Day Twenty-Six - A Place to Hide

SpaceWizards
(Another SpaceWizards Action/Adventure Mystery)

The SpaceWizards have found out why Horrald has been looking for Unnim and Octa. But they don’t know if they should tell about it until they need to. There are still seven months left on Voig before they need to leave there. They don’t want to tell them, but they feel that they should do it. After all, they did tell them that they would tell them what it was as soon as they found out why. That’s why they are on their way to Voig. The SpaceWizards don’t know what they are going to do. And they are talking about it as they head for Voig. But they will decide what to do by the time they get there. What they don’t know is that Horrald now knows where they are at too. And by the time that they do, it’s probably going to be too late. That’s what this story is all about.

“A Place to Hide”

A Short Story

Remembered By

Mairon

     Two Space Balls came right at Pacill. Pacill mumbled something. A second later a giant hand slapped one Space Ball toward the other. But it missed. The second one still headed his way. Before he could do something about it, the Space Ball struck him in his shoulder and exploded. It started spinning him around.

     “I got very dizzy from that one.” Pacill sat behind the controls of their spaceship. But he wasn’t tapping away at the controls, looking at the viewscreen, or looking at the Image Monitor. He was looking at the Data Monitor.

     “We have been having a lot of Space Battles with Horrald lately. At least four or five times as many as the ones we have on planets. I wonder if there is a reason for that.”

     A few seconds later Pacill continued. “I hate doing these Daily Updates. But it has helped us in our fight against Horrald.”

     Just then Pacill got a thought from Mairon. I want everyone in the Communications Chamber as quickly as they can get here. It’s about Unnim and Octa.

     You found out why Horrald has been looking for them, isn’t it? Pacill tapped a button on the controls. Then he got up and headed for the entrance of the Control Chamber. That’s great.

     No, it’s not. In fact, it’s just the opposite of that. It’s terrible. You will see when you get here.

     A few minutes later Pacill ran into the Communications Chamber. The other five SpaceWizards were already there. They stood behind Mairon looking down at the Data Monitor with their jaws dropped in shock.

     “What’s wrong with Unnim and Octa. Did Horrald find them?”

     “Thankfully, it’s not that bad. But it almost is. Look for yourself.”

     Pacill walked over to the others and started mumbling as he looked at Mairon’s monitor. “That can’t be true. Are you sure about that?” Pacill asked a few seconds later.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Borrele was just walking down the corridor when Mairon walked quickly to catch up to her. “What do you think about what we just saw?”

     “I can’t believe it. Are you sure what that says is true?”

     “That’s what Pacill asked me in the Communications Chamber.” A few seconds later he added. “Unfortunately, it is.”

     “What are we going to do about it?” Borrele asked.

     Mairon didn’t answer that question for about a minute. They just continued walking in silence. “I don’t know what we should do about it. True, I know what we should do. And that’s to tell Unnim and Octa what we found. After all, we did tell them we would do that. No matter how bad it was.”

     “Only this isn’t just bad. It’s terrible.”

     “That’s why I don’t want to do it. They have seven more months on Voig before they need to be said anything. And I think we should do that.”

     “Maybe we shouldn’t. On the other hand, maybe we should. After all, we did tell them we would tell them what was going on as soon as we found out what it was.”

     Once again, Mairon didn’t respond for about a minute. They just continued to walk in silence. “I don’t know what we should do.” Mairon suddenly stopped and looked at Borrele who stopped too. “What do you think we should do about this?”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Stavon mumbled something. Then pointed his steel fingernails straight out at a side angle. A few seconds later a large hand just like it appeared in front of him. It shot for the entrance just as Mairon entered. Mairon took a step sideways to let the hand pass him. The hand slowly disappeared once section after another as it passed through the entrance opening.

     “That was close. Why were you aiming at the entrance to the Practice Chamber?”

     “I didn’t. What I mean is I did, but I also didn’t. It was aimed at one of the dead. But it disappeared just before the entrance opened.”

     A few seconds later Stavon continued. “Why didn't you think to me before you entered?”

     “I did. But you were too loud for me to do anything about it. What were you thinking?”

     “What else? I was thinking about what you showed us about Unnim and Octa.”

     “That’s why I’m here. I don’t know what we should do with what I found out. What do you think we should do? Should we tell them or should we not tell them?”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Jacci sat in front of her Data Monitor in her Sleeping Chamber mumbling to herself as she stared at her monitor. Suddenly she swiveled around in her chair toward her entrance. Of course, you can come in Mairon. I’m not doing anything Personal.

     The entrance slid open a few seconds later, and Mairon entered as Jacci returned to her monitor. “I was just going through my diary checking out what you found out.”

     “I was hoping that you would. Please, tell me I got it all wrong.”

     Jacci looked at him sadly. “I hoped I would be able to do that. But I can’t. What you found out is true.”

     Mairon sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

     “I have gone over it from front to back three times. And the results are the same. You are right about Unnim and Octa.”

     A few seconds later Jacci continued. “Is that the only reason why you came to see me today? To see if I found out something different from you.”

     “That’s one of the reasons. But the main one is because I want your thoughts on what you think we should do about Unnim and Octa.”

     “I thought that you already made that decision. Isn’t that why we are headed for Voig right now?”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Horrald started hooping and hollowing. “I finally found them. Unnim and Octa are on the planet of Voig. Wherever that is. I have never heard of it before. It must not be a Wizard World.”

     After several minutes of just staring at the large Image Monitor that showed Mairon and Jacci in her Sleeping Chamber, Horrald looked at the other six smaller monitors. Three of them showed three of the other five SpaceWizards in them. “The other two must either be in the corridors or where there isn’t a monitor.”

     A few seconds Horrald continued. “The SpaceWizards thought those Dark Marks I gave them a few weeks ago only scanned them for Wizard Pretenders. But they were a lot more than that.”

     “They also scanned their Information Systems. When they sat in front of their Data Monitors they didn’t realize I was also scanning their Information Systems.”

     Horrald got up and started walking around his Control Center. Every few seconds he would look back at the monitors where the SpaceWizards were. “The SpaceWizard thought that their Dark Marks disappeared because they figured out what I was doing with the Wizard Pretender scans. But they didn’t. They transported into their Data Monitors and Information Systems. I have been monitoring them ever since then.

     “I knew that sooner or later they would tell me where Unnim and Octa were hiding from me. Now all I have to do is find out where Voig is at.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Yena was still in the Communications Chamber talking to someone. She had just finished saying ‘Good health’ when Mairon entered. “Who was that you were just talking to. Was it Unnim and Octa? What did you tell them? You didn’t tell them what I found out, did you?”

     “It was Unnim and Octa I contacted. But I didn’t tell them anything about what you found about them and Horrald. All I said was that we were on our way to see them. That’s all I said.”

     Mairon didn’t say anything for several minutes. He just stared at Yena with a slightly angry look on his face. “Why did you contact them? That’s my responsibility.”

     “I did it because they needed to be told we were coming. If we just suddenly showed up, they would be suspicious why we were there. As for your responsibility, with everything else that’s going on, I felt someone else should contact them. And I decided that someone should be me.”

     Neither one said anything for a few minutes. It was Mairon who broke the silence. And he looked a lot calmer when he did it too. “Thank you for doing that. But next time ask me first before you do it.”

     Yena looked confused. “I can and I will. But I still don’t understand what the big problem is with me asking you about it first.”

     “It’s because I have been the one who has been in contact with them from the very beginning. And I’m the one who promised them I would contact them when we found out why Horrald wants them.”

     A few seconds Mairon continued. “By you doing it that might make it look suspicious to them. They may be on the run again. And this time they won’t even trust us to help them.”

     “Do you really think that I caused that to happen by contacting them?” Yena asked.

     “No, I don’t. But it is a possibility, though.”

     Yena got up and headed for the entrance. She stopped just before reaching it and turned back toward Mairon who was following her. “If you didn’t come in here to contact Unnim and Octa, they why did you come in here?”

     “I came in here to talk to you about what you think we should do about this situation. I’m talking to everyone about it. What do you think we should do about Unnim and Octa?”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Pacill ran up to catch up with Mairon. “I heard you wanted to talk to me about something.”

     Mairon stopped and looked at Pacill. “I did. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Where have you been? Every time I get to a place you are supposed to be at, you aren’t there.”

     “What do you want to talk to me about? Is it about your decision about what to do with Unnim and Octa?”

     “That’s exactly what I want to talk to you about. I want to know what you think we should do about Unnim and Octa.”

     Pacill didn’t say anything for several minutes. “What did the others say?”

     “I haven’t talked to Angoria yet. But I’m sure her response to my question will be the same as all the others. They don’t know what to do. But whatever it is, I’m the only one who can make that decision.”

     “Then you’re wrong about me not knowing what we should do. I agree the final decision is yours. But I think that we should tell them what you found.”

     A few seconds later Pacill continued. “I know that it’s terrible. Probably the most terrible thing that ever going to happen to them, I hope. But sooner or later they will find out about it. And it’s best if they hear it from us first.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Angoria was in the Control Chamber when Mairon came in. “Saved the best for last, right.”

     Mairon walked up behind the control chair and looked up at the viewscreen. “I was on my way to talk to you about something. But you thought to me that you needed to talk to me more. What’s wrong?”

     “I think Horrald knows where Unnim and Octa are at.” Angoria looked at Mairon with a worried look on her face. “Don’t know how Horrald found out about it. But it does look like he knows they are on Voig.”

     “How would he know that?” Mairon asked shocked.

     “It can get pretty boring being in control of our spaceship. The spaceship does all the work for us. We just tell it where we want to go. And it takes us there.”

     Angoria continued a few seconds later. “So, I started looking at the possibility that you might be wrong about this. I contacted Effin to see what they could tell me about Unnim and Octa.”

     Mairon interrupted her. “Unnim and Octa asked us not to do that. They were afraid they would be discovered if they did.”

     “I know, but I had to start somewhere. And that was the best place to start. But I wasn’t the only one doing it. So was Horrald. Only he was asking them about the planet of Voig.”

     Angoria sighed. “I contacted some of the nearby planets. And I got the same question. The same answer too. Horrald doesn’t know where Voig is. And no one has told him where it is. But we both know that sooner or later someone will. Probably sooner rather than later.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Mairon’s hand shook as he tapped a button on the controls in front of him. A few seconds later Unnim and Octa appeared on the Data Monitor in front of him. “It’s good to see it’s you this time and not Yena. Isn’t that her name?” Unnim asked.

     “That’s her name. I’m glad to see you too. I was afraid that you took off again after talking to her. And after what you just said I’m really surprised that you didn’t. but I am glad that you didn’t do it.”

     “We thought about doing it,” said Octa. “But she did say you were on our way here. So, we figured that there was a reason for you doing that. Either you have found out why Horrald has been looking for us or that Horrald knows where we are.”

     Mairon didn’t say anything for several minutes. “Unfortunately, it’s the second one. We don’t think he knows where you are because he doesn’t know where Voig is. But he does know that you are on Voig.”

     “How did he find out about us being on Voig?” Unnim asked.

     “We’re not sure how he found that out. We will figure that out later. Right now, what we need you to do is find a place to hide until we get there.”

     Mairon placed his hands flat against the Data Monitor’s screen. Then he mumbled something. “I have just given you an Invisibility spell. That should help you hide from Horrald if he gets there before we do.”

     “What happened to the Younger Ones that were just here.” Unnim and Octa looked to the side of Unnim to where the male voice was coming from. “They were just here a few seconds ago.”

     “The spell appears to be working.” Octa clamped a hand over her mouth. “Can they hear what we are saying?”

     “No, they can’t hear you talking. Now go find a place to hide. We will be there in about a week to get you.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     The SpaceWizards spaceship suddenly appeared in orbit around the planet of Voig. Angoria was still looking at their spaceship on the viewscreen when she said, “We are now in the orbit of Voig.”

     Yena swiveled around in the control chair to face the other six SpaceWizards sitting behind her. “I have been scanning the space around Voig and Voig itself for the last couple of hours as we approached it. There is nothing to indicate that Horrald is here yet.”

     “Of course, he’s not here yet. After all, if he was the red ‘Horrald is near’ alarm would be sounding off all over all spaceship.”

     “Angoria is right,” said Mairon. “We would know if Horrald is here. But he could be here at any time.”

     Mairon got up and exchanged places with Yena. “We need to get Unnim and Octa and get out of here before he does get here.”

     “How are we going to find them? Didn’t you give them an Invisibility spell?” Pacill asked.

     “I did,” said Mairon. “But I also gave them a Location spell that only I can find them with.”

     Mairon started tapping at the controls. After a few seconds, images started appearing on the viewscreen. The other six SpaceWizards leaned forward to look at the images as they changed every view seconds. A few minutes after they started, they stopped. “They have hidden really good. I can’t find them anywhere on Voig.”

     “Maybe Horrald has already gotten here and found them,” said Jacci. “That would explain why the Horrald alarm didn’t go off. He has already gotten here and has already left with them.”

     “I hope you're wrong about that,” said Mairon. “But that is a very good possibility.”

     Just then an image on the viewscreen started flashing. “I didn’t even realize the images had started appearing again,” said Mairon. “But I’m happy that they did. We have just found Unnim and Octa.”

     Mairon just smiled. But the rest of the SpaceWizards started hooping and hollowing in celebration. Suddenly Stavon stopped. “Have you decided what you are going to tell Unnim and Octa?”

     “I have. I’m going to tell them the terrible truth. It’s not going to be an easy thing to hear. But it’s best if they hear it from us and not Horrald.”

     “There family might have started on Effin five thousand years ago. But the relatives go back forty thousand years ago. That’s why Horrald has been trying to find them. They are part of his past. Unnim and Octa are part of Horrald’s family.”

Word Count = 2,861