Dustborn

by T. W. Piperbrook

  Renewed fire lit The Watcher’s eyes. The loss of so many in their colony was a spear to their hearts, but the loss of their homes drove that spear deeper, boring a hole in the last of their humanity. Now, they had a hope to take those homes back and kill the monster.

  “How should we tackle the problem of the Abomination?” Louie asked him.

  “Do you think it is still around?” asked another Watcher.

  “Having discovered so much food, I doubt it will leave quickly,” Bryan said. “Even if it leaves, we are no longer safe here, because it knows of us. One thing is certain: we should not rush into battle, like Thorne did.”

  “Do you think we can defeat it?” asked Louie.

  “Yes,” Bryan answered firmly.

  Louie’s eyes blazed with faith. The broken-armed man couldn’t fight with his injury. But his belief in Bryan gave the others the strength to envision a victory. They leaned forward, hanging on Bryan’s next words. All at once, Bryan felt like Thorne must’ve, standing on the podium next to Gideon, or as one of The Heads of Colony felt.

  They were gone, but he was alive.

  Continuing with confidence, Bryan said, “We are in a better position now than we were before. Thorne and his men might’ve died, but they made it bleed. And we have heard Gideon’s story of the dead beast in the caves. We don’t know if it died at the miner’s hands, but the carcass is proof that these things can perish.”

  “All of us saw the scales on the Abomination’s side, and those sharp protrusions,” one Watcher reminded him. “Those add to the creature’s formidability.”

  Bryan nodded. “Yet Thorne and his men found a weak spot. The Abomination is made of soft flesh underneath, like any other animal in the desert. If the beast in the caves could die, so can this one.”

  None of The Watchers argued.

  They lifted their chins. Looking around, Bryan no longer saw a group of young, inexperienced men; he saw the future. The men around him—Louie, Rodney, Clark, Nicholas, Boyle, and Isaiah—were his closest comrades, and would help him lead the other Watchers, and his new people.

  “So what should our first step be?” asked a Watcher with dark hair.

  Bryan looked from one man to the other. “I think rallying as many people as we can is a good start, like Gideon said. Perhaps together, we can come up with a plan to kill the thing. At the same time, we will separate them from Neena, Kai, and Darius.”

  “We already have the support of the people in the Left Cave, of course,” said Rodney. “Will we talk to people in the other caves, as well?”

  “Let’s suss out some people in the Center Cave,” Bryan said. “Certainly, there are some sympathizers.”

  “But how will we convince them to join our side?” asked Isaiah.

  Bryan fell silent. He thought back to that initial meeting in the cave. He thought of the faces of Ed and some of the other colonists. They were scared, and they were hungry. But beneath their fear, he saw a willingness to be led. And they certainly wanted someone to blame. Perhaps a push in a certain direction was what they needed.

  He needed to get them alone.

  His men waited for an answer. For the first time, Bryan felt the pressure of a half-dozen Watchers, testing his mettle. His eyes wandered around the cave, to the walls, to his men’s faces, finally landing on Louie’s arm.

  “I have a plan.”

  “What are we going to do?” asked Louie.

  “You’ll see.”

  Chapter 27: Neena

  Neena’s shoulder hung lower under the weight of the heavy water bucket as she returned from the spring. All around her, men and women grunted and tugged their equally heavy buckets back to the Right Cave. Torches lit the way in front and behind, splashing the tunnel with shadows, illuminating some of the twists and turns before they came upon them, or some of the branching caves. Neena’s stomach rumbled, even though she didn’t feel like eating.

  Most of her night was spent between dreams and wakefulness, replaying those moments in the colony over and over again. She couldn’t get her mind off of The Watcher’s disdainful glances, or those bloodied, rotting bodies in Red Rock, for whose deaths Bryan had blamed them.

  For most of yesterday and into the evening, her people had heard nothing from The Watchers, or anyone in the Left Cave. If Neena didn’t know better, she might believe they’d disappeared.

  With The Watchers no longer around, they’d no choice but to get their own water.

  If circumstances were different, Neena wouldn’t have minded, but each step was a troubling reminder of their problems.

  Rather than dwelling on things they couldn’t control, Neena let her mind roam to the things Darius had found in the lower caves.

  “What are you thinking about?” Kai asked, noticing her thoughtful expression.

  “I was just thinking about the remains of that old carcass Darius found,” Neena said.

  “Did you have an idea?”

  “Every time we talk about it, I wonder if the answer to killing the Abomination might lie in what he told us.”

  Kai scratched his chin on his shoulder. “He certainly had some interesting theories.”

  “Do you think it is possible the impact of the wall injured that creature?”

  “You could make a case that its impulses drew it to its death,” Kai said. “It is certainly a solid guess that the miners drew it with their loud banging.”

  “Maybe its injuries were enough to kill it,” Neena said.

  “The Abomination certainly avoids hard stone,” Kai said. “Or it felt that way, when we were in the desert avoiding it.”

  Neena nodded. “Still, it is possible the miners killed that old beast, instead of the wall.”

  Kai sighed. “With those people long dead and gone, I don’t think we’ll ever know the answer.”

  Thoughts swirled inside Neena’s head. The situation with The Watchers was troubling, but the Abomination was like a recurring dream she couldn’t shake. She wasn’t sure if she would ever have a solution to killing it, but her brain nagged her to find one.

  They fell silent, lost in their speculations, rounding a curve in the tunnel, following the passage back to the area they called the Right Cave. The people around them conversed quietly. Neena glanced at one of the long, dark passages to her right, recognizing a familiar outcrop of rocks. The sight of them gave her a sense of relief.

  Spotting the last bend ahead of them, Neena frowned. “Shouldn’t we see the guard by now?”

  “He was right next to that rock,” Kai said, pointing to where they’d left Robert, one of the guards.

  Fear wormed its way inside Neena. She increased speed, losing some water on the cave floor. They were almost at the vacant rock when a person came rushing toward them.

  Robert’s face was filled with angst as he rounded the bend.

  “What’s going on?” Neena asked, her heart jumping.

  “Something’s happening outside.” Robert gasped for breath.

  “What?”

  “I’m not sure, but Salvador said I should fetch you right away.”

  Neena ran with her bucket, no longer concerned with spilling the rest of the liquid. Robert’s words filled her with dread. Seeing their panic, the colonists behind them rushed, too, filling the air with unanswered questions. They raced through the last bit of the tunnel’s curve, until people came into view. Relief struck Neena when she spotted Raj, Samel, Amos, and Adriana among the cave’s other occupants, safe.

  Darius stood with two guards at the front entrance. Leaving their buckets behind, Neena and Kai raced across the cave to join them.

  “What’s going on?” Neena asked them, when they reached the entrance.

  Scratching his rounded nose, one of the guards with Darius, Salvador, said, “One of
our people went to see some friends in the Center Cave, but they were gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “All except for a few guards at the front.” Salvador cranked his thumb toward the outside of the cave. “They won’t let us inside. I don’t know what’s going on.”

  “Come on,” Kai said, heading out of the cave with Neena to see what was happening. “Let’s go.”

  They edged out of the cave, drawing their knives and looking down the ledge. Farther along the long path, two men stood with their arms crossed at the entrance of the Center Cave, staring back at them. Two more men waited at the cusp of the Left Cave. Steadying her footsteps and her nerves, Neena walked with Kai toward the Center Cave. On the way, she glanced down at the colony, as if she might see a swarm of people occupying the broken hovels.

  The colony was still deserted.

  Noticing the defensive posture of the men they approached, she and Kai lowered their knives, but kept them ready. The men watched them with suspicion, and more than a little wariness.

  “What do you want?” asked one of them, when they got within speaking distance.

  “We came to see where everyone went,” Neena explained.

  Instead of answering, the man glanced behind him, watching a third man emerge from the cave. Ed scratched at his long beard, eyeing them up and down.

  “What’s happening?” Neena asked him.

  “What do you mean?” He forced an innocuous expression.

  “Where is everyone?”

  “They’re away.” Ed smirked, wiping something from his beard onto his pants.

  Cutting through his ambiguity, Kai asked, “Where did they go, Ed?”

  “They’re at Gary’s funeral. You weren’t invited, in case you didn’t notice.” He turned sideways, making it clear that he blocked the entrance. “Bryan said to keep you away. I don’t think it would be a good idea to try and find them.”

  Chapter 28: Neena

  Neena’s heart was heavy as she walked back through the entrance of the Right Cave, Kai at her side. A hush fell over the people inside. Men and women held on to their relatives, waiting for her to speak. Even the children, who seldom ceased their noise, picked up on the changed atmosphere and stayed quiet. Finding Raj, Samel, Adriana, and Amos in the crowd, Neena couldn’t miss their looks of trepidation.

  One of the women in the cave, Samara, spoke up and asked, “What’s happening?”

  Neena swallowed. There was no point in glossing over the truth. “The other caves have gone to a ceremony for Gary.”

  “And we weren’t invited?” asked someone else.

  Neena shook her head. “It seems they have left without us.”

  “Where are they?” said the same person.

  Neena held up her hands, indicating she knew no more.

  People hung their heads. Conversation spread across the small crowd, as people spoke with others, speculated, or expressed their concerns. Not one turned to ask her another question.

  Failure stung her. Somehow, Neena’s goal of uniting the survivors had gone in the wrong direction.

  Somewhere, things had gone very wrong.

  Chapter 29: Bryan

  Bryan looked out among the faces in the torchlit cave. Rows of people spread out across the wide chamber to which they’d brought them, covering the floor from wall to wall. The colonists of the Left and Center Caves were packed tightly enough in the deep tunnel that for a moment, Bryan wondered if they should have found another place to hold their meeting.

  That thought quickly evaporated, as he saw the anticipation on the peoples’ faces. Despite the meeting’s grim topic, the air held an aura of importance. Perhaps it was the uniqueness of the setting, which felt much more intimate than any ceremonial procession they’d ever had outside. People bumped one another’s shoulders, vying for a better position, or peering past their neighbors’ shawls.

  Bryan glanced next to him at the six Watchers with whom he’d placed his implicit trust: Louie, Nicholas, Boyle, Isaiah, Rodney, and Clark. All stood rigid, holding their spears, next to a body wrapped in a sheet. Behind them was a crevice in the wall where they’d decided to bury Gary’s body, once the ceremony was ended.

  Gary’s widow, Sherry, looked out over the crowd. Her baggy eyes told the tale of a day and night with little sleep. A few of Gary’s relatives stood near her, wiping tear-stained faces.

  “It was my hope that we would not have to gather together like this for a long time, but it seems the heavens had another plan,” Bryan began. Gathering the attention of all in the crowd, drawing strength from their energy, he continued, “Yesterday morning, we lost another of our brothers, a Watcher who was devoted to his colony, a dear friend.”

  His words sent a shiver of emotion through the crowd. A few women openly wept. Nearby, Sherry bowed her head. Unlike that first meeting, when Bryan had received looks of mistrust and doubt, he saw only attentiveness.

  Perhaps it was the power of the loss they’d shared, which brought everyone together.

  “Gary has been called to the heavens to be with his ancestors, but he will not be alone,” Bryan said, his voice growing louder. “He will rest among those people who have come before him, who have given their lives so that those in Red Rock could survive.” People locked eyes with him, hanging on his words, nodding at the right moments, holding on to one another. Was this what Gideon felt, when he spoke at the podium? It must be. “Gary’s presence will forever be with us, as we make new memories in his name. As Watchers, we will honor his oath by carrying forward.”

  Nods of agreement spread through the crowd. Beneath their mourning and their tears, he saw a group of people who had suffered too much. Perhaps it was their need for something to believe in.

  They needed a leader.

  Gideon was immobile, and too sick to address his people.

  Bryan was the unifying voice.

  Standing taller, feeling the power of the banded crowd, Bryan said, “We will hold our relatives and our friends closer, because of his loss. And we will not forget him, much like we have not forgotten those who perished in the previous attack.”

  More people cried, as his words brought up fresh grief. That grief inspired anger, and a promise.

  “Gary’s death will not be in vain,” Bryan swore. Looking next to him, catching Sherry’s eye, he beckoned for her to step forward. “Gary’s widow, Sherry, would like to speak.”

  Smearing away fresh tears, Sherry looked into the eyes of those in the crowd. “Like most men here, Gary was a good husband. He was devoted to Red Rock. And like many of you, he was devastated when our colony fell.” Finding a new clarity in her voice, Sherry continued. “For almost his entire life, Gary spent his time between the cliffs and alleyways, keeping us safe and ordered. He cherished his relatives and his friends, as well as his time with his Watchers. Losing his colony was like losing a piece of himself. In fact, it was all he spoke of, since we came up here.”

  Sherry paused, scanning the crying, observant faces.

  “The night before he died, Gary was nervous about returning to the colony. But he was also hopeful. It was his dream that we should return to our colony—not just for a scavenging trip, but for good. Gary wanted that trip to be the beginning of something, not an end. In fact, before he left, he made me promise that if anything happened, I would carry that dream forward. That dream was not only for me.” Sherry stopped, looking down at her stomach. “Gary and I have a child on the way. Or, he did, before he died.”

  Moving closer to Sherry, Bryan reached out, touching her shoulder. Sherry squeezed his arm.

  “It is my dream that we keep his memory alive by fighting for our colony. It is my hope that we can return to Red Rock, like Gary wanted. Like our unborn child would want.”

  A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.
Stepping backward, Sherry conceded the floor, rubbing her small, growing stomach.

  “As Watchers, our vows have never felt stronger than today,” Bryan said. “Gary’s death is not a defeat, but an affirmation: we will rid Ravar of this monster. We will take back our homes, and our lives. We will fight, so that Gary’s death has meaning. We will fight so that all those lost lives have meaning.”

  Slowly, tears segued to determination. A few people reached out and grabbed hold of their relatives’ arms, voicing their approval.

  “The time for cowering in caves is over,” Bryan said. “It is time to secure a better future. Together, we can do it. With your help, we will defeat the monster and take back our lives. I need your help. Will you fight with me?”

  A few fervent cries filled the air.

  Then a few more.

  Soon, those cries spread.

  The loss of their relatives was a communal fire, burning within the colonists, waiting for an outlet. That fire spread from one face to the next, until all eyes blazed with the same fierceness.

  “Will you fight with me?” Bryan asked again, raising his volume.

  Even before he heard the response, he knew the answer.

  They would.

  Chapter 30: Bryan

  The light of the torches at his bedside glinted off of Gideon’s scarred face as he appraised Bryan and his men.

  “How did the meeting go?” he asked.

  In a triumphant tone, Bryan spoke about the ceremony he’d put together, the speech he’d given, and the people’s reaction. While Bryan spoke, the spark in Gideon’s eye grew, enough that Bryan thought he might sit up, express his pride, and shake off his paralysis, if that were possible.

  “So they believe in you,” Gideon reiterated.