All too soon the image was gone as it faded away and the bubbles broke the surface of the water in the caldron once more. Sojurn looked up at the ancient witch who sat there on her little stool so knowingly waiting for his foreseeable questions.
She did not answer all, but sent him forth on the mission to find the stranger to their lands before one of the larger predators did and devoured her.
The guardian was given a small hourglass and instructions on how to find where this star had fallen.
Squeezing his mounts with his heels, it stopped and he turned the hourglass over again looking up at the twin suns above for the fourth time. Turning due west, the guardian sent his mount off through the thick underbrush far below the canopy of the leaves so high above.
Sojurn would have to be careful here as other predators more dangerous than his own mount roamed these shadowy realms. Each one always hungry enough to attack even if it was something twice its own size.
The warrior had found this out the hard way during his trials into manhood. He’d almost been killed by a pack of Jouronas as they hunted for a meal amongst the leaves that covered the forest floor. Only his wits and the skill of his mount had kept their long teeth and claws at bay until they could flee to safety.
Traveling for three turns of the glass, Sojurn turned back to the north for two more before going west for another five more hourglass turns.
He found the area where the star had fallen from the sky. Its path clearly marked by the broken tree limbs and kicked up dirt where it had scoured the ground until it finally created an impact crater in the soil twenty foot round.
The hunter climbed down and slowly circled the area as he built up his courage to enter the large divot. Squatting down, his hand touched the spot where the star had laid touching its mirrored features. His fingertips ran over the compressed dirt as lightly as if he were touching a baby in unbelief that the old witch had been right.
After ten minutes, he stood up and roughed up the soil making sure that no others could make out the stars new path. Climbing back up onto his mount, Sojurn circled the area until he found the path leading away from the impact site.
The trail was heading foolishly west right to the valley of the lost souls. He would have to hurry to catch up for there the largest of the lizards lived devouring anything that they could. Even he would be hard pressed to survive a single day and night there and she had literally no chance.
******
Alitta awoke blurry eyed and with her head pounding so badly that it felt as if it would split open. She staggered as she looked around trying to make out where she was at.
The chute she’d fallen thru must have led out to the jungle, but she was in the middle of an open field. She knew that she had to get away and then get help if she wanted to get to Peru or Bolivia then on to the coast before Sabio’s men could catch up with her.
Alitta moved along occasionally tripping over a rock, root or grass clod. Once she heard the far cry of an eagle so she headed in that direction to try and reach the dig site and maybe her burro would still be there. It would be able to carry her back to the little village where she could get a vehicle.
For now however, she would just keep walking since a plan had come together. Alitta thought that she heard the call of a jaguar but put it out of her mind continuing to walk as she didn’t have anything to fight it off with. Perhaps she could find a nice stout stick or branch along her way.
Her path led her up the side of the mountain so Alitta kept climbing. At the ridgeline, she couldn’t see the valley below due to the thick foliage so she followed a path which Alitta believed would lead her to her camp.
If nothing else, she would be able to tell Horacio’s niece of his murder so that she and her family could have closure.
After several hours, the paleontologist reached the elevation that she believed her base camp should be located at. Alitta was afraid of being caught as she could not find the camp despite her broadening search after over an hour had passed by.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, the American headed down the steep slope in the direction of the dig site. Surely it would be easier to locate and then make it back to the village.
******
His father’s men had found no trace of the American and Paul just nodded in understanding as he heard the news. His mother did not miss a thing or the look in his eyes. She knew that Alitta had been around to talk with him privately on the subject and that Paul was hiding something.
Hopping into one of the jeeps, he headed down to the dig site to see if he could find anything that would help him find her, specifically a golden eagle pendant.
******
The paleontologist stood fascinated as she observed what appeared to be a monitor lizard, very similar to a Kamoto Dragon, except these lizards were nine foot tall and standing on their hind legs.
It was unheard of in the scientific community and would surely be scoffed at unless she produced pictures or at the least the GPS coordinates so others could collaborate her findings.
Alitta pulled out the GPS that she had stolen from Paul’s room as Franchesca had taunted her about the local detailed map in the textbook. For some reason it was still not picking up a satellite signal and she cursed modern gadgets that had taken away the basic knowledge that our ancestors took for granted.
She had probably stayed and watched the lizards for far too long, but it was just so fascinating that it was difficult to turn away. She had taken note of how quick that they were so she decided to give them a wide berth.
By doing so, she found herself on a vast plateau that seemed to stretch for over a mile wide and several long before the thick tree line appeared to begin.
Alitta looked around and realized that she must be on the wrong side of the mountain range. Closing her eyes, she thought about the map that she had viewed trying to place herself on the coordinates where she now stood.
Opening those emerald vibrant pools, the paleontologist shook her head for she could not remember this area from the topographical map that Franchesca had shown her. Could her mind still be fuzzy from the fall and bump on her head, or maybe she had misunderstood the maps features and scale?
Closing her eyes again, Alitta turned the map in her mind trying to make the topographical features line up with the ridgeline that she stood on and the vast plain before her. Try as she might, the paleontologist couldn’t make it work.
The far off cry of an eagle above startled the American from her thoughts and she could see the many eagles flying far off just like she had in her dreams. This time she was prepared as the dark shadow blocked out the sun.
Alitta closed her eyes and relaxed her body as the loud flap of wings kicked up dust just before those gigantic claws grasped hold of her and lifted the bone hunter up into the air.
It was exactly like her previous vision and she felt the pain in her shoulder as well as the large group of eagles ahead. They soared towards the gathering of eagles quickly advancing.
The giant eagle holding her ducked and wove its way through the flock crying out to its kin. Unlike her dream, Alitta found it hard to draw breath and the medallion against her chest had heated like the hood of a car under a summers sun.
Only the cool air rushing by made it bearable as it seared her skin. The large bird of prey peeled off from the others and led them eastward.
******
Sojurn arrived at the immense plateau just as the star was flown off and spirited away from him. Cursing his ill luck and the shamans quest, he reluctantly went forward passing into territory that the warrior had not ventured into before.
He only prayed that he could reach her in time before his prize was devoured by the ‘Death Wings’.
******
Alitta awoke in a large nest that had been layered with soft down feathers. She stretched out enjoying its luxurious feel reminding her of being a child wrapped in satin sheets for the first time.
A large head appeared above her and
the paleontologist stifled a gasp that wanted to break forth from her mouth. The large eyes regarded her inquisitively as she sat up to get a better look at her surroundings.
Its large beak could easily swallow her or a deer and its edges looked razor sharp. There was a gouge in it near its left eye and several feathers had been recently torn out.
The bird bobbed its head and came up with half of one of the large monitor lizards which it dropped into the nest. “Thank you.” Alitta said and the gigantic bird bobbed its head then dropped out of site only to appear in the air above already far off.
Carefully she climbed up and peeked over the edge of the nest and her heart went into her throat as she looked down a cliff that dropped over two-hundred feet below. The nest had been built at the end of a rather large log leaning out over the vast valley below.
There were other nests all along the cliff and the American counted no less then sixty-three. She couldn’t stomach to eat the lizard meat raw so contented herself with watching the great eagles come and go as they fed their hatchlings.
Her savior returned with its own meal and set about devouring it all. It nudged her share at Alitta and she tried to explain that she preferred hers cooked to no avail.
The large ariel predator eyed her curiously as darkness began to set in and seeing no way to escape her captivity at night so she lay back down. Climbing into the nest, the large eagle spread out its one wing over her like a blanket.
Tucking its head under the other wing, the eagle closed its eyes and fell asleep. Alitta had to stifle a giggle as the large fierce bird of prey began to snore.
Exhaustion soon took her and she dreamt of her father and the last time that he had tried to get her back into his life. She’d just finished her doctorate and had accepted going out to dinner with him as he had come two thousand miles for her graduation. Alitta remembered she was cool towards him at best still angry that it hadn’t been him but her mother who had passed on from this world at such an early age.
How kind he had been despite her rude indifference even going so far as to offer her a partnership on his upcoming dig in Brazil. Alitta had flat out refused him cutting their dinner short so that she could go and party with some of her friends instead.
Her father had left several calls, which she wouldn’t answer, before heading back to their home northwest of Boston. It was the last time that she had seen him alive.
A warm beak nuzzled her hair as she woke in the night weeping with her face streaked and still wet with tears. Alitta cried with her giant protector watching over her.
******
Sojurn had followed the stars trail for eight sunrises and sunsets until he had drawn near to the high cliffs of doom. He had heard all of the stories as a child of the winged guardians that the lands beyond their own were said to be like Gods of the skies over the lesser creatures and wilder beasts.
Past here, his chances of returning alive dropped significantly yet he was duty bound to follow the shaman’s request. Sojurn had vowed to bring back the star or die trying.
He cautiously approached the cliffs at night fall mindful of the possibility of this being his last hours drawing breath. What was so important about this fallen star that his own life was forfeit he did not know as the old hag had not said?
Aside from the fact that the star was more exotically beautiful then any he had seen, Sojurn only knew that he had been tasked with her return and would not fail his great, great grandmother.
******
The paleontologist woke up shivering in the cold morning air. The large eagle was nowhere to be seen, but it had mounded up more feathers on top of her before it had gone.
Alitta curled up even tighter into a ball to try and stay warm until she heard the flap of wings. This time it had brought her a carcass of a large rodent which it laid before her once again. Despite her revulsion, Alitta’s stomach still growled in complaint. “I need it cooked.” implored the woman trying again only this time in Spanish.
The bird cocked its massive head to the side and then looked to the west. Following its line of site, the Paleontologist could see the puff of smoke far off in the distance that could be a factory or power plant of some kind.
Now it dawned on her and she realized that it must be the steam from a cooling tower of a nuclear power plant and these poor majestic birds had been affected by it somehow.
Standing up and cautiously approaching its massive body, Alitta was happily surprised that it remained perfectly still as she lay her hand on its beak gently rubbing it as one does a dog or cat. It remained there with its eyes closed for ten minutes only backing away after she stopped.
The giant eagle fell over the side of the nest and flew off to hunt again. With her decision made, the human steeled her resolve and climbed over the opposite side of the nest onto the large tree trunk that was over eight foot in diameter.
Alitta had to kneel down several times else the wind howling along the cliff would send her to her death on the rocks far below. Navigating up a twelve foot shear rock face, the paleontologist conquered the most difficult thing she had ever done.
In the end she climbed over the edge onto solid ground and lay there catching her breath. Looking around, she was greeted by the forest uninterrupted and wondered just how many miles it would take her to get to the coast. The power plant seemed to be her best option as it would have a landline, fax and email. However she was torn with not wanting to leave these magnificent eagles that had been so kind to her.
A cry from above and the flapping of massive wings alerted Alitta of her hosts return. Dust kicked up into the air as it landed in front of her blocking her path to the jungle.
“But I must leave…Pero tengo que abandoner.” he female said in Spanish earnestly. The giant eagle’s massive head shook from side to side. She tried to explain it several more ways but the eagle wouldn’t let her even when she tried to get by spreading its wings blocking her path.
She tried once more but accepted that she would not be allowed to leave right now. With a cry that echoed into the valley below, it hopped up and grasped her in its talons and leaped of the high precipice.
Alitta tried not to squirm as they plummeted towards the valley floor below. The eagle stretched out its wings catching the air currents and lifted them higher using the thermals. It soared for almost a mile away from the nests before it began to climb higher into the sky in the direction of the distant smoke. She was surprised at how gently the great eagle cradled her as its wings thundered them through the air chilling her skin nearly to the bone.
For over an hour it continued onward until the cloud maker came into site. This made the her heart fall as they circled high above a volcano’s rim as it belched out sulfurous smoke into the atmosphere. Even from this height it choked her lungs and stung her eyes.
This left only the coast, but from their lofty height all that Alitta could see was the tops of what appeared to be an endless forest. The giant bird veered back towards the east and flew until they reached its nesting grounds once more. It gently set her down on the cliff top and folded its wings waiting for her to do or say something.
Alitta went and gathered twigs, dried moss and grasses together. Pulling out her lighter, she lit the grass after placing stones around the fuel. She gently blew on the grass until it caught the moss and twigs. Adding some bigger sticks and branches, the professor sat there warming up as the sun rode low near the horizon.
Climbing back into the large nest, she returned with her portion of today’s kill and shoved a stick through it. “Cook…Cocinar.” she said to the enormous eagle as she held it over the fire slowly rotating it while continuing to add some more sticks.
After it was cooked, the paleontologist ravenously attacked her feast with her protector standing watch intently. After she had eaten, Alitta sat back lounging by the glow of the coals warming her aching bones.
Reluctantly she covered the coals with dirt and stood ready to go. All this time the great eagle had sto
od to the side watching both her and the jungle.
Now it reached out and picked her up gently cradled Alitta it one claw and hopped up the tree and into the nest depositing her on the soft bed of down. She went and lay close as it unfolded its wing over her again.
For the next week her protector, whom she called “Rey Horhay” or “King George” in English, continued to bring her food twice daily and stood guard as she cooked it on the precipice.
One morning she woke stretching and climbed over the nest to go to the edge and relieve herself in some bush’s. Alitta had just finished and pulled up her cutoffs when a strong hand clamped over her mouth and another across her mid-section like a vice.
Alitta bit the finger and brought her heel up into the groin area getting the arms to slacken some. Before she could cry out, that same arm thrust into her stomach relieving her of her wind. She was hefted up over a bare shoulder and carried off into the thick undergrowth of the forest.
******
Sojurn looked up at the cliff intimidated by their sheer height. His mount nudged him and he soothed her by rubbing the feathers above its eyes. High above built on the cliff face sat the nests of the “Rey águilas”. A larger version of his own mount but they were wild and not flightless like his own.
The warrior had seen his quarry carried off to here yet the Shaman had assured him that “The star would still be shining bright once he laid hold of it.”
A direct assault would only get him caught halfway up the cliff once the morning broke. Sojurn knew of another way and climbed back aboard his mount and headed along the cliff.
About five turns of the glass put him at a more scalable area and the great bird complained but did as she was bid. Her foot-long toe claws digging into the rocky soil for leverage.
Dinosaur Dreams (Indian Trail's Book 1) Page 4