by Mira Maxwell
In front of us there’s a dense forest of trees. Trees unlike any that I’ve seen on this planet before. Because of the snow, the trees typically have tall trunks with sparse branches here and there. But these trees have thick, massive trunks with numerous branches, making them look more like trees on Earth. Instead of leaves there are small needles sticking out from the branches, like pine trees. They aren’t green though, they blend in with the rest of the brown color of the branches.
The warriors are all in front of me, heads down, intent on covering as much ground as we can before nightfall. Ozmyx is trailing behind the others, trying to stay close to me without being too obvious about it. He might be a grumpy son of a bitch, but I can tell he’s good at his job. No matter how annoying he might find me, he’s still going to make sure I’m safe.
The wind is really whipping against my face as we move deeper into the forest. The trees block some of it but it’s stingingly cold. The caves weren’t warm by any means but they were a nice protection from the wind and snow. It’s hard to believe that the material needed to save Earth is located on a such a cold, desolate planet. Though as I let that sink in, I realize that if our small research team isn’t successful, Earth will eventually look and feel very much like this ice planet. The difference will be that humans aren’t made for this type of environment.
The trees are creaking as they sway under the weight of the snow and heavy wind. I’m concentrating as hard as I can on keeping up with the warriors and staying on my feet. It’s all too easy to take a wrong step and sink into a snow drift or slip on a buried section of ice. The noise from the trees is getting louder with every step we take. It’s the strangest sound, almost like the trees are screaming. I stop to cover my ears while I take a minute to look up into the tangle of branches above. Ozmyx turns around at the same time. I can see his lips moving but I can’t hear what he’s saying. The next thing I know, his face transforms into one of panic and I feel myself being gripped tightly around the waist before my feet are lifted clear off the ground and I find myself being flung into the air.
Eight
OZMYX
My first instinct is to blink because my eyes must be playing tricks on me. One moment I’m looking at Savannah, asking her if she needs to rest and then a huge creature unfolds from the trees and snatches her up in its massive claws. Initially I’m so stunned, I stand there with my mouth open, gaping at this enormous beast in front of me. I hear Krenar yelling behind me as he and the other warriors mobilize into action.
“A ragadh!” Krenar’s right beside me now and though it feels like I’m frozen in place, somehow my sword is in my hand and my instincts have kicked in. There are so many thoughts tumbling through my mind. I always thought ragadhs were nothing more than mythical creatures. In all of my many years on this planet, I’ve never seen one with my own eyes up until this moment.
I’m assessing the creature, trying to decide how to best go about bringing it down. I need to get Savannah back. Aside from when my mother died, this is the first time I’ve felt such helplessness. The ragadh is as tall as the trees, its skin the same color as the brown branches around it. I tell myself that must be why we didn’t see it before it was too late. Now I’m frantically trying to remember what I’ve heard about the creatures, so I can safely free Savannah from its grasp.
There isn’t much time to think. The next thing I know it starts moving towards us and we’re in danger of being crushed under its massive feet. The trees are still creaking loudly, the branches threatening to break off the trees as the ragadh pushes them out of its way.
“Ozmyx!” I hear one of the warriors shout to me, snapping me out of the daze I’m in. I’m in charge. They’re waiting for their orders, but all I can think about is getting Savannah down safely. I don’t understand why my mind is suddenly so clouded. Or maybe it’s my heart. I don’t want to do the wrong thing.
“We need to get Savannah free!” My instincts take over. If we can get her free and away from here, then we can worry about bringing this creature down. The ragadh is looking at Savannah with curiosity. As if it has never seen anything like her before and is trying to figure out what to make of it. It isn’t acting aggressively yet, but it’s possible it hasn’t even noticed us.
“Lets make sure it knows we’re here,” I tell the other warriors. We’re limited by our weapons but luckily Krenar has his bow and arrows. “Krenar, get its attention.”
“Yes, sir.” He pulls an arrow and notches it on his bow, aiming at its legs. We know as soon as the arrow hits its target because the creature throws its head back and lets out a loud bellow. Not that it’s hurt, just annoyed with being bothered. It has the effect I wanted, though. The ragadh bends and looks down at us, its attention temporarily distracted from Savannah. It hasn’t let her go, though. It’s still gripping her tightly, her legs waving freely through the air, a look of absolute terror on her face. I feel a tug at my heart and a panic swell in my belly that I’ve never felt before in this type of situation. Somehow she has broken through this cold heart of mine.
I need to think of some way to get it to release her. “Veryn!” I yell to one of my warriors. “Get up on its back!”
Veryn has the ability to climb like no other warrior I’ve seen. He can scale a tree, or a mountain, without breaking a sweat. He’s in motion as soon as the words leave my lips. He scales the closest tree like a stalking Olm, reaching the top branches in seconds. The next thing we see is Veryn flying through the air high above us and then he’s out of sight. He hits his mark, though. The ragadh reaches its arm, trying to grab at something behind it. It’s still gripping Savannah but I’m hoping Veryn can cause enough irritation to cause it to let her go.
A few more seconds of the creature flailing its arm trying to reach Veryn, and it doubles its efforts by releasing Savannah so it can use its other arm. As soon as she starts to fall, I’m moving. I’m able to get underneath her so that she falls heavily into my arms. Her arms fly around my neck and she holds onto me tighter than I would have thought possible for someone her size.
“I’ve got you,” I tell her, gripping her tightly and letting my fingers tangle in her hair. We could stay and fight the ragadh, but all I can think about is getting Savannah to safety. “Let’s move!” I yell at the warriors. They’ve been distracting it by using their swords to attack its legs, but its skin is too thick. They’re barely making a scratch. Veryn flies through the air over the top of us, landing crouched and ready to spring.
“This way!” He takes off through the tangle of trees and I follow closely at his heels. Within a few moments, the other warriors join us as well and we’re pushing our speed to its limit. We hear another bellow from the creature behind us. It’s stalking us from behind.
“Oh God.” I hear Savannah say into my ear. She’s looking behind us, seeing the terror that’s coming for us. “Move faster,” she says. Her panic is palpable. It makes me move even faster, my only thought getting us away from here.
The ragadh is pushing trees aside as it lumbers after us, and they make a high pitched screaming sound as the trunks and branches crack and break under the pressure. Its strides are so huge it’ll be on us with just a few more steps. There’s no way we can outrun it, so we’re going to have to get free of the forest and find a place to hide where it can’t reach us.
Veryn is still in the front. “We need to find somewhere to hide,” I yell to him. If Savannah weren’t here, we’d find a good place to take a stand and fight this beast. Now all I can think about is getting her somewhere safe so I can look her over and check to make sure she isn’t injured. She’s still clinging to me with a fierce desperation that makes me want to protect her with my life. For the first time since I’ve become a warrior, I’m thankful that my father pushed me as hard as he did to make me such a strong, skilled member of the guard.
Finally we break free from the trees. There’s nothing but snow and open space in front of us for at least a mile. Then, up to the right there’s
the beginning of a mountain pass that looks like it leads up into the mountains that loom ahead of us.
“There, that path,” Krenar yells, pointing ahead of us. “It won’t be able to follow us if we can make it to the mountain pass.”
He’s right. Our only chance is to go somewhere the ragadh can’t follow. And it won’t fit through the narrow mountain trails. The ground shakes underneath my feet as it picks up speed behind us. I can tell each time its foot meets the ground. There’s a jolt underneath us that almost knocks me to my knees.
I stumble and Savannah shrieks. She clings tightly to me and yells, “Go, go, go!”
I make the mistake of looking behind us just as the ragadh’s arm swoops down. Its claws miss my back by inches. Savannah’s screams fill the space around us, propelling me forward. We’ve distracted it enough to give Krenar a chance to release a few more arrows in its direction. They slow it down just enough to give us a head start and help us close the distance to the mountains. At this point we’re going in the complete opposite direction from the fortress, but it’s the only option we have right now.
Savannah and I are the first ones to make it to the trail. The other warriors are behind us, slowing the creature down as best as they can while I get Savannah to safety. The path is narrow, cutting through the middle of two massive mountains on both sides. We’ll have to walk single file to fit, but it’s the perfect protection.
I don’t slow down until I’m certain we’re far enough into the mountains that we can no longer be pursued. Eventually there’s a loud bellow behind us and I finally let myself stop. I set Savannah down and turn to see the other warriors jogging up the path toward us. They’ve all made it and they all look to be in one piece.
“A ragadh,” Krenar says through labored breaths. “I never thought I’d see one with my own eyes in this lifetime.” He seems almost star-struck, like this will be one amazing story to tell the rest of our warrior brothers.
Veryn throws his head back with his arms on his waist, stopping to catch his breath. “We were very un-fucking-lucky, brother. I don’t know what you’re so excited about. We’re miles in the wrong direction.”
“Fatigued brother?” Rajan says. “Not so young anymore, are you?
“I could still take you in a fight, Rajan. Don’t tempt me,” Veryn says.
“We could have taken it,” Krenar says again. “What a story that would’ve been.”
“Enough,” I say. “We need to keep moving. See how far we can get before nightfall.” The other warriors quiet down, the tone turning more serious once again. Veryn is right, we are miles in the wrong direction. There’s no way we’ll be able to make it back to the fortress before nightfall so now our main concern is finding somewhere safe to sleep for the night. I look at Savannah. She’s standing close to me and I have the desire to reach out and pull her into my embrace. She looks frightened and exhausted. And then it occurs to me that maybe instead of exhaustion, she’s in pain. “Savannah, are you hurt?”
Her eyes lock on mine and she seems so small and vulnerable out here. She wasn’t in any hurry to leave the caves and I forced her hand. Now look what predicament we’re in. She doesn’t throw it back in my face, though, which makes my heart pound in my chest…and not because of the physical exertion we just went through. Instead she just stares at me with her big blue eyes, full of emotion and uncertainty.
“I’ll be okay. It feels like a decent scrape along my back and maybe a few bruises. I don’t think my ribs are broken, which is good news. I’ll be able to keep going,” she says.
I nod. “Let us know if you need to stop,” I say. “We need to move further into the mountains to find somewhere to camp for the night. We’ll have to take the long road home.”
“I know,” she says. “Lead the way.”
“Rajan,” I say, “track ahead, make sure the path is clear. See what you can see.”
“Yes sir,” Rajan says as he takes off at a run up the path and out of sight.
I start walking in his direction but at a much slower pace. I want to make sure that Savannah can keep up. We quickly fall into formation. I’m in the lead with Savannah walking to my side, just behind me. The rest of the warriors walk single file, following in our tracks.
“There are a lot of things that can live in the mountains,” I tell her as we walk. “Rajan will be looking for signs of creatures that might be along the path. There are caves in the sides of the mountains that will make a good shelter for us tonight. The animals like these caves as well, though.”
“I’ve encountered plenty of things that can kill you on this planet. I’d say at this point I’m lucky to be alive.”
“It’s true,” I say. “That’s why aside from the guard, Attalans live within the walls. They keep all of the dangers out so they don’t have to constantly worry about what’s lurking about.”
“But mostly the Salthu,” she says.
“What about the Salthu?”
“Well, from what we were led to understand, you mostly need protection from the Salthu. It’s why the walls were built in the first place, right?”
“Yes, that’s true. I mean, not just the Salthu. But they are extremely dangerous. As you have seen, there are plenty of other creatures that can be just as deadly.”
“No others that are so similar to you, though. The same kind of enhanced strength and fighting abilities.”
That’s actually a very interesting connection she has made. One that I never came to on my own. I suppose in those ways the Salthu are very similar to the Attalan warriors. I’ve never questioned any of it before, but it makes me think it might be worth learning a little more about the history of the Salthu. Up until now, we’ve only ever known that they’re dangerous and our enemies. But no one in the guard knows where they came from, or how they even came to be our enemies.
“That’s true,” I finally say. I’m lost in thought for a while as we continue climbing up the path. Savannah goes quiet next to me and I assume she’s concentrating on what comes next. There hasn’t been any sign of Rajan in a while and I’m going to assume that no news right now is good news. I know Savannah isn’t up for any more excitement today. I find myself silently hoping for an uneventful evening.
We travel for a few more hours, finding things to talk about on and off. Eventually she stops me by gripping my arm. “I’m hungry and exhausted. Are we going to be able to stop soon? I don’t know how much farther I can make it before my legs collapse underneath me.”
“We’ll stop as soon as we reach a safe place to camp for the night. It shouldn’t be much longer.”
Thankfully it only takes another fifteen minutes before we reach the spot I’ve been searching for. The terrain levels out for a decent patch and there’s a small cave carved into the side of the mountain. It won’t be big enough for all of us, but it’ll be big enough for Savannah and me. Because after the day we’ve had, I’m not letting her out of my sight.
Nine
SAVANNAH
I’m about to drop from exhaustion when Ozmyx finally says the words I’ve been dying to here.
“This will do,” he says.
I almost miss it because I’m not even looking around anymore. It’s all I can do to look at the ground and move one foot in front of the other. So when his words register, I look up and breathe a sigh of relief.
“Thank God,” I say, falling to my knees right there in the middle of the path. The warriors file past me and immediately start doing whatever it is that they need to do for us to stay here for the night. I’m perfectly fine leaving the set up to them. I don’t have any more in me tonight.
“Savannah,” Ozmyx calls.
I look up and slowly get to my feet. He’s standing over by a small cave, so I make my way over. One of the other warriors tosses him a pack and he catches it easily, opening it and digging through it. He pulls out a fur that has been rolled up and tucked securely in the bottom.
“Come in.” He gestures for me to follow him into t
he cave. I’m not going to argue. I have to duck to get inside which means Ozmyx really has to crouch over. It’s small but it’ll protect a few of us from the elements and keep us just that much warmer overnight.
“Will we be able to start a fire?” I never know what the correct choice is in this environment. Sometimes the fire can attract predators but other times it can keep them away. I’m hoping tonight will be the kind of night where we’ll want the fire for extra protection.
“Yes. We’ll get it going right outside the cave. The other warriors and I will take turns keeping watch, so it should be fine. From the looks of the sky, we’re going to get some snow. How hard it comes down will determine how long the fire lasts.” He lays the fur down on the ground and pats it, indicating he wants me to come and sit down. I’m glad we didn’t lose all of our supplies in our haste to get away from the ragadh. Extra furs and food are necessities if I’m going to make it back to the fortress. He pulls another fur out of a different pack and shakes it out.
“This looks like heaven,” I say as I crumble to the ground on top of the fur.
“We should look you over to make sure you aren’t injured. Where are you sore?”
“Oh, I’ll be fine. Nothing but a few scrapes and bruises. Besides, I’m exhausted and I’m way too cold to take any of my clothes off. Nice try, though.” I can’t help but tease him a little. It must be the events of the day, but I don’t feel quite so inhibited around him right now. He’s acting very differently towards me today. Not nearly as grumpy as usual. Which is nice because then I don’t feel like I need to be on the defensive at all times.
I’m looking at him with a teasing smile on my face, enjoying the look of confusion on his face. “Nice try for what?” he asks.
