Chapter 23: Abel and Nia
As Nia Ennis fell through the sky and the clouds, she felt the winds against her face. With certain death surely awaited her, she closed her eyes; fear she felt, but not panic. She had waited for Abel to come and save her; he didn’t come. Yet not for one moment did she blame him, she only regretted that she could never say goodbye to him, that she never told him how she really felt about him. Nia was so lost in her thoughts that she never even felt her fall slowing down until it ground to a halt—somehow.
And the voice she had wanted to hear for the longest time, “Nia.”
So Nia opened her eyes and saw her beloved Abel Ramsey. Their faces were almost touching; he held her tight, his strong arms keeping her from falling through the open sky—she didn’t know how, and she cared not.
Nia lunged her face towards Abel’s. Their lips soon met; the sound of jet engine was heard, and everything was upright once more.
The lips of the two lovers separated, and Nia saw Abel once more with relief and gratitude.
“Abel,” she said. “You came for me. Thank you, thank you so much.”
Still held safely in the arms of her beloved, the knowledge of her salvation finally set in. Nia decided to let go. She felt her body relaxing, her vision blurring, and everything went dark.
***
Abel held Nia tight as he saw her passing out, his arms around her hips. Carefully, he made sure her head was leaning on his shoulder. With his slumbering beloved now secured in his grasp, he tapped his wrist. The wings of fire on his back burst forth, sending him off upwards.
The UEC Captain continued his flight, and up towards the Star Surfer hovering just above them, with the base of the Floating City looming over in the background.
The port-side door of the Star Surfer was opened, it had been left open when Abel jumped off the airship in order to catch the falling Nia. And now, with Nia safely in his arms, Abel entered the ship through where he had once exited.
Now with his feet on the airship’s floor—not quite solid ground, but close enough—and in his arms his beloved safe and sound, Abel could breathe a sigh of relief and smile as the realization fully dawned upon his mind: he had rescued Lieutenant Nia Ennis.
***
Nia’s personal quarters were now crowded with the crew of the Star Surfer; she herself had been laid down on the bed, still unconscious but certainly secure.
Abel knelt next to the bed. The adrenaline had been gone for some time, and now he could only think of Nia—how close he was to losing her, and how much he… loved her. And the kiss they shared over the clouds of Ra.
But Melia’s voice, soft and earnest, rang through, “Abel.”
Abel looked aside to see the Shark Princess next to him, also kneeling.
“What is it, Melia?”
“I knew you’d save Nia,” she said. “I just knew you would!”
And as she said those things, Melia leapt towards Abel, and he caught her, embracing her tight.
“I told you we’d save her,” responded Abel. He had said those words not out of modesty, but because he knew that he would not be able to save Nia without the help of his crew, his companions all around him: Rick, Melia, Nike, Muwatalli; and yes, Turtey also.
And it was only fitting to include them all for they were all here in the room at the moment. Rick and Nike held on to each other, their love, once a painful reminder of what Abel had lost to the hawkmen, now a cause for genuine celebration. Muwatalli looked on with a smile; getting him to cosign the operation, the alliance with Cain, was the opposite of easy. Now it was clear to the Lion Chief that he had made the right decision.
As for Turtey… the Aquaean sea turtle kept watch, as if to ensure the recently rescued Nia would be safe from any intruder.
Yet the job was not finished. Abel knew that.
***
“Abe,” Rick said in interjection. He hated to interrupt the moment, but he knew that the mission was far from over. “Permission to speak.”
Abel stood up and gave Rick an odd look; the wisecracking Lieutenant never asked for permission. “Go ahead.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Rick began, “since we already got Nia back, then can’t we just turn back?”
“Ah,” Muwatalli said, realizing the implication. “That is correct. We do not need to fight this battle anymore. Let us leave the armies of Cain and Horus to bleed each other dry.”
Abel was deep in thought as he crossed his arms. “That would certainly be a reasonable course of action.”
Asmunikal, smirking knowingly, interjected, “But…?”
“But I gave Emperor Cain my word,” Abel said. “Our goal is to rescue both Nia and Thalya. We have one, we’re still missing the other.”
Rick sighed, though his relaxed expression indicated he had seen this coming. “I knew you’d say.”
Muwatalli interjected, “We are already here, so we might as well see this battle through. And besides, I want to bash the hawk king’s face almost as much as Cain’s. Almost.”
“Thanks, everyone,” Abel said, smiling.
The UEC Captain was glad that his team was in concord. In truth, there was more to his decision than just a matter of honor. The fact that Nia had been thrown out into the sky was strange, to say the least. He had learned about King Horus from Cain—how he was a lover of women, and his habit of beheading his wives. And despite his minimal knowledge of the hawk king, Abel could tell that this action was out of character. Something simply didn’t add up.
Blaring red alarm then interrupted, followed by the masculine voice of a Cainite:
“Abel Ramsey of Earth, this is Enosh of the Dragonguards. Our soldiers have cleaned up the hangar bay of hawkmen. Enter and park at the designated location. We await your cooperation.”
“Well,” Abel said in response. “You heard him.” Then the UEC Captain looked all around him, to each and all the members of his party. “We got Nia back, but job’s not finished.”
To be continued…
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