Reunion

Reunion

“How did you all end up like this?”

Autumn crouched down in front of the elderly lady as she approached the steel bars of her cell. She grabbed hold of the woman’s fragile hand as she reached through the bars.

“New Aurora, they slaughtered our people and burnt down our villages. Taking us all hostage in the process.”

Autumn was at a loss of words; she had no idea New Aurora was doing such things. The old woman tightened her grip on Autumn’s hand and pulled her closer to the bars.

“I have lived a long life; it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but it was a good one. These other women and their children still have so much to experience, please help them, help us all, set us free from this uncertainty.”

“I’ll do my best, but there is someone that I’m looking for.”

“She is in the next cell block, The young girl dressed just like you, right?”

Autumn’s smile shined through the dirt and grime caked on her face.

“So, you have seen Atif! Don’t you worry once I set her free, she can help me get you guys out of here just hold tight a little longer.”

She rose to her feet with renewed vigor knowing that Atif was in the holding cells just beyond in the next room. Autumn’s mind was made up, once she was reunited with Atif she planned to set everyone free. With the realization that there were also humans being held against their will, she felt compelled to help them in any way that she could.

“I’ll be back for the rest of you in due time, but for now I can’t stick around here for too long or the guards might find me, just hold tight.”

Autumn raced off toward Atif’s holding cell. Using the time allotted to her thanks to the shift change she pushed forward undetected. The lone guard on duty positioned just beyond the door’s threshold turned his head at the sound of the door opening. Caught off guard, he was quickly dispatched by Autumn with an essence-infused backhand. landing cleanly on the guard’s chin with enough force to throw him off balance. sending him flying into the cell he was standing by. The echoing sounds of his body colliding with the cell’s steel bars caught the attention of Atif and Haiden. Atif turned around from facing Haiden and slowly crawled toward the bars of the cell. Peering through the opening to see what all the commotion was about. Atif’s eyes started to water as she choked back tears.

“Auttie!”

Autumn snapped her attention toward the sound of her nickname being called out, and only one person called her that. At first, she started in a slow approach toward the sound before breaking out into a full sprint down the cell block. The sound of bending metal echoed through the holding cell as Atif broke out of her cell. Rushing toward Autumn, tackling her older sister in excitement. Haiden too stepped out of the cell, amazed by Atif’s utilization of essence. She witnessed Atif tackle the other woman in excitement, recognizing their similar attire she assumed that the other woman was her sister. Haiden, despite the situation, rejoiced in the reunion of the two siblings.

“I thought that you were eaten alive Auttie. How were you able to find me?”

“That’s not important now, I’m just glad that you’re okay Atif.”

Pulling away from Autumn she wiped the small accumulation of tears that filled her eyes and took a good look at Autumn. She was a mess, Clothes ripped and disheveled, her Carmel skin was covered in dirt and grease and the combined smell of the sea and beast saliva burned Atif’s nose.

“Damn Autumn you stink!”

Atif exclaimed as she waved away the air in front of her and held her nose, stepping a few steps back from Autumn.

“I don’t think it is that bad.”

she lifted her arm and took a good whiff of her underarm and turned away herself.

“Yeah ok, maybe it is that bad, give me a break I’ve been through it today.”

“Oh yeah, you really went through something alright.”

Atif chuckled as Haiden approached the two. She looked over her shoulder at Haiden and realized that in all the excitement that she had forgotten that Haiden was there.

“Oh Autumn, this is Haiden, we were planning on busting out of here together until you showed up.”

Autumn smiled and waved at Haiden when Haiden quickly grabbed hold of Autumn’s bad arm. Caught off guard, she clenched her teeth as jolts of pain shot up her arm. Atif was surprised by Haiden’s quick movements but what really caught her attention was the damage to Autumn’s arm. By this time, the swelling from her shattered hand had spread up covering large portions of her forearm.

“Hold still I can heal this.”

Autumn and Atif watched in disbelief as Haiden closed her eyes and started channeling her essence into her hands. Soon Autumn started to feel a warming sensation slowly pulsating through the parts of her hand and forearm Haiden had a hold of. But the warming glow of her essence soon took the backseat as the intense pain of Autumn’s disfigured fingers and the tiny bones in her hand started to heal and reform. The pain got to the point that Autumn started tearing up and the muscles in her arm started twitching.

“It won’t be much longer, then you will have full functionality in your hand again.”

Haiden reassured her and after a few moments, which to Autumn felt like an eternity. Haiden released Autumn’s hand, allowing her essence to do its job.

“I might have forgotten to mention that our friend Haiden here can use essence too. But the way she uses it is different than how we use it neat huh?”

Autumn remained in shock as she watched the bruising in her hand and forearm slowly disappear.

“Thank you, Haiden.”

Complimenting the healer and turning her attention to her sister.

“Atif, there are more prisoners on this ship. Women and children, we must do something about it.”

“Yeah, me and Haiden were thinking the same thing and even started to plan it out when you showed up. We still have some time before the ship gets moving again and that’s when we can execute the plan.”

“For now, we should get the keys off the guard and stay close by to avoid wasted movement.”

“First and foremost, lets clean this mess up we don’t know who could be watching the cameras.”

The three ladies nodded in agreement, Haiden with the aid of Autumn dragged the unconscious soldier back to the cell. Atif joined in and took the guards keys and bent the bars back in place effectively locking the guard away.

“We should hide out with the beasts.”

Autumn suggested grabbing the attention of the others, explaining further as she laid out the framework of her idea.

“We can use that time wisely and tame as many beasts as we can. So, when we set them free it’ll be controlled chaos in our favor.”

“I like you’re thinking Autumn; this’ll arouse less suspicion from the remaining guards on the ship until the moment is right.”

Haiden complimented

“So, its decided, let’s not waste any more time standing around doing nothing.”

Atif announced her demeanor was re-energized by her reunion with Autumn. Haiden grinned, taking a deep breath of relief. They just might be able to pull this off, the three of them together. It wasn’t going to be easy by any means, but there was hope. Haiden felt a soft pat on her back as Atif pushed her forward. The two of them followed Autumn, who took lead of the group. Going back in the direction she came from.

***

“Fifteen minutes! You only got fifteen minutes.”

A lone guard shouted out over the sound of the capital ship’s foghorn and the Bussell of Coastal Garden’s southern port. Military convoys darted past two soldiers as they made their approach toward the ramp leading to the ship’s deck. One of the men looked to his right, as a platoon of mech stood before an operator activating one by one and standing at attention.

“Returning early from the shift change? I swear you men that serve under Augustus are something else.”

Locke and ki disguised as New Aurora soldiers walked up to the ship ramp.

“Just a testament to his great leadership.”

Locke commented as he and Ki took a moment to engage with the soldier. After some time, the soldier feeling comfortable with Locke and Ki asked the two for a favor. Since Locke and Ki were boarding early, he was curious if the two would be willing to load and stage a couple of crates down in the cargo holds. All to avoid some of his own duties later. Seeing this as a good opportunity to move around the ship and find a place to hold up, the two brothers couldn’t refuse.

Grabbing a set of pallet jacks, the two brothers pushed the giant crates up the ship’s ramp. The other soldier watched in amazement at the pace the two maneuvered their loads. Thanking Locke and Ki the soldier returned his attention back to surveying the dock as the other soldiers moved about. looking back for a moment to see that the two brothers were outside of earshot.

“Testament to his great Leadership… what a bunch of bootlickers.”

He commented, going about his business, none the wiser to Locke and Ki masquerading as soldiers. The next challenge in front of the two, finding their way to the cargo holds. With no prior knowledge of the ship, it was important that the brothers looked confident and as if they belonged, not wanting to raise suspicion. Aware that they were one facial scan away from being discovered. Locke took one last look toward the dock noticing the decent sized crowd of soldiers making their way back to the ship.

“We better get a move on, looks like the rest of the crew is making its way back.”

“Our best bet is to find a terminal to point us in the right direction.”

Ki the younger of the two Brothers suggested as Locke took a good look at the topside of the ship’s deck. After some searching Locke found what he was looking for.

“Ki, finding a directory may not be necessary.”

pointing in front of the two, Locke revealed that the ship had color coded lines painted on the deck. Each line corresponds to a different section of the giant capital ship. All the two had to do was follow the line that led them to the cargo bay. They didn’t remain stagnant and kept pushing their pallet jacks forward. The brims of their hats low to cover their eyes, all the while scanning the area for signage that matched to the color codes painted on the ship’s deck.

“There on the wall to the right.”

Locke shifted his line of sight slightly to see what Ki was talking about using very little head movement in the process.

“So, we just follow the yellow line to the cargo hold. Be sure to keep an eye out for a good place to hold up for the duration of our trip.”

The two brothers pushed forward, oblivious to the chaos that awaited them in time. But they were not the only ones in for a surprise. As the soldiers and ship operators started filing back on the boat one after another.

Locke was quick to make a mental note that the number of men and women returning to the ship. Noticing it was much less then what had originally disembarked. Stopping in front of a freight elevator, Ki pushed the button labeled with a downward arrow. The sound of the elevator powering up and racing toward the deck hummed in the background.

“You really think Keyon is going to go through with it.”

Ki wondered aloud to his brother, still looking forward at the blinking light on the frame of the elevator door.

“Who knows, I wouldn’t put it past the realm of possibility. You and I both know he has been harboring that trauma for as long as we have known him.”

Locke also kept his attention on the blinking lights of the elevator.

“What I do know is that he is our brother, and it is important that we’re there to support him in his defining moment, regardless of the outcome or it’s nature.”

“I’m just upset that he didn’t tell us nothing about this, we could have helped out you know?”

Ki added to the conversation, the elevator’s bell chimed, marking its arrival as the doors slid open in front of the two.

“Probably didn’t want us getting involved with stealing the sacred ink.”

“Then why take Shima along? Did he even consider the repercussions of her involvement with the ink going missing?”

Ki questioned as he pushed his pallet jack into the elevator and positioned it in such a way to give space for Locke to do the same.

“He needed to take Shima with him, unlike you or me her sensory abilities our unparalleled and is what allowed him to move around so freely for so long with the village on his ass. If it wasn’t for Shima leaving us a trail, as small as it was, we would be running around like a chicken with its head cut off like Salamance and his lackies.”

“I don’t know who that guy has a hard on for more, Keyon or Shima.”

Ki added as the elevator doors closed, and Locke pressed the button marked with yellow in the hopes it took the two to the section of the ship they needed to take the cargo they were hauling around to.

“Oh, it’s definitely Keyon, he is just jealous of Shima for sure.”

“You are not too bad at sensory yourself bro, you sure you can’t give that girl a run for her money.”

The brothers took the elevator ride to just be themselves and make lighthearted humor that had the two laughing. But once the elevator stopped and the doors opened for the two brothers, their demeanor of focus returned and the two pushed onward toward the cargo hold.