Every muscle in her body was coiled and ready to burst into action. Her nose instinctively searched the air for scents of danger. The huffs told her the spear thrower was alone—she sensed no other smells.
The saber-tooth exploded from the thicket. She sprang up through a dust storm of dirt and debris. Her powerful legs tore at the earth as she launched at her prey. At Roeg.
Roeg turned and sidestepped the attack. The saber-tooth’s razor-sharp claws slashed and tore his shoulder cloth to shreds. Drops of blood splattered to the ground, and the claws of the beast were dyed red. Her nostrils caught the scent of the blood, and her eyes turned black with hunger. She opened her mouth and flashed her fangs, letting loose an enormous roar. Ookum froze, as he watched Tsisa spring into action.
Tsisa belted out a war cry that echoed off the Whitewood thicket as she raced to Roeg, her spear in her hand.
The saber-tooth lunged again. Roeg dove out of the way, crash-landed, spun, and was on his feet again. The saber-tooth circled Roeg, baring her teeth. He felt warmth on his chest. Looking down, he saw the fire-red stone giving off a dim light.
Tsisa’s footsteps thundered towards Roeg. “Stay back!” he warned.
The stone around Roeg’s neck flashed. It released a searing heat, and his vision changed. He saw strange lines, like heat waves, rising all around him where there were none before, and there was a red tinge to all he saw like he was inside a fireball. The saber-tooth startled and stared at Roeg cautiously. Her eyes kept darting all around Roeg but didn’t focus on him.
“What’s going on?” Roeg said to himself.
The saber-tooth stopped and cocked her head. “How do you speak to me?”
Roeg’s heart skipped. He leaned forward and held his hands up, palms facing the beast; it worked with Krukk, so maybe it would work with the saberslash’r. “You… I… how did you… Did you just speak to me?”
Did the saberslash’r actually speak to him? What was this fire around him? Was it the fire-red stone? He heard the stomping of footpads as Tsisa approached.
“Tsisa, stop!” Roeg instructed. He didn’t turn from the beast. He knew if he did, it would attack.
He let the growl-click hang to let her know it was important. “Tsisa, please.”
Tsisa didn’t stop. She charged ahead. She was right behind him.
Roeg turned, his back now facing the saber-tooth. “Stop, Tsisa!”
She launched the spear. It sailed straight for his head, the sharp stone grazing his cheek.
CRACK.
It happened so fast. Stone struck bone. The saber-tooth had been in mid-leap, her claws extended, her jaw open, and her razor-sharp fangs ready to kill.
Now the saber-tooth had a spearhead lodged in her open mouth. Her body went limp but continued forward and crashed on top of Roeg. The mass of orange spotted fur knocked him to the ground.
Roeg’s head whipped back against the hard-packed stone, and everything went black.
Fire engulfed him and stole his breath. He was gripped by someone or something. He scanned around his body to see what held him—then he was falling. As he raced toward the black stone ground, it became smoke, then red firewater.
A deep, cavernous voice erupted in his head. “You have my stone… I want it back.” Roeg braced for impact then awoke with a gasp, sitting up and opening his eyes wide.
The sun was high in the Great Above; it burned his eyes and blinded him, temporarily blurring his vision, he squinted his eyes shut again. Tsisa knelt over him, easing him back down so he laid still. She gripped his shoulders, holding him in place. He peeked again, and his vision cleared. Her mouth was moving, but Roeg heard nothing.
What happened? Why was Tsisa shaking him? Did the saberslash’r talk to him? Why did he feel like something had crushed him? What was the fire?
The sound of Ookum’s voice erupted in his ears. “Is he okay? Is he dead? He’s dead, isn’t he?”
Tsisa glared at Ookum. “He’s not dead, nim-wit.” She shook Roeg again. His blue hair bobbed with each jostle.
Roeg felt a finger jab at his side. “He looks dead. See? He didn’t even move when I poked him,” Ookum grunted.
Roeg’s senses came to life, and pain bolted through his body. His head ached. His chest felt heavy, and he struggled to breathe. The pain was so great, he momentarily forgot about the constant ache in his hand. He felt like he had been crushed then pieced back together again. Ugh… the dream again. Why was this dream plaguing him? What did it mean? Did it have anything to do with the stone? It felt so real. He felt around his neck to the red stone and thumbed it, then reached to his face. It was wet. He wiped at it and looked at his fingers. Blood. Lots of blood. This couldn’t all be his. Did he have that much in him?
“See? He’s alive; he moved,” Tsisa clicked.
Roeg’s eyes were still closed. He tried to open them again, but the light was still too bright; it stung and sent a wave of pain through his head. “Uh, what happened?”
Ookum leaned in and grunt-clicked, “A saberslash’r attack—”
“How do you know what happened, Ookum-with-no-second-name?” Tsisa scolded. “You were hiding behind the old tree. You didn’t come to help. You sat frozen. So, you don’t get to say anything. Be quiet.” She tried to swat him like you would a fly, but he was too quick and dodged her swipe.
Roeg sat up. He saw the matted fur of the saberslash’r flopped dead beside him, the fur on its claws full of blood. His blood. The wooden spear shaft stood straight to the sky, swaying slightly against the breeze. The stone end was lodged motionless in the mess of the beast’s jaws.
Roeg wobbled. Tsisa gripped him and steadied him. “Thanks,” he said.
Scattered bits of whitewood cones knotted together in her tangle of red hair. Her brow furled. “You okay?”
The bits of whitewood reminded Roeg of Unn. It had been almost a full moontide, and he hadn’t returned. The Great Hunt approached, and Roeg needed Unn back. He missed the old man. Unn always knew what to do whenever Roeg had pain. He had shown Roeg how to make a tea with the bark of the whitewoods for the days when his hand ached too much.
Roeg winced; this should work. He picked a cone from Tsisa’s hair and chewed it. Bitterness fouled his mouth. His tongue crusted, and his throat stung. He spit it out, wiping at his tongue to remove what was left of the taste.
Ookum gripped Roeg’s other shoulder. “I think he hit his head too hard—he’s acting weird. We should get Krukk.”
Tsisa shot Ookum a stern look. She lifted Roeg to his feet in one motion. He wobbled then found his balance.
She leaned in to him and whispered loudly, “We did it! We will bring the saberslash’r home and show Krukk! We will go on the Great Hunt!”
She let go of him and stalked to the saberslash’r. She called to Ookum, and they all grabbed the legs of the beast and started the slow journey back to the village.
Tsisa turned to Roeg. “Who were you talking to before I threw the spear? It sounded like you were talking to the saberslash’r. You know they can’t understand you, right?”
Roeg felt his face flush, and he tried to laugh it off. “I… I thought I heard it say something when I spoke. I know; weird right?”
Ookum looked back and asked with genuine curiosity, “You heard it talk?”
Roeg nodded. “I thought I heard something.”
Ookum nodded back. “Sometimes when I pick mushrooms, I hear them. They don’t grunt or click, but they… I just know which ones are good.”
Tsisa yanked her end of the saberslash’r. “Pffft. That’s not talking to them, Ookum. That’s you being a gatherer, not a hunter.”
Ookum’s shoulders slumped. “Whatever, Tsisa.” He yanked the saberslash’r back, and Tsisa lurched. Roeg bobbed from one side to other as the twins argued.
She yanked it one more time then looked back at Roeg. “But I did see something around you. It looked like fire. Maybe the light from the above got in
my eyes.”
Roeg nodded. “I saw it too. I don’t know what it was. My…” He looked down at the fire-red stone then said, “Was it the sun?”
The sun dipped under the hills to the west of the village. The orange light that peeked over the hills gradually turned to a deep purple as it lifted to the Great Above.
The trio clambered down the hill toward the village. They could see a spire of smoke from the cookfire. The scent of roots and mushrooms wafted throughout the valley.
Ookum sniffed. “There’s no meat in the stew, but it’s mushroomy! Mmmm mmm.”
Tsisa lifted her nose and breathed deeply then smiled. “My kill will provide meat for the clan!” She turned and winked at Roeg, who struggled at the back end of the saberslash’r. “You helped a little too. You make good bait!”
Roeg struggled too much with the weight of the saberslash’r to make a snide remark. He grunted instead.
She turned and chuckled, then she whipped her head back, and her face changed. She had a searching look in her eye. “What was that glow—”
Ookum yanked the portion of the beast he carried. Both Tsisa and Roeg jolted and stumbled at the motion. “I dug the hole. I wore the mud. I ate the mud, even got it in my eye. I did my part in this hunt too.”
Tsisa drew out her low growl. “You froze. You always freeze, little brother.”
“You’re always picking on me!” Ookum let go of the beast and raced to the village.
Tsisa struggled with the weight of the saberslash’r. “Am not! I just say how it is.”
Ookum raced to the edge of the village where Krukk stood. “Krukk! Krukk! Look, come see. Look what we killed. We can go on the Great Hunt now!”
Tsisa let go of the saberslash’r’s paw. It fell to the ground. Roeg didn’t let go of his end; he fell forward as the saberslash’r hit the ground.
Tsisa raced behind her brother and yelled, “Krukk! Look at what I hunted! Ookum froze again…”
Roeg stood and struggled to haul in the beast by himself. He pulled and yanked but the thing wouldn’t budge. He looked down at the fire-red stone and thumbed it. It was warm—not the searing heat he had felt when the saberslash’r attacked. Maybe it did have some kind of power? But why hadn’t it helped him before? Why now? Could he use it whenever he wanted?
Roeg grabbed the stone in his damaged hand. He closed his eyes and wished for the stone to heal him. Pain gripped him as he closed his fingers. He blocked out the sounds of the clan’s approach and wished for a long while. Thoughts of a healed hand repeated in his mind. He squeezed tighter. The pain increased, and he opened his eyes. Nothing. His hand was the same.
Krukk barreled toward Roeg. “What did you do?”
Roeg released the stone and tucked it under his torn shoulder coverings. Krukk was steaming mad. At what now? They had hunted for the clan! Krukk’s shoulders hunched, and his fists clenched as he stormed towards Roeg, Ookum and Tsisa following behind. Luli and other clan members raced to catch up.
Krukk stomped by Roeg and growled as he passed. He looked at the saberslash’r, bent down, and scooped it up onto his shoulders. The beast was Krukk’s size, maybe larger. Roeg couldn’t budge the thing by himself.
Krukk turned to Roeg and huffed. He gripped the hind legs of the beast with one hand and poked his finger at Roeg with the other. “Why are you always causing trouble? Every time there is trouble, I find you in the middle of it.”
Tsisa and Ookum circled behind Roeg. Krukk’s chest heaved as he waited for an answer.
Tsisa stepped by Roeg. “We earned our place at the Great Hunt. This was my idea. You said there was a challenge but didn’t say what. We decided the what.”
Krukk snorted but didn’t take his eyes off Roeg. He nudged his chin toward the carcass resting on his wide shoulders. “Do you know how dangerous these things are?”
Roeg said the first thing that came to his mind then instantly regretted it. “Obviously. We were just attacked by it.” When he said the words in his mind they sounded like information, but out loud they sounded like an insult.
Krukk lunged towards Roeg. The beast flopped on his shoulders, lurching him closer. They were face-to-face. At the end of Krukk’s sloped forehead, just above his eyes, was one thick, woolly red brow. Krukk was so close to Roeg that two haywire eyebrow hairs tickled Roeg’s forehead. Roeg fought against every instinct to back down. He leaned closer and their foreheads touched.
Luli caught up to the clan members that circled and watched as Roeg and Krukk faced off. “Krukk! Krukk, don’t do something you’ll regret.”
Krukk grunted then turned to his wife, his chest heaving.
Luli’s dark eyes were fiery. “There were three of them, not just Roeg.” She grabbed Ookum and pushed him beside Roeg and Tsisa. Krukk’s face softened at the sight of his younglings. He backed up.
Ookum stuck out his chest. “Roeg talked to the saberslash’r.”
Laughter erupted from some of the clan members. They poked and jostled one another as if Ookum had told a storyfire joke.
Tsisa’s brow furled. “It’s true. I can’t explain it, but it’s true.” The crowd quieted. She had their attention. Everyone focused on Tsisa. “We set a trap. We used Roeg as bait.” The crowd erupted in laughter again. Krukk was the loudest.
“Krukk!” Luli snapped.
“Enough! Let her finish.” Even though the command sounded fierce, Krukk couldn’t wipe the wide grin from his face.
Arms crossed, Tsisa continued. “We were trying to hunt a tusksnort’r. We dug a hole then covered it. Roeg stood behind the hole and Ookum and I hid behind a tree. Then the saberslash’r attacked.” The clan followed every word. Even Krukk had lost his grin, his face now serious.
Tsisa looked from her brother to Roeg. “It was close. Roeg almost died. Ookum froze.” She elbowed her brother.
Ookum released a loud “Ooof.”
The crowd chuckled, and Krukk’s face turned sour.
“That’s when it happened. Roeg… well…” Tsisa looked at Roeg like she had before they reached the village. “There was a fire surrounding him. Then it looked… well, it looked like a flaming saberslash’r.”
Tsisa gave Roeg a concerned look, and he felt like all eyes were scrutinizing him. Was that what happened? Did he somehow become something else? That must have been why his vision had changed. But why?
The crowd whispered and pointed at Roeg. His heart skipped, and his face flushed. He licked his lips. He didn’t like it when the clan whispered about him; it happened more than he cared for.
Krukk let out a growl. “I don’t believe in spirits and nonsense. I am not Unn. I am Krukk. Don’t take me for a fool.”
Tsisa stepped forward. “It’s true! I charged ahead and threw my spear. The beast lunged at Roeg, but my spear got it before it got Roeg.”
Krukk bellowed, “Aha! The real story comes out.” He scowled at Roeg. “You stood and did nothing while you endangered my younglings? I should banish you from the clan.”
Luli squeezed between Roeg and Krukk. “Krukk, enough of this nonsense. They are home and safe now. You promised them a challenge, and they passed. All of them.” She stole a look at Ookum with concern in her eyes.
Krukk huffed. He turned and clomped back to the village. The saberslash’r’s body jostled with each step.
Krukk looked over his shoulder. “You can join me on the Great Hunt.” He let out a long sigh. “All three of you.”
SEPHONEI
Quartermaster’s Lodge
S
ephonei walked down the wooden dock and didn’t look back. She was glad to be on land again; her cheeks were wind-burnt, and her body ached from all the advanced training Ku-aya had provided. This wasn’t home, but it was land at least. The last week of travel had been grueling.
After the harpy attack, Ku-aya had said Sephonei was not ready for the mission. Sephonei already knew that. She didn’t want to be here, stuck with these two bos
sy Crystal Hunters. Abil was always teasing her and calling her a fistler; she did fidget a lot with her ribbon, but it was only because she needed to keep her hands busy. What did he care? And Ku-aya was strict. Especially now that she thought Sephonei wasn’t ready. Ku-aya trained and drilled her non-stop on the ship. Sephonei was sore, tired, and missing home. She was soggy from the boat, and even though she had lived on a merchant barge her whole life, the powerful sea waves had made her nauseous.
The white, chalky cliffs standing like towers on the coastline, gave way to smaller, sandy, red cliff walls. The outpost was a cove of sorts. Along the coastline were few places where a ship could dock—this was one of them.
Sephonei stopped and peered at the outpost. It was beautiful. The red cliffs formed a u-shaped wall that circled the entire beach and flatland. The sandy, red wall broke in the middle to reveal a pine forest. Sephonei saw all kinds of different trees she had never seen before. She knew what pine trees were, but there were different varieties, all with different needle and bark structures. Were the cones different? She would have to scope them out and draw them later.
Her eye moved to the Quartermaster’s lodge. A makeshift bazaar of tents and tarps were held together and pulled taut by ropes, all bolted to the cliff walls. There were different stalls with all kinds of wares, and many people meandered through. Where did they all come from? Not all of them looked like they were from Atlantea. Actually, none of them did.
A stout, bald man with a long, knotted black beard caught Sephonei’s eye. He handed something to a group of—Sephonei couldn’t tell if they were men or some other creature. She stepped closer and brought her hand to her eyes to shield the sun. They talked to the round man at the edge of the forest, looking agitated and waving their arms in the air. Their auras were saturated; they danced and whirled whimsically as they changed color and shape. Again, the auras of these creatures were more saturated than normal. Twisted ram horns sprung from the creatures’ heads. Their dark flesh resembled that of a man, but they had hoofed legs instead of human legs and feet. Dark tawny fur hid the details. They were much larger than the stout man.
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