by J. F. Penn
25
Rangi had never seen his grandmother react this way before.
Lucy started to pull the string over her head to give it to Aroha, but his grandmother put her hands out.
"No, no. It's yours. I feel it. No other can carry this."
Aroha stood and walked to Rangi. She leaned close.
"You were meant to meet this girl," she said as she clutched his hand with gnarled fingers. "As a young boy, you would sit here and take in all the stories of the gods. You would say the karakia prayers with a pure heart. They have not forgotten you, even though you were lost to us for many years." She nodded towards Lucy. "Protect her as she takes the taonga north to Te Rerenga Wairua – the leaping-off place where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld. That is what you were born to do."
Rangi bent and wrapped his big arms around his grandmother. Her frail body had a strength in it that seemed greater than his massive bulk.
"How do I know what to do?" he whispered. "I need your help."
Aroha pulled out of his embrace. She shook her head.
"No, boy. You don't need my help. Just listen to the wind, to the earth, to the pulse of your blood that beats with the heart of Aotearoa. You were named for Ranginui, god of the sky. This is your land." She looked over at Lucy. "This is her land, too. Only Maori and Pakeha together can appease the Risen Gods now."
A rumble came from deep within the earth.
The ground rippled. The walls of the meeting house shook.
Screams came from outside as a massive quake hit.
"Time is running out," Aroha said, her eyes wide. "You must go now, or the earth will soon mourn the passing of this land."
The quake intensified, shaking them to their knees. A mighty crack came from outside and screams filled the air.
A man ran inside, bracing himself against the pillars of the meeting house as he struggled to stay upright.
"There's been an eruption," he shouted. "Tongariro. It's blowing. Aroha, we need to get you out of here."
Rangi crawled to Lucy. She cradled Amber's head in her arms, sheltering her in case the building should crumble.
"We have to go, Lucy," Rangi said.
"I can't leave Amber," Lucy said. "I left her before and put her in danger."
Aroha came to kneel next to Amber and took the girl's pale hand in her own.
"Look at me, girl," she said to Lucy. Her voice was strong. Lucy obeyed, meeting the old woman's dark eyes. "Your sister is held captive by the same forces that now wreak havoc on the land. Her body is linked to your quest now." Aroha pointed at Lucy's pendant. "You are chosen to take the taonga north. When the land is saved, Amber will wake. If you refuse …" She shook her head. "Then hope is lost, and we have squandered our chance."
Tears ran down Lucy's face. "I didn't ask for this," she whispered.
Aroha chuckled. "Do you think the gods ask our permission?" She placed her hand on Amber's forehead, stroking the girl's brow. "I'll look after her, but your sister will grow weaker as the country suffers. She will die with it, unless you take up this quest. Go now or all is lost."
Lucy bent and kissed Amber's cheek.
"I'll be back," she whispered. She stood and turned to Rangi. "I'm ready."
They drove north again, back around the lake and into the forest. Every kilometer away from Amber made Lucy's heart sink further. Would she ever see her sister again? Was she doing the right thing? She clutched the pendant around her neck. Back in the marae, Aroha's words had seemed right and real. She believed in the quest. But now … What did she think she was doing?
As they emerged from the trees out onto the main road, Rangi gasped. Lucy looked up at the sound.
To the southwest, huge clouds billowed in hues of grey and black, belching from the volcano at Tongariro. They hung heavy in the sky, slow-moving but inexorably blowing over the land.
"Ruaumoko wakes," Rangi said. "We can't go back through Taupo. It'll be chaos."
He turned north towards Whakatane and Tauranga. As they drove along the coast of the Bay of Plenty, Lucy looked out to the forbidding ocean. There was danger on all sides as the land she loved had turned against its people. She thought of Ben. Was he safe? Would she ever see him again?
26
Rage flowed through Ben as he knelt in the midst of destruction.
No more, he thought.
He would not let Gina die in vain, and he would honor Tamati's memory. He touched the talismans around his neck. He would get them north. For Grandfather. For Gina. For Lucy, if she was still out there. But now, he had to get out of town and back to the road.
He ran, away from the sirens and sounds of chaos. His muscles ached and he panted and gasped, but the physical movement anchored him. He was still alive. He ran until his rage ebbed and his grief dimmed a little.
He finally stopped on the edge of Whakarewarewa Forest. The sun cast lines of saffron light into the western sky, while bands of purple and blue crept into the east. Ben sat down to catch his breath, his back against a thick totara tree. Birdsong filtered through the trees. Despite the destruction, the world continued to turn. He closed his eyes and rested for a moment.
A rustle came from the trees behind him.
Ben remained still and silent. He didn't have the strength to fight anymore.
He heard a stomp followed by a soft whicker and opened his eyes. A brown horse with a black mane stepped from the shadows and walked towards him. Ben held his hand out, palm up.
"Here, boy," he said quietly.
The horse came closer and ducked its head into Ben’s hand, encouraging him to give it a rub between the ears.
"Hey, buddy. Ever been to Auckland?"
His grandfather had taught him how to ride. The two had explored the woods and trails of the South Island when Ben was young. As he'd become older and more fascinated with horsepower over horses, Ben had lost interest. His grandfather believed that the animals had a deep connection to the earth goddess, Papatuanuku. Whatever the connection, Ben was glad of the companionship now. He stood and stroked the horse's flank. Its warmth comforted him.
He wrapped his hand into the thick mane and pulled himself onto the horse's back. It pranced a little, then relaxed.
"There, boy," he said, stroking it and willing himself to calm, knowing that the highly sensitive creature would pick up his emotions.
"North, then," he said after a minute. He gave the horse a little nudge with his heels and they trotted through the forest. Ben used the position of the sun to make sure they kept a northerly direction.
A little later, they emerged onto a ridge overlooking a shadowed valley. The horse stopped, stomping a little. It pawed at the ground.
Ben patted its neck as it whinnied.
"Something here you don’t like. I get it," Ben said. "We'll be alright. C'mon."
He gave the horse a gentle nudge with his heel and they rode into the valley. A creek cut through the middle. The water ran northeast and wound through dense, old-growth trees.
Ben dismounted and the horse bent to drink from the creek. He dropped to his knees and splashed handfuls of water on his face, washing the ash and mud from his skin. Dark swirls formed in the water and tears pricked his eyes as he thought of Gina and Tamati, both taken by something he couldn't possibly triumph over. Ben clenched his fists. No, he thought. There must be a way. I have to find it.
The horse whinnied again and pawed at the ground, tossing its mane. Ben rose to calm it, but it reared up on its hind legs and kicked at the air. It turned and galloped east, away from the creek and out of the valley.
Something had spooked it.
Ben stood in stillness as the sound of its hoofbeats faded. Water gurgled over the rocks, but the forest was silent. Then, he heard a gurgle and a wet sucking sound that came from beneath the creek.
The bank shifted. Suddenly, a huge hole opened up. A gigantic reptilian head poked out, covered in slick, green scales. Its yellow eyes flickered towards Ben and the creature
’s forked tongue stabbed at the air. Ben froze as it emerged fully. It had to be seven feet long.
He remembered his grandfather's stories of the taniwha, the guardian of sacred places. The giant lizard opened its mouth and hissed, a dank sound of wet and dark places where the dead rotted under weeds and rocks. Tendrils of black smoke escaped with its breath.
Ben scrambled back from the creek's edge as the creature clawed its way towards him. Its tail thrashed behind, whipping the water into froth.
Ben turned and ran, stumbling through the rocky landscape, slipping on the wet stones. The taniwha was fast over its own terrain. Its footsteps slapped the ground, hissing only yards behind. Ben knew those claws would rake him to the bone if he fell. He dashed around trees and under low-hanging branches, the sour stench of rot coming closer.
His foot struck an embedded rock and he fell. The top half of his body hit the cold water and his knees scraped the bank. He rolled over. The taniwha was less than five yards away.
Ben scrambled to his feet and winced with the pain. The ligament of his left ankle sent a sharp pain up his leg. He pushed through it, climbing over the bank and back on to dry land as the taniwha snapped at his heels. He ran, searching his memory for anything that could help him. Then, he remembered a story his grandfather had told him long ago.
Ben turned away from the creek and clambered up the hill, towards the ridge where he had descended earlier. He pulled his way up the hillside, grabbing on to the exposed roots. The taniwha climbed after him, but its speed slowed uphill.
"C’mon, you ugly-ass lizard," he shouted. "Follow me."
As it climbed, the creature's scales turned from dark green to a light grey. It began to wheeze.
Ben turned and waited for the monster at the top of the ridge. The creek was fifty yards below now, on the floor of the valley. He had remembered that the ancient guardian drew its energy from water – luring it away made the taniwha less powerful.
At least it gave him a chance.
Ben grabbed a dead branch from the forest floor. He swung it like a sword, getting a feel for the weight and reach.
The taniwha emerged from the incline. Ben swung the branch at the creature and struck it on the side of its head. There was a wet, popping sound and the taniwha hissed, clawing at him.
One of the sharp talons caught his arm, slashing it open. Bright blood spilled to the earth. The pain focused Ben, and he redoubled his efforts.
He darted to one side and lunged with one motion, the branch up behind his head, ready to strike. Before the taniwha could reach him, Ben slammed the branch down hard on the top of the creature’s head. The taniwha’s skull cracked, and the branch snapped in half. Ben took a step back as the creature moaned, just a dying animal now.
It stumbled, its eyes focused on the creek below. But its home was too far away.
The creature’s scales turned from grey to white. Its eyes dulled. It sank down to the leafy forest floor, collapsing as it died. Ben watched as the taniwha’s body shriveled, its scales burning into ash from an unseen flame. Tendrils of dark smoke dissipated into the air.
Ben sat down heavily, stilling his breathing as the sounds of the forest returned. The bubbling of water from the creek was peaceful again. His arm flamed with pain, his whole body ached, and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest on the cool moss of the forest floor.
But the talismans still tugged him north.
I’ve come too far, he thought. I can’t stop now.
He pulled himself up against a tree and walked to the end of the ridge. Through the trees, he could see a road. He broke into a jog. The pain from his twisted ankle flared but Ben ran through it, determined now.
He pushed through the trees to where the road split the forest. It ran parallel with the creek, north to south. He scanned the trees for any sign of the horse, but his four-legged friend was nowhere to be seen.
Ben took a deep breath and hobbled north along the shoulder of the road. His mouth felt like cotton and his head ached. At least it took his focus from his swelling ankle and the gash in his arm.
The throbbing sound of an engine came from the south. He had to get to Auckland, and he wouldn't be able to get there on foot. He stuck out his thumb and turned to face the oncoming vehicle.
A battered red van turned the corner. An old woman sat behind the wheel, her silver hair tied into a bun on the top of her head. She pulled up next to Ben and wound down the window.
"Need a ride?" she asked.
"Yes, thanks for stopping." Ben got in, his nose wrinkling at the meaty smell inside.
The woman noticed his reaction. "Don't mind the smell, love. It's pet food. I was on a supply run for my pet store when this all happened. I sell reptiles."
"Great," said Ben. "Just great."
27
Lucy and Rangi finally made it over the Bombay Hills and into Auckland late that afternoon. Even taking it in turns to drive, the long slow route in piles of traffic meant it took much longer than expected. The mundanity of traffic jams seemed to indicate all was well in the world, but the ash cloud from the south grew thicker, tendrils seeping to the edge of New Zealand's most densely populated area.
"We need to get further north," Rangi said. "This isn't over yet. There are those who believe that Auckland is well overdue for an eruption, and if Ruaumoko is woken …"
His voice trailed off. He shook his head, his shoulders slumped. Lucy could hear exhaustion in his voice. She knew how he felt.
"We also need rest and food," she said. "My aunt is in Takapuna, not too far off the road north. We could rest there before we push on."
Lucy drove them over the Harbor Bridge, glancing out across the city to the east and the Waitakere Range to the west. She and Ben had sailed here many times over the years, sometimes paired on racing yachts, other times competing separately on the Moths or other boats. They had both won their share of gold cups since they were children. They used to keep a tally, but Lucy couldn't even remember anymore who had won the most. Crazy to think they had once cared about such things.
She turned off the highway towards Takapuna Beach, but as they reached her aunt's road, Lucy continued straight on. She couldn't face talking about her parents' death or Amber's sickness. She didn't know what the hell was going on, but if she saw her aunt, she would crumble. She would weep for what she had lost and crawl into bed and curl up and sleep for days. And there was no time for that now.
"Are you OK?" Rangi asked, as Lucy pulled into a carpark on the edge of Takapuna Beach.
She got out of the car and walked over to the sea wall. The coastal wind was strong off the ocean and she pulled her fleece tighter around her. Rangi came to stand next to her and they both looked out towards Rangitoto Island, the perfect cone of the dormant volcano that sat in the Hauraki Gulf, the gateway to Auckland Harbor. The island was ringed with pohutukawa and rata trees, the deep green of the foliage standing out against the opal blue waters surrounding it. But beneath the waves, the creatures of the ocean waited. Lucy shuddered, thinking of the Strait crossing, the nightmare that had taken its fill of the dead.
A shadow passed overhead, the first clouds beginning to darken the sky.
Rangi looked up. "Looks like a storm's coming."
"What are we even doing here?" Lucy said. "I should be with Amber. That's why I couldn't stop at my aunt's place – I just don't know how to explain anything."
Rangi turned to her, his dark eyes kind. "I only know that for the first time in years, I have a purpose. To protect you and take you north. The gods will play their hand, but while I still have breath, I'll be with you."
His words made Lucy smile despite the turmoil inside. She had lost so much, but she had found an unlikely friend in this man.
The chill wind picked up even more. It grew darker as black clouds scudded across the sky.
"Ash from the south?" Lucy said, looking up.
"Maybe," Rangi replied. "But look out there."
The top of the islan
d glowed in the rising darkness, a red halo above the ring of its cone that pulsed scarlet into the clouds above.
"Bloody sky," Rangi whispered. "It's the Maori name for the volcano. The iwi hold its eruption in tribal memory. They saw its destructive path six hundred years ago."
A deep rumble came from across the gulf. Lucy imagined molten rock rising within the volcano, pushing against the boulders that held the lava within.
"We need to go," Rangi said, reaching for her hand. "We can't help here. We can only take the taonga north."
Ben hopped out of the van at the edge of the Viaduct and thanked the old woman. He slammed the door shut and turned to face the harbor. Crowds of people down by the waterfront looked out towards Rangitoto Island. Even as the sky darkened above them, many filmed on their phones, faces alive with excitement. Others watched warily as they clutched the hands of their children. Above the wind, the sound of sirens split the air.
A red haze hovered over the volcano, sparks shooting up into the black clouds that squatted above it. Ben thought he saw creatures in the smoke, with fangs and wings like contaminated angels.
He turned to a spiky-haired teenager who leaned against a lamp post smoking a cigarette as if everything were still right in the world.
"What’s going on?" Ben asked.
"Rangitoto. Shit’s about to erupt. It's the end of the world, man."
Ben shook his head. If this was the 'big one,' Auckland would be smothered by tons of ash and the Risen Gods would win.
He couldn't let that happen.
The talismans pulsed against his skin and he felt that overwhelming need to go further north again. Perhaps there was still time.
Ben pushed through the throng of spectators into the back streets, deserted now as people hurried to watch, oblivious to the impending disaster. A motorcycle leaned against the wall, key still in the ignition, abandoned as the downtown area had filled with people. But now, the streets were almost empty and Ben was sure he could make it out of town.