by Han Yang
When I hopped to my feet, the lobo’narock roared. I spun, running further onto the barge. The big narock paused on the lip, seeing all its dead buddies on the docks, and smelling something.
Distant cracks switched to nearby pings as bullets from the Apple reached the barges.
As intense and nerve racking as the situation was, it calmed when the lobo’narock slid into the waters.
I stuffed the dripping revolver into its right holster. Deciding to assess my damage, I huddled between crates.
Over the next five minutes, I plucked splinters out of my body. When I couldn’t find any more besides the ones in my back I couldn’t reach, I assessed Henry. Besides a fogged scope, my trusty rifle seemed fine.
I let him hang on his sling, inspecting my bandoliers. The rifle rounds were missing, and I groaned. I loved having a strip of rounds down my chest for easy access. My hand lovingly traced down the .45 rounds, appreciating that they survived the watery endeavor.
After I pulled out my last dragon, I shook the water out of the weapon. After a second shake I -
Creak!
I pulled my revolver in tight, sticking the hammer close to my chest. I popped up quickly, finding a very surprised pelican.
The bird squawked before taking flight. I tensed seeing a purple slip of silk fluttering in the breeze. I had a nice little nook to hide in, but I hurried out and snatched the sheet. A second later, I waved the fabric in the air.
The Apple tooted they could see me, and I barely could make out Sally waving. Or maybe it was Craig. I felt relief, mixed with worry. While I lived, I was alone. The others needed me too.
The river pushed on the barge, lapping against its front edge until it begged for attention.
Around me, it was eerily quiet besides the sound of splashing water. I spun slowly, ensuring my surroundings were clear. When I scanned the high rises, a family waved from a balcony in the distance. I’d have never been able to see them unless I glanced from this angle.
I waved the flag, signaling them to come to me, they waved for me to come to them with big sweeping movements. I realized at that point I had a scope pointed at me.
The incredible distance between us left me mostly unperturbed. I pulled off a crate’s lid and slid my dagger out of my boot. In big letters I wrote.
We have shelter, taking boat upriver.
I held up the sign, giving it a full minute for them to hopefully read. I pulled Henry off my back and tried to defog the lens.
After a few seconds of using the built-up water to rinse the fog out, I raised the rifle. Each of the balcony’s occupants waved or pointed behind me. I set Henry down, ripping my dragon out.
When I spun, the space behind me remained mysteriously empty. But I knew. I had the ‘sense’, the same one I had earlier. Hell, even the hairs on the back of my neck stood tall.
I was being hunted.
Zing!
Crack!
A round smacked into a crate on the next barge over.
I bolted left, racing for the docks. Each step I hopped from one crate to the next until I reached the open area of the docks. I pivoted hard, speeding toward my hidden foe while tracking with my .45.
The shots from the balcony traveled long because tucked between a section of crates rested a mutated blue human with a spear gun of some sorts. They drew with poise and fired. I let my dragon respond in kind.
Bang!
The weapon bucked in my hands. I tried to shoot the bolt out of the air and failed. I twisted my body, trying to avoid his spear.
The tip scathed across my right shoulder, tearing my flesh with a long gash because of my spin.
“Argh!” I cried out.
I swapped the weapon to my left hand, reading to fire again. I didn’t need to though, the being on the barge twitched before a loud fart…
I wrinkled my nose as I approached. That was more than gas, for sure. I shook my head as if that would improve the stench.
When I loomed over the humanoid, I saw… an alien.
It had tanned, bluish skin, fanged teeth that jutted down below the jawline, and a fin down the head. I turned his head sideways, seeing gills on his neck.
“What the hell, Darcy? Seriously,” I complained and flipped him over. He had webbed hands and a wing flare between his elbow and hip. I tapped my foot, and then it hit me. I ran to a spot on the barge and laid down. “Return to the Hope.”
You must wait 11 days and 9 hours before you can return to Hope. You have 16 days before you can trigger a consultation. Thank you for understanding.
“Darcy, so help me. This is my reward. I bust my ass to help and the others who complained lost zero relaxation time. No good deed goes unpunished. For real Darcy, if you know that these survived, you need to tell everyone,” I said, and she didn’t reply.
She never would, not inside here. In her entire history of the trials, she never broke her rules, staying impartial on the inside. You always had to come out for a consultation and that was the kicker - I couldn’t.
I walked back along the docks, rotating my arm. It bled freely and would need stitches.
“Unbelievable. A squena.” I tried to find my suture kit, realizing it had fallen in the water. “Here in Snagglewood. Best to not let my guard down,” I muttered, returning back to Henry.
I decided I might as well wait for the right barge we wanted to take.
I selected a middle barge, establishing a perimeter. When I glanced back up at the balcony, I saw a black sign with chalk.
“Wish I didn’t have to carve everything.”
I raised Henry and read, ‘Nice Shot.’
I peeled off a lid, and scribbled. ‘Are you safe?’
A minute later. ‘Yes. You are not.’
Because I was in a peachy mood, I wrote. ‘You’re. Contractions matter.’
The guy with the rifle held up his reply ‘Dick.’
I chuckled, peeling off four lids. I spent ten minutes scrawling my message into the wood.
Mother Nature sent me.
Monsters will grow huge with time.
They will get up that building.
Get below ground. Thanks for warning.
I waited, seeing Apple pushing off our loading point. They survived without me and loaded the ship. She certainly sat deeper in the water.
The balcony had movement, so I went back to watching the half dozen people trapped high. I could see rain collection bins and tomato plants on every balcony around them. When he held up a sign, I shook my head at what I read.
Why did the Great Mother send Squena
I shrugged over and over. A new sign came out.
‘Upriver to where?’
I walked to another crate, seeing my crew coming to get me. I closed my eyes and exhaled in relief. This was another one of those moments where I could be proud of those I had to trust. I was dead without them.
‘Lornsto Mines. Building bigger and better.’
The group grew extremely excited when they saw the steamboat. A final sign was held up. ‘Cute driver. What’s her name?’
A woman slugged the man’s arm. I laughed, ducking behind the crate to let my watering eyes let some liquid free. I’d blame allergies if anyone asked, but the reality was, that stupid joke reminded me that humanity persevered.
After all I experienced, it was refreshing to see healthy and happy people. Maybe the emotions were caused by simply being alive. I didn’t care about the points, I cared about the people.
“Theo! Where are you?” Craig bellowed.
“Here,” I shouted back.
When I stood, I noticed the Apple coming around the docks.
I figured out the system pretty quick. Barges were backed in and a blocking wall held them in place. You hooked up, opened the blocks and down current the tandem went. You just had to be good at reverse driving a steamboat.
Which… later on, I’d be naming names for someone struggling to reverse the ship. Yilissa didn’t give up though. Honestly, I was still f
eeling nervous because of the squena I randomly killed.
I kept glancing around and sighed when the Apple slid into the attaching berth. Fen and Dex hurried to attach the ship to the docks. I walked up the planks, feeling like crap. My eardrum still bled, my shoulder oozed, and I was pretty sure I drank river water.
Worst of all… I lost a dragon. My prized .45.
The clank of heavy chains attaching the barge to the ship stirred my sad thoughts.
“Hey,” Yilissa asked. “You okay.”
“Right as rain,” I responded with a terse smile. “We need to stockpile some spices and silks. We also need the spear gun from the body over there. If you don’t mind, I’ll take the wheel to sit for a - a - a -”
I vomited onto the docks. After I dragged a sleeve across my mouth, I continued for the overcrowded boat. The survivors were a hive of activity. Mostly because everyone had planned to shift our supplies to the barge.
Kevin ran to me before I reached the boat. He stuck his nose in my arm, even swiping blood.
“No poison. Probably the river water coming up. We’ll cauterize the ear and suture the arm,” he said, patting my good shoulder before running off to help move gear.
“Cauterize my ear drum?” I asked.
He didn’t slow. “Feel your ear, my friend. Your eardrum is fine.”
My hand inspected the numb area. I grunted when I realized my ear was gone. That was how close I had come to death – losing an ear close.
“Well, damn,” I grumbled.
“Hurry up you grandma,” Sally said from up top.
Yilissa zoomed by me, her unicorn at the ready.
I smirked at the tease. Based on everyone working, my injuries could wait, and wait they did. The steady stream of supplies shifting meant it took me five minutes to even board the boat. Yeah… we for sure couldn’t have done a second trip.
I walked through the passenger cabin, seeing most of the pews being cleared for sleeping areas again. The ship just became that much tighter. When I reached the upper decking Willow sat in the crescent booth, her fingers all bandaged up.
“Where’s the girl?” I asked. “You’re looking better.”
I lied. Her face was swollen, her eyes were black, and her lips were cracked, but she smiled.
“Thanks, Mr. Karo. The girl is in there. She’s a mix of pale and green. Heard she tried to kill you, her savior,” Willow said.
“Humans are complicated,” I said, stripping out of my soaked clothing. Sally came over, helping me out of my vest and shirt. “Hopefully, she sees it that way in time.”
“I’m a married woman,” Willow said with a hint of unease as my shirt came off.
Craig snorted from his sniper post. “Mrs. Willow. Trust me. The only reason Theo is getting half-naked is because he has to. With that said, the mine is not exactly the most private place. We adjust.”
“I can apologize on my own. I need help, Kevin is busy, and I will try to manage my pants with one hand in the shower. Before I receive stitches, I need pure water to clean my wounds,” I said. “My goal is not to offend your honor.”
“I - Thank you for being a gentleman,” Willow said.
Sally helped with my belt, not being shy. Her knees cracked when she managed my boots one at a time. This was her way of helping, and I let her do her job. My whole right arm became numb at this point.
I stripped to my undershorts before entering the captain’s suit. Trisa laid on the bed, dead to the world. I saw her leg was bandaged, and still in place. Kevin must have hammered it down and stitched her skin up. All in a half hour.
Impressed with his work, I couldn’t help but stare down at the young woman. A casualty of the changing times. She had a good life for a bit there. A person who brought her everything while being there for her, plus a cozy bed and a sense of safety.
I flicked the shower on, washing the grime off my body. The wounds complained, stinging in a fierce way. I grunted through the pain and about thirty seconds into the water cascading down, it stopped.
Using my left hand, I stripped naked before grabbing a towel. I dripped blood everywhere as I dried off. A minute or two later I had shorts on, courtesy of the good captain. I returned to the pilot’s deck, seeing behind the boat.
The crew continued to stack items onto the barge from other barges. Sally came over, using the excess tower to clean my ear.
“Almost done,” Craig said. “Hold on a minute. I see -”
Crack!
Craig fired.
“Shit I missed.”
Pop! Pop! Pop!
“Holy crap, Yilissa hit it at two hundred yards. A teen boy is racing this way. The baby narock is falling back. Scanning for more survivors,” Craig said.
I tried to grab Henry to help put Sally stuck a hand in my chest hair.
“Mr. Karo. You need to sit. I doubt you can shoot a rifle with one arm,” Sally said.
Willow shimmied over. I didn’t get to see the teen or the fighting, I… I listened and sat. I may have sputtered my lips and grumbled, but I realized she was right.
Craig chatted with Yilissa. After he relayed to me, “The young man is on board. No other signs of life and he says he was alone in a nearby brothel. The shifting of goods is finished, and everyone is coming aboard. It’s time to close the vent.”
Sally slid the level forward, letting the pressure build up. A minute later a tired Yilissa came racing up to the upper deck. She came within inches of my face to look at my missing ear.
“You look great without a shirt, am I right Willow?” Yilissa said, causing the woman to blush.
The two of them started bickering about propriety and I kept my mouth shut. Craig laughed and a frowning Kevin arrived with a bottle of cleaning alcohol in his hands. I winced, knowing the next few minutes were going to suck.
I bit down on a small slab of leather, enduring the pain. Kevin was professional, keeping me thinking to avoid focusing on the fact he jabbed a needle into my arm.
Cella arrived from below and said, “Nineteen people, one ship, and a nine-day journey to even reach an unload spot, I wonder what can go wrong?”
“I thought pessimism was Matt’s thing,” Craig said.
“Matt did amazing things with one working leg and his ankle has doubled in size. But yeah, he pretty much said the same thing to me,” Cella said.
I barely listened to them talk, deciding to watch the barge try to pull us back as the wheel propelled us forward. A final glance at the balconies revealed the other group of survivors going inside. I couldn’t help but realize they knew what the abomination on the docks was too.
Once everyone settled in, it seemed like I needed to have a talk with the others.
38
Snagglewood Day 38
Bewu River
“You up?” Kevin asked from the door to the Captain’s Suite.
I slept for almost three straight days. Surprisingly, my arm avoided infection. My ear did not. Kevin approached, reaching down to hand me water.
“Fever broke last night. At least it feels that way,” I said, pausing to gulp down the water.
“Sssshhhh!” Lenny shushed us.
Part of having nineteen people living on a boat was sharing space. I shared the room with the other wounded, sleeping behind the bolted down desk. Kevin helped me up after I handed him the water bladder.
I tossed my arm into its sling. I could move my fingers, and the arm, but keeping the movements down meant the skin could heal better. My ear stung even from the breeze blowing against the angry wound.
For a brief moment, I shielded my eyes as they adjusted to the bright day. The splashing of the wheel, the whipping of fabric on the wind, and happy laughter made me smile. I honestly expected drama on the trip home and was fortunate that I had a fever without external issues to confront.
A motley crew of teenage survivors jovially chatted around the crescent booth. I exchanged small waves, not breaking up their conversation about the merits of silk versus soft lea
thers. Matt tilted his head down in respect from the driver’s seat and I replied in kind.
Kevin proceeded down the stairs, and I followed him. We shifted through the passenger quarters, inhaling a mix of river scent and fabrics. The ship produced plenty of clean water, meaning no one should stink and clothing could be washed.
Dex and Sally slept on benches with their faces covered. They were part of the night crew, and I tried to walk quietly through the area.
At the bow or the ship, the supplies crowded the space with only a walkway to the main hold. Kevin turned for the stern. A crate of silks worked as a table with a sheet covering it. Craig handed out cards to the group and Yilissa scooted over on her bench.
Cella and Fen shared a bench, Willow sat by Craig, Kevin plopped down by Beverly, and I slowly sat in the spot Yilissa patted.
Rita and Nathanael fished with an older teenage boy I didn’t recognize.
“That’s Winston. He lost everyone and was pretty quiet for a while,” Beverly said. “Fishing seems to help.”
I nodded, glancing up at the shading sheet that did a decent job. They played a round of hold ‘em before taking a pause to talk.
Craig said, “We’ve had a few issues.”
“Every time I ask, everything is fine,” I said.
“There’s unmarried teens fornicating,” Beverly said.
Cella piled on. “It’s not proper. I shouldn’t wake up to a fifteen-year old’s moaning.”
“Uh… look,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “These are the end times. Not to mention, we aren’t their parents. However, it's a common area, and there is no private place, really.”
“The shower,” Yilissa said with a bow bounce.
Cella groaned while Beverly just glared.
“I… these are things I don’t care about. No offense ladies and gentlemen. I simply don’t care who dates who, nor do I want to put older teens in chastity belts. While it’s unsavory to my pallet, I don’t want to micro-manage it. When we get to the mine, we can have a more in-depth conversation about it,” I said.