He stood still and thought. There were notice boards in the marketplace calling for the capture of a red-headed Krystic female! He pressed his fingers to his temples again. He took little notice at the time, since a female Krystic had never been marked and he assumed someone mistook another species for his own. Were Tyrnotts hunting for his daughter? What could be worse! He decided then that he needed a definite answer. Tomorrow morning, he would ask for Lady Anyamae’s counsel. Then he would learn the truth.
Chapter 26
After reaching the last rooftop at the city’s edge by daybreak, the marked ones had taken turns sleeping and keeping watch throughout the day. They waited until dusk fell, when the patrols became less frequent and it was safer to continue their journey. As Tip’s strength had returned, he removed Eros’s smaller pack from the larger one provided by the undergrounders and handed it to Eros. Tip placed his own smaller bag in the larger one, which he would carry. To even out the weight, Eros took a turn with the coils of rope and attached them to his smaller pack. Packs in place, they climbed down the building’s outside ladder and jogged the last few turns to the edge of the city. As they rounded the last turn, they found themselves staring at a massive glowing gate that stretched across the large opening in the wall.
“This wasn’t here before.” Jurf said in surprise, pointing at the rays. “They must have built it to keep attackers out.”
“Or to keep marked ones in,” Kenrya replied. She threw a handful of street trash at the gate, only to see it disintegrate as soon as it touched the glowing rays.
Prizene turned to Jurf. “You have to go. If they find you, they’ll kill you since you helped us. We’ll find a way out of the city.”
Jurf hesitated and looked at the others. Kenrya added, “She’s right. You should go. We’ll travel along the wall until we find an opening. Remember, a cold air vent will hide you from a Graelith at night, but not a Tyrnott.”
“I didn’t know that.” Jurf gave a quick nod. Then, he gazed at Prizene like a love-struck pup, but slowly backed away.
“Thank you and good luck.” She blew him a kiss.
He smiled bashfully and disappeared down the alleyway.
The group turned back to the glowing gate to find Tip searching for something. Azetan asked, “Did you lose something?”
“Just looking for the control box.” Tip put his hands on his hips. “The mechanism must be here somewhere. Maybe I can disable it.”
“Over here,” Eros called. He pointed toward a black box next to wall where they had exited the last alleyway. “Is this it? I noticed it as we came out of the alley.”
“Yes!” Tip exclaimed. He darted over to it and tried opening the box, but it was locked. Azetan removed his sword and told Tip to back away from the box. Then he smashed the hilt against the lock, which after two blows fell to the ground. Tip opened the box and studied the components inside.
“Well?” Kenrya prodded. “Can you disable it?”
“Give me a minute,” Tip replied absent-mindedly, staring at the mechanism with concentration in the flickering light of a nearby lamppost. The others dispersed to give him space and to look for other options.
Eros spotted the Graeliths first and alerted the others. They appeared at the wall a few blocks away where one of the main streets connected to the outside ring of the city. The Graeliths reacted quickly, moving toward the marked ones at a determined pace. Azetan still held his sword; the others readied their weapons in preparation for battle.
Suddenly, an explosion behind them blew bits of debris in a wide radius, startling them. They turned in unison to find Tip holding his laser gun, staring at the remnants of the control box, which was zapping sporadically. He pushed a lever on the gun and returned it to his inside pocket. He looked sheepishly at their shocked faces and shrugged. “I disabled it.” Indeed, he succeeded, as the glowing gate had disappeared.
Kenrya shook her head, smiled, and actually looked at Tip with a little respect when she said, “Impressive mechanical skills, Fluffy.”
Tip grinned and ran his hands through his mass of hair. His strength had indeed returned with the day’s rest and doses of medicine as prescribed by the medic. He turned and sprinted toward the opening in the wall. The others followed with the Graeliths not far behind.
Chapter 27
“Look what we have here,” the Tyrnott sneered, grabbing the Hurfen teenager around the neck and pulling him to his feet. He pushed the boy hard against the stone wall and glared into his frightened eyes.
“What an ugly species,” Nord commented. “What is it?”
“A Hurfen,” Natal answered.
“And does it know anything about the marked ones? About the Krystic?”
“N-n-no!” the boy stammered. “I’m just traveling home from a medic. I haven’t seen anyone else wandering the streets.”
The Tyrnott gripping the boy’s neck now moved his face closer. “He’s lying,” the man said, though he lacked the skill to sense feelings. Still, it was a believable claim. After all, the boy was breaking curfew and the tracker had spotted a Hurfen assisting the marked ones earlier, so he could easily claim that this boy was the culprit.
“Most unfortunate,” Nord responded and started walking away as if the boy was hardly worth his time. “His life is worthless if he has no valuable information.”
“Pa-pa-please, sir! I just want to go home,” the boy begged.
Nord glared at him with cold eyes and said in a harsh voice, “Tell me where I can find the red-headed Krystic and I might let you go.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Krystic,” he explained, eyes wide with fear.
Nord appeared to be considering this.
“Very well,” Nord said and the boy’s shoulders relaxed. Nord started walking away. In a quieter voice, he said, “Kill him.”
As Natal followed Nord, the Tyrnott holding the boy pulled out a sword and ran it swiftly through the boy’s stomach. The boy dropped to the ground and moaned in pain.
A clanging noise came from a nearby alleyway. Natal turned toward the sound, drawing his sword, and walked to the alley to investigate. Standing at the mouth of the alley, he lightly kicked a small can which appeared to have been knocked over. He scanned the alley for movement, but saw no one. Windows lined the alley, though no light was visible. The Tyrnotts long ago trained the population to close their curtains at night and ignore unusual noises. After all, the city was safe and relatively free of crime. He continued to scan the area, finding an outside building ladder. He followed the length of it with his eyes to the roof, finding nothing. He was about to climb the ladder, when a small animal scurried out from the darkness, twitched its nose at Natal, and then darted into the can.
Natal returned to the others and shook his head to indicate nothing was found. He observed the Hurfen boy doubled over on his knees, holding his hands to his bleeding stomach, and scolded the other Tyrnott. “He’s not dead. What purpose will this serve?”
The other Tyrnott replied in a haughty tone, “He’ll die, but not without suffering.”
Natal observed the cruel sneer on the other’s face for a few moments and then turned to the pathetic form of the Hurfen boy shaking on the ground, knowing the boy wouldn’t live. He placed his hand on the boy’s cheek and sensed he had told the truth earlier. While most Tyrnotts could only sense emotion at the moment it occurred, Natal’s ability was strong enough, even stronger than Nord’s, that he could still extract that information after some period of time. This was not the boy that helped the marked. Such treatment for breaking curfew was unwarranted. In one smooth motion, Natal sliced through the boy’s neck. The boy slumped to the ground motionless. Natal wiped his sword on the lifeless body and sheathed it by his side. He looked at the other Tyrnott and shook his head in disgust. Then he resumed his place by Nord’s side.
*******
Jurf watched all this while peering over the roof wall. As the Tyrnotts left the scene, he was finally able to breathe easier
. He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and tried to stop trembling. He had to be more careful. Accidentally kicking that can nearly gave him away! Should he retrieve the poor boy’s body? He recognized him as a neighbor. Then he noticed movement off to the side as a Graelith turned the corner. He must have been called to watch in case the marked ones came for the body or to remove the body before the neighborhood residents discovered it. Jurf edged away from the roof wall and jumped quietly across the rooftops toward home. His spirits lightened the more distance he put behind him. Soon he would begin his journey to Banston … and welcome the start of a new future.
Chapter 28
Tren watched Mirna sitting listlessly in her chair and sighed. Dark circles rimmed her tired eyes and her face looked gaunt, her skin pale. True, her youth had faded years ago, but her familiar smile and lively eyes had always been a comfort to him. Her thick braid hung down her back with tips of both red and purple today. How rare it was to have tips in two colors! He always felt privileged that she had chosen him to marry. Liput men outnumbered the women, meaning marriage at all was special, but being married to Mirna was a rare and wonderful thing. Yet today, she looked like a mere ghost of the woman he once knew.
Tip’s birthday passed less than a week ago, but her anguish appeared absolute. Granted, his cooking lacked some of her flair, but she ate little and slept less. When Trul and Sri left to join the warriors, it was inevitable that Mirna would focus all her attention on Tip. This seemed to allow her to continue living while she quietly grieved the absence of her two other sons, and the eldest one’s death. And now she had no children at home. At least word had spread to the village that a Liput boy in the city was wanted for murder. Granted, the news may have referred to Sri, but even if it was Sri and not Tip, at least one of their sons was still alive. Tren believed Sri joined the warriors and remained in the city to protect Lady Anyamae, which prevented him from returning home. Therefore, he believed the Liput boy wanted for murder was Tip. Granted, murder was not a pleasant accusation, but they raised Tip to be a good boy; surely if the accusations were true, they were the result of self-defense.
A knock on the door rousted Tren from these thoughts. Perhaps another neighbor was bringing more unwanted sympathy or food that would go uneaten. It was best to tell them Mirna was ill and send them away. She wasn’t strong enough for another visit.
He arose from his chair and answered the door. Instead of a neighbor on his doorstep, he found Karlan, one of the Raptans that frequented the village. The Raptans lived in Stipol, the neighboring town; they were frequent guests to Kentish, as were the Liputs to Stipol. Tren socialized with Karlan from time to time. He bore the common physical traits of the Raptan species, though his psychic abilities were stronger than most. He stood at least six and a half feet tall and was lean and willowy. The most prominent feature of any Raptan was the beak-like nose, and in this regard Karlan did not disappoint. He also had the characteristic high forehead and slicked back hair.
Tren invited Karlan into the house and led him toward the kitchen, away from Mirna. Once Tren poured drinks, they sat at the table and drank in silence for a moment. Tren watched Karlan’s bony hands as they wrapped around the glass. He always wondered how such delicate hands could be extremely deadly, with or without a weapon. The Raptans were indeed renowned for their fighting artistry.
Tren desperately hoped Karlan brought news of Tip. When he could wait no longer, he asked, “Any news of Tip? Or Sri, for that matter? I guess I’ve given up on news of Sri.” His laugh sounded strained, even to him.
“No news, no. Thoughts. Visions only.”
Tren leaned across the table and spat out, “You saw one of my boys?”
Karlan closed his eyes and spoke erratically and slowly, as he often did when relaying a vision. “Recently marked boy. Liput. Bleeding heavily. Healed. Deep in the forest. Surrounded by enemies and friends.”
“Friends?” Tren pulled back, as his mouth dropped open. He never knew Tip to have friends. The boy kept to himself after his brothers were marked.
“Traveling companions. Four. Danger at his heels. The forest grows dark.”
Karlan opened his eyes and shook his head. He took a long drink and let the silence rest between them.
Tren absorbed this fragmented information. “So, he travels with four friends in the deep forest west of the city, with enemies chasing them?”
Karlan nodded. “Yes, that is my conclusion as well.”
“But why would he travel into the deep forest? I thought all marked ones went to the city.”
Karlan shrugged. “I can’t answer that, unless danger drove them there.”
Tren gnawed on his bottom lip as he again considered this information. “Did you sense he was headed the wrong way?”
Karlan shook his head. The two men stared at each other for a while. As Tren emptied his glass and rose to pour another one, his hands were shaking. This was the news they were hoping to receive. He offered another drink to Karlan, but the offer was refused.
“I must return to Stipol,” Karlan explained. “The flight of these marked ones has angered Nord. Concern abounds for our safety.”
Thankfully Kentish was protected by the electronic barrier. Tren breathed a sigh of relief. “Stay here, dear friend. The barrier will protect you.”
Karlan smiled. “The offer is appreciated, but I must protect my family.”
Tren reached up, placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder, and walked Karlan to the front door, thanking him for the information. He closed the door and stood for a moment, debating whether to share this news with Mirna. Surely the information would cheer her, but he feared a deeper slide into depression if they misread the visions. Still, the honorable choice was to share Karlan’s information. He braced himself for her reaction and returned to her side in the sitting room to share the news that their son was still alive.
Chapter 29
Eros and the others ran through the night, arriving at the edge of the forest just as the sun began to rise. They sprinted as quickly as they could through the sparse trees and tall grass. With each step, the sound of rushing water grew louder and the Graeliths’ footsteps behind them grew quieter. Eros hoped they were well ahead of the Graeliths, though he guessed the increasing noise of the rushing water drowned out any sounds the Graeliths might have made. This thought kept him moving as swiftly as he could.
Tip came upon a small clearing of tall grass and stopped. Azetan stopped immediately next to Tip, followed by Eros, and the others. Prizene reached the clearing last.
Prizene bent at the waist and breathed heavily, “How can you run with the weight of these packs?”
“Practice,” was all Tip replied, as his eyes picked their way across the terrain.
Eros wasn’t as winded as Prizene, but was still catching his breath. Tip, on the other hand, was almost breathing normally. What kind of training could condition him for a run like that?
Tip slid forward cautiously, feeling before he took each step.
“What are you doing?” Kenrya asked with exasperation. “We need to keep moving!” She strode through the clearing.
“No, wait!” Tip shouted, but he was too late.
Kenrya stepped into the thick mass of tall grass concealing the edge of the cliff. She fell from view with a shout of surprise.
“Careful!” Tip shouted, holding his arm out to stop the others from rushing to her aid. “Feel for the cliff edge.”
Eros crawled, feeling for the edge with his hands, surprised how difficult it was to locate. He found the edge and parted the grass with his hands, allowing him to peer over the side. Ten feet below, Kenrya held onto a rock sticking out from the cliff wall with her feet hanging loosely and the rushing water of the river below her. She looked at him with a fear in her eyes that startled him, since Kenrya had showed nothing but defiance and anger until now.
“Hold on!” he shouted. “We can use the rope Arith gave us to pull you up.”
“Hurry!”
she called back. “The pack is too heavy for me to hold on much longer.”
Eros watched as she tried unsuccessfully to find a foothold. One of her hands slipped and her body swung to the side. She struggled for a moment before grabbing the rock with both hands again.
“Hang on,” Eros said calmly. “Don’t worry!”
“Not worry? Eros, I can’t swim. Help me!”
Her fingers slipped and she fell into the water below.
“Kenrya!” he yelled and reached for her. He stood and threw off his pack to go in after her.
“What happened?” Azetan grabbed him by shoulders.
“She fell. She can’t swim. I’ll go in after her.”
“Don’t be foolish. I’m Plinte.”
As the Plintes’ breathing slits allowed them to breathe underwater, this was indeed the most sensible plan. Azetan quickly stripped off his pack, swords, and footwear. “Follow the river and watch for us!” he shouted. Then he walked to the place where Eros had parted the grass, peered over the side, and leaped into the water. It looked like he was leaping into the grass, but Eros heard a splash indicating he hit the water cleanly below.
“What can we do?” Prizene shrugged, motioning toward herself.
“We follow the river and watch for them. Maybe the cliffs will be lower farther downstream.” Eros handed Tip the coiled rope from his pack, which Tip threw over his head and one arm, then Eros positioned his smaller pack to his front and hoisted Azetan’s pack on his shoulders. He handed Prizene the swords, which she strapped to her waist, and the footwear, which she placed in her bag.
“We should stay close to the trees,” Tip suggested, “and watch for a better place to see them.”
Eros, Tip, and Prizene dashed along the edge of the forest. They watched as closely as they could to the area where the grass was tall, hoping to catch a glimpse of the raging waters and their companions, and hoping, above all else, to stay ahead of the Graeliths.
The Journey of the Marked (The Miyran Heir Book 1) Page 11
