by Chris Fox
The jaws of the strange mouth were closing on his wrist, the fangs beginning to pierce his newly regenerated flesh. Trevor released the shot, and a beam of pure green shot into the creature’s innards.
Trevor increased the power, firing a second shot, then a third. The beast thrashed wildly, writhing desperately to escape the pain. The mapinguara gave one more tortured shriek, then its convulsions ceased.
“You’ve done it,” Leti said. There was awe in her voice. “You’ve killed a mapinguara.”
Shrieks came from the jungle to the south, a mourning answer to the mapinguara’s death cry. Another shriek came from the north, then a third to the south. Finally, a deep shriek came from the east. It was far deeper, and longer, than any of the others.
“They know what we have done. We must flee.” Leti darted back into the cave and began stuffing her sleeping roll into her pack.
“We need to abandon the Jeeps,” Jordan said. He’d also moved to pack his sleeping roll.
“Agreed.” Trevor darted to his pack, pulling the straps over his shoulders. “We’ll find something else to give the villagers at the river. I don’t want to stick around to deal with a whole pack of these things.”
39
The Natives
“This way,” Leti called from the shadowy jungle ahead. “It isn’t much further.”
Jordan trotted through the jungle, pulling up short when he reached the shore of a wide, lazy river. The moonlight was bright over the water, as there was no canopy to obscure it. Out in the middle of the water was a grassy mound not quite large enough to qualify as a real island. That mound was dotted with tiny huts, and several figures crouched around a smoldering fire.
From behind Jordan came more enraged shrieks, still distant but growing closer at a truly alarming rate. Apparently these things could move fast when they were pissed off.
“Leti, you know these people, right?” he asked.
Leti stepped from the shadows, in human form. “They are of the Muisca tribe. I have not met them personally, but I know their ways.”
“Since we don’t have a gift, what do you suggest?” Jordan asked. He tried to ignore the approaching shrieks. They had time. Not much of it, but enough to ensure they approached the situation tactically.
“If we approach without a gift, they will take it as a grave insult. Combined with your choice of friends, I fear at best they will send us away. At worst they may attack us.” Leti climbed onto the base of a large ropey tree trunk that jutted out into the river. “Still, I do not see that we have any choice.”
“Then let’s be about this,” Anput said, shimmering into view. She dove gracefully into the murky water, her powerful muscles propelling her toward the island with incredible speed.
Jordan waited for Trevor and Leti to enter the water, risking a glance back at the jungle. He had a hard time believing that those monstrosities would be stopped by a shallow river, but he’d seen stranger things. He dove into the muddy water, surprised by how warm it was. Tales of piranha lurked in the back of his mind, but he focused on swimming for the island. He blurred, but only enough to catch the others as they arrived on the shore of the little island.
The natives were already aware of them, and a group of dark-skinned villagers were advancing with spears. They wore little more than bright red loincloths and colorful body paint. Men and women were similarly garbed, and all held spears. They chattered in a language Jordan didn’t recognize.
You can take that language from their minds, Ka-Dun. They are unblooded, after all. I know you are squeamish about accepting your position, but they possess something you need. It is to their benefit that you seek the city. Surely claiming their tongue is an acceptable price.
Jordan was mildly surprised by the long outburst. It was the most his beast had said in a long time. Its answers were usually short, and it rarely suggested he do something he disagreed with. That it did here was interesting.
The crowd of natives parted for a short woman, bowing as they stepped from her path. She shared their dark skin and hair, but there was something different about her. She walked with confidence and poise, and Jordan could feel the strength in her. “I do not recognize you,” she said. “But I know the garb of one of you at least. You are a priestess?”
“I am, honored sister,” Leti replied. She stepped forward, giving something between a bow and a curtsy. “We are supplicants seeking the city, and were hoping you might provide aid.”
The dark-haired woman frowned, looking hard at Anput and Trevor. She eyed Jordan curiously for a moment, though her expression didn’t soften much. “You bring the ancient enemy into the jungle, and you seek to lead them to the city? I imagine our elder sisters would take a very dim view of this.”
“Then it’s a good thing that you are not an elder sister.” Leti gave a respectful nod.
The woman returned it. “I’m not, but if you are a fugitive then I can expect trouble from helping you,” she countered. She gestured at her companions, and the villagers dispersed back into the huts. Most seemed reluctant to go, and almost all were still staring. “My name is Anhuaga. I protect these people from the jungle, and I am not willing to put them at risk—especially not for the sake of people harboring the ancient enemy. Why should I help you? What gift have you brought that I should accord you any honor at all?”
There it was. Leti gave him an agonized look, and Jordan wracked his brain for a solution. They had a few weapons, and some basic gear. Nothing that these people would be interested in. They wouldn’t care about guns.
Then it hit him.
“Can you excuse us for a moment?” Jordan asked. He took Leti by the shoulder, guiding her back to Trevor and Anput.
Anhuaga gave a cold nod. She could probably hear every word, but was at least polite enough to pretend that she couldn’t.
“Anyone have a suggestion? Those howls are getting closer and I’m not really looking forward to fleeing downriver without a boat,” Trevor said. He stared back at the jungle they’d emerged from. “Maybe we could have carried the Jeeps somehow. Maybe we can go back for them.”
“I have another idea,” Jordan said. He lowered his voice. “Both you and Anput have one of those golden boomerangs. I don’t want to lose the firepower, but I’m betting these people would value them…especially once we show them what they can do.”
“You want to trade a priceless piece of enemy technology for a canoe?” Anput asked. Her tone made it clear how crazy she thought Jordan was.
“Here,” Trevor said. He reached into his pack and handed the golden boomerang to Leti. “Tell them that’s the gift. Show her what it does. It will be most valuable for a female werewolf, since they don’t have any external shaping. It can help her protect this place.”
The idea that Trevor would give up a potent weapon without a second thought really cast him in a different light. Jordan had always believed that Trevor put his own needs first, above the group. Either he was changing, or Jordan didn’t know him as well as he’d thought.
“Very well,” Leti said. She walked back over to Anhuaga, and gave another bow. “Revered champion, we show our honor with the mightiest gift we can bestow. This weapon will help you defend these shores.” Leti aimed the weapon at the sky, discharging a beam of pure green energy. It shot skyward, eventually disappearing into the dense cloud cover.
Leti handed the weapon to Anhuaga, who took it reverently. She studied the weapon carefully, then looked up sharply at Leti. “I see what this is about now. You’ve stolen artifacts from the temple, and you seek the city to acquire more.”
“How dare you,” Leti snarled, shifting into her warform. “My gift has accorded you great honor. Those weapons are not artifacts of the holy temple. They come from our enemies, foes the Mother opposes. You think I am some thief in search of treasure? I should tear out your throat for all your people to see.”
Anhuaga shifted as well, growing into a dark-furred warform a few inches taller than Leti. She bared her
fangs. “Threatening me in front of my people is unwise.”
“Unwise?” Leti interjected. She walked brazenly over to Anhuaga, staring up at the Ka-Ken. “We are in the company of two Ark Lords. Either could incinerate you where you stand. They could wipe this place clean of life, leaving nothing but a memory. Accept the priceless gift we have given you, allow us to take one of your dirty little boats, and then we’ll be on our way.”
There was a tense moment when Jordan was positive Anhuaga was about to attack, but that moment came and went. Her posture softened, and Jordan knew she’d been cowed.
“Very well,” Anhuaga snapped. Her gaze darted to Jordan, then away again when he met it. There was definitely fear there. “I grant you the gift of passage. You may take a single canoe. Leave immediately.” Anhuaga slid the boomerang into a pouch sewn from crocodile hide, and turned coldly away. She stalked back to her people, who studiously avoided looking at them.
“It is the best we can hope for, I think,” Leti said, apologetically.
“It’s enough. Let’s just take it and go,” Jordan said. He started walking along the edge of the shore toward a trio of canoes that had been pulled out of the river.
40
Bonding
“I wonder what this surprise is,” Blair asked. He and Liz were waiting at the curb outside Alicia’s house. The eastern horizon was just beginning to lighten, and only the stars in the western sky were still visible. The town below hadn’t quite woken up, but a few figures moved between rows of houses.
“Got me. She seemed really pleased with how you handled San Francisco.” Liz threatened a grin, but managed to suppress it. “Personally I think you went a little overboard, but if I were an Ark Lord I imagine I’d enjoy the theatrics, too.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know it was over the top. In my defense I was a little pissed off.” Blair gave her a sheepish smile.
Liz returned it, growing even more beautiful when her features brightened.
Footsteps sounded from inside the house—two sets. The door opened, and Alicia stepped out. Her hair had been pulled into a ponytail that looked suspiciously like Liz’s, and she wore a baseball cap…also like Liz. Behind Alicia came a second figure, the one he’d met the night they’d come to Santa Rosa. John Rivers was one of Alicia’s lieutenants, but he’d been away on patrol every time Blair had been here.
“Morning,” Alicia called. She gave a cheerful little wave as she approached. “Thanks for coming so early. I hope you didn’t have to cut anything short.” Alicia gave a truly wicked smile, and Blair could only stand there blinking.
Yup, that was what she was implying.
“Nothing we’d be embarrassed about,” Blair replied smoothly. “So what’s this big surprise you have for us?”
“A home,” Alicia said. She gestured at the house across the street from hers, an identical McMansion, also in good repair. “John Rivers dropped by my place last night. I’ll let him give you the news.”
“I’m almost never in Santa Rosa,” John Rivers explained. He stepped forward and offered a leathery hand to Blair. “After what you did in San Francisco, you’ve proved yourself in my book. If anyone should be living right next to Alicia, it’s you. I was only given this place as a status symbol, but I don’t really ever use it. Don’t much like houses. So why don’t you folks take it?”
“We’re neighbors,” Alicia burst out. It was such a stark shift from the hard-eyed teen he was already growing used to. “Yukon is already inside, and I’ve got a truck coming by later with some furniture. I don’t really use it, but I’m told you old folks from before the end of the world like couches and beds.”
“We can’t accept this. It’s too much,” Liz protested. She stared at the house longingly though.
“Yes we can,” Blair said. He took John Rivers’s hand. “If you’re really sure you want to give this place to us, we’d be honored to take it. This is an incredible gift, John. Thank you.”
“No, thank you,” John Rivers said. He had a firm grip and an easy smile. Blair found himself liking the guy even more. “We’ve been terrified of Melissa and her deathless ever since they drove us off Angel Island. I was one of the first people Alicia gave the gift to, but that happened after. I’ll never forget running, too frightened to even look back. You’ve ensured that we don’t have to worry about the deathless ever again, and that makes you a hero in my book.”
“Thank you, John.” Liz embraced him in a fierce hug.
“Why don’t we let the lovebirds explore their new place?” Alicia suggested rather coyly.
“I can’t believe it even comes with a dog,” Blair quipped.
“He insisted that the Mother would want him to stay with you two,” Alicia said.
John Rivers offered the keys to Liz. “Enjoy,” he said, then he and Alicia turned back toward her place, heading up the walk to her door.
“Guess that’s our cue,” Liz said. She linked her arm through Blair’s, and they walked up to the front door of a house far larger than Blair had ever dreamed of owning.
“Mowing this lawn is going to be a real bitch,” he said, wrapping an arm around Liz’s shoulder.
“Are you serious? You can blur.” She slid the key home in the lock, opening the door to a cavernous living room. A large furry lump lay against the far wall, illuminated by the moonlight coming through the skylight above. Yukon’s tail thumped on the carpet, and he rose to his feet as they closed the door behind them.
Welcome home.
“It’s good to be home,” Liz said. She knelt next to Yukon, ruffling the fur on his head. “I missed you, and I’m glad we finally have a chance to catch up.”
Blair found himself studying Yukon with fresh eyes. It wasn’t just his size, which was impressive. That sort of genetic manipulation he could get a handle on. What he didn’t understand was how Isis had been able to give Yukon the power to shift into a human, or to grow so much more intelligent than a normal canine. When they’d been investigating the werewolf virus they had learned that dogs had the most malleable DNA of any mammal—but it still seemed incredibly complex.
A pulse of energy flowed into Blair’s eyes, and he was somehow seeing inside the dog. A knot of energy tendrils had been woven into Yukon’s brain, somewhere near where the prefrontal cortex would be on a person. A low rhythmic pulse was being broadcast from that knot. Blair probed the signal, feeling a surge of joy and contentment emanating from it.
You experience his emotions through the bond the Mother forged. During the last age such bonds were common. Sometimes they would be forged between a Ka-Dun and a chosen pack member. More often that bond was forged between Ka-Dun and Ka-Ken. This bonding enabled mates to work together with far greater efficiency. You should bond your female, but beware. Such a bond will last until your death.
“Blair, what is it?” Liz asked. “You’re a million miles away.” She was sitting on the carpet with her back against the wall. Yukon had his head in her lap, and she was scratching under his ears.
“Something my beast just said.” Blair squatted across from Liz, searching for a way to broach the topic. “Yukon has some sort of bond with Isis. I can see it, see how she created it, I think”
“Blair?” Liz asked—then she cocked her head, as if listening. Her voice quavered a little, and she gave a soft smile. “Did your voice explain to you how this bond was used? What it represented between a man and woman?”
She peered at him with those impossibly blue eyes, and there he found the answer to the question he’d been afraid to ask. “I know now isn’t the best time, and that this is all rather sudden, but I doubt we’ll ever have a better time. Liz, I’d like to forge one of these bonds between us. It’s not marriage or anything, but in a way maybe it’s deeper.”
“We’re going to be alive for a very long time,” Liz said. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather spend eternity with.” She sat up straighter, with the best smile Blair had ever seen. It was like a tremendous weight had been taken awa
y from her.
Blair stretched out a hand toward Liz, and began to pull at the energy offered by the Ark.
Allow me to guide you, Ka-Dun, his beast rumbled. Blair gave over control and a burst of complex signals flowed from his hand toward Liz. She tensed, eyes widening and mouth opening slightly.
The burst sped up, pulsing far faster than Blair could possibly track. He could only comprehend a fraction of what the beast was doing, but when it finished several minutes later he could see exactly what it had accomplished. Liz now had an identical knot, and Blair could feel one inside him as well.
“I can feel you in the back of my head,” Liz said in wonder. She reached up and touched her temple. “You’re in here. Your emotions. It’s amazing.”
“I can feel you, too. Hey, Yukon, how about you go for a run? I think Liz and I are going to need some alone time.”
I will go rouse the pack for the day’s hunt. Yukon gave a doggy smile, wagging his tail as he used a paw to open the front door. Enjoy your alone time.
41
Downtime
The wind howled as Blair ran low and fast up the ridge. He bounded over rocks, reveling in the freedom his full wolf form provided. Having four legs made running not just effortless, but exhilarating. All around him the packmind echoed his emotions, sharing different flavors of joy and wonder. Dogs, foxes, and coyotes moved as one, flowing over the golden hills northeast of Sacramento. It was as close as Blair was willing to come to the Great Bear’s territory.
A flash of golden fur appeared beside him as Yukon drew even. He loped alongside Blair, easily half again as large as Blair’s wolf form. His sober brown eyes fell on Blair, dampening the joy.
They are ready to follow you. The Mother always intended you to lead the pack.