Immortalia

Chapter 10 - A Spectacular Sight

Chapter 10 – A Spectacular Sight

Relief spread through Aurora as their small plane landed on the airstrip in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, which stood out, as it was a small clearing in an otherwise world of endless trees. She couldn’t explain what had triggered her annoyance, yet when her feet met the padded soil, she couldn’t stop the exhale that escaped her weary lips.

The second half of their trip had been far from comfortable. Normally, Aurora wasn’t one to complain, but one single factor had made the flight close to unbearable. It wasn’t the fact that Aaron had found it best to keep their group together—in a way, that actually made sense—nor was it the fact that Milada had to sit on Aurora’s lap the entire trip because of the limited seats inside the plane. No, Aurora would forever remember this particular flight as the one where Zachary simply couldn’t shut up.

Sure, the lack of luxury affected the entire group, but Zach had chosen to voice his discomfort in a less than favorable way—he’d whined.

“Oh my…” Milada walked over to Aurora, stopping beside her. “Are you okay?”

Aurora shot a glance towards the plane. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know.” Milada shrugged. “You were shaking pretty badly up there.”

“I’m fine,” Aurora said and turned around, facing the group who was grabbing their gear from the luggage compartment on the side of the plane.

She would like to be able to confide in Milada, but the younger Immortalia was hardly the best choice. It wasn’t that Milada was evil; she was merely ignorant to the struggles of the real world. Aurora didn’t want to dismiss the pain and suffering that Milada had been through at Haw Tech, but it was in another league compared to what Aurora had seen throughout the years.

Milada was an excellent fighter, an even greater Immortalia than many of their kind, but she was human-bred. From an early age, she’d been fed information directly from Haw Tech: information that helped shape the female that she was today. If this had been chess, Milada would have been the perfect pawn.

Aurora couldn’t tell if Haw tech was actually using Milada as part of this game or if this was part of her own plans, but either way, Aurora decided to keep her eyes open for anything that could prove or disprove her assessment.

“Alright, crew,” Aaron said, gathering the attention of them all. “It seems that we are ready to go.”

Valeria, who stood to his right, smiled and swung a large duffel bag across her shoulders. Aurora walked over to grab her bag, watching Aaron deal with a dissatisfied-looking Zachary.

“What do you mean I have to carry my own luggage?” Zachary asked. “Isn’t this what the slaves are for?”

Aaron’s eyes darkened—an emotion that Aurora hadn’t seen before. His voice was low when he continued. “On this crew, nobody is a slave, Mr. Thomson.” He stepped closer, towering above Zachary. “I’m the leader of this mission, and when I tell you to carry your own shit, then you obey. Am I clear?”

Zachary leaned backwards, trying to escape the proximity of Aaron. He gave a small nod, but Aaron didn’t budge. “Am I making myself clear, Mr. Thompson?”

“Yes, Mr. Reed,” Zach replied in a tiny voice. He turned around and grabbed the remaining duffel bag before walking over to stand behind Allegra.

Aurora saw Aaron tidying up his appearance, straightening his jacket while murmuring to himself. She walked over to him and cleared her throat. “Aaron?”

He sighed. “What is it, Aurora? If you’ve come to defend his actions, spare yourself the effort. I won’t tolerate arrogance among my crew.”