The bullet floated in mid air, hovering a metre and a half above the ground, vibrating awkwardly. Two metres away from the bullet’s tip was its intended victim, who was unsure whether he was alive or not.
“C-could you all get down please?”
The victim blinked once, then twice, then laid down on the ground, still unsure whether he was alive. The bullet slowly sped up then embedded itself in a wall.
All around them, bodyguards and soldiers burst into action.
“King Ver! Are you well? Are you injured?”
Ver stared at the wall where the bullet was, then glanced down at his chest where the bullet should have been had it not stopped.
“I… I… Uh…” Words were not forming. “Did that… did it… stop?”
On the other side of the room, the perpetrator had already been knocked out and dragged away. Several Vrekan and Rethan bodyguards stood between Ver and the mess of bodies who were dealing with the aftermath.
“Where is Elkay?” Ver finally spoke a complete sentence. He looked to his left, where Elkay was standing, a bloodshot look in his eyes. His hands were held out in front of him, his wings tucked back. The Rethan General was trembling.
“He stopped the bullet…” one of the guards whispered. As Ver came to his senses, he realised that most of the vok in the room were saying similar things.
“General Elkay stopped the bullet.”
“With his mind.”
“With his mind?”
“But Rethavok can’t…”
A Rethan medic took Elkay to one side, while two Vrekan medics rushed over to see if Ver was well. He glanced down at his chest again, almost expecting there to be a hole. Nothing. He was fine. The medics were almost as surprised as he was. They helped Ver to his feet and led him out of the room, into the hallway outside. Vrekan soldiers lined the walls and evacuated unneeded staff.
“King Ver, can you look at me please?”
One of the medics was talking to him. But Ver kept on looking back into that room. Looking at Elkay.
“King Ver…”
“What are they saying?”
The medic peered into the room. Several more Rethan medics had rushed to their leader’s aid.
“He stopped a bullet with telepathic powers. Didn’t know Rethavok could do that.”
Ver wiped his eyes. He wasn’t hurt but his mind was spinning. Was he in shock or something maybe? He doubted it. He was just confused.
“They can’t…” the other medic muttered. “Rethavok do not have telepathy.”
“Normal Rethavok. That one is… special…”
With a sigh and a tut, Ver clambered back to his feet and charged back into the room.
“Are you all standing around criticising a hero?” the Vrekan King roared. “Are you really doing this?”
Many of the beings in the room paused and turned to Ver. He sneered at them all, disgust and anger fuelling his words.
“Elkay just saved my damn life. We have a case of attempted regicide on our hands here, and you are all ignoring that. Thank the stars no one died, because that would be utterly insulting to us all! Those of you who are not necessary, get the heck out of here, right now!”
The room emptied out, leaving only Ver’s and Elkay’s personal staff and the medics.
The High General sighed. “Thank you.”
“Why are you thanking me, my friend?” Ver calmed down and wrapped his arms around Elkay. “You saved my life!”
“I did… But in the process, I may have ruined my own life…”