“Hey, watch where you’re going,” she cried out, slurring her words.
“What…” Lehmor’s hand jumped on a black club on his thigh, then he scrunched his nose at the pungent smell coming from her. “You’re drunk. Go to your husband.”
She lifted a finger at his face before swinging around to land on Stripet. With her other hand, she pushed the cylinder against his guts and coughed loudly to hide the soft hiss. Spinning around once again, she quickly hid the empty container in her pocket before lifting her finger at Lehmor. “Next time you won’t be so lucky,” she slurred and staggered back to her tent.
Her heart beating wildly in her chest, she hid a smile as the men chuckled behind her. Feeling their eyes still on her, she swayed into her tent and slumped down next to Xhi.
“What?” he murmured.
She placed a hand on his head and shot an anxious glance outside. The small group had moved on. “Shh, it’s all right. Go back to sleep.”
He turned his back to her with a loud huff. She glared at her slumbering husband for the longest time before replacing the empty bottle inside his satchel. As she removed her hand, something grazed her skin. Her fingers clasped around a long object, sheathed in cloth. She fished it out of the satchel and unwrapped an elegant knife. Pressing a finger against its edge, she let out a small yelp as she cut herself. This thing is really sharp!
The knife’s weight felt reassuring in her hand. She lay down and closed her eyes, trying to still her beating heart. The images from her dream came back to her. Xhi, Lehmor and that other First kicking Stripet. Stripet’s triumph, his hand squeezing the beating heart. Xhi’s brains splattered all over the rocks.
She faced Xhi’s back and weighed the knife in her hand. Her gaze drifted at her husband’s fat face. This miserable excuse of a man had humiliated her so many times. Brutal and disgusting, he did not deserve to live. She despised everything about him, from his chicken smell to his vulgar nature. She wished she had never returned to him a few years ago. But her lover had quickly tired of her, kicked her out on the street, forcing her to return to Xhi, beg him for forgiveness. Sex had helped with that; the man had the sexual appetite of a bull and could never resist her advances. Men!
She hated him, hated every minute she had to spend with him. If only Teo hadn’t sent me here. But then who would have helped him? She lifted her head to watch Xhi sleep. A glistening line of spittle dribbled down his chin to land on the soft mattress, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. She remembered how he had struck her and rage bubbled to the surface, blinding her with fury.
She watched his naked throat. The blood that coursed through his veins pulsed softly. She let the tip of the knife hang over the throbbing vein. When she was young, her father had taught her how to slaughter animals. He had made her slaughter her favourite bunny. It’s only food, not a pet. The words still rang in her head, adding to her fury. She had failed back then, her young hands too small to get a good grip on the knife. It had slipped, nicking the animal’s neck. She still remembered the blood flowing as the terrified rabbit fought to release itself from her father’s fingers. She had been forced to watch in terror as her dad severed its carotid with a swift swoop of the blade.
The memory made her sick to her stomach. In her mind, Xhi’s neck and the rabbit’s became one, red with gushing blood. With her left hand she caressed her husband’s thinning hair, before plunging the knife half way to the hilt in his throat with the other. His eyes flew open and he jolted up, knocking her over. He brought his hands to his throat and clasped the hilt, making a gurgling sound. Blood spurted everywhere, soaking the mattress and painting her blouse red. She tried to pry the knife out, but the hilt slipped through her fingers, soaked in blood.
Oh shit, shit, shit! What have I done? The stench of death – blood and excrement – filled the small tent, making her gag. She burst outside, drinking in the cool air in deep gulps, then doubled up. The contents of her stomach splashed against the ground. The gurgling sound came from inside the tent one last time, then silence. From afar, she heard the sounds of people trying to pitch a tent. A man was still shouting intermittently, drowning out most other noises.
A horse neighed nearby. She rushed towards it, untied the reins and climbed on it. The pain on her buttocks told her it had been a mistake to not saddle the horse, but she did not care. She fought to keep her balance on the steep slope as she galloped down the hill in the darkness, thanking her lucky stars for the darkness and the commotion.
The Marshes
David
David had trouble sleeping, despite the late hour. The sea had finally calmed as they approached their destination, but sleep had been denied to him until late. It felt like he had been sleeping for mere minutes when the ship shook with an explosion that sent him flying off his hammock to crash against the wall. Rubbing his arm, he dashed out of the room to the deck. A second explosion rocked the ship, and he pushed against the walls to hold his balance. His head popped out of the hatch just in time to see the mast’s top break, with a terrible groan.
“Watch out!” someone shouted as it crashed on the deck. Splinters flew everywhere. David heard screams as the mast rolled on the deck, crushing bones and splitting flesh. He ducked back down as it flew over his head to splash into the sea. In the darkness of the night, he could barely make out the shore, aided only by the moons’ silvery light. A red ball of fire flew towards the ship, landing with a deafening explosion on its side and setting it on fire.
Energy weapons! Neither First nor humans possessed energy weapons this far north. “Captain!” he screamed and stumbled onto the deck, hoping to find him. He jumped over a groaning sailor. Blood spewed from the man’s severed arm. David almost lost his balance on the slippery deck. Even in the low light, it took him just one look to know that the sailor was beyond care. Another fireball rushed over his head, narrowly missing the ship.
Filled with sudden fury, David leaned over the ship’s side to face the shore and extended his arm. His bracelet twisted and turned as it morphed into a glove that circled his palm. The blue gem climbed on top, clicking in place between a two-pronged claw that encircled it. He fired three successive volleys into the darkness, trying to compensate for the sea’s seesawing. Explosions in the distance silhouetted a small group of men. He took aim again and fired half a dozen blasts at them. Faraway explosions lit up the night. The attack ceased.
David felt an arm on his shoulder and spun around to see a bug-eyed Thomas gaping at him. “What is that?” the man rasped, pointing at David’s Sheimlek-dar.
“Not now. Where’s the captain?”
Thomas pointed towards the back of the ship, where David could hear someone barking orders. He hurried towards the voice, then spotted the captain surrounded by sailors. They were passing buckets filled with sea water, drowning the fire with it. David and Thomas jumped in line, passing the buckets back and forth until all that remained were smouldering logs.
“You!” the captain yelled at two men hurrying towards him, hammers and saws in their hands. “Fix the hole. I don’t want no water coming into my ship.” He fixed his gaze at David and Thomas. “You! With me.”
They followed him to his office. He slammed the door behind them. “What was that?”
“I didn’t—” David started, but the captain raised his hand to stop him and lifted an accusing finger.
“Had you warned me, we would have sailed farther from the shore.” His eyes burned with fury. “And what did you use back there? If we’re to continue, you hand it over to me. That’s not a weapon to be locked up inside a cabin.”
“Yes, what was that?” Thomas murmured, shooting David a sideways glance.
“I’m the only one who can use it.” David hid his hands behind his back. “And I had no idea we’d be attacked.”
“No idea, huh?” The captain paced the room, his face red. Since the room was a few yards wide and crammed with the sparse furniture, his pacing amounted to little more than taking two s
teps back and forth. David almost felt dizzy watching him spin around like that. “Gentlemen, I don’t think I can carry you any farther. If the Capital has a new weapon you won’t tell me about, it’s by sheer luck we survived this far. I won’t jeopardise the lives of my men for those who won’t trust me.”
“Captain, you—” Thomas started, taking a step towards the short man.
David caught him by the shoulder to stop him. “He’s right. We should continue on the ground. How close are we?”
“To what?” The captain flung a drawer open and shoved the map onto the desk. “I don’t even know our destination! It’s all fine and dandy for the politicians back in Anthea, but we’re the ones getting our arses kicked!”
“Just show me where we are,” David said, trying to keep his voice calm.
The captain paused his swearing to point at the map.
“Is the second ship safe?” Thomas asked.
“It’s half a day behind us,” the captain said. “It should be fine, unless those devils attack it, too.”
“David took care of them,” Thomas said. “But there may be more.” He shot a questioning look at David, who nodded.
“Can you take us here?” David said, pointing at a cove a few miles ahead.
The captain stopped his pacing to glare at the map. “Yes,” he said through clenched teeth.
David raised his eyes to Thomas. “It’s time to prepare the men. We continue by land.”
“What if we meet more of them?” Thomas asked.
David jerked his jaw in defiance, wishing he had more energy weapons than a single Sheimlek-dar. “We fight.”
City of Oras
Lehmor
Lehmor had never been awake for the strange journey through the glowing disk. Still, his body obviously remembered it well. He felt sorry for Abaddon and Kiwi, a second First who had accompanied them. Stepping into the jumper, their every cell had been tugged apart in one sharp moment of excruciating pain, only to be reassembled miles away, in a small clearing on the other side of the Great Chasm. Abaddon and Kiwi cringed in pain and doubled up to empty their stomach on the wet grass. Lehmor had fared better, though, fighting the queasiness within moments.
“It gets easier,” he said, tapping Kiwi’s shoulder. The man wiped his mouth and muttered something under his breath.
“I’d like five minutes alone with the man who designed this,” Abaddon said with a grunt and stumbled to his feet.
Lehmor chuckled and sat down on a slippery rock, waiting for them to catch their breath. He lifted his face towards the cloud-covered sky, letting the light drizzle fall on his face. His eyes drifted to Stripet, hunching under a tree, his strong arms hanging idly. In the darkness, he could barely make out his silhouette. Lehmor hoped the trip or the sight of the city would not somehow jolt the man out of his docile state.
Abaddon pushed his long, wet hair back and hoisted the satchel with the explosive devices to his shoulder. “Come on, boys, we have a job to do,” he growled and started on the winding path that led to the tall mountain hovering above them.
Lehmor prodded Stripet. The man staggered along. Lehmor’s enhanced eyes could see well in the soft predawn light and he soon took point. The path widened, leading to a rock-littered opening. At its end, a wide bay door yawned on the mountainside, invisible unless approached directly.
Lehmor pulled Stripet down. They took cover behind a large boulder. Abaddon took a peek, then lifted two fingers in the air. Two guards. He pointed at Lehmor, then Stripet, then the ground. I should stay here, guarding the Bear. Abaddon then signalled Kiwi to follow him. They disappeared in the darkness.
Lehmor’s heart pounded in his chest, his body flush with adrenaline. He wanted to hurry after them, help them dispose of the unsuspecting guards. Would they be Iotas or clones? Probably the latter, if Stripet was telling the truth. The thought of the great city lying empty of its builders filled him with sadness. Despite what everyone thought, there was dignity and honour to be found among the Iotas.
“You just had to go and ruin it all, didn’t you?” he mumbled, looking at Stripet. The man said nothing, but his breath quickened. Did he understand me?
He inched closer to the Bear to study him, when a soft whistle came from the cliff. They’ve done it. He pushed Stripet along. They slipped towards the bay door, where two bodies lay on the blood-soaked ground. Clones. His eyes caught on the identical corpses; there was something unsettling about the lack of distinguishing features, as if he were seeing double.
Abaddon’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. “Now what?”
“We open the doors,” Lehmor said.
Kiwi shot him a questioning look. “What doors?”
Lehmor’s brow furrowed. He pointed at the gaping doors next to them, then touched their surface. They seemed to be made from the sturdy white material the Iotas used for everything. There had to be a way to open it. His gaze fell on a rectangular indentation on the cliff.
“There’s no door here,” Abaddon said in a quiet voice, then inched towards Lehmor. “What are you trying to pull?”
Lehmor’s eyes widened with understanding. “I’m the only one to see them.”
“See what?” Kiwi asked.
“It must be hidden to you.” Lehmor pushed his hand inside the indentation. His fingers danced around until he found a trigger and pulled. Red symbols shimmered into existence to dance in the air.
Kiwi jumped backwards. “What the…” He stared bug-eyed at the door. “It’s a door.”
“I know,” Lehmor said, his fingers tracing the symbols hovering around them. “We must open it.”
“That’s what we brought the Bear here for,” Abaddon said with a shrug. “Where—”
His words were cut short by the fire of a blade that burst through his body, to emerge from his chest. He let out a surprised howl and dropped to his knees. Stripet stood behind him, chuckling. He held a dead guard’s rod in his hand. The blade lit up his face, highlighting a mask of madness and mirth. With a swirl of the weapon, Abaddon’s head rolled off his shoulders, to land on Lehmor’s feet. Lehmor jumped backwards. He swallowed his bile, his eyes fixed on the dead man’s head.
Kiwi fumbled with his Sheimlek, bringing it to life. Before he could react, Stripet dug his elbow in Kiwi’s face, crushing his nose. As Kiwi dropped, Stripet punched a rapid succession of symbols and the doors jolted open with a loud groan. He pushed another button and an ear-splitting alarm blared. Lehmor unsheathed his rod and fired it up. The shield disk jumped to the top. With his left hand, he grabbed it and activated it. Stripet pointed his rod and fired a blast. Lehmor held the shield up. The blast exploded on its surface, propelling him backwards, next to Kiwi. They coughed to clear their lungs of the dust as they raised themselves on unsteady legs. Lehmor leaned back to lunge at Stripet.
“Until next time,” the Bear yelled to be heard over the alarm. His eyes glistened with manic hatred. He pointed a finger at Lehmor, then spun around and disappeared through the opening doors.
Lehmor fought the urge to follow him. Instead, he sheathed his rod and pulled Kiwi to his feet. “We must go!” Kiwi nodded, holding his broken nose. He’s in shock. Lehmor pulled the man behind him, stopping only to hoist the explosives on his shoulder.
Shouts rang out behind them as they ran back the way they had come. A blast shook the ground next to them, raining dust and stones. They jumped behind a large boulder. More blasts turned rocks to powder in deafening explosions. A stone hit Lehmor on the temple, blacking him out for a moment. He shook his head to clear it, then threw the jumper disk on the ground. Punching in the coordinates, he threw the satchel onto the disk and pulled Kiwi behind him. An explosion turned their boulder into dust just as they jumped into the device. Debris travelled through Lehmor’s body, shredding his flesh. He cried out in pain, the mountain shimmering out of existence before his very eyes.
The Marshes
Hecate
Hecate galloped as fast as she dared, never looki
ng behind her. When she reached the foot of the hill, she pulled the reins to guide the horse to the creek where Teo’s men would be waiting for her. She rode until the sun peeked from beyond the Great Chasm, having to double back a couple of times.
She had just reached an opening, when a whistle broke the forest’s stillness. Men dressed in white jumped from trees. They surrounded her. She spun the horse around, her gaze darting from man to man until it caught on the scales of Themis, hanging from a man’s neck. She let out a cry of joy. Teo will be so proud of me!
The man with the gold amulet of Themis took the reins from her hand. “Good to see you, ma’am.” She gave him her warmest smile as he cast a nervous glance behind her. “Were you followed?”
She frowned. “I don’t think so.”
A wagon showed up down the narrow path. Hecate rubbed her bruised buttocks, grinning with relief. Thank Themis, I won’t have to ride this mule all the way to the Capital.
The young priest lent her his shoulder to help her dismount. “And you’ve completed your mission?”
“Oh, yes. Teo will be very pleased.” She beamed at him as she landed her feet on the ground.
“Excellent.” He stepped back, placed two fingers in his mouth and blew a soft whistle. Seconds later, a shrieking arrow flew into her chest. She let out a surprised cry. A second one followed it, then a third one. With a gasp, she crashed on her knees clutching the shafts, a shocked look on her face.
“Sorry, ma’am. I have my orders.” He waved his hand. Men lifted her up. They threw her into the wagon, like a discarded sack. With a loud creak, the wagon jolted into movement as darkness swallowed her.
The Marshes
David
Landing on an unfamiliar beach was always dangerous. Even more so, when the unexplored cove might have razor-sharp reefs just under the surface. What made the endeavour sheer madness, though, was the fact that they would do so under cover of night, to avoid attracting unwelcome attention. In a storm. He spat out a curse through his teeth – what other choice did they have?
Pearseus Bundle: The Complete Pearseus Sci-fi/Fantasy Series Page 78