The Wanderers of the Water-Realm (52 page)

The daily routine of the march was established during the first two days of the newcomer’s journey into the wastelands of the Hix, a routine that was destined to be repeated for the next twenty darkenings as the trio were conveyed ever deeper into the heartlands of their monstrous hosts. Yet odd events did occur that startled and sometimes frightened them, but these isolated events often enabled them to learn a great deal about the Hix and their strange non-human lifestyle.

Perhaps the first thing the travellers noticed was the fact that individual members of their Hixian’ escort often differed from one another in physical appearance. For instance, the pigmentation of their skin ranged from a light pastel blue to a dense blue-black. The travellers also noted that whilst all of the Hix were massively built some were undeniably stronger than others. A few of the Hix were a good head shorter than their fellows but possessed huge barrel chests, a characteristic suggesting that these individuals were capable of performing immense feats of physical strength. This was proved on one occasion when a large rock barred the passage of the litters and one of the barrel chested spearmen thrust the obstruction aside as though it weighed practically nothing. However, an event occurred during the fourth day of their march that shocked the newcomers to the bone, but considerably aided their understanding of the creatures who were their hosts and protectors.

The column had been marching for about three hours and the five suns were high in the sky, when they came upon the carcass of a wild narr that had died upon the open plain and had now reached a high state of purification. Upon sighting the dead animal, the bearers had instantly grounded the litters and flung themselves upon the carcass like a pack of hungry wolves; within the space of a single minute, the Hixians’ succeeded in tearing apart and consuming every scrap of the rotting material. The young witch and her companions were horrified and disgusted by what they had witnessed and they mentioned this fact to Z3*554 when they next made camp for the night and the leaders explanation proved to be extremely informative.

The Hix, it transpired, were natural vegetarians whose normal diet consisted of the silver-red leaves and soft twigs of the ubiquitous shrub that thrived in even the most inhospitable portions of the wastelands. However, their powerful grinding teeth and extremely efficient digestive systems enabled them to utilize the same mosses upon which the wild narr browsed and also enabled them to derive sustenance from the toughest forms of vegetation, should the need arise. Even so, the harsh environment of the wastelands had accustomed the Hix to consuming any form of nutrition coming within their reach, be it the putrefying body of a dead narr, or indeed any other creature. Nothing was ever allowed to go the waste. By contrast, a fresh Thoa-nut, picked straight from the tree was a delicacy much esteemed by the Hix and isolated families had been known to travel great distances in order to sample the flesh of a single fruit.

Food soon became a personal concern for the travellers, for by the seventh day, their meagre food supplies were swiftly becoming exhausted. As promised, Z3*554 provided them with a variety of roots and plants, which he believed would supplement their remaining food rations and furnish his human charges with sufficient nutrient to sustain them until they reached ‘The ‘Heart of Emerald.’ Most of these offerings had a flavour rendering them far from appetizing, whilst some tasted positively revolting, but all of the new food sources proved to be harmless when tested with George’s spoon and were acceptable additions to Myra’s evening pot of broth.

During the seventeenth day of the march from Skeleton Gorge, the expedition reached an area where the familiar ground cover of shrubs and crimson moss gave way to a wide expanse of barren earth, where the only vegetation to be seen was a type of bright blue thorn bush growing in scattered profusion as far as the eye could see.

The column suddenly halted and Myra clasped her hand to her forehead as she felt Z3*554’s thoughts entering her mind.

“Myra Littlewood --- We are now close to the place that we Hix call ‘The Land of Poison’ because the slightest scratch from one of those blue thorn bushes inevitably results in a painful death --- No Hix would willingly enter this place but the Hixian Prime wishes you to reach ‘The Heart of the Emerald’ as soon as possible --- We will carry you across this terrible place in order to save three days of travelling time, even though it may cost some of us our lives --- Instruct your friends that your bearers will now tie you all to your litters --- Do not be afraid --- It is for your own safety --- For if you were to be thrown out of your conveyances and into the thorn bushes, then it would surely mean your deaths!”

The young witch passed Z3*554’s warning to her friends and the Hixian’ bearers bound each of the travellers to their litters with a surprising gentleness belling their grim appearance.

The bearers then took up their burdens and began crossing the deadly terrain.

Both the bearers and the spear carrying guards picked their way between the deadly bushes with extreme care, whilst ahead of them moved a pair of scouts who marked out the safest line of advance by scraping a series of lines in the soft dust with the butt ends of their spears.

Z3*554 remained close to the young witch’s litter at all times and Myra had no difficulty in reading the mood of deep anxiety emanating from his brain.

Evening approached and the column made camp for the night in a smallarea that remained free of the lethal blue bushes, but the members of the Hixian’escort made no attempt to feed upon any of the sparse clumps of moss that managed to survive between the thorn bushes, they simply huddled together in a group and awaited the coming of dawn.

The march was resumed as soon as it was possible to see with reasonable clarity. By late afternoon, the blue shrubs had begun thinning out noticeably and the Hixian’ bearers responded by increasing the speed of their advance.

Z3*554 leaned over the wisewoman’s litter and informed her that the expedition would soon be clear of ‘The Land of Poison,’ but only seconds later, one of the outlying spear carriers gave a dreadful shriek, then collapsed to the ground and lay writhing in agony. Another of the Hix moved forward to his assistance, but he screamed pitiably before also folding up in pain.

Myra clasped her hands to her head as she received the full blast of the telepathic command that Z3*554 flung out to the surviving Hixian’ warriors.

“Hix --- Ignore your fallen comerades --- Who have wandered into an area strewn with the sharp seed pods of those accursed blue plants --- They are now beyond assistance --- Follow the scouts and let us be gone from this place!”

The column moved forward leaving the bodies of the dead spear carriers behind them and within minutes they had successfully drawn clear of the deadly blue bushes. The expedition paused and the bearers took a well earned rest, whilst Z3*554 visited each of the litters in turn and released the bonds securing their human occupants. The Hixian’leader moved to the head of the column and after a while he addressed the three travellers, using Myra as a conduit for his thoughts.

In two darkenings we shall reach ‘The Heart of Emerald’ and you will meet with --- the Hixian Prime --- The council of wise leaders who ensure the well-being of our race. Tonight, you will sleep upon ground that is free of those evil blue plants and you will also be given flesh from a freshly killed narr to cook over your fire, as is the custom of you humans --- I will now continue tending to the needs of my warriors.”

The wisewoman’s empathy with Z3*554 began to fade, but Myra concentrated her mental powers and re-established contact with the Hixian’ leader.

“Tell me more about the leadership that you call the ‘Hixian Prime’ and what is the nature of this place you call ‘The Heart of Emerald’?”

The Hixian’s reply immediately began forming itself in her mind.

“I am not empowered to answer your questions --- But I will confide to you, that your party are the first humans to visit ‘The Heart of Emerald’ and speak with the Prime since your ancestor --- Rose Littlewood --- Passed through ‘The Land of Poison’ on a similar mission to your own --- A great many darkenings ago. --- I council you to remain patient and everything will soon be made claer to you.”

The mental contact was broken off abruptly and Myra was left standing beside the litter. “Remain patient,” The wisewoman muttered to herself after relaying the Hixian’s message to her companions, “a hard thing to do, when you know that your life lies in the hands of strange beings of whom you know little.”

Myra made a witch-sign with her hand and muttered a good luck spell. She then quickly re-boarded her litter as the column prepared to resume its march.

For two further days the column moved as swiftly as possible across the open wilderness. On the third day they breasted a low ridge and found themselves looking down into a shallow bowl-like depression that must have been a good five miles in circumference.

The travellers dismounted from their litters and were immediately rooted to the spot in amazement, at the sight of the huge non-human structure lying in the base of the depression. A mile wide sheet of some deep green glass-like material obscured the bottom of the great cavity and on its fringes they could easily make out a huge number of Hixian’s, who moved hither and thither like an army of gigantic ants.

The surface of the canopy shone in the light of the five suns and the rippling beams of bright light were constantly caught by the strange material and flung back towards the crimson sky. Deep apertures pierced the rim of the great canopy and as the members of the expedition advanced on foot, they could see many groups of Hixian’workers entering the structure with great bales of the silver-green food plant carried upon their broad backs. Other workers accompanied them carrying a diverse collection of commodities, whilst the toilers entering the structure were matched by an equal number of workers who emerged carrying containers filled with excreta and other types of waste products.

The group halted before one of the large cave-like apertures and the travellers realized their bearers and the accompanying spearmen had all disappeared, leaving Z3*554 as their sole escort. The Hixian’ envoy spoke directly to the group in his strange high pitch squeaky voice.

“Before us lies a subterranean route leading into the very centre of this complex that we called ‘The Heart of Emerald’

--- And safe within their underground council chamber meets the ‘Hixian’ Prime’, the gathering of our wisest leaders, who make all of the decisions that directly affect the future of our race --- I will conduct you to the vicinity of their meeting place and you will be given ample time to rest and refresh yourselves before the Prime summons you to their presence.”

Z3*554 led then through a gaping hole in the huge rim and down a lofty passageway that seemed to give access to the interior of the Hixian’ complex.

The newcomers anxiously viewed their surrounding as they advanced and the first thing they noticed was that the walls of the passageway was slightly concave and appeared to be lined with a red material that seemed to have all the hardness of Portland cement. However, the passageway remained well lit, for the ceiling of the thoroughfare was formed by the underside of the great green canopy that enclosed the entire complex and the light of the five suns filtered through to illuminate their progress.

The passageway was a good twenty feet in width and easily allowed free movement for the numerous Hix who passed them in both directions. Many of the Hix were carrying red cylinders of about two feet in length, which they gently cradled in their arms. They often disappeared with their burdens into the side galleries branching off on either side of the main passageway.

Myra managed to steal a glance into one of the galleries and she was surprised to see long rows of the cylinders lying upon a thick bed of soft red moss.