The Twenty Five Percent Rayanna

Danger

                        I look back at Kat, tied to the post, waiting to die. Watch as she struggles to free herself. Am I okay with a person willing to do this? He calls it for the good of his people. But is that really true? Can I live with myself if I become a part of this? No. The answer is, no I cannot live with myself if I willingly become a part of this. Seeing what he does, and hearing his plan for myself, I know that Kat must be right about everything she told me. I look back at Altair and search his eyes, wishing the Ghemin had somehow given me telepathic powers. "My answer is no."

                        "What?" he asks, sounding genuinely confused.

                        "No. I will not join you. I will not help you. I think what you are doing is despicable and I will not be a part of it." I say refusing to look away from him.

                        "You will join me, this wasn't a request, just a courtesy."

                         "And how exactly are you going to force me? My brother is lost somewhere in this big galaxy, you already killed my friend Carina, and now you are killing my friend Kat. You have no leverage." I say, refusing to back down.

                        He's silent a moment, before saying, "Then you can die with her." He grabs my right arm and twists it behind my back in one quick movement.

                         "No!" I shout fighting with everything in me. I swing my left arm and land a punch on his right shoulder. He grabs my left arm and twists it behind my back as well. I kick backward as hard as I can and connect with one of his legs. He lets go of my left arm to grab a handful of hair, jerking my head painfully backward.

                        "Enough!" he yells, his voice echoing through the cavern.

                        "You have to options; a life with me, or death here, with your friend Kat. This is your last chance. Which will it be?"

                        I hesitate a moment as a blurry picture fills my mind. Altair standing over me while I lay on the ground, crying. "I choose option number three. I will not die, nor will I join you."

                      "Sorry but that was not an option. I can see you wish to die. So be it. I will not stop you." He says. He lets go of my other arm and then brings his fist down on my head, hard.

                     Pain explodes in my head at the point where his fist made contact with my head. I feel him dragging my body somewhere, and then I know no more. When I regain consciousness, the first thing I'm aware of is a dull throbbing headache and the sound of someone singing. Wait! Singing? The creature! My eyes pop open and I sit up quickly, looking around. I'm on the ground next to Kat, apparently, Altair drug me over next to her and just dumped me. Didn't even tie me up. I don't see any sign of Altair, but the singing has me worried. I don't want to be here when that creature shows up.

                    I climb unsteadily to my feet and then pull the gag off of Kat. "Are you okay?"

                      "I will be as soon as we get out of here." She says.

                        I pull at the knot tying Kat's hands to the post, but the knot only gets tighter. It's some kind of intricate knot that I've never seen before. I pull on a different section, but the knot gets tighter still. "Ugh! I can't figure this thing out!" I try pulling on one of the knots tying Kat's hands together and have the same issues. "Stupid knot! Stupid Altair!"

                       "Calm down a minute and let's think. You can't get the knot untied, so that's out. There has to be a knife or something around here somewhere... wait! I completely forgot! I'm such an idiot!"