Chapter Twenty-Two
~Cassie~
We agreed, not really aware of the consequences, I don't think Tobias cared very much for the consequences, Jake was worried so was Marco.
"I just know Visser Three and a bunch of his men are going to jump us."
"Marco, quite worrying."
"Yeah, what are the odds that a Yeerk ship is going to fly over us this very minute?" Tobias said, who was walking with his mother, he did not tell her about Elfangor yet, she asked but we thought it would be better if we told her in any place except the forest. We wanted to go inside a house, somewhere like that. And my father's barn is the best place to go.
< I would not bet on that. > Ax said, looking at the sky.
We looked at him. Then at the sky.
A bug-fighter was cruising the sky.
Marco glared at Tobias, "Will you repeat that again, it appears that I'm deaf."
Tobias gulped.
Fortunately, it did not see us, it wasn't concerned about us much. I never thought of it as a threat. I should have thought again.
We walked into my dad's property and reached the barn. Loren sat on a bale of hay, Tobias sat down with her, and Ax stood beside them. Marco used another bale of hay, Rachel stood in the middle of the room, and Jake leaned against the door of the barn and kept a constant look out. I started on my work.
"So," Loren said, "Aren't you going to tell me what happened to Elfangor? Where is he?"
Tobias looked away and said nothing.
Rachel didn't look like the one who was going to break the news, Marco wasn't any better. Jake was occupied with keeping a lookout and Ax was looking interested at two roaches who were being eaten by ants.
Up to me I guess.
I sat by Loren's side.
"Loren," I said, "He isn't here, he passed away."
Better not tell her how.
She looked shocked. "What."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
She looked at the ground for a long time, then she looked up again, at all of us. She spoke slowly, almost to herself, "The day he disappeared…I went to the hospital, I thought I was pregnant, I wanted to check, it turned out that I was. I came back home and I never found him."
She looked at the ground again; Tobias had demorphed and was on the rafters.
"When I finally realized that he wasn't going to come back I…" Her eyes filled with moisture, "I ran away."
"I left my baby with my brother, I…couldn't coupe with what happened, I didn't accept the fact that he was truly gone, I searched for him. I couldn't find him." She continued.
< Your son, you left him? > Tobias asked, even though she just told us what she did.
"Yes, I did."
< Why? > Anger was building up in Tobias's thought speak.
"Because I had no choice!" She cried, "I couldn't drag a baby throughout the places I went to! Besides, he had a better chance of a better, happier life when he was with his uncle!"
< Why are you so sure about that? > Tobias said with a laugh.
"Because he was my brother! I trusted…what does it matter to you anyway?"
< Aren't you the least bit worried over where he would be? >
"I am! But I don't know where he is!" She cried.
< You looked? >
"I did! But after a while I gave up! I couldn't find him at all!"
< I don't believe you. You said you didn't give up when you couldn't find Elfangor. >
"WHY do you care!" She screamed at Tobias.
"Tobias, stop it." I said quietly.
Loren jumped up and stood in front of Tobias, "Why do you care?" She repeated.
< And wouldn't you like to know. >
"Yes! I'd want to know why you like to shove your permanent beak in my business!"
Rachel glared at Loren.
< Because I'm your son. >
She stared at him, bewildered.
He hopped down and flapped out of the barn door.
"Tobias!" Rachel called.
He didn't answer.
Loren sighed and threw herself on the bale of hay, face down.
Then she said in a muffled voice, "Screw me."
Chapter Twenty-Three
~Tobias~
She never cared.
She never cared about me, never gave a thought to me.
All she ever cared about was Elfangor. If she cared about me she wouldn't have stopped looking.
But she did. She said she never accepted that Elfangor was gone, she said she never gave up looking for him, did that give her the right to forget about her son?
Let him grow were he had no friends? No one to turn to? Except for a drunk guardian?
I hated her for what she did to me…But now I had friends, Rachel, Ax, Cassie, Jake and even Marco.
We fight together for the same common goal, some of us more eager than others, Ax considered it as his duty, Rachel was obsessed. Marco was cautious. Cassie wanted to get it over with, Jake was very determent.
And were did I lie?
I knew my friends I knew what each of them would be doing in a battle, but me? I didn't know.
I knew that Jake would be behind everyone, checking over us. He had the responsibility to lead us. At the same time I knew that he was desperate to save his brother Tom and I knew, that Jake tries as hard as he can to avoid putting Cassie in danger. Even though he does it without letting us see that.
Marco would be the second man, the wingman. Jake's thinking mind and security head. Sure, he cracks jokes and try to ease us up, but beneath all that he was smart and he had helped us out of tight sticky situations. He was the man who could see from point A to B without any trouble.
Rachel was raw fire power, I knew that. She was our strongest voice, she was the one who pushes us forward. She was the one who'd be all excited about hurting the Yeerks. She was, as Marco said, 'Xena, Warrior Princess'.
To any passers by, Rachel would seem like a typical blonde airhead who loves cursing the mall and is into gymnastics. Did I mention that she never fails to look like a girl who just stepped out of a magazine? If Rachel was ninety-nine point nine percent clean she would be upset.
She always keeps up her act, she's always in for a fight. Rachel's favorite phrase is 'Let's go for it!' How many times did she say that?
Countless.
What about Cassie? She was the one who kept us more or less 'sane' she's the one who told us right from wrong, she was the one who kept us human, stopped war from completely destroying us, she's the one who solves our personal problem, Cassie was like a mother you could trust, she knew how to make you feel okay, and most importantly, she's the one who keeps us from fighting together and keeps us working as a team.
And Ax? Ax was doing this as his duty, he sees humans as his people as well as Andalites. He broke his people's rules to assist us in winning this war, he covered Elfangor by taking his blame. He's my best friend. My shorm.
But what about me? Where was I? What did my friends think about me? They think that…That I was a nobody?
A follower?
I didn't know, they probably didn't know what to think of me, I didn't know what to think of myself.
I knew I was there surveillance…but was that it? Was that the only thing I do? What did they see me as? As who? Did I know?
Who am I?
Am I Human? A Red-Tailed Hawk? An Andalite?
Which one?
Or am I a little of each?
I belonged to no group; I had no kind that could be referred to as me. Which of these three species am I?
I felt lost, confused, to whom did I belong?
In body I was a red-tailed Hawk, in soul I was human, my unknown heritage are the Andalites.
My mother was a human, my father was a human Nothlit, he used to be a great Andalite warrior.
My girlfriend, a human obsessed with war. Her friend a pacifist moralizing girl, her boyfriend is the head of this little resistance on earth. His best friend is a paranoid smart ass whose mother is the host to Visser One.
My uncle, an Andalite cadet who believes I'm his shorm. He fights because it's his duty and is looking for the day that he could avenge his elder brother's death. I'm looking for the day when I get to kill Visser Three, And tell him why I was doing it.
The Hork-Bajir people who think I liberated them, A seer named after me, Toby. Two chess players in the names of Crayak and Ellimist play a game too, indifferent to our presence.
Where did I belong?
To whom did I belong?
To who?
Chapter Twenty-Four
~Jake~
"Bank error in your favor, collect two-hundred dollars." I read out.
"Noooo!" Marco cried as I happily took the two hundred. "It doesn't happen, I am going to sue Monopoly."
"Uhuh." I replied.
"I mean, does it happen in real life? Someone walks up to you and tells you the bank had an error of two-hundred bucks and then throws it at your face! It does not-"
"Shut-up," Rachel said, "Are you going to whine or play?" <> < Your turn, Ax-man. > Tobias said from his perch.
Ax took the dice and he looked at us. "Throw the dice Ax, that's what you do." I said, not being at all careful with my choice of words.
"Ah, man!" Marco yelled, "Dive for cover!"
Ax threw the dice, literally.
A-THUNK!
They bounced off and fell back on the board.
Six and three.
"Oh, no." Marco said, "I wanted that!"
Ax fell in New York. Marco had plans for that.
Ax grinned and bought it. I think he bought it to irritate Marco.
Marco's turn next, he took the dice in his fist and shook, he threw them.
One and two.
He fell in… Indian.
"I'll take that." He grinned savagely for some strange reason…
< Marco? Five hundred minus two-hundred and twenty does not give you four-hundred and sixty. >
Rachel gave Marco a dirty look.
"Oh man!" He groaned, then he looked at Rlilim "Yes I know."
Rlilim stared at him questionably.
< Marco can't stand loosing, > Tobias chucked, < So, usually, he'd try to draw in extra money by his so called 'miss calculations'. >
Marco gave us an innocent look. "I failed my last math exam."
"Uhuh. And what did your step-mother have to say?" Rachel said.
"Nothing," he shrugged, "But that nitwit poodle of hers was quite expressive."
I laughed.
We were having a considerably good time, we were in Marco's home and I brought Homer with me, his parents where out and wouldn't come until around ten.
Rlilim was with us, the Andalite Rachel saved, his friend was still in critical condition.
We were killing time, we had nothing to do.
Woof! Woof!
Arf! Arf!
Marco groaned and put his hands on his ears. "God have mercy on me."
Homer and Euclid were very happy, they were barking like mad and running in circles around Marco.
"To some certain extent, they're cute." Rachel said with a giggle.
"Excuse me!" Marco cried, "Cute? Cute! Since when did you use this word?!"
Then he smiled, "That is, other than describing me?"
"Euclid, bite Marco's head off, please." She said, but Euclid was too excited with Homer.
Euclid stopped barking, leaped at Marco and started to lick his face.
"Whoa!" He cried, "Is that how I make this dog like me? Let Rachel announce death threats?"
I laughed, we were having a good time. Average and predictable, except of course for the exception of the two Andalites and Nothlit.
TWEEDLE! TWEEDLE! TWEEDLEEEEEE!
Marco's phone was ringing, "I'll get it."
I jumped off and picked up the receiver.
"Uhh, Who is it?" I said, cautiously.
"Hello," Cassie's voice was stranded with happiness, "Anything up?"
"No, nothing much," I said carefully, "Why?"
We never trust the telephone lines; we have a very good reason for that.
"It's just that I couldn't find Trendator,"
Trendator is a horse, and Loren was supposed to be in his stall.
I don't know who gives these animals their names; I was betting it was Cassie's father.
"Why what happened?" I said.
"Oh, I don't know, he ran away I think. I traced his hoof prints and they disappeared after this…uh, struggle."
My heart jumped to my throat. My hands gripped the telephone receiver till I thought it would snap by the pressure. "I'll be there."
I went in and motioned for Tobias to follow me out, the others took no notice.
< What? > He said. Stretching his wings.
"Loren's gone." I said looking at his fierce raptor eyes.
< What do you mean she's gone! > He cried.
The others heard him and came in the room we were in, Two Andalites, Marco and Rachel, Homer and Euclid followed.
< What happened? > Ax asked.
"Cassie just called, she said that Loren is missing." I said carefully.
< Who? > Rlilim asked.
"The human that shot the Yeerk fighter you were in, her name is Loren, she's my mother. She had been missing for some time, when you described her…I knew you were describing my mother." Tobias explained. More or less telling the truth.
"Come on," I said, "Let's see what Cassie has."
We morphed to birds –after I had told Homer to go home and Marco put Euclid in a room- We all morphed to seagull and so did Rlilim, Cassie had hooked him up with a seagull morph.
We flew to the open lands of Cassie's farms, or more accurately her family's lands. We saw Cassie out near the boundary of the forest and her father's property. Cassie was in wolf morph,
We landed and demorphed, all but Rlilim who offered to keep watch.
< Look. > Cassie said, she pointed at the ground. There was evidence of a struggle, the earth was disturbed. < A tracked her till here, then after the struggle…it's Hork-Bajir sent and after that, nothing. >
"That bug-fighter!" Marco said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
~Sub-Visser fifty-one~
Call me Taylor, that's who I am.
Or call me sub-visser, that's who I am.
I am both really, in addition, I am second in command to Visser Three, meaning that he was my boss, and I was the boss of every single other Yeerk bellow the Visser.
Beautiful, isn't it?
No, not the rank, the hair.
I was looking at my face in the mirror, I can say it's my face because I am in control of it, for now.
Which makes me in control of the most beautiful girl in this area.
No, in all of this world, because no one else would rise to this kind of perfection.
What was I doing before I admired my face and hair?
I was dreaming, I had a nightmare.
It included a bird sentencing my death wish, funny, isn't it?
But it was true, it happened, that bird is an Andalite, was an Andalite. Still is? I am not sure, I never heard of an Andalite capable of staying in a morph for more that two hours then demorph.
Anyway, I was standing in front of the torture devise, I was in control of it, and that despicable hawk had just sentenced my death.
< I won't give in > he had said, < Do you know why? >
"No."
< Because if I surrender, you'll live. And if I resist, you'll die. And I want you to die. >
I shuddered at the memory; he was a fool, a weak fool.
But he had failed to kill me, I am still alive. Well, for now.
I was on the Visser's blade ship. In my own private quarters. I abandoned the mirror and left my quarters. I headed to the battle bridge to see if the Visser wanted anything out of me, and I knew that he did.
After all, I had news for him.
I looked at the Visser, and tried to shut off the imaginative part of the human brain, the part that pictured that stolen Andalite tail blade slicing me open like-
< Ah, Sub-visser, > he said, noticing me, he looked very bored, < I believe you have some exciting news for me. > "I do not really know if it would be very exciting," I shrugged my human shoulders the way any youth my age would. "We have managed to capture the creature who fired on one of our bug-fighters."
< The bug-fighter that those tiresome Andalites stole? > He asked, eyes gleaming.
"Yes." I said.
< Well then, where is that Yeerk? I believe I would live to like him. >
I hesitated.
< What? > He said.
"Visser, the creature has no Yeerk."
He stared at me, before he could say anything I rushed ahead, "But, I believe the human is familiar with you."
< What? > He snapped, < What do you mean? >
"The human is in the torture chamber. I believe you would understand it better than me."
He walked to the torture chambers and I followed him, silent.
The human had been placed in a cage, nothing special. It was sitting down on the ground, hands on face.
It was a she, she had blonde hair, and I self-consciously stoked my hair. Long. Blonde. Silky.
The human heard the clop-clop of the Visser's hooves. She snapped her head up. Stood up, turned around to face us…and gasped.
Then, an animal like sound escaped from her throat she slumped against the bars of her prison.
"Visser Thirty-Two!"
< I believe you are 'out of date' he laughed, an evil sinister sound that rattles my bones,
He paused, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying mixture of pride and pure evil, < It is now Visser Three. >
"Why am I not surprised?" She rolled her eyes upwards.
< You still do not fear me? > He laughed and pressed his face against the bars, < Little human girl. >
She jumped back is if she was slapped.
"Get away from me!" She hissed.
He laughed, < Do you want to know what I did to your master? Pet human? >
She glared at him, "What are you talking about?"
She said nothing she seemed unsure of what he was saying, "Your point being?" She said finally.
< Ah, so you do not know? > He laughed, < Your vile Elfangor is dead. >
She glowered at him, "He's not vile. And yes I know that."
He seemed a little disappointed, < Do you know how? >
"No." She said guardedly.
He laughed, < Who told you he was dead? >
She bit her lip, "The Andalite Bandits, why should you care?"
< Because, my imprudent human, I killed him, > His eyes shown with what could have been a mix of victory and contented revenge, it was a nauseating look, < Actually, I devoured him, I ate him. One second he was a weak dying Andalite Prince, the next he was Taxxon food. >
He laughed again.
The human he had called Loren, stood silent. Her mouth had opened in a silent feral scream, but no sound escaped.
He turned around to leave the room, then stopped and looked at me, < Ah yes, I remembered, get her son, he's street trash, it shouldn't take you long to find him. >
Loren's silent scream became an earsplitting reality, "You'll never get him! You wouldn't find him! You wouldn't!!! YOU WOULDN'T!!!"
The Visser laughed again, < We shall see human, we shall see. >
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