The Mantis Variant - Book One - 19. Chapter 19 - Theolan

Agrell and Lahari were both shuffling through the short tunnel that let out above the waterline, and they were surprised to hear the sound of muffled voices echoing into the mouth of the tunnel.

Agrell turned and asked Lahari, "Who is that?"

"Sounds like people talking."

"It sounds like shouting."

They came to the opening and Agrell stepped out onto the stone path below the railing along the walking trail.

A man was standing on either side of Lahari's stepfather, and the two were menacing him. One was holding a pipe, and he jabbed the end against Theolan's chest.

"I don't believe you," his attacker sneered.

"It's true," Theolan pleaded. "I don't have anything. I don’t have any money."

The other man was holding a chain, and he swung it.

Theolan cried out as the metal links slammed against his shoulder and back. He fell to his knees. Then the pipe collided with him and Lahari's stepfather sprawled to the pavement.

"Fuck him up!" the man shouted, and he swung his pipe overhead with the intention of pummeling Theolan.

Lahari peeked over the edge of the path and screamed, "No!"

However, to everyone's surprise, the pipe froze mid-swing. That is, everyone was surprised, except Agrell.

Her skinny fingers were wrapped around the metal, and her thin arm did not budge when the man tried to wrench his weapon from her grip.

Then it was Agrell's turn, and the man's fingers were like soft dough, as the pipe was ripped from them. Agrell pulled her arm back with such force, that as she released her hold on the makeshift weapon, the pipe flew whistling through the air clear across Widdershins Bay. It slammed against the opposite rock wall with a ringing clang that echoed out over the water.

The man was next. Agrell grabbed his waistband and tugged. In the same manner as the pipe, she hurled him out over the bay and he fell with a splash into the deep water.

Then the chain hit the side of Agrell's face and wrapped around her neck.

In an instant, she bent her knees and hunched down, then launched herself straight at him. She slammed into the man with such force that he flew back, and his body crumpled against one of the old walls of stone.

Agrell then reached a gentle hand down to Lahari's battered stepfather.

Theolan looked up at her like he was staring into the face of a goddess, and she carefully helped the bruised and bloody man to his feet. She held him close to keep his balance.

"This is all my fault," she exclaimed. "I shouldn't have stayed down below talking with your daughter for so long. I was just trying to get to know her, and I left you up here and you were attacked! I should have come up sooner."

"You're one of them?" Lahari whispered from where she peered over the edge of the footpath. "You’re a fucking Messiah?"

Agrell turned to her, and her eyes filled with tears. "I didn't know," she choked. "A week ago, I didn't know how a Messiah becomes this way. All the mysteries of the community were kept secrets until I was in the middle of the ritual. That's when they killed my cousin."

Theolan mumbled beside her, "You're my savior."

"Take him home," Lahari commanded. She stayed behind in the underground, as Agrell helped Theolan back to the apothecary.

"Baby!" cried the mystic, as the front door to his shop opened. "What happened?!" he squawked.

"I left him alone for too long," Agrell declared, and tears poured down her cheeks as she told the others what happened.

"Well, I for one am relieved that you didn't kill both of them," the mystic replied. "At least the one can swim back to shore."

However, Agrell asked, "Swim?"

"Yes, swim, can't you swim?" he asked her.

"No."

"Oh," he replied, "so, you threw him out in the water," the mystic clarified, "yourself not knowing how to swim. Were you expecting that he also did not know how to swim?"

There was a momentary pause while everyone looked at Agrell.

Dozi commented and broke the awkward silence. "I mean, they were just going to do it again to someone else," she said, and she turned to Agrell. "I guess your secret's out now with these two." She jabbed her thumb toward the mystic and his husband.

"Lahari knows too," Agrell added. "I want to go back and talk to her about it."

Dozi sucked air through her teeth. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I need to explain it to her," Agrell continued. "Also, I don't need anyone to come with me," she added in a gentle tone, looking at Theolan and the mystic. "Now I can find my way there and back on my own."

She left the shop, returned to the pipe, and crawled through the tunnel. After climbing out behind the hinged door, Agrell tested the release that Lahari showed her down by the floor. It opened for her, but she closed it again and headed to the top of the stairs.

Lahari was nowhere to be found in either the hall or the stairs below. Agrell called out quietly, but she was met by only silence. Lahari was gone★