by West, Shay
A few second later, one of the Kromin clones responded to Gerok.
-- We were unable to make contact with any Volgons--
“Are you too far away from the planet?” Gerok asked.
-- No. We can contact worlds much further away--
Gerok ground his teeth is frustration. “Then why weren’t you able to reach anyone?”
-- Unknown. Perhaps there isn’t anyone to contact--
Gerok met the eyes of his Chosen. Even though they could only hear Gerok’s spoken part of the conversation, they understood the meaning well enough. “We must leave. Now.” Gerok took the lead, shuffling down the mountain as quickly as he could go.
By the time the group made it back down to their camp, they were exhausted. The battle with the Mekans coupled with no food or water was taking its toll. They had no weapons to hunt with so they were forced to forage for what little could be found on the plains. Kaelin managed to find a handful of berries on a scraggly old bush, not even enough for one berry apiece.
“We need to push on. We’ll hit farms once we get closer to Yis,” Saemus said.
He ignored the groans of his comrades and started walking west, toward civilization and the Sea of Solace.
The keen eyes of the Volgons spotted the faint light long before any of the others saw it. Voilor trotted ahead to scout the area. When he returned with news that the farm was close, the others started walking more quickly.
“I bet they have meat!”
“Maybe they’ll have some fresh milk.”
“I wonder if they’ll let us sleep in the barn?”
Seamus held up his hands. “Calm down. We can’t go rushing in there, we’ll scare them half to death. Look at us! Covered in more dirt and filth than we can wash off in a fortnight, clothes half gone. And what do we tell them about our reason for being out here? Just out for a nightly stroll?”
“I think we should tell the truth of what’s coming. Those Nomads in Yis knew more than what they were telling, that much is obvious. They might be telling everyone they meet about the Mekans already,” Jon said.
“Then again, they might not,” Saemus sighed loudly. “However, I am leaning toward telling them the truth. The Mekans won’t stay in the Blasted Lands; they’ll climb the Mishrae Hills and swarm over all of Astra.”
“What good will it do to tell them? They can’t do anything about it. Maybe best to leave them in ignorance,” Robert Marshall suggested.
“We can’t walk by and not say anything. Maybe they can run, to the furthest reaches of Astra. Stay alive a little longer. Besides, we need food and water,” Keera said.
Saemus led the way to the farmhouse. The light from the lamps shone brightly from the windows, warm and inviting. Even with the door and windows closed, the tantalizing aroma of food wafted through the air. Stomachs growled and mouths watered.
“You guys stay here. I’ll go in alone. If we all show up on their front stoop, they’re likely to lock the door and never let us in,” Saemus said as he walked slowly to the house. He fruitlessly tried to wipe the grime from his clothes, wondering if perhaps this was a bad idea after all. He rapped lightly on the door.
“Can I help you?” The thin, stooped man peered around Saemus into the darkness, looking to see if he was alone.
“I’m sorry to bother you so late in the evening, but I...that is...we are in need of some help,” Saemus stammered, blushing to the roots of his jet-black hair. Leave it to me to mess this up!
“Me and the missus, we don’t want no trouble—”
“Oh, we don’t mean you any harm. I know I look like a mess but we have had a run-in with some rather nasty sorts—”
“You keep saying ‘we’ sonny, and yet you’re the only one here.” The man backed away slowly. “You can probably find an herb woman in town.”
Seamus groaned. “I’m not sick. Only tired and hungry. And I’m not alone, actually. My friends and I have just come from the Blasted Lands—”
The man’s eyes opened as wide as they would go. “So you seen what them Nomads have been talking about? Is it true? Are there big monsters coming for us?”
Saemus stood gaping. Of all the things he expected the goodman to say, this wasn’t one of them. “I think it best if we talk inside.”
ASTRA
“WHEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO SEE THEM? If they’re as big as you say, shouldn’t we be seeing them?” the goodwife asked.
“The Mishrae Hills are somewhat deceiving. While they don’t look very high from this side, there is a much larger drop in elevation to the desert floor, shielding them from view. But they won’t stay behind the Hills for long,” Saemus said.
The couple had been reluctant to let the strangers into their home but had relented when they saw the looks of hunger on their faces as they stood in the open doorway. The woman pushed past her husband, tsking over the state of their clothing and gasping sympathetically when she heard their stomachs growl.
In no time at all, she and her husband had filled two washbasins with water, one for the girls and one for the boys. In separate rooms, the Chosen and the two remaining Guardians stripped to their skin, sighing in ecstasy as they used rough cloth to scrub the dirt and grime from their bodies. Washing their hair took a little longer but with one person pouring clean water into a now-empty basin, they managed.
Finding them all clean clothing was not so easy. With needle, thread and deft fingers, the girls helped to alter several garments so they would fit the big Volgons. Keera smirked when she noticed the goodwife, Sarah, glancing at Feeror and Voilor, who were both standing nearby —naked as could be—out of the corner of her eye. The woman would blush and her eyes would dart back to her sewing when one of them would meet her eyes.
“They really are quite handsome, aren’t they?” Keera asked mischievously.
Sarah stammered and blushed even more. “I suppose so. I’m really much too old to notice.”
Keera snorted laughter.
“You hush now! Carrying on like this, as if we were girls at our first summer dance.”
Keera giggled. The laughter died in her throat when she realized what she was doing. How can you laugh? Gwen’s not even dead a day and here you are giggling like an idiot!
“What is it, child? You look like you are going to sick up.” Sarah put down the pair of pants she was altering and reached out to touch Keera’s forehead.
“I’m not sick. It’s just...”
“There’s a sadness over this group. I noticed when you first walked in the door. If the pain is too fresh, you don’t have to talk about it. But it might help purge it,” said Sarah.
Keera wiped tears from her eyes, angry that they kept her from finishing her work. “We lost someone,” she said quietly.
Sarah nodded and patted Keera’s hand. “I thought as much. Death feels the same no matter who it happens to. Let’s get these garments done and see if Thom has supper coming along.”
While the girls altered clothing to fit the Volgons, the rest of the Chosen were helping Thom with some of the evening chores as well as butchering a small hog for supper. By the time they were done, they were exhausted. Thom insisted they rest while he got the fire ready for roasting the pig and started on the bread. He bustled around the kitchen, keeping up a steady stream of conversation all the while.
Robert thought he would faint from hunger, especially when the smell of roasting pig filled the kitchen with its savory scent. With each drip of fat into the fire and the hiss that followed, his mouth watered and his stomach clenched in anticipation. He looked around and smiled wryly when he saw the rest of the group eying the pig with the same hungry eyes. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of us jumps up and snatches a piece before it’s fully cooked!
As he began to smell the baking bread, Robert thought he would cry. He couldn’t remember ever being this hungry. Thom continued to chat while he peeled potatoes. Robert would never be able to recall exactly what they spoke about while they waited for dinner. It seemed lik
e hours were passing but he knew that wasn’t possible. The candle burning in the center of the table had barely melted.
Sarah filled several cups with fresh milk. The goodman and his wife didn’t have enough cups to go around so they took turns.
Kaelin rolled her eyes as the boys drank so fast they spilled a good deal of the milk down their fronts. She vowed to drink like a lady when her turn came. As she took the cup her hands shook so badly she could barely hold it. When the cool milk touched her tongue, she forgot all about her promise to drink like a lady and ended up with as much milk down her shirt as the boys had. It did nothing to satiate her hunger but it felt good to have something in her belly.
“We don’t have enough plates for everyone. But perhaps you could share rather than wait for someone to finish.” Sarah seemed embarrassed that she didn’t have enough plates and cups for such a large group.
“It’s quite all right. We’ll make do.” Robert said.
Thom tested the pig and nodded once. Sarah grabbed the bread from the oven, placing it next to earthen jars of butter and honey. Trying their best to be polite despite their cravings , the Chosen and the remaining two Guardians nearly knocked Sarah and Thom over in their haste to get to the nourishment their bodies needed.
The Volgons didn’t bother with plates or silverware; they simply grabbed hunks of pig and ate them out of their hands, ignoring the juice that dripped down their chins and onto their newly-made clothes. They even ate the hot potatoes whole, apparently unable to feel the burning pain.
The others were a little more civilized, though no less hungry. They finished their first helpings in minutes, going back for seconds and even thirds.
Sarah and Thom sat by, filling plates and cups urging the group to eat their fill. And eat they did, until they were near to bursting. As Sarah quickly washed the supper dishes, the others sat and groaned. With bellies full and the fire roaring, the lateness of the hour began to take its toll.
Thom and Sarah bid the group goodnight, knowing they had to be up in a few short hours to begin a new day. There weren’t enough blankets for all of them, nor pillows. Since the main room was so small and cozy and the fire was burning so hot, they decided to roll the blankets and use them as pillows. These, coupled with the pillows Sarah had given them, meant that everyone had somewhere soft to lay his or her head.
***
Dawn came much too early. The rooster crowed the new day to life, insisting everyone be up and about their business. Thom mumbled to his rooster to stop its blasted crowing as he stumbled into the main room to make a pot of black for everyone.
Forka roused the group. Ignoring the cries of protest, he pulled the pillow or blanket out from under each slumbering head, forcing them to get up.
“Come, Gerok. I need your help to get everyone up and moving.” Forka frowned as Gerok doubled over with a spasm of coughing.
“Are you alright?”
Gerok waved his arms. “Just a bit of phlegm is all. Nothing to worry about.”
Together, the two Guardians managed to get their Chosen down to the kitchen. Sarah came down, looking as fresh as if she’d slept a full night rather than only a few hours. Her chestnut hair was in a neat braid hanging down her back and her face was pink from the morning wash.
“I’ll just go gather some eggs and we’ll have us some breakfast,” Sarah said as she grabbed the egg basket.
Forka gave the girls a pointed look, indicating they should accompany the goodwife. They yawned and slowly stood, wobbling on their legs like newborn colts.
Kaelin didn’t think she’d ever been so tired. “It’s not like this is the first time we’ve ever had only a few hours’ sleep. Why do I feel so lousy this morning?”
Keera yawned. “I bet it’s the magic. We’ve never used that much before. Master Brok always warned us about drawing so much of the power that we can no longer sustain our own life force.” She groaned and lay back down.
Kaelin nodded and rubbed her grainy eyes. That must be it. She only knew she was tired all the way to her bones. The thought of having to make the long journey home seemed an impossible task, even though it was the one place she wished to be more than anything. Home, and done with this blasted destiny!
What about Brad Phillips?
Kaelin tried to ignore the other voice, so her brain teased her with images of the handsome Earthman’s face, reminding her of how his voice sounded when he said her name, how his eyes burned with passion, and how it felt when his lips met hers.
The Protector and fellow Chosen confused her. He was all she ever thought about, even though he wasn’t the rich Lord she had always hoped to marry. In fact, he didn’t even have his own house; he shared a large one with the other Protectors that lived in the Jhinn encampment. How can he take care of me when he doesn’t have a way to earn money or even have a house? She knew she wasn’t being fair to him. Brad was a good man, strong and caring, fully believing in what he did as a Protector of his people back on Earth and the even greater duty of being one of the Chosen. Kaelin wondered where he got his passion for life. She certainly didn’t feel as strongly about running about trying to save the galaxy from the Mekans. However, when she thought about her family, and all those from Heart Stone and her home village of Willow Haven, she was filled with rage, and wanted nothing more than to destroy the Mekans so her people could live.
And what happens if you can find a way to stop the Mekans? What then? A life here on Astra hoping you can find some rich man to sweep you off your feet? Or life with Brad?
Kaelin sighed. She knew deep down that her materialistic daydreams were childish. And yet a small part of her wanted that life just the same. Or maybe just certain parts of it. It was no secret she hated cooking and chores of any kind. So perhaps if she and Brad were to get married, they could hire someone to do the cooking and cleaning. And I simply must have a large bathtub.
“Dreaming about a certain man from Earth, are we?”
Kaelin looked up to see Keera and Moylir waiting for her to catch up. She hadn’t realized she had nearly come to a halt as she thought seriously about her future with Brad.
“I was thinking about what we were going to say to Gwen’s parents, thank you very much.” Kaelin only felt a little guilty about lying to her friends. She didn’t want to admit she had been mooning over a man, even one as handsome as Brad Phillips.
Keera’s eyes moistened. “I’ve been thinking about that too. What are we going to say? ‘Sorry to inform you that Gwen died while fighting an evil fleet that’s trying to kill everything in the galaxy. And oh, by the way, we failed in the task and we’re all going to die.’”
Moylir gave Keera a hard look. “The fight is not yet done. I will battle the enemy until my breath dies in my chest. So should you.”
“I’m not a warrior, Moylir. I don’t want to fight until my last breath. I want to get married, have babies, and grow old,” Keera said.
“Now let’s just stop all this foolish talk about death and last breaths, shall we? Much too serious a topic right before breakfast,” Sarah said firmly.
The lazy hens barely moved as their eggs were removed. Keera checked hers as quickly as she could. She had always been nervous about gathering eggs. For some reason, she had a terrible thought that one day, the chickens would get angry about all the eggs that had been taken and attack, scratching and pecking her eyes out.
Don’t be such a ninny! The logical voice didn’t do much to calm her anxiety. Only one of her hens had any eggs so her part of the job went quickly. Between them, they had gathered more than enough eggs to feed the whole group.
After they made it back to the kitchen, Sarah quickly diced some green onions and mushrooms and added them to the scrambled eggs. Thom was cooking up some pork belly he and the other men had butchered the night before.
Even though they had eaten enough to feed a small village last night, the Chosen and their Guardians were famished. At the first scent of bacon frying, their mouths watered. By the
time the eggs were done, they were ready to eat the plates and silverware.
The group devoured every scrap of food. They kept up the small talk, putting off the moment when they would have to leave this safe haven and head back out into danger, back to the world they all felt they had failed to save.
“Sarah and I mean to take a trip into town as soon as you all leave. We’ll spread the word as best we can. Not sure how many will believe us, but if even a few do and can make their way west, then we did all we could,” Thom said as he shook all of their hands.
Saemus wasn’t sure what they should do. Return to Gentra? Go to Heart Stone? Tell the Patriarchs? Stick together? Spilt up? His head hurt with the whirlwind of possibilities. I wish Master Brok were here.
Well, he isn’t here and everyone seems to be looking to you to make some sort of decision. So make it.
The voice sounded strangely like his father’s. He quickly examined each of the possibilities, trying to weigh the dangers of each one versus the chance of learning something new about how they were supposed to fight the Mekans when so many of their number were dead. None of his ideas seemed like the right one, and yet he couldn’t rule out any as being wrong either.
Perhaps we should tell the Patriarchs. They have the resources to spread the word of the Mekan threat.
“We’ve already made our choice. We are leaving for home,” Gerok said firmly.
“You’re willing to leave us behind? After all we’ve been through?” Keera asked. The thought of going on alone without the big warriors for protection frightened her.
“We must go find out what happened to our people,” Feeror said.
“If you return home, you’ll be killed and no use to anyone,” Jon said.
“That is all any warrior can hope for: to die in battle,” Feeror said, as though wondering why Jon couldn’t see this obvious fact.
“Is that all you think about? Fighting and dying?” Jon asked, temper flaring.
“That is who we are,” Feeror said.
Saemus positioned himself between the pair. “Look, we aren’t getting a blasted thing accomplished by standing here arguing. We can’t stop anyone leaving if that’s their wish. After all, we’ve lost nine of us since learning of our destiny. How do we know we aren’t doomed already?”
