Chapter 8 - Back to Home (2/2)

”Your are not coming with me? Wait. wait. wait. Bodyguard? I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself,” replied Balthazar

”I beg to differ. Times might be a bit perilous. And you always needed a babysitter,” replied Bolena.

”Ah! Ok. But you didn't say where you are going?”

”Me? I am going along with the apropos staff. Can't do my work, sitting in my ass talking with you. Need to be in my lab,” she continued.

”I thought you still worked in the hospital here are asklepian. When did you join apropos? Thought you were happy being a medical examiner. What's with the new found interest in medical research?” he asked.

”It happened more than a year ago. I guess I just got bored and grandpa suggested some kind of research. So, I found them. Grandpa initially tried to persuade me to work on something within the family ownership, but I insisted that it was an interesting research and wanted to go for it. I got there as soon as they accepted my application. But, during my travel grandpa bought it and made me the majority share holder. Since, then I led the research.”

”Damn! The old man really dotes upon you,” said Balthazar in surprise. ”That old bastard! He told me to go get a scholarship when I said I was into electronics. Now he buys her a bloody labs because she was bored,” he thought.

”What are you talking about? He just doesn't want me out of the family business. After your running away he became a bit critical on everyone else,” said Bolena.

”That is not true. Is it? Please, don't joke like that. We were not on such great terms to begin with and cousin Robert, he always was a bit rough. Please tell me it is not true,” said Balthazar weakly. Being a high-profile family, it was a very competitive atmosphere, especially among the siblings of the younger generation. This competition was also encouraged by the elders of the family. This cause a lot of conflicts among them. Even though most of them competed in the proper spirits. There are always some people who differed.

”Robert? He is the least of you problems. Though he was always fighting with you. He was definitely the one who benefited the most from you running away. But, he will never stop competing with you. It is Jack and his idiots that you need to be look out for,” said Bolena.

”Jack? Hahaha. Those idiots were always like that,” said Balthazar.

”So, when will you be back?” asked Balthazar.

”When it is convenient. When I have time. You don't get to ask such questions. Shameless idiot,” giggled Bolena in an odd manner as she hugged him. ”Take care, idiot,” she continued.

”You take care. I will be fine. I got an excellent bodygaurd. You should be more concerned about yourself,” he replied.

”I got bodyguards and also a body double. And unlike you, I don't go finding trouble,” she said. She kissed him on his forehead and got onto the spaceship.

As he waved her goodbye, Salazar arrived behind him and stood there. After the ship departed, Balthazar turned towards Salazar and signaled him to lead the way. They boarded a large hover car and in a few minutes arrived in front of a huge villa. There was a light blue-colored, hemispherical force field having a diameter of about 4 kilometers. They parked the vehicle near the gate, identified themselves, had their belongings checked and went in.

Once in, they got into the grounds, nostalgia hit Balthazar causing his eyes to tear up. The large grounds where he used to play around and the huge mansion where lived, played and roamed around all brought lots of memories to him. He followed Salazar into another car inside the grounds. The car took him past the mansion and behind it. This was where the training grounds were situated. Behind this was a large forest. This was grown specially. There were few herbariums where special medicinal plants and herbs are grown. There are also few areas where specific creatures which were grown and researched upon. These specimens were collected from various planets and celestial bodies. These didn't have any relation to the medical empire maintain by the Blyth family. This was just the personal collection of the patriarch and the elders which could be accessed by only those permitted by the patriarch.

The car went past these herbariums and holds and went towards a dark secluded area. Balthazar always remembered that this area was always a forbidden zone. It had an extra dark-blue colored hemispherical force field covering it. Even the patriarch, his grandfather couldn't give him access to this without consent from the elder council or the grand elders. As the car approached the area, a small area barely large enough for the car to pass through opened up, allowing them to get into it.

This was Balthazar's first time in this area. As long as he remembered Walter never even allowed him to talk about this place. The entire area was filled with long trees and the occasional boulders between them as far as he could see. The car stopped as soon as it entered the area.

”This is as far as the car goes,” said Salazar. With Salazar leading the way, Balthazar followed him out of the car into the woods.

”Remember the way,” said Salazar walking through the area. ”How am I supposed to remember the way in these woods?” asked Balthazar perplexed. ”There are no signs or road in this place,” he thought. ”How can he remember the way like that. It was like exploring through a completely new area or planet. There we put in signs to mark the way to their destinations. Maybe I can do the same,” he thought.

”Can I put in some signs to mark the way,” asked Balthazar shyly.

”You're kidding right?” came the reply.

Seeing the expression on Balthazar's face, Salazar understood that such woods might be a bit confusing to a man in his first view.

”I will show you the way another time. Just keep a track of the shapes of trees and boulders, their alignment, etc.,. They are all the signs you need. They tend to remain constant for the most part. You just need to get used to it,” said Salazar trying to assuage his concerns.

Salazar quickly took him to a large grey boulder. It had a slanted face to one side and there was a small picture of a man sitting down with a snake coiled around his neck. The snake had it's head lifted, its mouth open and bearing its fangs at the man. Salazar made a small cut on his finger, let it trickle down into its mouth and then whispered something to it. The boulder made a slight sizzling sound and the symbol slid to the side showing a small screen. He typed in a password into the screen. A small trapdoor opened revealing a staircase below the ground.

”Come on in. Walter is waiting for you,” said Salazar walking down the staircase.