Connor did the
same. “Where are we? This is definitely not Kalo Lake.” He had
never set foot at Kalo Lake but desert in every direction begged
that they were not where they were meant to be.
Terry shrugged,
shouldering her backpack. “We must have landed a little off. I
wouldn’t be surprised since the portal wasn’t even at floor level.”
She shielded her eyes against the sun.
“We’re nowhere
near the lake.” Lyle said. It was then that Terry saw the fear
etched upon his face.
“What is it?
What’s wrong?”
He looked at her,
his eyes wide. Terry had never seen her uncle so afraid. “Don’t you
recognise it? We’re only three miles from the colony.”
“What
?”
“You have got to
be kidding me.” Connor exclaimed.
Darius stood,
looking bemused. “Which colony? Your home?” He looked between Terry
and Lyle. “Why is that a problem?”
“Never mind. We’ll
tell you later.” Terry hurried passed him. Connor, Faye and Lyle
close behind.
“Where are you
going?” Darius called. Realising that they were not going to wait
for him, he jogged to catch up with Terry. “What is going on?”
“Nothing, but
you’ll have to run.” That said, she was off at a loping sprint.
Left unable to argue the young water elemental was forced to give
chase.
Four times during
the course of the day they encountered patrols. The first three
were humanoid Alchemists but the fourth consisted of four primeval
Alchemists. They avoided detection by hiding in a narrow, water
filled gully they had come across moments after sighting the
patrol. They had hid in the water, to mask their scent and had left
no footprints as their approach had been over rock from the west.
Fortunately the primeval Alchemists were also down wind of them and
had not caught their smell. But everyone knew when they made cold
camp that night that it had only been by chance that they had not
been caught.
It was close to
midnight by the time they stopped – Terry and Lyle having been
desperate to put as much distance between the group and the colony.
They had travelled about fourteen miles, deliberately moving over
as much rocky terrain as possible to avoid leaving tracks, but it
had seriously hindered their progress. There had also been times
when they had no other choice but to cross sand. They knew that it
would only be a matter of time someone found their tracks or picked
up their scent. Every Alchemist had a unique one - especially a
young queen. Once it was detected her father would know that they
were out there in the desert somewhere. Their only hope of success
was to out run their own people and return to Earth within a few
days as planned.
They made came at
the top of a small, rocky hill, there west and south sides hidden
by a jagged, rocky outcrop thrust outwards. The east and north were
more exposed, but the top of the uneven hill dipped down into a
slight depression – it would be hard for anyone to spot them if
they were sitting or lying down.
Darius and Connor
were fast asleep when Terry returned from her perch at the top of
the rock formation, searching through the darkness for any signs of
movement. She sat down next to Lyle. “There’s no one out there.”
She whispered.
He handed her a
slice of cooked steak from her backpack. “Thanks.”
He ripped a chunk
out of his own slice. Chewing he said, “Enjoy it, it might be your
last for a few days. We’re at least forty miles from where I
thought we would be. There won’t be enough food to last the trip if
we keep travelling at the pace that we have been going.”
“I think we should
have sent someone through to check first before all leaping through
at the same time.” She said, having swallowed a mouthful.
He nodded
regretfully. “It’s too late now. I hope we did the right thing
running from your father. He’s not going to be pleased when he
finds out, not with either of us.”
Terry sighed.
“That crossed my mind too. But if we did go to the colony, we would
have been stuck there for days.” She wiped her tired eyes. “I’ve
not seen him in nine years; he can wait a couple of more
weeks.”
“We should have
gone to the colony.”
The two of them
looked round to Faye, who had been sitting quietly by herself.
Looking first to Lyle and then to Terry she said, “I think this was
not a good idea. You say we would have lost days going there. We
will now lose days from travelling so slowly to avoid your
kind.”
Terry shrugged.
“There’s no point in hiding anymore. Someone will find our
footprints or pick up our scent. It’ll only be a matter of time. We
might as well move flat out tomorrow, so we won’t lose days.”
“She’s right.” The
old general agreed. “It is speed we need now, not stealth.”
She regarded them
with her still eyes for a long while, without word or comment. If
she had remained still any longer Terry thought she would turn to
stone.
Finally she said,
“You two and Connor should go on without us. He can fly so he can
stay out of any Alchemist’s way and you two can outrun any of us.
Darius and I would only slow you down.”
Terry looked at
her uncle. Even in the poor light she could see as clear as day and
as ever his face was an unreadable mask. She looked back to Faye.
“And where would you go? I don’t trust leaving you here with
Darius.” She leant back on her hands. “There is also this business
about wanting to flood Earth and you lying to us about the
war.”
Faye inclined her
head. “The war turned out to be a lie, yes.” She said coolly, as if
it was not a big deal. “But I only told you what I had heard. Most
of my people, where Darius and I lived, believed it. It was common
knowledge.”
“Why would someone
make up such a thing?” Lyle asked; his curiosity piqued.
“I do not know.”
Faye said, without emotion.
It was impossible
to tell if she perpetrated the lie herself or if she was just
played the fool like everyone else, like she claimed. Terry could
not tell. “Darius said he had not heard anything about this
supposed war. I imagine if what you’re saying is true someone else
must have mentioned it to him.”
Faye sighed,
rolling her icy blue eyes. “Darius lives under a rock. He is a
fool. Most people do not like him, nor speak to him.”
“If you say so.”
Terry replied, making no attempt to conceal her doubt.
Lyle stood. “And
what would you do if we did leave you behind? I do not know this
boy who travels with us but he has so far done and said nothing to
make me believe that he means anyone any harm. I worry what you
might do to him.”
Faye’s eyes
widened at the accusation but she kept herself in check. “I will go
my own way. He will not be harmed.” She glanced at Terry. “You have
my word.”
Terry looked at
her uncle, who reflected what she felt in his expression. Looking
back to Faye she said, “Get some sleep, you’re both coming with
us.”
******
Terry found
herself being shaken awake. She opened her eyes to see her uncle
crouching beside her, the predawn light breaking behind his head.
“What is it?”
“It’s nearly dawn.
We need to get moving.”
“I thought you
were going to wake me earlier so you could rest?”
“Its fine, but
I’ll need to rest this coming night.”
Terry nodded.
“Alright.” Rising, she quietly helped him wake the others. After a
light breakfast they headed off into the wilderness, disguised
under the last shadows of a vanishing night.
By lunchtime
they had encountered four more patrols. The first two they had
avoided easily, but the other two had cost them more valuable time.
The third patrol had consisted of two Monoglyphs – a cousin by
evolution to the other Alchemist breeds. They stood at thirty foot
in height, heavily armoured and robot like in appearance. The party
had hidden under a rock shelf to avoid detection. But fate had a
twisted sense of humour and the Monoglpyhs had decided to take
their break at the foot of the hill where they lay hidden. And a
long break it had been, it was two hours before they finally moved
on. When it was finally safe to break cover Terry commented that
she would be having words with her father when they
officially
returned home. Patrols had
only used to be allowed a half hour break, as far as she
recalled.
The next evening
the party stopped at the foot of a small rocky hill, making camp in
a depression. They were more exposed tonight but the hour was
growing late and exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on
everyone.
Connor and the
others had fallen asleep quickly. Lyle had been the first to drop
off.
Terry perched on a
high rock, granting her the gift of a view of every direction. She
sat there for hours, as still as a gargoyle, watching as keenly as
a hawk. Her only companions this night were the stars, as they
slowly wheeled over her head. From time to time she would steal a
few moments to gaze at them. Terry loved the stars. They made her
fell small, even in her primeval form. It was those moments she
realised how trivial all their lives were, how small her nation,
her race and her regency all were. Her thoughts turned to home. She
missed her home and she missed her father.
A cold
breeze blew over her, distracting her from her thoughts.
Did she just hear something
? She
stood, listening carefully while her sharp vision scanned the
horizon. There was only silence and darkness. Thinking she had
imagined it she sat back down.
Then it came
again, a cry on the wind. It had been nothing more than a faint
echo, lost over leagues and rocks, but it made Terry’s chest
tighten. She leapt from the rock, landing in a crouch. She sprinted
toward the camp as quickly as her feet would take her, arriving in
mere seconds.
“Get up!” she said
loudly, not caring if she was heard. “Get up!” she shook Lyle.
“What’s wrong?” He
asked, sitting up.
“He knows were
here.” She said, shouldering her backpack and heading off.
“Who? Your dad?”
asked Darius, half asleep, half confused.
It came again and
Lyle was up. “We must go.” He said to Darius, dragging the youth to
his feet by the arm.
Darius wrenched it
free. “Wait! Let me get my things.”
Connor
forced his bag into his hand. “Forget it!
Move
!”
And they ran.
******
The rocky
landscape had given way to vast sandy plains.
Not long after
they started running Terry had transformed into her true form. She
looked similar to Lyle in appearance accept she stood at nearly
sixteen feet in length and had darker armour. She had run nearly
all day, ferrying Darius and Connor on her back. Such was her haste
that Darius had nearly fallen off twice. Connor had grabbed him the
first time and chastised him for not holding on properly. The
second time he did not act, merely shaking his head. He made no
attempt to hide the fact that his patience was beginning to run
thin. Darius couldn’t blame him given the circumstances. Instead of
making a scene about nearly falling he simply corrected himself and
stayed quiet. Lyle ran a short distance away in his primeval form,
carrying Faye.
The party did not
encounter anymore patrols that day. By sunset the landscape had
began to turn hilly, the sands giving away to brush and grass. In
the distance they could see the mountains, although from this
distance they appeared hazy, despite the clear sky. The first stars
were beginning to dot the horizon in the east, signalling that
night was well on its way.
Terry and Lyle had
slowed to a walk. A few farmers were still tending the fields,
despite the time. One stopped briefly, gazing at the strange group
of travellers from the hillock he worked on. If he was surprised
there was no evidence of it in his expression. He resumed his work.
The other farmers did not even bother to waste a glance upon
them.
These were a poor
people living on the edge of Alchemist territory. They did not care
for the creatures passing through nearly on a daily basis as long
as they did not bother their crops, and all farmers knew that
Alchemists barely ate anything other than meat. So they paid them
no heed.
A short distance
beyond the fields a town came into sight. Terry and Lyle both
stopped. A yawn cracked Terry’s face, exposing twelve inch,
razor-sharp teeth to the world. Crouching, she let her weary
travellers dismount.
They entered the
small town in human form. Lyle had been there before, though not
for many years. In that time not much had changed. There was only
one street and half the buildings looked as if they were falling
down. Terry felt like she had walked into a western.
“Here we are.”
said Lyle, as they arrived outside the tallest building in town.
Many of the windows were boarded up and it looked like the
brickwork had not seen a paintbrush in decades.
Terry walked up to
his side. “And where is here, exactly?”
“The Roco
Hotel.”
Connor
frowned. “
This
is a
hotel?”
Lyle smirked.
“Yeah, it’s not the best but you get what you pay for.”
“Rabies and no air
con?” asked Terry.
“No offence, but I
thought you said you were comfortable sleeping on the floor.”
Darius reminded her.
“I’ll take a bed
if one’s on offer. I’m not an animal.”
“How is the
water?” Faye asked, looking to Lyle for a grown up answer.
“I wouldn’t drink
any out of the taps. it was brown last time I was here. By the
looks of it they still can’t afford the paint. I don’t think they
would have sorted the plumbing. Just ask for a jug of beer over the
counter. I got that the last time I was here and it seemed
fine.”