by Lyra Shanti
Chapter 11: The Mountain of Fate
Walking hand-in-hand with Srah through the winding valleys of the Hana-Lo Mountains, Axis felt like they were walking on clouds. Srah felt much the same, as if they had been making love for days on end, and they just couldn't stop, for it felt too heavenly and right.
Smiling at each other and barely watching where they were going, Srah nearly tripped, which made Axis catch her, levitating her slightly above the ground. Giddy and a little light-headed, Srah looked at his big and white, feathery wings, and gave a sigh. She loved how strong looking his wings were.
“Axis, I want to learn to fly the way you can,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Well,” he replied with a smile, “you have wings too, you know. I'm sure you could do it if you really tried.”
Blushing, Srah shook her head. “I was raised on Xen and had to hide my wings. I don't know the first thing about flying.”
“Well, we'll have to fix that,” he replied with a smirk, followed by a gentle kiss to her cheek.
“Axis...” she whispered, gazing into his eyes with a serious expression.
“Yes, my beloved?” he replied.
“I love you so much!” she exclaimed, bursting into tears.
“Oh, Srah, I love you too!” he gleefully yelped as he held her tight.
“I just... had no idea this kind of feeling was possible!” she said while hiding her face in his golden fur and slender, but muscular chest.
“I didn't know either, but... now I'll never forget,” Axis replied, happily grinning.
“Don't ever leave!” she begged him, teary eyed.
“Of course not!” he assured firmly as he wrapped his arms even tighter around her waist. “I could never leave my heart's one true desire! Besides... you're probably pregnant now, and I couldn't leave our children-to-be.”
“What?!” she asked as she pulled away. “What are you talking about? I thought you said you could control it!”
“Well...” he sheepishly replied.
“Well what?!” she snapped. “When I asked you if I had to worry about it, you said I didn't have to worry because Sarax could control whether they impregnate someone! Did you lie to me?!”
“No,” he winced, “not really. I just... didn't want to hold it back. I love you, Srah! I want to marry you and have children and live together forever! Don't you see? It's what we were meant to do!”
“What do you mean?!” she shouted with her arms tightly crossed. “How do you know what we were meant to do?!”
“Because I know!” he angrily shouted back, offended by her reaction. “I know things now! I just... feel we were meant to become one, and then have half Sirini, half Sarax children, just like our ancestors did. They will be special, Srah, you'll see. You will be queen, and I will protect you for your whole life. I promise!”
Gobsmacked and speechless, Srah dramatically threw up her hands, then sat down on a nearby rock.
“Don't worry, my love,” Axis said in a gentle voice as he sat next to her on the mossy ground, “everything will work out exactly as the Gods have ordained it to be.”
“Oh, is that so?” she replied, frowning at him. “You're not the one who will have to carry and birth the children, are you?”
“No...” he sheepishly replied.
“No, I am... and I have no idea what birthing such children will be like. Do you?”
“No...” said Axis, biting his bottom lip nervously, “but... I'm sure it will be wonderful! You have to have faith, my beautiful Sirini queen!”
Letting out a huge sigh, Srah rubbed her forehead as she realized how childish Axis still was. She was a young woman of nineteen, but Axis seemed much younger. Despite his muscular Sirini male body, he appeared to her like a naïve child.
She was disappointed with herself as well, for as much as she teased Zin about his lustful behavior, here she was, caught up in love with a man who could be even more selfish than Zin. She laughed out loud at her predicament, then looked at him and smiled.
“You're right,” she replied, “I'm just fighting my fate, aren't I?”
“Well...” he said with a half-smile, “you do have the right to be scared, and a little upset, but... I promise to be your husband forever, Srah, and I will NEVER leave your side – not ever!”
“That's a big promise, Axis. I'm not sure you should vow that so soon, not until you find Ayn anyway.”
“True,” he replied, nodding. “Although, I can travel through time now... I think. So, in theory, I should be able to always be with you, even if I have to be in two places at once.”
“That sounds complicated, and potentially dangerous,” she said as she released a small laugh, amazed at her future husband. She couldn't believe she was actually with such an amazing creature. He was both a crazy child, and yet a brilliant, ancient God.
“You're right,” said Axis, “but I'm sure I can do it. For you, I'd do anything.”
She couldn't help but smile at him, shaking her head. She then pinched his bottom as they laughed. “How am I going to deal with you?” she asked in vain.
“I have no idea!” Axis replied in a laugh. “The same way my mother must have dealt with my father and all wives deal with their husbands: extremely patiently.”
Srah grinned and took his hand, unable to stay mad at him. She almost hated how much she loved him. It made her feel utterly vulnerable, yet happier than she had ever felt before. She wasn't sure if being his wife would always be such a great thing, but she knew she couldn't fight it; doing so would only bring them both pointless heart ache.
Smiling, Axis's face suddenly changed to a severely concerned look.
“What's wrong?” asked Srah.
“Someone is in danger!” he loudly exclaimed with widened eyes. “I think it's Kren! He's in terrible danger, Srah!”
Srah didn't know what to do, but she had a feeling Axis was never wrong about such things. “Where is he?” she asked with a knotted brow.
“I think he's on the other side of the mountain... where the monster is!”
“What?!” she replied, confused and deeply worried.
“I have to find him!” he said, stepping back from her. “Go back to the others at the camp, Srah, and whatever you do, don't come after me! I will be alright. Just go back to the camp!”
Nodding, albeit upset, Srah watched as Axis spread his wings, then disappeared into a gold, shimmering light as he vanished from her eyes. She wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to his magic, but she knew she'd have to try if she was going to become his wife.
Deep down, she knew he'd be back. Even still, she worried for him, and for Kren as well. She feared to imagine what sort of monster lay in the depths of the mountains.
–
Looking out the window of the cockpit, Reese had never seen such a strange planet. It looked as if once, a long time ago, Sirin had been a lush planet full of trees, rivers, and jungles. What she saw before her now, however, looked dry and desert-like. She'd read there were once tall trees, as well as the famous Hahsree river, but as she looked down below, she had a bad feeling about the entire place. Something about the mountain looked ominous from above, as if it had a mouth with two large eyes at the top.
Shrugging off her uneasy feelings, Reese turned to her young Lirhan co-pilot, Captain Jayse, and said, “We'll land over by the South bend of the river. I think I see a Sirini tribe just a few miles from there.”
“Yes, General,” replied Jayse.
When Reese and her team got to the Hahsree River, they saw the Sirini tribe washing their clothing. Having done a quick surveillance of the entire planet, Reese expected thousands of Ohrian troops mining for plasma, just as Ohr had previously gloated about in years past. What they found instead was a handful of Ohrian tanks and a few oval-shaped Ohrian bio-spheres, all located on the Eastern plains in the middle of nowhere. If there were more, they were hiding. The question was, from what?
“Hi there!” Reese said with a
friendly smile as she approached the Sirini camp, holding her right hand up and open as a signal for peace.
Joh and Granjie looked at Reese, then at each other, confused by what they saw.
“She has hair like fire, a pale face, and no tail!” Granjie whispered to Joh.
“Shh,” he whispered back, “I'll deal with these strange aliens. You stay here.”
Granjie nodded, perfectly fine with letting her husband and spiritual leader of their tribe, talk to the strange looking and oddly dressed newcomers. In fact, the whole tribe was more than happy to let Joh handle the situation. They could tell these strangers were not Ohrians, but they still didn't trust them.
“Are you the leader here?” asked Reese, authoritatively, with her hands on her hips.
“Yes, I am,” said Joh. “Are you the leader of your people?”
“Uh, no, I'm actually here to find him. King Atlar is the leader of Kri, and he's been kidnapped. We have witnesses who say he was taken to this planet and is possibly here somewhere.”
Reese held up a moving holographic image of Atlar's face with his golden, wavy hair blowing as he smiled his lion-like smile. “Have you seen our king?”
Joh squinted his eyes as he took a closer look at the picture. Somewhat amazed at the technology, Joh shook his head. “No, I've never seen him. I'm sorry.”
Reese sighed, disappointed. “Well, can you possibly show this picture around and ask the rest of your tribe if they've seen him?”
“I've seen your king,” said Granjie as she came forward, taking a closer look at the image of Atlar. “Yes, I remember his face. The Ohrians brought him to the cave of the monster. It was in a dream though... so, I can't be sure if it really happened or not. My dreams are usually pretty accurate. I may not be an official seer like my husband, but I do have vision-dreams sometimes, and I saw that strange king of yours. He's probably dead now.”
Reese cocked her head, bothered by the casual way Granjie spoke of Atlar's possible demise.
“What makes you say that?” asked Reese.
“Well...” replied Granjie,” because anyone who is taken to the lair of the Raxas is never heard of or seen again. They are either consumed by the monster or they die from being trapped at the top of the mountain. I'm not entirely sure if your king is dead, but it's the most probable conclusion. I'm sorry.”
Not willing to believe Atlar could be dead, Reese shrugged and took a deep breath. “Okay, look,” she finally replied, folding her arms, “it's not that I don't believe you about this monster thing, but... I just can't go on that alone. I was sent here to find Atlar, dead or alive, and that's what I'm going to do. If either of you can tell me where this supposed monster is, I'll gladly go there to face it, and then slice it into pieces.”
“You could try...” said Vuntu as he walked up to where Reese and his parents were standing, “but it won't be as easy as you wish to believe. For at least twenty years now, we've had to deal with the Raxas and anyone who has faced it has either died or disappeared. I myself tried to kill it, but I barely escaped with my life. My brother was not so lucky, and now my niece and nephew have gone missing.”
“I'm sorry to hear that,” said Reese, “but it is our honor and pride to fight such monsters. You keep calling it the 'Raxas.' What is that, its name or something?”
“Yes,” said Joh, “Raxas has always been what our people have called it, though we don't know why. It doesn't have a meaning in our language. It's just what the monster's name was. I heard its name in my head long ago, and so did my father before me. I believe we are connected to the creature somehow, though I don't know how.”
“Connected through life and death, Father,” said Vuntu as he further explained. “We are its prey, for The Raxas is as bad as the Ohrians, if not worse. We are hunted at every turn. With the Ohrians, it is all for the plasma they are obsessed with. It is beyond my comprehension. At least the monster just wants to eat us. It's a primal creature with a simple reason for its hunger.”
“I'm not so sure about that, my son,” said Joh.
“Well, I am,” replied Vuntu curtly.
“Look, I don’t mean to interrupt or be rude,” said Reese, “but I really don’t care why this so-called monster does what it does. I am only here to find our king, and if you think he’s in this creature's lair, then just point me to it, and we’ll be on our way.”
Joh was about to warn Reese further when he suddenly noticed Srah running from the mountain. She was coming from behind where Reese was standing and Joh's widening eyes alerted the general that something was happening behind her. Turning around, she saw Srah with her silvery lavender hair blowing in the wind as she ran.
“Granja! Granjie!” Srah yelled as she approached them. She was out of breath and visibly shaken.
“What's wrong, child?” asked Granjie as she put her arms around Srah.
“Where's that golden-haired boyfriend of yours? Is he with Kren?” asked Vuntu, his brow knotted with concern.
“Let her speak!” Joh commanded. “Srah, sweetheart, tell us what happened.”
Catching her breath, Srah looked at them all and said, “Axis and I were... talking when he suddenly felt that Kren was in terrible danger, so he went to look for him, but it's on the side of the mountain where the monster is! I have a horrible feeling about it, Joh! I'm worried they're both going to get hurt!”
Vuntu shook his head, determined. “I won't let that happen,” he said as he grabbed his hunter's spear. “Mother, Father, I'm sorry, but I'm going to look for Kren... whether you approve or not.”
Joh sighed and said, “Yes, Vuntu, I understand. You must do what you feel is right.”
“No!” cried Granjie. “No more of our family sacrificed to the monster's appetite!”
“I'm sorry, Mother,” said Vuntu, “but I must save him!”
Realizing she couldn't stop her only surviving son, Granjie flew into Joh's arms to hide from her fears.
“Hold on a minute,” said Reese, looking at Vuntu. “You know where this monster is? Can you lead us to it?”
Packing his vital tools and weapons in a strapped bag made of Olpa hide, Vuntu nodded and said, “Yes, but I warn you, this monster is no ordinary beast. It is unlike anything you've ever seen before. It has driven many of our warriors insane, and most have not survived its attack.”
Reese grinned and said, “Don't worry, we've been highly trained and can handle big, bad monsters.”
“Let's pray you're right,” Vuntu replied with a sneer, “and that the mountain Gods favor us.”
Nodding to his mother and father in a silent farewell, Vuntu led the way for Reese and her Lirhan troop of twenty men. Together, they headed for the mountain path; the one that no Sirini had willingly taken in a great many years.
--
Slowly walking through the dark mists of the mountain's winding pathway, Axis followed the sound of Kren's heartbeat. It was thumping hard enough for Axis to hear in his mind, but there was something blocking his ability to fully sense Kren's exact whereabouts. He wondered if it was his own heartbeat blocking his hearing.
Instinctively using the night-vision he previously had no idea about, Axis began picking up the swirls of energy around him in warm reds and oranges. However, the energy came from other life forms in the moss and rocks, and even inside the plasma within everything. None of it was emanating from Kren.
Just then, as Axis was climbing further up the mountain, he saw what looked like someone lying on his back against a large boulder. Excitedly, Axis ran up to see if it was Kren, perhaps taking a nap.
“Kren...” said Axis, warily, “is that you?”
Shocked, Axis cringed at what he saw before him. It was not Kren; it certainly didn't look like him, though it was hard to be sure between the bones and rotted flesh.
Despite wanting to vomit, Axis took a closer look. The corpse didn't appear recent enough to be Kren's, nor did it even look Sirini; there was no tail, no cat-like ears, and no wings. It actually lo
oked to Axis as though the body had been Ohrian once. He could slightly make out where the gills could have been on the corpse's neck.
Strange, thought Axis. Why would an Ohrian have died here on the mountain, and in such a gross, mutilated sort of way?
Unfortunately, there was no answer, only more questions, which came in the form of another disfigured body nearby. Holding his nose, Axis went to inspect the other corpse. It was another Ohrian, but this one looked like it had been burned to its bones.
“What happened here?” Axis whispered to himself.
Walking further up the mountain, more and more bodies came into view. To his right and left, it was a graveyard of corpses. Some were Ohrian, some were Sirini. It was horrific.
Disgusted, Axis wanted nothing more than to turn back and run far away. Just about to cave in, he turned around and bumped right into Kren, which made both men yell in surprise.
Shaking their heads, they looked at each other for a moment, then laughed a little and hugged.
“Axis, what are you doing here?” asked Kren.
“I was looking for you!” said Axis. “This place is evil. I can feel it. We need to get out of here, Kren! Don't worry, I'll turn into a Sarax, then we can-”
“No,” said Kren firmly, “I'm not going anywhere without my sister. She's somewhere nearby, I know it, and I'm not leaving without her, even if she is one of these corpses. I'm taking her home and burying her in the custom of my people. She deserves at least that.”
Axis nodded solemnly. “I understand, Kren, and I'll help you find her, but then we have to get out of here. It just isn't safe.”
“I know,” said Kren. “Thank you, my friend. You could have stayed with Srah, but you came to help me. That means a lot, and I won't forget it.”
Axis smiled for a moment, then looked around nervously. It wasn't just being surrounded by rotting corpses that bothered him, it was the pervasive feeling they were being watched, and by what, he didn't know. All he knew was it made him feel as though any moment, he and Kren might be attacked by something they couldn't even imagine - something truly horrifying.