Dustborn

by T. W. Piperbrook

  Gideon paused to suck in a breath before continuing.

  “The two groups parted on such bad terms that they swore never to speak of each other again, and instilled that in the hearts of their people. They considered each other dead, and swore to forget about one another. The unintelligent leaders founded New Canaan, while our leaders stayed here and maintained Red Rock. Of course, we didn’t relearn about New Canaan until recently.” Gideon slowly wiped his face. “During all that time, our leaders protected the secret of the dead monster in the cave, thinking it would only lead to panic. Of course, that old secret no longer matters, because a new secret exists—New Canaan’s monster—and their problem is now ours.”

  With much of his story told, Gideon leaned back, closed his eye, and reopened it.

  “So no one knows for sure why the ships left us?” Bryan asked the question that had plagued most of the colonists since their earliest memories.

  “Unfortunately, our answers are just speculation,” Gideon said.

  Bryan shifted, “What do you believe?”

  Gideon pulled a breath through his chapped lips. “I believe that the people who first settled here lost their use, and the ships decided we weren’t worth the trouble to collect. With each generation that passes, it becomes less likely that any ship will ever grace the skies of Ravar again.”

  Chapter 24: Bryan

  “Would you like a drink?” the healer asked, returning to Gideon’s bedside with a flask.

  “Yes, thank you, Jameson.”

  With Jameson’s help, Gideon reached out with a weak hand, took hold of the flask, and sipped.

  Bryan looked at the other Watchers, each of whom wore a revelatory expression. Even Louie watched, enrapt. The information they’d heard had shifted most of what Bryan thought he knew. Still, he had questions.

  When Gideon finished his drink, Bryan asked, “Many of us remember the arrival of the New Canaan emissaries a decade ago. Did they tell you about the monster?”

  Without hesitation, Gideon admitted, “Yes.” He handed his flask to the healer. “If not for the monster, we might have gotten along. But as soon as we heard about it, we knew that we could not consort with them. So much back and forth travel would surely draw the monster, putting our people in jeopardy. Even their presence put us in peril, because the monster might follow them. And so we told them to leave, and never come back.”

  Listening to Gideon’s explanation, Bryan could not dispute the logic.

  “That worked fine for another ten years. And then it didn’t.” Gideon’s expression took a dark turn. “If not for certain…circumstances…we would not be in this predicament. Our people would be alive.” Gideon’s eyes flickered with malice. “I would be whole.” Gideon watched them closely.

  “You mean, if not for Neena and Kai,” Bryan put together.

  “Their reckless actions put us in danger. They brought death to Red Rock. And so did the old man, Darius, who assisted them. In my mind, they are all criminals.” Gideon’s voice grew stern.

  Bryan’s skin prickled. Hearing those words reinforced the anger he’d felt in the colony; the anger he still felt now.

  “It is obvious the hunter girl went into forbidden territory,” Gideon said. “That is the reason behind all of this.”

  Bryan shook his head.

  “The bloodshed of our colony could’ve been avoided,” Gideon said, picking up on Bryan’s displeasure. “I have no doubt about that. Perhaps some of our relatives would have lived their entire lives without meeting such tragic ends, if Neena and Kai hadn’t brought the monster here. They ended several generations’ worth of peace. They are responsible for everything that has happened to us—them, and the old man who defends them. All three have reduced Red Rock to rubble.”

  Bryan clenched and unclenched his hands. Beside him, Louie shifted.

  Gideon fell silent, closing his eye for a long moment, before opening it.

  A growing rage built in Bryan, begging for release. He looked around, as if he might find Neena, Darius, or Kai next to him, providing an outlet for his anger. Of course, it was just he, The Watchers, and Gideon. Slowly, Gideon refocused on the group. Another realization dawned on Bryan.

  “You are telling us this for a reason,” he said.

  Once again, Gideon was transparent. “I heard from Jameson about the incident in the colony yesterday. I heard you are angry, like I am. Of all the people left in the colony, I knew that you, my Watchers, would feel the same way as me. And so I have a proposal.”

  “What?” asked Bryan.

  “I know that some people mistrust me. I understand the reasons for this. But I hope my explanation has proven that everything I’ve done has been for a reason. And now, it is my turn to ask a question of you.” Gideon turned from one man to the next, imploring them with his stare. “Do you trust me?”

  Bryan looked at his Watchers, who in turn looked at him. In those long, awful days after the monster’s attack, overlooking the fallen colony, or listening to the tears of the widowed women and the orphaned children, it was easy to question how they had spent their years.

  Certainly, they had all had doubts.

  But here, staring at Gideon, Bryan felt a quiet strength rising through his weakness and flowing through his words. His body might be paralyzed, but Bryan still heard the man who had held the podium for as long as he had been alive. Gideon looked at them with the same expression of respect that he’d given them when they pledged their lives to protect Red Rock.

  Bryan looked from his men to Gideon.

  “I trust you,” he said.

  Gideon’s eye blazed. “It is without question that our colony has suffered. It is without a doubt that we are fractured. We are tired and we are hungry, but we are alive. And the four hundred of us have a choice. We can hide in these caves, cowering from the monster, until our selfishness divides us all. Or we can find a way to slay it and reclaim our position in Red Rock. We will collect the pieces of our existence, muster on, and preserve what is left of our people. We will start again.”

  Something stirred in Bryan’s heart. All at once, he was back in front of Thorne and his men, reciting his words. He was pointing spears with his brothers, learning the rules of the cliffs. He certainly had more faith in Gideon than any of the colonists outside, who had shown how quickly they would turn and cast aspersions. And he certainly trusted him more than Neena, Kai, or Darius, who had obviously caused Red Rock’s downfall.

  “Our lives, to save Red Rock,” Gideon said, piercing them with his gaze.

  “Survival at all costs,” Bryan and his men answered in unison.

  “Come closer to me, my men,” Gideon said, waving them to his beside.

  Bryan looked behind him, ensuring that no one else listened, before he got closer. An important moment hung in the air, escaping none of them.

  Gideon raised a finger, jabbing it in the direction of each of the men around his bedside. “Each of you are my men, my leaders. And you, Bryan, will be my new Thorne. Together, we will reclaim Red Rock, and tear down these false leaders. We will restore order to our people. We will honor our oaths. And we will start again, just like our ancestors of the First Generation. You will be the leaders of a new era.”

  Bryan nodded, feeling a power he hadn’t felt since his earliest days of youth. That power led back to anger. He couldn’t stop thinking of Gary’s crying widow, or the decaying, unburied bodies in Red Rock. He wanted vengeance, in a way he hadn’t fully realized until now.

  “What will we do with Neena, Kai, and Darius?” he asked.

  Seeing the anger burning in Bryan’s eyes, Gideon said, “They came to see me earlier. I told them nothing of value. Obviously, we all want justice for what has been done to our families, our friends, and to us.” He looked between his body and Louie’s arm. “But it is th
e wrong time to make a rash move.”

  Bryan bit back an instinctual response.

  “If we are to have any chance at destroying the monster, we need to get as many people as we can on our side, before we act,” Gideon said.

  “And then we will get our retribution?” Bryan asked.

  Gideon thought on it. “Perhaps we can solve both problems at once.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Louie.

  Gideon looked between them. “If what I’ve heard is true, people are starting to doubt Neena, Kai, and Darius, after what happened yesterday. We will use that seed of doubt to erode people’s confidence in them. We will tear them down until they have nothing left. We will sway the people’s opinion and rally them to our side, so that we can conquer the monster with a victory. We will alienate Neena, Kai, and Darius so much, that it will not matter what we do to them, because the people will not care about them anymore, once we rule again.” Gideon looked among them. “Perhaps the people will even punish them for us.”

  A current of satisfaction coursed through Bryan, as he understood the implications of Gideon’s plan.

  “By proving our strength and defeating the monster—by giving the people a victory—we will earn the trust of any lingering doubters,” Gideon said. “We will show them the strength of our oaths, and of the old regime. No one will care about the false leaders very soon.”

  Bryan nodded, as his desire for justice became a realistic hope.

  “Does the Comm Building still stand?” Gideon asked.

  Bryan looked at the others. “Yes, sir. Yes, it does.”

  “Then one day soon, we will have a better place to conduct business than a cave.” Gideon looked at them. “And you will have a new home.”

  Bryan looked at the rest of his men and back to Gideon. A surge of pride swept through him, unlike any he’d felt since taking his oath.

  “Will you reclaim Red Rock with me?” Gideon asked.

  This time he didn’t focus on the others. He kept his eye locked on Bryan, awaiting an answer.

  Bryan watched him for a long moment. “Yes, Gideon. We will.”

  Chapter 25: Raj

  Raj peered over the top of the bedroll and across the cave. He could barely contain his nerves or his excitement. His pulse pounded as he looked past the sleeping forms around him, scanning the area where Adriana lay. Since their earlier talk, she’d moved closer to his bedroll, telling her family that her sleeping area was too bumpy. Thankfully, they hadn’t questioned it. Paranoia overtook Raj when he saw no movement from where she lay. What if Adriana had fallen asleep and forgotten about their late-night tryst?

  What if he had instructed her poorly?

  Raj alternated his gaze between Adriana and the interior part of the tunnel, where the same guard kept his vigil. He waited for him to take a reprieve.

  Eventually, he did.

  Sneaking out of his bedroll, Raj crept quickly across the cave, signaling the shadow where Adriana lay. For a long moment, nothing happened. Raj’s heart grew icy, as he wondered if he would have to abandon his mission. And then he saw her silhouetted form, rising in the dark.

  Raj hurried over to meet her.

  The smell of her was sweet, or maybe it was the thought of sneaking out with her that made everything about tonight even more exciting. His nerves tingled as their arms brushed. Adriana’s face was tense under the flickering light as they scooted in and out of the shadows, following the wall, keeping far away from the guard, sticking to a route that was quickly becoming familiar.

  And then they were down the tunnel, grabbing two torches from the wall and using them to light the way.

  They looked over their shoulders several times, certain that the guard would run after them, or someone would spot them and shout, but no one came.

  Taking the turn in the cave, Raj looked over at Adriana. Elation washed over them.

  They’d done it!

  They’d gotten away with it!

  Adriana’s smile was the most beautiful thing he’d seen. Neither of them spoke as she slipped her fingers between his.

  Together, they slunk down the tunnel.

  “Under here!” Raj hissed, stooping and showing her the crevice where he’d been the night before.

  Adriana scanned the small opening. “Are you sure we can fit?”

  Raj swallowed and looked Adriana up and down. She was a few years older than him, and a little taller, but skinny. Getting on her hands and knees, she studied the passage.

  “I think you can do it,” Raj assured her.

  “How far back is it?” she asked.

  “About the length of a small hovel,” he said. “You just have to keep crawling.”

  For a moment, he thought she might reconsider, but she said, “I’ll go first.”

  Before he could insist otherwise, Adriana was on her belly, worming underneath. Her hair swayed back over her shoulders as she crawled. A small embarrassment struck Raj, as he regretted not leading her. But her bravery deepened her allure. Raj waited until he saw the bottom of her boots before he followed. Sliding behind, he kept enough distance to avoid a boot to the face. Adriana’s breath echoed off the walls of the small crevice.

  And then they were both sliding together.

  Raj was so focused on the other end that he barely noticed the rat bones, or the droppings. All he thought about was seeing Adriana’s excited face on the other side.

  They kept on until they reached the raised portion of the passage, where Adriana turned and helped Raj sit up. He spun, so that they both faced the other side, their knees touching.

  His heart beast faster, as he realized the space was just wide enough for two.

  “Where is the object?” Adriana said, her eyes darting around the small cave.

  “Over here!” Raj said, getting back on his knees, reaching for where he’d tucked the gleaming treasure.

  He shined his torch near it. It took him a moment to find it, but it was there. Raj set down his torch, using it to guide him as he reached into the crevice, recovered the object, and pulled it out. Adriana’s eyes widened as he proudly turned the metallic treasure.

  After eyeing the object for a moment, she asked, “Can I hold it?”

  Raj nodded. His hands shook as he handed it over.

  Taking the object, Adriana’s eyes sparkled with wonder. “This looks like a handle,” she remarked, pointing to a thin piece of metal that jutted out from the bottom and near the back. “But I have no idea what these other pieces might do. And these metal designs on the side look so much more detailed than any of the carvings on the things we’ve created. What do you think it is?”

  “I’m not sure,” Raj admitted. “But I have a few guesses. Maybe it is something the colonists left behind?”

  “Do you think it is old?”

  “It must be,” Raj said. “Darius said that the caves sometimes preserve things, like the old carcass he found. Perhaps it is even from the First Generation.”

  His voice quavered as he said the words. Speaking his guess out loud seemed to make it real.

  “That’d be unbelievable,” Adriana said. She watched the object with admiration, and more than a little excitement.

  “I’ve certainly never seen anything like it. Have you?”

  Adriana shook her head. Of course, neither of them had.

  Raj’s stomach fluttered as he looked from the object to her face. Watching Adriana’s admiration, Raj thought this might be the best moment of his life. He never wanted to leave. His knees quivered as he touched hers. He hoped that she wouldn’t notice his shaking.

  She turned to face him.

  Before Raj could think twice about what he was doing, he leaned forward, and Adriana leaned, too.

  Their lips touched. The press of
her skin against his filled his body with warmth. It felt as if a piece of lightning had snuck from the skies and coursed through them, pinning them together. Raj wanted to hold their position forever.

  They separated, breathing hard.

  Their surprise melted. Raj’s eyes turned to the floor. He cleared his throat, sheepish.

  Breaking the awkward silence, Adriana said, “Thank you for taking me here.”

  “No problem,” Raj said.

  He scratched his chin, as if he might find a rough patch of stubble, instead of smooth skin. He felt like a man coming home from the desert, or even a Watcher.

  His heart soared.

  Breaking the unreality of the moment, Adriana said, “We should probably get back soon.”

  Raj forced himself to stay cool, as he turned his attention back to the object.

  “So what should we do with it?” Raj asked.

  Adriana admired the object in her hands.

  “Perhaps you were right about keeping it secret,” Adriana said. “If we tell someone, we might get in trouble.”

  “Or they might take it from us,” Raj agreed.

  “I think we should keep it to ourselves,” Adriana said, smiling, looking back at the passage.

  Raj’s heart leapt. Returning her smile, he said, “I think you’re right. It’ll be our secret.”

  Chapter 26: Bryan

  Bryan stood in the middle of the smooth, auburn cave, his six men gathered around him. After speaking with them for most of the day and into night, Gideon had grown tired, and slept. Instead of heading back toward the Center Cave, Bryan and his men had gone deeper, past the cove, finding a place where they could discuss their new plans.