by Lori Beery
I checked on the scientists. They still swarmed around the cat. I consulted my chronometer. Ten minutes more and an hour would have passed since I had spoken to X-tee. Figuring we would be moving out shortly, I divested my shoulders and back of my gear. I dug through my pack, retrieved my quiver, and laid it across my lap where the kitten slept. Then, I located a small coil of yellow twine buried in the bottom. I hoped I could fashion a harness for the cat. I wanted a way to see it when it went totally invisible.
After several attempts, I crafted something I hoped would work. The twine was tight enough to be snug but loose enough not to choke or pinch the kitten. Then, I deposited the creature and its jacket into my pack. This meant my canteen, rope, a bag of snacks, and the mammary gland needed to be attached to the outside of the pack to maintain their easy access. Hooray for twine! When my stuff was arranged to my satisfaction, I shouldered my pack and got it settled as comfortably as I could on my back. I grabbed Carl’s and my quiver and my bow and climbed off my boulder. My legs felt a bit tingly since I had been sitting up there for a while. I shook them out as I made my way toward Carl.
“Hey,” I called to him once I was a few steps away. “Thanks for letting me borrow this.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied as he took his quiver. “You didn’t have to use any?”
“Nope,” I told him. “Apparently, the threat had already been neutralized.”
“Lucky for us,” he murmured almost indistinctly.
“Alright, times up!” yelled X-tee. “Let’s pack it up and get moving.”
The scientists complied. They had finished the autopsy and specimen collection by the time I had returned Carl’s quiver. All that was left was divvying up the specimens and hauling Nathan’s stretcher. In the end, all five uninjured scientists helped to carry the stretcher. Paul, his arm back in a sling, was helping Ross. All of them, except Ross, were busy carrying specimens. That included all of us guards. I wondered what would have happened if they had conducted autopsies on all three creatures. How would they have gotten their samples to camp?
As per the rest of the expedition so far, I covered the rear. I held an arrow nocked as I walked. Carl attended to the injured as we made our way. When he wasn’t checking on them, he walked to my right, just forward of my position. His bow hung from his shoulder. This was a departure from his normal behavior. I guessed he was hurting from his encounter with the adult invisocat. I hoped John would return to us before too long. I thought Carl needed some additional medical care.
X-tee took point. Marta walked behind and to the left of him. Both of them carried arrows nocked to the strings of their bows.
Our path took us by the chasm with the green valley at the bottom. We hugged the edge until the terrain became too rough. Then, X-tee led us down the long slope down to the rock plane just before the descent to our camp.
Just before I started down the slope, I took a long look along the lip of the canyon edge. I let my eyes scan it in its entirety. On the northeast wall, there was an odd luster that seemed out of place. Maybe it was the sunshine hitting a quartz deposit. I stared at it for a moment, fixing nearby landmarks in my mind. Perhaps, after the invisocats are autopsied, we can check it out.
I hurried to catch up to the others. It was not difficult. They were carefully moving as they tried to keep Nathan comfortable. They had turned his stretcher, so he was going feet first down the slope.
When we reached our camp, everyone was tired. We all needed some food and some sleep. We also desperately needed to get the wounded up on a ledge so they would not become lizard food. I helped get Nathan installed on his ledge and as comfortable as we could make him. Carl changed his bandages, making sure that his patient’s condition was satisfactory.
After getting Derrick to watch my kitten, Marta and I climbed down to the kitchen ledge. We allowed Ross to direct us in whipping up a hearty stew for supper. When it was ready, I helped distribute the food. It was extremely easy. Six out of the eight scientists were on the large ledge next to the kitchen. They were eagerly examining the specimens they had gathered. For their sake, I hoped their analysis gear retained enough power to get them through their collection.
Before I left the lab ledge, I collected the kitten. It was nestled conveniently in my pack, sleeping. I wondered who had the other two babies and what was going to happen to them. I made a mental note to ask Paul in the morning. Once I settled my pack on my back, I climbed over to the kitchen to get myself a bowl of stew. Then, I retired to my ledge.
X-tee was already there. He sat with his back against the cliff and his legs laying across our ledge. His feet stuck out into open air. He looked up from his dinner as I stepped onto the ledge and silently watched as I plopped my pack at my feet (one-handed, since I held my food in the other hand). Then, I sat in a position that mimicked his, although my feet didn’t stick out beyond the ledge. We sat and ate in companionable silence.
“Ky, how many of the cats, did you kill today?” he asked as he set his bowl aside.
“Three,” I answered between bites.
“So, you killed them all,” he said, meeting my eyes with his.
“Yes,” I told him. “Each time I got very lucky.”
“In what way?” he asked.
“The cat on the slope set off spinners, so we knew it was coming,” I explained. “Then, the sun was in the right place to give it a shadow. That let me track it.”
“And the two on the boulders?” he questioned.
“They were not hunting me,” I declared, “at least, not at first. I targeted the invisocat beyond the visible cat by the blurring of its ears and tail. My shot was on target but apparently not enough to kill it. When it charged me, I released two more arrows that did drop it. While I cowered in the rocks, I came face to face with the other invisocat. I ended up shooting it in the eye. That was a very desperate and lucky shot.”
“May your luck continue,” he said, saluting me. “You have the first watch.”
“Before you turn in, I have something to report and another thing to show you,” I told him.
“Report,” he ordered.
While I filled him in on my conversation with Amerzan, I unpacked the jacket cocooned kitten. As I spoke, I brought out the gland and held it near the yellow harness. I stressed Amerzan’s willingness to both defend the settlement and the camp against the lizards while the feline nursed. The kitten finished its meal, stretched its body, curled into a ball, and promptly went to sleep. I continued telling X-tee that Amerzan would cohabitate the mountain with us if we promised to stay out of the large cavern while his mate and chicks were present.
By the time I finished reporting, parts of the kitten had begun to flicker into and out of sight. The display lasted for a good ten minutes before it stopped. The kitten resumed looking like the jacket lining broken by the yellow harness.
“That’s headache inducing,” commented X-tee pointing at the sleeping creature. “Good thing you put that harness on it.”
“Yep, it’s a bit disturbing,” I agreed. “It happens after every feeding. There seems to be something in the milk that triggers it.”
“Are the scientist aware?” he asked.
“Paul is,” I told him. “He is the only one who seems interested.”
X-tee nodded. “How’s your head since communicating with Amerzan?”
“Right now, no issues,” I answered. “This time, it hurt very bad during our conversation. Amerzan was quite alarmed that we were in danger from the invisocats. He yelled into my head. That was not pleasant. Afterward, I did have a headache. It hurt but didn’t incapacitate me.”
“That’s an improvement,” he said as he stretched out on the ledge nearest the cliff. “Please see if Amerzan is willing to meet with us in person tomorrow,” he continued as he pulled a blanket over himself.
“I will try,” I responded.
I rearranged things to my liking. I moved the kitten to the middle of the ledge and placed my weapons within
easy reach. Then, I seated myself cross-legged at the outer edge of the platform. I settled myself and listened to the night.
The camp was restless. The scientists tossed and turned. I doubted they slept. The only ones who did were the guards, with the exception of Carl. He was over on the ledge next to Nathan’s. The injured man was the only scientist who did sleep. The observation made me crack a smile.
As time passed, I became aware of a scent that was – different. It was distinctive but subtle. It wasn’t that it was bad. It reminded me of berries, but I had no idea what kind. I knew it had not been present before we went exploring. I had not noticed it when we returned. But I smelled it now.
An amused presence brushed my mind. ‘Amerzan, are you here?’ I thought.
‘I am, Small One,’ he whispered through my mind. ‘I have been here since before your return. I’m glad you arrived without incident.’
‘Me too,’ I remarked honestly. ‘Would you be willing to meet with us face to face?’
‘I am,’ he said. ‘Can you assure my safety?’
‘I will defend you personally,’ I declared. ‘Although I don’t believe you will need my protection. I am hoping my people, and you will be friends.’
‘Ky, that is my hope as well. Because of that hope, I agree to meet with your people tomorrow when the bright light takes the sky,’ he told me. ‘Sleep well, Small One. I will meet you on the flat rock above your camp.’ I felt a sense of satisfaction before it faded from my mind, along with his presence.
It took me a moment to realize that Amerzan had called me Ky. Did that mean he considered me a friend? I hoped so.
The rest of my shift passed quietly. I slept deeply for the rest of the night. I even think I dreamed of a world where we humans lived in peace with Amerzan’s people. And – he let me ride on his back.
Chapter 24
At dawn, I was geared up and ready to go. X-tee was aloft, briefing the other guards. He had decided that the group to meet Amerzan would be himself, Marta, Ezra, and me. While he finished with the final arrangements, I was on the ground with the kitten.
Currently, the little creature stumbled around my feet, mewling plaintively. It was obviously hungry. I had tried to give it water since the gland had run out of milk. Sadly, that was not an adequate substitute. I hoped Paul had an alternative. He was busy doing something on the lab ledge.
Finally, Paul lowered himself to the ground. He had a flask of something.
“Here give me the gland,” he demanded. After I surrendered the item, he carefully poured the contents of the flask into it. “Let’s see if he likes this,” he said, holding the gland towards the area of the harness where the kitten’s head should be. The cat was immediately interested and quickly began to nurse.
“Looks like it’ll do,” I commented happily.
“Yes, I think it will,” he agreed. Looking beyond me, he continued, “X-tee appears ready to move out. If you leave me the kitten, I’ll look after it.”
“Thanks,” I told him earnestly and surrendered the leash to him. “When we return, I have some questions for you.”
“Such as?” he asked with a frown.
“Erm – how long with the gland be safe to use?” I asked. “Isn’t it decaying?”
“Ah,” he got out before X-tee arrived. He mouthed the word “later,” and scooped up the kitten.
“Ready?” asked X-tee when he stopped before me with Marta and Ezra behind him.
“I am,” I answered.
“Take point,” he ordered.
I led my small group to the plateau above and east of our campsite. The place was basically a flat, barren rock with more rock sloping up towards the ridge. I sensed Amerzan was present, but I didn’t immediately see him.
“Amerzan, are you there?” I asked aloud as well as with a thought. “I have brought three of my people to meet you.”
‘Yes, so I see,’ he replied as he stepped toward us.
His movement brought him into focus. He was huge; there were a good four meters from the ground to the top of his head. His body was mostly a reddish-brown color, but there was a swath of white along the bottom of his wings. It looked like hair covered all of his body except his wings and legs. His beak and feet were orange, and the shape of his beak was hooked like any predatory bird on old Earth. His talons were black and as long and thick as swords. My friend was both menacing and beautiful. The pictures we had didn’t do him justice at all.
“You are a very, big, handsome boy,” I told him as soon as I had recovered from taking in the whole picture. “May I introduce my friends?” I asked after placing myself between him and my three friends.
‘Please do,’ he answered. There was a note of worry that flowed along with his voice.
“This is X-tee,” I told him while indicating the big guard captain. “This is Ezra,” I said as I gestured to the scientist. “And this is Marta,” I added as I pointed to her. “My friends,” I began, gesturing to include them all, “this is my friend, Amerzan.” I indicated the eagle as I spoke his name, though it felt unnecessary as there wasn’t anyone else to whom I could have been referring.
‘It is good to meet you,’ I heard him whisper. By the surprised looks on the faces of my companions, they each heard his words inside their heads.
Ezra was the first to recover. “I am pleased to meet you as well,” he said, bowing his brown-haired head to the bird. “May I move closer? If you will permit it, I would like to touch you. I promise I have no intention of causing you discomfort.”
‘I have not seen you before,’ stated Amerzan as he eyed the scientist. ‘Before I give you an answer, tell me about yourself.’
“Of course,” replied Ezra. “You have not seen me before because I spend much of my time within the mountain. I watch the animals around us so we can learn how they live. I am working in the hopes that our people can fit into this planet’s ecosystem without causing too much change to it.” He paused. “You are the first creature we have met that can communicate with us.”
‘You have a big task before you,’ stated Amerzan. ‘But you should know that your people have already changed things. The tree dwellers are becoming more difficult to hunt. They now post guards. They watch for predators and sound alarms when one is sighted. The tree snakes around my mountain are becoming leaner.’
“So, the mountain is your roost,” announced X-tee.
‘It is,’ confirmed Amerzan. ‘Will your people consider allowing me the large cave with the opening to the outside?’
“We will do what we can,” allowed X-tee. “My people fear you. You are large and equipped with deadly weapons. What can you offer to assure them of their safety?”
‘I can keep the lizards from invading the mountain,’ replied Amerzan. ‘If you will follow the requests I have presented to Ky, there should be no issues.’
“We welcome your help with the lizards,” X-tee said. “We will begin talking with those who govern our people. We will present your requests and do everything in our power to show that you are our friend.”
“We thank you for helping us keep our campsite safe,” Marta added.
‘I am glad I could help,’ he whispered, moving his head to look at her. ‘I understand you tried to help Ky reach me yesterday. Please keep trying. I find I enjoy communicating.’ He shifted to fix Ezra with an eye. ‘I will permit a touch of my feathers and fur.”
Ezra did not hesitate. He walked forward and reached up to pet Amerzan’s thigh and belly. He carefully made a single stroke in each place. When he finished, he backed away. “Thank you,” he breathed and bowed his head to the bird.
‘You are welcome,’ he responded. ‘I must go hunt.’
“Before you go, what can you tell us about the hole in the ground just up the slope?” I asked, pointing east.
‘Only that it is a hole in the ground,’ he told me.
“You don’t smell any trees or water in it?” I inquired puzzled.
‘No,’ he replied. ‘It
is not out of my way, so I will – explore.’ I felt a sense of pleasure. He seemed happy to be using new expressions. I smiled.
“Safe travels, my friend,” I wished him as he leaped into the air and beat his wings in powerful down beats, fighting for altitude. His efforts created very strong gusts of wind which were robust enough to knock Marta and me to the ground. In the future, we should give him more room.
‘Ky, are you and Marta alright?’ his voice whispered through my mind, filled with concern.
“We’re fine,” I told him. “We will need to remember you need more space when you take off from the ground.”
‘I apologize,’ he thought. ‘See you later.’
“Sounds great,” I responded.
We watched him head east. It didn’t take him long to exceed our range of vision.
“Well, that Amerzan is very large,” announced X-tee.
“Yes,” I agreed. “And he is our friend.”
“Why did you ask him about the chasm?” wondered Marta aloud.
“I wanted him to describe it to me,” I replied. “When I looked down into it, I saw the valley floor covered in trees. But he didn’t smell the vegetation. I find that very strange.”
“Hmm, I remember seeing those trees,” Ezra commented. “How is it that we see plant life and he doesn’t sense it?”
“That is a question,” I said thoughtfully.
“One that we can investigate after those two cats are autopsied,” stated X-tee. “Let’s get back to camp and see if the others are ready to get underway.”
As it turned out, they were ready. We arrived at the jumbled boulder field in just over an hour. The invisocats still looked like rock piles with faces. Nothing had disturbed them. I could not say the same for the visible cat. Something had taken care of his remains.
The scientists quickly set to work. Lloyd was dispatched to video the place where the visible cat had lain. Then, he joined Ezra, who was preparing to work on the cat with the ruined eyes. Raymond, Derrick, and Frank were busy examining the other. Both groups went through the same steps as they had with the visible male the day before.
