In Search Of The Neon City

25 - Lo

The men who stormed inside our hiding place were completely dressed in white. On their shoulders they wore silver shoulder pads and their faces were hidden behind masks.

I could not tear my eyes from them, it was as if someone had cloned Tristan and made five copies of him. They all had chalk-white hair and Links at their temples, just like him.

I lost all confidence when I saw them and hurried behind Tristan in one last desperate attempt to hide.

"Wait!" he called out as he jumped to his feet and took a few quick steps towards the man with the outstanding armor and stood wide-legged to prevent them from getting further in.

"Archon, let me explain ..." he pleaded and I watched in surprise how Tristan grabbed the man's clothes and pulled him away from me.

They knew each other, I thought, I saw it in their eyes, and how they moved around each other. But Tristan had run away from them, why?

With a rushing pulse, I studied them as they stood and discussed quietly with each other. Tristan's expressions were so different, even though he often smiled and laughed with me, he usually had a hard face, but not like now, the man in front of me was a soldier and I realised how little I knew about him. And yet I had put my life in his hands, without hesitation. I was an idiot.

But then I looked up at him, how he tensed his back muscles and showed with his whole body that they were not welcome to take a single step closer. He was still on my side, I thought relieved. But how much longer? My heart and my soul ached, what would happen to me? And what the hell would they want me to do?!

"I'm sorry Tristan," the leader said, shaking his head before signaling to a soldier who immediately took a step forward and fastened a wide metal collar around Tristan's neck.

"Follow me" he said then and turned to me "do as we say and no one will be hurt."

I glanced at Tristan who met my eyes and gave me a small nod.

On shaky legs I got up and took a few steps forward. I was expecting a similar collar, but instead someone pinched my wrists in a type of handcuff I had never seen before.

Their Archon left the pipe and stepped out into the daylight, closely followed by the rest of us.

I stopped and raised my arms in an attempt to protect my eyes from the sudden sunlight but stumbled and struggled with balance after a soldier pushed me in my back "hurry up" he muttered but fell silent when Tristan glared at him.

We walked towards a vehicle I had never seen before, without wheels, shaped like a large, oval, white and smooth stone shape and glimmering in the sunlight.

As soon as we approached, an entrance formed in the white hull. As it was opened , we were almost thrown into what looked like an empty room. A cell.I bit my lip hard and looked around with panic growing in my chest. There were no windows, no seating, nothing. Just a white shiny room, and Tristan.

He stood with his back to me with his head and palms resting against the wall.

Suddenly I felt my legs could not hold me up anymore and I took support against the wall before I slowly slid down to the floor.

"What happens now?" I whispered anxiously, casting an eye at him.

I watched him turn around and take a few steps towards me, but it was as if my brain did not register what was happening around me. Everything was blurred and suddenly I was enveloped in darkness.

I fluttered my eyes and looked around, everything was white and uncomfortably quiet.

All I heard was breathing. A calm and safe sound. I felt his arms around my body and the warmth of his chest. Did I sit on his lap? My head rose gently and I opened my eyes and was immediately met by two blue eyes.