Recreance (The Aeternum Chronicles Book 1)

by H. G. Chambers

  The woods were suffused with the yellow glow that only morning sun can bring. Clem looked up toward the canopy. Birds flitted back and forth between trees, chirping at one another. Clem, Oren, Khalil and Magdalene wove their way between the large trees in silence.

  Clem was mentally rehearsing the plan when they arrived at the clearing. Low grass and mossy rocks covered the ground. The open space expanded outward in a wide radius. They walked to the center, and Magdalene produced the black pouch from a pocket in her robes. She loosened the drawstrings and took out the white disc.

  “We don’t know what to expect on the other side. Be ready,” she cautioned.

  Khalil and Oren drew their swords. They were like springs fully compressed. Clem pulled out her twin blades and took a ready stance.

  Magdalene looked forward and held the stone out before her, and Clem immediately felt her gathering. After a few seconds, the air rippled like water disturbed by a stone.

  Clem and Oren shared a look.

  It rippled again, then again, until the ripples formed rhythmic concentric circles, emanating outward. The center became opaque, then revealed a small circle of speckled purple and yellow. It expanded outward with each ripple, and the view broadened. It revealed a huge field of purple and yellow grass, stretching out as far as the eye could see. A gust of wind made waves along the surface. The circle expanded further, revealing a deep blue sky with an orange ball of light resting near the horizon. Another ripple pushed the veil back further. Clem noticed a curious contrast between the bright burning star and the cerulean sky. It should be lighter with the sun up, she thought.

  Khalil sheathed his sword, and Oren reluctantly followed his lead. Clem pushed her own daggers back into their sheaths.

  Magdalene spoke, “I will enter last. Once the stone is on the other side, the waygate will close.”

  Khalil nodded. “With me,” he said, looking at Oren and Clem. He promptly turned and walked through. The air seemed to stretch, then jiggle as he strode across the threshold. He took a few steps beyond the portal and turned back toward them. Oren went next. Clem wondered if he felt as jittery as she did. He stepped up to the threshold and paused, then walked forward. His shoulders immediately hunched up and he ducked his head. Once through he spun, staring back with surprise. Khalil said something, but she couldn’t hear it. Oren rubbed his arms and moved back to stand beside him.

  Okay, my turn, she thought.

  Clem took a breath and gathered her courage. She stepped up to the portal threshold, and a tingle went through her body. She took another step forward and nearly jumped out of her skin. It was like walking through a sheet of icy cold water. She came out on the other side, wearing the same expression Oren had a moment ago. He grinned.

  “It’s freezing!” she said, and hugged her body. After a moment, the sensation faded. The air here was warm, but a cool breeze kept it from becoming too hot. She walked through the strange grass toward Oren. Magdalene stepped through calmly. The ripples reversed almost instantly and the view of the forest clearing disappeared.

  Clem noted that neither she nor Khalil had shown any reaction to passing through. Beyond where the portal stood, far off in the distance, was a massive continental shelf. The imposing wall of brownish gray stone stretched on forever, and stood tall as a mountain. Hopefully we’re not going that way.

  Magdalene pulled a parchment from her pack and unrolled it. Clem peeked over her shoulder to see the map of Eros. Khalil was slowly turning in a circle, surveying the landscape. He nodded. “We head north, parallel to the Colossus Bluff.” He began walking, and Magdalene muttered something under her breath. She quickly rolled up the map, tucked it away, and followed after him.

  Clem shrugged at Oren, and he smiled. They walked behind Magdalene and Khalil.

  After several minutes, Oren turned to her, “So, this must rank pretty high on your list of weirdest things ever.”

  “Top three, at least.” She smiled. It felt good to have someone to talk to.

  “It’s not at all what I expected,” Oren said. “It seems so peaceful here.” He tilted his head up. “Bit of an odd sky though.”

  Clem looked up. There wasn’t a cloud in it, just the solid, strange dark blue. “Hah. Wait ‘til you see the gas giant.” She said.

  “The what?”

  She ignored the question. “It seems like this field goes on forever. I hope Khalil knows where he’s going,”

  Oren stepped closer to her and spoke quietly, “I don’t know how he knew which way to go. It’s like he’s been here before.”

  “Magdalene too,” Clem said under her breath. “Neither one of them were phased by the iciness of the portal.” Clem furrowed her brow. “How old is Khalil, anyway?”

  Oren scoffed. “I used to try to get it out of him, but he never once gave me a straight answer… I finally gave up asking.”

  “Hmm,” she said.

  “He has the most incredible stories, Clem. Some of them are thousands of years old.” Oren tilted his head. “It’s odd, you know? The way he tells them, you’d almost think he’d been there when they happened.”

  She looked at him with skepticism. “I’m not sure why they wouldn’t just tell us if they’d been here before, but the thought does make me feel somewhat better about all this.”

  Oren nodded. “Khalil has always been secretive about his past, and Magdalene…well she has her fair share of secrets too, turns out.”

  “And what about you?” She asked. “Any secrets?”

  Oren rubbed his side with a troubled look. Clem watched him from the corner of her eye.

  “You know me Clem,” he said, turning to her with a smile, “I wear it all on my sleeve.” He held out his arms.

  She eyed him for a moment, then looked forward.

  They continued the journey, snacking on dried rations along the way, until eventually the soft ground grew hard, and the grass began to thin, until only sparse tufts emerged between cracks in the now pocked and cratered ground. Clem stepped around one of the larger craters. Wonder what would have caused these, she thought. It was filled with a viscous brown fluid she did not want to have to scrape off her boots.

  Far off in the distance, the land rose into a crest of yellow-green hills. Clem squinted. Between them and the hills, strange, glistening shapes jutted up out of the rocky plain that stretched out ahead. As they continued walking, she realized the shapes were actually giant crystalline structures, stabbing up out of the ground at random slanted angles.

  Up ahead, Khalil and Magdalene had removed their packs and were sitting on a low stone ridge. Magdalene had a book out and was fervently scratching notes into it. Clem walked up, and Oren followed.

  “Clementine, Sa’di,” Khalil greeted them. “We rest here for lunch.”

  Clem slipped her pack off and took a seat on the long ridge.

  “The waygate lies beyond those hills.” Khalil pointed. “We should reach it in a matter of hours.”

  The dried rations were mediocre compared to what she’d grown used to in the caverns. Just means you’re not hungry enough, she reminded herself. She recalled how incredible they tasted after days of searching for food in the Miralaja. The thought made her thirsty and she took a drink from her canteen.

  “You mentioned this place is dangerous,” Clem said, taking another bite. “Anything in particular we should be looking out for?” she asked through a mouthful of rations.

  “If trouble comes, it will be obvious enough,” Khalil said looking up toward the dark blue sky. The orange star burned directly above their heads.

  Clem shrugged. She was setting down her canteen when she noticed a ripple in the brown liquid in a nearby crater. “Uhm, is that normal?” she asked pointing to it. Before anyone could answer, the ground began vibrating.

  Khalil jumped up, scanning in all directions. The rest of them did the same. “There!” He pointed across the plain, left of the hills. There was a dust cloud rising off the rocky ground. It was growing larger.r />
  “Release your kai!” Khalil shouted to Oren, and Clem felt it wink out. “You will only bring more trouble down upon us.” They hurriedly pulled on their packs. “Come, quickly!” Khalil commanded. He turned and sprinted toward one of the large crystal formations.

  Clem ran as fast as she could, despite the weight of her pack and the uneven ground. She glanced back and saw Magdalene running with her robes gathered up in her arms. Behind them, the dust cloud grew larger. Clem could hear it now. It sounded like hundreds of stones, clacking and smashing together. Clem ducked her head and ran harder. Khalil and Oren had almost reached the crystals up ahead. Khalil got there first, turned and shouted, “get behind the crystals!” Oren was next and ducked behind them. Khalil looked past Clem and his eyes widened. The clacking was deafening. A high pitched ringing filled her head. Just a few more steps!

  She reached Khalil, panting wildly. He grabbed her roughly mid-stride, and shoved her behind the crystals. Magdalene was there seconds later. Khalil wrapped his arms around her and dove for cover, landing beside Clem and Oren. A torrent of thunderous CLACKING and mindless chittering shook the ground, driving all thought from Clementine’s head. A high pitched ringing persisted atop the cacophony.

  Clem pressed her palms to her ears. Huge, brown insectile shapes flowed like a hurricane around the crystals. They were a horrifying blur of dust, hair and limbs, buzzing by like a hive of angry wasps. She closed her eyes and continued pressing on her ears, waiting for it to end.

  Clementine opened her eyes. There was a dust cloud in the distance, shrinking off toward the horizon. She jumped up. Where am I? How did I get here? There were three others with her. A young man with curly brown hair wearing a sword, an older man, also armed with a sword, and an older woman in elaborate robes. They all looked at each other in bewilderment and suspicion. Everyone appeared ready to either run or fight.

  “Who are you people?” The younger man asked, stepping backwards with a hand on his sword. “And what is that ringing?” He put his other hand to his head.

  The robed woman backed up, trying to look at all of them at once.

  The older man was staring at a massive crystal structure nearby. He looked like he was trying to recall something important.

  The young man drew his sword, and Clem found herself searching for a weapon of some sort. Her hands found a pair of daggers strapped to her vest. She unsheathed and held them defensively.

  The robed woman looked angry. She reached a hand into her robes and held it there.

  “Does anyone know where we are?” Clem asked.

  “Shouldn’t you know?” asked the curly haired young man. “You’re the reason we’re here,” he accused.

  “Me?” Clem was affronted. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking, dimwit. How do you know it wasn’t her?” Clem pointed toward the robed woman.

  The young man looked at the older woman with narrowed eyes. “What did you do to us? And what are you hiding under there?” He pointed his sword toward her.

  “I suggest you stay where you are, you little whelp,” she warned.

  “Quiet!” The older man commanded. They had all forgotten about him momentarily. “Listen, do you hear that ringing?” he asked.

  “I hear it,” Clem said. It was hard to ignore

  “Yeah…me too,” the curly haired young man reluctantly acknowledged.

  “We must move away from these crystals,” said the older man.

  Clem looked at them closely for the first time. They’re alive, she thought. There were intricate red veins threading through them.

  “I agree,” she said. “Something is…wrong here.” She stepped away from the crystals, and the ringing immediately lessened. The older man nodded and did the same. The younger man and robed woman slowly began taking steps backward.

  Clem shook her head. It ached fiercely. Everything came rushing back…the stampede of nightmare creatures…sprinting to hide behind the crystals. My friends! She thought with horror at what had almost happened.

  Oren stood nearby, sheepishly sheathing his sword. Magdalene was brushing off her robes. She looked her normal, collected self.

  “Anamnesis crystals,” said Khalil. “Anything near them remembers nothing of the past or present. The creature hunting us—”

  “You mean creatures?” asked Clem.

  “No, it is a single, collective organism. The crystal erased its memory of our existence as it passed around us.” He removed his pack, set it down and unzipped it. He reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of waxed paper. “Here, chew these.” Khalil unfolded the paper and handed each of them a green leaf from inside it. “It will help with the pain.”

  Clem took her leaf and popped it in her mouth. It was bitter at first, then salty as she chewed. Her head felt better almost instantly.

  “We must continue. We have wasted too much time already.” He strapped on his pack and began walking toward the hills.

  Oren came over to Clem, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey I uh…sorry about what happened back there.”

  Clem had to smile. “Don’t worry about it…dimwit.” She grinned and shoved him playfully before following after Khalil.

  The day on Eros wore on as they traveled the peculiar landscape. The hills were just up ahead, and the orange star hung high over the horizon behind them. At this distance, Clem could see that the hill’s yellow-green color came from a peppering of shrubs across its surface. As the ground they traveled began to slope up, it changed from stone to hard packed dirt. The scattered shrubs were nearer now, and appeared to be swaying, although there was no wind. Clem moved closer to one to get a better look. It was wispy and dreamlike, waving its porous leaves in slow motion. She took another step and it instantly shot down into the ground. Shy little fella, she thought.

  Clem made her way back to the group and they trekked up the hill. Nearby shrubs tucked down into the ground as they passed. Clem looked back and saw them cautiously peeking back out again.

  “Come, we should be able to see the waygate from the hilltop.” Khalil beckoned, hurrying them along.

  It wasn’t long before they crested the hill. Clem took the last few steps to the top and looked out. Her breath caught. The view was stunning. A turquoise ocean stretched out to the horizon. Beyond it, the same swirling, banded brown planet she had seen from her shop in New Arcadia peeked up over the seascape. At the bottom of the hills, packed dirt turned to white sand. Waves were lapping against the shore below. They stood in awe. Even Khalil seemed to be admiring the otherworldly view.

  “There,” he said pointing.

  A long sandbar stretched out before them into the sea for at least half a mile. At the end was a stone structure—an archway.

  “We must hurry,” he said, before starting down the other side of the hill toward the beach. Wispy shrubs disappeared into the ground around them as they shuffled down the steep slope. Khalil was first to reach the sand. He turned and waited for the rest of them to catch up.

  “Quickly!” he said. Clem was next, then Oren and finally Magdalene. They continued towards the water’s edge in a small group, leaving footprints in the sand. Soon, they reached the narrow sandbar.

  “Hey, what’s that?” Oren pointed out toward the ocean. There was a dark line along the horizon.

  Khalil stooped and looked where Oren pointed. Clem’s heart dropped into her stomach. She recognized it from the last time she saw this place. It was a vast wall of water. The same kind that threatened to slam into her the last time she activated the portal stone.

  “RUN!” Khalil shouted, sprinting toward the archway. Clem and Oren glanced at each other, then bolted down the sandy path. By the time they were halfway to the archway, it was obvious that the dark line was indeed a mountain of water, relentlessly rushing toward them. The sea level rose, and the sandbar began to shrink until they were forced to run single file.

  Almost there. Clem panted, pushing herself harder than she could remember. The sandbar was now completely sub
merged, and their feet splashed in the shallow water. The wave cast a huge shadow, thrusting them into darkness. It would be on them in seconds.

  Khalil reached the tall archway and gathered an enormous amount of kai. The space inside it liquefied and became like a mirror, then faded to darkness. The wind was whipping, and she barely heard Khalil shouting, “It is ready! Hurry! Hurry!”

  Clem ran as best she could through the rising water. Up ahead she saw Oren throw his arms up over his face and careen into the darkened archway. Clem reached it next and leapt through. She was racked from head to toe with the icy sensation, before tripping and falling into a shallow pool of water. Someone, she assumed Magdalene, tripped over her and fell as well. More footsteps splashed around her, and the waygate vanished.

  22

  A Difficult Truth

  Oren went to push himself up, but was fully pinned and out of breath. Brilliant, he thought. Fortunately the shallow water seemed to be draining; otherwise his head would still be submerged.

  Wherever they were, it was pitch dark. The ground beneath him felt cold, hard, and…furry? Someone pushed down on his shoulder. “Hey!” he griped.

  “Sorry!” Clem’s voice came from above.

  He was halfway up when a bright blue light flared into existence. Shadows danced on the walls. They were in a large, natural stone chamber, and there didn’t appear to be any obvious exits. Oren squinted as his eyes adjusted. The last of the seawater drained away, revealing an uneven, natural stone floor, rife with fuzzy green moss. Lush vines with tiny white flowers covered the walls and hung from the ceiling. Oren stood up the rest of the way and turned to see Clem holding a blue tube of light overhead.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw everyone had made it. The archway they had just come through looked ancient. It stood in the center of the chamber, its highest point nearly twice Oren’s height. Vines wrapped around it, obscuring much of the engravings. A quail symbol peeked out from a bundle of flowery vines on the keystone.