The Animorphs Alternate-Universe Series

The Faith

Chapter 4 - Kidnapped! But by What Side…?

(Sarah)

"Are you absolutely sure…?"

"Look, I know what I heard. Besides, check out her…"

"… damn."

"Damn right, damn. She's a Weapon. Anya has the bruises to prove it."

"… She bruised Anya? Anya who-hasn't-taken-a-hit-from-anyone-since-her-tenth-birthday Anya? That Anya?"

"Do we have another Anya is this motley crew? I think not, genius."

My head felt distant, separate. My throat was dry and raw, my brain useless mush. I remembered arguing with Marco… leaving him… ambushed from behind the instant the school doors thudded shut. I had gotten off a hit on someone but it was not enough. He, or she, had gotten the upper hand and pinned me to the ground. Before I could get away, I had a felt a shift and then… nothing.

Sleep Cast… A Sleep Cast. Wonderful. Just wonderful. Casters. I was beginning to really hate Casters…

"Heya, she's coming around… I think…" The fog was dispersing from my brain and fuzzy, distant voices became closer.

"Oh yeah, she's coming around. Nice Cast - can't even keep a girl down for more then an hour. Way t' go, Bubbles."

Whap! "Don't call me "Bubbles"!" My eyes opened reluctantly - a white tiled ceiling with brown inlay… the shadow of someone, someone who was standing in front a light source. A lamp, since the shadow never flickered. Vaguely, I felt the air around me recovering from a change in the orientation of the seharai nendeai. I shifted my head slightly and took in more of the room - four walls, no windows, two doors, one of which was latched, the other was which was blocked by the largest dog I had ever seen. Teslahani use herd dogs that usually stand to the knee on all fours - this beast was about hip level with the boy who was standing next to it, rubbing his cheek with a smirk. Between him and me was another boy, his back turned away from me. Neither of them looked any different from any one I had seen in this world. Certainly, they weren't dressed in proper Caster attire or even that of the Caster Trainees. But… they were Casters. It was easy to see in the way they held themselves - they knew what they could do and they did not care who else knew it too.

"Oh! Good afternoon, lina kithiaei. Sleep well?" The one behind the monster dog cocked his head to the side and regarded me with strangely deep green eyes. I tried to focus on him, but my vision was still blurred and my mind was still fuzzy - it took a moment for me to register the fact he had called me 'little sunshine' in my own language.

"Na… nades Teslahanen…?" I managed to get out. My tongue felt useless and heavy in my mouth and my voice sounded strange because of it. "Ia… iades Teslahnae… Tylyr matalan Sarah…" If I had been in my right mind, I would have refrained from telling so much to someone so strange to me… but there was something about the Cast he had put on me that made my tongue speak before my brain could tell it to shut up.

Both of them were silent a moment and, in that moment, the monster dog trotted over to me and began to sniff my face. The thing was big enough to bite off my head, should it choose to do so, and when it opened its mouth, I was absolutely certain that was its plan - instead, the thing licked me, a great big slobbery lick. Nothing will wake you up like the smell of dog breath. Yech.

"Kithe!" I scrambled onto the back of the couch I had been laying on and crouched there, ready to attack the first thing that came my way. I was still slightly disoriented and more then slightly nervous - Casters. Casters and I was not home… that would mean they were possibly bad Yeerks and therefore, I was in a deeper hole then ever.

"Na hida, Tylyr matalan Sarah," said the boy gently.

"Hida?" I repeated. "Why in the Five Hells would I want to calm down? You kidnapped me, thank you very much."

"Oh, so you do speak English." The boy left the door and approached me carefully. "I won't hurt you - I don't think I could. You're a Weapon, aren't you?" I watched him as closely as he was watching me and gave a slow nod. "From where?"

"… mei?"

"From which group," explained the other boy, as if that helped me. "Texas, Los Angeles, New York?" I fought down a blank, confused look - what were all these places? Where they had more Casters? New York was the only one that sounded familiar, but that was because it had been Alay's home… nowhere in my world did we have "Texas" or "Los Angeles".

"New York," I answered calmly.

"And your Caster?" Another moment of blankness before I caught on - they had they same Caster/Weapon system as we did. A Weapon guarded a Caster, therefore, since I was a Weapon, I needed to have a Caster.

"Hey, I'll bet it was that boy, the one she was arguing with," said the other one. "That's why you're here, then, to protect him, because I know he's from around here."

"Marco?" asked the first, confused. "But he isn't…" He looked at me and I merely glared back - I still wasn't sure I was safe with them. "Never mind." He knew… he knew Marco wasn't one of their own. But now he knew Marco could Cast… that put Marco in danger.

"Jaia, he is not my Caster," I answered flatly. "I do not have one, as of the moment. That is why I am here - because I was told to find one and this was the first place I thought of to look… In your group, I mean." If there is one thing Weapons are trained for, it is lying. I could lie through a Truth Cast, the need be.

"Garfield, come." The dog, which had been watching me as I crouched in fear of the thing on the back of the couch, moved and lumbered over to the boy to lay at his feet. "Good dog. Miss, please, come off the couch. You are among friends here - we will take you to see my father. He's the head of our group." I gave a wary nod and slowly climbed off the couch. I had to be on my guard - regardless of whether they were Casters, there was still a risk of them being Yeerks… I had to be cautious.

"This way. Garfield, heel." The dog rose from its feet and followed the first boy through the unlatched door and up a flight of stairs. The other boy and I stood there for a moment, both of us wanting to be at the end, to keep an eye on the other. Finally, I gave in and went next, with him following me.

Very cautious indeed.