Kastori Revelations (The Kastori Chronicles Book 1) (10 page)

“Cyrus!” Celeste said, heavy disappointment evident in her voice. “You’re going to quit when we’ve examined one out of many possible water sources? Really? You can’t quit! Remember what I said yesterday? You want to leave me hanging? Are you going to give up on yourself like that?”

Frustrated, Cyrus marched ahead without a word.

“Where are you going?” Celeste asked.

“The ship!”

Celeste and Crystil quickly followed. They gave him at least twenty feet of space. He ignored the night sky, not caring if the monster appeared. He only cared that if it did, Celeste wouldn’t die.

He knew he was as good as dead in three years and didn’t feel like putting up a fight to prevent the end.

14

Crystil let Cyrus lead until nightfall, at which point she ordered everyone up into the trees. By her estimation, they’d only gained three miles on the return trip, making it almost a guarantee they’d have to spend a fourth day outside. That meant they had another night in the monster’s domain. Every night outside was their biggest gamble yet.

Cyrus again only climbed to the lowest branch, about fifty feet off the ground, while Celeste and Crystil climbed a hundred feet. Celeste asked for Cyrus to come up, but he didn’t even answer.
At least he didn’t run off yet.

Crystil looked down and heard the rustling of creatures in the grass, the clicking of insects and nocturnal animals chewing leaves. She placed one hand on the limb that supported her, while the other gently held the container with the water of the ocean. It almost certainly wasn’t the elixir of life, for even with all of the technological advances on Monda, none could turn salt water into fresh water. Yet knowing how secretive the empire could be, she held out hope.

And if not, we’ll explore the mountains.

A deep growl came from behind her in the forest. Suddenly, she heard the scampering of something climbing up the tree. She reached for her knife and held it in her right hand, hiding her body for a preemptive attack. It stopped, and she let out a slow sigh at Cyrus’ voice.

“I ain’t dying to something I can’t see,” he said as Crystil placed the water container in her backpack.

More scampering came as three creatures resembling precora with thick, mane-like fur burst out onto the plains. Lupi chased but suddenly stopped at the edge of the forest. The precora kept running at full speed.

“Poor lupi aren’t getting fed tonight,” Cyrus cracked, but Crystil shivered as it dawned on her why the lupi stopped.

Crystil heard a deep rumbling above her, created by the force of something massive moving, along with a low growl. She looked up, and though all the stars still shone, she didn’t need that proof. The lupi, without a sound, retreated into the forest, pressing themselves low to the ground. She quietly slid her knife down and grabbed her rifle in case the beast came close, even knowing a creature of that size would treat bullets like annoying pricks.

The precora froze. Crystil gulped and looked at Cyrus and Celeste, who pressed themselves against the tree. She held one finger up to her mouth, and they silently gave a thumbs up. Crystil slowly went to her stomach, cocking the rifle and preparing to fire.

A deafening roar blasted through the air, so loud that Crystil’s ears rang out with a high-pitched screech. Before she regained her hearing, she felt the force of the monster flying above the trees, almost knocking her off the branch. She stayed on, but her rifle fell to the ground.

A horrifying scream from the precora pierced through Crystil’s recovering hearing. It sent chills through Crystil’s spine, sending her back to Eve’s death. Crystil looked in horror at the outline of the predatory creature.

It stood towering over the trees they sat in. The creature was about four hundred feet. It had a broad back from which featherless wings spread out. Its back had rigid spikes, and it had a tail with a spear for an end that could impale anything, including, Crystil realized,
Omega One
. It reared back and roared to the sky, and Crystil saw four arms, two with claws, two longer ones with pointed spikes at the end. The creature also had thick, short legs.

She watched in horror, backing up toward the base of the tree, as the monster impaled the precora and ate them, the smaller creatures crying out for a quick death. Crystil put her hand on her mouth and bit down on her arm sleeve so she would not bring attention to herself.

“Oh no,” Celeste said, and Crystil’s worst fear came true as the creature turned to them, still chewing the remains of the precora.

The beast had a scaly belly and, indeed, four monstrous arms, the better to kill all three of them at once. It had a black hide that ran all over its body, making it blend in with the night. It had a long snout, which brought back terrible reminders of the nakar, and fangs which could also pierce the ship. It had three horns extending from the top of its head and sinister yellow eyes.
This is evil that will kill anything living which crosses its path.

It took four steps toward them, coming to the edge of the forest. Crystil put her hand down in a stop motion, hoping neither of the siblings would panic or say anything. She had a horrifying feeling remembering what had happened in their last simulation.

The beast lowered its face and sniffed. Crystil could feel its hot breath on her skin. She bit her lip so hard she bled. The creature gave a roar that again ruined her hearing. Fortunately, it propelled off the ground, albeit with such force it seemed to produce an earthquake. Crystil trembled as the monster vanished from her view, its outline visible only by the blocked stars.

Crystil looked down at Cyrus and Celeste, who looked up at her with mortal fear in their eyes. No one said a word. No one gestured to the other. Crystil went back and laid against the tree.

When sunrise came, no one had slept. No one had even attempted to rest.

15

Celeste climbed down the tree first, her nerves fried and her body wanting the sheets of a warm bed, even if it meant walking a dozen hours. She walked to the plains, still certain that same creature would appear in the daytime and turn them into a snack. The planet now resembled a rose with a spotlight on the petals—by day, it looked beautiful, but in the shadows lurked a particularly deadly thorn. It didn’t help that she could see the dried blood of the precoras.

Behind her, Crystil descended and stood at the edge of the forest, waiting on Cyrus. Celeste could only imagine how much worse last night was for Crystil with her history.

But Cyrus didn’t come down for several minutes.

“Let’s go, Cyrus,” Crystil barked.

Celeste made a mental note to handle Crystil delicately.

“I told you we’re all gonna die,” Cyrus said. “What’s the point? You wanna walk back to the ship so you can live your lives out in virtual reality? There’s no point! I’m just gonna stay up here and let the world eat me. At least that way I’ll have an all-natural death.”

“Fine,” Crystil said as she walked east to the ship.

Celeste ran up to their fuming commander and grabbed her arm. Crystil angrily looked at her, and Celeste tried to tell herself the furious look was not a personal one.
But she sure has a way of scaring you.

“If you want to stay behind with Cyrus, you can. I’m not waiting on someone who has given up.”

Celeste wanted to reason with her, but Crystil continued.
No, come on. We can’t fall apart already. We had one bad night. We can figure it out. No, Cyrus, Crystil! Please!

Much to her relief, Cyrus descended the tree and jogged to Celeste. Crystil had already made her way ahead, having gained nearly a quarter of a mile but remained in sight.

“I’m glad you changed your mind,” Celeste said as she hugged Cyrus gently.

“I didn’t,” he said. “Us against that thing? We might as well be blades of grass. But I decided I’d rather die with you two than not.”

We can still figure it out.

I hope. I really hope.

The walking distance between them, Celeste figured, provided a blessing. Crystil’s anger might vanish, while Celeste could comfort Cyrus and snap him out of his nihilistic viewpoint. But she knew a day-long walk would not eradicate the horrifying, traumatic memory of the creature’s evil eyes, sharp teeth, and deafening cry. Celeste feared she and Cyrus would start having crippling flashbacks like Crystil.

The longer the walk went, the more nervous Celeste became.

How, exactly, are we going to defeat this monster? Omega One is a transportation and residential vessel, not a military one.

Cyrus is right. We are going to die soon.

The only question is will the planet do it or will we off ourselves?

When the sun had dipped halfway below the horizon, Crystil said they were eight miles out. She told them she was going to jog for the ship, and if the siblings didn’t want to, they should go deeper into the forest than before. Celeste ran, and though Cyrus put his hands up, not seeing the point, he joined his sister in a fast-paced jog
.

Night came. Crystil, a faster runner than either Orthran, had vanished. Celeste looked at Cyrus and, through tired breath, asked how he was. He gave a thumbs up.

“Listen… if it appears… run. To the forest.”

Cyrus gave both thumbs up, and the two continued jogging.

The scariest part was how quickly death could come. The creature’s roar, descent, and feast the previous night had happened in less than ten seconds. At any moment, their life spans could be down to a single moment.

Then Celeste saw it.

She screamed.

Omega One
.

“Let’s go,” she said as she turned her jog into a sprint, now terrified her scream had alerted the monster of her presence.

Before she could even get to the airlock, the pod descended. Cyrus and Celeste got on, with Celeste bracing herself for the monster.

It never came. The pod lifted, and once the airlock opened, Crystil stood there, hands behind her back.

“I apologize,” she said, though the anger on her face remained. “As your commander, I should not have abandoned you. It is my mission to keep you two safe, and I failed tonight.”

With that, and not so much as a nod, she headed to her quarters, her boots echoing through the hall as a reminder of her authority.

“Man, what a—”

Celeste elbowed Cyrus, which caused him to writhe in pain as he fell to the ground.

“You may be giving up, but I’m not,” she said. “Things are already tense enough here. Don’t make it worse, OK? At least promise us you won’t be a hindrance.”

Cyrus gave a weak nod. Celeste, having had enough, headed straight to her room and curled up in her warm, silk sheets. The soft pillow, conforming to her head, the ship’s security, and the lack of sleep in nearly two days knocked her out so quickly, she passed out with her boots still on.

16

Celeste had no idea what time when she woke up. Through her windows, she could see the sun pushing through the shades, having risen to the highest point in the sky.

She sat up, stretched, and tuned her ears for conversation. Nothing came—not even the sound of Crystil’s boots in the hallway. She slowly dressed and headed to the captain’s quarters. The door was shut, but Celeste didn’t hear any movement inside. She walked into the cockpit and saw the gorgeous Anatolus sky with aviants flying. She went in the other direction toward Cyrus’ room and found him standing at the window, looking outside.

“Cyrus?” she said.

He turned only his head, a look of utter defeat and resignation on his face. She’d never seen his face look like that
.

He really has quit, hasn’t he?

He turned back to the window.

“Cyrus.”

This time, he did not turn around. Celeste left him in silence and walked toward the mess hall for food. As she walked by, she heard Crystil say, “… sure, Cortanus?” Curious, Celeste followed the sound of the voice and found Crystil in the research and medical bay, looking down at the container of oceanic water.

“My calculations have been double checked in my system, Crystil.”

“What’s going on?” Celeste said cautiously.

Crystil turned to face her with furious eyes, but Celeste sensed they were not for her, but the situation in general.

“Cortanus and the ship can’t purify this into drinking water. Something about having unknown elements and not having the proper equipment to remove them.”

“Oh,” Celeste said, sighing.

Crystil turned her attention back to the water container but continued speaking to Celeste.

“I’m sorry, Celeste, but I need to vent right now. This is so frustrating. We’re not even at square one, or square zero. We’re at square negative one because everything we’ve done has not only failed, it’s uncovered new dangers along the way. We go and find water, only to find out it’s not drinkable, and then we face the monster that’ll hunt us. The unpredictability makes it even worse. We leave Monda, only to find out we can’t find resources. We may eventually find them, but I’m telling you right now, Celeste, and this is between you and me, your brother needs to shape up real fast.”