“His bait?” Chara spat. “For what? You think that anyone who is aware of Solthum Valley is responsible for the incidents?”
“I think a group of men nearly falling to their death in a deep well constitutes more than an incident,” Zak murmured.
Aimee touched his arm.
“Did Corkos tell you why the people of Solthum Valley might be vindictive?” she asked.
“He did,” Chara whispered, her voice stolen by emotion. “I remember when the announcement came through our village. We were told that we had 2 rennas to pack what we could carry and to get to Aulo, and the Horus. We were encouraged to come early and work on the Horus to expedite its departure. I was young, and fending for my own. My parents had passed away from the virus already. Having watched their agonizing demise, I was eager to get away from my village. I wanted no part of it. There was no other family. All that we did was sit around and wait to see who the virus claimed next. There was nothing left for me, so I packed up what I had and I made my way to Aulo to help.”
“That had to have been terrible for you,” Aimee empathized, “but I don’t understand where Solthum Valley comes into play.”
Chara closed her eyes, but her eyelids were so thin they seemed translucent.
“I would have never even heard of it had I not gotten lost one day as a youth. I knew if I followed the river I would eventually find my village, but I became disoriented and ended up tracking it in the wrong direction.” She gazed into the fountain bed.
“I came across a girl fishing,” she said. “She was so nice to me. We talked until the sun fell behind the mountain and then she pointed me towards my village. I asked her where she lived, and she pointed up high on the mountain. I returned to that spot on the river several times before I left for Aulo to meet with the girl. On my last trip, I asked her to come to the Horus with me. She said she wanted to, but her parents and grandparents refused to leave the Solthum Valley.”
Chara stopped and looked back and forth between Aimee and Zak. “That was the first and only time I heard the Solthum Valley mentioned.” She rung her hands nervously. “And now Corkos is saying that the inhabitants of Solthum Valley were abandoned–left behind to fend for themselves on a poisoned planet.” The violet eyes teared up. “Did my friend survive? Did her family survive? I should have done more to convince her to leave.”
Aimee leaned forward and rested her hand on Chara’s arm. “This is all conjecture. That is why Corkos was looking for someone from Solthum Valley. We want them to come forward and tell their tale. These attacks don’t help anyone–if indeed they are instigated by the villagers of Solthum Valley. It could just be some pranksters that got carried away. Some bored youth, looking for an outlet–”
“Salvan,” Zak muttered.
Aimee jabbed him with her elbow.
“We thought–we thought you might know something.” Aimee swept her hands open. “Something to help us get in touch with these people, or something about their motives.”
Chara looked dismayed. “No.” She shook her head. “No, I know only what I told you. I knew a young woman many many rens ago. To hear that name, Solthum Valley, I was immediately curious if I could be reunited with her. Now I fear the worst.”
Aimee sought Zak’s gaze and he nodded soberly. They knew Chara was a kind soul. Unfortunately, she could not provide them with more insight. They were starting from scratch again to determine who was behind the targeted accidents.
“Chara,” Zak interrupted the awkward silence. “Did you ever tell anyone that you met someone from Solthum Valley?”
She glanced up. “No. I remember coming back home from that encounter with the young woman,” she paused, a haunted smile lighting her face, “her name was Saland.” The smile vanished and she continued. “I wanted to tell my parents what a delightful young woman I found fishing, but of course my house was empty by that time. And well,” she shrugged, “it was embarrassing to have gotten lost in such a fashion anyway.”
Aimee stood and reached for Chara, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. A unique fragrance wafted around the woman–something floral, something fresh.
“Thank you for sharing with us, Chara. If we learn any more, we’ll tell you.”
“Please do,” she hugged back with emphasis. “Aulo was a place of peace when we first returned here. We are trying so hard to rebuild it. Why would someone want to undermine that?”
There were no answers. But if they didn’t get answers soon, the repercussions could turn deadly.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Gordy kept pace with Sema’s nimble ascent. The air thinned and its chill jabbed his muscles like bony fingers reaching out and exclaiming, you’re too weak for this climb.
The prod put energy into his step to the point that Sema paused and turned around.
“Just because I’m facing forward doesn’t mean I’m not aware of your actions behind me.”
Gordy cocked his head. “You have eyes on the back of your head? Are you sure you’re from this planet?”
She made a face–not in jest–more like she had eaten a bad batch of crup. But, it took some of the edge off her features. For a moment, she was a carefree young woman.
“I have exceptional hearing,” she declared and turned back to face the path ahead.
Who was he to challenge that? He had underestimated her already. It wasn’t worth testing again.
Yet.
“So–” He glanced up and watched her legs negotiate the rough trail. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
What? Where did that come from?
Even Sema was startled into stillness. Dark eyes glared at him as her hands settled on her hips.
“Why would you ask such a question?”
“Well,” Yes, why indeed? “I mean, if you were my girlfriend I would be a little concerned about you transporting a man–a man who in your opinion is some sort of enemy.”
“In your opinion you’re not an enemy?” She challenged.
“Of course, I’m not! This is all in your head. Heck it’s not even in your head. It’s in someone else’s who has planted it in yours.”
She shrugged that off and turned back to the trail. He thought it was the end of their conversation, but she surprised him by continuing.
“So, your question.” Her speech was ragged, marked by the climb. “Is that supposed to be some form of charm? Do you think you can charm your way out of your plight as you’ve undoubtedly done in the past?”
“Charm? Me?” He tapped his chest and flashed a grin.
Sema’s face remained impassive.
“Charm doesn’t get me out of plights. Patience and perseverance do.”
“Humility too. I am sure that works for you a lot.”
Gordy frowned. Okay, he could flash the charm when he wanted to. He liked to see people smile. There were too many dour faces in his youth. He strove to banish those images. He had worked hard to reach this rank in life. To everyone aboard the Horus, he would forever carry the stigma of the young boy who first survived the virus. The young man who illegitimately became a Warrior. He was also the young man who went rogue and travelled to Earth to check on his friends. And, he was the man who graduated to an elite Warrior status, finally commanding respect from his peers.
“Patience and perseverance guides and protects me through these mountains,” Sema retorted. “Not the thoughts that someone else has planted in my head.”
Gordy reconsidered Sema. There was a keen intelligence in her eyes. It was scary to think that she was not carrying out a command, but rather effecting the task of her own volition. As diverse as their upbringing may have been, there were similarities between he and Sema.
“And if I had a boyfriend,” she called over her shoulder. “He wouldn’t be telling me what I could or couldn’t do.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Gordy muttered.
No boyfriend, though.
They continued uphill as Gordy craned his neck, searching the treetops far below for the
fissure that concealed the Tok. To his dismay there were no gaps in the tree line. No signs of a glade of any sort. It was as if he could leap off this mountain and swim in the fern blanket below.
“How much further?” he called out.
“Don’t worry. You’ll make it,” she chided. “It levels off here soon.”
Indeed, it did. They were marching through a narrow channel, between two jagged slices of the mountain peak. Although the altitude was high enough to suck his breath away, there was little between him and the sun. Perspiration beaded up on his forehead as he arced a hand over his eyes for shade. At this temperature, he could easily see a community sustaining itself. Elevation was not the death sentence everyone believed.
Oxygen on the Horus was ample enough for its passengers, but it had altered the respiratory system. His lungs labored with the fluctuating levels he encountered on Anthum. If it weren’t for that minor hindrance he would not be as compliant as Sema believed him to be.
Plant life was at a minimum up here. Some thorny shrubs flanked the bottom of a waterfall cascading from the craggy summit. Still, the contrast between cobalt sky and slate alps wrought a vivid beauty.
“Not a bad place to grow up,” he remarked.
Sema’s stride faltered. “Are you being facetious?” She pivoted, walking backwards so she could read his face.
“No, it really is beautiful. My whole life I’ve heard about how beautiful Anthum was–” He took a nourishing breath, catching the scent of water. “I haven’t seen much of the planet yet, but what I have has been very attractive.”
He didn’t mean for his gaze to land on her when he made that declaration. Blush capped her high cheekbones. It could be from the sun, of course. No wonder she was so tan. There was no shelter from this star’s rays at this elevation.
“You people call yourself Anthumians and yet you are just seeing this planet for the first time.”
“This is the land of my ancestors,” he defended, kicking a loose rock off the path. “What am I supposed to say, that I’m the descendant of a ship?”
“But I thought it was such a grand ship.” Sema rolled her eyes in exaggeration.
“It is! It was.” He shook his head. “It still is.” Albeit, in pieces. “The Horus is the most magnificent piece of machinery ever created.
Sema was still walking backward. He wanted to warn her of the uneven terrain behind her, but muscle memory guided her past all obstacles.
“You sound like you are convincing yourself…not me,” she speculated.
“That’s absurd. I grew up on it. It was beyond anyone’s dreams.”
“Not my dreams.”
The gravity of her statement drew him to a halt.
“What are your dreams?” he asked quietly.
Her head inclined, the silhouette of a petite nose and narrow chin chiseled against the bright sky. A certain melancholy could be distinguished in that profile, as well, determination.
“To cross the ocean,” she uttered soberly. “I once stood on its shore. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.” Her chin tucked down. “I imagine you’ve witnessed far more glorious sights in your space travels, but for me–for me, the ocean is something realistic–something tangible that I can attain one day.”
Dark eyes flared and her head twitched. “Bah, it is a dream not meant to be shared with a pale face,” she uttered succinctly. “You would never understand.”
The denial died on his tongue. Telling her that he understood perfectly would only sound placating. He had yet to see Anthum’s grand ocean. He too aspired to stand on its shores. For a moment, he imagined them shoulder to shoulder gazing out upon a luminous horizon with a blanket of water as far as the eye could see.
“Alright, maybe you’re right,” he murmured.
Her step faltered, but she did not look back.
“About what?”
“The Horus,” he muttered. “Maybe it wasn’t the best place for me as a kid. When the virus struck the ship, I was one of the first to survive it. I was immune.”
“How is that a bad thing?” She glanced curiously over her shoulder. “And how is it even possible?”
“Long story.” He shrugged. “I was young, and all I remember was feeling secluded. So very secluded. I wasn’t allowed near my family. But, I had that impression even before the virus. Everyone was older. My sister reminded me every day of how young and naïve I was. The few young ones aboard, the ones born on the ship as I was–even they were older than me. I spent most of my years on board the Horus trying to prove myself–”
His voice faded. He was startled that he had even spoken aloud. The damn female had gotten inside his head. Maybe he could blame the diluted oxygen.
“I also feel the need to prove myself.” Her soft declaration startled him.
“I am branded as the one with doubts. Everyone tells me, You don’t know what it was like. You weren’t born yet.” She kept her head straight forward, while her hand flailed in explanation. “They tell me I must learn. I must study the ancient periods.”
“But you don’t want to look back,” Gordy said quietly. “You want to look forward.”
“Precisely,” she exclaimed.
A tremor ran through her, snapping her neck to attention.
“We are here,” she announced in a flat voice.
Gordy recognized that the moment was gone. There was no time to dwell on their parallels now. The first signs of civilization were appearing. Solid rock abodes embedded in the peak wall, surprisingly sophisticated structures for what he thought were simple mountain people.
As they progressed, the construction grew greater in size and intricacy. It was all manmade, crafted from the very rocks they traversed. These were not the temples of Aulo he had seen murals of, where technology and engineering thrived from the crew of the Horus. The carpentry used here was honed over time. Wooden balconies were affixed to stone foundations, their moorings carved by hand. These earthen walls were red in color, lending a whimsical touch to the buildings.
Curious eyes watched them march by. Men and women dressed in furs and skins. The women bore colorful scarves wrapped around their necks. Some faces were tarnished by the sun, and overall exposure.
Gordy stared back at the distrustful glares. A group of men fell in behind them as they filed through the village square. They were silent escorts. Sentinels of doom. As the procession moved forward, all bystanders stopped their tasks to watch.
To this point the situation had felt surreal–as if by biding his time everything would rectify itself. With the march leading Gordy towards an inevitably grim conclusion he began to think of his family, his friends, and worried about their fates. Inevitably, more of this reclusive sect would climb down the mountain to claim its pale-faced foes.
Sema drew to a halt before a tall man in a fur cape. His face was weathered, even more so than his age would account for. His dark and greying hair was long and braided at the ends. Most notable, however, was the curved sabre clutched in his scarred, beefy hand.
“Father,” Sema uttered as she halted before him.
“Sema. Look at what you have brought us.” The man beamed even though his eyebrows were folded into a frown. “Well done.”
Sema avoided Gordy’s eyes and kept her head down. “He is a Warrior.”
The tall man nodded contentedly. “I gathered he was part of their crew by the uniform. Take him to the prison.”
Fingers clamped around Gordy’s arms from behind. He yanked against them, but more men fell in to secure him.
“What am I being taken to prison for?” He yelled at the saber-toting man. “All I’ve done is make an emergency landing on the mainland versus our destination of Aulo. I have committed no crimes. I have certainly done nothing to you or your people.”
Contempt filled the man’s icy eyes.
“Your mistake was to return to a land you had forsaken.”
“Sema told me that you believe the Horus abandoned your people.”
The man’s eyes shot towards Sema and she flinched.
“My parents were left here to die,” he declared in a deep tone. “And now you have the audacity to return–to try and reclaim land that you have deserted? No.” He shook his head slowly. “In recent times, only a few of your kind have ventured to our shores. An example needs to be set with you so that no others dare the same fate.”
“Nobody is looking to claim your land,” Gordy retorted. “And what type of example are we talking?”
Hooded eyes scanned the crowd that had formed around them. The man nodded meaningfully to which the crowd mumbled their approval.
Gordy didn’t like the sound at all. He sought Sema’s gaze, but she evaded him.
“Take him to the cells. Tomorrow we will release the prisoners into Dallek Chasm.”
A roar sounded and fists pumped in the air.
The word release caught Gordy’s ear, but there was too much foreboding in the message. Fighting the manacles around his arms, he was overpowered by the great number, and hauled across the dirt towards a rock slab door that ground open on demand.
With one thrust he was hurled into darkness as the gate rumbled shut behind him.
***
Gordy blinked, but could see nothing in the dark. The echoes of his movements and the clammy coldness hinted the chamber was vast, most likely a cave. A sloth-like scrape nearby startled him. Crouching, he extended his arms defensively.
“Who’s there?” he called.
Another sound–vague–muffled.
Gordy blindly inched forward until his hand connected with the cave wall. It was cold to the touch. Paralleling it, he advanced, trying to hone in on the noise. A cough sounded from the black void, followed by a throaty moan.
“Hello?” he tried again.
“Over here,” a raspy voice responded.
Narrowing in on that husky call, Gordy moved until he could hear someone breathing.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
Sardonic laughter echoed in the chamber.
“Been better.”
Four Worlds Page 13
