‘Starborn, follow my voice!’ Javier cried out. The screaming continued; both men and women, followed by some gunfire and then silence. Jameson shook violently; his gun quivering in his hands. Rae took Shayne’s free hand and held to him tightly. They stayed standing but none knew for how long. Shayne’s hands grew cold though he felt the warmth of Rae gripping firmly onto him, shaking with fear.
‘What do we do?’ Javier finally broke the silence.
‘Keep going,’ Shayne replied.
‘I don’t remember which way we were going,’ he said.
‘Just go, Shayne replied. He put his gun back in its holster, ‘and this time we will hold onto each other.’ Shayne held out his free hand to Jameson who reluctantly took one hand off his rifle and accepted it; his hand burned with the cold. Rae took Javier’s and they continued on with both Javier and Jameson pointing their firearms into the bright nothingness. They made their way slowly along until exhaustion gripped them.
Rae stopped, pulling Javier back, ‘I’m so thirsty,’ she said as she sat down on the mossy ground, her water pack now empty. She tried to catch the moisture in the air but there did not seem to be any.
‘The Starborn had the remaining supplies.’ Javier tried to warm his hands as he knelt down, ‘and the rest of the water.’ Shayne unhooked his small drinking pack from his armour and handed it to the medical officer. She looked questioningly up at him, but his dark eyes ordered her not to protest. She took a few grateful sips from the tube before handing it back.
‘I don’t think I can go on.’ Jameson shivered, ‘and I can’t even tell the damn time,’ he said as Javier drew an arrow in the ground; marking their direction. They sat silently for some time, leaning on each other for warmth and too tired to continue on. He wished he had his fur cloak with him; to help keep him warm, but he doubted if it would work; their uniforms and armour were designed to regulate the temperature yet the cold still seeped through. Shayne found himself drifting off, unable to keep awake despite how cold he was.
‘Sh-sh-shayne.’ He woke to the feeling of someone shaking him. He had expected to be back in Karmoníth but instead he was in the mist with Rae almost crying. ‘They’re gone,’ she said shaking with fear. Shayne sat up and looked around; both Captain Javier and Lieutenant Jameson were nowhere to be seen. Shayne was not surprised and though their impending doom was falling upon them he felt no horror. He knew it was pointless calling for them. The fog was not as deep now, but it did not help their mood. Silently Shayne rose to his feet. Rae also rose, using his arm to help herself up before grasping his hand again.
‘We must keep going,’ he said, taking a drink before he handed her his almost empty water supply. She nodded silently and they ventured on; following the direction of the arrow Javier dug into the dirt. There was no way to know what the time was, or even what day it was. There was no point in thinking about it so they continued on; hand-in-hand. Not long after they started walking the mist began to crowd in upon them again with the wisps of swirling fog drifting by, flowing around, reaching out and grasping at them with its invisible hands. Rae began to shake as the attack started all over again. They were now practically side-by-side and she half leaned on him when they could, sharing each other’s warmth; but soon the thickness engulfed them and all he could see was the faintest outline of her body. Shayne squinted as he continued on. Occasionally he would suddenly stop as the ferns grew too high, or a tree would block the direct path before them and he would guide them around it, still clutching her hand, but it became so difficult and he eventually stopped. Breathing heavily, he stood with her shadow next to him. He looked around desperately hoping for a clearing.
He suddenly stiffened; gripping her hand harder when he realised she had not spoken in a while. He looked across to her shadow; it stood passively beside him. He slowly lifted his hand. His heart jumped painfully as he saw that he no longer held hers, though he was sure he felt her skin; felt her warmth. In a panic he moved across to the shadow; arms outstretched, but it moved away from him. He took a few more steps until his hand connected to something soft and cold. He came closer knowing that he grasped the mossy trunk of a tree. He wildly looked around, stumbling through the fog.
‘Lieutenant?’ Shayne called out. He stopped walking and stayed dead still, not even the sound of his breath escaped his mouth as he listened. ‘Lieutenant Wong?’ he cried out again, now with his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound, but the mist dampened everything. He felt his heart race as he began to move back in the direction he had come from. ‘Rae!’ he shouted her name repeatedly. ‘Rae!’ a feeling welled up in the pit of his stomach. He cried out her name again as he began to run; not caring for the mist. He held his arms out and each time he saw the dark shadow of a tree he would grab hold of it and use it to move around, but the fog suddenly closed in around him leaving him blind. He fell over a tree fern stumbling down into a gully he landed painfully on his side. His breath came quick and his heart raced as fear seized him.
The sight of his right hand resting upon the cold earth started to clear. Shayne drew in a breath as he looked upon his fingers; the detail of his hands growing bolder. His observed the forest around him and watched as the fog parted before him; creating a path. He picked himself up, cringing at pain in his side as he staggered in the newly cleared direction, the only thought that passed through his mind was to escape the torment.
He came upon the entrance of a fortified wall. He half laughed as he stumbled again realising he was at the entrance of the abandoned city. They should have been days away from there, but he did not care. The retreating fog revealed a high tower in the city’s centre. He could see that it was carved out of stone, with pinnacles stretching from its centre like a star, the tops chiselled flat. He looked to the archway before him; the rotted gate hung from their mountings with broken and corroded pieces fallen on the ground. At the foot of the gate lay something, its shape looked as if it had been left there; discarded and forgotten. The trees suddenly seemed to loom over him and became dreadfully large, the wind which he had not heard since that first night roared high above him causing the trees to groan. Shayne looked up at the forest around him; dread gripped his heart, the city felt like the only safe place and the fear pushed at him to run. Something felt wrong, he mastered his urge to bolt; warily he came closer to the matted thing on the ground and saw that it was a skeleton wrapped in old robes and rusted armour; its arms sprawled out in front of it as if it had been dragged there. Shayne froze once again. The shadow of the arch fell on the body, his eyes fixed on the empty sockets which laughed at him.
He glanced away from it; afraid that it was alive and mocking him. He took a step towards the silent city but something black flashed before him, causing him to suddenly step backwards. He raised his gun but there before him was the black fox of his dreams. He stared upon at it, stricken with his mouth opened. It looked keenly upon him with its dark eyes that were the same as his. For the first time in that place a feeling of reassurance flooded over him. He lowered his gun and fell to his knees. He felt something warm fill his eyes. The fox tilted its head; its mouth broke into a grin. He saw flashes of the city in his mind with the thoughts of warning against them. The fox then bounded off in the opposite direction. Bewildered Shayne dragged himself up and followed; stumbling as his fatigue grew and his legs felt like rubber underneath him.
As soon as he had turned his back upon the city the fog returned and wrapped around them again, but where the fox went it would curl away; the mist backing up as if it was afraid of the creature’s touch. Shayne made his way after it; she never turned her head to see if he was still following. She knew where he was at all times and Shayne seemed to also see with her eyes, it was as if they were one being and everything they did as one. Fatigue and tiredness robbed him of his ability to recall and remember. He had no idea of how far they had travelled and the only thing that kept him from falling was the will of the animal. As they continued on the fog grew much weaker,
with each step the mist gave way to the soft and gentle green of the forest. His vision blurred with weariness but still he continued on. He heard the birds began to sing again with the natural wind blowing in the trees and the carved warning stones started to rise out of the earth once more, warning any traveller of the nightmare beyond. The feeling of warmth returned to his bones. Still he followed the fox, its sleek black figure passing through the undergrowth, never once leaving his sight even for a moment.
He finally broke the trees and came into a grassy plain. He collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and relief. He could not recall passing over the Athúal River, but he was too tired to care. He looked back at the fox, which he knew was behind him, sitting within the forest borders. It looked at him and Shayne looked at her. They both could see from each other’s eyes and it seemed strange to him. His vision struggled to focus as he longed to pat the creature. Its head tilted but its grin now faded, it was sad and he knew why, the fox then returned to the forest, glancing back at him one last time before bounding out of sight.
A shadow of a person passed over him. Shayne turned his head to see a man looming over him: blocking out the sun. A large bird glided over them. Shayne shaded his eyes as he weakly pulled himself to his feet. Malakite stood over the Starborn, staring down at him, he then raised a long arm, but he did not reach for him instead he stretched his fingers out. Shayne felt a cold shiver run down his back as sound and light faded, and all warmth left him. His legs trembled and collapsed from underneath him, he watched the fading silhouette of the man before blacking out.
Chapter 14
Freedom
“There is no dark side in the moon, really. As a matter of fact, it’s all dark”
– Pink Floyd
Shayne felt the heaviness leave him. He had awoken in the darkness after a dreamless sleep, though he kept his eyes closed. It reminded him of the very first time he had woken upon the Oxford. Gradually the darkness gave way as he realised it was daylight. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that he lay in a large, warm bed. Kíe’arathorne was seated by his side, distracted by some old paper in his hand. Shayne stirred which brought him out from his reading.
‘Afra’hama!’ he gently smiled with relief flowing over his face.
‘I found my Maltat,’ Shayne managed to say, his voice cracked and he breathed heavily.
Kíe’arathorne’s face dropped partially, but he kept a warm smile, ‘You have?’
‘She’s in the forest. She guided me out.’
The lionman continued to smile but looked slightly strained, ‘Is that right? What is she?’
‘A fox,’ Shayne made himself more comfortable. ‘A black fox, the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.’ The journeyman’s face fell as the Earthman yielded to sleep again. He rose from his seat and a dark skinned Isradian who was the city’s elder came into the room.
‘What did he say?’ she asked.
‘He still hallucinates,’ the journeyman’s eyes sadly watched his sleeping form.
‘It does not surprise me. If madness does not take him, which would be a great miracle, he will still be scarred.’
‘The person he called for, I think it was an animal. I think it was his Maltat.’
‘Maltat?’ the lady said sceptical and looked around the room. ‘Why is it not here?’
‘He said it remained in Endaran.’
‘No Orian can be separated from his Maltat when they first merge.’
‘It is the Da’rukí,’ the lady looked up at the lionman with a fierce and almost frightened look. ‘But I would keep that just between you and me.’
‘The Da’rukí? How is that possible?’
‘He is the Afra’hama, anything is possible.’
‘Did he mention the others?’
‘No, not while awake,’ Kíe’arathorne’s green eyes faded as he thought about Lieutenant Rae. The elder saw the sorrow upon the scholars face so she left him there with his friend.
The next day Shayne woke with a deep and ferocious hunger. Their hosts came and gave him all the best food they had to offer. The natives all bowed deeply to him, one addressed him a Thall’magor. Kíe’arathorne joined him with his meal. They both ate from plates placed on the bed. The young lionman did not show his usual enthusiasm with the wide range of food before him.
‘I have not told your people that you are here yet,’ the journeyman said as he bit into a native fruit from Nakáda. ‘I’ve tried to keep your presence a secret, but word has spread and I fear it’s only a matter of time before the Star Ta’Orians know.’
‘Why?’ Shayne asked. Not grasping the lionman’s intentions, the usual sharpness of his mind still weak.
‘You walked into that forest with nine others, you came out alone. I’ve learnt enough of your people to know that will end badly — for you.’
‘I’ll give them my report,’ Shayne replied, but a sinking feeling came to him.
‘And tell them what? That you were attacked by the Magor-Nebuhara?’ Kíe’arathrone put the seed of the fruit down on a plate. He looked seriously up at Shayne. ‘What happened?’
‘I don’t know,’ he stammered as his mind went over the dreadful memory.
‘You must know?’ the lionman said.
‘It didn’t make any sense. They are gone. They’re all gone and it, it is just, I can’t explain. She held my hand,’ he lifted his hand to the lionman. ‘She never let go but she was gone. Nothing made sense.’ He looked like he would cry for the first time as he thought about Rae. She trusted him; desperate for him to save her, and she disappeared, just like the others.
‘Not everything does Afra’hama.’
‘There was something there.’
‘What?’
‘I just don’t know. It wasn’t actually there, but you felt that it was, and that it was watching you. It was pitiless and without mercy. It hounded us; it was in the wind and in the fog. Every time we tried to go on it would come after us again and again. And it took them.’
‘But the fox saved you?’
‘Azeil,’ Shayne smiled as he said her name. Kíe’arathorne’s face grew in wonder.
‘She said that was her name?’
‘I just knew it,’ Shayne looked at the journeyman, ‘as if that was always her name. It means something I know.’
‘It’s a language older than Kadalian,’ Kíe’arathorne crossed his arms, ‘mostly forgotten, except for a small lexicon still known by those who study the linguistics of the archive. It is said to be the true language of the Dragons.’
‘You know its meaning?’
‘Yes, it is amongst the few words known.’
‘What is her name?’
‘Fate,’ the journeyman said.
‘Fate, is that coincidence?’ he asked himself.
‘I don’t doubt that,’ Kíe’arathorne replied. ‘We have a legend; it is much greater here in the west than in the east. History is pitted with the appearance of the black fox called Da’rukí, and its constant companion.’
‘Which is?’
‘Death.’
‘But she’s not bad,’ Shayne replied.
‘Maybe not, but if her home is in the forest then one must wonder why. I would not go telling people that you have meet the Da’rukí, for they would shun you, as they are expected to shun all who meet with her. They say she talks to weary travellers. She tricks them and they disappear never to be seen again and those who do escape never live for long.’
‘But she is my Maltat,’ Shayne replied. ‘I know it.’
‘Perhaps she is,’ Kíe’arathrone gave a weak smile. ‘But perhaps she is not.’
‘She saved my life.’
‘Her story is full of strangeness. It has never benefitted those who have crossed her path. Only time can tell if she’s what you say she is, but I insist that you refrain from talking about her.’ They continued to sit in silence.
‘I met an old man there as well,’ Shayne replied after a while, wanting to break Kíe’arathor
ne’s words. ‘Between the wind and the fog, at first I thought it was an Aniskin.’
‘They would not travel to the mist,’ Kíe’arathrone’s tone was blunt.
‘I believe it was Lethagon,’ Shayne indicated the first DragonLord. This broke Kíe’arthrone’s depressed stare. He looked upon the human, his eyes focusing on his face.
‘Impossible!’
‘He held the white eyes of the DragonLord. I saw it, Javier saw it too before he —’ Shayne drifted at the memory of the man. He found him an excellent soldier and so did many others. His thoughts returned to the others, to the star ranked officers.
‘Eyes of white do not necessarily mean a companion of Ominiue,’ Kíe was greatly troubled by Shayne’s words. He looked up and saw that Shayne struggled with the memories of the trauma. ‘We can’t stay here. We have to go as soon you’re able.’
‘Where?’ Shayne asked unsure of anything.
‘To be honest, I’m unsure. We need a place where we will be safe from your people, somewhere to take refuge. I think Kérith-Árim is the best place. The UeVarda will protect you, but it’s getting there undetected that’s the hard part. Might pay to lay low somewhere quiet first. I was thinking of the desert people down south.’
‘They will find me eventually,’ he said as he opened his wristcom. It was fried and destroyed. That filled him with relief; it meant that they could not track him. He looked over at the lionman and saw that he still had his wristcom on. Kíe’arathorne too looked upon it, understanding what Shayne was thinking.
‘I’ll give it to a local. That way it’ll give us some time.’ Unlike Shayne’s computer Kíe’arathorne’s was not locked shut. It could be removed whenever he pleased.
The Book of Ominiue: Starborn Page 44
