Aegis Rising

by S. S. Segran

  “Not a clue,” Aari answered. “But there are people here. They don’t speak English, but they found us and they’ve been keeping us alive, I guess.”

  “Speaking of that . . .” Mariah seized her stomach with her arms and groaned. “I’m so hungry. I could really do with a burger and a can of Dr Pepper right about now.”

  Tegan patted her on the back sympathetically, then peered around. “I wonder how long we’ve been in this place. A couple of days?”

  “Actually, you have been recuperating here for nearly a week,” a new voice cloaked in an unfamiliar accent surprised them.

  The friends turned around warily.

  A youth stood behind them with his arms folded across his chest and a light grin on his face. Jag turned to Kody and Aari, then looked back to the newcomer. Startled, he asked, “Did . . . did you just say that?”

  The youth dipped his head. “Yes.”

  The boys stared at each other, agape. Kody flicked a finger in the youth’s direction and gave him a sideways, mystified look. “But, man, we were with you before . . . you only spoke in your language.”

  Tegan and Mariah shot Kody perplexed expressions, which he ignored.

  The youth laughed, a little nervously, and rubbed the side of his face. “Let us just say that I am a quick learner.”

  Jag stared at him with deep suspicion. “That’s pretty quick learning for anyone.”

  “Not really.”

  Tegan placed her hands on her hips and demanded, “Someone mind explaining what’s going on here?”

  Jag was still glaring distrustfully at the youth; her words fell on deaf ears. The newcomer faced Tegan. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Akol. I know your friends already, but what are your names?”

  Jag rolled his eyes at the obvious dodge but remained quiet. The girls glanced at each other. “I’m Tegan, and this is Mariah.”

  “I am glad you are alright. I was a little worried when I could not find you in your neyra.”

  “What’s a neyra?” Tegan asked.

  “They are the shelters you were recovering in.” Akol smiled and was about to add something else when Tegan slapped her forehead. What am I doing sharing small talk with this dude?

  Looking at the older teenager in the eye, she said, “Listen, we appreciate you being concerned for us, but where are we? What is this place?”

  Akol must have realized he couldn’t go on without giving some information. He sighed. “Come. Let us go to Huyani’s neyra. I am sure she will have some food prepared for us. We may speak afterward.”

  “Who’s Huyani?” asked Mariah.

  “It’s the girl who was tending to us,” Kody answered.

  “Wait—is she tall with long black hair?”

  “Yeah. You know her?”

  “I saw her once. She gave me something to drink and it killed my pain.”

  Akol led the friends through a route amongst the trees. As they trod along the winding trail, Tegan breathed in deeply. She loved the smell of the forest and the mountain air.

  As they walked up an incline, the group saw an astounding sight through the pine needles that hung from the trees. On the opposite bank of the turquoise river stood an immense building about three-quarters the size of a football field. It had a pyramid-shaped roof and seemed alien in a remote village. It appeared to be clad in translucent blue-green walls but the teenagers were too far away to make out what was inside. Next to that structure, smaller by comparison but quite big themselves, were timber buildings. They resembled a kind of stable or barn complete with a gambrel roof.

  The friends kept the questions that swirled in their minds to themselves, not wanting to be the first to break the silence that now hung over them. Akol also said nothing and walked steadily onward. They trudged along for a few minutes more until Akol turned around and grinned. “We are here.”

  Piloting the way out of the foliage and toward the shelter next to a grove of blue spruce trees, Akol opened the door to Huyani’s neyra and ushered the friends inside. As they entered, Tegan was startled to see a large black dog napping on the ground. When the six of them stepped inside, the dog opened its bright yellow eyes and raised its head, alert. Tegan gasped.

  It was a wolf.

  Beside her, Mariah’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets. She grabbed Tegan’s arm, fingernails digging deep. Wincing, Tegan jerked her arm away and studied the wolf. Fangs and claws gleamed like polished ivory when the wolf’s lips pulled back into a wild canine smile as it raised itself off the floor and stretched. The muscular body, covered in thick midnight-black fur, rippled with power. Tegan noted how big its paws were, and how it moved with stealth as it drew near the friends. Driven by impulse, she dropped to her knees, her hands on the ground in front of her, and watched the wolf as keenly as it watched her.

  Akol’s voice reached her ears. “Tegan, if I may, this is Chayton, one of the wolves who enjoys our company. We think he is about five years old, and he is a wonderful friend.”

  “He’s your pet?” Tegan asked.

  “Goodness, no. These creatures are free. They come and go as they please, although Chayton seems to enjoy being around us more than the others.”

  “How many wolves visit you?”

  “Four in total, though Chayton will probably be the one you will encounter the most. A number of other animals come by as well, notably a lone female lynx.”

  Twin cries erupted from Tegan and Mariah, startling the wolf and the boys.

  “A lynx?” Mariah exclaimed. “We had an encounter with one earlier!”

  “Did she have a golden pelt with white stripes running down her shoulders?” Akol asked eagerly. They nodded. “Then that was Tyse you met.”

  Tegan whistled. “This place is amazing.”

  “It is certainly quite incredible during the summer.” Akol scratched his chin. “Then there is winter. It comes two ways, stunning and unforgiving.”

  “I don’t doubt it. This is way up north, so it must be harsh.” Tegan paused when Chayton was right in front of her, his black muzzle only a few inches from her nose. After a moment, he licked her cheek and playfully nibbled her hair. Tegan broke into a large smile and laughed, relieved.

  Akol stared at her and the wolf, astounded. “He likes you the first time around. That is quite rare.”

  Kody rested an elbow on Tegan’s head. “Akol m’man, you don’t know this girl unless you’ve been around her long enough. She’s got her ways with animals, wild or not.”

  Tegan grunted at the sharp elbow on her head and shook it off. Chayton slunk past and exited the shelter. No sooner was he gone than the door opened wide and a slender form stepped in. Seeing the six of them in her shelter, the older girl smiled and welcomed them warmly in her own language.

  “There is no need,” Akol told her. “We may speak to them in their tongue.”

  “Ah,” she said with a gleam in her eyes. “So they know.”

  Akol looked sheepish.

  The girl shook her head. “Really now, brother.” She turned to the boys. “Nice to see you, Jag, Aari, Kody!” Her accented voice sounded like a nightingale’s song; Tegan felt lifted.

  Mariah smiled. “Hi—I’m Mariah. I remember you.”

  The girl pulled her into a quick hug. “Hello, Mariah. My name is Huyani. It is lovely to see some color back in your cheeks now. And you are . . .?” She fixed her dark brown eyes on Tegan.

  “Tegan.”

  “Nice to meet you. How are all of you faring?”

  “I feel almost good enough to do a backflip,” Aari said. “That is, if I could do one in the first place, which I can’t.”

  “We all feel that way,” Jag confirmed as Huyani looked at the others with concern.

  “That is good,” Huyani said. “Still, I must examine each of you to check your condition for myself.”

  As she lifted Jag’s chin to see his facial cuts in the light, a rumbling noise sounded. She paused and shared puzzled looks with Jag. After a moment, Jag roar
ed with laughter. Looking at Mariah, he called out, “That was you, wasn’t it?”

  The group stared at Mariah as she blushed, embarrassed. “Blame the hungry lion living in my stomach, people.”

  “I will make something for you,” Huyani consoled her.

  “Thank you,” Mariah said weakly.

  Huyani shepherded the friends toward another end of her neyra once she had completed her examinations. She sat them down onto a padded divan made from moose-hide, then went into the kitchen quarter with Akol.

  Curious, Tegan strained to listen in on their conversation but they’d reverted to their native tongue. She settled for gazing around, her gray eyes smartly picking up details. “I want to know where we are,” she muttered.

  Aari lightly squeezed her arm. “You and all of us.”

  A good fifteen minutes passed until the delicious fragrance of grilled meat seasoned with herbs and spices tickled their noses. Mariah sniffed the air and gushed. “That smells good.”

  “If it’s what the guys and I had before, then you two are in for a special treat,” Kody said.

  Tegan eyed him. “I won’t ask when you guys ate your meal, but I will say that your appetite never fails you. You’re impossible to fill up or shut up.”

  “What I don’t get is how you stay so slim,” Mariah said.

  “I work out,” he boasted, though Tegan could sense the lackluster in her normally-spirited friend’s words.

  “Sure, and my grandpa Joe was a merman,” Aari retorted.

  “Hey, I thought you said he was Bigfoot.”

  “Oh, good grief . . .”

  Jag rolled his eyes, snorting. Kody and Aari’s consistent banter was well-known at Great Falls High School in Montana, where the friends would be going into their third year the coming fall.

  Huyani called from the kitchen. “Come! Your meal is ready!”

  Mariah and Kody were off the couch in a flash while the others followed at their own pace. They beamed at the grilled, seasoned meat and the accompanying mix of fresh greens. “Awesome,” Mariah said hungrily as she attacked her steak.

  As Tegan, Jag and Aari took their places beside her and Kody, Huyani said, “Enjoy!”

  “Thank you!” the group chorused, mouths full.

  While the friends indulged in their meal, Huyani leaned against one of the kitchen counters. Akol joined her. “So how did the meeting go?” he asked softly, switching to his native tongue.

  Huyani pushed a strand of her raven hair from her face, answering likewise. “Quite well. The Elders wanted to learn about the five’s progress.”

  “So, do they really think these are the ones? From the prophecy, I mean.”

  Huyani shrugged her slim shoulders. “I do not know, brother, but they were keenly interested.” She paused. “Except for Elder Ashack. Always the skeptical one.”

  Akol laughed quietly. Huyani looked at him. “Akol, we must tell them something soon.”

  “You mean the five? Yes, I agree. I have already told them we will talk after they have finished eating.”

  “Good. We cannot keep them in the dark forever. Question is: What do we tell them, and how much do we tell them?”

  “W-ell . . .” Akol scratched his head. “Do we have permission to in the first place?”

  Huyani’s delicate features contorted into one of her rare scowls. “No. But I know that we cannot hide these things from them. We have to tell them something. They have the right to know.”

  “But how much can we reveal? I can tell they are a persistent bunch. If they are not satisfied, we will hear no end to their relentless questions.”

  They discussed back and forth until they reached a conclusion. Reverting into the friends’ language again, Akol said casually, “Would you like something to drink? We have water and wild berry juices.”

  “I think we’ll settle for water, thanks,” Jag said.

  “That was the best meal I’ve ever had in my entire life,” Tegan announced as the friends were handed their drinks. “Thank you so much.”

  Huyani seemed pleased. “You are most welcome. Would you like some sweets?”

  “You mean desserts? You have those?”

  “I suppose that is the word you use. Yes.”

  “Nice! What have you got?”

  “We have lots of wild berries, sweet roots, potatoes and more.”

  Tegan was about to eagerly pick her dessert choices when Jag gently clamped a hand over her mouth and looked at Akol and Huyani. “That sounds great, guys, and maybe we’ll have some later. But first, we have to get at least some of our questions answered.”

  Huyani gave Akol a confirming look, and they sat down opposite the friends. Akol began slowly. “I will try my best to tell you what I may, though be forewarned, some things will not be entirely clear to you . . . There are somewhat unmentionable actualities I must take out of this account.”

  Unmentionable actualities? Tegan thought, frowning. What on earth does that mean?

  “You were brought unconscious to us by some of the most amazing inhabitants of these forests,” Akol said. “We refer to them as the Guardians and have had great respect for them and their ancestors for many, many years. Like the rest of us in the village, they heard the explosion of your aircraft. We believe they followed the flames in the sky and were led to you.”

  Jag pounded the counter with a fist, causing the others to jump. “Hold on a second, Akol. Are these ‘Guardians’ extremely huge bears by any chance?”

  Akol coughed, surprised. “Yes, they are.”

  Jag hooted and pointed smugly at Kody and Aari. “I told you I wasn’t hallucinating!”

  Aari’s jaw dropped and Kody stared blankly at Jag, who cracked his knuckles in contentment.

  Akol took up his narrative again. “In any case, our people trust the Guardians with their lives. They are loyal, powerful, and are incredibly protective of our people. When you were brought to us, our Elders instructed Huyani and I to care for you and keep you from falling into the void.”

  “Hold on a moment,” Kody said. “Akol, did these Guardians find my dad?”

  “Your . . .” Akol’s jaw tightened. “You mean there were six of you?”

  Tegan saw Kody’s face fall like an anchor had pulled it down. She reached out to rest her hand on his but he shook it away. “Yeah,” he said, voice rough. “My dad’s the pilot of our plane.”

  Akol cast a glance at Huyani. She looked chagrined. “We were not aware, Kody,” she said. “I am sorry. But rest assured, we will do all we can to find him. You have our word.”

  Kody turned away, blinking rapidly. After several long moments of tense silence, Aari tapped his fingers against his mug. “So, uh, these Elders you mentioned. Who are they? Will they be able to help us find Kody’s dad and get us back home?”

  Akol hesitated, his eyes on Kody, then said, “They are our leaders. We revere and trust them. They are wise and caring people who guide us and teach us the ways of the tribe. We look up to them and love them dearly. If anyone can help you, it will be them.”

  Tegan waited until both Aari and Kody had shown the youth some kind of acknowledgement, then asked, “You mentioned ‘tribe’, Akol. Who are you guys?”

  Akol seemed to perk up at her question. “This village, this tribe, has an amazing history. We are descendants of two groups of very different peoples. I will not go into details now, but suffice to say that the unification of the two groups brought about extraordinary capabilities in our tribe. We have developed abilities which may seem miraculous to outsiders. For example, you have experienced Huyani’s healing skills. Also, as you have noticed, she and I are gifted with unusual linguistic ability; I believe the word in your language for this skill is ‘omnilinguism.’ This is how we are able to communicate with you. Others in our village have different abilities.”

  “But these are not miracles or magic,” Huyani chipped in. “They are latent in each one of us.”

  Akol finished his drink. “This is as much as w
e can share with you for now. I am certain that the Elders will enlighten you further. They are looking forward to meeting all of you very soon.”

  “What?” Mariah tugged at her earlobe. “They’re going to—we’re going to meet them? When? Why?”

  Akol appeared caught off guard by her queries. He looked intently at the friends, then said, “It would be wise to stay patient for now. In time, things will become clearer, I promise you.”

  They nodded, uncertain. Tegan looked thoughtful for a moment, then ventured, “Really, who are you? And where are we?”

  “My friends,” Akol said as he stood up and stretched his arms, smiling, “welcome to Dema-Ki, the hidden valley.”

  9

  The bright midday sun found the Elders outside their assembly neyra. Huyani had finished her briefing some while ago and left, and the Elders decided to step out to discuss what they had gathered from her observations.

  “That was an interesting narrative from Huyani,” Tayoka said, scratching his red beard.

  “It sounds like they are an amusing group,” Saiyu added. “Bold, too, to step out into unfamiliar surroundings during the night.”

  Tikina shaded her green eyes from the sun’s glare. “Huyani mentioned that one of the girls seemed rather guarded, the one with dark-golden hair.”

  “They have gone through a harrowing ordeal and being in a strange place is bound to be unsettling,” Saiyu answered.

  “The other girl, the taller one with brown hair . . . Huyani is yet to converse with her, so we have very little to assess her with,” Ashack said in his deep voice.

  Nageau started walking toward the riverbank. “Perhaps we should go see them. Huyani did say that she and Akol were planning to gather them at her shelter.” He cast a look at Saiyu, who was walking silently now. “You seem distracted. What is on your mind?”

  “It was something Huyani said . . . about their eyes,” Saiyu muttered, then wandered back into deep thought.

  “Strange,” Ashack said. “I felt that way too.”

  “Do you two ever have any differing thoughts?” Tayoka teased.

  “When you finally pick a mate, you will know what it is like,” Ashack shot back. “It is about time you found someone to share your life with.”