by Hoover, Gary
“Hey, should we try to grab one of those for dinner?” John asked as he pushed Jeff off him.
“Let’s just get the hell out of here,” Jeff said with his face pushed against the deck. He didn’t move from the spot he had fallen in a twisted heap but just closed his eyes and rested where he was.
Chapter 56:
Things went back to the familiar monotony with surprising quickness but with two primary differences.
First, the boat was much messier than it had been. They had done their best to put things back in place and clean, but things had been so scattered that it wouldn’t have looked good even if they had the energy and motivation to really work on it.
And second, land was visible off the port side. They had reached the mainland and were working their way around the spot where Dave planned to head upriver toward the castle and pheerion village that Rasp had suggested could help them.
As Jeff scanned the shore with his magnifying viewer, he enjoyed being able to look at something other than waves. He also enjoyed the, somewhat irrational, sense of security he had from being within swimming distance of land.
John sat beside him, smoking one of his cigars. He tilted his head back, let out a long stream of smoke then rose, and walked across the boat. Jeff watched nervously as he approached Nahima and sat near her.
“So… uh… after all this is over… ” John began.
Nahima turned and looked at him. “Why are you even talking to me?” she asked with an icy tone through clenched teeth. She glared with a look that could have burned through steel.
Jeff decided he had to say something, and he didn’t want to take the time to pause or he’d lose his nerve. He marched right over and spoke directly to Nahima.
“Look, what he did was horrible, and what I did, not telling you, was inexcusable. You may never be able to get completely past that… and that’s fine. You have a right to be angry, but we’ve got bigger things to worry about than that. We’ve got a tough job to do.” As he spoke, Jeff pointed in the direction they were headed.
“If we can’t get this done, the world that you know could drastically change. War, death, enslavement. We’re talking about serious consequences.” Jeff looked around at Rasp and Dave who silently watched him, Nahima and John.
“Our task is going to be difficult, the stakes are extremely high, and I honestly have no idea if we can do it or not, but I DO know that if we even hope to have a chance, we all need to be working together as a team. What’s in the past is done. All that matters now is what happens in the next few days.” Jeff looked in Nahima’s eyes, which were expressionless at first but then began to narrow and smolder.
Uh oh. This doesn’t look like the hug I was hoping for.
Nahima waved a finger in his face. “Don’t you dare suggest I don’t know what’s at stake.” She pointed vaguely in the direction from which they had come. “The only family I have left… after my mother and father were murdered, is back there alone, afraid and at the mercy of whatever may be coming. The only reason I haven’t clawed that bastard’s face off… ” She paused for a moment and glared at John. “Is because of what’s at risk. I’m not just going to get over it, but I’m a big girl, and I can deal with it… rationally and professionally. Yeah, okay, all right, maybe I can make an effort to be more civil… and I’ll try, but it’s going to be an effort. Don’t forget for a moment how hard I’ll be working on it.” With that, she turned and stormed as far away as she could on the small boat.
“Well, that went well,” Dave commented.
Jeff turned and looked up at him as he stood leaning on a railing in the helm area.
“It could have gone worse,” Jeff said with a shrug.
Chapter 57:
The trees seemed to be closing in as they made the jarring transition from bright, open ocean to dark, dense and ominous jungle.
The river was relatively narrow and many of the tall trees met in the middle creating a canopy that only allowed narrow beams of light through. The sound also took on a quite different quality from the wind and waves that had provided a steady background noise over the previous days. The jungle was shrouded in an eerie quiet that was broken by short bursts of bird and insect noise.
Jeff saw a large, alligator-like reptile that had found a sunny spot on the shore. It looked very much like an alligator but with bony spikes running down its back. The spikes looked similar to rhinoceros horns that curved back toward its tail.
At first, Jeff felt a certain calmness in seeing it from the safety of the boat and knowing that alligators don’t leap or fly..
However, he became a bit more unsettled when he realized there were many of them swimming slowly in the calm river.
John un-holstered his gun, aimed, and fired a few quick shots at one of them. It stopped, confused but apparently not badly hurt, then turned and swam quickly away.
“Tough guy,” Nahima said with a roll of her eyes.
Jeff tried to ignore them as he approached Rasp. As he walked, the shadows from the trees passed over him with an eerie procession. He paused and looked at the jungle. He felt like he could sense creatures lurking just beyond the edge. He even thought he saw things moving but couldn’t focus in on anything. Letting my imagination get to me.
He continued to Rasp and sat next to him.
“How do you think this is going to go when we reach the village?” Jeff asked.
Rasp thought for a bit. “I think I should approach firzzt. I will talk to elderzz and explain our goal. I… believe that they will be with us… azz long azz you can pass the challengezzz.”
“Uh… yeah, about those challenges, what will they be?”
“I don’t know. They will be things that the elderzzz choozze. You have great skillzz. They will be thingzz you will do.”
Jeff wished he shared Rasp’s confidence.
Chapter 58:
“We’re going to stop here for the night,” Dave announced as he slowed the boat. “First thing in the morning, we’ll fly overland to the farthest point we can get to comfortably, and then we’ll start walking. Should be about a two day walk, so if we do it right – and can talk the villagers into letting us stay with them – we’ll only have to spend one night unprotected.”
Nahima was loading several backpacks. She selected an item, bounced it in her hand to judge weight and size then put it in whatever pack seemed most appropriate. Jeff considered telling her to pack his heavier but decided he didn’t really want to make things any harder for himself than he needed to.
“These forests,” he said to Rasp with a gesture toward the shore. “Are there animals similar to what we saw back on the other continent?”
Rasp considered Jeff’s question for a few moments, and then he nodded. “Some different, some the same. Similar, yezzz.”
It was the answer Jeff expected, but he had hoped Rasp would have told him the forest was filled with bunny rabbits and butterflies. There probably are butterflies… but they have twenty-foot wingspans and suck brains rather than nectar. We’ve always had protection when we’ve been out in the wild before. Jeff grimaced at the thought of spending a night in a flimsy tent.
“Assuming we can get some help from the villagers,” Jeff said. A big assumption. “What’s it going to be like to go after Pheerion Rex?”
Rasp shook his head. “Very difficult. Very difficult. His castle will be a well-armed fortress. Hopefully the villagerzz will be able to distract some of hizz defensive forcezz, but we don’t… expect… hope for more than that.”
He paused, and Jeff considered his words for a few moments. Again, it was what he had expected. He didn’t have much of a plan and was going on instinct. I guess I’m hoping that when I show up the right answer will just sort of present itself.
Then Rasp made a strange expression that seemed almost like a smile – though Jeff hadn’t realized until that moment that his facial muscles were capable of it. “But I spent many long time at that castle. I know a few things. Pheerion R
ex always hazz secret escape pathzz in case thingzz go wrong… and if he can get out, we can get in.”
Chapter 59:
The sun wasn’t up yet, but Dave wanted to get an early start, so that they had as much daylight as possible for their first day’s hike.
The boat rose out of the water. Dave took it up and over the tops of the tall trees rather than trying to weave it through the conifers. From that vantage point, Jeff could see a thick forest that stretched in all directions as far as he could see. The sun was coming up behind them. Jeff exhaled and watched his breath swirl in the cool morning air as he took a moment to marvel at the beauty of it all. Hard to believe we’re within a few walking days of one of the most ruthless warlords I’ve ever heard of.
Jeff tried to spot animals or any other clues to what they’d be in for on their two-day trek, but he couldn’t see anything other than trees.
The longer they travelled, the more nervous he felt. He knew from the maps Dave had shown him that they would be walking for roughly the same distance they flew, and they were covering a lot of ground. The vastness below was awe-inspiring and nerve-wracking at the same time.
They passed over a small clearing, and Jeff saw several antelope-like animals grazing in the distance. They looked up at the flying boat, then turned and ran in unison toward the cover of the trees.
The boat flew over that group of trees then over another clearing. A group of vulture-like birds circled above it, but Jeff couldn’t see anything on the ground.
The terrain was became more contoured, and Jeff could see some mountains in the distance. We’re going to have to walk about fifty miles – which won’t be bad as long as it’s relatively flat, but these hills could make it tough…
After what seemed a distressingly long distance, Dave began to bring them down. The boat settled on the edge of a clearing. Jeff stood, threw his pack over his shoulder and threaded his arms through the straps.
“Everybody ready?” Dave asked with a grin as he looked at Jeff.
“I don’t know which is more disturbing,” Jeff said, “that we’re headed off on a difficult, deadly mission, or that you are actually happy to be going on a deadly, difficult mission for no better reason than you know I’m scared.”
Dave just looked at him and grinned.
Chapter 60:
I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home. I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home.
…or am I going to die?
Jeff tugged at the straps of his backpack to try to get it into a more comfortable position. When he really needed it, he had incredible strength, but during more mundane moments, he felt just as frail and weak as he had been at home.
He looked around at the large tree-trunks, then up toward their tops. The trees were so large that little light made it through, and the vegetation below was sparse. Jeff was glad for that because it made the walking easier and gave predators less cover for hiding.
I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home. I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home.
Jeff thought about Pheerion Rex. He could see his soulless face staring expressionless and void of emotion. Then he imagined hordes of soldiers, well-armed and wearing battle armor.
How am I going to do this?
A wave of panic washed over him, so intense that his legs felt drained of energy for a moment. He shook his head violently. I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home. I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home.
He pictured home. He could see himself sitting at the kitchen table – enjoying a Vanilla Coke while his mother read a magazine. He looked at her. She smiled at him.
The fear he had felt moments before shifted to an intense sadness. He and his mother had lost his father a year ago, and now he had been away from his mother for several weeks... and she has no idea where I am.
Then he reminded himself that while his father had apparently been in that world for 500 years, he had only been missing from Jeff’s for a year. That means that several weeks here might not be much more than an hour on earth. He smiled at the thought that, if he could find his father and get back soon, his mother might not even know he was gone. Then his face fell again as he realized the enormity of his task and the slim chance that he would defeat Pheerion Rex, find his father and be back home any time soon.
I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home. I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home.
Jeff thought about his bedroom and imagined he was sitting on his bed playing a video game – where the monsters where digital and death was only temporary. He imagined himself running down his steps and out his front door. He could see himself hopping on his bike and riding through the neighborhood. Then he imagined walking through a museum with his mother and father. His father seemed to know something about each display, and he’d tell fascinating stories about the history and events that made each piece special.
I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home. I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home.
…and if I die… who cares? I don’t want to live in this world of violence and fear. I want to go home or die trying. Death doesn’t scare me. His brain said the words, but he knew it was lying to him.
“Anybody want to volunteer to take the first watch tonight while the rest of us get some sleep?” Dave asked.
Jeff looked up. The trees made it difficult to see, but the sun looked like it was close to being directly overhead. A little early to be thinking about camping. Is he getting tired… or just bored? I’m a little of both.
I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home. I’m going to find my father, I’m going to go home.
Benji was up front with Dave, but he stooped suddenly and growled. The others stopped and looked around. Jeff walked toward Benji to see if he could get a read and saw what had stopped him. Fifty feet ahead, partly hidden by a tree, was a hexapod serpent.
It was one of the first creatures Jeff had encountered in the foreign dimension – a huge, snake-like creature with a three-foot wide head and six short, nearly vestigial lizard legs.
Dave and Nahima drew their guns hesitantly, not sure if they would be effective against the thick, scaly skin. John grinned and withdrew his blade. It might be the more effective weapon, but he would have to get very close to use it. Jeff pushed past the others and withdrew his bat from the loop on his belt.
He took off at a run toward the serpent, leaving the others behind. He saw the creature moving in confused slow motion. It retreated slowly by pulling its body one direction then the other, but it kept its eyes locked on Jeff.
When he was nearly there, Jeff shifted his course and turned slightly to the right. The serpent lunged, but its mouth closed on air as it had aimed for a spot Jeff had vacated before it could strike.
Jeff turned and was in position at a rear angle behind the creatures head. He took two steps forward to close the distance and brought the bat down on the snake’s head. He felt bones crack and the creature writhed violently. Jeff brought the bat down again and again with a flurry of powerful strikes. He had rarely attacked with such fury and typically restrained himself even when he had fought other animals.
But he didn’t hold anything back and continued to batter the beast even after it was clearly dead. Its head was turning to a pulpy mess.
Jeff finally stopped and looked at the tail, which was still twitching. He was breathing heavily and tried to calm himself to bring his respiration rate back down. The others approached cautiously with weapons drawn.
Jeff looked at Nahima then pointed toward the dead animal with his bat. “Head of the snake,” he said with a forced grin.
“I nominate Jeff to take first watch,” Dave said.
Chapter 61:
“How are we doing?” Jeff asked Dave.
Dave pulled a credit-card sized GPS device out of his pocket as he walked. He twisted his hand and head then adjusted his viewing distance
until he could see the display clearly. “Good. It looks like we’re ahead of schedule. At this rate, we should hit our planned camping spot early. Maybe we can go a little farther than we planned.”
Jeff nodded. It was late afternoon, and the going had been relatively easy and non-eventful after the hexapod serpent.
“Looks like the brush is getting a little heavier,” Jeff commented.
“Yeah.” Dave nodded. “The trees aren’t as thick in here, and that gives more light for this growth.” He pushed a branch out of the way as he walked. He and Jeff led the others and made a path as they went.
Jeff watched a small toad-like creature jump away as they approached. Its front legs were longer than a toad’s, and that gave it an odd gait. It didn’t hop, but moved in a way that made it look like it lurching, and swimming on the ground.
There was a sudden, sickening ‘yelping’ sound. Jeff felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck as he and Dave both looked quickly behind them toward the source of the sound.
They saw Nahima sliding off the path to the side. It appeared some weeds or vines had wrapped themselves around her and were drawing her into dense brush.
Jeff rushed toward her, but Rasp stopped him.
“Careful!” Rasp said. “Stroorzzzz weedzzz. They squeeze out breath and then slowly eat after dead. There are more all around.” He made a broad, sweeping gesture toward the area where Nahima struggled.
Jeff could see green vines similar to the ones wrapped around Nahima waving in the area waiting for something else to grab, and he could also see large animal bones scattered around the area.
He reached for his bat but wasn’t sure how to battle something like that. Nahima was already gasping for breath, and he realized he didn’t have much time to think about it.