The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil (51 page)

Movement was torture. She groaned with the effort of lifting Callum’s body, finding him deadweight in her arms. Lying him on his back she rubbed her hands along his arms to try and generate blood flow through his veins. He was still alive. There was still hope. She would just need to work fast in getting him stabilized.

But how was she supposed to do that? Her own body ached and screamed from fatigue and cold. With every brush of her fingers over Callum’s arms, she couldn’t be sure if her hands even made contact with him. “Wake up, Callum,” she urged desperately, the sound nothing more than a broken whisper. “Open your eyes. I need you to wake up!”

Desperate, she slammed her fist down on his chest. Why wouldn’t he wake up? They had come so far! He was out of the water now. He could come back to her. It would be so simple to just open his eyes. She placed her hands on either side of his face, rattling it back and forth between her palms. Whatever state of consciousness he was in, it was deep. There had to be some way of warming him. To provide cover from the cool breeze that rushed over the beach. Sobs escaped her though no tears fell. It was an unfamiliar sensation. One she hoped to never experience again after this night.

Laying across his motionless form Aiva pressed her ear against his chest, listening for the gentle pounding of his heart. It was there. Faint. Even that was enough to comfort her. He wasn’t dead. She refused to let him die. There was too much left unsaid. Unfinished between them.

The quiet thud was unusually soothing to her senses. Hypnotic. Stretched over his chest she laid there, listening to the sound until sleep overtook her, drifting into restless unconsciousness. Her dreams were filled with images of the divastru. Terrible, broken pictures of that wretched creature. The screams of the crew struggling to keep it at bay and failing. She could see Edric’s face, his silvery-blue eyes staring at her from where he lay on the floor, reaching for her hand desperately, unable to get to her. Edric. Was he alive? Were the others safe?

With a twitch she awoke, coughing in surprise. She drew in a deep breath, frightened by the unfamiliar surroundings, forgetting where she was in a moment of panic. Gradually it started to come back to her. She didn’t know where she was, but she recalled how she got there. And Callum. Glancing down she swallowed hard, fingers pressed against the side of his neck in search of a pulse. Yes. He was still with her. Alive.

To her joy she could feel a slight tingle in her fingertips where they touched Callum’s skin. The cold was beginning to dissipate despite the shivers that continued to rack her entire body. Although minimal, feeling was returning. It would be enough to help her carry Callum onward in search of some nearby civilization that might be able to help him. He was injured badly. Beyond her abilities to assist, even if she was healthy. Enervated from the terrible events of the night, she would be worthless to him. He needed a doctor. Someone whose mind functioned with more clarity.

Unsteady, she tried to climb to her feet, finding the task more of a challenge than she hoped. Her legs were still somewhat numb, fighting against her attempts at positioning her weight over her knees, sinking again into the sand with a scream of frustration.
Stand up!
Palms flattened against the sand, she tried again. Slowly. It took great pains to accomplish, eventually finding herself upright, staring out over the sea. The sun had broken over the horizon, casting an orange glow along the surface of the water. There was nothing there. No boats. No monsters. She was stranded on this island.
What if there are no people here? What if there are no doctors?
Shaking her head she forced the thought away. They couldn’t be far from Palinon, and along the islands, there were bound to be settlements.

Staggering over to Callum, she bent forward, groaning under the burden of his weight as she tried to lift him from the ground. She wouldn’t leave him behind. If she abandoned him to find help, there was no way to know whether or not he would still be there when she returned. Anything could happen. That had been obvious since starting this journey. There could be pirates. Thieves. Unknown creatures hidden amongst the cover of the trees just waiting to descend upon his helpless body and feast on him for breakfast. She shuddered at the thought. “Work with me, Callum,” she mumbled, adjusting her hold on his arms to support him by her shoulders. “You’re too heavy. Why can’t you just wake up?”

She stared at him as if expecting a reply. Instead she was met with only silence, his head dangling forward at an uncomfortable angle. Sighing heavily she trudged onward, dragging Callum along into the dense trees. This was nothing like she’d pictured Luquarr. The landscape was all wrong. With every step she took, her heart fell to think that she was mistaken about their whereabouts. Several islands dotted the sea between Palinon and the jungles of Tunir in the south. They could have washed up anywhere along the way.

The terrain reminded Aiva of Tanispa. Forests. But these trees were different. Taller. The leaves were in strange shapes and lush greens, vines strung from the branches at varying heights. Plant life covered the ground that brought no words to mind with which to identify the species. Some with budding flowers of vibrant reds and oranges while others appeared nothing more than a strange breed of grass which stood taller than Aiva, concealing her and Callum in their massive leaves. It was grueling work to make progress through the forests. She had no compass to direct her, relying only on her eyes to search out any sign of civilization.

Strange noises could be heard throughout the trees. Birds. Frogs. Crickets. It came from all around. She pressed on, managing to keep a somewhat steady pace for a few hours before she gave in to the desire for rest. She needed to sit. Her legs were ready to give out. Knees shaking uncontrollably. Laying Callum in the grass she took up watch at his side. Why had he not awoken yet? He appeared almost comatose in his peaceful slumber. Leaning forward she lifted his eyelid with her thumb, peering into his eye. It was blank. Devoid of any response to her prodding.

Frustrated, she sat back, wiping the sweat from her brow. As the day progressed, the heat was becoming more intense, ridding Aiva of the tingling numbness that had plagued her since plunging into the frigid waters of the sea. It was reminiscent of the desert temperatures but with a moisture which lingered in the air, affecting her lungs with every breath she took. Surrounded by lush greenery she was somehow more miserable than she’d felt at any time while in the desert. The humidity was torture. And it only grew worse with the later hours of the day. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take while exerting herself the way she was.

Overhead in the trees she heard a low cackle, unlike any sound a person was capable of producing. Tilting her head back she gazed up into the branches. There was something there. High in the trees, beyond her view.
Ignore it
. She didn’t want to focus on the local wildlife. She wanted to find a city. There had to be one somewhere.

The noise came again. Closer this time. Frightened by the thought of what it could be, she reached toward Callum’s waist, drawing the sword from his belt. She didn’t want to fight, but it was comforting to know she at least had a weapon if given no other choice. Scanning the trees, she tried to locate the source of the sound. It didn’t seem particularly large. Or menacing. Though the Feh Noq were a relatively small people and had shown themselves to be some of the strongest warriors Aiva had ever seen. She couldn’t discount a possible threat simply by size.

Something cracked a few feet away, drawing Aiva’s attention to a low hanging branch off to her left. Turning her head she let out a cry of surprise to find herself face-to-face with a furry animal hanging from the tree, its long tail wrapped around the wood, lazily swinging in front of Aiva’s face. At her outburst the creature gave a loud shriek, its long, slender, fingered paw slashing fiercely at her neck, a sharp sting sending Aiva into a sudden shock. It stared at her. Wide-eyed. The pupils were large, seeming to cover most of the face, their round sockets stretching from the top of its head down to the mouth. Long fur coated its body, striped along the tail which now released its grasp on the branch, dropping to the ground in front of Aiva with a menacing hiss.

It stood barely three feet high but with its teeth bared Aiva feared it the same as any large beast they’d come across on their journey. Her neck ached. Burned. Like fire coursing through her veins from where the creature struck her. She was on her feet instantly, positioning herself between Callum and the animal, not wanting to let it anywhere near him. She had to protect him. He had risked his life for everyone else aboard the ship. He deserved to have someone do the same for him.

“Get back!” she shouted, swinging her sword at the creature in a threatening manner, hoping to frighten it away. To her dismay it only sat there, staring at her, head cocked to one side in curiosity of her strange behavior. “I said get back! Go away!”

Opening its tiny mouth the animal let out another cackle, louder than before, sending chills through Aiva’s spine. Was it calling for others? She didn’t know how to defend against one, let alone a large number of them.
Kill it
. If she could kill it, then she could get Callum and move him away from there before anymore could come. Before she could think to strike, it leapt forward, wrapping its long legs around her waist, clawing wildly at her torso. Forgetting all technique Aiva hammered the hilt of her sword against its face. The long toes were like fingers gripping the fabric of her dress, impossible to pry loose. Another sting came from under the creature’s hand, something feeling to puncture the skin between her right shoulder and breast. What was it doing? Her shoulder flared with intense pain, dropping her to the ground in agony.

Her hand reached for its neck, easily grasping the slender animal to try and pull it away. She had a longer reach than the creature, maintaining a steady hold, its arms slashing at her, unable to make contact. Nothing she did could break the grip it had on her waist. In a final effort she tightened her hand on Callum’s sword. Metal pierced through flesh on its side, a pitiful cry escaping the creature as it released her, twitching painfully under her fingers. Disgusted, she tossed it aside, eyes locked on its discarded body as it came to rest.

Overcome by the fire that raged through her veins from her neck and shoulder, she stumbled forward to investigate the creature. It had stung her. But with what? She saw no indication of anything capable of penetrating skin. Lifting one of the long arms, she wrinkled her nose in distaste. The hand displayed four fingers, long and slender, blackened like those of the Feh Noq, only covering the entire length instead of merely the tip. This animal was adapted to the trees. Covered to allow protection from the rough bark as it swung through the branches. Further down on the wrist she could see what looked to be a fifth digit. A seeming thumb midway between the palm and the elbow joint. There at the tip was a sharpened claw. Reddened still with her blood.

Frantic, she grabbed at her shoulder, fearful of the blood already soaked through her dress over the wound. Grasping at her neck she could feel the sticky substance there as well. Her head reeled. She needed to calm down. Whatever the beast was, it was dead. She didn’t have to worry about it anymore. But what if there were more? She didn’t think she could take another sting from its claws. Her wounds already burned, the discomfort increasing steadily until it felt as if her skin had been set aflame.

Turning toward Callum she found the movement dizzying. Unable to maintain her footing she dropped to her knees, gasping for breath, met only by the wretched, humid air. “Callum,” she whispered. This wasn’t what she’d intended. How was she supposed to save him when she couldn’t stand? It hurt to move. Painfully she crawled to his side, fumbling with his belt to place his sword in its sheath. The thought of carrying him was laughable. Her limbs were heavy. The grass around her suddenly started to turn a dingy grey, the vibrant colors no longer registering in her mind. She was so tired! All she wanted to do was lie down and close her eyes. To rest for a while before they continued.

The creature had done something to her. Although she could still feel her body, it was becoming more of a burden to her muscles, the lids of her eyes struggling to stay open. She had no strength left. Her willpower was leaving, taken over by a strong desire to let it all go. To accept the darkness creeping into her vision. “I tried, Callum,” she grimaced, falling onto his chest, air whistling into her lungs with every breath. “I wanted to do so much more…”

Slowly she twisted her wrist, palm faced up to the sky. If there were people anywhere on this miserable landmass, she needed to get some signal to them of her presence. Anything to let someone know where they were. Drawing her internal energy into her hand she directed it upward, delivering a bright, shimmering blue light into the air like a beacon. A final chance at the lingering threads of hope in the back of her mind. Completely drained, she felt the last of her energy give out, slumping heavily over Callum’s body to embrace the sweet release of sleep.