Chapter 14: Escape, Part 1

Alex awoke. Her head throbbed like she'd been hit by a transport pod on a speed way. The black colored contacts stuck to her eyes making them burn. When they finally opened, she licked her fingers and jiggled the contacts until they moved easily. A low candle burned on the metal dresser. Alex let her eyes adjust to the dim light before she tried to move.

"I wonder how long it's been," Alex said, her voice coarse and deep.

She pulled her tired body up into a sitting position. Looking down, Alex realized she was still fully dressed, jacket, boots, everything. Her stomach tossed and she forced it down by taking a couple of deep breaths. Wiggling out of her jacket made her stomach even more upset and this time, she knew she wouldn't win. Alex launched across the room and over the basin. Her ears quivered at the horrible retching noise as she produced a bland pink colored vomit. It drained down the side of the polished granite basin and the waterfall washed it down the drain in a swirling vortex.

Her stomach ached harshly as it expelled its contents until there was nothing left. It then continued to insist there was indeed something and that it must come out. Only spit remained, dribbling down the side of the basin.

Her throat burned and her eyes swam with involuntary tears. She gazed at the basin, watching the glittering specks of rock reflect the small light from across the room until her stomach stopped arguing with itself. The waterfall trickled with a soothing gurgle, trying desperately to show her stomach what it should do.

She recounted the night's/day's events as she waited. They had been in a boat and down into the cave. Then they had met Oskowa and traveled down deep. Her smile faded. They had met the elders and been given the tour. And then the festival and trolls and- Jack with the hussies. She wretched again. One droplet of pink spittle dripped down the granite.

"I wonder how he's fairing," she croaked out loud in a dry voice. Alex had hoped it would give her mouth something else to do.

The door swung open. The harsh light hurt her eyes even though it wasn't that bright. Weylin entered with a pitcher and a glass.

"That had better not be rooart," she moaned.

"It's water. I thought you might need it," he said, closing the door. Weylin sat down next to her by the basin and poured her a glass.

Alex took it carefully, noticing her hands were shaking. She took a very little sip, one that only wet her tongue.

"How long was I out?" she asked hoarsely.

"A day and a half."

"Is that like surface days or cave days?"

"It's about two surface days," he answered gently.

"Two days? Yikes." She took a larger sip. "How's Jack?"

Weylin shrugged. "He has not left the room. I'm assigned to you, not him."

"Who's assigned to him?"

"The Elders are taking care of him, personally."

"Aren't they really important? Why would they be taking care of him?" Alex cocked her head to the side too quickly, causing an ache to trickle down her spine. Something smelled fishy.

Weylin knotted his hands together and stared at the floor.

"What aren't you telling me?"

He squirmed uneasily under her gaze. "I don't really know anything. I'm just a servant."

"But you suspect something?" she asked before taking a big drink of water.

"I haven't seen him since the festival, but the guards have been stationed outside his room, so I think he is in there."

"He probably just drank too much like I did. That's not really any reason to be suspicious, but you are. Why?"

Weylin was quiet for a minute. He looked up to Alex with his big green cat eyes. "Can I show you something?"

"Sure, I guess."

"We have to go somewhere for me to show you."

Alex's stomach turned at the suggestion. She dry heaved over the basin.

"Let me drink some more water and then you can show me."

"Okay."

"And then you will tell me what you're holding back?"

Weylin nodded.

"Weylin, did- did Jack leave the festival with those two women?"

He stared down at his feet and nodded just slightly. "He was really rooted though."

"Rooted? Like drank too much rooart? Like I did?"

Weylin nodded.

Alex was going to have a few choice words with Jack. They were Linked right? That meant something. He shouldn't be out gallivanting with other women when they were on a mission. Alex shook her head. She needed to stay focused. He didn't matter. She just needed to use him to work towards her goal.

Alex drank the whole pitcher of water over the course of the next hour before she finally felt able to move around. She bathed and dressed in clean clothes while Weylin went to get her an edible lunch. Weylin returned with what he called "plant food" and she ate a little before they finally left.

She pulled her jacket back on over her shoulder before following Weylin into the tunnels. The two guards trailed at a distance until they reached a far off cave.

"I'm just going to take her in here and show her the lava pits," he said to the guards, "there's no exit."

The guards nodded in agreement and stood outside the door. Weylin led her to the back of the cave and slid through a narrow crack in the stone wall.

He put his finger to his lips to silence her as they escaped. The air was warm and misty at this depth. They travelled through a tunnel and then climbed up a rock wall. Weylin turned up the lantern light and Alex's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Is that a train?" she exclaimed softly.

"I never knew what it was called, but I think I've got it working." Weylin stood up straight. "I would like to make a deal with you," he said in a very serious tone.

"Let's hear it," Alex answered seriously.

"I will help you rescue your friend an."

"Rescue? Jack's in trouble?" Alex interrupted.

"I will help rescue your friend and escape if-," Weylin made sure she was paying close attention. "If you take me with you."

"You want to leave your people?"

"Yes."

"Why?" she asked.

"Do you accept the deal?"

"Yes, I accept, but why? And what's wrong with Jack?" Alex asked again.

"Both my parents died in the war against the Vestarians, and my grandparents, and their grandparents. There's nothing left for me here but death."

Alex nodded. "And Jack?"

"I'll show you."

"Show me again? I don't know how much more climbing my stomach can handle."

"We're going back to your quarters."

"Okay," she said.

Alex followed Weylin back the way they had come, noting the landmarks in case she needed to know them later. The guards trailed behind them as they headed through the tunnels and back to Jack's door.

Weylin slowed down as they walked near the door. "Listen," he whispered.

That was easy enough for her. Alex concentrated and heard a woman gasping for breath followed by a couple of moans. She also heard a man panting and a bed squeaking regularly.

They kept walking until they were safely in her quarters.

"I can't believe Jack. Really?"

Weylin stared at the ground. "I have seen a different woman go in there every hour since the festival."

"That pig!"

"I don't think he has a choice. I think they're breeding him. I think they want his fire to pass on to their children so that they will be strong families and control Astria one day."

Alex jaw dropped. "Breeding him, to that?" she stared, laughing in disbelief. In her culture she was designed for breeding, that's what Deltas were for, but it was only to the highest bidder. She was genetically fertile, but Jack? They didn't even know if fire capability could be passed on.

"Well, he's probably having the time of his life in there," she said, finally coming to terms with this even being possible.

"I don't think so. You had only two drinks of rooart. Think what they could have been doing to you?"

Alex shuddered. She was completely knocked out for two days. What could they have done to her?

"They keep feeding him a special form of rooart. I guess so he doesn't blow them up with his fire."

His ideas, she realized, were sound. And if Weylin thought they were capable of this, then no wonder he wanted out.

"Alright, we need to make a plan. We have to get over there without alerting the guards. We need to have enough time to get Jack sober enough to walk because we're not going to be able to carry him to the train."

"When you're rooted, you're easy to command. He won't need to be sober, that will take too long. But he will need some time to come to his senses."

"Okay, we'll need to get him dressed and packed and then somehow make it to your train, the sooner the better." Alex could only imagine what being rooted and having sex for two days straight would look like.

Alex and Weylin came up with a plan. He went to pack his things and took the extra pack with him. Alex was still not feeling a hundred percent, but she was starting to worry more and more about Jack.

After a while, Weylin came back in. "Another girl just went in."

"Did you bring it?"

"Here." From a bag, he pulled a device that looked like a blow torch.

"Are you sure this will cut through rock?"

"Of course it will." He gave her a funny look as if she asked a silly question.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded.

"Okay." Alex held the blow torch high above her head and lit it, facing it towards the ceiling near the air hole. After a few seconds, the rock began to melt away. She made a big enough hole for herself.

Alex crouched down low and then sprang up in the hole. Looking back down, she could see Weylin's crooked teeth through his gaping mouth.

"Wow," he uttered.

"Okay, toss it up."

Weylin lifted her heavy pack up to her. She waved goodbye and pushed her bag in front of her as she crawled through the ventilation tunnel.

Cold air whizzed by making her shiver. It smelled fresh and wintery like the surface air, even all the way down here. It must be a very good ventilation system.

She crawled slowly and carefully through the tunnel until the sound of Jack's labored breathing and a girl's mindless chattering came from below. Alex found the air vent to the room and used the blow torch to make it big enough for her to fit through. When she was finished, she pushed it ahead of her in the tunnel.