by KM Fortune
"Kit," Raven said stopping to catch her breath in the cold air. "I want you to take me to the forbidden city." Kit paused in her walking and looked back. Her face was unreadable, so Raven foraged ahead. "It is where Blaze would talk the others into going, and he said before Hector ran off with me, that the men there might be willing to help us." Kit raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised at Raven's statement. "Okay, so maybe not willing to help us,” Raven clarified. “But Blaze said they might be talked into trading or something.” Kit nodded at this but did not act eager to be underway again. Raven sighed. "So, will you take us there?" Raven asked. Kit hesitated but after a pause nodded before starting off at a jog again. Raven groaned at the renewed pace but fell in behind her. She just hoped the place was not too far away.
BLAZE WAS HAPPY WITH their progress. The men made quick time as they crossed the high desert. Ever vigilant for any sign of the Patrols, they trotted along, moving from one washed out and long dried streambed to another. At one point, they crossed the Old Road, its surface cracked and weathered, with weeds growing up through the asphalt. The twins had stopped excitedly to examine it. In their mountain camp beside the lake, there were no ancient, man-made highways. Eager to follow it, Blaze had explained the dangers behind doing so and reluctantly the brothers agreed. Now, however, they were at another crossroads and this time Blaze considered taking it. It was one he was almost certain led straight to the heart of the forbidden city to the north. Moving along it would save time and ensure they reached their destination without getting lost or missing the city altogether. As he thought about it, Matthew stepped up next to him. "Is this the one we want?" he asked. "It leads in the right direction."
Blaze frowned, a little perturbed at the intrusion into his weighing the pros and cons of walking along the interstate. “I know that,” Blaze said. “It doesn’t mean we are going to go parading along it though.”
The twins came over to stand with Blaze and Matthew as well. “What’s up?” Brody asked.
"We waiting for a ride or something?" Toby inquired with a grin. Matthew chuckled, and Blaze shook his head at all of them. He was glad to have a group of strong men to travel with and take with him into the city, but they were a pain in his backside too. Even when he cautioned them to keep silent, the brothers bantered in a hushed whisper. It did not help the twins had taken to Matthew and peppered him with questions while they traveled. The ex-soldier's history was simply too intriguing to leave alone. Blaze reluctantly agreed the man's story of being a soldier of the Patrols was interesting, but when Matthew started to talk about science, everyone’s eyes began to glaze over. Thankfully, the group had quieted down a bit afterward. Now it appeared the twins were getting back to the jokes.
Blaze did not take the bait. “Seeing a vehicle now is the last thing we want,” he said. “It would either be the Patrols or someone from the city, and I’m not ready to introduce myself yet.”
Brody and Toby nodded in unison. “Right,” Brody said. “Best sneak in.”
“Stealth mode,” Toby agreed.
"Will that be possible?" Matthew asked. "I imagine the men who hold the place use lookouts and guard it against intruders like us. I'll be surprised if we can get within even a mile without detection." Blaze had not considered this angle. He planned to flank the city once they saw it on the horizon and enter it unseen, not making their presence known until Blaze had a feel for the place. Might not work if they have spotters though, he thought and scratched his bearded face.
“Then we will have to approach when it is dark,” Blaze finally announced.
Matthew frowned. "But then how will we see if there are any traps?" he asked.
Blaze felt himself become even more irritated. “We will just have to be extra careful. End of story. Now, let’s go,” he snapped as he started to walk forward along the wide road. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the twins glance at each other with a hint of uncertainty, but then they shrugged and started to follow with Matthew right behind them.
GABRIEL SAT ON A BENCH at the edge of the colony's orchard and waited. Soon he heard the sound of light footsteps coming along the trail. He smiled, already knowing it was the little girl from the wastelands. Although he knew he should not, he often took his afternoon meal in the place Hannah was most likely to wander by. Her uplifting nature and spontaneous inquisitiveness helped raise his spirits. Things were not going well for Gabriel. The escaped woman, or at least her body, had not been found. The rogue scientist who helped her break out of the colony was also missing from his post with the Patrols. People were starting to point fingers and a lot of them were focused in Gabriel's direction.
“Hello, Gabriel,” Hannah said with a smile as she came into view. “I knew you would be waiting here today.”
Pulled from his gloomy thinking, Gabriel smiled back. “Hello, Hannah,” he said. “It is good to see you.” The little girl came to sit on the bench beside Gabriel. Not far behind her came the heathen nomad and the soldier who guarded him. Gabriel waved them off.
Not noticing the exchange, Hannah looked into the cloth sack Gabriel had beside him on the bench. "What is in your bag today?" she asked. Gabriel pulled out a hunk of bread and a piece of hard cheese.
“Nothing fancy,” he said. “No fruit I’m afraid. Not yet in season, although they are close.” He motioned to the nearly ripe apples on the trees near where they sat. Hannah followed his gaze.
"To everything, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven," Hannah quoted. Gabriel smiled with a nod.
“Very true and well done. That is one of my favorite passages from the Good Book of Eden,” he said. “Samuel must be impressed with your progress.” Hannah laughed as she swung her legs playfully under the bench where she sat beside him.
“It wasn’t grumpy ol’ Samuel,” Hannah said. “It was Brian who taught me. I know the whole thing.”
Gabriel frowned. He was confused. There were a couple Brian's in the colony, but they were in positions which would not normally interact with Hannah. They especially would not be taking the time to teach her verses. "Brian who?" he asked.
Hannah tilted her head at Gabriel. “You know. Brian. He’s everywhere,” she said matter-a-factly.
Gabriel still did not understand and began to think Hannah had the wrong name. “Are you sure you mean Brian?” he asked.
Hannah puffed out a breath, clearly thinking Gabriel was a little stubborn. "No, his name is Brian. He told me so. Why are you confused? All know him," she explained. Gabriel blinked as a crazy thought crossed his mind. No, she can’t mean what I am thinking. With a sense of unease spreading through him, he leaned in closer to the little girl so no one could possibly overhear.
“Do you mean The Creator?” he whispered.
“Yes,” Hannah said. “His name is Brian.” By instinct, Gabriel clapped a hand over the girl’s mouth to silence her. She froze and looked at him with both surprise and alarm in her eyes.
“Shhhh,” Gabriel said in a hush. His face was a mask of concern. “Hannah, you must never tell anyone what you just told me. It is sacrilege. Do you understand?”
Hannah nodded, and Gabriel slowly removed his hand. "No one knows what you know. You must keep it a secret. For your own safety," Gabriel warned. "Please promise me." Again, the girl nodded with solemn understanding. The playfulness was gone, and for the first time in over a week, he saw the savvy smartness of her wanderling self shine through on her face.
“I promise,” she said.
CHAPTER 9
Raven could barely keep her eyes open as she waited for Kit to finish roasting the grouse over the small campfire. The last two days had been hard on her. Kit moved at a grueling pace as she led them to the forbidden city. The new boots Raven wore, which Queen Helen had so generously provided for her, along with other clean, warm clothing, were too big for her feet. Blisters had rubbed, on her right foot in particular, and finally Raven had insisted Kit stop early for the night. After seeing Raven’s sore
s, Kit had relented and set up a camp for them.
They sat in the shelter of a large boulder, up near the top of a ridge overlooking the high desert valley. The days had been especially cold, and snow fell continually. Raven realized now, however, that the weather was improving. Blinking to wake up, she looked around and noticed even though it was late in the day, early evening sunlight was trying to poke through the gray clouds. It will make a pretty sunset, Raven thought and continued to watch the horizon. After a few more minutes, Kit was done at the fire and came to sit beside Raven. She shared the small bird, but before the woman took a bite, she paused. Noticing, Raven followed Kit’s gaze down toward the valley floor.
In the glimmering sunlight, Raven saw the faintest outline of buildings. Some were considerably tall, and after a moment, she realized it had to be the place they were looking for. It was the forbidden city at last. "Did you realize we were so close?" Raven asked. Kit shook her head, still staring. Raven was not sure if the woman was fascinated or frustrated at herself for nearly stumbling across the city in the bad weather. Thinking she might need to reassure Kit, Raven opened her mouth to speak when Kit jumped to her feet. Surprised, Raven set down her food and got up too. "What is it, Kit?" she asked. Kit motioned to their left, a good distance from the city. Raven followed where she pointed.
There was an old freeway which cut through the white landscape. It meant nothing much to Raven, and she shook her head. "I don't see anything but a road," Raven said. Kit stomped her foot and pointed again. Taken aback a little by the unusually impatient behavior, Raven looked and squinted hard. What can it be that has her so excited? Raven wondered. Then she saw it. A few specs, which had to be people walking. No vehicles so probably not a group from the Patrols. They seemed small, so it was not likely it was a band of the bulky cat mutants. Wait. What if ... Raven's thought trailed off, and she stepped closer to the edge of the hillside.
"Kit," she said softly. "Do you think ... ?" Again, she left the statement unfinished. A part of her was afraid she might jinx their luck. It seemed impossible and just as she was about to say so to Kit, she saw the slightest hint of reddish hair, as if one of the men had pulled back the hood of his parka for a moment. "Blaze," she whispered. Somehow, someway, Blaze and the others had made it, and they had come to find her.
THE FOUR MEN SLOWED as the veil of falling snow dissipated, and the faintest outlines of the forbidden city's towers materialized on the horizon. Matthew had never seen anything like it and paused with awe. Having been created in the underground laboratory in the mountains to their west, his experience with buildings was limited. The ones laid out in the distance before him seemed massive. "Is that it?" Toby whispered. Clearly, it was, but Matthew could understand the crazy question. It was somehow hard to believe out in the wasteland of the desert, a large city loomed.
“Has to be,” Brody answered. “Right, Blaze?”
Blaze nodded. “Has to be,” he repeated. “We need to get off of the road. Someone could see us now that the weather’s cleared.” In agreement, the men all clamored off the asphalt and into the brush. After hiking a few hundred yards, Blaze stopped them in the shelter of a grove of juniper trees. “This will do,” he said. “I doubt anyone’s bothering to keep watch anyway. Brody, take the spear and see if you can hunt up some rabbit or something.”
"Roger, boss," Brody said and walked over to Matthew. So far, Matthew had been allowed to carry the spear as they hiked the last couple days, but he had yet to use it for anything but a walking stick. Still, when one of the twins did borrow it, Matthew went with them and observed when they used the weapon. It seemed simple enough in theory. Stab the prey if you can get close enough. Throw at the prey if they are further away.
“Let me try,” Matthew said.
Blaze huffed out a breath. “I don’t think so. I want to eat tonight,” he responded. Matthew felt irritation color his cheeks at Blaze’s answer, but he checked it and pushed on.
“I think I can do it,” he said. “I’ve been watching Toby and Brody. The dynamics appear simple.”
"The ‘dynamics'?" Blaze said. "I'm not even sure what that means. Just give the spear to Brody." Brody held his hands up and stepped back from Matthew.
“Hey now,” he said. “If the man wants to try and use his own weapon, then I say let him do it.”
“Got a point,” Toby chimed in. Blaze puffed out a frustrated breath and glared at Matthew. Matthew held his eye. He was not going to let this one go.
“I’ll tell you what,” Blaze said as he pulled the knife from his belt. “You prove you can use the thing, and I’ll let you keep it.”
Matthew watched as the young man walked toward him, his knife held outstretched in front of him. “I don’t want to fight you,” Matthew said.
Blaze grinned, but there was anger in his eyes. “This isn’t a fight. I just want to see if you can use the spear to block a simple knife attack,” he said. “Basic defense.”
“Well, now,” Brody started. “That’s not really the same as hunting.”
“No one’s even shown Matthew how to hold the dang thing for fighting,” Toby said.
Blaze continued to move forward. "He's a smart guy. A scientist, remember? I'm sure he can figure it out," Blaze said. Matthew took a step back and dropped his pack. He took the spear in both hands and faced the point out toward Blaze. Blaze nodded. "See? He's figured it out already," Blaze said and rushed in with a slash of his knife. It was well out of range of hurting anyone, but it was hostile just the same and Matthew reacted instinctively. Flexing his forearms and twisting at the hips, he flipped the metal spearhead into the trajectory of Blaze's attack, catching steel on steel for a moment. The momentum knocked Blaze's arm aside, and the knife flew from his hand.
“You son of a—” Blaze said with fury in his eyes. Toby ran to pick up the knife and handed it back to Blaze.
“Lucky shot,” Toby said.
“Like heck,” Brody said. “Did you see how fast he moved that thing?”
"Shut it," Toby said. "Here Blaze, get a better hold this time." This time Matthew saw Blaze crouch a bit and come in more slowly. He did not believe the red-haired man would purposefully stab him, but a shallow slice or two was a real possibility.
“I don’t want to fight you,” Matthew said but still held the spear between himself and Blaze.
"Who's fighting? This is just a little test," Blaze said, and he lunged. The knife shot forward, straight for Matthew's right shoulder. Letting his instinct guide him again, Matthew pivoted in place and brought the metal point around to catch Blaze's weapon before it could do any damage. As if expecting it, Blaze spun from the contact and this time swung his arm in an arc which Matthew realized instantly would hit him in the head. He’s using the close quarters to keep me from capitalizing on the length of the spear. Clever. Matthew thought calmly while at the same time ducking and bringing the non-sharp end of the spear around in a sweep. The staff caught Blaze behind the knees and sent the already off balance man flipping flat onto his back. The knife spun out of Blaze's hand, and he stared up at the darkening sky.
Matthew waited. He knew the fight between himself and Blaze was far from over in the greater scheme, but he hoped for tonight they were done. Everyone was quiet, waiting to see what Blaze would do. Before anything could happen, Matthew heard a slow clap behind him. Whirling around to look at who was there, Matthew froze when he saw a man stepping out of the brush. His long hair was braided, and he wore faded, patched jeans with an old bomber jacket. A leather belt was strung across his hips, with a gun in the holster, but he had yet to pull it. What Matthew noticed most was his impressive handlebar mustache and the grin beneath it, which Matthew knew spelled nothing but trouble.
“Well now, that was some good entertainment,” the man said. “You’re pretty fast with that spear.” Matthew did not reply and held the weapon at the ready, waiting to see what the man wanted. Behind him, Matthew heard Blaze get up. He went to retrieve his fallen knife when the
stranger held up a hand. “Best leave that there,” the man said. Matthew watched Blaze out of the corner of his eye. The young man hesitated.
“Or what?” Blaze asked.
The stranger laughed. “Or it might complicate things,” he said. “In fact, all of you toss your knives this way.” He motioned at Matthew specifically. “And drop the spear, Kung Fu.”
"Like hell we—" Matthew heard Toby start only to stop mid-sentence as more rugged men stepped out of the trees. All of them looked dangerous and had guns. Matthew and his friends were surrounded.
CHAPTER 10
Hector paced. Days of being confined under guard in his quarters was driving him half mad. Queen Helen had sent him notes to assure him the armed beasts outside his door could be trusted as allegiant to her, yet she warned him not to try and escape. Patience right now was key. Unfortunately, patience was not Hector's strong suit. Resolving to take matters into his own hands now that night was falling, Hector counted his steps across the room and back until he felt it was the best time to leave. He knew the guards might try to stop him, but even if they were the queen's followers, he would not be dissuaded. Stopping at the window to check the state of the sunset, he took in the sight of the city below him. He wondered how many of the residents would side with him when he made a play for the throne. Do they trust Prince Edward more than they trust me? he wondered. If only I hadn’t left the city and my people behind those years ago, things would be so different. With everyone. With Queen Helen. Hector paused at the thought. The queen had been on his mind almost constantly as he roamed his room waiting for something to happen in the palace. Hoping she was safe was foremost of his concerns, yet there were other thoughts as well. It was all so complicated.
Suddenly there was a quiet knock at his door. Looking, Hector watched as the latch was turned and, as if conjuring her with this thinking, in stepped Queen Helen carrying a tray laden with two goblets and a decanter of wine. Quietly the door was closed behind her. "My queen," Hector said, surprised so much he slipped into using the formality. The beautiful cat mutant raised an eyebrow at him.