Two hundred years ago, Katra left the sand dunes of Mza. Not only was happiness
in short supply among her people, but so was water and food—at least for the
poor. Earth had its issues, but in the time she had lived there, she saw the
humans grow. They had potential, and the young man walking in front of her was
proof of that. He was gifted. She knew that even before she realized that he
was some type of war hero. Even the people of Mza paid there respect as he
walked by. She didn’t understand why they called him Savant, but he was
definitely special.
Nathaniel greeted the grey-skinned Datrevian with a fist bump and
directed him to her. Immediately he frowned and turned to Nathaniel. “Did you
read her mind?”
“No. Zorn, you know I don’t have that type of control.”
“You are a telepath?” Katra asked.
“No,” Nathaniel said. “I have this…being in my head.”
“In your head?”
“Yeah, we don’t always get along,” Nathaniel said, “but it can’t be
helped.”
“You have…something in your head?”
“Yes,” Nathaniel said as he rubbed his hand through his hair.
“Does it hurt?”
“No—he can be very annoying but he can’t harm anyone unless I tell him
too.”
“Wow.” It was the only thing Katra could think to say. He hadn’t said
much, but deep down she knew that this child carried a great weight on his
shoulders.
“Wow,” Zorn said, “is an understatement. We do not have time to discuss
our history.”
“Yes,” Nathaniel said. “We are more concerned about your history. What haven’t you told me?”
“I have told you. My planet oppresses the poor and the weak. I just didn’t
go into details.”
“She saw him petrify one of his wives,” Zorn said.
Katra grimaced. She thought that she had buried the memory beyond any
telepath’s power. Apparently, Zorn was not to be underestimated.
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. “Turned her into stone?”
Katra looked around frantically. “Hush child, you will get us all killed.
Including what family, I have left on this planet.”
“We stopped being children a long time ago,” Nathaniel said. “I found it
hard to believe that someone with such a sense of duty would run from one, even
if it is unfair. So you were afraid that he would turn you into stone too.”
“He has an entire gallery of…art. No one living speaks of it.”
“No one living,” Nathaniel said. His jaw tightened. His eyes said fury,
but he held it back. He turned to Zorn. “Stay on high alert, you get any stray
thoughts of danger and I will level up.”
“Understood.”
“Tell me everything,” Nathaniel said to Katra.
A transport bus rolled into the station. “I will tell you when we find a
private cab.”
They stepped onto the bus and found a cab that seated five. The three of
them sat, down. She waited as Zorn leaned over and closed the door. Relieved,
she cupped her hands, looked back and forth between them and told the truth. “He
has multiple wives and each year he turns one of them to stone. I—I think once
they age beyond his approval he turns them into a statue. His hundreds of other
wives obey him like robots. I witnessed this. And it is one thing to go into
something blindly. But to see a horrible end to your life coming…I couldn’t do
it. I ran.”
“So, why haven’t your people done anything about it?”
“Because it is a secret of the royal family. I would have never known; had
I not been chosen for my looks.”
“How?” Nathaniel said.
“What? Are you suggesting that I am not beautiful?”
“No, but you are one out of a billion people, how did he choose you out
of the crowd.”
“They have what Earthians would call a beauty pageant,” Zorn said. “You
need to catch up on your cultural studies.”
Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “As if I have the time—anyway, what about the
wives? If you petitioned the United Planets, the president will definitely
listen. Maybe we can undo the petrification.”
“Do you have that kind of technology? Can you undo stoning?”
“Yes.”
Katra hugged herself. “But I would die in the process. I am pretty sure
that we will all die today.”
“Our team is a well-known team in the Union Forces,” Zorn said. “It would
be in the king’s best interest to stay on our good side.” Zorn’s eyes narrowed.
Katra closed her eyes and shook her head. They were prepared to fight.
But no matter what they said, to her they were only children. She leaned back
and stared at the ceiling.
“I am sending a message to the others,” Nathaniel said. “Don’t worry
Katra. We are very good at what we do.”
At the king’s hall, Zorn and Nathaniel walked slightly ahead of her. Zorn
turned to Nathaniel and stared at him. The two looked at each other as if
talking but neither of their lips were moving. “That’s rude, you know. Having a
telepathic conversation when I am two inches behind you.”
They ignored her.
Nathaniel moved his hands quickly and mumbled something. His hair color
changed to a silvery white. What technology was that? If they survived this,
she would use whatever chemical coloring he used and she would switch from jet
black to ginger at a moment’s notice.
The three of them knelt and waited for the king who was carried in a
chair by his many wives. She gritted her teeth as the girls let him down. “I
see,” he said in a voice that slithered like a snake. “You have brought my pet
back.”
The next chapter will post next week.
For email updates, please click HERE and feel free to leave a message.
Also, feel free to comment below and follow me on Google and Twitter @ Frank_D_Rogers 
No comments:
Post a Comment