Winter's Fury - Volume Two of The Saga of the Twelves

by Richard M. Heredia

  Hyun nodded, then pointed at Joaquin. “I think we should also have a day or two worth of some sort of travel food in each backpack. If we get separated or something, at least we’d have something edible to keep up our strength until we reunite or… whatever.”

  Marianna felt like a bobble-head. The conversation was darting around her, rapid fire, staccato.

  “That’s a great idea! Almost all the food and other supplies will be in the shopping carts and most likely lashed to Kodiak and Kenai. If we have to disperse in a rush, we could do so without fear of going hungry,” uttered Anthony.

  Marianna watched Derek turn toward Hyun, beaming as if she were a genius.

  “Speaking of the carts,” interjected Jason. “I was thinking we should lose the sleds too. We should hack off the wheels, which we don’t need, and replace them with some of the skis they have back in that corner over there.”

  They all gazed over to the Sporting Goods section of the store.

  “Skis have a longer, wider surface. They run much smoother and higher in snow than the blades of a sled, so it take as much strength to haul them over land, uphill even. Over rough terrain, they’ll fly as long as there’s enough snow on the ground. Plus, the carts won’t be as top heavy as they are right now. We won’t have to worry about them tipping as much – we could travel much faster, cover more ground.”

  “Dude, I knew there was reason why we kept your monkey ass around here,” was Joaquin’s reaction. It was a compliment, just a weird one.

  There were chuckles and giggles all around.

  Anthony asked, “What else could we do? Anyone have any more ideas that might improve our situation?”

  The silence grew as some of them dropped into deep thought. The others looked from face to face to see if anyone had thought of anything else.

  “What about weapons?” inquired Andrew, glancing around, sitting up a bit straighter.

  Marianna’s brow tightened.

  Weapons?

  “What about them, Drew?”

  “Well, Ant, some of us might not need weapons, because of the Gifts they have, but only some of us control them right now. Until the rest of us figure out ours, and how we’re supposed to use them, it might be a good idea to have something handy to protect ourselves. You know, just in case.”

  Marianna could see he wanted a weapon for himself. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to make sure everyone else felt good about it. He hates feeling vulnerable, she understood of a sudden, feeling her heart clinch in her chest. That’s waaaay too adorable! She wanted to kiss him again, as she had when they were searching for clothes.

  “Besides,” began Joaquin furthering Andrew’s case, “think about Jason bitch-slapping that Klürg earlier today. I mean he took it out clean. Think about when he and Mikalah took out the Isig-Pjäs and its’ pack. Of course, Elena was a big help too and it’s true that all those creatures were big. They were strong, but they weren’t a Jötun or an Isighünd. Would he or she have been able to fend one of those things off with just their fists? I don’t know, but I sure as hell wouldn’t want to find out they couldn’t in the heat of battle, if you get my meaning.”

  There were some nods as Marianna made herself pay attention. There were many things spoken that seemed important, downright crucial. You can kiss him later.

  “I take it you guys have more to tell us about the Melded World than you’ve told us so far,” commented Derek.

  Anthony looked over at Joaquin, a slight frown on his face.

  The large teen put his hands up, palms forward. “I told them what they needed to know to survive. It was all I could do with the small amount of time there was while you patched up Hyun.” He shrugged. “I didn’t have minutes to spare to go into our little battle in the cave.”

  “Battle?” inquired Hyun.

  “What cave?” wondered Marianna aloud.

  Anthony pursed his lips. “Well, we’ll get into all that later, I guess.” He huffed, peering back at Joaquin. “No worries, man. We’ll fill them in soon.”

  Joaquin said nothing, nodded. “That aside, I still think it’s best if we looked for some sort of weapons for ourselves.”

  They exchanged glances.

  “Imagine Jason with say a baseball bat. What kinda damage would he be able to do if he just some simple old fashion sport’s equipment in his hands? I bet you he could do a whole lot more than with just his fists.” He raised his eyebrows. “It doesn’t have to be anything sharp. It doesn’t have to be something designed to be a weapon in the first place. It only has to be able to function as one, right?” He was staring at each of them, searching for consensus.

  “You have a good point,” said Anthony. He paused in thought for a moment. “Are any of you proficient with a weapon? I mean a real one,” he asked, looking at each of them.

  Marianna felt herself blush. She was dreading the stereotypical looks she would no doubt receive when she opened her mouth in the affirmative. Uneasy, she raised her hand.

  “What weapon can you use, Marianna?” queried Anthony, a little excited, his eyes bright with anticipation.

  Andrew drew away from her, his eyes boring down on her in mild shock.

  “But don’t laugh, ok? Promise?”

  Anthony’s expression twisted into confusion. “Ok.”

  “Well… I am pretty good with a bow and arrow…,” she said it as fast as she could and then glared at them daring them to respond with laughter.

  Only Andrew, at her side, reacted. He exploded with loud, whopping guffaws that almost brought the rest of them to tears, trying to hold back their mirth.

  Marianna elbowed him in the ribs and got a satisfactory ouch! from him. He stopped laughing at once as she snarled, “You dick!”

  “Awww, that hurt!” he exclaimed, rubbing at his side.

  “Good!”

  “How… um, how good are you?” wondered Anthony, trying, with enough of a head on his shoulders, to keep a straight face. Even then, it was difficult.

  Marianna frowned at Andrew for a few seconds. Yeah, Andrew, I’m half-Native American and I can use a bow, so what?

  She turned to Anthony with a serene look on her face, more than was necessary, overdoing it on purpose. “I’m not bad, but I’m not like some sort of champion either. I can hit a target at one hundred yards usually about three inches or so from the center.” Then she turned to glare at Andrew again. “I could bull’s-eye an apple resting on the head of this rude-ass dude sitting next to me here at thirty feet. Although, in this case, I might just miss the damned thing on purpose.”

  “What?” mouthed Andrew, as if he done no wrong.

  Marianna continued to stare at him, eyebrows raised in indignation.

  Then he shrugged his shoulders and whispered, brow beaten. “Sorry, jeez, so touchy,” he whispered.

  Anthony shared a look with Joaquin, before he turned back toward Marianna. “That’s pretty good, Marianna, a thousand times better than what any of us could do with a bow and arrow.”

  He shifted his gaze to Andrew, saying, “Ok, Smarty Pants, since you came up with it. I leave it up to you to come up with adequate weapons for us all. It looks like the snow will keep us here for a while. So, you’ll have time to make proper decisions on what is suitable and what is not suitable, ok?”

  Andrew was still peering at Marianna, and then did a quick double take between her and Anthony. “Yeah, man, no problem.”

  “Drew,” repeated Anthony, more pointed than before.

  The tone of the other’s voice got Andrew’s attention. “What, dude?”

  “I mean it when I say adequate, Andrew.” The use of his friend’s full name was something he only did when he was serious. “I don’t want my sisters carrying around machetes or something stupid like that.”

  Andrew stared at Anthony for a while to see if he was kidding or not. When he realized the other was not, he shrugged his shoulders and put his hand out to either side of him in supplication. “Ok, ok, dude! Don’t get all weir
ded-out on me, Jeez.”

  Don’t you worry, Anthony Herrera. I’m gonna keep a close eye on this boy. I promise you that, her eyes narrowed again as Marianna considered Andrew. A moment ago, she wanted to climb on top of him, and… Now, all she wanted was… well, having a bow and an arrow would be nice. Marianna gazed over at the other teenage boy. “Don’t worry, Anthony, I’ll keep him from handing out rocket launchers and long swords.”

  The entire group laughed.

  Andrew snorted, derisive, rolling his eyes and looked away.

  “Cool, thanks, Marianna. Well, is there anything else we should be gathering to take with us?” asked Anthony with a nod of his head at her.

  “I think we should consider rounding up a few decent tool kits. You know, the ones with hammers and screw drivers, and cutting tools. We could also use some small hacksaws, hatchets, or something like that too, seeing that we’re going to be in the wild, right? Though we’re in the remnants of what used to be a city, it’s a wilderness now. I think we should approach it as such. Jason said earlier, it’s like we’re camping. Only now we’re gonna be camping for an indefinite amount of time. It's a way of life now people,” chimed in Sophie. She scratched at her head, placing her beautiful white hair behind her ears with both hands. Her thoughts consumed her the moment she went silent.

  Marianna had never doubted for a second that Sophie was smart. It did not matter if she looked like a model straight out of Vogue or Cosmopolitan. The girl was super intelligent. Some people just have all the luck, she pondered with an internal smile.

  Anthony spoke, although his eyes were only for Sophie. “Who’s good with tools?”

  Joaquin’s head came up at that. “I am bro. I was always helping my dad with the cars or the yard. You know how it is. You get a certain age and you’re big enough to make a difference around your parents’ house. And every time after, you’re recruited to do this or that for the old man.”

  “Yeah, I hear you. So, you’ve got tool duty then. Try and find stuff that’s transportable. I'm talking about stuff that’s in cases. We need stuff that’ll keep out moisture and ward against the weather,” directed Anthony. He smiled at Joaquin, but it was set.

  It vanished though when he peered over the other boy’s shoulder and saw Garfield sauntering up to the group.

  Joaquin said, “I know exactly what you mean.” He seemed about to say more, but instead he turned to face the big cat.

  Garfield walked passed him, and then sat on his haunches just outside their lopsided circle.

  Though Marianna's introductions to the Familiars had come and gone, and she knew in her heart they were there to protect them. It still unnerved her to see the sheer size and power in each of their limbs. She could not help but think any one of them could rip any one of them in half without a second thought if they wanted to. She found it difficult to rest at ease around them.

  “Hey, Garfield, how’s it hangin’?” joked Anthony, glancing over at the animal.

  The great feline returned his stare with an even look and hooded eyes.

  Some of them smiled or giggled into their hands, but Garfield paid them no mind.

  He breathed heavy as if he were forcing himself to remain in their presence. He spoke with his deep voice, “It appears, for the time being, we are completely snowed-in, Tony-Boy. The snow drifts are too high. Their sheer quantity is already enough to block the downstairs entrances of this edifice.”

  “No way, the storm has covered them already?”

  “Yes, the bear-dogs just managed to get the carts in safe an hour or so ago, but now you cannot even see out of the doors. The glass is now covered in full,” replied the cat. He seemed to shrug, indifferent.

  How he did it, Marianna had no clue.

  “Have you been outside lately? What is it like?” wondered Anthony.

  “I was out half an hour ago, Tony Kring-Hël. It was difficult for me to stand against the onslaught of the wind. All the while, the snow blots out the eyes. I could not see more than a few feet in front of me. Kodiak has already decreed the weather too severe for even the Fingers of Light to hunt. We will have to make do with some of the meat-stuffs we packed in the carts from the cave. For the time being, we will also graze like horses and cows, and feed upon the leafy products on the other side of this establishment.”

  The huge cat chuckled without warning.

  They were all astonished.

  He took no notice of their astounded gasps or jerky movements of surprise.

  He continued: “What makes it all the more worse is the storm is still building in intensity. It is my guess we will be lodging here for at least a couple of days, maybe longer. Who can say with any certainty at this point?”

  “Crap,” responded Anthony more resigned than frustrated. “I sort of already figured that we’d be here for a while, but still I was hoping we could catch a break. I was hoping we could head back to the cave and get this show on the road. We need to search of the Legacy. “Now, it looks like that won’t be the case.”

  “Well, with the storm being as bad as it is, everyone everywhere will have to hole-up. Otherwise, they'll risk death from exposure just like before,” piped up Jason, trying to brighten the mood.

  “You think Fenris and his cronies won’t try to move around in the blizzard? I mean after all, he’s gotta be just as antsy as we are with all the delays and such. You don’t think he’ll make his forces go out even in weather like this?” asked Anthony, uncertain and downtrodden.

  “No, I do not feel he will,” interjected Garfield, surprising them all for the second time in the past few minutes. “Though I have an inkling he might attempt something on a much smaller scale. He might send out small patrols and scouts and the like, but he won’t risk anything of real value to the storm. He’ll wait and bide his time. He will marshal his strength, maybe call for reinforcements now that he knows there is a Fist of the Light present in the Melded World. He will make small changes to his plans, but he’ll stay the course in the long term. He knows we’re here, somewhere, but here all the same, so he can afford to wait. He will not like it one bit, but he will wait anyhow. The Hand of the Maelstrom is no fool.”

  “Fenris dok Kór cannot afford to play the fool,” clarified Joaquin. He was looking down at the floor before him, his words more formal than those he would use on a normal day. “He is the Crown Prince of the Vülfen Ambalaj and Heir to his father’s kingdom. Being the Hand of Metohkangmi in congruence with that title will make him powerful upon his inheritance. He may rise second to none within the Six-Fold Empire of Storm. Because of that lofty future, he will be patient. He will wait, because he has too. He has no choice. He has a lot at risk.”

  They all glanced around in confusion, Marianna included. The hulking boy was using words she could not even form in her mouth.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Jason, his face like a thunderhead.

  “I-I don’t know, it just all came at once. I th-think I need some time,” was all Joaquin said holding his head as if he had a headache.

  Marianna peered up at Andrew, an unsaid question in her eyes.

  “His Gift,” he muttered back at her.

  She understood. It hit her like a sack of potatoes. His Gift! He is the Vessel of Knowledge! That’s right! Though she had already accepted what happened to her for what it was, after seeing what little Elena could do with light. It was still amazing to witness. She did not think she would ever get used to it.

  “Take your time, Joaquin. You can tell us when you are ready,” said Anthony, soft and soothing.

  Joaquin stayed still.

  “So, they’ll stay put then?” asked Jason, looking at the great cat.

  “If you take all we've said into consideration. If you also consider if one as strong and formidable as Kodiak feels threatened by the blizzard raging outside these walls, then it’s deadly. I tend to be of the mind that nothing could survive out there, not even something as massive as a Jötun. The storm is just too strong.
”

  Marianna could see Anthony lapse into thought, but turned her attention to Hyun. The girls’ face wrinkled and creased with a new thought.

  “Why is it, Garfield, or anyone?” She glanced around. “Why is it that we haven’t changed all that much since we've come here? I’m pretty much the same girl I was before.”

  “That’s an easy question to answer,” said Joaquin, answering for the big cat, still holding his head in his hands.

  Garfield looked at the teenage boy with as much interest as the rest of them.

  “There was no need for you to change.”

  His simple answer seemed to rouse the entire group. “What are you talking about?” asked Derek. “I sure could’ve used a minor change here and there to help me survive this place.” He laughed a nervous laugh, shaking his head.

  “You were born with it, Derek. It’s always been with you and because of that, you have always carried around that aspect of yourself within you. No need to alter what had been perfect since birth.” Joaquin did not look up as he spoke.

  To Marianna, it appeared as though he had closed his eyes.

  “You mean our Gifts, right?” offered Anthony.

  “Yeah…,” mumbled Joaquin. Without warning, his head came up and his eyes locked on Derek. There was an intensity that startled each of them when they saw his expression.

  “Derek, have you always been a good at jumping?”

  Derek, completely caught by surprise, sputtered a response none of them could understand. He cleared his throat and tried again, “I guess.” He looked around with quick eyes before settling upon Hyun for a second longer than the rest of them.

  What the hell is going on now?

  “My vertical leap is greater than most kids my age. That's what my coaches have always said to me. Why?”