“I didn’t know he could bend like that,” Braden mused.
The full weight of the massive creature, balanced on two hooves. Above the trail, there was a ledge. Too high for Braden to reach, the King kept his right legs on it, helping him balance as he crept forward.
“I have never seen anything like that.” Braden held his breath as Brandt worked his way around the corner and into an area where he could stand normally. He limped down the hill. G-War ran straight for him, leapt, landing above his nose, and continued to the top of his head.
“A little respect, G! Can’t you see he’s limping?”
‘Legs aren’t meant to go that way. They’ll recover,’ Brandt replied. ‘Climb aboard. We’ve got some raiders to run down.’ The King jogged down the hill, flexing his shoulders while he ran.
While Braden climbed from the King’s leg to his back, G-War stuck his tongue out. ‘I told you so. You worry when you shouldn’t and don’t when you should. It’s exhausting.’ The Golden Warrior yawned in Braden’s face.
Braden recoiled. “What did you eat?”
‘The choice bits, as you call them. I guess I call them that, too. They are the best part of the deer. Then you had to spoil the rest of it by cooking it.’
Brandt picked up speed as he headed downhill, his nostrils flaring the closer he got to the flowing green grasses.
The Wolfoids pulled up and waited. Both the pups clutched their ribs as they stood.
“Wait!” Braden called, tapping the King on the head to stop and let him down. “This looks like the grass in Toromont’s Run.”
Brandt’s mouth fell open and he drooled, creating a stalactite hanging from his chin. Braden pulled a blade and put it in his mouth. Sweet. He held it against his tongue until it started to go numb. He spit it out and kept spitting.
“No go, my friend. It’s bad weed.”
‘NO!’ the king roared.
Braden slapped his hands over his ears, but the sound was directly in his brain. Even G-War winced, before retaliating with a claw jabbed into the top of Brandt’s head.
“Climb on. We need to get going because the raiders get farther from us with each heartbeat that we waste.” Braden gently slapped the King’s neck. “Now let’s go!”
The Wolfoid pups climbed onto Brandt’s back. Bounder handed his spear to them. ‘I need to stretch my legs,’ he told them. The two pups held the spear as Aadi swam up behind them and grabbed onto the end with his beak-like mouth.
‘Please do not kill me, King Brandt,’ Aadi said, trying to sound encouraging.
‘Ha!’ The King looked at the grass, so enticing, but poison.
Braden resumed his position across the Aurochs’ neck. He wedged his pack underneath himself to avoid getting his tailbone beaten by Brandt’s spine. The Wolfoids grabbed onto Braden’s waist, and the King started to run.
Bounder kept up by running to the side where there was less grass. He ran on all fours, his back legs and forelegs pounding an even rhythm, working in unison to propel the Wolfoid forward. His tongue flapped out of his muzzle, cooling his body as he drove it to its limits.
And they continued to run. Braden checked in with Holly. The raiders had stopped moving and Brandt was closing. He would catch them well before the day was out.
“A village!” Braden shouted to be heard. “They’ve stopped at a village.”
Which meant there would probably be families, and that made their mission of recovering the spears orders of magnitude more complex.
‘I know, Master Braden.’ Aadi bounced off the King’s back with every other step, but he kept his grip on the spear, not letting his physical trials interfere with his calm thought voice. ‘We will figure it out when we get close. Our friends above will show us what we need to see.’
‘Ess? How are you two doing up there?’ Braden asked.
‘It is a beautiful world we live in.’ The Hawkoid shared his view with the others. The green plain extended for as far as the eye could see. The mountains majestically overlooked the plains.
‘Can you see a village to the south?’
‘No,’ Skirill replied. ‘Not yet, anyway. I will let you know when we get there.’
The two Hawkoids stopped gliding and started beating their wings to pick up speed on a straight line to the south. They shrunk to dots in the sky and then disappeared entirely.
Brandt continued to run until he stopped to let Bounder climb aboard. The Wolfoid was spent. The King of the Aurochs started running again, slower this time.
He looked longingly at the grass, his stomach protesting its emptiness.
Arnie ran free along the ancients’ road. They’d be turning toward New Sanctuary soon because they were getting close.
Even though the road was smooth, Neeson started to yowl. Low in his throat, keening his anxiety.
Young Tom crawled into the back of the wagon and curled up with the ‘cat. The yowling got louder, before fading to something that sounded like a purr. Zeller had not intended to go to the spaceship, but decided at that moment that she would.
Her partner needed her.
Arnie needed her, too, but according to Brandt, New Sanctuary was rife with good eats, even if an Aurochs had to battle a Security Bot every now and then.
Whatever any of that means, Zeller thought.
Arnie turned off the road and aimed toward the oasis in the distance.
New Sanctuary.
The Warden lightly bumped the dock. The old man sat on the end, fishing as if he’d not moved in the days that they’d been at sea.
Hope and Chester were waiting on the deck, carrying a small basket. Micah waved them aboard.
“We saw the Warden on the horizon and knew you were returning. We wanted to give you a fresh breakfast.”
Micah didn’t have the heart to tell them that they’d already eaten. The twins shrugged. They could always eat. Second breakfast was sounding good.
“Come on up. I hear there are empty seats on the mess deck.” Strider looked at Micah sideways, not understanding.
‘There is no one on the mess deck,’ the Wolfoid suggested.
‘Exactly! Plenty of seats available.’
Strider chuckled to herself as she followed the humans up the stairs. The pups remained on the deck.
The ‘cats stayed close. Klytus and Shauna were on probation. Fea had caught them one too many times, so they had to stay close to her. Even though they were adults, their mindlink with the children tended to give them childlike tendencies. Fea referred to them as kittens based on how she insisted they were acting. Time to grow up since we’re fighting a war.
Hope and Chester had no information from the town’s leaders. They didn’t move in those circles. They were fishermen and craftsmen, like most of the people from Southport.
They rotated through who did the fishing while the others worked on their separate craft, whether it was woodworking, tanning, baking, or a myriad of other tasks that helped to support the town and its people.
They’d gotten the rolls from the baker and smoked fish from a neighbor. The ‘cats sniffed at the smoked fish before turning up their noses and walking away.
Micah politely tried the fish and was pleasantly surprised by the taste.
“This is so good!” she exclaimed to her beaming guests. The twins split a sweet roll between them. Micah ate one by herself, afterwards feeling like her stomach was going to explode the button from her pants. Strider tried the smoked fish and after the others had taken what they wanted, inhaled the rest.
“Thank you for letting us back on board,” Hope said hesitantly. She looked down while Chester rubbed her back.
“And?” Micah prodded.
“And we’d like to be your crew!” Hope blurted.
“Let me think about that. This ship operates well without a crew,” Micah replied, dashing their dreams. Their shoulders slumped as they hunched over, elbows on their knees.
“Let me talk about it with the others, and we’ll see.”
“Treetis, stay here and protect the ship. When we return, I expect we’ll be taking the fight to Dunk’s Town. We’ll need you,” Micah said.
Treetis stood tall, stretching his back into the air. ‘I can’t wait.’
“We need to go ashore so I can talk with Gailey and the others.” Micah rose and the others rose with her. Together, they strolled off the ship, acting like they weren’t in a hurry, because Micah was trying to exude confidence when all she wanted was to join Braden to recover the spears.
In the back of her mind, the desire to punish the raiders haunted her thoughts, held her anger back, ready to unleash it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted that. She shook her head to clear the thoughts and focus on the task at hand, which was to expand the trade routes to the south and include Southport on the quest to link all of Vii together.
Transitions
Doctor Johns met Zeller, Tom, and Neeson at the edge of the growing oasis. A Bot waited patiently to unload the wagon and tow it to a vehicle storage area.
Zeller pointed to the wagon, but Doctor Johns waved her off.
“We’re ready to send you to the Traveler. Is this our patient?” the scientist asked, bending closer to Neeson. The ‘cat raised a lip in a partial snarl, but the doctor didn’t notice. He was looking at the ‘cat’s injuries. “Yes, the ship’s medical facilities will fix that right up. Please come with me.”
The old man turned and walked away without waiting for an acknowledgment. Zeller looked at her wagon. The Bot was already removing the sacks. She felt like she was forgetting something.
Tom kneeled down. “We need to do this. Once it’s done, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it earlier. We’ll be there together, all of us.
‘Not all of us,’ Arnie replied.
That was what Zeller was forgetting. She hurried to the Aurochs’ head, cradling it and kissing his nose. “We’ll be back before you know it. Don’t get fat on us while you’re waiting!”
‘I will be here.’ Arnie sniffed the air to smell the humidity within the fields and the scent of growing things. ‘I smell lunch.’
She and Tom stood hand in hand as the Aurochs walked away. Neeson was between standing and sitting. Tom picked up the ‘cat, making his mind up for him. “The man said it was time to go. We can’t finish if we don’t start, so let’s get this over with.”
They headed toward a small building within the oasis where the scientist was impatiently waiting.
He held the door, allowing cool air to blow out. They were reminded of the cool air at the oases on their journey through the desert. The small room they were being shown was something different. They stopped without going in.
“It’s an elevator. We’ll enter, the doors will close, and it will descend to the factory level where the matter transfer chamber is located. Then you will take your seats and we’ll send you and a couple of our scientists to the Traveler, where your Hillcat will undergo treatment to reset his broken bones and repair other underlying issues. Please.” Doctor Johns held the sliding doors open.
They still wouldn’t enter.
“You will have to use elevators on the Traveler. Might as well get used to it now.” The doctor entered and turned to face them. “You have about two seconds to decide.”
When the doors started to close, Zeller stabbed her hand in between and pulled the door open. She stood in the doorway as Tom carried Neeson inside.
The ‘cat started to yowl. She stepped inside. As the doors closed, she breathed faster until her breathing became ragged. The elevator began to move and they braced themselves against the walls while Doctor Johns closed his eyes and wished the elevator would move faster, but it was going deep below ground.
The elevator slowed and stopped with a barely perceptible bump. The doors opened and Zeller rushed out with Tom on her heels. They stopped when they saw they were in a fantastic Old Tech space. Machines on top of machines, belts, rollers, and materials, a soft din of nonstop activity.
Doctor Johns pushed his way past and waved for them to follow him down a walkway.
The matter transfer chamber was tucked at the back end of the factory level. Its door was a section of wall that moved aside to allow the travelers inside. Each would get their own reclining chair to sit in, as the technology required their separation. Twelve chairs were arranged radially around a central core.
The room was exact in its dimensions, down to a micron, so the computer system could deal with fewer unknowns during the transfer process.
Neeson needed his own recliner, so Tom put him in place. The ‘cat continued to moan his displeasure.
The two scientists were already reclined. They covered their ears to block out the sound of the unhappy ‘cat.
Tom and Zeller climbed into their chairs, put their backpacks and weapons between their legs, and the entire group received a transfer briefing from Holly. Doctor Johns wrapped bracelets around each person’s wrist. He also handed Zeller a communication device and a piece of paper.
“These are the directions to the medical facility. Follow them exactly. You don’t want to get lost on the Traveler. It is a very large ship. If you’ll excuse me, I wish you well.” Doctor Johns departed while the briefing continued. The wall moved back into place, sealing them in.
As they were directed, the group members stayed still as the room began to shimmer. They kept their thoughts to themselves as darkness descended. Neeson stopped yowling as the travelers disappeared into a dreamless sleep while the process worked, flawlessly, as always.
The four people and one Hillcat opened their eyes, seemingly only a few heartbeats after the process started, but it had been nearly a full day according to Vii time.
Tom started to sit up, but his stomach rebelled. He tried to lean back, but it was too late. He leaned sideways and started puking. Once Zeller smelled it, she joined him.
“I don’t feel much better,” Tom said when we was done dry-heaving. The scientists moved slowly, as if trapped in a heavy mud. Their feet hit the deck at nearly the same time.
“We have arrived, Holly. Please open the door,” one of them asked while breathing heavily through his mouth.
Neeson stretched and jumped to the floor, freezing in place at the feel of the ship’s spin.
‘It’s weird. I think I’m going to fall over,’ he told Tom.
Tom slid from his recliner, letting his feet touch before trying to stand. He felt it, too. “It’s the spin of the ship. Holly explained it during the briefing.”
‘So?’ Neeson replied.
The wall slid aside and the two scientists staggered side to side as they worked their way from the room.
“I see what you mean,” Tom replied as he tried to acclimate himself to the motion. He walked with a lean, stumbling past the puke on the floor.
Neeson kept his breakfast inside.
“Did you eat anything?” Tom asked.
‘No.’
“It feels like I haven’t either. I could eat a horse!”
Tom forced a laugh and Zeller moaned. She stood on unsteady feet and staggered out of the matter transfer chamber. She blinked her eyes clear and pulled the paper from her pocket. She looked at the map before reading the instructions. She looked from the map to the engineering space and back to the map. She flipped over the paper and read.
Zeller turned to her right and started walking. “Come on. It’s this way.”
‘I have to eat, or I’m going to pass out,’ Brandt told them.
“But you can’t eat this stuff,” Braden tried to explain. His friend’s eyes rolled in his head. He was getting weak. It had been too long without food and he’d run too hard.
Braden kicked himself for allowing it to happen, even though the King had insisted. Braden had hoped that different grasses would appear. But they didn’t. It was more of the same, much more, enticingly sweet and fresh-smelling.
; The King of the Aurochs succumbed to the need and ripped up a huge mouthful of the grass, then another and another. The others painfully watched him eat. He plowed a furrow in the grass, drawing a straight line to the south as he picked up speed, eating and walking.
“The grass may be okay!” Braden exclaimed with a cheer and started jogging after his friend. The Wolfoid pups loped uncomfortably with Bounder by their side. Aadi struggled to keep up. When Braden realized the Tortoid was falling back, he ran around in a circle and grabbed Aadi’s shell in both hands to propel him forward.
Until the King of the Aurochs started to stagger.
“Aaaahhhh,” he groaned happily as he fell to his knees, then toppled, shaking the ground when he hit.
The group gathered around. The two Hawkoids swooped low and landed on the one horn ticking up in the air. Having seen the village hours earlier, they were ready to rest for the evening. The group could be there tomorrow if they wished.
If they could get Brandt upright and moving. That didn’t look to happen any time soon.
“Making camp,” Braden said as he called the others to a cleared spot where he started to draw a map of the village. He checked in with Holly to confirm that all twenty-five of the Wolfoid spears were accounted for. Twenty were in one building and five were in various places outside the perimeter.
He smiled and explained it to the others. “We are going against five and not twenty-five. Our odds are vastly improved.”
Gailey met them at the nondescript Old Tech building that led to the rooms far underground. Before stepping inside, Micah accessed her neural implant. ‘We’re going in, Holly. I’ll contact you as soon as we’re back outside.’
Micah focused her eyes again, found Gailey staring at her, and shrugged. “Shall we?” Micah asked, looking first to Gaily and then to Strider and Fea.
The Rabbits had stayed on board with the twins, Klytus, and Shauna. Micah assumed that this was going to be less contentious and a quick meeting. The pups continued to guard the ship, with Hope and Chester on deck. Holly was watching in case they went against their word and tried to get inside.
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