For that, they believed that no human had ever witnessed what they were about to see.
Braden assumed the last one to arrive was Zalastar as he was dragging the remains of the crocs. He threw the first one down into the muck. The second one, he held over his head, the muscles in his arms and back bulging with the effort. He bobbed and shook, turning in a complete circle so all could see. The Lizard Men watching also bobbed in delight, and no sound escaped as they worked their wide mouths.
Besides the splashing as Zalastar danced, it was eerily quiet.
With a final bob, Zalastar held himself tall, thrusting the croc high over his head, then let it tumble from his hands, where it landed next to the other.
Dropping to all fours, he hissed, thrusting his head forward with his tongue shooting far in front of his pointed teeth. Micah looked at Braden, her eyes wide. Braden hoped that Aadi was correct that the Lizard Men weren’t going to eat them.
All the Lizard Men, including the small ones the humans assumed were children, dropped to all fours and hissed back. Although the sound wasn’t loud, it was fearsome. It struck Braden as a war cry. He reached back to feel the comforting shape of his bow and quiver, caressing it to help his mind calm. Micah held the grip of her sword, knuckles white with the effort.
Zalastar stood up on his two hind legs. The hissing stopped and Lizard Men returned to their seated positions. With a wave of one webbed hand, some figures at the outside of the circle stood up. All eyes turned toward them. One started slapping his foot into a puddle. Rhythmically, it continued. Another tapped a stick on a log, filling the space between the water sounds. The beat was set.
Sawing on a tree with a bowstring made of vine. Scraping of a rock. Tapping of webbed hands on anything nearby. The sawing on the tree assumed a melody, dancing among the rhythm in the glade. Human ears could barely follow the nuances of the sounds. Micah closed her eyes and swayed slightly in time with the beat.
Music wasn’t common in the north. Braden had liked what he heard when traveling through the bigger towns, but in the rural areas, there were no instruments. People didn’t make the time for them, because there was always something else that was more important. As Braden listened and watched, he saw what the music did for all present. Braden saw the wisdom and beauty of the peace it brought. He saw that Micah was swept up in the sounds. Aadi was in his statue pose, unblinking and unmoving.
Finally, Zalastar broke the rhythm as he stepped carefully to the area where Aadi, Braden, and Micah sat. He bowed low and with one hand, showed the way to the crocs.
‘Aadi, I don’t know what we’re supposed to do. You go first. Show us.’ They had checked as they traveled and their mindlink stayed strong. Although it seemed that they had traveled a long way from the road and the horses, it may not have been. When Braden thought about it, this was the furthest he’d ever been away from G-War. Checking in, the ‘cat told him they were safe. A number of Lizard Men were nearby in the trees, watching but not threatening.
‘They want you two to go first since you made the kills. The Lizard Men aren’t often successful at killing crocs. This is a rare treat that you’ve provided for them. Let’s go.’ Aadi started to swim slowly toward the crocs, making sure that the humans were with him. ‘We’ll take a little piece of meat, eat it, and declare it fit for all. I suggest you slice a piece from the tail. I think you’ll like that more. Don’t try to eat the skin.’
‘Don’t eat the skin, he tells us.’ Braden rolled his eyes at Micah as he pulled his skinning knife from the pouch at his belt.
‘Do you want me to cut a piece for you, Master Aadi?’ Micah offered in her thought voice. ‘What about the Lizard Men? What would they think if we cut up the crocs and served them?’
‘I honestly don’t know. It could be interpreted one of two ways. Demeaning and they’ll kill you for it, or an honor and they’ll forever welcome you. Let me ‘feel them out,’ as you humans say.’
‘There’s no in between? Either we’re lifelong friends or dead? Sometimes I wonder about you.’ Micah said what Braden was thinking. He liked the idea, hoping beyond hope that the Lizard Men would befriend them. Allies, he thought. He knew where he was only because a four hundred cycle old map told him. It would be nice to have allies confirm where they were and that they were safe.
He didn’t know anything about the Amazon, except that it was a dangerous place. Having the Lizard Men as friends might help him and his companions to survive one more turn. Knowing that tomorrow would come was his comforting thought. Knowing that G-War watched as he slept was always the blanket that kept him warm for a restful sleep.
‘Master Micah, I believe you have won the hearts of the Lizard Men! They will see your service to them as a great honor.’ Aadi bobbed his head and blinked to emphasize his point. Micah smiled broadly. Braden didn’t realize how afraid she had been. Although she was used to Skirill, Aadi, and G-War, she had an innate fear of anything mutant. Braden was raised differently and his bond with the ‘cat ensured he would look at all creatures, judging them simply by how dangerous they were to him personally. In reality, he was most suspicious of his fellow man.
With their skinning knives in hand, Braden and Micah each took one of the crocs and started to work on it. As Aadi advised, they sliced down the tail and cut out a small piece of meat, which they ate, much to their dismay. They weren’t hungry enough for raw meat to taste good, and did not know what the croc was supposed to taste like. It was different enough that it was all they could do not to gag. Aadi took a bite of a piece that Micah offered him. After gulping it down, he asked for another, just to be sure. Braden gave him a piece from his croc and waited while the Tortoid threw it back and swallowed it whole.
He bobbed to Zalastar. Braden and Micah weren’t sure how the Tortoid communicated with the Lizard Men, but he spoke their language, whatever that looked like.
With the food declared fit, Zalastar waved his hands and bobbed his head, tongue flicking in and out. The smaller Lizard Men jumped up and pressed forward.
‘Children?’ Braden asked.
‘Yes, yes, the little ones.’
‘How can we tell the females from the males?’ Micah asked.
‘There are no males or females. There are only Lizard Men. The word “Men” is my creation because I don’t know what another word would be. They are all the same, for what that’s worth.’
Braden found that by rolling the croc over, the skin on the under side was much easier to cut through. Micah followed his lead and soon, they were handing out bits of meat from all different places on the body. It seemed that each Lizard Man had his favorite. They would point with a flick of their tongue and the humans would extract a piece for them.
Time flew by. They ran out of croc meat before they ran out of Lizard Men to feed. Not to be deterred, the last group of Lizard Men stuck their faces into the carcass, licking and eating anything not bone or skin.
The rhythmic tapping, splashing, and bowing continued.
Aadi told them that Zalastar considered this the greatest celebration he had ever seen.
‘Time to ask for a favor, then. Can we go back to our friends and how can we get to Sanctuary?’
‘Yes, they will take us back tonight. To get to the ruined city, keep following the road. It leads there.’
‘Tonight, good.’ Lizard Men lived during the night, resting during the daylight. ‘Ruined city? Is that what you were keeping from me?’ Braden looked at Micah as they talked over the mindlink. He didn’t want to talk out loud and damage the silent calm of the glade.
‘It is nothing but ruins, yes, but there is still something to see and areas where you might find what you are looking for. I don’t believe in your quest, but I believe in you. I didn’t want you to think that I was killing your dream. I wanted you to see and make a decision for yourself.’ Micah made her thought voice as soothing as possible.
Braden was angry. ‘Could you tell Zalastar that we are ready to go? Our friends are waiting.
’ He stormed off toward the edge of the glade, not looking back. The only thing he accomplished was getting more water and mud in his boots.
‘Braden, wait. What else am I supposed to say? What do you want from me?’
‘How about the truth?’ He wanted to yell, but was afraid of harming their newfound position as friends of the Lizard Men.
‘I never lied to you. Now listen, you farging crap hole! I joined you when all I wanted to do was kill any man I met. You showed me what it was like to trust someone. You shared your friends with me. For the first time in my life, I’m at peace. The last thing I wanted to do was to take away your dream. We could find something there for you. I don’t know, but it’s a bad place. We all go there once in our lifetime so that we know what we don’t want to become. It keeps us isolated and you’ve shown me that isn’t a good thing.
‘You’ve changed how I see the world. Keep slopping through the mud like that and I’ll come over there and stomp you!’
Braden hadn’t set out to change the world, only the part that affected him. The burden of leadership was heavy, and it came with great responsibility. Aadi told him that where he led, others would follow. He had a group that counted on him to make decisions for them all.
She wasn’t wrong. Seeing the ancients’ city of Sanctuary was important. From there, they could all talk about what to do next. That was the plan.
Micah, Aadi, and Zalastar watched patiently as Braden wrestled with himself. When he realized this, he ushered them past him so they could lead the way.
Micah punched his shoulder as she passed.
“Oww!” Braden wanted to say more, but thought better of it. Micah smiled back at him as she followed Zalastar back into the rainforest.
My life used to be so much simpler, Braden thought. And far less interesting.
75 – Safe Now, Safe Forever
The return trip to the road was uneventful.
Skirill and G-War were waiting for them. The horses were still tied to a nearby tree. Braden hadn’t wanted them to wander off. They were sleeping standing up, without any concerns. The ‘cat was equally unperturbed. Only Skirill seemed anxious, but he was ready to fly in the open skies. It was the middle of the night, as well. Braden asked Micah if she was tired, which she was. So they decided to spend the remainder of the night in place.
Even if they wanted to continue that night, they couldn’t see. Zalastar probably would have escorted them further if they wanted, but there was no need. The Lizard Men guaranteed their safety any time they were in the rainforest, and Braden was overwhelmed by the offer.
“Any time? Even cycles from now if we travel through?”
‘Yes, Master Humans. Any time means for as long as they remember who you all are, which that will be for a very long time. This has been a good turn for you, for us. I am honored to know you both,’ Master Aadi said.
With their final bows and silent waves, the Lizard Men melted back into the forest.
Braden rolled his blanket on the ground in the middle of the road. It was the highest point in the area and the most dry. Micah rolled her blanket out as well, seeking a similar dry spot to sleep.
“Thanks, Micah. Thanks for suggesting we serve the Lizard Men. Once again, you delivered allies. It will be nice to go through here without having to worry, whether it’s on our way back to Village McCullough or wherever we may go. Are you sure you weren’t a trader in a previous life?”
“Don’t be insulting. I was a warrior in a prior life.”
“I think you’re a warrior now. I think the Lizard Men allowed us to serve them because they were afraid you were going to club their heads in like you did to those crocs. That was ridiculous!”
“What can I say? I was mad.” She laughed to herself as she put an arm under her head as a pillow.
Mad indeed. Braden was happy she was on his side. He wouldn’t like to face her in a real fight.
When the sun rose, a new daylight would come with new challenges. They’d all stretch their wings a bit as they left the Amazon and entered the area where Sanctuary had been built.
Until then, as usual when G-War watched over him, Braden slept well. Not only G-War, but the entirety of the Lizard Men watched over them, too.
76 – Too Much Power
Skirill launched himself from Micah’s lap. He couldn’t wait any longer. He flew the last of the tree and vine tunnel, low to the road before bursting into the open air.
The rainforest ended abruptly as the ancients’ mastery over nature was again demonstrated. The trees grew thickly and within a few paces, there were no trees at all, only dry grasses waving in a gentle breeze. Rolling hills were before them, beyond which, nothing grew, not trees, grass, or even weeds.
“When you came here, where were you?”
Micah pointed. “Probably over those hills, far to the east. We may not be able to see where we were, even from up there.” One of the hills rose a little more than the others. Beyond a certain point, everything looked barren.
The Hawkoid soared high overhead.
Aadi looked on wide-eyed.
G-War was asleep in Braden’s lap, happy that he was finally dry and in the sun.
They spurred the horses to a trot, covering ground quickly. The area of destruction was immense, all the way to the horizon.
As they reached the top of the largest rolling hill, they looked down on a basin where the city of Sanctuary once sat. It was still there, but leveled. Large debris stuck out, but nature was winning the battle and reclaiming what it once had. Whatever weapons they used, the effects no longer lingered. Grasses grew, not tall but they grew. What they thought was barren was not.
Braden imagined how it looked when it first happened. Thunder, lightning, fire, and even earthquakes. The worst parts of nature brought together at one time, in one place. This confirmed his belief that the ancients were masters of the earth and the sky. They commanded the weather. They commanded the ground. They could grow an oasis in the heart of the desert.
And then they used that power to destroy. Maybe it was an accident, but Braden didn’t think so. The ancients had fought, but instead of bows and swords, they used the power of their technology.
And it almost killed them all.
Only those who ran away from the technology had survived.
Was Braden’s quest misguided? Did he want to see that kind of power returned to man? He knew what they would do with it. Conquests. Personal power. If only the traders had the power, then above all, trade would go on. Even as a trader, his goal was to become wealthy enough that he could settle down. He wasn’t sure anyone could manage the power of Old Tech without being corrupted.
Micah watched Braden struggle to make sense of how he could bring Old Tech to the north without the danger it represented.
“This is what I wanted you to see. I wanted you to make your own decision whether Old Tech should be brought back,” Micah said softly.
“Yet you carry a blaster?” Braden said matter-of-factly. He wasn’t trying to start a fight. He only wanted to understand.
“This blaster was used to bring fear so that one man could rule. One man, who passed it down, son to son, so they could always rule. Because of this one piece of Old Tech, that family was the definition of evil. No one should ever have that much power over another. I carry it as a prize and a symbol to show that evil can be defeated.”
“Why didn’t you destroy it?”
She nodded. “I tried. Rocks can’t hurt it, it seems. As long as I carry it, no one else can find it and use it.”
“But it doesn’t have any power…” Braden started.
“The man I took it from had a way to recharge it. If he gets this back, he’ll kill everyone in my village. The only reason he didn’t before is that we paid him in fish and vegetables. Now it’s different. If he brought this and all the men… I’m afraid to think what he would do to my family.”
“He won’t do anything because we won’t let the Old Tech get into the hands of
those who would misuse it. We’re your family now and we won’t let anything happen to you.” Max and Pack were side by side. Braden reached out a hand to put on Micah’s shoulder.
‘Hungry.’ They both looked at G-War as he stretched. His claws extended full length from his stretched out front legs, then retracted as he sat upright on Braden’s lap.
“The world is yours, Master Golden Warrior of the Stone Cliffs,” Braden said, waving one arm with a flourish. The ‘cat looked out upon the grassy wasteland, then cocked his head to one side.
‘Go that way,’ was all he said.
77 – A New Oasis
Braden trusted G-War. With a shrug, he pulled Max’s head away from Pack and spurred him to a distance-covering trot. Micah carefully nudged Pack forward, turning his head after he was moving. He joined up with Max shortly.
“You’re getting better,” Braden told her. She smirked at him. Better wasn’t necessarily a compliment. She should be able to ride a horse by now, but still struggled, although she was better than when she spurred Max to a panic as they approached Village McCullough. Then again, she hadn’t ridden Max since then. Pack was a pack horse, never intended for riding. She’d have to broach this with Braden, maybe for the return trip through the Amazon. He wasn’t watching her as she caught up with him. He was looking at an island of green in the distance.
“Ess, can you take a look over there and see what that is? Can you see what I’m talking about?” Braden said aloud, but knowing that it was his thought voice that the Hawkoid would hear. With a screech from high above them, Skirill passed and continued gliding southwest. He beat his wings to gain altitude as he shrunk to a black dot. Then he disappeared into the distance.
Braden was uncomfortable. A sea of green in the middle of the ruined area made him think of the oasis. That meant Bots. “G, do you sense anything?”
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