by Ann Durand
Two exhausting hours later, they neared their destination with the hoshdels huffing, their sides dripping with sweat. As they approached the clearing leading to the cave opening, Mike craned his neck to see through the trees. What he spied made his heart jump.
One lone takatak sat perched on a boulder near the brush that covered the opening to the caves. The bird appeared distracted, busily grooming a wing. Mike squinted and looked closer. The wing was bent backwards in the middle at a critical angle…broken. This bird wasn't going anywhere.
As Mike studied it, the gravity of their predicament dawned on him. The bird could not fly, and eventually the other takataks would come looking for it. He did not see a way to get around the beast and uncover the brush to steal inside the cave. Even if he managed it, the bird would unveil their hiding place to the other takataks, who would bring Don Askins to it. If he tried waiting in the forest with the women, chances were that one of the takataks would eventually spot them hiding in the trees and assail them.
That left one option. He would have to kill the bird blocking the route to the safety of the cave. And he would need to accomplish this by staging an accident, lest the bird's death draw suspicion from Askins. As he fretted over this, Katera maneuvered her hoshdel next to him, and stared out at the wounded creature. She looked dismayed and started to say something, but Mike fitted his finger over his lips. Katera nodded and turned to stare at the beast.
Mike's palms grew sweaty on the reins as his heart pounded. There was very little time. It would not take long for the other takataks to discover the bird missing and locate it. He drew in a steadying breath and scanned the surrounding trees. His eyes fell on a tall tree with a rotting middle on the edge of the clearing, and he had an idea.
Motioning Katera to stay put, he slipped off his hoshdel and opened his saddlebag. Fishing into its depths, he pulled out the Insertech. Hardly daring to breath, he stole silently toward the target tree. Halfway there, he stepped on a dry twig hidden under a leaf, sending a loud crack reverberating into the air. He held his breath, but the takatak did not stir from its preoccupation with the injured wing. That's one sore bird, he thought, with relief.
He arrived at the tree and pressed the Insertech into the weakened area. Designed to cut through bone and tissue, he hoped it would make short work of his task. He released the safety clip and adjusted the beam to three inches by four inches, the largest capacity for a cut. He would need to slice through the tree at an angle so that it fell over the takatak. Yet, he had to make it look like a natural break in the event that Askins investigated the scene.
He turned on the device and allowed the beam to slice into the thick trunk. In the distance, the raucous call of distant takataks resounded through long valley between the Shirkas. The secluded bird in the clearing raised its great head, opened its crooked, black beak and screeched back.
His temples pounding, Mike struggled with the Insertech as the call of the takataks grew louder. Pressing the 'dissect' icon in furious repetition, the cut deepened. The tree creaked loudly and leaned unsteadily forward, swaying as if it might topple any second. With a sickened awareness, he saw that it was going to miss the takatak by a few feet. He looked over at Katera, who was watching him closely. She seemed to understand the dilemma, pointing first to the takatak, then to the tree while shaking her head.
He was about to shout at her to flee into the forest when, without warning, she stepped out of the trees on her hoshdel and into the clearing in full view.
"Hey!" she called, to the takatak. "C'mere, you ugly bird."
The takatak swiveled its head toward Katera and pinned her with its obsidian-dark eyes. Mike sucked in his breath. She was baiting the bird to lure it within range of the tree when it fell. His heart drummed like a wild thing inside his chest as he dove into the clearing to distract the bird from Katera.
"Over here!" he shouted, but the takatak ignored him.
It extended its one good wing out ten feet and stood up to face Katera. Another screech, and the bird tottered a step toward her and stopped. It drew in its good wing and stood waiting, looking dangerously alert. Katera edged closer, her hoshdel snorting nervously.
"C'mon!" she shouted, her voice shaking.
Realizing that he had to act quickly, Mike jumped behind the tree with renewed vigor. He jammed the Insertech into the break and pushed through another three inches, then another…and another…almost there. When he glanced back into the clearing, the takatak was extending its head toward Katera, preparing to strike. Katera was ten feet away, a mere hop for this bird, even with a broken wing. He pressed the Insertech for another slice, and with a loud crack, the tree began its descent in slow motion.
At the same moment, he watched in horror as the takatak's feet left the ground in a wide leap toward Katera. The hoshdel reared up, flailing its front legs at the bird, which was in mid-air. The takatak landed with a great thud in front of Katera as the toppling tree neared the ground. The bird reached around the hoshdel, poked its great beak through Katera's spullera, and plucked her out of the saddle like a piece of lint on a Shalpacan coat.
Good God, Mike thought. She's going to get crushed under the tree with the bird.
The takatak stretched its neck forward in obvious delight and let out a muffled screech. An answering call from the approaching flock, now ominously close, sounded just as the tree smashed into the bird's middle, snapping its backbone and crushing it into the ground. Katera burst from its beak like a shot, tumbling back into the trees.
Mike wanted to rush to her, but in an instant, she was up and racing toward Adrella, still lying unconscious over Mike's hoshdel. Relieved to see her unhurt, Mike ran to the cave entrance and thrust the brush aside. As he flipped the last branch away, Katera darted through the opening with Adrella and the animals. As soon as she cleared it, he backed inside, dragging several large branches with him to conceal the opening again. At that moment, several takataks arrived in the clearing. The gusts created from their beating wings rattled the brush over their hideaway, lifting the branches a few inches off the ground, but they settled back after the birds landed.
Mike knew the other takataks would shove and roll the trunk off their broken comrade. A host of them would then grip its body in their sharp beaks and take off, ferrying it to the summit. Letting out a long breath, Mike led the women and hoshdels deeper into the cave toward the dark security within, as the high-pitched shrieks of the Tatatakats faded behind them. They were safe for a while.
Chapter Twelve
For a moment, Adrella could not remember what had happened. She opened her eyes and stared into a dimly lit room. Or was it a room? The walls looked bumpy. Strange. Two figures stood nearby chatting softly. She focused. It was Katera. With a man. Who was he?
In a flash, her memory flooded back. Katera's voice…she'd heard it in Tikesh Fields. Someone, perhaps the man with Katera, had thrown a blanket over her and knocked her off her hoshdel. Why had Katera allowed him to do that?
Perhaps Katera's Lan Ma Ke warned her. Her entire chest had probably chilled after sensing Adrella's ugly objective. A freeze like that would have been a first between them, she realized with a pang of guilt. A small ache throbbed between her eyes and her hand flew up. What had happened? She fingered it.
"Adrella?"
It was Katera's voice. Adrella dropped her hand and gaped at her sister, not knowing what to say. Both Katera and the man stared back at her. Adrella drew in a deep breath.
"Katera," she said, weakly.
Their eyes locked. The air between them crackled, and Adrella's Lan Ma Ke burst in a flush of radiance. Merciful Lupana, had it really been two years? Katera rushed to her, her face contorted with a sob.
"Sister!" Katera cried. Adrella sat up and Katera threw her arms around her neck. "Oh, I've missed you so much." She leaned back to gaze at Adrella. "Dear sister, you're alive. Mama and Papa thought…I thought you'd been killed…you know, the sacrifice."
Adrella wrapped her ar
ms around Katera with a sinking heart. "I am alive, Katera."
Katera pulled away and cocked her head to one side as doubt crept into her eyes.
"Adrella? Is everything alright? My Lan Ma Ke…it's…"
"I know; it's cold," Adrella interrupted, in a whisper. "Be careful. We will be heard."
"No," Katera laughed. "We will not be heard." Katera touched Adrella's forehead. "The Voice in your head…it's gone."
Adrella dropped her jaw. "Really?" she asked. Then, she remembered Askinadon's anxious words when he spoke of Katera's Voice: She has somehow removed it. "But…how? No one can stop the Voice."
"He can." Katera tossed her head toward the man standing next to them.
Adrella looked up at him in quiet amazement. He looked strong and very handsome. He was blond like some of the Kastaks, not like the dark-haired men of Parallon. Nor did he wear animal skins like the men of her village, but he didn't wear an ulli like the Kastaks either. His pants looked smooth and had a crease running the length of them. He wore a seamless top that had no fasteners. She looked into his eyes and found a soft expression there. She glanced back at Katera, her brow raised. How? How had he stopped the Voice?
"Askinadon's power does not come from the Heavens," Katera announced. "It comes from this." Her hand slipped into her pocket and pulled out a small disc. "It's called a VisiOrb."
Adrella's peered at it, awe-struck. "The Voice from that tiny thing?"
Katera placed a hand on her shoulder. "Adrella," she said, smiling, "we have much to talk about."
"Yes, we do," Adrella agreed, sadly.
The smile fell off Katera's face and her hand sank back to her side. Adrella understood her sister's Lan Ma Ke was growing cold again, and she thought her heart would break. This would never do. Tossing aside all other considerations, she decided to tell Katera everything. She would divulge her ugly mission, including the danger for Rorken and the horror for Katera. Yes, she would reveal Askinadon's entire plan, so that Katera's Lan Ma Ke would glow warm with trust once again.
Chapter Thirteen
"Yes, Husband and God of Parallon, she is with me." Adrella sounded frightened and adjusted the Orb tucked neatly inside her ear. "What would you have me do, Master?"
Katera could not hear his response, but Adrella's features relaxed as she listened. She looked at Katera, and mouthed the words, It's working. Wonderful. The modified Orb had Askinadon fooled. He did not suspect that his Voice operated outside their heads.
A faint ringing filled Katera's Orb and she felt the old revulsion, even though Askinadon could no longer penetrate her thoughts. Katera, the Voice rang into her headset, why did you run from the altar at Kopa Na An?
"I didn't realize why you wanted me, Great Master, but now that Adrella has explained it, I am so pleased. I cannot wait to meet you, Great Master and God of Parallon. I come to you in grateful obedience," Katera said, in a lilting voice, repeating the words she'd rehearsed with Adrella.
Where have you been? You've been missing all day. Why did you not respond to my Voice?
"I don't understand why we couldn't hear you, Master. We were waiting for further instructions, but none came. Everything is fine. Adrella and I left Black Rock just a little while ago to come home...to be with you."
You were at Black Rock?
"We were in the northern Shirkas, just north of Tikesh Fields. I was near Black Rock when Adrella found me. So we moved to the rock and have been waiting there."
There was a long pause on the other end, and Katera felt her heart leap. He was buying it. Mikolen was right. He'd said Black Rock was a form of magnetite, a huge lodestone that would eliminate Askinadon's Voice. He'd added something about naturally occurring magnetic rocks interfering with transmissions, but Katera didn't understand it. She did understand that if Askinadon thought they'd been near Black Rock, he'd assume the dark boulder was the reason for their communication failures.
I see that you are in Tikesh Fields. Good. Stay there and I'll send two takataks to get you.
"We await the takataks in great anticipation, Master," Katera finished.
The Orb in her ear squealed and fell silent. Next to her, Adrella jumped to attention as she, too, promised to wait for the birds. Finally, she dropped her hand from her ear and looked at Katera.
"So far, so good," Katera said.
Adrella was slow to smile. "I hope so. If I'd waited another day, he'd have killed Rorken."
"Everything's fine, Adrella. He didn't sound angry."
"No. That's what bothers me." Adrella smoothed her hair with a nervous hand.
"Well, let's stick to the plan. He has no reason to suspect anything yet."
Adrella stared off quietly toward Kan Mountain. Somewhere in the distance, the call of the takataks sounded, and Adrella flinched. Katera wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulder.
"We can do this," she promised. "It's going to work, and Rorken will be safe." Adrella looked at her and drew in a shuddering breath. "Don't worry, Adrella. Nothing will go wrong."
Adrella laid her head on Katera's shoulder. "Sister."
"I know. I love you, too."
Katera held her for a moment, then Adrella reached into her ear and pulled out her Orb.
"It's time to trade," she said, solemnly.
They exchanged orbs and readjusted them in their ears.
"All set," Katera said, with as much cheer as she could muster. Adrella smiled weakly.
Ten minutes later, the enormous shadows of the takataks fell over them. The grass around their feet churned in all directions as the birds approached. The women walked in opposite directions until they were twenty feet apart. They lay face down in the grass to expose their harnesses. Adrella had brought only one, since she'd been pregnant when she packed. They had made the second one from a rope Katera pulled from her saddlebag.
The birds descended upon them and snatched both women from the ground, lifting them into the air. Katera looked into the forest as they rose and spied Mikolen watching from the trees. He waved and flashed a thumbs up, his arm outstretched. She dared not signal back lest they were under surveillance, but felt a surge of confidence rise within her. With Mikolen's help, they stood a good chance of making it. They had a plan: he would retrieve their parents, remove their VisiOrbs, and lead them to the safety of the caves. Next, he'd work his way up the mountain to meet Adrella, wrest her away from Askinadon, and bring her down to join their parents. If all went well, Katera would have already escaped with Rorken and made it to the caves.
And while Mikolen was on the summit, he would grab the final item needed for his project, the last ingredient that would enable him to flee Parallon and return to his world. And there, in Mikolen's world, Katera and her family would learn to live anew, because they were going with him. They could no longer stay in Parallon. Eventually, Askinadon would find them, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that none would survive his wrath after learning of their betrayal. They had no choice. Though she understood she'd never see the cool forests and peaceful meadows of Parallon again, the thought of leaving excited Katera. Her family would be with her, which made all the difference. And together, they would be free. She welcomed the idea of the freedom to think and feel as she wished, freedom to love whomever she chose without restraint, perhaps even with abandon.
As she gazed at the diminishing figure of Mikolen in the trees, her heart swelled. Even in the days before Askinadon ruled over Parallon, she did not remember feeling so exhilarated about another person. She felt lost in her feelings for this man. How, after mere days, could she feel so strongly about another? Ne ahno ya domo ko ne. I want you with me.
If only she and Adrella could pull off this switch-.everything depended on it.
She glanced back, but they were high above the trees and she could no longer see Mikolen. The Tikesh Fields shrank into a small oval, and the trees around it blended into a stubbly, green carpet. The village at the summit came into view. As they neared it, she spied a smatterin
g of hostas around a large building, a phenomenal building. Impossibly long and rectangular, nothing about it resembled the small, round hostas of her people. It was huge. Kapta lapo ta rocsadon. Big enough to swallow a rocsadon. Her jaw fell in amazement as they drew closer. It looked both high and wide enough to hold many herds of rocsadons.
Next to it, a tall stone fence ringed a large group of the beasts, each tethered between four posts. They reached their long necks skyward as the takataks flew above them, bellowing and stamping their feet. As the birds hovered above the building, she could see two additonal long buildings attached to the first one, forming a square-cornered U with a courtyard in the middle. A man in an ulli was standing in the courtyard looking up at them, shielding his eyes from the sun. Askinadon?
She glanced over at Adrella, who was waving at him. Must be. Katera turned her attention back to the man in the courtyard. He was alone, as Adrella had predicted. She'd said that he always met his women alone. Kastaks were dismissed to the outer areas surrounding the castle whenever Askinadon romped within. So far, so good.
The takataks descended to a spot in the courtyard and dropped the women onto a pad a few feet below. Katera fell and rolled onto her side. She looked at Adrella, who had managed to sit up. Adrella tossed a furtive glance at Katera, and blinked twice. That was the signal. Katera sprang to her feet, brushed off her spullera and smiled up at Askinadon, who was standing a few feet away, tossing glances back and forth between them.