by Adair Hart
Evaran stood by a massive stone door with Delia, Lord Noskov, Lord Vygon, Captain Laban, and V in orb mode around him.
Dr. Snowden noted the somber looks on everyone when he joined them.
“We took more casualties than expected,” said Captain Laban.
Evaran nodded. “Yes, and it will not be forgotten. You, Lord Noskov, and Delia can attend to your fallen. V will help you load them into the Torvatta and provide any medical assistance. Lord Vygon, Dr. Snowden, and I will breach the interior. There were only three life signs left.”
“There may be more if they are shielded,” said Delia.
“Perhaps, but we can handle whatever is inside.”
Lord Noskov looked at Delia. “I will direct my men to aid you. I think I should stay and help Evaran just in case.”
Delia paused as she studied Lord Noskov. She nodded and headed off with Captain Laban.
“I’ll be back. Just need to tell my remaining group to help. Don’t go in without me.”
Evaran nodded. “Go.”
Dr. Snowden watched Lord Noskov take off up the ramp. He could not fathom how they were taking the losses in their groups. While Emily was maybe alive, the nonhuman casualties were not. Captain Laban looked like he had struggled to keep it together. How many of his guard had he trained or known personally? Delia was calm as always. Even death did not faze her. Lord Noskov was somewhat cold about it, but maybe that is how vampires deal with death.
Lord Noskov returned ten minutes later. He pointed at the door. “Thought you would have had that open by now.”
“We were waiting on you,” said Evaran. “However, now that you are here, we may proceed with your help.”
Lord Noskov smirked as he shook his head.
Evaran, Lord Vygon, and Lord Noskov placed their hands on the stone door. After some effort, they were able to slide it to the side, exposing a large stone hallway. Dr. Snowden noted that the stone was polished and there were no doors or windows visible. Torches lined the walls at equal intervals. After walking the length of the hallway, they encountered a ramp at the end. Two closed doorways stood in front of and to the sides of the ramp. The doorways had a stone slab similar to the one at the entrance, but appropriately sized.
Lord Noskov tilted his head. “I smell humans.”
“Same,” said Lord Vygon, extending his arm blades.
Evaran approached the door on the right, and after help from Lord Vygon and Lord Noskov, slid the stone door to the right. He entered the room with his shield raised. The others followed him.
Dr. Snowden thought the room looked like an administrative office. There were various stone tables scattered around. The Purifier banners he had seen outside draped the room. Only two torches were lit, revealing wooden cabinets with scrolls and writing devices lined against the walls.
A bolt was fired at them. Evaran blocked it with his shield as Lord Noskov charged around Evaran. Lord Noskov grabbed a guard and threw him into the wall. The guard slumped to the ground. Lord Noskov snapped his head toward a trembling human woman and man standing in the back behind one of the stone desks. Both had bronze skin, but the man, at around six feet tall, stood about a half foot taller than the woman.
Evaran tossed two illumination orbs into the air, then scanned the Purifiers. The Purifier symbols stood out on their otherwise clean white robes.
“Please … don’t hurt us,” said the man.
Evaran extended a hand. “We will not harm you.”
Lord Noskov paused as he jerked his head back. “We won’t?”
Evaran shook his head. “No, we will not.” He approached the humans who fell back against the wall. “Who are you?”
“J-J-John,” said the man.
“Leah,” said the woman, looking down.
“Are there any other shielded areas with more people?” asked Evaran.
“Just us now,” said Leah. She pointed at the unconscious guard. “And our personal guard.”
“Where does the ramp outside this room lead to?”
“The rift room.”
Evaran rubbed his chin. “What type of rift is in the room?”
John and Leah looked at each other.
Evaran gestured at Lord Noskov. “Perhaps I was in error and Lord Noskov’s assessment was correct.”
John stepped forward. “We … just manage the arrivals and departures here. We’re administrators, not fighters.”
Evaran tilted his head. “Arrival and departure … from where?”
John gulped. “Several places. Depends on what the destination is set to.”
Evaran walked over to John and Leah and sifted through the scrolls on the desk. He extended his hand, and a projection of Emily shot up from his ring. “Did she come through here?”
John nodded. “Yeah … I remember her.”
Dr. Snowden’s blood boiled as his eyes lit up. Tingling sensations intensified across his body. He faced John and Leah. “So my niece went through one of these rifts?”
John gulped.
“What was the destination?”
John shrugged. “She went to Azoculus, then to a prison planet from there, I’m guessing. I don’t know where the prison planet is, but it’s where we send nonhumans.”
Dr. Snowden scowled as he pointed a finger at John. “She is human. You made a mistake.”
“She had … unusual characteristics. Definitely not human. Not pure anyways.”
Dr. Snowden surged forward. He grabbed John and slammed him up against the wall. “Don’t you ever talk about my niece like that, you hear me?”
“Dr. Snowden!” said Evaran, placing a hand on Dr. Snowden’s shoulder.
“He doesn’t even care that he sent Emily to wherever she is!”
“Breathe.”
Dr. Snowden paused as the fire in his eyes burned a hole in John’s startled face. He stepped away and then shoved John back into the wall. “I like Lord Noskov’s option.”
Evaran guided Dr. Snowden behind him. He wheeled around to face John and Leah. “You will take us to this rift room. I would suggest no deception.”
John and Leah nodded vigorously.
Evaran pointed at the unconscious guard. “Lord Noskov, can you take him to the Torvatta?”
Lord Noskov swayed his head as he stared at John and Leah. “Yeah … you sure you don’t want me to take these two as well?”
“We need them alive.”
“Bah! Fine,” said Lord Noskov.
Dr. Snowden watched as Lord Noskov exited the room. Lord Vygon was next, followed by John, Leah, and then Evaran. He followed suit. The tingling sensations were still there. He knew to breathe, lest he black out again. At least now there was a definite chance that Emily was still alive. The question was now where.
Emily shuddered as she cracked her eyes open. A pain shot through her chest as she took a breath. The familiar smell of Kazaal’s cave filled her nostrils. She coughed as she lifted her head to look around. The metal poles of her cage greeted her, and the widened bars had a new pole between them. She sat up and checked her body in the dim light. The robe she had found was gone, and she was naked again.
A strong odor made her turn her head to the spike on the wall. Ezekial hung there with his legs missing. She clenched her jaw as her hands gripped the rocky floor. The thought of Dr. Snowden, Evaran, and V coming to rescue her seemed remote at this point. So much time had passed, and although she did not know the exact time, it felt like several months since she had arrived. It was times like this she really missed her PSD.
Her thoughts drifted to her PSD. She was sure now that the urging she felt when she was outside was the PSD. Evaran had mentioned that Dr. Snowden and she were bonded to their PSDs. Maybe Evaran meant the nanobots had some type of communication, which ended up being an urge to move in a direction. She was not sure, but one thing was clear: she had to leave this cave. Looking around at the shadows dancing from embers of the pit fire reminded her of how alone she was, something she never thought she could
handle. She sighed as she slid back down and closed her eyes.
Several hours later, she awoke to a squatting Kazaal staring at her and tapping on the metal poles of her cage. “You run pretty fast …”
Emily sat up.
“Your friend was unusually strong. I wonder if the overlord’s eye is losing its strength.”
Emily grimaced.
“Ahh … I sense you disapprove of me killing your friend. I would have kept him alive, but it is obvious he broke out of his cage and then opened yours. The fool actually tried to fight me to give you some time.”
Emily studied Kazaal. It seemed he did not believe she was capable of widening the bars. She wondered if he smelled the nanobots on her and just ignored it. He no longer elicited fear from her. He was now an obstacle to be overcome. She paused at her change in thinking. The possibility of death no longer bothered her. If anything, it seemed to empower her. She was not going to let him be her death. He did not deserve that right.
Kazaal struck one of the metal poles with a claw. “Speak! Do not ignore me or your usefulness ends.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed as she balled one of her fists. “What do you want me to say …”
Kazaal’s gaze bored a hole through Emily. “You’re only alive as long as you provide some entertainment. Remember that.”
“I’m glad my misery is entertaining to you.”
“Do not test me!”
Emily snorted. “Or what? You’ll kill me? You would’ve already done it if you didn’t find some value in me being here.”
“You’re angry. I get it. I’ll go get you another companion. A female this time. Someone weak.”
“So you can kill them after a week?”
Kazaal roared.
The pillar in the back of the cave lit up.
“Looks like you may get one sooner than later,” said Kazaal as he stood. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Emily’s face turned red. “Like I have a choice.”
Kazaal stared at Emily for a moment and, after growling at her, exited the cave.
Emily knew that it took about a day for Kazaal to go out and bring someone back. A plan formulated in her head. The last time she had left with Ezekial, it was just when Kazaal had left for the night. Apparently Kazaal was close enough to catch their scent. Going after someone coming through the rift door would give her more time. She calculated that if it took half a day to get to where Kazaal went, he would be out of range to catch up to her if she got a good start and was able to get her PSD.
She scanned the environment. The knives at the nearby butchering table were gone. The room with clothing and supplies was still there. She could use that again. The fire pit had the remains of Ezekial’s legs near it, but no cooking utensil that would help her. When she left, it would just be some basic clothing, any footwear she could find, and her determination to get her PSD.
She waited for around five hours before testing the bars opposite from the ones she had broken out of earlier. A tingling sensation enveloped her as she lightly pulled. The poles seemed weaker from the last time she tried, as they parted with ease. After slipping through the bars, she headed to the clothing room. She found another robe and a belt as well as some fur-clad footwear on the edges of the pile. It only took her a moment to slip them on. Pawing through the pile, she found a cloth backpack and some leather pouches that would fit on her belt. After slinging the backpack over her shoulders and tightening the pouches, she exited the cave.
The fresh air was intoxicating as it washed over her nose. She paused for a moment to take several deep gulps, as if it would somehow cleanse her system of the foul-smelling air in Kazaal’s cave. After scanning the surrounding area and seeing no sign of Kazaal, she took off. The directional urging she felt before had returned. The pain in her chest had subsided, but she did not know if it was the nanobots suppressing it or if it had fully healed from her first trip to Kazaal’s cave. Either way, she was not going back to that cave alive.
After arriving at the forest edge where she had been captured earlier, she paused to look back. There was no sign of Kazaal. She frowned as she looked at where Ezekial had been killed. He had given his life to give her time to escape. She did not know him very well, but his act of courage inspired her. Escaping Kazaal would be her way of honoring Ezekial.
She ran through the forest. Startled animals took flight, and some of the larger animals studied her, but did not pursue. She wondered if it was because they smelled death from the cave on her. It did not take her long to reach the cliff edge from there. The urging was stronger, and it was almost as if she could see the PSD in the rocks at the cliff base. Her breath quickened as she rushed forward. She let out a deep breath as she scanned the rocks.
The PSD lay where it had fallen.
Her hands were like lightning bolts as she grabbed and opened it. It took her a moment to get reacquainted with the interface. The communications screen showed there had been no contact. Her heart sank as she swallowed hard. Looking at the time, she had spent roughly two and a half weeks in Kazaal’s cave. The first month almost seemed like a vacation compared to that. She fumbled around the interface and pulled up the food option. A flavorless food pellet emptied into her hand. She devoured it, savoring the flavorless taste of it. Getting water from the river near where she had spent her first month here was her next priority. She set the stun beam as active and then put the PSD in one of the leather pouches on her belt.
Looking up, she estimated the climb would be rough, but the alternative was Kazaal. With that in mind, she began her ascent. During her climb, several animals swooped at her but backed off with a warning shot. She was not going to be anything’s meal. The climb was rougher than she thought it was going to be. Rocks that looked solid sometimes fell out. Being in Kazaal’s cave had sapped her strength, despite the nanobots’ tingling sensation giving her a boost.
After she got to the top, she lay down for a moment to look at the sky. It was a serene blue with clouds. Something she would expect if she were in the backyard back home. She enjoyed the feeling of dirt under her, instead of the rough cave floor she had been on. Her thoughts drifted to what Dr. Snowden was doing, and if he was okay. Knowing him, he was probably trying to find her with everything he had, which made the fact that he had not come yet puzzling. Was this place somewhere even the Torvatta could not go?
The distinct roar of Kazaal echoed through the forest below. She jumped to her feet and ran toward the other side of the cliff. He must have come back early, or maybe he did not go where she thought he was going. She quickened her pace as she continued her charge to the other side. After arriving on the other side and assessing the downward climb, she began her descent. Going down was much easier for her. She did not know how far away he was, but given how fast he could run, she was going to put some distance between them. Maybe he would give up on hunting her; although if she ever wanted to move past that area, she would have to deal with him. She hit the ground running.
After twenty minutes, she reached the jungle near her former enclosure. While avoiding the poisonous trees, she made her way to the river. It seemed odd to her to be on familiar territory and be relieved. This was not her home, but compared to where she had been the first month here, it felt like it. After arriving, she took a moment to use the purifying container to drink some water. Her eyes closed as she savored the cool water rushing down her throat. There was no comparison to the water in Kazaal’s cave.
Her attention focused on the cliffs she had run from. A brown blob stood on the edge of the cliff. Her heartbeat increased, and her breathing was staggered as she realized it was Kazaal. If she could see him, then he could see her. The familiar cloak of defiance wrapped her as she decided that he was no longer going to be a threat to her. She was done being his captive. It was apparent to her now that he had to be stopped or she would never be able to fully rest.
With a clenched jaw, she crossed the river and headed toward the stepped pyramid. She had a vague idea o
f what she needed to do, but would figure out the rest when she got there. Fifteen minutes passed, and the pyramid was in sight. The closeness of Kazaal’s startled roar made her move faster. He must have hit the poisonous trees. She wondered if he was immune to them or if they would have any impact. When she got to the stepped pyramid, she rushed around it to the south side. After stepping over the bone border she had seen earlier, she pushed forward into the jungle.
She thought she could feel the pounding of Kazaal’s feet when they hit the ground. She scanned the jungle ahead as she ran and found what she was looking for. Several large mounds circled a tree and towered over the jungle floor. The creatures she had encountered in her first few moments in this world were scurrying about. The pattern of the mounds intrigued her. Maybe it was a symbiotic thing, but it was what she had been looking for.
She could sense that Kazaal was closing in fast. Her burst forward to the tree elicited an immediate response from the creatures. Wasting no time, she scurried up the tree, shoving off the creatures that were in her way. When she had reached the first major branch, she pulled out her PSD and made sure the first button was set to a repulsing blast and the second to a stun beam.
Her eyes flared when Kazaal appeared at the outer ring of the mounds.
“So … it was you who bent the bars … I’ll need a stronger cage,” said Kazaal.
“I don’t think so,” said Emily. “You’re a monster.”
Kazaal laughed as he strode toward the tree.
When he was near the base of it, Emily fired a stun beam at him.
Kazaal flinched in pain as he stepped back. “That little beam is harmless.”
“We’ll see,” said Emily. She fired the repulsing blast at several of the mounds, causing them to explode. An angry swarm of the creatures burst from the ground toward Kazaal. She fired a continuous stun beam at him, and he fell to his knees. The creatures swarmed over him and began biting.
