Crystal Guardian

28

'We could do with vacating this section of the ship,' said Winori. 'It's too risky.'

'And them?' said Raiden, breaking from their clutches. 'We leave them to die?'

'If one of us must risk their lives it will be me,' said Winori. 'I have not yet been weakened by the poison. Give me your goggles.'

'No,' said Raiden. 'I'll go. I'm-' but he never got to finish his argument for an almighty crash came through the door and The Eldest Elder, followed by many coughing and retching LendoZiyan soldiers came marching through the door.

'Make ready,' The Eldest Elder spluttered. 'We leave now.'

'We can't go yet,' said Aldric. 'Not until we know everyone's safe.'

'I have the lives of everyone on this ship to think about,' he replied, hastening down towards the cock-pit.

Aldric made his way through the crowds looking for more familiar faces but could not find his father or Floyd. Haydon, however, was one of the loudest passengers.

'Where is she?' she asked. One of the soldiers, still covering his mouth and retching, led her down to the opposite end of the ship. Haydon appeared so determined to see Feliciana that the gases did not affect her as severely as everyone else. Aldric still felt dizzy from the fumes and feared that if he were to take a seat he would fall into a sleep so deep it would be torturous to try and wake from it. He pressed his face to the window and was sure he could see shapes moving through the fog, heading away from the ship. He couldn't waste time. Aldric went for the door but K stopped him.

'Everyone's evacuating,' she said. 'Come on.'

'But I saw someone out there,' Aldric replied.

'Well you're going to need the combination,' she told him. 'They've locked it.' Aldric swore and banged the door. This reaction did not impress K. 'Calm down,' she told him one eyebrow raised. 'I was just going to tell you that you're lucky I memorised the code.'

'I could kiss you,' said Aldric before he could stop himself.

'I'd rather you didn't,' said K.

'Well go on,' he urged her. 'What's the code.' Hesitantly, K let the door open but before Aldric could do anything to argue she was next to him in the smog.

'We're over here,' he tried to shout, only managing a croak. He ran further down the ramp but clipped his ankle on the edge and before his brain could process what had happened, Aldric was falling and could hear K screaming after him. He landed on all fours on flat terrain. Perhaps it was the smog clouding his judgement, or maybe he had bashed his head as he fell over the side of the ramp, but Aldric no longer knew what direction was which. Although it had to be near, he didn't even know where the ship was. He tried to feel for it with his hands but as he came across rocks it became apparent that he had strayed from the safety of the ship by quite a way.

A row of lights belonging to the Etchagon ship flickered not too far ahead and Aldric knew it was no use. He had to reach those lights or he would succumb. Maybe the others had made it after all. Maybe they were all waiting for him there. Desperately he ran towards the other ship, trying to breathe as little as possible but all the air was knocked from him when he heard the desperate shouts. He could hear Raiden shouting and realised he must have slipped away when they were all arguing.

'Dad,' Aldric could hear. 'I have it!' But the voices were so distant and getting further away. He meant to follow them but something caught his eye. He pushed his hands forward and felt the side of the Etchagon ship. As he felt his way across, his hands stumbled over a large bulk at the rear of the ship and as Aldric waved his hands to clear some of the smog he noticed the ship's defence mechanism, similar to the one K had been fixing on Iccolsio. She had even mentioned the switch and Aldric found it flashing underneath the metallic band. But what was he to do? Stop the poison and the Jagophites would all live and Atarikka would still be doomed. Let Atarikka be poisoned and the Jagophites killed and who knew how long it would be before they could return. Probably not in his lifetime and as a Crystal Guardian, his life time was likely an extended one. Aldric reached out, unsure. Was this the right decision? It had to be. He had to stop the poison and he had to do it now whilst he still had the energy.