IN NATURA: a science fiction novel (ARZAT SERIES Book 2)

by David Samuel Frazier

  He soon put some distance between himself and the predators and stopped long enough to place his hands on the ground. Mot was surprised when he could not detect them. He listened carefully, but there was nothing indicating that the beasts were still moving in his direction. Yes, they have given up, he realized, after monitoring the ground for some time.

  You must be more careful, Mot son of Url, he admonished himself, relieved that the dogs were such slow runners.

  He stood back up and took a long look around, flicking the air with his tongue. Panic swelled up inside him. He had done a fine job of escaping the dogs, but in the process, he had completely lost the scent of the Arzat who had stolen Alex.

  CHAPTER 25

  CHEF ZA’AT

  Za’at was almost beside himself with glee. His bet on the uman had paid off after all.

  He had carefully watched the female smooth-skin with her unusual, five-digit hands make fire—and now he knew the secret himself! Well, he thought—perhaps a little uncomfortably—at least I think I do. He was astonished that no other Arzat had considered the method before—a kind of magic. Now there was a fine fire burning in a circle of rocks that he had, in a way, personally helped create. The whole process seemed so simple.

  Such a thing has never been accomplished before, his mind kept screaming in delight. I will be the most famous Arzat of all time!

  Za’at added some more dry wood to the flames, keeping a wary eye on the female all the while. “I shall prepare a feast for you, little uman, as a reward. You must be hungry,” he said aloud, watching for a reaction.

  Alex could hear the Arzat clearly in her head. Despite all of the telepathy she had experienced with Mot and Ara, she still found it amazing. Why hadn’t human beings developed the ability to telepath, she asked herself for the millionth time, still carefully blocking. Perhaps, Alex, for the very much same reason the Arzats hadn’t yet developed the ability to create fire.

  She watched as the Arzat, apparently satisfied with the progress of his new discovery, rose and retrieved the deer carcass from the tree he had hung it in. He lifted it down as if it weighed almost nothing and set it on a large boulder. Then, he once again unwrapped his black cutting rock from the piece of animal hide that he stored it in.

  The stone still looked to Alex like some sort of obsidian, but the only light was coming from the campfire, so it was hard to know for sure. The piece definitely had the same sort of facets. Obviously, his clan has not carried the knowledge of metallurgy forward from the past, she thought, remembering the stories Mot had told her about the bronze and copper his clan had only recently discovered for use in weapons.

  Nonetheless, the Arzat used the stone very effectively to split the deer’s hindquarter and to cut the resultant sections of meat into smaller pieces. Then, he found a length of green wood, snapped one end to make it sharp, and deftly skewered the meat onto it as if he were any ordinary chef preparing for a backyard barbeque.

  And, she wondered suddenly, was he humming? She wasn’t sure at first—the sound was so guttural and she didn’t hear any specific words in her head. Yes, she thought, smiling inside and once again amazed, I think this guy is actually singing some sort of song!

  Za’at stopped and looked at the female suspiciously. Had the little uman said something again? He was almost sure he had heard her speak but was also fairly sure the female had uttered no outward sound. He knew that the humans had a spoken language of some sort, but it was as unintelligible as the sounds of birds chirping. Even if the smooth-skins could speak with each other as the Arzats did aloud, it hadn’t occurred to Za’at that the umans might be able to directly communicate mind-to-mind. He suddenly began to wonder and looked into the female’s eyes for some sign of comprehension.

  Alex unconsciously held her breath. Careful Alex, she thought in a panic, forcing herself to block as best she could. On her dead father’s advice and by her own common sense, she had resolved not to reveal herself—at least not yet. She knew she had slipped, and the Arzat had immediately picked up on it.

  Za’at continued to stare at the female, growing more and more convinced that there was something she was hiding. Crafty little thing, aren’t you, little uman? Are you planning another escape? His large reptilian eyes narrowed as he studied her.

  Despite his ingrained and almost instinctive disgust for all things uman, Za’at found himself becoming inexplicably . . . well . . . fond of this particular female for some reason. True, she was rather ugly and her skin was so pale and thin it was hardly worth mentioning . . . but . . . she had been brave enough to slay an Arzat—something he had never heard of an uman doing. And, she had also been slippery and clever enough to almost avoid his capture. Only Mek’s comment and Za’at’s lucky revelation of the way she had accomplished her escape had allowed him to find her. Now, she had made fire from nothing and had shown Za’at, son of the great Hunter Qua, how to do so himself!

  He reached into another pocket on his scabbard and produced another pouch made of soft leather. Za’at carefully opened it and pinched some of the contents between his fingers. He held it under his nose and sniffed.

  “Ah, this will make the meat even more delicious,” he said, turning to the female. “Try,” Za’at said aloud, holding his fingers out.

  Alex looked directly back into the crimson eyes of the Arzat. Clearly he was very proud of something. Was this a spice of some sort? He held his hand steadily out, waiting patiently for Alex. She put out the palm of her hand slowly and watched as the Arzat rubbed his index finger to his thumb. A white substance that looked very much like salt fell into her hand.

  “I doubt you have ever experienced such as fine thing as tat, my little uman friend,” Za’at said proudly. “It comes from a faraway place and is very costly to acquire. I was told by the Arzat traders that it originates from a source of water that is larger than all of the lands combined. It is very good. Taste it and you will see.”

  Za’at used his lighting fast tongue to sample a small pinch from his fingertips by way of example. He then looked expectantly at his unusual companion.

  Alex, still carefully blocking, took a small sample onto her tongue. It was salt. Of course! History repeats and this was yet another example. Clearly, this Arzat thought that salt was like gold, and for centuries, it had been traded as if it were by early humans. The paleontologist inside her began working on the issue of how he might have come by it. Had he said something about traders?

  Za’at saw the female’s facial reaction and was pleased. He carefully sprinkled some additional tat on the skewer of meat and held it closely over the fire, which was dying into coals and had become perfect for roasting. After a short time, the meat began to smoke and sizzle.

  The smell was magic to Alex. She was suddenly so hungry that she thought she would burst. And, she realized, she was thirsty as well. Her small sample of Arzat salt had only intensified the feeling. But, how do I dare ask him for water without giving myself away, she thought, watching as he expertly roasted the venison.

  Finally, she decided to risk trying with hand signals. Blocking her thoughts the best she could, she gestured and cupped her hand to her face the way an Arzat would if taking a drink.

  Za’at looked up from the fire and stared at the female. It was obvious to him what she wanted. He realized he had not given the little human a drink since he captured her. Normally, he would never have considered parting with such a precious resource but they were almost home, there were undoubtedly lots of small streams in the vicinity, and the uman had shown him fire!

  He reached for his water skin and gave it a quick squeeze just to make sure there was still plenty left for the remainder of the trip in case he did have trouble finding more then tossed it to the uman.

  Za’at watched in amazement as the uman pulled the wooden cork and took a huge sip directly from the mouth of the skin without spilling a drop, a feat that would have been impossible for an Arzat. For some reason, he found the maneuver extremely funny a
nd began to laugh.

  The suddenness of the Arzat’s otherworldly cackle surprised Alex and almost caused her to drop the skin. She looked at the big reptilian before her, amazed at his reaction, and wondered what had been so humorous. Maybe it was a good sign, she thought. She carefully placed the wooden cork back into the mouth of the bag and held it out.

  “No, more, more,” the Arzat said to her aloud, still chuckling, not looking her way directly, but seemingly focused on her every move nonetheless. He waived one hand dismissively in her direction while his other continued to slowly turn the skewer of venison over the fire. The smell of the charred meat was becoming more and more intense. Za’at held the skewer up, closer to his face, examining it. Almost, he thought. He then lowered the branch back over the fire.

  Her thirst not completely quenched, Alex tentatively repeated the process and watched as the Arzat again chuckled, though this time not as loudly or as long. She noted that despite his interest in the meat, he occasionally would place one of his hands on the ground and flick his tongue to test the air.

  Always alert, these damn guys, Alex thought quietly.

  Eventually, the Arzat seemed satisfied with his cooking and lifted the sapling loaded with meat from the fire. There is enough to feed a small army, she thought, or at least one large Arzat and hopefully one very hungry girl!

  Suddenly, she remembered Mot and his almost insatiable appetite, and she almost laughed herself, realizing that at this point, she was no different.

  Za’at held up the stick again and pinched one of the hot pieces of meat with the long black nails of his free hand. It is perfect, he thought. My first meal cooked over a fire that I myself helped create. I shall never forget this moment.

  He pulled a large piece of venison off the skewer and was about to take a bite when he suddenly thought better of it. Normally, Arzat males always ate first and separately from the females. But this was a special occasion, and although he had no idea what kind of rules might apply to umans, this particular uman had made the roasting of tonight’s dinner possible.

  He grunted and offered the piece of meat to the female. “Be careful, little female, it is hot!”

  She gingerly took the meat with both hands and began to eat.

  “Thank you,” Alex said aloud without thinking and without blocking.

  She watched as the Arzat’s eyes grew even more crimson in the firelight. The creature cocked its head sideways as his reptilian pupils dilated and bore into her own.

  CHAPTER 26

  LOOK WHAT I FOUND

  “I will not hurt you.”

  The words rang in Maria’s head, but she was sure she had actually heard nothing! The forest was completely silent, yet someone was speaking to her.

  Curiously, something about the message she had received sounded female in tone, which was comforting. But there was also something about it that was distinctly not human, which was frightening. All of these things ran through her mind at once as she held her breath, sure she was about to die, wondering if her mind had completely left her.

  There was an audible stir in the branches of the trees behind her. Maria dared to look back.

  All she could see at first were the creature’s eyes, which, even at a distance of ten paces, seemed to reflect some of the light of the fire from across the river. They were reptilian with elongated pupils that were very much like the ones she had seen before on the other lizards, but they were lighter and more golden than red. As she peered into them, she began to gradually make out the large head and body that they lived in—a large grey silhouette that was just a shade lighter than the black of the night forest.

  She wanted to run, but something told her the effort would be futile this time, even if she could manage to get her legs moving. Her body seemed to be paralyzed. Once again, her mind distinctly heard the words or thoughts, “I will not hurt you.” Incredibly, she was certain they were coming directly from the strange reptilian eyes that were fixed on her.

  Ara kept repeating herself, as gently as her mind would allow, trying to calm the young female. She simultaneously sniffed the air several times, reconfirming that the human was indeed alone and that there were no others lurking around in the night or any other possible trickery she hadn’t considered. When she was satisfied it was completely safe, she slowly rose from her squatting position and stood before the female, just two or three sticks away.

  “I can tell that you are hungry and alone little human female named . . . Ma-ri -a,” Ara said silently, using the human’s name to help comfort her. “Come! I will lead you to our camp across the water. There you may eat and meet another of your own kind.”

  Ara was anxious to get back to Tom—she had left him unguarded. She took one step toward the female, then another, until she could reach out and offer her hand. “Come with me,” she said. “I will not hurt you and neither will my human companion. We have nothing to do with the Arzats that attacked you and your friends.”

  Maria looked up at the beast, its eyes still boring into her as if the lizard could see her insides as well as her out. Whatever was before her was every bit as frightening as the creatures that had killed her mate and her friends—yet there was something quite different.

  Maria wasn’t sure if it was because of the voice that was playing in her head or the lizard’s physical appearance. Perhaps it was both. But something told her that this lizard was very different from the others—and female. As she looked out at the enormous four-fingered hand the creature had extended, she did the only thing she could do—she reached up and took it.

  * * *

  Tom was looking out into the night, listening intently for any sound that might indicate that Ara was returning. She had been gone from the camp for a long time. Now he was wishing that he had insisted on going with her.

  Helplessness was not a feeling he was used to experiencing—yet that is what he felt. He suddenly realized that out of the four individuals that had emerged from the ARC, he was the only one left that he was certain was even alive. God, I hope nothing bad has happened to her, he thought, as he looked out into the black forest.

  Tom noticed that the fire had burned down significantly. He reached for a long stick and pushed some of the remaining firewood deeper into the coals. When he looked up, Ara was emerging from the dark forest.

  “Sorry, Pilot Tom. It took me longer than I expected,” Ara said to him, sensing his concern. “But, look what I found hiding in the night.”

  In one hand, Ara was still clutching the makeshift killing stick she had fashioned for herself. In the other was the hand of one of the most beautiful women that Tom had ever laid eyes on.

  As Ara approached the fire, he got an even better look. Clearly, she was just a young girl if anything, somewhere in her mid to late teens. Obviously, she had been quite traumatized based on her overall appearance, which was no surprise. Tom could imagine that anyone seeing an Arzat for the first time might look exactly like this young woman looked, which was some sort of wild cross between confused and terrified. What was surprising was the fact that the girl was quite pregnant, since her large belly was the only physical indication of it. Still, there was something absolutely spellbinding about her.

  He glanced at Ara and imagined that she had actually rolled her eyes when she registered his reaction. Then, she appeared to communicate directly with the young woman and indicated a large rock near the fire for her to sit down on. When Ara had successfully accomplished that task, she turned and looked back at him.

  “Tom, we must feed this little female. I can tell she is half-starved.”

  “Uh . . . yeah . . . yes, Ara.” Tom forced himself out of his trance. He realized he had probably been staring at the young woman with his mouth half open.

  “Well then, Tom Pilot, mate of Alex, perhaps you can help me find some food for this young female?”

  Ara found Tom’s reaction to the little female quite amusing. So, she thought, blocking, Tom the male human is not so different from t
he male Arzats when it comes to young females of their own kind. Hah! Always a younger, more fertile female! Only the laws of Orn and tradition ever kept the Arzat males in line. I wonder if it is the same for humans.

  “Of course, Ara. Of course,” Tom stammered, still flustered. He walked around the fire pit to a large, flat rock where he had placed the remainder of the bison he had roasted earlier. There was still a sizable haunch left. He promptly cut some smaller pieces from it with his long knife.

  As he sliced the meat, he was aware that both of the females were watching him closely. With no other utensils available, Tom skewered the pieces with the end of his knife and moved slowly toward the young woman, who was still watching him intently.

  “Ara, can you tell her that I am not going to hurt her?”

  “I was hoping you might be able to do that for yourself, Pilot Tom. I was able to reach into her mind, but I am not sure yet if she can fully understand me. Her name is Maria, or something close, and she speaks a tongue that is somewhat different from your own. That is all that I really know. That and . . .” Ara cut her thoughts from Tom and began to block. She was about to tell him about the attack the female had experienced and her witnessing of Alex’s abduction earlier in the day but then thought better of it. Now was not the time. First, the young, pregnant creature needed food. Then perhaps, both Tom and Ara could push her for more information.

  “I am not going to hurt you,” Tom said aloud, as he carefully approached the young woman. As he got closer, he realized that her eyes were blue like Alex’s but darker—much darker. They provided a shocking contrast to the young woman’s long and jet-black hair. Her eyes were locked on his, but he didn’t sense fear as much as sudden curiosity in them.

  She certainly was hungry, because as he held out the knife, she plucked the meat from it into her hands and began eating, occasionally glancing back and forth between Tom and Ara.