His Hand In The Shadows

Chapter 26: Our Reality

The room was a soothing white, five floors off the ground. Medication was lined along the desks for the nurses we who were in and out of there.

Zayd sat next to Ayla. She sat up in her bed, drawing diagrams with her bandaged hand that was strapped with a fluid tube. The military commander and Division 3 captain stood over her.

The commander was aged and grey. His uniform was the usual grey and brown of the warrior's but with a sash across his torso. He wore a grey band strapped around both his arms in an X to show his captain rank.

Captain Xiaan was near Kyarra's age. She kept her brown hair in a single braid down her back, tied with a bright pink tie which contrasted the toughness of the brown and grey uniform. Both arms were strapped with the captain's band in black, her left hand was gloved and her right bandaged. She carried a staff strapped to her back. But aside from her intimidating height and rank, her face was friendly.

"The holding cells are here." Ayla marked an X on the map.

"It's close to where some of the halos last went off," Captain Xiaan said. "Tracking technology in halos are new and still faulty. Not many warriors had them. We were close to having the crown greenlight the rescue till the second prince shared that bit of information. In addition, we received intel that there was a holding cell on the other side of the country, near the capital so we were stuck between two unconfirmed zones."

"Will you also go to the second location?" Ayla asked.

"We do not have much to work with there. But it is not likely that all three hundred men are held in the same place."

"Three hundred?"

The captain bulged her eyes with a nod. "You see the king likes.. to fib at times, but of course, this is classified." The captain raised the paper to Ayla's face that she had just signed.

"Of course." She turned her attention back to the map. "They are held a floor below ground level. The bathroom was on that floor, I can draw that layout too. Well, only from the bathroom to the interrogation room, I asked to go there each time I was questioned. I counted my steps everywhere I went." Ayla did a quick sketch as she spoke. "When they finally released us, they bagged our heads and escorted us up stairs. They switched guards when we got to the ground level, from guards with no magic, to troops with. We went up another set of stairs to the exit. When outside, we were taken down the steep side of the hill." She drew a line through her sketch of a mountain, representing the path. "It was rugged so the path was slow. By carriage, 7 hours from the holding cell to the start of the red zone. I counted. I know from traveling to Hermes Academy when we first arrived at Arcus that it's roughly 5 hours from the mountains to the red zone, so being in the mountain alone was 2."

"Isn't this great?" the captain said to the commander. "She is great. Kyarra always spoke highly of you. You will be great in Division 3. We have your spot ready." She pulled Ayla's head to her chest. Ayla's eyes lit up. Her spot was ready with her name on it. She was talking with Kyarra's captain and commander—a dream come true. She could cry. Her stomach was fluttering. Butterflies? She gripped her stomach. Not butterflies. She forced back down what was fighting to get out. Nothing would ruin this moment.

The commander sighed. "Xiaan, we need to get this done."

"Right!" she shouted, releasing Ayla's head.

"I am glad to be helpful." She was surprised at how shaky her voice was. She never got nervous. A shy smile flushed her face and she wondered just how sick she really was.

The captain smiled back.

"How do you feel?" Zayd asked.

She had forgotten he was still there. She had been so eager to see him. She didn't even know how she got to the hospital. She had been released, waited for him, she saw him, then woke up in the hospital. He looked good. Tired, but good. Better than she felt. "Great." She responded. She continued her drawing and wondered if this cloud-like state was genuine. She was practically floating. Captain Xiaan was before her. Kyarra's captain had a spot for her with her name on it. She smiled again. They say after the high comes... something lower.