Chapter Five –

Recovery

Seph slammed back into a conscious state and saw a girl, maybe fourteen years old, standing by a small table. She was eating a bagel smeared with cream cheese. Once he saw the food, Seph realized that he was dying of hunger.

"Hey, can I get some of that?" Seph croaked. He realized how stupid he must sound and flushed.

"Why are you awake?" the girl snapped, obviously surprised and not looking at all happy that he was awake. Seph looked at her, one eyebrow raised. Like he would know why he was awake? He didn't even know if he would wake up, let alone when he would wake up. The girl picked up some food and brought it over to Seph.

"You're probably hungry," the girl remarked. Hungry? That's an understatement. "So here's some food, but make sure that you don't eat to fast. Your stomach isn't ready to have too much food yet." Well too bad stomach, food's coming whether you are ready for it or not. Seph grabbed the food that was offered and started to eat greedily. His mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Seph paused in his eating and managed to mumble around a mouthful of bagel and salmon flavored cream cheese "Can I get a drink?"

She stalked away without answering and went to the desk. The girl grabbed her cell phone and made a call. Almost immediately, a big, blond dude walked in. Seph jerked in surprise and almost dropped his food. Oh my god! Seph thought. That man has eyes everywhere! And it was true. The man did have eyes all over his hands and face. He nodded at Seph once he had greeted to girl, addressing her as Kathryn. Seph, to his extreme embarrassment cowered away from him.

"His name is Argus" the girl muttered to Seph, elbowing him hard in the side. Not the girl, Seph berated himself, Kathryn. Her name is Kathryn.

"Hello Seph," was all Argus said. Then he turned to Seph's companion. "You are expected in the War Room for a meeting. The Master's order is that you bring the boy." Was it just Seph's imagination or was there another meaning behind those innocent words? Seph dismissed the idea. What danger could there possibly be here?

"Coming?" Seph looked up and saw Kathryn waiting for him, already halfway out the door. He hurried after her. Once in the hall, he saw that Argus had gone ahead. He and Kathryn rushed to catch up. He looked around eagerly, as this was his first time out of the room, and saw one of the big stained glass windows that lined the hall. Seph walked over to an open window.
"I wouldn't –" But that was as far as Argus got before Seph stuck his head out. Argus, moving incredibly fast, grabbed the back of Seph's shirt and hauled him back into the hall. Less then half a second later, a burst of noxious smoke and blue-white fire shot past the window.

"Ewww! Wha was sat?" Seph asked, hand clamped firmly over his nose and mouth.

"It's called Azhi Drakahi." Kathryn said, perfectly calm, like this sort of thing happened every day. "The fumes are the most lethal nerve poison known and the fire is at about 1,500 degrees. If Argus hadn't pulled you back, you would have died."

Great. Just what he needed. A thousand year old monster who, if the myths were to be believed, should have never reached 5 decades.