Cutlass Sharpened (25 page)

In minutes the thick forest and well traveled
trail opened to a great crystalline wall of onyx, but could just be
seen through like thick sunglasses. Crystal technology was the
epitome of not only information, it made for great defense and home
building since crystals could literally be grown. A translucent
membrane turned out to be a barrier that stretched to just outside
the wall that surrounded the large Hunter village.

Hundreds of youthful women stood in armor as
beat up as the men. Young children wore training armor or ran
around nearly naked. Though the women were just as beautiful as any
other, they were fierce in not only armor, but in the way they held
their weapons. Colorful crystal houses lined a stream that cut
through the village, coming off a waterfall about a hundred meters
tall where behind the cliff was a massive structure. A single
staircase was cut up to reach it while some men were rock climbing
the cliff without a harness. Though most of the villagers had dark
skin, many were just as tan as Oliver and Steven. One woman
standing out on a balcony closest to the great wall wore a bright
pink bikini, but had a bow and quiver of arrows in reach.

Wood smoke billowed from chimneys and smelled
sweet even in all the heat of the day.

“
Young Ones, welcome!”
Raised a voice of a man just as impressively built as Oliver and
that was no understatement. The man was massive and carried two
great battleaxes crossed over his wide back. He was darkly tanned
and shaven bald with a single strip of hair hanging from his right
temple ringed in hundreds of small beads. He had pointed ears like
all Hunters. Having augmented hearing saved many lives in their
line or work. His armor was a network of automated repair from
countless confrontations. Flecks of silver were rarely spotted,
showing he had survived many deadly confrontations. Muddy boots
kicked up dry dirt on the path all stood on.

“
Elder Scythe, impressive as
always.” Stone didn’t bow, but showed deference in a respectful
way.

“
Stone, my pupil, it is good
you made such a timely arrival. Did you pass your mate by any
chance?” The small crowd parted for the great elder of the
village.

“
We did. About that… Elder,
Sister Breena would not tell us why the Inferno plantation is
empty.”

A single irritation twitch in the old
Hunter’s cheek is all that showed his casual tone was falsified.
“It’s true. Most of the plantations in my district have
inexplicably had all the fruit disappear. And I’ve been with other
Hunters and have been unable to discover any viable tracks to lead
us to this mystery. There are odd tracks, but they just seem to
disappear at a watery edge. We’ve scoured up and down rivers, but
whatever is stealing from my plantations had eluded even me.”

“
Bad news indeed,
Elder.”

“
Since we need to make
Booster Oil, put me to work.” Oliver voiced.

Elder Scythe’s brown gaze met amber and he
smiled “I’m glad to hear it, Ancient Brother. But it can wait. We
can go out first thing in the morning if scouts find any new clues.
You’ve all ran hard and are in need of rest and a cold drink by the
looks of you.”

“
Indeed we are.” Said Bell
as she went over to the stream to start lapping
greedily.

“
Young ones, go to the
visitor housing and freshen up. I will take care of our lost
brother. Meet up in the elders lodge in two hours.”

Stone came forward and shoved a hand down a
pocket and retrieved a shard of topaz. “Elder, this is the promised
disclosure. I’ve personally verified the authenticity. Mrs. Jessica
Merann said the encryption password is Void’s Amnesia.”

“
Thank you.” Scythe took the
chip and tucked it in his armor’s breast pocket. “You should know
all Grand Elders and High Elders have responded and are on their
way. Eleven already arrived.”

Stone smiled and showed Steven and the
landing Visor to the visitor homes.

“
So which are you?” Oliver
asked as he stepped to Scythe’s side after being motioned to
follow.

“
Alas I’m just a High
Elder.”

“
Still, it’s impressive
you’ve lived over two hundred and fifty years in a line of work
that few reach to a century.”

“
True. I’m afraid I’m
curious, but have any methods determined your age?”

“
Sorry.” Oliver shook his
head. “Stephanie and Renee cannot determine even an approximation
other than I’m in physical prime akin to a natural twenty eight to
thirty year old man.”

“
A shame you cannot
remember…”

“
You have
no
clue how much it would
have answered things. There is nothing left from who I was, where I
come from” They made way for the stone staircase. “or if I’m even
similar to my old nature. There is no conclusive proof since the
immortality chromosome throws a person’s age out the airlock. If I
was a naturalist in stasis, maybe it would be
different.”

“
No matter. The Grand Elders
may know, but may I hold the original blade. I’ve always wished to
since so few are on display and under lock and key.”

“
Here.” Oliver drew it and
handed it over. As soon as he let go it stopped
sparkling.

“
Magnificent!” Scythe held
the weapon and swung it around expertly. “Perfect balance… clean
lines… a cutlass if I’m not mistaken?” Oliver’s smile was
confirmation. He turned the edge and ran the thumb across.
“Strange. It looks deadly sharp, but its…”

“
A micro barrier nearly
untraceable to sensors.” Oliver said. “Stephanie finally got a
reading after days of recalibrating her equipment. In my hands it
doesn’t truly cut. I parts molecules like our bodies flow through
water. It is so sharp I could cut off your arm and you’d not feel a
thing other than a passing breeze. Also the edge won’t cut me no
matter what.”

“
Demonstrate for me,
Brother.” Scythe passed the greatest sword he had ever held, back.
At fist grasp it flared to life.

Oliver chose the wall cut in the cliff where
the stairs were being taken. Three swift strikes cleanly dropped a
triangular pyramid. Scythe rubbed his gloved hand over it and used
the eye-screen to express “The surface is almost perfectly smooth.”
Then gasped as Oliver willed his glove to retract and his bare hand
grabbed the blade itself to make his knuckles turn white. He
released to show off the impressions left behind before sheathing
the blade. “What a weapon. Harmful to all except the wielder. No
wonder my pupil was adamant we keep your identity secret.”

“
So tell me about these
tracks you found?”

“
I’ve not seen their like.
Even I near missed the signs. The tracks are so minimal I get the
impression whatever it is… is like a balloon. Like it floats over
the ground. As if Zerika was a near weightless moon. It has me
greatly concerned. More than a dozen skilled Hunters have also
disappeared on me when I had what remained of the fruit watched. No
trace was left of them. Other villages have not had the misfortune
we do. It moves as if alive, but nothing we know here eats Inferno
Fruit.”

“
Teach me to track. I’m a
fast learner. As a benefit, Renee told me my sense of smell is ten
percent more acute then Bell’s. I’ve learned the basics this week
thanks to her, but tracking aboard the Dorgnox is simple. The
jungles here are different. Scents cross, wind shifts, rain
dilutes. I need help.”

“
It would be an honor. I
have three excellent pupils. Though we will not go after the thief
till dawn, we can do minor practice.”

“
Thank you. Isn’t there any
way to have the other villages fly us over some oil? I don’t like
the ship out in the middle of nowhere.”

“
Do not fear. I know of
Captain Jake Dorgen. He is more than any Beast can contend with
here on Zerika. Add to it my Hunters, all is safe, but do you know
why you ran rather than take a fighter?”

“
Yes, I’ve memorized all the
Hunter laws. It just worries me is all. I know Hunters must
constantly train. On worlds like this it is law there is no flying
if legs are capable of carrying a person.”

“
Who do you worry for? You
left someone important behind?” Scythe knew right away the source
of anxiety.

“
Renee. Renee Dorgen. I do
not like being far from her.”

“
Ah.” Nothing more need be
said.

Reaching to top of the cliff spread out a
spacious plateau. Grass grew all over, wild and free, behind a
great azure building with a large squared courtyard where many
Hunters in training sparred with one another with a multitude of
weapons. A group of thirty young children of similar age sat in a
comfortable meditative arrangement before a muscular woman softly
speaking. All were beneath the oppressive sun in minimal
clothes.

It prompted Oliver to ask “Are they learning
to harness their psionic capabilities?”

“
But of course.”

“
Then could I learn? I know
the basics, but all my practices end up in failure. Only thing that
works is the slicing wave technique.”

“
I will personally teach.
You would not fit in if you sat in with the children. What
classification are you?”

“
That’s the thing. Normally
Renee says I’m a class one, but when I’m learning subconsciously my
synaptic activity resembles a class twelve at most. Eleven at
least.”

“
Intriguing… and you say you
know our laws as well? Then what should happen if I find all this
is a farce?”

“
You will take my head, put
it on a pike and return it to the captain and withdraw the Hunters.
Then you will place a black mark upon the Dorgenox so no Hunter
will ever be allowed to protect it if ever in distress.”

“
Then for your sake I hope
everything is the upmost truth.” Scythe led the way to the dark
doors that were so opaque nothing definitive could be seen in the
azure building. The door slid open and at once, eleven sets of eyes
turned on the opening. Three were women, but all lounged on great
pillows large enough to make a bed. In the center of the room was a
burning fire crackling away. They were in casual ware, leaving
armor by the door, but weapons never left their reach. One man was
modified like Abdul, but looked more like a human wolf with gold
eyes. “Fellow Elders, this is who I summoned you for. This is
Oliver Void.”

“
Sit. Share a drink,
Brother.” One woman raised a glass of red wine.

“
May I wash first?” He
asked.

“
Certainly. Remove your
armor. The wash room is down that hall, second on you
left.”

“
My armor doesn’t come off
anymore.”

“
Then how do you clean?” one
deep spoken man asked.

“
Like this.” Before their
eyes his armor changed shape from sleek suit to comfortable pants
and an unbuttoned shirt. Then they watched as the shirt got sucked
into the vambrace. The elders grew still.

Until the wolf-elder laughed. “I can see my
timely arrival will not be a waste.”

“
Agreed.” Scythe clapped
Oliver on the shoulder. “What will you have when you
return?”

“
Oh, whatever you like. My
metabolism is so fast it is physically impossible to get
drunk.”

“
Lucky bastard. I can only
drink a half liter to reach my limit.” One woman said with a
grimace.

Oliver followed instructions and found the
shower easily. Cold water was a blessed relief and returned energy
to an exhausted body. Only unscented soap and deodorant was to be
had, much to Oliver’s preference. In minutes he was a whole new
man, hit the dryer and let his hidden clothes return. They were the
most casual he knew. A quick laser shave removed a day’s growth
from his chin before returning to the spacious hall.

Scythe sat with the two battleaxes beside his
pillow and held up a glass of chilled sweet wine. Oliver took the
hint and sat beside him, the center of attention of the other old
Hunters. They may be elders, but there is no retiring age. Only
prestige. They still fought Beasts like every other Hunter.

“
So, may I ask your names?”
The eleven smiled and as they took turns, it was proven elders took
on the name of weapons. Claymore, Javelin and Bastardsword for
example.

Elder Katana sat up, still looking relaxed as
any Hunter when not in battle ready stance said “We will review the
data Elder Scythe gave us privately tonight. For now, let us hear
your story… is that a Salamander leg spike?” she noticed after
looking down at the necklace.

“
Yes. Stone Calliko gave it
to me for slaying in with a single slicing wave. It was going to
eat him, but I killed it and rather enjoyed its brain. It was a
shame we had to go or I would have eaten it all…”

All the elders sat straighter. The wolf elder
asked “A true Beast-eater?”

“
It’s what Stone said. I
find it the most delicious when I preferred it again after killing
a Stingray.”

“
Let him start from the
beginning. It may shed more light than bouncing subjects.” The
eldest woman said. “Go ahead, Brother.”

“
Okay. Renee Dorgen,
Stephanie Merann, Stone Calliko, Deegen Castor…” he began his tale
and the twelve lounged, but retained Hunter readiness through the
story. They were quiet and let him sip on the wine to keep his
throat from going dry. The comfortable room and crackling fire made
for the perfect storytelling environment.