Tordan relaxed when his friend stayed down.
Then, he heard it. The footsteps were getting closer.
Time to go.
He looked back at the elven female and was struck by her beauty. He lifted her over his shoulder again and started to run, but kept her image at the front of his visual cortex. She had been abused in the prison, and was covered in blood and dirt. But he could tell her hair would be golden in the sunlight. Her tall, lithe form would be strong, like her spirit. Her pale green eyes seemed to take in everything around her. He wondered what she thought of him.
What am I doing? He asked himself for exactly the eight thousand and eleventh time since he had made the decision to rescue her. It simply didn’t make sense.
Rescuing this elf is a death sentence, even if my cybernetic programming has gone haywire or my human half gone mad.
And now that I have her in this maze of caves, tunnels, and Cyborgs… we’re probably going to die.
Aielle awoke with a groan. She was still over the Cyborg’s shoulder and that last jolt had been particularly painful. How could I fall asleep while he was still walking? I must have been beyond exhaustion.
This part of the cave system was so black that Aielle couldn’t even see the Cyborg’s back, though it was only inches from her face. She was grateful for his apparent night vision.
She tried to slide back into unconsciousness, but couldn’t. She was painfully, horrifyingly awake.
After what seemed like an eternity of agonizing steps, he stopped and set her down.
"Climb onto my back." His words were hurried as his hands reached out of the darkness and guided her hands to his shoulders. She groaned as she raised her arms above her head, and he turned away, kneeling, so that she could put her arms around his neck.
Her skin felt a spark of electricity again when she touched him. What is that?
She wrapped her legs around his waist, and felt it again.
It can’t be attraction, it’s so dark I can barely see him!
She heard a shout and running footfalls behind them. But her mind was awhirl with questions.
My magic wouldn’t choose a Cyborg, would it?
Her mother had told her that her magic would spark when it chose a mate. But I thought he would be… like me.
An elf. Or at least normal.
"Hold on tight and don't let go," he warned, his voice deep and urgent.
She forced herself to focus. “Why?”
“Because we’re going to escape on a zip line over a steep canyon.”
“A what?”
He snorted. “Just hang on. Tight.” And with two running steps, he leaped into the air. She heard the clank of metal on metal and suddenly they were flying downward, hurtling through the darkness.
She shrieked, but the wind took the sound away and left her gasping for breath.
She could hear a zipping noise of metal as they traveled along the line above them. She tried to hear whether anyone was behind them, but the wind rushing in her ears prevented her from hearing anything else.
After the initial shock, Aielle struggled to hang on. Her fingers were painful and slippery, and she wondered how far she would fall if she let go.
Hold on! Her mind screamed at her.
Wind flew through Aielle’s hair as she clung to Tordan’s back. The only light she could see was the blinking red light of his cybernetic chip in the back of his neck.
She could feel her magic tingling where their skin touched.
Why do I feel this?
She had heard from other elves that their magic would tingle, but had never felt it herself. Because it could mean only one thing. Her magic realized he was a potential mate. And for many, they met only one in their lifetime.
This can’t be happening.
He’s a Cyborg!
A Cyborg who saved me.
But his kind tortured me for years! He’s controlled by a chip!
But he hasn’t always been a Cyborg. Once, he was a man.
Her internal war was cut short by the sound of scraping metal behind them.
More Cyborgs on the zip line!
And they were getting closer.
Faster. Must go faster.
But instead of speeding up, they suddenly slowed and she felt his feet hit the ground.
“Jump off and step back five paces.”
She jumped off but lost her balance, scrambling backward along the ground what she thought was five paces. Her legs, arms, and hands protested every movement. Have to get out of the way.
The metal screeching stopped just short of her and she heard a loud thud.
Then the sounds of grunting and repeated blows.
She was completely blind in the darkness, save for occasional glimpses of the blinking Cyborg chips at the backs of their necks.
What can I do?
She heard a cry and, just as suddenly as they had begun, the noises ended.
Then she heard a loud click and then the sawing noise of metal.
He’s cutting the line.
“Cyborg?”
He grunted and relief filled her.
You shouldn’t care about him so much. He’s the enemy.
I don’t. But he’s my only chance at survival right now.
Yeah. Right.
More scraping of metal on metal approached, but then she heard a metallic whipping sound as he released the line.
Several Cyborgs cried out as they dropped into the canyon below.
Thank the gods!
Aielle peered through the darkness, trying to see him. “What now?”
“I think I remember a hideout,” he said grimly. “But we have to hurry. That will only slow them by an hour. I think.”
“You think?”
“My memories were wiped when I got the chip. But flashes have been coming back, gradually. I seem to remember something about a hidden cave. And a little about the mountain.” His voice was uncertain.
“All right, it’s the only plan we have at the moment.” We can make it. We have to. But her body was wet, shivering, exhausted. The draft from the inner mountain canyon was strong and frigid.
Tordan took her hand and led her forward quite a distance. She could tell they were entering another tunnel because the rocks on the walls started to glow slightly.
Then he stopped and turned on a small light.
Aielle's eyes took a moment to adjust after the darkness, and she realized they were in a narrow tunnel. Then her eyes went straight to him.
He’s so young!
She’d expected someone older, but his short, spiky brown hair didn't show any hint of gray. His gray eyes were set in a face that would have been handsome if it weren't so grave.
He paused and she realized he’d been speaking to her. “What?”
"I said we can get you better clothing once we reach the caves on the other side of the mountain. But we have to make good time to get there, so I have time to cover our tracks. I'll carry you on my back from here on out.”
Part of her wanted to accept. To grab on to him and let him protect her. But he’s one of them. You don’t know if you can trust him.
And I don’t want to touch him again, not with my magic sparking. I need to keep my distance from him until I know more.
She shook her head. “I can walk.”
He stilled for a moment, the powerful muscles in his arms tensing. He looked down at her feet, then up at her face. “You’re shivering and look about ready to drop where you stand. The laceration in your thigh will slow us down. I can walk for both of us, and keep you warm at the same time.” He didn’t seem to take notice of her perusal, as his large hands went to the side of his pant leg. He unzipped a pocket and withdrew a long, thick tube and unscrewed a small lid at the end. “Here,” he said gruffly. “Drink.”
Aielle looked at him in shock. “You had water?” She grabbed then end and gulped it so quickly that the liquid burned going down. She choked and he clapped her on the back with one huge palm,
moving her forward several paces with its force.
His eyes narrowed. “I should have given that to you before,” he muttered, clearly angry with himself. “The chip mutes the pain and emotion centers of our brain, as well as hunger and thirst.” He reached into his pocket as she took another drink, bringing out a small foil packet. “A mixture of grains, fruit, and honey. Instant energy.”
She ripped open the packet with trembling fingers, clumsy in her eagerness. Her sense of smell, deprived for so long, detected the blissful scent of the food long before she lifted it to her lips. She bit into the bar immediately, moaning at the glorious taste of real food. Three hundred days. Three hundred and seventy five days of gruel.
He straightened and said sternly. “We have to hurry. Cyborgs are fast and they know where we are. We can’t stop until we reach the hideout.” He swept her up into his arms.
She opened her mouth to protest. Magic zinged through her at his touch, made stronger by the large dose of water. And being held against his chest like this was far more intimate than being carried over his shoulder or on his back.
But he silenced her with a look. “You keep eating. I will keep us moving.”
With food in one hand, water in the other, and the strong arms of the gray-eyed Cyborg around her, for the first time, Aielle began to feel a tiny spark of hope steal into her chest.
Can he really do this?
Can this Cyborg get me home?
There are sure to be many more dangers along the way.
And what if it’s a trick to make me trust him?
Would my magic choose him if he were going to betray me?
None of her questions had answers – at least not at the current moment. So when she finished eating the energy mix, and drinking more of the water, she put them away and snuggled up to his chest.
How long has it been since I’ve been warm?
And how long has it been since I’ve had hope?
When the golden-haired elf finished eating, she laid her head against his chest.
That electric, tingling feeling shot through him again. But as much as he wanted to revel in it, the Ardaks and Cyborgs wouldn’t be far behind.
He began to run, setting his chip to regulate his rhythm at a quick pace. He ran without stopping, his pace fast and his breathing quick and even.
He held her gently, as if she was the most precious thing in the world. At the moment, she was the most precious thing in the world to him. Besides that, she was small. Fragile. As well as weak and injured. It is my job to protect her.
Is this what it is to care for something? He searched his memories from before the chip implantation surgery, but instantly his mind went to the pain when they implanted his chip. Then when they cut off his arm and shoulder, replacing them with metal, regrowing the skin on top.
He froze in midstride, almost falling. They used nothing to dull the pain. They wanted to hurt us.
Why didn’t I care until now?
“Cyborg?”
He cleared his throat. I am not a Cyborg. “My name is Tordan. I am a male of the Mountain Realm. And although I might not remember my past, I know that once I was not so different than you.”
He didn’t wait for her answer, but started running again, as if moving faster could outrun his pain. The loss of his memories. The loss of his freedom.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
It was almost imperceptible, but he caught the words anyway. Her soft voice slid down his spine like a gentle touch. He shivered. How long has it been since I felt anything gentle or kind? “You are forgiven.”
She relaxed closer to his chest, and his heart raced. She’s probably just cold.
He felt the electric shiver. Is my chip malfunctioning again? “I never learned your name,” he said gruffly.
As she shifted, her fingers brushed his chest, and the hairs on his arms stood on end. “My name is Aielle.”
His foot skidded for a half a second on some loose rocks. Focus! he chided himself, but still, he was painfully aware of every inch of her body touching his own.
“Are we almost there?”
“I hope so.” And I hope this is the right direction. If she would stop touching him, maybe he would be able to concentrate, search his memories.
Because the truth was, he wasn’t sure. He was counting on his sense of direction and half-remembered memories to guide him. He didn’t want to use the chip for location or direction, in case the Ardaks found a way to recover the information.
Finally, he took a path that veered off to the right. It ran slightly upward and opened into a large cavern. He sighed with relief when he saw the red glow on the tunnel walls.
The glow, and finally the heat, reached down the tunnels like a fiery guide, beckoning him toward it.
The tiny elf — Aielle — obviously felt it, too. “What’s that?”
“We’re approaching the lava flow at the center of the mountain,” Tordan said grimly as he strode closer. “It burns anything it touches. I hope my old path is still here. I haven’t taken it in years.” Old memories long buried suddenly came to his mind in color. It was like seeing for the first time in years. He caught flashes of two young boys who had adventured into this tunnel — exploring and fighting off imaginary enemies. It was me… and Roian. It is strange to feel again. To remember…happiness. He felt his mouth twisting.
He stopped when he reached the edge. “The path is still here, but it’s become a lot narrower. I’ll have to set you down to determine if we can cross it.”
A river of lava emerged from the rock and a very narrow ledge stuck out just above the flow. This area is dangerous. I would not take her this way if I had any other choice. The heat seared his face, the flow wide as a river. The pace of the lava was slow, the top blackened with cooler lava.
He took a hesitant step onto the ledge, testing it with his foot. Part of it crumbled away, disappearing into the lava below. I can’t take her this way. Even if I have to fight more Cyborgs, I must do everything in my power to ensure she is safe.
Then he paused. Why do I feel this way about her? He didn’t have an answer.
He realized she was looking at him and gestured at the narrow path. “It’s too narrow… too unstable. We’d have to edge along the wall on the overhang, and I can’t trust that the ledge isn’t going to crumble beneath us.”
She studied the path, her pale green eyes reflecting the orange-red glow of the lava. “What are our other options?”
“We’ll have to go around it. Backtrack a little until we find another place to cross.”
Voices echoed through the mountain from behind them.
“No.” She argued, trying to struggle free. “They’re too close. Put me down.”
He hesitated a moment, then gently placed her on her feet. “What are you doing?”
Without warning, she jumped onto the ledge, placing a finger to her lips. “This is the fastest path,” she whispered, “Let’s take it.”
Images of the rock crumbling beneath her feet, sliding into the boiling lava, flashed in his mind.
He stepped forward. “It’s too dangerous. I’ll fight them all if I have to.” But she took two more steps along the ledge, keeping her footfalls light.
He looked over his shoulder at the path they’d just come from. Three Cyborgs had just emerged from the tunnel and stood gaping at them. Damn.
“Go,” he ordered.
She followed his order, scrambling across, and he turned to face them.
The three were dressed in dusty clothes, one carrying a ladder and the other two carrying surveying equipment. He realized that they weren’t actually after him. Terrible luck. They must have been out of range when the new orders came through, the old orders just recycling until they sync up again.
Can I lie to them?
He studied them with a sinking feeling. The third one already had his finger to his forehead.
Why are we trained to be such tattletales?
I believe my peop
le used to hate that.
“What are you doing?” the one with the ladder asked loudly.
“Looking for a place to be alone,” he responded.
The Cyborg’s brow wrinkled for a moment. “What?”
He glanced over his shoulder. If she can just get to the other side, I can destroy the path so they don’t get to her.
But then his logic took over.
You have to live, too. She can’t see in the dark, can’t fight. She has no chance of getting out of the mountain without you.
“I said, we are looking for a place to be alone.” He winked. “You know, she’s hot.”
The Cyborg finally seemed to realize Tordan was making fun of him. His brows drew together in anger.
“I can’t communicate with Ardak command,” the third one stated.
“I think that’s the prisoner from the dungeon,” the second one broke in.
Tordan looked at him closely for the first time. It was Tuger. Budut’s friend. And one who used to work in the prison before he was transferred. His death won’t be a loss.
The three turned as one to face him, and started to close in.
Damn. This doesn’t look good.
He edged backward, glancing over his shoulder at Aielle. She was almost to the opposite side, edging along the path as quickly as she could, stepping lightly and hugging the wall of stone.
The Cyborgs were almost upon him.
He quickly jumped onto the narrow path after her, searching for handholds in the rock above in case the ledge gave way. Please hold. Please don’t crumble.
Aielle jumped down onto the other side.
She made it!
And he was almost there. But it was too late. Just as he reached the three-quarter point, a viselike hand grabbed his arm.
Fuck.
He found a good grip in the wall with his other hand and his foot shot out behind him, kicking the other Cyborg. He glanced back and realized it was Tuger.
The other man let him go, but only briefly. They battled each other one-handed, grappling, struggling, each trying to get enough leverage to throw the other one into the lava below.
“Just let…us go,” Tordan ground out, inching another step toward the opposite shore where Aielle waited. His foot slipped, causing his stomach to jump.
Tordan 1.0: Episode 1: Cyborg Warriors Page 4
