Into Tordon

by Z. F. Kingbolt

  Beth slowed. ‘Do you think we stand on these swing things, sit or what?’ She kicked one, sending it on an erratic course back and forth.

  ‘Kira was sitting,’ Zane said, clambering onto the plank. ‘Now do that again.’

  Beth kicked the back of his seat and he swung forward and back.

  ‘Just push next time. And straighten me up too.’

  ‘Like this?’ Beth grasped the swing’s long chains until they stilled, then gave Zane an almighty shove. He flew up and back, the chains creaking rhythmically.

  ‘Woo hoo!’ he yelled as the wind whipped his words away. ‘You try!’

  Beth hopped onto the swing beside him and pushed off the ground with her feet, trying to gain the same height and motion as Zane. After several attempts, she found a rhythm and was soon flying. Unlike Zane, who was losing height already. ‘Lean back when you go forwards, then tuck your legs up when you go back. Like this.’ She demonstrated.

  Zane nodded, watching her. ‘This is fun!’

  Beth grinned and closed her eyes. She felt weightless.

  With the breeze created by the seat’s motion, even the intensity of the sun’s heat diminished. Why didn’t they have stuff like this back home?

  Whack!

  Something hit the back of her head.

  ‘Why’d you do that?’ she cried out, rubbing her head.

  She put out her feet to stop swinging.

  Zane jumped off his seat. ‘What? I did nothing. I was on the seat, remember?’ He glanced down to see the green disc by his feet. He picked it up and scanned the surrounding trees.

  ‘Was it the cat-creature?’ Beth hopped off her seat and squinted into the palms.

  ‘The what? I can’t see anything,’ he twisted the disc over in his hand. ‘What did it look like?’

  ‘Like a really old monkey-cat thing, only small. It was eating coconuts.’

  Zane looked down at his hands. ‘And this disc moved by itself earlier, remember?’

  ‘True,’ Beth nodded with a last glance at the trees. ‘Do you think it’s safe?’

  He tapped it with his knuckles. ‘It’s just a piece of plastic. Go stand under that.’ He pointed to a nearby tree.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I want to try something.’ Zane raised his eyebrows until she walked over. ‘Okay, see if you can catch this.’

  ‘What? Why?’

  ‘I saw something like this on the interweb, years ago.

  Catch!’ He lunged forward, flinging the disc as hard as he could at her.

  Screaming, she ducked.

  With a snap, it hit the wall behind her, then bounced off and landed at her feet. Zane collapsed into a laughing heap on the grass.

  ‘Two can play that game,’ Beth scoffed. She grabbed the disc and threw it hard at Zane, nodding with satisfaction as he dived for it and missed. ‘Ha!’

  ‘Right, watch out!’ Zane flung the disc back. It whizzed through the air, clipping the leaves of a tree’s lower branches. Beth reached up and, in one quick snatch, had the disc in her hand.

  ‘Yes!’ she yelled, punching the air. She tossed it and again Zane couldn’t catch it. ‘Fail!’

  ‘No, you fail.’ Spinning around in a complete circle, Zane lifted his leg and deftly flicked the disc underneath. It shot high, traced an arc in the air, and almost bashed Beth in the face.

  Deflecting the disc with one hand, she flipped it before catching it in the other.

  Zane nodded. ‘You’re good!’

  ‘I am the champion of The Chameleon Chart, you know.’ She grinned. ‘This is so much fun! Oh, I get it! What can you have anytime, but never hold? Fun! You can have fun anytime, but you can’t hold it. Look up there!’ She pointed to distract him, then flung the disc at his stomach.

  This time, he was quick to block it with his arm, sending it spinning to rest on the ground. ‘Ha! You missed.’

  They laughed together and Beth thought how it suited Zane to laugh, properly, for a change.

  Grinning at each other, it took Beth a moment to realise the air was suddenly still. The rustle of leaves had ceased. The swings slowed and stopped dead, and the round-a-bout halted. The chatters and calls of birds vanished too. Beth knew what was coming next.

  For the first time, she sighed with regret as a flash filled her eyes.

  Chapter 15

  Beth clasped her arms protectively around her body, waiting.The glare of the flash faded and she blinked. When she could see again, there were no walls surrounding her or strange structures, no trees or ocean. Instead, she was standing in the middle of an enormous flooded field, edged in the distance by a steep mountainous jungle—a very brown, burnt-looking jungle. Zane was standing nearby.

  ‘Everything’s so still,’ she said.

  ‘Hotter as well.’

  Beth glanced up. ‘I guess that’s why. Look.’ She pointed at the sky.

  Where before there had been only one sun, now there were seven—all rising in the east.

  ‘Whoa, seven suns! That’s unreal.’

  ‘Is it?’ She glanced at him. ‘You’re the space guy. Is it possible for a world to have seven suns?’

  Zane stood straighter. ‘Actually, most star systems have multiple suns, rather than just one. Although, normally there is one giant sun and the others are smaller.’ He shaded his eyes. ‘I can’t tell with this lot.’

  Behind each sun the sky was shaded in pink, peach, tangerine or fiery red, making the low-lying clouds glow. A colony of screeching bats raced across from their jungle roost, gliding on streaks of brilliant colour and multiple shadows. Beth had never seen a more beautiful sunrise. Back home the city’s heavy pollution blotted the dawn into uninspiring grey.

  Beth sighed and looked around them. In the shallow muddy water of the field, millions of bright green shoots thrust upward. Like a ruthless minefield, they were all plotted equally about a footstep apart. Something rippled between them, heading for their feet.

  ‘Not another snake!’ she cried, sloshing aside to let the long black body slither past.

  ‘At least it’s normal-sized,’ Zane said, batting away a swarm of mosquitoes. ‘Probably more scared of us.’

  A hot heavy breeze blew past them, carrying the stench of rotten eggs.

  ‘What reeks?’ Zane scrunched up his nose.

  ‘I don’t know, but we need shade. It’s way too hot here.’

  ‘Stinking hot,’ Zane grumbled. He bent to splash water on his face, then squinted into the distance.

  The flooded field stretched for kilometres, dotted by islands of rickety huts. Workers toiled beside their multiple elongated shadows. Here and there, bony buffalo munched on withered yellow shoots and lazily bellowed.

  ‘There’s people here,’ said Beth. ‘Do you think any of them have wristbands?’

  ‘We’ll check it out when we get closer,’ said Zane. ‘I’m starving. Maybe we can ask for some food too, fit for humans,’ he added, staring at the grazing animals.

  Beth chuckled. ‘Actually, we’re smack in the middle of a rice paddy.’ During a recent history lesson at school, she’d learnt how food used to be grown outdoors. Apparently they used earth, water, manure and photosynthesis before skyscraper greenhouses and tree farms took over. ‘That could explain why there are seven suns—you know, because of photosynthesis and stuff?’

  ‘Reckon they’d have salmon sushi anywhere?’ Zane asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

  ‘I thought you didn’t eat raw fish.’

  ‘Not raw fish straight from the ocean after I’ve just spewed. The two are very different.’

  Beth shook her head and crouched in the water, wetting her clothes to keep herself cool. Giant pink flowers floated on the surface, unfolding their teardrop petals into the size of dinner plates. So pretty. She tried to pick one, but it held tight to the muddy bottom. She let go as an emerald snake swam past, its hood slightly flared and a toad twitching in its jaws. ‘Okay, let’s get moving,’ she said, nodding towards the workers, though the t
hick muddy water made it hard to walk.

  As they trudged across the field, the suns rose rapidly in time with the strident beat of a million crickets. The heat soared to what felt like double anything Beth had ever experienced. Triple. Back home, the schools kept kids inside all day if temperatures tipped above twenty degrees Celsius.

  Stay indoors and cover up, Dad would say. You’ll fry in fifteen minutes out there.

  Beth tugged down her too-short sleeves and quickly divided fifteen minutes by seven. Would she burn seven times quicker with this many suns? At least Zane’s olive skin would fare better than her freckles.

  ‘This heat sucks!’ Zane stooped to grab a leaf the size of an umbrella. As he did, a tattered straw hat floated past with grubby straps trailing behind. He grabbed it and pulled it on, water dripping down his cheeks. He turned to show Beth. ‘Whoa, your face is the same colour as your hair! You’re changing into an eighth sun!’ He slapped the hat on her head. ‘You need this more than me.’

  She raised her eyebrows in surprise. ‘Thanks!’

  ‘Ew! There’s spiders on it!’ He began smacking the hat. ‘What?’ Beth whipped it off and examined it thoroughly. Her eyes narrowed at its rim. ‘There are no spiders, it’s scribbled writing—see? Confusing arrogance with courage leads to dismay. Your heart knows what it truly craves .’

  Zane rolled his eyes. ‘A stupid love poem.’

  ‘I don’t think it’s a love poem.’

  ‘It talks about hearts.’

  ‘It talks about courage too.’

  ‘Well then, you should be able to figure that one out,

  given you’re a champion and all,’ he teased. ‘Strange thing to write on a hat.’

  ‘Strange that there’s always a message waiting for us after each gateway. Do you think Kaleski left them?’

  ‘He could have come here, I s’pose. Maybe he left them as reminders for himself, like those secret messages you set to remind yourself of passwords?’

  ‘Or he left them behind for us?’

  Zane shook his head. ‘Nah, he couldn’t possibly have known we’d follow him here, wherever here is.’ He gestured around the field as if it hid a thousand other worlds. ‘How’d he know we were going to fall through his black doorway?’

  Beth resisted correcting him. Fall, pushed—what did it matter now? ‘He could have left messages for any gamer coming through the gateways. There are plenty of other gamers around.’

  ‘But why would so many people even think to break into his house?’

  ‘Because after I won The Chameleon Chart there was a message above the door of the Golden House of Fame: only champions dare to enter.’ She shrugged. ‘It was like a challenge.’

  ‘So that’s why you suggested to meet at his house.’ Zane nodded to himself.

  Beth shoved the hat back on her head as they walked. ‘So, you hate spiders?’

  Zane plucked up another leaf umbrella. ‘And heights.’ ‘And small spaces,’ Beth reminded him. ‘No wonder you didn’t enjoy survival camp.’

  He didn’t answer.

  ‘You said before you never liked it.’

  ‘Yeah.’ He looked away. ‘I hated it so much I used to hide. Like, actually hide. Dad left me at the camp gate and when I’d have to do heights or small spaces or spiders, I’d run off until everyone had finished. I don’t mind exploring, but anything else…’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m not proud of it. It worked fine, though, until Wolk started going too.’

  ‘Right.’ That explained a lot. ‘Why didn’t you just tell your dad how you felt?’

  ‘Why? He wouldn’t have listened. He’d just bark more orders and threaten. It nearly killed me.’

  Beth poked him in the side. ‘You couldn’t possibly have faced anything like horned tribesmen, monster fish or overgrown snakes.’ She snorted. ‘Seriously, itty bitty spiders? Come on!’

  Zane flicked her a half-smile and Beth hope that meant he felt better.

  ‘Anyway,’ she said, wading ahead, ‘talking of phobias—if you could watch out for any disgusting furry water rats or nasty swimming cockroaches around here, that would be great.’ She shuddered, searching the pink flowers dotting their path, fully opened as bees worked inside.

  Zane splashed her from behind. ‘There’s one!’ he teased.

  ‘Cut it out!’ Though the water felt refreshing.

  Zane kicked several more shoots, spraying water everywhere. ‘Oh, loosen up. After what we’ve been through, I reckon we could survive anywhere! Perhaps we’re meant to have fun again, like in that grassy place?’

  For some reason, the idea of having fun here made Beth feel irritated.

  ‘It’s too hot for fun,’ she said, pulling down the brim of her hat. ‘We should save our energy in case there’s a real challenge ahead. Like more tribesmen in that jungle or another monster.’ She waved her arms about, trying to imitate a Hupuleq. With the seven suns now spaced evenly across the sky, like floodlights on an amphitheatre, her every movement sent a flurry of shadows across the water. She mimed a few more moves before sweat drenched her body.

  ‘What were you saying about saving energy?’ asked Zane.

  ‘Right.’

  Zane inhaled deeply. ‘It really is too hot for fun. Look.’ All around them, rice shoots were wilting and turning yellow. Beth licked cracked lips, wishing for a cold drink or even one of the homemade ice blocks her father froze last summer—the summer he still had his job. She glanced down at the muddy water, thirsty. There was no telling how full of germs it might be, not to mention buffalo poop. ‘Is the water getting shallower?’ she asked, watching her shins. The water level seemed to be shrinking fast as if let out by a plug.

  ‘I don’t know, but it might have something to do with that.’ Zane pointed up.

  Beth squinted out from under her hat. Above them the seven suns were darting about, exchanging positions and bumping roughly into each other as if wrestling. ‘What are they doing?’

  ‘They’re fighting,’ a shy voice spoke behind them, ‘trying to chase each other from the sky.’

  Beth spun around, recognising the voice—though she couldn’t explain how or why she was hearing it. Dressed in a blue sarong and ragged white shirt was…‘Kira?’

  Chapter 16

  Beth’s eyes widened. The last time she’d seen Kira she was wearing a white robe and baking flatbreads in Sheikh Zidan’s desert palace. ‘Kira?’

  The girl before her bowed her dark head. ‘I am pleased to meet you.’ Sunlight danced on the metal tips of the quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder. She pulled them off and held them out along with a crossbow. ‘You know my name, so one of you must be the warrior we sent for, the warrior who will help us win this fight. Which one of you is the warrior?’

  Zane pointed at Beth. ‘She is. She’s BGwarrior!’

  ‘Kira,’ Beth stepped closer, ‘it’s me Beth, and Zane. We met in Sheikh Zidan’s palace, remember?’

  Kira straightened and shook her head. ‘I have never met you, Beth and Zane, nor have I ever been to a palace. We are but farmers here. Have you come to help?’

  ‘Help with what?’ Zane asked.

  Kira pointed at the seven suns. ‘They are killing our crops. Every day, as soon as we plant new shoots, they shrivel in the heat. Our paddy used to stretch to the jungle, now it’s dried to half its size. This harvest is our last hope—my village has no more rice.’

  ‘Haven’t the suns always been there?’ asked Zane, gazing at the dancing shadows.

  Kira shook her head. ‘We used to have a single sun for every day of the week. Then the suns started squabbling over who was the most important. Sunday’s sun said she made people the happiest, by shining on them during their day of rest. Monday’s sun said people wouldn’t wake for work without her. Tuesday’s sun said it helped dry out the harvest. And so on. One day, they all came out at once, and now they refuse to return to their old ways. They’re too proud to back down. They must be defeated or else we
will perish.’

  ‘I see. Just a minute, Kira.’ Zane grabbed Beth’s arm and pulled her aside to whisper. ‘Um, this is all a bit ridiculous, don’t you think? Worlds can have as many suns and moons as you like, the universe is a big place. But suns don’t move around like that. Ever. And they certainly don’t play chase. They’re not alive!’

  Beth studied his face for a moment, then shook her head. ‘Look, we’ve been shunted from world to world through I don’t know how many gateways now, facing all kinds of beasts with different abilities, and clearly in this world suns play chase. Look at them, they’re doing it right now. What’s more worrying,’ she said pulling on some hair to chew, ‘is that Kira doesn’t recognise us.’

  Zane glanced over his shoulder. ‘If that’s even her.’ Beth looked back at Kira’s sad eyes, which were staring out over the parched rice field. She felt certain this was Kira from the sheikh’s palace. Then again, the marketplace seemed so long ago; the day she won The Chameleon Chart a lifetime ago, somebody else’s life… Was she already losing her mind like Jumbie, DaveT and those beggars?

  She glanced at her wrists. Yes, there were the white bands. Two segments left of each circle. She hadn’t lost her mind yet. ‘Kira,’ Beth wondered aloud, ‘did you always come from here?’

  ‘Of course. That’s my family’s village over there, Semuik. Few people live there now. Even my parents and three brothers left to search for food. I stayed to help the warrior restore order when they arrived. Then everyone can return.’ She drew a long arrow from her quiver and turned to Beth. ‘Surely she who has hair the colour of the rising suns is the warrior who will help us?’

  ‘There’s something about her I don’t trust,’ Zane whispered.

  ‘I think we’ll have to for now,’ Beth whispered back. ‘Do you see the next gateway?’

  Zane peered around the field and shrugged.

  ‘The suns are cunning,’ Kira warned when they turned back to her. ‘They know it’s impossible to take proper aim. And they know how quickly humans succumb to their heat.’ She glanced at Beth’s pale skin. Then she twanged her crossbow. ‘But if you ambush them at midday, when they align to admire their shadowless rays, we will have a chance. Will you help kill them?’