“Why?” the Scavenger asked.
The warrior said, “I am from the White City. Fighting is my passion. But the warriors at the White City do not consider me as a warrior due to my short height. They bully and ridicule me. Seeing the short Greenies was my silver lining. I decided to accompany the Greenies because I see so much of me in them.”
Commander Greene asked the young man, “What is your name?”
“I am Skazen.”
“Sorry, Skazen. While we appreciate your zeal for fighting, you cannot go with us. We can’t include anyone in our team who is not from Jupiter.”
Skazen looked crestfallen. Tears came into his eyes.
“But...” Greene stressed. He glanced at the Scavenger. “You can accompany my friends if they allow you to.”
Skazen gasped. “Yes, please! Journeying with the most wanted man in the Dark World – it’s like a dream!”
The Scavenger gestured for a talk and huddled with the children, Pyros and Greene in a corner.
“We can take him,” the Scavenger said. “But I don’t know if he’s trustworthy.”
“I think he can be trusted,” Greene said. “I saw him knocking down warriors around, him without a care for his life, to help us.”
The Scavenger nodded. “All right then. We trust him till he proves otherwise.”
He turned back to Skazen. “Okay. Join us. But remember, the price for betrayal is death.”
Skazen jumped with joy. “Yeeessss! Thanks for trusting me.”
Commander Greene waved at everyone and left for the Shephard Mountains.
A few hours later, they approached the stone gates of the Brentinute. The children were fresh after a dreamless sleep. Skazen and Flor spent their time chatting. Flor appeared to have recovered from his injuries by this time and was gelling well with Skazen.
On reaching the outskirts of the Brentinute, the Scavenger took out a radio from his pocket and talked with someone. He turned to his friends. “Wait for some time. I have contacted my men inside,” the Scavenger said.
After a few minutes, the radio buzzed. The Scavenger conversed with someone. “Come on, let’s go. I am glad the Brentinute is still a safe place.”
As they approached the gates, a man in armour walked out.
The Scavenger greeted him. “I am proud of you, Staler. You have kept the Brentinute safe so far.”
“Come what may, I shall be loyal to you.” Staler shook hands with the Scavenger, “Welcome to the Brentinute.”
James looked around. “This is strange. The last time we infiltrated the Brentinute to free Aronicle, the Scavenger had to pass so many security filters. It was like a fortress. What happened to the security features now?”
“There’s no need,” the Scavenger said. “Earlier, there were so many security features because the Skull Warrior was in control of the Brentinute and he had to keep prisoners there. But since the evil forces were vanquished and my people took control here, they have disabled many security features that are difficult to manage and have no need to be there.”
James nodded, understanding.
As they walked, Staler said, “We were shocked when the Good Kingdom issued a warrant to capture you. Why would they do that? I immediately understood something was wrong. My suspicion was recently confirmed when a warrior came stumbling into the Brentinute.”
“What? A warrior. Who and when?” The Scavenger was curious.
“Just two nights ago,” Staler continued, “He informed us about how a person named Osay had taken over the Good Kingdom. The warrior is currently in a critical condition. We are trying hard to save him.”
“Can you take us to him?” the Scavenger asked.
Staler nodded as they increased their pace.
The Scavenger remembered his last visit to the Brentinute as he walked into the humungous building that housed the labs, working spaces, control rooms and everything else.
The scientists were busy at works, as absent-minded as ever.
They reached a lift and Staler pressed a button labelled ‘Infirmary’.
They exited into a vast hallway. A man was sitting behind a big desk, writing something.
He glanced up, instantly recognizing the Scavenger. He got up and tried to bow. However, he stumbled and fell to the floor.
Staler rushed to take care of him. “He’s fine. Just out cold. As you can see, you’re quite a presence here,” Staler said to the Scavenger.
Staler opened a door and led them in. He gestured the guards there to leave.
The room was full of medical equipment. A person with an oxygen mask was lying with his eyes closed. Staler signalled the two doctors in the room to leave.
When the doctors left, the Scavenger asked Staler, “Do you know something about this warrior?”
“Well... nothing much. It seems his name is Cayden. He was grievously hurt when he reached the Brentinute. He was telling something about a name – Osay – and that some persons were chasing him with hounds. Then he gave something to me and collapsed. He’s been in a coma ever since. We have done everything to revive him but in vain.”
The Scavenger asked, “What do you mean by ‘it seems his name is Cayden’? Why? Are you not sure of his name?”
Staler turned. “Follow me. I’ll take you to my office.”
Staler called for the doctors and went towards the lift.
On reaching a room on the fifteenth floor, Staler switched on the lights. “Welcome to my office. Please have a seat.”
The Scavenger said, “Listen, Staler, I am curious about the thing that this injured warrior gave you.”
“We are here for precisely that reason,” Staler said.
Staler took out a thin, pencil-like device. He pressed a button and light shot out of it, projecting a big image on the white wall of the office.
It was a video in which the warrior looked terrified. The warrior was standing in front of a rocky wall and was breathing heavily.
The warrior spoke. “Listen very carefully. My name is Cayden, and I am in great danger.”
The video shook as the camera moved. Cayden was running. In the background, his laboured breathing could be heard.
“People are chasing me!” Cayden whispered, his voice cracking. “Listen. A person named Osay has secretly taken over the Good Kingdom. The Kings of Necron somehow
