Psychic

21. Bumbling

 Out in the dunes of the desert, as they were to their way to Korrik, Rai, Lestat and Kiyo were completely silent. Rai could feel Kiyo glaring at her. They met Ken, Marlene and the previous Emperor, Yasashi in the middle of the desert.

"Tolaymus said you were dead," Kiyo told Yasashi, said as soon as they saw each other.

Ken explained, "Tolaymus assumed the lieutenant he sent was able to do the job. I see you've brought extra baggage along... again."

Kiyo had Reno over his shoulder and threw him into the sand. "Not my fault!" he screamed suddenly turning to Rai. "Of all people, Rai?! You feel the need to save this waste of space!" He pointed at Rai as he accused her and started kicking Reno. "Damn. Fucking. Prick."

"Yo, calm the fuck down. I didn't want to. I had to. I don't..." She threw her hands up with a shrug. "I couldn't leave him. I wanted to but it didn't feel right."

"No, no, this is the one time in history when letting someone die would benefit all of humankind! I am not carrying this jackass the whole way to Korrik. You do it. He's your problem now. You saved him. You can be responsible for him," he pointed at Rai. Everyone was staring at him during his rant with their mouths slightly open.

"Then I will," Rai exclaimed without actually screaming the way Kiyo was. "I will carry everyone because that's what I do."

Ken looked down, watching the sand move under them as Rai formed it into a solid mass to lift everyone off the floor. He saw Reno on the floor and recognized him. "Isn't that the General trying to kill you?" Ken asked Kiyo, pointing down at him.

Kiyo groaned and clenched his fists, "don't remind me."

* * *

Reno shook awake with a gasp. He found himself lying in a small bed, in a room that was even smaller than his bathtub in Laridion. He sat up quickly and panicked when something touched his head. He grabbed it and pulled it down to find it was a toy bird that had been tied to the ceiling. He examined his surroundings in the tiny room until Lily pulled back the curtain that acted as a cheap door. "Oh, you're up," she said calmly. "You hungry? I made soup."

Reno could hear two other voices. "Stay away from that dickweed, Mom," Rai said to Lily, who shrugged and stepped back out of the room. "And don't give his ass my food."

"So how'd you guys get away," Matt was asking Rai.

"Dude, it was the weirdest. He kind of just let us leave."

Reno pushed himself out of the bed quickly, tossing the toy bird onto it. He threw the curtain aside, rushing by Lily on his way out of the room. Rai was rubbing the makeup from her face with a towel while Lily and Matt stared at Reno. "What happened to Tolaymus?"

While still rubbing her face, Rai told him, "basically, your dad tried to kill you. I brought you with us."

"Hardly surprising," Lily cut in. "Kiyoshi came to us the same way. Betrayal, I mean. Seems common among Generals."

"Listen, man," Rai tossed the towel on the kitchen counter. "Kiyo said he wanted to see you when you woke up so let's do that."

"Oh," Reno's mouth dropped open slightly, "you were Rosalyn. You did come for him. God, I'm so fucking stupid. Did you hear what I said about you?" Rai's eyes opened wide and her mouth stood slightly open. "I said that-"

"Don't. Unless you want me to finish what the Head General started. Let's go."

The moment Reno began following Rai out of the caravan, he hardly gave any attention to anything else. He had given up all hope of ever getting to see her again and now he was walking right behind her.