Anilee arrived home in the middle of the night, famished and exhausted. After a month’s travel to return, she wanted nothing more to do with the expedition, slamming the door in Tyza’s face.
Tyza fell still in a sullen, grief-stricken state, unwilling to involve herself any more in the matter of the ruins. Her purpose had been getting Sator out of the forest alive with Anilee in tow, which slowed their journey severely. Had Tyza not been lucky enough to kill a deer on the way through the forest and find a brook in the prairie, they would not have gotten out alive.
Tyza stared blankly at the massive white door of the Uthman’s mansion, locking eyes with the gargoyle knocker before turning away. She spent the night in the New Heraldsburg hospital next to Sator. With the constant travel, diminishing supplies, and humid conditions, Sator’s wounds continuously reopened despite the constant maintenance Tyza did. His head showed signs of infection near the end of their return journey. The doctors said he would recover from his fractured skull if he didn’t go septic, but the infection had gone untreated for a dangerously long time.
She said nothing to anyone beyond what was necessary, keeping the golden chalice close in her backpack while she sat at Sator’s bedside, feeding and comforting him. He could barely talk, struck with a high fever and debilitating side effects.
The dingy beige blankets of the run-down hospital scratched at Tyza’s head when she sat up and brushed her stark white hair back, swishing just above her shoulders by now. Her thumb caressed Sator’s cheek, her dark eyes still dewey and red, as they had been since she lost Illus. Her heavy heart and dreary head did her no favors, devoid of all energy to function after focusing on survival so long. She sat by Sator’s side and waited for him to wake up. If he didn’t wake… no, that wasn’t a possibility in her mind.
Early the next morning, Tyza woke up to a knock at the door, her eyes still puffy and red from getting no sleep.
“Thank you, nurse,” the commanding voice of Colonel Raymus Uthman was discreet and reserved today. He stepped into the hospital room in a long black coat and black slacks, wet from rain.
Tyza’s eyes acknowledged the Colonel, but she was too tired to think of anything to say.
He stepped forward, taking off his flat cap and holding it before him. “My daughter informed me of the expedition this morning. I apologize that I was not here sooner. You have my deepest condolences.”
Tyza rubbed her tired eyes and took a deep breath in. “Thank you, Colonel.”
He passed an envelope across the bed to Tyza, then turned to Sator, still asleep and fighting off his fever. “Ani told me what happened, but I would like to hear the truth from you and Sator when you’re ready.”
“What did she say?”
The Colonel sighed, taking a seat across from her. “My daughter refused to speak to me until this morning. Then she told me that Illus left her stranded in the ruins, attacked her when he came back to get her, so she ran off without him.”
Tyza sneered at the air, cursing under her breath.
The Colonel noticed and cleared his throat. “I have no reason to believe such an outrageous story, even from my own daughter. Illus was one of the best men I knew, and I would not have entrusted my daughter to him if he was not. You both came such a long way from when I took you in. I…” He stopped, afraid of worsening Tyza’s bleak perspective.
Tyza’s eyes welled up more fervently, her eyes overcome by the pressure of tears. She held her hand over her eyes, trying not to break down in front of the Colonel, but her head exploded with memories of her brother, always by her side through the streets, through the military, as the one who walked her down the aisle of the her and Sator’s tiny wedding in the reception hall on base. And Sator, her best friend, her lover, her husband. He had become everything to her off a chance meeting at the pub, and her entire future as she envisioned was with him, and hopefully children. All of that was quickly crumbling in front of her, and she couldn’t take it anymore. Her facade of strength broke apart. Hiccups and sharp breaths accompanied the streams of tears from her eyes.
Colonel Uthman clutched his hat tightly and stepped around the bed, kneeling beside Tyza. Her head fell to his shoulder and he wrapped her in a fatherly hug. He remained silent and let her cry it out. She recovered herself a quarter of an hour later.
The Colonel took on a reassuring tone, pulling his seat beside her. “I have ordered this hospital to do everything they can to save Sator at my expense. He will make it out of here alive, you have my word. Please come by once you have yourselves sorted. As much as I hate to make you relive the experience, I need to have you report what happened in your brother’s stead. Our home is open to you as long as you stay here. Please do not be afraid to accept our hospitality. It is the least I can do for you.”
“Thank you, Colonel.” Tyza wiped her eyes and bade him farewell.
She was grateful to have the Colonel around. Through it all, he had been there for her and all the other youth corps children. It raised her spirit, even if by a sliver.
Meanwhile, Anilee was in the library, angrily steeping in her usual seat, reviewing all her research to be sure there were no mentions of anything supernatural when her door whirled open and slammed into the wall..
Mrs. Uthman stormed to the couch, Anilee aloof to her existence.
“Anilee Grace Uthman,” her mother’s voice bit into her venomously, “you will tell me what happened to Illus-”
Anilee raised her hand to her mother to silence her while she read.
Anilee’s mother grabbed her finger, twisting it backward with a sharp pop. “This is not a matter you can wave away, Ani! Do you realize what your childish expedition-”
With a scream and a futile slap to her mother’s hand, she exclaimed “it was not childish! You know nothing about it!”
Mrs. Uthman pulled the fragile finger harder, yanking Anilee to her knees on the couch. “Illus is dead and our family is being investigated for conspiracy, Anilee!”
“It’s not my fault!”
“Then why did your butler bring classified documents from this library to the bloody intelligence headquarters to return them to your boyfriend’s office?!”
“He wasn’t my boyfriend! He tried to kill me!”
Mrs. Uthman snapped, screaming into Anilee’s face. “Do you really think that’s the issue, Anilee, you stupid little witch?! Why did you have classified documents here?!”
“Dad’s the Colonel! Tell them it was him-”
“Don’t you dare try to pin this on your father! He is the one cleaning up your mess right now!”
“Illus is the one who stole the documents! Not me!”
Mrs. Uthman clutched Ani’s jaw, digging her thumbs into Ani’s cheeks. “And now he’s dead, Anilee! The military is investigating us right now because your boyfriend leaked classified documents to you, a civilian, and then died on your expedition that your father sponsored!”
Anilee tried speaking, but her mother screamed over her.
“We are in the middle of a war and you have just destroyed our entire reputation! Illus disappeared with a plethora of classified information in his head and you’re telling us that a magical fox got him?! No body?! No trace?! Rumors are spreading that he defected to the enemy! That the intelligence aid who your father sponsored, defected! Do you know what that means, Anilee?!”
Tears poured down Anilee’s face while she whimpered like a child. “I don’t know, mom! I don’t know! I’m sorry!”
Mrs. Uthman scowled cruelly at her daughter, spattering saliva across Ani’s face with every vitriolic word. “Our family is going to lose everything because of you! You ruined everything! And look at you now, reading your books like nothing happened!”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Anilee simply wept in response. “I’m sorry, mom! I’m sorry!”
“You’ve never been sorry about anything in your life or else you wouldn’t still be ruining everything like you always do!”
She threw Anilee back to the couch and stormed toward the door. Anilee laid on the couch crying, wondering why the world had it out for her, wondering why everyone always turned against her.
From the door, her mother called back once more, more controlled than before. “Your father has already informed his superiors that you will be organizing a recovery expedition at the same time next year. He will not be backing it. You will have to come up with everything by yourself. If you fail to recover Illus’s body or provide answers as to what happened, don’t bother coming home from it.”
She slammed the door, shaking the entire library. Anilee shot up, completely over crying. Her mind raced through it all: seeing herself going out into the forest and dying, being ousted from her home and living on the streets, failing to find anything and becoming the sole reason her family collapses and she never gets her rightful inheritance.
Anilee fell apart on the couch, crying and punching the cushions for upwards of an hour. She ran out of the library and locked herself in her room, scowling into the silver-trim mirror to begin a self portrait.
The information breach was only slight, not rendering Anilee a security risk. In reality, it was the politics of the situation that backed Anilee into her corner. Every other wealthy family was taking this opportunity to destroy the old money and influence of the Uthmans by exaggerating the severity of the incident. A nasty bout of lawfare that would sink the family if not carefully handled.
Days passed and Anilee simply carried on as if nothing had changed except her research. She scoured her notes and books, cursing Illus for losing her backpack with her most important journals. Later the same week, all of her remaining journals were confiscated to investigate for classified information. With all of her research lost or confiscated, she had nothing except for books and the knowledge of where the ruins were. The thought of putting on a second expedition completely unsponsored and with no monetary incentive for a solid crew daunted her, but the thought of losing her wealth terrified her beyond her own comprehension, enough to send her to the hospital for a visitation with Sator and Tyza.
Tyza’s sunken eyes locked on Anilee the instant she appeared in the doorway, a loud creak announcing her. Anilee meekly stepped toward the bed where Sator was still sleeping, his head wrapped and fever slowly still raging.
“Tyza,” Anilee declared with no regard for the sleeping patient, “I need to talk-”
Tyza grabbed Anilee’s arm and threw her out of the room, quietly shutting the door to keep Sator from waking. She pushed Anilee toward a bench and silently waited for the beginning of whatever hogwash Anilee was about to feed her.
Anilee restarted even louder than before, a touch of indignation at being forcefully moved. “I need to talk to you.”
Tyza held her glare, waiting.
Anilee lowered her voice, “I am sorry about what happened with Illus, but in light of everything that happened, there are some disturbing goings on that we will all be pulled into soon.”
“Okay, and?”
Anilee’s brows furrowed for a moment before she resumed her meek pretense. “Because of these, we are all in dire straits which will require us to clear our names through procuring evidence regarding the events in the ruins.”
“Your father already said he would brief us once my husband is healthy.”
A nurse passed by, side-eying the two ladies, causing Anilee to shift uncomfortably. “Perhaps we can continue this somewhere quieter?”
“No,” Tyza peered through the window at Sator. “Say what you want to say.”
Anilee heavily sighed, trying to contain her frustration. “These are matters of military confidentiality. We need to-”
“So you shouldn’t be talking about it then. You’re not military, never have been. Your father will tell us everything we need to know once he hears our side of the story.”
“That will not be necessary, Tyza,” Anilee raised her voice, “I already told my father the full timeline, beginning to end. He knows everything that happened. Everything. He knows about the fox, the poem, and the flood that killed Illus.”
Tyza didn’t believe her at all, taking some enjoyment in seeing Anilee try desperately to prevent her father finding out what happened. “Great. He’ll be able to corroborate our stories to get the full picture then.”
“No!” Anilee blurted out, her sharp voice bringing on the stares of passing patients and nurses. She fixed her sour expression and glanced around. “This is why we need to discuss this privately.”
Tyza set her hand on the doorknob, tired of Ani’s antics. “Sit in for the meeting, then. We’ll go over it together.” She tried opening the door, and Anilee grabbed the handle, pulling fruitlessly against Tyza’s force.
Hate filled Anilee’s glare, “Tyza, your brother tried to kill me and this is how you’re going to treat me?! Do you know what he did to me?! He-”
Tyza postured, shoving her chest against Anilee and pushing her back, a wild sneer scaring Ani onto her back foot. Hateful whispers crept from Tyza as she pressed forward, backing Anilee down onto a bench. “Don’t you dare say anything about my brother, you rotten little rat. After everything you put him through, you don’t get to blame this on the only one there who tried to save your life and get you out of those ruins.” Anilee tried standing up to face Tyza head on, but she couldn’t find her balance with Tyza pressing close.
Nurses began stepping up, quietly keeping an eye on the situation.
“You’re the reason he’s dead, Anilee, because you’re too pathetic to do anything right.”
Anilee took to screaming over her. “You don’t know anything he did to me!” She yelled over Tyza, frantically listing the horrors which Illus committed against her. “He grabbed me and dragged me across the ground! He yelled at me and told me he was going to kill me! He-”
Tyza slapped Anilee, rage-induced tears simmering in her eyes. “I wish somebody would. Now stay away from me and my husband.” She pushed a nurse off of her and quietly stepped into Sator’s room as several nurses escorted Anilee away.
In the following week, Sator’s condition improved. His fever died and he was discharged from the hospital. They took to the streets with Sator in his head wrap and a crutch. Between poor memory, occasional bouts of vertigo, and migraines, his head injury was improving.
Before departing New Heraldsburg, they paid a visit to the base and debriefed on the mission with Colonel Uthman. They spoke of the stone, the poem, the roses, the fox, the ruins and the river. They said nothing of the woman who gave them the chalice, nor the chalice. Colonel Uthman listened intently to their recounting of Illus’s death and the manner by which the fox caused strife in their party, but he said nothing. At the mention of Anilee holding them up and attempting to kill them, his demeanor of authority broke. In the silence between their story and him writing the last details, he seemed to hunch over the paper, aggressively dragging the quill until it shredded a line in the paper.
With the frustrated breath, he procured a new document and finished writing, though his dark brown eyes were darker than usual.
“I apologize for my daughter,” Uthman said, “and please, have this.” He slid an envelope across the table.
Tyza immediately protested, though weakly through slurred, tired words. “Colonel, please, no more money is necessary.”
“No,” Uthman pinched his brow, “the first envelope was your payment for the expedition. This is from me. It is what I wish to give you for Illus’s worth, though I fear no money can ever compensate the loss of such a man.”
“Colonel,” Sator fixed his posture, “thank you, but what is the investigation trying to find from us?”
The Colonel looked like he didn’t want to answer. “What I am about to say goes no further than this room.” Upon seeing both Tyza and Sator nod, he continued. “At 0839 on the eighteenth of May this year, Illus checked out several classified files from records. He unlawfully transported the files, using their contents for the purpose of the expedition to Imahken. I cannot tell you more, as the investigation is still ongoing, but this event has done a great deal of damage to the reputation of myself and my family. I know it is not your fault, but the matter of fact is that Illus leaked classified documents for an unauthorized investigation.”
Tyza racked her brain for a moment, the date of May eighteenth ringing a bell, but yielding no answers.
Sator furrowed his brows, eyes wide, like he knew something. The Colonel nodded to him, and Tyza was left looking between the two. “Do you think this is related to Ani’s broken ankle?”
The Colonel regrettably nodded. “I have little doubt.”
Tyza widened her eyes, remembering the night she and Sator were visiting the city for Illus’s birthday, when Illus returned from the Uthman mansion in a sour, depressed mood. That night, after some cheering up and partying at the pub with their squad members, they received news that Anilee had accidentally fallen out of her second story window.
“I should have caught on sooner,” Uthman folded his hands in front of his mouth. “Nevertheless, I will be accompanying my daughter in a separate party on this second trip to ensure and verify that she recovers exactly what she needs and leaves.”
“Colonel,” Tyza said, “if you can do anything about it, don’t go there, and make sure no one else ends up there.”
“Even if you make it,” Sator crossed his arms, “the fox will eat you alive. No matter your rank, your ability. We only caught a glimpse of what it can do. It’s nothing to mess with.”
Uthman lowered his eyes regrettably. “Due to the politics of the situation, I have little choice in the matter. I will heed your words, but I cannot avoid going.” He sighed. “If nothing else, I owe it to Illus for leaving my daughter with him.”
Sator and Tyza went silent, unsure how to respond other than by nodding.
“Thank you both for your time. I shouldn’t take any more of it. I wish you a speedy recovery. If we recover his remains, you will be the first to know.”
Tyza and Sator both rose and bid farewell to the Colonel. Wealth in their packs and a void in their lives, they took a train southeast toward the coast. To their home.