There were dresses in the bag. Well-made with sashes and presumably cut to her height. But they were all exceptionally bright. Cobalt blue, canary yellow, electric green, and beaming scarlet.
None of these gowns would really blend into the background. The green might work better than the others. But even it was practically venomous in shade. Still, her pale lavender one was about to fall apart. And this was much better than nothing.
"You know," WroOth called from the other side of the tree. "If I wanted to be difficult and if we didn't have the rels active right now, this would be an ideal time for someone to knock something out of the tree on you, Amelia. Problem is, in Ecekom, whatever is small enough to be knocked out of a tree is probably venomous enough to kill you."
"Probably would have sharp teeth too," QueQoa offered.
Amelia rolled her eyes as she pulled the clean dress over her head. Did they have to do this now?
"True. But that hardly takes anything," WroOth responded. "How bad is it going to be when we run into—"
Amelia flung the ragged dress around the trunk. It struck someone from the sound that followed. "Would you please stop? I'm on edge enough about this place." She came out from behind the tree and halted when she saw Naatos standing there, holding her shredded gown in one hand.
"From what I recall of Awdawm traditions, throwing your clothes at one's mate is a good sign," Naatos said.
The heat rushed over her once more. "I just wanted WroOth to stop talking. There was no innuendo or invitation intended."
"Rocks and besreds work marginally better for that purpose," Naatos said. He folded the dress and then draped it over one of the logs. "And you look like a bioluminescent beacon all lit up to tell the palace guard the rainbow locusts have reached their final stage."
Amelia flashed him a thin smile as she placed her hands on her waist. "It seemed the best option under the circumstances."
WroOth walked behind Naatos. "You should tell her she's a beautiful bioluminescent beacon at least." He flicked his brother's ear and continued on.
Naatos scoffed but when he returned his focus back to Amelia, he did smile a little. A hunger returned to his gaze, pressing against his cold evaluation. "It isn't that you don't look appealing. You are—stunning. But I do not understand why you aren't wearing the grey or the black or even the brown garb."
"Because there is none. At least not in there. They're all bright colors."
"Perfect for the poison dart frog defense." WroOth eyed the fire and then tilted his head back to look at the sky. "We'll never lose track of you at least, and luckily, most predators here don't rely on sight."
"Of course, you know what the Bealorns say." QueQoa balled up the leaf and tossed it into the fire. "The most dangerous predator is the one currently eating you. If even one finds that shade appealing, it could be a problem."
"Well, I'm glad to just have something," Amelia said. She turned, seeing that Naatos had gone back behind the tree to get the bag.
He brought it out, rifling through the contents. A brush and comb fell out. Amelia picked both up and began working on the tangles in her hair. "There aren't any grey or brown clothes in there, Naatos."
"I told them to put them in here. There are no trousers or tunics either."
"Apparently our servants were lax. Thank Elonumato they are worlds and millennia away." WroOth clicked his tongue.
"Color aside, I'm glad they aren't falling off." Amelia retrieved one of the combs and began working at a large matted knot at the base of her head. "Do we need to pack anything for where we're going?"
Naatos continued searching through the bag. "They should be in here." A mirror fell out of the bag and cracked on the ground. Naatos sighed and tossed the pack aside. "This is ridiculous," he muttered. He shook his head as he looked at Amelia once more. "Someone could hit you in the dark that dress is so bright."
"As long as it isn't you hitting me, I'll be fine." Amelia braided her hair loosely, trying to avoid some of the smaller knots. She dropped some of the loose strands off. "This green blends better than the other colors."
Naatos opened his mouth to retort, then shook his head. His manner became less playful as the frustration remained present in his posture. "Just do what you're told if we're attacked. And don't get yourself killed. I'm far from done with you."
12
To Tri Ce
It did not take long to cover up the fire and start on their way toward what was hopefully not Tri Ce.
Amelia packed her own satchel with items she supposed she might need.
They started off on foot after AaQar broke and spread the rels capsules, placing some in each of their hands. All business once again, Naatos led the way, AaQar following with his wire-whip topped staff. Amelia walked between AaQar and WroOth as QueQoa brought up the rear. Despite the earliness of the hour, the air was thick and humid. The morning light retained that pearly golden paleness.
Since she had no weapon other than her knives, she chose a solid branch in case she needed a blunt instrument with a little more reach. It also helped her brush aside the thick foliage.
"Do we need silence while we walk?" she asked.
"No. Not unless Naatos is not in a talking mood," WroOth responded.
"When has my mood ever impeded your talking?" Naatos demanded.
"He doesn't understand how much fun it is to torment him." WroOth flashed her a smile.
"Well, in addition to tormenting your brother—"
"Don't encourage him, Amelia," Naatos called back.
"—could you teach me about this place and what to expect and the plants and all?" Amelia finished. She plucked one of the green leaves with white speckles on it and held it up. "Like this. What is it?"
"A leaf."
"What kind? Can you eat it or use it for medicine?"
"Let's talk about what's more likely to be an issue here, dear heart." WroOth draped his arm around her shoulders, half leaning against her as they walked. "While some of the plants are predatory, the bigger problem is the animals. Especially when we don't have the rels to help us. If these aren't the ruins and we can't find a Vawtrian city soon, we may be in a touch more danger after a few months."
"A touch more?" Amelia side-eyed him. "You mean we're going to be in even deeper trouble."
"I'm not going to touch you anymore if you keep trying to read my mind," WroOth said with mock irritation. The fact that he did not withdraw his arm from her shoulders contradicted his point.
"I don't have to be even a little good at mindreading to know that this is a bad place to be. I was reading about your world while I was in the temple."
WroOth chuckled. "True enough. But don't worry, little sister. We won't let anything happen to you. The first thing we need to address is what happens if something tries to eat you. Do you know what you're supposed to do?"
She rolled her eyes at him playfully. "What? Don't let it?"
"Hah, if that worked, we'd all be happy," WroOth responded. "So let's start with working assumptions: unless we tell you otherwise, just assume that if it moves, it can eat you. And even if it can't move, you should be cautious."
"Trust nothing."
"Exactly."
She shook her head. "Your world matches you four."
"As long as you do as you're told, you'll be fine," WroOth said. "Now listen closely. It's the early morning yet, which is one of the safest times for traveling during daylight in a forest like this. Other than the silent hours. But those are unbearable for other reasons."
As they walked along the path Naatos created, WroOth told her about all the different predators and creatures that populated this area. That he knew of, at least. QueQoa joined in at intervals with AaQar occasionally pointing out plants and their uses. Naatos did not say much of anything. He didn't even glance at her except for once or twice. Points at which her own heart raced faster, the heat returned, and the itching intensified. It took all her focus to find other things to think about.
&nbs
p; Thankfully, the wilderness was willing to give her a great many other things to focus upon.
Two times, a large reptilian head poked up from the brush. The first time, Amelia stiffened, freezing into place as she stared in the black and green speckled eyes of the creature. WroOth did not let her slow. He tightened his grip on her shoulders and pushed her along. "It won't come through the rels, dear heart."
It was closer than it should be. There was fear twisting along WroOth's consciousness as well. A ragged wire-like sensation that punctured her own mind.
She'd seen a picture of that creature in one of the books from the temple. Seven-clawed raptor. The streaks along the creature's triangular snout and neck made it blend into the shifting blacks and greens of the shadows and leaves with ease. It was barely thirty feet away. "How far does the rels keep predators from us?"
"Not far enough for having a non-shifter with us," QueQoa muttered.
They kept walking, the sunlight growing stronger and the heat thickening the air. At times, this forest reminded Amelia of an oak woods, other times of a sequoia forest, and others of a mangrove rainforest. At others, it was almost prehistoric, but always the trees were massive and carried such a sense of age that even Naatos and his brothers seemed remarkably young.
Crabs moved beneath the roots, their claws opening and closing. When Naatos walked by them, the scent of the rels must have reached them because they backed away.
Once something swooped down and struck a branch ahead. The entire branch rattled beneath the weight, yellow-green leaves showering down like coins.
"The one thing you'll have to bear in mind is that each layer of this world teems with life. Even the deserts. There's life above the forest canopy as well as within the trees and down here in the basin and in the roots of the world," WroOth said. "Most of it very aggressive. And everything can eat meat and would be more than happy to eat you."
Amelia tilted her head back as they continued walking. She glimpsed a pair of bright yellow eyes, multi-faceted and glittering. They reminded her of the tree mantis, only larger and more malicious.
Loud cawing brays filled the sky above them. Several times the leaves stirred. Her nerves prickled, warning her. There were predators nearby. Watching. Waiting.
Within another hour or so, they emerged from the forest into a broad clearing that stretched out in front of them for miles. Large clumps of grass higher than Amelia's waist rose up in some places while other stretches were no higher than her ankles.
It struck her as she looked out across this place that this stretch was broad enough to have once housed a city. It seemed to go on for miles, the mountains themselves distant, looming into the sky and wreathed in clouds. The forest continued on to her left and right until they were no longer visible. This broad square of grassland spread on and on. The rigidity of its boundaries was unsettling. Something terrible had happened here. Something which still impacted the land.
Beyond this grassland was the mountain with the oddly-blunted and worn triple crescent. Naatos waited until she reached the edge, then pointed to the tall grass. "While we are walking through here, do not ever go into the tall grasses unless there is no other choice. Seven-clawed raptors and other predators make their home here. The rels will repel them to an extent, but they may push through that if we disturb one of their nests."
"Don't go into the long grass," Amelia said. "I think I can handle that." She adjusted her satchel on her shoulder.
"Good. Because the raptors will tear you apart rather than eat you whole," Naatos said, his tone terse.
She noted that he was making extra efforts to stay away from her, which she appreciated. "Fortunately, I come from a world where people tend to expect alpha predators to rip them to pieces. So I'll be cautious."
"As much good it will do," Naatos responded.
She shot him an eye roll, but she didn't snap at him.
"Don't pay attention to him, darling," WroOth said. "He's in a foul temper because he is himself. Among other things. You'll be fine as long as you avoid doing anything stupid."
Naatos resumed walking, this time not cutting through the foliage but instead following the path of shorter grasses that cut through the long ones.
Reptilian gurgles and barks sounded from farther in the grassland. A tail flicked in the air approximately twenty feet from them. "There were some in the forest too. Is there any difference between the ones in the forest and grasslands like this?" she asked.
"They're probably using this as a nursery. They are more likely to hunt in the forest," WroOth responded. "The good thing is that if there are raptors nesting out here, we aren't going to run into as many other land predators. Maybe sarsqueches."
"Sarsqueches?"
"Annoying creatures without legs."
"So they're like snakes?" She noted that she wasn't picking up on anything from him aside from general apprehension now. There was a dull ache in her mind as well, similar to the one that formed in the back of the leg or the base of the foot after walking several miles.
"Close enough." He clapped her on the shoulder as they continued forward.
An ominous silence settled over the grassland, broken at intervals by the coughing cries of the predators and rustling. Amelia half expected one to leap out at her with each step they took.
The swathes of short grass were sometimes quite broad. Other times they were so narrow that two people could barely walk side by side along the path.
So far as Amelia could see, there was no evidence of a city. Barely any evidence of hills in this place. It was flatter than the middle of Indiana. At random intervals there were boulders and rocks, but none of them appeared connected to anything else. All was some shade of pale yellow, rich ochre, dull red, and flat grey. The vibrant neon of her gown stood out like fire in a dark room.
They carried on a little farther. The sun's height suggested that it was now mid-morning, their trek through the forest taking far less time than Amelia had anticipated. Tracking time was trickier out here.
Perhaps a full cycle of the day and night was more than twenty-four hours. Libysha in Reltux had twenty-eight hours in a cycle. Ecekom was likely different as well. Based on its size, probably longer.
To her estimate, it seemed that they walked a couple miles or so. Droplets of sweat formed along her neck and shoulders, sliding down her back. Several times more she glimpsed the bright sparkling eyes of the seven-clawed raptors. Twice she thought she saw something else.
At last though they stopped in a larger section of short grass. Naatos pointed toward the rock formation. "WroOth, QueQoa, fly to that and see if the inscription is up there. I will start digging and see if I can find evidence of Tri Ce."
AaQar began marking out a large circle with the end of his staff.
Amelia stepped out of the way as WroOth and QueQoa transformed into their preferred dragon forms and took off. "After twenty thousand years or so, would it have eroded away?"
Naatos pushed one of the boulders out of the circle AaQar had just made. "When Tri Ce was founded, it was declared that it, along with the other five cities formed at the same time, would stand for a million years in testimony to the strength and cunning of Vawtrians. Shivennans carved and sealed the blessing in those crescents. The years might wear them down some, but it would not be enough to eliminate it."
"The only way to eliminate the script would be to cut it off. The inscription was more than five feet deep at the narrowest point," AaQar continued. "Cutting it off would have to be intentional." He gestured for Naatos to step aside. "I'll start digging."
"No." Naatos pressed AaQar back, his manner firm but not unfriendly. "Keep watch. You're not yet to full strength, so if anything happens, signal at once."
It amused Amelia that the loose light tunic that he wore beneath his doublet was also jet black and well-fitted. And he filled it out very well. She kept those comments to herself, folding her arms over her chest as she watched. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Don't get killed." He cracked his neck, then shook his head. It took a second, but his state of rest then shifted. The lengthening and darkening of his skin to silver-black scales took longer than before. The whole transformation was slower overall, taking a full five uncomfortable seconds for him to become some sort of large digging lizard with a blunt snout and two sets of curled silver claws that sliced through the packed earth as easily as a hot knife through butter.
He started to slice through the earth, cutting out the circle of dirt with ease and speed. Within moments, he was up to his shoulders. Dirt flung up into two mounds which were relatively neat.
Amelia went to stand next to AaQar. "Are you feeling all right?"
AaQar nodded. He cleared his throat, putting his hand to his chest. "There are some longer-term ramifications for my actions. Nothing to concern yourself with." He stepped around so that the wind did not blow the dirt in his face.
Amelia continued to watch him. It always seemed to make him uncomfortable to not be at full strength, and, though he appeared far stronger and healthier than before, he had a ways to go. Most likely she did as well. If it weren't for her pride, she might have sat down to rest. Her chest felt tight, her lungs not taking in quite as much as she wanted. And the dull pain in her heel continued. The boots fit her well, supporting her foot as intended. Had the black mark on her heel expanded? It and the itching felt like they had.
She didn't want to check it here. She might be seen. Or she might realize that it was much worse. In which case, it would be harder to walk.
No. She understood AaQar's aversion all too well. Sometimes it was better to ignore things. Especially if one was playing mind games with oneself.
Her medical training screamed at her, but it was easier to ignore as she focused on the ever-increasing piles of dirt and remembered the long walk back. Under no circumstances would she ask one of them to carry her. It was embarrassing enough that she had passed out while hanging over Naatos's shoulder and not woken up until the following morning.
Wilderness Untamed Page 13
