Humble Beginnings (Tri System's Edge Series Book 1)

by Ron Schrader

  “Look, first of all, it’s rare for someone to get away after being bitten, but every time that’s ever happened, the victim turned. What I did . . . we don’t even know for sure if it will last.”

  With those words, Kalla immediately remembered the visions, the pain she’d experienced watching others turn. “You think I could still turn into one of those . . . those things?” she asked, fighting to hold back the concern and worry that began to overpower her.

  “Hey, there’s a pretty good chance I saved you from that,” Jarek said in an effort to calm her down. “There’s no need to worry about something that hasn’t even happened yet.”

  “A good chance?” Kalla said sarcastically. “But what if it doesn’t last? I’d rather be dead than become one of them!” she yelled as she bolted to her feet and sprang to the opening of the cave. She figured that either Jarek really had saved her and the fall wouldn’t hurt her, or she’d avoid turning into a Vie by ending her life.

  Quickly reaching the exit, she jumped toward it only to realize too late that she didn’t really want to go out this way. Beginning a fast freefall toward the ground several hundred meters below, she frantically threw her hands at the rock wall now rapidly passing her by, hoping for a miracle. To her surprise and relief, Kalla’s fingers caught hold of a jagged section of the wall, stopping her fall instantly and with ease.

  How did . . . ? A rush of adrenaline maybe? she wondered. But she knew her velocity was too great for a normal person to just stop like she had. The reality slowly set in as she looked up the cliff, realizing that she had to have fallen well over one hundred meters, and yet she was still able to grab the wall and stop.

  She was not the same person that had landed on this rock, and in that moment, it was clear to her that Jarek had saved her life; she was like him now, and everything would be all right.

  Just then she heard yelling from above, a voice she shouldn’t be able to hear so clearly from this distance, but she could.

  “Let me know if you need any help,” Jarek called down to her.

  Having proven to herself what she already knew deep down, Kalla began her ascent back to the cave, able to climb the wall with an ease that wasn’t humanly possible. But she wasn’t human anymore. In a matter of minutes, Kalla made it back to the opening of the cave, where she found Jarek still sitting in his chair, patiently waiting for her.

  “Are the bite marks still on your wrist?” he asked.

  Kalla slowly lifted her arm to find two small pinkish scars just above her hand on the underside of her forearm. A feeling of gratitude encompassed her as she thought about what Jarek had done for her; about the potential risk he’d taken to save her life. She didn’t know how he’d possibly found her that night, but she was glad he did.

  Standing with her back to him, she gently ran her fingers over the faint scars on her wrist. “Yes,” she said. “I can feel them. Thank you for saving me.” She sat down and turned to face him. “But how did you find me in the first place?”

  “I was out hunting Vie and saw your ship go down. I knew that anyone stupid enough to land on the valley floor—especially at night—would need some help, so I headed in your direction. Just wasn’t fast enough. There were two of them on your back just after you hit the ground. I think I counted about five bite marks. It’s just good that I got to you before those bites turned into missing body parts. Once I got rid of the Vie, I bit into your arm, hoping that whatever saved me might do the same for you. It just didn’t seem right to leave you there and do nothing.”

  Kalla blushed and looked away with a playful smile as Jarek continued.

  “So what were you doing down there hunting them anyway? I mean, I’m glad you were, but if it’s so dangerous . . .”

  “The lower valley is flooded with them, thousands of them, I think, and they are always hunting, day and night.”

  “How are there so many of them?” Kalla asked.

  “A lot of them—maybe hundreds—are the originals. Like my father and grandfather. Over the years there’s been a lot of attacks too, so I’m sure some were turned. But with numbers like they have today, I think they’re breeding. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “So does anyone still live down there?”

  “Up until maybe ten years ago there were still people living in the city, but it’s just too dangerous now.”

  “Yeah, I saw a city from my ship on the way down. That’s where my crew and I were headed.”

  “Well, even if you’d made it there, it wouldn’t have changed things. The Vie eventually forced the survivors in the city to move on top of the cliffs. Nowadays, it’s overrun with them. I don’t exactly care much for the people who drove me out, but I hate the Vie a lot more, so I’ve been trying to help them become an endangered species. The mist makes it tough, though—blankets the ground, protects them from both me and the sun, so they can be hard to find sometimes.”

  “The sun?” she asked with some surprise. “They hide from the sun?”

  “Yeah. Let me show you.” Jarek stood and walked toward the entrance of the cave. “Hop on my back,” he said, motioning his hand for Kalla to join him.

  Intrigued and a little excited, she walked over and put her arms around his neck. She held on tight as he jumped out of the opening and slid down the rock, using his hands to control his descent.

  Once they reached the ground, Kalla let go and followed Jarek into the mist. It was the first time she’d been back since her encounter with the Vie, and she felt anxious and excited.

  It didn’t take long for Jarek to draw the attention of a small pack, and within minutes they were surrounded. Kalla stayed close to Jarek, still uncertain about her own abilities, though she held her dagger tightly in her hand as a precaution.

  “Get down!” Jarek yelled as the wave of Vie suddenly charged. She obeyed and watched in awe as Jarek gracefully waved his sword as each attacker approached, leaving only the last one alive but missing its legs.

  “Impressive,” Kalla said, now staring into the face of the only living Vie in their midst.

  Up close to a living Vie for the first time, Kalla was taken aback some by what she saw. The creature’s body was thin yet muscular in a way that was still very humanlike. But it did not look human at all. Its body was covered by a black, rubbery skin that appeared smooth and shiny, and it was completely devoid of hair.

  Its long, wiry arms lashed out in a slashing motion, its long, sharp claws extending from all five fingers. Its head was slightly larger than a human head, with two round eyes, black in color but dull, with a bright red pupil in the center. But the teeth—they were the most threatening part. Two sharp fangs sat on top of the mouth with slightly smaller versions at the bottom, resting just in between the two top teeth. Around the rest of the mouth, Kalla could see several other teeth, significantly smaller, but pointed like tiny arrows.

  Its legs, though gone below the knees and now resting on the ground next to the injured Vie, looked similar to its arms—long and wiry. But the feet were unusually fat, with clawlike toes that pointed downward, giving its feet the ability to grip the ground for increased traction, or any prey it might come across.

  Kalla watched Jarek remove a thin wire cable from his belt and walk over to the disabled Vie. As it lashed out at him, he grabbed the arms and quickly slipped the loop of the cable in place around its wrists.

  “Let’s go,” he said as he began walking back to the cliff. “The sun should be up soon.”

  ~

  Leading the way, Kalla was the first to reach the opening of the cave. She climbed inside and looked down to see Jarek close behind, the Vie hanging from the cable attached to his waist. When he reached the opening, he climbed inside and sat on the edge. With almost no effort, he slid the cable up his torso and over his head, hanging it on a metal spike protruding from the rock.

  As the first rays of sunlight began to appear, the Vie started to scream as though it was being dissected alive. Within seconds, smoke
began pouring from its body as it began to burn.

  Understanding her connection with the Vie, she stepped into the sunlight to find her own skin burned too. She instinctively stepped back into the shadows of the cave.

  “It won’t hurt you,” Jarek said. “It burns a little, but you get used to it.”

  Kalla just nodded but stayed out of the light.

  Ten minutes later the thrashing and screeching stopped; the Vie was dead. Kalla continued to watch as the charred remains gradually turned to ash and blew away in the morning breeze.

  “The fog on the valley floor lets them roam day and night down there, and as you now know, makes it a bit hard to find and catch them.”

  “But it sure helps when you’re stronger and faster than they are,” Kalla added, having seen him in action.

  “Yeah, it’s a nice advantage, but I still need to warn you about large numbers. Avoid them. It’s not worth the risk.”

  “But I thought you . . . we . . . were pretty much invincible? If a bullet to the head can’t kill you, how could a Vie?”

  Jarek paused for a moment before finally responding. “Look, we might be stronger, faster, and smarter than the Vie, but I got in over my head one time. If enough of them come at you all at once, they just might be able to kill you.”

  Kalla walked back to the rock slab and sat down. “Are we still human?” Kalla asked with some hesitancy. She felt good, strong, even fearless, but wondered about her humanity now. Could she still love? Could she still experience life like before, or would she lose herself to this thing she’d become? Could she still eventually turn into a Vie?

  “Not quite sure how to answer that,” Jarek offered, “but I’ve been this way for over half of my life now, and what I do know is that I’m stronger and faster than ten of those monsters combined. Sunlight stings my eyes a little, even burns my skin if I stay out in it too long, but I don’t get sick, and . . .” Jarek pulled a small blade from his belt and cut deep into his left arm, holding it in plain view for Kalla to see. “When I get hurt, it heals pretty fast.”

  Kalla watched in awe as the cut in Jarek’s arm began to mend itself. And moments later, there wasn’t a sign of injury, not even a scar.

  “I don’t seem to age very fast either, and while I still need some rest, I can go on for days with no sleep. There’s definitely some nice advantages to being what we are.”

  The two sat and talked until the sun made its way across the sky, ushering in another clear night on Paradise. Though Kalla was enjoying her new self, she also felt a little overwhelmed with everything that had happened to her in such a short time. As the sun finally disappeared from the sky, she turned toward Jarek

  “Can I be alone for a while?” She asked, wanting some time to process everything. Jarek only nodded as he stood and walked back into the cave and out of her view.

  Kalla walked over to the familiar rock slab and sat down, her mind racing as she thought about what had happened. Aurelia would have loved this, she thought with a smile as she reached down and gripped the blade handle at her side.

  She began to reminisce about the good times they’d had together and how Aurelia had been more like a mother to her than a mentor or friend. They’d had their share of adventure, but Aurelia had also loved her when no one else would, saving her from the streets. Her death just wasn’t fair. If only we’d found Paradise sooner, she thought for a moment. But that was all in the past now. She could only move forward, doing her best to keep the promise she’d made on Aurelia’s deathbed, the promise of finding a better life.

  ~

  Her mind drifted off for what seemed like just a moment, but when she came back from the trance, the morning rays of sunlight had once again filled the opening of the cave. She stared out into the open sky, watching the sunlight slowly grow while her mind processed this reality that logic told her must be a dream. Only she wasn’t dreaming, which she became more certain of as her eyes began to burn from looking out into the sunlight now resting on the small planet of Paradise.

  It was a beautiful new day and she was a new being, no longer the weak and flawed human that had made the unavoidable error of landing here. She had been reborn with a powerful gift, and she had a plan. Fix her ship, get off this rock, and finish what she’d started. Just one more deal and she’d keep that promise to Aurelia. And her new abilities were going to ensure she’d be successful.

  Chapter 5

  As morning became afternoon, the bright rays of sunlight shot directly into the stone dwelling where Kalla sat thinking, still taking in all that had happened in such a short time. In spite of what Jarek had told her about the sunlight, she still kept her distance as it burned enough to cause discomfort if she let it touch her too long. Even looking at the light burned her eyes, which she wasn’t happy about.

  “The burning will fade,” Jarek said as he entered the room. “It will always be hot, more than you’re used to, but it won’t hurt you. And with enough time, you won’t really think about it much anymore.”

  Kalla didn’t respond right away, lost in thought, wishing she could be at home on her ship. She was ready to leave this place and get on with her life. “Jarek?” she finally spoke as she quickly stood and faced him. “How would you like to get off this waste of a planet?”

  “I thought you said your ship was broken?” he responded with a lack of enthusiasm. “Kind of tough to fly a broken ship, I imagine.” Jarek turned away from her and stretched for a moment, casually surveying the world outside the cave.

  “It is broken, but we didn’t crash, it was more of an emergency landing. Besides, the people who came here before you were born—your father and grandfather—they had ships, right? Someone has got to have the parts I need.” She watched as Jarek stood there with his back still facing her. “Don’t you want to get away from this place?” she questioned in a frustrated tone.

  Jarek kept his back to her, unwilling to turn and respond.

  “We’re friends now, aren’t we?” she asked. “Help me fix my ship and you can come with me. You deserve more than this cave.”

  After Kalla finished talking, Jarek finally began to move, only not as she’d expected. Instead of turning toward her with a response, he turned toward the other room and walked out of her line of sight.

  In confusion and disbelief, she stood there, holding back a sudden feeling of anger and resentment toward him. Then, in the blink of an eye, she just snapped, unable to contain her feelings. She jumped to her feet with a growl and ran through the doorway Jarek had entered just moments ago, fists clenched. Barely making it two feet into the room at the other end of the hallway, Kalla immediately felt Jarek’s tight grip around her neck, rapidly forcing her backward until her body collided with the cold stone floor.

  “I almost forgot about that,” Jarek said with a slight chuckle. “You’ll need to work on controlling that anger, especially if you plan to be around regular people anytime soon.” He held her firmly by the neck and shoulders, pushing his weight against her while her senses slowly returned. “You calm again?” he asked after a couple minutes, obviously hesitant to loosen the grip that kept her securely against the floor.

  Kalla nodded sheepishly, a little embarrassed about what she’d just done. It was as if an unknown force in her mind had securely locked her logical self in a cage, allowing her to see what she was doing, but with no control to stop herself.

  “I . . . I’m sorry,” she said with some reluctance. “I don’t know why I just got so mad.”

  “It’s fine,” Jarek said, interrupting her apology. “You’ve been through a lot. Besides, it’s not like you can hurt me.”

  Still pinned to the floor, she looked into his eyes, marveling at the thought that she couldn’t hurt him. It made her feel safe and uncertain all at once. He’d taken her to the floor like she was nothing, and now she couldn’t move. She knew that any attempt to wiggle out from under his grip would just be a waste of energy.

  He said his strength had increased over
time. She wondered, then, would her strength increase in the same fashion? She certainly couldn’t match his strength right now, but would that change in time? At that moment, Kalla began to embrace what she’d become. She smiled up at him. “I’m okay now,” she said, expecting him to let her up.

  Jarek slowly released his grip around her neck, then held one hand out to help her up off the floor. As their eyes met, his smile twitched and he glanced away. The twitch in his lip revealed something she hadn’t noticed before: a fang-like tooth.

  She pulled away from him involuntarily and backed against the wall, realizing for the first time how the scar on her wrist had been made.

  Exploring her own teeth with her tongue, she discovered four incisors protruding just a little farther than all the rest. She touched her lip with her finger, feeling the bumps the teeth created.

  “Wondered when you’d figure that out,” he said with a smile.

  Kalla’s eyebrows narrowed as she scowled at him. “What’s with the teeth?” she questioned.

  “Another benefit?” he replied with a shrug.

  “How are deformed teeth a benefit? And what happens when people see me like this?”

  “They’re really not that noticeable,” he said, walking toward a large rock next to the wall across from where Kalla stood. “You didn’t even realize you had them until you caught a peek at mine.”

  “Okay, I’ll give you that,” she responded in agreement. “But how are they a benefit?” she asked again, still exploring her mouth with her finger. She watched as he looked around the room, apparently trying to come up with a response. After waiting long enough, she finally spoke up. “I just need to get out of here for a bit.”

  “Wait,” Jarek called out as she walked away.

  “Please,” she yelled back. “Just give me some time alone.” As she walked toward the entrance of the cave, the sun was still shining. Kalla purposely stepped into the light, but she could only handle the burning sensation for a few seconds before instinct brought her back into the shade of the cave.