Outcasts

Chapter Six

I didn't know how to act like a teenager. Cassie did a perfect job, obviously. But I just let her do all the talking as we tried to stroll down the sidewalk as naturally as possible. We finally rounded a corner and there was a big clearing with a fountain in the middle. The ground was tiled marble.

"Yes," Cassie said, keeping up her chatty tone. "We made it. Let's go into the hospital," she said. She pointed to a big building on my right. Conveniently, there was a hospital off almost every city square. It made cities easier to navigate.

We walked for the doors. My heart did a flip. I didn't want to go into another of these buildings as long as I lived. But Cassie swerved at the last second, and went into an alleyway next to the building. Cassie removed Ryan from her pocket and set him on the ground.

He slowly shifted into himself.

"We're at a hospital," She said.

Ryan looked relieved. "Good. Let's get me inside."

"How are we going to pay?" I asked.

Cassie hesitated. "I... Have my ways."

Why did I not like the sound of that?

"Come on." Cassie dragged us through the front doors and suddenly sounded very distressed. "HELP! My friend-he's hurt and he needs help! He fell on a nail and I think it's infected!"

"Come with me, sir," The nurse said.

I watched him go through the immaculate hallway filled with metal droid robots.

"You two can wait in the waiting room," another employee told us. "We're just going to clean him up and get him a Z-ray. Then you can decide what to do."

A Z-ray. Of course. We would totally want to use something that damages cells just to see what's inside someone. Why couldn't we use the old-fashioned MRI? Well, apparently they cost too much. Why couldn't we use the X-ray? No, the Z-ray is more efficient.

Pretty soon, the nurse who took Ryan came back out. "I'm sorry," She said. "We can't help him. He doesn't seem to be... Normal."

Cassie let go a string of colorful words. "We have to go," She said. "Where is he?"

"I'm sorry," The woman said, "He is a wanted criminal. I am forced to turn him in to the police."

More colorful words came from Cassie. Where did she hear all of these? "Mam, tell me where he is."

"I can't."

Cassie morphed into a bear and grabbed the nurse around the neck.

She looked at me to do the talking.

"Where is he?" I asked.

The nurse behind the counter squealed. "Room 205!"

Cassie dropped the other nurse and ran, morphing into herself on the way. I followed her close behind.

We soon came to a room marked 205, and Cassie checked the handle. When it was locked, she shoved into the door. It held firm.

"Cover me," She said, like we were under attack or something. I looked down the hallway and found police running toward me. Okay, we were under attack. Or something.

I shifted into a tiger.

Cassie shifted into a rhino and slammed into the door. It shattered, sending splinters everywhere.

I ran in the door behind her, where Ryan was now a mouse climbing into Cassie's pocket.

The police halted in front of the doorway.

"You three! Put your hands on your head and no funny business!"

Cassie didn't have time to swear. Because the first officer pointed us. "You girls have no criminal records. Please step away from the..." He glanced around, but he couldn't find Ryan.

Cassie smirked.

"Where is he?" the officer bellowed.

"Who?" Cassie asked. Then she gestured toward the window with her head. Not big enough for the police to notice, but I understood.

"We have no idea who you're talking about."

Then we both jumped out the window at the exact same time.

My heart leapt into my throat as the wind caught my skin. I just had time to turn into a hawk before I would've splattered into the sidewalk. Instead I spread my wings and they caught the wind. In a flash, I was gliding along the ground. People gasped and moved out of the way.

Happiness flared in my chest. We were free. But then worry replaced it. Ryan wasn't fixed.

Cassie landed on top of a building, where people had started to gather below. I landed behind her.

"Bree," She told me. "We have to take him to a vet. Do you see any?"

I shook my head. "I don't think they have any pets here. It's been really uncommon for the last decade or so."

"Oh." she said. "Well... Then Ryan's just going to have to be okay how he is."

"I guess-"

I was cut off by a loud air-horn noise.

"People of Beigia, Capitol of Querto!" The voice bellowed.

This time I could understand it.

"We have had a security breach of the royal manor. You are instructed to stay in your homes. We hope to get this under control as soon as possible. We have been instructed to do a hasty call of the new soldier legion. The ranks: Commander includes, Harry Montgomery, Daniel Jackson, Mattel Norman, Jeffrey Smith, Garret Hudson."

"What's going on?" I asked.

Cassie shrugged. "I think they're appointing the new legion members to join the guard.

"First Soldier includes, Liam Williams, Benjamin Lucas, Mitchel Logan, Jared Newman, Henry Brown, Gary Southfeild, Kile Adelson."

My heart stopped.

"Minor soldiers include..." The voice went on to say. But I didn't hear it. Kile. Kile Adelson. My brother. the only person in the world who truly loved me. A first soldier. The first people on the battle field.

"That's him," Cassie said. "Kile Adelson. He was appointed just yesterday."

I could hardy breathe.

"Apparently there's a big threat and they need more soldiers. Shame they probably won't get too far, They're only young teenagers."

Cassie was right. Kile was only fourteen. How was he appointed to be a soldier? That could only happen if... No. My mother! She applied him to the royal guard. That was the only possible way this was happening.

I think I was hyperventilating.

Cassie was talking, but I didn't hear her. The only thing I heard was Kile' voice as I collapsed and everything faded to black, for the second time in two days.