I was meantime trying to make sense of our surroundings. Remin and the other two Royals’ gear were easy enough to spot, but this room should not exist. The roots of trees seemed to have created the gaps that Remin must have smashed further in. How long had he been living here, I wondered?
Remin stood abruptly, though the low ceiling forced him to bend over till his eyes were level with Adi’s head. “I’m not asking you to understand, Adi. But I am asking you to trust me.” He turned her around by the arm and they stood together, gazes locked and the energy humming between them unmistakable. In miner culture, such a union would have been as taboo as a miner and a Royal. Remin was one of the elders, though not half so old as Brien had been. Still, Adi was younger than me, much as she might like to forget this fact.
When their lips came together, I thought I might be sick on food I had forgotten to consume in the last day.
That’s all we need, I thought. More selfless, sacrificing fools in love.
I sat up, more than willing to interrupt. They parted the moment I stood and crossed the room to sit before the fire. I listened to Adi hiss and felt the exchange of silent words before Remin came to join me. I stared at the fire for a long time, unwilling to say anything about what I had just witnessed or heard. I let him break the silence, once Adi took a seat at his side.
“It’s been a difficult journey for you, eh wildling?” Remin asked with some humor.
I scowled even more darkly at the flames, if that were possible. Fire reminded me of her hair. “So, you lived.”
“Aye,” he replied after a pause, then said, “Been living alone, waiting to rescue my shipmates. As you might have guessed, the plan turned out to be a lot more complicated than I thought.”
“You said something about the Royals having females?” I cut in with a sharp and pointed glance at Adi. Her skin darkened until it was almost black and she lowered her gaze.
Remin sighed. “Aye, those would be their keepers. Var have very strange customs. Apparently, the chief’s daughters wanted to keep the Xame and Kall as…pets or something. They have very little say or rights, and they are only mistreated when the chief’s sentries get bored. The Var have been trying to squish information out of them ever since they were captured, about the vessel we came in. They don’t know much about the heavens, Ohre, but they do know we came from them. That initially made all of us almost like deities to their minds. But unfortunately, they feared us too much. We lost whatever edge we might have had.”
“You want to rescue the Captain and the first mate. Why?”
Remin grimaced and the action made his tattoos shift across his heavily marked face. “I didn’t know if any of you survived. And Captain made sure I survived. Only now does the past seem pointless.”
I nodded, understanding. “Think these Royals want to be rescued?”
Adi lifted her head again at this, frustration clearly written in the set of her mouth. Remin ignored this and replied, “I have to believe that. We don’t belong here, Ohre. The sooner we leave the better.”
The following morning, while Remin was gathering the last of the supplies we would need before setting out for the village, I dared to confront Adi with the truth.
We stood together in a silence, heavy with thoughts and feelings. Royals used to hate us for being so out of control. Better to live freely than act as though we were made of nothing but gears and nuts and bolts, though.
“You lied to me, Adi.”
She nodded. “I lied to everyone, Ohre. Even myself.”
I tried not to speak as if I had swallowed something sour. “How did you two even…”
She glanced up at me then with a smirk and slapped me on the back. “Don’t ask.” She frowned again as she studied me from the corner of her eye. “Ohre, you know I’d do whatever it takes to get Remin to rebuild Pioneer, even save a couple of mangy Royals. But what are you in this for? I mean, you practically kept those brats alive by yourself. I never asked why, but, well is it…” she trailed off and I restrained the urge to sigh.
Nodding quickly, I replied, “Aye. It was. And no, I don’t care any more for Xame or Kall than you. But, I want to do this one thing for her, before we blast out of this pit. I think I owe her this much.”
“For what?” Adi asked.
“For pushing her into a life she never wanted.”
The Var went about their morning routine with the same speed they had in the evening. Families moved freely through the village and oftentimes, obliviously past us. We had one shot at this, Remin had said. Even though the old hunan was confident the Royals would come with us, I had my doubts. Not because I had any special hidden knowledge above him, but because I could barely trust my own kind. And knowing I was about to try and do something selfless for a change, made me even more assured that something was going to go wrong today.
The hunting party we had spotted yesterday had already left to begin today’s hunt. It was the best time to attempt a rescue, because the other Var would not be expecting this. They assumed wrongly that their warriors carried the fight with them instead of bringing it back home. I learned long ago that nowhere is as safe as you imagine.
Remin and Adi waited near the huts he claimed the Royals to have been taken. When I gave the signal, they would sneak in, eliminate any resistance and make for the caves. Our best chance was to get away and not stop until we reached the cliffs. Otherwise, we risked the chance of being caught in Var territory, where the only safe place might be the trees.
I looked at my wrist and the metal brace that wrapped over it, the invisible sensors placed strategically against my palm and the skin beneath. I designed it so it could act with me, on instinct. Today I flipped open the top cover and looked closely at the wires, at the pulses of lights that traveled through the circuits like blood through the veins. It would burn red today.
I looked up and took in one last clean breath of the wet forest, drank in the other villagers’ mix of odors and listened to their voices. I closed my eyes, to bring back the image of the layout of trip wires and pit falls and other traps scattered around the village. Then, without opening them, I stood and walked into the path.
With my eyes shut, my ears could pick up sounds that most couldn’t. Old Brien said it had something to do with my living so deep under water for so long. He admitted that most land dwellers were losing their old water senses, adapting in other ways. I did not suffer from this hindrance.
The voices of children continued to shout and mothers reprimanded them. Then they quickly hushed into silence. I flexed the muscles in my neck and opened my eyes to face them when a spear came to press against my back. They gaped, dumbfounded at the stranger in their midst. I was different from most miners, but the Var only knew the Royals and weren’t prepared for me. I smirked at the thought and met the earth-colored eyes of the nearest Var.
The alien’s mouth worked and harsh words followed as it too brought up its spear in a threatening posture. I sensed five more were coming from other corners of the village, the sentries stepping from their posts to face this unexpected threat.
I listened to the sweet, high-pitched hum of my gauntlet as the gears wound and whirred faster. My sharp teeth clicked together and the world around me slowed. Thrusting my arm back so it was pointed behind me, I clenched my fist and a burst of plasma energy left the gauntlet to blast through the chest of the one behind me. As that spear fell away three more replaced it, but I had already ducked, brought up the gauntlet again to blast the one screaming in front of me. I twisted around and braced my hands on the earth, while lifting up the gauntlet again to fire at the others in rapid succession. I used my feet to lift off the earth and kick the wooden sticks aside, and then jumped up after.
Children and women were screaming, rushing into their huts while others ran for the forest. I didn’t want to take any chances that they were going to get reinforcements. This was one village, I reminded myself. Not even Remin knew whether there were other settlements farther in.
They aren’t total wastes of space, then.
More guards had arrived, and I ran for the edge of the village, for the forest where I knew the traps were waiting. A spear whizzed past my head and I took in the angle of its thrust quickly before twisting around and sending a glob of red energy back. The Var screamed and then more came to replace him. Others called to one another from positions deeper in the surrounding forest.
I jumped over the tripwires, and then twisted my torso to fire back at it in time to send a shot that snapped the line. Several screams echoed behind me as the massive tree trunks swung from the forest ahead of us. I threw myself to the ground until I was covered in mud and felt a gust of wind brush over the skin at the back of my head.
I didn’t waste time getting up even though I knew the log would come back my way soon. But I was confident I could outrun it. I should have paid attention to the loops. The net wrapped me up in its tight embrace and I switched gears with another flick of my wrist, before sending out a burst of white energy. I was free, but I tore up the earth around me with the effort. And I had wasted valuable seconds. The log was coming my way.
I ran faster than I had ever attempted on land. That was how I discovered just how quick I could be. I heard more shouts behind me and cries from the village, followed by an explosion I should have seen coming. From the corner of my vision, I saw the forest light up with an unnatural pale light, and then the earth trembled and shook. I wasn’t sure what was left of the village, or where exactly Adi had placed her boomers, but something had tripped them off.
Remembering the innocents made me feel a twinge of guilt and I didn’t want to think about the chance my kin had been caught up in the aftermath. I ran until I felt I had made enough distance between me and the Var. Surely they had run back to the village when they realized the real threat had been waiting for them all along.
I watched the ashes rain down from the sky and a black cloud snake up toward the heavens and sneered as it reached through the trees and toward me. Emerging from the smoke I saw shadows and slips of tall figures. I knew instinctively they weren’t my shipmates and cursed before turning to run once again. I ducked just before the spear skewered my head.
I kept running while turning to fire a few warning shots behind me. The thought came to me that the stunner would probably work better in this case, but it would need to recharge before I wasted more chole dust.
“Do you wirms ever give up?” I grunted and jumped to avoid another attack.
So I caught the next spear and twisted it around to face the furious, hairy warriors. They weren’t thinking like a pack, making my job a lot easier. I blocked the next blow with a slap of the spear in my hands, and then lifted my other arm to blast two more in the chest. It was just like target practice, I thought with a grimace. The last one, I waited until he had rushed to meet me, blocked his first thrust and moved aside for his next slash, before thrusting the spear up into his chest, where his vital organs should be. My eyes widened when I saw red blood seep from the wound and his mouth and tossed the Var aside with disgust.
What kind of demons were these creatures that they puked red blood?
A group of collective, strangled cries sounded off ahead of me and I cursed under my breath. The pack of hunters was returning, and I was nowhere near the cliffs. Checking my scanner one more time for direction, I closed the cover to my gauntlet and ran. A sharp pain stabbed at my side every time I took in a new breath, and I lifted my fingers to find grayish blue blood was oozing from the source.
Filsh wastes… Don’t have time to bleed.
Of course, it wasn’t long after that that I heard the panting breaths and snarls of a group of ridge-backs. They were following the stench of death, no doubt. With few options, I jumped up into the nearest climbable tree I could find. After scaling it easily, in spite of my wound, I found a sturdy thick branch where I could pause for breath and catch the chance to cauterize the cut.
I hissed as the flesh was melted together and nearly retched when the smell hit my nose. Hugging the tree to keep from losing balance, I blinked and wondered why I was having trouble keeping my eyes open.
I turned when I heard the Var pack cry out below as they were faced with the ridge-backs. Snarls and hisses of pain, followed by the sound of ripped flesh and crunched bones let me know that the enemy was finished for now. Terror gripped me when I thought of the weakened Royals and Adi and Remin heading this direction—if they hadn’t been delayed as I was.
The ridge-backs screeched when a fresh wave of reinforcements arrived. It was too late for their fallen Var brothers, but this new wave of warriors disposed of the beasts quickly. When I glanced down, I was surprised not to find a pack of males, but females, wielding spears and torches in their hands. Fire, it would seem, was enough to keep the ridge-backs away.
I hissed low when they began to scan the area. In the near distance, a horn blew over the treetops and winged creatures took flight. The females froze, rigid and tense as more warrior cries followed. It was a bleeding call to arms.
One female, her waist-length black hair braided and left hanging down her back in a thick rope, studied the ground near my tree. I narrowed my eyes and shifted gears in my gauntlet, for kill this time. The females didn’t stay down as long as I had liked the last time. She lifted a finger and stuck it in her mouth before spitting and lifting her chin to the tree with a murderous glare. Before she could cry out, a scythe was thrust through the air and stuck into her chest. The others screamed as a fresh attack came from above.
I gaped and stared at the treetops, not used to being surprised more than once in the same day.
“Datura!” several young voices cried out as they swung in on ropes made from vines over the female’s heads and slashed with their curved silvery blades. The females screamed and some retreated, though others stayed to finish the fight.
I shouted when a figure swung in and collided on top of me, on my tree. My wound protested as I grabbed the slight frame and set it slightly away. If it wasn’t one of the Royals I had no trouble dropping to its death. But my eyes caught a glimpse of fire-red hair and fierce golden eyes.
“Qeya!” I gasped and squeezed my eyes shut in pain, forced to let her go and grip the tree again. Qeya wrapped her legs around my torso again and frowned as she looked for the source of my pain. “No, don’t. Save your strength,” I grunted, and hissed when I felt her energy enter my skin and mend the flesh. When she was finished she lifted her chin to meet my eye.
I glanced down at the limited space between us and then at her. And suddenly I was laughing and she was smiling while shaking her head.
“You never do what I tell you, do you?” I asked.
“Have you finally stopped trying to force me to obey?” she asked teasingly.
I laughed and wrapped my arms around her waist, relieved and content for the moment, even though we were sitting so unnaturally high above the earth.
My laughter faded when a spear shot from below and pierced her thigh. Her eyes bulged in shock and I kept her against my chest so she wouldn’t fall below. I ripped the spear out quickly and using the lowest setting of my plasma laser in my gauntlet, burned the wound quickly. Her scream gutted me and brought my eyes to find the one who was the cause of her pain.
Below, my eyes met with the female Qeya had thrown her scythe into, the one who had scented my blood. She was glaring up at us with hatred burning in her pale eyes and I grabbed Qeya’s rope the moment our gazes connected. I didn’t know I was screaming as I clutched Qeya to me and swung down on the rope. After dropping her to the forest floor, I ignored her protests and stalked the Var.
All I could see was red, the blood of the beasts and the dying Var as w
e fought them. The Royals were so much faster than my kind, their shapes mere blurs as they cut with their scythes and slit the ankles and behind the knees of the enemy.
The female with the rope-like braid was already on her feet and holding Qeya’s scythe at an awkward angle as she hefted it over her head and threw it at me. I caught the blade with my bare hand and savored the sting of blood. The Var’s eyes widened as I continued to meet her. She couldn’t run fast enough before I placed the scythe back into her chest where it belonged. This time, she didn’t get back up.
VII
Relinquish
I watched from a safe distance, as the adults of the Pioneer, Xame and Kall, introduced their alien women, the chief’s daughters, to Arvex and Hanea. It hadn’t taken long for us to meet up with Remin and the others in the safer, Nuki territory. I did my part in the rescue too well. Adi later claimed that the village thought an army had attacked and retaliated in full force. While I dealt with the wrath of every male from the village, the rest of my crew and the Royals were fighting a different battle. Remin and Adi, after rescuing the Royal prisoners, had been chased down by the two females who loved them, apparently. The chief’s daughters were scared and outraged enough that what remained of their families had come after them as well. As I observed the Var females standing at Xame and Kall’s sides, and the frightened, wide-eyed children and old ones standing not too far behind, I thought they looked similar to the warriors who had killed the ridge-backs. But it was strange looking at the softer sides of my enemy. These females were far more appealing to the eye, I had to admit. It was understandable why the Royals would settle into the life of little better than a bondservant in that village. They were prized slaves, but neither of them had expected to grow attached to the females they shared their nights with.
Ohre (Heaven's Edge) Page 7
