Shattered Destiny

by West, Shay

  There was no one on the Eastern Plains of Colorado except the Chosen and their Guardians. Forka kept to the game trails criss-crossing the grassy plains. The dirt had been ground to soft powder by the many antlered hoofs of the deer and elk that roamed the plains, and Forka thought those traveling in bare feet might find the going a bit easier.

  --Your planet has changed.

  The communication from Number 4 stopped the group in their tracks.

  “Changed?” Robert asked.

  --We have visited your planet many times in the past.

  Robert pinched the bridge of his nose. The telepath's unwillingness to elaborate was frustrating. “I don't understand. Did you come here through the portal?”

  --No. We came in travel pods.

  Robert ground his teeth. “You came in travel pods? And…? What did you do? Why did you come? How long ago did you visit?” He hoped the multiple questions would prompt the clone to be a little more verbose.

  --Our kind has been to many worlds. We observe and sometimes take life forms back to Kromin for study. The last time anyone came to this world was about eight hundred years ago.

  “You took people from here?” Sloan asked.

  --It was necessary. We erased the memories of those we took. But sometimes the erasure did not work, and the subject would remember things about their journey. It made it difficult for us to continue the surveillance of this planet.

  “Perhaps we can continue this conversation while we walk?” Impatience drove Forka to snarl the question at his comrades. He strode off without bothering to see if anyone followed.

  “So what was the planet like when you visited? Have you ever been here?” Brad frowned at the clones.

  --We are much too young to have actually traveled to this world. Number 5 said.

  “Do you know what we were like before all this?” Brad gestured toward the ruins of Denver. In the distance, he could barely make out the tall concrete tower; its purpose, no one could guess.

  --Humans lived much differently. You lived and worked in large buildings made of steel and stone. Humans would drive cars on the ground. That is a piece of what was once an elevated highway. Number 5 pointed to the concrete pillar growing larger the nearer they got to the Jhinn encampment. --For long distance travel, humans would fly in airplanes. Very inefficient. Travel pods are much better for long distances.

  Brad shook his head at the strange terms the clone used. None of the Chosen of Earth had ever heard of the things the Kromin was speaking of. The pictures and symbols that flashed through his mind as the clone communicated only added to the confusion. He couldn't put a name to any of the strange things the clone was showing him, and words like computers, trains, cell phones, and satellites meant nothing.

  Robert felt a flash of jealousy that these aliens knew more of Earth's history than its own people did. “Why didn't we write stuff down? Hearing you speak of how we lived before doesn't even seem real,” he said.

  --I can tell you more if you like.

  “Why did you stop visiting?” Forka asked. He had noted that the time the aliens had stopped was about the same time that the downfall of the human race had begun. He had learned some of the details while training on Gentra, but he wanted to know more.

  --Your species was no longer interesting. My kind had visited this planet for many thousands of years. We kept hoping that with each leap of technology you would change. But humans will never change. It is boring to watch a species do nothing but fight.

  Robert wanted to deny it, wanted to defend his people. His shoulders sagged as the truth of the telepath's words weighed him down. He had spent most of his life fighting the two enemies that plagued the Jhinn, and one look at Forka's face confirmed that what the telepath had said was the truth. Robert wondered why he felt so guilty at hearing how humans had behaved so long ago. I'm not responsible for what they did. So why do I feel so bad?

  “We must be quiet. We are nearing the river,” Forka whispered harshly. He had been so caught up in what the telepath was saying that he had allowed them to come too close to the watchtowers.

  Forka signaled the group to stay put and moved forward slowly. His skin prickled.

  They should have seen me.

  Forka had spent enough time in the watchtowers to know that even though he was behind a screen of cottonwoods, the sharp eyes of the guards could have spotted him. The alarm bells should have been ringing.

  All he heard was the sound of the river and the birds. This mundane noise terrified him. He quickly made his way back to the group. Why are the towers not manned?

  “General, we need to get to the encampment.” Sloan's voice was low and tense.

  Forka nodded. “Let's hope the ferry is on this side of the river. Or you will have a long swim across.”

  Sloan snorted. “You know Martha is the strongest….” His voice broke off.

  “It's okay. Let's get going.” Forka hated how fast things were moving. They had been hit with the deaths on Astra and had been hit again with three more. None had had time to properly grieve for their lost friends.

  Forka motioned the group to follow. He and Sloan jogged to the river, their fear lending their tired limbs new speed. Forka breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the ferry still tied to the bank. He calculated quickly.

  “We will have to go in two groups. We need to move in slow and easy. Once it is safe, those that are invisible need to find clothing quickly. The Jhinn may have been taken captive.” Forka jumped aboard. It was strange to feel the ferry move and sway as the invisible Chosen stepped onto the wooden platform. Forka and Sloan went with the first group. They pulled the ferry across as quickly as they could. By the time they reached the far bank, both men were covered in sweat and panting from the exertion.

  Forka leaped from the ferry and ran for the encampment. When he spotted the first buildings, his heart sank. They were burned-out ruins, with blackened boards sticking out like crooked teeth.

  It's all gone.

  Forka wanted to sink to his knees and mourn the loss of the Jhinn, but he forced himself to keep moving through the burned-out ruins of the encampment. He needed to do a thorough search to see if he could find bodies. It would help him determine the full extent of what happened here.

  It wasn't long before the invisible Chosen managed to piece together enough outfits to cover themselves sufficiently. They wandered through the ruins, searching for bones. Their hearts ached for their Earth comrades. The Astrans felt especially close to the Chosen from Earth. Seeing the burned-out camp brought back all the memories of finding the abandoned villages and the dead hanging in trees. They were memories they would have rather not had filling their minds right then.

  “There is no one here. Not even bones. The camp looks like it has been abandoned for some time.” Brad's voice sounded as exhausted as he looked.

  “I found some old tracks leading that direction.” Feeror pointed in the direction of foothills to the Rocky Mountains.

  “If Feeror calls them old, they must be very old. No one reads tracks as well as Feeror,” Moylir stated.

  “How many?” Forka asked.

  “Quite a large number.”

  “The Jhinn may have been taken.” Brad felt a surge of hope. “We have to go after them.”

  “Now wait just a minute! We came to the camp. No one is here. For all you know they packed up and left on their own.” Gerok's irritation was clear.

  “The only way they would leave is by force.” Sloan's voice was steady and sure. “Since the tracks lead into the mountains, they were probably taken by the Horde.”

  “And what are we supposed to do? We have a bigger job. What if we lose even more of us in a fight with this Horde?” Gerok asked.

  “We have lost eight of us already. I'd say our chances of destroying the Mekans are pretty much nonexistent. But we can save these people! We have the Astrans’ magic ability, the telepathic ability of the clones to coordinate an attack, the strength of the Volgons, and w
e have knowledge of the terrain and the enemy. We can't turn our backs on the Jhinn.” Sloan's voice was ragged with emotion. “I lived among the Horde. I know what they are capable of. What they do…it's horrible.” The guilt at having participated in such horrific acts consumed him.

  “We have to get them.” Brad couldn't stand the thought of the good people of the camp suffering at the hands of their enemy.

  “It will be dark soon. We'll have to wait until morning.” Robert hated the idea of having to wait even one more minute, but they would not be able to follow the tracks in the dark.

  --There is something over there. It is coming this way. Number 4 pointed off in the direction of a thick stand of trees behind what used to be the bathhouse.

  The group turned and stood their ground. They could hear the cracking of the branches and the crunching of the undergrowth. Whatever was moving through the trees sounded big.

  Forka sucked in a breath and laughed out loud when he saw No Name's head push past the thick leaves. He ran to his mare and wrapped his arms around her neck. The mare whickered and pushed against him so hard he almost lost his footing.

  “How did you escape?” Forka looked deep into her brown eyes.

  No Name shook her head and stared placidly at him.

  Forka laughed. “I see. When the fighting started you got the hell out.” He scratched behind her ears. “I don't blame you.” He moved around her flank, checking her for any injuries. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found her to be in good health.

  --The animal knows where the others like you have gone.

  Forka turned to Number 4 and stared with is mouth open. “What do you mean, she knows where they are?”

  --I have read its thoughts. The brain is quite simple, really.

  Forka shook his head in disbelief. It had never occurred to him that these telepaths could communicate with animals.

  --The animal can lead us to where the others are. It indicates that the people from here are being held by your enemy.

  Forka fought the urge to jump on No Name's back and race into the mountains after the Jhinn. He took a deep, steadying breath and forced his racing heart to slow to a more normal pace. It would be folly to go after the Jhinn at night.

  “We will leave tomorrow,” Forka stated.

  “Why does no one listen to me? We must try to return to Gentra at once!” Gerok raised his voice, trying to stop the others from moving off.

  “No one is listening to you because we are all tired of your incessant whining! We know you wish to return to Gentra. No one is stopping you. If you want to go running back home, then go.” Sloan turned from the man, unable to look him in the eye.

  “Running back…” Gerok narrowed his eyes. “You think because I keep insisting we return home that I am a coward?” He curled his hands into fists.

  “What else are we supposed to think?”

  “That I am a Master and Guardian with a duty to see the Mekans destroyed. I take this duty seriously, as should you.”

  “As a Protector, I also have a duty to the Jhinn.” How can the man ask us to abandon our people?

  Our people. That statement felt right. Sloan knew he could never possibly make up for what he had done. When thoughts of Tess entered his mind, he forced himself to remember her face as it had been in life. It was all too easy to pretend that it hadn't happened, and to force thoughts of Tess and Amber and Valery from his mind.

  Sloan refused to do so with Tess. It would be unfair to her memory and to the time they spent fighting together. Tess deserved better than to be pushed aside.

  Sloan turned to Gerok and cleared his throat. “I apologize for misinterpreting your actions. And while I understand your call to do what you feel is right, I must do the same. Leaving the Jhinn in the hands of the enemy is not an option.”

  Gerok spoke through clenched teeth. “If more die in the rescue, the consequences will be on your head.” He stalked off.

  The Chosen set about gathering wood and trying to find anything edible that had been left behind, but the Horde had either taken the food stores or burned them. The Volgons and Earth Chosen went hunting.

  “This planet is much like the last. You are fortunate to live in such a place. So close to the wild.” Feeror turned toward the sun, his face breaking into a smile of sheer bliss.

  Gwen felt a pang of sorrow for the mighty Volgons. She could not imagine living under the ground, never able to set foot on the surface without being ready to die. She thanked the spirits that she lived on a relatively peaceful planet.

  “Maybe someday Volgon will be free of battle and you can live on the surface again.” Gwen reached out to touch Moylir's hands.

  “All Volgons hold that hope close to their hearts. But we live as we must. There is nothing else to do.” Moylir shrugged. The Volgon woman's skin had turned brown from so much time in the sun, and her face had a rosy glow to it. Gwen hoped the fighting on their world would end someday. She glanced at Feeror and blushed at the intensity in the man's eyes as he looked at her. He turned away quickly and disappeared into the forest.

  “They certainly are…big aren't they?”

  Gwen looked up at Keera. “Yes…big. It's strange. They seem almost bigger on this planet than they did on Astra. More muscular, taller….” Gwen's voice trailed off as she watched Feeror walk away. She shook her head and waddled back to the fire. Jon and Saemus had managed to find two large black kettles in the burned out rubble of one of the houses. Gwen wanted to wash them out before they attempted to cook anything in them. She was certain the taste of smoke wouldn't add much to the flavor of the stew.

  “So….” Keera began tentatively.

  “So, what?” Gwen cut her off, unwilling to broach the subject she knew Keera was trying so hard to start.

  “Oh Gwen! I've seen you stare at Feeror. I don't blame you. He is impressive,” Keera said slyly.

  Gwen snorted, trying to sound nonchalant. “I have no idea what you are talking about. You know I love….” She paused, making sure they were alone. “You know I love Jon,” she finished in a whisper.

  “I think you think you still do. Do you realize that this is the first time you have spoken his name in a long time? You don't walk close to him, you don't watch him. You watch him.” Keera pointed in Feeror's direction.

  “Why would I be interested in that brute? Do you remember how he treated me when we first arrived?”

  “Of course. And I know that he has been nothing but respectful to you since you strung him up and nearly killed him. And I see how he watches you.”

  “He is probably looking at me like someone looks at a gross bug or something.”

  Keera shook her head. “It's not that kind of look, Gwen.”

  “How would you know how he looks at me with all your mooning over that Earthman?”

  Keera did not rise to the bait. She knew she had hit on a nerve, and she was not going to give up until Gwen admitted her feelings. Keera was glad Gwen was showing interest in someone that shared the interest. It had been frustrating watching her friend waste time loving someone who would never return the feelings.

  “Admit it, Gwen. You like him, and he obviously likes you too.”

  “I will admit nothing of the sort. Besides, even if we did have a mutual liking for one another, what can come of it? We are from two very different worlds. I will never be welcome on his world, and I am not sure he would stay on Astra and leave his people to fight their enemy.” Gwen was so angry that tears stung her eyes.

  “How do you know nothing can come of it until you try? Maybe he can come back to Astra after this is all over. He might surprise you. Maybe he would rather live out the rest of his days in peace than die early fighting their enemy.”

  “It's useless trying to plan for a future together. I don't think any of us will be returning home.” Gwen's voice shook. This was the first time she had talked about the impending doom coming for them. They all knew what it meant, losing eight of the Chosen. But none wanted to s
peak of it. Perhaps if they did not say the words, they could stave off the inevitable.

  “If we lose hope, we will lose for sure. I, for one, want to imagine everything turning out for the best,” Keera said firmly.

  “Have you and the Earth Chosen spoken about the future?”

  “Sloan and I have not spoken of the future, no. The man has walls up so thick that I fear it will take me a lifetime to break through them, but even if it takes an eternity, that blasted man will let me in.”

  Gwen laughed at her furrowed brow and pursed lips. She knew Keera would be relentless in her chase. Gwen almost felt sorry for the Earthman Keera had in her sights. He didn't stand a chance.

  The Volgons returned with a bull elk slung between them. Jon and Saemus hovered nearby, eyes wide in disbelief. The antlered horses of Astra did not have spreads nearly as wide as those of the dead elk lying on the ground. The two young Astrans wanted to know the details of the hunt. Feeror good-naturedly told the awe-struck Chosen every detail, from the first whiff of the musky odor, to the crackling of the dark timber as the animal ran, to the twang of the bow and the bellow of the elk as the arrow hit.

  “The animal ran for two miles before falling. He is worthy of praise. He was strong and sure-footed, leading us away from the females of his kind.” Feeror spoke of the animal with a reverent quality to his voice.

  Robert wished they had a bit of fresh bread to go with dinner. They were so hungry they shoved the raw meat onto pointed sticks and roasted it over the fire. The moon rose as the Chosen and the remaining Guardians were eating their second helping.

  The Volgons tensed as the lonely howl of wolves echoed in the darkness.

  “What manner of creature makes such noise?” Moylir's eyes were wide, and she stared all around her as if trying to spot the source of the eerie sound.

  “They are wolves,” Forka answered. He had always loved to listen to them howl. He had caught glimpses of them while out hunting or patrolling. They were like ghosts moving through the trees, their silver and grey coats shining in the sunlight that penetrated the dark timber.