Jaybird's Flight

Take Flight

The one place Landon would go for cover would be the swamps. I know that sounds weird considering the trauma it gave us, but nobody goes there since it was banned after our little incident. 

They never cleaned out the old armory, so it is perfect to establish a plan while still being protected. Knowing him, he would see it as the most logical choice and would never abandon anybody, so he is probably waiting for me. Unless the Scarlet Clan actually did plant the bomb. But that can't be true, but I don't think it is true that Orin and Pollux set the bomb. It was Paramine! 

I clench my fists and bite my lip at the realization. Of course, it was him. He must have set the bomb and got out of here before they caught him. His name was on the wanted board. It makes sense, Paramine has turned all the clans against each other.

The old armory is just a large, rundown barn with weapons scattered throughout. The door almost falls off its hinges as I push it open. Dust, spiders, and cobwebs create a dense jungle I have to push through. 

If Landon had already been here, it would be slightly cleaned out, because he would have to push his way through to get to anything useful. I slip two, old, Jay Clan daggers through my belt, but I can't find anything else worth using. There has to be some here. I tug a cobweb blanket off of a desk. Ah-ha! Yes, found some. I untangle them from more cobwebs and dust them off. The bow and arrows are older models, but they'll do.

Footsteps come from outside the shack. They are heavy and crunch against the ground, and unfamiliar, unlike anything I've ever heard. I have to get out of here. One of the boards is loose on the shack's ceiling, so I carefully scale a tall shelf and push the board up. The wooden board easily detaches from the roof, giving me just enough space to squeeze through. Once I am on the roof, I position myself to where I can't be seen by onlookers.

Yet again, I hear more shouting. This whole day has just been filled with shouting. 

I turn just my head toward the imperative tone, and what do I find? Outsiders. They have rounded up about a dozen people, and I spot Landon in the mix. What is going on here? I'm so confused.

However, siding with a clan or not, they are still invaders in Rotunda. It is my duty to stop them. I have trained to stop them. I could pick all six of them off easily with my bow and my arrow, but they will either shoot at me, pinning me down, or they would kill the hostages. To make it successful, I will have to get them all at once. 

I may know a trick, but it is difficult. I could screw it up completely. My maximum of arrows at a time is three, and that's pushing it.

There is something different about two of the gang members. They don't have guns! They only have daggers! They will be slower to kill the hostages and to kill me. I might be able to shoot four arrows at four different places, but at least it is better than six. One of the gang members hits an elderly with the butt of her gun. I'm running out of time. 

You know what, I'll just improvise. I knock my four arrows and carefully aim at each of them. Deep breathes and focus is the key, so I focus as hard as I can and... release!

All four of the arrows hit their targets, piercing each gang member's chest, and my mind does a little happy dance. Before the other two, without guns, can register what just happened, I slide down the side of the barn roof and quickly shoot one of them. It was a sloppy shot, so it hits his knee, and he cries out in pain. 

Landon, thinking quicker than me, rolls over and tackles him to the ground. The other gang member with the dagger charges at Landon, but a hooded man from the crowd of hostages, steps out in front of the member and deflects his dagger using metal gauntlets on his arm.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, I take off running in Landon's direction. Surprisingly, the gang member he tackled isn't dead yet, but rather on his knees still putting up a fight. I run up behind him and hit him with the top limb of my bow as hard as I can. He collapses to the ground. That should keep him out for a while. Unexpectedly, Landon tackles me.

I mistake his tenderness for aggression. The way he melts and sighs, "Ohhhh, you're okay, you're alive." reveals that this is just one of his bear hugs. 

I embrace him quickly, forgetting the aching of almost every muscle, and nudge him to remind him that we are still in a life or death situation. He releases me, yet he still holds my hand as we walk over to the mysterious masked figure, who has finished his fight. With his back facing us, he removes his mask.

"Excellent job, children," says the cold, but not sarcastic, voice.

"Paramine?" Landon asks. I tense, preparing to attack or be attacked.

"Yes, well, I told Pollux that we should have planned the assault openly to scare away these people, but your father-," Paramine points his stolen dagger at me, and Landon steps between us, "-didn't understand and shut me down. Now we have to escape Rotunda, the only peaceful place in the world."

"You didn't set the bomb?" I question.

"Ridley, child, you have forever mistrusted me on no grounds." I blush at the accusation. "What would I have to gain from an explosion at the Orin complex?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you'd tell me," I retort, feeling I may have jumped to conclusions. "So Pollux wasn't involved in the invasion?"

"There is still a possibility of that; no one is trustworthy." I don't know whether or not that makes me feel better. Paramine pauses and it creates an awkward silence. "Alright, children, the invaders have infiltrated every aspect of Rotunda. It is apparent they have planned this for many months, perhaps years. You two are both wanted by the gang. Do you know why?"

"Cause we saw the patrol unloading the boxes," Landon says. "They don't want us telling who is working with them, which is-"

"Which we still don't know," I interject. Paramine smiles at our little disagreement.

"You are both the best in your class, and you both want to get out of Rotunda. I am wanted by the gangs, so are all these people." Paramine gestures to the group of a dozen people. "I think we can help each other out. I can provide passage out, you can fight off any of the gangs we come across." He hands us each an earpiece; this all moving too fast.

"We'll go through the swamps," Landon says.

"You're sure?" I ask. Now Landon is moving too fast, but he just nods.

"Of course, we will need codenames, just in case the transmission is intercepted," Paramine states. "Ridley, you will be Jaybird, and Landon you will be, um, Tanager." Landon just shrugs in acceptance that I get the cool name. "You two will take half the group. I will take the other half." I have never seen this side of Paramine before.

"Yes, sir," me and Landon exclaim.

"Oh, and what will be your code name?" I call to Paramine as we move to our groups of people.

"Hmmm, let's try Hood." He clicks his mask back on.