knew that November didn’t ever lock his house.
‘’November? Are you home?’’ March asked, to an apparently empty house. The house was huge, and the faint tinge of autumn still hung in the air; as November was a fall month. The place was made of huge corridors and five rooms; the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, his bedroom, and the piano room.
Well, thought March, I’m sure he won’t object to me playing a few songs on his piano while he’s gone. He usually doesn’t mind. It’ll help me calm my nerves.
So that’s just what she did, plopping down on the bench of November’s sacred piano. Hmm, what song? oh, I know!
March snapped her fingers and began playing an old song; November’s favorite, Turkey in The Straw.
Half way through the second verse, a deep voice hurrumph -ed.
March must have jumped two feet in the air, she was so startled. Looking over quickly confirmed what she had feared. There was November, leaning against the wall in his red tunic and cloak, arms crossed. One had to admit, November did look rather intimidating there, his gray eyebrows high and his gray and white hair a bit rumpled.
Strange, he was normally quite neat with his appearance.
‘’Umm, November, hi. Uh, what are you doing here?’’ March was so frightened that her normally sure voice stuttered terribly.
If November’s eyebrows could have gotten any higher, they would have. ‘’what am I doing here? This is my home, is it not? I do believe I could ask that question of you.’’
He walked towards and helped her up from off the ground, as she had fallen off the bench when she had jumped.
‘’I’m sorry. I called for you, but you didn’t answer.’’
‘’I was using the facilities. Come, you look cold. I have the fire going in the living area.’’
‘’Thank you.’’
November looked March over, noting the frightened look in her eyes. Surely I did not scare her that badly. He thought.
March sat in the arm chair closest the fire, her young cheeks finally losing their embarrassed red. November sat in the chair opposite her, and gazed at her warmly but inquisitively.
‘’I have a feeling that there is something you need to tell me. What is it, Child?’’
March met his gaze a moment, and then burst into tears. ‘’oh, Grandada,’’ she said, using the young Month’s name for the kind old Month, ‘’February is planning on betraying us. Here,’’ she pulled a piece of paper out of her dress pocket, ‘’this is a replica of what I found in his house when the wind knocked over his papers. I picked it up, and that’s how I found out.’’
November slowly took the piece of paper with slightly shaky hands, uncertain of what he would find. It read:
Day one: Create large blizzards and snow the Months in.
Day two: Build a larger palace.
Day three: Gain control of the Days.
Day four: Revel in the glory.
Day five: Execute the Months.
The old Months face paled, and a tear came to his eyes. ‘’oh, March…’’
‘’Isn’t it terrible, Grandada? He betrayed us! What are we gonna do?’’
‘’it is ‘going to’ not ‘gonna’.’’ November said absently.
A few seconds later, March was still waiting for an answer. ‘’Grandada?’’
November shook the shock off. ‘’call the other Months, March. Tell them to come quickly. Don’t say anything to specific, though, knowing February he probably already hacked into the telephones.’’
March got up quickly, frightened, to call the others. If November was looking to technology for help, they must be in deep trouble. In fact, they were. February Trouble was trying to take over the World. Why hadn’t they taken the clue from his name and omitted his month?
The Gathering of the Months
October ran through the door of November’s house hurriedly. ‘’What is the trouble, November? What did March call about?’’ He asked quickly, like a squirrel.
November sighed. ‘’Can you ever stop frisking about like that?’’
The orange-haired youth smiled. ‘’No. I’m just like that, sorry old man.’’
March gasped and put a hand to her mouth. ‘’October, please remember your manners!’’
October only chuckled like the squirrel he was.
‘’October,’’ November said, ‘’ When are the others coming? Please don’t tell me you pulled some sort of prank on them to get here first; like you did las-‘’
‘’I didn’t Grandada.’’ October sighed, ‘’ don’t worry. I passed June on the path. She should be here any minute.’’
As if on cue, June came in; stamping the snow on off her boots.
‘’Well November, February has really out done himself this time. What in the name of Frogs and Mud is going on?’’ her long rusty red tresses shook when she shook, presumably out of anger.
No one knows to this day.
‘’I will explain everything once all of us, minus February, are gathered.’’ November said.
‘’Why in the name of geese and reeds isn’t February coming?’’ June asked.
‘’I told you when I would explain it all, will you please have the courtesy to wait until then?’’
June grumbled. ‘’Sure.’’
The door opened and then slammed, and a tall, beautiful, figure walked in to the living room. ‘’November! What is going on? It’s nearly March’s turn to take the scepter and February is making Blizzards harder than ever! My dress is ruined!’’
March could tell that it took all of November’s self-control not to tell April off.
‘’April, we will discuss this once all of us are gathered, not including February.’’
‘’Why not Febru-‘’
‘’I said that I would tell you once everyone is here, and that is what I meant. Please take a seat, young lady.’’
April sat down on the couch next June in a huff. ‘’Just look at this June, this dress was made just last week and it’s already perfectly destroyed!’’
June groaned inwardly and rolled her eyes. ‘’Please, April, no one cares about your dress! Besides, pink is the ugliest on color on this good earth.’’
April was indignant. ‘’it is not!’’
‘’Is too!’’
‘’Is not!’’
‘’It is t-‘’
‘’Ladies? Are we having trouble?’’ November asked, cocking an eyebrow.
‘’No, Grandada.’’ Both Months said in perfect unison.
July walked in quietly and embraced November in a hug. ‘’how goes it, Brother?’’
November chuckled quietly. ‘’Well enough. You know, I think that you are the only Month who isn’t upset about coming here in the midst of a Blizzard.’’
July smiled dangerously, his eyes glinting in the firelight eerily. ‘’I am upset, but I hide it. You know that November.’’
‘’yes brother, I know it. When everyone gets here, will you be the judge?’’
‘’The judge of what?’’
‘’You will see.’’
July’s eyes narrowed. ‘’Very well then, old friend.’’
‘’Grandada, what is going on? Has February gone mad? These Blizzards are insane!’’
December came into the living room, shaking the snow out of her long, black hair. The flakes quickly melted in the heat of the fire.
‘’I will explain once the rest of the eleven are here.’’ November said.
‘’Eleven? Grandada, are you well? There are Twe-‘’
‘’I know how many of us there are, December. February will not be attending. I will explain all later.’’
December frowned, but said no more.
August and May entered November’s home nearly at the same time.
‘’Grandada, what is happening? Has February gone insane?’’ Little May asked, terrified. She had a right to be, being the youngest Month, barely a child. August seconded the question with her eyes.
November bent slightly to look May in her eyes. ‘’don’t worry child. All will be explained shortly. For now, there some cinnamon – roasted almonds and chocolate fudge in the kitchen. Would you like to go get them?’’
May’s face brightened a bit. ‘’yes, Grandada. Thank you!’’ she then scampered off to get aforementioned goodies.
August was not so easily persuaded. ‘’’All will be explained shortly’? What, pray tell, does that mean?’’
‘’It means when EveryMonth, minus February, is here, then I shall explain all that is happening. And please don’t ask why February isn’t coming. You shall know soon enough.’’
The doorbell rang.
‘’come on in, January!’’ November shouted. And then to August he said, ‘’she’s always had trouble opening doors uninvited, hasn’t she?’’
‘’November, why is-‘’ January started to say.
‘’that shall be explained. Is September coming?’’ he asked January.
‘’yes, he should be here any second.’’
At that moment September came in, huffing and blowing the snow out of his beard.
‘’Now, that is one giant of a storm, November!’’ he bellowed.
‘’Yes,’’ November agreed, ‘’and now that you are here we shall explain why. March, may I please have the list?’’
The Meeting of the Ages
‘’March found a list with this exact wording in February’s house, when she went to ask why the Blizzards were so strong.
Day one: Create large blizzards and snow the Months in.
Day two: Build a larger palace.
Day three: Gain control of the Days.
Day four: Revel in the glory.
Day five: Execute the Months.
I assume you now know why February isn’t here and why this is so urgent?’’
Silence reigned.
‘’November,’’ July said with effort, ‘’ you asked me to be the judge of this. As Judge, I say we must stop February. However, from the sound of the Storm outside I’d say it’s too late. We have been snowed in.’’
November sat down heavily in his red arm chair and put his head in his hands.
‘’What then are we to do?’’ He said wearily, ‘’we have limited rations and very limited heat. Yes, the summer months can make heat, but not without the scepter! Any ideas, friends? This fire will not last forever.’’
May started crying. ‘’I wish I coulda stayed home!’’
‘’’Could have’ not ’coulda’.’’ November corrected.
May looked up. ‘’What? We’re- we are about to die and you correct my grammar? Are you crazy?’’
‘’No, child. I simply believe that there is no excuse for the lack of grammar.’’
‘’I don’t know about you Months, but I’m going to play checkers. Anyone care to join?’’ October said.
Everyone stared at him, speechless.
‘’’Course I do, why in the name of lily -pads and tad –poles wouldn’t I?’’ June said, and ran over to the chest where November kept his board games.
‘’June? October? We are in the middle of a crisis that could change the world forever. Is playing checkers all you really think we should do?’’ November said in a daze.
June motioned to him, telling him to come closer.
‘’Do you remember Thanksgiving this year?’’ She whispered.
‘’How could I forget? It resides within my Time.’’
‘’Do you remember that February was acting strangely?’’
November thought on this. ‘’Yes.’’
‘’Well, look around the corners of the ceiling casual like.’’
November did as he was told. ‘’Oh. Spy cameras. I see. Act calm and hope he doesn’t make the Blizzard worse.’’
‘’Yep. Here…’’ June scribbled a short message down on a small piece of paper. ‘’Pass it around, casual like.’’
November gave the paper to the closest Month, March. ‘’Read it, and then pass it around. Make sure you don’t cause a big fuss!’’ November warned.
March nodded, read the message, and passed it on to September. It went on like that till EveryMonth knew what was going on.
‘’Spy cameras, what a dirty nasty trick, doncha know?’’ EveryMonth in the room jumped at the sound of the strangely accented voice.
November leapt to his feet, pulling out the small knife hidden in his boot as he did.
‘’Who is there? If you are with February, you had better hope that you know how to get out of this house just as sneakily as you got in!’’
‘’Sneaky? Tut tut. What a nasty word. I came right in when the rest of the blighters did, doncha know!’’
November looked around the room, darkened by the dwindling light.
‘’Where are you?’’
‘’Right here old bean.’’
November and the other Months looked towards the kitchen, where the voice was coming from.
There was a tall man dressed in old English clothing, munching on a pastie.
‘’Thomas Anthony William, at yur’ service, sah!’’ Thomas saluted smartly, military style.
‘’I see you’re in a bit of a pinch, doncha see. I could help you sorry lot out if ya like, seein’ how you lent me some o’ the vittles. Army marches on its stomach, doncha know!’’
Thomas looked around at the dumbfounded Months.
‘’hmm? You need help, doncha see?’’
November shook his head. ‘’Um, well, yes sir, but, well, you see-‘’
‘’Very good then old chap! First things first. We’ve got to get of this bally old place. How many shovels do ya have, sah?’’
April groaned.
*title in progress*
‘’So, Sir Thomas, ‘’ November panted, exhausted from shoveling the snow into the spare room, ‘’how exactly did you get in here? I did not see you come in, nor did the other Months.’’
‘’well old bean, that orange looking blighter, the thin one, he left the door wide open. Any chap could walk in undetected, doncha know!’’
November frowned. ‘’yes, that would be October. He doesn’t believe that doors are ‘sanitary’ as he put it. Anyhow, don’t you think it was rather rude to just come in like that?’’
Thomas snorted. ‘’Surely not, old bean. There was a big blizzard coming, doncha know! I figured yu’d let me in, but I was just too bally cold to ask, doncha know.’’
November scanned Thomas’ face. He had green eyes, brown hair, a thin nose and an honest look. November got the feeling that Thomas could be trusted on any ground.
‘’very well then, very well. You certainly are repaying. A tunnel, what a genius idea. And in the spare room as well, where February forgot to put up the cameras. Just genius.’’
‘’old military tactics, doncha know. Used to be an army officer myself, Doncha see. Ah, those were the good ol’ days, me bally fellow!’’
A wistful look came over his face, and November could tell that Thomas desperately missed ‘’the good ol’ days’’.
‘’ohh, yes,’’ said April sarcastically, ‘’let’s all thank the man that looks like a bunny rabbit. You see this, bunny-man? My dress is now even more ruined than it was!’’
Thomas stepped back, a hurt looking entering his eyes. ‘’well then, little miss. I guess I do look a bit like a, um… bunny… rabbit. I’m sorry ‘bout your dress.’’ The usual spunk in his voice was gone.
Tension sprung up unbidden.
November glared at April, looking far angrier than any of the Months had ever seen him. EveryMonth stopped shoveling, and looked at November and April.
‘’Now April,’’ November said, ‘’I have never heard a more, more,’’ November frowned, trying to find the right word. ‘’I have never heard anything more disgraceful to our Order! If you continue on this way, there is a nice bright Day in the training wing named Palpher that I’m sure would gladly take your place. You must learn to care for others more than yourself, child. In the end it will hurt us all, including yourself. Do you see what I mean?’’
April looked at her bright pink shoes, completely humbled. ‘’Yes, Grandada. I understand. Would you really replace me, though, really?’’
November looked her straight in the eye, unwavering. ‘’Yes, child. We would. Have no doubt about that.’’ He looked up at all the Months and clapped his hands together once.
‘’back to work EveryMonth. We need to get to the Days before February does!’’
Outwardly, April looked as if she really was sorry for calling Thomas names.
But inwardly she fumed. She would find a way to get back him for almost getting her expelled.
Even if it meant joining February.
Three hours later…
‘’Aha! We have done it, me jolly buckoes! The tunnel is finished!’’ Thomas shouted, and did a little jig; quite a comical thing, to be sure.
The less calm months, A.K.A June, October, and all the younger ones cheered loudly. July looked as if his smile could melt the glaciers, and his Brother looked the same. December was determined to remain quiet and reserved, but when even November started to cheer she broke out shouting as well.
‘’we made it!’’
‘’we’ve done it!
‘’now we’ll see what February thinks!’’
‘’hey now, June, don’t you mean: ‘why February stinks’?’’
‘’ha- ha, I do indeed, October!’’
November just sat back and chuckled at the Month’s jibber; there would be time for seriousness later.
Thomas suddenly arched his back as if in pain, and the smile was wiped off his face.
‘’The cold shall endure,
All pain counted as loss.
The cold one shall never be broken,
A traitor, a traitor in our midst!’’
His eyes had gone wide and he sat ridged as he recited. Then he looked sharply up, confused.
‘’now, what jolly well happened? I’m dreadfully flummoxed!’’ he asked.
November shook his head slowly, and wrote down the poem on a piece of paper.
‘’well, Thomas, I was rather hoping that you could tell me what was happening!’’
‘’I, I don’t know, old bean!’’
All of the Months and Thomas climbed carefully out of the tunnel that they had just made. When all were out, November looked around at the white landscape and slipped his snowshoes on. The wind had stopped blowing, the snow had stopped falling, and any sound was quickly swallowed up by the suffocatingly frigid air. March put her snowshoes on and walked over to November.
‘’Where do we go now, Grandada?’’ she asked.
November shook his gray head sadly. ‘’To get help from the Four Directions.’’
March was shocked. ‘’The Four Directions? But, aren’t they, well-‘’
‘’Dangerous? Extremely. That is why I will do the talking, and the rest of you shall not.’’ December said. She had come up from behind November and March and had heard the entire conversation. December had known the Four Directions for a long time, and even then she still feared the way their decisions changed with the Wind.
March shook her head. ‘’Are you sure it’s a good idea, December?’’
December raised one arched eyebrow higher than the other. ‘’Good idea? Certainly not. But would you rather go to the Elements? No doubt Ice would side with February, Air would have no idea what to do, Fire would burn everything to smithereens, thus defeating the purpose, Water would freeze as soon as she got here and be no better than Ice, and Earth would retreat to his tunnels.’’
March sighed. ‘’Of course. Let’s hurry.’’
And what's done of: The Academy of Peadair Cian
Chapter One: Decisions
A slender, young girl quietly walked down the stone path that led into one of the many gardens surrounding the big brick Academy. Ahnita Thomas was a wiry and tough girl. She had blonde hair that was dyed blue at the tips, and two bright blue- green eyes. She wore a plain blue dress and gray boots.
As she was surrounded by the beautiful flowers of springtime, she wondered if she would ever be chosen. At the age of four- teen, she was the oldest child who hadn’t been taken as one of the Master’s students. She heard soft footsteps behind her and turned around quickly.
Before her was a young woman, thin and beautiful. She had jet black hair and warm brown eyes that twinkled mischievously, and she wore a soft gray dress that came down a little past her knees. Around her narrow waist was a crooked belt that normally held a thin sword, and on her hands were fingerless leather gloves that came up to her elbows. She also had the same kind of gray boots that Ahnita wore. Behind the young woman was a girl, who wore a sky blue shirt and blue jeans, and had incredibly long, curly, orange- red hair.
‘’Master Gladiola, Evangelina. How are you?’’ Ahnita said, and curtsied. Evangelina was Master Gladiola’s apprentice, and Ahnita’s best friend in the Academy.
Master Gladiola nodded her head. ‘’Very well, thank you. I came to inquire whether or not you are coming to the Ceremony or not tonight. Are you?’’
Ahnita bowed her head in shame. ‘’I don’t think so. Why should I? I’m never chosen.’’
A soft smile flitted across Master Gladiola’s face, but Ahnita did not see it. ‘’Please, just be there tonight.’’
‘’Yes ma’am,’’ Ahnita said obediently as Master Gladiola and her apprentice walked away, ‘’Bye, Evangelina.’’
‘’See ya!’’ Shouted back Evangelina, earning her a quiet but hard stare from her Master. Master Gladiola was known for stealth and quiet, and she had made sure that that was the thing her students excelled at most.
Ahnita gazed again at the flowers, but her mind was filled with other things and their beauty was lost upon her. Why had Master Gladiola wanted her at the ceremony? She lay down on the sun- warmed stone bench and gazed at the lightly clouded blue sky.
She must have fallen asleep, for the next thing she knew was that a little hand was in hers.
‘’Wahnita, Wahnita! Wake up, will woo?’’
Ahnita sat up; only one person she knew used that many w’s. ‘’Ani? What time is it?’’
Ani looked at her with big, impatient, blue eyes. ‘’It’s walmost time for wa ceremony!’’
Ahnita sat up and almost tumbled over the five year old. ‘’Already?’’ she said anxiously, and then ran down the stone path towards the Academy building.
Ahnita managed to sneak in to the Auditorium without to many people noticing she was late.
At the front of the room, opposite the doors, was a platform that all the Masters who did not have more than one apprentice stood. All of the Apprentices were sitting on one side of the room, and the Novices sat on the other side. Ahnita sat with the rest of the novices. All of the Masters who already had two Apprentices stood in the back. Time passed and names were called. Nearly ten of the thirty- some novices were chosen. The Ceremony only came once a year, so normally it was quite a few more children. But then again, there were normally fifty- some children. Ahnita started to drift off again, wishing she could sleep better at night. A voice floated clearly the through the beginning haze of sleep.
‘’Ahnita?’’
She became instantly awake.
‘’Ahnita, come child.’’ Master Gladiola said from the front of the room.
Slowly, in shock, Ahnita walked up to the platform and stood next to Master Gladiola.
Peadair Cian then stood in front of them, his back to the audience. He had founded the Academy and ran everything.
‘’Do you, Ahnita Thomas, pledge to be a loyal apprentice to Master Gladiola? Only say ‘aye’ if you do.’’
Ahnita looked up at Master Gladiola in awe, and the Master of the sword smiled back at her. Ahnita thought about how long she had hoped to be an apprentice, and quickly decided.
‘’Aye!’’ She cried, and her smile was big enough to split the sky.
Master Gladiola then smiled and took a necklace out of a pouch on her belt and put it around Ahnita’s neck. Ahnita beamed and tears of joy slid unheeded down her cheeks. How long had she waited and longed for this moment? Master Gladiola and her new apprentice walked down the stairs and each took their places, Ahnita with the apprentices and Master Gladiola with the Masters. The rest of the Ceremony passed quickly for Ahnita.
That night, everyone met in the dining hall for dessert. The dining hall was there for those who didn’t want to cook, even though every Master was supplied with an oven, dishwasher, stove, and sinks, along with other kitchen supplies. Sometimes, though, they just didn’t want to cook, and that was when the dining hall came in handy. There were goodies of all kinds spread out on tables all around the walls of the room. Ahnita hung out with Angelina most of the time, thrilled that she now got to live with her best friend.
‘’So, how does it feel to be a new apprentice?” Evangelina asked. Evangelina was only two months older than Ahnita, and they were like sisters.
Ahnita put a hand to her mouth and held up one finger. She swallowed her chocolate and answered.
‘’It feels great! I mean, I never thought I’d actually be an apprentice. But this is awesome! Of all the Masters who could have chosen me, it was Master Gladiola, who’s other Apprentice is you! This is just perfect.’’
Evangelina laughed. ‘’Yeah, this is totally awesome. Have you tried the cake yet?’’
Anita shook her head no, smiled widely, and ran over to the table with the huge red velvet cake on it.
She was about to cut herself a slice of the cake when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
‘’If you eat that you’ll have trouble sleeping for the next two weeks.’’ A warm, deep, voice with a thick Irish accent said in her ear.
Ahnita turned around. ‘’Master Peadair! I know, but I really like it.’’ she said smiling.
Peadair nodded and smiled broadly. ‘’I’m not telling you not to eat it, lil’ lass. I owe Gladiola a little something for setting me up with such a hyper little Apprentice!’’ he exclaimed, and pointed to his Apprentice, Brian, who had two huge slices of the red velvet cake and three enormous brownies on his place. Peadair saw the contents of the young boy’s plate and sighed, rubbing his forehead.
‘’Brian, how about you give some of that to Mordecai and me…’’ he said as he walked away, toward his Apprentice.
Ahnita laughed and finished getting her cake. She spotted Evangelina and got her fork, then sat down beside her at one of the round table filling the Dining Hall.
‘’How about after dessert we go get my stuff out of the Novice Apartments.’’ Ahnita suggested.
Evangelina swallowed the last few drops of fruit her punch, ‘’Sure!’’
Ahnita scooped down her cake, eager at the prospect of finally getting out of the Novice Apartments and into one of the Master’s Quarters. It wasn’t that the Novice Apartments were bad, per se, they were just crowded. She finished her cake and threw the plastic plate in the trash can.
‘’Come on, Evangelina!’’ she said, and pulled Evangelina out of her seat by the arm.
‘’Ahnita!’’ Evangelina protested, ‘’I haven’t finished my cookie!’’
Ahnita rolled her eyes. ‘’Cookies are nasty. Come on!’’
‘’But it was lemon meringue…’’ Evangelina whimpered as Ahnita dragged her down the hall.
Once the girls got to the one of the Girls Novice Apartment that Ahnita had lived in for nearly seven years, Ahnita began to pack her things. What she owned was strewn about everywhere, on her bed, on the dresser, in her bags. It was a mess.
Evangelina laughed. ‘’This is a disaster! No wonder you wore the same dress yesterday, you can’t find anything in here!’’
She picked up a shirt and sniffed it, then pulled a face. ‘’And half of this hasn’t been washed in ages. Ick.’’
Ahnita grabbed at the shirt. ‘’Give me that. Your room probably doesn’t look much better.’’ She retorted and stuffed the shirt in her wooden chest, then laughed.
‘’Come on,’’ she said, picking up one corner of her chest of clothes, ‘’help me carry this to your Quarters.’’
‘’Our quarters.’’ Evangelina reminded with glee. They were best friends, now they would be more like sisters.
The girls struggled with the large, heavy, chest, but they finally made to their Quarters. Master Gladiola was already there. ‘’Hello, girls,’’ she said, smiling, ‘’I’m sorry that you don’t have your own room, Ahnita; you’ll have to share with Evangelina. Is that okay?’’
Evangelina and Ahnita looked at each other with blank faces. Suddenly, they burst out laughing.
‘’Okay? It’s better that okay! It’s awesome!’’ Ahnita said excitedly.
Master Gladiola laughed gently. ‘’Good. Now, Evangelina, please show Ahnita where to put her belongings. I would do it myself, but I need to run by the nurse’s office.’’
The smile on Evangelina’s face waned some. ‘’Yes, Master.’’
Ahnita was puzzled, but she didn’t say anything. Master Gladiola looked healthy, other than being skinnier and paler than normal. What was wrong? Ahnita didn’t know, and she didn’t ask.
Master Gladiola walked down the hall on shaky legs.
‘’I should have done this yesterday,’’ she muttered to No-One-In-Particular, ‘’Jemima will have my head for sure.’’
A motion in the shadows of the dark hall way caught her eye, but she didn’t turn her head or change pace. The figure walked behind her, quietly.
One step, two steps, three steps, now!
She turned on the cloaked figure swiftly, pulling a dagger from her boot as she did so. She slid the knife under the man’s throat and held it there. Strangely, the man didn’t resist.
‘’Gladiola, you passed my test with flying colors.’’ The man said, possessing a strong English accent.
Master Gladiola relaxed and put the knife back in her boot. ‘’Ben, don’t scare me like that!’’
‘’Sorry!’’ he laughed, ‘’and where are you off to at this hour, especially with a new Apprentice to settle in?’’
Master Gladiola hesitated, and gravity fell heavily upon the corridor, ‘’nowhere, Ben, just a stroll.’’ She said quietly.
Ben nodded his head. ‘’I see,’’ he said sarcastically, ‘’A stroll, at nearly eleven o’clock at night, towards the Infirmary,’’ he put his hands on her shoulders, ‘’what’s wrong, Gladiola?’’
Master Gladiola looked at the ground, dimly lit by the scanty lamps. ‘’I don’t know if I should tell you, certainly not in the dark like this. It is to… troubling.’’
Ben tightened his grip on her shoulders as she wobbled, and helped her sink to the floor without hurting herself. ‘’Gladiola, you need to tell me what’s wrong.’’
Master Gladiola shook her head, ‘’Not tonight, Ben; in the morning. Please, just go to your Quarters, get your rest. Leave me be.’’
Ben knew that when Master Gladiola said something, she meant it. So he walked down one of the side corridors, to his own Quarters and Apprentice.
Master Gladiola made her way slowly to the Infirmary.
When Master Gladiola returned to her Quarters, Ahnita and Evangelina were already settled in and in their pajamas. Master Gladiola smiled wearily as she walked to the girl’s room.
Ahnita and Evangelina were giggling, and didn’t even notice Master Gladiola standing in the doorway. Master Gladiola shook her head and went to her own room, which was beside the girl’s room.
‘’They are lucky, those girls. I never had such a happy time when I was young.’’ She muttered to herself while changing into her nightclothes. Tears came to rest in her eyes, but she wiped them swiftly away as if they were stinging acid. ‘’And it seems as if I shall never have such a time again.’’
Chapter Two: Decided
Peadair rolled around in his bed fitfully, the covers entangling him. The sharp trilling of his cell phone finally awoke him.
‘’Hello? This is Peadair.’’ He mumbled, ‘’hmm, Sabrina? Why are you calling? It’s two in the morning.’’ --a pause—‘’yes, I know its noon there.’’
He didn’t really know.
‘’Why do I need to come?’’—a long, hurried explanation—‘’Sabrina, slow down. Let me get this straight, you’re not making any sense. The clans have started warring and you won’t fight them? I don’t care if they are somehow very distantly related to you, if they are planning on attacking and killing your people than you must fight!’’ –a shocked silence, and then harsh words—‘’Okay, I’ll come. I’m going to bring a few friends, too. I don’t care if you don’t want me to. Talk to you later. Bye.’’
Peadair put the phone back on the small table beside his bed and sighed. At least Sabrina was in Ireland, that was the only upside to fighting a war for her.
All of the Masters and Apprentices had been called into the Auditorium, the same place the Ceremony had been held only the night before. Peadair stood on the platform once more, and addressed the entire assembly.
‘’Last night I got a phone call from my sister, Sabrina. As some of you know, she is chieftess of a small, rather primitive clan in Ireland. Unfortunately, the other clans have started war among themselves, for reasons of their own. Mainly because they are hotheaded and will go to war over Someone smacking So and So. Sabrina told me that she will not fight those who are distantly her kin. I can’t just leave her and her village to be slaughtered, and I can’t fight a war for her alone. I request the Masters and the older Apprentices to aid me.’’
The company gathered there did not move or speak. One would be able to hear a pin drop, if one would be so careless as to let it drop and suffer the humiliation of breaking that grave silence.
Master Gladiola pushed her way to the front of the people. ‘’Master Cian, we cannot fight a war! We are Guardians to those who need bodyguards, and we’re good at that. Again I say, we cannot fight a war!’’
Peadair stared at her with icy blue eyes. ‘’Do you even know how these men fight? The same way we do. With swords. I am confident that you will win the war! Gladiola, we will mostly be defending my sister’s people as it is, so you should have no problem.’’
Master Gladiola shook her head. ‘’I will not be going. I should have said nothing of the whole ordeal. Forgive me.’’
Ben looked at her sharply. ‘’What do you mean you’re not going?’’
Master Gladiola leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Ben’s face drooped and he nodded numbly.
‘’Are we set then?’’ Peadair asked, ‘’I have plane tickets for all who can go. How lucky I am that S.P.I is still paying for all of this.’’
Cody, in the back of the auditorium, rolled his eyes.
Gladiola sat on the large, stone steps of the Academy at dawn, the day after Peadair had announced that they were to go to Ireland. The world was still, and a thrush nearby sang a few bars of his springtime melody. She wondered if the world would ever be the same again after this war. If most would come back, or few.
And there is always the possibility of none.
Ben came out of the tall wooden doors of the Academy and sat down beside her.
‘’What are you thinking about?’’ He asked.
Gladiola sighed. ‘’You know perfectly well, you imp.’’
Ben’s blue eyes scanned the grounds restlessly. ‘’Don’t worry about us. We know how to fight.’’
Gladiola shook her head. ‘’That’s just it. You don’t know how to fight. Yes, you can swing a sword and look fancy while doing so, but none of us have ever fought to kill.’’
Ben looked at her. ‘’People’s lives are at stake. Either we help them, or they die.’’
‘’But there has to be another way. Any other way.’’
‘’There isn’t.’’ Ben said this in a harsher tone, but Gladiola had known him long enough to know that that was how sadness came out of him.
‘’Gladiola, there’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask you for a very lo- ‘’
‘’Master!’’ Ahnita shouted, coming out of the Academy to where Gladiola and Ben were. The adults both stood. Evangelina followed closely behind Ahnita.
‘’Master! We’ve got to leave in a few minutes and Evangelina can’t get her bag closed!’’ Ahnita said, genuinely worried for her fellow Apprentice.
Sure enough, the fifteen rentals cars and their drivers began pulling into the long, circular driveway.
Evangelina looked to be on the verge of despair. Master Gladiola put a kind hand on her shoulder and looked over at Ben. ‘’Can you help her close her suitcase, Ben?’’
Ben nodded. ‘’Of course.’’
Gladiola could tell his smile was forced. Why? What had he been about to ask?
Suddenly, she collapsed.
Without warning.
Without anything to break the fall.
On the stone steps.
The hard, stone steps.
Ben turned around when he heard the thud, and his heart nearly stopped right there. Gladiola’s eyes were wide, she breathed heavily…
Like she wasn’t getting enough air.
A muffled scream managed to escape Evangelina’s lips. Ahnita looked like she wanted to, but she was brave.
Ben wanted to, but he couldn’t. He had to be the brave one.
So he ran back to her side and picked her up, with one gentle touch to her cheek first.
‘’Evangelina, find Jemima. Tell her that Gladiola’s gotten worse. Hurry!’’
Evangelina ran towards the Infirmary faster than she had ever run before.
Ahnita was starting to hyperventilate, and twin rivers of tears ran down face. ‘’What’s happening, Master Kennerly? Will she be okay?’’
Ben shook his head. ‘’I don’t know.’’
The sick bay was not a fancy doctor’s office. Instead, it was the room the Jemima lovingly called the Infirmary. There were no modern medicines, only the healing herbs that Jemima was fluent with. They were stored in the small drawers that decorated the interior of the room, and some hung even from the ceiling. It was normally a quiet place, and, thank heavens, seldom occupied. Today, however, the silence and peace was crushed brutally when Ben came rushing in, carrying a limp Gladiola in his arms.
‘’Jemima, she’s gotten worse.’’ His face was completely void of all emotion, but his voice still betrayed him.
Jemima got up from the herbs she was sorting and took one swift look at Master Gladiola.
‘’Set her on the cot, quickly now, Ben!’’ She commanded. Her Infirmary, her rules.
Ben did so and stood by awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He saw Ahnita and Evangelina fairly sobbing, and began to comfort them.
A car horn honked.
‘’Benjamin Kennerly! Hurry up or we’ll be late!’’ the deep, Irish voice boomed; completely oblivious to the turmoil within his Academy.
Ben walked swiftly over to the window, ‘’Give us five minutes, Master Cian! Gladiola… has fallen sick.’’
Ben turned around from the window, ‘’you heard the man,’’ he consoled gently, ‘’it’s time to go. Evangelina, I’ll help you with your suitcase now.’’
Ahnita shook her, on the verge of bursting from fury. ‘’We can’t just leave! She needs us!’’
‘’She’ll be with Jemima and Methuselah. She’ll be fine, I promise.’’ Ben said.
‘’Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’’ Ahnita retorted. Then the seriousness of what she just said hit her. Not only had she talked back to a Master, she had admitted her fears aloud. But then she began to think. She loved her Master, but if she stayed there was nothing she could do for her; she didn’t even know what Gladiola was sick with. She came to a conclusion in her heart.
Evangelina was about to protest against leaving, but Ahnita silenced her with a small squeeze of her hand. Evangelina knew Ahnita was a born leader, even though she was sometimes rash and hasty, and decided to trust her decision.
‘’Yes, Master Kennerly.’’ Ahnita conceded.
Chapter Three: You Just Never Know
McQuesten Airport was a crowded place, especially because it was a Saturday. No one noticed the pile of clothing being tossed out of one of the Master’s bags and being replaced by a small girl.
Ben was only half there, his mind remaining on Gladiola. He went through the motions without giving them any real thought. He wondered if he would ever see Gladiola again; there was always the possibility of not coming back from the war. And even if he came back, there was no guarantee that she would still be there.
With these thoughts he fell a little behind the others, not even thinking about what he was doing.
But a certain man dressed in a long black coat was thinking about was Ben was doing, very consistently and with terrifying precision.
He slowly took out the rag that was in his pocket, looking around the noisy, busy, airport before- hand.
Ben walked by him slowly, still not paying attention like he should have been.
As Ben walked by him, the man pressed the rag to his nose. Ben, without a sound, went limp in the man’s arms. The dark haired man dragged him quietly out an emergency exit door, after pulling the fire alarm. In the panic, nobody noticed him.
‘’Now that, my friends, was a perfectly executed kidnapping.’’ The man muttered to himself, the perpetual sneer still plastered over his face.
Peadair stared out of the airplane window, remembering the last time he had been on a plane. It had been with his daughter, before Sullen and Tyre. Tears came to his eyes, the bitter tears he had worked so hard to control for so many years. It had been ten years now, he was fifty-two. Only a few more years and he would retire, if he lived through the war. Cody, in the seat beside him, saw the tears.
‘’It’s been ten years sir. I’m surprised it still troubles you so much.’’
Peadair looked at the Italian man with surprise. ‘’Do you think I could forget my daughter or your brothers?’’
Cody shook his head, ‘’Of course not, sir. I still miss my brothers like nothing else. But they would want me to think about the future, not linger in the past. Isn’t that what Britt would have wanted you to do?’’
Peadair stared into the dark brown eyes of Cody. ‘’Yes, she would have. Still, I find it hard not to think about the lil’ lass.’’
‘’Oh, you should think about her, sir. Just don’t long for the past; you can’t have it back. You can’t change it. It isn’t yours. But the future is yours, and you need to think far more about it than the past.’’
Peadair nodded his head. Wise words from one so young; only twenty- eight. He began to get sleepy, and slowly drifted off. But, as it often is, sleep was no more welcoming than consciousness. He only dreamed about Britt and about his wife, Stella. The turbulence while landing awoke him. Once out of the airport and baggage had been picked up, Peadair breathed in the crisp Irish air. It did him a world of good to see his homeland once again.
‘’Master Peadair!’’
Peadair turned towards the source of the voice.
‘’Yes, Sierra, what is it?’’
The woman was breathless and looked like she had seen a ghost. ‘’I checked my bag to make sure all my luggage was there, I always have since the first time I flew and the some of the employees messed with my bag, and what should I find but Ani!’’
The little girl poked her head out from behind Master Sierra. ‘’Hewwo, Master Ciwan.’’
Peadair’s hard gaze softened at the sight of the five year old. ‘’What are you doing here, lil’ lass? We are going to fight a battle!’’
Ani ducked her head shyly. ‘’Welw, I thowt I could helwp.’’
The tall Irish man shook his head in mock despair. ‘’Well, we can’t send you back. Ahnita will have to look after you while us Masters figure out the best way to get fifty miles away where roads do not exist.’’
He looked around at the Masters and Apprentices, trying to spot Evangelina and Ahnita. Upon failing, he decided to call for them.
‘’ Evangelina! Ahnita! I need you over here please.’’
No answer.
No movement.
No Angelina.
No Ahnita.
‘’I’d swear they got on the plane.’’ He muttered under his breath.
Eight- teen hours earlier…
Ahnita and Evangelina were navigating their way around the massive crowds in the airport, hoping not to be separated from the others. Ahnita was thinking about her Master. Maybe there was nothing she could do, but she should at least be there to comfort her and find out what was wrong. Her cell phone trilled, she flipped the top up and answered.
‘’This is Ahnita Thomas.’’
The man on the other end chuckled, and not in the funny way. ‘’Good, good. I am Flynn Shadrax. I suppose you know of your ‘Master’s’ plight?”
Ahnita was confused. ‘’I know she’s sick. Why do you ask?’’ whoever Flynn was, he didn’t give her a good feeling.
Flynn laughed again. ‘’Since you don’t know what is truly wrong, let me… enlighten you. She has lung cancer, and is currently close to death. I hold the only key to her recovery. Do you want it?’’
Ahnita felt like a bomb had been dropped in the middle of her life. ‘’She what?! She can’t have lung cancer! How do you know this? What is the key? What’s going on?’’
‘’I know this because I am smart and the Academy’s security is low; oh, the irony. The key is for her to have a lung transplant, both her lungs will go and one will be replaced by someone else’s, it is possible to live with only one lung. That person who will give her the lung, however, must have the same tissue type as her. Benjamin Kennerly is the only person you know with the same tissue type. If you haven’t caught on by now, Benjamin is the key; and I have him!’’
Ahnita was flabbergasted, and simply didn’t want to believe the truth. Evangelina stared at her blankly, only hearing one side of the conversation.
‘’What do you mean you have him? He’s getting on the plane now.’’
‘’Oh, but he isn’t. Give me one moment please.’’
Flynn hung up and Ahnita frowned, but a picture came through.
It was Ben.
Tied up.
In pain.
The phone trilled again and Ahnita answered, seeing that it was Flynn’s number. ‘’What do you want?’’
‘’I want you to contact Peadair and tell him to give you thirty- thousand dollars. You will then take it to the address that I will text to you. Only you and Evangelina may come. If you bring anyone else, I will kill Ben on the spot. Clear?’’
Ahnita knew the Academy didn’t have the money, and the Masters wouldn’t let them go alone. So she lied, and not for the first time either. That was her biggest flaw.
‘’We’ll be there. Just send the address.’’ She said fumingly, then hung up and waited for the text.
It came.
‘’Come on Evangelina. We’ve gotta go save Ben. Again.’’
Evangelina was confused. ‘’Why? What’s wrong with our Master? What happened to Master Kennerly?’’
Ahnita gave her the whole speech, and Evangelina had nearly the same reaction as she had. Only a lot calmer.
Sort of.
The girls rushed out of the airport, having made up excuses to the workers as to why they were leaving without an adult.
Chapter Four: The Old Crow Speaks
‘’Where do we go first?’’ Evangelina asked, unsure of her- self.
‘’Um, to Ben. Which means we follow the address.’’ Ahnita, however, was very confident.
‘’’Shack in Old Crow’ doesn’t sound like much of an address to me. And seriously, we live fifteen miles from there.’’
Ahnita nodded her head. ‘’He probably wanted the money to get to him fast. But that’s a good thing, we can get to the Academy quickly once we have him.’’
‘’True. But how do we get there?’’
‘’By taxi. How else? It’s not like we could walk there, and I don’t drive.’’
Evangelina scrunched up her face. ‘’Good point.’’
Ahnita flagged down a taxi. ‘’Old Crow, please.’’ She said as she and Evangelina got in.
The toothy driver laughed, ‘’Old Crow? That be far ‘way. You gonna pay me well, got it?’’
Ahnita looked at Angelina. ‘’Do you have any money?’’ she whispered in her ear.
Evangelina nodded her head and Ahnita gave a sigh of relief.
‘’How much will it cost us?’’ Ahnita asked.
The man rubbed his stubbly chin. ‘’Eh, eighty bucks.’’
‘’We don’t have that much. How about thirty?’’
The man’s eyes squinted. ‘’Sixty, no less.’’
‘’Forty.’’
‘’Fifty.’’
Evangelina spoke up, ‘’done.’’
The man nodded his head and pursed his lips. ‘’Good enough.’’
They drove off down the busy street, towards a very sticky situation.
Evangelina gave the money to the taxi driver when they got out, and he drove away.
Leaving them in a very dangerous position.
‘’Now, where would a shack be located, I wonder?’’ Ahnita muttered under her breath.
She looked around her. Old Crow was a very small town, remote even. She had been through a few times, each time going either to or from the Academy. As far as she knew, there weren’t any old shacks. The residents kept their buildings quite neat and tidy.
‘’Let’s try the woods. That’s always a good place to look for creepy old shacks.’’
Evangelina grimaced, ‘’seriously? Do you have to try to freak me out?’’
‘’Of course.’’ Ahnita said, grinning. She started to walk towards the woods, and Evangelina followed her. The air was crisp, still a bit chilly even though it was spring- time. Flowers grew every- where, the woods were still aside from the bird song. Ahnita wasn’t sure what she wanted to find when they got to Ben. She was glad of the sword by side. Never would she actually kill someone, but she wasn’t afraid to wound anyone. The tramp through the woods in search for a creepy old shack that could hold anything unnerved Ahnita, especially because of the vast amount of crows that lived in there, where song- birds would normally reign during this time of year.
‘’Angie? Do you ever get this creepy feeling that just reaches up along your spine?’’
Evangelina shivered. ‘’Yeah.’’
‘’What do you think we’ll find?”
‘’I seriously don’t want to know prematurely.’’
Ahnita nodded her head. ‘’Same here.’’
Ben woke up and tried to shake the fogginess from his eyes and mind. It remained. He was dangling, his feet hardly touching the floor. His hands had gone numb, they were tied up. He yanked on the cords, to no avail.
‘’Ah, I see you’ve woken. How does it feel, hmm?’’ A deep and dark laugh went with the words, adding insult to injury.
Ben painfully lifted his head to look at the man. ‘’Who are you?’’
‘’Shadrax, Flynn Shadrax. I am your captor, and you are my hostage. Since you didn’t answer my question I’ll ask it again. How does it feel to be captured? Shamed? Beaten?’’
Ben frowned in puzzlement. ‘’Beate-?”
WHAP!
A fist hit Ben hard in the jaw.
‘’Oh. Beaten. I see. Well, to tell the truth, not well at all. If you would refrain, that would be fantastic.’’
Flynn laughed again, hideously.
WHACK!
‘’Stop? But I’m having so much fun!’’
Blood started to drip from Ben’s lip. ‘’I think you had better stop.’’
Flynn threw his head back and howled with laughter. ‘’What? Stop? Why on earth should I, you pig?’’
Ben snorted. ‘’Oh, trust me, I’m not the pig.’’
That only earned him another hard punch, but this time in the ribs. Flynn put his face close to Ben’s.
‘’Do not insult me. I hold your life in my hands, puny mortal.’’
‘’Not if I don’t want you to. And by the way, your breath stinks.’’
Flynn hit him hard in the jaw. ‘’Shut up!’’
Ben cocked his head, trying out his jaw muscles. ‘’And what do you mean by ‘puny mortal’? Aren’t you only mortal?’’
Flynn growled and pummeled him with blows. ‘’When I have Gladiola’s life, I will be Immortal!’’
Ben shook his head. ‘’You can’t have Gladiola’s life and you can’t make yourself Immortal. It’s not like a cold, it doesn’t just rub off.’’
Flynn was clearly disgusted at this new revelation, and his expression was enough to make Ben almost laugh.
‘’Are you serious? You mean to say that if I kill her, I won’t get her Immortality?’’
‘’No… did you really think that could happen?’’
‘’Yes.’’ Flynn started to whimper quietly, and it was all Ben could do to keep from laughing out loud. But then Flynn perked up.
‘’Even if I can’t be Immortal, at least I’ll be rich!’’ the greed lit up in his eyes once more.
He went over to a corner of the garage-like temporary prison and got a crowbar. ‘’And I’ll have a little fun while waiting, too!’’
Ben groaned softly.
Ahnita was the one to spot the old, run- down cabin first. She pointed it out to Evangelina, and Evangelina pointed out to her that they didn’t have a plan.
‘’We go rescue Ben. It can’t be that hard.’’
Evangelina sort of glared at her. ‘’Really? Flynn could have a gun. We have swords. Swords, Ahnita. We’d be dead in minutes.’’
‘’Well we have to try, don’t we? We can’t just give up on him.’’
Evangelina blew out of her mouth loudly. ‘’Okay, let’s go. But if we get killed, I’m blaming you.’’
‘’Whatever.’’ Ahnita complied.
They both cautiously opened the door and went in, drawing their swords. Flynn took one look at them and laughed manically.
‘’I’m afraid you took too long, so I can’t return him to you unharmed. After all, it’s been five hours.’’
Ben, with his last ounces of strength, lifted his head and spoke. ‘’You do know that laughing manically is not at all appropriate, and definitely not attractive.’’
Then he went limp.
Ahnita scowled and went into the fighting stance. Evangelina did too.
Flynn drew his gun and, with the skill of an expert, shot the swords right out of their hands. Both girls were completely flabbergasted. The man with dark hair and eyes stepped over to them.
‘’I expect the money. Now.’’ He demanded, his voice like a glacier.
Ahnita’s eyes narrowed. ‘’Not until you let Ben go.’’
Flynn pointed the gun at them, and motioned with it towards the wall next to Ben. ‘’Sit down over there and don’t move. You obviously don’t have the money.’’
The girls didn’t have any choice but to obey. Flynn took some rope and tied their hands together, cruelly getting the knot to tight. He gave one final sneer and left the small room.
‘’I’m blaming you.’’ Evangelina growled.
‘’Yeah, Yeah, I know. I wonder how long it’ll take for Ben to wake up.’’
‘’I don’t know. He looks pretty hurt.’’
‘’Well that put a major hitch in our plans.’’
‘’Oh my goodness Ahnita. So un-sympathetic.’’
‘’Gladiola will die if we don’t get Ben out! You think that’s un-sympathetic?’’
‘’Good point. Do you think Flynn’s out of earshot?’’
‘’Didn’t you hear him drive his car away?’’
‘’Good point. I have a knife in my back left pocket. See if you can get it.’’
‘’You know, if this were a book or movie this would be SO cliché. The authors would NEVER get away with it. I’ll see if I can reach.’’
It was a struggle, but she got the knife out with much chafing of the hands. She began to cut the ropes, her hands at an awkward angle. The ropes began to fray, and then snapped.
‘’Got it, Angie.’’
‘’Good. Now let’s get out of here.’’
‘’We can’t just leave Ben!’’
‘’It’s not like we can carry him outta here.’’
‘’Oh really? You get his feet.’’
Evangelina shook her head and groaned, but she took his feet and Ahnita grabbed under his shoulders. Together, they pulled him out of the shack, out of the woods; into the main street of Old Crow. Surprisingly, the taxi they had arrived in was still there.
Ahnita dropped Ben’s shoulders, and went over to the cabby. She tapped on the glass and the man rolled down his window.
‘’Eh heh. There you are. You forgot thirty-six cents.’’
Ahnita rolled her eyes, ‘’you’re desperate, aren’t you?’’
‘’Yep. Now pay up.’’
Ahnita glanced at Evangelina and Ben, behind the car. The driver couldn’t see them. ‘’How about we pay five bucks more if you take us fifteen miles farther.’’
The driver shrugged. ‘’Good enough for me. Find your little friend and hop in.’’
‘’Can you pop the trunk first?’’
‘’Got it.’’
Ahnita walked back over to Evangelina and unconscious Ben.
‘’Why did he pop the trunk?’’
‘’Um, well, so we can stuff Ben in it… heh … heh…’’
‘’Really? That’s your grand idea?’’
‘’Don’t you think the driver would ask questions if we put an unconscious, half dead, man in the back seat?’’
‘’When you put it that way. Help me get him in there.’’
Heaving and pulling, pushing and shoving, the two girls got Ben in the trunk. Once, the taxi driver offered to help them with their ‘luggage’, but they quickly declined.
Finally, they got Ben in the trunk. Angelina slammed the top down, but it didn’t shut like it should have.
‘’Uh oh. I hope we didn’t break his foot.’’ Evangelina said.
Sure enough, his foot sticking out was what had stopped the lid from closing.
‘’We? You’re the one who slammed the lid on it.’’ Ahnita said, pushing his foot to where it was supposed to be and closing the lid carefully.
‘’Whatever. Let’s just get back to the Academy. I’m sick of this.’’
Chapter Five: Sabrina
Peadair walked slowly up to the solitary throne that sat in the middle of the beautiful green forest. He stared at the blonde-haired woman who sat on it, and the huge white dog that was beside her. She had such sad blue eyes that pierced his heart like a burning sword, and he wished he could have come to do something far less violent. She would hate him for this.
‘’What right do you have to bring an army to my lands without my permission?’’
Peadair bowed his head in respect, ‘’none, my lady. I only wish to protect you. Besides, we are hardly an army.’’
‘’Of all people I thought you would understand my position in this matter! I will not fight those who are my kin!’’
‘’Sabrina, they are hardly our kin. A very distant relation hardly counts.’’
‘’I will not risk the lives of my people, and that is my final answer. Go back to Canada, Peadair, as you have left your true home for good.’’
Her words pierced Peadair’s very soul in a fiercer way than any blade. Left his true home? Wasn’t it said that home is where the heart is? His heart was with the Academy, with Sensei Chung, the Masters, and the Apprentices.
‘’Sabrina, my home is with them. The Masters, the Apprentices. But you are my sister; I’m here to protect you and ou- your clan.’’
Tears began to brim Sabrina’s eyes. ‘’My clan? Oh Peadair…’’
‘’I’m sorry sister. What might have been.’’
And he left that immediate area, not wishing to see the hurt in poor Sabrina’s eyes.
When he got into the small clearing where his friends were, Peadair noticed a newcomer. Quietly, he called Cody over.
‘’Who’s that?’’ he asked, pointing discreetly to the brown-haired man he hadn’t seen before and folding his arms.
Cody chuckled. ‘’That’s my cousin, Dex. He was vacationing a little ways from here, camping really, and he saw us. It’s up to you whether he should stay or not, but he can be a handful.’’
‘’Your cousin, eh, I didn’t know you had a cousin; I didn’t think you had living relatives at all besides your sister, Clementine. Why is he a handful?’’
‘’Heh. He eats a lot, sir.’’
Peadair studied the seemingly frivolous man and noticed that there was a definite reason for every move Dex made. This was certainly a perilous man, acting careless and wanton but, hidden, was a deadly purpose.
‘’If he’s anything like you, Cody, he can stay.’’
When Peadair said that, Cody immediately knew the tall man had seen right through Dex’s outward appearance. Cody saluted.
‘’Yessir. Don’t worry, you won’t be disappointed in him.’’
Peadair smiled, the left side of his mouth rising slighter higher than his right, and clapped a large hand on Cody’s shoulder.
‘’I’m sure I won’t be disappointed; after all, he’s related to Cody Herman Reed.’’
Cody shuddered, ‘’Do you have to say my middle name out loud, sir?’’
This had both of the men laughing uproariously. That name had always been a bane to Cody. Seeing Cody and another man, Dex walked over to them.
‘’Hullo there! Is this a blinkin’ private joke or one I can jolly well share in on, Cody? And who’s this oak of a man?’’
Cody cleared his eyes from the tears of merriment.
‘’This is Peadair Alastar Cian; and showing him a bit of respect wouldn’t hurt, he ranks higher than you.’’
Dex’s face cleared of his former vivacious, amiable expressions and he saluted in mock terror and awe.
‘’Please, sir, I beg, you sir, don’t keelhaul me sir, I’m blinkin’ beggin’ you sir!’’
Peadair laughed heartily. ‘’Ach, you’re forgiven! Stand down an’ steady in the ranks.’’
Dex stood at ease. ‘’Thank you sir! Permission to feed my face, sir!’’
Peadair tried hard to contain a smile, ‘’Permission granted.’’
The tall Irish man watched as the somehow- skinny Italian went over to the lunch Master Duncan, the Academy Cook, was preparing.
‘’Are you sure you two are related?’’
‘’Positive, sir,’’ Cody said, ‘’don’t you think we look alike?’’
Peadair stroked the goatee on his square chin. ‘’And that is where the resemblance ends!’’
Cody chuckled; he was very fond of his cousin, ‘’Indeed!’’
And I think I just won the contest for longest post ever.
First up: The Epic of Peadair Cian (Which is now slightly different than what it was)
The Cian’s house, 8:32 A.M.
Britt sat up in her bed and yawned. The sun filtered through the yellow curtains and the kitten at the end of her bed looked up at her with large, green eyes.
‘’Good morning, Hobbes.’’ Britt said sleepily.
She got up and slipped her blue slippers on, quickly combed through her bobbed, blonde hair with her fingers, opened the door to her small room and walked down the stairs. Hobbes followed closely behind his loving owner, who picked him up and carried him down with her.
The stairs, like the rest of the old Irish house, were creaky. But Britt didn’t mind. The eight- teen year old was raised in an orphanage in England, North of Liverpool. It was a very unpleasant place on the edge of the town; it wasn’t even on the maps. Britt was sure that if it was on the map the government would have done something about it, maybe even putting in a new, much needed roof.
Her father had left her there when his wife had died, thinking that he couldn’t take care of such a young thing.
But only five years ago Britt had taken matters into her own hands. Judging on her looks, she asked Captain Peadair Alastar Cian to take her to Ireland, where she might find her family. As it turns out, Peadair just happened to be her father; and of course he adopted her back.
So you see, Britt would never mind this rickety, creaky, smelly old house. It was her home, and with all luck it always would be.
Britt walked in to the kitchen and saw her father, whom she called Ada, reading off of a small, rectangular piece of paper. Hobbes jumped down from Britt’s arms and went over to his food bowl. Seeing it was empty, he started to meow. Britt went over to the fridge and got an open half can of tuna and dumped it into his small bowl. Hobbes ate hungrily.
Peadair was a tall man, 6’ 3’’, and had built the house when he was only Britt’s age. His face was weather- tanned, having been the Captain of the Lollar Namara and sailing over the world with his exotic fish. His brown and graying hair was trimmed and well kept, his blue eyes always searching and steady.
Britt leaned over the back of his chair and read it over his shoulder. ‘’Good morning, Ada. What are you reading?’’ she asked.
Peadair frowned and stroked his chin.
‘’Well, Britt, there is a lot that you don’t know about me yet. And one of those things I never planned on telling you, ever. But I see now that I have to, lil’ lass. You see, I was- you know, just read the letter.’’
His voice was deep and reassuring with a thick Irish accent, but there was a hint of fear this morning.
Britt did read it, and looked up alarmed.
‘’S.P.I?’’ she asked.
‘’Secret Police Investigations.’’
‘’And they want you to do what now? You’re a spy? Since when? What is going here?’’ Britt’s brown eyes reflected the fear in her heart.
‘’I just got you back, Ada. This isn’t going to be long, is it? And really, since when were you a spy? Is this a joke?’’ she asked, flummoxed.
‘’No, lil’ lass. This is no joke. I’ve been a secret agent for a very long time, and I never thought they would call me back. They let me retire when I married your Mama, and I really did think that would be the end of my days working with S.P.I. I was wrong.’’
Britt looked at him with unbelieving eyes. ‘’You don’t say. So you’re just going to go chasing a man who is apparently from the future? Really?’’
Peadair chose his words carefully. ‘’Yes, I am. But Britt, we aren’t just trying to put him back in his own time period for everyone’s own good. He wants you dead.’’
Britt frowned, thinking thorough this. ‘’How do they know he wants me dead and why would he want me dead?’’ she demanded.
‘’They know because they had him, but he escaped. Very easily, I might add. Right through the wall; he scrambled the molecules and atoms to do it, quite fascinating, really. He wants you dead because your descendant doesn’t like the way he does things. You might say that this man, Tyre, is sort of out for revenge. Only he is doing it in a much different way than most assassins would.’’
Britt gulped. ‘’Assassin?’’
Peadair realized his mistake. ‘’Well, in a way…’’ he trailed off miserably for such a big man.
‘’Then I’m coming with you.’’ Britt said mater- of- fact -ly.
Peadair started. ‘’No, you most certainly are not! He is trying to kill you Britt, wouldn’t we just be making it easier for him if you, young and inexperienced, tag along with a bunch of trained men?’’
Britt smirked. ‘’Maybe. But it would be even easier for him if I stayed here alone.’’
Peadair realized he was caught and put his head in his hands, relenting. ‘’All right then, lass. But if you die, don’t blame me.’’
‘’I won’t. And Ada, what did you mean by ‘a bunch of trained men’? Are you referring to yourself as more than one person now?’’
It was Peadair’s turn to smirk. ‘’Did you really think we would be going alone? Of course not. I’m not all that stupid. We will be going with the Reed brothers. All of them cunning, all of them quick with a pistol, and all of them good Christian men. Don’t worry.’’
Britt groaned. ‘’Really? I thought this was just going to be us.’’
Peadair’s smile was wide enough to split the sky. ‘’I know. Now go pack your stuff, but only enough to fit in here.’’ He hauled a large purse out from under the table.
Britt gasped. ‘’You knew I would try to trick you into taking me!’’
‘’Of course I did. Now get moving soldier! Hup two three four! Hup two thre-‘’
‘’Thanks, I get it!’’ Britt said, and then hurried up the stairs to her room.
‘’Let’s see,’’ she muttered, ‘’Am I going crazy? I just volunteered myself to capture a guy named Tyre who is from the future and wants me dead so that my heirs never exist… yup. I am officially crazy!’’
Britt rolled her eyes. ‘’And now I’m even talking to myself. What gives?’’
Beara Peninsula Four- Way Stop 12:47 A.M.
‘’So where are we meeting them again?’’ Britt asked.
Peadair stopped at a red light at the intersection and tapped the steering wheel impatiently.
‘’I told you already. We are going to meet the Reed brothers on Beara peninsula. More specifically, the Ardgroom stone circle. It’s far enough away from the main town that we shouldn’t run into tourists.’’
‘’Okay. Ada, I have to admit that I’m a bit scared. I mean, El-‘’
Peadair cut her off. ‘’Don’t say it. We told them that we would never speak of them; even among ourselves.’’
Britt frowned. ‘’Okay then. Our adventure five years ago was one thing; but this is entirely different! I don’t know how I’m gonna handle it if we have to fight Tyre.’’
Peadair concentrated on the road. ‘’I know Britt. But you have your pistol, and you have me, and you’ll have the Reed brothers.’’
‘’I don’t want to use the pistol, Ada.’’
Peadair nodded. ‘’And I don’t want you to have to use the pistol, but you never know what might happen.’’
Britt nodded. ‘’What were their names again?’’
‘’Who’s?’’
‘’The Reed brothers.’’
‘’Britt, there is absolutely no reason for me to tell you. You’ll just forget; again.’’
‘’Come on, please?’’
‘’Very well, lil’ lass,’’ he sighed, ‘’ the oldest is Cody, then Cole, then Carter, then Carson. Their sister’s name is Clemintine, but she isn’t coming along on this one. She decided to help D’Angelo, their father. He fell sick a few months ago and still hasn’t gotten better.’’
‘’Ouch. Cole, Cody, Carter, Carson. Right?’’
‘’Right.’’
‘’Boy, that’s a lot of c’s. How much longer?’’
‘’Actually, Britt, we’re here.’’
The car ground to a halt on the stone of the shoulder of the road. Britt and Peadair both got out, glad to have the chance to stretch their legs after the two hour long drive.
‘’Really? ‘Cause I don’t see anybody or anything.’’
Peadair raised an eyebrow. ‘’I told you Britt, we work undercover. There is a reason you can’t see them.’’
Britt still looked into the distance trying to see if she could spot them. ‘’I still don’t see them.’’
‘’Nor will you, lil’ lass, not like that. Follow me.’’
The weeds in the field were tall and thick, and Britt had some trouble pushing through them.
Peadair, of course, did not have any trouble at all; seeing how tall he is.
‘’Cody!’’ Peadair bellowed across the field.
A young man with black hair and tan skin jumped out of the weeds two yards to their right.
‘’For pity’s sake, Cian, we are under cover if you hadn’t noticed!’’
Peadair pointed an accusing finger at Cody. ‘’Yes, and anyone could have called out your name and you would yell out mine like you just did, revealing the both of us! Please, Cody, try to use your brains.’’
Cody blushed in embarrassment. ‘’So, that was a test?’’
‘’Yes; what did you think it was?’’
‘’Well, sir, I should have known it was a test.’’
‘’Yes, you should have.’’ Peadair grimaced. ‘’I hope you aren’t always so rash.’’
Cody hung his head. ‘’We aren’t sir.’’
Peadair sighed and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. ‘’There is going to be a change of plan. Get your brothers. We have to hurry; I believe the man we are supposed to be tracking is tracking us.’’
Cody fingered the pistol in its holder on his hip. ‘’Don’t worry sir.’’
Peadair caught the gesture and his eyes narrowed. ‘’No, Cody. Not that way. This is not that type of mission; Tyre is to be caught alive and put back into his own time.’’
‘’Yes sir. I’m sorry.’’
‘’Don’t be sorry, just go get your brothers. I’ll meet you at Taste, but don’t use our real names, please. It wouldn’t take much for him to identify me, tall as I am, but it might keep him at bay.’’
Cody frowned. ‘’You expect him to be there?’’
Peadair raised both eyebrows in a peculiar fashion. ‘’Of course I do. After all, he wouldn’t just come to our time period unprepared.’’
‘’Yes, sir.’’
Taste, Beara Peninsula 1:26 P.M.
In the small town of Beara was an even smaller café by the name of Taste, and there a question haunted Britt. Finally, she could keep it in no more.
‘’How will he recognize us? We’ve never seen him before, have we?’’
Peadair gazed calmly at her, as if being chased down by villains who knew your identity but you didn’t know their’s was completely normal. ‘’No, of course we have not seen him. However, he has seen us. Both in his own time period through old photographs and in our time period through spying. He is crafty, clever, and covers his trail well Britt, but he did leave cameras in our house. Never a good idea. He knows most of our weaknesses and strengths, which is why I called the Reed brothers to help us. We will need it.’’
Britt grew somber. ‘’It’s that bad?’’
‘’Child, this was never a game. Please understand that. If you wish, I could take you to HQ and they would guard you while we searched for him.’’
Britt tried to balance the facts. Peadair was old, the Reed brothers slightly hasty. She herself was well balanced; she had good common sense, but not much field experience.
‘’No, Ada. Our team together will be perfect. I’ll help; this is my fight after all. He wants me, not you. I won’t put you in danger while I hide away.’’
Peadair gazed at his daughter lovingly, her face so fragile. ‘’My daughter grew up without me. Please forgive me for that, Britt. I made such a mistake giving you away.’’
‘’Of course I forgive you, Ada.’’
Peadair smiled. ‘’Thank you, lil’ lass. Thank you.’’
He glanced toward the door. ‘’And here are the Reed brothers.’’
The Reed brothers. Famed for being the best strike/spy team in S.P.I. Straight over from the Italian base and ready for some real action.
‘’I’m sorry we were late, sah. Car problems. Do you want to see what we found beneath our hood?’’
Carter said, and pulled a small device out of his pocket.
Peadair frowned. ‘’This is a warning,’’ he said, taking the gadget, ‘’He knows where we are and what we are up to. Did you notice anyone following you on the way here? Anything at all unusual?’’
‘’No, sir, all was as it should be.’’ Carson said, not letting Carter get a chance to say anything.
‘’Good,’’ Peadair said, ‘’Let’s get going then.’’
‘’Right.’’ Cody agreed.
Britt blushed, embarrassed to not know the plan. ‘’Um, where exactly are we going?’’
‘’To the old lab where Tyre first got here in his Time Machine. He will need to stay around the Time Machine in order to keep it safe. That’s when we will strike.’’ Cole said, slamming his fist into his palm for added affect.
‘’Ok-ay, but won’t all of the scientists or whatever keep him out?’’
‘’Of course they would, if any worked there. But this one was abandoned a long time ago, too much radioactive activity.’’
Britt gulped. ‘’Radioactive?’’
‘’Yup. Still time to drop out of this gig, you know.’’ Wasn’t he so nice?
‘’No way! I mean, you guys are super cool spies or something, so you probably have some sort of something to keep us from dying from the radiation, right?’’
Cole stared at her with eyes that matched his name. ‘’No.’’
Britt stared back. ‘’Great. So we die of radiation?’’
‘’Again, no. we wear the Rad- Suits or put on the Rad- Foam that are in the lab, left by the guys that worked there.’’
Britt let out air she had unconsciously been holding. ‘’Good.’’
All the Reed brothers burst out laughing, and even Peadair smirked.
‘’To go in there without something protective would be suicide, Britt. Remember, we are top agents. We aren’t stupid.’’ Carson said, being a little more serious.
‘’Okay. Sorry. I’m kinda new to all this spy stuff, even though I have read a few of the Sherlock Holmes stories.’’
‘’Ri-ight. Okay. Peadair, are we going to the airport or driving?’’ Carter asked.
‘’Carter, the lab is in America. Do you really think we could drive? As much as I hate going through the airport security, we don’t really have a choice.’’ Peadair answered.
‘’Ada, what about the pistols? Those cost a lot of money to put on a plane.’’
‘’We are not paying for all of this Britt, S. P. I. is.’’
‘’Oh. You know, I think they are going to hate us.’’
‘’Why?’’ Peadair asked suspiciously, ‘’What are you planning on doing?’’
‘’Do you know how expensive this is going to be? I’ll bet the Reed brothers eat a ton!’’
‘’Hey!’’ Cole objected, ‘’We don’t eat that much!’’
Cork Airport: 4:36 P.M.
‘’This is your captain speaking,‘’ the tinny voice came from the cabin up front of the plane, ‘’We may experience some turbulence and rough areas this trip. The storm is picking up, but we should make it through fine.’’
Britt’s face got a bit white, and the nearest flight attendant noticed. ‘’Don’t worry ‘bout that none, hon. He jus’ likes scaring his passengers a bit. What would you like to drink?’’
Britt scanned her cart of drinks. ‘’Apple juice, please. Are you sure nothing is wrong?’’
The elderly flight attendant chuckled. ‘’Positive, hon. He been the captain and I been the attendant on this small plane for over 50 years. And besides, he’s my husband. I know exactly what he’s up to. For you sir?’’ she said, handing Britt her drink.
‘’No, thank you. I don’t like using the plane restrooms.’’ Peadair replied quietly.
‘’Quite understood.’’ The attendant said laughing out right, and went on to the Reed brothers in the seats behind them.
‘’To what limits do you think he will go too to get me?’’ Britt asked her father, uncertainty in her voice.
‘’I don’t believe he will have limits Britt. He has already time traveled to get to you, I don’t think he will hesitate killing anyone and everyone in his way.’’
‘’Should I be scared?’’
‘’Of course not. I already told you, you have me and the Reed brothers. There is nothing to fear.’’
‘’But he is from the future, Ada. He could have all sorts of things that we don’t know about, things that could eliminate us easily.’’
‘’I know. But we have to trust that the Lord will take care of us if that happens.’’
‘’When that happens, Ada. I know he will have all that stuff, whatever it is.’’
‘’Again, Britt, we must trust God.’’
‘’Yes, Ada.’’
Britt looked out the window, but they were too high up already to see anything but clouds. So instead she took out her copy of the Lord of the Rings and began to read it.
‘’Well, Ada, maybe we could find a golden magic ring and turn invisible and attack him that way.’’
‘’You are how old again?’’
‘’Eight –teen, but you know that.’’
‘’Then you do know that that isn’t real, don’t you?’’
‘’Yeah. I wish it was though.’’ Britt sighed. ‘’How much longer? I’m bored.’’
‘’Only eight more hours.’’ Peadair said, smirking.
New- Tech Labs, TX, 7:56 A.M.
Once New – Tech labs, this place was now a dump.
Windows were broken, doors askew. Britt could not get over the feeling that it was haunted, and the weather did not help with that feeling. It was unusually cold for Texas that time of year, stormy and rainy as well.
‘’Thanks for the Rad- spray Cole.’’ Britt said, handing Cole back the bottle of spray they had found in the lab.
‘’No problem.’’ He said, and went off in another direction.
‘’Ada, are you sure about this? About splitting up into groups?’’
‘’My child, have I ever steered you wrong?’’ he hesitated, ‘’Actually, don’t answer that. Just trust me. This is the best way to find him. And remember, if you do find him and he sees you, shoot your gun. Not at him, just in the air. We will come a- running. If he doesn’t see you then come back here as quickly as possible. Understood?’’
‘’Yes, Ada. I know. See you soon.’’
Peadair watched as she ran off rather hastily. She is but a child, he thought, why did I bring her along?
He went to the door directly in front of him and walked through. It will take time to find Tyre, Peadair thought in irony. And it seems he has all the Time in the world and then some!
He searched each of the small rooms he went through thoroughly, and found hide nor hair of the man. He wondered when Tyre would show his cowardly face. But then again, Peadair did not relish meeting him. In fact, he dreaded it. If Tyre generation was smart enough to learn Time Travel, how could Peadair out smart him?
Suddenly, a shot rang out to Peadair’s left. Peadair ran in the direction he thought it came from. In the dark of the lab, he barely saw a man escaping through a door and into a corridor. Peadair ran to the door, but tripped.
On Carter.
Peadair turned his head lamp on, he hadn’t turned it on yet because he feared he would alert Tyre of their position. There was a sticky wet mess under the young man, but Peadair couldn’t see it. Carter was pale and moaned softly, and there was a large red patch soaking through his shirt.
He grabbed Peadair’s wrist as the older man bent over him trying to see if the wound was fatal.
‘’Peadair, it was Tyre, he’s here!’’ the poor man gasped.
‘’I know,’’ Peadair complied, ‘’but look at me, Carter. I promised your father I would bring you all back. You can’t die!’’ Emotion was thick in his voice.
Carter laughed weakly. ‘’Death is a part of life, sir. It’s inevitable. I’m not afraid, I’ll go see Jesus.’’
Tears sprang to Peadair’s eyes. He knew death was inevitable. Wasn’t it he who had held his wife in his arms when she had died? Wasn’t it he who watched as his little brother joined the army, and had been killed in training? Didn’t he know death? But he also knew life. Jesus had died so that he could live eternally. Death wasn’t the end.
‘’But Carter, what will I tell your father?’’
‘’Tell him… I’ve gone to a Better Place, the Better Place.’’ With that, the young man closed his eyes and breathed his last. Peadair picked Carter’s body and carried it to an empty room. He laid him on a table and found an old towel and covered Carters face with it. It was a crude place, but it would do until they had either found and captured Tyre or could call the funeral home. Peadair cried one last tear and left the room. He walked down the hallway Tyre had run down.
Peadair bent down and picked up a hair. Easily missed by most, but not by Peadair Alastar Cian. He was the top tracker at S.P.I. He looked carefully at the short brown hair, and knew that it did not belong to one of the members of their Crew. Even though he knew it was a trap Peadair followed the footprints in the soot of the slightly burned lab.
‘’A trap, of course. But at least a trap that will show me where he is.’’ He muttered.
Suddenly and without warning there was a cold ring of steel pressed against his neck.
‘’Yes,’’ came a deep, dark, velvety voice from behind Peadair, ‘’It is trap. But not the type you anticipated. Your daughter was right; I am far too dangerous for you. I am Tyre Shadrax.’’
‘’How do you know about that?’’ Peadair asked.
‘’Easily, old man. There are microphones on your neck and cameras in your eyes. Very, very tiny, so I wouldn’t expect you to know about those. And yes, they are made entirely of compounds unknown to your age. Completely undetectable in your lo- tech machines.’’
‘’Ho-‘’
‘’How did I get them there? By using my nano- bots. Every child from my time has at least one box of them. Mine, however, were disguised as flies, ants, and other little insects. Notice a little bug problem lately, Cian?’’
Peadair was silent. How could he not have noticed something that fishy? Or buggy, as the case may be. Now everyone’s lives were at stake because he didn’t pay attention. I’m such a fool! He thought, if Stella could see me now, she’d make sure I was dead, just for my inattentiveness. The grip on his shoulder tightened and the barrel of the pistol pressed harder.
‘’Well old man. You have found me. Too bad you will never be able to tell your motley crew where I am.’’
And the last thing I heard from my daughter was ‘see you soon.’ I’m afraid not, my dear. Peadair thought, bracing himself for the shot, there was nothing he could do.
It came.
But certainly not in way Peadair expected. He expected to feel pain, then to see the face of Jesus.
Instead, he heard a groaning behind him, the hand on him loosened, and the gun barrel fell away.
‘’At the risk of sounding cliché, I don’t think so Tyre. You’ll never get away with this, your type never do.’’ Cody said.
Tyre shrieked with rage. ‘’You shot my arm, you scum! That was my good arm!’’
Cody smirked. ‘’I know. And by the way, you’ve been beaten at your own game. You are surrounded. Put your hands in the air and drop your gun.’’
Tyre smirked cruelly. ‘’Not just yet.’’
He ran into what looked like a very tall cardboard box, and disappeared.
Carson was shocked. ‘’Well shoot me if that isn’t a disguised Time Machine. No, on second thought, don’t shoot me. I want to say that I’ve time traveled.’’
‘’You mean we’re going in there?’’ Britt demanded.
‘’Yes,’’ Peadair said, ‘’Hurry up lil’ lass.’’
Britt groaned but did as she was told.
The Future, 3:26 P.M.
Time Traveling was a strange experience. When one time traveled one felt young and old, weak and strong, nauseated yet hungry. It was light and dark, cold and hot.
They were all dumped into a metal street in midst of cars floating two feet off the ground.
‘’Stay low to the ground and get to the side walk!’’ Peadair commanded.
All obeyed without question or comment, not wishing to be smashed by floating cars three seconds after being the first in their time to Time Travel. An old woman with white hair ran up to Peadair once they were on the sidewalk.
‘’You are Peadair Alastar Cian, are you not?’’ she asked excitedly.
Peadair and Cody glanced at each other, and Cody shrugged.
‘’I am he. And you are?’’ he asked cautiously.
Even more wrinkles showed on her face when she smiled broadly.
‘’I am Ahnita, and I have waited a long time for you.’’
‘’You have?’’ Peadair was confused, and rather frightened. Was this woman working for Tyre?
A bit of the joy faded from Ahnita’s eyes.
‘’You don’t remember me?’’
Peadair shook his head no. ‘’Should I?’’
The woman cocked her head, thinking. She perked up after a moment.
‘’What is the year you are from?” she asked quickly.
‘’2017.’’ Peadair replied.
The woman nodded her head wisely. ‘’I see. But please, may I hold your hand for just a moment?’’
Peadair was about to say no, but then he saw the sad eagerness in this grandmotherly woman’s sea green eyes. Perhaps she would be important in his future; offending her now might be a terrible idea.
‘’Very well.’’ He consented.
She took his hand and closed her eyes. Memories, old memories, flashed before their eyelids. The time she had the cold and he comforted her… the first solo mission she went on and failed, when he had to save her… his fatherly smile when he helped her with her science homework…
All the while Peadair wondered who she was, and why he could see what she was thinking.
‘’Cian, we have to get him. He ran down the street into that crowd over there.’’ Cody said, pointing to a street not entirely covered in the floating cars. He always had owned the best pair of eyes around. Peadair nodded and Ahnita scurried away quickly, unimaginable joy filling her heart. Then Cody looked around and did a head count. ‘’Where’s Carter?’’
Peadair swept his hands through his silver hair as if he could sweep the troubles behind him and tentatively told them all that had transpired.
The three Brothers took the news better than Peadair had thought, but they were still very distraught. Cody took it the worst. Britt looked sad, but she hadn’t known Carter that long and found it hard to be too sad. It was she who reminded them of the mission at hand.
Peadair rubbed his forehead, on the verge of despair. That was a lot of people in the crowd, and Tyre was wearing the same silver- blue clothing that everyone else was. ‘’The only chance we find him in there is-‘’
‘’Thirteen point two four percent, to be precise. In all, I’d say you don’t have much of a chance of finding him in that mess of humans.’’
The Crew turned around to see a sliver robot spouting percentages.
‘’Can you help us around the city, then? We don’t know our way around.’’ Britt asked. She never had any problem asking for directions, even if the directions came from a robot.
Peadair glared at her. ‘’We can’t have that bot leading us around! He’s probably hooked up to some main core and will alert someone of where we are and that we are not from this time! Besides, I don’t like asking for directions.’’
‘’Would you rather show us around then, Ada? I don’t see as how we have much of a choice. And what is up with men and asking for directions?’’
Peadair sighed. Was he getting soft by being around Britt all the time? Probably.
‘’Very well then, lil’ lass. You win. Go ahead, um, droid thing…’’ Peadair said. He was definitely getting soft.
‘’My name is OB-1. I do not run on a main core, I am an independent android. Do you wish my aid?’’
‘’If you are not attached to any sort of tracking thing, than that would be great. Do you know a man named Tyre?’’ Cody said.
OB-1’s mechanics whirred for a moment, then he answered, ‘’He is not in my data base. Maybe he is a rogue?’’
‘’Probably. Is time traveling illegal?’’ Carson asked, stepping forward.
‘’Yes it is. If you are caught time traveling then you are wiped off the List. A shame indeed. Perhaps that is why I cannot find Tyre?’’
‘’That is precisely the reason. Now tell us, what can you do that would be helpful to us for finding the man?’’ Peadair asked, growing slightly annoyed that they had asked a tin can for the answer to the riddle instead of doing it the old fashioned way. Despicable.
‘’I could scan for him if he had any distinguishing notables.’’
‘’One of his arms has been shot, the right one. His left foot is metal. It clanks terribly.’’ Peadair said.
‘’That should be simple enough. One moment please.’’ Again the bolts in the android whirred and clanked noisily.
‘’He is that way.’’ OB-1 said, pointing to the huge crowd.
‘’We saw him run that way, you earth-vexing droid! Can you be more specific? We are losing time here!’’ Peadair thundered.
‘’His location his 3.4 north, 5.4-‘’
‘’Thank you, that way will be fine.’’ Peadair shook his head, and ran in the direction of the huge crowd. The rest of the Crew, naturally, followed him.
‘’Where is he? Do you see him?’’ Cole asked.
‘’Left!’’ Peadair shouted over the crowd. They were all trained soldiers and knew exactly what peadair meant; minus Britt, who just stood there. There was Tyre, running away again. But not in the way Peadair expected. This is the second time he has done something I did not expect! I
need to get back to HQ and run through the training courses again when we get back. Tyre’s movement jerked Peadair out of his thoughts.
He was running towards the Crew. Towards them? But that could only mean-
Peadair realized it first. ‘’Everybody, he’s trying to get back! Stop him!’’
But it was too late; Tyre had run out of the crowd and into the street with Peadair on his heels. Peadair literally caught hold of Tyre’s heel, but the younger man kicked Peadair in the face and got through. Peadair still held on to the disguised Time Machine like he had the first time, so it didn’t disappear with the Time-Traveling maniac.
‘’Hurry everyone, go through!’’ He yelled. The Crew obeyed; first Cole, then Cody, Carson, and Britt. Peadair went through last.
The Present, New- Tech Labs, TX, 8:16 A.M.
They did not land on the ground through only an inch of air like before, this time it was more like seven feet.
‘’Is everyone all right?’’ Britt called out. As she stood, she noticed a sharp pain in her left hand. Two of her fingers had snapped underneath her. The pain was intense, but she managed to keep back the scream that threatened to escape the barrier of her lips.
‘’Where is Cody?’’ shouted Carson, panicking.
‘’I’m here.’’ Cody grunted from around a corner. ‘’I think I broke my arm.’’ He gasped.
Peadair got up slowly, limping. ‘’let me see it, Cody.’’
Cody couldn’t move though, so Peadair laid the teen straight and looked at his arm. One glance told him something he didn’t want to know. ‘’It is worse than broken, Cody,’’ Peadair said quietly, ‘’It is shattered. There is nothing I can do. If it had simply snapped I would set it back in place, but I cannot do it like this. It would pain you far too much and I do not have the skill. We’ll have to get you to a hospital. Britt, do you still have your phone?’’
‘’Yes sir.’’
‘’Call the hospital. Tell them to meet us at Bayer Park. We can’t have the authorities seeing us here. Even though what we are doing is legal, the average police man would have no clue what we would be talking about if tried to tell him about S.P.I. Cody, we are going to have to move you. Brace yourself, this will no doubt feel worse than the pain you feel now.’’
Peadair carefully and slowly picked the young man up like one would a baby, being careful of his arm that hung down.
‘’Carson, put his arm carefully on his stomach. There we go.’’
Cody bit down hard on his tongue and tears escaped his tightly shut eyes.
Slow- footed and deliberately Peadair moved through the old, run down lab.
He was limping, Cody had broken his arm, Carson had two new teeth for the tooth fairy, and Britt had broken two fingers on her left hand; quite an extensive list of injuries. How could they find and capture Tyre with their two best men crippled?
Bayer Park, Kingwood TX, 8:58 A.M.
Cody moaned pitifully on the park bench.
‘’Be quiet Cody. There is no need of alerting Tyre to where we are.’’ Peadair’s voice was soft, but it was still a command.
“’m sorry Cian,’’ Cody gasped, ‘’But it hurts so much.’’
“I know Cody. I know.”
When Britt saw the pain that Cody was going through, her fingers didn’t hurt quite as much as they had. She started to look thoughtful. ‘’Sing Ada. They still aren’t going to be here for another thirty minutes. Just sing something.’’
‘’I don’t sing, Britt.’’
“Yes, you do. You’re in the choir at Church. Please?”
Peadair closed his eyes and sang in his deep voice reassuringly. He was as soft now as an overripe avocado.
‘’ Sinne Fianna Fáil
Atá Fá gheall ag Éirinn
Buidhean dár sluagh tar rúinn do ráinig chughainn
Fámhoídh bheírh saor
Sean-tír ár sinnsear feasta
Ní fágfar fá'n tíorán ná fa'n tráil
Anocht a theigeamh sa bhearna baoghail
Le gean ar Gaedhí chun báis nó saoghail
Le gunna sgréach: Fá lamhach na piléar
Seo Libh canaidh amhrán na bhFiann
Seo dhibh a cháirde duan oglaidh
Caithréimeach, bríoghmhar, ceolmhar
Ár dteinte cnámh go buacach táid
'S an spéir go min réaltógach
Is fionmhar faobhrach sinn chun gleo
'S go tiúnmhar glé roimh tigheacht do'n ló
Fa ciúnas chaoimh na h-oidhche ar seol
Seo libh, canaídh amhrán na bhFiann
Cois banta réidhe, ar árdaibh sléibhe
Ba bhuadhach ár rinnsear romhainn
Ag lámhach go tréan fá'n sár- bhrat séin
Tá thuas sa ghaoith go seolta
Ba dhúthchas riamh d'ár gcine cháidh
Gan iompáil riar ó imirt áir
'Siubhal mar iad i gcoinnibh rámhaid
Seo libh, canaidh amhrán na bhFiann
There, are you happy?’’
‘’Yes.’’ Britt said, smirking.
Sirens.
Peadair looked up sharply. ‘’It’s time to go. Carson, does Cody have his ID and Driver’s License?’’
‘’Yes sir.’’
‘’Good. We’ll come to the hospital to get you once you’re all bandaged up and your arm is in a cast. Don’t worry. I’m sorry to do this, but we don’t have much of a choice.’’
‘’I unner’stand.’’ Cody gasped in pain.
Kingwood, TX, 9:14
Peadair sighed. ‘’All right everyone, spread out. Tyre got here quite a while before we did, and we have sat out for over an hour as it is. It is imperative that we find him! Britt, you’ll go with me. Carson, Cole, you two should go together but you can split up if you like. All clear?’’
‘’Yes sir.’’ The Brothers said in perfect unison.
‘’Got it, Ada.’’ Said Britt, far less accustomed to the military life.
Suddenly, before anyone could move from where they stood, a huge black and red monster came out of the early morning shadows.
‘’I………. am……… Ssssssulllennnnn!!!!!’’
‘’Britt, look out!’’ Peadair cried, but he could see it was near useless; Britt would never use that pistol. This monster was straight of a nightmare. Huge claws protruded from his furry fists, and venom dripped from his fangs. He was twenty feet tall and ten feet wide.
Cole quickly pulled his gun from its place on his hip and let fly two quick bullets. Sullen roared so loudly Peadair thought his eardrums would split. The great beast swaggered but did not fall, so Carson fired three shots at him. Unfortunately, Carson was not as good a shot as Cole and his bullets only scraped the monstrous, growling beast, angering him more. Sullen swiped his huge claws at Cole, and he collapsed dead under them. Carson and Britt suffered the same terrible fate.
It was quick.
It was merciless.
But it was painless.
The poison in the great beast’s claws deadens the nerves when they came in to contact.
Peadair quickly ducked out of the way, under a bench. Before his very eyes he saw his daughter and two of the Reed brothers killed. The horror slid down his spine like an icy blade. In anger, Peadair rolled out from under the bench and whipped his own gun out. Sullen stomped heavily toward him, and Peadair fired swiftly at him. All of Peadair’s bullets hit their large target, but Sullen was in a rage and refused to lie down and die. Peadair quickly saw his effort was in vain and pulled his taser from a pouch on his belt and fired a bolt at Sullen. The monster was stunned only momentarily, and Peadair took his chance and ran away quickly. It burned his soul to run like a coward from something that had killed his daughter and his friends, but it would only be another life lost if he stayed. A grating voice slid over Peadair’s ears.
‘’I…... have……killed…….men…….from….the…….future,’’ Sullen rasped, ‘’the…..Tyre…..and …..now…….for……THE……NINJA!!!’’
Hui- Tori was small, slight girl. She was very quick on her feet and had a temper to match. But the most notable thing about her was not her beauty, for her face was almost always covered.
By a ninja wrap.
Hui-Tori was a ninja, and a good one at that.
Today, she was going to train in the small dojo that sat in the middle of a small modern town. Two other students trained there as well, Fan-Kong and Jie-Lian.
The parents of two were unaware that the reason their children were always back so late and tired from school was because they had been training, not because they were in drama class and band as they had been told. Ms. Undei didn’t really care where Hui-Tori went, so long as she was safe; she was only a legal guardian to her any ways.
But why would they lie? Because their sensei believed that they had been Chosen. For what, he would not tell them. Not a very good reason to lie, though. After all, their Sensei might just be a crazy old man, right?
Hui-Tori ran down the crowded street, backpack banging on her back and her long black hair kept getting caught in her mouth. She ran into the dojo and slammed the door behind her.
‘’Late again? You know the Sensei doesn’t like that.’’ Sneered Fan-Kong, who was sharpening his katana. He never had been the nice one.
‘’Oh, shut up already, will you.’’ Hui-Tori huffed, going to her locker and taking out her stuff. Apparently, Hui- Tori wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops either. But at least she had reason to be snappy, Fan- Kong didn’t. She didn’t remember her family very well, and she was lonely. Fan- Kong had a family, five brothers and three sisters, and two parents. He was never alone.
She walked over to the changing room and went in. When she was dressed in the traditional ninja’s garb she came out to find Sensei Chung tapping his foot and sipping his tea.
‘’You are late. What held you up?’’ the old, bearded Chinese man asked, lowering his cup of tea.
‘’It was Mr. Kern again. He decided to go longer into his lesson than he should have. Stuffy old science teacher.’’
The Sense’s gaze turned sharp. ‘’Respect your elders, young one, or you will find yourself in trouble.’’
Hui-Tori looked down at her black slipper- shoes. ‘’Yes, sir. I’m sorry.’’
Fan-Kong slid off of the table he had been sitting on. ‘’What are we learning today, Sensei?’’
Sensei Chung’s eyes misted over. ‘’We will not be training today. News has come to me that an old friend of mine’s daughter and two of her companions were found dead in a park in Texas. She held this in her hands when she was found.’’
He showed the three children a closed letter. Jie-Lian reached to take and open it, but the Sensei held it back.
‘’No. This is not for your eyes to see, yet. Trust me. What worries me most is what the letter says, and who it was signed by. Tyre is- excuse me, was- a man who time traveled from the future. Apparently he had a bone to pick with Britt, my friend’s daughter’s, descendants. He knew he would die. He wanted revenge on her descendants so badly that he was, ‘willing to die for his country to rid themselves of a pest.’ He succeeded, but he unleashed a deadly beast in order to do it. This beast is after us as well now, why I do not know. Today, we will put our training to use. Are you ready?’’
Hui-Tori answered for them all, and rather bluntly at that. ‘’No. We’ve never done anything like this before! And besides, what is this beast even supposed to be?’’
Sensei Chung sighed. ‘’I thought as much. Either way, you must do this. Surely you have noticed the marks on your right arm?’’
All three looked at their arms knowingly.
‘’How are they there, Sensei? What do they mean?’’ Fan-Kong asked, looking almost frightened. Frightened? Hui-Tori had never seen him scared before. The strong boy feared nothing, why was he scared now?
‘’They are runes. With them, you can defeat the monster, whom is named Sullen, I think. Those runes appeared on your fifteenth birthday for each of you, correct?’’
‘’Yes, Sensei.’’ They said at the same time.
‘’Good. You must use your katana and strike Sullen simultaneously, using only your right arms to wield the blades. That way you will defeat him, I believe. I know, it sounds strange. But in time you will realize what it is you must do. ‘’
‘’Forgive me, sensei, for hesitating, but this is very abrupt for us. We are only fifteen, and we must defeat a monster?’’ Jie-Lian asked.
‘’I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I will be with you. Fear not. Your parents are aware of your ‘class’ going on a field trip, Jie-Lian and Fan-Kong. Hui-Tori, your case workers know of it as well.’’
Hui-Tori glared at the ground, she hated it when anyone mentioned the case workers. She thought of it as a shame, even though it really it wasn’t. Her parents had died in an electrical fire one night when she was five years old. Luckily for her, she had been at her grandma’s house. Three months later her grandma died of pneumonia, and that had made Hui-Tori the last of the Ling family. All of her relatives were no longer living, and naturally the State took
control of the situation. Now she lived with her case worker, Ms. Undei.
‘’Okay.’’ Hui-Tori mumbled.
‘’Now I shall, um,’’ the Sensei coughed, ‘’Introduce to you another student of mine.’’
A young boy came out of the kitchen in the back of the dojo and waved shyly.
‘’This is Ben.’’
Hui-Tori looked over the boy. He had sandy brown hair and blue eyes, and was wearing the same ninja’s garb as hers. He looked like he was only five foot tall and a few more inches, rather short for his age.
‘’Hello.’’ He said in a small voice.
‘’Why is he here, Sensei? I thought you were teaching just us! And he’s not even Chinese like us!’’ Fan-Kong spewed angrily.
‘’No, he is not. But he has the mark, like you.’’
’’How are we supposed to fight alongside him, teacher? We have not trained with him! We don’t know how he fights.’’ Hui-Tori said.
Sensei Chung smiled keenly. ‘’You might just have to learn to get along.’’
‘’But that’s the dweeb that kept beating me in math at school.’’ Hui-Tori complained.
Poor Ben blushed and shuffled closer and closer to the Sensei as Hui-Tori, Fan-Kong, and Jie-Lian murmured angrily together.
‘’Maybe I should just go home, Sensei.’’ He whispered, ‘’I’m not helping any here.’’
Sensei Chung sighed and shook his head. ‘’You’ll have to stay, Ben. We cannot defeat Sullen without you.’’
‘’Oh, okay. Are you sure?’’
‘’I am sure. I am sorry that they are not accepting you, Ben. I thought would be better than this.’’
‘’It’s all right.’’
Hui- Tori cleared her throat to get the attention of the Sensei and Omar.
‘’We will work with him.’’ She muttered.
‘’Good. Now all of you follow me. We must get to the airpo-‘’
A huge roar shook the building and screams were heard outside, piercing and sharp as any two- edged sword.
Sensei Chung grew pale as he drew the katana off his back. ‘’Draw your weapons children. It looks like we will not need to find him, Sullen has already found us.’’
The five ran outside, katanas drawn and semi- ready to fight Sullen. But a funny thing happened when they started to grasp what the people were saying.
‘’Bear!’’
‘’Mad bear! Run!’’
‘’It’s got rabies!’’
Sure enough, there was a drooling bear running around in a frenzied state. A helicopter landed and a man in a uniform came out and shot the bear with a tranquilizer dart. Three other men jumped out as well and helped carry the bear into a cage in the helicopter.
Sensei Chung started to smile, and then laughed outright. ‘’We got all worked up over a bear! Maybe we should just stay at the dojo tonight and cool off. If we try to fight a monster in such a frightened way we will be defeated. I will go order the pizza.’’
The kids grinned, even shy little Ben. What some people will do for free pizza.
Four boxes of pizza later, the girls went to their own room in Sensei Chung’s house.
Two separate beds had been made up already. ‘’He probably knew we were going to end up spending the night here.’’ Jie-Lian said sleepily.
‘’Wouldn’t surprise me a bit. Sensei always knows what’s going to happen.’’
‘’What’s going happen tomorrow I wonder?’’
‘’We’re gonna find Sullen.’’
‘’Yes, but how will we defeat him? I mean, it’s not like we have special powers or anything. That only happens in books and movies… right?’’
Hui-Tori shrugged as she turned off the lights. ‘’I think so. But it would be cool.’’
No response.
‘’Jie-Lian?’’
The only answer was soft snoring.
Hui-Tori woke up to the sun shining through the yellow curtains.
The bed next to her was void of any living being besides a small fly, so Hui-Tori got up and changed out of her pajamas.
In the kitchen was everyone, seated and eating. Except for Ben, all looked as if they had very good appetites.
‘’Don’t eat too much, do you Ben?’’ Hui-Tori said as she sat down, with a small hint off concern in her voice.
Ben again blushed. ‘’I don’t get hungry very often. Not sure why.’’ He said softly.
Hui-Tori opened her mouth to say more, but the Sensei coughed in his throat, a clear message to stop.
‘’Are we up to the task today, my young friends?’’ he asked.
The spoon full of cereal stopped half way to Fan-Kong’s mouth. ‘’Well, yeah-- I guess.’’
Ben started to shake quietly, quite possibly with fear. Hui-Tori started to feel bad for him. He never talked in school except to answer questions, and as far as she saw no one ever picked him up from school.
‘’Did you tell your parents about this, Omar? Do they know you’re going to be … away?’’
Omar turned five shades of red. ‘’No. but they wouldn’t care. I spend nearly every night at Sensei’s house as it is.’’ He paused and looked around at them. ‘’I was adopted when my parents were told they couldn’t have kids. From what I know, they were real excited about me. And then Lilly was born. Of course they fell in love with her, and I was deemed a permanent house guest. Sure, they never said it out loud, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t think it. Like I said, they really just wouldn’t care.’’
Sensei looked down at his plate of fried eggs. He had hoped that his students wouldn’t pry that awful truth from the young boy’s lips.
Jie-Lian frowned and looked rather indignant, tears welling up at the edges of her eyes. She was very soft and compassionate.
Fan-Kong started to feel protective of this boy, who, though the same age as he, was so much smaller and had never been truly loved.
Hui-Tori looked at him with pity. He had seen much the same things she had; they both knew what it felt like to be without a true home.
There were three hard knocks on the glass door of the dojo.
‘’Stay here. I have stopped many black market traders, and in doing so I have made many enemies.’’ Sensei whispered, and drew the katana from its sheath on his back. They could hear the door open then slam, some hushed voices, and then the sensei came back in to the miniscule kitchen, a very tall man leaning on his shoulders. The man sat down in the chair next to Hui-Tori with a grunt, his face twisted in pain. His blue eyes were rimmed with red and his face was slightly swollen from crying.
Hui-Tori scooted farther away from him in her chair.
The Sensei went over to the small medical cabinet, as injuries were prone to happen with swords, although dull. He took out a small roll of bandages and some hydrogen peroxide.
He sprayed some of the peroxide on the man’s leg, resulting in another grunt of pain. ‘’That stings.’’ He said through gritted teeth.
‘’This, children,’’ the Sensei said while bandaging the tall man’s leg, ‘’is Peadair Alastar Cian. He is a secret agent, so don’t tell anyone.’’
Peadair groaned, ‘’if you didn’t want anyone to know, than you would do well by not telling anyone.’’
The Sensei ignored the comment, ‘’how did you do this to your leg?’’
Peadair hesitated. ‘’Well, I was time traveling. And when I came back, I expected to land close to the ground, like the first time. But we got here about seven feet off the ground. I landed on my feet, and gouged my leg on a sharp corner of the dumpster I landed next to.’’
‘’Time traveling, eh? You know, maybe the hospital would be best for you.’’
‘’Why? It’s not that bad, is it?’’
‘’No, but I only treat physical wounds.’’
Peadair glared at the Sensei.
‘’You read the letter, didn’t you?’’
‘’Of course I did. I also heard about your daughter. I am sorry.’’
Sadness once again filled Peadair’s heart and spilled out his eyes in the liquid form of tears.
‘’She died in front of me, Master. There had to have been something that I could have done!’’ He shook, not knowing whether he was angry or sad.
The Sensei shook his head slowly and stood up. ‘’There is nothing you could have done. You see these four young ones? They are the ones I spoke of during your apprenticeship to me. They are the ones who are able to defeat the dark monster, Sullen.’’
The Sensei got up from his chair and moved to each of his students. ‘’Hui-Tori has the power of telekinesis, the ability to move things with her mind. Fan-Kong has complete control of the fire element, something that matches his personality swimmingly. Jie-Lian has the ability to control the green living things. And Ben, well, I am not certain what his gift is yet.’’
This was news to all the children, and not taken lightly.
‘’We what now?’’ Hui-Tori demanded.
All the others added their agreement.
Sensei Chung slapped his forehead. ‘’I forgot to mention that, didn’t I?’’
Peadair chuckled despite his tears. ‘’You’ve always been the forgetful one, Master.’’
Sensei Chung’s eyebrows rose high, speaking volumes. ‘’Respect you elders, young one. Now, to business. Where is Sullen?’’
Peadair shifted in his chair uncomfortably. ‘’He will be here soon. I’d say that it gives the children three days to be more or less ready to use their powers. But Master, I do not believe that Sullen is the Dark Monster. He doesn’t exactly match the description.’’
Sensei Chung frowned, ‘’whether he is or not, we will be prepared.’’
A silver android walked up to Peadair, who was currently being lifted into the air by Hui-Tori telekinetically for training.
Hui-Tori lost her focus and dropped Peadair at the sight of the android. Peadair got up off the ground and saw OB-1 standing there. ‘’Why and how are you here?!’’ he shouted, thoroughly perplexed at the sight.
‘’I simply traveled with you. I was temporarily disabled by the fall, but I have repaired myself.’’ He said in his metallic voice. Peadair’s nose scrunched up and he grimaced. ‘’You repaired yourself? Ew. I am not a sissy, but ew.’’
Hui-Tori giggled, and realized that that was the first time she had laughed in a very long time. Of course Peadair had said that to get her to laugh. After all, he only ever saw pain in her eyes. It was good for her to laugh, as it is for all people, and Peadair decided that he would undertake the task personally.
‘’As you see fit, master. I am yours to command.’’ OB-1 said.
Peadair took a step back. ‘’What? No. I will not have a droid who is continually shouting useless information following me around!’’
OB-1 gestured with his arms. ‘’I am afraid that you have no choice, master. I am yours.’’
Hui-Tori caught Peadair’s arm. ‘’Mr. Cian, did he come from the future?’’
The tall man sighed, loud and long. ‘’I’m afraid so.’’
Hui-Tori looked into the blue eyes of the man towering above her. ‘’Can’t we use him for… something?’’
Peadair looked from the droid to the short girl with black eyes at his side and smiled, the left side of his mouth rising up slightly farther than the right, ‘’how about this. You find a reason to use OB-1 and you can have him. If you don’t, I will disassemble him and put him in the scrap yard. Clear?’’
Hui-Tori nodded vigorously. ‘’Yes sir. Doesn’t he know what Sullen is? After all, they are both from the future.’’
OB-1’s mechanics whirred busily. ‘’Sullen is a beast that was once half bear and half bull. However, our scientists decided to genetically modify him. That was the first mistake. The beast became so strong that he broke out of the lab.’’
Peadair raised an eyebrow. ‘’He broke out? Or did he have help?’’
OB-1 again consulted his inner computer. ‘’He had help from a man by the name of Tyre. I say, wasn’t that the man that you were looking for?’’
The tall man’s eyes narrowed. ‘’So he didn’t just let the thing come into our Time, he forced Sullen into it!’’
He sighed and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, putting his head in his hands. ‘’There is one thing he did not plan on; all of you, Hui-Tori. There is hope yet. Oh, and you can have the droid. A shame, I so wanted to keep him.’’ He said, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice.
‘’Oh well, if you want him you can keep him, and be careful not to let that sarcasm drip. Someone might slip on it.’’ said Hui-Tori, playing along.
‘’No, no, that’s perfectly fine, you need him!’’ Peadair protested, waving his arms melodramatically.
The droid looked from one to the other. ‘’I don’t suppose any one is going to ask me what I want to do. Very well.’’
Hui-Tori heard a noise behind her, and turned.
It was Sullen.
She screamed. Peadair saw the thing too and was quite tempted to scream as well.
He did.
But his scream was not that of fear, but anger. All of the pent up feelings he had held towards that beast released themselves in that moment,
‘’Ben, Fan-Kong, Jie-Lian, Sensei, hurry out here! It’s Sullen!’’ he yelled.
Every one ran out of the building that sat opposite of the Monster.
Fan-Kong was ready to squirt the thing with flames and be done with it, but Ben stopped him.
‘’Wait, Fan-Kong. I think I know what to do.’’
He slowly approached the beast. Peadair turned his head, not wanting to watch the inevitable.
‘’Good boy, good boy. Who’s the best little Sullen out there? Yes, you are!’’ Ben said in a bribing tone.
At first, Sullen stayed tense and ready. But then he rolled over on to his back and let Ben pet him.
‘’See guys? This is my talent! And Sullen is nothing but a big sweet heart!’’
Peadair fainted. Do you blame him?
That night everyone went to the local hamburger joint, with the exception of Sullen of course.
Cody got out of the Hospital and joined them as well, but he didn’t talk much. In fact, he hardly ever talked to anyone except for Peadair again; the pain of losing his brothers was just too harsh. Peadair slid into the bench seat and looked around the restaurant out of habit. His eyes rested on a middle- aged, slender woman with light brown hair. He thought he recognized her, but couldn’t quite remember. As it turns out, she was their waitress.
‘’My name is Lu and I will be serving you today. Can I start you all out with something to drink?’’ Lu asked. She had honest blue eyes and thick lips that no doubt always spoke the truth. Peadair dropped the menu he had been holding the memory hit him so hard.
‘’Lu? Lu Undei? ‘’ he asked.
At first Lu looked puzzled, and then recognition dawned on her face, too.
‘’Peadair Alastar Cian! My word, I never thought I would see you again! Where is Britt?’’
Peadair opened his mouth to tell her, but then realized it would be a long tale and everyone wanted to eat. Besides, the pain was still too vivid.
‘’How about I give you my number and you can call me later, okay?’’ Lu said. She had always been able to read his mind.
Peadair nodded his head yes. She wrote down her cell phone number on a corner piece of the paper of her notepad and gave it to Peadair.
She looked over at Hui-Tori. ‘’I hope you’re not giving them too much trouble, Hui-Tori.’’ she said kindly.
‘’I’m not.’’ Hui -Tori replied sourly.
Once Lu had everyone’s orders down she left.
‘’Who was she to you?” Cody asked.
‘’She was a friend.’’ and that was all he would say on that subject.
‘’Well, this has been the weirdest, saddest, and coolest few days of my life. When I was younger, I… well never mind. Being a spy was rather boring.’’ Peadair said teasingly.
All of the children immediately protested, wanting to hear the story. Cody smiled, but tinges of sadness threatened to overcome it, like a cloud trying to cover the sun. He knew what was coming next.
‘’We still have fifteen minutes until the food gets here. Please tell us?’’ Hui-Tori pleaded.
Peadair stroked the beard that was beginning to form on his chin from the lack of a razor, ‘’oh, all right. It started when I was fifteen. I was just walking along the street in my neighborhood, and a black car pulled up next to me. ‘Hey kid’ the man in the car said to me, ‘want to be a spy? You’ve got all the makings for it.’’’ Peadair began.
‘’Of course I said, ‘what, are you crazy? You aren’t just supposed to walk up to a person and ask them if they want to be a spy. You have to do it dramatically, like have a bad guy set the house on fire or something to make the person want to be a spy and track down the bad guy.’ I walked away quickly, thinking the guy was a lunatic. Looking back on it, maybe I had read to many comic books. But then, two weeks later, my house was burned down. Next time the guy stopped by and asked me if I wanted to be a spy, I said yes. As it turns out, that man was no less that Sensei Chung.’’
Fan-Kong’s mouth fell open. ‘’Sensei Chung burned your house down? Did your parents get out okay?”
Peadair decided that Fan-Kong must be a pessimist.
The very tall man laughed deeply and heartily. ‘’Sensei didn’t burn it down, Flynn did. And my parents were visiting my Grandma, who I called MeeMee,’’
Cody smiled curiously. ‘’MeeMee?’’
Peadair frowned in mock anger. ‘’Yes, I called her MeeMee. Now, as I was saying. That began my adventures with S.P.I…’’ the tale wore on long after their dinner came and was devoured; the Epic of Peadair Cian.
And now What's done of the Month's
The Coldest Month of The Year
February.
The coldest month of the year.
And so he was, bitter, cold, and trying to take over the world.
Oh yes. His allotment of time to hold the scepter was already the longest of all twelve Months, and now he would try to take up all 365 days of the year. Days were just minions, sheep. They wouldn’t resist him.
The other months, however… they might try to stop him.
No matter.
He would be king before they even caught wind of what he was doing. Or at least, that was the plan. The door bell rung suddenly, jarring February from his daydreams. He got up out of his chair, pale blue eyes flashing.
He did not like to be disturbed.
He opened the door, to find a slightly worried and very cold March. ‘’m-may I c-come in?’’ she managed to stutter. February was annoyed. Why did his house, no, scratch that, mansion, have to be the closest to March’s cottage? That annoying little goody-two-shoes…
March placed herself by the fire in February’s favorite chair. ‘’so, don’t you think those blizzards are a bit strong, February? The spring Months are going to take the scepter soon, and we prefer it to be a bit thawed out.’’
February ground his teeth. If there was one Month he hated, it was March. Her perfect attitude and gracious weather didn’t help the fact that he gave her the Scepter of the Seasons after his allotted time was over. In more than one way, February could be described as greedy.
‘’no, March, oh miss perfect, I don’t think the Blizzards are too strong. And you spring Months can Thaw at your own will, you don’t need my help. Besides, I like making Blizzards. ‘’ a crooked smile smeared itself over the Cold Month’s face.
He lifted his right hand and twirled in an oft practiced way. The storm outside quickly picked up, and the wind was so strong that it flew down the chimney and put the fire out. Snow piled up outside the door.
March paled. ‘’Oh, my. It looks as if the Storm has picked up outrageously. You know I can’t go home in this, February. I guess I’ll have to stay here for dinner.’’
February’s eyes grew wide. He quickly Subsided the Storm, and even had the Wind blow a path through the Snow. ‘’No, no, miss March, I have just made a path for you. No annoyi- I mean sweet young Lady like you needs to stay here!’’
March smiled innocently. She knew exactly how to get the storm to stop. ‘’why thank you, February, how kind of you. Would you like to walk me home?’’
If February’s eyes could have gotten any wider with fright, they would have popped out of his sockets. He absolutely detested all the Months, but March was the worst; So kind and innocent. Just thinking about her gave February the shivers. And that was not an easy thing to do, considering who he was.
‘’um, no March. Very kind of you, but dinner is in the oven and, and, I just simply can’t. I’m sorry.’’ He bowed slightly, hoping he looked gracious. March got up out of the chair, and moved towards the door. ‘’very well then. Thank you anyway.’’
As she opened the door, a strong gust of wind blew some papers off the table. March bent down to pick them up. ‘’I’m sorry, February. I’ll pick them up.’’
When she did, she noticed writing in February’s delicate hand. That in itself was not unusual, but what it said was.
In small, but dangerous words, was written this:
Day one: create large blizzards and snow the Months in.
Day two: build a larger palace.
Day three: gain control of the Days.
Day four: revel in the glory.
Day five: execute the Months.
March quietly put the notes back on the table, her heart pounding. She wouldn’t reveal what she had seen to February, she’d be as good as dead if she did. He had always seemed dangerous to her, and now she knew why. This was more than a simple ‘uh oh.’
This was bad.
‘’Well, I’m on my way. Good evening, February.’’ With shaky feet March walked down the path to her home. ‘’What’ll I tell the others? February’s betraying us!’’ She muttered through the cold. ‘’What will we do?’’
A Scare
March hurried over to November’s house after a quick bowl of warm soup to calm her nerves. She didn’t even knock before she went through the large solid oak doors; she knew that November didn’t ever lock his house.
‘’November? Are you home?’’ March asked, to an apparently empty house. The house was huge, and the faint tinge of autumn still hung in the air; as November was a fall month. The place was made of huge corridors and five rooms; the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, his bedroom, and the piano room.
Well, thought March, I’m sure he won’t object to me playing a few songs on his piano while he’s gone. He usually doesn’t mind. It’ll help me calm my nerves.
So that’s just what she did, plopping down on the bench of November’s sacred piano. Hmm, what song? oh, I know!
March snapped her fingers and began playing an old song; November’s favorite, Turkey in The Straw.
Half way through the second verse, a deep voice hurrumph -ed.
March must have jumped two feet in the air, she was so startled. Looking over quickly confirmed what she had feared. There was November, leaning against the wall in his red tunic and cloak, arms crossed. One had to admit, November did look rather intimidating there, his gray eyebrows high and his gray and white hair a bit rumpled.
Strange, he was normally quite neat with his appearance.
‘’Umm, November, hi. Uh, what are you doing here?’’ March was so frightened that her normally sure voice stuttered terribly.
If November’s eyebrows could have gotten any higher, they would have. ‘’what am I doing here? This is my home, is it not? I do believe I could ask that question of you.’’
He walked towards and helped her up from off the ground, as she had fallen off the bench when she had jumped.
‘’I’m sorry. I called for you, but you didn’t answer.’’
‘’I was using the facilities. Come, you look cold. I have the fire going in the living area.’’
‘’Thank you.’’
November looked March over, noting the frightened look in her eyes. Surely I did not scare her that badly. He thought.
March sat in the arm chair closest the fire, her young cheeks finally losing their embarrassed red. November sat in the chair opposite her, and gazed at her warmly but inquisitively.
‘’I have a feeling that there is something you need to tell me. What is it, Child?’’
March met his gaze a moment, and then burst into tears. ‘’oh, Grandada,’’ she said, using the young Month’s name for the kind old Month, ‘’February is planning on betraying us. Here,’’ she pulled a piece of paper out of her dress pocket, ‘’this is a replica of what I found in his house when the wind knocked over his papers. I picked it up, and that’s how I found out.’’
November slowly took the piece of paper with slightly shaky hands, uncertain of what he would find. It read:
Day one: Create large blizzards and snow the Months in.
Day two: Build a larger palace.
Day three: Gain control of the Days.
Day four: Revel in the glory.
Day five: Execute the Months.
The old Months face paled, and a tear came to his eyes. ‘’oh, March…’’
‘’Isn’t it terrible, Grandada? He betrayed us! What are we gonna do?’’
‘’it is ‘going to’ not ‘gonna’.’’ November said absently.
A few seconds later, March was still waiting for an answer. ‘’Grandada?’’
November shook the shock off. ‘’call the other Months, March. Tell them to come quickly. Don’t say anything to specific, though, knowing February he probably already hacked into the telephones.’’
March got up quickly, frightened, to call the others. If November was looking to technology for help, they must be in deep trouble. In fact, they were. February Trouble was trying to take over the World. Why hadn’t they taken the clue from his name and omitted his month?
The Gathering of the Months
October ran through the door of November’s house hurriedly. ‘’What is the trouble, November? What did March call about?’’ He asked quickly, like a squirrel.
November sighed. ‘’Can you ever stop frisking about like that?’’
The orange-haired youth smiled. ‘’No. I’m just like that, sorry old man.’’
March gasped and put a hand to her mouth. ‘’October, please remember your manners!’’
October only chuckled like the squirrel he was.
‘’October,’’ November said, ‘’ When are the others coming? Please don’t tell me you pulled some sort of prank on them to get here first; like you did las-‘’
‘’I didn’t Grandada.’’ October sighed, ‘’ don’t worry. I passed June on the path. She should be here any minute.’’
As if on cue, June came in; stamping the snow on off her boots.
‘’Well November, February has really out done himself this time. What in the name of Frogs and Mud is going on?’’ her long rusty red tresses shook when she shook, presumably out of anger.
No one knows to this day.
‘’I will explain everything once all of us, minus February, are gathered.’’ November said.
‘’Why in the name of geese and reeds isn’t February coming?’’ June asked.
‘’I told you when I would explain it all, will you please have the courtesy to wait until then?’’
June grumbled. ‘’Sure.’’
The door opened and then slammed, and a tall, beautiful, figure walked in to the living room. ‘’November! What is going on? It’s nearly March’s turn to take the scepter and February is making Blizzards harder than ever! My dress is ruined!’’
March could tell that it took all of November’s self-control not to tell April off.
‘’April, we will discuss this once all of us are gathered, not including February.’’
‘’Why not Febru-‘’
‘’I said that I would tell you once everyone is here, and that is what I meant. Please take a seat, young lady.’’
April sat down on the couch next June in a huff. ‘’Just look at this June, this dress was made just last week and it’s already perfectly destroyed!’’
June groaned inwardly and rolled her eyes. ‘’Please, April, no one cares about your dress! Besides, pink is the ugliest on color on this good earth.’’
April was indignant. ‘’it is not!’’
‘’Is too!’’
‘’Is not!’’
‘’It is t-‘’
‘’Ladies? Are we having trouble?’’ November asked, cocking an eyebrow.
‘’No, Grandada.’’ Both Months said in perfect unison.
July walked in quietly and embraced November in a hug. ‘’how goes it, Brother?’’
November chuckled quietly. ‘’Well enough. You know, I think that you are the only Month who isn’t upset about coming here in the midst of a Blizzard.’’
July smiled dangerously, his eyes glinting in the firelight eerily. ‘’I am upset, but I hide it. You know that November.’’
‘’yes brother, I know it. When everyone gets here, will you be the judge?’’
‘’The judge of what?’’
‘’You will see.’’
July’s eyes narrowed. ‘’Very well then, old friend.’’
‘’Grandada, what is going on? Has February gone mad? These Blizzards are insane!’’
December came into the living room, shaking the snow out of her long, black hair. The flakes quickly melted in the heat of the fire.
‘’I will explain once the rest of the eleven are here.’’ November said.
‘’Eleven? Grandada, are you well? There are Twe-‘’
‘’I know how many of us there are, December. February will not be attending. I will explain all later.’’
December frowned, but said no more.
August and May entered November’s home nearly at the same time.
‘’Grandada, what is happening? Has February gone insane?’’ Little May asked, terrified. She had a right to be, being the youngest Month, barely a child. August seconded the question with her eyes.
November bent slightly to look May in her eyes. ‘’don’t worry child. All will be explained shortly. For now, there some cinnamon – roasted almonds and chocolate fudge in the kitchen. Would you like to go get them?’’
May’s face brightened a bit. ‘’yes, Grandada. Thank you!’’ she then scampered off to get aforementioned goodies.
August was not so easily persuaded. ‘’’All will be explained shortly’? What, pray tell, does that mean?’’
‘’It means when EveryMonth, minus February, is here, then I shall explain all that is happening. And please don’t ask why February isn’t coming. You shall know soon enough.’’
The doorbell rang.
‘’come on in, January!’’ November shouted. And then to August he said, ‘’she’s always had trouble opening doors uninvited, hasn’t she?’’
‘’November, why is-‘’ January started to say.
‘’that shall be explained. Is September coming?’’ he asked January.
‘’yes, he should be here any second.’’
At that moment September came in, huffing and blowing the snow out of his beard.
‘’Now, that is one giant of a storm, November!’’ he bellowed.
‘’Yes,’’ November agreed, ‘’and now that you are here we shall explain why. March, may I please have the list?’’
The Meeting of the Ages
‘’March found a list with this exact wording in February’s house, when she went to ask why the Blizzards were so strong.
Day one: Create large blizzards and snow the Months in.
Day two: Build a larger palace.
Day three: Gain control of the Days.
Day four: Revel in the glory.
Day five: Execute the Months.
I assume you now know why February isn’t here and why this is so urgent?’’
Silence reigned.
‘’November,’’ July said with effort, ‘’ you asked me to be the judge of this. As Judge, I say we must stop February. However, from the sound of the Storm outside I’d say it’s too late. We have been snowed in.’’
November sat down heavily in his red arm chair and put his head in his hands.
‘’What then are we to do?’’ He said wearily, ‘’we have limited rations and very limited heat. Yes, the summer months can make heat, but not without the scepter! Any ideas, friends? This fire will not last forever.’’
May started crying. ‘’I wish I coulda stayed home!’’
‘’’Could have’ not ’coulda’.’’ November corrected.
May looked up. ‘’What? We’re- we are about to die and you correct my grammar? Are you crazy?’’
‘’No, child. I simply believe that there is no excuse for the lack of grammar.’’
‘’I don’t know about you Months, but I’m going to play checkers. Anyone care to join?’’ October said.
Everyone stared at him, speechless.
‘’’Course I do, why in the name of lily -pads and tad –poles wouldn’t I?’’ June said, and ran over to the chest where November kept his board games.
‘’June? October? We are in the middle of a crisis that could change the world forever. Is playing checkers all you really think we should do?’’ November said in a daze.
June motioned to him, telling him to come closer.
‘’Do you remember Thanksgiving this year?’’ She whispered.
‘’How could I forget? It resides within my Time.’’
‘’Do you remember that February was acting strangely?’’
November thought on this. ‘’Yes.’’
‘’Well, look around the corners of the ceiling casual like.’’
November did as he was told. ‘’Oh. Spy cameras. I see. Act calm and hope he doesn’t make the Blizzard worse.’’
‘’Yep. Here…’’ June scribbled a short message down on a small piece of paper. ‘’Pass it around, casual like.’’
November gave the paper to the closest Month, March. ‘’Read it, and then pass it around. Make sure you don’t cause a big fuss!’’ November warned.
March nodded, read the message, and passed it on to September. It went on like that till EveryMonth knew what was going on.
‘’Spy cameras, what a dirty nasty trick, doncha know?’’ EveryMonth in the room jumped at the sound of the strangely accented voice.
November leapt to his feet, pulling out the small knife hidden in his boot as he did.
‘’Who is there? If you are with February, you had better hope that you know how to get out of this house just as sneakily as you got in!’’
‘’Sneaky? Tut tut. What a nasty word. I came right in when the rest of the blighters did, doncha know!’’
November looked around the room, darkened by the dwindling light.
‘’Where are you?’’
‘’Right here old bean.’’
November and the other Months looked towards the kitchen, where the voice was coming from.
There was a tall man dressed in old English clothing, munching on a pastie.
‘’Thomas Anthony William, at yur’ service, sah!’’ Thomas saluted smartly, military style.
‘’I see you’re in a bit of a pinch, doncha see. I could help you sorry lot out if ya like, seein’ how you lent me some o’ the vittles. Army marches on its stomach, doncha know!’’
Thomas looked around at the dumbfounded Months.
‘’hmm? You need help, doncha see?’’
November shook his head. ‘’Um, well, yes sir, but, well, you see-‘’
‘’Very good then old chap! First things first. We’ve got to get of this bally old place. How many shovels do ya have, sah?’’
April groaned.
*title in progress*
‘’So, Sir Thomas, ‘’ November panted, exhausted from shoveling the snow into the spare room, ‘’how exactly did you get in here? I did not see you come in, nor did the other Months.’’
‘’well old bean, that orange looking blighter, the thin one, he left the door wide open. Any chap could walk in undetected, doncha know!’’
November frowned. ‘’yes, that would be October. He doesn’t believe that doors are ‘sanitary’ as he put it. Anyhow, don’t you think it was rather rude to just come in like that?’’
Thomas snorted. ‘’Surely not, old bean. There was a big blizzard coming, doncha know! I figured yu’d let me in, but I was just too bally cold to ask, doncha know.’’
November scanned Thomas’ face. He had green eyes, brown hair, a thin nose and an honest look. November got the feeling that Thomas could be trusted on any ground.
‘’very well then, very well. You certainly are repaying. A tunnel, what a genius idea. And in the spare room as well, where February forgot to put up the cameras. Just genius.’’
‘’old military tactics, doncha know. Used to be an army officer myself, Doncha see. Ah, those were the good ol’ days, me bally fellow!’’
A wistful look came over his face, and November could tell that Thomas desperately missed ‘’the good ol’ days’’.
‘’ohh, yes,’’ said April sarcastically, ‘’let’s all thank the man that looks like a bunny rabbit. You see this, bunny-man? My dress is now even more ruined than it was!’’
Thomas stepped back, a hurt looking entering his eyes. ‘’well then, little miss. I guess I do look a bit like a, um… bunny… rabbit. I’m sorry ‘bout your dress.’’ The usual spunk in his voice was gone.
Tension sprung up unbidden.
November glared at April, looking far angrier than any of the Months had ever seen him. EveryMonth stopped shoveling, and looked at November and April.
‘’Now April,’’ November said, ‘’I have never heard a more, more,’’ November frowned, trying to find the right word. ‘’I have never heard anything more disgraceful to our Order! If you continue on this way, there is a nice bright Day in the training wing named Palpher that I’m sure would gladly take your place. You must learn to care for others more than yourself, child. In the end it will hurt us all, including yourself. Do you see what I mean?’’
April looked at her bright pink shoes, completely humbled. ‘’Yes, Grandada. I understand. Would you really replace me, though, really?’’
November looked her straight in the eye, unwavering. ‘’Yes, child. We would. Have no doubt about that.’’ He looked up at all the Months and clapped his hands together once.
‘’back to work EveryMonth. We need to get to the Days before February does!’’
Outwardly, April looked as if she really was sorry for calling Thomas names.
But inwardly she fumed. She would find a way to get back him for almost getting her expelled.
Even if it meant joining February.
Three hours later…
‘’Aha! We have done it, me jolly buckoes! The tunnel is finished!’’ Thomas shouted, and did a little jig; quite a comical thing, to be sure.
The less calm months, A.K.A June, October, and all the younger ones cheered loudly. July looked as if his smile could melt the glaciers, and his Brother looked the same. December was determined to remain quiet and reserved, but when even November started to cheer she broke out shouting as well.
‘’we made it!’’
‘’we’ve done it!
‘’now we’ll see what February thinks!’’
‘’hey now, June, don’t you mean: ‘why February stinks’?’’
‘’ha- ha, I do indeed, October!’’
November just sat back and chuckled at the Month’s jibber; there would be time for seriousness later.
Thomas suddenly arched his back as if in pain, and the smile was wiped off his face.
‘’The cold shall endure,
All pain counted as loss.
The cold one shall never be broken,
A traitor, a traitor in our midst!’’
His eyes had gone wide and he sat ridged as he recited. Then he looked sharply up, confused.
‘’now, what jolly well happened? I’m dreadfully flummoxed!’’ he asked.
November shook his head slowly, and wrote down the poem on a piece of paper.
‘’well, Thomas, I was rather hoping that you could tell me what was happening!’’
‘’I, I don’t know, old bean!’’
All of the Months and Thomas climbed carefully out of the tunnel that they had just made. When all were out, November looked around at the white landscape and slipped his snowshoes on. The wind had stopped blowing, the snow had stopped falling, and any sound was quickly swallowed up by the suffocatingly frigid air. March put her snowshoes on and walked over to November.
‘’Where do we go now, Grandada?’’ she asked.
November shook his gray head sadly. ‘’To get help from the Four Directions.’’
March was shocked. ‘’The Four Directions? But, aren’t they, well-‘’
‘’Dangerous? Extremely. That is why I will do the talking, and the rest of you shall not.’’ December said. She had come up from behind November and March and had heard the entire conversation. December had known the Four Directions for a long time, and even then she still feared the way their decisions changed with the Wind.
March shook her head. ‘’Are you sure it’s a good idea, December?’’
December raised one arched eyebrow higher than the other. ‘’Good idea? Certainly not. But would you rather go to the Elements? No doubt Ice would side with February, Air would have no idea what to do, Fire would burn everything to smithereens, thus defeating the purpose, Water would freeze as soon as she got here and be no better than Ice, and Earth would retreat to his tunnels.’’
March sighed. ‘’Of course. Let’s hurry.’’
And what's done of: The Academy of Peadair Cian
Chapter One: Decisions
A slender, young girl quietly walked down the stone path that led into one of the many gardens surrounding the big brick Academy. Ahnita Thomas was a wiry and tough girl. She had blonde hair that was dyed blue at the tips, and two bright blue- green eyes. She wore a plain blue dress and gray boots.
As she was surrounded by the beautiful flowers of springtime, she wondered if she would ever be chosen. At the age of four- teen, she was the oldest child who hadn’t been taken as one of the Master’s students. She heard soft footsteps behind her and turned around quickly.
Before her was a young woman, thin and beautiful. She had jet black hair and warm brown eyes that twinkled mischievously, and she wore a soft gray dress that came down a little past her knees. Around her narrow waist was a crooked belt that normally held a thin sword, and on her hands were fingerless leather gloves that came up to her elbows. She also had the same kind of gray boots that Ahnita wore. Behind the young woman was a girl, who wore a sky blue shirt and blue jeans, and had incredibly long, curly, orange- red hair.
‘’Master Gladiola, Evangelina. How are you?’’ Ahnita said, and curtsied. Evangelina was Master Gladiola’s apprentice, and Ahnita’s best friend in the Academy.
Master Gladiola nodded her head. ‘’Very well, thank you. I came to inquire whether or not you are coming to the Ceremony or not tonight. Are you?’’
Ahnita bowed her head in shame. ‘’I don’t think so. Why should I? I’m never chosen.’’
A soft smile flitted across Master Gladiola’s face, but Ahnita did not see it. ‘’Please, just be there tonight.’’
‘’Yes ma’am,’’ Ahnita said obediently as Master Gladiola and her apprentice walked away, ‘’Bye, Evangelina.’’
‘’See ya!’’ Shouted back Evangelina, earning her a quiet but hard stare from her Master. Master Gladiola was known for stealth and quiet, and she had made sure that that was the thing her students excelled at most.
Ahnita gazed again at the flowers, but her mind was filled with other things and their beauty was lost upon her. Why had Master Gladiola wanted her at the ceremony? She lay down on the sun- warmed stone bench and gazed at the lightly clouded blue sky.
She must have fallen asleep, for the next thing she knew was that a little hand was in hers.
‘’Wahnita, Wahnita! Wake up, will woo?’’
Ahnita sat up; only one person she knew used that many w’s. ‘’Ani? What time is it?’’
Ani looked at her with big, impatient, blue eyes. ‘’It’s walmost time for wa ceremony!’’
Ahnita sat up and almost tumbled over the five year old. ‘’Already?’’ she said anxiously, and then ran down the stone path towards the Academy building.
Ahnita managed to sneak in to the Auditorium without to many people noticing she was late.
At the front of the room, opposite the doors, was a platform that all the Masters who did not have more than one apprentice stood. All of the Apprentices were sitting on one side of the room, and the Novices sat on the other side. Ahnita sat with the rest of the novices. All of the Masters who already had two Apprentices stood in the back. Time passed and names were called. Nearly ten of the thirty- some novices were chosen. The Ceremony only came once a year, so normally it was quite a few more children. But then again, there were normally fifty- some children. Ahnita started to drift off again, wishing she could sleep better at night. A voice floated clearly the through the beginning haze of sleep.
‘’Ahnita?’’
She became instantly awake.
‘’Ahnita, come child.’’ Master Gladiola said from the front of the room.
Slowly, in shock, Ahnita walked up to the platform and stood next to Master Gladiola.
Peadair Cian then stood in front of them, his back to the audience. He had founded the Academy and ran everything.
‘’Do you, Ahnita Thomas, pledge to be a loyal apprentice to Master Gladiola? Only say ‘aye’ if you do.’’
Ahnita looked up at Master Gladiola in awe, and the Master of the sword smiled back at her. Ahnita thought about how long she had hoped to be an apprentice, and quickly decided.
‘’Aye!’’ She cried, and her smile was big enough to split the sky.
Master Gladiola then smiled and took a necklace out of a pouch on her belt and put it around Ahnita’s neck. Ahnita beamed and tears of joy slid unheeded down her cheeks. How long had she waited and longed for this moment? Master Gladiola and her new apprentice walked down the stairs and each took their places, Ahnita with the apprentices and Master Gladiola with the Masters. The rest of the Ceremony passed quickly for Ahnita.
That night, everyone met in the dining hall for dessert. The dining hall was there for those who didn’t want to cook, even though every Master was supplied with an oven, dishwasher, stove, and sinks, along with other kitchen supplies. Sometimes, though, they just didn’t want to cook, and that was when the dining hall came in handy. There were goodies of all kinds spread out on tables all around the walls of the room. Ahnita hung out with Angelina most of the time, thrilled that she now got to live with her best friend.
‘’So, how does it feel to be a new apprentice?” Evangelina asked. Evangelina was only two months older than Ahnita, and they were like sisters.
Ahnita put a hand to her mouth and held up one finger. She swallowed her chocolate and answered.
‘’It feels great! I mean, I never thought I’d actually be an apprentice. But this is awesome! Of all the Masters who could have chosen me, it was Master Gladiola, who’s other Apprentice is you! This is just perfect.’’
Evangelina laughed. ‘’Yeah, this is totally awesome. Have you tried the cake yet?’’
Anita shook her head no, smiled widely, and ran over to the table with the huge red velvet cake on it.
She was about to cut herself a slice of the cake when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
‘’If you eat that you’ll have trouble sleeping for the next two weeks.’’ A warm, deep, voice with a thick Irish accent said in her ear.
Ahnita turned around. ‘’Master Peadair! I know, but I really like it.’’ she said smiling.
Peadair nodded and smiled broadly. ‘’I’m not telling you not to eat it, lil’ lass. I owe Gladiola a little something for setting me up with such a hyper little Apprentice!’’ he exclaimed, and pointed to his Apprentice, Brian, who had two huge slices of the red velvet cake and three enormous brownies on his place. Peadair saw the contents of the young boy’s plate and sighed, rubbing his forehead.
‘’Brian, how about you give some of that to Mordecai and me…’’ he said as he walked away, toward his Apprentice.
Ahnita laughed and finished getting her cake. She spotted Evangelina and got her fork, then sat down beside her at one of the round table filling the Dining Hall.
‘’How about after dessert we go get my stuff out of the Novice Apartments.’’ Ahnita suggested.
Evangelina swallowed the last few drops of fruit her punch, ‘’Sure!’’
Ahnita scooped down her cake, eager at the prospect of finally getting out of the Novice Apartments and into one of the Master’s Quarters. It wasn’t that the Novice Apartments were bad, per se, they were just crowded. She finished her cake and threw the plastic plate in the trash can.
‘’Come on, Evangelina!’’ she said, and pulled Evangelina out of her seat by the arm.
‘’Ahnita!’’ Evangelina protested, ‘’I haven’t finished my cookie!’’
Ahnita rolled her eyes. ‘’Cookies are nasty. Come on!’’
‘’But it was lemon meringue…’’ Evangelina whimpered as Ahnita dragged her down the hall.
Once the girls got to the one of the Girls Novice Apartment that Ahnita had lived in for nearly seven years, Ahnita began to pack her things. What she owned was strewn about everywhere, on her bed, on the dresser, in her bags. It was a mess.
Evangelina laughed. ‘’This is a disaster! No wonder you wore the same dress yesterday, you can’t find anything in here!’’
She picked up a shirt and sniffed it, then pulled a face. ‘’And half of this hasn’t been washed in ages. Ick.’’
Ahnita grabbed at the shirt. ‘’Give me that. Your room probably doesn’t look much better.’’ She retorted and stuffed the shirt in her wooden chest, then laughed.
‘’Come on,’’ she said, picking up one corner of her chest of clothes, ‘’help me carry this to your Quarters.’’
‘’Our quarters.’’ Evangelina reminded with glee. They were best friends, now they would be more like sisters.
The girls struggled with the large, heavy, chest, but they finally made to their Quarters. Master Gladiola was already there. ‘’Hello, girls,’’ she said, smiling, ‘’I’m sorry that you don’t have your own room, Ahnita; you’ll have to share with Evangelina. Is that okay?’’
Evangelina and Ahnita looked at each other with blank faces. Suddenly, they burst out laughing.
‘’Okay? It’s better that okay! It’s awesome!’’ Ahnita said excitedly.
Master Gladiola laughed gently. ‘’Good. Now, Evangelina, please show Ahnita where to put her belongings. I would do it myself, but I need to run by the nurse’s office.’’
The smile on Evangelina’s face waned some. ‘’Yes, Master.’’
Ahnita was puzzled, but she didn’t say anything. Master Gladiola looked healthy, other than being skinnier and paler than normal. What was wrong? Ahnita didn’t know, and she didn’t ask.
Master Gladiola walked down the hall on shaky legs.
‘’I should have done this yesterday,’’ she muttered to No-One-In-Particular, ‘’Jemima will have my head for sure.’’
A motion in the shadows of the dark hall way caught her eye, but she didn’t turn her head or change pace. The figure walked behind her, quietly.
One step, two steps, three steps, now!
She turned on the cloaked figure swiftly, pulling a dagger from her boot as she did so. She slid the knife under the man’s throat and held it there. Strangely, the man didn’t resist.
‘’Gladiola, you passed my test with flying colors.’’ The man said, possessing a strong English accent.
Master Gladiola relaxed and put the knife back in her boot. ‘’Ben, don’t scare me like that!’’
‘’Sorry!’’ he laughed, ‘’and where are you off to at this hour, especially with a new Apprentice to settle in?’’
Master Gladiola hesitated, and gravity fell heavily upon the corridor, ‘’nowhere, Ben, just a stroll.’’ She said quietly.
Ben nodded his head. ‘’I see,’’ he said sarcastically, ‘’A stroll, at nearly eleven o’clock at night, towards the Infirmary,’’ he put his hands on her shoulders, ‘’what’s wrong, Gladiola?’’
Master Gladiola looked at the ground, dimly lit by the scanty lamps. ‘’I don’t know if I should tell you, certainly not in the dark like this. It is to… troubling.’’
Ben tightened his grip on her shoulders as she wobbled, and helped her sink to the floor without hurting herself. ‘’Gladiola, you need to tell me what’s wrong.’’
Master Gladiola shook her head, ‘’Not tonight, Ben; in the morning. Please, just go to your Quarters, get your rest. Leave me be.’’
Ben knew that when Master Gladiola said something, she meant it. So he walked down one of the side corridors, to his own Quarters and Apprentice.
Master Gladiola made her way slowly to the Infirmary.
When Master Gladiola returned to her Quarters, Ahnita and Evangelina were already settled in and in their pajamas. Master Gladiola smiled wearily as she walked to the girl’s room.
Ahnita and Evangelina were giggling, and didn’t even notice Master Gladiola standing in the doorway. Master Gladiola shook her head and went to her own room, which was beside the girl’s room.
‘’They are lucky, those girls. I never had such a happy time when I was young.’’ She muttered to herself while changing into her nightclothes. Tears came to rest in her eyes, but she wiped them swiftly away as if they were stinging acid. ‘’And it seems as if I shall never have such a time again.’’
Chapter Two: Decided
Peadair rolled around in his bed fitfully, the covers entangling him. The sharp trilling of his cell phone finally awoke him.
‘’Hello? This is Peadair.’’ He mumbled, ‘’hmm, Sabrina? Why are you calling? It’s two in the morning.’’ --a pause—‘’yes, I know its noon there.’’
He didn’t really know.
‘’Why do I need to come?’’—a long, hurried explanation—‘’Sabrina, slow down. Let me get this straight, you’re not making any sense. The clans have started warring and you won’t fight them? I don’t care if they are somehow very distantly related to you, if they are planning on attacking and killing your people than you must fight!’’ –a shocked silence, and then harsh words—‘’Okay, I’ll come. I’m going to bring a few friends, too. I don’t care if you don’t want me to. Talk to you later. Bye.’’
Peadair put the phone back on the small table beside his bed and sighed. At least Sabrina was in Ireland, that was the only upside to fighting a war for her.
All of the Masters and Apprentices had been called into the Auditorium, the same place the Ceremony had been held only the night before. Peadair stood on the platform once more, and addressed the entire assembly.
‘’Last night I got a phone call from my sister, Sabrina. As some of you know, she is chieftess of a small, rather primitive clan in Ireland. Unfortunately, the other clans have started war among themselves, for reasons of their own. Mainly because they are hotheaded and will go to war over Someone smacking So and So. Sabrina told me that she will not fight those who are distantly her kin. I can’t just leave her and her village to be slaughtered, and I can’t fight a war for her alone. I request the Masters and the older Apprentices to aid me.’’
The company gathered there did not move or speak. One would be able to hear a pin drop, if one would be so careless as to let it drop and suffer the humiliation of breaking that grave silence.
Master Gladiola pushed her way to the front of the people. ‘’Master Cian, we cannot fight a war! We are Guardians to those who need bodyguards, and we’re good at that. Again I say, we cannot fight a war!’’
Peadair stared at her with icy blue eyes. ‘’Do you even know how these men fight? The same way we do. With swords. I am confident that you will win the war! Gladiola, we will mostly be defending my sister’s people as it is, so you should have no problem.’’
Master Gladiola shook her head. ‘’I will not be going. I should have said nothing of the whole ordeal. Forgive me.’’
Ben looked at her sharply. ‘’What do you mean you’re not going?’’
Master Gladiola leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Ben’s face drooped and he nodded numbly.
‘’Are we set then?’’ Peadair asked, ‘’I have plane tickets for all who can go. How lucky I am that S.P.I is still paying for all of this.’’
Cody, in the back of the auditorium, rolled his eyes.
Gladiola sat on the large, stone steps of the Academy at dawn, the day after Peadair had announced that they were to go to Ireland. The world was still, and a thrush nearby sang a few bars of his springtime melody. She wondered if the world would ever be the same again after this war. If most would come back, or few.
And there is always the possibility of none.
Ben came out of the tall wooden doors of the Academy and sat down beside her.
‘’What are you thinking about?’’ He asked.
Gladiola sighed. ‘’You know perfectly well, you imp.’’
Ben’s blue eyes scanned the grounds restlessly. ‘’Don’t worry about us. We know how to fight.’’
Gladiola shook her head. ‘’That’s just it. You don’t know how to fight. Yes, you can swing a sword and look fancy while doing so, but none of us have ever fought to kill.’’
Ben looked at her. ‘’People’s lives are at stake. Either we help them, or they die.’’
‘’But there has to be another way. Any other way.’’
‘’There isn’t.’’ Ben said this in a harsher tone, but Gladiola had known him long enough to know that that was how sadness came out of him.
‘’Gladiola, there’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask you for a very lo- ‘’
‘’Master!’’ Ahnita shouted, coming out of the Academy to where Gladiola and Ben were. The adults both stood. Evangelina followed closely behind Ahnita.
‘’Master! We’ve got to leave in a few minutes and Evangelina can’t get her bag closed!’’ Ahnita said, genuinely worried for her fellow Apprentice.
Sure enough, the fifteen rentals cars and their drivers began pulling into the long, circular driveway.
Evangelina looked to be on the verge of despair. Master Gladiola put a kind hand on her shoulder and looked over at Ben. ‘’Can you help her close her suitcase, Ben?’’
Ben nodded. ‘’Of course.’’
Gladiola could tell his smile was forced. Why? What had he been about to ask?
Suddenly, she collapsed.
Without warning.
Without anything to break the fall.
On the stone steps.
The hard, stone steps.
Ben turned around when he heard the thud, and his heart nearly stopped right there. Gladiola’s eyes were wide, she breathed heavily…
Like she wasn’t getting enough air.
A muffled scream managed to escape Evangelina’s lips. Ahnita looked like she wanted to, but she was brave.
Ben wanted to, but he couldn’t. He had to be the brave one.
So he ran back to her side and picked her up, with one gentle touch to her cheek first.
‘’Evangelina, find Jemima. Tell her that Gladiola’s gotten worse. Hurry!’’
Evangelina ran towards the Infirmary faster than she had ever run before.
Ahnita was starting to hyperventilate, and twin rivers of tears ran down face. ‘’What’s happening, Master Kennerly? Will she be okay?’’
Ben shook his head. ‘’I don’t know.’’
The sick bay was not a fancy doctor’s office. Instead, it was the room the Jemima lovingly called the Infirmary. There were no modern medicines, only the healing herbs that Jemima was fluent with. They were stored in the small drawers that decorated the interior of the room, and some hung even from the ceiling. It was normally a quiet place, and, thank heavens, seldom occupied. Today, however, the silence and peace was crushed brutally when Ben came rushing in, carrying a limp Gladiola in his arms.
‘’Jemima, she’s gotten worse.’’ His face was completely void of all emotion, but his voice still betrayed him.
Jemima got up from the herbs she was sorting and took one swift look at Master Gladiola.
‘’Set her on the cot, quickly now, Ben!’’ She commanded. Her Infirmary, her rules.
Ben did so and stood by awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He saw Ahnita and Evangelina fairly sobbing, and began to comfort them.
A car horn honked.
‘’Benjamin Kennerly! Hurry up or we’ll be late!’’ the deep, Irish voice boomed; completely oblivious to the turmoil within his Academy.
Ben walked swiftly over to the window, ‘’Give us five minutes, Master Cian! Gladiola… has fallen sick.’’
Ben turned around from the window, ‘’you heard the man,’’ he consoled gently, ‘’it’s time to go. Evangelina, I’ll help you with your suitcase now.’’
Ahnita shook her, on the verge of bursting from fury. ‘’We can’t just leave! She needs us!’’
‘’She’ll be with Jemima and Methuselah. She’ll be fine, I promise.’’ Ben said.
‘’Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’’ Ahnita retorted. Then the seriousness of what she just said hit her. Not only had she talked back to a Master, she had admitted her fears aloud. But then she began to think. She loved her Master, but if she stayed there was nothing she could do for her; she didn’t even know what Gladiola was sick with. She came to a conclusion in her heart.
Evangelina was about to protest against leaving, but Ahnita silenced her with a small squeeze of her hand. Evangelina knew Ahnita was a born leader, even though she was sometimes rash and hasty, and decided to trust her decision.
‘’Yes, Master Kennerly.’’ Ahnita conceded.
Chapter Three: You Just Never Know
McQuesten Airport was a crowded place, especially because it was a Saturday. No one noticed the pile of clothing being tossed out of one of the Master’s bags and being replaced by a small girl.
Ben was only half there, his mind remaining on Gladiola. He went through the motions without giving them any real thought. He wondered if he would ever see Gladiola again; there was always the possibility of not coming back from the war. And even if he came back, there was no guarantee that she would still be there.
With these thoughts he fell a little behind the others, not even thinking about what he was doing.
But a certain man dressed in a long black coat was thinking about was Ben was doing, very consistently and with terrifying precision.
He slowly took out the rag that was in his pocket, looking around the noisy, busy, airport before- hand.
Ben walked by him slowly, still not paying attention like he should have been.
As Ben walked by him, the man pressed the rag to his nose. Ben, without a sound, went limp in the man’s arms. The dark haired man dragged him quietly out an emergency exit door, after pulling the fire alarm. In the panic, nobody noticed him.
‘’Now that, my friends, was a perfectly executed kidnapping.’’ The man muttered to himself, the perpetual sneer still plastered over his face.
Peadair stared out of the airplane window, remembering the last time he had been on a plane. It had been with his daughter, before Sullen and Tyre. Tears came to his eyes, the bitter tears he had worked so hard to control for so many years. It had been ten years now, he was fifty-two. Only a few more years and he would retire, if he lived through the war. Cody, in the seat beside him, saw the tears.
‘’It’s been ten years sir. I’m surprised it still troubles you so much.’’
Peadair looked at the Italian man with surprise. ‘’Do you think I could forget my daughter or your brothers?’’
Cody shook his head, ‘’Of course not, sir. I still miss my brothers like nothing else. But they would want me to think about the future, not linger in the past. Isn’t that what Britt would have wanted you to do?’’
Peadair stared into the dark brown eyes of Cody. ‘’Yes, she would have. Still, I find it hard not to think about the lil’ lass.’’
‘’Oh, you should think about her, sir. Just don’t long for the past; you can’t have it back. You can’t change it. It isn’t yours. But the future is yours, and you need to think far more about it than the past.’’
Peadair nodded his head. Wise words from one so young; only twenty- eight. He began to get sleepy, and slowly drifted off. But, as it often is, sleep was no more welcoming than consciousness. He only dreamed about Britt and about his wife, Stella. The turbulence while landing awoke him. Once out of the airport and baggage had been picked up, Peadair breathed in the crisp Irish air. It did him a world of good to see his homeland once again.
‘’Master Peadair!’’
Peadair turned towards the source of the voice.
‘’Yes, Sierra, what is it?’’
The woman was breathless and looked like she had seen a ghost. ‘’I checked my bag to make sure all my luggage was there, I always have since the first time I flew and the some of the employees messed with my bag, and what should I find but Ani!’’
The little girl poked her head out from behind Master Sierra. ‘’Hewwo, Master Ciwan.’’
Peadair’s hard gaze softened at the sight of the five year old. ‘’What are you doing here, lil’ lass? We are going to fight a battle!’’
Ani ducked her head shyly. ‘’Welw, I thowt I could helwp.’’
The tall Irish man shook his head in mock despair. ‘’Well, we can’t send you back. Ahnita will have to look after you while us Masters figure out the best way to get fifty miles away where roads do not exist.’’
He looked around at the Masters and Apprentices, trying to spot Evangelina and Ahnita. Upon failing, he decided to call for them.
‘’ Evangelina! Ahnita! I need you over here please.’’
No answer.
No movement.
No Angelina.
No Ahnita.
‘’I’d swear they got on the plane.’’ He muttered under his breath.
Eight- teen hours earlier…
Ahnita and Evangelina were navigating their way around the massive crowds in the airport, hoping not to be separated from the others. Ahnita was thinking about her Master. Maybe there was nothing she could do, but she should at least be there to comfort her and find out what was wrong. Her cell phone trilled, she flipped the top up and answered.
‘’This is Ahnita Thomas.’’
The man on the other end chuckled, and not in the funny way. ‘’Good, good. I am Flynn Shadrax. I suppose you know of your ‘Master’s’ plight?”
Ahnita was confused. ‘’I know she’s sick. Why do you ask?’’ whoever Flynn was, he didn’t give her a good feeling.
Flynn laughed again. ‘’Since you don’t know what is truly wrong, let me… enlighten you. She has lung cancer, and is currently close to death. I hold the only key to her recovery. Do you want it?’’
Ahnita felt like a bomb had been dropped in the middle of her life. ‘’She what?! She can’t have lung cancer! How do you know this? What is the key? What’s going on?’’
‘’I know this because I am smart and the Academy’s security is low; oh, the irony. The key is for her to have a lung transplant, both her lungs will go and one will be replaced by someone else’s, it is possible to live with only one lung. That person who will give her the lung, however, must have the same tissue type as her. Benjamin Kennerly is the only person you know with the same tissue type. If you haven’t caught on by now, Benjamin is the key; and I have him!’’
Ahnita was flabbergasted, and simply didn’t want to believe the truth. Evangelina stared at her blankly, only hearing one side of the conversation.
‘’What do you mean you have him? He’s getting on the plane now.’’
‘’Oh, but he isn’t. Give me one moment please.’’
Flynn hung up and Ahnita frowned, but a picture came through.
It was Ben.
Tied up.
In pain.
The phone trilled again and Ahnita answered, seeing that it was Flynn’s number. ‘’What do you want?’’
‘’I want you to contact Peadair and tell him to give you thirty- thousand dollars. You will then take it to the address that I will text to you. Only you and Evangelina may come. If you bring anyone else, I will kill Ben on the spot. Clear?’’
Ahnita knew the Academy didn’t have the money, and the Masters wouldn’t let them go alone. So she lied, and not for the first time either. That was her biggest flaw.
‘’We’ll be there. Just send the address.’’ She said fumingly, then hung up and waited for the text.
It came.
‘’Come on Evangelina. We’ve gotta go save Ben. Again.’’
Evangelina was confused. ‘’Why? What’s wrong with our Master? What happened to Master Kennerly?’’
Ahnita gave her the whole speech, and Evangelina had nearly the same reaction as she had. Only a lot calmer.
Sort of.
The girls rushed out of the airport, having made up excuses to the workers as to why they were leaving without an adult.
Chapter Four: The Old Crow Speaks
‘’Where do we go first?’’ Evangelina asked, unsure of her- self.
‘’Um, to Ben. Which means we follow the address.’’ Ahnita, however, was very confident.
‘’’Shack in Old Crow’ doesn’t sound like much of an address to me. And seriously, we live fifteen miles from there.’’
Ahnita nodded her head. ‘’He probably wanted the money to get to him fast. But that’s a good thing, we can get to the Academy quickly once we have him.’’
‘’True. But how do we get there?’’
‘’By taxi. How else? It’s not like we could walk there, and I don’t drive.’’
Evangelina scrunched up her face. ‘’Good point.’’
Ahnita flagged down a taxi. ‘’Old Crow, please.’’ She said as she and Evangelina got in.
The toothy driver laughed, ‘’Old Crow? That be far ‘way. You gonna pay me well, got it?’’
Ahnita looked at Angelina. ‘’Do you have any money?’’ she whispered in her ear.
Evangelina nodded her head and Ahnita gave a sigh of relief.
‘’How much will it cost us?’’ Ahnita asked.
The man rubbed his stubbly chin. ‘’Eh, eighty bucks.’’
‘’We don’t have that much. How about thirty?’’
The man’s eyes squinted. ‘’Sixty, no less.’’
‘’Forty.’’
‘’Fifty.’’
Evangelina spoke up, ‘’done.’’
The man nodded his head and pursed his lips. ‘’Good enough.’’
They drove off down the busy street, towards a very sticky situation.
Evangelina gave the money to the taxi driver when they got out, and he drove away.
Leaving them in a very dangerous position.
‘’Now, where would a shack be located, I wonder?’’ Ahnita muttered under her breath.
She looked around her. Old Crow was a very small town, remote even. She had been through a few times, each time going either to or from the Academy. As far as she knew, there weren’t any old shacks. The residents kept their buildings quite neat and tidy.
‘’Let’s try the woods. That’s always a good place to look for creepy old shacks.’’
Evangelina grimaced, ‘’seriously? Do you have to try to freak me out?’’
‘’Of course.’’ Ahnita said, grinning. She started to walk towards the woods, and Evangelina followed her. The air was crisp, still a bit chilly even though it was spring- time. Flowers grew every- where, the woods were still aside from the bird song. Ahnita wasn’t sure what she wanted to find when they got to Ben. She was glad of the sword by side. Never would she actually kill someone, but she wasn’t afraid to wound anyone. The tramp through the woods in search for a creepy old shack that could hold anything unnerved Ahnita, especially because of the vast amount of crows that lived in there, where song- birds would normally reign during this time of year.
‘’Angie? Do you ever get this creepy feeling that just reaches up along your spine?’’
Evangelina shivered. ‘’Yeah.’’
‘’What do you think we’ll find?”
‘’I seriously don’t want to know prematurely.’’
Ahnita nodded her head. ‘’Same here.’’
Ben woke up and tried to shake the fogginess from his eyes and mind. It remained. He was dangling, his feet hardly touching the floor. His hands had gone numb, they were tied up. He yanked on the cords, to no avail.
‘’Ah, I see you’ve woken. How does it feel, hmm?’’ A deep and dark laugh went with the words, adding insult to injury.
Ben painfully lifted his head to look at the man. ‘’Who are you?’’
‘’Shadrax, Flynn Shadrax. I am your captor, and you are my hostage. Since you didn’t answer my question I’ll ask it again. How does it feel to be captured? Shamed? Beaten?’’
Ben frowned in puzzlement. ‘’Beate-?”
WHAP!
A fist hit Ben hard in the jaw.
‘’Oh. Beaten. I see. Well, to tell the truth, not well at all. If you would refrain, that would be fantastic.’’
Flynn laughed again, hideously.
WHACK!
‘’Stop? But I’m having so much fun!’’
Blood started to drip from Ben’s lip. ‘’I think you had better stop.’’
Flynn threw his head back and howled with laughter. ‘’What? Stop? Why on earth should I, you pig?’’
Ben snorted. ‘’Oh, trust me, I’m not the pig.’’
That only earned him another hard punch, but this time in the ribs. Flynn put his face close to Ben’s.
‘’Do not insult me. I hold your life in my hands, puny mortal.’’
‘’Not if I don’t want you to. And by the way, your breath stinks.’’
Flynn hit him hard in the jaw. ‘’Shut up!’’
Ben cocked his head, trying out his jaw muscles. ‘’And what do you mean by ‘puny mortal’? Aren’t you only mortal?’’
Flynn growled and pummeled him with blows. ‘’When I have Gladiola’s life, I will be Immortal!’’
Ben shook his head. ‘’You can’t have Gladiola’s life and you can’t make yourself Immortal. It’s not like a cold, it doesn’t just rub off.’’
Flynn was clearly disgusted at this new revelation, and his expression was enough to make Ben almost laugh.
‘’Are you serious? You mean to say that if I kill her, I won’t get her Immortality?’’
‘’No… did you really think that could happen?’’
‘’Yes.’’ Flynn started to whimper quietly, and it was all Ben could do to keep from laughing out loud. But then Flynn perked up.
‘’Even if I can’t be Immortal, at least I’ll be rich!’’ the greed lit up in his eyes once more.
He went over to a corner of the garage-like temporary prison and got a crowbar. ‘’And I’ll have a little fun while waiting, too!’’
Ben groaned softly.
Ahnita was the one to spot the old, run- down cabin first. She pointed it out to Evangelina, and Evangelina pointed out to her that they didn’t have a plan.
‘’We go rescue Ben. It can’t be that hard.’’
Evangelina sort of glared at her. ‘’Really? Flynn could have a gun. We have swords. Swords, Ahnita. We’d be dead in minutes.’’
‘’Well we have to try, don’t we? We can’t just give up on him.’’
Evangelina blew out of her mouth loudly. ‘’Okay, let’s go. But if we get killed, I’m blaming you.’’
‘’Whatever.’’ Ahnita complied.
They both cautiously opened the door and went in, drawing their swords. Flynn took one look at them and laughed manically.
‘’I’m afraid you took too long, so I can’t return him to you unharmed. After all, it’s been five hours.’’
Ben, with his last ounces of strength, lifted his head and spoke. ‘’You do know that laughing manically is not at all appropriate, and definitely not attractive.’’
Then he went limp.
Ahnita scowled and went into the fighting stance. Evangelina did too.
Flynn drew his gun and, with the skill of an expert, shot the swords right out of their hands. Both girls were completely flabbergasted. The man with dark hair and eyes stepped over to them.
‘’I expect the money. Now.’’ He demanded, his voice like a glacier.
Ahnita’s eyes narrowed. ‘’Not until you let Ben go.’’
Flynn pointed the gun at them, and motioned with it towards the wall next to Ben. ‘’Sit down over there and don’t move. You obviously don’t have the money.’’
The girls didn’t have any choice but to obey. Flynn took some rope and tied their hands together, cruelly getting the knot to tight. He gave one final sneer and left the small room.
‘’I’m blaming you.’’ Evangelina growled.
‘’Yeah, Yeah, I know. I wonder how long it’ll take for Ben to wake up.’’
‘’I don’t know. He looks pretty hurt.’’
‘’Well that put a major hitch in our plans.’’
‘’Oh my goodness Ahnita. So un-sympathetic.’’
‘’Gladiola will die if we don’t get Ben out! You think that’s un-sympathetic?’’
‘’Good point. Do you think Flynn’s out of earshot?’’
‘’Didn’t you hear him drive his car away?’’
‘’Good point. I have a knife in my back left pocket. See if you can get it.’’
‘’You know, if this were a book or movie this would be SO cliché. The authors would NEVER get away with it. I’ll see if I can reach.’’
It was a struggle, but she got the knife out with much chafing of the hands. She began to cut the ropes, her hands at an awkward angle. The ropes began to fray, and then snapped.
‘’Got it, Angie.’’
‘’Good. Now let’s get out of here.’’
‘’We can’t just leave Ben!’’
‘’It’s not like we can carry him outta here.’’
‘’Oh really? You get his feet.’’
Evangelina shook her head and groaned, but she took his feet and Ahnita grabbed under his shoulders. Together, they pulled him out of the shack, out of the woods; into the main street of Old Crow. Surprisingly, the taxi they had arrived in was still there.
Ahnita dropped Ben’s shoulders, and went over to the cabby. She tapped on the glass and the man rolled down his window.
‘’Eh heh. There you are. You forgot thirty-six cents.’’
Ahnita rolled her eyes, ‘’you’re desperate, aren’t you?’’
‘’Yep. Now pay up.’’
Ahnita glanced at Evangelina and Ben, behind the car. The driver couldn’t see them. ‘’How about we pay five bucks more if you take us fifteen miles farther.’’
The driver shrugged. ‘’Good enough for me. Find your little friend and hop in.’’
‘’Can you pop the trunk first?’’
‘’Got it.’’
Ahnita walked back over to Evangelina and unconscious Ben.
‘’Why did he pop the trunk?’’
‘’Um, well, so we can stuff Ben in it… heh … heh…’’
‘’Really? That’s your grand idea?’’
‘’Don’t you think the driver would ask questions if we put an unconscious, half dead, man in the back seat?’’
‘’When you put it that way. Help me get him in there.’’
Heaving and pulling, pushing and shoving, the two girls got Ben in the trunk. Once, the taxi driver offered to help them with their ‘luggage’, but they quickly declined.
Finally, they got Ben in the trunk. Angelina slammed the top down, but it didn’t shut like it should have.
‘’Uh oh. I hope we didn’t break his foot.’’ Evangelina said.
Sure enough, his foot sticking out was what had stopped the lid from closing.
‘’We? You’re the one who slammed the lid on it.’’ Ahnita said, pushing his foot to where it was supposed to be and closing the lid carefully.
‘’Whatever. Let’s just get back to the Academy. I’m sick of this.’’
Chapter Five: Sabrina
Peadair walked slowly up to the solitary throne that sat in the middle of the beautiful green forest. He stared at the blonde-haired woman who sat on it, and the huge white dog that was beside her. She had such sad blue eyes that pierced his heart like a burning sword, and he wished he could have come to do something far less violent. She would hate him for this.
‘’What right do you have to bring an army to my lands without my permission?’’
Peadair bowed his head in respect, ‘’none, my lady. I only wish to protect you. Besides, we are hardly an army.’’
‘’Of all people I thought you would understand my position in this matter! I will not fight those who are my kin!’’
‘’Sabrina, they are hardly our kin. A very distant relation hardly counts.’’
‘’I will not risk the lives of my people, and that is my final answer. Go back to Canada, Peadair, as you have left your true home for good.’’
Her words pierced Peadair’s very soul in a fiercer way than any blade. Left his true home? Wasn’t it said that home is where the heart is? His heart was with the Academy, with Sensei Chung, the Masters, and the Apprentices.
‘’Sabrina, my home is with them. The Masters, the Apprentices. But you are my sister; I’m here to protect you and ou- your clan.’’
Tears began to brim Sabrina’s eyes. ‘’My clan? Oh Peadair…’’
‘’I’m sorry sister. What might have been.’’
And he left that immediate area, not wishing to see the hurt in poor Sabrina’s eyes.
When he got into the small clearing where his friends were, Peadair noticed a newcomer. Quietly, he called Cody over.
‘’Who’s that?’’ he asked, pointing discreetly to the brown-haired man he hadn’t seen before and folding his arms.
Cody chuckled. ‘’That’s my cousin, Dex. He was vacationing a little ways from here, camping really, and he saw us. It’s up to you whether he should stay or not, but he can be a handful.’’
‘’Your cousin, eh, I didn’t know you had a cousin; I didn’t think you had living relatives at all besides your sister, Clementine. Why is he a handful?’’
‘’Heh. He eats a lot, sir.’’
Peadair studied the seemingly frivolous man and noticed that there was a definite reason for every move Dex made. This was certainly a perilous man, acting careless and wanton but, hidden, was a deadly purpose.
‘’If he’s anything like you, Cody, he can stay.’’
When Peadair said that, Cody immediately knew the tall man had seen right through Dex’s outward appearance. Cody saluted.
‘’Yessir. Don’t worry, you won’t be disappointed in him.’’
Peadair smiled, the left side of his mouth rising slighter higher than his right, and clapped a large hand on Cody’s shoulder.
‘’I’m sure I won’t be disappointed; after all, he’s related to Cody Herman Reed.’’
Cody shuddered, ‘’Do you have to say my middle name out loud, sir?’’
This had both of the men laughing uproariously. That name had always been a bane to Cody. Seeing Cody and another man, Dex walked over to them.
‘’Hullo there! Is this a blinkin’ private joke or one I can jolly well share in on, Cody? And who’s this oak of a man?’’
Cody cleared his eyes from the tears of merriment.
‘’This is Peadair Alastar Cian; and showing him a bit of respect wouldn’t hurt, he ranks higher than you.’’
Dex’s face cleared of his former vivacious, amiable expressions and he saluted in mock terror and awe.
‘’Please, sir, I beg, you sir, don’t keelhaul me sir, I’m blinkin’ beggin’ you sir!’’
Peadair laughed heartily. ‘’Ach, you’re forgiven! Stand down an’ steady in the ranks.’’
Dex stood at ease. ‘’Thank you sir! Permission to feed my face, sir!’’
Peadair tried hard to contain a smile, ‘’Permission granted.’’
The tall Irish man watched as the somehow- skinny Italian went over to the lunch Master Duncan, the Academy Cook, was preparing.
‘’Are you sure you two are related?’’
‘’Positive, sir,’’ Cody said, ‘’don’t you think we look alike?’’
Peadair stroked the goatee on his square chin. ‘’And that is where the resemblance ends!’’
Cody chuckled; he was very fond of his cousin, ‘’Indeed!’’
And I think I just won the contest for longest post ever.