INFILTRATION
Scene 58
The portal chamber floor shuddered under Mentrianos and Bunjaian. They looked up as dust and a few bits of rock fell from an arched ceiling scribed with roots. The Sirathen symbol gave a little light, and a door with a level stood opposite the pedestal.
“This must be where they went,” said Bunjaian. “See, that door has been cleared to open.”
They tried the handle carefully. It moved, and they saw steps leading up to another door, angled to open upwards, as if from a cellar to the outside.
“They’ve been through here too,” Bunjaian muttered. “Shh! We don’t know how far they’ve gone from here. This door might be guarded.”
A brief rumble made them freeze for a moment. Mentrianos turned first, to see Munizkara at the inner doorway. Her eyes widened, she turned to go back to the pedestal, and Mentrianos tackled her. He fumbled for one of the shockers, but as he did, Bunjaian slipped in and stabbed her. She cried out once, blood welling from her jacket, and went limp.
“Come on!” Bunjaian said, wiping his blade and resheathing it. “We’ve got to move quickly!”
“You can’t leave her here like this! She’ll die!” Mentrianos dithered, trying to cover the bleeding would.
Bunjaian grabbed him, pulling him away. “They will all be on us if we don’t move, now! We’ll get back here, they’ll be chasing us, and seeing her will slow them a lot. She’ll be all right! Now come on, and quietly! Silently, you sov? You sting the mom and grab the baby, and I’ll sting Guinban and lug him, and we can take the portal back before they are all awake.”
Together they slowly raised the outer door, crept out from under it, and propped it open enough to clear their return quickly. Mentrianos, peering in the dim light from the forest fungals, located Tellina near Alumaras, with Samantine asleep on her breast. He paused. What am I doing, taking her from her mother? What is wrong with me? From deep inside, he felt words speak themselves. She is yours, and you are mine. Bring her to me. Vaguely he remembered the piece of wooden stake he carried. Why did I bring this?
The thought shimmered and vanished into darkness. He slowly drew out a shocker, and pressed it to Tallina’s neck. She convulsed, slackening her embrace without a sound, and little Samantine fell into his hands without even opening her eyes.
# # #
Bunjaian found Guinban at the edge of the group of sleepers, Piotras near him. The two men each had a hand extended towards the other. Very carefully, Bunjaian found an exposed spot at Guinban’s neck. A flicker of soft light: he looked over to see Mentrianos beckoning, a bundle in his arms, moving towards the portal mound.
As he drew out a shocker, Piotras slammed into him.