Ice Phoenix (35 page)

There was a loud yowl and Lorn woke up with a start to find a hissing Kazu on his stomach.

"What the —? Kazu?"

Go back to sleep, lover boy.

The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and the first raindrops started to fall. Weather stations forecasted thunderstorms and lightning, accompanied by torrential rain for the next two days.

The line of carriages occupied the entire front area of Minda Yerra, as they waited to be filled by nervous students and teachers alike, preparing to evacuate for
Al-Kalindrome 77
. The carriages were silver and box-like, with deep grooves cutting through their hard exteriors, and they hovered a good thirty metres in the air.

It was still early morning
but the students were already being ushered out into the halls, where they formed neat lines and waited to be assigned to the appropriate carriages. The process proved to be quick and efficient as the students steadfastly made their way to their designated carriages.

Terrana stood outside by Lorn, dressed in her black,
fitted spacesuit while carrying a displeased Kazu in her arms. The chubby kitten's ears twitched at everything happening around him, and, no doubt, he wanted to frolic. He wore his own version of a spacesuit, which was a metallic collar that monitored his vital signs. Attached to it was a short leash which Terrana held onto.

"Lorn, Terrana!" The two of them looked around and saw Bindal and Bagruth rushing towards them. Headmistress Marl, Master Drummik
, and Master Raimus also stood nearby, keeping a watchful eye on the students. Like Terrana and Lorn, Bindal and Bagruth were dressed in their form-fitting spacesuits and thick boots.

"It's so good to see you guys again!" Bagruth beamed at them. Terrana was struck by how genuinely happy he looked to see them.

"Yeah, you guys made quite an entrance last night," added Bindal, also beaming but looking at them curiously. "Where in Dartkala's name have you been? And where is the prince?"

"Long story," said Lorn, quickly. "Where's Mikin?"

Bindal and Bagruth looked at him in surprise. "Didn't you know?" said Bindal.

"Know what?"

"He was taken by the same people who brought you to school. He had some information about those creatures that were attacking Pa Gumpina."

"What?" Lorn was shocked. So was Terrana. "So he's not evacuating with us?"

Bagruth and Bindal shrugged and shook their heads.

"Anyway, I
gotta get back. I'm travelling in the last carriage where I gotta keep an eye on Niku," said Bagruth.

"You're travelling in
animal storage?" Lorn said, throwing Bagruth a disbelieving stare.

"Yep.
Niku hates being cooped up in transportation of any kind and so I gotta be there with him. Would be good if Kazu could accompany him — he has a soothing effect on Niku."

All eyes swivelled to Kazu
, who was suddenly interested in playing with his tail.

"Any chance you could let him ride with Niku?" Bagruth gave Terrana a hopeful look.

Terrana hesitated. "Well ..." she began.

Kazu is not going to animal carriage. That's where they put all the animals!

You are an animal!

You're still angry I called you a retard, aren't you?

"Sorry," said Terrana. "I haven't seen him for so long I'd like to spend a little more time with him."

"Children, back to your lines," ordered Headmistress Marl sternly. She loomed over them from behind. Bagruth and Bindal took one look at her face and fled.

"Terrana, Lorn — this way." She herded them to the suction area beneath one of the carriages and they were quickly pulled up and deposited into the drop-space, which was nothing more than a large waiting room. Then, they made their way towards the pods. When they reached their pods, Terrana leaned over and placed Kazu in a hollow confined space between her pod and Lorn's. She removed his leash, and as soon as she stepped away from Kazu, a transparent shield activated around the kitten.

She and Lorn then climbed into their pods and a similar shield activated around them.
Terrana looked around. The carriage was already quite full with the other students.

"
Is that your cat?" someone said roughly.

Kalindra's face loomed in front of Terrana
. Misa stood next to her and they were both glaring at Kazu, who had a hind leg in the air and was happily licking his nether regions.

"Yeah
," Terrana answered. "Why do you wanna know?"

Kalindra
's mouth pulled into a straight line. "Three weeks of detention for failing to keep him in during curfew hours."

"But I wasn't here," protested Terrana.

"Add another three weeks for animal neglect," sniggered Kalindra. "Whether or not you were here is not my problem."

Terrana wanted to retort but, instead, she reigned in her temper. She could see Kalindra was spoiling for a fight, and with Misa to help her, Terrana didn't see how it could end well. Besides, it was going to be a long flight and she was nervous enough already. She didn't want to have to worry about Kalindra and Misa.

"Detention isn't going to apply on Al-Kal 77." Lorn's voice cut through, and Kalindra swivelled around.

"Lorn!" she cried happily. Terrana had to admire the speed with which Kalindra snagged the empty pod next to him.
Misa took the one across from her. There was still one more pod remaining, and it was across from Lorn.

"Lorn, where have you been?" Kalindra as
ked as her shield activated. "I was so worried about you! You were gone for three weeks and no one heard from you!" Genuine concern plastered her face and she would have grabbed his hand if it had not been for the shield.

"I'm fine
, Kalindra. Thanks for worrying."

Kalindra's eyes narrowed
, but she maintained her pretty smile. "At least, tell us where you've been."

Lorn sighed.
Like Terrana, his hopes for a peaceful flight were becoming dim. A familiar voice caught his attention.

"Excuse me, coming through! Excuse
me, I'm trying to get to my pod."

Mikin pushed his way through the students as they glared at him, occasionally kicking him as he trod on their toes.

"Watch it, elephant! It's not the ground you're walking on!"

"Yes, yes, toes. Sorry for standing on your toes. They are very well camouflaged with the floor."

His last comment sent him flying, only to land him in the empty pod opposite Lorn. There was the sound of a shield being deactivated and hands reached out to sit him upright. Mikin looked up, ready to express his gratitude, but stopped short when he saw who had helped him.

"Lorn!" he cried happily.
He saw Terrana smiling at him from inside her pod, and he beamed. "Terrana!"

Terrana flashed him a small smile and waved. She was glad to see Mikin, and she could tell that Lorn felt the same way. If anything, he was a welcome distraction from Kalindra and Misa.

"Good to see you too," said Lorn.

"Gee gosh
, guys, it's been so long! I never thought three weeks could feel like three years! You looked awful when I saw you last night. I wished I could have seen you sooner, but I had some work to do for Master Kuldor."

Terrana
wondered how much he knew. Would Master Kuldor have told him anything about what happened in Si Ren Da and Olden Kartath? Would Mikin have been sworn to secrecy like she and Lorn had been?

"I had some information on the wrails," said Mikin
, flapping his ears. Because he wasn't centred in his pod and his shield had not yet activated, his ears brushed across Misa's face. He felt a painful flick on his ear, and he paled when he turned to see who was sitting next to him.

"Oh
, hi, Misa."

"If you flap your ears one more time, I'll glue them to your back
!" she growled.

Mikin pulled his ears back
and shrank into his pod. "What ears?"

Misa scowled and looked away.

The carriage shuddered and the students began murmuring excitedly. Master Drummik and Master Raimus suddenly appeared, and they each took an empty pod not far from where Terrana was sitting.

"Looks like we're leaving already," said Mikin
. Terrana admired the way his eyes gleamed with excitement. She wished she could share his enthusiasm, but a suffocating feeling clutched her. How could she ever be eager and excited about anything again? Baneyon and the queen were dead because of her. The entire world was in jeopardy from a supposedly mythical feiyed person called the Dream Walker. The Dream Walker would be the undoing of the whole world — not the demons or the wrails. And somehow, she was supposed to be like him — a feiyed human being.

Terrana would have found it nonsensical had it not been for the very real pain of Baneyon's loss.

You worry too much about nothing. Why don't you bring Kazu his sardines?

Terrana glared at Kazu.
People are going to die if the Imeldors and L-Masters fail to stop the demons. Aren't you worried about that?

Kazu worries only about the present. Right now, Kazu is worried you forgot to bring his sardines!

Mikin's voice brought her back to reality. "I wonder what
Al-Kalindrome 77
will be like? You think they'll have enough food?"

You see? This elephant is smart, almost like Kazu.

"Mikin, the whole planet is being evacuated and you are worried about there being enough food on the space station?" barked Lorn.

"Well, you never know. The wrails are increasing in numbers and because they can manipulate qi, who knows how long it'll take to get rid of them?"
replied Mikin.

"Qi?
They can manipulate qi?" Kalindra hissed, leaning forwards in her pod. "Are they feiyed?"

Mikin shook his head. "They're not feiyed in the true sense.
Some can nullify qi, others absorb qi instead, and when that happens you'll become paralysed, and finally, some use poison as their weapon. But the greatest danger is in their physical forms. Wrails are the ultimate killing machines!"

"
How do you know all this?" Lorn asked, looking stunned. It wasn't just him; Terrana's mouth had fallen open, and Misa and Kalindra were leaning as far out as their shields would allow them to.

Mikin squirmed slightly.
"My family are librarians. We collected a lot of books over the centuries and converted them into digital data."

"Why are the wrails here now?" growled Misa.

Mikin seemed surprised by her question. "Didn't you watch the news last night?"

"All outside communication was cut from the school," Misa answered.

"Oh, I forgot," said Mikin. Then, "The wrails were brought to our planet in eggs, on board a ship."

"Who brought them?" barked Kalindra.

Terrana caught Mikin's eye, and in that instant she knew that Mikin knew about what had happened on Si Ren Da and Olden Kartath.

Mikin
continued to speak. "UWIB can't confirm it, but most likely the eggs were brought in by an alien race that used to exist a long time ago. The UWIB Council has also issued an execution measure against Pa Gumpina."

"What do you mean by that?" Lorn
asked sharply.

Mikin glanced over at Master Drummik and Master Raimus
, who had remained silent, even though he was sure they could hear him. He wasn't relaying anything that hadn't been broadcasted over the news anyway. He flapped his ears sadly.

"It was on the news last night, Lorn. If Pa Gumpina cannot clear out the wrails in the next three days, UWIB will vaporise
the planet!"

It was a curious experience for Mikin to study the varying shades of paleness from each of the students around him. He had never seen a Pophusian, Daiphus, and a human turn pale at the same time.

Not far from Minda Yerra, in the Solar Aria Domes which spun slowly over the city, Grandmaster Deitrux sighed heavily. He walked with Master Kuldor over the lightly marbled surface, passing by the occasional fountain and statue as they made their way to the viewing room.

Lost in his thoughts, Grandmaster Deitrux began to drift across the floor, not realising he wasn't walking anymore.

"That went rather well," said Master Kuldor, as he eyed his friend. "They gave us three days to eradicate the wrails or we lose this planet forever."

"The nerve of them, Kuldor," muttered Grandmaster Deitrux. "I have never seen such cowards in my life that they would so easily vote to remove a planet from existence."

"The queen's death thoroughly rattled them. And it is no secret that her biggest council of supporters exist here
in Pa Gumpina. They always wanted to remove the council, this was their best excuse."

"What is UWIB's
current combative status?"

"As you know, every sector has now shifted to Defensive Battle Action
to prepare for any invasion from the wrails. Troops throughout the ten sectors have been mobilised."