Earthborn Awakening

by Matthew DeVore

  Sturdy but stupid.

  The lookout only seemed concerned with someone approaching from the west, the direction of Madison City. He was completely oblivious to Kalma’s approach from behind. Kalma needed to make this look like an accident. He moved to within twenty feet of his target and took position behind a large tree. Picking up a stone from the ground, he tossed it a couple of feet away from the tree with enough force to make a nice thump as it hit the ground.

  The lookout spun around, rifle held at the ready, clearly startled and anxious.

  Take it easy. If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.

  The lookout walked slowly toward the sound he’d heard, toward Kalma concealed and waiting. As the man approached, Kalma used the sound of his footsteps to estimate his location and line of sight to the tree. Kalma moved quietly around the trunk, keeping his body out of the lookout’s field of vision.

  “And now look away,” Kalma whispered. He focused on the magic inside himself and used it to create the call of a bird in the opposite direction of the tree.

  As predicted, when the man heard the sound, he spun around, putting his back toward the tree—and Kalma. Kalma moved like lightning, rounding the trunk and slamming the butt of his sidearm into the back of the lookout’s head. The man crumpled into Kalma’s arms without even a gasp.

  Kalma laid the unconscious target with his back on the ground. He found a medium-sized rock and slid it under the man’s head so the spot Kalma hit lay directly on the stone. Then he grabbed a log and put it under the man’s heels.

  Good enough. It’s a little touch of brilliance, if I do say so myself. Now, it’s about time Eric and I had a little heart-to-heart.

  Eric was still reading his book when Kalma peered over the top of the ridge to the ledge below. It was a pretty steep descent, but only about five or six feet, so he could easily cross it before Eric realized what was happening. Even better, Eric had moved off the rock and was using it to support his back.

  Every mission involved a combination of a little risk and a little luck, and Kalma was at that point in his plan. Eric wasn’t in the line of sight of the cave opening but was only about ten feet from the entrance itself. Kalma could see that there was no one outside the entrance to spot him, but he couldn’t be absolutely certain that someone wasn’t just out of sight inside the mouth of the cave.

  He listened closely for any sounds of movement emanating from inside. After hearing nothing, he rushed down the incline, grabbed Eric, and wrapped his hand over his mouth to muffle the startled sounds.

  “Don’t panic, Eric. It’s just me, Tomas,” Kalma whispered into his ear.

  It didn’t work. Eric was panicking like a kid who’d lost his mother in grocery store.

  Kalma unceremoniously dragged Eric backward up the slope to the top of the ridge behind them, away from the mouth of the cave. Eric’s injuries made his struggle weak since it probably hurt him too much to fight harder.

  Once they were a safe distance from the cave, Kalma lowered Eric into a sitting position without releasing his grip over Eric’s mouth.

  Kalma leaned in toward Eric’s ear and whispered, “We need to talk, but I need you to understand a few rules first.”

  Eric nodded, affirming that he understood what he was being told. He gave up his struggle.

  “In just a minute, I’m going to move my hand so you can talk, but you have to follow these rules,” Kalma continued. “Rule number one, don’t scream, don’t call for help, and don’t do anything else that will bring attention to us. Rule number two, you’re here to listen and do what I ask—nothing more. Finally, rule number three—and this is the most important rule for you, Eric—follow rules one and two, or I will kill everyone in that cave just like I destroyed the hospital. But I won’t kill you. I’ll leave you alive to contemplate your decision. The decision to kill your own friends just because you broke my rules. Do you understand?”

  Eric nodded again, more slowly that time.

  Kalma removed his hand from Eric’s mouth and walked around to stand in front of him, taking in his healing wounds. He was still a little worse for wear.

  “Sorry about all that,” Kalma said, indicating the broken leg and various injuries riddling Eric’s poor body. “It couldn’t be helped. If the others knew you were spared on purpose, they never would’ve let you come back to them. You might even say I saved your life twice. If they didn’t take you back, you probably would’ve been picked up by a patrol.”

  Eric nodded again, clearly confused by the truths Kalma led him to.

  “Very good.” Kalma grinned. “I’m glad we’re starting to see things the same way. Now, there’s a medium-height, thin, black-haired girl who entered the cave just a little before you came outside. Who is she?”

  Eric looked at Kalma with clear signs of defeat and submission in his eyes. “Her name is Aleena. Ethan found her wandering the forest, running from the city,” Eric whispered.

  Kalma very much doubted that Ethan had found her wandering the forest. “Is Ethan the brown-haired boy who was with her?”

  “Yeah, that was him,” Eric replied. “Your name isn’t really Tomas, is it?”

  Kalma rolled his eyes. “Eric, remember our rules. I’m asking the questions, not you.”

  “Sorry,” Eric whispered fearfully.

  “Good, now tell me how long Aleena’s been with the resistance.”

  “Just a couple weeks.”

  A couple of weeks suggested that not many people knew about her. Based on the lie Eric was told concerning how she was found, Kalma suspected most of them didn’t know about her abilities. “Have there been any other newcomers recently?”

  “No, no one else,” Eric answered.

  Kalma was starting to worry that Eric’s disappearance would soon be noticed. Every moment they continued talking, there was a chance his plan would fail. He moved his hand over the armor on his outer thigh and opened a small compartment, taking from it a small silver triangular disk about as thick as a coin. It bulged slightly on the top and bottom and was ornately decorated with inscriptions. There was also an emblem in the center on both sides.

  “This,” Kalma whispered, “contains a message for Aleena. I need you to give it to her, but don’t tell her where you got it. Also, don’t tell her or anyone else about me or our little meeting here. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” Eric answered.

  Kalma placed the silver container in his hand.

  “Good. Now one more thing.” Kalma closed the compartment in his armor and opened a second that was situated next to the first. That time he removed a small black object that looked like a bean, then placed it in Eric’s other hand. “Hold this between your thumb and index finger.”

  Eric did as he was told. After thirty seconds, the bean flashed a green light that quickly subsided, leaving the surface the same dull black color it was before. Eric looked up from his hand toward Kalma with questions in his eyes but didn’t dare ask.

  “It’s a private communications link,” Kalma explained. “I want you to contact me whenever you learn of anything that I might find important. Also, check in with me once a week. To operate it, you hold it in your hands just as you are now. It’ll flash green when the link is established. You don’t have to speak. Just think about what you want to say, and it'll be sent to me. If I don’t reply, it’ll leave me a message.”

  Eric nodded.

  “Check in once a week, Eric,” Kalma repeated. “If you don’t, well, it’s also a bomb. Not a tremendously powerful one, but enough to kill you and anyone in the same room as you. Also, now that it’s keyed to you, it’ll go off if you’re separated from it by more than ten feet. If that happens—boom.”

  Eric looked down at the bomb to which he was now effectively chained, then carefully placed it in his pocket.

  “It’s all right,” Kalma said. “It’s a sturdy little thing. It’ll only go off if you ignore my instructions. It won’t explode by accident or if it drops on the
ground.” Kalma paused, rubbing his chin. “Unless it rolls across the floor more than ten feet from you, I suppose. Then it’d go off. But that’s neither here nor there. Just don’t let that happen and you’ll be fine. Anyway, let’s get you back to the cave.”

  He helped Eric over to the edge of the ridge, just before the slope leading down to the cave. Eric’s crutches were still lying on the ground next to the rock by the entrance. Kalma listened for any sounds indicating Eric’s absence had been noticed but didn’t hear anything.

  “Okay, you heard your lookout friend trip over a log up there. You heroically climbed the ridge to help him, even though you have a broken leg, and found him unconscious. Now you’re on your way to find help for him, but since you’re in a hurry, you lost your footing and tumbled down the ridge.”

  Eric looked quickly toward Kalma, his eyes pleading, but Kalma gave him quick shove that sent him tumbling down the slope to the ridge below. The fall was painful enough that Eric couldn’t help but cry out as he rolled on his leg.

  “Welcome to the team!” Kalma whispered down to Eric when he hit the bottom. “Talk to you soon.” And with that, Kalma disappeared back into the forest.

  Chapter 19

  Gabe had been on lookout for several hours when Aleena and Ethan approached the cave entrance. He was feeling a little ill and wanted to ask Leon to be relieved. When the two had hiked up to the entrance, Gabe met them.

  “How was the training today?” he asked Aleena.

  “It was wonderful. I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of shooting those things.” She motioned toward the gun Ethan was carrying. “My hand-to-hand fighting still needs some work though, I’m afraid. I just can’t seem to stop Ethan’s lightning-fast moves.” She looked over at Ethan but refrained from winking.

  Ethan wished she wouldn’t rub it in like that. A few weeks earlier, he’d told Leon that Aleena wanted to learn to fight, said it would boost her confidence since the Guard slaughtered her family. Leon was hesitant at first, but finally agreed that Ethan could take Aleena out into the forest each day to teach her some basic fighting skills. It was the only excuse he could think of so their daily afternoon excursion into the forest wouldn’t draw any attention. The best lies are the ones that are close to the truth.

  Aleena dove right into the scheme and used it to subtly make fun of Ethan when he had a particularly bad day. She was attempting to use it as a motivational tool, and so far, it was working fairly well.

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll get him next time,” Gabe told her.

  She looked at Ethan again, a smirk barely visible on her face. “I’m sure I will, Gabe. I might even be able to teach him a thing or two next time.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  Ethan did his best to stay out of this, knowing anything he said would make it worse later. Aleena was a sweet girl but a fearsome teacher. His body ached all over from being slammed to the ground every day, repeatedly.

  One day he’d made the mistake of asking her to go easy on him. She looked at him and said, “You mean like the Guard will go easy on you and your friends?”

  Ethan had stupidly responded in sarcasm with “Yeah, just like that.”

  The rest of that afternoon went down as one of the most painful training sessions he’d ever experienced. Of course, he knew she was right—the Guard would show no mercy, and she was slowly building a new resilience in him—however, that knowledge certainly didn’t help the aches and pains he experienced each night before bed.

  Ethan put those thoughts out of his mind and looked at Gabe. “You aren’t looking so well,” he said. “Maybe you should come inside with us and take a break. I’m sure Leon can assign someone else to your post.”

  “I think I’ll do that,” Gabe answered.

  The three of them headed into the cave toward the dining cavern. After entering, Gabe split off toward Leon, who was sitting on the far-left side of the room talking with John. Ethan and Aleena found Allison waiting for them in their usual spot. It was near the entrance, because Aleena and Ethan wanted to be able to make a quick exit if necessary.

  “How’d it go today?” Allison asked.

  Ethan shrugged. “Same as always.” He was getting pretty frustrated having shown no signs of progress when it came to performing magic.

  “Your shooting has been improving though.”

  “Shooting I can handle,” Ethan responded. His voice dropped to a whisper. “But Aleena doesn’t even need a gun. You should’ve seen her today. She was incredible.”

  “It’ll come,” Aleena said. “It takes time and practice, that’s all.”

  Ethan sighed. “Yeah, I know. I was just hoping to have progressed at least a little by now.”

  Allison, who was sitting next to Ethan, leaned over and gave him a small hug. “You can do it,” she whispered. “Maybe I’ll come with you next time. I might not be a good candidate for the ‘specialized training,’ but I could use some work with hand-to-hand and target practice.”

  “Fine by me,” Aleena put in. “I’m going to go grab a drink. Would either of you like one?”

  “I don’t, but thank you,” Allison said.

  “Me either,” Ethan replied. “I’ll get one in a few minutes.”

  Ethan and Allison watched Aleena walk across the room to get a bottle of water. About halfway there, Grant caught up to her.

  Allison squeezed Ethan’s hand, nodding toward Aleena and Grant.

  “No,” Ethan said. “He isn’t right for her.”

  “Why not?” Allison replied. “She seems interested enough.”

  Aleena and Grant grabbed their drinks and sat at a table together.

  “She’s too good for him.”

  Allison rolled her eyes. “Are you her protector now as well as her student?” she said sarcastically.

  “No, just her friend. And I don’t see how Grant could be all that interesting to her.”

  Just then, the sound of someone bellowing in pain echoed through the cave. Aleena was the first to her feet and ran toward the cavern’s exit. Grant had barely managed to get off the crate he was sitting on when Aleena passed Allison and Ethan. Ethan and Allison got up and ran just behind Aleena through the corridors in the direction of the cries. Gabe and Leon, who’d been chatting in the dining cavern, caught up to Grant, and the three ran after the others.

  Aleena was the first to step out of the cave and find Eric lying on the ground, clutching his leg in agony. She kneeled beside him. “What happened? Who did this?” Her eyes continued to scan the surrounding forest for signs of movement.

  It seemed to take Eric a moment to realize someone was speaking to him. “It’s all right.” Though the tone of his voice made it clear that it wasn’t.

  Allison and Ethan stopped on the other side of Eric.

  “What happened?” Allison asked.

  Ethan saw Grant, Gabe, and Leon approaching a little way back and yelled, “Grant, go find Abby, quick.”

  “I’m on it,” Grant yelled back as he did a quick one-eighty and disappeared into the cave.

  “Where’s Jason?” Leon asked, noticing the lookout was nowhere in sight. He looked up at Ethan.

  “I’ll find him,” Ethan responded without needing to be asked.

  “I’m going with you,” Aleena said.

  The two made for the slope next to the cave entrance leading up to the ledge where Jason should’ve been on lookout. The dirt and rocks on the ledge were loose, and Ethan found it difficult to climb without losing his balance. Aleena, on the other hand, had run up the slope as if it were made of concrete. There was no sign of even the slightest shift of dirt beneath her feet. Ethan assumed she was doing something to the ground beneath her that secured her footing.

  As he got to the top, he found Aleena kneeling in the distance next to a body on the ground. Oh no. He ran toward Aleena and Jason as fast as he could.

  “He’s alive but unconscious,” Aleena said. “Nothing looks broken, but he certainly took a nast
y blow to the back of his head.” She got up and started walking a slow wide circle around Jason, alternating between staring off into the surrounding woods and inspecting the ground.

  Ethan knelt beside Jason and slid a large tree limb out from under his feet. “He must’ve tripped.”

  “It certainly looks that way,” Aleena said in an unconvinced voice.

  “I don’t think we should move him,” Ethan said.

  “I’ll stay. You get help,” Aleena replied.

  Ethan didn’t question her, simply got up and made his way back to the slope. Allison was waiting with Grant below, but the rest had already moved back inside with Eric.

  “We found him,” Ethan called down, “but he’s hurt and unconscious. It looks like he tripped over a fallen branch and hit his head. We should have Abby look him over before we move him.”

  “Grant hasn’t come back with her yet. I’ll go see if I can help,” Allison yelled back, hurrying off into the cave.

  Ethan returned to Aleena. “You look anxious.”

  “It all seems too convenient,” Aleena responded. She was peering off into the woods. “Is Jason clumsy?”

  “Not particularly. But things like this happen sometimes.”

  Aleena responded without breaking her gaze from the forest. “Perhaps.”

  A few minutes later, Abby made her way to them and confirmed that Jason could be moved without causing further damage. They carried him down the slope and into a medium-size cavern that served as the community’s infirmary. Layers of blankets were stacked on the floor to make beds, although without a mattress, the hard rock was still quite uncomfortable. Leon had met them in the corridors and took Aleena’s place carrying Jason with Ethan. They laid him gently onto one of the blanket stacks.

  Eric’s quiet moaning could be heard across the room.

  “What happened out there?” Leon asked.