The Return of Twelve (A Lorien Legacies Fanfic)

21. Atbash

(Greyson's POV)

It wasn't easy to recover from my wounds after the events in the Mogadorian base, but Night and I tried our very best to survive and find temporary homes before saving Clara once again. I knew I was so eager to find her already, but my instincts told me that it's not and never a good plan.

I'm just waiting for the right time. But now? I wanted to know where on Earth will I find this place Clara left for me.

We found a small motel in the borders of Virginia, sixteen hours after we left the rubbles in the former Mogadorian base in the West. I place my stuff down while Night comfortably curls at the single bed in my unit in cat form. I sigh out, removing my jacket in an instant. I've bought new clothes from a retail shop on our way here to replace my old tattered ones. Besides, I could never accept looking like a pauper in the city.

I stare at the note Clara gave me again:

THEY WILL TAKE ME TO
T. DZHSRMTGLM YIRWTV, SFWHLM.
GRE

It's a small piece of brown paper, the texts are written in fast and scribbly manner. Whatever Clara did, I know she wrote this for a reason. And she must be scared during the time she wrote this. Oh, why did you have to do this, Clara?

I open my laptop to search for the place. Connecting with the motel's WiFi, I open my web browser and start typing: T. DZHSRMTGLM YIRWTV, SFWHLM.

There are no results found. I knew it, it's not a real name of a place. But why this? Why did she gave me this?

So... if it's not real, it must be encrypted or something. Clara is smart for doing it. But now, I don't know what to do to crack this code.

I try changing each letter to the next letter in the alphabet. Turns out, it's still the same. Random letters. What the heck? What do I do now?

Okay, how about in reverse? I try doing it, but the results... the same.

This is impossible!

I feel a brush of fur on my legs. When I look down, it's Night. She's awake. I take her and put her on my lap.

"How do I solve this, buddy?" I ask Night. She purrs in answer. If Eleven is here, I would've known Night's thoughts. But since we're on our own, I would have to keep on guessing.

My stomach churns in hunger. I realize, we haven't eaten yet in sixteen hours. Quickly, I found my yellow sustence cube at my bag and stick it into my mouth, sucking on it. I gave Night raw meat inside my bag. I wouldn't be able to eat it, anyway, so I decided to let her take it.

I stare at my laptop in confusion while sipping on the cube. Suddenly, I realized, what's the use of my laptop if I won't use it? Silly me. So I search for the internet, looking for a way to do codes instead of solving codes. It would be easier to know how to do one than solve one.

Several results show up, but I found something that's possibly the closest. The Atbash Code. In the back of my mind, I ask myself. How did Clara even had a time to encrypt her message while we're in the middle of fighting against the Mogadorians?

I shrug.

She's cool in whatever way she does. I can't help but smile. Or blush. Actually, both.

According to the website I found, Atbash codes are used first in Hebrew. Hence, that's why the word sounds Hebrew. Anyway, the code goes like this: each letter has another letter value. So if A is L, then B becomes M, and C becomes N. Until the letter ends at Z and start at A again. It's a bit confusing you know. But both original alphabet and the cipher letters must be in order.

Clara will not have came up with this code if it isn't for the safety. She's genius.

But what now?

I re-wrote the letters from another sheet of paper, Night is on my lap sleeping by now.

T. DZHSRMTGLM YIRWTV, SFWHLM.

At another separate paper, I wrote each letters from the alphabet from A to Z vertically. Across it should be the value of each letter. But according to the internet, Atbash uses a certain important letter to substitute for A. It doesn't make any sense. What would be Clara's favorite word?

I try writing the letters from C to B across each letters on my paper. So that, A aligns with C, B aligns with D, C aligns with E, and so on. I replace each letter from message on the note she gave me. After decoding, I'm still not sure it's correct:

R. BXFQPKREJK WGPURT, QDUFJK

I erase the words. If it's not a special letter, then it must be upside down. Instead of ABC, it would be ZYX. I sigh. Hope this one works.

I replace the original letters into reversed alphabet. I look for letter T at the upside down alphabet column and across it is G. I wrote it down. Meanwhile, I look for D also on the upside down alphabet column and across it is W. I keep on decoding each letter from the encrypted message and changing its value onto the one from the column across it. That's when the message became clearer.

G. WASHINGTON, HUDSON.

Bingo. I nearly jump at my reaction, waking Night with my sudden excitement. Oh boy, I knew where to find her now.

I quickly manuever my laptop keyboard and type in the place. It's found somewhere in New York. Along the Hudson River, probably why Clara included the Hudson in the message.

"Ready for another rescue?" I ask Night. She meows in agreement. Or at least, that's what I assumed.

"Are you telling me to sleep now or whatever?" I laugh at myself, still asking Night. "Well, I guess we have to rest for now. But tomorrow, we'll move out. No time wasting."

Because we only have few more days to go before we go to our rendezvous point with Fifteen and Eleven, and possibly with Twelve if they're successful.

"Good night, Night. And also you guys out there," I mutter before going on to my bed.