The Island With No Parallel

Chains

Everything was still when Yunara climbed aboard. Valentini's crew and Youssef's were mixed up now, no longer fighting each other, but watching their common enemy with fear in their eyes. Yunara had no idea what they could have been seeing, but they looked like they were witnessing their worst nightmare. She crouched down as her eyes laid on Marcello and the three other men that looked devilish under the red light of the torches that were lit beside them. They stood by Krileon in front of Valentini's office, monitoring the crowd of shadowy forms in the darkness. Only the sea spoke above the dead silence on the Fantasma. All eyes were on them as Krileon went pounding at something silently, but it was impossible to see above all the heads standing around.

She didn't think the crew of either side would care if they saw her sneaking about. Their main problem was Krileon just as much as it was hers. But Krileon had those four watching the crowd. How would she get close enough to Krileon?

Then she remembered her handkerchief. She still had it in her bag. She fumbled with the soaking wet material with shaking hands, hoping that nothing happened to it while she was drifting in the water.

"You think that shield will keep you away from me forever?" Yunara felt Krileon say, his voice reaching her mind again. For a moment, she was afraid he'd seen her somehow, freezing her where she stood. Then she realized it was just the effects of him speaking. He wasn't talking to her.

"You're only prolonging the inevitable. I always get my kill. Always."

She found it. It was soaking wet, but she fastened it around her face anyway. She didn't have any way of making sure it was working, but she was just going to have to trust that it was. Under her camouflage, she slipped through the crowd, making sure not to touch anyone as she went. No one turned their head as she passed. Hopefully that meant they couldn't see her.

She got to the front of the crowd, and finally understood what Krileon was talking about. Valentini and Kailu crouched behind Manuel as he held up the shield for the three of them. Krileon stood over them with his chest heaving from the effort of trying to get through. His blue eyes glowed with rage as they darted about them, as if searching for a crack in their defence.

"Very well then," he continued. "I suppose I'll have to force you out, then."

Yunara's heart stopped as Krileon directed his eyes in her direction. "Marcello, take him," he said.

At first she didn't understand. Only then did she notice that his eyes weren't focused on her, but on someone behind her. Yunara scrambled as Marcello came to take the man Krileon had indicated towards him, making sure she didn't brush against either of them.

"Valentini..." Krileon growled lowly. "Let's make a deal. For every minute you stay behind that shield...." In a swift motion before anyone could react, Krileon plunged his sword into the chest of the man kneeled before him. "Another one of your men dies."

"NO!" Valentini cried.

Krileon pointed to another crewmember, and Marcello went to work. Yunara wondered why they didn't resist, but realized that there was no point. Marcello and the men with them had Krileon on their side. Their weapons could do nothing to him. For as much as they fought him, it would do them no good. They looked on in obvious agony as they could nothing while Marcello brought Krileon's next victim before him.

She needed to act quickly. Yunara just needed to get a current of water into Krileon's mouth. She was invisible, she could take as much time as she needed to concentrate and transform the water into a weapon once it was inside of him. By the time they figured out what was going on, it would be too late. She moved the water slowly out of its canteen, not sure if it was invisible along with her. She didn't know the limits of the handkerchief, and she wasn't about to take any chances. She had to plan this out just right.