Plasma Frequency Magazine: Issue 13 (3 page)

"No, the bonnet." The warden gave me one of her sour looks. "Put the bonnet aside, and continue on with the others."

"But what about the girl?" I asked.

"She's been processed. We can't do it twice."

I glanced at Penelope. She smiled and stared with curious eyes as her carriage rolled away. How would she see the world we'd made? How might she change it?

My heart beat faster, my thoughts on the future.

Then I turned, feeling nothing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

D. A. D'Amico lives in Lowell, Massachusetts with his large family. They are the source of many of his stories, but sadly, those stories are too implausible to render into print.

The Great Exodus:

Into the Wasteland

By
Steve Coate

EDITOR
’S NOTE: This is part one of the six part serial, The Great Exodus

Safiya tugged at her little brother’s arm.  “Come on. The old man is going to tell us a story!”

Raldan was just as excited as his sister, even though he was two years older than her.  The old man’s stories were the daily highlight of the evening for the children of the community.  Together, the siblings rushed to the common room, where several other children of varying ages and some of the adult population of New Kona had already gathered.  Safiya and Raldan seated themselves on the dirty cold tile floor and looked up to the dais, where sat the old man, his dark beard salted with white streaks and specks that signified his advanced years. 

With the help of a walking stick, the old man stood, spreading his arms wider even than the welcoming smile on his cracked face.

“Gather round, everyone.” He turned in place, gazing at those assembled as though taking stock.  “Once everyone has settled down, I shall begin my tale.” 

There was a shuffling sound as those assembled, perhaps 70 or more children and adults, adjusted themselves and a general shushing flowed from child to child, eager for the telling.  The old man put a hand to his salt and pepper bearded chin.  “Now if I could just recall which story I wanted to tell you all tonight.”

The adults in the room were wise to this tried and true ploy, having endured it many times before, and remained silent, knowing smiles upon their faces.  The old man was not forgetful, though he was crafty and had a certain flair for showmanship.  The children, even those who were in on the ruse, were too eager for the telling to call the old storyteller’s bluff.  Besides, that would be disrespectful.  A young girl’s hand reached skyward and she squealed “The great exodus! You promised to tell us all about it!”

The old man jabbed one finger into the air.  “Ah, so I did.” He seated himself cross legged upon the dais.  “The great exodus. This is the story of how all of us came to be in the city of New Kona. It is a tale not only of importance, as it is the history of how we came to be, but one of high adventure and moral conviction.”  The old man made a show of clearing his throat.  “Now, here is how it begins.”

~

Venil Orlin was an exile who made his living doing odd jobs for the Relnak in the city of Solara.  Despite his status as a scavenger of the wastes, Venil commanded a certain amount of respect from the Relnak.  He once was a warrior who lived within Idastil’s walls, defending and protecting the city with his very life.  His skills were well recognized as a result and thus, he was often called upon to perform jobs for the Relnak that were deemed unfit, or beneath the city’s esteemed warriors.  Venil specialized in jobs that called for trips outside the city.  Much like this one.

The Relnak often moved their Sensers from one city to the next like living chess pieces.  There were several reasons for this.  Chief among them was the fact that each Senser had differing mental abilities and those various abilities might be more in need in one city than another.   This is why Venil had been tasked with ferrying the young girl, Kelsey, from the city of Idastil to Solara.  Naturally, he was being paid to do so, for a scavenger had to make a living somehow.

Venil turned to Jade, the female initiate of the priesthood in Idastil who accompanied the girl.  It seemed the Senser was too important to trust to the singular care of one such as himself.  The Idastil priesthood had insisted the woman join them in their trek.  “We must be extra cautious,” he warned her.  “The Artemise roam this area freely.”

The initiate spat upon the ground at the mention of the wild women.  “Can we not circumvent their lands?”

“They have no lands,” he explained.  “They move from place to place, camping wherever is most convenient for their present purposes.”  He knelt, studying the trail.  Best to do so now, before they lost all of the day’s light.  “Nomadic though they be, certain tribes of the Artemise seem to prefer this general area.”

“You must get us to Solara,” Jade told Venil.  “The Artemise will do anything to possess Kelsey. Especially with the New Moon so near at hand.”

Venil looked to the girl and then back at Jade.  “I am aware that her abilities are nullified during the New Moon, but she will remain safe with us during that time. The Artemise will present no more danger to us than usual.”

“I don’t think your employers provided you with all the particulars of this detail.”

Venil’s eyebrows scrunched up in vexation.  “What do you mean?”

“In four day’s time, the New Moon fills the night sky.” Jade put her hands to her waist. “Aside from nullifying Kelsey’s telepathy, the moon also heralds an Artemise  ritual, for which they require a virgin Senser.” She indicated Kelsey with an almost imperceptible tilt of her head.             
“Why is this the first that I am hearing of this?”

“It is not common knowledge. This information is known only throughout the priesthood.”

“What, exactly?”

“You know all that is necessary for you to complete your task.”

Venil came to an abrupt halt.  “Tell me, or I go no farther. You and the girl may fend for yourselves in this Artemise populated wilderness.”

The exile had never thought he would see an initiate pout, but that is exactly what happened next.  Venil set his hands upon his hips and stood his ground.

“Fine.” Jade crossed her arms under her breasts.  “The Artemise hold to a prophecy that states they will dominate the Relnak, destroying the cities in which they find refuge and spreading the Artemise religion among the masses like a viral plague. In order to fulfill this prophecy, they must sacrifice a virgin Relnak Senser during the New Moon.”

“I take it that when you say virgin, you are not referring to sex?”

“Correct. This will be Kelsey’s first New Moon since her abilities manifested. That makes her ripe for the plucking for this ritual sacrifice and is why we are moving her to the more secure city of Solara.”

“Wouldn’t it have been safer to keep her in Idastil until the New Moon had passed?”

“We believed it would be more dangerous for her to remain in Idastil. We recently ousted a Artemise spy who might have ferried the information back to the Artemise camp.”

“Wonderful,” remarked Venil.  “We may have to renegotiate my fee.”

“Bring it up with the elders in the priesthood at Solara.”

Venil began moving once more, Jade and Kelsey following in his wake.  With the additional information, he now felt ill prepared for the journey.  Venil wished he had brought more weaponry than the all-purpose machete strapped to his back and the hunting knife in his boot.  He would have to make do with the tools at hand.

The day had turned to night when Venil called a halt for rest and water and looked to the Priest.  Jade seemed capable enough, but he was not sure how she would react in a fight.  She stood as tall as his pectorals, and her brown hair trailed down to her shoulders.  Someone had failed to warn her that long hair is a liability in a fight because it is easy to grab.  Or perhaps that was not a real concern for her.  The familiarity with which she carried the iron cudgel with a diamond-shaped head in one hand suggested that she did not allow anyone close enough to make such an attempt.  Her azure robe trailed to her ankles, which connected to moccasin-shod feet. 

Then he turned to the girl.  Kelsey could not have seen more than 13 seasons.  Her dark hair almost reached her shoulders and its color matched that of her almond eyes, which belied her age, making her seem much older.  She never said a word and Venil had yet to see a smile form on the girl’s face.  It was kind of creepy.

I am not creepy,
she thought at him. 
And when I have something to smile about, I will.

Venil rolled his eyes and sighed.   He had let the girl’s telepathy slip his mind.  He crouched so that the two of them were at eye level.  “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. It is just that I am unaccustomed to communicating in any way other
than talking.”

The girl smiled at him. 
That’s okay. It took some getting used to for me, too. And I am still learning.

“You wear a smile well,” he told Kelsey.  “You should do so more often.”

Jade interrupted the pair’s bonding moment.  “What is that?”

Venil looked to where the initiate was pointing.  East of them, an orange light was cresting a hill.  The flame of torch light bobbed through the night.  A second later it was joined by two more.  “Take cover,” he commanded. 

“Who is it?” asked Jade.

“I don’t know, but this far out in the wasteland it has to be either the Artemise or scavengers.” He pulled the machete from its sheath upon his back.  “Either way, it would be best if we avoid confrontation. Try not to draw their attention, but be prepared. Hopefully they will pass us by.”

The three sheltered behind a bramble of wild bushes and waited to see what fate had in store for them this eve.  Venil clutched his machete in a loose grip, ready to spring into action should the need arise.  Next to him, he saw that Jade also held her mace at the ready, though she gripped its haft so tight that her knuckles were beginning to turn white.  He shook his head in disgust.  Obviously his earlier appraisal of Jade’s abilities was off the mark.  Either she had no battle training or she was untested outside training grounds.  If not for the presence of the approaching mystery group, he would already be in the midst of lecturing the woman about proper weapon handling.

As the torch bearing group neared, Venil saw they were indeed, Artemise.  The six women, half of them carrying burning torches, moved with a single-minded purpose.   They wore short breech cloths and a similar covering over their breasts, though the only other clothing they wore was the moccasins that housed their feet.  They passed Venil, Jade and Kelsey’s hiding place, hardly sparing a glance in their direction. 

Once Venil had determined the wild women were far enough away, he turned to the others.  “It is fortunate for us that they are heading in the opposite direction we are traveling.”

Jade nodded to the man.  “And we are lucky they were in such a hurry. If they had given their surroundings more than a cursory glance, they would have discovered us.”

“Agreed.” Venil returned his machete to its sheath upon his back.  “We should go. If not for that near encounter, I would suggest we set up camp here, but now I think we should put some more distance between us and them before we make camp.”

“What are we waiting for?”

Venil nodded and led them away from that place.

~

When they reached the agreed upon meeting place, Syntara called a halt to the search party.  “We wait here.”

Mallorie, Syntara’s second-in-command, paced back and forth.  “We should be searching for the prophesied virgin. We have only five days before the full moon.”

Syntara sent a hand slicing through the air.  “I’ll hear none of that. We wait.”

The group of women did not wait long.  A diminutive figure soon detached itself from the shadows and approached the leader of the Artemise group.  “Well met, Syntara.”

“Well met, Rochaulle. What news have you for us?”

The petite woman, cloaked in robes the color of the shadows, nodded to Syntara and spoke in a firm, yet feminine voice.  “The child heads to Solara. She is accompanied by an initiate of the priesthood and a former warrior turned mercenary.”

“Well done, Rochaulle. I shall report your dutiful aid to your superiors. Pray continue to provide us with the excellent information you have thus far gathered.”

“There is one other thing,” Rochaulle ventured.

One of Syntara’s eyebrows shot up.  “Oh? What is that?”

“Tuilesse was discovered,” she reported.  “She was fortunate enough to escape Idastil with her life, but she will no longer be able to
provide you with information from the city. Perhaps her espionage skills would best be utilized in another location.”

Syntara nodded to the spy.  “I understand. When she returns to us, we shall find another use for her. Thank you for your service.”

Rochaulle bowed to the Artemise leader and melted back into the shadows without a word.  Syntara whistled to gain the attentions of the other women.  “The route to Solara is not far from this place. If we are quick, we might yet catch them.”  And with that, as a collective, the wild women surged into the night.

~
               

             
They were seated around the dwindling campfire when Venil first caught sight of the Artemise torches, dancing through the inky darkness of night.  The wild women were close enough that running was not a viable option for the trio.  Venil raised the alarm, pulling free his machete for the coming violence.  Beside him, Jade readied her mace, keeping Kelsey safely behind her.

I’m scared,
the girl thought at him.

“Stay back,” Venil assured the child.  “We shall keep you safe.”

A spear launched from the Artemise frontlines stabbed through the air at Venil.  He deflected its flight with a swing of the machete and as he brought the blade across his body on                                                                                                                                the backswing, the enemy was upon him.  With a terrible roar, he swung the machete in a mighty arc, driving the Artemise back.  While Venil was occupied with three of the wild women, the remaining three nomads circled around him to face Jade.