The Lord of the Plains

by Sarah Chapman

Chapter 50

  When a particular sub returned to Coastside the news waiting for those aboard was not greeted well.

  One submariner in particular demanded to go out searching.

  He was told the Astarian Military would handle the search. What would a submariner know about a forest?

  And so he was confined to his dorm. For some reason, the Commander of the submariners didn’t trust him.

  Astar learnt the fate of the gemeng first. Astar Home Defence Patrol Unit-16, accompanied by the uncle who had forcefully insisted on joining them on the search for his niece, had found the remains.

  When the unit ran back to Astar with babbled tales of horrible, hungry, murderous gemengs all of Astar was put on alert.

  A human, the poor old uncle, had been killed.

  Or so they remembered.

  And so the evidence left behind suggested.

  Blood.

  Claw marks.

  Scraps of clothes.

  And scraps of a uniform. A uniform that belonged to a missing gemeng.

  The woman in charge of transfers looked up in surprise. This one had been here not long ago. He’d been beaming then.

  Now though… beneath his tan he was pale. His grey eyes were red and wet.

  His voice was wobbly as he asked whether it was too late to change his mind.

  ‘Of course not, dear.’ She replied, concerned. ‘Are you alright?’ He looked like he was about to start crying.

  ‘T-thank you.’ his voice was thick.

  He turned and walked quickly out of her office, his shoulders hunched, his head bowed.