The Ghost of an Empire

Chapter Eighteen

They grabbed us and forced our hands up. They took my pack, my wristband, my Irinduine hat, and my Stun pistol. They put us at gunpoint and brought us down to the huge room where Adalana was. They forced us on our knees in front of the platform, our arms bound.

He laughed slightly when he saw us. He was amused by our failure. He was evil. And he talked to us.

"Spies.", he said scorningly. "I have been back for two weeks and the Government is already sending me spies? How... pathetic. Although," He said, now smiling a cold smile, "It seems that I... Underestimated the officials of Zjarr and Udara."

"You. The red-haired woman", he said, pointing at Aika. "I know who you are. But I see from your eyes that you have left that pathetic 'Gilt Order'." Aika stiffened when he said that. "Aika", he said, sneering in triumph at her reaction of him knowing her name, "Wouldn't it be better for you to not me, now?" Aika shook her head violently. "Ah well, a shame", he said. 

He paced to the right and then faced Suuri. "i know who you are, too, boy. You are Hladan's  little lapdog. You are cowardly. You would rather join me than die, I know it. I need little Government people on my side."

Suuri looked up at the Dictator for a moment, terror and then defiance in his eyes. "Never", he said in a loud, clear voice.

I was blazingly proud of him. I wished that...

Finally, the Dictator came to me, now with pink patches on his pale cheeks. "Eris", he hissed menacingly. I closed my eyes for a second, hoping that I could defy him as the others had. But he did not try to tempt me. Instead, he simply said: "I know who you are, and not because of your useless Government. Eris. Do you remember your parents?" He shouted the last part of this sentance, his face close to mine. I closed my eyes again. It couldn't be. Right? But this man looked like me and... My eyes opened again. His last name. Adalana. My father's last name. Adala. I had been born as Eris Adala.

And then a woman ran over towards us, across the platform. "Eris! She screamed. "Don't listem to him! He is not your father anymore. He took in Adalana's soul! He was Adalana's nephew, and he TOOK IN HIS SOUL!"

I didn't understand. But Aika and Suuri both did. "ERIS! LISTEN TO THE WOMAN!" Their voices mixed with that of the Dictator and the woman, and I fainted.

+++

Once again, I woke up locked up. This time though, the cell was a lot less nice. It was tiny, and I didn't share it with anyone. I couldn't see down the hall outside of my cell, because the bars weren't even big enough to put your hands through. But I did see the stone wall across from my celI. There was a screen hanging from it. On the screen, it said:

ERIS ADALA.                               (My blood boiled at them using my "father's" last name.)

IMPRISONED FOR SPYING FOR OTHERS.

SENTENCED TO BE EXECUTED IN      21h 37m 48s

I didn't feel shocked. I just sat on the cold hard ground. My mission had failed. I had probably killed all my friends.

I got a lump in my throat.

And then I remembered that I still could contact the Government.

+++

Presently, a figure in a dark cloak appeared in front of my cell door.  I looked up. The person took off their cloak. It was the woman who had told me that Adalana was sort of possessing my father's body. i had no desire to talk to her.  I put my head down again.

"Eris. Your father died a long time ago. He was- too loyal to his family. He believed that Adalana wanted to make things right again."

I didn't answer, so she continued. "You must be wondering why I am telling you this, or how I know" -actually I wasn't- "And it's because I am your mother. You might have guessed that." Actually, I hadn't. But at this point, nothing surprised me anymore. I looked up, and saw her eyes that looked like mine.... and my father's. I looked down again.

My mother stood in front of the cell for a while. And then when I didn't do anything, she walked away.

+++

I woke up. Now, four Cyborgs were at my door. One of them unlocked it. Two dragged me out of the cell. The screen now said  00h 00m 00s before I was to be executed. They dragged me away in their cold, metal arms.

They brought me to a hill. Sleet was pouring down from the sky, yet again. The ground was muddy.

They put me in front of a high, concrete wall. They blindfolded me and bound my arms behind my back. The Dictator's voice asked in a mocking way if I had any last words. I didn't. I just said in my head that I hoped that Suuri, Tym and Aika would live happily ever after, and that the Government would com before Suuri and Aika could be shot.

I didn't even care about myself anymore.

They readied the guns. They prepared to fire. I heard the gunshot.

And I wasn't dead.

I heard gasps. And then engines. The Government had come. The Irinduines, distracted, ran for weapons, and I was untied and my blindfold was taken off by Suuri. He gave me a revolver.

And I saw why I hadn't died. My mother lay dead on the ground in front of me. She had taken all of the shots.

The woman who I had never known, who I had ignored once I had met her, had sacrificed herself for me.

I walked to her body. I knelt next to her head on one knee, leaning on the revolver.

And yet again, I nearly cried. But not quite.