Revenant Slaves Chapter 23: Chapter 22: Zain

Read chapter 23 of Revenant Slaves by Zee on NovelPedia.

Chapter 22: Zain ~A few minutes before the Broadcast with the silver Princess ends Zain took a deep breath; the ash-filled air choked him at every turn. The intense heat of the planet was overbearing enough without them having to wear such bulky clothes, but you never knew when the acidic storm would pour down on this hellscape. The air left a metallic aftertaste in his mouth; this planet was the worst. He looked at the vast crowds gathered. They were so transfixed on the broadcast that even the front row of the crowd mostly didn't notice him and his little entourage making their way to the broadcasting equipment. He was at the head of the procession, leading the three prisoners, with Maya and two resistance members bringing up the rear. Zain tried to look at a corner of the gathered crowd, where they had instructed the guards to assemble, apprehension eating at him. They hadn’t been disarmed and were the biggest threat to their plan. He squinted, trying to make out more details, but eventually gave up with a sigh. His brethren had carried out their mission and brought them their valuable prisoners, at least two of them. The warden of Ash’s settlement had been captured by Zain and Maya themselves. He trusted his allies would be in a position to enact their contingency plans if the guards stepped out of line. He had to play his part perfectly, and his part today was to help his sister rally the crowd to their cause without turning them rabid. Which was another source of serious contention. Maya refused to back down or rest. Zain could see how bad her condition was; hell, anyone who stood next to her for more than 5 minutes could see it. But she refused to rest, refused to back down. She was still the first one through the door, taking the most dangerous roles upon herself. 'It's like Leo and Akbar’s deaths messed with her head something fierce.' They hadn’t discussed it because the time to grieve would come after the mission was done, as was the rule by which they lived and fought. Zain wondered if Maya realized that this loss wasn’t hers alone. Didn't she realize the only reason he came on the mission with her was to share in her burdens, but it seemed like she was dead set on carrying them alone. ‘But you don’t have to carry their burdens by yourself, aapi, or before long I’ll be carrying all your burdens alone.’ Zain sighed and looked back at Maya once more. They had reached the base of the projection towering above. The silver princess was held by the throat by her father. The crowd was at its breaking point, emotions flaring; the moment was here. “Z..Zain?” Maya called out, making him turn towards her so instantly that he made the three prisoners fall, as their chains were yanked unexpectedly. He found no cause for concern. Maya was still on her feet, their new companions still by her side. “Take over the broadcast.” Maya finally said, with a glare at one of the men standing beside her. ‘Right, they must have talked to her…’ “Ok,” Zain replied. He hurriedly turned away from Maya’s face; she was probably annoyed or worse, angry at him. ‘Did those idiots tell on me?’ He wondered, because he had raised those concerns with their new companions, he wasn’t old or of enough rank to tell Maya to take it easy, but their new companions had been. The lead prisoner, a properly stuffed specimen of a human being, grunted and tried to speak through the gag. He was in a richly embroidered suit that showed off his layers upon layers of fat; his underarms and chest were drenched with sweat; he probably hadn’t walked anywhere like this in a long while. He was probably trying to curse or declare threats against him and everyone else present. Or demanding a price to settle this inconvenience, Zain felt a mixture of pity and disgust at the sovereign. Was he as much a product of the circumstances as the rest of them were? 'With as easily as I anger and give into my emotions, would I have been any better if I were raised as he was?' he wondered,