Seeker

The Young Dread needed to breathe, of course. Yet she could go a long time without breathing when it was necessary. She and the others made their way through the smoky hallways of the great airship, following the noise of people not yet unconscious from the gas. The Young, like the other Dreads, had thrown her mind into her lungs and heart, and she was forcing her body to keep moving, her blood to keep circulating, without any further oxygen intake from her lungs.

She could not do this forever, but ten minutes was possible. She had held her breath that long once, underwater, with the Middle Dread holding her down.

Without warning, the ship lurched to the left, throwing them off balance, and all of the lights went out. A high wail began, so loud she wondered if her ears would survive it. They continued walking, disregarding the noise.

A moment later, the ship steadied, and different lights came on. These were dimmer, leaving the corridors in partial shadow. The wailing stopped.

Briac Kincaid was not keeping up. He’d held his breath as long as possible and now was gasping air through his cloak, which was wrapped tightly around his face. This did not completely filter out the gas. Coughing, he fell to his knees next to the Young Dread, then pitched forward onto the floor.

The Old Dread stared silently at the Young as if to say, Briac has collapsed. What would you like to do about that?

Before she could form an answer, the Middle ran up the corridor ahead of them. He returned moments later with a clear mask, which he must have taken off another man’s head. After slipping this over Briac’s face, the Middle pulled him to his feet, and Briac gulped in clean air. Eventually his coughing died out and they continued to walk.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Those two keep each other’s secrets, she thought, yet again, as she pressed forward. And they keep each other alive. She knew what she would confront in her future, but had put off facing it. When her master went back There, to stretch himself out again for hundreds of years, she would be left alone with the Middle and with Briac. She’d now attacked the Middle openly and expressed her desire to kill him. There was no reason to suppose either he or Briac would allow her to live.