Scarlet Crown

Cal

My head thrums, my heart pounds and I feel a cold sensation creeping from my arms up to my heart. I open my eyes and a kind grey pair look back. The deep crows feet beside them crumple at the corners, almost betraying a smile. Sara takes her hands from my shoulders and I'd swear gently ruffle my hair, before silently walking out of the room. A soft click and the door closes behind her. Where am I?

I'm Sat up in a bed. Not my own bunk. Not with Mare. Oh Mare, where are you now? It's a empty shell of a room, white walls. I'm in Bunker 1. I start to sit up but my body still aches, I groan and pull my legs to the ground.

A loud clang and the door slams open again, Colonel Farley storms in and behind him Julian.

"How long have I been out?" I start jumping to my feet, but my legs begin to crumple beneath me. "What's happening here?" Trying to gently sit back down. "Where is everyone?"

"I'll tell you our side when you let us know what happened out there." The Colonel whips. "The Newbloods are still no use right now, spluttering and stumbling over the details or crying and whimpering in a corner." He clenches his fists and stares over at Julian.

Julian wordlessly walks over and pauses before he puts a hand to my shoulder. With a gentle squeeze, he smiles down at me, like Sara just did. "You're trained for this Cal, keep your head even and we can plan how to counter faster. Just keep calm." How is he so serene right now?
He kneels down to my level and looks at me just like he used to when I was a kid, like I try to do with the all the little ones here. "In through the nose", he says. "You look at me and you tell me everything that happened."

Deep breath. "When we fell I was passed out, I was in and out of consciousness. I remember instinctively trying to melt the bars around my wrists - but, then - then Kilorn was trapped next to me and started shouting for me and that's when I realized he had her."

"Cut it and get to the facts boy." Glancing back to the Colonel he glowers at me, he stands leaning against the wall and drums his fingers against his arm.

"Sit down and let him finish." Julian snaps. It doesn't have the lilting sound of a song, but the words crackle in the air and the Colonel immediately sits. Julian it seems is only wearing a composed mask, underneath he's on fire. Just like my flames that flicker, or her lightning that sparks, when a singer is agitated the controlling just slips in. I've never seen him do this before. Then again he's never spent months in a smothering prison before.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that." His voice softens and the Colonels body loosens, he shakes his golden head a little and nods. Julian continues "Tactical debriefing or not this boy is the only family I have, I will not let you threaten him." Julian turns to me and pulls from a pocket a piece of fabric, it's black silk, ripped down the middle and frayed at the edges.
"What happened next?" It's covered in red flowers and golden ones stained red. Splashed with blood. Her blood. I take it from him and clutch it like a lifeline.

"It all happened very quickly, he… my brother ushered a Strongarm over who held Mare by the throat long enough to pass out. The two of them then flew off on a snapdragon with two other soldiers in tow. Eyes probably, guarding the precious cargo." I rub my forehead for a moment and try to think of the details. The crucial details.
"They were heading south, probably straight for Archeon. Back on the ground he came over to me and said something in my ear before getting back into the royal airjet." I feel myself flinch, I don't want to tell them what he said to me and they don't press it. I can't face saying the words right now, to these two.

"Then the magnetrons, there were a line of magnetrons you see, it was them who had pulled the jet down. They threw us. The whole jet into the air, as far as they could." I pause and wrap the scrap of fabric around my bicep, it'd burn to cinders on my wrist in a day, but it's safe as an armband.
"Hurtling towards the ground, we thought we were done for, until it all slowed. Gareth saved us and slowed the whole wreckage down just enough the impact almost felt light." He was barely conscious with blood streaming out of his nose when I let him out of the restraints, but I'm not telling them that either.

"When we all crawled out we'd luckily ended up near an old unused undertrain entrance damn near the Iron Road. It was all blocked and bowed in places so I melted the debris and the broken walls while Ketha blew apart anything that wouldn't burn."
Colonel Farley almost gives me a satisfied nod at that.
"We all took turns pushing an old train car through slowly. Those too injured to walk were inside and the rest of us pushing on. It's honestly all a blur, but by my count it was three days until we reached the working tunnel entrance. I sat myself down when we started to move on the tracks and must have fell asleep."

I had been exhausted, I remember every muscle burning and my eyes straining in the dark. But my mind wouldn't quiet even though no one said a word. Shell shocked. Now I realize it it's clear, we couldn't speak because there were no words to say. "When was that? That's all I remember before waking up here. Why am I here?"

"By the stars, when there was no signal for days we thought we'd never see you again but you made it back. You brought everyone back." Julian claps a hand to my arm and looks at me with such pride, I'm not worthy of it.

"Kilorn brought everyone back, I just cleared the way." I feel like something is missing from me, my mind can't take charge of myself right now, so I know I certainly didn't do it then.

"Foolish boy. It was you pushed yourself so hard you've been out for a solid night and day." I've only just relented and let them bring in Sara to heal something of your body and force you from the sleep."

"We've heard all of this from the others" Colonel Farley sighs. "Those who could talk that is."

"What's more important is what did Maven say to you? Things only you know. What is he doing with Barrow? What did he threaten next for the Gua-"

His words are interrupted by Harrick running in, the wiry young frame twitches and he slides in front of the Colonel. "There was a broadcast! Only flashes intercepted over the wire but I saw images. They told me to bring them to you right away and led me here." Behind him waiting by the door, flank two men I don't recognize, I can't see their faces but they're in identical faded green uniforms. Never matter, I'm sure I'll find myself meeting them later.

Harrick has a harrowed look on his face as he rubs his hands together. An image springs fourth between them flickering like a low flame, a single frame from a news broadcast.
It makes my stomach drop. I'm feel like I'm going to be sick. Rage. Fear. Everything you could begin to feel bubbles inside me.

My brother, Maven, I can't bare to say his name aloud since I saw him on that grass holding her throat but my mind can't help from weaving it around and around in my head.
He sits on a throne on a grand marble plinth, but it's not him I'm looking at. Mare is before him kneeling. Kneeling. Head bowed to his feet her neck dripping blood and her clothes stained with old blood. Bright light speckles over them, flashes of cameras caught in this one still. One image and I feel like my heart has been ripped from my chest. He would have known this would strike us deep. That. Bastard.

"If they haven't already, no Barrow sees this, understand?" I growl. I'm standing now, looming over Harrick and staring to the Colonel. "No Barrows, no children and not Kilorn. I'll speak to him." They simply nod. I look down, two dark balls of fire are swirling in my hands, growing in ferocity and creeping their way up my wrists, I can't control it right now and I don't care.

"I need to find the rest of the mission volunteers, and I need to talk to them now."