The Caverns of Kronos

Kronosia - Part 2

     The soldiers made their way systematically down the corridor-street, searching every room in every home as they went until they were satisfied that their quarry was nowhere in Hewlak sector, whereupon they moved on to search the next sector of the moon city. Morley gave the word that it was safe to emerge, and Shaun and Matthew dashed out to Clarissa’s home to see if Diana was safe.

     “I’m sorry I left you,” said Shaun as he gave her a bonecrushing hug. “I don’t know what came over me!”

     “It’s just as well you did leave,” replied the cleric as soon as she could breathe again. “There’s no way we could both have hidden, Clarissa was drained to exhaustion just hiding me! I was actually safer without you.” She then burst out laughing at the expression on his face.

     Later, as the Tharians relaxed in their new home, Diana, Lirenna and Jerry sitting on the three living room chairs and the others sitting on the floor, their knees bumping in the middle, they debated what they were going to do next. “We were lucky this time,” said the tiny nome, idly stroking his short, silver beard, “but they’re likely to search the city again. We daren’t hang around here a moment longer than we have to.”

     “Right,” agreed Lirenna. “As well as the danger, we’re dependent on their charity for food and drink and I don’t like that. We’ve got to get out of here as soon as possible.”

     “So we need to steal back the Necklaces of Vacuum Breathing so we can get to the teleportation chamber,” said Shaun. “Maybe we can ambush a group of them on their way to the airlocks.”

     “Or find where they’re kept and just steal them,” suggested Matthew. “They’ll be in the Konnen mansion somewhere.”

     “It’d be suicide to try breaking in there,” protested Thomas. “They all know us by sight. We’d be caught the moment we showed our faces.”

     “Then we’ll just have to make sure they don’t see us,” said Shaun. He turned to Diana. “That trick you and Clarissa used. Could you do it again?”

     “No,” replied the cleric. “For one thing, she’s a cleaner in the Hewlak mansion, not the Konnen mansion. She’s got no legitimate reason to go there. And anyway, she has to be lying down or standing still to concentrate. She couldn’t walk at the same time. And even if it was possible, I’ve put her and her family in enough danger already. I’m not putting them in any more.”

     The soldier nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Maybe Lenny can enchant a guard and get him to steal them back for us.” He looked at Lirenna hopefully.

     “I think that may be our only chance,” agreed the demi shae. “It’s still risky, though. This’ll be the fourth time I’ve enchanted a Konnen guard. They’ll be wising up to it by now.”

     “Not necessarily. They don’t know you enchanted Duncan...” Pain and guilt flashed momentarily across Lirenna’s face, “...and they don’t know for certain why Parkus helped us steal our spellbooks back."

     "Don't forget that man in the spindle shaped cave," said Lirenna. "One moment he was trying to rape me, the next he attacks one of his former friends. Three Konnens got away and came back here. What if they saw me casting the spell, reported it to their superiors?"

     "They were all too busy fighting the rest of us," pointed out the cleric. "They weren't paying any attention to you."

     "This is Lenny we’re talking about," Thomas reminded her. "No living man could have helped looking at her."

     "Maybe not," said Shaun, though. "From what I've heard, the guards pretty much have the pick of the women here. They can help themselves to anyone who takes their fancy. The sight of a pretty girl may not mean as much to them as it does to us. I certainly didn't notice any of them staring at Lenny. When the fighting was over, yes, then they probably would have, but I don't think a pretty girl's such a novelty to them that they'd allow their attentions to be distracted in the middle of a battle."