D'Mok Revival 1: Awakening (26 page)

Something about Dalbrth didn’t seem right—the wince of his eyes, or maybe that slightly twisted smile.
He isn’t telling us something,
Mencari thought. He gave a polite nod, though, in response. “Thank you, Dalbrth. Do you have any ground transportation?”

“I’m afraid we do not have that luxury. Do accept my apologies. But I’m sure you’ll enjoy the walk.” He pointed to a spot on the horizon, then to a worn path that led into the distance. “We are hoping for a better ranking in the next Olympics. Until then, we cannot produce the fuel.”

As they started down the path, Mencari caught a suspicious glance from Allia to Dalbrth. Apparently he wasn’t the only one with raised hackles from Dalbrth’s behavior. She even reached down and checked her flower-bladed weapon. Ichini also seemed more nervous than usual, his massive tiger head swinging from side to side, taking in the surroundings.

* * * * *

“No birds singing,” Allia said, looking around sadly.

“Or green plants,” Mencari replied. “Everything seems so withered.”

The ground that appeared dark and sparse during their descent was even more desolate up close. They made their way east along a well-trodden dirt path that snaked between sunken pockets denting the otherwise flat landscape. Pale bunches of shrubs and stunted gray trees dotted the land amongst wild grasses that looked tired and wilted. As they passed a cluster of bushes, Mencari stared at the yellowish leaves speckled with patches of white and black.

“Like everything’s diseased somehow,” Seigie muttered.

“Anything toxic should have shown up on our sensors,” he said with false confidence.

“Yeah, I’m sure we got
great
readings as we flew through those energy fields,” Seigie quipped.

Allia stopped walking, staring into the distance. Mencari looked back. “What’s wrong?”

“A creature. I feel it,” she whispered.

Seigie looked around. “Where?”

Ichini stood silent, tossing his head back and forth, occasionally sniffing, then bristling. A dark blur zigzagged between the sickly shrubs and divots.

Seigie reached into her bag of crystals while she lumbered toward the nearest cover, a waist-high shrub that offered little real protection. The others did the same.

A brilliant light flashed behind them, and a rabid growl turned to a desperate yelp. Mencari whirled around. A transformed Ichini had blocked a leaping attack from the man-sized creature with long claws brandished.

Tumbling to the ground, then rebounding with unnatural speed, the creature attacked Seigie instead. The aged matriarch was too slow to move away as the beast’s jaws clamped down on her arm, ripping through her sleeve. There was a loud crack followed by a spurt of green goo.

“Seigie!” Allia screamed.

“Let go . . . of . . . ME!” Seigie cried out, and pounded the creature’s head with her free arm. More green flowed from around the beast’s jaws, but with a pained yelp, it finally released her arm. As it did, tooth fragments fell to the ground. It staggered momentarily, and then dashed into a clump of bushes.

Allia ran to inspect Seigie’s wound, while Mencari and a growling Ichini kept an eye on the beast. Allia’s eyes grew large at the single small scratch etched on Seigie’s stony skin.

“You’re okay!” Allia cried.

“I’m going to have this mark for a hundred years!” Seigie’s moaned.

Mencari looked back toward her. “You okay?”

She kicked at the beast’s teeth fragments across the dry ground. “Other than my new beauty mark, yes. Who said having stone skin was a bad thing?”

There was a new rustling in the bushes. Mencari checked his hand-phaser and was surprised to see it fully charged. Then he recalled the crystal upgrade Liren gave him. That must be it.

The shrub rustled again, and the creature leaped out. Mencari unleashed a blast, but was totally unprepared for the enormous kickback of the supercharged weapon. The majority of the beam missed, passing in a wild arc. Luckily, a touch of it managed to graze the creature’s underbelly in midair. The sound of flesh sizzling accompanied a short yelp.

The beast flopped to the ground, rolling to a dead stop. Recalling Liren’s directions, Mencari aimed his phaser, planting his feet and bracing one hand with the other.

Before he could fire, though, Allia cried out and ran to the side of the fallen beast. “No, Rhysus!”

“Be careful, Allia,” Mencari warned.

The girl crouched by the creature. Subdued as it was, the matted black fur and yellow fangs gave it a dangerous look. Its forked tail twitched spastically as she knelt by its side. Reaching out, she laid her hands on its green-stained muzzle, then closed her eyes. As the child’s hand began to flush with light, the green oozing ebbed. Within moments, the broken teeth had sealed over.

Watching, Seigie said, “How—?”

“I’ve always been able to heal animals,” Allia said holding her focus on the beast. “My Shadow, Luri, can actually heal people.”

Mencari looked carefully around for other creatures. “Let’s keep moving. The sooner we find Jerin, the sooner we leave—”

The animal began to stir. Allia opened her eyes, stood and gradually backed away. “He should be okay now.”

She looked back to Mencari. “He was crazed with hunger.”

“Then we should leave now before it regains its strength,” he said.

As they continued down the path, Seigie looked back, then down at her sullied hands. She tried to wipe off the goo on a patch of the unhealthy-looking grasses. Most of the clotted clumps scraped off, but the green color stained her crystal-encrusted skin. Her face crumpled in displeasure.

“We’ll find somewhere to wash that off, Seigie,” Mencari said.

She waved him off as she drew two sapphire crystals from her bag. After a quick charge, the two burst into a plume of water that doused both her and Ichini, but effectively cleaned off the goo.

“Or you can do that,” Mencari said with shrug.

As he looked over the monotonous terrain, Mencari was uncomfortably aware of how alone the four were. He found himself worrying about Dalbrth’s dubious guidance. A strange burning crept across his chest, and he recognized it as a twinge of fear. If something happened . . . if they really needed help . . . There would be none.

He looked out of the corner of his eye at the others, flanked on either side. Seigie, Allia, and Ichini walked quickly forward, without the slightest sign of hesitation.

Maybe there were just four of them, and an odd lot at that. He took comfort in the knowing he could rely on them, and if push came to shove, they’d have each other’s backs.

Hours later, the crude dirt path began to mix with pebbles of increasing size, and soon after became a walkway of crushed stone. In the distance, a thin trail of gray smoke snaked into the dusking sky.

Encouraged, they picked up their pace. Finally, a town appeared on the horizon. Before long, they came upon its outer wall of tightly-packed wooden shanties, abandoned, in disrepair. There were still no animals, no chirping or even distant howling, just a defining silence.

One single structure towered above the rest. At the top was a blackened chimney that spewed the gray smoke they’d seen.

“If there’s fire,” he said, “there’s somebody inside.”

They followed the stony path into town. Mencari thought he spotted a shadowed figure in a window of a shack. Startled, he swiveled his head to get a better look. But it was gone.

He held up a hand, then called out, “Hello?”

There was no reply. Mencari approached the front door and knocked, then called, “Excuse me, anyone here?”

“Go away. Leave us alone.”

The voice sounded gruff, but was betrayed by its frailty.

“Is this the town of Gisie?” Mencari pressed.

“Don’t patronize us, you know it is. Now let us be!”

Mencari retreated from the door and returned to the group.

“At least we’re finding people now,” Allia said.

“Yeah. Just wish they were a little friendlier.”

As they continued on the stone road, they saw an old man in a hole-strewn garment caning toward them, his steps laborious. The hollow whites of his eyes revealed his handicap.

“Stay here, Ichini,” Allia said, and waved at the others to hold back while she went ahead. Mencari thought about stopping her, but realized her strategy; as a child, she was the least threatening of the group.

When she approached, the man raised his cane in defense. “I can hear you,” he said. “Don’t think I can’t defend myself!”

“Sir—”

He let out a gasp. “Such a young voice. I thought you were a bandit. Or maybe a creature!”

Allia giggled. “I’m not.”

“Forgive me, child. . . What brings a child to this town?”

“We’re looking for someone and—”

“
We’re?
More child-friends?”

Mencari moved closer. “No, but friends just the same.”

The old man’s face contorted, anger deepening his ancient wrinkles. “Go away! Can’t you see you’ve taken everything we have! What town did you take this child from?”

“No,” Allia said hurriedly. “We’re not—”

“What did they tell you, child? That you will make our haven strong and proud? That you can return to your family when you’re done? No one ever returns!”

“No! We’re looking for Odoli.”

“Odoli?” The name seemed to bleed away his anger. “I haven’t heard that name in some time.”

Mencari took a few steps forward. “Is he here?”

He raised his cane and shook it, but was so weak he almost dropped it. “You!” he cried out. “Just stay back.”

Allia waved Mencari off, then moved closer to the blind man. “Is Odoli here?”

His old bones cracked as he bent over to address her directly. “You mean
they
. Two boys. But they . . .” His empty eyes skittered quickly from side to side as his ancient body became rigid. “If you don’t know, then you couldn’t be from this haven!”

“We
aren’t
from here,” Mencari said.

The old man’s eyes squinted in contempt. “You are Anto’liea’s henchmen!”

“We’re not anybody’s
henchmen
,” Allia blurted. “We keep hearing about them, and we don’t even know who they are!”

The man’s head pulled back and tilted slightly.

“Please,” Allia said. “Help us.”

Her plea weakened the last of his resistance. “The Anto’liea are notorious, but they’ve never used children.” With a great sigh, he leaned toward her and whispered, “I believe you, little one. But you won’t find the Odolis here.”

Seigie muttered, “They lied to us.”

The old man’s head tilted toward Seigie. “Who lied to you?”

“The people from the spaceport,” Mencari answered.

“Even with our Olympic loss, it still has power, eh?” The old man chortled. “Let’s see what we can find out, child. Follow me.”

She jumped up and hugged him. “Oh, thank you!”

As the old man recovered from the hug, Mencari looked questioningly at Allia. With a smile, she shrugged and trotted along behind the man.

It was getting too dark to see, but the old man made his way without need of light back down the street to the one tall building they had seen on their first approach. As he opened the door, the smell of cooking vegetables wafted out, along with muted chattering.

The fireplace was centrally located. Candles dotted the interior and gave off faint light. As the fire crackled, bursts of light gave shape to those hidden in the shadows, perhaps two dozen men and women spread about the room, some in small groups talking, others sitting by themselves.

All of them were as ancient as the man who’d led them there.

“We have visitors,” the old man said.

As Ichini and Allia entered, a gasp escaped a few patrons.

“A child!”

“Where is the child from?”

The exuberant tone abruptly changed to a chorus of questions and expletives as Mencari and Seigie stepped inside.

“Where did they take this child from?”

“We have no more here, you bastards. Go!”

The old man raised a hand. “No. They have not come for that. They are looking for the Odoli boys.”

At this, one of the women said, “Odoli? Certainly they would know they were taken long ago.”

The old man leaned his cane against a chair before lowering himself into it. “They are not from here.”

Again the darkness came alive with a clamor.

“We don’t help Anto’liea scum either!”

The man sighed. “They aren’t Anto’liea. I believe the child. And I know the Odoli boys were taken long ago. But to which camp were they sent?”

A man moved into the firelight, revealing himself as younger than the others. “Gramps, how could you forget?” he said.

“Don’t play quizzing games. If I knew the answer, I wouldn’t ask.”

“But you do. They were taken to Shiki.”