Zarik
Page 9
I didn’t like it, but I was starting to grow accustomed to travelling by rift.
It was convenient and faster than anything I could imagine.
Still, that cold feeling was annoying: even though the sun was burning brightly, I couldn’t help but shiver. I wrapped my arms around myself and let out an “I’m fine” before Zarik could even open his mouth.
“Good,” he nodded. “That’s the herbalist’s store, right?”
“It is,” I replied, already looking at the small entrance to Kanna’s herbal shop. A small sign with her name hung over the door, and the curtains behind the bay windows were drawn back to reveal an assortment of jars on display.
So many details I hadn’t noticed before, when my mind was in a blank panic.
I could see her moving behind the counter, rearranging items on the shelves.
“Let’s go, then,” Zarik said, leading the way. He climbed the short set of stairs leading up to the shop and I trailed after him. Kanna spun around when the bell above the door chimed, but she frowned when she saw Zarik.
“Please tell me you’re here as a paying customer,” she sighed. When I stepped out from behind Zarik, her eyes landed on me and her frown transformed into a smile. “Miri! You look good! I take it our friend here is treating you well.”
“He is,” I smiled.
“I can see that. You look so much better. Your memories?”
“They’re returning,” I said. “Slowly, but steadily.”
“Good. Why are you here, then? Something I can help you with?”
“Hopefully,” Zarik replied in that curt manner of his. “Did you notice anything suspicious when Miri came into town?”
“Well, I did see an amnesiac girl run out from the woods,” she chuckled, her arched eyebrows a worthy addition to her amused grin. “Aside from that, nothing else.”
“Can you describe what happened?”
“I was minding my own business,” she started, “when I saw her barrel out of the woods. I was pushing my cart back into the store and I stopped to see what was happening. The guards pointed at Miri, she got scared, and then she ran straight past the guards and knocked down my cart. The rest you already know: the guards contacted you, and you came.”
“Thank you, Kanna. That helps,” I told her, even though it was a lie.
She hadn’t seen anything that I didn’t remember, and so we remained completely clueless. Still, she had been kind to me and I felt like I had to be kind to her as well. “If there’s anything else, anything at all, just let me know.”
“Well, I’ve noticed a few strangers around these parts lately,” she muttered, looking up at the ceiling as if trying to recall whatever it was. “New faces. Young men, mostly.”
That was enough to grab my attention.
“What can you tell me about them?”
“Not much, really,” she shrugged. “They just come into town from time to time, looking scruffy as hell. They buy a few supplies, and then they head out fast. They don’t linger, you see. In a settlement like this, whoever wanders in usually stays for a night or two before heading out again. These guys, they always seem to be in a hurry.”
“And do you have any idea where they might have come from? Or where they go after leaving here?”
“I know a group of them came into town a few days ago, and they bought all the food they could carry. They looked antsy, and they spent a lot of time looking around, almost as if they expected to find someone. Anyway, they were also looking for some tech replacement parts, but we don’t have a lot of that around here. As far as I know, they headed to the nearest settlement, a day’s journey from here. There’s a junkyard there.”
“Another settlement?” Zarik frowned as he stood next to me. He checked something on his datapad quickly, the creases in his brow deepening, and then returned his gaze to Kanna. “I don’t find any sign of a second settlement on the map.”
“But it’s there,” she replied. “It’s a new settlement, so maybe that’s why your map doesn’t show it. Some people started scavenging for old parts after the war, and there was a lot of old tech lying around where the settlement is. One thing led to another, and now you have a small town there.”
“Do you know how to get there?” I asked her. This could be the lead we were looking for.
“Of course, dear,” she smiled kindly. “It’s mostly rough men there, but even they need the care of a good herbalist from time to time. Made some money from them, that I have.” Turning her back to us, she grabbed a piece of paper from under her counter and started scribbling something on it.
One quick glance at Zarik was enough for me to notice his frown. He didn’t like Kanna’s crude map, as he was used to military precision, but it wasn’t like we had a choice. “There you go. It’s about a day on foot, so you should be on your way if you still want to make it before night. The forest is quieter now, less trouble than we used to have with the sorvuc. But I’d still be careful after dark.”
“Thank you,” Zarik and I said in unison. Grabbing Kanna’s map from the counter, Zarik looked at it for a couple of seconds and then smiled at the old woman before marching out of her store. I followed after him, using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun.
“We could be onto something.”
“Right,” he grunted, once more looking at the map in his hands. “Too bad we’ll have to go the long way.”
“Why? Can’t Fen’s program open a rift?”
“Not without precise coordinates, it can’t.” With a deep sigh, he straightened his back and let his gaze roam to the settlement’s gate. “So we’ll have to walk.”
“Then we walk.” Smiling, I closed the distance between us and grabbed his arm. I looked up into his eyes until he finally returned my smile, his expression easing, and we walked out of the settlement side by side.
As much as I wanted to find out what the hell had happened, I was actually feeling happy Zarik and I would get to spend a full day together.
He was the only anchor I had in this world, and I was growing to like his presence more and more.
Zarik
It was hard to believe, but I was actually pleased we couldn’t use the rift to travel.
I knew Miri was desperate for answers, but I couldn’t help but fear that those answers would tear us apart.
After all, who knew what secrets her past held? It was hard to tell what would happen once we dragged the truth into the light and, just for the time being, I was happy to spend time with her without having to worry about that.
Our trek took us onto a narrow path that snaked through the forest, taking us over low hills and wide clearings, the vegetation around us lush and vibrant. It was hard to believe that just a few months ago the Xathi roamed this place, bringing chaos and destruction in their wake. For a moment, I understood the rage and impotence some of the anti-alien groups felt toward us.
Even though we had done it unwittingly, there was no arguing the fact that the Xathi had only landed on this planet because of us. But it wasn’t like we’d had any choice.
We saw a chance to strike back at them, a chance to end a war that had cost the Allied worlds more than we could endure, and we took it.
Wouldn’t the humans have done the same, were they in our shoes?
“What are you thinking about?” Miri asked me as she ducked under a low hanging branch, the orange glow of a setting sun already coloring the whole forest. A few leaves fell on her hair as she rose and, with a chuckle, I brushed them off her, enjoying the way my fingers felt against her skin. I just wanted to grab her, to take hold of her and let my urges take over.
And every time we exchanged a glance, I couldn’t help but think that she wanted the same.
But I couldn’t do anything.
I wouldn’t do anything without first solving the riddle that her life had become.
“I was thinking that it’s hard to believe the Xathi were ever here,” I finally answered her, grabbing her hand to help her over a fa
llen tree trunk. Once more, I felt electricity crackle under my skin as she nestled her fingers in the palm of my hand, and I had to take a deep breath to control myself. “Your planet is beautiful, Miri. Too bad no one seems to have the time to enjoy it anymore.”
“That’s true,” she whispered softly, her eyes focused on the path ahead of us. For a few minutes, she said nothing. “Do you ever regret coming here?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not like you can go back, right?” she asked, her eyes burning with curiosity. “Evie says you’re all trapped here. Even if you wanted to go back home, it’s not like you’d be able to.”
“That’s true. But I try not to think of it,” I replied with a shrug. “How do you humans say it? No use in crying over spilled milk, right? Besides, I like your planet. And I have the guys with me.”
“The guys, huh? It doesn’t feel like you’re that close to them.”
“It’s...complicated.” I paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say. Could I really tell her that I was a man without honor? That my presence was of no consequence to the teams? Would she think less of me if she knew? “I just like to do my own thing.”
“Which is?”
I was about to reply when we finally heard something other than small wild animals. I froze in my tracks, and Miri bumped against me from behind.
Holding one hand up in the air, I ensured she didn’t say a word as I tried to listen to that sound, whatever it was. It was metallic and rhythmic, almost like someone was banging against a metal plate.
Kanna had said the settlement owed to its origins to scrappers, so the sound had to mean we were close. According to her terribly drawn map, we were somewhere in the settlement’s vicinity.
“Let’s continue,” I told Miri. “But quietly now.” She did as I told her, and I breathed out in relief at that. As much as I enjoyed talking with her all day, her questions about my past were leaving me on edge.
I didn’t want to lie to her, but I didn’t want to tell her about the real Zarik.
After a few more minutes of walking, the narrow path we were on finally gave way to another clearing. This one, though, was unlike the others we had passed through.
Instead of a carpet of grass and fallen leaves, metallic scrap littered the ground as far as the eye could see. Old machinery and broken parts had been piled as high as some trees, and some of those piles were part of some improvised settlement walls.
Working in front of those walls was a burly man. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and there was a heavy sledgehammer in his hands. Moving fast for a man his size, he repeatedly smashed the sledgehammer against a large metallic panel, trying to shape it into something else.
Only when he noticed me staring did he stop swinging the hammer.
I tensed under his gaze, not knowing how to react. As far as I knew, this settlement could be some kind of haven for anti-alien activists.
“Oy!” The man cried out, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. Grinning wildly, he gestured for Miri and me to walk toward him. “Don’t be afraid. I’m a big fellow, but you’re even bigger!”
Relaxing, I exhaled with relief and started walking toward the man, careful not to bump against any of the old machinery strewn across the ground.
“Sorry to disturb you,” I started, only to find my hand in the man’s grip. He shook it heartily, slapping my arm repeatedly as he did it.
“No need apologizing, friend,” he interrupted me. “Not many people come through these parts, so it’s always a pleasure to see a new face. Or new faces, I should say,” he continued, now turning his attention to Miri. Letting go of my hand, he gave her a polite bow and a smile. “The name’s Arken, and I’m in charge of this settlement. If you can call it a settlement, that is. Are you looking to buy or to sell?”
“Neither,” I replied, and disappointment washed across the man’s face. Clearly, he’d hoped that we were customers. “We just came here to ask a few questions, if that’s okay. Kanna told us that—”
“Kanna, that old hag!” he laughed. “How is she? I haven’t seen her for a while. I hope my last workers didn’t scare her off. Bunch of assholes, the lot of ’em. Got nicer folk now, thankfully.”
“She’s, huh, fine.”
“We’re looking for some men that might have come here, looking to buy some parts just a few days ago,” Miri jumped in. The man was clearly a talker, and I was glad that Miri had decided to take the reins of the conversation. “Scruffy-looking men. Young.”
“Ah, yes, yes,” Arken replied, running one hand through his already disheveled hair. “Bunch of assholes, too. It seems like a junkyard is an asshole-magnet. I should’ve opened a bakery, you know? I’d be dealing with much nicer fellows, and the work wouldn’t be as heavy.”
“About these men,” I said, clearing my throat as I interrupted him. “What can you tell us about them? We would really like to find them.”
“I can tell you a few things about them,” he nodded. “But night’s falling, and you’d be foolish to go anywhere at this time. So come with me, and I’ll have the missus serve you dinner and prepare you a place to spend the night.”
“Thank you but—”
“Lovely,” Miri said, cutting me short. “We really appreciate it.”
Sighing, I watched as Miri followed Arken past the outer walls and into the settlement. I had no choice but to go after her.
Miri
If it were up to Zarik, we would have gotten our answers and marched right back into the forest. As for me, I wanted the moment to last, even if just for a couple of hours more.
And as I followed Arken into his little settlement, which was nothing but a mess of odd-looking houses he had built with whatever he found from old abandoned shuttles, I was happy I had made that call.
The settlement wasn’t really a town—only Arken and his family lived here, aside from a few hired hands—but there was a charm to it.
If you looked past all the junk he had collected over the months, the place had a certain quaintness to it. More than just that, the laughter of Arken’s numerous family drifted into the main street, and I immediately knew I was in a place where happiness was the norm.
“Collecting strays again, Arken?” A woman as burly as Arken was greeted us from the door of a two-story house. Her voice was loud and vibrant, but her expression was an open one. She was wearing an apron and had her long hair tied in a bun.
“And they’re hungry, too, Misa.”
“We don’t want to be a lot of trouble,” I said meekly, but the woman just waved me down.
“Nonsense,” she said. “We love having visitors. Come in, come in.”
After some awkward introductions—Zarik wasn’t used to such boisterous humans, it seemed—we finally settled around a large dinner table with Arken’s family.
There was his wife and his two brothers, and then a mixture of Arken’s sons and nephews. There were only a few women in the house, but they were as loud as the men were.
Although Zarik tried to get some answers, Arken refused to do it before dinner. That didn’t end up being a problem.
As Misa served us all a delicious stew, Zarik quickly forgot all about the mission and devoted all his attention to devouring whatever was being put on his plate.
Not that I could accuse him of anything, as I was pretty much doing the same thing. After a whole day trekking through the wilderness, I was hungry as hell.
“Alright, Arken,” Zarik spoke up after dinner, one hand draped over his stomach. “Dinner was amazing, but we have to talk about these men that came here.”
“Of course, my friend,” Arken nodded solemnly. “I figured one day a fellow like you would come looking for them. They’re a nasty bunch, that they are.”
Zarik sat straight almost immediately, and I did the same.
Whatever Arken knew, it sounded promising.
“What do you mean?” I found myself asking him, my heart already beating fast.
“Thank you,” Zarik smiled.
“No need for that. Anyway, they came here looking for a couple of generators and some more spare parts. My sons have found a group squatting in some abandoned buildings a few hours away from here, so I guess those men came from there. They’re probably building a settlement of their own.”
“Do you know where that is?” With both his elbows on the table, Zarik was already leaning forward, almost as if he was ready to pounce on Arken’s next words.
“Three hours on foot from here, just head northwest on a straight line and you’ll find it. Can’t go wrong, really.”
“Thank you.” Pushing his chair back, Zarik rose to his feet and looked at me.
“Whoa, slow your horses,” Arken laughed. “You’re crazy if you’re thinking of heading out tonight. Not even a full moon out there. The forest is quieter than it used to be, but not that quiet.”
He shook his head. “If you’re trying to get the jump on those fellows, a flashlight will give you away. It’s your choice, but if I were you, I'd spend the night.”
“That’s very kind but…” Zarik trailed off, his lips a tight line as he wrestled with the urge to go out on a hunt. We were so damn close to finding some answers that a whole night of waiting seemed like a nightmare. “We accept your offer, Arken. Thank you.”
Roaring his enthusiasm, Arken then dashed toward the kitchen and returned with a bottle of brandy for a celebratory toast. The whole family joined in, as well as Zarik and I, and only then did Misa guide us toward the room where we’d spend the night.
“Not much, but it’ll do,” she announced kindly as she opened the door to a small bedroom, nothing but a tiny little bed pushed against one of the walls. Too embarrassed to ask for separate beds, Zarik and I simply mumbled our ‘thanks’.