Avernus: Book One
Page 17
It stayed ahead of her despite her speed. She managed to walk it down, the source of the voice tiring out and remaining in place. “I can’t find the canteen.” her voice was now replaced with Trents.
If this was a joke, it was cruelest one anyone had ever played on her. All she wanted was to get back to the cave, but it seemed the others were enjoying tormenting her, even going so far as to impersonate her. The footsteps were close now. It was just behind the tree.
Sophie crept up to the ribbon tree watching her every step. Each footfall was nerve wracking. If whoever was behind the tree knew she was closing in they might run. She poked her head around. On the other side sat something inexplicable.
A dog sized creature with powerful legs and a tiny body was sitting on the ground. A long neck extended towards a bulbous head. A series of flaps stood where the mouth should be. The body swelled before her eyes, enveloping the neck completely. As the body pressed back in the flaps waved around releasing an exact imitation of Trent’s voice.
“I’m gonna pass on that.”
It stopped immediately and turned it’s four eyes towards Sophie. They all blinked individually. It spoke again, this time as Zea.
“Did you stay off your leg?”
With the body deflated it ran off. Three others appeared out of nowhere and followed it into the distance.
All of the frustration and fear from the last few days hit Sophie like a truck. She dropped to the ground in tears. She had no idea where she was now and even the impossible forrest was nowhere to be found. Why did I have to run away? Fuck! This is all my fault. She wiped the tears from her eyes. “No. I have to keep looking.” Just ahead of her was a large mountain. If she could just get to the top maybe she could find the cave, or at the very least the ship. She made her way up the mountains face. It took an hour before she couldn’t climb any more. The top was still another hour away at least. She sat down to rest and take a look to see if anything caught her eye. Standing up above the trees, the shiny metallic sides of the ship glinted in the sun.
She could barely contain her excitement. She jumped up into the air screaming. It was the wreck. All she had to do was get to it and she could find her way back to the others. The way down the mountain was strenuous. It seemed to be harder to find a way back down than to actually ascend. She tried to keep the direction of the ship in focus. As the tree tops blocked out the line of site, all she could do was follow the path of landmarks she had identified from atop the mountain.
“Okay if I follow this tree to the large boulder I should be heading in the right direction.”
Once she reached the floor it was a straight line to the boulder. The first part was done. Now all she had to do was line up the next landmark. A dead tentacle plant sat a hundred yards ahead. She made it her goal. This pattern continued for what seemed like miles. By now she should have reached the ship. What she needed was a high point to search for the ship. Just out of her way was one of the orange pole trees. The masses seemed to be spread out just enough that she could climb up. It was a daunting challenge but if she didn’t do this she could wander aimlessly forever.
Sophie grabbed onto the main stalk. It seemed solid. Her left foot pressed into the lowest mass. It pressed down forming a cushion beneath her feet. She pulled herself up putting her full weight onto the mass. It held up surprisingly well. Onto the next one. She pressed her hand against it making sure it was solid. Certain it would hold up, she continued climbing. Soon she was high enough to see the top of the ship. She was close.
Back on the ground she meandered towards the ship. There it sat in all its glory. The chunk of ship was split in two. Half rested flat on the ground and the other half rose from the ground, propped up by the lower section. The plants around it were broken, some bearing char marks from the flames. Parts of the ships insides littered the ground. She made her way over to the horizontal portion. It had three rooms attached to it. She made her way into the darkness. Her eyes slowly began to adjust revealing a tangle of metal. The first door was shut tight. She gave the manual release a twist hoping the damage from the crash wasn’t too severe. A loud click indicated the lock had disengaged. She pulled at the door, managing to barely open it. Just enough for the light to stream through. She pulled harder, separating the metal halves enough to get her head in. The entire side was ripped open. If she went around she could squeeze in. the room was full of broken lab equipment. The chances of finding something useful in there were high.
The next door was broken in half. A tangle of wires hung from the ceiling. Broken gym equipment made it impossible to get inside. The final room was completely crushed by the other portion of the ship.
She headed outside to try the hole in the lab. The fracture in the lab wall bore it’s jagged teeth. They tried their hardest to grab ahold of Sophie as she squeezed inside. It appeared as though every piece of glass was shattered. Nothing remained undamaged. Red martian dirt covered everything. A fibrous yellow material melded with one of the dirt piles. In the corner of the room the emergency shower was still standing. She pulled the handle more out of curiosity than anything. She didn’t expect to actually get anything from it. A pleasant surprise greeted her. Water trickled from the shower head. She opened her mouth and caught what little water she could. As quickly as the water started, it had dried up.
Upon searching the rubble she discovered a bent up strike. A few squeezes of the handle threw sparks into the air. It was still good. With the striker in her pocket she continued searching for useful supplies. Lab coats laidon the bottom of the closet. She threw a bunch of them out the tear in the wall. The cabinets were a mess of broken glass and crushed plastic. Somehow one bottle managed to survive in tact. It’s label was hard to read in the dark. She pulled the bottle from off the shelf trying to keep the remaining liquid inside. One whiff and she knew it was pure alcohol. There was enough to start a fire. Finally a little bit of good was coming her way.
Sophie left the lab and grabbed the coats. She tossed them into the ship’s broken corridore. They would suffice as a makeshift blanket and pillows. For now though her focus was on ensuring she could stay warm. The alcohol was a good accelerant but she needed kindling. She ventured out once again, trying to stay ahead of the setting sun. the broken ribbon branches scattered around the floor would maintain a sufficient burn. They were surprisingly solid. Now all she needed was a hand full of the red branching plants for kindling. She took her load and headed back to the safety of her new shelter.
Darkness crept in. A few clicks from the striker set the alcohol drenched branches ablaze. A yellow flame engulfed the entire pile of scraps. White smoke billowed into the air. She dazed into the dancing flames. Not having anything to do felt amazing. The last few days had been so grueling. Her legs ached all over. Since they arrived on this god forsaken planet, everyday was a challenge both mentally and physically. She took a seat on the metal floor, and refused to move. If any creatures tried to disturb her they would be in for a hell of a fight. Her stomach rumbled. The snacks from earlier had been just enough to satiate her at the time. Now the hunger pains were back, and they bore along cravings of food she felt she had only ever dreamt of. Her father’s fresh hot pancakes, drenched in pure maple syrup. Just the thought made her mouth salivate. He often got up early to ensure she had homemade breakfast every morning. She longed to be that age again, sitting around carefree while her parents took care of everything. Now everything was dependent upon her staying driven to survive.
Inside her pocket were mushed up boulder fruit remnants, a last resort she had been carefully rationing. She scooped a bit out with her fingers. Just the thought of eating this fruit one more time made her gag. All she could do was close her eyes and swallow as fast as possible. It had to be done. The rumbling stopped momentarily. Hopefully it would last her through the night if she rationed it. Boredom kicked in with her brain no longer distracted by the need to feed. She wanted so badly to just sit and relax but her body refused to participate. T
he lack of stimulus got her thinking of the time she ran through the house coating the walls in paint. Feeling that familiar itch, the only thing around that she could find were the ribbons in the fire. Sophie pulled one out and buried the flaming end in the dirt. All that was left was a chard piece of ribbon. The char left perfect markings along the inside of the metal hull. Drawings of flowers and stick figures adorned her new home. The drawing of her pet dog was her favorite. She even managed to draw a bone in his mouth. This must have been why cavemen drew on the walls. They weren’t trying to write stories. They were just bored. She sat by the fire admiring her art work until the light dimmed to a faint glow.
Her moment of bliss was ruined by the sound of metal creaking. Her first thought was that the chunk of ship sitting on top of the one she was in was falling. Then footsteps on the metal changed her mind. A strange creature loomed in front of her. It’s back narrowly missing the top of her shelter. Three tan colored rings circled the head. It’s body was coated in patches of green fuzz. The creature approached the fire searching the ground. The pile of lab coats Sophie was planning to use for bed were within the creatures reach. It picked up the pile, A beaked mouth held the lab coats, pulling them away. Sophie’s exhaustion turned to pure anger. There was no way she was going to let this thing mess with her. She grabbed the pile of lab coats and pulled back. The creature refused to give up.
The fire had all but gone out, leaving smouldering embers and tiny leaping flames. A quick grab produced a glowing branch. Sophie waved the stick at the beast. It dropped the coats and let out a deep roar that shook the ship. She continued to stand her ground, waving the stick through the air. Small flames leapt off the stick. The creature leaned it’s head in, attempting to steal the coats again. The stick made contact with the creatures head. The flesh sizzled beneath the burnt end. Sophie let out a primal scream. It was as if she connected with her animal instincts. She felt so powerful fending off this massive creature. Her foe retreated in pain, whimpering in defeat.
“I dare you to come back!” With the stick still in hand, Sophie took to the entrance planting the stick into the ground as a warming sign to any other creatures who would dare to challenge her. Above her the stars burned bright across the sky. This was exactly how her ancestors must have felt. The last few days were filled with her running scared from everything around her, just struggling to find her way out of the maze. Now she felt connected to nature.
JOSEPH
Two hours had passed with no sign of activity. The Ribbon Forest was eerily quiet. Joseph was under the impression that the hunting expedition was a quick process. He could not have been more wrong. The trap had been laid between a pair of tentacle plants that straddled a heavily worn track. It had taken them all morning to collect enough branches to form a nest for a well placed pod the gel backs were prone to eating. Beneath it was a large hole they dug for when some unsuspecting creature decided the pod was worth making a meal out of.
Addison swore up and down that the gel backs wandered through here about this time everyday.
“Seriously, are you sure this is gonna work,” he asked breaking the silence.
“It would if you could shut up for more than a minute.” Addison seemed aggravated. She had coated her skin in mud to prevent the creatures from seeing her.
“You know you look a bit ridiculous.”
“Shh.”
“Fine I’ll just sit here on the cold ground.” The wind chilled him to the bone. He was being forced to face it head on because of something to do with the creatures smelling them. This was beyond boring. He picked up a rock to dug a little trench in the dirt. The edges of the trench got lined with tiny pebbles. In his head, this was an impenetrable castle that could only be reached by boat. His game got interrupted by the cracking of branches. He looked up to see a strange creature with a crescent shaped head approaching the bait. “Addison,” he whispered hoping not to spook the creature. “Something’s coming from over here.” She didn’t respond. He raised his voice just a bit. “Addison. Addison.” She was still looking the wrong way. How did she not hear it walking?
The creature emerged into full view. It’s body seemed to be covered in a strange bark. It sniffed the ground, following the scent directly to the fruit pod. Come on. Just a few more steps. It passed between the two large tentacle plants. One step was all it took for the branches to give way, sending the creature tumbling into the shallow hole. It’s front legs snapped back. A strange bugal called out for help.
That finally got Addison’s attention. “Holy shit. We got a bark beast? Why didn’t you tell me one of these was heading for the trap?” She left her cover for the captured prey.
“Well I did. You just didn’t hear me… and since you told me to stay quiet.” He raised his hands to rub it in. “So what are we going to do with it?”
“We have to put it out of its misery.”
The bugles continued as the creature struggled to stand. It’s front half was stuck in the hole while the back legs were trying to pull the body free. Addison took the metal pole in her hand and unleashed her full force into the creature’s head, sending it crumbling to the ground. “Joseph I need your help twisting the head around.”
Joseph hesitantly jumped to the other side of the bark beast.
“Okay now grab that side of the head and we’ll both twist clockwise.”
This was the first time Joseph had ever killed anything bigger than a fish. He forced the head around until it let out a loud pop and fell limp. The legs spasmed in the dirt. “Crap it’s still alive!”
“No that’s just….”
It didn’t matter, Joseph was already smashing the body with the bat. After a few minutes, and a pole covered in green goo, the creatures limbs ceased to struggle.
Addison was already attempting to pull the creature’s front half from the hole. “Well that was excessive. Anyway, this definitely beats what I was hoping to catch. That’s a good weeks worth of food. Help me get this back to camp.” She gave a few hard tugs, but the body wouldn’t budge.
Joseph decided he would help her out. He grabbed one leg while Addison grabbed the other. They dragged the heaping mass through the forest. Branches and dirt piled up along the sides as the body formed a new trail through the ribbon forest. Getting the prey back to camp was an exhausting challenge. He had to stop every ten minutes or so just to catch his breath. The cave finally came into sight. His arms and legs were fatigued from pulling the corpse. All he had to do was get to the entrance, then he could relax.
“Everyone get out here and help us.” Addison still had the ability to order everyone around despite claiming she no longer wanted to be their captain.
On command, the others rushed out to meet them, shocked by the scene that greeted them. Addison was still covered in mud now mixed with sweat. Joseph was splattered in dried green slime. Between them the mangled bark beasts body was flopped carelessly on the ground. Rocco had each person grab a leg. They carried the body to a clearing a little ways off from the cave.
Feeling drained from the hunt, Joseph found a nice rock to lean against. He watched as Rocco tore open the beast causing the black entrails to pour from the opening. A rancid odor tore at Joseph’s nostrils, coated his tongue, and churned his stomach. Yet something about the site of Rocco covered in blood elbow deep in the bark beast was fascinating. Watching him work to clean out the insides, and chop up the meat was like watching a work of art. Normally being limited to a sharpened metal chunk from the ship would be a hindrance but it became an extension of Rocco’s arm. He tossed the inedible parts away into a green goo coated pile.
Spiked creatures crept from the woods and ran off with the discarded pieces of skin and organs.
“See guys, those are the ones that helped me.” Trent limped over to the putrid pile, and knelt down with his hand extended out. It was greeted by a spiker twice the size of the others. A wave spread across the spikes in what appeared to be pure bliss. “Hey buddy. You came back.”
Joseph decided to give it a try himself. “I officially believe your story now,” he said petting the large creature in front of him. There was no way anyone back home would believe him even if he had pictures.
“Really? I come back wrecked from being attacked and only now do you believe me?”
“Would you believe what you said? I mean it was like something out of a movie.”
“I’ll give you that one.” Trent offered a hand full of flesh to the creatures open jaws. “Go on. It’s all yours.” The creature grabbed the scraps and disappeared with the others. “Damn. I was hoping they’d stick around this time. On the plus side you guys have finally seen them and it’s not just me saying they’re real.”
“I didn’t see anything.” Taylor mocked Trent. “How about you Zea?”
“I’m not playing this stupid game.”
“There you have it. Zea saw it Taylor.”
“Nah I don’t believe it.”
He laughed. “I tell you what. You can go out there and see them for yourself.”
Joseph wasn’t sure if they were messing with each other or being serious, though knowing them it was probably just the prior.
Rocco gestured to the others. “We’ll leave the rest out here for em. Time to start roasting this sucker.” Trent, Taylor and Zea each grabbed a leg and helped haul their future dinner inside.
Nova and Addison had been hard at work making a large fire. “Hey Joseph, can you make something to hold the meat over the fire? Maybe some kind of spit.”
“Fine, but I’m going to need to get supplies from the wreck first.” It was going to be a long day for Joseph. “Who’s going with me? Taylor, Trent how about you guys?”
“If it gets me outside for a bit I’m in.” Trent was up and on his feet before Joseph realized what was going on.