by Terry Reid
Fallo gazed to his brother, mortified. Lyle could only look away sheepishly.
******
The princess gazed out through one of the countless open windows of the palace at the tiny buildings and flickering fires in the city dwindling far below. The interior of the royal seat had been carved from a monstrous stalactite millions of years before by her ancestors. It hung almost a vertical mile above the city and was almost a quarter of that size at the widest point. But here in the farthest tip, the lowest room spanned no larger than a small theatre; a miniscule size to a race as largest as the Alchemists. Due to its closeness the space was turned over to the purpose of being nothing more than a viewing room. Though the view it granted of the city far below was unmatched.
Terry heard her father enter; both of them, even though his primeval incarnation had to squeeze through the ceiling tunnel to gain entry. Even though able to stand, his antennae were only inches from the ceiling. She looked at them for a second then turned back to the window, without word.
“I do not understand.” Her father said, joining her by the window. “You have returned home to your people and to your family yet you are upset.”
Terry felt the metal tips of her fingers dig into the windowsill but she made an effort to keep the frustration from her voice. “I am happy to be home dad.” She said, her gaze remaining on the world far below. “But I came back for a reason. I would not have done so and risked a war with the south if I did not think this Phantom was dangerous. The old government in the Southlands once ignored Edward, the last of his kind and we all know the damage he did.” She sighed. “I have nothing against the Phantoms as a people. I never have but Ladre, a fire elemental, who had been using a portal device to transport members of Rilario’s family to Earth saw one kill two of his friends before it darted through.” She looked at him now, making no attempt to conceal her fear. “It cannot be up to any good, even if is not Edward.”
Fallo leant forward, resting his hands on the stony sill. “But it is on Earth now, my girl. Whatever happens, it is none of our concern, not as long as it does not become a threat to us or our people.”
“But what if it is Edward? Can we really afford to take that chance?”
Fallo sighed heavily and she knew he was not keen on what she was suggesting yet again. “I could stop you from following this course of action but I know sooner or later you would sneak away and I would have to give chase again.” He sighed again, primeval Fallo growling. “Even with two sets of eyes I cannot watch you all the time.”
“I have to know dad.” She said solemnly.
He regarded her for the longest time. Finally he sighed. “Ok.” He said, acceptingly. “But under one condition.”
“Ok.”
“Consider this the end of your exile. No matter what happens you will not return to Earth, even if the Southlands disagree with it.” His eyes narrowed. “You are my daughter, the next leader of our people, they had no right to tell me that I should send you away.” He said bitterly.
Even after nearly a decade Terry could tell time had not tempered his anger. “It was my choice as well, remember? Enough people had died after what Edward had done.” She glanced back at the city, her eyes settling on a flickering fire. “I couldn’t let anymore do so because of me.”
“I do not think you would have been so sympathetic to the south if Edward had never damaged your mind.”
She stared at him in shock. “Damaged? You make me sound like I’m crippled!”
Fallo straightened, turning to face her. “I meant no offence daughter but you know it is true. You have never been the same since when he attacked you.”
“You could have fixed me! You could have went inside my head at anytime to repair the damage!” she exclaimed angrily, pointing to her head.
Primeval Fallo raised his voice, the metal spikes on his back rising. The one standing before her looked equally unimpressed. “And I told you how dangerous that was. The mind is a complicated thing daughter. I could have fixed you I could have made you worse. I made a choice a long time ago and I stand by it. It was the best of all the options I had.”
“Then why won’t you let me make mine?” she asked, pointing to herself in exasperation. “I am not a child anymore dad.”
“And nor are you human but your damaged mind has made you susceptible to their ideals.” He hissed, raising his voice.
Terry rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter what I say, you still do not listen to me, even after all these years.”
Fallo roared; a deafening sound. The other jabbed a finger at her. “I am letting you go south to find this lord, like you asked. Do not push me. I am still your father and you are still a child. You still have much to learn and a lot to catch up on in your education since you have been away.” Lowering his arm, he lowered his voice. “I am your father and I do what I do because I love you. Never forget that.” That said he turned away, his robes swirling behind him. The other Fallo stood for a long moment, staring her down with his large amber eyes. Grunting he turned away, scuttling back up the tunnel from which he had once came.
******
The following morning – true to the King’s word, the party set off at first light. But they left with an escort, much to Terry’s annoyance. The entourage consisted of four Monoglyphs and four primeval Alchemists.
Terry, Connor and Darius rode atop one of the giants, its large shoulders easily able to support at least half a dozen passengers or. Faye and Lyle rode atop the one behind them and King Fallo, the one in front. The first Monoglyph carried no passengers, acting as a forward guard while the four primeval Alchemists held a diamond formation around the line.
Darius clung to the edge of the Monoglyph’s shoulder plate, his stomach knotting with every one of its long and heavy steps.
Connor held the back of the giants head for support as he made his way toward the youngster, which the Monoglyph didn’t seem to mind. “Are you alright there?” he asked, with a grin.
Darius gave a nervous nod. “How much longer is it going to take us to get there?”
“I don’t know...Terry?” He shouted, looking in her direction.
“About five days.” She replied, from the other shoulder.
Darius looked like he was going to be sick. “You have got to be joking. Wouldn’t we get there faster if we just rode on the back of those?” He asked, pointing to one of the primeval Alchemists. “You saw how fast Terry and Lyle ran a few days ago.”
Connor frowned. “I know I was there. I had to hold you from falling off, remember?” He glanced down at the primeval Alchemists that flanked them. “They’re not horses. I think they would kill you if you tried it.” He said with a smirk, looking back to Darius.
“These ones don’t seem to mind.” He said, looking at the Monoglyph, who in turn gave him a funny look through way of his mechanical features.
Connor laughed and shook his head. “They’re not the same.”
“At least we’re going home I suppose...”
“What will you do when we get to the capital? Or are you leaving us at the lake?”
Darius stared at him wide eyed. “What? I have a choice? I thought I was your prisoner?”
It was Connor’s turn to look surprised. “Maybe a week ago...I guess...” he shrugged. “But back then we didn’t know you. It was all more because you broke into Terry’s house and we weren’t sure which out of you and Faye was lying.”
“So I’m not a prisoner?” He asked, still doubtful.
Connor’s brow furrowed. “No.” He said bluntly, like the boy was slow and didn’t hear him the first time.
Darius looked ahead to the horizon. “I don’t know what I’ll do then. I want to get out of here and go home faster than anything else but I’m afraid if I left you lot she,” he flicked his head in Faye’s general direction, “will probably chase me and kill me.”
Connor glanced behind him. “I think if she was going to kill you she would have done it by now. She’s ha
d plenty of chances.”
The young man shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on inside her head these days. She’s just not the same as she used to be. You must see. Sometimes she speaks to me like she used too and then other times she looks like she is going to rip my throat out.”
“I have noticed that.” He conceded, much to his regret. A long silence passed between them before Connor spoke again. “Do you know why Faye lied about the Alchemists and the Southlands being at war?
He shook his head. “No, I have absolutely no idea.”
Connor’s glance strayed back to the Monoglyph trailing behind them. “Between you and me I think she just said it to get us to come back here.”
“That’s what I thought.” Darius agreed, clutching the plate as the Monoglyph strolled forward on another heavy step. “But if she was only doing it so she could run off again, why hasn’t she?”
Connor shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we landed in the desert? She would not have lasted five minutes out here by herself. There are a lot of big and dangerous animals out here and not a lot of water. But I don’t know if that is it.” He admitted, still highly suspicious. “But she’ll have to come clean sooner or later.”
Darius looked nervous at the thought. “I think I’m safer staying with you lot for now.” He jumped in fright as Lord Fallo landed on the Monoglyph. He had not seen him leap, but he landed in a silent, fluid motion. Catching the youngster gazing at him, he stared back. Darius felt the fear of god in him and averted his eyes.
“Father.” said Terry, walking over to him with ease despite the moving ground beneath her feet.
“Daughter.” He said, inclining his head. “I trust you and your companions are well?”
She smiled. “I’m fine and you?”
He allowed himself a smile. “I am well since you have returned to me.”
Terry was going to speak when Darius blurted, “How did you do that?”
King Fallo stared at him. “Did your mother not teach you any manners or are you just stupid?”
Darius turned ashen. The youth looked away again, hoping that they would forget he was even there.
“Dad, leave him alone, he meant no harm.” Terry said, sitting back down. The king gave the youngster one long, last hostile stare before sitting down alongside her.
“Where do you find these people?” he asked loudly, unconcerned if he was overheard.
She leant over, lowering her voice. “You don’t have to be rude to him. He’s been very unlucky recently and has a psychotic ex-girlfriend who also wants to kill him.”
Her father sneered. “Why must you keep concerning yourself with such trivial matters that have nothing to do with you?”
Terry looked at him in disbelief. With a smirk she asked, “And why must you keep having a go at me? I’ve been back two days and you still keep banging on.”
“I am not criticising you I am just concerned about your attitude.”
She looked bemused. “Now that is criticism.”
“What I mean is you...” he considered his words, “speak differently, you act differently from when you were last here.”
“I was fifteen when I left it was quite a long time ago. Of course I’ve changed. That would be a bit like me being exiled when I was five and you not seeing me for ten years and then saying “you’ve changed” when you saw me again as a teenager.”
“I also did not raise you to be pedantic.” He said bluntly. He gazed out across the sandy plains. “It is more than just you just growing up though. It is like I said last night; living with humans has changed you.”
“I’m still an Alchemist.” She said, lifting her arm. A large, sharp blade shot free from the topside of her elbow, as the copper-coloured armour plates formed across her hand.
He smiled. “I meant no offence daughter but you know that I am not keen on humans. I can’t stand the sight, neither the smell of them. It’s difficult to ignore the mannerisms of their kind that you have picked up.”
The blade retracted into Terry’s arm but her hands remained gloved.
“I’ve not yet seen you as your true self since you have returned.” He said. The ‘true self’ he was referring to was her primeval form. It was the way she had been born.
Terry shielded her eyes against the sun, gazing up into the otherwise featureless sky. “It’s not something I’m in the habit of doing around people.” She admitted.
“Lyle and I are going hunting after sundown.” He said.
Before Terry could reply a call went up from the front of the line. The lead Monoglyph had stopped, calling in a low, rumbling sound. The second Monoglyph clicked in response, the third doing the same. The primeval Alchemists had also stopped, speaking to one another through shrieks and growls.
King Fallo stood up, along with Terry and the others to see what was going on. “What’s up?” asked Connor, walking up behind Terry. She shielded her eyes, but it was hard to see passed the metal giant ahead. “I can’t see from here.”
“What’s going on?” shouted Lyle from further down the line. Connor waved to him. “We don’t know!”
Without word, Lord Fallo made the leap from where he stood to the Monoglyph in front in one flawless bound. Darius looked at Terry in astonishment. “How does he do that?”
Terry smirked. Taking a few steps back, she sprinted and jumped. She easily cleared the twenty foot gap between the two giants but had to grab the edge of the others shoulder plate in both hands and pull herself up. Connor ignited in a ball of flames and took off like a firework, leaving Darius behind.
Terry landed in a crouched position in the dust, just behind her father. Rising, she stepped up to his side, squinting against the shimmering vista that sprawled out before them. Connor landed nearby.
“We should give it a wide berth. There is no need for anyone to see this.” Terry said, her keen eyesight picking out the details of what had caused the Monoglyphs to stop, despite the distance.
Connor held a hand over his eyes to see better but all he could make out was a black, featureless mass in the shimmering distance. “What is it? I can’t tell.” He asked, looking at Terry.
Terry whispered into his ear, lest any of the other Alchemists or other party heard.
Connor swallowed hard. “My Lord, surely we should at least find out what species they are.” He suggested, remembering his formalities.
“They are a tribe of nomad Pyrovites. I can tell you that much from here.” Fallo replied.
Connor squinted his eyes against the glare but still could see no better. “But what killed them?” He asked.
Terry looked at her dad. “I think we better go check it out. I can’t tell from here.”
Lord Fallo stared on into the distance but said nothing.
“Dad.” Terry prompted.
He gave a nod. “Be quick but I will not join you. I knew this tribe. It would only anger me to see them up close the way they are.” That said he turned away, bristling.
Connor sketched a bow and the two of them headed on.
As they approached, the heat wave resolved into a cairn of bodies. The briar stood at least ten feet in height. Connor covered his nose from the stench. It was times like these Terry envied not having a weaker sense of smell. She crouched down next to one of the bodies. Seeing no obvious wounds, she stood and rolled it over with the tip of her shoe. A large bloodied wound in the chest revealed the secret of how the poor child died.
“It looks like they were killed by arrows or spears.”
Connor looked around, shaking his head. “Why did they not fight back?” he asked. “Why did they not burn them?”
Terry slowly shook her head. “The tribes of the sands refer fire as sacred. They don’t use it the same way you do in the south. They believe every time they use it, they lose a little bit of their life and soul. So they use it as little as possible.”
Connor shook his head. “I would have fried them...” he gazed back at the body that
lay before them. Flies swarmed about the dead youngster’s eyes and the corner of his open mouth. “Do you know who would have done this then?” He asked, looking back at the princess. “Another tribe maybe?”
Terry gazed about the carnage that lay before them. “I don’t know. I know the Gellko tribes sometimes came into conflict over territories but...” she shook her head, “One tribe would never do this to another.”
“You think this is a whole tribe?”
She nodded. “Yeah and whoever did this stacked them as a warning.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well if you were going to slaughter a group of people you would just kill them and leave them where they fell. You wouldn’t go through all the trouble of stacking them up like this.” She gazed to the top of the bloody, stinking, cairn. “Dad’s not going to be happy about this. He would have likely known these people because.”
“Come on.” He said keen to get away from the sight that lay before them.
“They should be buried.” She said, opting to stay.
Connor shook his head. “Terry, we don’t have time.”
“Not me, the Monoglyphs. They would get it done in no time.” Terry turned and sliding one of the blade’s free of her wrist, signalled to the king’s escort by reflecting the sun of the metal. A few seconds later Lyle responded the same way.
“They’re coming over.” She said, shielding her eyes with a hand as she gazed across the distance.
An uncomfortable silence prevailed. For what seemed a long time all Connor could here was the buzz of flies and he couldn’t help but imagine them crawling over the corpses, eating away at the rotting flesh, despite trying his hardest not too. He felt sick. He looked back at the approaching Monoglyphs; they seemed to be taking an eternity getting there.
“Are you ok?” Terry asked, seeing how uncomfortable he was.
“No...” he smiled nervously, his back to the corpses. “Not really.”
“You can always go for a little walk if you want. You don’t have to be here when we bury them.”