Escape from Harrizel (58 page)

Sampson glances around the absent line for a
moment. “And now for the
S’s
, please.”

As I let out a sigh of relief, Reid’s eyes
flicker to me, but only for a second. Just long enough to see me.
He looks away and turns to leave with Tucker, the two lost in
conversation as they head back to the Castle.

Can you do that? Can you give me some
time?

If he’s choosing this life, how much time
does he need? Something in my gut tells me I’ll know when he comes
to me. Even with Reid gone, I remain here, pacing and watching the
departures as I have all day, watching how they shoot up into the
air and never return again. They’re going back to what they know,
to what they live for. And I don’t have to return anywhere for
that.

After they get through with everyone and
Clarence and Sampson have returned to the Castle, I retire to the
Bathing Bubble for far too long. But with the base practically
empty and just about everyone gone, there’s no one to complain.
Climbing into bed and having not spoken a word to anyone all day, I
fall into a deep sleep of books and trees and the sound of wind
chimes…

It’s morning again and I’m one of a handful
still waking up here. Everyone else is gone, back to their lives
without a single memory of this place. They have no idea what’s
happened to them or how lucky they are to be standing where they
are. I wish they still knew though, still had their memories of
this place, so we’d all be linked together forever—the survivors of
Harrizel. But even if I wanted to say one last thing to Clark—get
in one final good jab—I couldn’t. He wouldn’t remember me. To him,
I’m just some face in his dreams, some question he’ll never be able
to quite answer, or understand.

Sitting up, I stretch and look around.

It’s my last day here. Sampson said we’d
stay until everyone was taken back and I’m pretty sure they
finished last night. Strange. As much as I’m ready to leave, part
of me wants to stay right here on Harrizel forever. For Raj and
Hinson and all the others, all those who came, never to leave
again.

I get to my feet, dress and head toward the
open lot downstairs. A larger group than I expect awaits me by the
iron-gate. Sampson, Clarence, Reid, Tucker, Jace, Pratt, Booker,
Werzo and someone else, some new female face stand in a
disorganized line, watching as Clarence makes his way toward me.
He’s in the same green sweater and khaki pants that he wore the
first time we met, when I’d just woken up.

“Ready to go?”

“Are the others?” I ask.

“Just waiting on you, darling, but we’ll
have to travel a little heavier,” he motions to the others, all
equipped with rifles. He looks back to me. “Turns out your AK is
pretty powerful.”

“And your whips as well,” I present the
bandage running from my elbow to wrist.

“Vermix defenses,” he shakes his head.
“That’s why we’ll need to be prepared.”

“Is there still a threat? We’ll need to be
armed at all times?”

“Well, we can do it the smart way or...”

He’s right. There’s no way to tell if
Reuzkimpart left a few Vermix scattered throughout the jungle,
waiting to ambush or attack again. There’s also the possibility of
the few that got trapped in the underground labyrinth finding their
way out. Sampson said it was a definite possibility and it’s
exactly why he didn’t want me running off into Harrizel’s jungle
alone. And it’s not like we can leave right now—we don’t know where
we’re going.

Unlike earlier, Blovid’s location is
currently moving. When the Arizals left after the battle, Blovid
was in a safe place but we couldn’t go with them at the time
because we still needed to return everyone home. But now that we’re
ready, his safety’s been compromised and he’s on the move again.
There’s no way of telling exactly where he is but once he’s safely
settled, he’ll send word and we’ll go. Until then, it’s through the
jungle on foot, hiding in her layered canopy. We can’t stay at the
Castle because if the Vermix return, that’s exactly where they’d
go. That or Ellae.

“Then onward,” I gesture forward, moving
past Clarence to join the others. Reid’s stare burns through me,
but I ignore it as best I can. A large lump rolls down his throat
with each step I take but I force myself to focus on the rest of
the group instead, on the other five percents that will join us in
our quest. My stomach twists.

Able’s not here.

I already knew he wouldn’t be—his body not
being accounted for—but it’s still another jolt to know I’ll have
to do this without him. He is, after all, my bestie. The familiar
pain ignites at the thought of never seeing him again, never having
him make light of a situation or hear him describe Reid with a
childlike worship. But where
is
he? That’s the part that’s
killing me, the not knowing. He’s not here—so what does that mean?
He’s probably in the same place that Walker is. And Vix, most
likely.

But Tucker is here, along with Jace, Booker,
Werzo, Pratt and a new girl. She’s a petite thing with a black bob
and bangs and does an especially good job at keeping her eyes
averted.

“You don’t have to be scared of her,” Werzo
walks over, throwing his arm around her shoulders. “She won’t turn
you to stone.”

“Hey, hands off the Arrival,” Tucker motions
Werzo back. “No time for that.”

“What?” he drops his arm, resuming his
previous position. “I was just being friendly,” Werzo readjusts his
rifle, looking to Booker for assistance. But the massive force just
shakes his head.

“It’s not going to be that kind of trip,”
Reid says after a moment. “Not your definition of friendly,
anyway,” he moves past, putting himself at Sampson’s right.

“I’m Fallon,” I step closer to the meek
girl.

“Mae.” It comes out a whisper.

Sampson hands me an AK-47, the same as
everyone else. We all turn in unison, taking in one final glimpse
of the Castle, of its towering, dark walls and the deadly nothing
surrounding it. Again we turn, this time looking to Sampson who
gestures past the gate and out toward the jungle.

We move through it, eventually passing Ellae
and coming upon the Banyan trees of the former mutated lot. As we
arrive, the others take it in with shock, surprised to see the
charcoaled remains.

“Oh my God,” Pratt whispers.

“To destroy the evidence,” I explain.

“Not that it’s really destroyed…” Jace
mumbles behind me. “More like…
really
well done.”

“We should say something,” Pratt says,
stopping us from moving further. “Or make a burial.”

We should. For all those who lost their
lives out here, people who’ll never make it back home. Like Hinson
and Raj. They deserve a goodbye, even if it’s just from us.

I look at Sampson who’s already retrieving
something from the inside pocket of his full-length brown robe.
It’s a small blue sphere no larger than a marble and has tiny
golden flecks sparkling inside. Bringing the sphere to his lips,
Sampson breathes on it and the blue marble takes off, flying
upwards autonomously. At first it just sails straight but then,
after a moment, the blue sphere stops, bursting open as a sparkling
powder coats the blackened trees like a gentle mist of rain.

And then it happens.

The blooming.

Lavender, ruby, sapphire and emerald flowers
spring around the blackened trunks. After a moment, the former lot
of mutations is now the first day of spring—the perfect resting
place for Raj and Hinson. I place my hand on Sampson’s and squeeze.
He must know what this means to me, to have them left like this. We
all wait a moment longer before Tucker moves us on, past the Banyan
trees of flowers.

We spend the first night camped somewhere
deep in the thicket of trees, Clarence staying up to keep watch.
Huddled together, we lay on the compacted dirt between the bulky
roots, our rifles at our sides. Reid puts himself between Tucker
and Jace, on the opposite side of Clarence. Pratt and I lay next to
one another, across from the boys, and we snuggle to keep warm.
Mae’s on her opposite side but keeps mostly to herself, curled up
and quiet.

We spend the nights like this, without
babeebs, in near darkness save the starlight above. The days are
silent, mostly out of request from Sampson and Clarence, who
continually stress the need to listen and watch. No one talks
except to dictate break times and directions, a possible ‘imminent’
danger always lingering in the background. It’s not like I have
much to say anyway, except maybe to Pratt, but she’s lost in her
own world, just like the rest of us.

Mae, the new girl, is the same way, but
keeps at the tail end of our herd as we move through the terrain. I
can’t imagine what it must be like for her. At least the rest of us
know each other, trust one another. She arrived just in time for
the Vermix invasion and without friends, is suddenly forced into
this new life.

Every day I think it’s going to be the one
where something changes—where Sampson and Clarence finally tell us
it’s time to leave or maybe, the day Reid finally talks to me.

He’s been keeping himself preoccupied with
sticking to Tucker’s side. He only really acknowledges me when we
do a count to make sure no one’s missing and the few times I catch
his eye when he thinks I’m asleep. Other than that, it’s nothing.
Silence and avoidance. Day in and day out. But I keep his Callix
close.

It’s about the tenth or eleventh day and
we’re trudging through the trees like usual when a small
Dofinike—about six or seven feet tall—lands in front of us, having
dropped from the sky like the others. He has a circle with
alternating dots on his upper right pectoral and a grave
expression. I don’t recognize him but he must be an Arizal because
Sampson and Clarence fly to him without reservation, the trio
exchanging words with hushed urgency.

The stranger glances at us before jetting
back up a moment later, Sampson and Clarence carrying on privately
a few seconds longer. Finally, Sampson turns to us, taking a deep
breath. “We have to go now.”

“Where?” I ask.

“Mybyncia,” Clarence says. “Blovid’s been
located.”

“Word was leaked on his location,” Sampson
paces, his eyes scanning the jungle’s ground, trying to piece
together everything just explained. “The Vermix have invaded the
Southern Shores
and
Pryncbia’s Foreign Headquarters,” he
stops and looks at us, “it’s the royal city—the location of the
palace. They knew Blovid would be there. They ambushed, attacked
and left Mybyncia vulnerable,” he takes a breath. “The Vermix have
enacted war.”

“Is Blovid safe?” I ask.

Sampson nods. “He’s fled.”

“Where do you think he’s gone?” Clarence
moves for his old friend, lowering his voice to close off the
conversation between them.

“One of the other moons, most likely. He
knows Hozfin and Thias are not looking to join in our
conflicts.”

“So… to Mybyncia first?” Clarence leans in
closer, barely muttering, “I know Qippert said to attend to her
royal highness, but finding Blovid’s pretty high on the to-do list
too.”

“If the Vermix have struck Pryncbia’s
Foreign Headquarters, they’re in need of aid. Besides, Queen Ravan
might have some insight as to Blovid’s whereabouts.”

“Wouldn’t Qippert know?”

“Possibly. Guess we’ll have to ask him when
we arrive,” Sampson grins, turning to invite the rest of us into
the conversation. “Alright, we’re headed to Mybyncia, to the royal
city of Pryncbia. We’ll arrive on their Northern Shore but this is
the only time we’ll be on land. Mybyncia is our
water
neighbor.”

“What does that mean?” Pratt asks.

“It is a world completely submerged beneath
the ocean, which covers the planet by ninety seven percent.”

“How will we breathe?”

“The Foreign Headquarters caters to the
necessities of visitors,” Clarence explains. “We’ll be underwater
but enclosed. We’ll be perfectly safe.”

“How’re we getting there?” I ask.

“Same as before, when I took you here.
Though, I’m not as young as I use to be, so I won’t be able to
bring around the whole group,” Clarence looks to Sampson. “Care to
split them?”

“You take the ladies and….” he looks around
the guys, “how about the King of Hearts? I know he’d have no
aversion to that.”

“Jace?” Clarence laughs, “mind holding hands
with Pratt and Fallon over here? Rifles at your back please and
hold tight. For those of you where it’s been a while, just relax
and keep calm. This shouldn’t last more than a few seconds. ”

“So we’re finally saying goodbye to
Harrizel?” Jace surveys the surrounding jungle, enclosing our
circle. “Never thought I’d see it.”

“Assumed I’d be here forever,” Tucker
mutters in agreement, his focus on the treetop canopy above.

“Yes—it’s finally time to leave,” Sampson
softly says, grouping the Rogues. “We most likely won’t be
returning for a bit. Unless dire circumstances demand our return, I
don’t foresee a visit to Harrizel in the near future. Alright,” he
focuses on Clarence, “to the North Shore. We’ll see you there.”

Reid looks to me. I only have a second to
burn before his circle takes off, blasting high into the treetop
and racing through its watery canopy. Dew rains around us as
Clarence takes my hand in one of his, and Mae’s in the other.
“Ready?”

“So we won’t be back for a while?” Pratt
glances around. “Or ever?”

“Not for a long time. We’re onto a new
chapter now, a new beginning.”

I’m holding my breath. I knew the time would
come when we’d have to leave but I didn’t expect it to feel like
this. I’ve wanted to leave Harrizel since I first arrived and now
that the time has come, my chest hurts.

What am I saying goodbye to? And what will I
find next?