by L. J. Suarez
The creature hooked to Mace’s ride began to thrust its head. Mace’s world was a dizzy blur. He lost his grip on the saddle and fell off, landing hard onto the ground. The creature flung the leeback to the side and freed up its horn. The blood and gore of Mace’s leeback covered the area around him.
DJ and Conner stabbed and fired spears at the first creature as it waved its horned snort at them, while Emerson and Gareth surrounded the second creature and attempted to distract it away from Mace and focus it on them. Emerson launched several shots from his double crossbow at the creature’s head, which bounced off it.
Conner launched his spear at the first creature’s side, and it let out a squeal. It suddenly charged at Conner and impaled him with its horn. A horrified look was permanently fixed on Conner’s face, as he was instantly killed by the creature’s attack. It flung Conner’s body in the air and then went after the others.
“No!” Mace yelled. He pointed his bow at the creature while Bishop, Gareth, and Emerson tried to keep their distance from it. The first creature was moving around spastically, blood trickling down from the wound on its side.
Mace steadied his aim and launched the arrow. It landed right in the creature’s eye, which let out another painful growl.
Bishop finished off the monster by bringing his axe down on top of its head, causing it to permanently drop to the ground.
Before Mace could get a chance to catch a breath, he heard the roar of the enraged monster’s sibling. It pawed and dug into the ground as it readied itself for another attack.
Bishop swung his axe at the creature, but its tail whacked him away. With a swipe of its head, the creature flung Emerson and Gareth away before they could get any closer.
Then the creature focused its rage on Mace. It pawed the dirt floor with its hind legs as it readied itself.
Mace fired off another arrow as the creature made its way to him. It penetrated its eye, and the creature jerked its head from the impact. But the monster kept coming. Suddenly, DJ jumped in front of the creature’s path. “Run!” he yelled to Mace over his shoulder. He turned to the approaching beast. “Come get me, you ugly bastard!”
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Mace watched DJ standing between him and the monster that wanted his blood. “DJ, what the hell are you doing?! Get outta there!” The fool was attempting to finish off the creature while buying Mace time to escape. Letting out a battle cry, DJ raised his spear toward the creature’s open mouth. Before he could jam the spear into his target, the creature trampled over DJ, its powerful feet crushing his body under its weight. Mace rolled away and evaded the charging monster. The arrow was still lodged inside its eye socket. Before the creature had a chance at another attack run, Mace grabbed the shaft of the arrow and rammed it the rest of the way inside the socket. Its cries grew to a sudden mere whimper. For a moment, Mace believed he had delivered the final death blow. But the creature wasn’t done with him yet. As its last dying action, the creature swung its snout at Mace’s back, launching him over the side of the cliff and down toward the trees below. He was weightless for the briefest of moments until he felt his back crash through several branches as he fell deeper into the dense jungle below.
Chapter 22
“Try again,” Alex encouraged.
Mace once again reached for an arrow from the quiver wrapped around his shoulder. A dozen arrows had already flown past targets mounted against the log six feet away, with only two hitting the outer border. The sounds of hammers and saws cutting wood could be heard in the air; several yards out, the New Lazarus settlers were busy putting up the final section of the west wall. With the new wall and a fort up, they would be able to keep out most of the dangerous animals that dwelled in the Outlands.
The fifteen-year-old pulled back on the arrow placed in the bow, then released his hold. The arrow landed on the lower edge of the target.
Mace let out a frustrated sigh. “I suck at this.”
“Quit your bitching,” Alex shot back. “You’re too much in a damn hurry. That’s your problem. Take your time with the shot. And don’t let go until you know for sure your target’s lined up.”
“If I did that, a horalo would eat me,” Mace whined.
“Well it won’t matter if you can’t hit for shit, now will it?”
Mace shrugged.
Alex smirked. “Come on, let’s do it again.” He had trained nearly every youth in the settlement to use a bow and arrow and every other kind of weapon, both to prepare them for when the time came to hunt and gather in the wild, as well as to become great warriors who would protect their land.
Mace grabbed another arrow and placed it on the bow.
Before he could aim it, Alex placed a hand on his shoulder. “Take a deep breath.”
This is such a waste of time. Mace thought. He inhaled through his nose and slowly let go of the air through his mouth. He felt his aim become steadier, and his nerves eased.
“Now, aim.”
Mace aimed the bow at the target and pulled back on the arrow. He held his breath, laser-focused on what was in front of him.
“Release!”
Mace let go of the string, and the arrow rocketed through the air. Everything seemed to move slower around him as he watched the arrow hurtle forward. The arrow landed dead center on the target. Mace let out a broad smile.
Alex’s eyes were fixed on the target, then he turned to Mace with a silly grin. “Not bad. Those horalos won’t know what hit them.” He held out his hand to Mace, and they high-fived each other.
Mace had just allowed himself to bask in his victory when he noticed his mother walking across the fields toward them. Sarah had on a white blouse tied in a knot, and wore a pair of beige, baggy pants. A lovingly smile was sketched across her face as Sarah got closer. Mace wanted to share what he had just achieved with her. He started making his way toward her, when suddenly a large beast with sharp horns in its snout and head came out of nowhere and leapt on top of Sarah at an impossible speed. He froze where he stood, fear and confusion taking hold of him. All Mace could do was watch helplessly as the monster that was none other than an horalo tore into Sarah’s flesh with its deadly fangs. Mace let out a muted yell as the horrific scene unfolded before him. In fact, everything fell silent as the world around him went straight to hell.
* * *
For a moment, Mace thought he heard his name being called out.
“Mace, let us know you can hear us,” he heard a faint, familiar voice say. That was his first sign that he wasn’t dead, and was in fact back in the Outland’s Eastern Regions. He didn’t know for how long he was out for.
Mace found his face planted in the dirt as he carefully lifted himself off the ground. He then stopped short as he felt a sharp pain on the side of his ribs. A small piece of wood had penetrated his side, its end sticking out and drenched in blood. With one swift move, Mace ripped the wood out and let out a short yell. More blood gushed out from the exposed wound. He ripped a piece of sleeve from his shirt, wrapped it around his waist, and put pressure on the wound. After making sure the cloth was secure, he realized that the tip of his finger was bent. He wrapped the broken finger with his other hand, took a deep breath, and snapped it back into place, letting out a louder, more pained cry.
Mace got to his feet and scanned the area. He couldn’t believe he actually survived that fall. He then realized he could no longer hear the voices calling for him. Was it Bishop and the others? Had he imagined it? Conner came to mind; Mace remembered him being attacked and impaled by the crazed beast they had encountered earlier. The image of DJ getting run over by the same monstrous animal was still fresh in Mace’s head.
Right now, he needed to regroup with whoever was left and get back on track to the facility, as the clock was still ticking. He roamed throughout the trees looking for a way out, and called out for Bishop, Emerson, Gareth and then Andre.
No one replied.
If Mace really did hear his team calling for him, then they had to
be close. He pushed branches and leaves out of his way as he traveled deeper into the woods. He heard rustling nearby. He checked his back; his bow was gone. Pulling out his ever-reliable dagger, he moved as quietly as possible at the direction of the sound. That was when he saw a group of four elephant-like animals drinking from a nearby riverbed. There two big ones, and two smaller ones. They almost looked identical to the real thing, only their trunks were longer and the tip had more of a mouth that they used to gulp the water. Like most of the wildlife in the Outlands, many of the creatures were descendants of other, more recognizable animals from Earth’s past, but had since evolved into an almost entirely different species. Not so different from what happened to humanity.
Mace stood still as he observed the mammals, trying to ascertain if they would attack. “How’s it hanging, fellas?” Lucky enough for Mace, they didn’t seem that interested in him. Mace approached the riverbed and dunked his whole head into the water. As soon as it touched his face, he was rejuvenated. He turned an eye on the animals nearby, who continued going about their own business. He placed both his opened palms under the water and took large sips of it. Then he moved onward before the animals changed their minds about him.
After venturing farther into the foliage, something up ahead caught his eye. It looked to be a rock formation of sorts, and it was big. Mace picked up his pace, as what he would find beyond the trees gave him a sense of hope. Passing the last hanging branch, he came face to face with what looked like a monument—four faces carved onto the face of a small mountain. It rose at least thirty feet off the ground, and there seemed to be more of it buried underground. Each of their faces had numerous cracks throughout. To Mace’s surprise, the faces weren’t Monad. They were, in fact, human. The monument appeared ancient.
Mace took several steps closer to the mountain. He studied each of the sculptured, granite heads, and a hint of recognition came over him. “I know this,” Mace whispered to himself.
The face on the far left was George Washington. The other three were Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These were the faces of past presidents of what was once the United States. He had learned about these historical figures, and a great deal about U.S. history for that matter when he was a child at the school in Empyreum. It all made sense now. Mace was standing in front of what was named “Mount Rushmore.” If he remembered correctly, this meant he was somewhere within the old Midwestern region called “South Dakota.” The monument looked so much more massive than on the history archives. He had just stumbled upon the most important landmark in human history. The sculptures were in impeccable condition after centuries of climate changes, despite a few cracks across their faces and tree branches growing from said cracks. Mace wondered if the Monads knew these ruins were even here.
He needed to keep moving and find his people, so he continued on his path. Mace called out the names of his comrades once again, with no reply. He heard a faint sound coming up ahead. With his dagger in hand, Mace stopped to see if he would hear it again, and where it came from. That was when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Mace twisted his body, grabbed the figure standing behind him, and forcefully pushed him against a tree log, placing the dagger against his throat.
A smirk formed on Bishop’s lips. “Nice to see you again, too.”
Mace lowered his dagger and let out a sigh. “Glad to see those things didn’t turn you into its dinner.”
“We finished off the last little fella. Glad you’re still up and about after that nasty spill.”
“Me too. What about the others?”
“Couple of bumps and scratches, but they’ll be ok. But Conner and DJ…”
“I know.” Mace lowered his head in grief.
“Conner was a good kid,” Bishop said. “Tough.”
“Yeah,” was all Mace could say.
“By the way, you dropped this.” Bishop handed Mace his bow.
“Thanks,” he grabbed the bow and placed it back inside his holster backpack.
“What do you say we get to the facility so we can finish this? And make sure their deaths wasn’t in vain. The others are waiting for us on the other side of that ridge up ahead.”
Mace nodded and waved his hand for Bishop to lead the way. They climbed over the ridge, and just as Bishop said, Emerson, Gareth and Andre were on their leebacks awaiting their return. Aside from a few minor cuts throughout their faces, they appeared not to have sustained any serious injuries. Mace exchanged handshakes with the three men, who were relieved to see their fearless leader had survived the fall.
Mace and Bishop climbed onto their leebacks and rode off with the rest of the group. It would only be a matter of hours before they reached their destination. Mace hoped that whatever they would find there would give them the advantage they desperately needed for the fight ahead.
Chapter 23
Empyreum had been placed on its highest alert.
The Capital hadn’t seen this level of emergency in over two millennia. To the masses, Empyreum security was simply running a series of training exercises to test the readiness of its troops that would go on for the next several days. But to those such as Ionne, they were preparing for an impending attack by the humans. She had learned that the task force sent to retrieve the Jafner survivors from the human settlement had ended badly. Though they were successful in extracting the survivors, they had failed to do so without triggering a violent retaliation from the settlers. Lives were lost unnecessarily during an engagement, including Constable Rylan’s. It was uncertain if there were any human casualties, though the guards had been instructed to use nonlethal force if the need arose.
Despite the Inner Council and Empyreum security’s confidence they could handle any potential threat that the more primitive humans might present, their sheer size was what alarmed them the most. The security detail led by Rylan had reported seeing tens of thousands of settlers when they arrived at the site. There was no way of knowing for certain how many of them were armed, and adding the fact that they possessed an EMP device capable of momentarily disabling one of their airships, this made the Council uneasy. There was still the fact that Ionne hadn’t been able to contact Aaron since returning from the Gray Zone border. Ionne blocked from her mind her foremost fear that something terrible had happened to him.
At Empyreum’s security central, where the Jafner passengers were detained for questioning as well as to treat any potential injuries, Ionne had her own questions for the returned survivors. As she entered the plain white room, the survivors were all seated in various chairs extended outward from the wall with a guard seated across from them. The guard had a digital pad levitating over his opened hands, making notes and recording everything the survivors were saying. The survivors’ clothing looked somewhat unkempt, and their collective faces were a combination of sadness and exhaustion, but overall appeared to be in good health.
They all turned to Ionne as she neared them, and the guard stood at attention. “Councilor Ionne. We are honored by your presence.”
“Thank you,” Ionne said.
“Is there something you require?”
“I would like to have a word with these people, if I may?”
“Well, I am in the middle of gathering their statements of everything that had transpired while in the Gray Zone.”
Ionne put on her best polite smile. “It will only take a moment, I assure you. The Inner Council is awaiting my own full report on this matter, and they are expecting it immediately.”
The guard hesitated, but seemed to understand the urgency. “If the Inner Council wishes it, very well.”
Ionne bowed. “Thank you. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.”
The guard returned the bow. “Of course, Councilor.” He turned and exited the room.
Adjusting her Science Institute jumpsuit, Ionne turned to the survivors. “I am most pleased you are all well and have returned safely to us. I regret the ordeal you all have experienced these last few days. My sinc
ere condolences for the lives you have lost. I am here as a representative of the Inner Council, and we wish to know what exactly happened during your stay at the human settlement.”
There was a pause before a man from the group spoke. “After we crashed, we were rescued by a human female. Her name is Ava. She was the one who took us to their settlement, provided us food and shelter. We were treated well. Even after the attack at the border, they cared for us when they did not need to. If it were not for her, we would not be here now.”
Ionne nodded in understanding.
A Monad boy from the group stood up. The child could not have been more than eight years of age. His shoulders were slumped, and his eyes didn’t give away what he felt inside. “Do you know who killed my father?”
The boy’s question took Ionne by surprise. She knelt down to his height and carefully spoke to the child. “What is your name, little one?”
“Jarzon.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Jarzon.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “The Council is still determining who was responsible for the attack. But rest assured, we will not stop until whoever did this is brought to justice. You have my word.”
“Ava is my friend,” Jarzon said. “She and the other humans are our friends. They are not dangerous as some have said. They need our help.”
Ionne nodded as she whispered, “I know they do. And I will help them.”
For the first time, a small crack of a smile edged along his lips—the first sign of real emotion bursting out of him.
