“Baran, help me get this bandaged,” I say while opening my pack. Each member of the team has carried out a pack filled with supplies. Mine contains the medical equipment needed to control Lorcin’s bleeding. After wrapping the wound, we make a splint to support his leg.
“That’ll keep the wound from bleeding too much, but you’re not gonna be able to keep walking for long,” I tell Lorcin.
“I can keep going,” he says, not wanting to make us all turn around.
He may be determined to go on, but staying out here with his injury would endanger his life even more than the return trek home would. He has to return to Securus. This leaves me with a difficult decision. Do we all abort the mission or just send one of the other Guards to escort him back? I do not like either option.
“No, you can’t,” I tell Lorcin sternly. “Baran, can you help him get back to Securus?”
“Shouldn’t we all go back?” Baran asks. “What if those wolves return?”
“We’ll be fine,” I tell him. “And since the wolves ran off in the opposite direction from Securus, you shouldn’t run into them on the way back. But keep a persuader ready just in case.”
With their weapons, they should be safe to return. Despite knowing they accepted the risks involved with coming out here, I do not feel good about letting them turn back without us. It is a hard decision to make, but this mission is too important to all of Securus. Having another surface expedition end in disaster would be devastating to our cause. We need something capable of lending hope to our people. Their patience with measured attempts to break away from our servitude to Caelum has already worn thin. Even Talia can only keep Securus united for so long. I understand their desire to be free, but if we cannot convince them to stay prudent, the only thing we will earn is our deaths at the hand of the Controller.
Baran looks conflicted for a minute before reaching out to help Lorcin to his feet. “All right, I’ll get him there.”
Taig and Korin stand silently, watching as the other two Guards set off, retracing our path from Securus. Despite being initially shaken by the animal encounter, the firm stance and focused eyes of my remaining team members tell me they are ready to continue. They understand the urgency of our mission. In a way, having to move forward with a smaller team is actually a small relief to me. When we were planning for this trip, I only intended to bring the three of us. Once our Leadership council became involved, they insisted on a larger team. Because of her protective worry, Talia overruled my objections. With less people, we can move quietly and efficiently, making drawing the attention of predators less likely.
Taig again takes the lead as we resume our hike. I stay in the back, keeping my rifle ready. Korin marches in front of me, tightly clutching a Persuader with his finger next to the activation button.
Although the terrain out here looks mostly the same as before, our path seems to have leveled off. The slight change makes this part of the trek easier. We stop for rest and food when needed, always being cautious to limit interruptions. After a while, the sun’s light begins to fade. Noticing this makes me fear we might not reach our destination before dark after all.
“Any idea how much further it is?” I ask Taig.
He looks around for any familiar features before stopping to check the old entries on his Coden. “I’m not sure. We should’ve been there by now. It’s gotta be just up ahead.”
“I’ve had that feeling out here before,” I tell him with a pointed stare. “Let’s find a spot to set up camp. We’ll wait till the morning to resume.”
Taig looks like he wants to argue, but catches himself before the words come out. He obviously wants to keep moving. Even so, with the sun setting, we cannot take the risk. The forest would be too dangerous at night even if we had not already run into a pack of wolves.
“Let’s spread out and find a good spot,” I suggest.
Korin and Taig both nod before heading in opposite directions. I go further in our original heading. With no backup, my stomach begins to tingle. Even though my rifle is all I need to defend myself, it is still hard to fight the ominous feeling of knowing there are multiple beasts out here more than capable of catching me by surprise. In this direction, there are no suitable areas for a fire, so I circle to the right, heading back toward the others.
Halfway back to where we split up, I hear movement close by. I slowly back against a tree and search the woods with my rifle. Whatever’s out there, it’s not gonna sneak up on me, I tell myself. Holding my breath, I listen intently. The sound does not return.
“Kagen, is that you?” Korin calls out.
I exhale and lower my gun as he comes out from behind a tree. “You scared me. We need to set up some kind of signal so we don’t shoot each other.”
“Good idea,” Korin says. He seems to be a man of few words. We both head back together. When reaching the area we split up from, we sit down to wait for Taig to return. After a few minutes he calls out to us.
“Hey guys, I found a good spot.”
We follow his voice to a small clearing and take off our packs. Korin unloads a compact tarp and some rope to make a shelter. As the sunlight continues to fade, the temperature drops with it. While they set up our shelter, I gather wood for a fire.
By the time I return, they already have our tent in place, supported by two trees. Taig piles some wood next to our tent, forming a bundle for a fire. I pull out a piece of steel and some old cloth from my pack. We place the cloth directly onto some tinder we found. With everything ready, I grab a rock from the ground and position myself over the waiting bundle. To get a spark, I repeatedly strike the metal against the rock. With each blow, more sparks drop onto the cloth but no flames appear. This worked well when we tested the method back in Securus, so the lack of success frustrates me. My movements become faster and faster. The next blow misses the metal and glances against my hand, ripping a thin layer of skin off my finger. I throw the rock and steel to the ground, biting my tongue while opening my pack to bandage the cut.
“Next time, we need to have the researchers make a better fire starter,” Taig says.
“Yeah, I planned on that, but the researchers barely had enough time to get the Persuaders ready for us. Besides, we were able to start a fire using this method during our testing,” I grumble. “Korin, can you take over for me?”
He silently consents, picking up the tools to get started. I turn away to treat my small wound. Behind me Korin keeps a continuous rhythm of striking the metal and rock together. After about a minute, the clanking of his attempts is broken up by a howl from the forest. The sound is so loud, the wolf could be standing next to us.
“We need that fire now,” Taig says.
Korin mutters something to himself too low for us to hear. I understand his frustration. Starting a fire is a lot harder than it sounds, especially with the added pressure of wolves being nearby. Even though we have weapons, a fire would be of great help to keep the animals at bay. Whether we are successful or not, we need to take every step to make sure our camp site is secure.
“I think we should do a quick search of the area. That howling sounded way too close,” I tell Taig while grabbing my rifle. The only good news is that since they are in this area, the wolves cannot be hunting Lorcin and Baran.
Taig grabs his pistol and a Persuader, ready to go. Korin stays behind, keeping another Persuader next to him as he continues working on getting our fire going. Taig and I silently set off into the trees. The sun has already set, leaving us only scant moonlight to guide our search. Even so, we do not turn on our illuminators, wanting to stay as invisible as possible.
As we make our sweep of the area, a deep growl echoes through the forest. The animal has to be nearby, but does not sound like it is tracking us. We inch forward, following the growling and yapping sounds of the wolves. When we are thirty yards into the forest, my heart sinks. Now I realize our mistake.
“We need to get out of here now,” I whisper to Taig, already backtracking.
“What is it?” Taig asks as he follows my lead.
I point ahead to the anomaly that has me worried. “See the big hole in that mound over there? I think it’s a wolf den.”
Chapter 2
Just as I warn Taig, a grey wolf emerges from inside the mound, unfortunately proving me right. I hold my breath and watch as it sniffs the air before setting off into the forest. The animal has not noticed us, so we silently retreat back to camp. As soon as we arrive, we have Korin abandon his futile attempts at starting a fire and all pack our supplies. Traveling in darkness is a dangerous thing to do, but staying near a wolf den would be even worse.
We need more light to navigate the forest with any reasonable speed, so I affix my illuminator and lead us away from the wolf den. Each step feels more urgent than the one before it. The forest bristles with life all around us. The rustling in the vegetation sounds like it could be the wolves stalking us. Those sounds combine with our inner anxiety, propelling us faster. We break out into a run, needing to get far away from the wolves.
After a while, our hurried pace slows, though the incessant rustling persists. We now realize the source was not from the wolves after all. Many smaller creatures come out at night and they are merely running away from us as we encroach on their territory. Now that we truly listen, there are no signs of larger creatures following us.
The vegetation surrounding us has become much thicker, making this area an unsuitable area to remake a camp or resume our attempts at a fire. We need to keep going until we find a better spot. After another few minutes of walking, a familiar sound catches my attention. I change direction, heading for its source. The ground beneath my feet hardens as the previously loose dirt now forms a worn trail. The terrain slopes downward, drawing us in.
Not long after following the trail we reach a break in the trees. Over here, fresh moisture from flowing water fills the air. We have stumbled across a stream. In the darkness, I cannot see past the black sheen covering the surface of the water. The banks are spread fairly wide. Other than that, we have no way to tell how deep the water is. While we stare at the stream blocking our path, another howl rings through the night skies, refocusing our concentration. Even though the howl comes from a distance, I am eager to get even farther away.
“It’s dangerous, but it would be nice to have the water separating us from those wolves,” I tell the others.
“Let’s go,” Taig replies immediately.
Korin does not object, so we slowly wade our way into the water. The bed of the stream is slippery, feeling like it were covered in grease. The difficult footing, combined with the chill of the cold water stiffening my muscles makes it extremely difficult to stay balanced. A quarter of the way into the stream, the water already comes up to my thighs. The current continuously pulls at us. As the water gets deeper, the flow strengthens. Taig finds his way next to me.
“It’s getting deep. Should we turn back?” he asks.
Before I answer, Taig slips, falling into the water. The flow of the stream sweeps him into my legs. The impact jars me, causing my feet to lose their stability. In an instant, I am surrounded by the frigid water. The forest and shouts of the others become muffled by it. The current carries me downstream with enough force to keep my head continuously submerged. My body spins around, bouncing off a boulder. I feel no pain from the blow. The only sensation that comes is an overwhelming urge to breathe. My flailing arms are not enough to overcome the pull of the water. My eyes open but only see darkness.
My consciousness fades while my body is pummeled by the water. I am helpless and no longer sure whether this is real or another nightmare. For some reason, my left foot vibrates. It takes me a second to realize my foot is scraping against the ground. The strength of the current has eased enough for me to dig my feet into the mud. My momentum slows, letting me raise my head through the surface. I gulp air into my burning lungs.
When the spinning sensation in my head finally stops, I open my eyes. The stream’s path has turned, allowing my momentum to carry me close to the opposite bank. I pause for a moment, realizing the others are nowhere to be seen.
“Taig? Korin?” I shout out while trudging through the mud.
At first, the only reply I get is the continuous murmur of the stream. After a second try, someone responds.
“I’m here,” Taig’s shaky voice replies from nearby.
While we work our way up the muddy bank, my joints nearly lock from the swirling breeze threatening to freeze us in place. Once on solid land, we carefully investigate our new surroundings. Behind me, footsteps approach from upstream. I spin and hold up my rifle, unsure if the water has affected its function. The thumping gets closer. Soon, a figure appears near the edge of the water. Luckily, instead of another predator, Korin has found us. I lower my weapon and lean over to catch my breath.
My relief does not last long. It is not safe to stay out in the open near the water. Before our commotion catches any animal’s attention, we enter the waiting forest in search of another suitable place to set up camp. Not long after we do, Taig stops us.
“I know this place. We’re here.” He manages a smile despite his continuous shivering.
“Well, then the swim was worth it. Let’s get a fire going to dry out.” I set my pack down.
Taig unpacks the tarp and rope while I find some more wood to stack up. My hand is sore and my muscles remain stiffened by the cold. So I turn to Korin, holding out the same piece of steel from before. “Can you give it another try?”
“Sure.” Korin picks up a rock to hit against the piece of metal. Thankfully, he put the cloth we were using in his pack, so it is dry. After preparing some tinder, he gets started. Sparks fly from the steel impacts. They keep landing on the cloth, but no flames arise. Taig and I look on, both cold and tired. After a couple minutes, a faint glow finally sticks to the tinder bundle. Korin gently blows air into it. Just seeing the flame erupt already feels like it is warming me.
Taig pats Korin on the shoulder. “Great job, we needed that.”
We gather around the growing fire to dry out. The night is too dark to look around anymore now. Besides, knowing how many animals are out there, none of us want to stray from the protective flames.
“Taig, I have no idea how you ever made it back to Securus alive. No matter where I go out here it seems like some predator’s waiting behind every tree,” I say.
“Maybe they just like you,” he replies with a shrug.
His response was meant to be a joke but the words make me think. What if they really are being more aggressive now for a reason? We know Caelum genetically altered them in the past, could they still be further manipulating them? The thought makes me shudder. It reminds me that even though we know of some of Caelum’s treachery, they always seem to have more in reserve.
Korin has agreed to take the first watch, so I gather loose foliage to use as insulation from the cold ground. Next to the warm fire, I drift to sleep. My rest is disturbed every ten minutes because of something crawling on me or from a noise in the distance. After a few times of nearly jumping to my feet, I manage to shut out the distractions. The next time my eyes open, the sun is rising.
“Why didn’t you wake me for the third watch?” I ask Taig.
He sits on one of the many large logs lining the ground, looking blankly into the woods. “I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about Oren.”
I understand. I know all too well what it feels like to lose a friend while you are powerless to help. When turning to wake up Korin, I do not like what awaits me. He lies on his side with his right arm extended upward, exposing most of his forearm. On it is a wide streak of red skin with blisters forming in the middle. The rash looks exactly like Tailyn’s did the first time she came into the infirmary.
“Korin, wake up.” I shake him while checking for any other affected areas.
“What’s wrong?” Korin asks, irritated and confused by my behavior.
I point to the rash. “Di
d you see this?”
“Yeah, it started last night. My arm itches and burns some, but it’s not a big deal,” he says.
Taig comes over to see. “That’s what I thought on my last trip.”
Despite the rash, Korin looks well and has none of the other symptoms of Pellagra. Still, this development is worrisome. We have not had a new case since we uncovered Caelum’s devious poison in our food as the cause of the disease. If another case develops while on the surface despite us all eating the nutrient mix, the consequences would be dire.
“We should head back,” Taig says, turning away to hide the pained look on his face.
“I’m fine,” Korin protests.
“You’re right, Taig. But we’re already here. This trip is too important,” I interrupt. “That rash could be the beginning of Pellagra, but it could also be a reaction to something he touched. We’re gonna have to risk it. We’ll do a good survey of the area today and return to Securus first thing tomorrow morning.”
Taig takes a deep breath before reluctantly agreeing. I do not bother asking Korin since he clearly wants to continue. Even if his rash is from Pellagra, we should be able to reach Securus tomorrow for treatment before he gets much worse. To be safe, I make him eat a double portion of the nutrient mix for breakfast. After we finish eating, my thoughts return to why we are here.
“Korin, I need you to check around the stream. We need to know if it’s safe and if the supply’s good enough to support our people,” I tell him.
While Korin is away, Taig and I do a quick survey of the immediate vicinity. Our first objective is to look for any signs of predators. While there are some old animal tracks around, little else of concern appears. We do not find any formed trails or hidden dangers like the wolf den we crossed yesterday.
Our survey takes us a fair distance from our camp site. So far, this area looks perfect. There is water nearby and a good amount of relatively flat ground for us to build on. We will test the soil, but judging by the growth in the area, it should be suitable for us to grow our own food here. Also, we are far enough from Securus to make finding us nearly impossible for the Soldier Guards, but not too far to make the trip overwhelming to our people.
The Seat of Power (The Securus Trilogy Book 3) Page 2