by Drew Wagar
The urge to breathe was overpowering now. She let out her last breath, seeing the bubbles cascade before her. Darkness tinged the edges of her vision, her chest was burning, pain searing up her lungs.
Instinct drove her upwards, but she refused to let Meru go.
Brighter, a glow above.
Her muscles cramped. It was too far, too hard …
She burst out into the sunlight, gasping down lungfuls of pure fresh air. She gasped, her vision returning as the water carried her away.
‘Meru!’
She was still clutching him. Struggling with the current she managed to pull him to the surface, going under herself as she did so. Thrashing and clawing in the water she managed to get them both into the shallows and with the last of her strength pulled Meru over on to his back on the muddy bank, clear of the water.
He looked pale. She pressed her ear to his chest to listen for a heartbeat.
It was there.
‘Meru …’
He coughed, spewing up water and rolling on to his side, his body spasming. Kiri crawled across to him.
‘Meru?’
He blinked, his eyes focusing on her.
‘You did it,’ he croaked.
She collapsed beside him, still panting for breath.
‘What happened?’ he asked. He coughed, still spluttering on water.
‘We crashed,’ Kiri said, trying to slow her breathing. ‘But, we’re here.’
‘Here? Where?’
‘The Obelisk,’ she said. ‘I saw it, it’s not far away.’
‘The Obelisk …’
Kiri helped him up and they both got to their knees, gazing around them.
‘Wow,’ Meru said, turning around. ‘We’re inside the eye.’
‘The eye?’
Meru nodded, still catching his breath. ‘It’s a calm area … in the middle of the vortex surrounded by clouds … the Obelisk is right at the centre …’
He stared into the distance, seeing the enormous structure rising into the heights in the distance.
‘We’ve made it,’ he whispered, before pulling her into an embrace. ‘We made it!’
‘Just about,’ she replied. ‘We’re lucky to be alive …’
There was a groan from across the water. Kiri looked up to see the wreckage of the flying machine turn end over end in the muddy torrent before it was swept away. The water was still rising.
‘We’d better find some shelter and some higher ground,’ Kiri said. ‘With all that rain there’s no telling how high these floods might get.’
Meru was limping. Kiri wasn’t in much better shape. Together, supporting each other, they stumbled up the bank until they were a dozen hands above the water. There they both fell down in a meadow full of greening and colourful foliage they didn’t recognise.
‘Rest for a bit,’ Kiri gasped. They both sank into the softness under their feet.
‘You sure it’s safe?’ Meru asked after a moment.
‘If something is going to eat us,’ Kiri said. ‘It’s welcome. I’m too tired …’
With the higher vantage point they could take in the view. The dazzling shining tower of the Obelisk dominated the landscape. It was impossible to tell how big it was, its scale defied understanding. It seemed to be close by until they looked at its base, which was beyond a low line of hills that almost reached the horizon. It had to be many marks in height, a stupendous structure. They could see distant clouds in front of it, obscuring the mid-section, but with its peak visible above them.
All about the Obelisk, within the whirling arc of the clouds was a startling, lush green landscape. Meru and Kiri could see vast waterfalls cascading across rocky promontories, vast tracts of shadeforest and enormous lakes where the water pooled.
‘It’s so … green!’ Meru said. ‘I wonder why that is.’
Kiri gave him a look.
Even after just having pulled themselves out of the water and up the banks, they were both sweating with exertion. The air was thick and humid, the temperature almost unbearable.
‘We should get into the forests,’ Kiri said. ‘It will be cooler out of Lacaille’s light. We’ll cook out here.’
She looked upwards at the enormous glowing disk above. It felt strange for Lacaille to be in that position, as if it were poised to crush them beneath its vastness.
Meru looked around him.
‘Can you make it?’ Kiri asked. ‘It’s not far.’
‘I think so.’
Kiri pulled him to his feet again. They stumbled onwards. Meru collapsing a couple of times, with Kiri struggling to haul him up. They reached the edge of the shade forest and staggered inside, out of the direct sun. Kiri was right, it was cooler, the air fresher.
‘We have to rest,’ Kiri said, lowering Meru to the ground.
‘We only have a few stretches to reach the Obelisk,’ Meru complained.
‘We’re not going anywhere like this,’ Kiri said. ‘We’re hurt and exhausted. We need food as well.’
‘The flying machine …’
‘It’s gone,’ Kiri said. ‘Washed away.’
‘But that’s our only source of …’
‘I’ll see if I can salvage anything,’ Kiri said. ‘Trust me, we won’t go hungry. But we have to rest first.’
Meru was about to protest, but she gave him a look. He subsided.
They lay back in the foliage, hand in hand. Exhausted, sleep crept over them both in moments.
* * *
Fitch was on duty on the bridge, but there was little for him to do. Mel waved at him and got a peremptory tip of his hat in return. She signalled to Zoella and they climbed down the ladder into the ship, walking to the cabin area.
Coran was peering over the charts as they came in.
‘No news then,’ he said, looking at Zoella’s downcast face.
Zoella shook her head, her voice faint. ‘I can’t sense Kiri at all, there’s no answer.’
Coran sighed. ‘I got hold of Janaid to see if he could track the flying machine from Amar.’
‘And?’ Mel asked.
‘He told me that Sandra did get some information back,’ Coran said, heavily. ‘The flying machine seems to have come down in the vortex after suffering damage from the storm. Based on the timing, contact was lost a few minutes after we spoke to Kiri on the radio. Now there’s nothing at all.’
‘Do we know where?’
‘Sandra was able to give us the location,’ Coran said, pointing at the map. ‘They were close, the last position was inside the centre of the storm, only a few dozen marks from the Obelisk.’
‘Maybe they made it then,’ Mel said. ‘Got through the storm.’
‘So why can’t I hear Kiri?’ Zoella asked.
Coran and Mel looked at her.
‘Let’s be optimistic,’ Coran said, ‘Let’s say they crashed, the radio broken. The storm could be interfering. Perhaps Kiri is hurt or …’
‘Or maybe Kiri just doesn’t want us to find her,’ Mel said.
Coran looked at Zoella.
‘She’s your sister, you know her best of all of us,’ he said. ‘What do you think?’
‘She answered me before,’ Zoella said. ‘Even though she didn’t want to. She does want Meru for herself and she doesn’t trust us, but I don’t think she’d deliberately ignore us. She understands what’s at stake.’
Coran nodded. ‘I agree, but it’s been almost a stretch since we lost contact,’ he said, looking at Zoella. ‘Thanks for trying, you able to keep doing so? They could be hurt, unconscious …’
Zoella nodded.
Mel looked at Zoella. Zoella hesitated.
‘Is there something else?’ Coran asked.
Mel nodded. ‘Just tell him. It’ll be alright.’
Zoella swallowed.
‘When we were leaving Amar,’ she said, her voice thin. ‘The high priestess … Nerina … she tried to get into my mind.’
‘Get into your mind?’ Coran echoed.
Zoella
nodded. ‘I could hear her thoughts. She spoke to me, she was strong, I couldn’t stop her.’
Coran looked across at Mel, who raised her eyebrows.
‘And before you ask,’ Mel said, her voice stern. ‘The reason she didn’t tell us before now is because she thought we’d do her in if she did. Nice touch having Fitch hanging around with a rifle. Very subtle.’
Coran swallowed, sighed and then nodded.
‘I’m sorry,’ Coran said to Zoella, lowering the tone of his voice. ‘Just tell me what happened.’
‘She was able to read some of my thoughts,’ Zoella said. ‘She found out my name, where I was from. She knew I was at the battle in Viresia, that I fought Kiri. She knows of my gift … and she threatened to take it.’
‘Always these threats,’ Coran said. ‘Well. I guess we know she survived the battle then. Don’t you worry, we won’t let her get you. Fitch will fill her full of holes the moment he lays eyes on her or her dach.’
Coran didn’t see the reassured expression he was looking for. If anything Zoella looked more worried.
‘It’s not just that,’ Mel prompted.
‘She can … she knows where I am,’ Zoella said. ‘She saw what I could see, I couldn’t stop her.’
‘She knows where we are?’ Coran asked. ‘Where we’re going?’
‘She might,’ Zoella said. Coran could see she was trembling. ‘I don’t know what she managed to find out, but I think she knows we’re going to the Obelisk …’
Coran rubbed his beard and looked around for a moment.
‘So when did this happen?’ he asked.
‘When we left Amar,’ Zoella replied.
‘Has it happened since?’
Zoella shook her head.
Coran thought for a moment.
‘Well, we’re sailing fast,’ he said. ‘Knowing we left Amar won’t do her a lot of good now that we’re out at sea. I doubt she’d be able to find us out here. But we’re best to be safe. I’ll make sure Fitch, Daf and Creg keep a watch at all times.’
Zoella nodded.
‘Thanks for being straight with me,’ Coran said. ‘I guess I have Mel to thank for that, right?’
Zoella nodded again.
‘That’s good,’ Coran said. ‘But next time, just tell us straight away, yes?’
‘Yes,’ Zoella said. ‘I’m sorry …’
‘That’s alright,’ Coran said. ‘And I’ll … get Fitch to put that rifle away.’
He saw her swallow, but her expression was relieved.
There was a thump of feet along the corridor. All three of them looked up to see Creg standing in the door, his enormous frame filling it. He grunted something unintelligible and then turned to go.
‘Fitch wants us,’ Coran said. They followed him out and up on to the decks.
‘This stretch just gets better,’ Mel said, rolling her eyes.
‘What is it?’ Coran demanded as they climbed up into the bridge, Mel and Zoella just behind him. Fitch was looking astern.
‘What do you make of that?’ he asked.
Coran, Mel and Zoella turned to look. Coran grabbed the ’scope, which was fastened on a clip to the nearby bulkhead.
‘What in the world …?’ Coran muttered, before handing the ’scope to Mel.
Intermittently, some distance behind the Mobilis, another wake could be seen. As they watched something broke the surface perhaps half a mark behind the ship, a huge wave churning around it before it sunk beneath the waves once more.
‘What is it?’ Zoella asked.
‘Scorched if I know,’ Fitch replied. ‘But what I can tell you is it’s big and it’s keeping pace with us at full speed.’
Coran watched as the sea churned once more.
‘How long’s it been there?’
‘Not rightly sure,’ Fitch said. ‘Only just spotted it. It wasn’t there a spell ago, that’s for sure.’
‘We’re in deep water here,’ Coran said. ‘And uncharted seas. Looks like we’ve disturbed something. We’re travelling at speed, if we keep to our course and leave it alone it will probably tire and lose interest. Fitch, might be worth setting up your rockets just in case though. Remember that squidder that almost ate Meru?’
Fitch nodded and clambered down from the bridge, yelling to Daf and Creg to give him a hand.
‘Meanwhile,’ Coran said. ‘Best we keep off the decks I think. Zoella, can you let Ira know?’
Zoella nodded and made her way down from the bridge and down to the cabins.
Ira was resting and Zoella roused her, signing to her to stay off the decks. In response to her query Zoella sent her an image of the churning sea behind the ship.
Ira’s eyes grew wide.
Zoella received images back. A vast creature, leaping out of the water and smashing ships in a harbour. She made out a huge tail, whipping back and forth, smashing wooden ships to kindling, with vast tentacles snaking out, grabbing people from decks, quaysides and even from the sea as they threw themselves in the water.
You’ve seen one, in Airea?
Ira nodded.
‘Come with me,’ Zoella said, pulling Ira behind her and running to the bridge. They were about to climb to the ladder up to the deck when the ship lurched under them, spilling them to the floor. An enormous echoing groan sounded all about them and water splashed down through the hatchway above, soaking them both in warm seawater.
The torrent subsided. Zoella helped Ira up and climbed the ladder, looking outside. She caught sight of an enormous tail disappearing into the sea on the port side of the ship.
Daf and Creg were yelling, Zoella could see them trying to pull Fitch aboard. He was clinging on to the side of the ship. The deck was awash with foam and spray, surging off the rear deck as the ship righted itself.
‘Get back inside!’
Zoella turned to see Mel yelling down from the bridge. She was cast into shadow as something huge rose up behind her, blotting out of the light of Lacaille.
It was a huge arc of grey flesh, slick with water, towering over the ship. Zoella felt the ship lurch beneath her again, swinging in the opposite direction, turning so hard in the water that the portside gunwales dipped into the sea.
The sea creature’s monstrous bulk smashed down into the sea once more with an enormous plume of spray. Zoella braced herself as a wave washed across the side of the ship, splashing up as high as the wheelhouse.
Water surged across her, submerging her in a swirling torrent. She was lucky to have been braced in the hatchway otherwise she would have been swept overboard. She felt something grip her ankle and realised it was Ira below her, holding on tight.
She choked and spluttered as the water receded. The Mobilis had heeled right over, the bridge roof almost level with the water line. For a dreadful moment it seemed as if the ship were going to capsize in the churn.
With agonising slowness the Mobilis righted itself. Zoella looked about her, seeing the bridge awash with water, which was now flowing out again. Both Coran and Mel were nowhere to be seen. Looking aft she could see Daf and Creg, but there was no sign of Fitch either.
She turned around, trying to locate them.
There, in the sea. Overboard!
The Mobilis was still running at full speed, leaving them behind. Zoella jumped up to the deck and vaulted for the wheelhouse, forcing herself against the onrushing water. She pulled herself up and staggered inside, trying to remember what Coran had done to control the ship. She grabbed at the obvious lever and yanked it back, hearing the engines fierce thrum spin down. Then she spun the large wheel and the ship came about again, turning back on its course.
She looked through the spray-splashed windows, trying to see where the crew were. Daf and Creg were yelling and pointing to the portside. Zoella could just make out three bodies in the water, swimming towards each other.
The Mobilis came about, heading towards them at reduced speed.
The sea boiled, a great dome of water rising up and flowing aside. Zoella
watched in horror as the creature surfaced before her.
It was at least twice the length of the Mobilis. A vast mass of grey flesh punctuated with huge and ancient scars. Its head was double the width of the ship, a vast bulbous affair, with three huge eyes atop it, each perhaps five hands wide. Its mouth was ringed with a series of tentacles, coiled together into a fleshy point.
The rest of the creature followed, two fins jutted from its sides and a gargantuan fluked tail arced upwards before splashing down behind it with an echoing boom.
Zoella saw her friends bob in the water before it, a swell of water dozens of hands high rolled away from the creature. The Mobilis reared up to crest the wave and then plummeted down the other side. Zoella pulled the throttles to a stop and the Mobilis coasted to a halt.
In that moment the tentacles burst forth, uncoiling at breakneck speed, surging through the waters in search of prey. By the time Zoella had clambered down from the bridge the tentacles were flailing in the air. Zoella could see Coran, Mel and Fitch held in their grasp.
A vast maw opened up between the tentacles, ringed with teeth. A shuddering groan accompanied a spray of water. The stench of rotting meat issued forth, causing her to gag.
Zoella heard screams and cries from before her, yells from Daf and Creg from behind, but she ignored them, raising her hand and striding forward along the sodden decks of the ship until she stood at the bow.
Her face was contorted with anger, a burning sensation and the smell of hot metal rising up all about her.
Release them!
The mental power of her command blasted across the sea, so strong as to almost be visible. A ripple of fury in the air.
The creature reared up in the water, threatening to overwhelm the ship once more.
Zoella gestured again.
Do not defy me! Release them!
The creature became still, the waves receding. She heard Daf and Creg’s yells stop, heard their footsteps halt behind her. She clenched her hand.
Release them and I will let you go unharmed!
The tentacles writhed and then, one by one, Zoella saw her friends dropped into the sea. They began swimming towards the Mobilis.
The tentacles coiled back, wrapping around each other and covering the maw. The creature turned away, sinking into the water, which churned for a few moments and then grew calm once more.
