Fractured Earth Saga 1: Apocalypse Orphan (33 page)

The woman turned her once-bright eyes to Wolf and said, “I have tried to live tame like a lowlands woman, but Jonar has made it impossible. I had forsaken my heritage for a man I thought worthy. Let me tell you why my sister and the others kneeled to me. Many winters ago, my mother chose me to lead our people. I had seven older sisters who hated me. My mother and grandmother saw my potential when I was very young, and I was given training by the Erinyes—three old crones who have proven themselves as elite fighters through trial by combat, and their skills are incredible. No one knows how many years they have lived, and no one had seen them in years, but when I was three, they appeared. I was given to them to train, and for twelve years, day and night, I was taught to fight. When I returned, my mother had given birth to Skylla. She was nine at the time, and I was fifteen. We hit it off immediately. My mother was proud that the crones had chosen her daughter, and she had me fight all her seasoned warriors.”

Nala met Wolf’s gaze and added, “It is not bragging when I say I am the most skilled Nanna ever to live. I have fought many battles and killed hundreds by my whip and blade. One day, Jonar came to our people to demand our allegiance. We fought all day and into the night. We killed hundreds of his men, but they kept coming. Our warriors fought until they fell from exhaustion. Jonar’s soldiers never attacked them while they lay unconscious—it was obvious he wanted us alive. Hundreds of my sisters were taken captive. They were chained and forced to lie on the ground, shamed at being defeated by common men.

“My mother and I fought harder than the rest, and we were still fighting when the others awoke. Hundreds of Jonar’s men surrounded us and continued trying to take us alive. Finally, Jonar himself arrived. He ordered his men back and walked towards my mother, staying out of her whip range. He said something to her, and she shouted ‘No!’ several times. Then, he smiled and raised his hand. Lightning shot out of it, hitting her, and she fell to the ground like a sack of fruit.

“We had heard of his lightning weapon, but we believed it was a lie. It was rumored that the weapon did not kill but only stunned, so I tried to reach my mother to rescue her. Jonar shot his lightning at me again and again, driving me back. I fought and killed his men as they tried to subdue me. They dragged my mother over to the other captives, and when I saw her chained, I went mad. I became one with my whip and blade, and his men fell screaming all around me. For some reason, Jonar did not shoot his lightning weapon at me again. But the odds were so unequal that my mother signaled to me to escape. I broke through Jonar’s lines and fled into the forest, bloody and severely wounded. I came upon a small village, and I stole clothing off a clothesline, discarding my Nanna gear. At some point, I wandered onto Haakon’s land and collapsed. It was raining when he found me, and I was dying. Haakon nursed me back to health. I married him and bore his children. I would have stayed with him for the rest of my life. I swear, if that man dies, I will kill Jonar with my teeth.” Nala uttered the words with such resolve that Wolf gained a new respect for her.

“Haakon will recover, I promise you. Bring back that smiling face for him, Nala. Remove the gorgon’s mask you now wear.”

“I will not smile until he smiles. My heart will not allow it. Please, let us hurry,” Nala urged, still thinking of Wolf’s hard, powerful arms around her body.

They went through the castle and up onto the landing where the holo-tent stood. Wolf glanced around and whispered, “Syn, we’re here.” They walked under the tent flap, and Syn was waiting for them at the top of the ship’s ramp. She frowned when she saw Nala dressed in a Nanna outfit but gave her an affectionate hug.

“Come, Nala, I want to talk to you,” Syn said, leading the woman up into the ship. “I have your husband here. I have stitched his wounds, and he is recovering.”

“How is it possible, Syn? How did you get him here? You could not have gotten here before us,” Nala said.

“Remember what I told you about myself, Nala. I have other abilities that may seem like magic to you. Come, your husband waits.”

As they walked through the ship to the med bay, Wolf noticed that Syn had concealed the walls and computer monitors with carpets and paintings to give the interior a rustic, homey look. When they reached the med bay and Nala caught a glimpse of Haakon, she cried out and ran to his side. He was lying on a simple cot with wires from the EKG attached to his chest and an IV in his arm. An oxygen mask covered his face, causing Nala to gasp in fear.

“The things on him are keeping him alive until his body is strong enough to take over,” Syn explained. “Do you trust me, Nala?”

“Yes, I trust you, Syn. You hold my heart here. I will do whatever you want and give you any price you ask, but save him for me.”

Nala broke into tears, and Syn gently hugged her, whispering, “I will save him because I love you, Nala. Have faith in me. You are the only person on this planet who knows my secret. Bring your family here—I will ask Wolf to have lodging constructed on the roof next to ours. You will stay here to help me with Haakon. No one must know he is here yet, do you understand?” Syn asked, looking into her eyes.

“I do not understand, but I will remain silent,” Nala promised. “May I sit with him for a while?”

“Stay as long as you want, Nala. I will have Wolf fetch your family.”

Wolf followed Syn out of the med bay. Once outside, he grabbed her arm and demanded, “Syn, what is going on?”

“Commander, release me. Take your hand off of me now and never place it on me in anger again,” Syn said with cold intensity.

Wolf released Syn and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I worry about you, Syn. When these surprises happen, it makes me a little crazy. Forgive me.”

“I feel the same about you, Commander. I have done nothing to jeopardize us. Nala is a good woman…she will not betray us. I had questions my database could not answer. She helped me, and I still need her help.”

“We need a plan to get you and Haakon into the castle,” Wolf said, changing the subject. “I want you to come to the gate with Haakon on a stretcher. How can we accomplish that?”

“You will take a trip to the woods alone. A day later, we will return to the castle together carrying Haakon on a litter.”

“How can we do that? The ship is stuck here, holding up this gigantic tent.”

Syn laughed softly and kissed Wolf’s cheek. “You forget the watch, Commander. I will augment its programming slightly so it can maintain my hologram long enough to get us back up here. Have Trulane guard the stairwell. I will ask Nala to see if her sister and the Nannas can relieve Trulane to keep the curious away from here while you’re gone.”

“I’ll inform the king and depart within the hour,” Wolf said.

“Give me your watch, Commander. I will adjust it and have it ready before you leave.”

Wolf hugged Syn and then went to speak with King Waylan. The monarch was in his throne room with his commanders and Skylla, Titus, and Eras. Wolf greeted them and told the king, “I need to leave for a day or two, my lord. Syn will need my help getting Haakon to the castle, so I am going out to meet her.”

“I will send a squadron with you for safety,” the king offered.

“No, my lord, I will go alone. I can travel faster by myself, but I appreciate the offer. I will depart as soon as I return to my quarters and pack some gear. Nala and her family will stay in my quarters while I’m away. Can your men ensure that they're undisturbed?”

“I will place a guard on the lower stairs with instructions to let Nala and her family pass. I do wish you would take guards, my friend, but it’s your choice. Be safe, my friend,” the king said as he limped slowly over to shake Wolf’s hand.

Chapter 23

W
olf departed the castle and headed into the forest towards Haakon’s farmstead. After thirty minutes, he activated his redesigned wristwatch. Syn’s hologram flickered and then stood before him, appearing vibrant and alive.

“Let’s walk a few more miles and set up a secluded camp,” Wolf suggested. “We’ll wait a day or two and then return. Can the watch keep you here with me that long?”

“Yes, Commander.” After a pause, Syn asked, “What are our plans for the future? We have been here a few weeks, and already we’ve been involved in combat and killed many people. Have you decided to live in this little kingdom, or will we move on and explore this world?”

“I don’t know, Syn. We are alone here. No one is coming to save us, and we have no way back to our age. You know I like these people. Once we eliminate Jonar, this land could become a paradise. Let us help in this battle and then try to set down roots. We can use this land as a base of operation until we decide where to go from here.”

“I only ask because you seem to relish being the legendary warrior. I know you believe you are invincible, but you were knocked senseless for hours by a crude bomb. What will you do if Jonar uses something bigger? He made those explosives, and he can make more, refining his method until he develops a weapon that can seriously injure you. It might have been the crude LRAD system that knocked you unconscious. I believe you are vulnerable to a sonic attack. If amplified sufficiently, Commander, it could kill you.”

“Jonar must be stopped,” Wolf said. “Hell, not many people are left on this planet, Syn. After this battle, there will be fewer. How can humanity rebuild if petty warlords keep waging wars and killing everyone? I admit Jonar is smart—maybe he is this era’s Albert Einstein. If we can get him to give up his mad dream of conquest, perhaps we can use his knowledge to make this world better.”

“There will always be those who aspire to rule, Wolf. It is in the human genome. The other thing you overlook is that many people prefer to be governed. They want to follow a strong leader with lofty ideas, and they want someone else to make their decisions. Why worry about food when it will be provided? All the people need to do is proclaim one man or another as king and the process begins again. It’s just the way it is.”

“You’re becoming cynical,” Wolf observed.

* * *

Wolf and Syn spent two nights in the secluded woods. On the second night, they were sitting by a small campfire, stargazing. Wolf rested his head in Syn’s lap as they discussed the politics and customs of this primitive world, the inhabitants they had befriended, and the future. The night wore on, and the fire burned low. Syn’s eyes were closed and she hummed a tune with a dreamy look on her face. Wolf had never felt so at peace with a woman before and wished the night would never end. He fell asleep thinking,
If only…

At sunrise the next morning, Wolf reluctantly announced, “It’s time to head back to the castle.” Syn took his wrist, adjusted the holo-emitters on his watch, and disappeared. Moments later, she reappeared in her Tomb Raider outfit, standing next to a cot with Haakon’s body. Wolf lifted the back end of the stretcher and Syn took the front as they set out for Waylan’s castle.

For the next hour, Wolf’s eyes were locked on Syn’s shapely posterior as they walked. Finally, he asked, “Syn, are you enhancing yourself?”

“What do you mean, Commander?”

“Never mind,” Wolf answered, his eyes still glued to Syn’s derriere. He was so entranced watching her sensuous curves that he stumbled several times. On each occasion, Syn stopped and turned to ask, “Are you all right, Commander?” Wolf mumbled an unintelligible reply, and they resumed the journey.

By the time they reached the castle gate, Wolf had decided that he would need a gallon of strong liquor and an ice-cold shower. They passed through the gates as onlookers offered to carry Haakon’s litter, but Wolf declined the help. After what seemed like a long, tedious walk, they reached the bridge and made their way up to the crown and the holo-tent. Haakon’s children greeted them with excitement, but when they saw their father’s unconscious body, they began asking questions. Wolf explained that they needed to move Haakon inside and promised to return for them after Haakon had been put into bed and hooked up to monitoring equipment.

As Wolf was speaking, Nala walked out and saw the litter with Haakon’s body. She had just left Haakon in the med lab with Syn sitting at his bedside—now, here was Syn with Haakon on a cot. Wolf saw her startled expression and gave her a reassuring grin as they walked past her with the litter.

Once they were inside the ship, Nala blurted, “You two are the strangest people I have ever seen! Is this my husband that you carry, or is the one inside that room my husband?”

“Nala, the one we carry is like me—just a hologram,” Syn responded. “We needed an explanation for how Haakon came to be in the castle, so we thought carrying him in this way would satisfy the people’s curiosity.”

The cot bearing Haakon’s body vanished as Syn shut down the software generating the hologram. With a look of confusion, Nala said, “I trust you two, but this is terribly scary. I don’t know if this is real or I am dreaming and I will wake up in my home.”

* * *

The next morning, Syn alerted Wolf that Jonar’s army was on the move and would arrive in less than a week. She also reported that she had isolated a crude jamming signal and adjusted her sensors to filter it. Wolf relayed the news to King Waylan and warned, “They are bringing siege weapons that will hurl rocks at the gates and rams to batter what is left. He has about twenty thousand fighting men with him.”