He quickly unhooked a set of bolas from his belt; normally he would use the weapon to knock fruit loose from high branches or to stop a runaway goat from escaping the herd. However, at this moment he intended to use it to take down one of the vile skex. Spinning the cord like a lasso, the weighted balls hummed through the air in a blurred circle to his side, as he sought the nearest foul insect. One was coming down over to his left, chasing a screaming child. Without hesitation, he let the weapon fly. The momentum of the throw spinning the balls in a perfect circle directly into the monster’s fluttering wings, part of it cracking through the veins holding together the thin layer of translucent chitin material. As the wings bound and shattered, the insect came crashing to the ground behind him.
Logan ran to retrieve the bolas, which rolled to the ground, sighting another insect rapidly approaching. The eager creature swooped low for him, twitching rows of sword-like legs. Out of pure survival instinct, he rolled to the ground, feeling hot breath from the chittering craw slide by, just barely grazing his back. His stomach lurched at the rotten stench the foul creature emitted.
“No time for a weak stomach” he told himself, spinning the bolas, and readying for the insect’s return. The hairs on his neck rose, tickling across his skin, as a chirping sound demanded his immediate attention. Logan fearfully glanced over his shoulder to see the fallen skex rise with its many red eyes glaring hatefully at him.
This was exactly why he hated hunting; the creatures of New Fal were never fair! Quickly making a choice between the two monsters, he let the spinning weapon fly. This time it wrapped around the second insect’s wings, stealing the monster’s flight. He scrambled quickly across the dirt as the first insect was already charging. The skex closed the gap between itself and the juicy morsel in a dead rush. Logan could do nothing more than scream in defiance, enraged at the beast as he turned to face his death head on.
From over his shoulder, a solid beam of blue light lit the area and pierced the insect’s armored face. Its crimson eyes bulged before popping with a loud crackling sound, spewing forth the insect’s gelatinous cooked brain. Logan stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed, having never seen the effects of a laser rifle up close and personal before, in fact as far as he or anyone else knew, the weapons had long since become a thing of lore. Yet here was Elder Morgana holding a large white laser rifle in her frail bony arms. The thing looked two sizes larger than it was in the old village leader’s hands but she wielded it as if she were carrying nothing more than a bag of mushrooms. Elder Morgana would be damned if she was going to watch the boy she raised be murdered.
“Morgana, what in the nine blazes are you doing?!” he shouted, running over to the Elder.
“Watch your mouth lad, or I’ll have to wash it out for you when this is all over.” She scolded, pointing the rifle at another of the insects and gritting her teeth, blasting it from the sky. The tide was turning now for the villagers, but so many were lying dead or in pieces, that Logan did not know what else he could do with no weapon. Elise was up on her feet again, gathering any children she could find, turning them toward the village community hall. Four of the men folk surrounded the insect whose wings were bound by the bolas, poking at it with spears. They pressed forward backing the thing up with thrashing pincers swinging in an attempt to block their blows, right into the waiting swing of the blacksmith’s large sledgehammer, which crushed through its head.
All around villagers had retrieved ranged weapons, firing off a barrage of arrows, bolts, and spears to fend off the remaining raiders. There was no rejoicing as the predators began to flee the village in search of easier prey elsewhere. Their merry festival had turned into a bloody massacre, a flurry of death rained down on the village from above, leaving behind nothing but anguish and carnage. Logan could see Corbin on the far side of the village, arriving in the midst of the chaos.
Elder Morgana was shouting orders to her people, holding the heavy rifle upright as easily as a toy slingshot, with the butt of it resting in the nook of her elbow. She was completely oblivious to the incoming skex making a beeline for her exposed back. Logan screamed to warn her, running to push the old woman out of harm’s way. For him it was as if time slowed to a crawl, moving in slow motion, watching in horror as the monster swooped straight down. Talons tore right through her torso, stealing the village elder away into the night sky. Logan howled again unable to do anything more than watch her being carried away, disappearing into the shadows of the cavern ceiling. His eyes stung when overhead the rifle exploded. Elder Morgana had fought on, denying the monster its cruel feast. Pieces of the creature rained down hard as stone, clattering across the area, along with Elder Morgana who landed heavily to the ground, bones shattering loudly.
Logan was quickly at her side, begging the woman who raised him to hold on, promising through tear stained eyes that he would get help. He knew in his heart that it was already too late; one look at her would tell anyone there was no hope.
“Silly little boy, my sweet, sweet little Logan.” She groaned, weakly stroking his cheek. “My time to join the All-Father’s light is here, my boy.” She said trying to comfort him.
Logan rocked back and forth holding her hand to his face and shaking his head in denial.
“Enough of that young man, you calm yourself now. Be brave like I taught you.” She spoke to him trying to firm up her resolve, shaking him out of the hysteria. Logan tried to gather his composure, ashamed of his behavior. “That’s my boy.” She smiled at him before a flash of pain crossed her face and blood began to run from her lips.
“Morgana please, please…what can I do?” he implored.
“Get yourself to Fal, they must be warned... ugh…the implica... ugh.” the old woman convulsed in pain. Logan moved the rifle from across her chest, revealing the gruesomely twisted torso. She had already lost so much blood, there seemed to be nothing he could do. Elder Morgana suddenly gripped him by the collar, pulling Logan closer to her face with a surprising amount of strength that no dying person had a right to possess.
“The council must be warned.” She groaned slapping the rare weapon into his hands as a whirring sound built up in her chest. Logan tried to make sense of it, but she flung him back through the air away from her, as if he weighed no more than a ragdoll, then she rolled over.
“Run you fool!” she screamed as the high-pitched whirring grew louder, hurting his ears. All around the area people covered their ears as they frantically fled from the Elder. A massive explosion rocked the area, shaking the ground as fire billowed out from where the Elder’s body had been. The force of it rolled Logan another two feet, face down into the dirt.
Logan felt someone moving him far away, down a long tight corridor where their words were echoing like a whisper and a shot at the same time. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to remember which way was up, reorienting himself in a double vision of Corbin who was shouting for him to speak just beyond that incessant ringing sound filling his skull.
Logan could see Elise had joined them, her eyes blood red from the dust of the explosion. She said something he could not comprehend and he thought it was time he took that nap now, as everything turned to black. Slumping back Logan’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and lids began fluttering. Elise snapped him out of his stupor with a desperate slap across his face, opening his eyes wide.
“Owww…what are you trying to do, take my nose off?” he yelped, fully aware of his surroundings once more. Elise was so overwhelmed with relief that she let all of the emotions she pent up during the wild attack out in one gushing howl, as she crashed into Corbin’s arms. He did not look so well himself, on his knees in the dirt beside Logan, wearing a glassy shell-shocked expression. He was trying to take in the surreal scene of carnage, but the spectacle was more than anyone should be forced to bear in their lifetime.
“What are we going to do?” Elise sobbed.
“Um…well I…”Corbin began, gasping for air. Elder Morgana had always and e
ver been the one person everyone rallied behind in the village. He realized he would need to be strong for their people, firming his resolve. “First we should set up an area for the wounded, probably the community hall, then we should start getting a head count and moving the injured indoors. Also, I would send someone to get water. Then we can…”
“Morgana told me what needs getting done just before she…she…” Logan cut off, losing his train of thought.
“Exploded...” Elise finished for him, her voice filled with disbelief.
“Yeah…exploded.” Logan said the word too, feeling it on his tongue like a taste you could not place.
Corbin shook his head, denying the absurdity of such a claim. “Logan this is important, stay focused. What did Morgana say before she died?” He asked, grabbing his shoulders and forcing Logan to look him in the eyes. Even though he had been drifting back into that dazed stupor, Logan shrugged him off, scowling.
“She didn’t die. She was murdered by that disgusting creature.” He corrected Corbin, bracing himself against his brother to rise with a grunt. “Morgana told me I have to get to the capitol and warn them right away.”
Corbin tilted his head toward Logan, searching for something.
“Oh brother, come on. Really? You really think I would make that up just to go to the city at a time like this?” Logan rolled his eyes in response to his brother’s silent accusation. He waved his hand around at the villagers, running around trying to find their loved ones amidst the screaming and groaning.
Corbin thought little of his brother’s willingness to do his part, but even he was not so callous that he would ignore their people in this moment of need. “No…” he admitted.
“If this is true, you will both need to leave at once.” Elise pointed out.
Some of the villagers were bracing Gunter, heading for the trio. Corbin ran out to meet them, offering his assistance.
“Elise, what do you want us to do?” one of the men named Rygor asked, bent under Gunter’s ample weight. Her father was out of it, with blood flowing freely from a head wound that was staining his beard red.
“Oh father…” she stroked his cheek, cupping a hand over her mouth. Logan feared she may pass out and who would not feel the same way seeing their father injured. He reached out to support his friend, as did Corbin.
“Madame Elise…please, we need to know what to do.” Rygor urged again. That was when the realization hit. Logan looked over at his childhood friend with her soot-covered curls and watched as the expression on her own face changed. She too was accepting this new reality. For all her life, Elder Morgana had been grooming Elise for this day that she never truly expected to come, the day she would become the village elder.
Elise pulled herself together bravely squaring her shoulders and began reciting all of Corbin’s ideas to the men who eagerly gobbled them up and began to assist. She left the brothers, moving through the crowd, shouting orders the way she knew Elder Morgana would have, if she were still there with them. Within a short time the village was returning to order, the people organized into tasks and duties to help their loved ones.
Corbin moved to assist his fiancée but she turned, placing a gentle hand to his chest. “No my love, you must get to Fal and warn the high council of the impending attack.”
“But…there must be someone else. My place is here by your side helping our people.” Corbin insisted, while Elise shook her head slowly with each word.
“There is no one else; you and Logan are the fastest runners in Riverbell. You want to help me? Then please do this for me… no not just that, do this for the people of New Fal.” She appealed to his sense of honor, pulling her fiancé down to kiss him on the forehead.
Logan pulled Corbin back by the shoulder, after he and Elise broke their embrace. “We have to get on the road right away; there is no time to lose.” He insisted, agreeing with Elise.
Corbin looked at a loss for words, feebly trying to counter the idea. “But you’re too weak from the blast; you should stay here and recover.”
Logan brushed off the notion, firmly shaking his head and looking Corbin straight in the eyes. “Oh no you don’t, I am fine. Just a little bump to the head.” Without waiting for Corbin to follow, he turned to run toward their cabin for a quick scavenge of supplies. Looking over his shoulder at Corbin, he added. “Besides nothing in the world would stop me from going to the capitol!”
Chapter 4
They had been running for three solid hours with no break. Logan’s lungs burned raw and his legs ached, but he felt that he could go another two hours more at least, before they would need to stop for a short rest. The mad dash through their home gathered enough supplies to make a quick break for the road. Logan changed his tattered clothing, throwing on a plain loose fitting tunic held down under brown suspenders that kept his tan baggy breeches up. He strapped his father’s old revolver to his waist and holstered the laser rifle Elder Morgana had given him over a shoulder. He regretted not owning any gloves but changed into his knee high saddle-leather hiking boots so at least his feet would be somewhat protected. Corbin had not changed his clothing but focused his time gathering dried meats and leftover crusty bread, Morgana had baked earlier in the week, into backpacks for both of them. So far, the run had been easy going, and they were making steady progress He could only hope it was swift enough to keep them ahead of the swarm.
Unfortunately, the pass ahead demanded they be overly cautious. Up until now, they had been running through a narrow crevice in the flat rock floor, which marked an old trade route to the capitol of Fal. Ahead they could see the end of the path, where the rock abruptly disappeared, dipping down twenty feet or so, marking a series of chasms where the land had ripped apart during a great quake from the time of Logan’s infancy. It was the reason no one used this trail anymore, even though it was the fastest route to the capitol. The council’s highwaymen had built a new road on a more reliable pathway that would take too long to travel if they wanted to get to Fal in time to warn of the incoming swarm heading their way. Corbin skidded to an abrupt halt so fast that Logan almost ran right over him. Leaning on his spear to steady himself, his brother gazed over the cliff’s edge deep down into the ravine.
“How far do you think you can jump, Logan?” Corbin asked him, tapping his thigh with the spear’s hilt.
Logan tried to gauge the distance across the small chasm, nodding his head “I could make it just fine, worry about yourself big boy.” He replied uneasily.
Corbin grunted at the answer, annoyed at his brother’s need to be trivial. “I’m not sure I can.” He added, surprising Logan.
“Wow, finally something the village miracle can’t do?” Logan jested; regretting it when he noticed Corbin held a pained look. He knew his brother well enough to see the anguish he was holding back given the recent death of their foster mother. Logan decided to ease off him a bit. “Relax little guy, you’ve got this. Look…it’s no further across than the Witch’s Elbow back home.” Corbin followed his brother’s pointing finger, picturing the river bend they used to hop across when they were children.
“Ready? Watch and learn…oh, and follow.” Logan stepped back to get a running start and leapt right over the narrow chasm, landing deftly on his feet on the other side. He turned to beckon his brother across reassuring him it was no problem.
Corbin backed up further than Logan had, then sprang forward using his spear at the last second to pole vault across the distance with ease. He landed past Logan, smiling at his big brother though his eyes never dropped the look of anguish he was harboring deep inside.
And so, they moved from one jutting rocky outcrop along this side of the chasm to another, leaping across large gaps and scaling tall inclines. Hopping from jutting stone to cones of rock sticking up from the pitch-black bottom of the network of chasms. From rock face to the lips of stalagmite walls and back, the brothers rappelled in rapid succession, until they were pulling themselves up the o
pposite side of the shattered expanse, returning to the old trade route where it began again. Logan gave one final look back, which sent a shiver down his spine, secretly relieved to be past the dangerous area. The thought of what might be at the bottom of those shadowy ravines, should they have slipped any step of the way, disturbed him more than a little.
“Come on Logan we have to hurry!” Corbin called over his shoulder, darting down the path ahead.
“Oh sure, now that I talk him through moving across the chasm, he gets cocky again. He’s got some nerve ordering me around like that,” Logan thought in annoyance. Corbin may have grown up in the villagers’ eyes, but to his big brother he was still just the brat that followed him around pestering him all the time. If anyone was giving orders on this journey, it was going to be him, something he meant to secure quickly. “Keep your voice down, you grub-headed fool, before you bring a dancing cougar down on us.” Logan hissed, already caught up to him.
Corbin looked confused. “There are no cougars around these parts, are there? I thought they only stalked the jungles in Malbec?”
Logan did not miss a step as he clapped the back of his brother’s head. “Don’t get smart with me; you know exactly what I meant.” His little brother growled but did nothing to counter the discipline, silently rubbing his head instead. “Either way you should not be yelling around here. Big shot hunter like yourself should know how exposed we are right now.” He counseled, hopping over the thick root of a tree, which had stretched across the path.
Corbin rolled his eyes at the petty insult, if his brother had a problem being labeled a lazy troublemaker, maybe he should stop being lazy and causing trouble. He was not about to apologize for assuming he would lag behind, or let Logan make him feel bad for becoming a master of his discipline.
Secrets of the Elders Kindle Version Page 3