Arcadia : The Hidden Child

Chapter 8

I rolled over in bed and saw the sun was out and quickly jumped out of bed and threw my clothes on an headed for the front door.  There was still no sign of anyone, so I waited for a second, but then my stomach started to grumble.  I headed to the dining hall where, as usual, Tristan had food prepared for me.  I didn't understand how he always managed to have food piping hot when I walked in, yet I never saw him. 
It had been two days and he had done a fantastic job of avoiding me, not that I was really looking for him, but I had noticed he was nowhere to be seen.  Fortunately, Cash would find me whenever he stopped by to give Tristan his briefings every morning and night.  Depending on the time he showed up in the evening, he would have dinner with me and we would talk like old times, but I didn't dare ask him about Tristan.  The last thing I needed was for him to think there was some sort of interest that went beyond innocent curiosity. 
The morning went by faster than I would have expected, since Cash was a no show. I went to the workout room to help get my mind off of things and Albus entertained me as he usually did over the last couple of days.  Before too long, I heard the buzzer sound on the front door and I quickly wiped my face with the towel that Albus had provided me.
They were finally here!  I ran to the front door and the halls were filling up with people.  I made my way through the crowd looking for Ty, Cash or Franz and didn't see any of them, or Tristan.  I half expected to see him here, looking over all the people coming in.  People quickly dispersed out of the main hall to find their assigned rooms or grab food in the dining hall.  I stood at the front door, waiting for the next group but this one only seemed to have about fifteen or twenty people.  I wonder how far apart the groups are?
It was only a couple of minutes later when I saw another group coming out of the surrounding trees into the open field in front of the hub, this group looked a little more tired than the last.  When they were closer I opened the door for them, each of them swiped their arm and a blue light flashed on their wrist and on the frame of the door.  I watched each person coming in and still did not see Ty, Cash, or Franz, I did however see Mars and who I presume were his two sisters.  He gave me a nod of approval, I assume for being up and mobile.
The next group came and went, but I continued to stand at the door, panic was starting to creep in a little.  More time had passed between the third group and the fourth group than any other group so far.  Had something happened?  I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed, but realized I was the only one standing by the door.  Tristan would be here if something had happened, right?
The next minutes creeped by and a pit started to form in my stomach.  I tried to reassure myself that everything was ok, but I could tell there was something wrong.  Something from the right side of the field grabbed my attention, they were hiding behind a tree, watching me.  My heart began to beat fast.  Was it the Nevi? Had they tracked a group here?  Should I tell someone?  I didn't want to leave the door though, I wanted to watch them.  I looked around for anyone I could tell, but there was no one.  Why was there no one here? I could feel the frustration boiling inside of me.  I looked back the woods and saw the person stepping forward.  They were making their move.  I started to move away from the door to go warn someone, anyone, but then I noticed there were more.  Was it the other group? They looked tired, worried, something... something was definitely off about them. 
"You shouldn't be here." A familiar voice said behind me.
I turned and saw Tristan. 
I looked back at the group of people.  "Well I have nowhere else to be." I said shortly.
As the group of people drew closer, I could tell some had ripped clothes and their hair was a mess.
"What happened?  Why are you here?"
"We are handling it, everything is fine."  He sounded slightly annoyed and agitated.
"Don't lie to me."  I realized after I spoke, my tone sounded more harsh than I'd intended but it was too late to change it.
"Don't concern yourself with things that don't pertain to you." He snapped back. 
Fortunately the group of people had just started flooding in through the door and I lost Tristan.  He shouldn't have snapped at me, I didn't do anything wrong.  I couldn't have, I hadn't seen him in days. 
I watched most of the people come in and some had minor scratches on their face, neck and arms.  There was a small break and then more people started coming in, this must have been the fifth group, because these people seemed far better off than the group before them.  I saw Franz enter and relief poured through me. 
"Araleigh!" He shouted.  He cut through the crowd and gave  me a hug, his ever-bright smile was showing. 
"Franz, so good to see you!"
He grimaced.  "Tristan been that hard to deal with?"
How did he know?  I smiled.
"He tends to keep to himself in situations like this and it always makes him on edge."
"Do situations like this happen often?"
"Not like this particular incident, this is the first time our hub had been compromised, but there are other safety situations and potential attacks Tristan handles.  He is great at this stuff... strategizing plans of attack, knowing which way the Nevi are going to move before they move."
I nodded quietly.  "Interesting."
He put his arm around me and guided me a little further from the door.  "You look good, this place seems to have done wonders for you." He pushed me away to look at me and then continued, "You seem to have regained your strength and color."  He ran his fingers across my scalp and ears, fiddled with my hands and palms and then dropped them. 
"Are you checking me over?"
"Yes, you were under my care and I had not seen you in a while.  I was concerned about you and your well-being of course."
"Of course."  I couldn't help myself but I gave him another hug.  "I really missed you!"
"And I, you."
I looked around.  "Was Ty in your group?  I still haven't seen him or Cash yet."
"Cash is in the last group, they should be here any minute and Ty was in the group in front of me."
"Oh."
"Oh?  Why do you say it like that?"
"I don't know what happened, but I didn't see Ty in that group, but I could have missed him, they were pouring in, almost running.  Something had them spooked and a few others had minor injuries on them."
"Injuries?  I am probably needed in the infirmary then.  He gave me a quick hug and then sprinted down the hall. 
He should have been in the last group.  I played the words over and over again in my mind, looking around, hoping to see him, but it appeared most of these people had been in Franz's group.
I watched as people from Cash's group came in and still no Ty.  My heart began to beat harder and faster and that pit in my stomach was now growing by leaps and bounds.  Surely someone had to know something about what happened to Ty. 
I saw Cash walk in and he flashed me a quick smile and then walked off in the opposite direction of me.  He knew what was going on.  Damn it! I needed to know!
I stood at the door and watched everyone move around, working like a well-oiled machine, picking up duties and tasks where others had left off.  A group of people got all of the tables and chairs set up and laid out while others got to work in the kitchen preparing food and drinks for anyone interested.
I left the dining hall and made my way to the infirmary.  It was amazing how much life these halls seemed to have now, as if they were alive, pulsing, thriving on those around them.
I past a line of five or six people when I walked into the infirmary and saw three others waiting and about five others on beds.
Franz looked up at me.  "Araleigh, my angel!  Come here!"
I moved quickly across the room.  "What can I do?"
"I need you to apply pressure here, I have to run and grab a few things," he said sprinting out of the room, not waiting for me to answer.  He seemed to live for this, the energy coming off of him was electric.
The man on the table looked at me, glaring almost.  He shifted his arm as if trying to pull it out of my grasp, but I continued to press firmly. 
"I can handle this," he snapped. "You have done enough."
My head recoiled in shock. Done enough?  Did they all blame me?  I looked around and saw everyone staring at me, some with empathy, most with hatred in their eyes.
"Ok thanks Araleigh." Franz said, returning with his arms full of supplies, cutting through the tension.
I smiled and backed away.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Yea, fine."  I continued to back away and out the door.  I had completely forgot the reason I had gone to see Franz in the first place. 
These people hated me, they blamed me for their life being turned upside down and they weren't wrong.  If it wasn't for me, the Nevi would have never attacked the hub and everyone would still be fine and I guess if we wanted to go that route, they wouldn't even exist had I not fallen through the portal.  I felt like I was going to be sick and my hands started to shake as I looked around at all of the people who were injured or shuffling their belongings into their new rooms or trying to find their way around.  My palms were growing more sweaty and my legs were starting to feel weak, I needed to get out of here.
I felt a hand grab my arm and forcefully shove me into the room, "Stop, please don't hurt me, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."  I could feel the tears starting the pool, this was it, I turned around to face my attacker and stumbled backwards. 
Tristan.
"I am not going to hurt you, why would you think that?" His words were soft and concerned and he gently wiped a tear from my cheek.
I wiped my eyes, regaining my composure, "They hate me, you hate, everyone hates me.  I just... I just..."
He grabbed my hands between his, "Stop."  He gently lifted my chin up, "I don't hate you," he said the reassuringly.  "I...," he stopped and dropped his hand from my chin, let go of my hands and stepped away.  "Don't let them see you weak," his tone had completely changed and held an edge to it like he was angry... angry with me? Himself?
I didn't know what to say.
He turned around and sighed like he was fighting with himself, "I have to go, but stay in here as long as you need." The door opened and he took one step out and then turned around, "They don't hate you, they are just confused and if they knew you, the real you, not the girl they have been told about, they would like you," he winked and then walked away and the door closed.
I looked around the empty room, trying to process what had just happened when I heard a loud ring.
I walked over to the door and saw that everyone was moving through the halls to the front entrance.  I joined in with the crowd and was just as confused as they were, although some mentioned that it was some sort of communications broadcast.
We made it outside and everyone was directed to a large laser that was shooting up into the sky, it looked like a hazy cylinder with a face on it, a face I recognized all to well, Damian.
I felt a hand grab my arm and my heart quickened at the thought of Tristan coming out to find me and support me but when I turned, I saw Franz looking at me. "I came as soon as I heard."
His comment just solidified the feeling I had deep in my gut. 
"I am going to have to go help him Franz so please don't try to stop me."
"I know," he said regrettably.  "Let's watch from over here."  He pushed me through the crowd to the edge by the tree line.
"Gi chau lominada Arcadia."  Damian was dressed in a dark purple and gold robe.  He continued to speak in Arcadian.
"What is he saying?" I asked Franz.
"He is talking about you and the Queen, about the night you fell through the portal."
I continued to watch intently at the screen, waiting, for what I knew was coming.
"He is now talking about how you blew up the food storage facility on Earth and how you can' t be trusted."
It made sense, because a few of the people around me looked at me in disgust.  I shook my head, they didn't understand and I was sure he was twisting the facts.
Damian looked in the camera and then changed to English.  "Araleigh Winters, I have your other accomplice from Earth here," his words were laced with disgust, "it's time you and I had a chat."  The image panned out to show Ty standing center screen, gagged with his hands bound together and being held up by something off screen and his legs were buckled beneath him.  His eyes looked like they were barely open and there was blood pouring from the side of this face.  "This, Arcadia, is just another example of how your Queen is not protecting us.  This human from Earth was found sneaking around, no doubt to wreak the same destruction he caused on Earth."  He looked over at Ty and took the scepter looking rod in his hand and touched it to Ty's chest causing electricity to jump all around the end and then shoot into Ty causing him to spasm. 
I couldn't control the scream that left my body as tears started to stream down my face.
"This message is to you, Araleigh.  Turn yourself in to me to save your friends life.  You have until dark."
I looked at Franz who looked back at me.  "He is horrible."
"You have no idea. The things he says he does for the planet are despicable.  He has killed dozens and enslaved others all in the name of protecting our planet."
"Yea, I think I have seen some of those people."
He looked at me confused.
"When we came through the portal, he was taking people from Earth and sending them here and then sorting them... I don't know for  what though.  I just know the building seems pretty far from here."
"Yes, Cash told Tristan."
I looked back to where the lighted cylinder was in the sky and there was nothing now, no Damian and no picture of Ty hanging motionless.
"I have to go to Damian and save Ty."
He quickly pulled me into the woods.  "You have to be careful, I would stop you if I thought I could but I know you well enough to know you would find a way to escape."
I smiled a quick smile, he did know me.
"How am I going to get out of here?"
"With an A-rod."  A small clearing opened up and there sat two of the silver winged a-rods.  It must have been the one that Tristan used the night he picked me up from the club.
I ran and jumped on one.  "How do you work this?"
Franz  quickly ran through how to start it, accelerate and turn.
I turned it on and it start rising into the air and rocked back and forth.
"Steady yourself.  Use your body."  Franz yelled out.
I looked down at him, listening just as Tristan broke through the tree line.
I locked eyes with him and he looked furious.
"Araleigh!  Don't!"
I shook my head and lift higher into the air.  I briefly glanced back and saw Tristan kicking the dirt and yelling at Franz.
Sorry Franz.
I leaned to turn the vehicle toward where the beam had pierced the sky.  Images of Ty were seared into my brain and were replaying over and over again.  What would I do when I got to wherever Damian was holding Ty?  I had no plan... no back up...nothing.  What was I doing?  I should have talked to Cash or Tristan about this, formulated a plan or something, though neither one of them would have let me go and I needed to save Ty.  He had always been there for me in the past, and I needed to be there for him now.  I just hoped I wasn't too late. 
I rode for a little while longer and then saw two polished silver oval like objects hovering in the sky just in front of me, I must be getting close.  Within minutes they were flanking me on either side and were dressed in all black with a silver streak running down the back of their shirt. 
"Hello princess, that didn't take long at all." One of the goons said.
"Where is Ty?"  I spat out.
"We are taking you there now."  Just then two metal bars extended from the side of their craft and anchored to mine on both sides.  There was a small click and then the power to my vehicle shut off and the vibration of the engine stopped.  "Just enjoy the ride, we will guide you in, we can't have you trying to escape."
I let out a sigh and sat up straighter.
"You aren't too smart coming out here by yourself."
"You aren't very smart are you? Damian said to come alone, I am only following his directions so my friend doesn't die." I snapped back.
The one let out a moan.
We rode in silence for some distance when we rapidly lost altitude, causing our rides to  drop.  The one that had called me stupid managed to get it under control.
"What are you doing Rom?" The one shouted, clearly shaken.
"That wasn't me." Rom yelled back irritated.
"I know it wasn't you, but you need to watch out for those air pockets, if she falls off and dies we all die," he added, "And I don't want to die!!"
"Yea, yea.  Why are you whining so much, she hasn't even said a word about it." Rom mocked.
"Whatever."
I listened to them bicker back and forth a little while longer when I noticed we were coming up on what I assume were other vehicles in the sky up ahead.
"My welcoming committee?" I motioned in front of us.
"Protectors.  They guard the airspace above our compound." Rom said.
"How many are there?"
"Ten."
"Rom you idiot. Stop talking to her."
"It's not like she is going to tell anyone.  It doesn't matter, Leo," he said condescendingly.
Silence. 
We continued a little further and then my machine started giving off a low beeping noise.
"What is that?"
"Our security.  It lets us know when an unidentified aircraft is trespassing."  Leo answered matter-of-factly, as if he was trying to scare me.
"Stop talking to her," Rom imitated.
Leo rolled his eyes.
Moments later we passed through two guards after they saw Rom and Leo.  Rom spoke into his comm's device, I assume letting Damian know I had arrived.
We started to slowly descend and I quickly took a look around, trying to get a quick layout but there wasn't much to look at.  Off in the distance there was a house and then the field we were landing in on the edge of the lake, which taking a quick glance behind me I realized we had been over for sometime now.
"Don't think about trying to escape and swimming your way to freedom." Leo said snidely.
"Why not?"
"Just don't, or better yet, do." Leo smiled mirthlessly.
I ignored him, "Where are we going to land?"
"Don't worry about that princess."
I hated being called princess, babydoll or sweetie, and this was the second time.  The last person who called me one of those ended up with a broken arm.
We were hovering just over the water and I was fairly certain if I bent down I would be able to run my fingers through it, but my gut told me I shouldn't, especially after the comment Leo had just made.
The closer we got to the field, the more anxious I got.  I wanted to see Ty and make sure that he was still alive and then figure a way out for myself.  I was beginning to see how crazy of an idea this was coming off on my own.  Tristan's words were on replay in my head, 'you are too emotional... that is why you will always be beat'.  Would he try to find me?
The a-rods came to a stop in the field where a small group of people had gathered along the edge waiting for us, one of them I noticed immediately as Ty.  It looked like his hands were bound behind him and his head was hung down with blood running down the side of his face and a bandage around his leg.  What have they done to him?
I recognized Damian immediately, standing to Ty's right, wearing a dark suit with his dark black hair slicked back away from his face, slipping something into his pocket.  He saw me and opened his arms as if to embrace a long lost friend and smiled. "Araleigh, welcome, how was your trip?  I hope these two behaved themselves," he spoke the words playfully.
I just stood and looked at him, not saying a word. 
"Ok then, please come, I will get you situated in your room."  He turned and waved his arm gently in the air directing me where to go.
"First you need to send Ty away, that was the deal," as I was saying it, I realized that was not part of the original plan, but it couldn't hurt.
Damian looked at me, contemplating whether or not to send him home or not.   "Yes, yes, I did not forget."  He waved his arm and the two men holding Ty half led and half carried him to the a-rod I rode in on. 
I looked at Ty as he was approaching me and moved toward him when he was close enough.  Both Leo and Rom tried to grab me but Damian signaled for them to let me go and I ran up to Ty and put my hands on his face, tilting it up so he could see me.  "What did they do to you?"
He tried to smile.  "You should see the other guy."
"Ty," I said very motherly, "Are you ok?"
"I will be," He paused to catch his breath, "You shouldn't have come.  I would've been fine."
"You would have been dead."  I spat back quickly.
He smiled.  He knew he could not argue with me. 
"Water bad, don't try it."  His leg twitched. 
"Ok that's enough.  Say your goodbyes, we have lots of work to do Araleigh," Damian rushed.
Ty's arm clumsily fell around me when I reached up to give him a hug. "Patience." He whispered in my ear before he stumbled backwards. 
The two men stepped forward, grabbed his arms and helped him over to the a-rod.  They laid him over it and strapped him in and punched in a series of buttons on the panel. It fired to life and started lifting in the air.  Less than a minute later he was gone, hopefully on the way back to Tristan and Franz. 
Patience, he said.  He knew I was not a patient person.  Was he trying to protect me? What did it mean?
"Araleigh, darling, let's go."  He stepped forward and held out his arm for me to grab.
"I can walk on my own, thank you."
"As you wish," he slid his hands into his pocket. 
Damian's men gave us space as we walked, forming a loose circle around us.  I looked around trying to further assess the situation I was in, but came up with nothing.
He didn't look at me but started talking, "Let me save you some time, there is only one way to get out of here and that is through the field from which we just came."
I was not going to insult him, by pretending I was not trying to plan an escape.  "We will see."
He threw his head back and laughed.  "I admire your determination."
I dismissed his attempt at light banter and continued to monitor my surroundings.  We made our way through the sparse wooded area that separated the field from the house and that is when I saw it, the large white stone palace standing in front of me.  There was a large gate that seemed to stretch around the castle, encapsulating it, with bunches of bright flowers gathered at the gate and sporadically down the walls.
"Beautiful isn't it?"  Damian admired.
I didn't answer, because I couldn't quite get over its likeness to the castle I had seen all of those years ago.  There is no way it was the same...right?
"So, tell me a little about yourself," Damian inquired.
"How about we stop pretending you don't already know everything about me and tell me what I am doing here," I stopped to look at him, "I feel like this has gone beyond the food warehouse."
He took his hand out of his pocket and rubbed his chin.  "Alright then.  I suppose you did give me the courtesy of not lying to me a moment ago, so I will do the same.  Let's just say I do know most everything about you, probably more than you know, but we aren't going to get into that now.  I will show you to your room and let you clean up and rest a little.   I will send someone by when it is time to eat."  He smiled as we parted ways.
I walked into the bedroom he had directed me to.  The room had a lot of natural light coming from the row of windows that lined the back wall and appeared to have a lot of old traditional furniture, something you would expect to see on Earth.  The bed was simple and sat in the middle of the room with a dresser across from it. 
"Don't try to escape.  The windows are reinforced and aside from that you are five stories up." Damian said before turning to leave.
"Wait, you haven't told me why I am here."
"All in time princess."
"Why do you all keep calling me princess?"
"Because dear, that is what you are.  Princess of Arcadia."
He shut the door.  I ran over to open it and ask more questions, but the door was locked from the outside.  I hit the door in frustration and went to lay down on my bed.
That is what you are.  Princess of Arcadia.