Sentari: ICE

by Trevor Booth

  Te’oma was rudely awoken by a splash of water in his face. He shook his head and tried to wipe away the water, when he realised that his hands were tied behind his back. The water dripped over his eyes, blurring his vision. He could make out Ariana sitting next to him, tied to the same tree. He shook his head again, clearing the water out of his eyes. He looked around to see all of them tied around the same tree. “Ariana,” he whispered. “What’s going on?” asked Te’oma. Ariana turned to face him. Her face was bruised, with burn marks all over it.

  “What did they do to you?” pleaded Te’oma, burning with anger.

  “They came so quickly and we couldn’t wake you up,” said Ariana, with desperation in her voice.

  Te’oma was suddenly struck from above. He looked up to see a hybrid standing before him. But this hybrid was different. Its muscles were large and rippling, its veins flowed with fire and its eyes were like a white-hot flame. The hybrid leaned over and looked Te’oma up and down.

  “No talking,” said the hybrid in a deep, gargled voice. The hybrid stood up and walked over to six other hybrids standing by the trees.

  The rope was tightly woven around their hands and strapped to the tree. Te’oma wiggled all he could, but there was no way to wiggle out of these restraints.

  “Te’oma,” said Xerxes quietly. “Is that you?”

  “Yes,” said Te’oma.

  “I didn’t think you were going to ever wake up,” said Xerxes, relieved.

  “We tried everything, but you were in some sort of deep sleep,” said Julius.

  One of the hybrids sniffed the air. “Will you shut up?” said Ariana.

  Te’oma pulled at the rope, trying to snap it.

  Julius screeched in pain. “Stop that,” said Julius. “Every time you pull the rope, it tightens on the other side,” continued Julius.

  “Sorry,” said Te’oma coyly. “Why are we alive? Don’t they usually kill first?”

  “I overheard them talking about Antastus and then one of them mentioned your name,” said Ariana.

  “My name?” asked Te’oma curiously when, out of nowhere, the Shadow appeared before him.

  “I’ve been serving you five minutes and how many times have I had to save you?” asked the Shadow rhetorically. Xerxes’ ears pricked up.

  “Quit your chattering and get us out of this,” said Te’oma impatiently.

  “Come now. A rope like that should pose no problem for you. Just burn through it,” said the Shadow.

  “What’s he talking about Te’oma?” asked Xerxes.

  “Nothing,” replied Te’oma. “Just untie the rope,” he commanded the Shadow.

  The Shadow smiled back at him. “I may serve you, but you have a lot to learn,” he said, disappearing into a puff of smoke.

  “Hey! Come back!” shouted Te’oma.

  A hybrid turned around and grunted with anger. He stomped over to Te’oma. “You need to learn your place,” said the hybrid.

  The hybrid clenched his fists, then placed his knuckles against one another. The fire in his veins started to pulsate throughout his body. It pulsated faster and faster, running down towards his hands, causing them to slowly turn a fiery red colour. The hybrid smiled as steam poured out of its hands.

  “No. Please don’t,” pleaded Ariana.

  The hybrid ripped his hands apart as sparks flew out. “Let’s see your big mouth talk after this,” said the hybrid. Te’oma looked back unfazed. The hybrid reached back, then punched Te’oma in the face with all the rage he could muster. Te’oma’s head snapped back violently. Ariana closed her eyes. She couldn’t bear to watch.

  Te’oma’s breathing got heavier. His chest heaved in and out with every breath. With his eyes closed, he turned back to face the hybrid. There was not a mark on his face. The hybrid looked on confused. He was leaning back to punch him again, when Te’oma opened his eyes.

  Fire burned through his eyes, almost bubbling out of his sockets. The hybrid stared at him in shock. Te’oma tightened his grip on the rope and, almost instantly, it turned to ash. He got to his feet and stood toe to toe with the disgusting hybrid.

  A unified roar of displeasure came from the other hybrids as they saw Te’oma standing face to face with their brother. Xerxes and Julius quickly scurried over to the pile of Dentari weapons, while Te’oma had the hybrid’s attention. They sneaked back to the tree and handed Ariana a sword. The three took a deep breath, then stood firmly behind Te’oma.

  Te’oma and the hybrid stood unmoving. The other six hybrids walked towards the group with a menacing purpose in their eyes. They roared with delight as the fire burned brightly through their veins. One of the hybrids clenched his fists and held his knuckles together.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” yelled Ariana, as she ran over towards the hybrid. In the blink of an eye, she hacked her rusty old sword straight through each of the hybrid’s arms. Its hands fell to the ground and a red, lava-like substance flowed out. All seven hybrids screamed out in pain, as if they were somehow connected. Te’oma took advantage of this moment of weakness. In one swift motion, he took the sword from Julius’s hand, swung it around and cut off the hybrid’s head. The hybrid dropped limp to the ground.

  The remaining hybrids banded together. The pain from their fallen comrade still burned within them. Te’oma walked towards them slowly. The sword was humming. The heat from his arms was radiating through it, causing it to glow red. The hybrids spread out and attacked the group one on one. Te’oma did his best to stop them. He killed two of them in very quick succession, but they were very quick creatures. Ariana and Julius were quickly locked into combat with the fearsome beasts.

  The last hybrid stalked Xerxes. Sensing his weakness, he walked around him, almost teasing him. Suddenly, the hybrid leapt high and crashed into Xerxes. The two fell to the ground in a heap. The hybrid screeched, then took a bite out of Xerxes’ arm. Te’oma turned around and saw the wound. The fire disappeared from Te’oma’s eyes, leaving him vulnerable. The hybrid stood before Te’oma, smiling with delight. He lifted his sword up, ready to end Te’oma’s life when, suddenly, his eyes turned black and the Shadow’s hand appeared from the inside of its mouth. The hybrid slumped to the ground. The three remaining hybrids turned to see the Shadow. They scurried away in fear as fast as they could.

  “Never let your heart get in the way of your rage,” said the Shadow quietly in Te’oma’s ear as he walked towards Xerxes. He knelt down at Xerxes’ side.

  “I’ll be ok,” said Xerxes, fearing the Shadow. “The bite isn’t very deep.” Ariana raced over to his aid. She tore the sleeve off her top and wrapped it around his arm, stopping the bleeding.

  “I, for one, am very grateful you turned up,” said Julius, looking at the Shadow. “If it wasn’t for you, we would never have won.”

  “Won?” laughed the Shadow. “They were merely a scouting party. There are far worse enemies hunting you four. You didn’t win today, you just didn’t die.”

  Xerxes got to his feet and started hobbling. Ariana and Julius helped him along. “We must continue on. We have a long way to go yet,” said Xerxes, wanting to get as far from the Shadow as possible.

  “This would have been over much sooner if you had just embraced Drake’s power,” the Shadow told Te’oma, loud enough for all to hear.

  “I’m not Drake and I never will be. I’m grateful for your help, but now it’s time you left,” said Te’oma, as he helped Xerxes.

  “The power of Drake?” asked Ariana.

  “I’ll explain it all tonight, I promise,” said Te’oma.

  “She needs your help, you know,” said the Shadow.

  “Who?” asked Te’oma reluctantly.

  “Your sister. She waits by the shore, but I wouldn’t delay,” said the Shadow before disappearing.

  “Sky,” said Te’oma longingly. He had almost forgotten about her.

  “She lives,” said Xerxes urgently.

  “How do you know her?” asked Ariana.

  “Ah,
I don’t. One of you must have mentioned her to me,” said Xerxes quickly.

  It was slow going, trudging through thick snow, especially while helping an injured man. The day passed quickly. They were not far from the shore, but they could not hope to pass the dangers of the ice shelf in darkness. Once again, they were forced to make camp.

  The journey was really starting to take its toll on Xerxes. The injury to his arm was the last thing he needed. He was tired, hungry, and now in a lot of pain. Understandably, it took him little time to fall asleep. Julius kindly huddled in close to Xerxes to keep him keep warm, with Alto on the other side. Snuggling with an elderly man was not something Julius had ever hoped he’d have to do. Fortunately, he too quickly fell asleep, leaving Te’oma and Ariana alone around the fireplace.

  Not a word was spoken between the two for a long time. They simply held hands and stared at the fire. Te’oma looked at Ariana. The reflection of the flames glinted in her eyes. She was truly stunning to him. He was terrified that she was not going to understand what was happening to him.

  “I’m sorry,” said Te’oma, breaking the silence. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you. I just didn’t know how.”

  “I know,” said Ariana. His heart swelled with love. He hadn’t felt this connection with her for a while.

  “I guess you’ve worked out by now what happened?” asked Te’oma.

  “From what I can tell, some part of Drake is living on in you,” said Ariana.

  Te’oma was taken aback. He had never thought of it that way before. The whole time he believed that it was his flaws that were causing the rage, not Drake’s. “There’s more to it,” said Te’oma. “It’s maddening. There is a voice in my mind, repeating the same thing over and over, beating like a drum.”

  “What is it saying?” asked Ariana.

  “I need to be the only one,” said Te’oma.

  Silence fell over the two again. Ariana didn’t quite know how to reply to that. Te’oma was starting to think that he was right all along. She couldn’t understand what was happening to him. His greatest fear was losing her and, in his mind, it was happening.

  The night was long. Te’oma and Ariana lay down together as close as they could get. After that night, things would never be the same. Te’oma’s insomnia was growing. The only thing that brought him comfort was Ariana’s warm arm wrapped around him.

  The sun rose in the distance and the light scattered through the trees. Te’oma looked out at the shimmering sun. Once a sight that would bring joy to his heart, now all it did was remind him that yesterday was gone. Xerxes looked at his grandson longingly. Te’oma turned around with a fresh purpose. “Come on, it’s time to move on,” he said as he packed up their stuff.

  It didn’t take long for them to start moving again. They’d become quite adept at packing their belongings. Te’oma walked at the front of the group, setting quite a swift pace. Xerxes struggled to keep up, but he was a determined old thing and wouldn’t let any injuries stop him.

  Finally, after days of trudging through snow and bitter conditions, they stood upon the brink of the ice shelf. The ice stretched out for miles. The rising warmth had melted some of the ice and the ocean could be seen in the very distance.

  “Where to now?” asked Ariana.

  “Straight ahead,” said Julius.

  They walked out onto the ice and began their journey towards the ocean. The wind blowing in from the ocean was bitterly cold. It picked up small flakes of ice and sprayed them in their faces. They walked in single file, protecting the people behind from the icy wind. Te’oma walked at the front, his eyes wide open. The cold no longer affected him.

  In the distance, Te’oma spotted Sky lying on the ice. “You may want to run,” whispered the Shadow on the wind. Te’oma ran as fast as he could towards her, leaving the rest in his wake. He ran so fast that he was by her side in no time. He dropped to his knees. She was shivering with cold. Huddled up in a ball, she barely retained consciousness.

  “Te’oma, you found me,” stammered Sky.

  The rest of the group caught up. Xerxes looked down at Sky. He hadn’t seen her since she was a little girl.

  The Shadow appeared beside Te’oma and put his hand on her shoulder. “She is very close to the edge, Te’oma. Only you can help her,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” asked Te’oma.

  “She needs warmth. Out here on the ice shelf, there is only one thing that can give that to her,” said the Shadow.

  Te’oma knelt down his sister’s side and smiled at her. Even though all the power and fear that lay inside him was tearing him up, he managed to find the strength to try to reassure Sky.

  Frostbite had already started to eat its way into Sky’s hands and feet. Her shivering had become uncontrollable. Te’oma put one hand on her shoulder and, with the other hand, he pulled her hands close to him. He closed his eyes and tried to fight the fear inside himself, but the power would not flow.

  “You have to embrace the pain,” said the Shadow.

  “No, you must not,” said Xerxes rather abruptly. But Te’oma did not listen to Xerxes. It was very easy for him to embrace his negative thoughts. He let his mind go and, suddenly, heat started to radiate from his hands. The warmth ran down Sky’s body like a tidal wave. The frostbite healed almost instantly. She breathed deeply, as her lungs returned to full function. She smiled at Te’oma, but Te’oma could not stop. His grip on her only got stronger. His eyes had turned a dark shade of red. The heat emanating from him got so strong that it started to burn Sky.

  “Te’oma,” she pleaded, “stop!” But he could not, and she could not break free of his grip.

  Julius acted quickly and knocked Te’oma over, freeing Sky. She scurried out of the way. Te’oma lay on the ice, facing down. The ice around him had started to melt under the heat.

  “Te’oma?” said Ariana tentatively, but he did not respond. She knelt down at his side.

  Te’oma turned to face her. The fire in his eyes had subsided. Tears rolled down his face. “I couldn’t stop,” said Te’oma.

  “It’s ok,” said Ariana, comforting Te’oma.

  Shortly after, while Sky and Xerxes waited on the ice shelf, Julius led the way underwater towards Karnic, Te’oma and Ariana behind him, walking hand in hand.

  ***

  The cave walls felt closer together than Te’oma remembered. The blissful sound of the water lapping up against the rocks used to bring him comfort; now it just felt cold and lonely.

  For all the time he had been away, the cave hadn’t changed one bit; the rubble still lay where his vegetable garden had once been. But then, the table in the middle of the cave that had seemed so inanimate lit up as they approached it.

  A holographic image of the landscape that surrounded the area appeared upon the table. It showed the gates to the Intari prison, glowing like a beacon in the side of the mountain.

  Julius reached his hand out over the gate. He pulled his hand back and, as he did, the map zoomed in on the gate. The gate was glowing red.

  “How do we open it?’ asked Ariana.

  “Simple,” said Te’oma, as he reached in with both hands and turned the map to face him. He pulled open the gate, like it was real, and a hole in the table appeared. He released the gate and the hole disappeared. Lights all over the mountain started to show, revealing rooms they didn’t even know were there.

  “What now?” said Julius.

  “Now we go back there, and take you home,” said Te’oma.

  The trip back to the prison didn’t seem so arduous. Sky and Xerxes managed fine and Dengrid had hot food and warm beds set up for them when they arrived. The prison was only a small part of the complex. Hundreds of corridors weaved throughout the mountain, with large halls and thousands of rooms. It would take months to explore.

  Te’oma, Ariana, Sky, Julius and Xerxes were all treated like royalty. They were given the finest rooms, overlooking the ice below, and more food than they could possibly eat.

>   It was a wondrous place, but the Intari were keen to return to their home as soon as they could. There would be one last banquet before the gates were closed once more.

  ***

  Te’oma and Ariana stood at the edge of their own private balcony, staring out at the ice fields below. The moonlight rippled over them, lighting the night. The cold air felt nice against their skin, a strangely welcome relief from the warm room they were staying in.

  A quiet buzzing noise came from the door. Te’oma opened it. Julius, Sky and Xerxes sat inside a dome waiting for Te’oma and Ariana to get in so they could go to the banquet together.

  The dome glided through the tunnels with effortless precision, as if it had been built yesterday. It rose up through the countless levels of the complex until it reached the top floor. The door of the dome opened.

  They stepped out into the dimly lit hall. Soft, haunting music echoed quietly throughout. Hundreds of tables lay before them. Each table had a small floating orb above it, lighting the room. All of the tables were surrounded with Intari people. At the head of the hall sat an extra-large table. To the right was a wide deck that protruded from the mountain.

  Dengrid sat alone at the head table. He got to his feet and the hall fell quiet. The Intari all turned to face in Te’oma’s direction and started clapping. Dengrid motioned for the five of them to join him at the table.

  Te’oma hadn’t often been in a large crowd before, and never one that was cheering him. Ariana and Julius seemed to be equally uncomfortable but, strangely, Xerxes and Sky appeared right at home amid the jubilation.

  They took their places at the table and the room fell quiet once more. Te’oma made sure he sat at the end of the table, as far away from attention as possible. Dengrid raised his glass into the air.

  “Friends, it is my great pleasure to introduce the five people who have given the people of the Intari a second chance. The first step in the rebirth of our civilization is complete. It’s now up to all of you to make it a reality,” said Dengrid.