Raptor closed her eyes and strained against her own skin as if in pain. She began to change shape. Her hands reached down to the ground as they altered into hooves. Her body became larger, and her limbs reshaped as they grew longer. Within moments, a dark brown horse with a white streaked face replaced Raptor.
Andrew’s arms and legs tingled from watching her metamorphosis. His mouth hung open, the sudden transformation dumbfounding him. The horse reached over and grabbed his shirt. It pulled him a step forward and then shook its head, causing him to shake as well.
Something buzzed by Andrew’s ear, vibrating his eardrum. He turned and saw an arrow sticking out of a tree behind him.
The horse stomped the ground and lowered her head, turning the side of her body toward him.
Another arrow streaked past, much closer to Andrew’s head. Throwing himself onto the back of the horse, he wrapped his arms around her neck and held on as Raptor took off at a swift pace into the forest. Trees zipped past as Andrew buried his head between his arms.
Raptor tried to outmaneuver the archers, turning sharp corners and varying her speed. As they came around a grove of trees, they stumbled upon several of their assailants. Much to Andrew’s terror, Raptor charged right at them.
Andrew caught a good look at the first one. She was a human woman dressed in green armor and holding a bow. A long curved knife with jagged edges hung from her belt. The woman had copper hued skin and long black hair, pulled back into a pair of braids.
Raptor ducked her head and bowled into the woman, trampling over her.
Throwing a glance back, Andrew watched as the woman struggled to get her feet under her to stand.
The second warrior, Raptor bit in the shoulder. She rose up and kicked her front hooves at her. The woman went down in a heap. Andrew tightened his grip around Raptor’s neck, nearly sliding off her back.
As Andrew considered the second warrior, he thought she looked like the first but with shorter hair. Twins, he reasoned, until he saw two more warriors step out from around a tree. They were different ages but identical in appearance to the other warriors.
The two newcomers raised their bows to fire. Raptor turned and bolted into the forest again. She took an arrow in the flank for it, but she had wreaked havoc. Andrew felt a moment of victory, but if Raptor wanted them to capture her, he doubted she meant to win.
A hard thud landed close by, causing Andrew to jump. He glanced back and saw an arrow sticking out of Raptor’s side. She whinnied as she thrashed in pain, sending Andrew flying. He landed hard on the ground, the wind knocked from him.
Andrew hardly knew what to think. Frightened, but also exuberated at the same time, he felt his heart race in his chest as he gasped for air. Part of his mind pleaded for him to run; the other part relished in the fight.
Raptor toppled over beside him. She returned to her human form, drawing her gun with one hand. With the other, she pulled an arrow out of her ribs and threw it to the side. The broken shaft of another arrow protruded from her thigh.
Andrew rose to his feet, preparing to run.
A hard yank from Raptor on his shirt pulled him below the level of the underbrush. She snarled, “Stay down! And don’t use your powers. This is the part where they get mad.” She fired a few blind shots into the forest.
In his excitement, Andrew had forgotten all about his ability to control plants. He wondered if he could control alien plants too.
A dozen female warriors stepped out of the forest. Raptor picked off two of them. They crumpled to the ground with gunshot wounds to their legs.
All of the warriors drew their bows back as Raptor hissed through her teeth. She leapt on top of Andrew and protected him as the arrows launched toward them. A few found their mark. Raptor had a pair of arrows sticking out of her back, but Andrew remained unscathed.
“Did good, now surrender,” Raptor said. Rolling off Andrew, she collapsed to the ground.
Andrew shook her, but she would not stir. A pair of feet appeared before him and more pairs off to his sides. Looking up, he found several warriors surrounding him, their arrows pointing at his head.
“Er, hi?” he said as his lips pulled into a weak smile.
The women peered at him with curious expressions. One of them grabbed him by the arm and lifted him off the ground. She turned him around and tied his arms behind him. He did not fight back.
Two of the women tended to Raptor. They removed the broken arrows while another searched her. She found the gun inside its holster and gave it a curious look before putting it into a pouch she had tied to the side of her waist.
The other two women shook Raptor until she woke with a groan. They hoisted her off the ground and bound her hands behind her back.
A warrior near Andrew gave him a hard push from behind, forcing him to walk. One woman aided Raptor in walking.
The warriors tried to make them run, but after a few yards, Raptor fell to the ground with a whimper.
In response, one of the warriors drew her bow. She pointed it toward Raptor.
Raptor sat up, narrowing her eyes at the woman, as if daring the warrior to shoot her.
Terrified the warriors might kill her; Andrew knew he had to do something, anything, even if he could not fight them. Straining against the hold of the warrior who gripped him by the arm, he called out, “She’s not faking her wounds. You shot her!”
Another, older woman stared at Andrew. She grabbed the bow of the woman pointing the arrow at Raptor and forced her to lower it. The two spoke for a moment in a whisper. The younger woman scowled and spoke in clipped tones. Frowning, the elder pointed to the back of the line. The younger jerked her bow away from the other’s grasp and stomped away to take a place behind the others.
The older warrior returned her attention to Raptor and brought her to her feet. Andrew’s tension melted away under a flood of relief. A silent “thank you” passed his lips as he lifted his head skyward.
The group moved on. They did not run, but they did push Raptor and Andrew into a fast pace and kept them separated.
A dark form became visible in the distance. As it grew larger, Andrew could make out a colossal tree, bigger than anything he could have imagined, and so tall, he could make out no details of its foliage. Andrew had heard about the great red woods in California, even dreamed of seeing them, but this tree dwarfed them. A wide smile formed on his face as he looked up, soaking in every detail of the tree as they came to a halt near the base.
Several baskets rested on the ground with thick ropes tied to the top, which led into the tree above. Another rope looped down from the tree and connected to the underside of the basket, like a pulley system.
Four of the warriors escorted Raptor and Andrew into one of the baskets. Once everyone was aboard, two of the warriors pulled down on the rope. The basket creaked under the weight of the people and rose into the trees. They continued to pull the rope, drawing the basket higher.
Andrew watched as the ground fell away from them. He swallowed down several gulps, feeling his fear of heights eating at his nerves. Trying not to think about how far away the ground was, he focused on the forest.
The sky became progressively darker as they ascended. The canopy was not made of leaves. A huge platform grew out from the center tree, like an umbrella, the smaller trees acting as pillars to support the structure.
Craning his head back as far as it could go, Andrew gazed at the platform above. The tree was a wonder to behold, and he wanted to know everything about it. What was on the other side of the platform? How far did the platform extend?
A sharp pain in his gut brought his mind screaming back to reality. One of the warrior women had slammed the butt of her staff into his stomach. Raptor stood separated from him, glaring, her jaw set firm.
Andrew sucked in a painful breath and lowered his gaze to his feet. He had to keep his excitement under control or he might end up dead.
The basket wove its way through an opening in the platform. As they m
ade their way through the hole, they entered a stunning treetop city with buildings crafted from spires topped with purple leaves. A tiny orange sun hung in a not quite blue sky. Andrew thought he saw more hints of green than blue.
The main tree towered above everything else. Carved into its sides were more buildings. Baskets raised and lowered people as they went to and fro. Andrew noticed all the people living in the city were women and girls of varying ages, who appeared identical to one another—only their clothing and hairstyles differed in any meaningful way. He shifted his feet, feeling the intensity of many eyes on him.
Raptor lowered her head as she walked.
Andrew took in all the new sights and smells. He had never seen anything like this. It was a city of trees, and he loved it. If not for the hostile looks he received, it could have felt like home. It reminded him of a bonsai tree he kept in his greenhouse called Neagari, which mimicked a tree where a flood had washed away the soil, exposing the roots.
A warrior whacked him on the shoulder from behind. The sharp pain snapped him out of his thoughts, and he picked up his pace to catch up to Raptor.
More women stopped and scrutinized Raptor and Andrew. They openly ogled them and spoke in hushed voices among themselves. Andrew could hear some of them, but he did not understand what they said.
Moving closer to him, Raptor whispered painfully, “Did you see where the gun went?”
“One of them took it and put it in her bag.”
“Damn it. Be silent and put your eyes on the ground.” She took short shallow breaths, struggling to breathe.
“Are you okay?” Andrew asked, not knowing how many wounds a Keeper could sustain.
Raptor sneered and did not look at him.
Taking that to mean “be quiet,” he lowered his eyes to the ground as his stomach sank.
The group turned into a tunnel carved into the tree. They followed it until they came to a large chamber. Fuzzy globes of light illuminated the hallway, filled with a greenish liquid.
One of the guards gave Andrew another push. He stepped into a room draped in colorful banners hanging from the walls and ceiling. Animal skins of cherry red covered the floor.
In the center of the room stood a dais covered in pillows and more animal skins. An old woman sat cross-legged on top. She had long, gray hair, braided and wrapped around her waist. She wore bright clothes, complementing the banners around her. A garland of fresh twigs and leaves graced her head. In the center of it rested a large, orb-shaped emerald that glowed slightly. A warrior guarded either side of her—both of them armed with long javelins in their hands.
Someone struck Andrew from behind on his legs. He fell hard to his knees. Another warrior, or possibly the same one, stood above him with a javelin. She shot Andrew a cold look and motioned for him to face forward.
Andrew turned around and caught a hateful glare from the old woman. He immediately averted his eyes, but chanced a glance at Raptor.
She knelt on the ground, listening as the old woman began to speak. To Andrew, the language the woman spoke sounded familiar. It reminded him of Spanish, but she strung the sounds together in an unfamiliar way. The sounds tickled his ears, but he could not follow it.
Raptor inclined her head as she watched the old woman. The latter made various motions with her hands and spoke in a slow, clear voice. Leaning in closer to Andrew, she whispered, “Her name is Nagun. I can only partway understand her. She’s speaking of the fight.”
Nagun stopped talking for a moment and made a motion for someone to approach her.
A warrior woman stepped forward, giving Andrew an annoyed look as she passed by him. Speaking to Nagun, she motioned to Raptor as she pulled the gun out of her bag and handed it to her.
“They don’t know what a gun is.” Raptor made a faint hissing sound under her breath. “If she shoots herself, I swear…” she trailed off, watching the scene play out.
Nagun held the gun in her hands, inspecting it from different angles as the younger warrior spoke. Gripping the gun, she pointed the muzzle toward her face, peering down the barrel. Then, she gave it a shake. Raptor grimaced. Even Andrew could not help but cringe.
“Not a toy, not a toy,” Raptor muttered. “Whatever happens, Andrew, stay put.” She seemed to summon her strength before shape-shifting into a gorilla with gray skin and black fur with tinges of rusty brown. Andrew fell over in shock, pushing himself away from the animal.
Raptor strained against the ropes, her long arms flexing until they snapped. The gorilla rose up on its back legs, holding the pieces of the broken rope out at the end of a long, muscular arm.
Chaos erupted as everyone in the room reacted to Raptor freeing herself. Spears flew to attention and bows aimed toward the gorilla, but the warriors shifted their weight side to side, seeming nervous about the idea of approaching it.
With a frown, Nagun spoke.
Raptor changed back into her human form, holding her hands out to her side in peace. She bowed her head and then took a step forward.
The other warriors in the room moved in closer toward Raptor until Nagun spoke a single word that brought everyone to a halt.
Andrew shifted his feet under him and sat up. The warriors ignored him.
Dropping the rope as she threw both hands up in surrender, Raptor said, “Whoa, whoa! Just want the gun back.” She pointed to the gun and then held out her hand.
Nagun pointed the gun at Raptor.
Raptor stood up straighter and then nodded. She made the same motion again, pointing to the gun and holding out her hand.
Andrew’s eyes went wide. He worried Nagun would set it off by accident.
Raptor took a few steps forward, keeping her hands up. The warriors tightened around her but did not approach close enough for Raptor to grab their spears.
The warrior beside Nagun held her spear out. “Bang, bang,” she said, mimicking the sound of the gun. Jerking her spear at Raptor, she pointed to some of the other women in the area. She spoke to Nagun, her voice sounding angry as she scowled.
With her hands still raised, Raptor said, “I won’t shoot anyone else. On my honor.” She paused and then said a single word in their language. Andrew thought the word sounded like “honor,” but with a long drawl of the n, turning it into a u sound.
Nagun pointed to the ground. Raptor eased herself down, kneeling. She set her hands on her knees and angled her head to see the woman.
Handing the gun to the warrior beside her, Nagun motioned to Raptor.
The warrior started to object.
Glaring, Nagun pointed to Raptor again.
With a sneer, the warrior brought the gun to Raptor. She practically threw the weapon at her, but Raptor caught it without incident. The other warrior women surrounding Raptor backed away to their former positions.
“Thank God,” Raptor muttered. She bowed as she rose to her feet, putting the gun in the holder on her hip. She returned to Andrew and knelt next to him. “You’re doing fine. Just keep playing along,” she whispered.
Andrew breathed a sigh of relief, some of his fear subsiding from her words of affirmation.
As Nagun spoke again, Raptor translated. “We’re to rest. Then because I dishonorably wounded her warriors. …”
Nagun pointed to the hallway and then pointed upwards.
Raptor gave a slow shake of her head, seeming confused.
Nagun grabbed the spear from one of the guards beside her. The guard gave it up with a look of surprise. She stood. Slamming the spear against the ground with a loud clack, it broke in half from the force.
“Ah,” Raptor said in understanding, a slight smile touching her lips.
“What?” Andrew whispered, not finding the pantomime particularly reassuring.
“Good, she wants a fight.”
“Her? This was the plan?” Andrew gawked.
“She’s not exactly frail, but this is the best way to get near that Stone.”
“You mean to win, right?”
Giv
ing him a lopsided grin, Raptor asked, “What do you think?”
Andrew smiled, but quickly it turned to a frown when he saw Nagun. She pointed to him with a hateful gaze and said something to the guards around her.
“I don’t understand,” he muttered to Raptor.
“You’re banned from interfering,” Raptor explained. “But the dirty look is because she hates men.”
The four warriors who had escorted them originally approached. Raptor stood up and then helped Andrew onto his feet. They walked down the hallway, Raptor keeping a steady hand on Andrew’s arm. Soon they found themselves in the basket again—this time descending.
Andrew closed his eyes, expecting a long ride to the ground. It surprised him when they stopped after a few seconds. He opened his eyes. They hung in the basket a few yards below the city. In front of them stretched a narrow bridge.
Andrew and Raptor stepped out, and the warriors led them down the walkway and into another chamber. Raptor grinned as they passed several rows of guards. The guards gave her blank stares in return.
They came to a deep pit carved into the tree. Inside, a dozen small huts made of sticks woven together protruded from the trunk. A few people in rags watched as Andrew and Raptor entered.
Raptor whispered, “It’s their prison. When we get in, don’t touch the walls of the pit. They are lined with a neurotoxin that will drop you.”
“Dead?” Andrew asked, the word sticking in his throat. Their four guards led them into another basket, which lowered them into the pit.
“No, just paralyzes your limbs so you’ll be awake for the beating you get for trying to escape.”
Andrew’s stomach flipped over at the thought.
Once on the ground, the guards led them to a rickety structure barely standing on its own. It had four walls made of branches, woven horizontally, and no roof. A guard pushed aside a tanned animal skin hanging in the doorway. She motioned for Andrew and Raptor to enter first.
Andrew stepped inside a square room about ten feet across. Two hammocks made of blue-black animal skins hung from a large post in the middle of the room and connected to the walls across from them. Also in the room sat two chairs made of little more than sticks and string.
Stone of Power (Keepers of Earth Book 1) Page 20
