Genesis : Knights of Salvation Series
Chapter 4: Do or Do Not

P.O.V: Enyo: Surprise point of View!!

“I say no! Those two are a bunch of pampered A-status flowers and their crazier than us!” Foxglove slams her mug on the table and pours more gin into her cup. I look around the table at my team. I am not sure we will get a solid answer tonight. I turn to see Orion coming back down the stairs. Orion is usually more talkative but since he has arrived with those two, he has not said much. It is odd, and I am going to have to keep an eye on him.

“You get them settled?” I ask as I sip from my mug.

“Yeah.” He mutters and sits next to me at the table. Foxglove and Talon sit across from each other bantering back in forth at the other end. The door opens and everyone jumps. I can see Foxglove pulling her knife and Talon grabs a candle stick holder. I shake my head. I was expecting Calvary to be home about now. Calvary saunter in, wiping his muddy boots on the old rug.

“Took you long enough,” Talon says lifting his cup with his usual smile. I don’t know what our team would do without his positive attitude. He really is the heart and soul of the team.

Calvary walks in taking a seat between Foxglove and Orion. Foxglove pulls a twig out of his black curly hair.

“What’s with the group drinking? Wait, did Talon get punched by an old lady again?” Calvary grins and give Talon a thumbs up. Talon laughs along and pours him a cup of gin. Calvary is a big man, almost as tall as Talon but thin. He looks menacing enough, but he is the only man I know who visits his grandmother three times a week.

“Unfortunately, no,” Foxglove takes it upon herself to share the news, “Apparently the general wants us to go on a trip to ground zero. Oh, and we have to bring two pampered flowers along for the ride.” Foxglove continues the same complaint since we started the conversation. I can’t blame her though. Foxglove grew up in the outer wall sector where only the D-status where allowed. She had to fight for everything she had. She has always had a problem with the people from the inner wall. I am confident she would be on board if the two A-status girls were not coming along.

“Wait, ground zero? Like the place the virus originated from, ground zero? Like the place where everyone died within a month, that ground zero?!” Calvary asks, leaning forward dramatically.

“Yeah, apparently they have some way of replaceing the cure in a lab that’s been abandoned for decades,” Foxgloves voice drips with disgust.

“Oh, heck no! I don’t want any part in that mess,” He replies waving his hand in the air and leaning back in his chair.

“I agree with Calvary, the last team to attempt to reach ground zero... they didn’t comeback. Their reports say they barely made it halfway and then they were slaughtered,” Talon speaks up.

“Say we do make it there, there is no proof the lab has any important information anyways. We don’t even know if it’s still standing.... let alone if there’s a cure.” Foxglove argues leaning forward in her chair playing with her small dagger.

“You all forget this is a direct order from the general,” Orion finally speaks up. Everyone looks at Orion startled by his response.

“Now, I’m not completely sure what is going on,” He continues, “but if the general thinks this is worth our time, we need to consider it.”

His response catches me off guard. It is true, the general would not intentionally put us in danger unless there was something worth the risk out there. I don’t like the fact that I feel like they are hiding something from me. That girl though, her eyes, I can’t get them out of my head. She is different. She is not like the other A-status people I have met. She did not walk in like she owned the room or like she was better than the team. Why is she willing to put her perfect pampered life in danger? It just doesn’t make any sense; she doesn’t make sense. She seems shy and unsure but something about her gives me the same feeling I get when I am about to go to battle. She is different, and that is dangerous.

“Enyo?” Someone calls my name, and I am torn from my thoughts.

“Yes?” I say out of habit.

“What do you think about all of it?” Talon asks. I look around the table at each of my beloved teammates. Each of them has proved themselves to me. Each of them have risked everything to be here. They are my family. Their lives rest in my hands, and this mission meant leaving the security of the outer wall. By accepting this mission, I am sentencing at least one of them to death.

I have to say something, “I think those two are lying to us. I think there is more to this mission then they are telling us. This Aspen woman…I don’t believe her. She is hiding something, and I don’t like it anymore then you do.” I look at Foxglove to show her I am still on her side. She looks back and I can see the pain that she hides from everyone else.

“There has to be something at ground zero or they wouldn’t risk their own lives. That being said, we have direct orders from the general. He believes that we are capable of doing this. I also believe we can do it. There is a lot on the line, I realize that, but if we have a chance to bring a cure to the world and save more lives than we probably know then we have to risk it. We are trained for this. We can save the world.”

I know they aren’t completely convinced but I don’t think we have any other choice. This is what we signed up for and we knew our life would be on the line. We all made an oath. I trust my team.

“I have never made a decision without the team and I am not going to start now,” I continue, “If you feel like the risk is to great, I understand. I won’t think any less of you. You can back out now and stay behind.” I finish speaking and look around the room. I can see them each debating silently what they want to do. Then good ol’ Talon flashes me his two-foot grin.

“I’m in! We are gonna go down in history. No way am I missing that! Plus, I want to be there when we replace the cure!” Talon’s response seems to seal the deal, and everyone looks resolved in their decision.

“Fine, but I’m not watching the princesses,” Foxglove says putting her knife back in her pants pocket.

“Well, someone has to keep you alive out there,” Calvary huffs out looking only slightly defeated.

I look to Orion, my second in command and a close friend. I know this is a big request.

“Orion?” I urge. I don’t want to push him too far. I want him to make the decision on his own. Orion glances at each person in the group. I know he cares about the team just as much as I do. Then he looks me in the eye.

“An order is an order,” He says without breaking eye contact.

“Well, then I guess were heading into the lion’s den.”

I wait till everyone starts to wander to bed each mumbling about this new mission to one another. Talons going off about how he can’t wait until he sees the cure and wants to be the first to get it as they all saunter up the cement stairs and then I walk over to Orion. He is still sitting in the chair; he has not moved since we agreed to go on this mission. I lean against the table my hands in my black uniform pockets.

“What’s on your mind?” I ask him. Orion has always been a thoughtful person, but it was not like him to be this quiet. I chose Orion as my second in command, not because he is the strongest, but because he was perceptive and intelligent. I admire his problem-solving skill and his ability to replace a solution no matter what the problem was. He has saved my life more times then I care to remember. I rely on him.

" I don’t trust them. They’re hiding things,” He says looking up at me.

“What do you think their hiding?” I ask genuinely curious of his thoughts.

“That woman, did you see her eyes? There’s something about her that puts me on the edge.”

“I have had similar feelings.”

“Clare is obviously well-trained from working in the government, but Aspen,” Orion pauses, “She’s not trained. Why is she here?”

“I know, Clare is trained, it’s easy to tell, but Aspen, she’s obviously a civilian,” I think out loud, “Why are they risking her life?”

“That’s what’s weird! Why would the general allow a civilian, completely untrained to go outside the outer wall and walk right into hell itself?” Orion is agitated by the lack of information we have been given. I don’t blame him.

“I want you to watch them. Everything they say and do, got it?” I order Orion. His suspicion is enough for me. We were not going to risk our lives on a lie. Orion nods.

“Good, now head to bed,” I try to sound lighthearted, “Oh! Stop by our new friends’ room and inform them we start preparations at dawn.”