by Travis Perry
“What are you going to do? Kill me?”
“It would save me a lot of trouble, but no, I’m not going to kill you.” The knife moved away from Alastair’s throat. As soon as it was clear, he spun around. Waleran wore a cheeky smile.
“I have to go, Waleran. It’s Lynessa’s only chance. You understand that.”
“Of course I do. That’s why I spoke to Lord Gareth in the early evening.”
Alastair’s mouth dropped.
“I convinced him. He’s going to let you go. Like I said, you don’t have to steal a horse in the dark of night.”
“But, how? He was adamant.”
Waleran shrugged. “I can be persuasive. There’s a catch though.”
Oh, here it comes.
“I’m coming with you.”
“You? Why?”
“Keep you safe. Only a fool would go down into Argyre Planitia by himself. You are many things Alastair, but I don’t believe you are a fool.”
Alastair ran his hand through his hair. “I was about to become one before you appeared.”
“Then consider yourself fortunate I came, young Alastair. Now let’s go and break fast properly before we leave. The journey will be long, and those provisions in your bag will hardly last us more than a few days.”
• • •
They rode for almost three weeks, travelling roughly south. Waleran seemed to know where he was going. If he’d not come along, Alastair would have gotten lost within days. The quest would have been a complete disaster.
They traveled all morning and into the afternoon. As the day wore on they looked for places to make campment, then Waleran taught Alastair some of the finer points of swordplay. It had been awkward at first, but after weeks of practice, Alastair was starting to feel at home with the weapon in his hand. It was an old iron blade that Lord Gareth had given him. Waleran carried a steel sword. It was marvelous to behold.
The days grew slightly warmer. “That’s because we’re descending to a lower altitude,” Waleran had said yesterday. “The higher air pressure helps keep the heat in. Wait till we get down into the jungle.” Some time today Alastair would get his first glimpse of it.
The last few days had taken them into a valley passing between the Nereidum Montes.
Why had Gareth insisted on Waleran coming along? The tall man was capable. That could not be denied. He could navigate, he could fight and it seemed he knew a lot about how the world worked. It all made sense, although he was wearing the cost of two men’s labor rather than just one. But why had Waleran wanted to come? How had he convinced Lord Gareth? In truth, once they reached Argyre Planitia, Waleran would barely be necessary. Navigating would be less important, as they weren’t sure exactly where they’d be going anyway, and his own fighting was coming along very well.
“If I keep improving my sword skills, I should be the equivalent of a rider once this quest is over,” he said.
Waleran snorted. “Don’t fool yourself, Alastair. It takes years of training to reach that level of proficiency.”
Alastair frowned. “So what exactly are we trying to accomplish with my training then?”
“I’m just trying to give you some basic self-defense skills. Trying to keep you alive.”
Alastair looked away. The arrogance of the man was unbelievable. So high and mighty. So superior.
“You need to understand, young Alastair; there are many dangers down in the jungles of Argyre. Wild animals as big as humans, giant birds of prey, trees that reach up into the sky, and dragons.”
Alastair turned back to his companion, eyes widening. “What are they like? The dragons.”
“Giant lizards with huge wingspans, and they spit acid.”
Alastair swallowed. What he had gotten himself in to?
They rounded a bend. Jungle spread before them—a great pond of green.
“Wow.” Alastair had never seen anything like it.
“Welcome to Argyre Planitia. It looks rather lively in there.” Waleran jumped from his horse.
Alastair followed suit. “How are the horses going to manage in there?”
“They won’t. It’s going to be too dense down there for horses. We’re going to have to set them loose.”
“What? Just let them go wild? These are Lord Gareth’s horses.”
“I realize that, but we don’t have a choice. I feared this might be the case. With luck they’ll take themselves home to the manor.”
“If you thought this might happen, then why did we bring them in the first place?”
“We had a lot of country to cover to get here. Traveling that distance by foot would have taken a long time.”
“So if we cut the horses loose here, what happens when we return from Argyre? We’ll have to go home on foot anyway.”
Waleran grunted. “Let’s worry about that one if we manage to get back out of there alive.”
Alastair frowned. “That doesn’t imbue me with confidence.”
“Do you not yet understand, Alastair? This is not going to be an easy quest. We will probably die in the attempt.”
Alastair swallowed.
“So are you still sure you want to do this?”
Alastair regarded the lush jungle below him. Hoots and cries rose up from below. Who knew what dangers were waiting for them? He gritted his teeth. “Yes, I’m sure. Let’s go.”
• • •
Alastair strode along the jungle floor behind Waleran. The canopy towered above their heads like a regal ceiling. Dappled light decorated the path before them. They’d lost sight of the sky about halfway down the slope. Now it was all greens and browns. Alastair swiped his slick forehead. It was warmer down here certainly, but this was ridiculous. Moisture hung in the air all around them.
“I hadn’t realized just how much I’d come to rely on my horse.” Alastair shifted the weight of his provision bag from one shoulder to the next.
“You’re not accustomed to this terrain,” Waleran replied. “It’s hard going in a whole new way.”
“The ground is so spongy.”
“It’s the leaves. They fall and create a rotting carpet.”
“It looks pretty dense up ahead.”
“Yes. We were right to leave the horses. They’d never have made it through there.”
“How are we going to make it through there?”
“We cut.”
Alastair glanced at the steel sword hanging at Waleran’s hip. It was a fine strong blade, but cutting at vegetation would hardly be good for it. His fingers brushed the hilt of his own sword. He’d get to use it for real soon—hopefully against nothing but plants, of course.
They neared the dense growth and Waleran pulled a knife from the other side of his belt. He began to hack at the vines and shrubs. This would take a long time.
“How are we going to know which way to go?” Alastair asked.
“At the moment, we’d don’t know. We’re going to cut across in the direction of the center of the basin. We’re hoping to find a river or stream. The hiding place talked about in the legend is marked by three streams, so we need to follow the first one we find and hope there is a convergence. Without the providence of our Lord Jesu Christu, we will probably die in our wanderings.”
A mournful howl echoed above their heads. Alastair stopped. He gripped his sword. “What was that?” he spat in a harsh whisper.
Waleran frowned. “I’m not sure, but it doesn’t sound friendly.”
Another howl sounded. A reply?
“Prepare to defend yourself, Alastair.”
Alastair swallowed. It would be okay. He’d been practicing with a sword for days, and Waleran was here too. Whatever was making that sound couldn’t be a match for both of them. Could it?
Waleran cut his way through to a clearing and stepped out. Alastair followed. They were surrounded by vegetation on all sides. At least there was room to move about here. It was a more defendable position. It was also the perfect place for an ambush.
Alasta
ir drew his sword. His temples throbbed. He darted his eyes one way and then another. Nothing. Would it not come? Were they tensed up for nothing?
A savage growl tore the silence in half. A beast covered in gray fur—as thick around the middle as a man—leapt through the undergrowth and pounced toward Waleran. Its open snout showed a row of razor teeth. Its eyes were crazed. Waleran thrust his sword forward. It hit the animal between its front legs and plunged deep.
Alastair’s throat constricted. He nearly lost his grip on his sword. Another growl sounded from behind. Alastair spun to see another crazed man-size dog bounding toward him. It slashed at his legs with his teeth. Alastair swung his sword. A line of red tinged the dog’s left front leg. The other leg swiped and drew blood on Alastair’s shin. He gasped and stepped backward. The dog rose up to pounce. Alastair raised his sword but he was too slow. The weight of the animal knocked him to the ground. His spine thudded against the leafy floor and pressed down. His ears rang as his head made impact. The dog’s snapping teeth lunged toward his throat. Hot putrid breath assaulted his nose.
He kicked up with his right foot, finding the creature’s genitals. It yelped slightly. Taking advantage of the distraction, Alastair raised his sword in time to deflect the dog’s teeth that were coming for another round. He pressed and sliced as hard as he could. The animal’s head pulled back.
Blood dripped from the dog’s mouth. Alastair plunged his sword toward the animal’s chest, but its paw whipped forward and knocked his weapon away. Pain seared his arm as the claws dragged across his skin. He lost his grip and the sword fell to the ground.
The dog took another lunge toward Alastair’s throat. With nothing else to use, he put his hands out. He caught the animal’s snout and pushed back with all of his might.
His strength was failing. He couldn’t hold the dog back. This was it. He was going to die here and Lynessa would never know what had become of him.
Something stabbed the side of the dog and it yelped loudly. It turned around and collected Waleran’s boot in its face. The dog yelped again and stumbled back.
As Waleran yanked his sword out with a sickening squelch, Alastair grabbed his own weapon, leapt to his feet and swung toward the dog’s throat. He slit it cleanly. The animal went down.
Alastair took several steps backward and collapsed to his knees. His left leg and both arms dripped with blood. In the heat of the battle he’d not noticed the other arm, but now that it was all over, the pain began to throb.
The first dog that had attacked Waleran lay dead at the other end of the clearing. Alastair sucked in great gulps of air. The world spun one way and then another. Waleran grabbed his hand and pulled. Alastair rose onto unsteady feet and his friend began to pour water from his skin over his wounds.
“Isn’t that a waste?”
Waleran shook his head. “We have to clean your cuts. Infection can be a ferocious killer.” Waleran stoppered his water skin and took a strip of linen from his pack. “I’ll bind that arm. The other wounds are not deep enough to need it.”
Alastair nodded. “Kay.”
Waleran finished tying the bandage. “Come on. I think we should get out of here.”
“Aren’t they dead?” Alastair asked between gulps of air.
“Two animals attacking together? That looks like pack hunting.”
“And?”
“And two animals is quite a small pack, wouldn’t you say? There could be more of them.”
Alastair stood and followed wordlessly behind his savior.
• • •
The sun was going down, not that it made a huge difference down under the jungle canopy. Alastair’s legs were turning to stone.
“We’ve walked for well over an hour and there’s been no sign of more giant dogs,” he said. “I think maybe we are safe.”
Waleran scoffed. “Safe? We will not be safe until we leave this jungle.”
“I understand that. I just meant there may not be any other dogs tracking us.”
“You may be right. Either way, we’re going to have to make campment soon.”
“Maybe we should light a fire.”
Waleran stopped walking and ran his hands over his head. “Probably not a good idea. It’s warm down here—much warmer than our plateau. I don’t think we’ll need it.”
“But it might scare the dogs away.”
“Or attract them.”
“Oh.” Alastair folded his arms. “Then what?”
“I think our safest option would be to sleep in the trees.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“Not really, but it seems logical.”
Waleran started to climb one of the shorter trees that were dispersed between the towering jungle redwoods. Next to the giants, they seemed little more than shrubs. He reached a fork of strong branches and shrugged off his cloak. He then proceeded to attach it between the branches like a hammock.
“Now you’re just showing off,” Alastair said.
Waleran shrugged. “It will work.”
Alastair set up his own cloak as a makeshift hammock and chewed on a piece of bread and some dried mutton. While they could see more of the sky through the canopy here than on the ground, most of the stars were still obscured. Phobos glowed down on them.
“Not that we can see, but I imagine Deimos is also visible in the sky tonight,” Waleran said.
Alastair grunted. “I heard a legend that Deimos is a moon just like Phobos, but I don’t understand. It looks like a star to me.”
“I’ve heard the same story. Perhaps it looks like a star because it’s small, Alastair.”
“In that case, the stars must be really small.”
“Or perhaps just farther away.”
Alastair stared up and let out a long sigh. What a day.
“That blue star there is Earth, isn’t it?”
“That’s right,” Waleran said.
“Why does it move around the night sky? Other stars are fixed. I know because I’ve gazed at the constellations.”
“I don’t know, young Alastair.”
“Do you really believe our ancestors came from there, Waleran?”
“I do. Back in the Time of Magic, mankind was able to travel through the night sky.”
“It just seems too incredible. It makes me feel small and weak to know that mankind once did such things, but I never will.”
He lay back and took in the atmosphere of the jungle. Leaves rustled. Some kind of creature chirped. The occasional bird flapped. There was a lot of life out there.
“You did well today,” Waleran said. “When the dogs attacked. You remembered your training. You didn’t panic, you just defended yourself.”
“It wasn’t enough. If you hadn’t stepped in and helped I’d be dead now. When it came down to it, I didn’t have what it takes. I needed to be saved.”
“There’s no shame in that, young Alastair. You held out long enough for me to get to you. That was an achievement.”
Alastair grunted. “You were right about one thing, Waleran.”
“Just one?”
“I’m not ready. One week’s training is hardly enough to make me a great warrior. I’m still dependent on you.”
“We’re all dependent on others. It’s part of being human.”
“Not for me. Lynessa is counting on me to be better than that, and I will be. I’ll be better.”
• • •
Alastair thrust his sword, and then parried an imaginary attack. Leaves rustled above his head. He looked up and met Waleran’s eyes.
“Morning.”
Waleran’s eyes widened. “I must say I’m surprised. It’s not like you to get up before me.”
“I needed to practice my sword technique. It’s important that I improve.”
Waleran smiled. “You’re dedicated. I’ll give you that.” He untied his cloak and dropped to the ground. “I’ve been thinking. We need a better idea of where we’re going.”
Alastair nodded. “
It did seem yesterday like we were wandering aimlessly.” What do you suggest?”
He tilted his head backward. “The view from up there must be spectacular.”
Alastair’s grin dropped. He tipped his head back and really took in the height of the redwood trees. He let out a breath of air slowly. Never had he seen such things. They had to be close to three hundred meters. How could such a thing grow so tall?
“If you could climb up and take a look, we could get our bearings, maybe try to spot a river.”
“Me? It was your idea. Why don’t you climb?”
“You’re lighter than me, young Alastair.”
“And you’re stronger. I would likely tire before I got high enough. In any case, I don’t want to climb up there. The top of that tree is hundreds of meters above the ground.”
“You won’t need to make it all the way to the top. You only need to rise above the main canopy.”
“There are no branches within reach. It’s not possible.”
“I have a way. It will be a little work, but it’ll be worth it.”
Alastair threw his hands in the air. “And when did you become the leader of this expedition? This is supposed to be my quest, but you’re here making all the decisions and commanding me. I’m doing all the drudge work. I’m only here as your personal hand, aren’t I?”
Waleran furrowed his brow. “Don’t speak that way, Alastair.”
“How can I not?”
“I’m here to help you. I have skills and experience. You’d do well to take advantage of them.”
“And that’s another thing. You know an awful lot about the world for a simple hand. Who are you really? What did you do before you came to our manor?”
Waleran crossed his arms. “Do you want to stand here and argue until nightfall or do you want to find what we’re looking for and save Lynessa’s life?”
Alastair frowned. Waleran had him there. Lynessa was more important than his pride. If Waleran wanted him to climb this tree in exchange for his help, then he’d do it.
