by Gene Curtis
“I’m in position and have three bars. Say the word.”
“The word is blow it. LeOmi’s clear and we’re outta here as soon as you say you’ve activated it.”
“I see LeOmi and Ruby fighting at the mouth of the cave. That cave is going to channel the blast wave like a cannon going off. It’s not safe yet.”
“Okay, but blow it as soon as you can, we’re clear.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Cave of Nine Bears
They returned to the outcrop from where they’d left. Mark said, “The cave with the wheel glyph is over here,” and led them to the opening. Once inside he held his lantern up and led them to the larger room. “Honaw said this cave was a maze, that it was constructed years ago by one of their medicine men, Nine Bears.” He pointed to the faded petroglyph of nine sleeping bears and then to the wheel with ten spokes. “The passage over there is a couple of miles long and it leads up and out. I didn’t see any markings or anything when we went through it. All the other passages look like dead ends. LeOmi’s staff has to be here somewhere.”
Mrs. Shadowitz said, “Let’s split up and start looking.”
* * *
Nick watched the fight intently; LeOmi was holding her own against her sister. She might have even been winning, but when she slipped on a stone Ruby pressed an advance forcing LeOmi back toward the cave.
Another jet zipped past, eating up the ground and for the most part the Neo-Phylum were staying under cover.
LeOmi recovered quickly. Ruby seemed to be losing stamina and she was fighting uphill.
* * *
LeOmi knew her sister was getting tired; she’d lost some blood and it was pretty hot in the sun. The cave would offer a modicum of relief if she could just fight from a shady spot while keeping Ruby in the sun, then Ruby might pass out from exhaustion.
Ruby panted, “Give up... you can’t beat me.”
LeOmi flipped her sword upside down, the easiest method she knew to defend herself if she didn’t plan to attack. “I don’t have to beat you. I just have to keep you from beating me.” She back-stepped toward the cave entrance while parrying Ruby’s blows. Ruby took the bait and followed.
A man appeared beside LeOmi. Her sword was positioned just right for her to jab him in the belly while simultaneously delivering a front snap kick toward Ruby. LeOmi’s kick missed, but her sword didn’t. She backed farther into the entrance. This put Ruby in the shade, but the passage was narrow enough to keep anyone else from remanifesting beside her.
LeOmi said, “You’re still bleeding and you’re exhausted. You’re going to pass out soon. Why don’t you just give up?”
Ruby seemed infuriated at this. She changed to a two handed grip and pressed the attack forcing LeOmi farther back into the cave.
“Listen, if you keep this up, you’re going to end up back in Mattaraw. Mr. Diefenderfer and Mr. Young are going to come looking for me any time now.”
Panting heavily, Ruby, still en guard, paused her attack. “Better that than to face Benrah without you.” Ruby closed her eyes for a half second.
* * *
Another jet strafed the ground between Nick and the mountain. He spoke to his ring, “Mark, LeOmi and Ruby are back in the cave and they’re still going at it.”
“Okay, I’ll send someone to help her.”
* * *
LeOmi thought that Ruby might be using Spirit Sight to summon aid so she switched her grip and lit into her like a rabid squirrel. Ruby was obviously surprised by the ferocity of the attack and slowly backed out of the cave and down the gentle slope all the while fending off LeOmi’s swift blade. Ruby backed right to the edge where the gentle slope changed to a steep decline.
* * *
Mark ran back up the passage he was in to the room where all the passages branched from and then to the closest one. He called down the passage, “Nick says LeOmi needs help.”
Mrs. Shadowitz called back, “I’m on my way.”
Mark ran to the next passage and relayed Nick’s message.
* * *
Ruby was just defending now, buying time to regain her strength. She held her sword above her head and LeOmi pounded her sword against Ruby’s like she was swinging a sledge hammer. When LeOmi’s rhythm slowed for just a moment Ruby went back on the offensive and managed to get uphill of LeOmi.
* * *
Nick watched the fight while another jet passed. They were now far enough away from the cave for him to detonate the charges. He checked the signal and triple clicked the button. The indicator light turned red; He pushed the red button. He thought it would take about ten seconds before the explosive charge would detonate.
* * *
LeOmi figured Ruby had to be on the brink of collapse so she pressed ever harder. Ruby relented a bit and went defensive. They slowly circled each other making their way back toward the cave opening. Ruby had her back to the cave when the shock wave from the blast erupted. It threw her forward into LeOmi. Both girls disappeared before they hit the ground. Seven bodies went flying out of the cave and tumbled down the slope.
* * *
Nick yelled into his ring, “Mark! Mark! Ruby has LeOmi, they remanifested!”
He began running back to rejoin Steve and James when Chenoa’s voice said, “Nick, most of my squad is out of ammo. I’m sending them back to base to rearm and refuel. Dove Two and I will still be here if you need us.”
Nick ran back to the outcrop that concealed Steve and James. He yelled, “Let’s get out of here; mission accomplished.”
They mounted the bikes and began heading back the way they had come. Many of the Neo-Phylum started leaving their hiding places and remanifesting to intercept them.
Steve’s RPG was loaded and slung over his shoulder. He grabbed it and fired at the group forming directly in front of him. They disappeared and the round exploded in mid-air about a half mile ahead. James fired at the next group; some went down but the rest started creating thralls to block their path. He used a boulder with a sloped side to get airborne and then used his bike to take three of the thralls’ heads. Nick fired his lightning gun and it had no effect on them. Steve yelled, “Fall back and regroup!”
They turned back toward the mountain and more thralls blocked their path. The bikes were much faster than the thralls were but no matter which way they turned more appeared to block their escape. Nick used his ring, “Chenoa, can you clear a path for us?”
“We don’t have many rounds left, but we’ll do what we can. Jenna, sounds like a job for Bo Peep. I’ll clear a path for them so they can get out of the way.” Bo Peep was a cluster bomb that dispersed fifteen hundred anti-personnel time delay bomblets over a wide area.
“Roger, Dove Leader, Neo burgers for lunch. I’ll follow you in.”
“Nick, make a beeline for that crevice at the base of the mountain after I pass. Bo Peep doesn’t take prisoners.”
“Got it.” He shouted to the group, “Air support coming in! Follow me.”
They dodged group after group of thralls until Jenna made her pass and then Nick led them straight toward the crevice.
The bomblets exploded behind them and sounded like a short string of firecrackers going off. Evidently, the bomblets were ineffective against the thralls because hundreds of them followed them into the cleft. There was no escape forward either, the crevice ended abruptly against the wall of the mountain. Steve turned and fired the RPG; only a few were blown up.
Nick called Chenoa again, “We’re trapped, have you got anything else?”
“I’ve got a good sized JDAM, but I can’t drop it in the crevice without taking you out. I’ll drop it on the side of the mountain and create an avalanche. Be ready to scramble up the mountain if you need to.”
The jet passed and a moment later, just as the first of the thralls reached them, the side of the mountain exploded. It was sword against sword as the thralls attacked and the rocks started sliding down the side of the mountain. The crevice began filling in, getting
closer and closer to the group. It took out most of the thralls as it approached and the closest ones were dispatched by sword.
James yelled over the crashing of the rocks, “It’s too unstable to ride on.”
Nick pointed up the side of the mountain and yelled back. “It’s steep, but I think we can get to that cave.”
They looked. Sure enough, the rockslide had uncovered a small cave entrance about fifty yards up the side of the mountain. The jagged rock protrusions made the climb up as easy as it was to get into combat class, just a bit longer.
Not more than ten steps inside the cave was a petroglyph of a wheel. Nick counted twelve spokes. There was also a crude, very faint drawing of a male and female, each carrying a staff. Mark’s hooked staff was obvious and the female’s staff was straight and multicolored. Behind him, he heard the whoosh of the RPG being fired followed by the tat-a-tat of James’ guns. He ran back to the opening and called Mark on his ring. “You’re not going to believe this. We’ve found the wheel with twelve spokes. We’re in a cave right above the landslide. Get here quick; it looks like we’re about to be overrun.”
A moment later Mark, Mrs. Shadowitz, Mr. Diefenderfer and Mr. Young appeared just inside the mouth of the cave. Mark was holding his head.
Mrs. Shadowitz said, “Mark feels that LeOmi may be in mortal danger. We need to act quickly.”
Nick said, “Right over here,” and quickstepped to the glyph.
Mark touched the glyph with his staff. Nothing happened. His voice reflected the pain he was in when he spoke. “How far does this cave go in?”
Another whoosh from the RPG sounded.
Nick answered, “I don’t know, we just got here.”
Mrs. Shadowitz said, “Hold on, I’ll check.” She closed her eyes. When she opened them again she said, “It loops back around and then goes up to a dead end.”
Mark had a flash of inspiration. Down and to the left of the wheel it looked as if a boulder had been shoved into a hole in the wall from the backside and sealed in place by ages of accretion. “What you’re about to see is to remain top secret.” He pulled the sword from the staff and sliced the boulder from the wall. When it fell away the staff called Beauty was there. He pulled it out and held it for them to see.
He went back to the opening where Steve and James were still fending off the horde scrambling up the rock pile. Steve said, “I’m just about out of ammo.”
James said, “So am I,” and shot a Neo-Phylum that had managed to start climbing the side of the mountain.
Mark said, “Let me try something.” He stepped between them and held both staffs up over his head. He whistled loudly to gain their attention below. The Neo-Phylum started disappearing: one, two, ten, fifty, two hundred and then everyone he had been able to see was gone. He remanifested down to the top of the rubble, still holding the staffs above his head. Off in the distance he saw a mass of vehicles coming toward them, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake and traveling very fast. He turned and looked up to the top of the mountain. There were lines of people with what looked like everyone from The Seventh Mountain across the tops of both mountains.
Many Magi remanifested to the top of the pile with him, including his mother and Yellow Bear, chief of the Navajo who was holding a bloody saber. He said, “Honaw left so he could get a cell phone signal. He apologizes for not telling you first, but he had to tell us about the fight.” He smiled. “Good thing he did. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to a party like this.” He winked. “Guess we’ll have to throw a celebration.”
Mark put both staffs into Aaron’s Grasp. He didn’t guard his thoughts and knew everyone nearby would know what he was thinking. I have LeOmi’s staff and she’s in trouble. I have to go after her. I’ll call for help when I need it. He bent at the waist, turned until the pain in his head was the least and then remanifested.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
The Fight Continues
Ruby let LeOmi grab her when she was blown forward by the blast. LeOmi thought Ruby intended to remanifest them both back to her office complex, but she had a different idea and her spirit was stronger. LeOmi attempted to remanifest to The Seventh Mountain where she knew Ruby could be quickly subdued and taken into custody. They ended up in the Wasteland at The Seventh Mountain, LeOmi figured because of the conflict. No matter, Ruby would succumb to the heat before she would and then things would be easy. A drop of healing oil on her forehead and she’d just remanifest Ruby’s limp body to the healing ward balcony. But that idea went by the wayside quickly when Ruby attacked.
LeOmi parried her sister’s blade and remanifested to one of the side doors of the school. She was surprised to see that Ruby had managed to grab hold just as she remanifested. Ruby grinned, “It’s not so easy to get away from me.” She closed her eyes for a half second and then commenced a halfhearted attack.
A man appeared beside LeOmi and swung his sword. She wasn’t quick enough to completely dodge the blade and received a cut to her right thigh. Blood spurted, but she was still able to use the leg.
Ruby said, “You can live without your legs and I have some healing oil right here should someone slip.” She held up the vial that she had obviously stolen from Mark.
Another man appeared on her left side. He swung his sword at her other leg. He missed. She realized the odds were stacked way against her now and backed to the door, opened it and backed in. She knew it would be just a matter of seconds before someone spotted them and help would quickly follow. “Hello! I need help!” Ruby and six men followed her in.
She figured the most likely armed and ready help might be the students coming or going to combat class and she’d pass several classrooms on the way, classrooms with teachers and instructors, all adept at close combat. She backed down the classroom hallway. Ruby and the men followed quietly.
She glanced at the classrooms as she passed. Her heart sank; no one was there. She tried desperately to guard her emotions. Three more steps and she turned and fled.
Ten Kingdoms
Chronicles of a Magi Book IV
The desert smelled hot, like a smoldering griddle. The white-hot brightness beat his shadow into a small oval beneath him. He knelt, touched the sand and his fingers seared. Fist-sized stones baked on the desolate landscape and black distortions shimmered in the expanse that stretched before him. A stone wall blocked the way to The Seventh Mountain. This was the way LeOmi had come, through the Wasteland.
He remembered the dream; he’d been here like this before. He realized at once that this was destiny’s path; that dream had been a prophecy.
The sun began to roast his face and neck; blisters started to form. Shade, he needed shade. He remanifested while focusing on where his headache was leading him.
Suddenly it was cool; he was just inside a side door of the school. He ran to the first classroom. “Hello. Is there anybody here?”
No one answered. A strange uneasiness grabbed his minds. There was a fear here, tangible. He stilled himself for whatever was preparing to strike. The danger was real; he could feel it, taste it and smell it. He just couldn’t see it. It grabbed his stomach and squeezed, making him feel sick, as if he had to puke. He knew LeOmi was near and in trouble. Was he sensing her emotions? That had to be it. He ran back into the hall. A faint but deep and contemptuous voice burst into his head. “This is where you’ll die.”
Was LeOmi transmitting her thoughts now? Do her emotions have a voice?
Mark didn’t turn to look. He darted to the next room and looked in. No one was there.
“You’re going to die here,” the voice boomed this time. It wasn’t LeOmi’s voice. It was Benrah’s voice. Was Benrah actually bold enough to be in the school? The voice said again, “You’re going to die.” He had to find her.
He was still running when he came to a corridor that crossed the one where he was. Which way should I go? The fear was so intense that he’d almost forgotten about his headache. He bent, turned and started running toward Ms.
Vanmie’s classroom.
In the darkness of the platform, he entered Tactical Sight and saw six men he didn’t know. They saw him too and started converging, swords in hand. LeOmi and Ruby weren’t there. Where’d they go?
He drew the sword from the staff. Benrah’s voice, less intense now, said again, “You’re going to die here.”
He saw a sword coursing silently through the black toward him. He raised his sword to block it and his assailant’s blade was sliced cleanly in two when it struck his sword.
His mind flashed to how he’d escaped this situation in his dream. He didn’t have time to fight. He had to go after LeOmi. He jabbed his sword, hilt deep, into the stone floor and sliced a circle around himself.
He fell to the floor below. It was The Oasis. He picked himself up. Everything still worked. “You’re going to die here.” The voice was farther away now.
The men dropped through the hole after him. He didn’t have time for this; he had to go after LeOmi. Everything started moving in slow motion and he dispatched the six. He bent, turned and ran out of The Oasis. He saw the blood trail in the hall leading out the front door. On the front steps, the trail vanished. He paused to catch his breath.
Groups of students and faculty started appearing on the grounds in front of him. They were returning from the battle. He wondered if he should recruit help, but that would take time, precious seconds that he didn’t think he could waste. No, staying on LeOmi’s trail was what he needed to do. He knew the tenuous connection he had with her could be lost at any moment. All it would take is for her to stop feeling like she was about to die and that could be brought about by any number of things: drugs, unconsciousness or her gaining the upper hand. He bent and turned until his headache was the least intense and just before he remanifested he felt a hand grab his arm.
