Astral Legacy Book 1

8

It had been another two days since Kale had undergone the interrogation and no one had been to see him since other than the soldiers who brought him his food every day. The food was pretty close to hospital food, mass produced, dehydrated and efficient but nothing with any amount of flavor to it. He looked up at the camera in the corner of his cell wondering who was watching him on the other side. There was an unexpected knock at the door and Kale stood up to face it. He wasn't sure what to expect at this point especially after his last interrogation. The door opened, and Officer Stanfield was standing in the doorway, his door guard standing beside her.

"I'm not telling you anything else until you let me see him," he exclaimed.

"Then I guess you will be telling me more soon," she smiled as she spoke before stepping to the side. "You can come in." Kershala stepped into view and Kale wanted to run up and wrap his arms around him but hesitated, almost stunned. Kershala looked up at him and smiled clearly happy to see him but restraining himself. Kale could feel tears welling up in his eyes but tried to hold back not wanting to break down in front of the officers. "You've got an hour, don't waste it. I'll be back." Officer Stanfield backed out of the room and they shut and locked the door. Kale rushed Kershala and threw his arms around him pulling him into a tight hug. Kershala returned the embrace. The feeling of Kershala wrapped around him brought back memories of the night they slept wrapped up in each other. Kale breathed him in, even wearing the prisoner attire they both had on, Kershala had a distinct smell. After so long in such a sterile environment it was almost intoxicating.

"I was starting to think they weren't going to let me see you," he sobbed.

"I am so happy to be with you Kale." Kale could feel Kershala's hands move from the base of his back up to the back of his head and running through his hair. Kershala cupped his head and guided him to touch their foreheads together. Kale wanted to kiss him but wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop so he refrained. Kale stared into his eyes and noticed something different about them, the violet in them seemed dimmer than he remembered.

"What's wrong with your eyes? Are you okay?" he asked pulling back and touching his face while inspecting his eyes.

"I am okay, but my vision is blurred," Kershala pulled Kale back into him and whispered his next sentence, so low that only Kale could hear him. "The damage to my implant was extensive and the nanites cannot repair it fully without the AI's assistance." Kershala's voice returned to normal volume. "When the Arktora choked me it likely caused pressure damage to my eyes and vascular structure. With time it will heal." Kershala caressed Kale's face moving gentle hands over his face and thumbing under his eye. "I wish I could look into your eyes."

"I'm happy to just feel your touch again." Kale guided Kershala to the bed and they sat down. "Have they said anything to you about when they might let us go?" he asked.

"No, nothing. I only first talked to anyone other than my attending physician just two days ago," explained Kershala. "They took me to a room where you had been before. You felt so close and so far at the same time." Kale took Kershala's hand and squeezed trying to offer up some kind of reassurance while at the same time having a hard time believing it himself. They had been interrogated the same day in the same room. "I think that Officer Stanfield will help us. She was quite reactive to our conversation."

"That wasn't how my interaction with her went. She wouldn't even call you by your name," said Kale thinking back to his interrogation with Stanfield. Kale laid back on the bed and Kershala stayed where he was seated next to him. The two of them sat silent for a moment, Kale wasn't sure what to talk about but felt comforted just sitting in the presence of someone else that wasn't a guard. He looked at Kershala for a moment as they sat, any bruising and visible damage caused had seemingly dissipated other than his eyes. The bruising that had been present on his neck and face had gone. He did notice that the time they had been apart Kershala's facial hair had grown considerably thicker almost to the point it had been when they first met. He smiled faintly and leaned forward touching Kershala's chin. Kershala reacted to his touch with a smirk and looked in his direction. "Your beard has grown out quite a bit since I saw you."