Six Of Foxes (Six Foxes)

Tera

Tera wants to pacing back and forth, but he has already secured a location on the bench and intends to keep it. The small turbulence of nervousness and enthusiasm seemed to quiver under her skin, whereas Reyn who sat beside her while constantly tapping on the kneecap did not help to calm Tera down at all. According to Tera, he could no longer afford to wait long. First on the ship, then on foot that far, and now he's trapped in the cell until the guards come to count them tonight.

    The one who understood the boundless overflow of his energy was only his father. He tried to direct Tera to use his energy for farming, but the work was too monotonous. The university should have given Tera a purpose, but she just missed another path. He was bewildered when he imagined what his father would say if he knew that the son had died in the prison of Barchen. But how could he possibly know? That possibility is too awful to pin down.

    How long has it been? What if they can't hear Ghantaclock from inside here? The wardens should count the time of the six rows. Then Tera and the others had until midnight to finish the job. Hopefully. Reader only missed three months in prison. The protocol may have changed. He may have misinformed. Or maybe the Barchen guy just wanted us to be locked behind bars before he complained to us.

    However, Reader now sits quietly on the far side of the cell near Ken. Tera certainly did not miss Ken's little clash with the Knuddelbarians. Ken used to be level-headed while doing work, but now he's tense and Tera doesn't know why. A part of Tera wanted to ask, but she knew that the one who wanted it was the stupid part, the hopeful young man who chose the least appropriate person to pay attention to, who reads the omens here and there while deep down she realizes they are meaningless - when Ken chooses her for a job, when Ken breaks his joke. I want Tera to kick herself. He finally saw the famous Ken Lunark darkly reputed in a state of complete nudity but did not pay attention because he was too worried that he would die at the end of the stake.

    But if Tera was restless, then Reyn seemed to be about to vomit for real.

    "What should we do now?" whispered Reyn. "What's the point of a cogkel lock breaker?"

    "Shut up."

    "And what's the point of you? Snipers without guns. You're not needed on this mission."

    "It's not a mission; it's a job."

    "Reader calls it a mission."

    "He's a military man, you're not. And I'm in jail, so don't tempt me into murder."

    "You're not gonna kill me and I'm not gonna pretend that everything's okay. We're stuck here."

    "You are better suited in a golden cage than in a real cage."

    "I left my father's house."

    "Yes, you left a life of luxury so you could live a life of slamming bones with us unlucky people in Krisbow. That decision doesn't necessarily make you attractive, Reyn, just stupid."

    "You don't know anything about my decision."

    "Then, tell me," Tera said as she turned to him. "We have time. Why would a good little prince leave home to hang out with criminals?"

    "You're acting like you were born in Krisbow like Ken, but you're not a Calterville. You chose this life too."

    "I like the city."

    "In Ru Kraine there is no city?"

    "Other with Moontown. Have you ever gone anywhere other than to the house, Krisbow, and the fancy banquet at the embassy?"

    Reyn turned. "Either."

    "To where? To the fringes during peach season?"

    "Road in Carveya. The Kuwei oil field. Arta gardens near Shrifport. Weddles. Elling's near Divayina to the west, you know?"

    "Really?"

    "My father used to take me everywhere with him."

    "Until?"

    "Until what?"

    "Until. My father took me everywhere until I was drunk with the heavy sea, until I threw up at the royal wedding party, until I tried to snub the ambassador. That leg's what I asked for."

    Tera. "Finally, guts are also a little stuff."

    "My nyaliku is big," Reyn grumbled. "And look at the consequences---"

    The guard spoke again in Kuwei and then Kalterville. "stand."

    "Shimkopper," said the guard. They all looked at him dumbly. "Ember pees," she tried in Kalterville. "Where... emptied?" He's anonymous.

    The prisoners shrugged and exchanged lyrics in confusion.

    The moody mimic of the guard confirmed that he was not dizzy. He pushed a bucket of fresh water into the cell and then slammed the bars shut.

    Tera pushed forward and downed the water a lot from the cup tied to the handle of the bucket. Most of the water was spilled onto his shirt. When he handed the cup to Reyn, he made sure that the water was wetting the young man as well.

    "What are you doing?" reyn protest.

    "Patience, Reyn. And try to follow."

    Tera rolled up her pants and fumbled the thin skin around her ankle.

    "Tell me I'm--"

    "Silent. I have to concentrate." Indeed so. Tera really did not want the caplet buried under her skin to open while still inside.

    He fumbled the thin stitches Silva put there. He was in pain instead of playing while opening the stitches and removing the caplet from there. The caplet is about the size of a raisin and is slippery because it is covered in blood. Silva must be using his magic to split his own skin right now. Tera wondered if it was less painful than stitches.

    "Cover your mouth with clothes" Tera told Reyn.

    "What?"

    "Don't bebal. You're sweeter than smart."

    Reyn's cheeks are red. He scowled and straightened his collar.

    Tera reached under the bench to remove the bucket of dirt she had hidden there.

    "The storm is coming" Tera said aloud in the Kalterville language. He sees Reader and Ken riding on each other's lapels. Tera turned her face away, pulled her clothes to cover her mouth, and dropped the caplet into the bucket.

    There was a hissing sound as mist billowed from the water. Within seconds, smoke had enveloped the entire cell, making the air cloudy green.

    Reyn's eyes looked panicked on his raised collar. Tera was tempted to feign fainting, but she decided to settle just by looking at the men drooping to the floor around her.

    Tera waited until the 60th count, then lowered her collar and took a careful breath. The air still smells sweet sickening and will make them quail for some time, but the concentration of the gas has been much reduced. The next time the warden came again to count the number of prisoners, the prisoners would have severe headaches but could not tell much. And hopefully by then they're long gone.

    "What is chloroquine gas?"

    "You're definitely sweeter when you're smart. Yes, the caplet is an enzyme-based capsule that contains chloro powder. The powder had no effect, unless it came into contact with ammonia as much as possible. That's what happened just now."

    "Art water in the bucket. but then what? We're still trapped in the cell."

    "Tera," said Ken, waving to him to approach the bars. "The clock is ticking."

    Tera approached while twirling her shoulders. This kind of work usually takes a lot of time, especially since he never gets a real workout. He glued his hands to the sides of one trellis and concentrated on finding the purest ore.

    "What's he doing?" ask Reader.

    "Executing an ancient Riverdale ritual" Ken said.

    "Really?"

    "No."

~Next Tera 2