Feeling David’s gaze, he turned to look at him, “What!”
The sharpness of Boroc’s response shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but David still flinched.
Since he had Boroc’s attention, he thought he might as well ask a question. “Are we staying here tonight?”
“No!”
“Just asking.”
David eased his aching body down beside the lake and began filling the water skins. He could tell by Boroc’s pacing that he was eager to be out of here. David didn’t share his enthusiasm, because he knew that leaving this place, meant more tortuous hours in the desert.
It was only when he tried to stand up that he realised how seized up he was. He even had ringing in his ears, which was a worry. It stopped, only to be replaced by whispering, which was even more concerning.
He had clearly been standing still for too long, as Boroc began shouting at him and then quite unexpectedly, he ran off into the cavern, taking their only source of light with him. David guessed Boroc had seen something and rather than stand there waiting for him to return, he decided to sit back down.
David’s eyes felt so heavy and he must have fallen asleep because he started dreaming. In the dream, he was still underground and could hear voices telling him that he was not alone and he would soon be contacted. That probably meant the Hidden Ones weren’t far away, which was good news for both him and Boroc, since he wanted to be shot of him anyway. The thought of Boroc caused the voices to stop and David nearly leapt out of his skin when he opened his eyes to see something towering over him.
It was okay, it was Boroc. Apparently, they had been down here for hours. David had to admit that his nap had left him feeling refreshed, but his body was still pretty messed up. He could feel Boroc’s eyes upon him, but he tried not to let this worry him, even though he had a good idea what he might be thinking.
“What was all the excitement about? I saw you running off. Did you see more of those Squalvolvans?”
“I don’t know what it was.”
“So it was nothing?”
“You think I can’t tell the difference!”
“You know this place better than I do.”
“You’re right, so keep your mouth shut unless you have something worth saying.”
David felt that he did have something worth saying because the sleep had also sharpened his mind. Somehow he knew these Squalvolvans were operating above their normal capacity. A higher intelligence was controlling them, only how did David know this? He guessed he’d have to wait for Boroc to catch up and then he could say, told you so or maybe not, if he valued his life.
By the time they exited the Awang the temperature had dropped to well below freezing and David’s thin cotton clothing was doing nothing to keep him warm.
An hour passed and at some point David’s body broke the pain barrier and found a rhythm. He was still lagging behind and Boroc had to keep stopping to allow him to catch up. How had a race this weak survived for so long? Just one of life’s little mysteries thought Boroc.
David had conquered the pain, but despite the physical exertion, he was having difficulty getting any heat into his body.
“Boroc.” David fell to his knees.
“Get up.”
“I can’t, I’m freezing, for god’s sake.”
“Sitting there won’t help you.”
“Please, Boroc.”
Boroc threw up his hands and ran off into the night and alone now, David resigned to the fact that he would probably die here on this strange planet. To survive, he knew he had to get back on his feet, but when he suddenly detected movement, David imagined this to be a predator, coming to put him out of his misery. David heard what he thought was a bark and there it was again, only this time it sounded like a voice and he realised it was Boroc, shouting at him.
“Get your clothes off.”
David wasn’t sure he’d heard right.
“I said, get those clothes off.”
Was he mad? “I’m freezing.”
“If you don’t want to die, then do as I say.”
David rolled onto his back and he could hear Boroc mumbling.
“If you are the dominant species back on that planet of yours, then the rest of it can’t be worth shit.”
David couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and started tugging at his shirt. His hands were so cold that the buttons were proving almost impossible, but he managed it and then after a bit of a struggle, his tee-shirt came off as well and he was shivering uncontrollably.
“Here,” Boroc thrust his hands towards David.
“What is it?”
“Don’t ask questions; just rub this stuff on your skin.”
In Boroc’s cupped hands was a substance like mud and David was sceptical, but after applying it to his chest and shoulders, he noticed a tingling sensation. Within a few minutes, his hands were as warm as toast and his body was warming up too. He couldn’t believe it.
“Cover yourself, your back as well,” said Boroc.
“What is this stuff?”
“Just rub it in and stop asking questions.”
“I can’t reach my back.”
Reluctantly, Boroc assisted, his hands were like sandpaper and by the time he’d finished, David wondered if he had any skin left. David applied the rest of the mud to his legs and it was only now that he noticed how bad it smelt and he was covered in the stuff.
“Stop smelling yourself, if you ask me it’s an improvement. Get your clothes back on.”
It was hard to believe how one application of mud could make him feel so much better. The mud continued to keep him warm and at the same time regulated his temperature, so that he didn’t overheat. Even the smell subsided, either that or he got used to it.
The brief stop had given David a chance to catch his breath, but it wasn’t long before he was struggling again and Boroc was growing more and more impatient. David wasn’t sure how long he could carry on and the hours slipped by and he was somewhat relieved to see a faint glow on the horizon. Surely the break of dawn would mean a welcome rest.
“The sun’s coming up.” His voice sounded weary and he cleared his throat. “The sun’s coming up.” That sounded better.
“I heard you the first time and both times you were wrong.”
“What’s that glowing on the horizon then?”
If it wasn’t the sun then what was it? A glow on the horizon could mean only one thing, another fire and this time Boroc wasn’t around to spoil the party.
“My god, it’s another fire, is that what that is?”
“Maybe you were right after all.”
“About there being more of them?”
“Yes, what else?”
“The intelligence thing?”
“It doesn’t take a great intelligence to light a fire.”
“The Squalvolvans I met were organised and there was one in the group that appeared to be the leader.”
“You find a lead animal in any pack. We created them, okay, so I think I’d know if they possessed any intelligence and I can assure you that they don’t. They weren’t created to think, they were created to fight and take orders.”
“So how come you lost control of them and here they are banded together?”
“Stranger things have happened. The fact that I haven’t put you out of your misery, being one of them.”
David pretended he hadn’t heard Boroc’s comment. “I have another theory.”
“Keep it to yourself; I don’t have time for your fantasies. I need to stop these things.”
“Any excuse for a bloodbath.”
“You have a problem with that?”
“I’m just saying that maybe you could try a different approach.”
“And you’re suggesting what exactly?”
“Catch one alive and maybe you might learn something.”
Boroc’s eyes narrowed. “You really are from another planet, aren’t you!”
Boroc took off and David found i
t impossible to keep up and quickly lost sight of him and by the time he reached the fire, the sky was bright with the predawn light. The fire was impressive, even larger than the one from David’s nightmare. He looked around nervously for the Squalvolvans, but there was no sign of them and that made for one very unhappy Shamozolt.
David walked over to where Boroc was standing and they both starred at the fire as if hoping it might offer up a clue to what was going on here. “Looks like the other one, doesn't it?” said David.
“Well, you’re the expert.”
There was nothing obvious keeping it alight unless someone had doused the area in flammable liquid and in any case, why light a fire in the middle of nowhere.
Boroc was shifting about, looking for something to kill, when quite suddenly and unexpectedly, the flames turned from bright orange to almost black and for the first time, David noticed genuine fear on Boroc’s face. Unlike David, Boroc had an idea what was coming and right on cue, a dark shapeless form emerged from the flames, but not totally, as it appeared to be attached by a fiery cord.
David wondered if he was hallucinating, but then it spoke. “Boroc, you are such disappointment.”
Boroc levelled his Zolt-Arc and it was now pointed squarely at this spectre.
“The humans don’t belong here. Why won’t you help us rid this place of them?”
“I have seen the light and I know my true enemy when I see it.”
“That’s unfortunate, you had such promise.”
Boroc released a number of bolts and these were absorbed by the fire and the spectre didn’t even flinch.
“Have it your way, Boroc.”
The fire roared and then exploded and its heat and energy hit them and they were thrown across the sand.
There followed some intervention in the shape of a sandstorm, which blew in from nowhere, smothering the flames and saving Boroc and David from an untimely death.
One minute there had been a ball of flames, the next, a cloud of sand and David was suddenly aware that he couldn’t breathe. A weight was on top of him, which in his mind he visualised as an elephant sitting on his chest. He lashed out and this seemed to help and the image of an elephant fell away.
Coughing and spluttering, David sat up. He had been buried under several inches of sand, but he had no idea how this had happened. As his mind searched for an answer, Boroc emerged from the sand beside him and if anyone had been watching, they must have looked like a couple of undead, rising from their graves.
David could barely speak, his mouth was dry and his eyes streamed from the dust and sand, but remarkably, he was still clutching his plastic bag. Boroc was on his feet, disorientated and looking meaner than ever.
David shook the worst of the sand from his clothes and then got the shock of his life, as his skin had turned blue.
“What the!”
“That’s normal,” said Boroc.
“Normal?”
“It’ll wash off and for now it will protect you from the sun, so just live with it.”
David breathed a sigh of relief, it was only the dried on mud from the night before.
“I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb.”
“I imagine you’re used to that.”
David started rummaging through his plastic bag to make sure everything was still in there.
Boroc was in a bad mood. “Focus, for god’s sake.”
David jumped from the impact of Boroc’s voice. If this was how they were going to start the day, then he’d better watch himself and after a bit of digging around in the sand, he found what he had been looking for. His cap.
“Okay, good to go.”
“I wasn’t waiting for you,” boomed Boroc.
The appearance of a Formless One had put Boroc in a really bad mood and like the weather out here, his moods could be stifling.
David shielded his eyes from the sun, which was surprisingly high for this time of morning and then realised Boroc was looking at him. “You notice anything?”
David looked around in case he was missing the obvious. “Not really.”
“The sun’s position in the sky would suggest it is after midday.”
“That can’t be right.”
“Of course it’s not right! We’ve just lost six hours to those Formless Ones.”
“That was a Formless One?” David was going to ask how it had been possible for them to lose six hours, but seeing how furious Boroc was, he decided not to.
They continued their march in the unrelenting heat, mostly in silence, punctuated by the occasional grumble from Boroc. He reminded David of an old train, letting off steam every now and then, like a safety valve to stop it from exploding. It was during one of Boroc’s quieter moments that he turned to David and spoke.
“That was the real enemy back there.”
“I’ve heard about them, but that was my first encounter. Hard to believe we’re related to those things.”
Boroc looked at David as if he’d just sprouted another head. “What?!”
“Yes, apparently so. I was told this by a race of aquatic people.”
“I’ve heard some strange shit in my time, but what comes out of your mouth takes some beating.”
That concluded all communication for the next few hours.
Being in the company of a moody alien was still a bit of a novelty for David and as resistant as Boroc was about being sociable, he could tell there was a lot of depth to his character. Although, apart from his connection with the Zolt army and the fact that he didn’t like humans very much, David knew very little about him and guessed this was unlikely to change anytime soon. Fate or more likely the Hidden Ones had brought them together and David was counting his blessings.
During the afternoon they clambered up countless dunes and at the top of the next one, their objective came into view. This Awang looked no different from the others they’d visited, a mound of boulders partly covered by the drifting sand. They drew nearer and there was a surprise in store. Another fire. This time it had been lit inside the entrance of the Awang and the only logical reason for doing so, was to stop anyone from entering.
“What is it with these damn fires,” muttered Boroc under his breath.
They approached with caution, fearful of another attack from the Formless Ones, but thankfully this fire was currently unattended. The flames licked around the boulders of the Awang, which looked to David like a hungry mouth and that thought was enough to stop him in his tracks. Boroc wasn’t intimidated by the fire, just hungry for a fight and he continued towards it, ready for anything fool enough to emerge from the flames.
A few minutes went by and Boroc kicked the sand in frustration, since it was looking like he had got himself all fired up for nothing.
Apart from the heat, it was obvious that this was no ordinary fire and considering Boroc's mood, maybe now wasn’t the time to drop him another hint.
Boroc had to admit there was something strange about the fire and perhaps the oddest thing was that it didn’t appear to be in contact with the ground.
When Boroc returned to where David was waiting, his face looked like thunder.
“A fire that burns without fuel. How can that be normal?” asked David.
“I’ve got eyes and I’m not in the mood for chatter,” grumbled Boroc.
Together they stared at the fire while trying to make sense of it, but like so much else that had happened lately, it was lacking an explanation. Their encounter with the Formless Ones confirmed their involvement and probably meant they had somehow taken control of the Squalvolvans.
“Is there another way in?”
“What!”
“I said, is there another way in?”
“I wouldn’t be standing here if there was, now would I?”
Since it looked like they were going to wait for the fire to go out, David sat down, only Boroc had other ideas and in a rage, he headed back to the fire. He fired a single bolt from his Zolt-Arc and David was sure he was about t
o see the Awang reduced to a pile of rubble. The bolt hit the fire and nothing happened. Boroc fired again and still nothing and he turned the Zolt-Arc over in his hand as if there might be something wrong with it.
Third time lucky and this time he aimed at the ground just in front of the fire and as soon as the bolt hit, it was like someone flipped a switch and the fire was out.
David got to his feet and ran over to where Boroc was standing. “You did it,” said David. “How did you do that exactly?”
“Were you asleep? A bolt of energy put the flames out.”
“Risky. Surely that sort of energy could have damaged the mound and stopped us from entering?”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Sure you do, but it looked like the fire absorbed the energy of the first two bolts. How do you explain that?”
“Don't start again,” although Boroc had to agree that the energy from the bolts should have caused some structural damage and yet nothing was out of place.
The area just inside the entrance of the Awang was discoloured from the heat of the fire. There was a bad smell in here too, but that had nothing to do with the fire. The smell reminded David of a fresh cowpat, an odour he had come to associate with the Squalvolvans and there was plenty of evidence of their passing. The sand was covered in their footprints and cart tracks and these disappeared down into the depths of the Awang.
The fire was a mystery and appeared to serve no purpose, apart from delaying them.
“Can you tell how long ago these tracks were made?”
“What would be the point of that?”
David bit his lip. “I’m not sure. These Squalvolvans do seem to be able to move around quite quickly, don’t you think?”
"They only appear to be moving quickly, because we are moving so slowly and I'm blaming you for that.”
“What have I done now?”
“You’re too damn slow that’s what.”
"You can blame me all you like, but you can’t keep denying the evidence.”
“Stop talking and save your energy, you’re going to need it.”
Without warning, David was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and forced to the ground. It was so dark in here and he couldn’t see very much, but he felt a downdraft of air, which was accompanied by a whooshing sound.
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