I hear the others behind coughing as well but their light continues to follow me shining the way and lighting up the blue vast bottom below us. I effortlessly swim completely accustom to the warm temperature of the water. It’s like an underground grotto as the tunnel opens up leading us into a larger carven. Aria swims over to the edge of the water pulling her body up and out of the water with ease.
“Come on over. There appears to be away out over here.” Aria says.
I follow her out of the water noticing the two others right behind me doing the same. I’m dripping wet and cold again.
“Wait, is it safe outside? Those sphinx are still out there I bet just waiting to attack us.” I stop in my tracks with both the others pausing alongside me.
Aria turns to us and nods without protest we all sit down to make camp for what I hope is a short night.
“Well, it looks like we have made it out of that alive. I think that was the closest we have been to dying in a long time, Sean.” Felix says to Sean.
“Tragons killas ut ash, Felix.” Sean says back to Felix.
“I for one am very grateful to the both of you for helping me out here with those sphinx creatures. My name is Cadence Troy; it is a pleasure to meet you two. As you can probably tell I’m not from around here.” I say.
“Nice to meet you Cadence Troy, I’m Felix and this here (he points to his friend) is Sean. I am from the Shylo farmlands. And Sean here is from the underneath which is the underground caverns underneath the Shylo Tribe ruins. He is ferlin an under-dweller.” Felix says.
“I am Aria, from the fortress of the Kysco Nation. I’m a breeder.” Aria says.
“I know that you are a breeder. Well, I’m thrilled to meet your acquaintance.” Felix says.
“Tragons killas.” Killas ist zu.” Sean says in some language I can’t even try to understand.
“No Sean she will not eat us.” Felix says back to Sean.
“What do you mean by eat you? Is that what you think I will do is eat you? No, I only drink from the Yukon Sea, and even if I get really hungry I would never hurt anyone, I can only drink from a willing participant so tell Sean that he is completely safe with me.”
“Don’t let him bother you, Aria he doesn’t mean anything by it. Sean and I have had a dangerous life here out on the tundra; he always believed that breeders are dangerous ever since he was a boy. Back before we met.” Felix says.
“Have you two always known one another?” I ask.
“Why would he believe that? Does he know that breeders are the source of all life? We are chosen at birth out of millions to deliver a new race to the Kysco Nation.” Aria says.
“Killas Nation zu.” Sean says.
“Sean, I’m not going to tell her that.” Felix says.
“Zu Zu Tragons killas und.” Sean says.
“Fine but she’s not going to understand what I’m saying she’s too young and she doesn’t know the truth.”
“Zu und...” Sean starts to say.
“Enough of this back and forth and just tell me what Sean told you to tell me. What truth will I not understand? Why is he afraid of my kind?” Aria cuts in.
“Aria, your kind feeds on his race. At least your kind used to until the ferlin were no more. Sean said that not all breeders act like or look like you do, Aria.” Felix says. Aria’s eyes widen and fill with water and it looks like she might cry. “Some breeders are evil and furious. They killed almost the entire ferlin race. Now only a few remain, and only by leaving behind their homes and fleeing into the underneath. On the day me and Sean met I was only a baby practically a newborn when Sean’s father and him found me.” Felix says.
“Gut tag, meinen Felix.” Sean says.
“I don’t understand what you all are talking about for sure but I can say that I don’t feel the least bit afraid to be around Aria nor do I believe that she could possibly be any harm to anyone. Maybe your friend Sean got it wrong and maybe since he was so young, he just made a mistake and he just thought that they were breeders that killed his race off.” I say as I start to feel like I need to stand up for her somehow.
“Yes this must be the answer, Felix listen to Cade he has been here with me and he would not feel safe with me if I was a killer as you say I am.” Aria says not looking at me.
“Yes I feel perfectly safe with her and so should you two.” I add.
Ω
Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead urging me to rub my head with the light blue hanker-cuff that my aunt Maggie gave me. I can hear my grandfather humming his favorite tune while he steers The Last Star his schooner. My lips are wet with dew from the spray of the ocean’s waves while it blasts against the boat’s front end. I hold on tighter as we sail further out to sea. I’m perched up front like I’m the nose of the boat, swimming, diving and leading the way.
A foreign sound makes me realize that I’m dreaming and in a flash I’m in my adult self watching the day. I notice my grandfather pull something from his pocket and the sunlight catches it causing the necklace to beam sunlight onto my little kid eyes. I stand still as my younger self runs right through my adult self as if I’m not real. My kid self dashes over to my grandfather who quickly fastens the necklace chain around my very small neck. I place my own hand to my neck feeling for that chain and then I remember how it heated up just before it began to glow just before I was sent here. I stir myself awake with the thought and open my eyes. Aria is gone from my side.
I sit up panicked scanning the cavern for her before seeing her off standing near the cave exit standing watch over us I assume. I spot the other two men sleeping one closer to me and the other is closer to the exit sleeping sitting up.
Chapter 11
Aria
I see Cade is awake and I’m immediately relieved but I don’t understand why. He joins me by the cave exit. From this point I see out there and I can tell that there is only a short distance between us and the opening to the cave. I had thought about going out of the cave for hours while the others slept but didn’t have the chance to.
“Did you go out there yet to see what is outside?” Cade asks me.
“No, I didn’t want to risk leaving you unguarded while the others slept.” I say.
“I’m not a baby you know, I can take care of myself. I’ve been taking care of myself for over two decades now.” his words fly at my face and it’s obvious I’ve upset him a bit.
“I don’t mean to upset you, Cade I apologize.” I say and his face softens.
“Ha ha. No, please don’t apologize it is me who should apologize I’m being rude.” He replies. “Probably that dream messing with my head and my emotions.” He says quieter. “I’m sorry, Aria for snapping at you just now.” He adds.
“You should be angry with me given our current circumstances that I put us into.” I ask.
“What? No, this circumstance isn’t your fault, Aria.” He says.
“Yes, it is my fault because I put us here by following the orders I thought I was given but I must have been wrong Cade, and I’m a liar too.” I add but turn away from him as I walk out of the cave exiting from the first time.
I can hear him right behind me. I feel his warm breath on my neck. I slow down allowing him to catch up to me. The passage is narrow but big enough for me and Cade to walk alongside each other. The walls end and the passage way is now covered in vines and branches which I break away with my hands clearing them out of the way. Suddenly, the passageway is filled with the light of the yellow hue.
“Look Cade, it is now safe to travel again when the yellow hue is in the sky and the sphinx should all be gone for now.” I assure him.
“Good, I’m glad it’s morning again.” He gives his own name to the yellow hue by calling it morning.
“I like this name, morning. I will use it as well.” I say and he looks at me strangely.
“Why did you call yourself a liar, Aria?” He asks.
“I have been telling you that I know what I’m doing but I don’t kn
ow anything about this place because I have never been here and until today. I only thought that this place was a childhood story told to me by my guide Dahlia.” I spill all my truths to him. I break through the exit and walk outside the purple and yellow hues are now in the sky. “I think that we can make it to the Shylo tribe village before the next blue hue.”
“If you say so than I believe you.” Cade says.
“We will not make it to the Shylo tribe city before the harvest hue, no one can travel that fast.” Felix says as he joins us awaken obviously by the light of the yellow hue.
“What is the harvest hue?” Cade asks.
This is a term I’m familiar with; it is the day I was to be chosen and mated by the royal council member who I now believe is dead. Too many thoughts start circling in my head at once I can’t make sense of any of them.
“Harvest hue is what the Kysco Nation calls it and yes, either name you use it means the same thing for us, three full days of the blue hue which makes it a perfect time for feeding and for the night creatures to feed off of all of us. And then they will come and they will…..” Felix says and his words explain some but leave us hanging like his afraid to finish. He looks away from me and at the ground. “The purged come during the harvest. That’s the purpose for the harvest hue.” He adds.
“Great so we’re the ones being harvested than?” Cade says as he gathers more data as I should have known but somehow I’ve been living under a cloak of much prettier pictures.
“What is the purged?” I ask.
“The purged are a blood thirsty Army of the Kysco Nation.” They are the ones that Sean was talking about earlier.
“Wait a minute you mean to tell me that there’s an army of creatures that feeds on people like us?” Cade presses.
“No they won’t eat her just us. That’s if we are still out in the open where they can easily smell us and find us. Plus, the sphinx will be out hunting us again too. I must get to my farm where we will be safe.” Felix explains and I nod my head without thinking because I have no other better plan and precious moments are passing.
“I will follow you to your farm if Cade can get something to eat and he is safe there.” I say.
“Hmm, maybe we should continue on our own way. Those things won’t hurt you and well I can change back into a tiger surely keeping up with you. Look I’m completely healed now.” He points to his healed body.
“How long will it take us to get to the Shylo Tribe city from here?” Cade asks Felix.
“We are at last two fall hues from the village and the first harvest will start tonight at the blue hue rise. That means no matter how fast you two can run you will be out in the open during the harvest and I don’t advice it. You should come back with us.” Felix says.
“Cade, I must agree with Felix we are not safe out in the open at night no matter what.” I add.
“Fine, I will come along than I hope you have some meat to eat because I could certainly eat right now.” Cade groans and I hear his belly growl.
“You are hungry of course I had forgotten that.” I say to myself. Cade hasn’t eaten anything other than the small hand full of shylo berries I brought him some time ago.
“Yes, Cade I do have meat and milk for you to eat at my farm.”
Ω
“Felix this shank tastes just like chicken which I used to have all the time from my world.” Cade shreds through another serving of shank meat that all of them are eating except me.
“Don’t think I forgot about you, Aria.” Felix says before filling my mug with Yukon Sea water. I drink down all of it at once finding myself fully nourished and reenergized as it appears Cade is as well.
“I can’t believe that’s what you live off of, Aria.” Cade’s lip recoils.
I think the same about the shank meat and shank birds. I don’t say anything but rather I smile at him and Felix who pours me another full mug.
“Thank you, Felix for feeding us and for saving us from those sphinx.” I add before burying my face behind the mug.
“Yes thank you Felix for everything. And please thank Sean for helping to heal me from the sphinx venom.”
I had forgotten about that ointment that Sean had used on Cade. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone hurt before so that was the first I had seen someone given body aid. I believe that if it were not for Sean, Cade would have died as a cause of the sphinx venom. At this point I am not sure if Cade is safe with me anymore; maybe I should leave him here with these two. I consider my options silently.
“Felix could you please sketch me a map to the shylo city; I would like see what kind distance I might be facing under the blue hue.” I ask.
“You say that as if you are planning on traveling to the city without me, Aria?” Cade nudges my arm with his.
“No I won’t leave you behind.” I lie to him all the while I’m thinking I don’t like our chances but I don’t want to leave him for any reason as silly as it sounds in my head. I feel obligated to him and I don’t want to let him down. I don’t want to see him hurt again and I know these two can’t fight as well as I can. They can’t keep Cade safe like I can. I battle back and forth with my thoughts.
“Yes but I don’t need to sketch you a map though, Aria I already have a map of the whole realm, including all three tribal ranges.”
I nod my head as if I understand what he is talking about.
“I’d love to get a look at that map myself. I’m getting tired of tripping through strange tundra’s not sure which way is which.” Cade says to me before making a strange sound and the others join him.
I can’t blame him not wanting to blindly follow me, plus I nearly got him killed and I forgot to feed him because I forgot he eats food. I watch him as he digs into some bread that is over on the counter. Felix spreads the map open on the table in front of me. I stand leaning over it taking it all in entirely. I notice the words and symbols but I can’t understand their meaning.
“Where are the three tribes on this map Felix?” I press my hands down on the bottom of the map careful not to cover anything up. He points to three different spots while saying, “Kysco, Shylo, Darjin tribes,” he finishes with a smile like Cade always does.
“I see and over here is where we are then?” I point to the range on the map where I think we are now.
“Yes, that is correct Aria. Here I’ll leave this out for you to study. You should be as familiar with your nation as me. The Kysco Nation rules over the entire realm.” Felix adds before sitting back down.
“Wow, Aria by the way you’re looking at this map I’d say you’re just as unfamiliar with this place as I am.” Cade’s voice cracks from behind me.
“I’ve just never seen it on a map before.” I snap. I’m sure that he can see through my fake assurances at this point but I will continue to pretend a little bit longer. He seems content with my answer as he settles back in his chair with an empty plate in front of him.
“Do you want more meat, Cade? I can make more if you are still hungry.” Felix asks.
“No thank you Felix I’m afraid my stomach might burst open if I have another bite.” They both make the same sounds as before.
I don’t look up while they seem to be moving around the room. I need to memorize this map so I’ll never be lost again nor feel like a stranger in my own land. I see that I have traveled very far away from the Kysco fortresses were I was raised. I can also see that I am very close to the Shylo city. I want to leave right now according to this map I could be in Shylo Tribe city reuniting with Dahlia by tomorrow at the very latest considering my speed and all. I of course would need to leave Cade here. He’d be better off with these males than he is with me. Plus, he will only slow me down and I will probably get him killed. I look up briefly seeing them gathered over by the window. I look back at the map. I should probably wait until the blue hue starts and they are all asleep that is when I can slip away.
“Hey, Aria you need to see this. Hurry, come over here and take a look at thi
s!” Cade demands and I don’t budge. “Aria?” Cade repeats.
“What I’m busy over here?” I say.
“You’ll want to see this trust me, Aria!”
Chapter 12
Cade
I can’t believe my eyes while standing at the window with Felix and Sean watching what can only be described as an eclipse of the three moons or hues as Aria calls them. The purple moon moves slowly in front of the huge blue ringed moon which completely covers up the yellow and the smallest moon. I’m nearly frozen in place not wanting to miss a thing.
“Aria, hurry you have to see this.” I beg her again with my eyes fixed on the marvelous sight in the sky. “Oh wait a minute.” I put my eyes downward. “Is it ok to just look directly at the hues?” I ask Felix.
“Yes, you can look at them as they become one darken blue hue, Cade.”
I hear Aria answer as she joins us at the window.
“You have eyes just like those of the Kysco Nation, like the royal council and they have a huge ceremony once a spin to celebrate the harvest hue.”
“It is a very deadly time for our villages and that’s the exact time the royal council celebrates. We become food if we are not careful.” Felix jumps in. “You probably need to eat something to, Aria.” He adds before leaving to fetch something I don’t look to see what. “It is almost time for it to began.” Felix says to Sean from behind us. I hear Sean say something quietly in his language which I don’t understand still and therefore I have started tuning it out. I realize that I am now starting to feel my withdrawal symptoms starting with my old friend irritability. I will pretend as if I’m not pissed off for any reason and right now my inability to understand Sean is all I can take. I push my fingers down on the window seal. I see the appearance of the white knuckles on my tan hands. My secret desire is back screaming in my ear, and it’s screaming for booze. For as long as I can remember I’ve started and ended everyday with my secret desire by my side. Now I’m stuck here and up until this very moment I had no withdrawal symptoms. “What happened?” I whisper to myself.
The Traveler (Bloods Divide Universe Book 1) Page 5