Lucidity

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Judgement Day

Warning: Upsetting Content

The four young men gathered around Natalia at the outskirts of the camp. The fir trees hid them slightly, but anybody who came looking for them would have to be quick.

"Is Caitlyn safe?" was Oburon's initial response upon hearing of Crayver's deception.

"I don't know. He may well not trust me or fear that her former teammates have too much information. Either way, Crayver isn't as much of a fool as he wanted us to think."

"We can't worry about that. Our main concern is disabling the weapon in time," Hjalmar reminded them.

"And what plan have we?" snarled Junior.

"We already have a plan. We just move it forward."

"You saw how much planning everything's taken. Even if we tell Pritshitz now, we'll never have everyone ready on time," argued Junior.

"We had a plan, back before you ratted on us. We go back to our initial plan. Sure, tell Pritshitz if you want but we need to set off soon if we want to get there on time. We only have twelve hours and several of those will be spent travelling and what not."

"We need a fast method of travelling that also works undercover. I can show you the way, but if we want to remain undetected, we'll have to add at least another hour worth of travelling," said Natalia.

"Jacob, can you check in with Anwyn? Make sure she's where she should be," requested Oburon.

"What about Yaz?" said Junior.

"Worst case Anwyn will have to do it alone. She has the solution," Hjalmar reminded him. Junior frowned and Jacob went to do as he'd been told.

Natalia handed them out business cards. "I have no guarantee that these will fool them. Crayver knows to expect an attack, the question is whether he'll be prepared for one now, but since I've been gone all night, I'm afraid he probably will be."

Oburon ran his thumb over the smooth paper. "I need to go and find Caitlyn. I need to make sure she's okay."

"Everyone has their role, Oburon," Hjalmar reminded him.

Surprisingly, it was Junior who countered him, "Let him go. What use will he be anyway?" With a smug smirk, he added, "We're a soldier, a spy and a mage. We can handle anything."

"Let's hope so," said Natalia, "We're finished if you can't."

Precisely then, Jacob returned and beside him were two figures huddled together.

"I thought you could use a hand," said Arham Ahmed.

His sister smiled. "For Lypera."

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The border between Surtren and Soustren was lethal. The only way to cross the Tren in so little time was through Avi, a mini-state that nobody in their right mind wanted to enter. It was a hub of weapon and human trafficking, pickpockets and fanatic religious beliefs. However it was also the easiest option for those who wanted to illegally cross a border.

The disguises Natalia had found them for Soustren were not ideal for Avi. Yaz was still grateful though because she could still get away with wearing her headscarf. No matter what they wore they'd stand out as foreigners, so it didn't matter if she was a bit mismatched. However once they reached Soustren, she'd have to take it off. Her people had settled in many parts of Trenia, but for some reason they'd stayed away from the southern giant.

The streets of Avi were covered in mud. Children wrapped in felt coats were left shivering in the shadows of tall dark buildings. The scent of horses and fecal waste hung in the air, turning the stomachs of the foreigners. The world seemed to be devoid of it's brightness, limited to muted shades. All of them couldn't wait to leave.