Awakening

by Hayden Pearton

  *

  They walked onwards, as the rocky slopes gave way to a seemingly endless sea of sand. The sun lay on the horizon and in the centre of its gold half-disk was a speck of green. They had reached the oasis at long last. At the sight of the welcoming palms, Kingston felt a modicum of strength return to his tired body, and he began to jog forward, eager to see if Barsch and Alza had had the same idea as him. He knew that it was a long-shot: everyone ending up in the same place at the same time in this massive desert. However, Kingston tried to believe that fate wouldn't bring them together only to split them apart for no reason.

  “I'm sure they've endured many hardships since I've seen them last, but I'm sure that they're stronger for it.”

  An eerie bird-call from above him made Kingston turn and search the skies for a moment, before deciding that he must have misheard it. Shrugging off the uneasy feeling that had recently taken hold, Kingston trudged onwards. He glanced upwards a few minutes later, noting Lasienda's appearance in the night sky. It was a comforting sight, as it seemed to hang in the air above the oasis, acting like a beacon.

  Kingston strode forward, every step taking him closer to Barsch and Alza, closer to redemption, and closer to death. His breathing became ragged once more, and his vision began to swim and darken. Kingston glanced up and saw the newly risen moon, surrounded on all sides by thousands of brilliant stars.

  As Kingston neared the oasis, he noticed a welcoming sight. Lanista, half-buried in the sand, lay a few feet away from the edge of the tree-line. Bending down, Kingston gingerly picked it up and examined it. It had seen better days, that was for sure, but it did not appear to have suffered any significant damage. A far more worrisome sight was the thin trail of dried blood that led deeper into the trees. Without hesitation, Kingston cried out, “Barsch!” and ran off towards the source of the blood. He frantically made his way through the undergrowth, noting the single set of footprints that were etched into the sand.

  Soon, Kingston came to a clearing in the foliage, and his heart almost stopped for the third time at what he saw. Barsch and Alza, eyes closed and bodies immobile beneath a gigantic palm. The first thing that popped into his mind was relief, followed almost immediately by worry. He clambered towards them, dropping Lanista beside its rightful owner before inspecting the duo from head to toe for any signs of injury. They appeared to be sleeping, Alza's head resting sweetly on Barsch's chest. Kingston turned to Maloch and said, “Are... are they okay?”

  For a very long moment the re-mech said nothing. Kingston, without even noticing, held his breath, steeling his heart against the coming judgement. “My initial scans suggest that they are alive, though Barsch appears to be suffering from a badly infected leg fracture in addition to moderate heat-stroke. Alza seems to be merely suffering from fatigue, aside from that, her body is in excellent condition.”

  Kingston wanted to weep at the re-mech’s words, but his body simply did not have any moisture it could spare. True, they were not without injury, but the thought that they had managed to reunite despite the odds brought joy to his heart.

  Turning to Barsch, he whispered, “It must have been hard, crossing the desert with that leg of yours… well done m’boy. You can rest now, for as long as you need, and then we can see about getting you home.” Barsch did not answer him, but Kingston had not expected him to.

  A few minutes later, Kingston had prepared a small fire and had moved the sleeping duo into more comfortable positions. He also took the time to treat Barsch's wounded leg and re-wrap it as best he could. The infection was worse that he had initially thought, but there was nothing that could be done. Kingston could only offer up a prayer to whatever god was listening. After making sure that everyone was safe and warm, Kingston quietly collapsed to his knees, his body -having politely restrained itself for hours- requested time to heal properly.

  A loud cry from nearby broke through the quiet moment, and Maloch's processors raced to calculate its origin.

  “Warning, unknown number of unidentified objects are closing in on our location. Extreme velocities detected. Computing... Counter-measures computed. Requesting permission to carry out anti-enemy manoeuvres.”

  Kingston looked at the hulking behemoth standing before him and decided to place his complete trust in it. He could barely stand, much less face whatever threatened them. As he lost consciousness he mustered up the last of his energy and said, simply, “Go.”

  A heartbeat later, Kingston was asleep, his body a living shield for the boy sleeping beneath him.