by Beck, Greig
*
Several of the Panina warriors lay on the ground, bullet wounds to their bodies. The flow of spears, rocks, branches, fruit, and anything else that could be flung down at them had quickly ceased after the first round of the soldier’s bullets.
Simiana came out to them first, walking calmly towards Arn and the Deltas. ‘King Troglan wishes to cease hostilities. Your leader may enter… but just your leader.’ She motioned up towards the treetops and the structures nestling in amongst the boughs of the massive banyan trees.
Teacher loaded a grenade and fired it off into the jungle. The explosion made Simiana shriek, and a new round of chatting poured forth from the canopy above them. He turned to her.
‘Listen miss; I can see your warriors all crammed in there as plain as day. We’re running out of time and patience. Tell the king to get down here now, or the next one will be into his window.’ He loaded another grenade into the under-chamber.
Simiana stood with her shoulders hunched, lips pulled back and teeth clamped together. Her eyes darted and she reminded Arn of those pictures of frightened chimpanzees – all teeth and rolling eyes.
Simiana looked to the king’s residence, to Teacher and then back again. She nodded jerkily.
‘I will speak to my father.’
‘Two minutes… Troglan comes down, or I blow him down.’ Teacher folded his arms, cradling the gun. He turned to his team. ‘Spread out; let’s make sure no one tries to make a dash along the upper limbs.’
The Deltas formed a large circle under the largest trees, their eyes moving between the branches, the houses nestled in amongst them, and Simiana ascending.
It only took a few minutes before the King was lowered down to the ground on his wooden elevator. More platforms filled with warriors descended, but Teacher casually lifted the muzzle of his gun, and waved them away.
While Sorenson talked quietly with Grimson, Arn and Teacher stood with the king and Simiana at a table made from the fallen stump of a giant tree. Arn had the ancient map spread flat, his finger jabbing at the fist holding the lightning bolt.
‘This… I know you’ve seen it before. Where is it?’
Troglan shrugged with a casualness that was betrayed by his furtive glances. ‘Maybe I have seen it. But I need help remembering the details. Is there something you could give me to assist?’ His eyes slid to Teacher’s rifle.
Teacher’s teeth ground for a second. ‘How about we give you the gift of your own life… and perhaps a beating to remind you of how tenuous your hold on it is at the moment?’ Teacher leaned in close to the king, and spoke slowly. ‘Tell us what you know, or things are about to get real messy for you.’
‘I am King Troglan, and…’
Teacher half turned. ‘Brown.’ The large Delta pushed his rifle up over his shoulder and tugged at his ceramic plated gloves, smacking one fist into the other. Teacher seemed to think about it, and held up his hand to the big Delta. ‘Got a better idea… Sorenson.’
The huge Wolfen turned from Grimson and Teacher nodded towards the king. Sorenson summed up the situation immediately, and leapt the dozen feet between them, lifting Troglan and baring his teeth inches from the little man’s face. The king’s feet dangled in the air and Simiana grabbed at the huge beast’s arms.
‘Evil, disrespectful beings. He is our king.’ Teacher simply shrugged, so she turned to Arn.
‘Please, you were our guest. We meant you no harm.’
Arn scoffed. ‘We were worm food, and you were cheering it on.’ Arn tapped the symbol on the paper. ‘Where?’
Teacher cursed, stepping forward. ‘Where… the hell… is… it?’ His eyes were furious as he banged his fist down on the table. Sorenson roared again into the King’s face and shook his body.
Troglan held up a hand. ‘I… I think I remember now.’
Teacher grunted and waved Sorenson off. Troglan was lowered to the ground, but Sorenson kept one large, clawed hand on his shoulder.
‘The steel caves can be found at the place where the ground sinks. About half days march from here.’ The King looked up at the trees.
Teacher nodded. ‘Not so hard now, was it?’ He circled his finger in the air, and the Delta’s started to form up. Troglan looked back up into the trees and whispered to Simiana as she took his arm.
Teacher grabbed the ape king from her and shoved him forward. ‘You’re coming too – insurance. Let’s go.’
*
Sorenson sniffed the air. ‘Metal.’
‘Yes.’ Arn sniffed, also noticing the slight tang of corrosion. The same odor you detect when approaching a shipyard or anywhere a large amount of iron is left exposed to the air.
They pushed through the last few feet of jungle, and the King stopped. ‘I will go no further.’
Teacher held up his hand, and the team spread out a few extra yards. There was a rocky hill and facing them was a small cave mouth, about a hundred feet away, across an empty piece of land. Huge branches grew over the top creating an enclosed clearing. Strange, circular depressions covered its surface.
Alison Sharp lifted her rifle. ‘More worms?’
‘Maybe not. The King said something about, where the land sinks. Might be sinkholes.’ Teacher reached into a pocket and pulled out a small plastic cylinder. He bent it at the middle, shook it, and then tossed it forward. The small rod glowed brightly, travelled through the air like a tiny comet and fell at the edge of one of the depressions. It rolled down to the bottom, and then quickly disappeared below the sliding earth.
‘Yep, sink holes, and if they’re still sucking dirt then it means the storage facilities haven’t totally filled yet. These storage chambers go down six stories. I think some sort of ground movement has torn a hole into one of the levels and the earth is pouring in. Also exposing some of the technology to the air – that’s what we can smell.
Teacher turned to the king. ‘The insignia is not visible for here, so you must have been inside the cave. That means you get to show us the safe path across the field.’
Troglan looked up at Teacher, his face unreadable, but a hint of a smile touched his lips. ‘My daughter stays here. I will go first, but it has been many long seasons since I have crossed to the steel caves, so you must give me room.’ He turned back to the field, the smile still showing. ‘If I fall, I do not wish to drag you in.’
Behind them, Simiana backed up and then melted away into the jungle. Teacher gave the king a small shove.
‘After you, your highness.’
The king frowned at the push, but then after looking around at the Delta’s heavy kit, he grinned. ‘Yes, you after me.’ He reached down and removed his moccasins, displaying splayed toes that were more like fingers.
He stepped out, carefully walking along the raised edges of the sinkholes, placing his hand-like feet on small flat green plants on the ridges. He moved slowly, with Teacher next, and most of the Deltas, followed by Grimson, Sorenson, and then Sharp at the rear.
The going was slow, with the King pausing from time to time. He would rub his chin, look to the left and right, and then upward as if trying to regain his bearings. He moved forward again along paths that were so narrow the Deltas had to walk arms-out, like on a tightrope.
Teacher half turned. ‘This whole area will subside soon. Be careful people, or you’ll end up six stories down, chewing several tons of dirt.’
When Teacher turned back, the King had put about ten feet between himself and the Deltas. They were at the very centre of the scarred landscape, when the king stopped. He kept his back turned.
‘Your weapons are truly mighty, but it is the jungle who is mightier… always mightier.’ He half turned his expression carrying both disdain and triumph.
Sorenson roared and Arn crouched, his eyes wide. ‘The Panina are here!’
There came an enormous thud from behind them as a huge stone dropped from the trees. They all spun, the Deltas with their weapons aimed. At that moment a vine dangled down from overhead, and the king grabbed it and climbed with an astonishing speed, using both his hands and feet.
‘Dammit.’ Teacher tried to aim, but Troglan had vanished into the canopy so quickly, it was if he never existed.
‘So much for our guide.’ Simms scanned the foliage with his scope.
‘Stay alert, people. Go to all quadrant defensive.’ Teacher watched the overhead foliage, while the Deltas faced the cardinal points of the compass.
There was stillness in the clearing, and Arn knew he was holding his breath.
‘Watch out.’ Sharp’s voice cut the silence and turning they saw another vine swinging out of the dark – this one ending in a large rock. Sharp fired a short burst, shattering the stone, and then together the Deltas let controlled bursts of rounds into the canopy from where the rock originated.
‘Cease fire. We can’t see a goddamn thing. Go to thermal.’ Teacher had to yell to be heard over the automatic fire, but immediately the guns cooled and each of the elite soldiers pulled single eye scopes down over their faces.
‘Jesus.’ Brown swore softly. The trees were alive with the small warriors moving like ants along the tree limbs.
‘Incoming!’ Teacher crouched as more rocks swung out of the dark foliage. Sorenson threw his arms over Grimson, making his own body a shield. A rock, easily three feet across, struck Doonie in the back. With a grunt, coupled with the sound of crunching bone he was flung forward into the centre of one of the sinkholes. He immediately disappeared to his waist.
Teacher dived as close as he could to the edge and stretched out his hand. Brown also leapt over, landing on top of the Delta leader’s legs just as he started to enter the pit beside the sinking Doonie. Teacher reached out, his fingertips almost touching his soldier, but the man’s face was twisted in agony, his body too broken to allow him to reach back towards his captain.
Doonie shook his head. ‘Sorry boss, I’m done for.’ He exhaled and shut his eyes, leaning back and grimacing. ‘Get the weapons, and then get the hell home.’
‘Don’t you dare, soldier.’ Teacher strained, and Brown held on tight while digging one hand into the soil to anchor himself.
Donnie’s face calmed and without another word, he slipped beneath the sinking soil. Teacher roared and rolled onto his back, loading a grenade into the underslung launcher and firing it up into the canopy. He loaded and fired, loaded and fired, screaming his fury to the Panina. The other Delta soldiers did the same, and soon burning branches and bodies rained down around them.
After another few seconds, Arn stood, covering his ears. ‘They’re gone.’ He yelled over the mayhem unfolding around him. ‘You’re wasting your ammo.’
Teacher blinked, and then nodded. ‘Cease fire.’
The flames had lit the clearing brighter than day, but the lush vegetation didn’t burn for long and soon they were plunged back into darkness and silence.
Simms was on one knee, still sighting on the canopy. ‘They killed Doonie, those sons of bitches.’
‘Forget it… for now.’ Teacher half turned. ‘We’ll mourn later. Let’s do what we came to do, and then get the hell out of here.’ He waved them on, walking on the ridges between the holes as he had seen the king do before.
Teacher turned to Arn. ‘How did you know they were above us? They were out of sight, invisible amongst the dark foliage.’
Arn shrugged. ‘I could sense them, smell them.’
Teacher stared for a few seconds. He frowned and looked away. ‘Sure, okay.’
In another few minutes they stood at the cave entrance, and without hesitation Teacher entered. Arn and the others followed. The cave was huge, empty, but showed signs of habitation. There were cave drawings, some primitive and faded, but others not so old. of the newer ones showed exquisite detail, raised up in an indication of many layers of paint applied over the generations. Perhaps they were so important that the messages, myths or legends they portrayed had to be preserved.
Arn traced one of the larger murals with his hand. ‘Maps, and some sort of history of the Panina.’
Sorenson jabbed a clawed finger down on an image of a giant wolf standing amongst tongues of flame. ‘Fenrir, the father of us all… and the fire he was born in. All paths start with him, and lead from him.’
‘Must have been quite a creature, er, thing… I mean Wolfen.’ Sharp shrugged as Sorenson glared.
Teacher followed the map along the wall. ‘This is where we are, and here… the lake, and the Far Wolfen maybe…’ An image of a snarling wolf was painted on the opposite bank of the giant body of water.
Sorenson stepped forward, staring and measuring, his eyes narrowing. Teacher continued to trace a ribbon of blue – a river along the wall, noting its twists and turns, and where it finally disappeared below the cliffs, to reappear on the other side of the giant wall of mountains.
‘This might be a shortcut to Valkeryn. The river travels all the way back through the jungle and then passes by the kingdom.’
Grimson shook his head. ‘We should stay out of the water – bad things in the water – big things.’
Teacher grunted. ‘We can deal with them. We have to.’
Brown was checking the clip in his rifle. ‘We better watch the ammo, Boss.’
‘Heeey, look at this.’ Alison Sharp was further along, and shining her flashlight onto a human figure that looked to be growing out of the wall – a bronze statue, embedded in the stone.
Arn frowned, ‘I’ve sent that guy before. But in giant form – it’s carved into the cliff wall, hundreds of feet high, but that one had no face. Grimson though it might represent Fenrir.’
‘I do, I did… then.’ The young Wolfen had folded his arms.
‘It had words carved as well – something like “HE STILL LIVES”.’ Could also be a message for the new peoples of the planet, telling them that we, the Ancients, still live somewhere… or we did.’
Teacher stepped up and wiped away some cobwebs, dust and then scraped away some green corrosion extruding on the base. ‘And here it is – HE STILL LIVES”.’ He wiped more scree away from higher up on the figure and laughed softly. ‘Hey, look familiar?’
Sharp snorted. ‘You’re famous.’ She turned and shined her light into Arn’s face. ‘That’s you, sunshine.’
Arn’s mouth hung open. It could have been him – no, it was him – like it was taken from a photograph… an old one, where he had short, neat hair.
‘But… why.’
Teacher shrugged. ‘Maybe we cast it when we knew the planet was going to crap. We made it hoping that you, or someone who knew you, would see it. Telling the people not give up hope because you still live somewhere. Who knows, maybe even trying to get you to come back – our last chance.’
‘But… if it was carved, then I can’t have gone back. Because if I went back, then why would you need to make it?’ Arn scratched his head. ‘Paradox?’
Teacher turned away. ‘I don’t care. Maybe when you get home, this disappears – nothing is guaranteed, the future is fluid – isn’t that what they say?’
‘Who? Probably a sci-fi writer.’ Arn touched the statue’s face.
Teacher had already disappeared into the deeper caves. He called back from the darkness. ‘Let’s go people.’
*
Further in they found the door, or rather a steel wall with the faded fist and lightning bolt symbol.
‘The steel caves.’ Arn’s voice was hushed, but still echoed.
The steel showed signs of having been bombed, burnt, and bashed as if over the millennia many had tried their best to break it down or punch a hole through the blast resistant doors. Teacher guessed th
at they never stood a chance of breaching the barrier using primitive tools. In fact, he had counted on it. He found a control panel, and levered the cover out of the way. The contents came away in a shower of rust.
‘No power, and dead as a dodo… and not going to be able kick start this baby with a few high-erg batteries either.’ He stood back a step. ‘Going to stick to Plan A – punch a hole right through.’
Weng grunted softly. ‘Not easy – three inches of high density, composite steel.’
‘That’s why it’s unopened.’ Teacher pulled his rifle and loaded a grenade. ‘But, we get in, or go home with nothing but fond memories.’
Teacher looked around on the floor, and bent to pick up a loose stone. He went up to the door, and drew a three-foot circle. ‘We concentrate grenade and armor piercing rounds, right here.’ He banged on the steel. ‘Let’s hope we get some go-forward before we run out of ammunition.’
The group took cover, and the five remaining Deltas took up positions either side of the cave and sighted on Teacher’s target.
‘Fire.’
Blast after blast pounded the door, making a sound like an enormous gong being continually struck in the small enclosure. Teacher was first to switch to uranium-tipped armor-piercing bullets. They left a tracer-like path as they streamed towards the armored wall.
Inside the marked circle the steel had become white hot from the impacts.
‘Cease.’ He held up a hand, and got to his feet. He pushed his rifle up over his shoulder as he walked forward. The steel wall was heavily pitted and now concave in the centre of the ring. But there was still no break.
‘Damn it.’ Teacher picked up another stone, and drew a smaller circle, this one only about twelve inches in diameter, and over the most heavily scarred area. He took up his position again.