Tevun-Krus #44 - Sword & Planet

Ranadel - A Short Story by @elveloy

Ranadel

Marianna was sound asleep when the plane shuddered once and then fell out of the sky. She woke with a jolt, biting her tongue painfully in the process. She was tipped forward, looking at the floor but the force of the dive pressed her back against the seat. An orange cup dangled in front of her nose. Her brain struggled to make sense of things. What the hell was happening? Who was making that dreadful screaming sound?

With a bang, luggage tumbled from the overhead lockers, most of it landing in the aisles and sliding away toward the front of the plane as fast as it fell. The screaming got even louder.

Marianna swallowed convulsively.

Everyone was screaming because they were going to crash. The plane was out of control and heading straight for the ground.

Marianna gripped the armrests, and pushed her feet hard against the floor, as if that would save her from falling. She might be a trained Agent and an expert shot, but she still hated flying. This was her worst nightmare.

Her heart was pounding a million miles a minute and she couldn't think. The orange cup swung wildly, hitting her in the face. Wha-? "In the unlikely event of a..." The litany espoused by a dozen smiling flight attendants over the years suddenly connected with her terrified brain. Oxygen. She was supposed to put on the mask so she could keep breathing.

She pried one hand away from the arm rest and grabbed the mask, holding it over her nose as directed. Terrified of falling, it was the hardest thing she had ever done to take her other hand off the armrest and pull the elastic over her head. But the fierce pressure from the dive kept her in the seat and it dawned on her that she wouldn't be able to get out even if she wanted to. Trying not to hyperventilate, Marianna breathed in and out, her hands going back to the armrests for comfort. She made the mistake of looking out the window, and saw the ground flying dizzyingly up to meet her.

I'm going to die. When will my life start flashing before my eyes? she wondered, with a touch of hysteria.

Although her life had been pretty good for the most part, there were certainly a few bits she'd rather not recall in too much detail. How horrid to have that final humiliating scene with Alex to be her last memory. That ghastly cliché, coming home early one day to find her lover in bed with another woman. She stifled an overwrought giggle. As if that mattered now! As if anything mattered now. Nothing like the threat of imminent death, to put things in perspective.

In less than a minute she was going to be dead. Marianna closed her eyes. But even though her lids were tightly shut, she still saw the bright white light which suddenly filled the cabin. She frowned. Weren't you supposed to see that after you were dead?

~~~

Prince Alleyne was sound asleep in his bed when a black-hooded figure climbed over the windowsill. Silent as a wisp of smoke, the figure approached the bed and placed one gloved hand down hard over Alleyne's mouth, pinning him to the pillow.

Alleyne woke with a start, trying to breathe, his hands going up to fight off his assailant's wrist. It was like gripping an iron bar. He thrashed wildly. Quickly, the intruder held a small dagger in front of Alleyne's terrified eyes, making sure he saw it clearly before pressing it against Alleyne's throat, the tip pricking the soft skin, ever so slightly.

"Shh!" whispered the intruder. "Quiet, and you won't get hurt."

Two more hooded figures climbed through the window. One held a black scarf between her hands and Alleyne panicked. They were going to murder him in his bed. His head jerked instinctively, sending the dagger skittering across his throat.