Sabre's Quest

Stopping For the Night

Sabre

The sight of the rundown motel just ahead made me sigh with relief. I park and stumble off the bike, falling to my knees. My legs and lower body have been numb from near-constant traveling since I left home about two weeks ago. I am on a quest to find my mother, whom I haven’t seen my whole life. I am also eluding the mate I rejected.

I stand up and look towards the motel office. It’s dark, and I hope that someone is here. I hope there is a room available for me to rest. Bells ring on the door as I push it open. The office is empty, and there is a lone light on. I ring a bell and wait patiently as an older woman staggers out of another room.

She looks at me with dull brown eyes.

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” I say to her. Her eyes blink, but she says nothing. “Are you open? Is there a room available?”

“There is a room available,” the woman says in a scratchy low voice.

“I just need one for the night,” I plead.

She sniffles and wipes her nose, “Sixty dollars plus tax.”

I nod, pull my wallet from my pocket, and hand it to her. “Thank you.”

“Name?” She asks.

“Sabre,” I respond, and her eyes narrow.

“Excuse me?” She snorts.

“Sabre like the sword,” I repeat, pulling out my driver’s license.

She looks at it and shakes her head before handing it back to me. “It comes to sixty-eight dollars and eighty-two cents altogether.”

I dig into my wallet and hand her a hundred-dollar bill.

“Where are you coming from?” She asks.

“West,” I respond. I want to stay vague about my origins. I can smell that this woman is just a human, but she could still know Brandon, my mate. After I left, he managed to find me, forcing me to elude him rather than complete my quest.

“Okay,” the woman mutters and puts a piece of paper before me, “Write down your vehicle make and model and initial. There is no smoking in the room.”

I nod as I comply. “I have a motorcycle. Is it possible to hide it?”

The woman gives me a strange look, “Are you in some sort of trouble?”

“My abusive ex-boyfriend is looking for me, and I don’t want him to find me,” I explain.

Nike growls. My wolf has been pouting and mostly silent since I rejected Brandon.

“I have a garage you can pull it into,” she says, almost smiling. “It’s on the west side of the building,” she points.

“Thank you. I won’t need it until morning,” I sigh with relief.

After signing the paper, the woman hands me a key card and directs me to my room. “I’m going to move my motorcycle.”

“I’ll meet you over there,” she nods.

Moments later, after pulling the bike into the garage, I wander down the hall, reeking of booze and urine to a beat-up door. I sigh as I open it to a bare room with a bed, dresser, and TV. There is a bathroom that also reeks of urine and s**t. I set my bag down on the floor and flopped onto the bed.

There is a familiar whoosh of wings and a scoff, “What a shithole,” My best friend Thanatos says.

I roll over to glare at him. “I just need it for the night.”

“It even smells like s**t,” the God of Death grumbles.

“You don’t have to stay, Than,” I huff.

He sits on the bed and sighs. “I had to check on you.”

“Where have you been? I have been traveling for weeks to escape Brandon,” I glare at him.

“I still have a job to do, Sabre,” He mutters.

“Hmm,” I say and sit up. “I’m starving,” I say and look out the window. There is a fast-food restaurant next door, but it appears closed. “s**t,” I say, digging into my pocket for change, hoping for a vending machine.

“I’ll get you some food,” Thanatos says.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to help me,” I roll my eyes.

“I’m not allowed to help you find the Giant’s Realm,” He responds. “But I can get you food.”

“You can’t just conjure it?” I chuckle.

He rolls his eyes and stands up. “I’ll be right back,” he says before taking off.

Seconds later, there is a knock on the door, and I open it to the woman from the front desk. “I heard a male voice in there.”

I open the door, “There is no one here,” I say. “Perhaps you heard the TV on in another room.”

She sticks her nose in and looks around. “Sorry,” she mumbles and walks away.

I shut the door and sit on the bed. I find the remote and turn on the TV. I get nothing but static and turn it off. Thanatos returns with a bag of food. I salivate as I try to grab a bag.

“Be patient,” He pulls the bags away.

I fold my arms and pout on the bed as he sets the bags on the dresser to slowly pull stuff out. My friend hands me a couple of burgers and a sleeve of fries, “No soda?”

Thanatos waves his hand, and a cup of soda appears. He hands it to me.

“I thought you couldn’t conjure food,” I say between burger bites.

“I didn’t conjure it,” He sits beside me on the bed with some fries.

I sip the soda. I have eaten very little since I left home. “This tastes so good,” I sigh.

“I bet. I wish I could have joined you sooner, but things have been busy,” He sighs.

“Lots of people die?” I ask.

“War will do that,” He mentions, and I gulp.

“Grandpa loves war,” I say.

“He is the God of War,” Thanatos chuckles dryly. “The humans are always fighting over whose gods and beliefs are superior.”

I shake my head, “Tell me about it.”

“Have you seen Brandon lately?” He wonders.

“I saw him a few days ago,” I say, trying to remember. I had stopped for food at a truck stop, and as I got my meal, Brandon appeared with some of his warriors. He almost caught up to me. “He almost got me.”

“What do you think will happen if he catches you?” Thanatos asks.

“Well, Dagger says Brandon intends to drag me to his pack,” I explain.

“Should have maybe talked to him,” Thanatos suggests.

I roll my eyes and shove fries in my mouth.

‘He’s right,’ Nike mutters angrily.

‘Hush,’ I scold my wolf.

“I have to go,” Thanatos stands. “I’ll return as soon as I can.”

“See ya,” I wave, and, in a blink, he is gone. I finish my food and then quickly shower in the dirty bathroom. I stare at myself in the mirror. For my whole life, I have been told how much I look like my mother. But I have my father’s icy blue eyes. “He is going to hate me,” I say.

My father was never the same after my mother left. My brothers and I were merely a year old, so I have no idea how he was before. My aunts and uncles tell us all about it. They talked about how volatile my parents’ relationship was. I know my father loved us, but he was always so strict, especially with me. I always thought my brothers had more freedom than I did. They were allowed to go out and hang out with friends, and I had to stay home. Because of that, I had very few friends besides Thanatos.

The God of Death has always been drawn to me. He has never said why other than he feels the need to protect me. I don’t get romantic feelings from him, so we are just friends.

I lie on the hard, smelly bed, staring at the ceiling. I must find the Giant’s Realm, and Thanatos can only point me in the right direction. I must find it on my own and somehow rescue my mother. I slowly close my eyes and dream about a dark place.

It smells of death, and the roars of tortured souls echo throughout. I see a woman in ragged clothes who looks like me, only with red eyes and black hair, placing something into an ornate coffin.

“I did it, Grandfather,” She declares. “I have put Kronos in his place,” She states.

A bright light shines down upon her, “Well done, Griffin. You may return home,” A male voice booms to her.

“Can you help me?” She asks.

My grandfather Ares appears in front of her wearing battle gear.

“Dad,” Griffin exclaims. “Are you going to take me home?”

“You know the rules, Griffin. I can only get you out of Tartarus, but I cannot take you home,” Ares explains.

Griffin’s face falls. “I’ll take whatever help you can give me.”

He wraps his arms around her, and they disappear. I am left staring at the coffin as the light fades.

I open my eyes and shiver. I know I was just watching my mother as she placed Kronos in his coffin in Tartarus. Just seeing Tartarus was enough to evoke intense fear within me.

I sit up, and the sky is slowly turning colors as the sun is coming up. I feel the urge to leave the hotel. I gather my things and head for the front desk.

The same woman is sitting behind it.

“I’m ready to leave,” I announce to her.

“Already?” she asks. “You can stay till noon, dear. You look like you need the rest.”

“No, I need to go now,” I insist.

“Okay,” she sighs.

I check out, and the woman opens the garage so I can retrieve my bike. I ride down the road and find a small diner. My stomach rumbles with hunger, so I stop. Nike becomes restless as I sit at the bar.

“Good morning,” A chipper young waitress with blonde hair greets me. “Can I get you started with something to drink?”

“Coffee, black,” I mutter as she sets a menu in front of me.

“Alrighty,” she grins. “My name is Liz.”

I smile as I look over the menu. It takes Liz only a few seconds to return with my coffee.

“Do you know what you want?” She asks.

“Just some bacon and eggs,” I respond. “Over easy on the eggs and an English muffin.”

“Nice and simple,” Liz nods.

“Yep,” I mutter and sip my coffee. I wince at the taste. It must be old as I choke it down. I sit and stare out the windows while waiting for my food. Nike is becoming frantic, and I know why. Brandon is getting close. “Dammit,” I curse out loud as Liz shows up with a plate of food.

“What’s wrong?” She asks as she sets the plate down.

I shake my head and look around. I sniff the air as my wolf howls. ‘Where is he, Nike?’

‘Close,’ She responds.

I cram a couple bites of eggs into my mouth, then wash it down with coffee. I throw a twenty down and rise from my seat. I grab some bacon and head for the door. “s**t,” I say when I see the familiar SUV outside. His cedar wood scent hits me before he even enters. I take off running through the kitchen.

“Hey!” Cooks shout at me.

I burst through the back door.

‘You can’t run forever,’ Nike whimpers.

I run around the building and see two warriors standing by my bike. “s**t,” I mutter.

“Sabre,” Brandon says from behind me.

“s**t,” I curse and turn, and he is right behind me with two other warriors.

“I just want to talk,” He grins.

“I don’t have time to talk,” I growl, throw a garbage can at him, and take off running.

“Get her!” He orders the men angrily.

Nike howls in my head, ‘Just talk to him.’

“Thanatos,” I call out.

My friend appears in front of the men, and they scream. I know that he has shown them his true form. That is enough to bring the strongest men to their knees. I run over to my bike and hop on. I start it and try to take off, but one of the warriors grabs me.

“f**k off,” I spit at him.

He lets me go, and I gun the bike and take off.

“I will get you, Sabre Wylde!” Brandon roars. “I will never let you go!”

I have to find a way to suppress Nike to keep her from calling to Brandon.