“Yeah, but what else are we gonna run into?” asked Swul.
Below deck, in the cargo hold, Ekala leaned against the rails of the catwalk. “We shouldn’t be far from the port, you’ll get off there and go, well, wherever it is you’re planning to go,” said Ekala. “Sorry you had to leave your plane behind.”
“I will get it back. The people I rent the hangar from aren’t likely to talk.” Templar gripped the rail and peering over the edge. Below was the sky-cycle Zarim and Ekala frequently used on short trips to and from the ship. He looked to the pirate. “Why are you here?”
“What do you mean?”
Templar turned to face her. “You’re no hero, Ekala Cosari. You’re a thief, like me. You don’t belong on a fool’s errand like this.”
“Yeah, but if Vortai gets all those stones, not like we’d still be able to do much stealing,” said Ekala.
“Assuming the stones work,” said Templar.
She rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, you saw what he can do. What that assistant of his could do.”
“Vortai is powerful, true. But that does not mean he has the power to end the world as we know it. Nor does it mean that the method to acquire that power are real,” said Templar. “I find it difficult to believe these stones possess that sort of power.”
“And if you found they did, would you stay and help?” asked Ekala.
Templar just grinned. “If the world is going to end, my dear, I shall go out living.”
“Yeah, part of me feels the same,” said Ekala.
“So join me.”
Ekala laughed. “Thought you worked alone?”
“Traditionally, yes. But perhaps having a partner would be an interesting experiment.”
Her smile hung for a moment, but Ekala wasn’t sure whether or not to laugh at his statement. “You being serious?”
He shrugged. “Perhaps. Perhaps not.”
Ekala folded her arms and glanced down. “Tempting offer, but I’m gonna have to pass. I made a promise and it’s one I intend to keep.”
“You love him, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” she said. “He still pisses me off at times, but I love him.”
Templar reached for his belt and took out a card. He handed it to her. “Should you ever change your mind, you will find me here.”
She looked down at the card. Nothing on it but a simple address. “Where is this?”
“Mercury.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but I probably won’t be dropping by,” said Ekala.
“Hold onto it anyway,” said Templar. “Perhaps it will prove useful.”
CHAPTER 19
The frozen tundra made it difficult to find a solid footing for the Excalibur to land, but Zarim was able to make do. The crew prepared, each wrapping themselves in a cloak and scarf, save for Swul, who claimed the cold didn’t bother him. The sun was out, its rays glinting off the thick snow. Reyche kept her hood pulled as far over her head as she could and, with her scarf, her eyes were the only thing visible. Ekala stood beside Zarim, who had his hands clasped together and his eyes shut.
“Your magic radar working again?”
Zarim’s eyes remained shut and he nodded. Without looking, he held out his arm and pointed. As if it were the needle of a compass, his arm turned, finding the proper destination. His eyes opened, a slight glow to them. “That way.”
“Like I said before, creeps me out,” said Swul.
“But aren’t you one of the fallen?” asked Reyche. “I thought magic was commonly used amongst your people.”
Swul shook his head and grumbled as he hovered further ahead of Reyche. She watched him go while Tanus came up beside her. “Do you mind if I give you some advice, girl?”
“What?” she asked.
“I wasn’t sure you should come with us, given what we found out about you in Serenity.” Tanus gestured ahead to Swul. “That man stood up for you. So maybe you should cool it on that ‘fallen’ nonsense. By now, I’m sure you must have realized that the tenets of your religion have been perverted by men like Vortai.”
“I meant no offense...”
“Let me put it to you this way,” said Tanus. “Since you became a vampire, that means you’re now one of the ‘fallen’. Imagine how you’d like that title being thrown your way.”
Reyche lowered her head, trying to hide beneath her hood. Tanus was right, the world was much different than she’d been led to believe. And now she would need to find her own path in this world.
Zarim kept a brisk pace ahead of the others. He moved as if the deep snow provided no difficulty in walking. Ekala felt like she was applying twice as much effort to keep up with him, but only managing half his progress.
“Slow down, handsome.”
He allowed her a chance to catch up to him. “Sorry, I just wanna get to this thing without any trouble. Our track record’s not exactly been great.”
“Look up,” said Ekala. “See anything up there?”
Zarim turned his eyes up to the midday sky. Nothing but the sun hanging up there, not even a single cloud or bird. He shook no.
“Hear anything out of the ordinary? Like any warships?” asked Ekala.
“Well, no...”
She smiled while placing both gloved hands on his cheeks. “Exactly. No one followed us. We’re alone out here. So take it easy, okay.”
She gently smacked one of his cheeks. Zarim smiled back. “Yeah, you’re right. This will probably prove to be the easiest job yet. After all, what’s out here that can pose a threat to us?”
Not far over one of the snowy ridges, one such creature watched the group as they moved through the snow. Its feline eyes kept careful track of their movements, lips parting to reveal a set of fierce, pointed teeth. Staying low, it moved along the ridge, still watching them as they went, the winter landscape providing excellent camouflage for its snow-white fur.
Their trek brought them up to the foot of a tall hill, one which Zarim stopped in front of, staring at. He brushed away the snow until his fingers slipped on the cool, wet surface of a block of ice. Zarim stepped clear of the path. “Tanus, think you can take care of that?”
Tanus nodded and his artificial hand slid apart for the gun barrel to emerge. He aimed at the ice and fired a pulse, the blast shattering the ice and revealing a gaping hole. The group gathered in front of it, peering inside the darkness.
“How did you know there was a cave back here?” asked Reyche.
“That gem gives him some sorta mojo,” said Swul. “Tells ‘im where the others are.”
“Let’s press on,” said Zarim. He reached beneath his cloak for a small flashlight. Shining it within, he stepped inside first. Tanus followed, with Swul right behind. Ekala was about to enter, but she turned back to see Reyche staring off into the distance.
“You okay?” she asked. “Not afraid of a little darkness, are you?”
“No, it’s not that...” said Reyche.
“So what?”
“There’s something...” She spun towards Ekala. “Do you get the feeling that we’re being watched?”
Ekala shrugged. “Not really, but I’m not the one with the vampire senses, am I? You think we got trouble around here?”
Reyche’s hesitation was written all over her face. It was plain that she wasn’t quite sure what thought. She’d only had these senses for a short while, and she hadn’t quite grown accustomed to them just yet. There was no way for her to be certain that she did perceive something the others didn’t, or if she was simply being paranoid in light of the recent turn her life had taken.
“I really don’t know,” she said.
“If there is something out here, best thing to do is get the stone and get back to the ship, don’t you think?”
Reyche glanced out into the wide open field once more before slowly nodding. She walked towards the cave. “You’re right, no sense in wasting time when we don’t have to.”
Ekala swept her arm towards the cave. “After you.” Reyc
he went inside without another word, but what she said seemed to have an effect on Ekala. The thief parted her cloak and drew a throwing knife from the bandolier. She held it at the ready as she gave one final survey of the area, but then decided it really was nothing and followed her teammates inside.
And the creature who had been stalking them ever since they left the Excalibur stared intently at the entrance to the cave. It slunk back off into the white.
Zarim didn’t pay much attention to the path ahead. He held his light out to illuminate the way, but he seemed to completely ignore it. Instead, he appeared to move entirely on instinct alone. Tanus kept his gun-arm ready for the first sign of trouble and Swul also had both hands on his battle-axe. The trio were joined by Reyche and Ekala as they moved through the dark and spacious cavern.
“Not seein’ anything yet,” said Swul.
“Stay alert,” said Tanus. “Never know what may be lurking in here.”
“In here or out there,” added Ekala. “That’s what the church girl said.”
“Said about what?” asked Tanus, craning his neck to look at Reyche from over his shoulder. Even in the darkness, he could clearly make out her pale yellow eyes and it unsettled him.
She frowned. “It could be nothing, I just thought I felt like there was something else out there.”
“These lands aren’t exactly known as friendly,” said Tanus. “Harsh weather, vicious wildlife, makes it difficult to get any settlements out here. There are even tales of—”
“Quiet,” said Zarim, coming to a sudden stop. “I can feel the Soulstone, but I need to concentrate.”
He closed his eyes and held out his arms, trying to feel out the stone’s location. The energy emanated by the stone felt stronger than it had before. He knew they were getting closer. Zarim dropped the light and continued on in the darkness. Ekala jumped for the discarded tool and flashed it in his direction.
“Don’t do anything stupid!”
“It’s okay,” said Zarim, easily stepping through the cavern, his eyes still closed. “I can see better this way. Wait here, I’ll be back in a moment.”
The others watched in stunned silence as their leader went deeper into the cavern. Swul knelt down and felt around part of the stone floor, then took a seat once he was confident there was nothing there to disturb him. He drew a cigar and lit it with a wooden match, then offered one to Tanus.
“Might as well take a breather, gang.”
“You’re just going to let him continue on alone?” asked Reyche.
Ekala shrugged. “Last time he went off on his own, he came back with a stone. And he managed to kill a pterosaur.”
“But still, the potential risk...”
“We known the guy a lot longer than you, sister. He can handle himself,” said Swul.
The group remained near the entrance to the cavern for another few moments, sitting in total silence. Swul and Tanus smoked their cigars, both of them enjoying the brief respite. Ekala was more restless, twirling one of her throwing knives between her fingers. Reyche held the Illuminist star within her grasp. Despite Vortai’s perversions of her faith, she still prayed to the same god she had always prayed to in times of distress. Now more than ever, the devout young woman needed guidance. Although she knew the truth about the so-called fallen, those in her hometown were not likely to be as understanding, and she felt more lost than ever. It seemed the only place she could hope to find acceptance again was with this motley crew of fellow outcasts.
An eerie green glow softly illuminated the cavern. The glow became brighter and brighter as Zarim returned, the Soulstone held in his grasp. The crew instantly got to their feet, relief washing over all four of them. Zarim had a wide grin on his face as he held the stone up to them. “How’s that for progress, huh? We’ve now got four out of five, and this one came without too much trouble.”
“It’s not over until we’re back on the Excalibur,” said Tanus. Ever the soldier, he was prepared for an ambush at any turn.
“No time like the present,” said Zarim. He took point, walking towards the cavern’s exit. Just before stepping out, he pulled his scarf and hood back up to shield his face from the snow. Dusk had already begun and they would need to be more vigilant now than earlier.
Reyche was the last out of the cave and she paused, spinning to the side. She could hear something. There was a new scent in the air as well. But the sound seemed to come from many different directions at once. “We’re not alone, I’m sure of it.”
The group drew their weapons as one. Even without confirmation of Reyche’s suspicions, none of them were willing to take the risk. Nothing could be seen, however, and it seemed only Reyche’s ears could perceive the noise of a threat. Either that, or it was simple paranoia.
“Keep moving, stay alert,” said Zarim.
Something came from nowhere, tackling Zarim with such speed that it moved like the wind. Zarim tumbled with the creature through the snowy field. When they ceased their roll, the creature was atop him, its teeth bared and a growl rumbling from its throat. Zarim had his hand on the snout, trying to keep the large feline’s powerful jaws at bay.
The creature winced, then looked at its shoulder to see a knife sticking out. In a moment she shook loose the blade, whirled and bounded toward the knife-throwing pirate who had wounded her. Ekala was surprised to see that the creature, despite its lion-like appearance, was an anthropoid. It possessed not four legs, but two as well as two arms. Arms that ended in hands with fingers and opposable thumbs, then tipped with long claws. Even stranger, the creature was clothed in some sort of tribal dress, its mane braided by golden clips. The breasts made it fairly obvious they were dealing with a female.
“What are you?” asked Ekala.
“Trespassers!” the creature hissed before charging, her clawed hands flying towards Ekala. The young thief could barely keep out of reach, and the claws caught her cloak as she tried to dodge the strikes. Ekala dropped to the snow, leaving a clear path between the cat-person and Tanus, whose gun was pointed right at the her. Tanus fired a pulse blast on a lower setting, powerful enough to leave the creature reeling.
Swul swooped down behind, gripping his axe at both ends of the shaft, slipping it over the creature’s head and holding it against her throat. He struggled with her, the feline woman flailing from side to side to shake the faerie loose, but Swul was unwilling to release his grasp. She flipped forward, landing on her back, and by extension, Swul. That was enough to shake him loose and she scrambled to her feet, kicking up ice and clots of snow.
Tanus came at her again, firing more energy pulses. Her lithe form evaded them with incredible precision, and with each dodge, she moved closer to him, until she was within range to jump for his artificial arm. In mid-leap, she gripped the arm, pushing his aim awry. Her legs struck Tanus, driving his body into the snow.
Zarim came at her next, firing rounds from his pistol. Still, the creature moved nimbly. Zarim held the stone in one hand and he noticed her eyes locking onto it. The two circled each other, maintaining a distance. Each waited for the other to strike first. But their fracas was interrupted by the intervention of a third figure who jumped between them.
“Stop this!” said Reyche.
“Get outta the way,” said Zarim.
“Let’s see if we can figure out what’s going on here before someone is killed,” said Reyche. She now turned her gaze to their foe. “You can speak our language, can’t you?”
The cat-person nodded. “She speaks, yes.”
“Why did you attack us?” asked Reyche.
“They trespass on Felidae territory. She only defends what is hers,” answered the creature.”
“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to trespass,” said Reyche. “We didn’t know anyone was out here, we were simply trying to get what is ours.”
“And what is theirs?” the creature asked.
Reyche looked to Zarim, who understood this was his cue. He kept his gun drawn, but slowly raised the Sou
lstone so the creature could see it clearly. Reyche again regarded her and asked, “is this your property?”
The strange cat-woman appeared puzzled as she studied the gem from afar. Gently, her head turned from side to side. “She has never laid eyes on that object.”
“It’s important for us to take it, important for the world,” said Zarim.
The woman watched them with a cautious curiosity. “They...are not here to harm Felidae?”
Reyche shook her head. “No, we’re not. My name is Reyche. Reyche Estry. Do you have a name?”
The woman nodded. “She is called simply Liran of the Felidae.”
“Will you allow us to leave peacefully?” asked Reyche. “We want no trouble.”
Liran pointed a clawed finger at the Soulstone. “So long as it is on Felidae land, it is Felidae property. They must not leave without permission from the Chieftain.”
“I suggest you count again, babe,” said Swul, hovering towards her while brandishing his axe. “There are five of us an’ one of you.”
Liran smirked. “She does not travel alone. She simply wished to test her mettle first.”
From over the hills, around a dozen more beings who resembled Liran appeared. They brandished spears, swords, and arrows notched in bows, prepared to be released. Liran folded her arms and stood upright as the other Felidae, all of whom appeared to be female, descended upon their party.
“This is starting to become a habit,” muttered Ekala.
CHAPTER 20
A sense of deja vu was felt by Zarim, Tanus and Ekala while they, alongside Swul and Reyche, were escorted by the dozen or so feline warriors into the heart of the Felidae village. The Felidae colony wasn’t far from the spot where Liran had ambushed the crew of the Excalibur. The village was nestled in a valley between the snowy mountains of the northern region. There were homes arranged in the village made of thatched reeds. The Felidae themselves seemed unburdened by the weather, instead they wandered about the village, preparing meals over outdoor fire pits made of stone, while torches on pikes bathed the settlement in an orange glow.
SoulQuest Page 16
