Athyyah

Chapter Twenty-Three The power of words

"It matters not. Melan doesn't want to provoke the vorlixx in any way," answered Anthieyah. "She wishes to remain peaceful as not to provoke any more violence."

"Well we've got to try. If we don't, I personally won't be able to live with myself," Kaitlyn told them, clenching her hands into fists. "Valerie would do the same for any of us. Right?"

"Well she did go after Anthieyah," answered Kris. "That would suggest she would."

"I'm with you Kaitlyn," said Arnold.

"We should go see Melan immediately. Every moment we waste, we decrease our chances of finding her alive," Kris said standing up. "Anthieyah, you wanting to come along, or do you want to stay here?"

"I'm not as bad as I look," answered Anthieyah. "Besides, I'll make it easier for you to see her, so yes, I will accompany you. At least to Melan."

"Alright, but if you even think about going out to help Valerie, I will have to insist that you come to your senses and stay here," said Arnold. "You are in no shape to go gallivanting about."

"Despite how much I want to help your friend, I know well enough there's nothing I can do in my condition. I don't even know how to fight," Anthieyah answered, sounding a bit ashamed at that fact. Apparently it was something everyone should know, like being able to swim.

"Right, you're only a secretary, of course you wouldn't," Arnold replied more to himself than Anthieyah. Being in the primitive world, it just seemed natural to him that everyone could fight.

"It's okay Anthieyah. None of us do," Kris told her with a comforting smile. "That didn't stop us from going after you."

Anthieyah worked a week smile.

"Let's get going," Kaitlyn reminded them "Anthieyah, are you going to need any help getting there?" she asked getting to her feet.

"No, I can walk fine," answered Anthieyah with a sense of dignity.

They didn't pursue Anthieyah's condition and they left her home to pay the village leader a visit. It was late morning so the market was open. The streets were now filled with woman. Most of whom stared at the group as they made their way through, mostly at Kris though as he was still in the armor. In a few minutes they arrived at the building in which Alex had taken to calling, the Brown-house. None of them fully understood why, but assumed it had something to do with the White House in Washington D.C. None of them found it amusing, but with nothing else to call it, that's what it became to them.

They went up to the entrance with Kris in the lead. Still in the suit, he clanked noisily as he moved about. From he noise, he doubted Melan didn't already know they were there. At the entrance he stopped to let the others go in before himself. With the armor on, Kris had actually found it hard to match pace with the others. He seemed to keep speeding up and continuously moved too fast.

Inside they went straight to Melan's "office". Anthieyah took the lead into the room, no doubt to inform her of their presence and to check if she was even there. The group was in luck, for a moment later Anthieyah motioned for them to enter. Silently the group obeyed filing into the large room. They looked to the end of the room, where standing at the end of the long rectangular table was Melan leaning over some project she was working on. There was no one else there so they did not have to interrupt anything. She didn't even seem to notice their appearance even after Anthieyah had already come in a moment earlier.

When she heard their approach and the racket made by the mechanical suit she looked up. The first thing she saw was Kris and the armor he was in. This startled her for a moment but soon recognized Kris's face peering through the head peace. Despite her reaction, Melan showed little of the surprise she must have felt and her expression remained calm and composed.