Wolda– Home of the Vain – Six hundred dead – Fire

-Page six

 

“Marrin… Marrin… MARRIN!”

I shouted at the large man. He had donned the metal strap, giving him his abnormal method of sight. He stood, slack-jawed and speechless, staring into the faces of his daughter… or daughters. I was not sure how best to define it.

The two Mika’s were lying side by side on two separate gurneys. In the medical room, Athea had harshly shoved everyone but me and Marrin out through their many protests. She was fussing over the two sedated women, starting by removing the rest of their clothing and covering each with a thin medical paper. I stood watching as Athea, half hidden under the paper, seemed to scan every inch of each body with various tools her Hud conjured from thin air.

No one spoke for about twenty minutes, with the only noise coming from the ruffling paper, Athea’s random gasps, and Marrin’s heavy breathing. It appeared that the large man forgot to breathe every so often as he stared down at them.

“What happened?” He asked me. “I saw she had died in my party settings, but I didn’t understand. We just woke up.”

“Best we sit down. Don’t worry about getting knocked out. That was…” How do I explain this without explaining it? “An accident…” he didn’t believe me.

He turned that scared face on me, then slowly nodded us out. We left Athena’s administrations to the clatter of Camilla, Deckel, and Sam shouting over each other. I couldn’t understand a word any of them were saying, and frankly, I was too exhausted to try to calm them down. Marrin must have seen my frustration because the enormous man locked the medical room and swept the three aside with a single massive arm. They cried out and cursed, but he pushed past and moved to his room.

Just before he walked through the door, he turned to the three of them.

“Listen, you three, don’t… don’t do what you do best. Just…”

“And what do we do best?” Sam asked in the strange Gillish accent he shared with his brother. 

“Being nosey little shits. Leave Athea be for now, and I will explain everything once I know.”

“Little shits, my ass…” I heard Camilla whisper, but they all left the door and returned to some chairs in the center of the command deck.

Stepping into Marrin’s room, it shocked me to see the large hover desk had been smashed apart. Someone had torn many cabinets from the walls, and the far window had a massive crack in the middle. No doubt this had been Marrin’s reaction after seeing his daughter’s death, but it was still terrifying just seeing the destruction.

Before I could speak, however, the large man, standing a good two heads taller than me, turned. His pale eyes were filled with bloody tears, and he grabbed me. It was rough, and I was worried he was attacking me for a moment before I realized it was an embrace; he was hugging me. Ugly sobs erupted from him, and I felt the top of my right shoulder growing steadily wetter. I was ready to shove him off, then thought better of it after spotting the remains of his desk again. He finally let go and stepped back.

“I… I’m sorry.” He cleared his voice and wiped the tears away with a bloody sleeve. 

“It’s nothing.” That was what you said in these awkward situations, right?

“It is not nothing. I can never repay you, though the circumstances are not what I expected… it certainly could be worse.”

That was undoubtedly true.

“Are you worried about… two of them?” I asked.

To my surprise, the man snored out with a laugh.

“Not particularly. She always wanted a sister, and now… Are they the same?” he asked, not finishing his thought. 

“Based on their identical reactions and simultaneous faints, I’d wager they are.” I told him.

The large man nodded.

“I think they will be fine.” Said Marrin.

Still baffled at the apparent nonchalance of it all, it left me wordless. Apparently, Hud users expected such things to happen, and I would need to get used to the oddities.

“Tell me everything.” Marrin said. “And that also better explain why we were all knocked out a few hours ago.”

“Give me a moment to gather my thoughts.” I said more for a play on time.

“Imona?” I asked.

“Huh? Little busy… bug, you know?” She said.

“Right, I’ll be quick. I need to tell Marrin about you.” I told her.

Imona gasped and shouted, “No!” I swore I could feel the ship around us lurch. She really was getting more and more control over this enormous vessel.

“I need to. I think the only way we can get out of here is by actually taking this ship.” 

“Yeah, so what?” she said.

“So what? How else can I explain how I have complete control over this ship?”

“I… well… that is actually a good point.” She stammered.

“He was the one who gave you to me. I think we can trust him.” I told her.

“I don’t like it… but fine.”

And with that, I told Marrin everything. Well, nearly everything; I did not tell him my real name. I explained from the moment I received the Hud. From when Imona spoke to me, to the tentative deal I made with Ceartas. I needed to fudge a few things the queen said so as not to give away my identity, but all in all, it took a few hours. The large man sat there quietly and didn’t speak, save for the odd question here and there. When I finished, he remained silent for another few minutes as he stood and paced the room.

I grew anxious in the ensuing minutes of silence. My ears rang to the point of giving me a headache until Marrin finally, and thankfully spoke.

“My enemy…” he whispered.

“Sorry?” I asked.

Marrin turned towards me quickly; I didn’t think he meant to speak out loud. The large man let out a large sign and continued to speak.

“There Is an ancient proverb; Enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He told me. “No one knows where it originated. If this Ceartas…” he said in derision. “is speaking the truth, she would be a great ally. But is she? The tenuous leash around her neck was not a physical compulsion; she still chose to do what she has done.”

He unknowingly touched on a bit that plagued my anxiety. My mind flashed back to her pacing, shouting about the flicker and clearly suffering from some mental illness. She must have some kind of connection to the emperor if that were true. I couldn’t feel any connection to her… I didn’t know what to think yet.

“Marrin… would she be, though?” I asked.

“Explain?” said the hard man.

“Marrin, you said yourself that you left the rebellion. You took what’s left of your family and searched for a peaceful home. Would she be a great ally? Think of Mika and what just happened.”

The large man grew tense and quiet once more.

“Son… you are right, though I fear with you and… being here…” he waved his arms around the plexiclear walls and outward towards the massive ship. “has thrown us right back in it. Athea will never forgive me, and she is right not to.”

He let out another large sigh. He better be careful before he passes out.

“This… Hud of yours, can it…”

“Can she.” I spoke simultaneously; Imona said the same over the intercom.

“Awwwww!!” she shouted in my head. “You do love me!” 

Marrin glanced upward and shook his head.

“I am an old man, Bas; I can’t be surprised by much. Yet in the past two days, you have nearly made my heart fail many times…”

I let out a cheeky smile.

“Alright… Is she… are… are you…” he turned, addressing the ceiling. “sure you can control this ship?” he asked.

“It’s funny…” she whispered in my head. “he is looking at the ceiling when I’m on your chest. No! Don’t tell him; this is fun.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I will know for sure… umm… tomorrow. Yeah… tomorrow. Probably. Umm…”

“Holy hell Imona!” I shouted in my head.

“Hush you.” She said over the intercom.

I watched Marrin’s confused expression turn towards comprehension. After another sign, he sat on the ground against the nearly broken plexiclear wall. He stared out into the stars muttering to himself.

“We are no longer trapped here if the Butchers will truly no longer attack us. We could get back to my ship and escape.”

“I don’t think Ceartas will be fond of that idea. I think she is insane.”

“She sure is, but I cannot rule it out. I will think about this Bas. You go rest.”

“Marrin, there isn’t much time before…”

“I understand that, but no matter what path we take forward, we must wait for your Hu… for Imona.” He explained. “Rest; you look exhausted. Speak to Deckel; he will get you a bed pad and food.”

At the mention of food, my stomach let out a roar that would emasculate the Butchers. I grew slightly lightheaded and realized that I had only been moving forward due to adrenaline and the strength my Hud provided.

“I provided.” Imona said.

“Yeah… yeah… time to eat.”