After the Dark

by Spencer Labbe

  Pil looked up at Todd and nodded resolutely. He led the way hurriedly into the dense forest on the right, his mind buzzing. He looked back just before he reached the trees and saw Sandy looking distinctly downtrodden. Sandy caught his eye and gave a weak sort of smile, before hurrying over to Brixton’s group, which had already marched out into the forest.

  Pil wondered why Todd had chosen him and Brixton to lead their groups. It was clear enough Todd was being kind to them, giving them the easiest job. They would get to wait behind while the rest scouted out the Chasm. Pil felt a bit slighted that Todd didn’t think he was up for the job; but, then again, he was only Entri and had yet to be properly trained. All in all, it was quite nerve-wracking pushing through Lungala forest without the protection of the Exidite.

  “Our first mission, Pil! And you’re leading it!” said Felicity proudly as soon as they were out of earshot.

  Pil laughed. “Dunno why he chose me. You would be the obvious choice, but then again, why would he choose Brixton? I mean, after all we said about him.”

  Felicity shrugged, climbing over a fallen tree. “Maybe he was going off stats from the test or something.”

  “Yeah, that’ll be it. Anyway, you led us all the way to Exidite!” said Dirk, panting with effort. “It’s only fitting you take the lead. I mean, I would never have had the nerve to try out if it weren’t for you.”

  “And I would probably be locked in a room at home, miserable, if you hadn’t found me in that alley,” said Felicity, smiling broadly.

  Pil’s cheeks flushed. “If it weren’t for you two, I would never have made it here either. I mean, just look around, look at where we are,” said Pil, gesturing to the thick trees and the dense canopy of vines and leaves, to the thick bush and the moss. Everywhere there was life. Pil had been so caught up in everything, he had forgotten where he was. They were no longer in the deadened, dark underground; the air was clean, and the real stars shone down on a world filled with life.

  “It is pretty incredible,” muttered Felicity, looking around. "I'm glad it's a night-day though. I mean, if it were Afterdark when all the beasts are awake...” she trailed off nervously.

  “Yeah,” muttered Pil halfheartedly. He would still very much like to see what the bright purple sun and the open trees looked like on an Afterdark day. But Lungala was famous for being the playground of predators. Luckily for the Elfin, they hibernated during the dark weeks. If it were Afterdark, they no doubt would have run into some sort of beast by now. Elfin were the number one source of prey for Bahbeq as it were. Pil knew they would have been sniffed out from miles away.

  Dirk shivered next to him. “Scary thought, eh? Being this close to a light week.”

  “We still have to be careful, though,” said Pil firmly. “They saw the golden sparks during the night, after all… there’s something in this forest, and it is awake. And whatever it is was near here just yesterday.”

  A deep silence fell on the group as they traipsed through the forest.

  Their pointed Elfin ears were pricked up, searching for any other sound of movement. Elfin feet tread lightly as a rule, and their own footsteps were absent as they listened intently. All that could be heard around them, however, was the soft chirping of insects and a light wind that rustled through the trees.

  “Trees are bigger than I thought they’d be,” said Dirk quietly. “More colorful too.”

  “Did you ever go to Reflection, Dirk?” asked Felicity, laughing. “Even Elfin children know we are some of the smallest beings of Haven.”

  “Yeah, I did. Not that I had your kind of Reflections, Ms. Falon,” said Dirk indignantly. Felicity rolled her eyes. “It’s just — you never get a good enough feel for it all. Out here, it’s all so much more — more real.”

  Pil smiled. He knew what Dirk meant. Somehow Reflection classes had simply not conveyed the full magnitude of Lungala Forest. Even Beings of Haven had difficulty relating the information. After all, it was written by Alfer Arrow, an Elfin who had lived above ground in the light, who came from a time when everyone knew what a tree looked like.

  “I think the trees are thinning; we must be nearly there,” said Pil.

  Sure enough, a brighter clearing of grass opened up ahead of them. Pil reached the edge of the forest first and looked out across a vast expanse of grassland. Protruding high out of the grass, like the sharp, black and ridged teeth of a demonic creature, stood the Ridge of Agora. It towered over the grass, far away from where Pil stood yet still daunting.

  “Wow,” breathed Felicity as she appeared at his side.

  Dirk, behind them, tramped his way to the edge, breathing hard. “W-whoa,” said Dirk, unnerved and panting with effort.

  The way to the ridge was clear of everything save grass, and far off in the distance to the left was a thick copse of trees.

  “What is that?” asked Pil, pointing to the distant forest.

  “I think that’s Magnus Forest,” said Felicity speculatively. “I feel like it was mentioned in a Reflection class I had. I don’t think there’s any record of what’s in it, though. Exidite don’t need to go out that far.”

  As he looked out over the endless plain of darkened growth, Pil could not help but feel elated. Haven was vast and alive. There was still so much he didn’t know about the world he lived in, so much to explore. Even with the dark shadow that was the Ridge of Agora, he felt the cool sense of freedom. Though it blotted out the landscape and towered far above anything Pil had ever seen, he still wanted to run over to the ridge and see it up close. So much mystery and brilliance in the world above the one he knew.

  “Well — nothing here, we are supposed to just look, right? We don’t have to go any closer, do we?” Dirk panted nervously.

  “Yeah, we just look,” said Pil, lost deep in thought. “Nothing’s moving, to be sure.” He turned to his companions. “I’m going to try and convince Todd to let us in on the scouting — I mean, we don’t get much training by just looking. We would still be safe with the rest of the Exidite…”

  Dirk shifted uncomfortably. “I dunno, Pil —”

  “Oh, don’t be such a baby, Dirk!” said Felicity, smiling broadly. “If we want to advance quickly, we have to show our initiative, right?”

  Dirk nodded meekly. He might put on a timid appearance, but Pil knew he could be brave when he needed to be. Pil suspected it was a habitual effect of living with an abusive father. He was always careful never to take risks; but when the time came to protect his siblings, Dirk would offer up himself first, without question.

  “It’s decided, then; let’s head back,” said Pil, and he started back into the dark forest picking his way through the brush.

  “Bet Brixton would be allowed to explore the Chasm,” whispered Felicity. “His dad’s a Captain. Doubt he’d ask, though. He’s the biggest —”

  “I forgot,” said Pil, breaking across Felicity. “I overheard Brixton earlier — he was talking to those goons of his, Pheonix and Raven. It sounded like they were planning something; I think we ought to be on the lookout.”

  “Let him try,” growled Dirk. “If I catch that brat on his own — he needs to be taught a lesson. Maybe we can convince him to investigate the Chasm? Might be able to scare him off in there.” Dirk glanced at Pil. “Nothing in Beings of Haven about Agora, is there?”

  Pil thought back. “No… wait, yes! Actually, it was mentioned as the place Alfer’s brother disappeared.”

  Felicity and Dirk looked at him blankly.

  Pil rolled his eyes. “You do know Alfer Arrow? The first King?”

  “Obviously, Pil, we aren’t bongers!” replied Felicity, affronted.

  “Well, he had a brother — an older brother, actually. I think his name was… Aries, yeah! Well, Alfer mentions that his brother went traveling to get to the green bridge. I suppose he wanted to go to the Falcate, but the last Alfer heard from him was just as he was passing the edge of Lungala. Seems he died before he even crossed Agora Ridge.”

&nb
sp; “Well, that’s depressing…” mumbled Felicity.

  “But who would want to go?... To the Falcate, I mean. You’d have to be a bonger to want to go in there,” said Dirk.

  “Yeah, well, I guess he fancied himself a bit of an explorer. He was a great warrior, though, in his time.”

  “But isn’t that scary? I mean, he could have died in Agora, couldn’t he? Maybe whatever’s in the Chasm was what got him …” Dirk glanced nervously around them as though the dark forest would suddenly attack.

  “Relax, Dirk. This all happened hundreds of years ago when Elfins were still living outside, during the light days. Anything in Lungala could have done it, really,” said Pil, pushing his way through the branches.

  “Stupid, really — I mean, to go out exploring alone?” said Felicity, laughing. “And to the Falcate of all places!”

  Pil chuckled. “He wasn’t the brightest of all. Anyway, looks like we are nearly there. The clearing was only a few more paces, right, Fel?”

  “Forty-eight more paces South — roughly,” said Felicity immediately. Pil smiled at her.

  “I dunno how you do that,” said Dirk, shaking his head.

  “Oh, come on, Dirk. They teach us basic directional and distance skills in Reflection.”

  “Not like —”

  “Shh!” Pil cut across abruptly. “I heard something.”

  The other two froze, their ears perking. In the distance was a loud cracking noise like the breaking of a large branch echoing its way through the silent forest; and faintly, only loud enough for Elfin ears, a scream.

  The three of them locked eyes, faces pale and petrified. Something was wrong. Nothing should be awake during the night days. Nothing should be screaming. At a nod from Pil, they ran — quickly but quietly — like they had been trained to do when they were children. Not away from the noise, but towards it — towards the Exidite camp.

  What was happening? Nothing should be awake. What were they running to? He didn’t want to think the worst, but he had to. And what should he do if there were danger up ahead? Lead his two closest friends into harm’s way?

  Felicity gave a low whistle and they all slowed, creeping along silently, completely in sync. This was the signal they had developed in games as children to alert the others when they were close to danger. Not ten paces away Pil could see it now through the break in the trees. Only the dim fire gave away its position. Pil looked around at the other two, confused. All was quiet, and there was no unusual movement in the clearing, no screaming.

  Felicity gave him a quick shrug.

  “You two hide in here. If it’s all clear, I’ll give the signal,” whispered Pil.

  Dirk looked as though he wanted to argue, but Felicity pushed him towards a big tree before jumping up onto another. They both began climbing up silently.

  Pil crept quietly to the edge of the trees. Had the noise come from here? It sounded like it had, but he supposed it could have come from anywhere in the forest. The clearing grew into focus as he approached. A large fire was the only thing moving, swaying gently in the wind. His eyes burned, and his night vision failed as he blinked the light out of his eyes. Everything was as it should be — except … there were no Exidite. Pil’s heart beat quicker. What did this mean? Where had they all gone? He crept slowly into the clearing, and as he did, his eyes cleared, and his heart sank. His mind reeled, and he stopped abruptly.

  The world tilted as he took in his surroundings. The floor was covered in bodies, shapes of Elfin men littered the clearing before him, and all at once the smell of gore was upon him. Pil looked around — a man to his left was nearly torn apart and twisted grotesquely. Pil blanched. His stomach was reeling, but he held it in. What was going on? What had happened? His thoughts were slow, muddled with the stench of death. It was the most revolting thing he had ever witnessed. Never had he seen carnage like this. He had read about death, heard about it, but Elfins generally had lifespans that lasted at least a century and a half. His mother had been the only Elfin in his lifetime to die. Death here was not like in the books, the feeling of it was overwhelming.

  With an enormous effort, he forced himself to survey the mayhem. The fire lighted the clearing in a sinister sort of way, but it allowed him to clearly see a large mass that rose in the center of all the destruction. It was rotund and inescapably black, sucking in all the light around it as though the large body was shrouded in the night sky. The bodies of Exidite men littered the forest floor around it like ants on a hill. He knew what it must be, knew what must have happened, but he was frozen in place. What could he do? The beast was either sleeping or playing… Regardless, if all the Exidite in his squadron had failed to kill it — what could he possibly do?

  “No,” said someone, a choking sound coming from over near the fire.

  Pil whipped around. Someone was alive!

  He ran to the figure which lay twisted in a blood-soaked mess of leaves and recognized immediately the haggard face of Tiberius.

  “Captain!” Pil whispered hoarsely, falling to his knees next to the bloodied figure.

  Tiberius’s eyes were unfocused, staring unseeing at the stars. “I should have … Traitor … I should have known,” he muttered through dry lips.

  “Captain, what happened? What should I do?” whispered Pil frantically.

  Suddenly the Captain’s eyes focused on Pil’s, and he seemed to regain some of his sense. "Traitor, I know… you must... Baer, tell Harlem…" he began in a voice choked with blood. But, with a sudden shudder, his eyes again lost focus, dimmed, and he lay still.

  Pil stared dumbstruck at the body of his Captain. This was the Exidite, what was happening? Slowly, and with an effort, Pil stood up from the body of his Captain and surveyed again the scene in the clearing.

  The large figure in the center of the clearing remained still. It appeared to be fast asleep, but Pil couldn’t be sure. The light from the fire was burning his night vision. It was too far and too dark in the clearing to make out details other than its size. He knew he had to investigate. Further than his own interests, he was a soldier, and he had to report to Harlem — if he survived.

  Quietly and robotically he left the way he had come, retreating into the foliage. Once inside the trees, he turned immediately and ran along the edge of the clearing until he stood parallel to where the thing must be laying. Deep in his soul, he knew it must be a Bahbeq. But he had to be sure.

  Pil hunched down and stepped out from the trees back into the clearing. Still, the beast had not moved. After a deep breath, he continued up to it, tiptoeing through the grass as silently as he could. The back of the figure rose to meet him.

  Firelight gleamed off its skin, which was stained a deep shade of purple, a thin layer of dark green scales clung to the muscle. It was hunched over, but the strained hind legs stretched at least six feet from the ground. There was a foul smell about the beast as Pil worked his way to its side. It was larger than he could ever have imagined. But not fat, the muscle of the creature was so taut it seemed as though only a thin layer of scale stretched over muscle and bone.

  Pil’s heartbeat rose as he approached its side and looked down at the leg that lay only two paces next to him. His heart leapt into his throat as he took in five sets of dark rigid claws protruding from each enormous paw.

  But something was wrong. The beast still had not moved, but it was a strange stillness. Pil looked at the emaciated stomach. It lay still as stone, not rising with breath, simply still. Is it dead? thought Pil, elated. He ran quickly to the front of the beast, still careful to be quiet. But as he reached the front, he saw that where the head should have been was just a leaking block of skin cleanly cut from massive shoulders.

  Air returned to him. The creature had been killed. As though a weight was lifted from his shoulders, he ran on impulse back into the forest. Softly still, he picked his way back to the spot he had left Felicity and Dirk.

  10

  Alone

  “Guys!” he said, running to a s
top. “Come down, quick!”

  Something in his voice must have alarmed them as they both jumped immediately from their trees, faces pale, eyes searching.

  Pil took in a deep, steadying breath. “They — they are all dead. All of them, I think… It was a Bahbeq, in the clearing — they’re dead.”

  Dirk’s eyes expanded, and his jaw dropped.

  “Pil, what are you talking about?” asked Felicity, confused.

  “They — look, don’t go down there; the Bahbeq’s dead, but there’s no point, we — we have to get back…report —” muddled Pil.

  But Felicity ran past him abruptly, heading openly for the clearing.

  Pil took in a shaky breath and looked at Dirk. “They’re dead, Dirk. All of them.”

  He said it simply. Dirk’s expression blanched as he read the truth in Pil’s face, though it seemed not to have fully sunk in. Dirk moved ghostlike past Pil, staring ahead after Felicity.

  Pil knew he should go back, knew he should be there for his friends, but he stood rooted to the spot. He could not go back; he could not face that reality again. The Bahbeq, even more than the bodies of his broken comrades, had chilled him to the core.

  Pil closed his eyes as his sharp ears picked up the faintest gasp.

  Felicity came back almost at once.

  “Pil!” she shrieked frantically. “What do we do—what’s going on?”

  “The traitor,” said Pil, looking up. “Tiberius was still alive when I got there. He—he said Baer was the traitor, he said to tell Harlem.”

  Felicity looked at him, confused. “Baer — wha — but we don’t even know where we are." She looked hurriedly around. “We don’t know how to get back to the rest.”

  “I know, Fel.” Pil sighed and sat down on the forest floor, overcome. “I know…”

  Felicity fell next to him, head in her arms, she began sobbing unrestrainedly.

  Pil felt numb. His whole body felt unreal. He reached over and grabbed Felicity gently on the shoulder, desperate to hold on to something real. After a minute, Pil realized Dirk had still not come back. He turned around and listened closely; faintly he could hear Dirk shuffling around in the clearing. Pil listened to Felicity’s soft sobs and Dirk’s scramble through the camp. He was supposed to be the leader of their little gang. Elfin were not meant to die. Death was such an abstract concept, to see it strewn about like that… to see bodies broken. Like his mother’s must have been.