AN: I always love to read all of your reviews, and I'm glad you all enjoyed the first part. I wanted to get this part up as soon as possible because I'm going back to school tomorrow, so I know that I'll probably get super busy. Oh well, enjoy part two and leave a review on what you think! I love seeing you guys theorize on Cassius and his motives. Enjoy!
Part Two
"Windy Days"
Ezra woke less than coherent.
It wasn't as bad as when he woke up in the cell; that was for sure. Didn't quite feel like he had been drugged with a sedative, but rather some kind of relaxer. He felt some kind of suppression on his skull, pushing down with might and he had no will to fight against it. This time, instead of feeling nausea when reaching out to his master, he only felt a brick wall in front the Force. The heart of it. He was cut off completely and it almost felt like someone had a tube down his throat, cutting him off from natural air.
He had grown so used to the presence of the Force and the feelings of others he was confused at first. Then anxious. It was like losing a limb. There were phantom pains there, but it was useless in the end to try and use it.
Ezra almost cried.
His eyes opened and he could smell the faint smell of smoke. A different kind of smoke, the kind he had smelled earlier in the market when Cassius had exited his tent. The boy saw the man sitting a few feet away, leaning against one of the posts keeping the tent upright. He was smoking another one of those things and it was burning Ezra's nose to no end, making it even harder to breathe past his slight panic.
Ezra's hand raised to his neck where the needle had gone in and the movement attracted the attention of the pirate. Looking over, he raised an eyebrow at Ezra as the teen assessed the damage. The spot was tender and a little inflamed, but other than that it didn't seem life threatening. Ezra swallowed past the lump in his throat, looking to meet eyes with the elder.
"What did you give me?" Ezra asked warily, not sure if he wanted to know what the answer to that question was.
Cassius breathed out a puff of smoke, shrugging his shoulders simply, "Suppressor. You religious ones aren't exactly hard to contain. It'll keep that bond of yours between you and your teacher in check and you won't be able to do any witchcraft against me."
Ezra gripped the blanket, his heart racing. So that's why he felt like this. Whatever the pirate had given him, it had cut him off from the Force…Meaning he was cut off from Kanan.
His family.
Ezra's head raised in curiosity though, the wonder outweighing the fear, "How do you know so much about us?"
Another puff of smoke and then silence and Ezra went on, "Are…Are you a Jedi?"
The man laughed and Ezra cringed. Cassius shook his head, smiling widely as he held his stomach, acting as if the statement had been the funniest thing he had ever heard. He responded lightheartedly, "Trust me, Little Boy, there's nothing Jedi about me. I just happen to know a thing or two about them from experience."
"So you knew one?" Ezra inquired, pushing himself up to sit fully. He swayed a bit and nearly fell over until Cassius shot out a hand and grabbed his elbow, holding him upright. Ezra blinked hard, continuing, "You knew a Jedi?"
Cassius shrugged, "You could say that. Or more so, one knew me."
That was a riddle-me-this, and Ezra despised those. However, he stopped questioning him when Cassius stood, pulling Ezra up also. The boy realized he had another costume change in his slumber for the second time, this time wearing a tan set of clothing, and a dark coat made for protection against the sun. Ezra swayed on his feet, Cassius keeping him steady until he gained his footing. Cassius grinned down at him and said, "You good?"
Ezra nodded and Cassius continued, "Good, because we can't afford to stay long. Some of my 'friends' told me they saw your crew snooping around not far from here, and we have things to do before you go back to them. So come along, my new little friend."
"Thank God," Ezra thought silently. "They're ok…And they're coming."
Cassius bent down, grabbing a dark scarf before wrapping it around the back of Ezra's neck and over his head, explaining, "Don't have time for you to get sun stroke, now do we?"
Ezra was led out, and as soon as they were in the sun, Ezra saw Melevance standing there with a bag over her shoulder. She looked at Ezra, smiling, "Good morning, pretty eyes. You sleep well?"
"Yeah, drug induced comas are always the best," Ezra snapped, enticing a chuckle from Cassius who patted his back fondly.
The woman turned her attention to Cassius and said, "He's waiting at the pub. I'm sure he's getting impatient though, the place is swarming with hutts and you know how he feels about them."
"Oh yes I do," Cassius grinned, grabbing Ezra by his arm and beginning to walk him down the center of the market place. Ezra glanced at his lightsaber, wanting so desperately to just reach out and take it, but he had a feeling that wouldn't fly well with Cassius and Melevance.
"Where are we going?" Ezra asked. Maybe if he got enough information, he could use it to his advantage. He was still a bit fuzzy as to why he was here in the first place.
Cassius glanced down at the boy, tipping his head slightly towards the sun as if taking it in. He hummed lowly, "There's a friend we need to meet. It's for Melevance here really, and I can't say he's much of a friend. But, he's a damn good smuggler, and he'll do well for her."
Ezra looked at Melevance who was smiling a bit to herself. A fond smile, so much different from her sadistic one. Something strange washed over Ezra and he felt his shoulders relax. It seemed whatever they were doing, it wasn't anything having to do with him at the moment. And as long as the attention wasn't set on him, he was good. Until it turned to him however, that was when he knew things were going to get bad.
Melevance seemed to be the focus here though and the trip appeared to be for her.
Cassius had a tight grip on the back of Ezra's collar and Ezra guessed it was to keep him from wandering or taking off into a sprint. Ezra wasn't sure if he could run right now though, he legs still feeling like jelly because of whatever suppressor they had given him.
"More like one knew me."
Ezra couldn't shake that feeling. How could someone know you…Really know you, but you wouldn't know who they were? It didn't make any sense to him, but he felt that prying wouldn't get him anywhere. Cassius appeared to be the kind of guy who had to tell his own stories, not be asked about them.
Typically with Kanan, all Ezra really had to do was ask to get a story.
Cassius used his free hand to pull his hood over his head and the elder man groaned, "The sun is really blaring today, huh?"
"You probably just smoked too much," Melevance grinned and Ezra couldn't help but feel like it was too casual for her to just be a slave to him. Slaves didn't speak that way to their owners; at least Ezra didn't think so.
But, then again, no one was really owned. It was just the way the systems out here functioned.
Cassius laughed, "Probably. The stuff here is strong…Stronger than I like, if you'll believe it."
He peered down at Ezra and asked, "You too hot, kid?"
Ezra blinked, the sun blinding him when Cassius moved his head. Ezra gritted his teeth in annoyance, looking down at the ground before mumbling, "No."
"Eh?" Cassius said, letting go of Ezra's collar before pinching his cheek hard enough to bruise. "Oi, kid. I hate people who mumble, speak up."
Ezra yanked his face away and stopped walking all together, rubbing it gingerly. Cassius and Melevance both stopped in their strides to turn and look at him and Ezra turned his foot slightly, wanting to just run. To run in the opposite direction and to not look back, but he'd die. He'd die out there.
Cassius gave him a warning look, "Now, listen. If there's one thing I don't like, it's a runner. So you're going to save us a lot of trouble, and not do such things, got it?"
Ezra turned his foot back and his shoulders slumped. Cassius raised his head in triumph and approached Ezra, snagging him by his collar again and returning to their steps. From what Ezra could see in the blurry, heat fazed distance, there was a few sets of buildings, all surrounded by speeders that were parked.
Pubs.
Melevance was off in a sprint in moments, running towards the buildings. Cassius called out impatiently, "Now, hang on! You can't go in there without me anyway!"
She huffed, stopping in her run and waited for the other two males to catch up. Before Ezra knew it, they were approaching the entrance where a man holding a cattle prod was standing. He looked disgusting, like he hadn't showered in months, and smelled just the same. Ezra's nose burned and before they could enter, the man held out his prod and asked, "Business?"
"Alright, pal, no need to stick that so close," Cassius said, swatting the weapon away. "I'm here for a business deal. I've got two slaves here, and one is being sold to a costumer inside."
"Brands," The man huffed in Basic English. "Need to see Brands."
Melevance didn't hesitate before pulling her clothing off of her shoulder and on her shoulder blade was what appeared to be a burn scar. Ezra's eyebrows furrowed at it…
It was a triangle with a circle around it.
A Branding…
Ezra's eyes widened with shock, realizing she had been stuck and burned with the symbol as a sign of slavery. The man nodded his head in approval, turning his attention to Ezra before saying, "His?"
"Uh, not yet," Cassius said, holding out his hand in front of Ezra as if to form a barrier. "Just got him…He hasn't been a slave long, I was planning to get it soon."
The man shoved the stick into the ground, "No Brand, no entry."
Melevance seemed to swallow thickly and looked at Ezra with wide eyes. Ezra was still a bit fuzzy on what was going on, but he understood enough to know that him not having a burn on his shoulder was a problem and they couldn't go in to meet Cassius' 'friend' until it was fixed.
"I can stay out here," Ezra chimed up.
Cassius glared down at him, "If you think I'm that stupid, we have a problem."
The man with the prod pointed towards a tent that was a few meters away before saying, "Branding that way."
Cassius was silent a long moment, head tilted slightly and his eyes closed as if in deep thought. Ezra stared up at him, wondering what he was contemplating. He was obviously trying to think of a way around this, and if Ezra didn't know better, he could see a hint of guilt and worry on the pirate's cheeks. His brows were pulled down, his hair pushed back out of his face. He suddenly looked much older than he probably was.
"Damn it," He hissed, his eyes snapping open.
Ezra squeaked when his upper arm was grabbed and Melevance was told to stay by the door. The boy moved hesitantly towards the tent, though Cassius' strength wasn't something for him to fight against weaponless and without the Force. The teen reached up, grabbing the man's wrist, though it did nothing to deter him from going towards the tent.
Cassius didn't wait to enter, and simply threw the mouth of the tent back. Ezra's blue eyes widened immediately, seeing a young woman kneeling with her shoulder exposed. A man stood nearby, his face stone cold as another man held the Branding Iron in the fire. Ezra stepped back a bit at the sight, knowing what would be coming for the kneeling woman.
"Cassius," Ezra whispered and the man's hand moved from Ezra's arm to his back, forcing him too close to the pirate. Ezra's hand wrapped around the man's coat, the fabric surprisingly soft and a bit comforting.
And suddenly the iron was digging into the woman's shoulder blade, pulling a scream from her…
Ezra looked away, shutting his eyes tightly. It was hard to watch a person be treated like an animal. And it was scary to think he was about to be in that position, because he understood exactly why Cassius had brought him in here and he knew that he was about to suffer the same fate as the woman.
She sobbed quietly, and Ezra opened his mouth to see the man who he assumed owned her, pressing a rag to her shoulder. She was forced to stand on shaky legs and led from the tent without another word. The man with the iron looked back at both Cassius and Ezra and asked, "Ready?"
Cassius nodded and Ezra felt two hands grab his shoulders tightly as he was led to kneel on the same pillow the other woman had been kneeling on. Ezra pushed back against the hands, shaking his head, "No, no, no, Cassius, please…If you just let me stay outside, I swear to you I won't run away. I won't run."
"I'm sorry," Was the man's only response and Ezra was pushed down on his knees, his back to the two men. Cassius tugged at Ezra's shirt, pulling it off him enough to expose his shoulder blade.
Ezra reached down and grabbed the fabric where Cassius' pants met his shin. Unlike the other man who stood across the room, Cassius moved to stand in front of him. Ezra held the fabric between his fingers and Ezra could feel his chest shaking slightly with panic.
Ezra looked up at Cassius who wasn't watching, but instead had his head tilted again and his eyes closed. Ezra spoke quietly to the older, "I need Kanan."
Cassius looked down, confused. He obviously didn't know who Kanan was, but when the confusion faded, it was obvious he had realized it in just a few moments. Without moving the rest of his body, Cassius held out a hand for Ezra to take. The teen hesitated before he reached up, grabbing it and gripping it firmly.
And then the fire began.
He felt it hit his shoulder and he realized it was much worse than any stun blast he had ever felt. He tried to hold his teeth together in order not to shout, but the scream erupted without his permission and he held Cassius' hand in such a firm hold he wondered if he was hurting the pirate for a moment. He saw white fire in his vision and his head fell forward, bumping into Cassius' knees.
The iron was removed and Ezra could feel sweat pouring off of his brow. His breaths were short and gasped, his chest quaking. He wanted to throw up so badly, but he opted against it. Cassius let go of his hand, and Ezra whimpered when he felt a cold rag over the new wound on his shoulder.
Cassius helped him to stand, which was a slow process as Ezra tried desperately to blink away any remnants of tears before exiting the tent. Cassius pulling him out into the sunlight, away from the man with the iron and said, "You're alright. You did really good."
"I did good?" Ezra growled, glaring into the eyes of the elder. "I did good having a searing iron shoved into my skin?"
The look now was unmistakably guilt and Ezra huffed. Good, he should feel bad, but it was hard to believe a slave trading pirate felt bad for one measly slave getting branded. Ezra realized that it would scar, just like the two scrapes on his cheek. And that made his chest ache a bit.
He'd always have the branding of a slave.
Cassius sighed deeply, pressing the rag into Ezra's shoulder a few more moments. The man said, "They force the Brandings on the slaves in order to keep track of them…To avoid runaways. Some systems put explosive devices in their slaves, so count yourself lucky."
"Yeah, I feel real lucky," Ezra hissed as the rag was removed from his shoulder. Cassius gently placed Ezra's clothing back over the brand and he shook his head.
"It'll hurt like a wench the next few days, but it'll heal on it's on," He hummed. He then poked Ezra's cheek where his twin scars were and said, "Looks like you're not new to the whole, getting marked thing."
"This was different," Ezra snapped. "This was survival."
A look flashed over Cassius' eyes and he leaned down, getting eye level with Ezra just long enough to say, "So is this."
And then the man was walking away, pulling Ezra with him for the millionth time that day. When they were in eyesight of Melevance once again, the woman actually looked at Ezra as if she was sorry. Ezra knew his eyes must be bloodshot with unshed tears, so he avoided her gaze the best he could. Cassius pulled Ezra in front of the man with the cattle prod, exposing his shoulder before saying, "You happy?"
"Yes," The man said, though he was monotone. "May enter now."
Cassius was pulling Ezra inside, Melevance following close behind. They walked down the steps until they were underground in the pub. Once inside, Ezra could see a group of hutts being fanned in the corner, women on chains sitting close to them. Other people sat at the bar drinking themselves sick while some just chatted throughout the pub. It was an interesting sight, something that wasn't anything like the pubs back on Lothal that were pretty much under the control of the Empire.
"There," Cassius said, pointing in the far corner of the room.
Ezra squinted his eyes at the two figures sitting at a round table. One had his feet on the table, a human male who was drinking some drink lazily. The other…Was a wookie…
Ezra shook his head…A wookie?
The group approached the pair and the man leaning back in the chair grinned up at them. He was probably just as old as Cassius if Ezra had to guess, probably a pirate or a smuggler as well from his get-up. Ezra would think the wookie was a slave if he wasn't carrying a gun on his hip also, just like the man.
Maybe he was like this guy's Zeb.
"Well, if it isn't ol' Cassius Trance," The man hummed, looking entertained. Cassius sat down at the table, pulling Ezra into the booth as well, Melevance sitting on the edge. "It has been, what? Four years?"
"Four very comforting years, Han Solo," Cassius spoke, a spark of annoyance in his eyes. "If I remember correctly, that last time I saw you, you were casting me adrift in a space pod."
"I saved your life sending you out in that space pod," The man named Han Solo said, pointing an accusing finger at the other. "And last time I checked, I'm here today because you asked me to smuggle a slave out for you."
"Smuggle out a slave?" Ezra thought.
"Don't speak so loud," Cassius snapped, glancing around the room to make sure no one had heard. "It's not really smuggling, more of me paying you to get her somewhere."
"Alright," Han mused. "Where exactly?"
Cassius looked over at Melevance before sighing, "Wherever the hell she wants to go. I have your money and we already made the agreement. So, are you willing to go through with it or not?"
Han shrugged, "Let me see the credits."
Cassius reached into his pocket, much like he had done before at the auction, except this time he pulled out a paper bag instead of a box. Ezra's jaw dropped and he snapped, "You said you spent it all on me!"
"I did," Cassius laughed as Han peered into the paper bag. "That was my 'for fun' money. This is my business money."
"I'm for fun," Ezra growled.
Cassius didn't respond, simply waited for Han to finish his inspection before he crumpled it up and took it into his own pocket. Han snapped his head towards Melevance, "This'll do. Come on, let's get a move on. I've got places to go."
"And people to swindle," Cassius added. "I'd stay away from Hutt territory like this, Han. I heard about your debt."
Solo glared at the Cassius, giving a simple bird of the finger, leading Melevance from the pub. The wookie followed close behind the two, hand on his blaster as if something were about to happen. Ezra turned his attention to Cassius before asking, "What was all this even about? You weren't selling her?"
"No," Cassius said, occupied by watching her retreating figure. "He's going to smuggle her out of the system. I'm freeing her."
"Freeing?" Ezra whispered, his eyes wide.
Cassius nodded, "Yeah…Slavery is hard for everyone, and it's especially hard for the exploited women and children. I bought her in an auction like yours and contacted...my associate to smuggle her out of this place. Han doesn't usually smuggle people, but for the right price he'll do just about anything."
He paused, eyes meeting Ezra's bleeding blue ones before continuing, "I didn't just buy you because I need a favor, Ezra. I bought you because the idea of letting another kid live this kind of life was sickening to me."
Ezra pondered on this a long moment before his thoughts were suddenly broken by a woman approaching the table. Ezra's eyes widened at the sight of her, her skirt short and her shirt not doing much to keep her covered. She smiled at Cassius, completely ignoring Ezra's presence as she flattened her hands on the table and leaned forward, greeting, "Hi, Cassius."
Something sinister flashed in Cassius' eyes and his mouth twitched into a slight smile. Ezra suddenly found the urge to puke that very moment as Cassius responded, "Gemma. It's good to see you. I didn't realize you were working today."
"I'm always working," The woman named Gemma responded. "I just came to remind you of our deal. I scratched your back, you scratch mine."
Yeah, Ezra was definitely going to vomit.
And then the woman was walking away, towards the back of the pub behind the bar before she disappeared through the door. Cassius smirked, standing and moving over Ezra to exit the booth. He turned his attention to Ezra and said, "I'll be right back, Little One. I've got some business to take care of."
Ezra shook his head, "You're disgusting."
"I know," Cassius shrugged. "I wouldn't consider running off in my leave of absence, alright? The guard is there for a reason. He saw you come in with me, and he's not going to let you leave without me. Melevance only got to go because she had Han with her. Now wait here, it'll just be a few."
And then he was walking off, Ezra's lightsaber still on his hip and all of Ezra's hope for escape with him. Once he too disappeared into the back room though, Ezra knew he was going to have to try something…It was most likely going to be his only chance of escape.
And then Ezra saw it.
A bounty hunter sitting at a nearby table had at least six detonators on his belt. If Ezra could get one and cause a distraction in the pub without getting himself killed…Well, he would be home free…Well, free enough to go search for the crew. However, bounty hunters were a difficult type to pick pocket, especially with their attentive natures.
Ezra slid below his table, crouching down and beginning to crawl towards the man. The floor was filthy and made Ezra cringe at the thought of what he was touching, however, the idea was what kept him moving. His shoulder ached painfully with each movement and when his clothing would rub against the tender spot.
When Ezra was only a few inches away, he reached out, taking the detonator between his hands, attempting to pull it from the belt…
The bounty hunter's head snapped down at Ezra and the boy almost screamed at the helmeted head. Before Ezra had time to really think about what he was doing, the bounty hunter was reaching for his blaster, and Ezra was yanking the explosive from his belt, pressing the button to set it off.
Ezra had enough sense to throw it to the far corner of the room. He heard the county hunter yelp and Ezra sprinted back towards his table, diving below it as the room erupted into smoke and flame. The explosion silenced the room a moment, making Ezra's ears ring and the world twist and turn with colors.
Smoke filled his lungs and he coughed, pushing himself from under the table to stand. People were screaming and running from the building in hoards and Ezra was quick to join the crowd in the escape, knowing very well that he'd blend in respectfully in the panic. He rushed up the stairs and out into the beaming sunlight, noticing the guard had been pushed over in the chaos.
Ezra ran, his feet carrying him as fast as he could muster across the desert, the people having taken off on their own speeders. Smoke poured from the building and Ezra just hoped…He prayed that Cassius would be too busy to come looking for him…
The teen reached out with the Force, trying to break through the suppressor as best as he could. It felt so heavy, like bricks piled in his mind blocking him from his master. But, it almost felt like glass was breaking with each tap on the surface, cracking and spider webbing like a mirror on its edges.
If he could just push a little harder…
Ezra gasped when someone slammed into his back and knocked him to the ground. A scream erupted from his throat at the pain in his shoulder and then the mouth full of sand he received, landing on his stomach. He was turned over forcefully, blinded by the suns when he was suddenly on his back, air not entering his lungs from the impact.
"You little…" Ezra didn't hear the string of curses that followed, just realized that the person on top of him was Cassius. He held Ezra down by his shoulders as the teen began to squirm uncontrollably, and Cassius asked, "What did I tell you about runaways?"
"Screw you!" Ezra shouted, mustering enough oxygen to speak. He could feel everything shattering…Breaking…And Kanan's presence was alive and well…And if only Ezra could get closer…
He threw out his hand and felt the glass break completely, allowing the Force to rush back into him like air in his chest. Cassius flew off, but not far, the thrust not strong enough to do as much damage as Ezra had initially desired. Ezra sat up, seeing Cassius on his bottom, glaring at him darkly.
And then he was reaching into his pocket, pulling out a syringe.
Ezra turned, beginning to crawl away desperately when his ankle was grabbed and he was dragged towards the man. Though the Force was beginning to return, he knew he had no chance of mustering enough power to compensate. His fingers clawed in the sand and he felt the prick of the needle in his neck and Ezra saw the world blur again, though this time consciousness was not threatened.
"I should have known your second dose was needed," Cassius huffed, pulling Ezra to his chest to restrain him as his body began to spasm from the injection. Ezra was trembling and he pushed desperately against the elder. "You're clever, I was lucky to find you."
Was he…Not even mad anymore? God, why did this guy switch from emotion to emotion so fast?
"Stop squirming," Cassius growled and Ezra stopped, not really because of the order but because his neck and shoulder were stinging so much he wanted to throw up. He breathed heavily, his heart pounding at a million miles per hour as his body processed the adrenaline from earlier and the sudden attack of the suppressor.
Cassius patted his head, "That's better, Little Jedi. You know, if those Hutts find out you did that to their pub, they'll probably never leave you alone. You'll be a poor sap like Han."
Ezra coughed, not wanting to talk. His escape plan had been ruined and just when he had been reconnected with the Force and could finally somewhat feel Kanan again, it was gone. Cassius sighed, "Poor Gemma, well…Poor me."
Ezra pushed away and rolled his eyes at the man's lack of priority. His frustration was only distracted when a darkness seemed to fall over the suns and Cassius' eyes seemed to widen with a sudden worry. Ezra looked over his shoulder, seeing what looked to be a huge wall moving in front of the suns and clouds.
A really big wall.
The wind was picking up and Ezra felt sand pelting his face. He looked back at Cassius and a coolness came over the air as the suns began to disappeared almost completely and bring them into night.
Ezra asked, having to raise his voice over the wind, "What is that?"
"A storm," Cassius replied, eyes still wide. He jumped to his feet, pulling Ezra with him and gripping his wrist tight enough to bruise as they began to run in the opposite direction. They were running back towards the village of tents they had come from, but from what Ezra saw when glancing over his shoulder, tents didn't seem to be very safe. Because Ezra suddenly realize what it was…
It was a dust storm.
He had only heard about them. Growing up on the grasslands of Lothal they would have the occasional tornado, but from his understanding dust storms were something else entirely. They were menacing and took your breath away, replacing it with deadly sand.
"Faster Ezra!" Cassius shouted, still pulling him by his wrist. Ezra couldn't help but fall behind. Cassius' legs were longer and Ezra had just been drugged again. Sand was digging into his eyes and the wind was threatening to suck him back towards the storm.
Did this place not have a weather forecast?
It was when Ezra's feet fell out from under him and he was tripping over his shoes that Cassius stopped and turned, throwing the boy over his shoulder. Ezra squirmed only a moment before a warning pinch on his calf muscle told him to remain still. The scarf over his head flew off and away as they neared the tents.
Ezra could hear the fabric flapping and once they were inside, the panic didn't stop. Cassius set him down quickly, moving to grab several towels before dousing them in jugs of water. Ezra could feel the sand coming in, even after Cassius zipped the door shut.
The walls flapped uncontrollably and Ezra thought surely the tent would be blown away. Cassius handed one of the doused towels to Ezra, pushing it over the boy's face before ordering, "Breathe through this. The less sand you inhale the better."
Ezra nodded and Cassius put a damp towel over his own face. It sounded like a train was about to hit them and suddenly, sand began to pour in, blinding Ezra.
Cassius grabbed him, pulling a thick comforter blanket over them completely, enveloping them and keeping the towels pressed to their faces.
Darkness consumed and Ezra could barely hear Cassius' muffled voice say, "This isn't the worst of it. The tent will probably be ripped away. If it is, hold the blanket down and keep that rag over your face, got it?"
Ezra nodded and he felt Cassius' free hand press onto the back of his head. He wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort him or himself, or trying to make sure Ezra didn't raise his head from under the safety of the blanket. In any case, Ezra's lungs were screaming, even with the damp towel covering his mouth and nose.
Then he heard the tent rip, and suddenly the wind was ten times stronger and the sand felt like fire on his skin as it slammed into him, even from under the blanket. He was sure if Cassius wasn't holding him down he would have blown away already and never be seen again.
"Please be safe, guys…Please be in the Ghost."
Ezra's thoughts were the loudest thing, even louder than the wind. Cassius was rubbing his head while keeping it held down, and Ezra thought maybe he was trying to keep him calm…Trying to reassure him.
The small bit of light in the darkness suddenly disappeared as Ezra found the air too thin to breathe anymore.
His hands went slack and pitch nothingness reigned in his mind and eyes.
Silence.
