“What do you mean, they escaped?” Tanui was furious. Ever since he had given up his Anexartan form to become a full-time Lanex, so many things had gone wrong. Being put in charge of the Fylakotetratheoktonon was supposed to be the start of something better, but already things were going wrong.
“Not all of them, Tanui…” Tauu, the leader of his favourite team of Lanex assistances, sighed. “If you were listening rather than throwing a tantrum, you would have heard that only Tenuk escaped. We found his cell empty this morning, and his gunstaff was missing.”
If this had been three months ago, Tanui would have torn Tauu a mouth to sass from, but now that the Enostyk team had paid off their debt, they only continued to work alongside him for their own good. Also Tauu had finally changed his name, now that Tanui was no longer their master. Tanui rubbed his mask and sneered. “So only the Kronospast fled. What a coward. What about the others?”
Tauu shrugged. “He didn’t even bother attempting to free them. The other three were all asleep and do not seem to have followed him. The fact that Tenuk left them and that they are unaware that he even had a plan to escape tells us he acted completely solo. Using his Kronospast abilities rather than his Theokton ones.”
With another sneer, Tanui got up and headed straight to the fugitive’s former cell. Tauu rushed after him, explaining that Tenuk had blown the security cameras and knocking out the guards before he escaped, so they were unsure of the details.
Outside the cell stood Lenan, Pohus and Kalis, while Kopus was inside the cell scanning with his enhanced vision. When Tanui appeared, both Pohus and Kalis stood to attention out of habit, before relaxing again. Lenan gave them both a funny look.
“Tanui, there are literally no traces of how he escaped. Clearly it is Kronospast trickery!” Lenan exclaimed. “If we had known he was capable of doing this, we would have secured him the same way we secured the Mikrothan!”
Kopus exited the cell, holding a tiny shard of something blue and gold. “It would not have had any effect. Tenuk did not use pure Kronospast power, he also manipulated Lanex energy, so we were essentially blinded by him. Even if we had bound and gagged him, he may still have escaped.”
Tanui glanced around the room. Kopus was completely right. Always was. But how Tenuk escaped was not the problem – they needed to recapture him before the mind-control took over and he started slicing through Deitics once more. “We cannot send out any Lanex to capture him, he’ll sense them with his Theokton abilities and escape before we even manage to catch up with him.”
“We could send one of the other Theoktons after him?” Pohus suggested.
“That is a stupid idea!” Kalis shouted. “They’ll just escape too!”
Pohus grinned. “Not if we switch on our own mind-controllers and tell them that Tenuk left them behind! We offer them a shorter sentence if they catch him, they’re happy, we’re happy, Tenuk is back in his cell.”
Tanui pondered the idea. It was risky. But it could work. “Interesting thought, Pohus. Lenan, are any of the other Theoktons ready for such a mission?”
Lenan’s head dropped. “No, Tanui. Neither Elksia nor Arkay are properly bonded with their A’Vata and Arkay’s mind-controller keeps on fizzling out, we’re not sure why. We haven’t even begun with Retvik.”
“There is no rush though…” Kopus interrupted, handing Tanui the mask shard. “The Theoktons share a bond, and not only has Tenuk severed it, but he will not go far. He knows what he has done. He is sure to return in an attempt to free his friends, and we can surely recapture him then.”
Kalis nodded in agreement. “And if he doesn’t come back, then the others will be desperate to track him down.”
Tanui gave the cell one more look over. “Alright. For now, send out a couple of search squads anyway, just to keep Tenuk stressed and on his claws. Lenan, I want Elksia mission-ready for Wednesday, Arkay too if you can. Until then, double the security on all their cells. Understood?”
The Lanex all nodded and rushed off to fulfil their duties. As Tanui headed back to his office, glanced at the mask shard Kopus had given him. It looked eerily familiar.
It was a piece of his own mask.