Chapter 10: The Question
When they arrived, eyes and whispers were upon Drea and Michel, who were barley awake, being dragged by the Hellhunters. They were to be locked in their rooms until they were revived and ready for trial.
Once again Michel opened his eyes to a new face and a different environment. He was back in his room, but Juliana wasn't there; it was Emma.
"Mikey?" she said in her small voice.
"Emma?" he saw her little eyes fill with tears. "What's wrong?"
She walked the few steps to his bed and wrapped her tiny hand around his. She tugged lightly. Michel got up and followed the girl to where she was taking him.
She led him to the door. Slowly, she stepped through it, as if she were a ghost. Michel didn't run into the door either, but went through it. What was going on?
They walked down the stairs, through the lounging room, without anyone casting a glance their way. Michel looked around, wondering what was going on. He was confused, but as soon as he put attention back to Emma, he found he was in the hospital room, starring down at someone attached to Emma's neck.
He opened his eyes. He had no doubt it wasn't a dream. Violently he slammed the doors open, knocking the guard to the floor. As he ran down the stairs, he collected a trail of guards. Perfect.
When he stormed into the hospital room, Ruchian wasn't there. Emma was asleep, unharmed.
"What's going on?" said Jebter as he came in to see why ten guards were now in the hospital room.
"Jebter, I was asleep, and them I had a dream-or it wasn't really a dream, but Emma was in my room, and she brought me down here and Ruchian was draining her, and then I opened my eyes, and I was in my room again. It was real. I know it happened," Michel said everything rushed together as he tried to catch his breath.
Jebter pondered on the thought for a moment, then walked over to Emma. He pulled back the blanket that was up to her neck. "These marks are from at least two days ago," he sighed. "Get some rest kid; you need it." Then to his guards: "Take him to his room. Put an extra guy on guard."
Drea opened her eyes. She was strapped to her bed. Nothing extreme, just enough to keep her tied down until she woke up. Looking around, she undid the restraints. She didn't see anyone, so she tried to open the doors; locked, with four guards on the other side.
"Open up!" She shouted in vain.
"Then you're ready for trail?"
"Not really," Drea told Jebter. She didn't have to turn around to know it was him. He tried to hide the concern in his voice, but it was there, and Drea appreciated it. "Where's Michel?"
"In his room. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," said Jebter. "He said he had this 'dream' about Emma. It seemed to drive him to knock out his guard and claim Ruchian had attacked her."
"Do you doubt his word?" Drea was testing his loyalty.
"No, I don't. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here. I have a feeling that this is real, and this is more than it appears; but how can I believe in something if I haven't identified it yet?"
Drea crossed her arms in a defiant statement. "I can find out what it is, if I can see him."
"Look Drea, you know I don't like Ruchian, but to directly defy him could cause too much trouble."
Her face lightened briefly. "Help me, Jebter. I'm not insane; I just need to find the answer-"Drea began.
"How can you find the answer if you don't even know the question?"
Drea stopped arguing and thought. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. Finally...she said one word: "Michel."
"That's not a question."
"Yes it is. There's something about him. He's...different; even for an immortal. If we can find out why, maybe we'll have our question."
"What does that have to do with Ruchian?"
"Emma," said Drea. "She ties Michel and Ruchian together. We have to find out what that connection is; and is it important? Can Michel stop Ruchian-"
"Stop Ruchian from what? Besides being a decrepit ruler, he hasn't done anything wrong!" exclaimed Jebter.
"We don't know that. There's something going on; it's there for us to discover. Michel can help us find it."
"Then what of Emma?" asked Jebter.
"She needs to be protected; and she needs to carry out her idea."
"What idea?"
"She's trying to connect Michel to Ruchian. Why? Let's hope we can find that out."
When they arrived, eyes and whispers were upon Drea and Michel, who were barley awake, being dragged by the Hellhunters. They were to be locked in their rooms until they were revived and ready for trial.
Once again Michel opened his eyes to a new face and a different environment. He was back in his room, but Juliana wasn't there; it was Emma.
"Mikey?" she said in her small voice.
"Emma?" he saw her little eyes fill with tears. "What's wrong?"
She walked the few steps to his bed and wrapped her tiny hand around his. She tugged lightly. Michel got up and followed the girl to where she was taking him.
She led him to the door. Slowly, she stepped through it, as if she were a ghost. Michel didn't run into the door either, but went through it. What was going on?
They walked down the stairs, through the lounging room, without anyone casting a glance their way. Michel looked around, wondering what was going on. He was confused, but as soon as he put attention back to Emma, he found he was in the hospital room, starring down at someone attached to Emma's neck.
He opened his eyes. He had no doubt it wasn't a dream. Violently he slammed the doors open, knocking the guard to the floor. As he ran down the stairs, he collected a trail of guards. Perfect.
When he stormed into the hospital room, Ruchian wasn't there. Emma was asleep, unharmed.
"What's going on?" said Jebter as he came in to see why ten guards were now in the hospital room.
"Jebter, I was asleep, and them I had a dream-or it wasn't really a dream, but Emma was in my room, and she brought me down here and Ruchian was draining her, and then I opened my eyes, and I was in my room again. It was real. I know it happened," Michel said everything rushed together as he tried to catch his breath.
Jebter pondered on the thought for a moment, then walked over to Emma. He pulled back the blanket that was up to her neck. "These marks are from at least two days ago," he sighed. "Get some rest kid; you need it." Then to his guards: "Take him to his room. Put an extra guy on guard."
Drea opened her eyes. She was strapped to her bed. Nothing extreme, just enough to keep her tied down until she woke up. Looking around, she undid the restraints. She didn't see anyone, so she tried to open the doors; locked, with four guards on the other side.
"Open up!" She shouted in vain.
"Then you're ready for trail?"
"Not really," Drea told Jebter. She didn't have to turn around to know it was him. He tried to hide the concern in his voice, but it was there, and Drea appreciated it. "Where's Michel?"
"In his room. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," said Jebter. "He said he had this 'dream' about Emma. It seemed to drive him to knock out his guard and claim Ruchian had attacked her."
"Do you doubt his word?" Drea was testing his loyalty.
"No, I don't. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here. I have a feeling that this is real, and this is more than it appears; but how can I believe in something if I haven't identified it yet?"
Drea crossed her arms in a defiant statement. "I can find out what it is, if I can see him."
"Look Drea, you know I don't like Ruchian, but to directly defy him could cause too much trouble."
Her face lightened briefly. "Help me, Jebter. I'm not insane; I just need to find the answer-"Drea began.
"How can you find the answer if you don't even know the question?"
Drea stopped arguing and thought. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. Finally...she said one word: "Michel."
"That's not a question."
"Yes it is. There's something about him. He's...different; even for an immortal. If we can find out why, maybe we'll have our question."
"What does that have to do with Ruchian?"
"Emma," said Drea. "She ties Michel and Ruchian together. We have to find out what that connection is; and is it important? Can Michel stop Ruchian-"
"Stop Ruchian from what? Besides being a decrepit ruler, he hasn't done anything wrong!" exclaimed Jebter.
"We don't know that. There's something going on; it's there for us to discover. Michel can help us find it."
"Then what of Emma?" asked Jebter.
"She needs to be protected; and she needs to carry out her idea."
"What idea?"
"She's trying to connect Michel to Ruchian. Why? Let's hope we can find that out."