TERRA: Earth Warder Chronicles

by Adrian M Ferguson

  Dirt skidded up from it, as it propelled itself forward. It leapt an astonishing distance, landing not 10 meters from me, its ears pulled back as it snarled at me, deep and throaty. I got a bird’s-eye view of its rotten gums and massive incisors and as I looked a tooth at the back fell out — Jesus, it was rotting. The cougar looked at me and coiled to spring. I put both hands on the ground, still in my crouched position and watched in terror as it burst at speed right for me. I sunk straight down, and felt the thud of it landing in my exact position above me. It scrabbled at the soil and leaf litter, spraying up a dirty cloud around it; its razor sharp claws doing tremendous damage.

  I grimaced, my heart thudding hard in my chest. Reaching up I closed my eyes and willed Earth to secure the cat. The soil trembled and animated; slow arms of soil and dirt reared up on either side of the enraged cat and I pulled my arms around, envisaging the soil mimicking my movements. It snared the cougar and engulfed it in one swift move. I sunk lower, not wanting the animal on my lap, and pulled the cat above me; its screams faded as it was sucked under. I looked through the soil and could see Bruce still in the same position. Good, he’d only seen a surprised, albeit pissed off, kitty go bounding into the trees.

  The other cat was also gone. I could feel it snared about 50 meters from my position, trapped like a fly in amber about 10 meters under the ground. The terra gnome hovered in the earth beside it, waiting for it to settle. Damn, I realized they wouldn't die; they were already dead. I didn't want them trapped there to rot forever.

  Nodding in the terra gnome’s direction, I could just see his eyes and an unspoken agreement passed between us. I looked back at the cougar beside me and manipulated the rock around it. It lengthened and shaped itself around the creature’s neck, garrote style. I cringed and gestured and the rock closed in hard and sharp, decapitating it. Blood welled but having nowhere to spurt, oozed around the cat’s form, thick and dark. I motioned again and sent it further down into the earth. I felt the same happen to the other cat; tears welled up in my eyes. Poor bloody animals — this had to fucking stop.

  Looking up, I raised myself to the surface and, feeling outwards, detected Bruce near his car still. I carefully pushed myself up, and once my head was out of the ground, I could hear Bruce yelling into his radio. His backup was on the way. Working my way to the edge of the trees, I could see the confusion on his face. Good, he had no idea … This was my cue to leave.

  The gnome rose up silently beside me.

  ‘He didn't see you, did he?’ I asked.

  ‘No, he just saw an angry cat, running off into the woods,’ he rumbled.

  ‘I think I need some reconnaissance work done, Gnome. I need to find out where those cougars came from. Do you think you could track them?

  He nodded slowly.

  ‘I need to find out if this is localized, or if it's just a random, “hey turn dead animals into zombies and send them my way to kill me scenario”.’

  I smiled softly to myself. Not a pleasant smile, judging by the way the terra gnome took a step back, shrinking away from me. He nodded once again and slid into the ground.

  Good, I hoped that I had more of that smile for the necromancer once I got my hands on him.

  I heard the blast of sirens in the distance and looked through the leaf canopy at the arriving cop cars. Bruce looked fine. Time to get out of here.

  CHAPTER 18

  day five

  I sat in Zoey's coffee shop the next morning, surrounded by a smell I detested but tolerated, waiting a little nervously for my date with Bruce. Geez, not off to a good start here — he knew that I didn't drink the stuff. I had hardly even stepped foot into Zoey's shop before.

  Zoey was busy behind the counter. The orders were pouring in and she handled them and her staff with an uncanny touch that was part gentle and friendly and part steel. Her customers loved her, and the staff obviously adored her but had great respect for her at the same time, it was interesting to see this side of her, the ditzy blonde side of her wasn’t to be seen.

  I had huddled into a corner, at the far end of the store. It was quite large for a coffee shop, and Zoey had managed to add a large number of plants, which she had thoughtfully placed so that they provided areas of privacy. I hid in one such area.

  Bruce had rung me last night to arrange a time and place, and I was just tired enough not to pay much attention to the venue he mentioned on the phone. I didn't want Zoey nosing in on the date. As preoccupied as she was, I'm sure she was going to keep tabs. Damn, it was almost like a chaperoned date, damn.

  And now I felt bloody nervous and uncomfortable; for someone that didn’t like not being in control those weren’t my favorite feelings to have. I hadn’t been on a date-date for a long time. I have had the occasional one-nighter — back in New York, that is — but since moving here, besides Bruce's casual flirting, I haven't had much time to think about the opposite sex. I looked down at my hands — shit, they were trembling. It's just a coffee date, that's all, he's hot and sexy, but it's just a coffee date, goddammit.

  I had another sip of the vanilla thick shake Zoey had made especially for me. It was good. She had used fresh vanilla beans off the pod, and fresh homemade ice cream — sheesh, no wonder she was busy if this was the quality of her products …

  I stared at my thick shake, musing over being here when I jumped and, yes, squealed as a hand came down on my shoulder.

  ‘Hi, Dee Dee,’ he laughed, ‘Did I startle yah? I'm sorry, darl,’ sounding so not sorry. I think he quite enjoyed catching me off guard.

  Looking up at him, I noticed that he was cleanly shaven, which seemed to accentuate those goddamn dimples of his. I slightly blushed, but then saw his left arm caught up in an arm sling. It was mesh and hooked up with a metal circlet on his chest, which then went up and wrapped around behind his neck.

  ‘Shit,’ I jumped up and gently touched his arm, ‘What the hell happened to you, Bruce?’ I pretended. ‘I only just saw you yesterday…’

  ‘Well, that’s not a good conversation starter for a date, do you think, Deirdre,’ he drawled, jokingly.

  I looked at him steadily.

  ‘Okay, okay, when I went off to investigate the wild animals yesterday, one of them got a lucky swipe in. They were a couple of big ass cougars that had gone bat shit crazy; they had me cornered in front of my patrol car and one scratched me.’

  Bruce sat down gingerly minding his arm, wincing slightly, ‘Though I managed to fire off a shot at the one that jumped me and did this to me,’ he added, looking at his arm.

  ‘So how was the rest of your day?’

  He laughed sarcastically.

  ‘Oh Bruce, I'm sorry — what the hell happened to the cougars then?’

  ‘Well, something startled them enough for them to bolt off into the woods and well they never re-appeared, thankfully, as my backup were delayed somewhat and I was starting to get very nervous.’

  Bruce looked off past my shoulder, and I could see he was a little shook up still about it. I couldn't blame him, and they were fucking big ass cats …

  ‘Then my backup did arrive, but only in time to see me bleeding,’ he laughed.

  ‘Oh Bruce,’ I sympathized. I'm glad you're alright. I didn't realize that there'd be bloody cougars. I thought you were running off to deal with a damn bear,’ I lied.

  ‘Well, the bear was nowhere to be seen, Dee Dee. I'm not sure if I was any luckier in that regards. One target may have been better than two, but if it was as pissed off as the cats were, I'm not sure it would have been any better.’

  ‘The main thing is that you're alright, though I hope those cougars don't resurface and scare or hurt anyone else.’

  ‘You’re right, Deirdre. We’ve got our people on the lookout, though as we don't want to scare the tourists off, so we’re keeping it quiet at the moment. Just let me know if you see anything else, hey? I'd hate for something to happen to you out there.’

  ‘Don't worry about me, mister,’ I reassured him. �
�I'm not some defenseless little girl, and I have a gun at home if it comes to that anyway … which it won't though,’ I quickly added.

  Bruce ordered a coffee, it seemed I’d gotten accustomed to the smell in here now. The smell didn’t seem as bad close up. Sipping his coffee, he looked intently out over his cup at me.

  ‘Well, this is nice. Hey, Dee Dee, it’s been a while, you know, since I had coffee with, ummm,’ he said nervously.

  As I started to reply, though, Ghob strode through the foliage, looking like grim deliciousness. God, did I just think that? Even with his angry frown he was looking particularly sexy, dressed in a conservative pair of fawn-colored slacks and a black, turtleneck polo. You could see the slabs of muscle writhing under everything. He looked uncomfortable, though, almost angry.

  ‘Deirdre, we must speak at once; it is urgent,’ he stated, without any preamble or usual human social protocol. Completely ignoring Bruce, he added, ‘Now Deirdre, please.’

  I think the please quelled my typical reaction to this sort of behavior.

  ‘Uncle Gerod, what’s all this about?’ I stared at him, trying to impart through my eyes that his sudden appearance could be a problem.

  ‘Deirdre?’ I think it was only then he realized I had company. He turned slightly to Bruce, acknowledging him with a quick nod.

  ‘Uncle Gerod, this is Bruce, State Police Trooper Bruce, a friend of mine. We’re kind of in the middle of lunch here. Can it wait?’

  ‘No, Deirdre, it can't,’ he bluntly countered, ‘I need your help with something.’

  Ignoring him, I looked at Bruce, who was not only quite confused but also a little bit put out at Ghob’s direct manner. ‘My uncle just got here today,’ I explained. ‘He's visiting from out of state and staying at my place for a little while. He's having a break from the city life, aren't you, Uncle?’ I glared at Ghob.

  Bruce reached over and lightly touched my hand on the table, ‘It’s alright, Dee Dee, go and help your uncle.’

  Ghob, noticing Bruce touching my hand, looked at him truly for the first time; his eyebrows creased together in thought, and a glimmer of irritation entered his eyes, this time definitely directed solely at Bruce.

  ‘Come, Deirdre,’ he said, a glare for Bruce going his way.

  ‘Sorry, Bruce, I’d better go.’ I felt the first stirring of annoyance, as I watched the two of them assess eye each other, both realizing something wasn't right. I watched them get angry.

  Goddamn men — no different whether elemental king or plain ol’ vanilla human.

  ‘Come on, Uncle,’ I snapped, ‘let’s go.’ I grabbed my purse, throwing a twenty on the table. ‘Here, my shout,’ I said to Bruce, disregarding usual date protocol.

  Bruce started to stammer a reply, but I was already following Ghob’s solid back, waving a halfhearted goodbye to Zoey, who threw me the most confused look.

  ‘Talk soon, Zoey. Thanks for the milkshake — it was delicious,’ I called, as ‘Uncle’ and I barreled out the café door.

  Once outside, I whirled around at Ghob and demanded, ‘Now what’s so important that you had to drag me away like that?’

  ‘Your terra gnome has some important information, and it seems that his king is not privy to it; hence I am getting you. It would not have been wise to send him here for you — he cannot look as “human” as I can.’

  Something hard entered Ghob’s eyes. ‘Were you on what humans call a “date”?’

  ‘Well, yes … umm no — hell, I didn’t have a chance to find out, now, had I, due to your rude interruption,’ I snapped.

  Ghob looked at me. Something flashed across his stalwart features, hinting at jealously, then vanished. He turned his back on me.

  ‘Meet me at your residence, Deirdre,’ and he strode away.

  ‘What the hell!’ I ran to my car.

  CHAPTER 19

  Arriving at my place about fifteen minutes later, I drove up the driveway to find Ghob standing over the terra gnome, who was on both knees, head down in supplication. I got out of the car, to hear Ghob chastising the gnome.

  ‘I am your king; there will be no next time. I will not be your messenger. Do you understand, Gnome?’

  ‘Yes, Your Highness. I apologize, Your Highness,’ he grated.’ But from his tone you could tell that he didn’t mean a single word of it.

  ‘Where is this disobedience coming from, Gnome?’ Ghob demanded sounding more annoyed.

  ‘I answer to the Warder now, Your Highness. I have pledged my sword and my life to her, and what is done cannot be undone.’

  ‘What!’ Ghob blurted, astonished, ‘You pledged on your sword? On Mahogany Death herself?’

  Erdgeist nodded solemnly. Erdgeist was always solemn.

  ‘A terra gnome pledging to a Warder? That’s unheard of! Why have you done this?’

  ‘She needs a protector and ally. Earth needed a champion for her and I answered Earth’s call. We all need her safe till she is stronger and more experienced, sire. So I made a pact with her and she accepted.’

  ‘Earth summonsed you?’

  ‘Yes, my king.’

  ‘Hmm.’ Ghob’s forehead creased in thought, ‘Very well, as it is, so it shall be.’

  Standing a few meters away, arms crossed, glaring at them both, I said ‘So have we got that out of the way?’ They both looked at me in one synchronized movement, not saying a word.

  Bloody men.

  ‘So, Erdgeist, my champion, what have I been summoned back to my home for? Ghob spoke of some vital information you had for me,’ I intoned falling back onto formality, to emphasis the point that their altercation was well and truly over.

  Erdgeist, looking thankful, instantly sunk beneath the earth and reappeared in front of me, on one knee, mirroring his posture of supplication that he had done for Ghob. I looked up at Ghob who was now back in his elemental king attire, which consisted of a rough wood-hewn pair of long pants, topless again. His skin was flushed a deep rich bronze; as he moved there were glints of metal, as if his skin was flecked with rich mineral deposits. He was still frowning but not so much in frustration now but in thought. He nodded to me.

  ‘Have you some news on the necromancer, Erdgeist?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes, Warder,’ he replied, coming to attention in front of me. ‘I sent some of my gnomes out into the wilderness, scouting for any unusual activity, and what we have discovered is quite disturbing. In one of your human areas — I am unsure of your terminology — a place where you bury your dead.’

  ‘A cemetery?’

  ‘Yes, that’s it. It was a fairly large abandoned cemetery. My gnomes discovered, in a huge radius around it, larger concentrations of undead animals than anywhere else, and they also discovered what is called a wight, which was hidden and on guard. The gnomes remained unseen, but the wight attacked a human that came nearby and they were unable to help it...’

  ‘I have already met a wight,’ I said, grimly. ‘Disgusting creatures! And a person died you say?’

  ‘Yes, the wight killed it and took it further into the cemetery. There was nothing they could do. Fortunately were no people around to witness it.’

  ‘Fucking hell, Erdgeist!’

  He looked down, ‘The gnomes are not warriors, Warder, but they are excellent scouts when needed. They could not do anything more.’

  He looked up at me, questioningly, ‘You say you saw a wight and survived, Warder?’ He sounded impressed.

  ‘Yeh, though it wanted my head. I had just become a warder, so the wicked witch of the woods dispatched it for me. Anyway, that’s enough; we need to go and see what is happening at this cemetery and deal with this wight and whatever else is there. Did the gnomes notice anything else?’

  ‘They reported that they could not travel the earth under the cemetery — some unknown force prevented them. They were quite put out by that. All the earth, no matter where, unless forbidden by the king, is their domain.’

  ‘Well now, that does sound suspicious. Ghob!’ I called ou
t, looking back up in his direction, ‘What do you make of this, Ghob? … What the hell? Where has he gone?’ Erdgeist looked at me with ancient patience, and deemed not to answer…

  ‘Great, it looks like we’re on our own here, Erdgeist. I think you've miffed the king.’

  ‘Miffed, Warder?’

  ‘Never mind, gnome, just my skewered sense of humor today.’

  I looked thoughtfully at the terra gnome.

  ‘Yes, Warder?’

  ‘Meet me back here tonight before the moon reaches its greatest height, please, and we will go check out the cemetery. I have to ready myself and also get some rest — I have a feeling it might be a long night.’

  ‘As you wish, Warder.’ He quietly disappeared, sinking smoothly beneath the ground.

  ‘Crap, I need to be ready for this one, I think.’

  Going over in my head what I needed to prepare, I suddenly thought to myself that this was like — alright, slightly like — mentally preparing myself back when I was a cop. I’d always spring into action, checking off in my head what I would need, what I thought I might encounter, all the variables that I had to account for so that I could have the best possible outcome for whatever the job threw at me.

  I was tentatively starting to think that I could actually be a reasonably good warder. Thanking my previous training, I raced up to the house — a good shower and a short sleep would be the most important things to organize first. Wouldn't want to be tired later on if shit hit the fan.

  Later, I woke up groggy and looked out my window, finding it pitch black out there. I had slept a bit longer than I had planned. Glancing at my clock, I saw it was just after 8 pm so I still had plenty of time to organize myself ... I noticed the message bank light on my home phone blinking.

  Hitting the replay button, Zoey’s confused voice blared up at me, ‘Hey, Deirdre, who was that big, juicy man you ran out with today? Bruce was fuming as he left. He practically was having a hissy fit. Well, I just thought I’d better let you know. Give me a call when you have a moment, okay? Ciao.’ Beep.