Discovery at Nerwolix

by C. G. Coppola

  Racing over, I help pick it up and place it around him, but he’s pink with chill.

  “Able…shit…” I wrap the cloak around us, wrapping my body on his in a tight hug. “Is this better?”

  “F-Fallon,” his teeth chatter, “w-what are you d-doing?”

  “You need to get warmer. You need heat,” I press myself against him, rubbing my hands down his back. “With the two of us under here, there’ll be more heat.”

  “Y-yeah… b-but…” his eyes flicker to Reid.

  “It’s fine,” I start us walking. “We need you alive.”

  “Y-you s-sure?” he glances to Reid. “B-boss…”

  Reid nods but stays silent, keeping behind us as we make our way across the mountain of snow. Every few minutes a harsh gust snakes up the Carring hide, sending me and Able into a shaking frenzy, but we wrap the cover around ourselves tighter. Reid keeps to my right in his own hide, walking beside us, glancing over occasionally with a vague frown. After a moment, I lean toward him.

  “You’re okay with this, right?”

  Reid nods. “I want you warm.”

  “We can switch if you want. Someone needs to keep Able from turning into a snowman.”

  This pulls a small smirk from Reid, but he shakes his head. “Like I said, I want you warm. Able can take care of it now…” his smirk grows, “…I can take care of it later.”

  “Yeah, I’m right here,” Able laughs. “And happy for the both of you. But who’s going to keep me warm tonight? And don’t suggest one of the Rogues. If that cute girl Mae was here, I’d try my luck with her if Jace didn’t beat me to it.”

  “Really?” I raise a brow. “Didn’t know you were interested.”

  “What? As a snuggle-buddy.”

  “What’s wrong with Pratt?”

  “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “It’d be like snuggling with my kid sister.”

  Reid laughs. “If the two of them were here, they’d probably be sharing a Carring cover of their own. So,” he shrugs, “you’d still be out of luck.”

  Able sighs. “I need a girl.”

  “Maybe a nice tribe-girl?” I grin. “You don’t have to save the best for Jace.”

  “I know… he just always seems to get them.”

  Clarence races back to us, the Rogues ahead stopping as we all gather into one tightly knit herd. “Okay,” he glances over his shoulder, past the blowing ice flurries. “The Pweboles are leading Sampson to a cavern entrance just over that way… a few meters at most. I need my two baits,” he finds Werzo before his eyes fly to me and Able under the Carring hide. “Ready?”

  “Good luck,” I shimmy out of the cover, the cold instantly rushing over me. It’s freezing. I’m not sure how we’ll be able to stay out here much longer. At least we were heading inside before. Now we’re just waiting to draw the Vermix out and who knows how long that could take? I snuggle under Reid’s hide and his hands stroke up and down my arms, rubbing warmth into them. It helps, but my teeth are still chattering. It’s still too damn cold.

  “Werzo, Able, you two follow me. The rest of you, line up with Blovid and Sampson.”

  “Here we go,” Jace leads us toward the hill as Clarence takes the two Rogues across the opposite side.

  Threading his fingers in mine, Reid squeezes my hand and pulls me along behind him, directing us after Jace. We pass him quickly, keeping low and hidden under the white camouflage as we reach the top of the hill. It’s a slight slope downward and the Pweboles are scurrying straight for a deep cavern entrance nearly buried at the base. Sampson and Blovid lay flat in the snow just to the right of it, Vix and Qippert across them, to the opening’s left.

  Trying to ignore the cold, I grip Reid’s hand tighter. He offers a gentle squeeze in return, quickly jetting down the slope toward the Fychu and Arizal Leader. We’re with them in seconds, lying against the white ground as Reid covers us with the Carring hide. Like the others, I’m angled at the entrance, propped up on my elbows with the Traxpire resting on a mound of snow in front of me. Booker is on my right and the other Rogues are next to him while Reid keeps position on my left.

  He briefly whispers with Sampson next to him and then turns to me. “Don’t all shoot at once. We’re only here for backup. Sampson and Blovid will make the initial shots,” he motions to the right. “Let everyone know.”

  I pass along his message.

  Clarence lays across the cave’s mouth with Qippert and Vix while Werzo and Able stand in the open space between us, right in the center of Pweboles. Pobo is already making his way into the cave. He disappears past the rocky entrance while the rest of the Pweboles surround the two Rogues a short distance away. A few minutes pass and nothing is happening. No Vermix appear and Able and Werzo—along with the rest of us—continue to shake from the painful chill.

  Suddenly, Sampson rises to a stand and jets for the two Rogue baits.

  I turn to Reid but he’s already frowning. “He says something’s not right.”

  “You think they know we’re here?”

  “Possibly.”

  “What does Rox say?” Booker whispers to my left.

  I tell him and he passes it along down the line.

  Reid shifts closer to Blovid and the two exchange more whispers.

  They know we’re here…

  It rings in my head in a familiar way, similar to the voice that guided me to Ellae, but not quite the same. Like I’m overhearing someone else’s voice, listening to their thoughts.

  They’re expecting an ambush…

  How many, do you know?

  It’s a new voice, but just as strong. I look at Sampson in the center of the Pweboles, but he’s focused on Clarence, the two locked in some intense stare-down. Able and Werzo glance around the rest of us, surprise and unease reflecting. Finally, Sampson motions them back to us and they rush over, adding to our laid out line.

  “What’s happening?” Able plants himself between Reid and I.

  “We’re not sure,” he says.

  “They know we’re here,” I whisper, watching Sampson ease closer to the cave’s mouth, the herd of Pweboles still surrounding him.

  “For sure?” Able asks. “Or he has a suspicion?”

  Reid pops his head over, narrowing his eyes at me. “How do you know?”

  I shrug, not ready to dive into the explanation I’m not even sure of myself. It’s happened before—happened a few times, actually—but that doesn’t mean I know what it means. Or why it occurs. And in a way, it reminds me of Lalu, of how we were able to communicate when I was riding around on her in Mybyncia. Except, it’s not our conversation, but someone else’s.

  “What did Sampson say?” I ask Able.

  “Just to get back. That something’s not right.”

  “I wonder what happened…” I bite my lip, focusing on Sampson as he slowly moves for the cave’s opening.

  “Do you think—”Able is suddenly ripped from the ground next to me. Before I can look, something hard grips my shoulder and I’m tossed backwards, flying through the icy air.

  Chapter Three: Red Larupip

  I hit the snow with a hard thud but the snow cushions most of the blow.

  Blinking, I try to right myself, but I’m sinking into the cold. A thousand thoughts race through my head, including Able’s flighty departure. Is he alright? What’s happening? Someone calls my name—I think it’s Reid—and it draws me back to the present. But as I try to get up, I find my legs are bound, pinned together at my ankles. Shit. And I’m moving. I’m being dragged by my feet.

  I need my Traxpire. Reaching out, my hands skim the snow around me, frantically searching. But it’s gone. It must’ve landed away from me. Heart racing, I lift my head to find a Dofinike moving in a swift jog, crunching through the snow and tugging on the piece of rope wrapped around my ankles.

  This is not good.

  “Reid!” I scream, flipping over, clawing at the ground. I squirm back and forth, making it harder to pull me while digging my elbows i
nto the snow. “REID! SAMPSON!”

  “FALLON!” I hear in the distance, but it’s too far away to get to me anytime soon.

  Shit.

  What do I do? I don’t have my Traxpire and this Vermix is racing. Where is he taking me? I reach my hands out, trying to find anything but there’s nothing to grab. It’s just snow everywhere. White, freezing snow. Time is running out. The Dofinike has taken off in a run and if he gets to where he’s going, I might not be able to escape. I might be trapped. I need to get out of this now.

  But how?

  I kick my legs, continuously rolling back and forth, doing everything I can to make it harder to pull me. I’m not sure how far I’ve been dragged when he finally spins with a snarl, his yellow eyes glaring at me through lethal slits. With a hard tug he pulls me closer, lifting his talons to strike. But before he can, something knocks into him—another Dofinike.

  The two tumble through the snow, wrestling through the wet white as I scoot back, giving myself distance. Pulling furiously at the rope, I try yanking it free, but it won’t budge. My heart is racing, my fingers shaking as the two Dofinikes tear into each other less than a meter away. I don’t have time to figure out who it is—Sampson, Clarence or one of the others. All I can focus on is the rope melded to my ankles, impossible to remove. Desperate to free the restraint, a crunch, crunch forces me to look up.

  I’m not sure who I’m expecting, but it’s not who I see.

  Nearly eye to eye, Pobo stands less than a foot away, a small blade in his blue fingers. My heart stops as he takes a small step closer.

  “Pobo, please…”

  But he moves for my ankles. Sliding the blade between the ropes, he rips it free. I stare at him for a second until he steps back and shifts between both sets of legs. “Pweboles follow orders. Always have.”

  “Thank you,” I peel the material from my ankles and scurry to my feet. With Pobo by my side, I take in the chaotic scene.

  Dark movements dot the white landscape, individual duels sprinkled throughout. How many Vermix are here? A few lay scattered in a herd of Pweboles, screaming as they’re stabbed over and over by the furry blue creatures. Gulping, I quickly scan, searching for any of the Rogues. But they’re gone; probably being dragged off somewhere. Something black in the snow catches my eye. Racing forward, I find a discarded Traxpire.

  Pobo is at my side as I swipe it up.

  “Pweboles follow orders. Always have.”

  Someone yells to the far right—it sounds like Jace. “Come on, Pobo.” I take off as he springs to a run on all four legs. Racing over a hill, I find a team of three Vermix each dragging a Rogue by his bound ankles. They’re heading away from me, hauling the boys into the white distance, far from the other duels. Rushing forward, I grip my Traxpire as I call down to the Pwebole running alongside, “Kill those three Dofinikes.”

  I slow to a stop as Pobo keeps going, crossing the distance between us. Bringing the Traxpire up, I aim for the one on the far left. Centering on his back, I pull the trigger two times, turn to the middle one and do the same. The first two fall, and just as I’m aiming for the third one, Pobo flies onto him, forcing his small blade into the neck.

  I race over and find Reid, Jace and Booker pulling at the rope around their ankles, trying to rip it free. The Dofinike that was dragging Reid—the first one I shot—starts stumbling up to his feet but as I reach the Rogues, I hit him straight through his head. He plops forward into the snow, staining it red. The second Vermix tries getting up but I shoot him in the shoulder and he falls forward after the first. Before I can get in a lethal shot, Pobo pounces on his form, jetting his blade into his neck over and over.

  “Pobo!” I cry, dropping to Reid’s ankle. “Here! Cut the rope!”

  The Pwebole races over and slides his blade between the twine.

  “Good! And the other two,” I command, helping free the rope from Reid’s ankles.

  “Where’s Sampson?” he asks, our hands working furiously.

  “I don’t know…” I shake my head, fumbling with the binds. “And I don’t know where the other Rogues are. Able went flying and—”

  Reid yanks the rest of the rope off and jumps to his feet. I quickly shift to Jace and Booker, helping them pull their restraints free. Once all three Rogues are up, Pobo returns to my side. “Pweboles follow orders. Always have.”

  “Who knew this little bastard would save us?” Jace starts to laugh when he looks around. “Whoa…”

  “Come on,” I toss my Traxpire to Reid as I grab one of the Vermix weapons for myself.

  Jace and Booker retrieve theirs from the other two Dofinikes just as another Vermix lands in a thunderous leap before us. He lifts his talons to swing but Reid pins him in his neck and he falls backwards, darkening the snow.

  “Keep together!” he orders as we make our way across the red and white battlefield, Pobo shuffling by my side, his blade out and ready. We move toward the cave’s mouth, Vermix flying at us, attempting to tear our small group apart. But with each one that lands nearby, a Traxpire explosion rips through some part of their body, immobilizing them as they sink to the ground in red. “Watch out for the Arizals!” Reid yells.

  “We have to find the other Rogues,” I scan, trying to remember which direction Able had gone. “They’re being taken somewhere.”

  “I know,” Reid nods, his Traxpire up and aimed. “Where the fuck is Sampson?”

  “We need to get off planet,” Jace keeps to my side.

  “Not without the other Rogues,” I say.

  “Not without everyone,” Reid commands. “We’re all leaving—together.”

  “Boss—behind you!” Booker calls, firing his Traxpire at another Vermix.

  The Rogue skims him in the shoulder, but the Dofinike merely cups it with his talons. With his yellow eyes narrowed, the Vermix launches himself at us, taking me and Reid down under his weight. I choke out a painful scream but Jace and Booker manage to throw the Dofinike off, blasting him through his temple until he falls limp in the snow next to us.

  Reid scurries up first, pulling me to his side. He has an arm around me, squeezing me so tight it hurts. “Stay close to me!”

  “Boss!” Jace points over a mound of snow, maybe twenty yards away. “I think I see…”

  We follow his focus and find three more bodies being dragged through the snow. One lies limp while the other two squirm, trying to get free.

  Reid pauses, lifting his Traxpire to aim. “Fallon, can you make the shot?”

  “Yes,” I do the same.

  “I’ll take the left and middle. You go for the right,” he looks to Jace and Booker. “We’ll give you a head start.”

  “Pobo, go with them,” I say. “I need you to cut the rope from the three being dragged.”

  “Pweboles follow orders. Always have.”

  Reid nods to the two Rogues. “Go.”

  Jace and Booker take off, the furry blue Pobo running on all four legs next to them. Following Reid, I lift my Traxpire and focus on my target.

  “Got your shot?” Reid asks.

  “Yup.”

  “Let’s take it at the same time. In three, two, one…”

  We both fire and the Dofinikes on either end fall face first into the snow. The middle Vermix only has seconds before he follows his comrades. Jace and Booker arrive with Pobo moving along the ground, stopping at each body. Reid and I take off, jetting through the snow to the five Rogues. Tucker and Werzo scramble to their feet, but as Reid and I race over, we find Able lying unconscious in the snow. Booker lifts the Rogue, tossing him over his shoulder, eyes scanning as we approach.

  “What do we do, Boss?”

  “We have to find Sampson,” he pants, frantically searching. “But we need to get out of here.”

  “And go where?” Tucker reaches for one of the Vermix’s Traxpires, tossing another one to Werzo.

  “I don’t know,” Reid scans again, “but we can’t stay here. Come on,” he jets off and the rest of us follow
, Pobo at my side. Reid leads us back near the cave’s mouth, our herd keeping together when a Vermix rams into Booker and me, knocking us to the ground and sending Able flying again.

  Booker scrambles for Able as Reid races to block me. But before he can fire off a shot, another Dofinike launches into the first, tackling him down to the snow. They wrestle, talons flying through the air as deep, gurgling snarls exchange. Paralyzed by the sudden blood lust in front of me, I’m pulled back by both arms and hoisted to my feet by Reid and Tucker.

  With a final twist of his head, the second Dofinike lets the first drop to the snow in a loud crunching thud. I’m about to reach for my Traxpire when I notice the circle and alternating dots in the upper right hand corner of his shelled chest.

  “We need to get you out of here,” Clarence says, his yellow eyes flickering between us, counting to make sure we’re all here. “Quick, follow me!” He takes off behind the cave, down a mountain of snow and we trail after him, Booker carrying an unconscious Able.

  “Where’s Sampson?” Reid rushes by his side.

  “Fighting,” Clarence says. “Blovid and Vix too. I’m not sure what happened to Qippert.”

  “Why are the Pweboles are on our side?” I race closer to him, Pobo at my hip.

  “When Sampson realized it was an ambush, he had Pobo advise the others to assist all humans,” he glances to me. “You first.”

  “Why?”

  But Clarence ignores this, moving faster, “Quickly everyone. They’re trailing us.”

  We move as fast as possible, Booker at the back of our group with a sleeping Able over his shoulder.

  “Why did they listen to him?” I ask. “Weren’t the Pweboles originally under orders from the Vermix?”

  Clarence nods, leading us further down the mountainside with rapid steps. “Their allegiance lies with the Fychu. Any order he gives supersedes previous orders. That’s why they had to attack us before Sampson could redirect their order.”