War of Praisers

Chapter 22

We have landed outside the little society where Ora's house is among them. I am leaning against one of the plush leather chairs of the plane on the floor. I keep my eyes closed, the scene of Valeskas death keeps playing over and over in my mind. I try to remember every detail of it. But it seems the more I play it around, the more the scene changes. I finally stop and I open my eyes. The plane is dark, the only light is the sun peeking though the windows. Ewan in lying on the floor in front of me. Mike was on his side, apparently he was shot in his side with a sleeping dart earlier. So now he is lying totally unconscious over the plush couch. Half of his body hanging over the side. I note how uncomfortable he looks, but I do not have the energy to move him, neither does Ewan. I watch Ewan closely, his eyes look distant and foreign to me. But I can see the questions swimming in them, and I can see him trying to form the questions on his tongue, but none escape his mouth.

I decide to do him a favor and just say it, even when I really didn't want to speak, much less about this topic.

"He has found a way to control us." I made eye contact with Ewan again. "Kane." I push out the vile name from my throat. I remember the dead Praisers, the losses on both sides of this battle.

"How?" His confusion on the topic was exactly like mine before Kane explained it. Though I am still not sure if I do understand.

"He was part of the Facility. Perhaps even its founder." I could never explain to him 'how' Kane manages to control us, even if I did know I don't believe I could form the proper words.

Ewan rises from his lying position, his face portraying disbelief.

"What?" It wasn't directed at me but at himself. His eyes staring into the nothingness and I can see that he is trying to figure this out.

I choose to continue. "He has some sort of control device, which controls us at his will. I don't know if it is somewhere in our blood or DNA..." I realize that I am starting to loose myself in my own thoughts as well as Ewan. "... or maybe a device planted somewhere in our bodies." I try to come up with theories as I talk. There are so many possible theories, I can not just choose one.

"But what we do know no is that you can not remember anything, nor are you aware under the influence." It is like your senses are cut off.

Ewan shakes his head slightly, his frown deepening and becoming more concentrated. The mixture of anger and desperation is clear in his features. I let him have some time to think and instead I turn my attention to the window. The reddish light of the setting sun lights the room with a reddish tint. Giving me some strange comfort. The dust glitters in the same light before me, then disappearing into the shadow of the plane, becoming invisible to even a Praisers sight.

I cannot think, there is too much there. There is too much to worry about, and too many people to worry about. I have no idea what happened to Mike through all of this, and now he is entirely out of it. I should worry about Ewan, but I can see him struggling, I can see his guilt for not looking after Valeska, and I can see the frustration of not knowing of what happened. But he is not letting me help him. I can see it, he is trying to do it on his own. I know if I don't, or anyone else, help him soon, then it will get worse. Then Ewan may never be the same again.

As sad as it is though, these are the least of my problems. Lord Kane can control us, and maybe even track us down. I need to find a way to stop him. Not just for my sake, but for every other Praiser out there. I don't know if we are any value to Lord Kane, but he had shown interest in myself. I remember him telling me that I am different than the other Praisers. That worries me more than I would care to admit. I watch Mikes still unconscious form, half falling off the seats. I glance at Ewan again. He is lying on his back and staring at the ceiling, as if it could give him any answers. His eyes bright with unshed tears. I desperately try to imagine his eyes filled with childlike innocence and joy, just as they used to be. Instead all I can see are Yakovs dark and hollow eyes staring at me. Not the soft and enchanting eyes, but rather hard and glaring, filled with anger and resentment. But what crushed me was that they were also filled with betrayal.

Is it possible to feel guilty for something I didn't do? I have never felt proper guilt before this, but I don't understand why I have to feel guilt for something like this. I was trained to kill and torture without guilt. But then again the training didn't prepare me for this.

My chest aches, but I don't know the reason for it. Anger? Guilt? Worry? Betrayal? Or is it heartbreak? A feeling entirely new to me and not something I wish to feel.

The sun has already set and the plane is now dark, the only light source is the light shining through the window from the village. I the darkness I can see Ewan has his eyes closed and his breathing is even. I close my eyes as well, bracing my mind for the dreams that may visit me tonight.

As I wake, I have no idea because of what reason, my mind is exhausted and my body is weak. I squint in the red and bright orange light shining on my face. I move my head out of the blinding light. Ewan is still sprawled out on the floor. I glance at Mike to check if he has woken yet. The seats are empty and I panic when I don't see him. I start to stand, but as I get a higher view of where he was I spot him on the floor. He must have fallen off during the night. Usually I would laugh and remind myself to tease him about it, but I can't seem to find my energy. I let myself fall back onto the floor with a thump. Ewan stirs but he doesn't wake. I look back at the window and I narrow my eyes at the bright light. It doesn't look like normal daylight, it's not bright enough and has too much of a darker shade. A shock of panic runs through me and I jump up this time without difficulty. I kick Ewan harder than I wanted to, but it did the trick. He groans from the impact of my booted foot into his side. His eyebrows furrowed he stares at me in confusion.

"Get up." I snap at him urgently. I start to approach Mike but then I decide otherwise. He will be of no help if he is out of it.

Ewan stands painfully slow while rubbing his sore spot where I had kicked him.

"Jade what is it?" Worry and annoyance laces his voice.

I take another peek out of the window before I answer him.

"There is a fire." Ewan's head snaps to the window and then quickly back to me. I start to run to the entrance of the plane and Ewan following me.

"What bout Mike?" I was expecting that question.

"He will be safer here and we do not have time to move him." I see Ewan not from the corner of my eye and he presses the lever to open the door. As soon as the door opened even just a crack, the sound of the blazing fire and screams filled the clearing. I don't know what I was expecting but I wasn't expecting anguishing screams. The trees surrounding out plane hides our view, but we see the bright flames peek thought the branches and the dark shadows of the smoke rise into the once star filled sky. Ewan and I run through the bushes, trying not to trip blindly. Only now do I acknowledge the piercing smell of the smoke. It doesn't take long until we are out of the trees and we come face to face with the scene of the small village burning. The trees burning like torches but many of the houses remain untouched by the fire.

"We have to help them." Ewan yells out me over the loud sounds. I only nod. Ewan runs to the streets of the village, I am about to follow him when I saw the planes hidden in the smoke above the village. I stare at them, unsure of what to make of them. Are they here to help us? Rescue us? My wishful thinking is cut off as soon as I see many little figures drop from the aircrafts into the village. My eyes narrow in on the figures dropping too fast for me to see who they are. But not fast enough for me to see what they are. They are not rescue teams, and they are not humans. They are Automations.