Sentari: ICE

by Trevor Booth

  Julius and Te’oma reached the bottom and waited for Ariana. She leapt down from the last branch and landed on the soft ground below. Her eyes welled up with emotion.

  Julius walked off into the distance like a man on a mission. Ariana looked around at her old forest. The plants had grown much larger than when she lived here and the air was noticeably warmer.

  “Is everything alright?” asked Te’oma.

  “There’s something I haven’t told you, but this is not the time. Ask me again,” said Ariana. Julius walked back.

  “Alright. Where to now?” asked Te’oma.

  “We need to keep moving until we can find somewhere to spend the night,” said Julius.

  The three walked through the forest at a brisk pace. The combination of the warm air and open space spurred them on. Ariana led the way. The forest had not changed so much that she could not find her way.

  Ariana kept to herself as they walked through the forest. Their mood was quiet but optimistic. They were all extremely tired and they could desperately have used a break. Their stomachs screamed for food and all the muscles in their bodies ached. Luckily for them, Ariana’s old cottage was not too far away.

  Te’oma approached the cottage. The closer they got, the slower Ariana moved. It wasn’t hard for Te’oma and Julius to notice that something was wrong with her. She stopped at the entrance to the cottage. The walls were all overgrown with grass. Tree branches had fallen from above and damaged the roof. It didn’t look like anyone had been there since Ariana’s family had left.

  Te’oma and Julius walked up to the front door and called out hello, but there was no answer. “I don’t think anyone lives here,” said Julius, as he moved the branches that hung over the front window and peered inside. Te’oma looked at Ariana. She was literally shaking with fear.

  “What is it?” asked Te’oma. Ariana did not reply. She stormed up to the front door and pushed it open. Dust fell down from the roof. Large cobwebs covered the doorway. Ariana pushed the cobwebs aside and walked in.

  Inside the house, it was almost exactly as they had left it. Dust had covered everything and the plant life had started to make its way inside, but aside from that, it hadn’t changed. Ariana looked across at her old bed, next to her brother’s and her parents’ beds. It looked quite shabby. She walked over to the bed, brushed off the dust and dirt, then lay down and closed her eyes. For the briefest of moments she was home again.

  Te’oma and Julius walked in behind her and sat down at the small table. “What are the odds of finding a place like this?” asked Julius.

  “I think we just need to get some sleep,” said Ariana abruptly.

  Te’oma walked over to Ariana and held her hand. “There are enough beds for all of us,” said Ariana as she pulled her hand away from Te’oma and rolled over.

  It didn’t take long for the three of them to fall asleep. For nearly six hours they slept. The warmth of the forest, combined with the comfort of the cabin, made for a perfect place to recover.

  Julius woke as the night set in. He disappeared from the cabin for a few minutes before coming back with arms full of fruit and vegetables. He woke Te’oma and Ariana to show them his lucky find. “Anybody hungry?” asked Julius.

  “Definitely,” said Te’oma.

  Julius cleared off the old wooden table and the three sat down and dug into the food. They ate and ate until there was nothing left. Little conversation was had. They were all too busy stuffing their faces. Eventually, their stomachs felt bloated and they leant back in their chairs, feeling very content and happy with themselves.

  Julius and Te’oma talked long into the night; to them, this place was like paradise. Ariana kept very much to herself.

  The nights were short in the Yen-Gyle and, as the first light of the new day pierced its way through the windows of the cabin, Ariana was already up and sneaking her way out of the cabin. She did her best to close the front door without waking anybody up, but Te’oma was already awake and watching her intently. He quietly followed her out of the cabin and walked behind her as she headed off into the forest.

  “Where are you going?” asked Te’oma.

  Ariana didn’t react. “Just follow me and stay quiet,” she said as she hurried off.

  They walked quietly through the forest at a brisk pace. Ariana deliberately went the long way around to avoid the clearing where her family was taken. The forest had become so thick since she left that she had to start bashing the branches out of the way to keep moving. They reached her old rock pool. It still looked as pristine as she remembered it. The steam rose off the surface of the water, with the sun poking its way over the horizon, causing the endless snowfields below the cliff to glisten beautifully.

  Te’oma was amazed by the pool. He’d never seen hot water outside of a kettle. Ariana stripped off down to her underwear and put her feet gracefully into the water. She recoiled momentarily, unaccustomed to the heat, then stepped into the water and submerged herself.

  Te’oma watched on dumbfounded. He kept expecting to wake up. Ariana waved her hand at Te’oma, indicating that he should come in. He ripped his clothes off and ran into the water with all the grace of a blind giraffe. The water was incredibly warm. It was a strange feeling to Te’oma. He was so used to being frozen from the outside in that when his muscles and bones began to warm it almost felt uncomfortable.

  Ariana swam to the edge of the cliffs and rested her arms on the rocks. She looked out at the snowfields below. Te’oma swam up next to her.

  “Can you see that small tree poking its head out of the snow, way down below?” said Ariana. Te’oma squinted his eyes and could just make out the small tree through the glare of the morning sun. “That was once an apple tree. There used to be hundreds of apple trees all over those fields,” continued Ariana.

  “What happened to them?” asked Te’oma.

  “The same thing that happens to everything in this place. If the cold doesn’t get you the creatures will,” replied Ariana. “Just like they took my parents,” she added sadly, as she turned around to face the forest.

  “What do you mean?” asked Te’oma.

  Ariana had never once spoken of her parents to Te’oma. “I spent the larger part of my childhood in this forest,” said Ariana.

  “You never told me that,” replied Te’oma.

  “There are a lot of things I haven’t told you yet,” said Ariana, as she swam across the pool.

  The water in the pool seemed to have some magical qualities to it. They found themselves so relaxed and at peace with themselves that they had no problem discussing their deepest feelings. “My older brother and both my parents were killed not far from here,” said Ariana.

  “I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” said Te’oma, putting his arm on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

  “The dragon Xerxes was talking about, he saved me, and to this day I have no idea why,” she said. Te’oma leaned in and kissed Ariana softly on the lips.

  “I’m glad he did,” he said, looking deep into her stunning brown eyes.

  Ariana and Te’oma talked for what felt like hours. Te’oma told her his story of losing his mother and father. They sat in the water for so long that their skin wrinkled. It was at that point that Te’oma had a feeling that he had never experienced in his life. He was overheating. The two quickly got out of the water, knowing that Julius would probably be getting worried.

  At first, the freezing morning air felt invigorating against their skin, but that joy was short lived, as the lovely warmth from the pool quickly faded away. They got dressed and began walking back to the cabin.

  For the entire walk back, not a word was said. They were both so happy that they simply held hands and practically glided the whole way home.

  Te’oma opened the door to the cabin and their happy mood quickly changed. Sitting bound, gagged and tied to a chair was Julius. He wriggled and squealed at them, but they were unable to understand what he was saying. Before they could react, two peo
ple grabbed them from behind and started to tie them up. They were both tied together and shoved into the corner of the room. They looked up. Standing in the doorway was an old and frail Oonuk and, right behind him was Sky, fully grown.

  Neither Sky nor Te’oma recognised each other.

  “Who are you?” demanded Ariana. The trip to the pool seemed to have snapped her out of her depressive state. Neither Oonuk nor Sky replied. “What do you want with us?” she asked, but they still did not respond. They simply looked at the three of them with dead eyes.

  Oonuk and Sky left the cabin. They locked the door and boarded up the windows. There was no way out. Te’oma reached over and took the gag out of Julius’s mouth. “Thank you, I was waiting for someone to do that,” said Julius.

  ***

  The sun started to settle in the distance. Te’oma, Julius and Ariana sat bored on the floor after a long and dull day of doing absolutely nothing. Oonuk and Sky finally returned.

  “Who speaks for you?” asked Oonuk. His voice had become hoarse over the years.

  “I do,” said Te’oma, with conviction, as he got to his feet.

  “No, you do not,” said Ariana, standing up next to him.

  “Why were you following us?” snapped Sky impatiently.

  “Sky,” said Oonuk, disapprovingly.

  “We know you’ve been following us since before Yen-Dori. Who are you?” snapped Sky aggressively.

  “We mean you no harm,” said Julius.

  “It’s true we have been loosely following your trail since we left Yen-Dori,” continued Julius.

  “We have?” enquired Te’oma and Ariana simultaneously, both seeming very confused by this revelation.

  “I believe we seek the same destination. I was told that you knew the way and I was afraid you would not let us follow,” said Julius.

  “You were right,” said Sky. “Come on, let’s leave them here to rot,” continued Sky, as she turned around and headed for the door.

  “Who do you seek?” enquired Oonuk.

  “We are trying to find the last of seven,” replied Julius.

  “Julius, what are you doing?” asked Ariana.

  “It’s ok, Ariana. I think we can trust these people,” said Julius rather naïvely.

  “Why do you seek an audience with this creature?” asked Oonuk.

  “We are the last of our people. They were all killed by the dragons. He is the last chance we have to try and restore balance to the world,” said Julius.

  “The balance can only be restored by the suffering of one who is prepared. Are any of you prepared to suffer the consequences?” said Oonuk.

  “Someone has to do something,” said Te’oma abruptly.

  “That is true, but is it wise?” replied Oonuk.

  Oonuk sat down on an old wooden seat. “Sit down,” said Oonuk to Sky.

  “You’re not listening to them are you? We don’t have the time,” said Sky impatiently.

  “Sit down!” said Oonuk, with authority. Sky sat down begrudgingly on the floor next to Oonuk. “We need to rest. We will stay here for the night and then, tomorrow, we will decide,” said Oonuk.

  Oonuk walked over to the small bed. He lay down and closed his eyes. The ropes binding Julius got hotter and hotter. Julius squirmed and tugged at the ropes. Smoke poured from the ropes and then they suddenly burst into flames. The ropes dropped down at Julius’s side and he scrambled away from the fire.

  Oonuk opened his eyes and, as he did, the flames instantly disappeared. He closed his eyes again. Julius looked at Ariana and Te’oma petrified, not sure if he had made a terrible mistake.

  Julius untied Te’oma and Ariana and the three walked towards the front door of the cabin. Sky blocked their path. “Where do you think you’re going?” said Sky.

  “Please, we just want to go outside for a moment,” said Te’oma. Something in Te’oma’s voice softened Sky’s demeanour momentarily and she opened the door. “Thank you,” said Te’oma.

  “It doesn’t matter. There’s nowhere you can run that we can’t find you,” snarled Sky.

  Te’oma, Julius and Ariana sat outside for many hours. They did not speak many words but they all agreed that none of them wanted to go back inside the cabin. Sky occasionally opened the door to make sure they were still there.

  Eventually, the freezing night air settled in and became too much to bear. They were forced to go into the refuge of the cabin. They had been out there so long that Sky had fallen asleep in her seat. Julius lay down in a bed and pulled a blanket over himself, shivering from the cold. Ariana and Te’oma snuggled up together in the other bed, sharing their body warmth.

  The next morning, Te’oma woke up very early. He felt Ariana’s arms wrapped around him and he rolled over with a smile on his face. He lovingly inspected every inch of her face. For the briefest of moments, he completely forgot about Oonuk and Sky. That was until the peace was shattered when Sky kicked the bed and shouted at them to get up.

  Te’oma and Ariana groggily rolled out of bed and stumbled to their feet, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Julius was already at the table, talking to Oonuk. Julius turned his attention to Ariana and Te’oma. “Great news,” he said enthusiastically. “They have decided to let us go with them.”

  Te’oma and Ariana were a little startled by Julius’s sudden change of feelings towards them. “You really trust them? I mean they did tie you up,” said Te’oma.

  Oonuk winced as he got up from his chair. His body was unnaturally old. He walked over to Te’oma and Ariana. “It was no mistake that we came together, young man. I have been training young Sky here for many years, so that one day she may meet the mighty dragon. But, alas, she cannot complete this journey alone, and nor should she. I’m afraid I’m not as young as I was once,” said Oonuk.

  “We can do this, Oonuk. We don’t need their help,” implored Sky.

  “I have trained you well Sky, but you must never be too proud to ask for help, especially from family, especially from your brother,” said Oonuk, looking directly at Te’oma.

  The room fell silent. Dumbfounded, no one knew exactly what to say. As impatiently as ever, Sky broke the silence. “What are you talking about? Brother? I don’t have a brother,” she said.

  “And I have no sister,” Te’oma added quickly.

  “I’ve kept this truth from you since you were but a small child, Sky. I had hoped that I would never have to tell you, but I’m afraid that I am not going to make it to see Drake with you,” said Oonuk as he sat down again.

  “Will you please explain to me what is going on?” snapped Sky angrily.

  “You must learn to control your rage, my girl. I have tried to teach you that, only when you can balance your mind will you be able to meet your destiny,” said Oonuk.

  “You tell me I have a brother and you expect me not to react?” said Sky.

  “React, yes, become emotional, no,” said Oonuk.

  Oonuk walked to the front door and opened it. “It’s how you respond that defines who you are and who you will become. You all have a choice now. I can lead you to the mountain and I will answer any questions I can, however painful they may be. But I make no promises on the outcome of your journey. This is your choice and you all must choose alone,” said Oonuk, looking at Te’oma. Something about making the decision alone resonated with Te’oma. All he could think about was his father telling him never to lose faith. Maybe this was what he was talking about.

  Oonuk walked out the door. Te’oma quickly followed. “Wait. You’re following him, just like that?” asked Ariana.

  “I have to know,” replied Te’oma. Julius and Sky quickly followed them out the door, leaving Ariana alone once again in her cabin.

  “Well, there is absolutely no way I’m staying here,” she said as she hurried out the door and caught up to Te’oma. She grabbed him by the hand.

  “You don’t need bonds of blood to be a family.”

  Chapter 12

  Devastation

 
; The city of Yen-Dori was eerily quiet. The shield above hummed quietly in the sky as the city’s only line of defence. Thousands of hybrid men stood outside the city gates panting and drooling, waiting for their chance to attack. All of the inhabitants of Yen-Dori, about five hundred men, women and children, had gathered in the centre of town to defend their home. Their chances were slim, but their hope was strong. The sun rose in the distance, but the light could barely break through the dark clouds that lined the sky.

  Kyest stood in the middle with Lorain at his side. Christian came running up to Kyest. “Are the blocks in place?” asked Kyest.

  “They’re all ready to go,” replied Christian as he smiled at Lorain. He had had a massive crush on Lorain for as long as he had been aware of girls, a fact which drove Lorain insane.

  “Good,” said Kyest. “Now, I need you and Lorain to go down to the generator room and lock the doors,” continued Kyest.

  “But, Father, I want to stay with you,” cried Lorain.

  Kyest put his arm on Lorain’s shoulder. “I know, my dear, but that shield is all that is holding the dragons back. I need you to keep it running at full power at all costs,” pleaded Kyest.

  Lorain hugged her father like she had never hugged him before, then reluctantly trudged off. Christian followed her happily. Lorain did her best to ignore him, but he bombarded her with questions. They made their way down a small stairwell at the base of the main spire of the city.

  Once they were out of sight, Kyest turned to one of his soldiers. “I want that stairwell sealed shut. I don’t want anyone other than myself going in or coming out. Do you understand?” said Kyest.

  “Yes sir, but how will Lorain get out?” enquired the soldier.

  “If all goes well, I will let her out personally. If not, there is a back door that leads to a tunnel that runs out of the city. I’m sure, in time, they will work it out,” said Kyest.

  The hybrids at the gate began to chant. It was a deep chant in an ancient dialect. Not distinguishable words, just a bellowing dull sound that echoed throughout the city. The people were terrified. They were not prepared for this. Overhead, the mighty dragon, Denius, flew above the city, his enormous wings stretched out fully. The people looked up and gasped in fear. “Stay strong,” yelled Kyest, but even he was terrified.