The Girl From The Middle of Somewhere

Part 10

The Renegade

Kinessa's moment was ruined.

"NO SEARCHES?" she shouted.

Her teammates looked around embarrassed. Many heads had turned at the sound, but she didn't care. She must have misheard.

"Well, you need to consider the situation. We lost many troops in the attack, and the commanders cannot afford large, risky operations, especially without a general," Viktor tried to explain.

"I don't CARE how many ******* troops we lost! We'll never get a better chance! Go tell them that! Or better yet, I'll tell myself!" she said and started to march towards the commanders's tent. Tyra grabbed her and hauled her away from the scene with the others.

"LET ME GO! I'll teach them to make sensible decisions!"

Tyra sighed. "Calm down, or we'll have to throw you to the dungeons with Maeve. We can't have you attacking our leadership, especially when we're this weak at the moment.

Elders escaped and mothers covered their children's ears from Kinessa's rage as she was dragged through the damaged city. She tried to break free, but Tyra and Strix held onto her firmly. She was shaken. Those idiots tried to deny her of her vengeance. Skye and the Decimators would get away.

"If you calm down, we can go the higher-ups and ask them to reconsider. They know how things are, and they too want to strike back. But we cannot rush them," Viktor promised.

Kinessa immediately ceased struggling. Her captors let her go, and she stood up.

"Ok. I understand. Calm now. Let's go and see the higher-ups. Fine by me. Maybe they are smart enough to divert our attention to where it's needed."

Tyra smiled. "That's the spirit. Let's go."

"Zo, how did you get in here?" Maeve asked. She was sitting in a cell, with awfully quiet Kinessa by her side. She hadn't said anything for ten minutes, not after some guards had come and thrown her in facefirst.

"I broke the Grand Magister's nose two seconds after he allowed me to have an audience with him. You know, the usual," she replied.

"Ouch. How did zat happen? I thought thingz were looking up for you?"

Kinessa sighed. "They were, until those idiots decided not to go after the Decimators. Something about our resources needed for medical care and city restoration. You could say I didn't take it well."

"Oh. I zee."

They sat in silence.

Long hours followed. The cell was located in underground dungeons beneath the Capital, and was one of the less-guarded cells used to hold criminals before their trial. Kinessa glanced at Maeve. She looked much smaller, less confident and missing her usual smug attitude without her coat and knives. She looked like a starving little kid, (like she was,) who did not deserve to be in a place like this. (Well, maybe she did, but that's beside the point.) For the first time, she felt actually sorry for her. Out there, she was the queen of the street kids, the master cat burglar and pickpocket Maeve. But down here, she was a pitiful little thing, abandoned by her parents at birth and raised by cats and the streets.

"Hey, where were you going?" she suddenly asked.

Maeve raised her head. "What?"

"Where were you going before you saved me and ended up back here? Did you have a destination in mind?"

"Oh yeah," she said, suddenly getting what she was talking about. "I waz heading for a new place. I heard about it from zome traveler I met a couple monthz ago. It'z a gathering place to all the rogues, travelerz, adventurers and unlucky who have lost their way and have nowhere to go. A pretty unknown plaze, conzidering it's located in the middle of ze Realm. Most usually find it by accident. It'z called Crosswind Hold. Home to underground markets and shady contractz. You know, my kind of place."

Kinessa smiled. She could easily imagine Maeve starting a new life in that environment, where her talents worked the best. She could actually imagine anyone with enough skill doing the same, escaping their old life and pursuing their passions.

Maeve spent the next few hours telling her stories she had heard about Crosswind Hold, as the sun crept down over the horizon without them knowing. Suddenly, a door to the dungeon opened. Viktor and Strix marched in. They unlocked the cell door.

"You can come out now, kid. Karne forgives you, but you have to clean his office."

She hardly heard Viktor's words as she walked out. She never wanted to see Karne again, or anyone who had denied the search. The whole leadership was her enemy at the moment.

"How about Maeve?" she asked as the door was banged shut.

"She's still facing trial in two days. Nothing we can do about her."

She looked at Maeve apologetically. She wanted to say everything would be fine, but it wouldn't. They had gotten confirmation that Khan, Lian's general and bodyguard, was already on his way to pick her up. After that, they would probably never see each other again. She could feel Maeve's begging eyes glued to her back when she exited the dungeon.

Kinessa collapsed in bed. They had went to Strix's apartment, since the barracks had been badly damaged in the attack. Tyra had been waiting for them.

"Nice hit on Karne. You're the talk of the whole city at the moment," she congratulated. Kinessa had just walked past her into her room and shut the door, obviously not in the mood for a chat. Tyra only stared at the door, then turned to face the other two.

"She hasn't gotten over it, has she?"

They both shook their heads. The trio knew their protege well enough to know she would eventually always do something about things that stood in her way. They would just have to wait and see what it would be.

Kinessa fell asleep, as the fatique finally caught up to her. Her dreams were not pleasant. She saw purple figures taking her into a place from where there was no escape. She saw giant, faceless mosters sending her away, not caring about any of her problems. She felt herself being cloaked in piercing darkness, which sapped her strength and replaced it with uncontainable bloodlust. Finally, she saw a little pink figure being thrown into a moving vehicle, never to be seen under the daylight again, her miserable screams filling her head before they were snuffed out. She woke up sweaty and gasping for breath after the intense nightmares, as the first rays of morning light shone into the room. She laid back down and tried to force herself back to sleep.

Visitors frequented in the house the whole day. Some had business with Viktor. Some asked for help in locating missing people. Some were looking for her, but Strix turned them all away. Kinessa spent the whole day in bed, thinking about her situation. She wasn't allowed to go after the attackers. She knew that in just few short weeks, their trails would be cold and and untraceable. Her team would have to move now, but the leadership had made it clear they prevented all operations until the city would be stabilized. She couldn't leave on her own, any unauthorized movement was forbidden. Every member of the army was needed, just in case they were attacked again. Leaving would be considered treason. She would lose her job, and her career would be over before it had even barely begun. All those years spent training, gone in a flash. She would disappoint her mentors. Nobody would want to hire a soldier who abandoned their position during a crisis.

But as she laid there thinking, she started to wonder new things, ones that hadn't crossed her mind before. Was army really for her? She had spent years training, yes, but that had always deep down been for herself, so that she could protect herself and the people she loved. Not the army. Not the Kingdom. Not the Magistrate. And even if she resumed, where would it lead? Years of service all ended in the same way for those resilient enough to continue: discharge and quiet retirement, in the confines of home. Or even worse: Being thrown in the middle of endless piles of paperwork. The thought made her sick. Everyone who knew her also knew that the thing she hated the most was being confined. But in the end, that's what military life was. Being forced to follow the orders of someone more important than you. During almost all of her ops, she had defied orders or somehow else ended up in positions that could have jeopardized the entire mission. She had been lucky, but how long would it last? How long until her stubborness would put one of her teammates at risk? Deep down, she knew her greatest need was to be free of responsibilities, of orders, and to do whatever she wanted. And at the moment, she wanted nothing more than to catch Skye and the Decimators.

Her thinking was cut off as she heard a knock on the door.

"Kinessa?" Tyra called. "Cassie is here, she says you had a meeting."

"Yeah, send her in."

The door opened, and the huntress stepped in. She seemed to be unharmed, but was limping her right leg.

"Are you alright?" Kinessa asked.

Cassie smiled. "I'm fine. I just took a hit from and enemy arrow, but it'll heal. But what's that under your eye?"
"What?"

She touched her cheek. She had forgotten about the slice Skye had landed during their fight. To her surprise, it was still dripping blood. The wound wasn't deep, so it wouldn't be life-threathening, but it was strange considering the injury happened hours ago. Cassie came in closer to inspect it.

"Looks like a weapon with perma-wound curse. Whoever did this to you must have wanted to weaken you with multiple strikes before finishing you off," she diagnosed.

"Thanks for the info. Is it bad?"
Cassie let out a short laugh. "A wound that deep? You couldn't die from it even if you tried. But I do have healing salve bandages if you don't want blood droplets on your clothes," she said and took out a small roll of cloth. She leaned in closer.

"May I?"

Kinessa nodded, and Cassie cut off a small rectangular piece from the bandage. She taped it over the wound.

"That should keep it from bleeding, but I'm afraid that if you'll never find the one who cursed the weapon and have them undo this, it'll leave a permament mark. But the bandage is almost undetachable if you don't wish it to, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Kinessa nodded again. She picked up a small mirror from the table and examined her face. The bandage was actually pretty good-looking, and she decided to keep it like this. It would remind her to kill Skye straight off the next time they met. She turned to look at Cassie.

"So, about the thing we were talking about before…"

"Yeah. You wanted to discuss our "inheritance,"" Cassie reminded her.

"Yes. Could you explain a little bit?"

The huntress seemed fidgety. "I cannot tell you much, since my own information is limited. Dad never had the time to tell me the whole thing before I left. But according to the stories, long ago, a great mage gifted my ancestor with an extraordinary ability. Over time, the magic meant to him started to manifest in his offspring, and over the decades, it has evolved into an innate ability that runs in my family only."

"And what's that said ability?" Kinessa questioned.

"Animal control. Out minds can connect into the thoughts of any animal and essentially allows us to communicate with them. Very useful in tracking prey, which is one of the reasons our kin is known as the greatest hunters in the Realm."

"And that's how you're such good friends with Zigs," Kinessa quessed. "But why aren't you running around with an army of bears or wolves or something like that?

"Because with our gift also comes a curse. In exhange for being able to talk to the children of the wilds, my family has been been confined to our homeland. Anyone who has tried to leave has had their power corrupted and turned against them, summoning only the fiercest beasts to attack them until they die." She paused. "But when I heard about Valera, I knew that she would save us from the Magistrate, and she needed supporters. But my father wouldn't let me leave. I was always his golden daughter, his masterpiece whom he could never loose. I love him deeply, but he cannot own me. So one night, ignoring the danger, I took one of his bows and left with Zigs. When I was about to step outside the boundaries, a mysterious woman who introduced herself as The Oracle of the Abyss appeared. She offered to remove my curse, but warned that I would also lose my skill in the process. Zigs tried to stop me, but I wanted to help the Realm too much, and accepted." Cassie shuddered, thinking about what happened next.

"The pain, Kinessa. Innate abilities are a part of us, much more than magic is a part of mages. It felt like a part of myself was being ripped off, something important being taken away and I would never be the same after it was gone. Then, as I thought I was going to die, some kind of substance flew from me to her hand. After that, I couldn't hear the animals again. The song of the wolves was now unfamiliar to me. The gossip of the boars now something I couldn't understand. But I could still hear Zigs. Even the oracle looked surprised, said nothing like that had ever happened. Somehow, our bond had only deepened, granting me the ability to see through the eyes of a bird. But at the same time, our lives had connected."

Kinessa was shocked. "You mean…"

"Yes," Cassie confirmed. "If either of us should perish, the other one dies as well.

"But Zigs is a bird. Birds live a lot less time than humans. What happens when he… you know…"

"That's not a problem. Zigs's lifespan is now the same as my own, considering it's not cut short," she assured to her. "Don't ask me how I know, it's just a strong feeling."

Kinessa hadn't been expecting to hear a tale like this from a girl younger than herself. She couldn't help but think how close to death Cassie had went when trying to get rid of her curse. Was this the life of all those with innate abilities? Was her skill also a curse? Would the world treat her rougher than the rest for what she was?

"How about you? Cassie cut her pondering. "What's your story? Where does your family come from?"

"I don't know," she answered. "I was left into a small village as a baby. I never met my real parents and have no idea about my heritage."

"Ooh, ominous," Cassie whispered. "So what can you do?"

Kinessa grinned. "This."

Suddenly, she disappeared from the bed. A second later, she appeared behind Cassie's back and poked her head.

"What the- what did you do? Are you super-fast? Invisible?"

"Good guesses, but wrong. I can trick my perception of time to slow down or speed up the world around me. My strength and speed also increase, but it's really taxing on my body."

Cassie was bewildered. "Suddenly being able to talk to birds doesn't feel as cool anymore.

A loud cawing was heard from the outside.

"Sorry Zigs, I didn't mean it, love you!" she shouted out the window.

She turned around. "Well, it was nice to talk. I've never met anyone outside of my family with an innate ability! I don't want to assume anything, but by your skin tone, I could suggest searching the southern desert cities for your kin if you ever feel like finding them."

"Thanks, I have considered it, but right now, I have bigger fish to fry." She examined Cassie and just now noticed the small backback she had.

"Are you going somewhere?"
"Yeah," she replied. "I came here because I heard Valera had arranged a meeting with Karne, but when I found out she had already left, I started searching the surrounding area. Now I've heard rumors that she's returned to her base of operations for further plans."

"Really? Where's that?" Kinessa asked.

"In Crosswind Hold. Oh, you've heard of the place?" she asked as she noticed she soldier's surprise.

"I know that it's mostly known as the den of thieves, murderers, dealers and bounty hunters, but many there still support the ancient Paladins. The resistance against the Magistate is forming under their flag, and they have need for competent fighters. I'm just going to say goodbye to Fletch. She has been a real help during these few months. Bye!"

"Good luck. Maybe we'll meet again," Kinessa said to the huntress as the door was slammed shut. She collapsed back to bed.

Crosswind Hold. The place for new beginnings, where everyone unfit for normal life was welcome. Suddenly, her future brightened up. She knew what she had to do.

Day had turned to night and the night into early morning. Viktor, Strix and Tyra were all napping around the table as she entered the room. The closing of the door woke them up.

"Well, look who finally got up. How was your day?" Tyra asked without even bothering to hide her sarcasm. Kinessa was about to answer with a snarky remark, but decided to just cut to the chase. She would have to move quickly, before she changed her mind.

"I'm leaving."

The three soldiers were confused.

"Where? To the market?" Viktor asked.

"No. I'm leaving the city. The army. Everything."

They stared at her, unbelieving, as if seeing her for the first time. Kinessa prepared for the outburst of resistance. Then, as if on cue, they pulled out her rifle in its holster, her gear and a backpack from under the table on passed them to her. Kinessa was stunned.

"That's it? No objections? No house arrest? No reports to the officials?"

Tyra laughed. "Kid, we've thought about this the whole day, and in the end we all realized that the only thing you could do to make things go your way was by leaving. Don't act like we don't know you."

"Of course, it's a shame after all the training that you're leaving your career when you've barely gotten to start, but it's a disappointment we have to live with," Strix added.

Kinessa had no words. These people, who had taught her the importance of rules and following them, were helping her become a rogue on the run.

"Strix…" she started, but he stopped her.

"If you're really leaving us, then you never knew our names. To you, we're simply S, V and T, three strangers from a special unit that took care of you for a while."

Viktor stepped closer and handed her a key. "We know where you're going. We heard your little conversation. I'm sure you know what to do with this.

This time, she actually started to wonder if her vocal cords had broken up. She had expected this stunt from Tyra, but from the biggest adorer of the Magistrate in their little group? She took the key, without even managing to mutter a "thank you."

"You must hurry. Morning patrols will start in an hour, and we have to report any defectors as soon as we know about them, which is going to be about five hours from now. They'll send a small group after you, but stay down and keep a low profile for a couple of days, then you'll be fine," Strix instructed. Kinessa nodded. She grabbed her gear, attached her armor and slung the backpack on her shoulders. Then she took out her badge and stared at it for a few seconds. It was just a small metallic plate with her ID. Every army rookie was given one when they were accepted. Handing it over would mean giving up on safe, fast, easy and especially legal travel across the Realm. She could still turn back. She could resume her normal life.

No. She couldn't. Life had stopped being normal ages ago. Now it was time to fight back. She threw the badge on the table.

"Give that to the Chairman, preferably with a pneumatic cannon."

Tyra smiled. "After this, I think we'll get to cleaning duty for less. By the way, Sam asked us to tell you that he'd be more than happy to start resupplying your mines after the searches are called off if you send him your address."

Kinessa nodde. She was about to step out from the door, but turned around at the last second. Then, to everyone's surprise, embraced each of her mentors in a deep hug. Their relationship had been hug-free for over 9 years.

"Thank you," she whispered to each of them. Viktor patted her on the back.

"Don't worry about us. Just go, and don't look back."

She released him from the embrace and rushed out the door of a house she would never return to.

The streets were still empty, but sunrise was happening as she sprinted across the streets. She tried to take in the sights and smells of the city one last time as she went. Even with all the destruction, most were still there. The rippling of the fountains, the smell of the flowers, the training grounds, all the things she had grown to know and appreciate about the great city. It filled her mind with sadness to leave it all behind, even as she tried to suppress her emotions.

But she kept going.

She descended down into the dungeons. A lone guard was standing patrolling in front of the entrance. She barely had time to react before Kinessa knocked her out. She opened the door and dragged the unconcious body inside. Not wanting to waste any more time, she quickly made her way down the steps and entered the holding area. Maeve stood up in her cell as she approached.

"What'z going on? I thought zat my trial was zupposed to be in ze afternoon?" she asked with a small sense of dread in her voice. Kinessa fitted the key into the lock and turned it. The cell door flung open.

"You're not going to the trial. You're leaving. We're leaving. Right now, before anyone sees us.

Maeve was visibly confused.

"But what about your career? Won't zat be ruined if you let a prizoner ezcape?

Kinessa was digging through her backpack.

"My career was over the moment they tried to prevent me from going. I need to go after those guys, and I can't do it from here. You need to take me to Crosswind Hold. I'll work bounties there for a living, and track down Decimator personnel by myself."

Maeve nodded. Kinessa finally managed to pull her tightly folded coat out. She threw it to its owner.

"It's missing 39 knives. Tyra couldn't figure out how to pack it properly, so you'll need to manage with those."

"Wait, your friendz are in on thiz?" Maeve's confusion deepened. She did appreciate the unexpected freedom, but things seemed to be moving a bit too fast.

"Yeah. I'll explain on the road. Gear up, we only have a few minutes."

Swiftly, Maeve threw the garment on, immediately comforted by its familiarness. Kinessa watched as she returned to her prime.

"Great. Now follow me, we have to leave this city behind as soon as possible," she said and began to lead Maeve out.

Sun was shining in full force, and some people were already walking around. The pair saw one patrol, but managed to hide before they were spotted. They took to the rooftops and started to make their way to the western gate that was the nearest to the dungeons. The journey took less than two minutes with no interruptions. Little did they know that one of their allies had snuck into the command center a few hours ago and changed the patrol routes so that they could have a safe passage. Before long, the mighty western gate appeared before them, the only one undamaged in the attack. It stood tall, acting as a final barrier to anyone trying to enter or leave. But they noticed it to be slightly open, sunlight illuminating a crack that could fit two escapees. In front of the gate, three figures stood. Kinessa's former teammates stared at them with steely eyes, in full gear. Their past unknown, their reasons unidentified, their names meaningless to the former soldier as she passed them. The one she knew as S grabbed her by the shoulder. They stopped. He held her in place for a minute, then slowly releasing his grip and letting his former protege go.

Kinessa and Maeve stepped though the gate. V, S and T kept staring down the street. Kinessa had to struggle to keep tears from flowing out.
"Focus," she told herself. "Calm down."

Breathe in. Breathe out.

As the two renegades walked out to the open fields, Maeve turned and looked back one last time at the city where she had found herself, and the three unknown soldiers who had freed her from the shackles of her past.

Kinessa didn't.

End of Act II