Discovery at Nerwolix

by C. G. Coppola

  “Walker,” I stop and he pauses with me. Able keeps going, but glances back as Walker crosses his arms, staring intently at me. “You’re a good guy. I know you are. And the situation on Harrizel was shit. I get that. Maybe… maybe if things had been different… I don’t know,” I pull on my thumbs, trying to figure out what I’m trying to say. Finally I smile. “But I’m glad we’re friends.”

  “I’ll take a friend. I’ll take whatever I can with you.”

  His eyes soften and there’s something there, some sort of gentle awe or deep fascination. I’ve seen it before. When we talked that day during weapons training. When he couldn’t believe I’d found the mutations.

  “I don’t understand—why me?”

  He steps closer. A lump rolls down his throat, excitement flaring in his eyes like he’s finally been given the opportunity he’s waited so long for. “You’re not afraid. Since the day you got to Harrizel, you’ve been fighting back. You’ve been fighting for more and you’re brave. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met. It kills me he claimed you first.”

  “No one cl—”

  “Fallon,” he sighs, “that day you stood up to Tetlak… I wanted you. I wanted to know you. You were something truly spectacular. I should’ve known he’d want you too. I should’ve made my move first but by that point you were already guarded. And then you found out what they were doing to everyone and told us at Lecture…” he shakes his head, lowering it. “I understand why Rox hates me but I can’t stand him either. He gets you. And I’ll always hate him for that.”

  Walker’s words fall like hard blocks to the pit in my stomach. I want to comfort him but to say what? He’s right. I am Reid’s. I’ll always be Reid’s. There’s no way that’s going to change and if for some reason we get separated, I’ll wait for him. Or follow him where he’s gone. Walker is too late and he knows it.

  Frowning, he gestures to the group. “We better catch up.”

  They’re a ways ahead and he starts moving for them. I’m right behind him, running over everything, trying to fit it into the version of the past I remember, when it was all about survival. I was just trying to get to the next day and somehow found myself in the arms of the Rogue’s ultimate leader.

  I follow the others, my head laden with thoughts. About Clarence and Reid and now Walker… weren’t we just trying to survive the Vermix invasion? And now all this? I don’t know what to think anymore. There’s just too much, too much to unravel and understand.

  When I catch up with the group, Walker has drifted off by himself, head lowered and arms crossed. He’s kicking the dirt, not really focused on anything other than putting one foot in front of the other. Able is talking with the Rogues, all of them glancing nervously at me.

  I feel like disappearing.

  Eyes on the ground, I try not to think of anything when I feel a light bump on my hip. I glance over and find Pratt smiling up at me. “Don’t think about it.”

  “What?”

  “Whatever’s giving you that look,” Mae mutters on my opposite side. “Whatever Walker said… or if you’re thinking about the whole Clarence thing.”

  “It’s a combination of everything, actually.”

  “Man,” Pratt shakes her head. “You need a vacation. Bad.”

  “Think you could arrange that?” I sound a little too hopeful.

  “You know what we need?” Pratt smiles. “A girl’s day. When we get back, we should just hang at my place or something. Take it easy.”

  “God that sounds good.”

  “Well then it’s done.” She nods. “When we get back, no boys, no invasion talks. Just good old fashioned girl talk.”

  “Amen to that!” Mae laughs. “I think we could all use it.”

  “You have no idea,” I exhale.

  “Hey, you know—”

  “In the trees! In the trees!” Jace calls.

  Chapter Fourteen: Sighting

  The six Dofinikes transform, growing into their towering green statures as Vermix fall all around us. Snarling erupts, vicious hissing and snapping and the loud crack of a whip rings. Mae screams next to me, my heart stopping as I turn to her.

  She’s feet from a Vermix and shaking under his yellow eyes. They shift to me, and already poised to strike, his right arm is raised, the handle of a long whip clutched in his talons. We need to move. Now. But he’s already bringing it down and I prepare myself for the inevitable sting.

  It never comes.

  I wasn’t aware I’d closed my eyes, but when I open them, Clarence is tumbling to the ground, the Vermix struggling under him in a heated brawl. Distracted for only a second, I grab Mae’s hand and pull her to me. We race for the tangle of Dofinike duels ahead, but only make it a few steps before another Vermix lands in front of us. Like the other, he raises his arm with whip in hand, but Walker pummels into him. The two wrestle on the ground as another Dofinike—Jothkore, I think—joins the fight.

  “Where’s Pratt?” I squeeze Mae’s hand.

  “I-I don’t know,” her eyes dart around. “She was…”

  But Pratt’s not here. Neither are the Rogues. They were too far ahead of us and now we’re separated by raining Vermix. Shit. Where do we go? Dofinike duels cut off every available exit and right now, without any weapons, we’re sitting ducks.

  “We need to get higher,” I crane my neck. “The trees.”

  “B-b-but…” she stutters. “They’re up there. They’ll—”

  “Now!” I yank Mae closer and grip the closest Yulu. I pull down and we go flying, soaring into the treetop. I hear my name called but I’m not sure who it is. I just know we have to get up—get away. I must have yanked pretty hard because we’re still jetting up. Brushing my finger down the side of the leaf, we finally slow, landing just below a thick branch.

  I have Mae scramble up first and then I follow. My heart is racing, my brain still trying to rationalize what’s happening. How far up are we? Where are the others? Where is Pratt? I peer over the branch.

  “Fallon!” Mae screams.

  A Vermix crouches in an Eckle across from us. I only have a second but it’s not enough. He launches himself and I don’t know what to do. But then, a thunderous leap shakes our branch and I drop to my knees, grasping the bark. A set of black talons appear. Except they’re not turned on me. Before I can look up, the Dofinike is jumping off again, meeting the Vermix mid-flight. The two collide in the air with a hard slam. They’re about to fall when one grabs a bunch of Yulus and they go soaring through the tangle and into the green.

  Who was it? Sampson? Clarence?

  I look to Mae and she’s shaking. I want to console her, but this isn’t over. It’s far from over. I don’t know where Pratt or the others are and I’m not sure if we should head to the ground again. Doing a quick scan, I monitor the nearby branches and find everything relatively quiet. We should be okay for now. Maybe after a minute, we can—

  Mae screams, pointing behind me. I don’t even have time to turn. The branch shakes with an unexpected weight and a whip cracks, splitting the side of the bark by my Converse. My heart pounds and then stops as I come face to face with another set of yellow eyes. There’s a soft whimpering and I know Mae is doing her best not to scream behind me.

  It’s the three of us on this branch and I’m in the middle. I step back and he advances. My head is racing, quickly trying to calculate the situation. We could jump again, swing to another tree, but that whip will catch us and depending where, it could be fatal. I take another step back, almost onto Mae’s shoes and do one more quick scan.

  We’re alone up here.

  A sudden breeze whips behind me. A surprised gasp and from the corner of my eye I see Jace and Mae soaring to another branch. It catches the Vermix’s attention too, and in the second it takes him to decide to pursue them or end me, an arm cradles my waist, the branch leaving my feet.

  I’m in mid-flight before I realize Walker’s arms are around me. We’re in another tree and the Vermix is already launc
hing himself after us. But Walker grabs another Yulu and takes off again, steering us through the tangle of lime leaves.

  “Got to keep moving,” he swings forward, keeping parallel with Jace and Mae. “It’s how the Zingfinolds travel.”

  “Where…” but I’m not even sure what I want to ask. Are the others okay? Is it just us up here? What’s happening?

  “Everyone’s heading for the tunnel. We’re not sure how many there are.”

  “Is this it?” my heart races. “The invasion?”

  “Not sure,” he lands us on a branch and scans the trees. Jace and Mae are a few behind us, doing the same. The commotion on the ground has died off a little, but a faint struggle whips up through the trees. I look at Mae and she’s shaking under Jace’s hold.

  “Where’s Pratt?”

  “Rogues got her.”

  A sigh of relief consumes me, but I don’t celebrate yet. We’re still up here, away from the others and I don’t know if this is it. If this is the invasion. Walker has one arm cemented around my waist, securing me to him as he sweeps for nearby movement.

  I don’t move for the longest time. We managed to get away from that Vermix but there might be more out here. I look to Mae again and she seems to have calmed down. Her eyes are still wide but she’s not shaking. She’s waiting. Like the rest of us.

  Finally, movement stirs ahead. It’s Tucker. He’s being chased by a Vermix. The Rogue Leader swings in and out of the trees, leaping by way of the plentiful Yulus but the Vermix is quick—right on his tail. Another Dofinike courses through the trees, knocking into the Vermix but Tucker doesn’t slow. A second Vermix swoops in from another direction. But so does Reid. And suddenly, movement fills the once quiet treetop as Dofinikes rip through the lime canopy.

  Walker grips me tighter, scanning. Jace has already taken off with Mae, following Reid who’s in the midst of the leaping Vermix horde. I’m not sure if he’s following Tucker or escaping his own pursuer but the blonde RC keeps to Reid’s trail. That’s where I need to be.

  I inch forward but Walker holds me back. “No, we should…” he scans the relative quiet behind us. “Let’s go this way.”

  “But they’re—”

  Before I can protest, Walker swings me in the opposite direction, into the still trees. It’s probably smarter, but I want to follow Reid, to make sure he’s okay. To make sure the others are okay. We’ve separated ourselves from the group and the pit of anxiety only grows.

  “Walker,” I look over his shoulder. “We have to go back.”

  “The Vermix are back there. We need to…” he glances to the ground. “We need to hide. If they’re all up here, we need to get to the ground. To the tunnel.”

  It sounds like the right plan but still, I want to find Reid. I need to find Reid. Walker squeezes me tighter and leaping out, he grips a Yulu and sails us back to the forest floor. My shoes hit the dirt as Walker threads his fingers with mine, pulling me behind him. I have no choice but to run with him, in and out of the hanging leaves that shield our path. He stops every few seconds, checking for clearance and then races on, yanking me to keep up. And I am. I’m just wishing I knew where everyone else was. Like Pratt. I haven’t seen her since Jace spotted the Vermix. Walker said the Rogues have her but half of them are in the trees right now. Does that mean the rest made it to the tunnel where we’re going?

  God let them be there.

  I’m so focused on the narrow mountain passage that I don’t even realize Walker has stopped. I run right into him and fall back, hitting the ground. Sitting up, I find Walker is in front of me, legs apart and body stiff. He’s shielding me from an approaching Vermix whose eyes flicker between us, sizing up the situation. His black talons rest on the handle of his whip and instinctively I reach for my Traxpire. But I don’t have one. And neither does Walker. We’re alone and the Vermix advances.

  I glance around the trees. We could sail up again, get to the other Rogues. Or to Sampson or Clarence, if they’re up there. Some of the Arizal Dofinikes are swinging through the trees, chasing the Vermix. But they’re all away from here. Walker and I are alone.

  The Vermix pulls his whip free, advancing another step.

  What do we do?

  Shit.

  From out of somewhere, another Dofinike flies forward, knocking right into the Vermix and the two tumble to the ground in a heated brawl. I can’t tell who it is. Qippert? Blovid? Vix? I don’t have time to question it because my hand is gripped. Reid is pulling me to my feet and I’m running again. Walker keeps to my other side and we’re racing past the dueling duo, through the low-hanging Yulus and toward the rocky slope of the mountain ahead.

  Both boys are taller than me, so it’s a struggle to keep up. But I push myself as hard as I can go, forcing my legs to move as fast as possible. Reid squeezes my hand, his words quickly following, “I looked all over for you. Tucker said you went into the trees. And then a Vermix grabbed Pratt—”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Rogues got her in the tunnel. What about you?” he scans me, searching for injuries. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. What about you guys?” I look between them. “Are you both okay?”

  “Scratches, baby,” Walker winks, running alongside me.

  Reid doesn’t answer. Instead he picks up speed, almost dragging me as he leads us out of the trees.

  “Is this the invasion?” I say through labored pants.

  “No.”

  “How many are there?”

  “Eight…” he doesn’t even sound exhausted. “That we know of.”

  When we reach the tunnel entrance, Booker, Able, Werzo and Pratt are already here, helping Blovid, Jothkore and Vix restrain seven Vermix. Most already have their snouts secured and their wrists and ankles are bound by their own whips.

  “Fallon!” Pratt rushes over. “You alright?” she looks past me, confused. “Where’s Mae?”

  “Jace grabbed her,” I pant. “They’re—”

  On cue, Tucker and Jace arrive, the blonde Rogue carrying a frantic Mae. Clutching him, she’s buried herself deep in his arms and it takes a moment to peel her body from his. She’s still shaking when Jace places her on her feet, steadying her shoulders. “You good?”

  She nods, not really looking at anyone. Completely transfixed, it’s like she’s not even here, not even aware the fighting has stopped. Starting to walk, she stumbles forward and nearly trips into the pile of bound Vermix. Able catches her at the last moment, whipping her back and she tucks herself into his chest, hiding her face in his neck.

  He wraps his arms around her. “It’s good… you’re good,” he keeps his voice soft, running his hand down her back in a comforting motion. He glances around the rest of us, shocked she’s burrowing into him like this.

  “We got separated,” Jace pants, hooking his hands on his hips. “Vermix snatched her foot but Clarence got him off.”

  “Everyone else okay?” Reid walks around.

  “Good to go, Boss,” Jace says.

  “Rox,” Tucker nods.

  “Boys?” Reid passes Werzo, Booker and Able who is still consoling a frazzled Mae. They all nod, exhaling and agreeing with ‘Boss’ and ‘good.’

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I was looking up and I thought I was seeing things,” Jace’s words falls out in one breathless statement, “and bam! There they were! Just sitting up there, ready to ambush us like fucking ninjas.”

  “Like the Zingfinolds all over again,” Able releases Mae but she keeps to his side, crossing her arms and keeping her focus down.

  “Yeah, except they’re the ones subdued—not us,” Clarence arrives with Qippert on his left. Sampson is at his other side, dragging an unconscious Vermix behind him.

  “This is it?” The Fychu scans the narrow passage. The walls are maybe fifteen feet apart and with the daylight, the entrance is lit up enough so we can see. But further down, where the space tapers into darkness, a quiet eeriness fills the space. “I thought
it’d be a bit bigger,” he looks unimpressed. “Everyone unharmed?”

  “More or less,” Jothkore nods. “Except Vix was struck in her shoulder. The skin has been separated.”

  “She will need some Vilbrees on it,” Qippert advises.

  “Of course,” Sampson moves closer to examine her. “As soon as we return to the city. Vix, will you be able to hold on until then?”

  “Of course, Fychu.”

  “Very good.”

  “Very good,” he turns for the group of bound Vermix, adding his own to the pile. “Now then—how many left are there?”

  Each Dofinike responds with a suffocated hiss, trying to snap and snarl but getting nowhere. Sampson’s eyes dart over the eight of them, settling on one toward the back, leaned nearly up against the wall.

  “That one, Jothkore,” he gestures to the selected Vermix. “Our good friend there. Would you mind?”

  “Of course, Fychu,” Jothkore drags him to the front, carefully unwinding the whip that binds his snout.

  “Well?” Sampson says. “How many?”

  Glaring, the Vermix’s yellow eyes shift over everyone, halting with abhorrence on the Rogues, Walker, the girls and I.

  “I will not ask you again.”

  The Vermix lets out a hissing jumble of sounds.

  “So it is just you eight?”

  He replies with another few words, all sour and rounding off with a nasty curse.

  “That shows how very little he knows.”

  The Vermix spouts out a challenging tone, like he’s trying to win some verbal battle.

  “Right now? Probably back at his city, which is where I plan on taking you momentarily. Hozfin will want to know about any unannounced visitors and I would hate to disappoint him by not announcing your arrival. Believe me, he will be interested to know you have dropped in on him. But, before we go see the king, you will tell me what Reuzkimpart’s plan is. When does he intend to invade? Oh, and in English, please.”

  The Vermix scans us again but he remains silent. Sampson leans in and pinches part of his neck.

  “Soon,” the word forcibly escapes.