Discovery at Nerwolix

by C. G. Coppola

  “Like you did to us?” Jace raises a brow.

  “Like was done to me,” Walker nods. “Now…” he strolls, hands behind his back. “How do they work?”

  “Why don’t you tell us?” Reid crosses his arms.

  “What’s the fun of that?”

  “They have some sort of magnetic power thing?” Pratt asks.

  “Nope,” Walker smirks. “But good guess.”

  “Elasticity? Or some sort of sensitivity?”

  “Very good,” he smiles at me. “Someone gets an A.”

  Standing rigid, Reid lets out an annoyed exhale.

  “So how does it work exactly?” Mae asks.

  “Don’t you know?” I frown. “You’ve been here about a week.”

  “We haven’t used them yet…we’ve basically been in our homes or using the bridges. The few times we came down here we used the posts.”

  “Why?” I turn to Walker.

  “Hozfin wanted to wait until Tucker returned. I was surprised how lenient he was with letting the girls stay instead of him—I’ll be honest. That doesn’t mean he’s extending all the secrets right away. Don’t get me wrong, the girls were treated fine, but some rights, they held off for. So,” he glances around the group, “who wants to go first? How about…” he pauses in front of Mae and offers a charming grin. “You?”

  “S-sure…” she steps forward and Walker scoops a hand around her hip.

  “Alright,” he reaches up, grasping the top of the leaf, where it starts to narrow into the long, rope-like material. “This is a Yulu. You want to grip them here. Once you have a good grasp, you give it a little tug and it’ll take you right up.”

  “Why?” Pratt asks.

  Walker shrugs. “I think it’s a defense thing. Once they feel a pull, they jet back up to the canopy. After a while they’ll drop back down, but slowly. That’s why they’re all at different heights. So,” he looks at Mae. “Ready?”

  “Uh-huh,” she glances at me as Walker lightly yanks on the Yulu. They jet up, disappearing into the lime green shield which sways for a few seconds afterward.

  “What do you think they’re talking about?” I look around. “Sampson and the others.”

  “What else can be done about the invasion,” Reid says.

  “Think they’re coming up with their own plan?”

  “Wouldn’t surprise me. Sampson wouldn’t leave the Zingfinolds so vulnerable.”

  “But you heard what Walker said,” Jace crosses his arms. “About the Zingfinolds being like assassins? If that’s true, then this army’s ready to go. We just have to sit back and relax until they arrive.”

  “An army of assassins does sound pretty awesome,” Werzo agrees.

  “But Reuzkimpart will be bringing a huge force,” I say. “He’s not going to chance it like he did with Mybyncia. And now, with Sampson and Blovid having escaped twice, he’s driven. He’s not going to hold anything back.”

  “And that’s why you need to pay attention,” Walker drops to the ground, gently gripping Mae next to him. “It can save lives. Anyone else want a go? Fallon?”

  Reid exhales again, cracking his neck to the side.

  “It’s only a short ride, Rox. Let her enjoy herself for a change.”

  “Let Pratt have a go,” I say quickly, “then the Rogues. Come on, the quicker we do this, the quicker we can train and retire for the day.”

  Reid motions to Pratt. “You go, then the rest.”

  Pratt makes her way over, switching places with Mae. “How did you get back down here?”

  “When you go up, you give the leaf a little tug. When you want to want to get back to the ground, you give it a light stroke,” he demonstrates running a finger down the long green rope and it descends, the bottom of the rounded bulb just brushing the dirt. “Releases something, I guess. Relaxes them and they sail back down. Alright, hold tight, kid,” Walker wraps his hand around Pratt’s waist as he tugs on the same hanging leaf. And just like before, they jet up, the two gone in seconds.

  “Way for not going off,” Tucker claps Reid on his shoulder.

  “I’m this close,” he pinches his fingers, moving in a sharp turn for me. Unsure of his intention, I step back until his hands slip around my face, bringing it up to his. His lips pull at mine, hot and heavy, warmth stirring in the pit of my belly. Deepening the kiss, his fingers gently cup my jaw, holding it for him. I’m dizzy, about to fall from the magical heat swirling all around me—in me—when he suddenly pulls back.

  “Nice…” Jace laughs somewhere in the distance.

  I nearly collapse, my heart racing in a fevered hurry as fire flushes my lit body, enflaming every pore and hair. With my knees about to give way, I focus on them, demanding they remain strong since I know everyone is still staring at me.

  “What was that for?” Mae’s sweet laugh fills the air.

  Reid shrugs. “Figured a good kiss wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Think you paralyzed her there, Boss,” Jace snickers.

  Following the others, Reid looks back to me, an adorable grin crossing his lips. “Oh yeah?”

  Wiping the expression free, I try to remain as impassive as possible. But I can’t help it. With his powerful eyes fixed on me, amused by my embarrassed silence, I give in and blush an even darker scarlet.

  Reid nods, his smirk widening. “Good to know.”

  Walker drops back down with Pratt. “What’d I miss?”

  “Nothing,” Jace shakes his head, fighting off a smile. “Uh… I’ll go. My turn.”

  Walker and the Rogue Commander disappear like the first two pairs and after about ten minutes of every Rogue getting a turn, Walker turns to me. “Ready?”

  “You already took me,” I step back. “Remember? First time we were here.”

  He shrugs. “Practice makes perfect.”

  “She said no,” Reid crosses his arms. “Now what’s next?”

  “Well…” Walker rolls his eyes, “I was thinking everyone could try going up by themselves. We could pick a target, like fifth branch up or something, and make sure everyone can get there. That’s how the Zingfinolds move so swiftly. They’re able to manipulate the Eckles.”

  “Sounds smart,” Tucker nods. “We will need to know how to do this.”

  “Good,” Walker rubs his hands together. Craning his neck back, he squints into the canopy and then drops his focus back to us. “There’s a big branch up there. It connects this tree with that one,” he points to the trunk behind Booker. “I want everyone to get to it, but we’ll all take different trees.”

  Pratt glances around us, then back to Walker. “How do we get over to it?”

  “You’ll have to swing yourself. From one branch to the next. It’s how the Zingfinolds move,” Walker heads for a trunk some feet away. “If you guys really think the Vermix are coming, you’ll need to know how to navigate this terrain.”

  “This is good,” Jace nods, heading for a tree. “Walker’s right—we need to know this.”

  Reid nods, looking around the rest of us. He arches his neck back and finds the spot in the green umbrella above, pointing. “Okay. That branch up there.”

  “How do we slow it down?” Mae frowns, pulling at her elbows. “You said it would just take us right back to the top of the tree?”

  “When you’re approaching your target, start to stroke the side. You’ll need practice to get it right so if you pass it, don’t worry. Just try lowering yourself again.”

  “But… what if we get stuck?”

  “Just try getting there. If you can’t, I’ll come get you. You won’t be stuck anywhere,” Walker grins. “I promise.”

  “Okay,” I look around, selecting a trunk just behind Jace. “Let’s do this.”

  Reid approaches the tree closest to mine as the Rogues spread out, each finding a different starting point. Mae and Pratt keep closest to the target while Walker surveys our locations with a nod. “Everyone ready?”

  I turn to Reid and he winks.

  �
��Remember where you’re going. If you get stuck, try to get there by yourself. Stroke the leaf to slow down and yank it to speed up or go higher. Make your best attempt.”

  “But if we can’t, you’ll come get us, right?” Mae asks.

  Walker turns to her with a nod. “But try your best first. Alright,” he spins with a smile to everyone. “Let’s get up there.”

  I glance at Reid but he’s already gone and so are most of the Rogues. Craning my neck, I peer into the lime canopy above. With a deep breath, I wrap my hand around the narrow green rope and give it a little tug. The ground disappears beneath my feet and I’m flying upwards. I grip the leaf with both hands, trying not to panic as I pass thick rows of the rounded Yulus. I’m not sure how far I’ve gone and immediately start stroking the side and of the rope, my ascent suddenly slowing to a halt.

  I’m hanging in the air, far from any branch or place to rest my feet. Shit. What do I do now? Scanning the area for the closest branch, I find one below. Maybe six feet down and over a bit. If I can lower myself with the right speed, I can reach it and find the target from there. Slowly stroking the leaf again, I inch lower until my feet hit the hard bark. I let out a breath and keep a strong hold on the rope, securing my balance. Okay. I can do this. I just need to find the target.

  Searching, I spot Jace’s blonde hair through the cracks of green below, maybe twenty feet or so. He’s also to the far left—a few trees over. It’s a bit of a distance from here. With a quick scan, I look for anyone else but I’m too far up. Did anyone else get this high? I could call Walker or one of the others to come help me but I need to know how to do this myself.

  I can do this.

  Gripping the leaf with both hands, I offer a gentle brush and it slowly starts to drop back down again. Once I’m approaching a branch close to the same level as the blonde Rogue, I slow the touch and the Yulu stops just as my feet reach the hard bark again. Okay, at least I’m on the same level. More or less. Now I just need to get over there, to the right destination.

  “What’re you doing there, Fallon?” Jace cups his hands around his mouth. “We’re waiting for you!”

  Out of nowhere, Reid swings onto my branch with a grin. “You got it?”

  “I got it,” I nod, gripping the Yulu as I ready myself for a jump.

  “Just get to that one,” he points to the next branch over. “And from there…” he motions to the next one.

  “I know,” I focus on my jump. “Let me do this. I can do this.”

  “Of course you can,” he winks and swings to the next branch. He turns back with a smile, waiting for me.

  Of course he makes it looks so easy. And it should be. I just have to grip the rope and push off with enough force to make the distance. You can do this. You can do this. With a deep breath, I lean back and then jet forward, squeezing the top of the Yulu as I sail toward the next branch where Reid watches, waiting. I grip the bark with my feet, steadying myself. I did it! A thrill of excitement rushes through me and I turn to Reid with a huge grin.

  “You okay?”

  I nod, barely able to contain my glee.

  “Well come on,” he winks. “Two more to go.”

  Reid sails from branch to branch and I follow. It gets easier each time I do it and once I reach the assigned target, I only find Reid, Jace, Booker, Tucker and Pratt there. Werzo, Mae and Walker are still up in the lime canopy somewhere.

  “Glad to have you,” Jace grins. “Wondering where you’d gone.”

  “I aimed too high. Probably,” I point above, trying to find the branch where I first landed, “about there.”

  “I had trouble with that too,” Pratt nods. “I went all the way up and then came all the way back down. Things are super sensitive.”

  “How’d you beat me?” I laugh.

  “The second time I did it, I timed it perfectly. And I had the closest tree. I only came from there,” she points to the next branch over.

  “Mae was pretty close too, right?” I glance between the Rogues.

  “She went off somewhere,” Tucker shrugs. “Walker had to go get her.”

  “And Werzo?”

  “Same,” Jace says. “Went straight past me. Shot right up through the trees.”

  “Nice.”

  “They’ll be back any minute,” Reid says. “We’ll just wait.”

  “It’s fun once you get the hang of it.”

  “I think so too,” Pratt laughs.

  “I’d like to get back to the ground,” Werzo swings onto the branch with us, his eyes wide and startled. “Shit that was crazy.”

  “By crazy do you mean difficult?” Jace suppresses a smirk.

  “No,” he scowls. “It was just crazy flying up like that. Those Yulus are freaky sensitive.”

  “They are,” Walker lands behind Booker with his arm around Mae’s waist. “That’s why you have to practice. I see everyone made it—good. We ready to head back down?”

  “God yes,” Werzo says.

  “Alright,” Walker nods, turning to Mae. “We’ll head down together. You do the majority of the guiding but I’ll be holding on so you don’t plummet us into the ground. Cool?”

  A faint blush darkens her cheeks but she nods.

  “Then let’s go,” he takes a step off the branch and the two slowly lower.

  “See you on the ground?” Reid turns to me.

  “I’ll see you on the ground,” I jump off, gripping my leaf and running my finger down the rubbery length. I’m lowering quickly, descending toward the forest base as the Rogues shout with glee above. Jace, Tucker and Booker race past me, laughing as they drop to the ground in seconds. I’m almost there but glance up, finding Reid gliding along beside me, keeping to my pace.

  “Thought you were going to see me on the ground?” he smirks.

  “I am,” I stroke the leaf quicker, dropping faster.

  But Reid keeps pace with me, matching his speed with mine and we both arrive at the same time. His smirk grows, causing tiny bubbles of heat in my stomach, but then Werzo drops in a second later, falling to his knees. Pratt is next and then, after another long minute, Walker and Mae inch down. They’re moving so slow that we all stop and watch as they descend, then jerk, then drop a bit, then jerk again. Finally, when they’re a foot or so above the ground, Walker inhales with a look at Mae. “You can let go now.”

  Mae does, dropping to her feet and Walker follows.

  “Alright,” he fights off a sigh and takes a step. “So you’ll need practice if you’re not entirely comfortable. I’d say pick a target once a day and get to it unassisted. If you can do that, you’ll be fine.”

  “What if we’re already fine?” Jace laughs. “Oh, I’m sorry—I’m talking about the Eckle trees. Not…” he gestures to himself.

  Tucker rolls his eyes and then focuses on Walker. “What’s next?”

  “Weapons,” he leads us toward a large tree near the edge of the clearing. At its base we find a pile of wooden projectiles etched from golden brown branches and filed into narrow tubes with a slight curve up the sides.

  “What’re these?” Booker selects one, pinching it between his fingers.

  “You’re holding the Zingfinold’s favorite toy—the Brulily. Designed with endless ammo, some shoot poisonous darts. Some, tranquilizers.”

  “That’s how they take hostages down so quickly?” Werzo selects another.

  “Actually, they typically don’t take prisoners. Zingfinolds are more of an act now-ask questions later type people. Good thing you had the girls—it was the only thing that saved you.”

  “And yet,” I smile to myself, “it nearly got us killed on Mybyncia. Go figure.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “These radical loyalists—the Muskos—they tried kidnapping all three of us,” I glance at the girls, frowning at Pratt. “They got her.”

  “Not for long,” Reid says.

  “Wow…” Walker runs his hand through his hair. “Sounds like you’ve had some dangerous times. But
don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

  “They were safe before,” Reid growls. “But it’s a dangerous world we live in. Or haven’t you noticed?”

  “Can be…” Walker shrugs, “…depending on who you spend it with.”

  Tucker exhales, gesturing for Werzo to pass him a Brulily. “Let me have…” he waves his hand and Werzo places one of the wooden weapons into it. Turning to Walker, he rolls it in his fingers. “So how does it work?”

  “As you would suspect it would,” Walker steals the Brulily from Tucker and brings it to his mouth. With a gentle blow, the tiniest needle darts out of the other end, shooting right into the Eckle across from us. “Quick. Silent. You have to be in a ten foot radius, so you want to use it when you’re sneaking up on someone.”

  “How many have you snuck up on?” Jace crosses his arms with a grin.

  “Several,” Walker jumps up to one of the branches. “The Nerwos come down sometimes.”

  “Why?”

  “Spies, mostly,” he shrugs, swinging to another branch. “They sneak down from time to time, watching us. Not sure what they’re looking for,” he shrugs again, “but we’re supposed to kill on sight.”

  “You never take prisoners?” Mae frowns.

  “Not really. Every once in a while, there’ll be a chick or something and Warze takes them to Hozfin for judgment.”

  “What happens?” I ask.

  “You already know that.”

  “And do any of them survive?”

  Walker shifts from foot to foot, staring low at the branch. “Since I’ve been here, there’ve been about eleven sightings. I think two survived the tasks. They’re around… keep mostly to themselves…”

  “Wouldn’t they just try and escape?” Mae asks.

  “They could try,” Walker laughs. “But they’d be dead before they got out of the city. Not something you want to do,” he winks at Tucker. “When you’re a brother, you’re a brother for life.”

  “There goes your seat in Queen Ravan’s throne.”

  Tucker shoots Werzo a glare.

  “What?” he shrugs. “Well how’s it going to work? She’s royalty and you’re stuck here. I’m sorry Rogue Leader, but your chances with her—”