Chapter 13
Maya sat with her knees pulled up to her chest by the campfire that blazed in the cave serving as the camp for her and her companions. It was getting dark outside the cave, and the fog made ominous, creeping shadows among the darkness. Cat sat across from her with her legs crossed, frowning thoughtfully as she polished her laser rifle. The fire cast their dancing shadows upon the cave wall. Roger was still out hunting, but it would not be long before he returned to the camp.
Maya thought about how she had used some strange power to save herself and her friends from the waterborne gihox. She knew the device she had found had enabled her to do what she had done, but she knew too that herself she had done something to facilitate the effect, something not all people were able to do. That much had been proven by Cat, for she had allowed the fire-haired woman to try to use the device, but her friend had not been able to bring forth any power at all.
Maya glanced over at Cat where she was inspecting her laser rifle, and checking it for any remaining uncleanliness. The fire-haired woman nodded to herself, seeming satisfied that everything was in order, then she placed the weapon off to the side. There was silence in the camp, apart from the cracking and sputtering of the fire. Their shadows danced merrily on the wall, as if they were living things.
''Have you recovered any new memories?'' Cat asked at length.
''When I awoke this morning I remembered something awful.''
Cat arched an eyebrow. ''What kind of awful?''
''I had a memory of me fighting someone atop a mountain,'' Maya asked. ''The one I was fighting looked just like me, except she had purple eyes.''
''Like an evil twin?''
''Pretty much,'' May said. ''And she is the one leading the gihox.''
Cat perked up at that. ''Maybe you were trying to stop her, and she stabbed you in the side and threw you off the mountain?''
''It's likely.''
''You were glowing when father found you,'' Cat said. ''Maybe you survived using that device you found.''
Maya just shrugged.
The sound of footsteps had both of them turning to see Roger appearing in the cave entrance with another man accompanying him. That man had the lean look of someone who had gone through hell. He had a battered and bruised face, and was wearing a brown and blue uniform that was stained with blood and dirt. He wore an empty holster for a laser rifle on his back, and he had a knife in a sheath on his belt.
''This is William,'' Roger said. ''Looks like we won't be going to Castle McCann.''
''The place was attacked by the gihox a few hours ago,'' William said. ''The battle was going our way at first, and king Kieran even slew the gihox general. But then a dragon arrived, and it tore into our ranks. The king and many of his soldiers were taken captive, as were the kairu warriors that came to aid in the fighting. The others helped me escape from the gihox, that I might deliver a message to the army of the Redakai.''
That name hit Maya like a lightning bolt through her brain, and she remembered two guys who seemed to be about her age. One was large and broad, with blond hair held back by a red bandanna. The other was a handsome man, not quite as tall as the other but hard with lean muscle, and he had jet-black hair and blue eyes. She had another memory about that one, and it was a memory that made her face glow bright red.
''Are the kairu warriors alright?'' Maya asked.
''One was sprayed with shrapnel when the dragon blew up a catapult,'' William replied. ''His condition was critical last I saw him.''
''What did he look like?'' Maya asked, hoping that it was neither of the boys from her memory, the ones she knew to be her friends.
''Short and muscular, with dark skin,'' the soldier replied. ''I am not sure, but I think his name was Dusibol.''
Maya sighed with relief, and felt guilty for doing so.
''I heard that the prisoners will be executed tomorrow morning,'' William said. ''I must inform the army of the Redakai, which should not be too far away. With luck it might be able to reach the castle in time to save at least some of the prisoners before they are executed.''
''We'll come with you,'' Roger said, and Cat nodded.
''I can not,'' Maya said, becoming the center of attention in an instant.
''Not this again,'' Cat shook her head.
''I'm serious,'' the blue-haired woman said firmly. ''I have friends there, and I must at least try and save them.''
''You'll be executed along with the rest,'' Roger protested. ''If you're not cut in half by a gihox sword before you get there.''
''I'll come with you then,'' Cat said. ''Things are always more interesting when you're around.''
''You can't come,'' Maya said.
''But…'' Cat began.
''I need you to go and inform the army of the Redakai,'' Maya insisted. ''Besides, I can move faster if it's just me.''
''You'll be killed,'' Roger said grimly.
''I have this,'' Maya held up her x-reader, and the others fell dead silent. They said their farewells quickly after that, for she wanted to be on the road as soon as possible. Cat told her that she was not allowed to get herself killed, and that she wanted to see her again. Roger told her to take care of herself, and then their ways parted. William and his two companions set off to find the army of the Redakai, and Maya set off toward Castle McCann.
xxxxx
Finding the castle was much easier than Maya could have expected, for the thick, black plume of smoke rising from it could be seen for miles. She came in sight of the structure several hours later, as she snuck through a small forest, running along branches mostly, and quietly moving from tree to tree. The castle was a blasted ruin out in the middle of a fog shrouded lake, and gihox manned what remained of the parapets. Camped on the bank of the lake was the largest encampment of gihox she had ever seen, or at least she though it was the largest she had ever seen.
Maya sat in the boughs of the tallest tree she could find, eyeing the castle and the massive encampment, trying to spot the prisoners. She did not find them, and she could not help but worry that her friends had already be executed. Not wanting to give up without proof, she climbed down from the tree and snuck into the camp. She was rewarded as she snuck past gihox sentries, for she heard them talk about the prisoners being kept in the dungeons beneath the castle itself.
Maya also learned that the executions would take place in the gihox camp, and that the prisoners would be thrown on to a burning pyre. The pyre had been built from fallen trees, branches, and furniture looted from the castle, but it had not yet been lit. Close to the pyre a group of gihox was working to put together a huge dais topped by a throne made of obsidian, where the leader of the army would no doubt sit during the executions. The thought of murders being treated as a spectator sport brought bile welling into her throat.
Maya figured there was no way for her to get into the castle dungeons without being spotted, and so she decided to wait for the prisoners to be brought out. She looked all about for a good hiding spot, but then her gaze settled on the unlit pyre. She fingered her x-reader, hoping it she could use it to protect herself from the fire that would eventually consume the pyre. Then she snuck up to the pyre and scrambled in between the logs and furniture.
Now she just had to wait for the executions to start.
To be continued…