Soul of the Prophet: The Elder of Edon Book I

by David Angelo

  Chok disappeared behind the flap of the tent and returned with a black cylinder, a string hanging out of one end.

  “Remember last week,” Chok said, “when our fliers dropped those bombs on them Cullidon weasels?”

  “Yes,” Fin said, nodding. “Is that one of them?”

  “Sure is,” Chok replied. “They’re made from old pipes and filled with gunpowder and shrapnel. This one that I’m holdin’ is from a batch that I made when I was keeping watch over your pub today, and it’s filled with bits of old silverware that Alto donated.”

  Chok handed the bomb to Fin, who held it hesitantly in his hands. He could hear the silverware jingle inside, like a small string of bells.

  “Now,” Chok said, “pull that little string on the one end…”

  Fin did as he was told, yanking the thin cord. This caused a small spark to jump out from the end, followed by a hissing noise.

  “What are you doin’?!” Chok shouted.

  “You told me to pull the string,” Fin replied.

  “No, I didn’t,” Chok replied. “Well, maybe I did, but…Forget it, we don’t have time to think! Throw it!”

  “Where?!” Fin asked.

  “Into the woods!” Chok shrieked.

  Without thinking twice, Fin chucked the bomb as far as he could into the tree line. A few seconds later, a thunder-like crack reverberated through the trees. Gray dust rose from the point of impact and blew over the field like a phantom cloud.

  “That string is held in by wax,” Chok gasped, still catching his breath, “which in turn creates an airtight seal. Each bomb has a little bit of this liquid inside, a byproduct of gunpowder, which becomes extremely flammable when dry and exposed to air. When you pull the cord, the seal is broken, the chemical ignites, and you have a few seconds before the gunpowder at the bottom heats up while the pressure inside builds, and then, well, boom!”

  “You invented this?” Fin asked.

  “Yeah,” Chok said. “It’s one of the best things I ever made.”

  “Fin?” someone shouted. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Fin replied.

  Kaw-Ki was running toward them. “What was that explosion?” she asked.

  “I was showin’ Fin a bomb,” Chok said, “and Fin here has gum in his ears or somethin’.”

  “You told me to pull the charge,” Fin replied.

  “Anyway,” Chok continued, “he tossed it in the woods, and no one got hurt…”

  Before Chok could continue, they all heard a loud squeak, like an animal in immense pain, in the area of the woods where the bomb had gone off. Fin looked in the direction of the noise and quietly cursed under his breath.

  “Come on,” Kaw-Ki said, picking up her bow and sliding an arrow into position. “Let’s see what that was.”

  With Kaw-Ki at the lead, they cautiously entered the woods and followed the squeals, which grew louder and louder as they got closer to whatever made them. Soon, Fin caught the whiff of what smelled like blood mixed with the stench of singed fur and roasted flesh. Before he could ask if anyone else noticed the odor, Kaw-Ki let out a sudden shriek, and Fin saw what was causing the labored squeals. Lying on the ground, atop a surface of red snow, lay a wild boar. Bits and pieces of silverware stuck out of its flesh, as if it had been attacked by a gang of cutlery thieves. The boar moaned in pain, unable to stand up.

  “Well, would you look at that,” Chok said. “You’re a natural-born boar hunter, Fin. Say, didn’t y’all say that the hunting expedition came back empty-handed? Care for some roasted boar tonight?”

  “But what about the shrapnel?” Fin asked.

  “Aw, a few shards of metal never hurt no one,” Chok said, giving Fin a pat on the shoulder.

  “I guess there’s just one thing to do,” Kaw-Ki said, taking aim with her bow.

  “Don’t waste your arrows,” Chok said. He walked over to the pig and, to Fin and Kaw-Ki’s horror, proceeded to whack the beast in the head with the ax-head of his rifle until it stopped squealing. When the deed was over, deep gashes covered the boar’s skull.

  “Must you be so gruesome?” Kaw-Ki asked.

  “Must you be so condescending?” Chok replied, wiping a splatter of blood from his brow. Chok handed Fin the rifle, its blade covered with blood and bits of fur, heaved the pig over his shoulders, and carried it away. “Anyone care to help me carve it up?”

  “I think I’ll pass on that,” Fin said.

  “Yeah, same here,” Kaw-Ki replied.

  “Suit yourselves, then,” Chok replied. “More raw scraps for me.”

  Kaw-Ki and Fin watched Chok carry the pig over to the far end of the campsite, a spring in his step and a delighted tune on his lips.

  “Is he always like that?” Fin asked, examining the ax cannon with a mix of fear and repulsion.

  “Always…” Kaw-Ki replied.

  18

  DESPITE CHOK’S ASSURANCE THAT all the pieces of shrapnel had been removed from the boar’s flesh, the team was not so sure. Under the watchful eye of the stars, all the members of the resistance, except for Kyu, sat around the campfire, cautiously checking their servings of fire-licked pork for bits and pieces of metal. Still traumatized from watching Chok kill the boar with such savagery, Fin looked at the rib in his hands while his stomach churned inside him. Thinking about the look the pig gave him before it died made Fin briefly consider becoming a vegetarian. He knew, though, that he would not survive long on a strict diet of salad and grass. Chok, on the other hand, was more than happy to dig into his cut, like a carnivore ripping apart its prey. It was not until he came up for air that Chok realized everyone else had barely finished their first servings.

  “Y’all look like you think it’s laced with poison,” Chok said. “I told you, it’s fine to eat.”

  Rocklier cocked an eye. “And what makes you think we can trust you on that assumption?” he said.

  Black-Tooth gave his helping an odd look. “It’s not that we’re criticizing your slaughtering skills, but the thought of chipping our teeth on a piece of an old spoon doesn’t appeal to us right now.”

  Chok shrugged, ripped a mouthful of meat off with his teeth, and proceeded to munch loudly.

  “Like I said earlier,” Chok said with his mouth full, “a little shrapnel never hurt no—ouch!” Chok’s claws dove into his mouth and came out with a small, red piece of metal.

  “Well, son of a…” Chok started.

  “It’s not as safe as you thought, eh?” Chinaw replied with a grin.

  “Um…Chinaw…” Kaw-Ki said. “You do realize you’re bleeding, don’t you?”

  Sure enough, blood was dripping down the corners of Chinaw’s lips. Chinaw swabbed the side of his mouth with his finger and looked at it in the light of the fire.

  “Well, what do you know?” he exclaimed. “I knew I tasted something salty. I thought perhaps my piece was undercooked.”

  “Did you swallow it?” Kemp asked worriedly.

  “No,” Chinaw replied, sounding rather annoyed. “I can feel it sticking out of my gums, and no, I don’t need help getting it out, thank you very much. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Chinaw put his rib down and got up from his spot. “I’m going to try to get it out. If I need your help, Kemp, I’ll call you.”

  Chinaw departed from the campsite while Kemp looked on in his direction. “You’d think he’d have a little more respect for the team’s medic,” she said to Fin.

  Fin looked at her thoughtfully. “I was wondering who carried that responsibility around here.”

  Kemp nodded. “I’m more like a healer,” she replied. “I can use my psychic abilities to make people feel better when they’re hurt or sick, but I also provide some basic medical care when it’s needed. And before you recommend Scarlet, I could tell from the scan I did of her mind last week that she is competent enough for the job. Having an assistant would be nice at times, and perhaps I can take her under my wing and teach her my trade—if she’s willing to learn, that is…”r />
  “Okay…” Fin said, his recommendation for Scarlet’s assistance now unnecessary. Before Fin could say any more, Kemp stood up and addressed the campfire.

  “Now, if I may be excused,” she said, “I should probably check on Chinaw to see how he is doing with his little issue.”

  “But he said he didn’t need any help,” Fin said.

  “And you believed that?” Kemp replied. “Chinaw can’t tell when something is wrong with him, and in this matter, I think he needs a second opinion.”

  Kemp departed, leaving her five comrades alone by the fire.

  “Kemp is very attached to Chinaw,” Black-Tooth said. “Ever since she unlocked his fragmented memories, she thinks that Chinaw is her responsibility. I think it’s because he was her first foray into the world of psychic healing, and as a result, she’s a bit obsessive over his safety.”

  Just outside of earshot, Fin could hear Chinaw arguing with Kemp.

  “I told you, Kemp,” Chinaw snapped, “I don’t need your help with this. Anyway, I’ve almost got it out…”

  Chok laughed and leaned back in his seat. “They almost sound like a couple,” he said.

  “If that’s your idea of romantic talk,” Fin said, bewildered, “I’d hate to hear what your version of a really bad argument sounds like.”

  “You can ask your comrades for that one,” Chok replied, “’cuz they experienced it, back when Kyu and I were hand in hand.”

  “Don’t even remind us,” Kaw-Ki said with a groan. “You two fought more than anyone I’ve ever met. Day in and day out, constant fighting. How you two managed to stay together for so long without killing each other in the process is beyond me.”

  Before Fin could ask, Kyu casually strolled into the campsite, grabbed a rib from a pile that sat in a nearby frying pan, and took a seat at the campfire, away from Chok. An awkward silence fell upon the camp, and everyone except for Kyu seemed to expect a fight to break out. Meanwhile, Chok sneered at Kyu from across the campfire, as if her presence irritated him.

  “What are you all talking about?” Kyu asked, oblivious to the tense mood.

  “Well,” Chok said. “If you didn’t spend every waking moment workin’ on those damn fliers, we wouldn’t need to explain it to you.”

  “What can I say?” Kyu said, licking her fingers. “The dragon wings are a handful and require a lot of upkeep to make sure they’re working properly. Besides, I’m working on a new cooling system for the combustion boxes, which may reduce the cases of overheating—”

  “But must you obsessively tinker with them?” Chok interrupted. “You spend more time with those gliders than you do with your own team.”

  Kyu snorted. “That’s called responsibility, hon, which is something you’ve never seemed to grasp.”

  “Why, you…” Chok said, standing up.

  “All right, break it up,” Black-Tooth said. “You’re acting like children again.”

  Fin swore that he could hear Chok growl as he glared at Kyu, his fists trembling at his sides and his teeth bared like a wolf’s. But Kyu remained calm, smirking, as if Chok’s fury was all just a big joke.

  “It’s okay,” Kyu said, standing up. “I know my presence is not necessary. Besides, it was foolish of me to butt in when he’s present. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll finish my supper in my tent. I’ll see you all in the morning. Oh, and by the way,” Kyu turned to address Fin, “if Black-Tooth isn’t throwing one of his mock duels tomorrow, I’d like to take you flying.”

  With that Kyu said good night and departed for her tent, just as Chinaw and Kemp were returning to the campfire.

  “What just happened?” Chinaw asked, looking in Kyu’s direction.

  “That’s what I want to know right now,” Fin added.

  Chok sat down and looked into the flames with an empty stare. “As you can tell, Fin,” he said, “Kyu and I go back a bit.”

  “Oh, it was one of those conversations,” Chinaw said, taking a seat next to Rocklier. “I thought you two were over it.”

  “Not according to their auras,” Kemp said, reclaiming her seat. “From what I can tell from their color, they still carry a lot of baggage with them—”

  “Do you mind?” Chok asked, scowling at Kemp. “I’m the one explaining it to Fin, not you.”

  Kemp rolled her eyes and let Chok continue with his narrative.

  “There was once a time,” Chok said, “when Kyu and I were inseparable. I had only been with the resistance for a year when she joined, after Black-Tooth caught her showing off one of the fliers at a backwater fair. We hit it off pretty quick, and we were together for about five years, I think…”

  “It was six,” Kyu yelled from within her tent.

  “You ain’t supposed to be listenin’!” Chok snapped. “Anyway, long story short, things kinda took a turn for the worse after our son was born. We fought a lot, vied for our son’s attention, and then he was taken, and that damn near killed us both. In the end, Kyu and I had no business shacking up, which is strange, because I could’ve sworn that she was my flavor. I guess that flavor turned bad, or something else didn’t want us together.”

  “Don’t you mean you thought I was your type?” Kyu asked.

  “Was I asking you?” Chok snapped. “No! And I like callin’ it flavor!”

  “You sure it wasn’t because of your fear of flying?” Kaw-Ki asked.

  Chok narrowed his eyes and flexed his chest muscles, as if the word fear was some sort of deplorable insult. “Let’s get one thing straight, Kaw-Ki,” he said. “I’ve only been afraid three times in my life. The first time was after I escaped from my master’s plantation and was runnin’ for my life. The second time was when I was arrested and locked up in Triticon, and the third time was when I learned that I was going to be a father. I’d say that the final one was the scariest of them all.”

  “Oh, that’s a surprise,” Kyu replied.

  Pretending that she was not there, Chok continued, “In conclusion, those were the only times that I’ve been afraid. Nothin’ more, nothin’ less, and I don’t plan on being afraid anytime soon.”

  With his point made, Chok tossed his pork rib bone into the fire and departed for his tent. “Good luck flyin’ tomorrow,” he said to Fin as he left. “And while you’re at it, tell Kyu that socializin’ with her crew a little more might do her good.”

  Rocklier looked over his shoulder as Chok disappeared behind the flaps of his tent. When he was content that Chok was not about to return, Rocklier sprawled out, resting his back against the log, the soles of his feet soaking up the warmth from the coals. He took one final sip of water from his wooden goblet and placed it on the log behind him. “Ahh,” he said. “Now I can relax.”

  “You were waiting for him to leave,” Chinaw said, “weren’t you?”

  “However did you guess?” Rocklier asked. “It’s moments like these when I can truly unwind, when I don’t need to worry about Chok breaking something or killing us all in a mad rampage.”

  “Um…” Fin said, still trying to digest all that he had heard, “whatever happened to Chok and Kyu’s son?”

  “He went to live with his aunt,” Rocklier said, “on Kyu’s side of the family, mind you, when things between his parents got ugly. It was his parents’ intention at first to raise him inside the resistance, but they had a difficult time juggling their resistance responsibilities and rearing a child.”

  Fin’s head frills bristled when he learned of Chok and Kyu’s original plan. It just seemed so unusual, raising a child in the center of an outlawed resistance group. Perhaps having him taken in by his aunt was the best idea after all.

  “It may seem a little odd,” Black-Tooth said, noticing Fin’s expression, “but back when Kyu was pregnant, we had a lot more members, some of whom had children of their own, so it wasn’t too unusual. The only thing that set Kyu and Chok’s child apart from others was the fact that they weren’t ready for parenthood—at least, that’s what I assume happened. Still, wh
en Kyu’s sister adopted him around the time their relationship was beginning to crack, it affected both of them greatly. Granted, it affected everyone in their own way, but Kyu and Chok were obviously hit the hardest.”

  “True,” Chinaw said, shaking his head, “and Kyu’s never been the same since. She used to be a sociable creature, always with a smile on her face and a positive comment on her lips, but she changed when her son was taken away from her. I bet that’s why she spends so much time with those gliders, because they’re something she can take care of, like a child.”

  Black-Tooth put his fingers to his lips just as Kyu emerged from her tent and made her way to the campfire. She promptly tossed her bone into the fire, grabbed a fresh rib from the still-warm roast, and took a seat next to Chinaw and Rocklier.

  “Carry on,” Kyu said, but there was no response. “Don’t act like I didn’t hear you,” she said. “Tents are notorious for having very thin walls.”

  “Sorry,” Fin said, rather embarrassed. “I just wanted to know what happened to your son, and—”

  “I understand,” Kyu said. “It’s not like Chok was informative about Arch when he gave his little speech a few minutes ago. Oh, and Arch is the name of our son, by the way. I saw him not long ago, for his sixth birthday.”

  “Was Chok with you?” Rocklier asked.

  “Nope,” Kyu replied.

  “Typical,” Rocklier said. “It’s like he doesn’t want anything to do with his son’s development.”

  “Eh, don’t judge him too harshly,” Kyu said. “I mean, sure, he turned out to be a pretty lousy mate, but he just has some issues that have yet to be resolved.”

  “Like laziness?” Rocklier said. “Incompetence? Arrogance? Kyu, you can say all you like about how he’s complicated or has layers or that no one understands him. The fact still stands that he got you pregnant, did nothing, and after Arch was born, he forgot that he ever existed.”

  “Rocky, I’m not defending him,” Kyu said. “All I’m saying is that he’s not right in the head, if you know what I mean.”

  “So you’re saying that he needs a healer?” Rocklier said. “That’s not what he needs; he needs a reality check. He also needs to read a book once in his life before he dies, but that’ll never happen.”