Eno came out from hiding behind me, but he still gripped tightly to my hand, now as sticky as his.
The man now looked Tau up and down, his eyes narrowed and his smile faded.
“Didn’t catch your name from your stuttering friend over here. Come here,” he said as he made his way over and embraced her, too.
“It’s … erm … Tia,” Tau said trying to shrug him off.
“Tia? Well, Tia, sorry for the scare. Part of my sick sense of humour, I guess.”
Confused, Tau raised her arms around the man and tried returning the sentiment with an awkward smile of her own.
He loosened his embrace and took a step back. “So, how do you fit into this, Tia? Where are you from?”
Tau glanced back at me and was about to respond, but I interrupted. “We met her in Teersau. She’s making the pilgrimage, like us.”
The man’s face lit up and he pointed to the green mountains. “Well you’ve made it. Well done! A wise idea travelling together, too. Speaking of which, where’s the rest of your village, your family? Your parents, and that old coot, Aberym? I was hoping to swap some stories with him. It’s been … what, six cycles?”
Eno looked down at his feet and kicked the sand.
“Our parents died a long time ago, after you left,” I explained, and his smile changed to a frown again. “And … our grandfather … the Necrolisks in Teersau … he didn’t make it.
“Oh, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry,” he said, looking at the ground with us. After a long pause, he looked back up and gave a more reserved smile. “I’ve heard some interesting stories about him, so I’ll tell you a few on our way back.”
Eno let go of my hand. “To where?”
The man turned back to the wreckage. “Alright, enough faffing about,” he said as he jogged up the dune and cupped his hands around his mouth. “We’re done here! Not enough time for anything else. Grab anything not bolted down, let’s head back.”
I led Eno up the dune after him. Maybe things were going to turn out okay after all, so long as they didn’t discover Tau’s real identity. Tau looked around at the empty desert, as if weighing her options, before following us up the rise.
“So you know our names, but we don’t know yours,” I said.
The man turned back to me with another toothy grin. “Ah, my name is boring and often mispronounced. How about you just call me Pilgrim? Everyone calls me that.”
One of the female Nomads interrupted: “What he isn’t telling you is that he tells us to call him that, and not because we want to.”
She had long black hair and tanned skin. She was quite beautiful. The Nomads all laughed at the woman’s joke. Pilgrim grinned even more, if it were possible, and blushed.
He laughed and raised an eyebrow at her. “You can call me anything you like, Sabikah.”
The Nomads picked up their tools and salvaged materials and slung them over their shoulders. They led us away from the wreckage and back in the direction from which they had come. We scaled up and down several dunes before Pilgrim stopped us all.
“Alright, that’s far enough. Tern, scanner,” Pilgrim said.
A man stepped forward, pulled out a strange-looking device and handed it to Pilgrim, who proceeded to flick and poke at some of the controls.
“Scanner?” Tau inquired.
The woman called Sabikah turned to face her. “We need to make sure the things we salvaged aren’t carrying tracking devices, or we would lead the Dominion right to our home.”
Upon hearing this, Tau focused on the device. The Nomads held up the various pieces they had salvaged, and Pilgrim ran the device over them one by one. The scanner made a number of different noises, beeping and clicking as it was passed over each piece.
“Sacet, if I may ask, what made you travel so close to the nest anyway?” Pilgrim asked as he continued to scan. It was as if he knew the answer already.
“We didn’t,” I lied. “We went by the safe route, around the edge of the city’s surface. Something must have made the Necrolisks hunt farther out than usual.”
“Hmm, that ain’t good if even the Necrolisks are becoming more desperate for food,” Pilgrim said as he finished scanning the last piece of salvage.
He raised the device up to his face and looked at the screens on the gadget. “All good, although there’s some background noise. Could be that we are still too close to the wreck. Should be fine, let’s head back.”
As the group continued to walk, Pilgrim handed the scanner back to another Nomad and faced the others: “Okay guys, sweep it up. Get to it!”
Sabikah turned around and walked beside us. She threw her hands towards the sand where the trail of our footprints had been left. The sand churned and sifted until the tracks were erased. This woman was an Acolyte like me. Another man, the one called Tern, sighed, spun around and did the same as his comrade.
I looked ahead to the rocky bluffs I had been eyeing earlier, and then down to Pilgrim, who walked by our side.
“Shouldn’t be too long. You are going to love it there,” he said.
I glanced back to the other Nomads and made sure they weren’t looking. “That’s great. We could use a rest,” I said.
I couldn’t exactly stop to bury the hair that was still clenched in my left hand, they would have seen me, and so I slid it into my bag.
That evening
As we turned into what I hoped would be the last corner of this labyrinthine tunnel, the passageway opened up and revealed a bright cavern. Open skylights allowed in the natural light from above, down onto the simple shacks and sheet metal that made up the Nomads’ homes.
The shanty settlement had been here for a long time. There were almost a hundred huts. It was all lit up by torches, evenly spread among the settlement’s pathways. It was certainly better than lying on the cold, wet floor of a cave like our usual accommodation.
Tau gasped. “You hid this whole thing here?”
Eno’s jaw had dropped. “This is … amazing!”
Pilgrim turned back to me and smiled, then to Eno: “I knew you’d love it. Welcome to our home.”
The entrance to the town was blocked with a makeshift fence constructed of metal scraps, and the fences were broken up every so often by stalagmites jutting up from the ground. There was a guard patrolling at the top of the main wall – a teenage girl. Another child, not much older than Eno, approached the chain-linked gates to open them for us, and they scraped along the rocky cave floor as they were drawn back.
I smiled back at the boy as we walked through. He had an eye-patch and a large scar on his face. My smile faded. Tau had noticed it, too, and her happier, amazed expression quickly sank. Once our group was in, he closed the gate behind us and resumed his guard duty.
“So, how long were you guys thinking of staying?” Pilgrim asked. “Because as you can see, we could use all the help we can get around here. That’s Teelo − kid lost his mother and an eye to a Necrolisk. He’s been doing whatever he can to help ever since.”
I glanced back at the boy, who was speaking to the girl on the wall. He had something in his hand and was showing it to her, but I couldn’t make out what it was. We walked to the far side of the village and towards one of the larger buildings.
“He doesn’t have anyone left?” I asked weakly.
Pilgrim shrugged. “What? Of course he does! You’re looking at his new dad. Everyone’s family around here … I mean, you know … so long as they aren’t trying to kill us.” He turned to Sabikah. “Isn’t that right, sweetie?”
Sabikah scoffed. “Stop pretending we’re in a relationship in front of newcomers. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
Teelo was running over to us: “Pilgrim! Guys! Wait up!”
“I told you, Teelo, you can call me dad, remember? What’s gotten you so worked up?”
Teelo pulled up in front of us. “Your new friends dropped this, dad,” he said as he opened his palm and showed a small tuft of blue hair.
How did they get there? I tho
ught I had … no. The rip in my backpack!
Pilgrim walked over to Teelo and plucked the hairs from the boy’s hand. He held them up close to his eyes, as if scrutinising their authenticity, then turned to us. His face was now absent of his heart-warming grin … he knew.
“Sacet, Eno and … Tia … it looks like you can’t be a part of our family after all.”
There was a rustle of robes and drawn weapons as the Nomads surrounded us. One of them came up behind Tau and pulled down her hood, which revealed the incomplete cuts of the streaks at the top of her forehead. Now that the hood was lowered, her under-suit collar was visible from the back.
“Please, she’s not a threat, she’s our prisoner,” I said.
“Take that one to the holding cell until we know what to do with her. You two, move!” Pilgrim ordered as he gestured towards the entrance of the nearest building.
Eno stood close to me again, and we moved without questioning him. I looked back to Tau as she was led away by Sabikah and three others.
Tau glanced over her shoulder at us, horrified and confused. “Wait, stop! I’m not one of them anymore, please!”
Pilgrim and two remaining Nomads escorted my brother and I towards a large hut. We entered through a curtained doorway, and Tau’s wails were drowned out.
The room was filled with animal pelts that hung from the walls and carpeted the floor. The walls and ceiling were made up of bits of scrap metal that had been crudely welded together. On the far side of the room, an old man slept on a bed covered with more furs. The dank and musky smell was overpowering.
“Elder. Elder Hati? Wake up, this is important,” Pilgrim said as he strode ahead of me to the old man and shook him awake.
Hati awoke with a snort and stared up at Pilgrim. “I was sleeping, haven’t you any … urgh … haven’t you any respect for an old man’s rest? Hmm?” he said. The old man, decrepit with age, attempted to focus his gaze on us. “And who might this be?” The man struggled to raise a frail arm, before pointing a shrivelled finger in our direction.
“This is Sacet, the teleporter I told you about from my old village. Her little brother, Eno, as well. But Elder, they have betrayed us.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Hati said. “Two children as young as they, knowingly fighting against us?”
“Elder, they led a Female Dominion spy into the camp,” Pilgrim continued. “She’s bound to have a tracking device inside of her. What do you want us to do?”
“What?” I said. “A tracking device? But … I got rid of her armour. Please! She is our prisoner. We’ll leave if that’s the issue. I promise … I would kill her before she could ever tell the Dominion about this place. I swear it!”
The old man cleared his throat. “Sacet, was it? There’s something you’re not grasping here. Tracking devices are often implanted inside the enemy’s bodies … and it doesn’t matter if you lead her away. They will know she’s been here already. You’ve left a trail for them to follow right to our home.”
The old man’s eyes widened. “And now everyone here is in jeopardy. Diyon! Yori! Instruct the others to pack their food and essentials. We need to leave for the cavern lake as soon as we can. Go!”
“Wait!” I interrupted. “What if she doesn’t have a tracking device?”
“We can’t take that risk,” Hati replied, raising his hand at the others.
Two Nomads rushed outside and the old man turned his attention back to me. “As for you two, you’re obviously not working for the Dominion, you’re just genuinely ignorant. In either case I can’t allow that girl to live, knowing what she knows. You, on the other hand, will accompany us to the cavern lake.”
He looked up at Pilgrim, who was still standing by his side: “Pilgrim, you will need to take the enemy soldier out into the desert as far as you can and execute her.”
7. Disarray
I wanted to grab Pilgrim and stop him, but instead did nothing as he left the old man’s side and hurried out of the tent. I glared back at Hati, shocked by his instructions. “I’m sorry, but you’re wrong about her. She isn’t a spy.”
Hati sat up in bed and flung his legs over the edge. “And what makes you so sure?” His whole body trembled as he stood. He took a couple of shaky steps and pointed his gnarled, yellow fingernail at me again. “She’s our enemy, she’d say anything to get back to her people again. She must die.”
I couldn’t fault Hati’s logic, but I still felt as though Tau was different. He didn’t know her like we did. Eno and I both stared at the ground.
Hati looked between us a short while, his sternness quickly turning to pity. “I need to pack,” he continued, turning to a trunk of his belongings. “Either help me or get out and assist the others.” He shook his head and gestured to the tent’s entrance. “If you’re looking for forgiveness, we don’t have time. Go.”
We walked out in silence and put the old man behind us. I was furious, they couldn’t do this to her. I led Eno along the stony walkway to the centre of the settlement.
Eno jogged to keep up. “What do we do now?”
“We’re not going with them. We’re leaving.”
“Already? But can’t we stay with them for at least a little while?”
I stopped and turned back. “No, they pointed guns at us, Eno. This is not the kind of village where you and I would be safe. We don’t need them.”
“When will it ever be safe?”
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Maybe never. But if it’s just you and me, we know we can trust each other, right?”
Eno shrugged. “Yeah, but these are our people.”
I spotted Pilgrim on the far side of a courtyard. He was making his way past various tents, probably still making his way to where Tau was being kept.
I pointed in his direction for Eno to see. “So you think they are right? That Tau should die?”
Eno shook his head. “I don’t want her to die, even if she is our enemy. I’m not angry at her anymore.”
I changed course and sped up, heading to where we last saw Pilgrim. We continued down the path and passed more shacks.
Eno was now running to keep pace. “Hey, wait! You want to rescue her, don’t you?”
We stopped at a corner. I peeked around the shelter and saw Pilgrim farther down the next path. I glanced back at Eno. “Keep your voice down! Yes, I want to rescue her. Did you hear what she said before? She says she’s not one of them anymore. Maybe we’ve brought her to our side now?”
“Yeah … hey, yeah! If she fought with us, others might change sides, too. But what about the tracking device thingie?”
“I’m sure that was just in the armour we threw away,” I said hopefully, looking around the corner again, before rounding it.
A couple of the Nomads from earlier ran past us and hurried into one of the nearby tents. Moments later, they left the tent and ran to the next. News of our arrival had spread, and now all of the villagers were exiting their tents with some of their belongings. The pathways were filling with panicking people.
“Only take what you need!” I heard a man yell in the street.
I spotted Sabikah on a shelter roof. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Make your way to the cavern pass!”
I peered through the crowd and saw Pilgrim head into one of the tents at the far end. “There,” I said, brushing past a couple of villagers.
Eno looked nervously at all of the armed Nomads. “I don’t think they’re going to let us just take her back, Sis.”
I pulled on his wrist and we hurried through the crowd. The tent was close.
There was an explosion somewhere nearby, and the entire cavern shook. The rumbling was soon overtaken by screams, which echoed against the enormous dome ceiling. The crowd of terrified villagers ran in every direction, many dropping their belongings.
A hail of laser fire came from the skylights above. Hundreds of male soldiers were perched on the holes’ rims, firing down on the village. Many more were rappelling down o
n cords, then dropping onto the shelter rooves with loud bangs. Multiple shelters were ablaze already. Assorted villagers fell dead in the streets.
The Nomads quickly counterattacked, firing up back up at them. Several enemy soldiers were shot and they fell through the holes. They plummeted and smacked into the cave floor with sickening, squishy thuds.
Eno and I were stunned, staring at the chaos. There was a deep roar nearby, and I saw Pilgrim burst out of the tent. “Damned Dominion!” He fired his giant rifle at numerous enemies in the village. Pilgrim didn’t even notice us, instead joining the fray in the streets.
I was still holding Eno’s wrist, so I pulled him along towards the tent. “We have to save her and get out of here!” I shouted over the deafening booms and shrieks.
We grazed past several more villagers as they scrambled for cover, and then finally we reached the tent. I pulled the curtain aside, revealing a small winding corridor. We rushed in and let the curtain close behind us.
“I’ll ask you again,” a deep voice said from around the next corner. “Where … is … the Acolyte?”
Who was he talking to? Could he see us? Eno and I snuck closer to a nearby corner and peered around it.
Tau was hanging from the roof, with ropes tied around her wrists. She squirmed and moaned, attempting to break free.
She noticed me and we locked eyes. I raised a finger to my mouth and she looked away from me and fell silent. Then I saw him; the man was dressed in black armour and his back was turned to me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tau said, avoiding eye contact.
“They’ve deserted you, have they? They found out what you really were? Well, don’t worry because I’m not going to kill you, girly,” the man said.
I looked around the room, hoping to find something I could use. The crude walls were made of shrapnel pieces and were still sharp in places. One large, rusty spike in particular caught my eye.
The man chuckled. “After we’ve beaten you close to death, maybe then you’ll tell us where they are. Or perhaps … you’ll tell me if I give you a quick death instead?” the dark stranger said as he raised his weapon and pressed it up against Tau’s face.
Sisters of the Sands: Book 1 of the Acolytes series Page 5
