Thirty-Five - Tarka

I was enraged.

It took everything in me not to scream til my lungs hurt. The man I thought was dead was alive. The man I thought loved me betrayed me.

Maybe this was all a dream. Or just a mistake. Maybe I can reason with him. Surely he still loves me and will listen to me. That's my only hope...

I looked over at Alden. His arms were moving slightly behind him. He made eye contact with me, then motioned towards my hands with his eyes. I nodded slowly, wanting to be rid of the scratchy bonds.

Before he could scoot over to where I was, the tent flap flew up, and in walked someone I also knew all too well.

 His smile sent chills through my body. And not in the good way. He made his way over to where I was hunched over in the corner of the tent.

"This little rat looks familiar," Lesion sneered.

I tried to kick him but my feet were also tied. He gave an evil belly laugh.

"And who's your friend?" He turned to Alden. I kept silent.

"It doesn't matter, I'll both be rid of you soon anyway. For now, I --"

"Hey boss!"

Lesion turned and snarled, "What do you want?!"

Damian shrunk back, a bit startled. "You're needed in the other tent, the council wishes to speak to you. It's on important business."

"Ugh, fine. I'll have to deal with you two when I get back." The ugly son-of-a-snake humphed out of our tent, brushing away the tent flaps like they were gnats in his face. Alden silently passed his knife to me.

I slowly started cutting the ropes when Damian turned to us and raised his eyebrows at the two of us. Then, he turned specifically to me and knelt down by where I was tied up. "So how long have you two been running around together?"

"Not long enough. Damian . . . what happened to you?! I thought you were dead."

He stood up and paced with his tail swinging back and forth. "I thought I was going to be when they took me back then. I was scared for you. I longed earnestly for you." The look he gave me then almost made me pity him.

"They took me to the dungeon. Lesion's. I didn't even know he had one. He came in, and I was never so scared for my own skin. Do you know what he said to me?" We shook our heads. "He said, 'Damian, you're a young strong fellow. I would hate for you to waste your talents and energy on a false conspiracy.' Of course I didn't want that. He said to me, 'Damian, we are not the enemy! I don't know where you got the idea that we were doing bad things. Yes, we are behind something, but it's for the good of the people, our people, and the Brackins and Palkins. Don't you want to help make the world a better place?' I said, 'Well of course I do.' 'Good,' he said reassuringly. 'I want you to be one of my lead soldiers, to help thwart the plan of an evil man, whose name is Rhythmus. He's trying to destroy our plans! Because he doesn't care about our planet! All he does is live by himself in his little hermit hole.'"

When Damian turned around just long enough, Alden looked at me and made a slight motion with his head towards Damian, and I nodded in acknowledgement and agreement.

Damian turned back to us. "So, my mission is to send out for him."

I felt my face go hot. "What are you going to do with him?" I whispered, scared to know the answer.

"If all goes well, either Roman or I will have the honors of killing him." I gasped.

"But you can't! He's not the bad guy! Don't you see? Lesion's brainwashed you. He's wanting to take over the whole planet of Terraro!"

Damian just laughed. "You're a fool, Tarka. I thought you were smarter than that. YOU'RE the one that's fooled."

I didn't have much time to retaliate before Alden yelled "NOW!" and we both charged toward him. Alden socked a surprised Damian in the nose, and I stabbed him in the back with my knife that I had pulled out of my pocket. He fell back in shock just long enough for Alden and I to escape through the outer tent flaps and run for the forest.