A/n- I apologize for the long wait. Enjoy the latest update and review
afterwards! And, if you feel so inclined, go read my fic at FictionPress
(sorry, couldn't resist the desire to try and sell my other work). It's a
fantasy called Clouds of War- The Azure Pool. Only positive feedback about
it, so it can't be totally awful.
ANYWAY, about *this* story- here it is! Enjoy! Review!
Chapter Twenty- Destinations: Surlow and Malaar Isaiah 30:21- "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"
The next twenty-four hours passed with more flurried activity and decisions than Tielle had ever been a part of before, and there was no time for her nap. There was no time for anything.
It was agreed that Tielle's proposed idea of what should happen was right; Chayden had to be contacted on Diresh and told to go to Surlow (although King Hael and Kall were very reluctant to agree to this) while Tielle ventured to Maalar to obtain the Sofran. Kall had volunteered to accompany her, but Tielle still wasn't sure she welcomed the help. Kall may only slow her down.
Hael suggested contacting both Hidon and Ziex; Hidon, to inform Faihn that the epidemic was Em may and tell him to cut off the water supply, and Ziex, to quietly get Queen Tenia to put Klane under house arrest.
Of course, Tielle had to do all this, and so she had spent the night recording and transmitting messages to the different planets while trying to prepare and coordinate her trip to Malaar.
She had told Chayden to come to Shansire after finding Jenai on Surlow; the plan was to rendezvous with the two after she and Kall returned from Malaar and try and figure out the best way to quickly treat Hidon.
Tielle debated whether or not to contact Malaar and inform them of her coming, but had decided against it in the interest of security. Klane would be watching Malaar carefully.
**
That morning, Tesian had gone into Paeona to attempt to try and find out if there were any more people looking for Chayden and Tielle or if it might be safe for him to leave. Leave to where was his question. He had nowhere to go.
He doubted that Tesian would come back telling him it was safe to leave. But maybe she would; maybe his father was too busy with the illness on Hidon to worry about him anymore.
He wondered whether Tielle had made any progress on Hidon, if she was still there. He was sure he would have heard if she'd been discovered, but he still worried. She was impulsive and emotional. If she became worked up, she was liable to do something thoughtless and reveal herself.
Tesian returned at lunch, very surprising to both Chayden and Rashea. "She's never back from the city this early," Rashea said, her brow furrowed as they listened to the sound of the hover-car growing nearer.
She didn't say what that meant, but she didn't need to. Obviously, Tesian had quickly found that there were still people looking for Chayden. Chayden sighed. Being a fugitive was tiring.
Tesian burst into the small house. "Chayden!" she gasped, her face flushed and eyes wide. Excitement radiated off her like a beacon. "You won't believe it!"
"What?" he asked, alarmed. "Are they coming back? Do I need to-"
"No!" Tesian exclaimed, uncharacteristically cutting him off. "It's Tielle."
The world around Chayden shifted, and a gaping hole seemed to form in his stomach and travel right up to his heart. He became cold, so cold. *Tielle..*
"She left you a message!" Tesian shoved a small datachip at him.
"A- message?" Chayden choked on the words. "She's not d-"
"No!" Tesian exclaimed. "At least she wasn't three hours ago. That's when the message was transmitted. I pulled it off the computer and transferred it to the 'chip."
Chayden looked at the small thing as though it held all the riches of the galaxy.
"Well," Tesian prompted, "activate it."
Chayden pressed a small button on the bottom of the 'chip and set it down on the kitchen table.
A miniature holographic image of Tielle appeared, and although the image was small, Chayden could tell she was tired and very tense. "Hello Chayden," she quietly said, strain evident in her voice. "I am currently on Shansire, having left Hidon after discovering that the disease on Hidon is a tropical disease called Em may, unleashed in the water supply by my dear uncle Klane." Bitterness exuded from her tone, but with effort she reigned it in. "Anyway, I will be going to Malaar to obtain the cure, but we need someone who knows how to administer it.
"That is where I need your help. Jenai used to be a doctor on Faant, where Em may is common. She will know how to treat the disease and must be brought to Shansire as soon as possible. This responsibility falls to you, being the only person besides myself who knows how to reach her." She paused. "I realize that you have no obligation whatsoever to do this, but please, Chayden. I know you have already done so much for me and I will never be able to pay off my debt, but I have no where else to turn."
She paused again. "May God be with you and- I'm looking forward to seeing you on Shansire."
The hologram winked out and Chayden sadly thought, *Did you think I'd need convincing to help you?*
Tesian and Rashea were watching him, and he snapped to attention. "Well, I guess I have to go to Surlow," he cheerfully said, taking the datachip off the table.
"Surlow?" Tesian exclaimed. "That's where this Jenai is?"
He nodded. "I know it's not the best place to go, but I'm not going for a vacation. I'll be fine." He checked a chronometer. "I'll leave tomorrow morning."
Tesian shook her head. "I don't think that's very wise. I didn't bother to check if there were any suspicious people lingering around in Paeona. They could still be out there, Chayden."
He shrugged. "I'll take my chances. I can't very well tell Tielle that the risk was too high; look at the risks she's taken."
** Klane was all too aware that the first thing his niece would have done after discovering that the disease on Hidon was Em may, she would go somewhere for help, "somewhere" being Shansire. After all, she *was* engaged to a prince there.
And she may have contacted Queen Tenia, making it dangerous for him to stay on Ziex any longer. So he packed up and left one night, slipping out quietly and leaving a message for the queen thanking her for her hospitality and apologizing for his hasty departure; something had come up.
So on Diresh, as ex-prince and fugitive Chayden P'ashara prepared to go to Surlow, notorious for its crime and slavery, and as on Shansire, hunted princess and last of her bloodline Tielle Satine left for Malaar, Grand Duke Klane Satine, treacherous murderer of billions, left Ziex under the cover of night, before Queen Tenia received Tielle's message.
His destination: Malaar.
ANYWAY, about *this* story- here it is! Enjoy! Review!
Chapter Twenty- Destinations: Surlow and Malaar Isaiah 30:21- "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"
The next twenty-four hours passed with more flurried activity and decisions than Tielle had ever been a part of before, and there was no time for her nap. There was no time for anything.
It was agreed that Tielle's proposed idea of what should happen was right; Chayden had to be contacted on Diresh and told to go to Surlow (although King Hael and Kall were very reluctant to agree to this) while Tielle ventured to Maalar to obtain the Sofran. Kall had volunteered to accompany her, but Tielle still wasn't sure she welcomed the help. Kall may only slow her down.
Hael suggested contacting both Hidon and Ziex; Hidon, to inform Faihn that the epidemic was Em may and tell him to cut off the water supply, and Ziex, to quietly get Queen Tenia to put Klane under house arrest.
Of course, Tielle had to do all this, and so she had spent the night recording and transmitting messages to the different planets while trying to prepare and coordinate her trip to Malaar.
She had told Chayden to come to Shansire after finding Jenai on Surlow; the plan was to rendezvous with the two after she and Kall returned from Malaar and try and figure out the best way to quickly treat Hidon.
Tielle debated whether or not to contact Malaar and inform them of her coming, but had decided against it in the interest of security. Klane would be watching Malaar carefully.
**
That morning, Tesian had gone into Paeona to attempt to try and find out if there were any more people looking for Chayden and Tielle or if it might be safe for him to leave. Leave to where was his question. He had nowhere to go.
He doubted that Tesian would come back telling him it was safe to leave. But maybe she would; maybe his father was too busy with the illness on Hidon to worry about him anymore.
He wondered whether Tielle had made any progress on Hidon, if she was still there. He was sure he would have heard if she'd been discovered, but he still worried. She was impulsive and emotional. If she became worked up, she was liable to do something thoughtless and reveal herself.
Tesian returned at lunch, very surprising to both Chayden and Rashea. "She's never back from the city this early," Rashea said, her brow furrowed as they listened to the sound of the hover-car growing nearer.
She didn't say what that meant, but she didn't need to. Obviously, Tesian had quickly found that there were still people looking for Chayden. Chayden sighed. Being a fugitive was tiring.
Tesian burst into the small house. "Chayden!" she gasped, her face flushed and eyes wide. Excitement radiated off her like a beacon. "You won't believe it!"
"What?" he asked, alarmed. "Are they coming back? Do I need to-"
"No!" Tesian exclaimed, uncharacteristically cutting him off. "It's Tielle."
The world around Chayden shifted, and a gaping hole seemed to form in his stomach and travel right up to his heart. He became cold, so cold. *Tielle..*
"She left you a message!" Tesian shoved a small datachip at him.
"A- message?" Chayden choked on the words. "She's not d-"
"No!" Tesian exclaimed. "At least she wasn't three hours ago. That's when the message was transmitted. I pulled it off the computer and transferred it to the 'chip."
Chayden looked at the small thing as though it held all the riches of the galaxy.
"Well," Tesian prompted, "activate it."
Chayden pressed a small button on the bottom of the 'chip and set it down on the kitchen table.
A miniature holographic image of Tielle appeared, and although the image was small, Chayden could tell she was tired and very tense. "Hello Chayden," she quietly said, strain evident in her voice. "I am currently on Shansire, having left Hidon after discovering that the disease on Hidon is a tropical disease called Em may, unleashed in the water supply by my dear uncle Klane." Bitterness exuded from her tone, but with effort she reigned it in. "Anyway, I will be going to Malaar to obtain the cure, but we need someone who knows how to administer it.
"That is where I need your help. Jenai used to be a doctor on Faant, where Em may is common. She will know how to treat the disease and must be brought to Shansire as soon as possible. This responsibility falls to you, being the only person besides myself who knows how to reach her." She paused. "I realize that you have no obligation whatsoever to do this, but please, Chayden. I know you have already done so much for me and I will never be able to pay off my debt, but I have no where else to turn."
She paused again. "May God be with you and- I'm looking forward to seeing you on Shansire."
The hologram winked out and Chayden sadly thought, *Did you think I'd need convincing to help you?*
Tesian and Rashea were watching him, and he snapped to attention. "Well, I guess I have to go to Surlow," he cheerfully said, taking the datachip off the table.
"Surlow?" Tesian exclaimed. "That's where this Jenai is?"
He nodded. "I know it's not the best place to go, but I'm not going for a vacation. I'll be fine." He checked a chronometer. "I'll leave tomorrow morning."
Tesian shook her head. "I don't think that's very wise. I didn't bother to check if there were any suspicious people lingering around in Paeona. They could still be out there, Chayden."
He shrugged. "I'll take my chances. I can't very well tell Tielle that the risk was too high; look at the risks she's taken."
** Klane was all too aware that the first thing his niece would have done after discovering that the disease on Hidon was Em may, she would go somewhere for help, "somewhere" being Shansire. After all, she *was* engaged to a prince there.
And she may have contacted Queen Tenia, making it dangerous for him to stay on Ziex any longer. So he packed up and left one night, slipping out quietly and leaving a message for the queen thanking her for her hospitality and apologizing for his hasty departure; something had come up.
So on Diresh, as ex-prince and fugitive Chayden P'ashara prepared to go to Surlow, notorious for its crime and slavery, and as on Shansire, hunted princess and last of her bloodline Tielle Satine left for Malaar, Grand Duke Klane Satine, treacherous murderer of billions, left Ziex under the cover of night, before Queen Tenia received Tielle's message.
His destination: Malaar.
