by Andrew Gates
“And your presence too. You are not separate from the others,” Ikharus replied.
“Thank you for the kind words, your Majesty, but I still feel that I cannot ignore my past actions. It is impossible to forget that I directly attempted to stop you and your plans. I fought against you and those I stand beside now. For that, I cannot count myself among those I stand beside.”
“I share Kho Kozakh’s words,” Ezenkharam agreed, stepping forward to meet Kozakh.
“We have already been over this, if you recall,” Ikharus said, standing up from his seat. “I have already told you my feelings on the matter. Your actions are forgiven, both of you. You merely did what you believed was right at the time.”
“Still, we wanted to share these words in a more formal capacity,” Kozakh said, looking up to meet Ikharus’s eyes now. “Kal Ezenkharam and I feel nothing but remorse for fighting against you and to demonstrate our loyalty, we both wish to vow our eternal allegiance to you.”
“You have always been loyal to the throne,” Ikharus said.
“Yes, but we now vow our loyalty not to the throne, but to you, Kho Ikharus. There is a difference,” Kozakh explained.
Ikharus calmly nodded his head.
“I see,” he said.
Even in casts and bandages, Kozakh and Ezenkharam both bowed before Ikharus and held the position.
“I pledge my eternal allegiance to you, Kho Ikharus,” they both said in unison. “May only death break my vow.”
“And may that be long from now,” Ikharus said, motioning with his only claw for them to rise.
Both rose to the air without saying a word and calmly stepped back with the others.
“Thank you, both.”
“It is an honor,” Kozakh said.
“An honor to be sure,” Ezenkharam agreed.
“Moving along, Squad Le… your Majesty, there is something else we wish to discuss,” Jakhu said, stepping forward.
“By the Chiefdom, you have come prepared! Here you have a full list of subjects to discuss while I arrive late.” Ikharus shook his head and sighed as he sat back down. “What is it you wish to share, Kal Jakhu?”
“We have been talking, all five of us, and we have a proposal for you, one we believe you will take great interest in,” Jakhu started.
“Yes? And what might that be?”
“As the Kreeds were officially dissolved under the rule of Kho Veznek, we propose starting a new Kreed, the first of its kind, a Kreed which would report directly to the Supreme Chieftain. We, all five of us, would comprise its membership.”
Ikharus shifted in his seat and studied the five soldiers before him. Two came from his own Kreed, one the squad leader from another Kreed, one the former special operations commander and leader of the Kreed squads and the last, the hierarch’s personal guard and commander of the honor guards. Kozakh was the only one among them not previously affiliated with the Kreeds, though he still had immense combat training.
“An interesting proposal indeed, Kal Jakhu. But this is unheard of. As you well know, Kreeds have always contained four members, not five.”
“I understand that, your Majesty, but as the Kreeds were officially dissolved, as I see it, we no longer need adhere to precedent. We can write the rules now. We can begin a new line for a new type of Kreed, thus signifying a new era for the Chiefdom.”
A new era for the Chiefdom. Ikharus liked the sound of that.
“You are all skilled and certainly capable of such a task, but if Kho Kozakh is to join your ranks, who would serve as my permanent guard?” Ikharus wondered.
“Surely Kho Vylan can manage, as he has for the last few days,” Kozakh said, motioning to the guard standing beside the throne.
Ikharus turned to face Vylan and nodded his head.
“Is this true, Kho Vylan? Would you be willing to take on this task permanently?”
Vylan nodded back.
“It would be an honor to fulfill the wish of the Supreme Chieftain,” Vylan replied. He tapped his spear against the floor, prompting the honor guards stationed around the room to do the same. “We are with you.”
Ikharus smiled as he turned to face the five again.
“Then it would appear Kho Kozakh is free to take on this task with you all.”
“Does this mean you approve?” Jakhu asked.
“It does, Kal Jakhu. I not only approve, but welcome a Kreed as talented and devoted as you. I am honored to have you at my service.”
Ikharus stood up from his throne and slowly walked toward the five. He took in the sight of each one and stopped before Jakhu, who still stood closest to the throne. Jakhu calmly reached out and caringly pressed her right claw against the stub of his arm.
“Thank you, Kho Ikharus. This means a great deal to all of us,” she said.
Ikharus nodded to her.
“This will truly be a turning point for the history of the Kreeds. You all now comprise the Chiefdom’s only Kreed squad, making you the most elite fighting force in Kholvaria. I am sure you have already put tremendous thought into it, but I am curious, have you yet to come up with a name?”
“We have,” Jakhu said, unsurprisingly. “We wanted the name to evoke a sense of rebirth, of starting anew, but still to pay homage to what has come before. We have all talked it over and settled on a title we deem fit, if you’ll hear it.”
“I will,” Ikharus replied.
“Scion.”
“Scion,” Ikharus repeated with a grin. “A worthy title indeed! It is fitting name for the Chiefdom’s greatest warriors. Henceforth you shall be known as Kreed Scion, the Chieftain’s Arm.”
Chapter Three
Hijacker
Mr. Greyson Georgopolis
Dan is out there. Dan is out there. Dan is out there. Grey repeated the words in his mind as he took another step forward with his oldest daughter, Kaitlyn, sitting calmly atop his shoulders. She had been up there for the last several hours. The girl had been there for so long, Grey hardly felt her weight anymore.
The weary dad heard the sound of Selena’s footsteps as she followed closely behind. She would occasionally snap a twig or shuffle through a pile of leaves. The subtle noises comforted Grey with the knowledge that she was safely behind him. His wife had become good at keeping up with his steady pace, even with little Misha on her shoulders.
The family of four had spent so much time walking on and on through the forest. After so many sunsets and sunrises, Grey had lost track of it all. Had it been days, weeks, months? He was not sure.
The monotony was beginning to take its toll. There were moments when Grey would forget what this was all for. He would question why they walked seemingly forever and ever, simply following the sun as it set on the horizon.
And then he would remember Dan’s message.
“West,” he had cried so desperately on the radio. “Find us! Past the mountains, follow the sunset until you find us!”
Dan is out there, Grey reminded himself again. Dan is out there.
His brother was alive and if there was any chance of reconnecting with him, Grey would take it. Splitting up had been a mistake. Grey’s precious Pentagonal Megastructure, the place he thought he would be safe, was ultimately destroyed like nothing but cheap plastic. It was like fleeing the Atlantic Station all over again.
Dan had known it would happen. He had been right the whole time, about everything. Grey knew now that he should have listened. How could he have been so blind?
I’m coming for you, Dan, Grey thought to himself. I’m coming. And this time, I’ll never leave your side. Never again.
None of this was supposed to happen. None of it. Nothing in Grey’s wildest dreams could have prepared him for this mess of a life he had gotten himself into. A year ago, he was a math teacher, a simple person living a simple life. Back then, Grey’s biggest concern was getting his daughters into a good preschool. Now preschools were the last thing on his mind. Now he stayed up late into the night, staring at the darkness,
worried that killer zombies would devour them for dinner or that mantises would rip their limbs apart in a moment’s notice.
He had gone from schoolteacher to survivor in no time at all.
None of this was supposed to happen… but it had and like it or not, Grey was a survivor now. The old Grey was long gone, a prologue to the man Grey had now become. He had seen death, destruction, separation, desperation and had felt emotions he did not even know how to define in words.
Just thinking about it all made his head spin. Grey slapped his hand against his forehead and let out a deep breath. Focus, he told himself. Don’t let your mind wander. Follow the setting sun. Just think about that, nothing else. Dan is out there. Dan is out there. Just stay on track.
The last several days, weeks, however long it had been, were not easy. Food was getting harder to find, or more accurately, harder to catch. There were entire days when dinner eluded them, too fast for Grey’s weary hands to grab. Squirrels, rabbits, birds, deer, they all seemed to get faster and smarter as the days went on, though Grey knew that in reality, he was the one growing weaker. Fish were usually the easiest to snag. They were contained to bodies of water and typically did not expect fast hands to reach down from above.
But catching prey meant nothing if they couldn’t get a fire started. Fire starting was a skill and like all skills, it grew easier with time. Yet there were still days Grey struggled to even ignite a spark. Usually if he failed, Selena could get it going, but on one occasion, neither of them could do it and they were forced to abandon the bird they had caught and killed for dinner. That night, the girls were disappointed to say the least. And like any father, Grey was heartbroken to let his girls down.
Without reliable access to meat, most of Grey and his family’s diet consisted of plants and of those plants, the majority were leaves. Occasionally they would find mushrooms, fruits or nuts. Berries were a particularly welcome surprise. Everyone seemed to like berries… when they could find them.
Grey was not ignorant to how much weight he and his family had lost since abandoning the structure. Just watching Selena day by day said it all. Her once-thick cheeks now clung to her jaw, her soft tan skin was now so thin he could practically see right through it and her muscle mass had all but deteriorated entirely. His own body had not fared much better. Whenever he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of a pool of water, Grey no longer recognized the face that stared back. He had become a stranger to himself.
The scariest part was, there were times he even mistook himself for a zombie. The initial reaction would always cause him to jump in shock, though he would recognize his error a second later.
Thank the Lord Beyond Both Seas we have not encountered their kind yet, Grey thought. As luck should have it, he had only seen zombies twice since abandoning the Pentagonal Megastructure and both times they had been separated by a thick and quickly-flowing body of water.
Still, Grey knew it was only by good luck that they had gotten this far without running into those savage monsters. And if this journey had taught him anything, it was that luck could always run out.
“D… dad?” Kaitlyn muttered from atop Grey’s shoulders. The sound of her voice suddenly pulled him from his thoughts.
“Kaitlyn, you’re awake. You were quiet. I thought you might’ve dozed off,” Grey replied.
“I did, I think.” She shifted a little bit as she spoke, forcing Grey to adjust his balance.
“You think?”
“Well, I guess I don’t know. I can’t tell if we’ve moved. Everything looks the same. It’s always trees, trees, more trees. How do I know if we’ve gone far?”
“Was the sun this far down the sky when you closed your eyes?”
Kaitlyn was quiet for a moment as she searched for the sun.
“Uh… I don’t know. I don’t remember.”
“Well, you’ve been quiet for…” Grey paused as he realized he did not know how much time it had been. “I guess it’s been a long time. Maybe an hour?”
“An hour?” Kaitlyn repeated in a tone of disbelief. “Then I must’ve fallen asleep.”
“Good,” Grey said with a smile. “I’m glad you got some rest. You need it.”
“I’m still tired. I’m always tired.”
Grey understood Kaitlyn’s weariness. There were times he would fall asleep without realizing it, only to be awakened by Selena or one of the girls as he leaned against a tree or rock. It was happening more and more frequently lately.
“Where are mom and Misha?” Kaitlyn asked.
“Behind us.”
Grey suddenly felt Kaitlyn twist around on his shoulders as she looked to check on the others.
“Oh, I see them. They’re right there. It looks like Misha is asleep.”
“I’m not surprised,” Grey replied.
“Don’t talk too loudly,” Selena added from behind. “We don’t want to wake her.”
“Oh, sorry,” Kaitlyn replied. Grey felt her twist back around to face forward again.
All the twisting and turning was starting to take a toll on Grey’s shoulders.
“Kaitlyn, now that you’re up, do you mind walking on your own for the next few kilometers? You’ve been up there for a long time. I could use a break,” Grey said.
“Sure,” she replied.
Grey stopped beside a small tree and crouched down. Kaitlyn stabilized herself against the tree with her left hand as she swung her legs over his head and dropped down to the mossy ground. Grey instantly felt better without her weight on his shoulders. He let out a deep sigh of relief as he stood back up.
“Does that feel better?” Kaitlyn asked.
“Absolutely,” he replied. He reached back and started massaging his shoulder blades as he walked.
“Dad, do you ever miss home?” Kaitlyn wondered.
“All the time,” he answered with a sigh. He slowly bobbed his head as he brought his hands back before him.
“Me too. I want to go back.” There was a solemn tone to her words.
“You know we can’t do that, honey. That’s why we’re moving west. We’re going to join Uncle Dan there. He’s found a home for us.”
“Is it nice?”
“Is what nice?”
“The new home.”
“I don’t know, but Dan seems to think so.”
“What do you think?”
“Me?” Grey didn’t have an answer, but he wasn’t about to let his girl know that. “I think it’ll be a magical place. It’ll be even better than the station.”
“Really? You think that?” she replied louder than she should have.
“Ssh,” Selena muttered.
“Oh, sorry,” responded Kaitlyn.
“Yes, I do think that,” Grey said, still not willing to admit his uncertainty. “You’re going to love it! And most importantly, we’ll be back together again with Uncle Dan and Jallah and Margery and Ophelia.”
“I miss them.”
Grey lowered his gaze to the ground.
“I miss them too,” he said.
“Why did they leave us behind?” Kaitlyn wondered.
Grey looked up again as a small tear started to form in his eye.
“They didn’t leave us behind, Kaitlyn. We left them behind.”
“But I thought you said-”
“I was mistaken earlier. I… I didn’t know what would happen to us, to the Megastructure. Leaving them was… well, it was wrong,” Grey admitted. “But that is why I’m going to make things right. That is why we’re moving to find Dan now.”
“And you’re sure we’ll find him?”
Grey slowed his walk and became quiet.
That was the ultimate question, the one that weighed on Grey’s mind day in and day out, though a part of him already knew the answer. Grey was a mathematician. If there was one thing he knew, it was odds and probability. Deep down, he knew the odds of finding Dan’s domed town were next to impossible. The only information he had to go on was “head west” and “it
’s in the mountains”. That wasn’t much. He had better chances of hitting a dartboard blind.
Making it to Dan’s town was a fool’s goal, but it was a goal nonetheless. No matter how lofty or improbable it was, so long as he had a goal, Grey would not give up on it.
“We’ll find him, Kaitlyn. Trust me. We’ll find him,” he said, picking up his pace again.
One step after another, Grey pressed on. He knew it may have been a foolish errand, but it gave his girls hope. And hope was exactly what they needed right now.
Dan is out there, Grey thought to himself again. Dan is out there. Dan is out there.
Snap! The sound of a snapping branch echoed through the forest. Grey quickly held out his hand, prompting his family to stop in place behind him. He placed a finger before his lips and slowly turned to face them as his heart raced faster.
“Did you hear that?” he whispered.
Selena nodded with a blank expression across her reddened face.
Snap! Snap! Thud, thud, thud!
Grey spun around, facing west again. That was too much noise for a simple squirrel. Someone was out there, someone big.
“Is it zombies?” Kaitlyn whispered. She took a few steps toward Grey, then clung to his jumpsuit pants with trembling hands.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” he replied quietly. “It’ll be alright. I’ll go on ahead and take a look. Just stay here with your mother and sister.”
“Grey, you can’t seriously go on ahead. What if it is a zombie?” Selena asked.
“All the more reason I should go and look,” Grey replied, spinning around to face her. He sighed, then faced Kaitlyn again and stared straight into her eyes. “Stay here. Please do not leave your mother. I’ll be right back.”
Kaitlyn nodded and let go of his jumpsuit.
“Good luck, daddy,” she said.
“I love you all,” he replied.
Grey closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Once he reopened his eyes again, he slowly moved forward, keeping his body low and crouched. He moved through a row of bushes and past a line of trees until the ground began to slope subtly downward. From here, he began to hear the sound of flowing water.
