“I’ll tell him I’m pregnant later,” she whispered, then smiled. “Well aren’t you the little pregnancy test?”
She rejoined the group. Menace gave her a worried glance.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “That’s three times in a short time.”
“Nerves,” she simply said. It was true. The world was about to go to shit and she had a baby on the way. Her nerves were shot.
“We’ll be all right,” Menace soothed, taking her into his arms and running his hands up and down her back.
Solace wasn’t as sure. Menace had never seen the destruction of nature, only humans. Both were sad but unless a body was diseased a single death couldn’t bring civilization to its knees. Mother Nature in all her glory could, and might.
Chapter Ten
They all felt it the second the meteor hit. For a moment, their surroundings were surreal as the planet moved, and the meteor tapped them. Then the gravity of the wayward planet pulled it back to settle where it once was. Birds flew in a panic, darkening the skies in a huge murmuration. Light in the distance was a brilliance of electrons. Her heart raced. Solace knew the meteor struck the other side of the planet, which was little consolation. All would suffer in some way. The effect was instantaneous. A sonic boom sounded, their ground quivered. Though far away, they saw the wave of the ocean water pull back farther and farther until it disappeared altogether leaving massive sea animals floundering. From their elevated position Lochlan let all take a look with binoculars.
“The water has been stolen,” Edge said in disbelief. He pulled the binoculars from his face and stared at them in astonishment. Clarity took them from him.
“You will wish it had been in a moment,” Clarity said. Solace heard the quiver in her tone. Doom wrapped his arm around Clarity.
“What is that?” Aba’s loud whispered words trembled. A horrendous rushing sound could be heard.
“A water wall, it moves,” Menace said.
Dinosaurs that were once milling in panic began racing, retreating at a sight they never before experienced. The massive tidal wave barreled across the lands, sweeping away everything in its path. Toppling mile high trees, mammoth mastodon hybrids struggled to stay afloat. The beasts trumpeted their terror, a sound pitiful and fueled with fright. A sob caught in Solace’s throat, they tried to herd the regal beasts higher, but you do not tell a creature weighing tons where to go. They didn’t dare start fires to herd them or the hybrids would know something was up. Everyone hoped a food source would not become extinct, everyone hoped humans would not become extinct.
From their view a few watched, others huddled together away from the sights of the planet’s carnage. Brontosaurus floundered then went under, sucked high until smashed forward. Huge winged beasts squawked and flew into the darkening sky. On another high mountain was a race of giant mouflon hybrids struggling to safety in the snow-covered mountaintops. Solace was pressed tight to Menace. Their world went gray. Some animals were too stunned to move. Others crawled over dinosaur, carnivorous and other to live. Ape creatures took to the trees which did zero good. Only the thinking species or those animals capable of flight were safe, possibly.
The earth shook with the assault; some in the cave stumbled or were thrown to the ground. So much damage so fast came on deadly wings. The humans pressed back as boulders fell to cascade down the massive mountain. A cloud of black ash formed far to the left in the darkening sky. The sounds echoed in the ears of all as the earth screamed. Raw earth bubbled to the surface where it had lain dormant for a millennium. Exposed and new the sheer ancient aroma was an attack. Twisters formed as the rain flew up from the ground only to rain back down. There was a fight in the sky as clouds battled the earth for victory. Clouds accustomed to gathering the rain before releasing it exploded as the tsunami formed and raped the unsuspecting land.
The ground split apart across much of the region severing the continent into many. Humans were separated, many more died, and species were lost. Large chasms opened splitting the world. Solace watched as tiny ants below scrambled up the side of the mountain but it was too late. Their diversion worked. The hybrids faced numerous traps waiting. The traps hadn’t been necessary. The pounding water flung their bodies in all directions. Solace was told a hybrid couldn’t swim. Their bodies were too heavy. The hybrids lived inside smaller mountains, but their domiciles weren’t high enough, their bodies washed out through cave openings.
As the water continued to rise those up high held their breath. The air was choking. The altitude too much for some added with thick clouds of ash. Water, putrid and smelling of decay, came down in gray sheets sending everyone deeper inside. The whipping wind howled through the icy caverns, voices of death, so it seemed. Weeping was heard. Many chose the arms of others to sob in.
“We are lost,” Edge said as he held his mate.
“I am grateful Flight is with his father and safe, though my arms ache to hold the only child I will ever have,” Aba said.
Others voiced similar thoughts of impending death. There was hopelessness etched on many faces. Rex buried his head under Luke’s arm. The boy clung to Kiki who wrapped an open arm around the dog who scurried close. The twins were sobbing against Clarity’s shoulder while Nina and Em sat with Nick. The young teen appeared horrified. They all were, none having been exposed to such disasters. Solace knew what was coming and hadn’t been prepared.
“We are a strong people,” Doom shouted. “We will persevere.”
“We will all drown, there is nowhere higher to go unless we all want to freeze to death,” Edge shouted.
“We have many furs and skins, we won’t freeze if we need to go higher,” Heath yelled.
Solace gazed over at the cowboy. She hadn’t given him much thought while away. He was a gentle soul, somewhat decent with a sword, but he preferred peace. Heath went to take Em in his arms and tried to quiet the children as well as Nick.
Strong partitions were placed across the entryway, fastened high and hard to shield them, four double-sided furs of the mastodon hybrids they skinned were weighted down with boulders many men had moved attached to the large ivory tusks of furred beasts. Within the cave were natural lighted blue rocks, slabs of various sizes, some dusted in pure white snow crystals that made their way inside on breezes. The villagers moved back into the mountain with the many walls shielding them. If the water continued to rise they would drown. The partitions kept out the rain and ash, for now. If the need arose, they would slip deeper into the mountainside and higher, but had to be careful of earthquakes. Doom’s village had never encountered the ground beneath their feet moving except for when the plane flew in from a sinkhole.
Menace took Solace to a fur, one of many spread on the cave floor. The air was cold the higher they ventured, it was now frigid. Torches were lit. Soon huge fires were blazing for warmth, they were safe from the prying eyes of the hybrids, and it didn’t matter if they knew where they were. Solace doubted any survived the initial waves. If some made it higher up the mountain there would be few and the hunters were watchful arranging sentries. There would be no quarter given, there was to be no truce. All hybrids must be destroyed. If the hybrids made their way higher in their own homes they wouldn’t have had a chance to grab provisions or fuel. Theirs would be a slow hungering and freezing death.
“You knew this was coming?” Menace said to Solace.
“I had an idea of what it would be like.”
“I have never seen the likes of nature battling as we do with the hybrids. Only the blood is water; the waves weapons and winds slice as would swords. The clashing sounds are all around us. How long will we endure this?”
Solace gazed into his troubled eyes. “I don’t know, my love. I do know we will endure.”
The people couldn’t battle the elements, but they prepared as best they could. While in hiding they drank cold water and ate traveling food. Now was the time for real sustenance. The villagers worked hard the previous weeks, all of them almost
to complete exhaustion. Hot teas were prepared. Cheese was sliced and flatbread cooked. Children still needed to eat. Heath, six foot two, dark curly hair, brown-eyed stood with Luke and Em. Solace rose and went to them by the fires that gave off not only warmth but light. The other children gathered and a few adults.
“Where are the other men, and Joey?” Nina asked. The children had been sequestered up the mountain for the long month before the meteor struck. “I thought maybe they came after the fight. Where are they?”
“Left behind?” Nick sneered.
Solace hadn’t had much chance to converse with anyone other than the adults, Kiki and Luke. Nick had been traveling back and forth up the mountain, and she directly avoided Nick while busy. The teen was with them only because he believed what Solace said about needing to be on higher ground. Nick knew easier ways to travel up through the mountain. He proved to be an annoying boon.
“I was wondering when they’d show up myself,” Lochlan said. “I hope they aren’t on the other side of the planet.”
Solace was certain the aliens thought all here were expendable. “I’m so sorry, Lochlan, we’ve been so busy and I should have told everyone day one what happened. The others, Tain and Bastian, went to another planet. Not by choice but they will be fine. Joe knows too much about flight. The alien let him keep his son knowing he would search again, forever if he had to. I think it was originally Joey Jr. they wanted.”
“The others won’t bother to come find me, even though we were together for almost a year. It was always Joey they were after, now they have him, thankfully,” Lochlan said. “I came to call them friends. I wish them well wherever they ended up.”
Solace placed her hand on his arm. “I think the aliens were impressed with your fight aptitude and figured we could use all the help we can get. From what I saw when I got here they were right. Too bad you couldn’t have brought a gun.”
Lochlan gave her a cocky grin. “Being a badass is my specialty. Gun or not. Special forces.”
“I thought there was some military in you. I never asked you before but are you from my Earth?” Solace asked.
“Not sure. Joe picked me up last. We ended up fighting back to back on a planet that didn’t care much for humans. Their people were intelligent but thought we were barbarians. I suppose we were considering we had to shoot our way out. Ugly little dark purple things with mops of black hair and big yellow eyes. Half my size. They used telekinesis as their weapons. We were all immune, guess that’s why they don’t like humans. They think we have no brain so their weapons are useless. They learned how to dance a good jig when I shot at their hairy feet.
“I went through a sinkhole and ended up in hell. Their planet was fiery balls of meteors that flamed from all over. I think it’s how they heat the planet. That and gas. I was pretty surprised when Joe fueled the plane while Bastian, Tain and I kept the beings at bay. Little buggers were none too happy with us stealing their fuel. Then we took off, fast.”
“Do you have this mark?” Solace showed him her inoculation. It was the only way they could tell the humans apart. Heath didn’t have the mark and was from a docile planet. So were a few other children. Kiki, Luke, Nina, Em, and the twins were from Solace and Clarity’s Earth. So had been Joey Jr.
“Yep, I got one of those marks,” Lochlan concurred. Solace thought so. The way he fought was nowhere near docile.
Ladles of soup were given out in bowls from dug trenches covered in bones while hot coals burned beneath. The laid bones kept the hides from scorching both inside and out when burning stones were added to aid in the heating. A small amount of liquid seeped through to keep the flames from scorching it. A rough hide was spread overtop to cook their meal, hung from large antler bones. It was a somber dinner while the mountain whistled and shook. Bubble-gum and Rex weren’t huge eaters, it was the bulwarks and cave hyena that caused most of the worries. Large caverns higher up were frozen and filled with large whole animals or haunches of meat. For now the beasts took their kills, minus the hides, deeper into caverns to gorge alone. Once finished they wouldn’t need to eat for a week, or more depending on their restricted activity. If the animals could sleep they wouldn’t need to feed for some time.
The hunters had been busier than ever the last week collecting as many animals as possible. Many mastodon mammoth hybrids were stockpiled in manageable pieces. Others built their traps on the ground trying to be unobtrusive yet not wanting the hybrids to think nothing was amiss. Many more gathered edible plant life while secretly scurrying their supplies to higher ground. Everything edible was carried from their domed homes to the mountaintop. There were enough provisions to last many months if necessary. There were furs piled high for warmth and all burnable fuel was collected. They needed to ride out the storms with as much room as needed for the large village in as little space as possible. They were able to spread out to connecting caverns but that would burn necessary fuel faster.
In the distance Solace noted fires from other mountains. Between them was a chasm of endless sea. She wondered how other villages faired. Menace came to her and led her back to a deep impression in the ground piled high first with straw then furs. There were many of the beds scattered around. The children liked to group together near the bustle of activity where adults were closer.
Many of the villagers were terrified. They’d never seen the weather so disagreeable. The skies never before filled with foul ash. The earth didn’t burp and temper tantrum. Solace knew it could be much worse. They were on the other side of where the meteor hit, those in its path were incinerated. The cold weather came fast and black snowflakes were seen through cracks in the hides. She knew the boundaries of the continent now continents were being determined. She hoped blistering heat hadn’t fried others as the continents split.
That night she lay pressed tight to Menace listening to nature’s sounds of hell. “There is something I need to tell you.”
Menace pressed a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You are so beautifully radiant.”
“I’m pregnant.”
His eyes grew round and his stunned expression would have been amusing if not for the seriousness of their situation. Solace found herself crushed to his chest. When she gazed up at him he was smiling, and he was sobbing, though no tears fell.
“I’m so sorry you are in danger with our child my love.”
“I knew I was pregnant before I came back to this planet. You know the alien brought me to him as you battled. What I didn’t tell you was I was given a choice, to go somewhere safe or to come back take my chances and warn everyone.”
“You could have been safe?”
“I could have been alone without you.”
“Do you love me that much?”
Solace smiled. “How much is that much?”
“For me it is keeping me in your heart. If your heart stops beating mine will too. If you no longer breathe I will cease to exist. Our child is within you as well. Are you feeling very crowded?”
She was about to laugh but saw he was serious. “Ask me that again in a few months.”
“This child of ours should have a name.”
“We don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.”
“We must think about names for both.” Menace lay back with an arm under his head.
High winds rattled the partitions sounding as though skeletons were dancing. Solace couldn’t see the barriers from behind the thick cave wall their bedding was protected from and Menace didn’t notice. She could see he was thinking of nothing else but the baby. The water outside ceased to rise higher but had yet to abate, the waves rolling and crashing in the high winds. A tiny T-rex waved at her when she noticed him. Rex’s arms, not as short as his ancestors, were still tiny. The dinosaur went back to licking a soup bowl. Luke tried to take it from him when Rex bit the bowl and a game of tug of war ensued. Child and dino took turns at flinging each other around causing a tiny stir of smiles. The cave hyena that roamed in and flopped by Kiki farted causing thos
e around to scoot away, and Kiki waved a hand in front of her face shoving at the massive beast in disgust.
“Go back to your food you smelly old thing,” Kiki grouched.
Bongo yawned, farted again, and settled. Bubble-gum played dead, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Em and Nina groaned dramatically. Blue pulled the dogs tail worried he was in fact dead. The dog farted and Solace would have sworn he smiled. Blue fell back into Cole bellowing. Solace was in comical horror hell. Menace didn’t move, eyes trained on the ceiling above. Across from her Doom wrinkled his nose and glared at Clarity who was the one who insisted the animals were family and needed to be with them.
“Well?” Solace finally asked Menace.
“This will take thought,” Menace replied. “Doom was an appropriate name. His father thought the villages were doomed, but it appears it is the hybrids who were doomed. My father named me Menace. A hard warrior who would rise from adversity to be a menace to his own people so they would die.”
“Oh, Menace. Is that what you thought?”
“I wandered endlessly thinking they died and it was because I had grown into my name.”
“My mother named me Solace to give my father peace in a world that could be filled with war and hate and anger. No matter where he went he could always find solace. Me.”
“Perhaps Clarity is perspective.”
Solace settled beside him thinking he was right. Their child needed a perfect name for a new beginning. Something to lead them into the future. She yawned thinking she was so damned tired all the time. If the world was going to end she couldn’t stop it. She pressed close to Menace. All she had was now.
****
Menace stood outside the cave past the partitions. Doom joined him. Water stretched for miles. Carcasses and debris floated in crashing waves. The ash covered the sun and Menace shivered from cold. Their lush planet was damned.
“Solace says if the ash remains we need to leave. We need to find sun or we will die when our food runs out,” Menace said.
Finding Solace (Ancient Origins Book 2) Page 14
