The light in Kaemin’s eyes dimmed at the mention of Calie’s name. Wincing, Aiva regretted having spoken it. Of everyone there, he likely longed for her company more than Aiva did. “She has been in my thoughts more often, as of late. I see how dangerous this mission has been, and the lives already taken, and I start to worry. I should not have waited so long to ask for her hand. Had I known our time to be so limited, I would not have wasted any of it.”
Aiva’s heart ached at the pain she saw in Kaemin’s expression. Never had she witnessed a man show such genuine love for a woman. It ate away at Aiva to think that he was there now because of her. Had she not offered to seek his transfer, Kaemin would have been in the company of Cadell on the ships, having no need to set foot in the damnable desert. But it was impossible for her to have known how things would turn out. The transfer had been for the best at the time. Without it, his time with Calie would have been shortened significantly, seeing him sent to Siscal days prior to Aiva’s wedding, left without a chance to even seek engagement. “You did not waste it,” she whispered, lightly rubbing her hand along his back to comfort him. “She loves you very much. I’m sure you know that.”
“I do,” he nodded, a trace of a smile forming over his lips. “There are just so many things I should have told her before I left. I waited too long to tell her how much I loved her. No matter what happens, I hope she knows I always will.”
“You talk as if you will never see her again.”
“I talk this way because I recognize the harsh reality that such is possible.”
Aiva stared at him, heartbroken. How could he think that way? Yet Aiva couldn’t deny that he was right. They could all meet their fate just as easily as the other soldiers who had perished along the way. No one was immune to death. It was simply too painful for her to consider never seeing her loved ones again. To think that her friends might not make it through the journey with her. No. They would see the mission through to the end. She refused to accept anything less. “You will see her. Soon,” she smiled. “We cannot be more than a few days from the coast. Once we get out of this wretched country, things will feel less hopeless. I promise.”
He looked only mildly comforted by her reassurances. Tilting his head to one side, he peered down at her, curious. “Have you never considered the possibility of not making it back to Tanispa?”
Discomfited by the question, Aiva looked away. Reality wasn’t something she liked to consider when it held such macabre possibilities. Not when there was so much business left undone in her own life. “I nearly fell to my death in that ravine in Carpaen,” she replied, almost curt in her desire not to discuss the topic further. “I think we can safely say I considered it once or twice.”
“And the calynx, the sandstorm – the creature I removed from your person at camp. Fate is toying with us at a near constant.”
“Fate is always toying with us,” Aiva frowned, growing weary of Kaemin’s seeming insistence of imminent doom. “What would you have me do? Weep over the fact that I might have been killed? If we sit down and claim defeat because we almost died, then we may as well have let the desert do it in the first place.”
“No, I wouldn’t expect you to weep,” Kaemin laughed, the sound more pathetic than amused. “Tears have rarely suited you. I guess I’m more surprised that you continue to argue with Callum, despite this all. Usually the threat of death brings people closer together. Over the last few days, I have witnessed the two of you growing further apart. Call it wishful thinking, but I was hoping you two would let go of your differences and release the notion of annulment.”
“You should let me worry about that,” she sighed, unable to conceal her building irritation. She regretted her decision to confide in him at all. The annulment was none of his business, nor was anything else which transpired between her and Callum.
“Don’t be angry, Aiva. I mean no disrespect, nor is it my intent to involve myself in matters which don’t directly concern me.” Kaemin glanced toward the front of the group, drawing Aiva’s attention to Callum. He and Gadiel continued onward, deep in conversation, oblivious to the chatter of other soldiers around them. “I just want you to consider something; in regards to death. Would you be able to live with yourself if Callum were to die on this journey?”
The question hit a chord in Aiva, deeper than she was comfortable with. She didn’t want to think about it. And you shouldn’t have to. Callum was a skilled fighter. The pirates were no match for him. Other men in the unit had fallen because they weren’t strong enough. She refused to even entertain the idea that anything would happen to him. “Callum will not die,” she stated firmly. “Nor will you or I. So let us cease this nonsensical discussion.”
Kaemin’s hand grabbed onto Aiva’s sleeve, stopping her mid-stride before she could say anything more. She gazed at the desert around them, confused by their sudden halt, realizing that everyone had ceased moving. Why were they wasting time just standing around? There was nothing there.
It was then that it hit her. Something wasn’t right about the area. At first glance it appeared normal. Upon closer inspection she could see tiny details which made her skin crawl with uncertainty. The dunes were irregularly shaped. Their smooth surface was distorted, bulging in odd mounds across the sand. As if something had been buried there. Callum and Gadiel retreated, each step deliberate and cautious as they moved backward, closer to the rest of the men. “Change of plan,” Callum stated calmly, motioning everyone to follow his lead. “Move slowly and quicken your pace to the west. The south is compromised.”
“What do you think it is, Captain?” Kaemin asked, his voice low. Callum stretched his arms out, forcing Kaemin and Aiva to move with him, pressing them back.
“From what I see, our surroundings suggest an ambush, though one arranged with far more stealth than the pirates are capable of.”
“Feh Noq?” Aiva breathed, her heart racing to consider the possibility. Callum’s expression was enough to recognize that he lacked the answer she sought. The Feh Noq were inherently nocturnal creatures. It was too early in the day for the desert dwellers to be on the prowl.
She gave no resistance to Callum’s urging. The further back they moved, the strange mounds became more noticeable, surrounding them on all sides. Had there been so many before? It seemed unlikely they would have missed something so obvious upon their approach.
From somewhere behind, Aiva could hear the scrape of metal come from one of the men, drawing his sword from its sheath. Callum wasted no time in chastising the action. “Put your weapon away!” he hissed. “If it is the Feh Noq, we cannot indicate a threat.”
Under Aiva’s feet, she felt something move, shifting beneath the sand. Frightened, she let her gaze angle downward, discovering her foot to be mere inches from one of the small bumps in the ground. In their slow, backward pace, she’d nearly stepped directly on it. Within the grainy surface she could see what looked to be eyes. Oddly shaped. Warped. They were wide, shaded by a strange bluish hue. Reflexively, she grasped Kaemin’s arm, hastening her steps away from it.
At her sudden movement, the dunes seemed to come alive, bursting open to reveal the strange creatures which had been hidden within. It was the eyes Aiva noticed before anything else. They resembled those she had seen at her feet only moments before, their wide blue stare coming toward them in waves. Their numbers were astonishing. Too many for any hope of a fair fight.
Just as Callum gave the order to run, a loud shriek filled the air, sending some type of signal amongst the enemy, their speed increasing at an alarming rate, quickly closing the distance between them and the soldiers. The size of the creatures only improved their ability to move swiftly over the dunes. No more than two or three feet tall. And their legs! They maneuvered the ground on four limbs, resembling giant spiders scurrying after their prey, faster and faster.
There was no time to scream. Heeding Callum’s command, Aiva turned from the terrifying sight of the beasts, forcing her legs to move. She couldn�
�t focus on anything other than getting away. To find somewhere safe. But where? They were in the middle of a desert. The expanse was open, providing nothing to serve as cover for miles. Their only chance was to maintain their speed and hope to outrun their enemy. Hiding was not an option. Behind her she could hear shouts from the men. The creatures were gaining on them too quickly. She was afraid to look over her shoulder in fear of what she would see. Soldiers – friends – falling prey to the hideous beasts. She couldn’t bear to think of it.
At her side, she was aware of Callum’s presence, keeping pace with her despite the cries from the soldiers. “Don’t stop!” he urged her, the words coming as nothing more than an exhale of breath from the exertion. His men were being overrun and all he could think about was protecting her? Aiva felt almost guilty; surprised by the loyalty after his behavior the past few days.
Lost in the tumult of fear and confusion, Aiva felt her leg move to take another step. Expecting the sensation of the sand beneath her boot, she was surprised to discover her foot seeming to fall through the ground, carrying her down with it before she could register what was happening. All around her she felt a sudden heat bubbling along her skin, scalding her through the thin fabric of her shirt. Liquid. But how was that possible? They were in the middle of the desert!
“Aiva!”
Pain prevented her from responding. Desperately she flailed about in the murky substance, unable to think of anything but the heat scorching her body as if she were on fire. She could still hear Callum’s voice calling her name, a vague outline of what looked to be a person reaching for her, just out of her grasp. The shadowy figure was on the ground, stretching its arm toward her, but to no avail. If it came any closer, it would be submerged in the liquid fire she now suffered.
Another shriek sounded, similar to that which had been heard when their enemy first revealed their presence. Closer this time. Not that it mattered. Captivity sounded better than the torture she endured presently.
Something was being thrown toward her. The shadowy figure called to her, pleading with her to grab onto the object it held in its hand. She heard none of it. Through her clouded thoughts, she couldn’t focus on words, only the fact that there was something in front of her which might make the pain go away. Wild in her attempts to be free, she clutched the thick rope-like object, feeling it, slow and steady, drawing her closer to the safety of solid ground. The figure’s hands were on her now, pulling her upward, paying no heed to the scalding substance she splashed over it in her desperation.
Free of the hellish liquid, Aiva’s vision began to return, recognizing the figure’s face as that of Callum, his lips moving, speaking, the sound nothing but incoherent noises. She couldn’t bring herself to pay attention to him. All she could see were the creatures surrounding them, their spider-like legs and arms inching closer. From their proximity, she could make out a fine layer of what looked to be hair, creating a coating along their skin like the fur of an animal; an exotic animal with bulging blue eyes, staring at her and Callum now as if they were the main course at a buffet.
“We’re trapped,” she whimpered, her muddied hands slipping from Callum’s protective hold. He couldn’t save her now. There were too many of the strange beasts to hope for an escape.
To her surprise, they seemed to be talking, though their words were nothing more than gibberish. The language was intricate. Well beyond the scope of Aiva’s lessons. Several of the creatures lifted themselves onto two of their spidery limbs, increasing their height only slightly. Their chatter quickened, the upper arm-like extremities gesturing toward something in the distance.
Beside her, Callum heaved a defeated sigh, his shoulders drooping miserably at the sight of what looked to be a wagon making its way through the swarm. The beasts parted to allow it passage, drawn by an animal even more disturbing than their enemy. It seemed an odd mix between a calynx and a horse, the body larger than any big cat Aiva had ever seen, its barrel chest puffed out proudly. The legs were longer and thinner than those of a wildcat, each displaying three digits with claw-like talons extended. Its head was covered by a strangely designed bridle, fitting over the elongated skull. The nose reminded Aiva of an oversized mouse, coming to a small point at the center of its face. Its reddish brown coat glistened in the sunlight, like the brilliant color of the desert sky at dusk. It was majestic. And large. She feared what it might do if they came too close.
As their enemy came closer, Callum extended his arms in front of Aiva, protective of her, creating a barrier between her and the creatures. Under different circumstances, he might have had a chance at defending them. Unfortunately, their enemy was too plentiful. In an instant the creatures descended upon them, tearing Aiva from Callum, her body pinned to ground, held firm by numerous short, thick-skinned fingers. She tried to break free, her foot connecting solidly with one of the beasts. Immediately she felt more weight applied to subdue her. Face buried in the sand, she couldn’t see the shackles being placed around her wrists and ankles, though she knew they were there from the sudden weight of a heavy metal encompassing them, limiting her movements.
They wasted no time getting her away from Callum, dragging her roughly along the ground with incredible strength for something so small. In perfect synchronization they hoisted her into the air, tossing her unceremoniously into the wagon and shutting the door behind her. Dazed, Aiva looked around at her surroundings, surprised to find the wagon to be some type of cell. Bars lined the sides, thick and heavy, impervious to attempts at breaking free. Anxious to know of Callum’s well-being, she scrambled over to the bars, finding the motion difficult under the weight of her restraints. Grasping the cool metal of her cage, she shouted Callum’s name into the chaos. He was out there somewhere. Held captive by the vicious beasts.
Amongst the swarm, Aiva could barely make out Callum’s form buried under the unnatural bodies of their enemy. One of the creatures lifted Callum gruffly by the collar of his jacket to stare into his eyes, nodding to the others as if in agreement. At his direction, Callum was pulled along the sand toward the wagon where Aiva was kept. The door opened only long enough to toss Callum inside, his body landing with a thud on the hard surface of the floor as the wagon was secured, a loud cheer erupting from the creatures at their conquest.
If Callum was afraid, he showed no sign of it. Instead he lay there, gazing down at the shackles binding him with a faraway look in his eyes. Turning away, Aiva stared through the bars again, searching for the others somewhere in the crowd. They were nowhere to be found, lost in the celebratory commotion of their enemy.
As the wagon shifted into motion, the strange creatures took up pace beside the bars, peering menacingly in at Aiva and Callum. Their faces were funny to Aiva. Elongated. Tiny teeth visible from under their sneering lips. At her watchful stare, one of the beasts leapt onto the bars, striking at it in a show of power in attempts to intimidate her. She couldn’t help but flinch, scooting backward to get away.
“Callum,” she whispered. Part of her feared he would ignore her entirely. To her relief he turned his eyes upon her, expectant of her to speak again. “Do you still not know what these things are?”
Sitting up, he brought his knees into his chest, resting his elbows overtop of them. He was quiet at first, idly pulling his wrists apart to test the shackles before giving a sigh of defeat. “I fear it is the Feh Noq,” he frowned. “And judging by what I have seen, they have been looking for us. It seems no coincidence that you and I were separated from the others. If they are even still alive.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, feeling foolish for her lack of knowledge. Callum continued, ignoring her ignorance.
“You are the Princess. I am the Captain. We would be considered the leaders of the unit. To take away those in charge is a common practice in military tactics. It leaves the others unorganized. Unable to escape.”
“But how would they know who I was? I wear no symbol of rank.”
“Good question,” Callum nodded
. “I’m puzzled by that as well.”
Without thinking Aiva reached out for Callum’s hand, the chains of her bindings rattling under the movement. “At least we are not alone.”
Quickly Callum withdrew his hand, leaving her to stare at him in utter shock. A faint grimace passed over his features to see her, averting his eyes. “Now is not the time to start this again,” he grumbled. “I have too many things on my mind.”
Hurt by his dismissal, Aiva refused to let him know that he’d struck a nerve. She slid back to the bars, letting her fingers wrap around them. They were solid. Unbendable. Even if she managed to find a way through them, it wouldn’t change the fact that her ankles were bound, a short length of chain tightly fastening her legs and arms together. She was amazed at the outward appearance of calm she maintained. Inside she screamed in fear of what would become of them, but on the exterior she gave the impression of perfect peace. There was nothing to be done while inside this cage. Wherever the creatures were taking them, they would be taken there, without question. There was no avoiding it. A plan of action would be impossible until she and Callum knew more about the situation and the intended destination. All they could do now was wait.
Aiva opened her eyes, surprised to discover that she had somehow drifted off to sleep. The sky outside was darkened. Night had come, easing the heat, while doing nothing to calm the rekindled fear at where the creatures were taking them. Peering through the bars she could see light coming from up ahead in the distance. Flickering orange. Torches. Could it be a city in the middle of the desert?
The scrape of her chains along the wooden floor disturbed Callum from his own slumber, blinking to focus on everything around them. Reminded of their captivity, he cursed under his breath, sitting up to stare down at his restraints. “Do you see anything?” he asked quietly, taking notice of Aiva’s vigilant watch. To hear him speak came as a shock after his earlier slight. Still wounded by the insult, she chose not to look at him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her face.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil Page 28