The Balancer: The Unknown Within

Chapter 11

I looked up into Atlas' grey eyes and exhaustedly pulled myself away from his embrace. He seemed to pick up on my weariness and asked what I wanted to do.
         I replied," I want to go home."
         He turned around,appearing to think, but slowly turned back and replied,"Alright, if that's what you want I'll take you back."
          "Thank you,Atlas."
          Atlas walked out of the room closing the door behind him softly. I lied down on the plush sheets of the bed and drifted off to sleep.
     ~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~
           "Did you tell her?" whispered Willow.
"Yes," Atlas replied," She wants to go home."
"We can't risk going back,"Zander argued,"If humans find out that our kind still exist the hunt will begin. You know what our mission was originally."
"Which is why I was going to ask for your guys' help."
"Really? I never thought I'd see the day," Kianne said lacing it with sarcasm.
"No,"Zan interrupted,"I didn't just mean a hunt for us, but a hunt for anyone who knows about us. Not to mention the exposure of our mission."
Atlas looked to the ground and thought. That's the last thing I'd want to do to my friend. But I'll be there this time to help her."Very true. We need to kill two birds with one stone. I have a plan."
~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~
I awoke to Atlas gently shaking me."Wake up,it's time."
I hopped out of bed and followed him to the living room everyone was there." Is everything set?"
One by one each of them said yes and we all ran off out the door and to the woods. The crisp air clogged my throats and filled my lungs with the yearning desire to see my home.
          Soon enough I saw other people in a clearing; they were in front of a cave. That's the way. I can feel it. I took off for the clearing, but before I could get past the trees which opened to the clearing vines and brush grabbed my legs and kept me stationary.
           "What the heck, let me go!" I whisper yelled.
          "No," Willow replied quietly,"You cannot just go barreling into trained guards. Are you insane?"
          "Willow are you gonna help us or what?" Kianne questioned between the clashes of guard steel and crackling embers. Willow roles her eyes and left my ankle tied to a tree root.
I have to get home. I remembered Atlas slipped me a small dagger in case of emergency. I pulled the blade from my boot compartment and cut the vine. I turned and saw everyone cornered against a large pine.
             Three guards pushed me out of the brush and began asking who I was. I got to my feet and saw the cave opening, my chance of getting home. The guards locked there crossbows to fire.
            Atlas groaned and yelled,"Gwen! Run! Get home!"
         "Don't just leave us! Help us! Atlas is hurt! You have to do something, please!" Sierra cried out.
          "Obey us or we will fire!" Called one of the guards," get her over there with the other one."
         They pushed me back by the others and kept Atlas.
         "Human, what was your intention for coming here?" Questioned another guard.
        "I was walking and got lost. I just want to go home," I replied.
         A silence befell the guards as they contemplated my story. Then a man in regal attire came before us and spoke."You're lying."
That's impossible. He can't be psychic. We all stood in surprise.
          "Atlas has been on my radar for quite sometime. I had always felt something off about him. And when I saw him sneak away to the human realm. Ha! I knew I had to do something," said the man.
            "Captain Vince," Atlas said gathering himself,"When? Why would you...?"
           He kicked Atlas in the stomach and continued,"It's a shame that one of my best soldiers has to go to waste due to treason. Do you remember what  code 253-HC7 is, Atlas?"
           "Human contact is illegal and punishable by death."
          "Correct. Now ready to serve your sentence, Lathos?"Captain Vince asked as he pulled out his sword.
         Atlas groaned and fell to his knees. He looked up and locked eyes with me; I felt tears start to form in my eyes because I knew he had given up.
          The captain placed his sword to Atlas' threat for aim. "No worries, Latho. No one will miss you."
           "No!" I yelled as I took off to Atlas. A cascade of light filled my vision as I rose my hand to meet the fatal strike. I felt warmth of the fire on the skin of my palm, but no pain. All I saw was light. A glorious light like that of dawn breaking across my bedroom window.
I felt true strength fill every fiber of my being into the depths of my soul. Then all faded to white. Only two things remained in my mind:the sight of the fleeing captain and the cold earth below me as unconsciousness encroached my mind.