As they spoke, they had been walking toward the campsite.
"These guys sure kept a messy camp."
"These were filth. These were Caval Du Mal's Fenanteum."
"I didn't catch that, Fen—what?"
"Fenanteum, they hunt others for payment."
"Bounty hunters. Let's look around, perhaps there's something here we can use."
"There is nothing these motherless kroats have that I want."
"Wait—what's this?" Cris picked up a short, shoulder-fired weapon, but nothing he was familiar with.
"Be cautious, Cris. That is the weapon of Caval Du Mal's soldiers, a fragor, it launches a ball of energy that explodes on contact. That selector on the side controls the size of the explosion."
"There are ten settings," Cris observed.
"One will blow a hole in a man as big as your fist. Three will blow him to pieces." Tattie did not take her eyes off the weapon.
"Damn, what will ten do?"
"I've never seen one fired on ten. Those small bottles on his belt are the power cells for that rama."
Cris removed the five seven-centimeter-long bottles from the dead man's belt.
"How many shots per bottle?"
"Depends on what you have it set on. Let us go and get this stench from our noses."
Cris and Tattie slung their weapons over their backs and moved out, Tattie setting a good pace. After several minutes, Cris asked, "Can we slow down?"
She looked back at him, her face quite serious, then she slowed, and her features softened.
"You have called me girlfriend, Cris. Am I your friend?"
"I get asked that a lot here."
"You use the word rather casually."
"I take it you don't."
"Cris, On Nazer friendship is a serious commitment, not taken lightly. We do not casually refer to other people as friends."
"The term ‘girlfriend’ is used jokingly," Cris said. “Friendship really is the same on Earth, we just don't seem to take the word very seriously. But true friends are committed to each other."
"This is why I say your language is strange. Our language respects words. Each has a meaning so there is no confusion—no "bad is good". We do not call one another friend, then dilute the meaning of friendship by using the word as a joke."
"I just speak it, Tattie. I didn't invent it."
"True, but you must think before you speak in the lazy manner to which you are accustomed. If you say I am your friend, I want to know you mean it. If you do, I will return your friendship."
"Tattie, you aided me when I was lost, provided me shelter, food, and have shown me, an alien to your world, kindness. You've saved my life. How could you not be my friend?"
She looked into his eyes and nodded. "Then you are my friend, as well. And do not forget, you have saved my life also."
"All right, my friend, tell me what is it about those bounty hunters that got your back up—I mean, upset you so much?"
"The long-armed ones are called Lautmen, they too are alien to our world, brought here by Caval Du Mal to hunt his enemies. They are partial to Geldneth females. They play a game among themselves, to see who can rape more of us between moons. I have known many who have been so attacked by the Lautmen. Most kill themselves before or shortly afterward. Cris—one will never take me alive, you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"Tattie—I promise you—I will never allow that to happen to you."
○O○
Shortly after midday, they stopped to eat. Tattie suggested they husband the Beteko og and she pulled from her pack several pieces of dried fish and the white meat that tasted like chicken. She also had several raw vegetables. They ate modestly then each took a sip of the elixir and continued on their way.
Five minutes later, still on the path, Tattie stopped again and canted her head toward the sky.
"What now?" Cris asked. He'd come to understand her senses were far more acute than his own.
"Hush." She seemed to be listening intently. Cris heard nothing. Suddenly Tattie sprinted toward the wood line shouting, "Hide!"
Cris followed as fast as he could and had no more reached the cover of the trees when one of those silver ball ships shot over their heads at an amazing speed only ninety meters off the ground. It was as quiet as a whisper and gone in an instant.
"You heard that coming?"
"No, I felt the air before it being pushed."
"Really?"
She returned him an odd look, then Cris started to get to his feet. She pulled him back down.
"It is not gone, be still."
"What is it?"
"It is an Avia Rapna, but called simply a Rapna. Harbingers of disaster, piloted by evil men in the service of—"
"Caval Du Mal, am I right?"
"Bruckna the Sorgina."
"Well, she works for him so it's the same difference."
"But not accurate, Cris; language, remember?"
"What makes you think it's still around?"
"He knows we're here."
"How? We were under cover and he was too low and moving too fast."
"He knows. Wait."
A few minutes passed, then Tattie pointed up. "There."
The Rapna was now passing overhead at an altitude of about three hundred fifty to four hundred meters, and moving much slower.
"He is going to drop an eye."
"Your language may be accurate, but I don't understand."
"An eye, Cris, as the name implies—it will be looking for us."
"Okay, he's going to send out a UAV, a drone."
"There it is!" Tattie said, and drew herself closer to the ground.
The object was a sphere about a meter in diameter. Along its equatorial axis were six brilliant lights, some sort of engine, Cris assumed. Each apparently controlled individually, giving the thing great maneuverability and speed. First it hovered over the crop across the road from them, then slowly moved parallel to the road. In a flash, it was over another field looking through the taller crop there.
Cris slowly removed the rifle from his back.
"What are you doing?" Tattie asked in an excited whisper. "Gimba, you can't shoot it!"
"Why not?"
"It's too fast. It will see us and instantly the Rapna will kill us."
Cris shot her a smile, "Have a little faith, baby."
Cris studied the probe's movement looking for a pattern. He noticed that the probe's hover time was between three and eight seconds, but never less than three. This meant he would have at least that period to acquire and engage the probe before it darted off to a new location. He tracked the object over his sights for several minutes to get a feel for its movement and look in his sight picture.
Suddenly, the probe dashed with another of its lightning spurts to the tree line less than ten meters from him. The thing filled his vision; he squeezed the trigger. The weapon recoiled, and a brilliant ball of light rocketed forth, striking the probe dead center, destroying it with a brilliant explosion which scattered bits of the thing all over. The concussion from the detonation hurt his ears, and made them ring. Cris quickly pointed his weapon toward the sky just in case, but the Rapna was nowhere to be seen.
"See, I got it—" Cris looked toward Tattie only to find her in the fetal position holding her ears, she was suffering intense pain. Cris dropped the weapon and cradled her in his arms.
"Tattie!"
Her ears, being infinitely more sensitive to noise and pressure than his, had been damaged, and she was obviously in agony. The thought came to him quickly. He grabbed the elixir, poured a drop into each of her ear channels, and then made her drink. Her eyes closed, she relaxed, and slept. Cris remained still, her head in his lap. He leaned back and retrieved the rama, then scanned the skies between the branches of the trees. As he did, he took a sip of the elixir himself, and the ringing stopped in his own ears.
Tattie slept deeply. Cris watched her as she did.
C
lose to three hours passed before her eyes opened, Cris watched as they quickly dilated.
"Tattie, can you hear me?"
Slowly, she said, "Yes, Cris, I hear you." Her words were spoken softly in her low range, her eyes half-closed. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. This is not characteristic of her at all, Cris thought.
"Tattie, are you all right?"
Her eyes popped open and she sat up quickly. "What happened?" she asked.
"Well, I got the probe, and the aircraft vanished. The explosion injured your ears. I used the elixir on you as you did on me, but it knocked you out."
"The elixir does that sometimes when you're in extreme pain. As it did you."
"Extreme pain? Tattie, I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
"It's my fault, Cris. I have membranes inside my ears I can close to protect my hearing, I just failed to close them."
"But you're okay now, right?"
"Cris," Tattie's voice became suddenly urgent, "how long did I sleep?"
"About three hours."
"The valley must be crawling with Bruckna's Ahs Dormis by now!" She sprang to her feet.
"Tattie, that didn't translate, Ahs Dormis?"
"Um—" Tattie struggled to find the words. "People she controls—they look to be dead, but still they walk. It is an evil spell she casts."
"Zombies? You have got to be kidding me."
"If in Earth language they are a joke, remember, Ahs Dormis are serious things on Nazer. We try not to kill them because they are innocent people whose minds have been stolen, and Bruckna knows we hold back. The Ahs Dormis feel no pain or fear, and will not ever stop until they satisfy the Sorgina."
"Okay—now what?"
"We remain in the trees. I believe they will protect us as they did against the Lautmen. Night will be upon us soon, and with the Avory as our allies, we should be able to evade the Ahs Dormis, we'll see. Vemde, Cris."
"Vemde—okay, I'm coming."
○O○
Tattie looked intently across the fields before them, into the distant wood line and up and down their own wood line as much as was possible. There was no sign of their enemy, but she was sure they were there, somewhere.
She backed under the trees and bade Cris to follow suit. Ten meters in, she turned and led Cris in the general direction they wanted to go, along the path of the vale, but ever deeper into the woods. There was something different about the woods…she could not identify it, but there was something.
"Hey, Tattie, can you smell that?"
"This is it," Tattie turned looking all about. "It is a sign, Cris."
"A sign of what?"
"It is a warning!"
"A warning of what?" An arrow, long and thick, slammed into the tree not five centimeters from the tip of Cris's nose.
"Run!" Tattie screamed, but did not run any faster than Cris could. She grabbed Archtomb and a war arrow, then scanned the woods all about, seeking a target. Cris had produced his pistol, but he did not see an enemy, either. An arrow passed between them.
"Why are you holding back?" Cris shouted at her. "Run, get out of here!"
"Friends do not abandon one another! Besides, you do not know where is hidden the cave of the Dun Kal Enta."
They kept running until, ahead, Tattie saw the white rock face of a tall cliff. There, to her right, was the boulder known as the Old Man's eye, so she guided Cris to their left. Twenty more meters and there it was, sitting low in the solid rock of the cliff, a cave entrance. The dark opening was over nine meters wide and three-and-a-half tall. They ran inside and ducked behind large stones. Cris watched the right, Tattie the left. All was quiet.
Tattie glanced over at Cris. He was looking back into the depthless cavern. "What did you call this place?"
"The cave of the Dun Kal Enta."
"What does that mean in the more modern language?"
"In Nazer, it means the Cave of the Dark Moon. Your friends, the Parenmer, once called it Finifes, Life's End."
"Life's End. Spooky. Why call it that?"
"Here, they believed the souls of the wronged came to dwell. When the moons of Nazer are in just the right positions, you can hear them crying in the deep. It is said on such nights they seek revenge."
"Where does it go?"
"No one knows for sure; it may not go anywhere."
"Are you going to tell me that, with your people's ability to see in total darkness, someone has not explored this place?"
"Cris, even we must have a modicum of light to see by. In there, total darkness reigns, and no torch lasts long enough to allow passage. There have been a few that tried; they have never been seen again."
Near Tattie, an arrow ricocheted off a rock, then another. To her left, Cris fired his pistol—the blast of the report echoed and reverberated in the great cavern, amplifying it so that beyond, in the woods, the sound was that of a cannonade.
The Ahs Dormis outside had never heard such a sound and were confused. The arrows stopped.
"Hey, I think I scared them off!" Cris said.
"Nothing scares them, Cris. We have a few minutes before they resume their attack."
"How many do you think there are?"
"Knowing Bruckna, she has sent many thousands, but it will take them some time to all gather here."
Outside, the noise of shuffling feet in the leaves was magnified many hundreds of times. They both looked up to see vast numbers of Ahs Dormis advancing toward the cave's mouth. A few had bows, but most were armed with impromptu clubs, and there were a few knives and several old rusty swords.
Cris got the rifle off his back, set it to the forth symbol, aimed at the nearest group—"Tattie, I'm going to pull the trigger now."
"No! Look!" The nearest group were a mix of Geldneth and Parenmerians. "Cris, these are innocent people being used as slaves, they do not act by their own will."
○O○
"Dammit," Cris uttered. A thought crossed his mind. He dug frantically into his satchel and he produced a cardboard box.
"Tattie, lead us as far into the cave as your eyes will allow, hurry!" Tattie took Cris's hand and they ran as arrows cascaded all around them.
"You are blind now, Cris?" she asked.
"Not if I look to the rear."
"Stay behind me. It is said a great pit is ahead, one that falls into the very center of the planet."
"Tattie—these guys are still coming!"
"There is little that will stop them. Here—here is the pit!"
"Is there a way around it?" Cris asked.
"On our right is a narrow ledge along the cave wall that leads to a very large boulder that hangs out from the wall, seemingly ready to fall. From the far end of the stone, a wooden bridge spans the abyss to the other side, the bridge looks old beyond telling."
"Well, let's go."
Tattie placed Cris against the wall, and then stood herself against the wall to his right to lead the way.
"Cris, this ledge is quite narrow, less than a pasus."
"A what?"
Tattie placed one hand on his fingertips and the other near his shoulder. "About this wide."
"Okay, about seventy centimeters. You can see it clearly?"
"Yes, Cris."
"Lead on!"
Tattie returned to her spot to Cris's right, took his hand, and led him out along the ledge. They moved slowly.
Cris heard small stones they had kicked off the ledge fall into the pit, they seemed to rattle against the side of the pit endlessly.
Twenty meters on and they were standing upon the rock.
"Tattie, I'm looking back toward the entrance, it looks like a distant star. Are you sure you can see?”
"Quite well, give me your hand, the bridge is this way."
"Wait one," Cris said. From his pocket, he removed the cardboard box and blindly fumbled to extract a small plastic cylinder. He bent it between his hands and shook it violently. As he did, a brilliant blue-white light was produced.
"Who is the wizard n
ow?" Tattie asked as her eyes dilated against the intense light.
"It's just a Dip-Ox stick. Two chemicals, diphenyl oxalate and hydrogen peroxide mix to produce a cool chemical luminescence."
The look on Tattie's face was complete befuddlement.
"It's a light," Cris explained simply.
As Tattie dragged him toward the bridge, she exclaimed, "And you thought this a good time for a lecture?"
At the bridge, Cris looked around, then down. "Good thing I didn't see this before we started."
"By the look of it, this bridge was built by the Parenmer over a—"
"Don't tell me how old it is," Cris interrupted. "Let's just get across—you go first."
"My weight may weaken the structure; you go first," Tattie offered.
"For that reason, you must go first, I told your uncle I'd watch out for you."
"And he told you how hard it would be!"
An arrow slammed into the stone at their feet, the Ahs Dormis could see the light and were within range.
"Go, Tattie! With your speed, the bridge will never even feel you on it. Go!"
"What is the word you used? Dammit!" She turned and blitzed across the span. A small piece of timber fell from the bridge, and ages of dust shook loose.
○O○
Cris held his light out so that he could see the bridge. Here and there, planks were missing or appeared so rotted that he would not be able to step on them. He proceeded slowly. From the other side, eighteen to twenty meters away, he heard Tattie call out, "Be careful, Cris!"
An arrow split the air near his right ear. He looked over his shoulder. Archers were massing along the opposite side of the pit, and those with clubs and knives were starting across the ledge. Once on this side all they had to do was start chopping the end of the rotten bridge and he and it would plummet into this bottomless pit.
"Move faster, Cris!" Tattie yelled.
Cris picked up the pace only to feel the bridge under him move. He stopped. The bridge moved again. He looked back, the zombies were near the boulder now, but—the boulder was moving. It leaned outward slowly, the soil and rock that made up the cave wall, to which it was attached, fractured. The cracks grew larger, and a bulge began to grow in the wall.
Suddenly, the wall burst and dozens of roots in every size exploded from it. Again, the boulder shimmied. The zombies all stopped, apparently stunned, and then the great boulder simply fell away and, out from the hole it left behind, a gigantic root emerged.
Across a Sea of Stars Page 18
