Plague of Mybyncia (10 page)

Mae rushes over behind them, in her own black
suit. We all peer down at Pratt, just as the rest of the boys
arrive.

“Everyone okay?” Tucker asks.

“You are bleeding!” Princess Ariana exclaims,
examining a deep red gash across his chest. She presses her hand to
his suit and he turns rigid.

“It’s not bad…” Tucker watches her with wide
eyes.

“We can fix that,” she looks up, her own
breath catching under his gaze.

“Yes, back at headquarters,” Sampson
interrupts. He turns to Chancellor Keller who’s joining us again.
“My apologies again, Chancellor. I’m sorry it had to come to
this.”

“Sampson,” Clarence clears his throat,
throwing his old friend a look. “It seems we arrived just in
time.”

“I’ll say that,” Werzo laughs, rubbing his
arm where a thin red line drips. “We were about to get
slaughtered!”

“Yes, well, I could have told you that would
have happened,” Chancellor Keller snaps, redirecting his focus on
the princess. “Except by the time we returned, Princess Ariana
advised us you had left.”

“Pratt would be dead by now if we
hadn’t.”

“
Fallon
,” Sampson shakes his head.

“I know we disobeyed your request to stay,” I
look at the chancellor, “but we
had
to do what we did. We
have to protect our own.”

“I can see that,” he looks around at the
wounded Muskos still being escorted out. “And what about mine?”

“We just wanted her back. Everything else was
incidental.”

“And how am I to explain that to the
queen?”

“Just as it sounds,” Reid says. “The last
thing we wanted was animosity between us. Had Pratt been killed, it
would have ignited a war between the Arizals and Mybyncia,” he’s
bluffing, but keeps his voice believable. “The Vermix wouldn’t be
your only enemy.”

“We did this to protect our friend,” I motion
to Pratt in Sampson’s arms, “and our ties with your nation.”

“I hope the queen sees it that way,” the
chancellor exhales.

“I will speak with my mother,” Princess
Ariana pushes her shoulders back with a regal air. “It is my fault
as much as theirs.
I
told them where the Musko lair was and
helped get them here.”

“Yes,” the chancellor sighs with
disappointment. “I am very surprised you withheld this information
from us all this time, Princess, yet you tell our guests as soon as
it works in their favor.”

“Surprised?” she glowers. “You never bothered
asking before. It was never your concern until tonight.”

“
They
were never our concern until
tonight,” he motions to the Muskos still being escorted out. “You
could have come directly to us, to
me
. The Fychu and I were
working out a plan to…”

“…to explain to my mother how you did
everything you could. Yes, I am aware. If I am not mistaken, I
believe it is still our policy to honor
the
Way.” She
gestures to Pratt. “Please explain why she is any less important
than me?” the chancellor starts but she cuts him off again. “At the
first knowledge of her abduction, you should have ordered an
immediate counterstrike to retrieve her.”

“We were attacked earlier,” he’s clenching
his teeth. “You barely escaped with
your
life—how am I to
strike against a domestic enemy without knowledge of their
whereabouts when they have only taken a single human girl?”

I cross my arms. “Why bother coming to get us
if we’re so insignificant?”

“That’s enough, Fallon,” Sampson snaps. “We
will discuss this when we get back.”

“Princess…” Chancellor Keller grumbles. “It
is time you return to the palace.”

“Ariana!” Perio calls, squirming in his
restraints as he’s led away. “Ariana!
Wait!
”

She holds up her hand and the guard pauses,
grasping Perio and facing him towards the princess.

“I did this for you!” he yells. “This is for
you!”

“I do not want this. This is
murder
.
This is more innocent blood spilt.”

“They came to
our
waters. Chancellor
Keller said it himself—you barely escaped! I needed to avenge
you!”

“I do not need to be avenged. Nothing was
done to me.”

“But I love you! I love you! This is all
for—”

“You may take him with the others,” she nods
to the guard. “My mother will deal with them in the morning.”

Perio is escorted out with the rest of the
Muskos, disappearing into the dark, murky water below. The princess
returns focus to the chancellor.

“Yes, I think it wise to retire for the
night. I am too sickened to think coherently,” she turns to us with
a guilty, shameful frown. “I am
so
sorry that we have
troubled you so. I had hoped your stay would have been pleasant.
Tomorrow we will discuss what amends can be made for our outrageous
behavior,” she glances at Tucker as the same red blooms in her sage
cheeks. “Well… good night.”

The princess is led out by the remaining
portion of guards. With a heavy look, the chancellor turns to
Sampson who’s already nodding.

“I’ll get them back.”

“Now that the Muskos are under our
surveillance, there is no further threat,” Chancellor Keller shifts
his focus to us. “Please resort to the customary quarters provided
to our guests.”

Sampson nods. “I’ll see to it.”

“Thank you,” he clamps him on the shoulder,
diving into the dark water after the princess and leaving us in the
empty Musko lair.

“Where to begin?” Sampson exhales.

“We’ll discuss it at the FH—you’ve said so
repeatedly,” Clarence leaps onto Mimi’s cratered back, gesturing to
the rest of us to follow, “alright kids. Time to leave.”

After ascending her cratered back—with Pratt
suited and secured beneath Sampson—Mimi lowers into the water,
soaring back into the black depths and leaving the Musko lair
behind. Riding toward the glowing city in the distance, we finally
arrive at the Docking Station in minutes. As we dismount, Reid
makes his way to Sampson and the two exchange words.

“We’re in a very dangerous situation,”
Sampson explains as the rest of us approach, removing our headgear.
When I take mine off, a small trail of blood runs from my hairline
down my cheek from where my head hit my helmet during Kendal’s
blow. I wipe the moisture away quickly as Jace assumes my side with
Pratt in his arms. Sampson glances between all of us. “The Vermix
attacked earlier and now, so have we.”

“Only after they started it!” Werzo says.

“The queen will not see it this way. She
invited us here under the agreed understanding that our stay would
be in peace. You went to the Musko lair—a group prized for their
loyalty to the queen—and accosted them.”

“Only to take back what was ours,” Jace looks
down at Pratt’s tiny frame.

“What were we supposed to do?” I ask, upset
to be fighting Sampson on this. “Pratt would’ve died. If we hadn’t
showed up when we did…”

“And I’m thankful for that!” he exclaims,
more frustrated than I’ve ever seen him. “I’ve very glad things
turned out well but it’s still not over. There will be
repercussions…” he sighs, offering a saddened glance to Pratt. He
takes a moment, inhales and returns focus to us. “I hope you all
understand it was never my intention to do nothing. I had to speak
with the chancellor about our options. We were always planning to
go after her, but it needed to be done in the
right
way,
without injury and accusation.”

“We were hoping to get her back without it
even reaching the queen.” Clarence jumps in, rubbing the back of
his neck. “The Muskos would get a slap on the wrist and no one
would know. Keller figured Princess Ariana would know the lair’s
whereabouts but by the time he reached her, she told us where you’d
gone.”

It’s quiet for a long moment. Even if what
they’re saying is true, it still doesn’t change the fact that Pratt
would’ve been dead before they showed up.

“We had to do
something
,” I say.

“And you have,” Sampson nods with a heavy
sigh. “I just don’t know what it’ll cost us.”

“We’re lucky the princess likes you so much,”
Clarence grins. “She’s talking to the queen on our behalf. If we
didn’t have her fighting for us, this might go a very different
way.”

“What can we expect?” Reid asks.

“Best case scenario?” Clarence shrugs,
“She’ll drop the charges on both parties and the incident will go
down as never happening.”

“Are we being charged?” I ask.

“Well…” Clarence strokes his chin, “…there
are
several injured Mybyncians.”

“None were killed,” Reid shrugs.

“And let’s thank our lucky stars for that,”
he exhales, running his hand through his hair, “but, worst case
scenario, we’ll be asked to leave immediately, our welcome
revoked.”

“We need the Mybyncians,” Sampson says to
Clarence, “the Nerwos and Zigfinolds are neutral. They won’t fight
for either cause unless provoked.”

“Then let’s hope we didn’t piss off the
queen!” Clarence laughs, freezing when he catches the serious
expression of his friend. “Look, if we’re asked to leave, we’ll
leave. We’re supposed to catch up with Blovid anyway.”

“Where do you think he is?” I ask.

“One of the moons,” Clarence shrugs. “Larupip
or Arosin. Although…” he scratches his chin, “he does have some
friends on Nerwolix.”

“He wouldn’t be that foolish to bring them
in,” Sampson says.

“Let’s hope Reuzkimpart is not foolish enough
to go looking for him there,” Clarence eyes his old friend. “Look,
it’s late. There’s nothing more we can do about it tonight.”

Sampson nods, glancing at Pratt. “We’ll need
to get some Vilbrees on you.”

“I’ll heal.”

“You’re getting Vilbrees,” Reid orders,
turning to me and eyeing my head. “You too.”

“It’s in our quarters,” Sampson starts for
the tunnel towards the Great Hall. “But after that, the girls will
have to retire back to the East Wing.”

Reid shoots me a fleeting glance. “Will the
chancellor really know?”

“It doesn’t matter. We can’t risk further
insult.”

“They’ll be fine,” Clarence assures as we all
move through the passage, “I know I said that earlier, but I now I
really
promise. Everything is locked down for the
night.”

“What if there’s a further threat we don’t
know about?” Tucker asks.

“There will always be another threat,”
Sampson sadly sighs. “The best we can do is be prepared and fight
with all we’ve got.”

We walk through the Great Hall and down the
tunnel leading to the boys’ room. Once we arrive, Sampson has Jace
place Pratt on the bed’s edge.

“Let’s see your eye,” he rubs some of the
bluish green substance on it, circling more down by her busted lip.
Once finished, he takes her hands in his, gently applying some of
the lotion to her tender wrists. “Just a little more. There,” he
sighs with an odd expression I’ve never seen. But it’s gone the
next second, his eyes shifting to me. “You’re next, Fallon.”

I shake my head. “I’ve already used up my
allowed quota for the day.”

“She can have mine,” Reid walks past,
standing beside Sampson and scanning me, “the gash on her head. Her
arm probably needs a touch up too.”

“I agree,” Sampson gestures me to sit and
begrudgingly, I do. He starts on my forehead, working in the cool
lotion between the curls at my hairline. “Wish I would’ve brought
more.”

“I’ll live.”

“Not if you keep pulling stunts like this,”
his eyes flicker to Pratt. “You must take caution. We’re in a
highly dangerous environment,” he scans everyone, scolding all of
us now, “there is no easy clean-up and it will only get worse. If
you’re feeling foolish again, mind your safety. Clarence, Qippert
and I will do everything in our power to protect you but…”

“…it may not be enough,” Clarence sighs. “We
need you guys playing smart from now on, okay?”

Sampson finishes with my arm and reapplies
the bandage, rolling down my suit’s sleeve. “Alright,” he exhales,
“Salva will retrieve you for breakfast.”

“Bring your appetite,” Clarence smiles, his
brows flicking with humor. “I hear it’ll be Glippis heart with a
side of Wigwig and Wormin.”

“Eww…” Pratt makes a face, heading for the
tunnel out. “I hope it’s better than the eye.”

“Will it only be us?” I ask.

Clarence tilts his head back and forth,
considering. “The queen may choose to dine with us… but I wouldn’t
be offended if she doesn’t. There’s a possibility the princess may.
We all just have to remember she’s
royalty
and every
interaction with her needs to be on a
friendly
, platonic
basis,” he glances around, pausing briefly on Tucker, “at this
point, at least.”

The Rogue Leader averts his eyes, finding
Reid instead but he’s watching me make for the tunnel with Pratt
and Mae, his eyes wide and uncertain. He’s debating something.

“Shouldn’t Salva be walking with them?” he
directs his question to Sampson.

“Under normal circumstances—yes. But since
the princess was out of her bedchambers and present during a scene
of such violence, Salva’s immediate responsibilities have shifted
to protecting her.”

“For the rest of our stay?” Mae frowns.

“I assume only for this one night… but who
knows? Tomorrow, we may not even be here. Now,” Sampson gestures to
the tunnel’s opening, “off with you three. Big breakfast
tomorrow.”

Making his way for Pratt, Reid gently scoops
her into his arms, “she’s not walking after what she’s been
through.”

“Always the gentleman,” Sampson smiles.
“Alright, we’ll see you in a few.”

Reid nods and with Pratt cradled in his arms,
he makes for the exit, Mae and I following behind. We walk in
silence, past the Great Hall and towards the tunnel leading to our
room in the East Wing. When we finally arrive, Reid approaches the
bed and gently lays Pratt in the middle.