Shameful

Chapter Two

The drive was long, and I was beginning to get groggy. I leaned over to Cal and asked, "Hey Cal, how much longer?"

"Caia stop asking. We're almost there."

I huffed and leaned back in my seat, trying my best to take my mind off of the horror that I'd witnessed a mere few hours ago. I didn't know how Cal was holding up. They were his parents. He had watched them die. No. They were our parents. Maud and Alastair had raised me, and to realise that they were gone constricted my heart in ways I couldn't fathom. I couldn't think about it right now though, not with Cal here. I had to be strong until I got home. 

Home. It's a weird thing to consider a palace that you haven't lived in in 10 years, but that's what it was now. 

We sat in silence for about twenty more minutes before Cal spoke up.

"They really loved you you know".

"Not as much as they loved you Cal, and I mean it. You really always have made them proud. I couldn't imagine anyone living up to you".

"They were good parents to us".

I smiled and tears prickled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah they were". 

Cal reached across the middle of the console to clasp my hand in his. 

"Look ahead Cai, do you see that?"

 I scanned the horizon, finally noticing a black dot begin to shape ahead of us. It slowly grew, getting bigger and bigger the closer we got. It was a base of some sort, built into the side of a cliff, surrounded by towers overlooking the area around it. We got to one, and was stopped by a gruff looking guard of sorts. 

"Name." He stated, looking like he could rip my arm straight out of its socket. 

"Calloway Händel"

The guard scanned Cal's hand, pointing him in a direction ahead, "entrance C", he stated.

Cal pulled away, following a path to a rather large garage door. He got there, and entered a code in a post outside his window, which lifted the door to reveal a large garage of sorts, filled with planes and vehicles galore. 

We were once again stopped by a guard who scanned Cal's palm again and guided us into a parking spot inside the room. As soon as we were parked, we were ushered out of the car, and into an office conjoined to the garage. 

Three guards flanked me as we entered the room. The office held a desk with chairs opposite to it, and a gruff, authoritative looking man sitting in the desk chair. He spoke. "Please, sit down."

We sat in the chairs across from him and he dismissed the guards. 

Once again, the man cut through the silence. "I'm sure you're wondering where you are Caia. This is only one of the hundreds of bases set up throughout the Reignland. We are here to help protect the population, to eliminate the soulless, and today, to help get you home. My name is Miro Hayan, and I am the General here at Base 78."

"Hello General Hayan."

"Listen Caia, time is of the essence, the sooner we get you back to the palace, the sooner you will be safe. The soulless have probably already realised you're here."

"Well how am I going to get there? Its a multiple days trip."

"Not by Jet sweetheart. We already have one set up for you. It's set to leave in a half hour."

"Oh okay. Well that makes me feel better. Will Cal be at the palace until he enrolls at the academy?"

"Your time with Cal ends here."

"What? No. Cal is not staying here."

"Not here necessarily, but at a base, until he's in training."

"That's not fair. I don't want to leave him behind."

Cal spoke up, "Cai, this is what was always in line for me when you were going to leave. It's okay. It's what I want to do".

"General Hayan please. I don't want to go back without Cal."

"I'm sorry Caia but my hands are tied. Now its time to board the jet. I'll give you two a minute to yourselves".

As soon as General Hayan left the room I rushed over to Cal and grasped him by the shoulders, crushing him in an embrace. 

"Caia it's going to be okay. Listen to me. You are going to board the jet and go to the palace where you will harness your powers. I will go to the academy and train. We will see each other again. I promise."

"I love you Cal, stay safe."

"I love you too Caia. Remember to protect yourself okay?"

"Of course."

Cal leaned back from our hug and kissed me on the cheek. With one last squeeze to my hand, he opened the office door and headed outside, leaving me all by myself.