Awakenings

by Timothy Manley

“I wonder about what?” Erin said stirring the food in his bowl.

  “What’s that?” Brandon asked Martin.

  “If you get your meat from the foodbox, is it still meat?”

  “Well, it looks, feels and tastes like meat. So, it is,” Brandon said matter of fact.

  “But no real animal was killed to make it,” Martin explained, making a point with his spoon.

  “That’s vegan,” Wendell said.

  “I don’t see how,” Martin said.

  “I’m going to go find her,” Erin said and made the move to stand up.

  Martin touched him on his arm and leaned over, whispering to him. “Dude, you’re being too obvious. Tone it down.”

  Erin looked at him as if he was going to argue but saw Wendell and Brandon both looking at him. He sat down and started eating the stew.

  “Vegan is about not eating or using animal products. Vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat. Therefore, if the meat from the box doesn’t come from a real animal, vegans should be able to eat it but not vegetarians.”

  “Too weird,” Brandon said. “It makes my head hurt thinking about it.”

  “Naw,” Wendell said. “I went vegan for a while when I was younger.”

  “You’re not now,” Erin said, pulling himself into the conversation. “I’ve seen you inhale a whole tray of bacon.”

  “Bacon is what drew me back to the dark side,” Wendell said, grinning.

  ————

  Instead of eating with the rest, Rae tried to find the Master’s Office. Rumors spoken in the halls by the acolytes, and half answers given, indicated that the Master knew the answers to every question. She figured she’d challenge that notion and see just how much he’d answer. She followed the directions given to her. She followed them turn after turn until she thought she was lost. She found herself at a door at the end of a hallway.

  The door was ajar, she pushed it open and peeked in. There was an ancient man sitting there, behind a small modest desk. He looked up, his eyes were completely white, as if covered fully by cataracts.

  “I’ve been waiting for you Mistress of Five Rivers,” he said, his voice slow and weak.

  “Mistress?” she asked and entered the room.

  “Yes,” he said, moving his head as she did. “Please sit,” he motioned to a seat. “Have some nuts and figs.” And pointed to the bowl of fruit near the chair.

  She sat down, careful and ready to jump.

  “You are cautious,” he said. “That is good, but too much is,” he made a wave of his hand, “wasteful.”

  “Can you answer my questions?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “You haven’t asked them yet.”

  “Is my husband alright?”

  “He is fighting his nature,” the old man said. “But he’s realizing who he is. And even though he’s hurting, he’s moving correctly.”

  “What does that mean?” She asked, her anger flaring quicker than she expected.

  “Only he truly knows what it means,” the old man said holding up his finger, as a minder to her to hold herself in check.

  “My kids?”

  “You already know they’re asleep, frozen in time.”

  “What happened?”

  “A lot has happened,” he said smiling, a shit eating grin.

  “Why are we here? What happened that made all this happen?”

  “Those are two, very deep, and very complicated questions,” he said.

  “Best way to start a long story is at the beginning,” she said. She could play the Kung-Fu monk wisdom pseudo-speak game too.

  “Ah,” he said, laughing. “Very true. But,” he pointed a finger in the air. “Knowledge given before it is ready is wasted.”

  “I’m ready,” she said.

  “To know there was a cataclysm? And that you were brought to this world, the Realm, in an effort to save you all? Yes, for that knowledge you are ready.”

  “What cataclysm?” She asked, her mind racing. She had thought about what and why, but really hadn’t dug that deeply. She needed to know.

  “The one that brought you here,” he said. “You must focus on your desire, mistress Raevyn.” He smiled gently at her. “What is your desire?”

  She was about to argue, but she stopped. She was tired.

  “To reunite with my husband and help do whatever is needed to wake up our children so we’re all together again, we’re a family again.”

  He smiled. She could swear she saw a tear well up at the corner of his eyes.

  “That is the truth,” he said. “It is his truth as well. Only he takes a straight line to accomplish, skipping steps when he can, you take circles.”

  “What?” she said. “I’m not taking circles.”

  “What city leads to the way out of the wasteland?”

  “Aken’Bar,” she replied.

  “That is north. Why do you head south?”

  “To,” she stopped, her voice trailed off. Wendell. What was he up to?

  “How can I help?” he asked.

  “I know my husband is in Five Rivers,” she said. “I have no idea where that is.”

  “Ah,” he said. “Our library can help. But that location has been lost to time. It’s been buried by the taint. Your husband is waking it up.”

  “I need to go help him.”

  “I believe,” the old man said, wiping tears from his eyes, “that is what he most desires.”

  Her throat caught at his words. She felt the emotion he felt. She had no idea where it came from, but it was overwhelming.

  “Where can I find out?” She asked.

  “Our library is yours. The librarian will help you in whatever you need.”

  ————

  Three days had passed. Rae wasn’t really aware of the passage of time as she was buried in books. But the rest of the group were antsy, ready to go. They didn’t understand why there was a delay they thought the plan was clear and they were to rest and leave right away. But when they tried to interfere Rae barked at them and they skulked away.

  With the help of the librarian she found the ancient, oversized book. She began reading the tale of Five Rivers. How the taint took control, how it stole the lives of the people. How it was lost to time and history, its past glory gone into legend. She learned about the Realm. She didn’t learn about the cataclysm, other than it happened.

  But there was more. Near the end of the book she read of the exploits of Urto the Strong, Lord of Five Rivers. She read of how he was almost devoured by the guants, how they swarmed him eating him alive until he refused to fall and jumped into the river with them all.

  Her throat caught and she pressed her hands against her mouth at the words. Eating him alive it said. Tears fell out of her control. No. She continued to read how he almost died broken and drowning in his own blood by the spider queen of the scholar tower. She read how his skull was cracked open. And, before her eyes, the words etched into the paper, telling the tale of how he cleaned the weapons and armor shop of Five Rivers. At the words, at each telling of his combats, she held her breath as her tears fell freely. She saw the words form on the page, how his belly was split, and his left hand cut off. Heavy sobs escaped her mouth as the words talked of how he overcame and thrust his bloody stump into the fire, so he could survive the trip home.

  She stopped reading and broke down, sobbing heavily. The Master Librarian brought her a wet cloth and then made everyone leave. She lay her head down and cried heavily. In all the stories, the tales of Urto and his quest to clear the taint from Five Rivers, the pain and torture he went through was clear. How he fought and would drag himself back home only to heal and try again. She hadn’t been injured anywhere near the way he had. And he kept going while she dallied, eating lobster. She cried deeply until she was asleep.

  ————

  “I’m going to Aken’Bar,” she said to the party.

  “But the plan,” Wendell said.

  “Your plan. You
do your plan. I am going to Aken’Bar. Now.”

  “We have to be careful,” Wendell said.

  “No we,” she said. “Me. I, me, am going to Aken’Bar. What you do, is your choice. Come with me, don’t. I am going to Aken’Bar and I am leaving the wasteland.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Erin said immediately, without hesitation.

  “I’ll go too,” Martin said, standing. “I need to get to my wife.”

  “Me too,” Brandon stood as well.

  “Is this some mutiny?” Wendell asked. “Why are you all standing up? Am I a tyrant?”

  “No,” Rae said. “You’re you, and this has nothing to do with you. This is me, and this is Martin and this is Brandon and Erin. I’m going, no matter who comes.”

  “I never knew why you wanted to go to Altemickhus to begin with.” Erin said, looking at Wendell.

  “Chariots,” Wendell said. “They have chariots pulled by large flightless birds.”

  “Really?” Rae said. “This is for chariots?”

  “They’re faster,” Wendell said, his voice trailing off.

  Rae shook her head and went to collect her kit.

  “Okay,” Wendell said. “Maybe it was stupid. But, please,” he begged. “Let me come too.”

  “I never said you couldn’t,” she said and smiled at him.

  ————

  Going down stairs is normally a lot easier than going up. But, these stairs were so steep that Wendell recommended they all tie themselves together. Multiple times he was proven right as one of the group would start going too fast and fall, threatening to roll down the entire group of stairs.

  They made better time to Merchant’s Oasis than they expected, so instead of stopping they continued on and pushed onto Yar’s camp. As they entered they half expected it to be over-run again by the crazed militia. But it was still empty, devoid of anyone.

  “No new recruits,” Martin said, an angry edge to his voice.

  “This happens,” Wendell said. “They’ll use a spot for a time, then nothing.”

  “I don’t understand,” Rae said. “Is everyone here?”

  “I don’t know,” Wendell said. “Not in the Wasteland at least. But maybe other places? I don’t know.”

  “I don’t want to camp here,” Rae said.

  “Yeah,” Martin said. “I don’t blame you.”

  They pushed on and kept their forced march moving. It was long past dark, long past safety, when they made their way to The Oasis.

  ————

  Dawn was always the best time to begin the hike to the next destination. The sun began to lighten the sky around five-forty-five. At three miles an hour a twenty-mile hike, at two hours and then a half hour break, meant in about seven hours they’d hit their destination. They were at about nine in the morning when they saw the gibberings running in a group of six.

  According to the books Rae had read the gibberings were wolf-human hybrids with a taste for human flesh and the cunning of a wolf pack. When they saw the group they dropped and hugged the ground. Gibberings were dangerous, they were brutal, fast, and smart. Tactically they were frightening to fight as they moved with intelligent intent and engaged to take down larger numbers quickly, before feasting on their fallen bodies.

  This pack, though, wasn’t after them. They were moving against a group of about two dozen boar-men. She watched enraptured. The gibberings moved quickly, and sliced the backs of their legs, immobilizing them as they ran past their targets, slicing them deeply as they passed. Then they moved to disarm. And then, only then, they descended to feast onto the squealing bodies of their vanquished foe.

  The group backed up and gave the carnage a very wide berth. It wasn’t long until they saw the tower of Osbourne’s Keep.

  ————

  Rae was amazed at the deep history of the world and she was doubting that it was created just for them. Osbourne’s Keep was no exception. During the expansion the Kingdom of Stormgard pushed into the wasteland, building a keep around each oasis they discovered to establish safe travel and commerce. For now, though, Osbourne’s Keep was for those earthborn, like her, that had made it this far. Inside the keep there were a lot of people. It should have been bustling, but most of them seemed sad or beaten down.

  Eyes were on them as they entered and went to the shrine.

  “What’s wrong with them?” Martin asked.

  “They are beaten,” Wendell said. “They made it this far from the camp but can’t go past this one spot. Straight north of us is the Haunted Keep.”

  “Original name,” Brandon said.

  “Well, it works,” Wendell said. “A lot of us earthborn are still there as undead. They’re waiting to be killed so they can be freed.”

  “Then there’s the trading post,” Erin said.

  “Oh yeah,” Wendell said. “There is an actual path that leads to it. The walk is easy, and it’s pretty safe to get there. And if it’s daylight when you arrive everything is incredible.”

  “Then when it’s dark they eat you,” Erin said.

  “Which means there are a lot of us earthborn there, too, waiting to be freed,” Wendell said.

  “Wait?” Rae said. “Cannibals?”

  “More like…,” Erin looked for the word

  “The townsfolk are normal during the day. They’re inviting, the food is incredible, and the inn is cheap and comfortable as hell. But then about, what was it?”

  “I think midnight,” Erin said. “But I was busy, so I could be mistaken.” He looked away from Rae.

  “Oh yeah,” Wendell grinned. “It’s where Erin and I met.”

  The group entered the tavern. It was relatively empty. A few folks were sitting there, passively watching the group. It could seat far, far more than the pathetic group of folks that were there. They took a table and a rather haggard woman, showing far too much of her bosom, came to the table.

  “New rule,” she said. “You need to pay up front.”

  “Bring us pitchers of beer,” Wendell said. He placed a silver penny on the table.

  “Right away,” she took it and smiled. “Haven’t see folks like you in a long while.”

  “Anyway,” Wendell said. “The trading outpost had ladies of comfort that you could hire for the night.”

  “I get your drift,” Rae said.

  “But,” Erin said, embarrassed to be telling the story. “While I was … engaged, she changed. Her skin went from rosy and flushed with passion to gray and slimy. She tried to bite me, but I got away.”

  “I heard him scream,” Wendell said. “Turns out everyone in the trading post was being attacked and bitten until they turned. Erin and I ran and didn’t stop until we made it back here.”

  The waitress brought the pitchers of beer and some glasses to the table. She laid bowls filled with beets, nuts, and pickled eggs. She smiled at Wendell and then sashayed off.

  “We have no place to stop and rest?” Rae asked.

  “There is Stacy’s,” Erin said.

  “I’d rather not,” Wendell said.

  “Who is Stacey?” Martin asked, refilling his glass, emptying the pitcher and then holding it up to get the waitress to bring another.

  “Cyclone Stacey,” Erin said. “She’s one of us.”

  “From earth?” Rae asked.

  “Yeah,” Wendell said. “She’s a bit crazy.”

  “She and Wendell had a thing,” Erin said, grinning.

  “You knew her back home?” Rae asked, surprised.

  “No,” Wendell said. “But she showed up at the camp the same day I did. We grew on each other until, well, her crazy came out.”

  “How does she survive out here?” Brandon asked.

  “She found a spot with a well, built a home for herself.”

  “More than that,” Erin said. “She has some way she gets gear, a ton of gear, weapons, armor. She has her own trading post.”

  “There’s no shrine,” Wendell said.

  “But she�
��s still there,” Erin said. “And she has signs pointing the way to her place.”

  “The only safe place after that is at the Crossroads,” Wendell said. “There is no safe spot until we get there. The Haunted Keep is pretty close to midway between Osbourne’s Keep and the Dune City. The road is in a dead straight line north ending at the Dune City and the Crossroads. If we go around we’re either in open desert on the east, or we have some very dangerous spots to the west.”

  “So,” Rae said. “It’s not easy.”

  “Are you trying to talk us out of it, Wendell?” Martin asked.

  “No, not at all,” Wendell leaned back and drained his beer. “But, just letting you know what we’re up against.”

  “Stacey knows how to get past them,” Erin said. “You just have to ask her nice and she’ll help us.”

  ————

  It was only a dozen miles north from Osbourne’s Keep. And they were right, it was well indicated with signs. They broke out of the narrow path through the rocky hills into an arroyo. Buildings were in it and a giant sign that had been painted ‘Cyclone Stacey’s’. There was a main house, some animal pens, and a huge barn or warehouse. All the buildings were made from adobe, with pottery singles for the roof tiles.

  They approached the main house. It was huge. Rae got the feeling that it was the manor house. As they stepped on the porch they realized that a woman was sitting there. She had been watching them approach.

  “Hello Wendell,” she said.

  “Stacey.” He said flatly, a little sheepishly.

  “Hello Erin,” she smiled at the giant red headed man. Her smile was warm and inviting.

  “Hey Stacey.”

  “You’re still with this old grump I see.”

  “Yeah, you know,” he shrugged, and his voice trailed off.

  She stood and approached Rae. “But you bring more visitors this time.” She held her hand out to Rae and Rae took it. Stacey then clasped her hand with both of hers and held them warmly.

  “I’m Stacey Babcock,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”