“Is it safe to touch it?” Solis asked.
“Yes, it’s fine now,” Anh replied. “The shock that pulled it out has deactivated its power connector. Now, let’s get out of here. Rongo! Take the box to the local headquarters of your style. I will come and take a more thorough look at it tomorrow. We need to be careful. I have a feeling the five thugs from earlier went for backups and might be soon waiting for us on the other side of the island.”
They began crossing the platform, leaving the coiled rope with the hook behind. Rongo was walking in front, carrying the artifact under his right arm. Soon, they reached the opposite edge, where the steps cut in stone allowed anyone easy access to the island. Two inflatable boats were floating nearby, one belonging to Rongo, the other to Anh. There was no trace of the thugs.
“Humm,” Anh said. “I kind of expected to see them back. The thugs were leaving when I stepped on the island. They glimpsed my badge and hasted towards the shore. No sign of them here, yet I think some of them can’t be far. We have to stay on guard. What do you think, Rongo?”
“I’m on the same wavelength,” the young master replied. Then, turning to Kolin, he added: “If we get involved in a difficult fight, I shall give you the artifact to hold until it ends. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, sir!” Kolin cried, surprised by the master’s trust.
They halted at the platform’s edge, ready to climb down the stone stairs to the boats. The Sun had just set, and the night was slowly creeping in. Sen was supposed to appear on the sky soon, in her full phase, before it got dark.
“I’ll go on first,” Anh said and set foot onto the narrow path. A fraction of a second before the final step, he stopped abruptly. Immediately, two arrows flew in front of him and bounced off the platform’s rugged side-wall.
“They’re here, all right,” the supreme master whispered. He turned towards the other man and continued in a low voice:
“Rongo, give the artifact to the kids and come here. I’ll take the right side, you take the left. Be careful about the arrows.”
Rongo passed the artifact into Kolin’s hands. The object felt cold and was rather heavy for its size. The masters rushed ahead and disappeared into the water. The actual fight took place beyond the platform’s edge, hidden from the teenager’s view. A couple of loud splashes, then everything calmed down. Some seconds later, water dripping from his wet shirt, Anh showed up from at the base of the stone stairs and motioned them to come. The night was falling, and the cold air made them shiver.
“Only two of them,” Anh said. “Sentinels armed with crossbows. The main force hasn’t arrived yet. Let’s go!”
Rongo was already waiting in his boat. Kolin handled him the artifact and stepped in. Anh’s boat was larger. A few seconds later, Lila and Solis also scrambled in it.
Almost without noise, Rongo began rowing towards the coast. Anh was following him closely. Both masters cautioned the teenagers to lie down inside the boats so they won’t become a target in case other enemies armed with crossbows were waiting near the shore.
One minute later, they touched the soft sand of the beach. The whole area looked deserted, and an eerie silence was reigning in the air.
“It looks a bit too easy,” Rongo whispered.
“It certainly does. Yet, I don’t feel any human presence nearby,” Anh replied. “Let’s keep the boats near the sea until we know for sure they won’t attack us here.”
“They must be waiting somewhere along the way to Levand. Perhaps I shouldn’t go directly to the Two Waves building.”
“I bet they also guard the main road to Aquatika’s local headquarters from Akonit.”
“This looks quite bad. Some big criminal syndicates are probably hunting this object. Do you have any idea who would be so interested in the artifact?”
“I’m clueless. Those thugs certainly didn’t look like people related to our government. Or, as a matter of fact, to any other government. Any official would have presented an identification badge before requesting access to the object.”
“There is a payphone near the road. Should we call the police?”
“And let the politicians get the artifact? The Blue Federation certainly is a democracy, but every democracy has vulnerable spots. Someone is going to find a way to steal the artifact from a government building and abuse its powers.”
“Would the artifact be safe if it stayed in Aquatika’s building?”
“As safe as inside the Two Waves’ headquarters.”
In the meantime, the teenagers went to the place they had left their clothes and backpacks and got dressed. They picked up their bicycles and came back to the spot where the masters were talking.
“Yes, it’s fine now,” Anh replied. “The shock that pulled it out has deactivated its power connector. Now, let’s get out of here. Rongo! Take the box to the local headquarters of your style. I will come and take a more thorough look at it tomorrow. We need to be careful. I have a feeling the five thugs from earlier went for backups and might be soon waiting for us on the other side of the island.”
They began crossing the platform, leaving the coiled rope with the hook behind. Rongo was walking in front, carrying the artifact under his right arm. Soon, they reached the opposite edge, where the steps cut in stone allowed anyone easy access to the island. Two inflatable boats were floating nearby, one belonging to Rongo, the other to Anh. There was no trace of the thugs.
“Humm,” Anh said. “I kind of expected to see them back. The thugs were leaving when I stepped on the island. They glimpsed my badge and hasted towards the shore. No sign of them here, yet I think some of them can’t be far. We have to stay on guard. What do you think, Rongo?”
“I’m on the same wavelength,” the young master replied. Then, turning to Kolin, he added: “If we get involved in a difficult fight, I shall give you the artifact to hold until it ends. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, sir!” Kolin cried, surprised by the master’s trust.
They halted at the platform’s edge, ready to climb down the stone stairs to the boats. The Sun had just set, and the night was slowly creeping in. Sen was supposed to appear on the sky soon, in her full phase, before it got dark.
“I’ll go on first,” Anh said and set foot onto the narrow path. A fraction of a second before the final step, he stopped abruptly. Immediately, two arrows flew in front of him and bounced off the platform’s rugged side-wall.
“They’re here, all right,” the supreme master whispered. He turned towards the other man and continued in a low voice:
“Rongo, give the artifact to the kids and come here. I’ll take the right side, you take the left. Be careful about the arrows.”
Rongo passed the artifact into Kolin’s hands. The object felt cold and was rather heavy for its size. The masters rushed ahead and disappeared into the water. The actual fight took place beyond the platform’s edge, hidden from the teenager’s view. A couple of loud splashes, then everything calmed down. Some seconds later, water dripping from his wet shirt, Anh showed up from at the base of the stone stairs and motioned them to come. The night was falling, and the cold air made them shiver.
“Only two of them,” Anh said. “Sentinels armed with crossbows. The main force hasn’t arrived yet. Let’s go!”
Rongo was already waiting in his boat. Kolin handled him the artifact and stepped in. Anh’s boat was larger. A few seconds later, Lila and Solis also scrambled in it.
Almost without noise, Rongo began rowing towards the coast. Anh was following him closely. Both masters cautioned the teenagers to lie down inside the boats so they won’t become a target in case other enemies armed with crossbows were waiting near the shore.
One minute later, they touched the soft sand of the beach. The whole area looked deserted, and an eerie silence was reigning in the air.
“It looks a bit too easy,” Rongo whispered.
“It certainly does. Yet, I don’t feel any human presence nearby,” Anh replied. “Let’s keep the boats near the sea until we know for sure they won’t attack us here.”
“They must be waiting somewhere along the way to Levand. Perhaps I shouldn’t go directly to the Two Waves building.”
“I bet they also guard the main road to Aquatika’s local headquarters from Akonit.”
“This looks quite bad. Some big criminal syndicates are probably hunting this object. Do you have any idea who would be so interested in the artifact?”
“I’m clueless. Those thugs certainly didn’t look like people related to our government. Or, as a matter of fact, to any other government. Any official would have presented an identification badge before requesting access to the object.”
“There is a payphone near the road. Should we call the police?”
“And let the politicians get the artifact? The Blue Federation certainly is a democracy, but every democracy has vulnerable spots. Someone is going to find a way to steal the artifact from a government building and abuse its powers.”
“Would the artifact be safe if it stayed in Aquatika’s building?”
“As safe as inside the Two Waves’ headquarters.”
In the meantime, the teenagers went to the place they had left their clothes and backpacks and got dressed. They picked up their bicycles and came back to the spot where the masters were talking.
(to be continued…)
Books by Marian C. Ghilea:
BUTTERFLY’S DREAM: https://bit.ly/2PM63uU
TIDES OF AMBER: https://bit.ly/2HfcHVB
Image source: Pixabay – https://pixabay.com/photos/rocks-1061540/
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