The Veritas Codex Series, #1

by Betsey Kulakowski

  “No.” She could hear his wheezing in the silent darkness.

  “I’m lucky I didn’t get washed downstream and drowned,” she muttered under her breath. “You saved me on that one.”

  “Saved you ... plenty ...”

  She smiled to herself; it was true. He had saved her plenty. From the day they met when he tended her broken leg, to the time her climbing harness failed and she nearly fell 300 feet over a cliff in the Colombian rainforest. He was always there for her. He even nursed her back to health after her recent injuries and illnesses, while she’d been so ungrateful. She owed him her life more times than she could count. She couldn’t bear to think about that right now. She was certain she’d start bawling if she kept on this current train of thought.

  “Hey, did you ever hear back from the lab on those samples from Peru?” she had to raise her voice a little as she moved farther and farther down the passageway. “Rowan?” he didn’t answer. She stopped. Her attention was suddenly drawn to a change in the texture of the cave wall. It was no longer cold hard rock. It was warm ... soft ... fur.

  She took a startled step back. A deep growl rumbled beneath her hand. She saw a glimmer of light and realized it was eye shine high above her. “Tsul’Kalu?” she gasped. She took another step back, intent to turn and run, but fell, landing hard, knocking the wind out of her.

  The beast grunted. Hands reached down and grasped her. It lifted her effortlessly off her feet. Her heart raced as she recoiled. She could smell the fetid breath of the monster. It blew her bangs away from her face as it growled. It was more than her brain could handle. She felt her blood draining from her head. Her hands turned cold. Dots danced in her eyes “Ani ... yvn wi ya ... aya tsa-la-gi,” She gasped before the world around her was lost to oblivion.

  Chapter 36

  “I see you have met Tsi-sdu, the Rabbit,” she heard the deep voice in her head. She knew it at once. She couldn’t move. Her head felt heavy. She tried to force her eyes open, to no avail. She took a deep breath and felt comforted by the aroma of bread and something herbal.

  “Rest easy. You are with the People,” the voice continued. “You are not badly hurt, but you are weak, Du-yu-go-dv A-yo-s-di. I will tend you.”

  “You call me ... Truth Seeker?” She managed, still trying to open her eyes and turn her head.

  “You do not remember your time with the People before?” The voice asked. “I am the one who saved you from the Rabbit when first we met.”

  “Tsi-sdu was the leader of them in all the mischief,” she remembered the line in the Ancient Language. She could feel the words in her head.

  “You do remember.” A massive hand came to rest on her head, stroking back her hair. “Have no fear, Truth Seeker. Your strength will be restored. Asi-sde-li-sgi will be mended as well.”

  “Asi ... the Protector? You mean Rowan?”

  “He is your u-ya-hi?” She felt this word deep in her soul.

  Lauren shook her head. “No. He is not my husband yet, but if we survive this ... I will marry him.”

  “He has given you this promise?”

  “Yes.” Lauren swallowed hard. “And I have given him mine.”

  “This is good. Sleep now, Du-yu-go-dv A-yo-s-di.” The hand moved down over her eyes, and the herbal smell grew stronger. The voice left her, and she returned to oblivion alone.

  * * *

  “Dammit!” Mitch ducked behind a large fallen log. He grabbed Billy by the arm, yanking out a handful of synthetic fur before pulling him down. “There’s more of ‘em.”

  “Where?” Billy popped up, reaching for the bottom of his mask. He moved as if to get a better look. Mitch grabbed him by the arm again and yanked him down with all his strength.

  “Ouch, that hurt!” He moaned, laying back against the hill to ease the ache in his butt. He found the offending stick underneath the injured muscle.

  “Dammit, you dork! Shut up!” Mitch snarked under his breath, punching the ape in his hairy arm.

  Chapter 37

  Lauren lay gazing up at the glistening stars. It took her a moment to realize she was awake. She ran her hand over the soft fur bedding, feeling how comfortable and warm she was.

  She yawned and rolled her head to one side. A white-furred creature sat across from the fire, mixing what appeared to be flowers into a cup of steaming liquid. She sat up as everything came flooding back. She found herself in a massive cavern, part of the volcanic underground. She glanced up. Those weren’t stars dancing overhead ... but what were they? Diamonds?

  The beast appeared oblivious to Lauren’s eyes on her as she took a long moment to study the softer features of this specimen. It was a female, perhaps older than Tsul’Kalu? The creature looked up suddenly, as if she’d sensed she was being watched and Lauren realized the creature’s eyes were blue. She sat looking at her, wondering if she could talk to her like she did Tsul’Kalu. The female returned to her work for a moment then rose, setting what looked like a turtle-shell beside Rowan’s sleeping form.

  “Truth Seeker, do you remember the story I told you about the Rabbit?” She realized Tsul’Kalu was sitting nearby. He rose and came to sit beside her, crossing his legs. He spoke without speaking, his hands moving in symbolic gesture. She heard his words in her ears. Perhaps it was all in her head?

  “Yes.” Lauren pulled the fur blanket around her shoulders. “You told me how he was the leader of them in the mischief and that he would be brought to be judged for his misdeeds.”

  “The time has come for the rabbit to be judged.”

  “Tell me, what has he done this time to offend The People?”

  “He comes to take the stars from the sky.” The creature waved his hand above his head. Lauren’s eyes went up. “He does not ask or come with respect for the People.” Lauren looked at him again. She realized he had white streaks in his beard, heavy wrinkles around his dark, deep-set eyes. He was no monster, but a kind old teacher. A shaman perhaps. “He must be judged. But you must rest.” Tsul’Kalu rose and returned to his spot by the fire.

  Lauren laid back down and gazed up. Those were raw diamonds; she was sure of it. The female returned to tend to Rowan. She lifted his head and coaxed him to drink from the turtle shell. The she-beast waved a twist of some smoking herbs over him like a fan. In her mind she knew the herbs would ease his breathing. Was she Tsul’Kalu’s wife?

  Rowan’s shirt had been removed, and beneath the fur blankets she could see his ribs had been wrapped in some kind of fur cloth. A poultice of some kind was tucked into the wrapping.

  “He is doing well,” Tsul’Kalu said in her head. He nodded at the female with a gesture. “She will bring you food, if you are hungry.”

  “Please,” Lauren realized her stomach was growling.

  The female rose and left Rowan to rest, returning a moment later with a tray of food.

  “Wa-do,” Lauren smiled, thanking her. The female looked at her blankly, but nodded slightly.

  “Not all the People speak the ancient All-Language,” the shaman said. “She is not of the same clan as you. This is a gift from the gods that we share.”

  “But how is that possible?”

  “I was chosen by the ancient gods who taught me the All-Language. You were similarly blessed,” his voice reverberated in her head.

  “I was? Wait. What?”

  “You were chosen by the ancient gods, Truth Seeker. Chosen to find the resting place of the infant god-child. The infant was given as a gift to the ancient men.” Lauren sat up, cross-legged. She watched him as the story filled her head. “He was meant to be a teacher; a leader of men. But the ancient men were afraid of the god-child and what men fear, they must destroy. The child was slain; beheaded to prevent him from being restored by the gods. Fearing their wrath, they buried him in a dark place where the gods would not find him. But the gods exacted their vengeance on those who had betrayed them. The ancient men were slaughtered, wiped from the face of the earth. Only their temples and cities remained, empty an
d surrendered to the earth. The remains of their cities were devoured by the jungles.” Lauren could see a vision of the tale in her mind’s eye. She wasn’t sure how. She could see the fire raining from the sky. She could smell the acrid smoke and aroma of death. Bodies rotted where they fell, and death came to all the ancient people. She could see the step pyramids entwined in vines and consumed by vegetation. “The ancient gods know you. They have been watching you. You, Truth Seeker, found the god-child; you held his body in your hands. You directed the ancient gods to his resting place. You were repaid with the gift of the All Language.”

  Lauren was having a hard time processing the whole thing. She had a vision of the headless chicken man from the cavern in Peru ... but the body of an ancient god? An infant? The god-child. She gasped as she realized what she had held in her hands.

  “Yes, Truth Seeker.” The beast had a beatific expression on his face. “The god-child was defiled and abandoned. It was hidden from the ancient gods, who brought down their wrath upon the men who betrayed their trust.”

  “I still don’t understand how you know this. You’re a ... a ...”

  He nodded. “Our people are an ancient race as well. When the Gods handed down their fury on the ancient men, they came to my father and gave the People warning. We were instructed to flee to the four corners of the world. Our people left the land of destruction and came to settle here, far away from ancient men.” He continued, “I was born in the same b’ak’tun and recall these events as a child.”

  “But ...” Lauren hesitated. “That was a long time ago. You were alive then? Centuries ago?”

  “For the People, it wasn’t so very long ago, Little One.” He seemed to smile, but it quickly faded. “Our peace was short-lived, though. Even as our race made its home here, far from the jungles to the south, other men came ... men with yellow hair and eyes like the afternoon sky. They came and made their home in the valleys. For decades, they left us in peace. They came first for the forest, cutting down trees and taking our game. Now, they come for the stars in our sky.” He glanced up at the ceiling of the cave and its sparkling gemstones.

  Lauren was no geologist, but she knew volcanic processes were responsible for the creation of many kinds of precious gemstones, including emeralds, obsidianite, and even diamonds. Gold and copper were not uncommon either.

  “I have so many questions.” Lauren was having a hard time taking all of it in. Her head spun and throbbed in her temples. She put a hand to her forehead, turning to examine the cavern, rising unsteadily. There were carvings on the walls that reminded her more of Mayan pictographs than any of the North American glyphs she’d studied. “When the volcano exploded twenty years ago, how did your people survive?”

  He understood her curiosity and her confusion as well. “The gods protect us and give us warning. We had time to flee to a safer time place.”

  She studied his calm expression. “Tell me more...” She sat down across from him, wishing she had her camera. She wished Rowan would wake up. She needed someone else to witness all these wonders — to convince her she wasn’t dreaming, or lying comatose in some injured hallucination.

  “The Rabbit has been a constant thorn in our toe for the past few years. We could not scare him away as we have the others. Then we found the Rabbit lured others into his deception, using our image to frighten away those who might come in reverence. The People have asked for intercession. I believe this is why the gods brought you to us. I am compelled to bring the Rabbit to judgement. He is of your ilk, but it will be mine who determine his fate; as the ancient gods punished man, so will we.”

  Lauren took a moment to process the information. Ancient knowledge was hard for her modern brain to take in. She understood that the Sasquatch meant to capture the men who had kidnapped her. Perhaps even kill them.

  “So, these men, they have been coming into your home and taking these stones?”

  “Yes, Truth Seeker,” he said. “They have greed in their hearts. Greed will be their undoing.”

  “And these are the same men who hurt me several months back.”

  “I was certain they would kill you. I knew the ancient gods would be furious. I feared their vengeance for all men. I saved you from the Rabbit and would have kept you here to be mended, but there wasn’t time. Your own people were putting themselves at great risk, seeking you. I could tell Asi-sde-li-sgi was desperate. I could not keep you from him. It pained my heart to feel the hurt in his.”

  She looked toward Rowan and managed a smile. “We are grateful for your intervention, Ancient One.” She bowed, and he returned the gesture.

  “You should rest, Truth Seeker. Your quest is not yet done.”

  “But I have so many questions, Tsul’Kalu. You are so ancient and wise. I want to know ... know the mysteries of the universe ... the meaning of life.”

  The beast seemed to smile again. “The meaning of life is a simple one, Truth Seeker. The purpose of life ... is living. Do not wait for life to happen. Live it as it comes.” Lauren felt the words sinking in. She realized now how wrong she had been. She thought she had been living, but she’d been putting off life for the sake of her job. She’d put off Rowan. Oh! How foolish I’ve been. She glanced over at him, feeling sorry for every single time she’d told him no. “Eat now,” Tsul’Kalu said. “We can talk more later.”

  “But ...” Lauren seemed desperate. “I still have questions.”

  “Of course, you do, Truth Seeker. You always will.”

  Chapter 38

  Rowan stirred in his sleep. Lauren set her plate aside and rose to check on him. The food was good; simple, but filling. There was meat, and it was well-seasoned. Root vegetables, mostly onions, had been cooked with a glaze of wild berries, sprinkled with coarse salt. It impressed her that Sasquatch had such skills. She hadn’t expected any of it. Her favorite was a type of bread, made from what looked to be wild grains. It was hearty and good.

  She caught his hand as he rolled his head to the side, wincing. “Rowan, it’s okay. We’re safe,” she said. She pressed her hand to his cheek. A dopy grin spread over his face. “You won’t believe where we are.”

  Rowan’s eyes opened. He looked around, but she could tell he wasn’t focusing clearly. “Where?” He swallowed hard. She suspected his head hurt as much as hers had.

  “Tsul’Kalu brought us to his home. This the most amazing cavern ... it’s warm and dry and they have fire. You should taste the food. They cook! And they make blankets from animal skins. Look at the ceiling, Rowan. I think those are diamonds.” She could hear the amazement in her own voice. “Tsul’Kalu told me the most unbelievable things. That thing we found in Peru? His people know it. It’s the child of an ancient god.” She spoke quickly, telling him everything. His vision seemed to clear, and he focused on her. “Tsul’Kalu was born in the time of ancient gods. Do you realize what this means?”

  Rowan nodded, blinking. “It means that dude with the crazy hair is right? The ancient astronaut theories ... are true?”

  Lauren’s grin spread from ear to ear, as her hands covered her mouth. “I can’t believe it either. On top of that, the Bigfoot lived in the time of the Aztec empire.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t get hit in the head, Lauren?” Rowan groaned, trying to sit up.

  “No, no. Lie down. You’ll hurt yourself even more.” She put a gentle hand on his arm.

  “Is that water?” he pointed to the turtle-shell cup beside him. Lauren had seen the white she-beast hold it to his lips earlier. “I’m thirsty.”

  Lauren picked up the cup and sniffed it. It smelled floral and calming. “De-le-ga-li-s? Willow bark. I think. It’s tea.” Willow bark had been known to humans for centuries. It was the basis for modern-day aspirin. The salicylic acid in the bark was a pain killer and fever reducer. She sniffed again, detecting something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on ... sassafras maybe? Licorice fern, more likely. Sassafras wasn’t native in the Pacific Northwest. “Here, let me help you.” She li
fted Rowan’s head holding the cup for him. He drank greedily. He winced as he lay back down, gritting his teeth. “Are you okay?” he asked. He made to reach for her face. He winced as he tried to lift his arm. She leaned in to make it easier. His hand barely grazed her cheek before it fell to the bedding.

  “Yes,” she said. “Just a few bruises. They’ll heal.”

  He held her eyes for a long moment. She watched as his lids grew heavy again. She wondered if the medicinal tea had anything to do with the stupor that came over him as he drifted back into a healing sleep.

  She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, with no response. She sat back on her heels and surrendered. Nothing left to do but watch and wait. Her own body ached, but it wasn’t bad. Still, she curled up beside Rowan and pulled the furs up over them and gave in to the need for rest.

  Chapter 39

  “Get that bag, Billy!” Mitch barked orders as they snuck back down to their hideout deep in the cave. “We’re gonna have to bug out before it gets too hot to get these rocks out.”

  “Where are we gonna go, Mitch?”

  “My buddy’s dad has an old hunting cabin not far from Kelso,” Mitch said. “We can stay there until things cool off.”

  “How are we gonna get there? We ain’t got no truck.”

  “No, we’ll have to hike out,” Mitch said. It would take them a couple of days to do that. They’d come in from the south last time they’d hiked in, but Mitch decided it’d be better to avoid the roads, and go east, crossing the roads only when they had to, and hopefully late at night.

  “Can I wear my Bigfoot shoes? You know I hike better when I have my Bigfoot shoes on.”

  Mitch rolled his eyes at his cousin. “Sure, Billy. Whatever makes you happy. Wear the whole dang monkey suit if you want. Now, come on. We don’t have time to fart around.”