"I don't know, Phelan. We're not in any shape to attack anyone. It's not like we need to. If we let them go, maybe they'll leave us alone, too."
Phelan turned to Eron. The red sun's rays brightened his blue face, making him appear angry.
"You do know they can and probably will kill you if they catch you, right? There are no rules out here. The Selection is every man for himself. If you survive, you're rewarded. If you don't, then it's because you weren't strong enough or smart enough to figure out what needed to be done."
Eron closed his eyes and thought of Mina. Her voice sang in his ears. The way her eyes lit up when she talked to him, the way her hair curled. He imagined her reaction at the end of the Selection if he wasn't there. The disappointment on her face. Anger and disgust at the lack of the man Eron turned out to be. His mom standing next to her, apologizing for him.
"Ok," Eron said. His teeth were clenched and his voice was quiet. "We can do this. I don't feel right about it, but you're the one who knows more about what's going on. I'll do anything to get back to Mina."
"That's it, Eron! Come on, let's get going before they get too far ahead."
The boys watched as the figures moved slowly across the forest. They crouched low and went from bush to tree, hiding as best they could. Phelan took the lead and motioned to Eron when to move and when to remain still. He waved his hand and pointed to a large tree. Eron lurched his way forward, hoping his awkward gait didn't give them away.
They stalked them for close to an hour. The lead boy was taller than the other two, and one of the boys lagging behind was limping as the other tried to help him along.
Phelan motioned for Eron to stay put as he crawled on the forest floor, going from cover to cover until positioned dangerously close to the boys. For a moment, Eron thought he was going to strike. His heart beat a little faster when he suddenly lost sight of Phelan. Panicking, Eron slid behind a tall tree and curled up into a ball, holding a large stick across his knees. He shut his eyes and rocked back and forth.
Mina would never see him again.
Screams. Timo calling to him in those horrific screams.
I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry for not paying attention. For not understanding the world I live in. For not caring enough to learn from the past and be ready for the present. I'm so sorry, Mina. Please, please forgive me, he thought as he waited for imminent death.
Then, someone grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him. When he opened his eyes, Phelan's blue face was just centimeters away from his own.
"Hey, where'd you go? You all right?" Eron asked.
"I scouted ahead. There's three of them, all light-skinned like you. If I had to guess, they're from your colony or maybe Cape Rouge. I heard them talking, not about much really. I did hear one call the other Laird. His name, I guess."
Eron uncurled himself and tried to stand. His weak ankle made it a struggle.
"Laird? Are you sure?" he asked. His knuckles turned white as he clenched the stick, scanning the forest for the boys.
"Yeah, why?" Phelan said.
"I've met them. Sort of. They were hunting a boy I knew named Bello. Did they say anything about Bello?"
"Not that I heard. All they talked about was finding food. Who's Bello?" Phelan said.
"Someone I knew once. I hope they didn't hurt him."
"Was he a friend of yours?"
"No, he liked to pick on me. Called me a coward. I hated him."
"Then why are you worried if they caught him? Seems like it would benefit you if they did."
"I don't want to see anyone get hurt. As much as I hated him, he is still a guy like me. He doesn't deserve to die."
Phelan peered at Eron and let the subject drop.
"Well, they're not too far away. They've stopped for now. If they catch us, be ready for a fight. They won't hesitate to kill us. You need to be ready for that. I'm trusting you, Eron."
Eron nodded, hoping they boys never discovered them.
CHAPTER 21
Eron and Phelan tracked the boys for most of the day. Late in the afternoon, they stopped to drink from a stream and lost sight of them.
"Eron, did you see where they went?" Phelan said.
"No. I thought you had your eyes on them. I stooped to get a drink and then they were gone."
Phelan slammed his fists against his legs. "They can't be too far away. Come on, we need to find them. "
Phelan stormed off with Eron not too far behind. They ignored cover and walked in the open, frantically searching for the three boys.
"Slow down, Phelan. You know it's hard for me to keep up," Eron said. The other boy turned back.
"Come on! We're gonna lose them, if we haven't already. We have to stay close. We don't need them surprising us," Phelan said.
Overhead, gracers chattered away as they flew through the trees. Eron looked up, mesmerized by their elaborate and graceful motions. They went faster and faster every which way, as though they didn't care where they were going.
When Eron turned his attention back to the forest and their search for the boys, he and Phelan were standing in a clearing. Trees loomed overheard, creating a vibrant red and orange canopy, but there was no brush around the trunks. Either it just didn't grow there, or had been cleared away. It was a great place, and under different circumstances, he could see building a fort or having a secret place to meet someone... Mina, maybe? But with danger all around, it felt too exposed.
"Phelan, have you seen them? I don't like this."
Phelan shook his head. "No. I think we're on the right path, though. From the looks of the underbrush, someone's been through here recently."
"What underbrush?" Eron said, sweeping his arms at the lack of it.
"Before now, I mean. I've been following it until we got here. The trail continues over there," Phelan said, pointing to the far side of the clearing.
They started for the path, and a few steps later, Eron fell into a large hole camouflaged with branches and leaves. He let go of his stick as he stumbled, and it crashed down on his head.
"Ouch!" he yelled. Phelan ran to the edge of the pit and peered down.
"Eron! You all right down there?" he said.
Eron lay at the bottom, his arms and legs splayed.
"I think so," he said, coughing. A bolt of pain shot through his ribs and he winced. "Ow. Maybe not," he said.
"Stay put. I'll get something to help you out of there." Phelan's head disappeared.
Eron lay on his back, red dirt covering his shirt. He moaned in pain and held his ribs. It felt like someone had stabbed him with a hot knife and twisted. Each inhale brought new waves of pain.
A scratching sound caught his attention and he forgot about the pain. He turned toward the noise and noticed steps dug into the dirt, leading down into the black of a deeper cave below. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but now with his eyes adjusting to the dark, he could see his surroundings. There were also steps around the walls going up and out of the pit. Eron figured Phelan must not have seen them.
"Phelan," he said in a weak voice. It hurt to call out. "Phelan, there are steps." His voice didn't carry and he didn't have the strength or ability to ignore the pain in his ribs to yell for him.
Again, he heard a noise from within the cave. He was chilled by a draft.
"Phelan, hurry! I think something's in here!" he said. The walls of the pit swallowed his voice.
Coming from the black hole, he heard what sounded like hundreds of tiny clawed feet scratching at the dirt. Eron shivered. "Phelan, please hurry!" he called out louder, ignoring the pain in his side.
"Hey Eron, you still down there?" Phelan said, startling him. Eron looked up at the grinning blue face peering over the edge of the pit.
"Hurry up! There's something down here. Steps, along the side," Eron said, pointing to the indented wall below Phelan. He was standing at the bottom of the pit now. He couldn't get out by himself. He needed Phelan's hel
p up the treacherous steps. Backing away from the cave, Eron made his way to the opposite side of the pit as Phelan carefully climbed down the steps.
He wiped his hands on his pants. "Whew, that was tough. I don't know how we're going to get you out--" he said and stopped when he caught sight of Eron staring into the blackness on the other side of the pit.
"What?" he said. Eron pointed.
"Something's down there," he said. His body trembled. Little red pebbles fell down the walls of the pit where Phelan had climbed down.
"Are you sure?" He crept closer to the opening and listened. "I hear it! Do you think you can get out of here? I'd rather not see what's making that noise."
"I can try," Eron said. Grabbing hold of one of the footholds in the wall, Eron tried to pull himself up. Searing pain shot through his chest and he let go, falling to the ground.
"Ow! No, I don't think I can make it," he said, rubbing his elbow. Phelan looked toward the cave.
"In there?" he said.
"No! There's got to be another way!" Eron said.
Above them, they heard twigs snapping.
"Hey, what's over there? Kumo, do you see that hole?" a voice above the pit said.
"Oh no!" Eron said, "it's those guys!"
"Eron, we only have one choice. The cave. They'll kill us if they find us."
Eron turned back toward the cave. The scratching started again, making his skin crawl
"Ok, let's go," Eron said. Phelan led the way down the steps and into the cave.
CHAPTER 22
A dank, musty smell greeted the boys as they descended into the cave. As they moved farther in, the darkness swallowed them like a craate devouring a gracer. The light grew dimmer and dimmer, the scratching grew louder and closer. Behind them, they heard the boys talking.
"Wow, look at that, Steen! It's a pit. What do you think it was that fell in? I don't see anything," Laird said.
"Maybe we should check it out. See any way down?" It was Laird again.
Eron turned towards Phelan, his face hardly recognizable in the darkness. "Think they'll see the steps?"
"I doubt it. I didn't see them until you pointed them out, and my eyes are much better than yours," Phelan said.
"How do you know they are?" Eron said. Phelan grabbed his arm, hurrying him down the last few steps.
"Come on, before they do something stupid," Phelan said. Eron was lost in the darkness. He had no idea how big or small the cave was. The scratching was much clearer than before, though it didn't sound any closer.
"Go this way," Phelan said, directing Eron's arm. The boy stumbled, unsure where to place his next step.
"Hurry. Just keep going. There's nothing in our way."
"How do you know? I can't see a thing!"
"I told you, my eyes are better than yours. I wasn't just bragging. My people have enhanced vision. A perk of being blue, I guess. I can see for several meters in pitch black just like it was daylight. I can't see what's making that noise, though, and that worries me. Now, come on. It goes this way." Phelan led them deeper into the cave. The voices of the boys faded the farther they went.
"Maybe we can just wait here until they're gone," Eron said.
"We can, but whatever is making that sound isn't going away. I'd rather not wait for whatever it is to attack us."
Eron shuffled his feet, then followed Phelan.
The scratching quickened.
"What is that?" Eron said.
"I see it now! Oh, no! Hurry, Eron! Run!" Phelan said. He grabbed Eron's arm and pulled him forward.
The boys ran in darkness. Because of his enhanced vision, Phelan avoided protrusions from the walls, but Eron smacked into roots and other formations repeatedly, slowing their progress. Behind them, the scratching became more furious.
"I can't keep up," Eron said.
"Yes, you can. You have to. They're getting closer!"
Eron slowed to a walk. Ankle, ribs, and his legs were all burning. "I need to stop. I can't run anymore."
Phelan ran back to Eron, urging him forward. "Come on, you can do this. I think there's a way out up ahead."
"I can't! I'm too tired. My body hurts all over."
"Would you rather be dead? Get moving!" Phelan said.
Eron's body cried in pain with every movement.
"Phelan, can't we just wait? I don't think those guys are coming down here."
"Eron, quit stalling! We have to move, or did you forget about that thing? "
Phelan took a few steps towards the back of the cave, but Eron wouldn't budge.
"I'm done. I'm not going. You can go ahead, but I'm staying put."
The scratching became deafening.
"Eron, look out!" Phelan said. A long creature with sharp mandibles and twenty short legs on each side lunged at the boy. Its pincers caught one of his legs and squeezed, slicing through his pants and his flesh with ease.
A second creature joined the first and Eron was caught in a tug of war.
Eron screamed as the creatures tore into him. If the boys were anywhere near the pit, they'd have heard him for sure. Phelan lunged at the attackers.
He stabbed the first one, piercing its tough shell and plunging his knife into the soft muscle underneath. The deafening shriek reverberated throughout the cave. Eron kicked out, knocking it into the wall. It smacked against it and slid down, its feet still scratching the dirt beneath it. Phelan slammed his knife hard into its back. Its feet shot straight out as its life was extinguished.
The other one nipped at Phelan after releasing Eron's leg. It hissed and clawed at him. Phelan jumped to the side as it struck. He veered to the other side when it lunged again, but the creature seemed to anticipate the move and caught his leg. Eron beat it with his fists. He kicked, but it only served to anger the beast. It hissed louder while clamping down harder on Phelan's leg.
"Get it off me! Get it off me!" Phelan said. "If its saliva mixes with my blood, it'll kill me!" Phelan struggled against its hold. He swung his knife down and missed. Frantic, Eron kicked harder, pain shooting through him. His ankle screamed in protest. He pushed through and caught the soft belly of the creature with his foot. It released Phelan as it tumbled across the cave floor.
"There!" Phelan said, pointing at it, but Eron couldn't make it out. Lunging forward, Eron struck blindly with his knife.
Silence filled the cave. The thing was dead.
Eron's heart beat fast and he heard Phelan breathing heavy.
"Eron, if those guys are out there, they surely heard this. We need to move. Now." Phelan removed the knife from the creature and wiped its blood on his pants. The blood smear glowed faintly.
"Their blood glows for a while. It's kind of neat, but deadly if it mixes with ours. Just don't get it in a cut or in your mouth. Bad things happen," Phelan said.
Eron exhaled. "Good to know."
"They really didn't teach you anything in Rippon, did they? I'm surprised you're still alive out here. Come on, I think I saw light this way." Phelan led them deeper into the cave where it grew darker before a pinpoint of light finally appeared far ahead. As they approached, Eron saw bright yellow leaves and sunlight. They'd found an escape.
CHAPTER 23
The boys collapsed in exhaustion when they finally emerged from the cave. It was late afternoon and the sun was making its slow path towards the horizon. They lay on their backs, looking up at the shadows created by the large trees overhead. An occasional animal flew by. Something scurried across the forest, but neither boy moved. After what they'd encountered, it didn't seem like something to worry about.
"What the heck were those things?" Eron asked. The other boy giggled.
"Those were dirt grubbers. They have a scientific name, but we've always just called them dirt grubbers. They're aggressive if threatened. We must've fallen into their nest."
"But someone made that pit. There were steps in the side and going down into the cave," Eron said.
"Hmm, that's true. What it means for us is that we should be more aware of our surroundings. There are others out here that we haven't even seen," Phelan said.
The boys lay there for quite a while. Eron's adrenaline began to fade, and he felt every ache in his body. It hurt to move. It even hurt to think.
"Should we go to a safer place?" Eron asked.
Phelan turned his head, grimacing. "Like where? We're in as safe a place as we can be. If we keep an eye on the cave, we'll see any intruders. These trees will give us some protection. And if it rains, we can creep back into the cave. It didn't look like anyone had been here in a while. I think we'll be fine. Besides, I'm tired. And I'm sore."
"Yeah, me, too. Are you sure it's safe, though? What if more of those things, the dirt grubbers, come after us?" Eron said.
"I'm not too worried. They'd most likely be here by now. I think it's a chance we can take."
The boys finally forced themselves to get up and forage for something to eat. They found a few insects and leaves that were edible, though they tasted horrible.
They placed twigs and leaves around the area to alert them of intruders and spent the night huddled near the cave's entrance. When morning came alive with the bright red sun and animals hurrying about their business, Eron's body was weak and aching.
"Morning," Phelan said. He was eating a good-sized grub when Eron woke. "Here, want one?" he said, holding out a squirming purple thing toward him. It didn't look the least bit appetizing, but he took it anyway. Eron bit down on the wriggling grub and its blood squirted into his mouth. It was hot and tasted like dirt, but it was nutrition. Food was scarce and anything helped. He squeezed his eyes shut as he chewed the rest of it.
"Tasty, huh?" Phelan grinned. Blood ran down his blue chin, his white teeth stained purple.
"Something like that," Eron replied. They both laughed, which hurt Eron's side.
"You all right, there?" Phelan said, pointing at Eron's ribs.
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