From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 16.2

We shouldn't have waited so long to leave this planet, Vatra thought. She looked around at the frantic expressions. Screams and shouts pierced the air. Parents raised their youngest toward the two passenger ships, trying to save their children.

She wouldn't waste time worrying about everyone else. Not anymore. It was her time to be selfish.

Guilt weighed down her feet, but Vatra pushed herself toward the third ship as close as she could before two guards stepped in their way.

"There's no more room on these vessels. You'll have to wait for the next flight out," one of the guards instructed. He didn't sound very convincing himself. The young man darted a wary eye at the ship behind him, as if he, too, wanted to make a run for it.

"We overheard about the solar flare," Vatra said. "We're getting off this damn planet." She went to step forward, but the two guards raised their firearms toward her.

It wasn't like she expected for them to just step to the side. But, she didn't want to kill anyone, either. Not in front of a huge crowd. Chaos would ensue.

Vatra grumbled to herself.

"It is just the two of us," Spyro added.

"No, it's not," the guard replied. "It's just the two of you, then it's just everyone else behind you, too. We can't make an exception for anyone."

Committed to the job until the end, and it doesn't look like they're getting to leave, either, Vatra thought.

"Who's on that ship, anyway?" Vatra jutted her chin to the ship as she asked the question. "I saw the other ships loaded with passengers, but I haven't seen anyone get on this ship."

The two guards looked at each other, as if debating whether to answer Vatra or not.

Finally, the second guard that hadn't spoken yet answered. "It's a skeleton crew for security to protect the volunteers."

"Skeleton crew?" Vatra flitted her gaze to Spyro. "Surely they can fit us four on board."

The guards raised their brows at her statement.

"Don't you want off this planet, too?" Vatra pushed.

"They're sending another ship down for us," the first guard said, lowering his weapon.

"Are they?" Vatra pressed.

Doubt visibly crept to the guards' faces. Both of the men completely lowered their guns and glanced out over the crowd behind Vatra and Spyro. It was clear they weren't willing to die for their job as they'd been so willing to answer Vatra's questions. And, they didn't make any further attempt to stop the two of them from approaching the ship.

Vatra and Spyro darted past the guards before they could change their minds. As she went by, Vatra looked at the guards with a scrutinizing gaze. It wasn't that they weren't willing to die, she realized. They were hopeless.

I won't let that be us. Vatra turned back to the ship and walked in step with Spyro.

Confidently, they approached the side of the vessel. Vatra noted the boarding ramp was lowered, which she hadn't seen before. Either someone had lowered it while they were talking with the guards, or it had been down the entire time. Though, the former was more likely. More people would have tried to get on a ship with a downed boarding ramp.

The ramp was narrow and went up into the belly of the ship at a steep incline. Vatra peered up into the darkened ship with curiosity.

"Do we just make a run for it?" she questioned Spyro.