by CJ Davis
“How did Reese do against you in training?” Svante asked.
“If the damn Reds didn’t cut his training short I’d be able to tell you,” Arshan replied.
“At least he completed some training,” Horus retorted.
“With any luck, Reese will be able to get past the Reds and run directly up the temple stairs before any of them can stop him,” Svante said.
“But that might leave Kate vulnerable,” Horus replied. “Will Reese be ready to lose his soul mate?”
The look of sorrow and loss on Arshan’s face caught Svante off guard. He raised his hand as though to offer comfort, but then dropped it again. There was no healing for a loss like Arshan suffered through.
“It’s exceptionally difficult to leave your Inseparable,” Arshan said huskily, blinking the wetness from his eyes.
“I could not imagine having to make that choice,” Svante replied gently. “You had the right idea trying to hide it from him as long as possible. After all the work you did to set things up, it must’ve been really frustrating to see it all undone.”
“Not really,” Arshan replied. His voice sounded more normal. “I think we can all agree that they would have all been destroyed by the Raptors if it was not for his Inseparable ability.”
“Indeed,” Svante said. “We at the very least would’ve lost Kate.”
“Also, we knew it was a long shot keeping the secret from him through the entire Centennial,” Horus said. “The biggest disappointment was his training being cut short.”
A low buzz of conversations echoed throughout the coliseum as the crowd watched the two groups of Centennial warriors approach different sides of the galorim clearing.
“After all that has happened, what do you think he will do? What is your gut feeling?” Svante asked.
“It’s tough, but I don’t think he will let Kate be destroyed,” Horus replied after an extended silence.
“Experience tells us that Inseparables are just not able to make this ultimate sacrifice,” Arshan added. “Even if they consciously make the choice, they can be physically paralyzed after witnessing the destruction of their soul mate.”
The Red crowd roared. The men looked at the screen. Cyrus had drawn his sword in the outskirts of the jungle.
“It looks like they arrived and the Blues are still not aware of Hector lurking behind them,” Svante said. “His invisibility is playing a huge role in this Centennial.”
“That’s unsettling,” Horus said nervously.
As the camera drones flew in over the galorim pool, everybody in the coliseum focused their attention around the pool, to see if they could spot which super predators would be guarding the temple this year.”
“Come on and show your face!” Arshan said to the jungle on the screen. “We could use something manageable for our folks to fight.”
A cluster of large pillars and broken stone ruins are scattered just to the east of the galorim pool providing excellent cover for any number of wild beasts. These ancient structures were abandoned after the truce from the 400 Year War when this area was declared off limits to humans so the galorim could grow in this area uninterrupted.
In the center of a giant sandy clearing, a long stone staircase led steeply up to the small temple room that housed the podium. The structure was cylinder shaped with ornate figures carved all over its stone surface. Twenty-foot statues of ancient leaders ringed the perimeter.
Arshan joined the rest of the crowd, carefully scanning the ruins in hopes of finding any threats to his team. His heart sank as the heavy triangular head of an allosaurus emerged from behind a weathered tower. The huge reptile opened its mouth, revealing dozens of dagger like teeth. It rose high on its powerful hind legs and sniffed the air, as though seeking the scent of humans.
“Whoa,” whispered Arshan. “I’ve never seen such a massive killer. Let’s just hope he finds the Reds first.”
“Look, another one,” said Horus, pointing to the massive head of a snake the size of a car emerging from the underbrush. The body of the snake was all muscle, crushing small bushes and plants as it slithered into the clearing.
“Looks like the allosaurus is going to get some lunch,” said Svante.
“No,” said Arshan quietly. “They are old friends. They’ve probably hunted together for years. I’ve heard of something like that happening, but I never knew it to be true.”
“It’s no wonder we haven’t seen any other creatures even remotely close to the galorim pool,” Svante said.
The coliseum remained almost completely quiet. Even the most rambunctious Red pledges sat stunned at the unfolding drama.
“I don’t know if anybody is going to make it out of this alive,” Svante said in a hushed tone.
“I’m afraid, you might be right, my old friend,” Horus replied. “Perhaps nobody will win.”
***
Cyrus crouched with Kublai by a jungle tree in the outskirts of the galorim clearing. His uniform had a tear in the left arm and was covered in dirt. Other than being parched and a bit winded Cyrus felt like he was on top of the world.
“We’re finally here,” Cyrus declared. He wiped the beading sweat off his forehead.
“How many raptors do you think the Blues ended up killing?” Kublai asked.
“Beats me,” Cyrus replied. “I’m just glad that most of the dinos went to them. I’ve never heard such a commotion. They must’ve been doing something crazy to attract them all.”
“Regardless, It feels amazing to be here,” Kublai said. A huge smile spread across his face.
Cyrus took a big breath and scanned the area.
Kublai was the first to spot the predators. “I think we’ve just gotten another problem to solve,” he said, pointing to the two huge beasts.
Cyrus whistled low under his breath.
“This is ridiculous,” Cyrus stated after watching them for a moment. “How are we going to get past both of them?”
“I have no idea.”
Cyrus narrowed his eyes as he studied the area. The ground was hard packed between the galorim pool and the temple, which rose high above their heads. The sides of the building were smooth and seamless. The only access was a narrow flight of stone steps leading straight up to the temple. “Are there any other ways up?” asked Kublai, nodding towards the stairs.
“I don’t think it will be possible to outrun the reptiles,” Kublai said. “Even if one of us could distract the allosaurus and get it to chase us away from the stairs, I don’t think the other will be able to take on that giant snake alone.”
“Nope. That’s it,” Cyrus responded glumly. “There’s no sneaking around either. That snake can probably already smell us, and is just waiting for the right opportunity before he attacks, and swallow us whole.”
“Just like the Raptor Jungle, our best chance will be to stay hidden and wait for the Blues to confront the beasts,” Cyrus said. “With any luck, the Blues will distract them, and allow us to stroll right up the stairs unscathed.”
Kublai nodded.
“And don’t forget about Hector,” Kublai said. “He may be able to get to the girl as well.”
Cyrus rolled his eyes.
“I would not count on that bumbling idiot,” Cyrus said in disgust. “He probably walked off a cliff, when he decided to randomly close his eyes.”
The ground trembled as the two-legged dinosaur strolled to the galorim pool. Cyrus swallowed hard, his mouth was dry and felt like aged leather. He fought back the urge to run and take a drink out of the pool.
“There, there!” Kublai whispered frantically as he pointed across the clearing.
“Where?” Cyrus replied.
“Over there! Look on the far side of the clearing about a hundred feet from the temple.”
Kate and Rajiv were standing nearly hidden behind a tree. They had clearly been running. Rajiv was bent with his hands on his knees. There was a sudden commotion, and a blur that quickly resolved into Reese stopping behind them.
“Perfect,” Cyrus said grimly. “So there really are Inseparables out here?”
“They never do learn,” Kublai responded.
“It makes it easier for us,” Cyrus replied. “Now we have them right where we want them.”
Kublai grinned back.
“Watch, I’ll bet you anything that the inexperienced and undertrained Blues are going to take on the predators,” Cyrus said. “I don’t care how fast he’s become that allosaurus is too powerful for him.”
“This is gonna be fun,” Kublai said.
“How has your flame power come along?” Cyrus asked Kublai.
“It’s still not great, but I could probably do some damage to a Blue if they get close enough,” Kublai replied.
Cyrus smiled. “I knew I could count on you.” He looked again at the Blues hiding near the clearing.
“This is a day that will live in on in history,” Cyrus continued. “This is our moment. It’s the beginning of the end for the Blues. Soon our kind can focus on unlocking the true secrets of the universe, and nobody is going to hold us back.”
Chapter 36
A drop of cool water dripped on Reese’s forehead from an overhanging vine near the galorim pool. He welcomed the short-lived relief from the humidity as he crouched down next to Kate and Rajiv. They were able to traverse the last half-mile of the Raptor Jungle without any more confrontations. Kate was subdued. Her brush with death and the overuse of her force field talent had left her weak and almost completely drained of energy. Reese was feeling very little at all due to his all-encompassing focus on the finish line.
A gentle breeze rippled the galorim in the pool creating shimmering patterns on the surface. The warmth from the sun created graceful eddies and swirls. Unscathed by harvest or the presence of people for a century, the galorim had an almost fluorescent glow to it.
“I can’t believe we are actually here,” Kate whispered to her companions. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for hundreds of years.”
“It’s more beautiful than I even imagined,” Reese replied.
“If we didn’t already have plans I’d strip down butt naked right now and jump in,” Rajiv declared.
Kate glanced at Reese.
“What,” Rajiv said. “Picturing me naked is not helping?”
“Of course it is,” Kate said. She rolled her eyes.
After admiring the scenery, the group turned their attention to securing the winner’s podium.
“Rajiv, you’re the one with the bright eyes,” quipped Reese. “What do you see?”
After a moment, Rajiv’s mouth dropped.
“Whoa,” Rajiv managed to muster out. “Do you see the size of that thing?”
“He’s a beauty,” said Reese. Kate gave him a sidelong glance.
“You have got to be kidding!” she said as she followed Rajiv’s line of sight. “That’s the biggest animal I’ve ever seen.”
“There’s no way we can bring that thing down with our weapons,” Reese said. “Maybe two of us can try to distract it, while one of us runs past it to the winner’s podium.”
“Great idea,” Rajiv said sarcastically as he pointed toward the temple stairs. “It might just work if a snake the size of a school bus was not lying across the stairs right now.”
Reese gritted his teeth. The frustration burning inside him made the scorching jungle feel cool in comparison.
“As bad as it seems, the good news is that the Reds are in the same situation as we are,” Kate said. “It will be tricky, but we just have to beat the Reds to the podium.”
“Yeah, last time I checked defeating Godzilla and his pet snake are not requirements to win the Centennial,” Rajiv quipped.
Reese’s mind was spinning, as he desperately tried to devise a way to lure the allosaurus and the snake away from the temple. With every passing moment anxiety built, causing Reese’s chest to tighten more and more. The fact that the Reds were likely close by, only added to the pressure.
There was the sound of running footfalls behind them. Kate clutched at her throat, and fell heavily on her back.
“Something’s got her!” cried Rajiv. Reese grabbed for Kate. He hit something solid around her neck. There was a flickering of light, and a shadowy figure emerged, grasping Kate tightly around the waist with his legs, and pulling a six-inch dagger from its leather sheath at his belt. Without thinking, Reese snapped at the man’s hand with a rapid kick. The dagger flew from the man’s right hand and skittered to a stop against a tree.
“I don’t think so,” Hector said sternly as he tightly squeezed his grip around her neck, revealing another blade in his left hand.
Reese and Rajiv looked around the jungle for the other Reds, but they never appeared.
“Oh, don’t worry, my companions are not behind me,” Hector added.
With his weapon drawn, Reese moved slowly towards Hector.
“Not a step closer, or I will destroy Kate,” Hector’s voice was low and devoid of emotion.
Anger rushed through Reese like a flash flood.
“Don’t be a hero Reese,” Hector snapped. “We both know what happened the last time you tried that with me.”
Rajiv coiled up like a king cobra preparing to strike.
“So, what’s next?” Reese asked the man who was holding a sharp blade to his soul mate’s neck.
“You and Rajiv are going to go distract those super predators,” Hector replied. “If you don’t destroy both of them, I will sink this blade deep into your Inseparable.”
“If you harm her I’ll hunt you down and kill you,” Reese declared.
“Reese, we can’t,” Rajiv hissed. “We must attack him.”
Reese stared blankly at Rajiv. “I can’t risk losing her.”
“You have ten seconds to run towards the dinosaur or I will end her,” Hector demanded as he slowly counted down.
Kate struggled unsuccessfully to loosen Hector’s grip. His grasp was so tight; she can’t even get a word out. “All right,” Reese replied. “We’ll go! Stop counting.”
“No!” Rajiv yelled. He then took a step toward Hector, but Reese quickly grabbed Rajiv’s left arm and whipped him out into the clearing.
“What are you doing?” Rajiv screamed. He wrestled out of Reese’s tight hold and fell to the ground.
“Have you lost your mind?” Rajiv said. He sprung up from the sand.
“She must survive this!” Reese said. “He’s going to destroy her if we try anything.”
The allosaurus let out a glass-shattering scream and rushed towards them from across the area. Reese’s insides were vibrating after every pounding step from the giant beast.
“Follow my lead,” Reese yelled. “I have a plan.”
The two of them dashed toward a large open building by the temple.
Reese quickly looked around the clearing to see if he could spot the Reds. There was no other sign of life, save for the massive snake still blocking the temple stairs.
“That snake will prevent the Reds from getting to the podium,” Reese told Rajiv as they ran. “Between the darkness and the closely packed together pillars, the two-legged creature will have a harder time catching us in this building.
“Ok,” Rajiv replied. He was fuming. “I’ll keep my eye on that snake, and will keep looking for Cyrus and Kublai.”
“If that serpent isn’t on the stairs anymore, we need to immediately make a run for the temple.”
Rajiv nodded and ran toward the pillars, with the allosaurus close on their heels. A cloud of dust rose from the ground every time a massive foot landed.
“Our only chance is to get the beast to chase us though the pillars, and with any luck we can tire it out,” Reese said. “It can’t fit easily under the ceiling. Perhaps we can trap it somehow. We just have to keep it busy until we get an opening to the stairs.”
“Getti
ng it to chase us wildly isn’t going to be a problem,” Rajiv said dryly.
After another gut wrenching bellow, the allosaurus drew even closer. Reese and Rajiv ran through the pillars, weaving a tight path. The dinosaur followed, ducking its immense head to maneuver beneath the ceiling.
Rajiv looked over his shoulder and nearly stumbled. Cyrus and Kublai had emerged from the jungle, and the snake had raised its head and unfolded its long body from the stairs. Moving impossibly fast for a creature of such bulk, it made a bee line for the two Red warriors.
A burst of red hot flames shot out of Kublai’s right hand toward the snake, but the fire deflected off the wedged shaped head of the scaly creature, doing little to even slow down the prehistoric reptile.
“I’m glad to see they have their own worries,” Reese yelled to Rajiv, as the allosaurus smashed into one of the giant pillars sending scatters of rubble crashing to the ground. The ferocious predator was slowly gaining on them.
The snake continued to slither at an alarming speed toward the Red warriors in the clearing. Debris flew up from the snake’s rapid movements.
The Reds made several desperate attempts to circle back toward the temple stairs, but to no avail. It was clear that if they didn’t escape the snake, they would not survive to finish the Centennial.
Kate struggled to free herself from Hector’s deadly grip. He held her tightly; his hot breath skimmed across her cheek. She closed her eyes and focused, trying to gather enough energy to attempt an escape.
In between the multiple pillars, with his heightened speed and maneuverability, Reese toyed with the dinosaur. He lured the creature into a spot, and quickly zipped away at the last second before it could snatch him up into its powerful jaws. He was keeping the dinosaur busy. Rajiv positioned himself to make a run for the temple.
“Your next chance,” Reese yelled. “Get to the stairs! We’re running out of time.”
Rajiv nodded tersely. He broke free of the pillars and made a dash for the winner’s podium. The allosaurus snapped its head around, intrigued by the sudden movement. It shifted its enormous body into a new trajectory, and headed for Rajiv.