The Omega Children - The Return of the Marauders (A young adult fiction best seller): An Action Adventure Mystery (18 page)

‘What is it?’ Quixote asked.

‘Not sure. It’s ─ ’

‘Like it’s living.’

Ari cast a glance at him. Had he read his mind?

‘This hill,’ Ari said, ‘runs into the mountains that we could not cross. Something in it is alive - more than the trees and the animals. In fact it feels like it’s even in the ground. I can’t...describe...’ He lost his words and felt something inside him reach out and grope the unseen masses of energy all around.

‘I bet there are plenty of undiscovered secrets in it,’ Quixote said. ‘I get the feeling everything is waiting to wake up. Those trees at the front, boy, imagine if they came to life.’

Ari did not reply and Quixote waved his hand in front of his face.

‘What are we looking for anyway?’

Ari snapped out of it and chuckled saying, ‘Not sure, just following my heart.’ And then added, ‘Maybe where that cave-tunnel comes out.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah oh. The one where those men would have attacked us had it not been for the eagle.’

‘If we find it. Maybe we can track those men, if they came out.’

Quixote followed Ari deeper into the forest looking a little sheepish. He knew that Ari would not have thrown stones - he would have taken more care. Ari would attack after a reconnaissance and formulating a plan. Quixote wondered if that’s why Ari got on best with Lexington. In their own way they both liked to gather information first, though Ari could be prone to outbursts if the moment called for it.

They moved upwards, treading over ground matted with thick leaves and dead debris, up through which poked gnarled and knotted roots. Mosses and ferns poked out from between giant overhanging umbrella-like ferns, and vines hung draped between various large trees of different mottled barks.

Every hundred feet or so large outcroppings of rocks, at least 20 feet high, burst out of the side of the hill. They tore open large gaps in the forest’s canopy exposing the sky.

‘How far are we going?’ Quixote asked.

‘Not sure.’

‘These mountains look like they could go on a long way.’ He sat down near the base of one of the outcrops.

‘Yeah. We may have to go back and get supplies.’

A distressed voice cried out from somewhere in the forest. Unable to make out the words, it got closer and rose in anger and then stopped. Ari threw himself to the ground pulling Quixote after him.

‘What? It’s probably just one of the others,’ Quixote said.

‘Shh, just listen.’

It started again and sounded as if adults were shouting, though the words were still too muffled to hear. Someone ran fast, crashing through the trees. It got louder and louder and louder until they burst out through the undergrowth. A small urchin-like child, at least 8 years old, clothed in an old sack, tumbled down in front of them, stood up and looked at them bewildered. He heaved great breaths in and out as beads of sweat streamed down his face. With extreme terror on his face he spoke to them in an utter panic.

‘Get up! They will get you! Hurry!’ 

Ari got up, guarded and could hear more sounds of someone crashing through the forest.

Urgency drained from the little boy’s face as he stared even more confused at Ari and Quixote.

‘Who....what....your clothes...who are you? Where did you get such bright colours from?’

Ari and Quixote stared at their clothes and realised that the little boy referred to the bright coloured tee shirts they wore under their togas.

The smashing and crashing got closer. Gruffer louder adult voices snarled from the forest, along with yelling and bursts of abuse. As the noise got closer and closer, the little boy shook.

‘Run as fast as you can,’ he cried out, tearing off away from his pursuers.

‘Hide! Now,’ Ari said.

Ari had barely spoken when a rough dressed bare-footed man leapt out of the bushes in front of them.

Hearing
Aunty Gertrude head back down the hallway, Melaleuca’s panic subsided and she breathed a sigh of relief, giving Lexington a look as if to say she should have trusted her.

‘What if there is no secret passageway out of here?’

‘There has to be,’ Melaleuca said.

They carried on searching, though no matter what they touched nothing opened, shifted, or even creaked.

‘We are going about this all wrong,’ Lexington said, scanning all they had touched.

‘Oh?’

‘Think about it. If people sat in a chapel and moved about they could have easily touched or accidentally tripped the lever or button to the secret door, if it was down low. If there is a secret door here, then I bet it is up out of reach of where people don’t ordinarily go.’

‘That’s the spirit Lex. Brilliant.’

Only one spot fitted with Lexington’s idea - the altar. After feeling under it Melaleuca could not find anything to push, twist or pull and nearly giving up she suddenly shouted, ‘Come here, quick, give me a leg up, I think I’ve got it.’

She pointed to the feet of Jesus on the crucifix, about eight feet off the ground.

Struggling, Lexington hoisted her up and in one quick motion threw her as high as she could. Melaleuca threw her arms up and caught on to the feet and then yelled for Lexington to let go. As the full weight of Melaleuca bore down on the statue feet, they gave way, sending her falling to the floor. Pained she looked up in time to see the spring-loaded feet return to its normal position.

Below the crucifix, a small door opened, exposing a gap that could barely fit one person.

***

Besides his rough clothes, the man smelt bad.

‘Ah ha. I haves you now you little runt,’ the man said with saliva drooling from his mouth. ‘Hurry, here’s another one,’ he called behind him.

The man lunged for Ari and grabbed him by his collar, yanking it hard. ‘You ain’t going nowheres.’

Ari grabbed one of the man’s fingers and bent it backwards, causing the man to howl and let go. Quixote clambered up a tree and then challenged the man. ‘Do that again and I shall fly down and bang you on the head.’

The man stumbled backwards nursing his finger. Ari saw he had very little intelligence and that nearly breaking his finger had wounded his feelings.

‘What you do that for?’

A second man appeared, melding out of the bushes, unrushed and calm. A red jacket, adorned with gold braiding clad his upper torso while gold stripes ran all the way down his grey baggy trousers into his black boots where his toes stuck out. Where his trousers crossed over his knees, holes appeared so that his knees poked out. Insignia sat splashed brightly across his chest and an unknown ranking sat on his epaulettes. His face stayed in the shadows.

‘What have we here then?’ He said with a refined voice. ‘I think you two are in serious trouble.’

He pulled a tall oval hat off, releasing his long hair. The ends of it touched the start of his long cape and draped around his neck. A plume of feathers poked out from behind his hat and he stroked them saying, ‘Foiled again eh, my stupid worthless side kick.’

‘I didn’t mean to hurt him,’ Ari said. ‘He attacked me first.’

‘He’s had worse.’

He stepped out of the shadows, revealing a face
of scars and pockmarks equal to those on their Aunt’s back. A sword and scabbard dangled from his side. Ornate braided rope wrapped around it and the hilt bore fancy swirls and shiny stones.

‘Get up FumpHee you fool. You are supposed to maintain the appearance of strength at all times.’

He yanked him up and then turned back to the boys, running his eyes over them, probing and assessing them.

‘Who are you and where do you come from? I’ll have you beaten to a pulp. Did you aid this boy’s escape? Answer me now and answer true. I will find out
the truth!’

The boys stared at his face, and Quixote leant into Ari. ‘It looks like Aunty Gertrude’s back.’

Ari nodded but kept his eye on the man.

‘Who are you and where do you come from?’ Ari said back in defiance.

‘Insolent boy, I ask the questions here. Answer me.’ His strong-protruding hairy eyebrows lifted in anger to reveal meaty eyes set deep in his skull.

‘Our parents told us to never do anything we did not want to do.’

Ari folded his arms and cocked his head to one side and raised his eyebrows in dare. The man looked aghast.

‘Your parents! No parents would dare teach such a thing. They would surely ─ ’ He stopped mid sentence and screwed his face up, and through a grimaced smile that slid out from beneath his rigid nose, said, ‘You are not from here are you?’

‘Who was that little boy?’ Ari demanded. ‘Why was he running so scared? Are you going to harm him?’

‘You are either brave or foolish for a boy.’ The man scowled. ‘I am Captain HeGood Nexic, Chief of the Inquisat around here, charged with keeping law and order. People live or die at my behest. You don’t know me and I see no fear in your eyes. Hmmm, yet you have our clothes on.’

‘I don’t like you,’ Quixote said. ‘Blam blam blam.’

He pretended to shoot him and moved his body around in gyrating motions pretending to duck bullets.

Fump-Hee cowled at this, backing away.

‘Are you a fool?’ Captain HeGood asked.

‘He’s got a great imagination,’ Ari said chuckling at Quixote’s antics.

On the word imagination both of the grown men recoiled.

‘Master he said the forbidden word!’

‘Oh hush you feckless cretin. I heard. Scurry off and get that little tramp of a kid while I deal with these two.’

Fump-Hee looked pleased and as if to show off said, ‘I have tracked him for two days all the way from ─ ’

‘FUMP-HEE. Shut up! Go and find him,’ Captain HeGood said with a bellow, and booted him hard in his rear. Captain HeGood turned to Ari and Quixote placing his hand on the hilt of his sword and said, ‘Now, what to do with you two?’

***

The dark gap into the secret passageway gave off a cautious invitation.

‘I’ll go first,’ Melaleuca said.

She pushed her head into the gap, squirming her way through, squeezing her shoulders hard against the sides. Thick cobwebs tangled in her face, smearing her vision, and wispy dust threads tickled her nose. She coughed and drew herself out, causing the maids’ uniform to pull over her head. Spluttering, she gasped for air.

‘...Dust....I don’t...think...anyone has been in there...for years,’ Melaleuca said trying to clear her throat.

Melaleuca took her maids uniform off.

‘Don’t need these anymore.’

She brushed away the cobwebs with it and wiped up as much of the dust as she could, and then threw it on the floor by the altar.

‘Right let’s try again,’ she said.

One at a time they both squeezed in through the small hole. Melaleuca raised her head, smacking it on the low ceiling.

‘Ow! Think we shall have to crawl…..Lex, find a lever or something, so we can close it.’

Lexington fished around for some sort of lever - found it and after much straining pushed it to one side causing the secret door to shut.

‘Stick close,’ Melaleuca said. ‘With no torch I will have to feel the way carefully.’

***

Ari and Quixote eyed Captain HeGood up and down, pondering his question. What would the Captain do with them?

‘I think nothing,’ Ari said.

‘I think we should tell him who we are,’ Quixote blurted out and leapt down from the tree.

Captain HeGood pulled himself backwards unsure of Quixote.

‘And who might that be?’

‘Superheroes,’ Quixote said in a boy’s imitation man-voice, pushing his chest out. ‘Where-ever there is danger, where-ever there is adventure, where-ever we can imagine, there we will be found. Bring it on ─ ’

‘You’re mad,’ Captain HeGood said.

Fump-Hee screamed from a short distance away as if he fell over a cliff. It pulled Captain HeGood’s attention away and all at once his face became wild with anger.

‘Fool. I knew he would be more trouble than he’s worth.’

He moved off into the bush in the direction that Fump-Hee had gone. No sooner had he disappeared when he reappeared again, his face set against Ari and Quixote. They could tell he had capture on his mind.

‘RUN,’ Ari cried out.

Together they booted it and thrashed their way through the forest away from Captain HeGood. Within seconds the dense woods swallowed them up and they heard Captain HeGood yell after them, ‘We will meet again. I will get answers.’

Spurred on by the excitement of possible capture, the boys ran and ran and ran, deeper and deeper into the forest giving little thought to where they went. Eventually they stopped and fell about the ground laughing by a large rock outcrop.

‘That was intense,’ Ari said.

‘That little boy seemed really scared.’

‘And did you see that guy’s sword? I bet it feels good to hold.’

Ari pretend-swung a sword.

‘Maybe we should have rescued the boy,’ Quixote said serious faced.

‘Maybe.’ Ari nodded unsure. ‘Maybe that’s what we are here to do. Rescue kids not solve things.’

He sat down on one of the rocks at the base of the rock outcrop. ‘We should check what the girls found first. Lex may have worked out all the mysteries.’

They laughed at this, knowing that she would not have worked any of them out.

Something about the small cliff face intrigued Quixote and he started climbing it. About twenty feet up, a large outcropping of rock and dirt blocked his way. With typical Quixote fervour he let out a little monkey squeal, and tried to leap and grab on to the overhang. His hand found a grip-hold on a protruding root and the rest of his body dangled below it. Above where he hung small bits of dirt fell.

Ari glared at it sensing danger and without warning a loud crack, like the splitting of a rock, sounded from above Quixote.

‘Quixote. Get down!’

Quixote swung with all his might toward the cliff face and landed on it. He giggled oblivious to any impending danger; though he scurried to his right - out from underneath the overhang to get a better view. 

‘Shuffle more to your right Quixote and work your way down.’

Quixote did not move but clung to the cliff face. At first Ari thought he might be frozen with fear, however unlikely for Quixote that might be.

‘Come down. It’s okay. You are out of harm’s way if it falls.’

Quixote looked over his shoulder and Ari recognised the same impish look he always got before doing something foolish. Before he could ask, Quixote started throwing rocks at the overhang trying to make it fall. The first rock bounced off.

‘Quixote...’

The second rock bounced off.

‘What are you doing?’

Quixote threw a third rock and the overhang started creaking again. A second loud crack followed and the heavy bulk of the rocky overhang gave way, and started sliding toward the ground. Booming, crashing and smashing erupted with dust and dirt spewing everywhere, filling the air with flying debris and plants. Splintered trees launched upwards and small rock missiles hurtled past. Ari plunged headlong downhill to escape the hurtling mass, and over top of the tumultuous noise he heard Quixote scream out shrill battle cries and laugh like an insane man.

The noise stopped and even before the dust settled Ari scrambled back up through the bushes, and peered, desperate to see his cousin.

‘Quixote! Where are you?’

Quixote stuck his dusty face up through the rubble, giggling and exclaimed, ‘What a ride.’

He giggled a few more times though Ari saw little to laugh at. He stared at him straight faced as Quixote’s giggle became a nervous titter. An uneasy silence fell about the forest and a deep yearning sense of long ago lingered, and the unseen presence once again seemed to fill the air.

A partially exposed giant door with two stone giants guarding either side, sat where the cliff face had been. The bodies had legs and arms but looked like they had been plucked from different body types. All at once they seemed fat, skinny, muscley, short, and tall. Even the heads appeared to subtly morph into different faces.

***

The girls shuffled forward on their knees through the secret passage arguing.

‘I tell you we have been this way before,’ Lexington said.

‘I don't remember such a low ceiling.’

‘Last night we entered it but decided not to go all the way because it was getting late.’

‘Then we have not come this way.’

‘If I calculate correctly, we found where it exited because we came across a second passage just like this.’