Stephan brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
“I mean it. There’s nothing more important to me than you.”
~ 17 ~
It was Thursday according to the Old Earth calendar, and on Beta IV that meant market day.
Olga Ivanova stood in the middle of the square, a hand resting on the hilt of her sword, looking around at the people who ventured out to sell their produce. Just a couple of months earlier, the market would have been packed with people, but now there weren’t more than maybe fifty in sight.
She sighed but forced herself to keep her head high and her back straight. The battle might already be lost, but giving up was not an option.
During the past few weeks many voted for leaving, but her father’s words had been firm. If they accidentally brought just one infected person with them into space, countless other worlds might be lost. The risk was too big.
Maybe he was biased by some lingering hope to find mom. I don’t think so, but it could be true.
It didn’t matter now anyway. It was too late to leave.
She lifted her eyebrows when she saw two unfamiliar faces in the sparse crowd; a tall, muscular, and handsome man, with his arm around the shoulders of a beautiful woman. He wore a bright blue shirt and black pants, she a purple dress and a ridiculous big hat, and they blended in almost as well as peacocks amongst ducks.
Seriously? Where the hell did you come from, and who are you?
She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and marched up to them, snatching an orange from Maria’s hand.
“I don’t know who you two are, but you’ve got to leave right now. Didn’t you get the message? This is a planet that can’t afford visitors.”
Maria glared and muttered, “That’s so rude,” but Olga stood her ground.
Stephan smirked and took another orange from the cart. “We got your message. We wouldn’t have thought of making our way here if we hadn’t.”
Stupid people. You tell them to stay away, and the first thing they want to do is come. I didn’t set up a warning beacon to attract tourists… Did the peel just vanish from that fruit or am I going crazy?
Maria stuffed a piece into her mouth, but Olga couldn’t remember her peeling it.
She shook herself back to reality. The entire situation was preposterous, and hallucinating about fruit didn’t seem all that strange.
“I’m Stephan Forks, this is Maria Callaway, and you are Olga Ivanova. You have a problem, and we can help.”
“Can you now. You two look like tourists to me. Maybe you’re actors, and maybe you’ve killed your share of vampires or zombies in a movie or two, but let me assure you this is not a set, and these monsters will kill you.”
Her eyes wandered from Stephan to Maria.
“Stop eating, woman, these are serious matters. I’m trying to keep you from getting killed, and you’re playing with fruit. How do you know my name anyway?”
“Oh for goodness sake relax. We know a lot of things. As far as getting killed is concerned, vitamins are good for you. I think you look a little pale, you might want to try an orange yourself. They’re good, and filled with vitamin C.”
I want to kill her. Is it normal to want to kill strangers? Maybe I’m turning, and maybe this is the first step.
Stephan looked like he had a world of problems keeping a straight face. No help there. They were attracting attention too; people around them were crowding in, wanting to see what was going on.
“Girls, maybe we should go somewhere else and talk about this?”
Olga narrowed her eyes. “If you’re here to help, how many other people are there on your ship? I have some gold, but not enough to pay mercenaries, and with the problem we have, an entire army probably wouldn’t help.”
Take that, I’m poor. That oughtta scare them off.
They both ignored her. Maria handed Stephan a piece of orange and he tucked it into his mouth.
“This is good, we should stock up before we leave.”
Olga pinched the bridge of her nose.
Give me strength…
He chewed and swallowed, looking much too happy for a man that size.
“No army, just us.”
“Just you? Mister Forks, I can understand a man’s need to risk his life, but what about her? Please leave, you’re putting both yourself and Ms Callaway in grave danger.”
Maria waved a hand in the air.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, no plan, sure death and danger, this can go on forever.”
She grabbed Olga’s hand and held it.
Let me go.
The objection never reached her lips; Maria’s green gaze pinned her down.
“Your concern for me is touching, but let me assure you if anyone’s in danger here, it’s not me. The threat you’re facing is terrible, and you’ve dealt with it with great courage, but now you already consider yourself dead, and through this you are already defeated.”
Uuh, what? I guess… Turning away help might be stupid, there’s only me left.
She ran a hand over her forehead.
“Yes. Yes, of course, you can help. Who are you people?”
No one had time to say anything more. A small cloud covered the sun and people all around them burst into half-panicked activity. Everyone ran to get into the relative safety behind barred doors and windows. Children screamed and shopkeepers abandoned their carts as they stood, filled with fruits and vegetables.
Crap. They’re coming.
Maria looked around and muttered, “Hmh.”
Stephan rested a hand on the weapon on his hip.
“They sure seem spooked.”
Olga loosened her sword from the sheath.
“If you really want to help, now might be a good time to start. If we could catch one of them, maybe we could make an antidote. Be careful though; don’t let them touch you or scratch you. Try not to let them get close to you at all.”
“How do you intend to catch something without getting close to it unless you have a trap?”
Maria’s objection was reasonable, but Olga still waved it off. Something broke free from the shade close to the city wall. It was a man with tattered rags hanging around his thin frame. He didn’t seem to mind. His face was eerily pale and his eyes were changing.
They had been human, but were turning milky white.
Olga shuddered.
“I can’t stand their mouths.”
The lips was just a bit too red and turned into a limp, eternal grin a bit too wide to seem normal. The apparition held out a hand with grimy fingers and spoke in a voice that was almost normal.
“Come with me. I can show you all the treasures you could ever dream of.”
Like luring children with candy.
It turned its face squarely towards the three, who were now alone in the square, and when it stepped towards them, Stephan shot it right between the eyes.
Similar once-human creatures emerged from all sides, and didn’t seem much bothered by their comrade’s demise. Some of them glanced up at the sky. Were they aware enough to realize the cloud might scatter and free the sun to shine down on them?
“Shooting them won’t stop them. He’ll be on his feet again in seconds, and they’re too many for us to fight. We need to get inside.”
Stephan shrugged and changed the setting on his weapon. The next being he hit was evaporated instantly.
“Well, let’s see them rise up and walk away from that.”
Whoa, I’ve got to get me one of those.
She didn’t have time to answer. A scream echoed between the walls, and they all spun around to see a creature hauling a crying boy away.
The screaming didn’t come from the youngster, though. His mother reached for her son, fighting to reclaim him, but the people around her pulled her back.
The kidnapper held the child up in front of him, and Olga’s stomach turned over when he licked the boy’s cheek. The effect was instantaneous and frightening. The child’s tears stopped, and his mouth tur
ned into the same spooky grin the other creatures held.
The sound of Stephan’s weapon shook her out of her revulsion. The attackers were closing in on them, using the child as a distraction, and now they vanished one by one as his laser beam hit them. He didn’t even pause to see if his shots found their targets; clearly he always hit what he aimed for.
The stranger’s calm management of the situation shook her back to herself, making her feel ashamed. These were her people, and she wasn’t doing a good job with protecting them.
Before she had the time to move, Maria muttered, “Okay, enough of this. I can heal people, but it’s easier not to get them hurt in the first place.”
She held her arms out from her body and appeared to clear the clouds away with a motion of her hands.
Sending Olga a glance, she explained, “It’s just a matter of willpower, but most people responds better to an action accompanied by movement than to the mere power of the mind.”
What are you talking about? How did you do that?
The ghouls still on their feet scurried off towards safety, giving out eerie little cries of agony, and one burst into flames as soon as the sunlight struck him.
Stephan muttered, “Interesting.”
“So extremely UV sensitive. I’m surprised they can move even in the shade.”
Olga looked between them, unable to find anything to say.
A few seconds later, some brave souls returned to the square, murmuring between each other.
“Who did you say you are again?”
Olga’s heart held a reluctant spark of hope. She knew the situation was hopeless, and treating it as such seemed prudent, but still...
The big man’s markmanship and the peculiar woman’s apparent dominion over the weather would be enough to inspire hope in the most despondent heart.
Stephan glanced at the pile of ashes over the brim of his sunglasses, muttered, “Hmh,” and pushed the glasses back up on his nose. Maria’s eyes were fixed on the woman who just lost her son.
“Is there somewhere we can go and talk?”
Olga nodded once, ignoring all the calls from the crowd around them. People wanted to touch the newcomers, asked if they might have a ship, and pleaded for a way out of the nightmare. She watched the crowd for a second.
“Go back to your business, everyone. I will deal with this.”
Proud words. No way I’ll ever live up to them...
“Stephan, Maria, please follow me.”
She turned around and led the way into the fortress.
From the outside, the large stone building appeared cold, maybe even damp, and the imaginary pictures it created in most spectators’ minds were far from the truth. It was both modern and comfortable. The house was roomy, warm when the outside was cold, and cool when the days got hot.
Olga talked while they walked. She told the story of the many happy years, the story of the young couple going camping, and of everything changing when the young man came back alone.
~ 18 ~
Maria trudged behind Olga on a tour of the castle.
Seriously, your colony is almost eradicated and this strikes you as important? Maybe it’s natural selection and you’re not worth the effort of saving...
“Maybe we should start working on the problem instead?”
Neither Stephan nor Olga appeared to hear her, and Olga opened a heavy door to a suite of rooms with pretty furniture, pleasant colours, and thick rugs on the wooden floors.
“You can stay here as long as you are my guests.”
Great, but we didn’t come for the accommodation...
What seemed like an adventure to her was grim reality for the people in the colony, and they shouldn’t linger.
“Can I offer some refreshments?”
Well, I wanted an orange, but that was clearly out of the question...
“No. Tell us more about the changed ones. Where do they come from?”
“Soon. If you think you can find your way back here, let’s continue the tour.”
Stephan grabbed her hand and pulled her along on a long and winding walk through the building.
She probably doesn’t get many visitors, and she’s doing her best. She’s trying to live up to what they were before this disaster, holding onto what she thinks is necessary...
She was still moderately impressed when they ended up in a dark chamber filled with treasures Olga’s ancestors brought from Earth. There were many places she’d rather be than in what resembled a museum filled with trinkets celebrating the vanity of humans, but Stephan seemed to appreciate it, and she tried to be a good girl and play along.
The middle of the room housed a large cabinet that appeared to be made of stone, but opened up to a multitude of drawers when Olga put her hand on it.
“These are the finest treasures of my family.”
Great. How will that work out for you when the rest of the population is eaten?
Being snarky wouldn’t make things any better, and she smiled, trying her best to seem interested. Not that their host paid all that much attention to her; Stephan had flashed one of his dazzling smiles, and Olga seemed quite taken with him.
I’m not jealous. I’m really not. She’s not flirting with him, and even if she were, getting some attention from a pretty woman would make him feel good. I’m confident enough to let him have that. Of course I am; I’m a friggin’ Goddess.
The strange and unwanted churning in her chest still wouldn’t go away. She couldn’t even name it; it might be fear, anger, or a premonition of troubles to come.
“Snap out of it.”
“What’s that, babe?”
She hadn’t meant to speak aloud, and shook her head.
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Olga said, “This eagle is a part of the crest of my family. Look at this ring...”
She picked up a small piece of jewellery made from gold and precious stones.
“This has always been worn by the head of our family, ever since the fourteenth century. My father passed it on to my brother, in training him for what was to be, and my brother must have known his time was out, because he left it behind the night he disappeared.”
Stephan glanced over his shoulder with a wide smile.
“Are you seeing this? Isn’t it cool?”
“It is fantastic.”
I guess... I mean, I’m much older than that. Whoa, maybe I am a piece of history, that’s a scary thought. It’s probably cool for him, though. He comes from a high tech society, probably never saw anything like this before.
Could she be catching some form of virus herself? Maybe there was something in the atmosphere of this planet even her race was susceptible to. She didn’t feel happy at all.
“Do you want to try it on?”
Olga was probably just being polite, catering to her guest’s evident fascination with the thing, but when the golden band slid on Stephan’s finger, Maria muttered, “I’m going for a walk.”
The only reason she had for staying there, for watching the show, would be to keep an eye on her lover and that woman, and she could just as easily do that somewhere else. Somewhere with more air would be good.
Her eyes widened with surprise when she realized what she had been thinking. Was she implying she didn’t trust him? He who had always been faithful, he who loved her, and treated her like a queen?
Taking the thought one step further made her want to slap her forehead; did she really feel threatened by a human? Was that what this was all about, that she, the great Goddess, was jealous?
This just wouldn’t do.
She left the room hurriedly, just to prove to herself she could.
*****
Stephan was engulfed in the treasures around him, fascinated with seeing history up close, but he still experienced an almost physical tug when she left.
My favourite drug is missing, and I want it back.
“Babe?”
She wasn’t there anymore. Olga was, standin
g very close to him. She had put her hands on his shoulder while they were looking in the cabinet, and still kept them there.
He frowned as he slid the ring off his finger and returned it to its drawer.
“I’ve got to go.”
She said something as he hurried towards the door, but he only heard her voice, not the actual words. Once he reached the corridor, he thought he heard footsteps just ahead, just around the corner, and started running as he called out, “Babe, wait up!”
No one answered, and he jogged through the hallway to catch up with her, but couldn’t seem to get her within sight.
Where is she going? I hope it’s not another rescue mission like Chrys.
A few minutes and staircases later, he found himself several floors down, staring at a heavy oak door. He couldn’t figure out what his girl was up to, and he was curious.
He hesitated for a second, took a deep breath, and put his palm against the door. When he pushed it open, the light inside was blinding in comparison to the dimly lit corridors. Sweet smells of baking bread and pies attacked his nostrils, and he heard someone titter.
It was a large kitchen, filled with girls and young women, and they all stared at him, whispering and giggling.
He rarely felt self-conscious, but all those eyes watching him from all those pretty young faces made him blush and feel like an idiot.
“Eh, I’m looking for…”
I don’t remember what I’m looking for, but I’m sure it wasn’t this.
It didn’t matter; the girls flocked around him, offering food and wine, and someone was even brave enough to pinch his behind. He cleared his throat.
“Okay, that’s enough, girls. Hey, don’t do that.”
No matter how hard he tried, he was only met with more giggles and probing little hands. If he really followed Maria down here she must have been playing a prank on him. It was a sobering thought, and he made himself free from the girls, fleeing back the way he came.
Next, he sought out the relative safety of their rooms, hoping to find her there. This planet was clearly morally dangerous for a man, and he probably shouldn’t wander around too much on his own.
Goddess's Saga 1: Touch of the Goddess Page 12
