Authors: Ryan Mark
The twisty terrain was easy going for a short time, no overly steep patches were on their route, and there weren’t too many sharp corners. William was glad of the reduced impact on his throbbing forehead. It could do with receiving as little shock as possible.
However, hope was soon dashed when a cloud of dusty smoke mushroomed into the air in the view upfront. William watched as it drew closer. He swallowed with a gulp, fearing the type of people they’d meet out here. No one ventured into the Bad Lands, except for the completely desperate or extremely vicious.
‘I think we’ve got trouble,’ William said to Ichabod. He looked at the man, who had sweat dribbling down his forehead. He must’ve been in pain from his arm. ‘Will you be able to control the wheel with one hand and them coming at us?’
‘We’ll see soon enough, so I suggest you all hold on. But William, get ready to grab it just in case… We can’t risk another fight, not this far into the Bad Lands, so I’ll try to pass and then outrun them,’ Ichabod said, hand steady.
The bus sped down the dust track, lurching around the erupted rocks and deep crevasses. William glared out of the window. The cloud of dust was heading straight for them, and as it approached, three motorcycles shot out of it. He knew they must be bandits now, the human remains attached to the handlebars a clear sign. His breath shuddered out as he realised the bandits weren’t giving up their positions.
‘It looks like our friends want to play chicken,’ said Ichabod, forehead almost touching the windshield. ‘Hold on even tighter now. Let’s not end up on a bandit’s dinner plate tonight!’
Althea clambered to the front of the bus. ‘We can take them, they’re on bikes,’ she said. ‘Keep going straight. They won’t stand a chance against us. We can force them off the road!’
‘I don’t want to be eaten…’ said Ori from his seat.
‘Just stay where you are Ori, we’ll be fine mate,’ said William, giving Ori a thumbs up. ‘Their bikes won’t stand a chance against a bus, so if they have any brains they’ll pull off the road.’
‘Precisely,’ said Ichabod, face set in a determined scowl. He looked down at the gear stick. William nodded and shifted it for him.
William gripped the dashboard as he stared out of the windshield. He couldn’t take his eyes off the approaching collision now. What if the bandits didn’t give in, what if they drove straight into the bus? He bit down on his tight knuckles.
‘We have to hope they give up or fall into a crevasse,’ called Ichabod. ‘For their sakes… and ours.’
Everything seemed to stop for a moment. Only the ash in the road moved, billowing in the road ahead, like a twister spinning on its side, and then huge shudders ricocheted through the bus as the motorcyclists plummeted into a gorge and exploded.
‘They chickened out,’ Ori observed, breaking the horrifying atmosphere that had cocooned them.
The bus sped on, leaving the explosions behind. The countryside was once again silent. William looked out of the back window, frowning. More lives lost. He didn’t like the thought of it.
‘I know we’re safe, but th–they might be dead.’
‘Just think about it this way; we’ve just saved someone else,’ said Althea pragmatically.
‘I don’t understand.’
‘They would’ve just gone on and killed some other innocent person or people, wouldn’t they? If they weren’t cannibals, they wouldn’t have died. They could’ve chosen to struggle on like the rest of us.’
William fell silent. If he were given the choice of becoming a cannibal to survive he wouldn’t do it. Eating a person was just barbaric, like sacrifice.
‘Now, let’s go get this Erisia,’ Althea said, and Ichabod gave a grunt of approval.
‘What if Terrafall starts to tell people about its new religion? I mean, it didn’t take long for the people who manage Terrafall to go along with Erisia, so what’s to stop others believing?’ said William, gazing off into the oncoming mountains. ‘What if people follow, believe them and start sacrificing too?’
‘So Terrafall tells people that human sacrifice will stop the tremors and convinces them it’s the only hope?’ asked Althea. ‘Do you really think it could turn into some kind of replacement religion? Are people that desperate?’
William nodded. ‘Yeah, I mean, that guy in the power plant was acting like the tremors are gods or something. He might’ve been brainwashed, but he was pretty dedicated to it. He killed himself for them didn’t he? If that’s not dedication, then I don’t know what is. If Terrafall convinced him, why not others?’
‘Because it’s too soon,’ said Ichabod frankly, shifting the bus up a narrow pass in the mountains and heading to the west. ‘Terrafall fears people will reject them, and then its whole organisation will fall. It needs a damn good persuasion technique to make people believe that sacrifice is going to stop the tremors.’
‘And it never will, because it will never work,’ spat Althea in disgust.
William settled back into his seat. Their words comforted him, but he was still frightened. Terrafall was the power in this world now, so it’d only be a matter of time before they’d try to make people believe, and if they couldn’t then they’d eventually force them to. He stopped himself. His mind needed to be focused on his mother right now, and once she was safe, preventing the spread of Terrafall would come next. He looked back out of the bus, eyes widening on the masses of green that began to appear outside.
The narrow pass opened into a pristine valley, stretching far back into the mountains. The ground was no longer patchy and brown, and the trees and bushes were green with life. William was amazed – the place was like the world used to be.
Alive.
Chapter 10
Into the Green
An emerald glow shimmered across the valley that opened up in front of them. William watched in astonishment as groups of people farmed the land to the sound of wind turbines whirring diligently. Ferns, foxgloves and a colourful blanket of other plants grew up the slopes, and were those cows and sheep grazing close to the river? William blinked hard. He hadn’t seen a live and healthy farm animal in over five years.
Ori was speechless for once, but Althea was saying ‘Wow!’ over and over again. What did this place mean for the Earth? Were the tremors really such a threat if such beauty still survived? Althea had mentioned about going to the coast, but if they had this place, well, they didn’t need the coast.
Terrafall couldn’t know about this place. If it did, the valley would face destruction. The evil company would strip all the resources until every trace of green had been erased from the landscape.
‘I thought this place was meant to be a mess?’ he said to Ichabod, who was still driving as fast as possible towards their destination. ‘Terrafall said the north was full of Scavengers and bandits.’
‘Terrafall doesn’t have a clue. This valley has been kept secret. Unfortunately, rumours have spread, so it started to tell lies about this place. It wants people to believe Kentvale is the best place to live. It gives them control and power,’ said Ichabod. ‘Terrafall know this place as Deep Rest Hollow, a Scavenger camp, but we know it as Haven’s Hollow.’
‘How come it’s so perfect? The tremors should’ve caused heaps of damage,’ said Althea, eyes wide, glued to the scenery.
‘The valley seems to have been somehow protected from them. You still feel them, but they’re not as strong as in the flat areas,’ explained Ichabod, manoeuvring the bus up a gentle slope. ‘My family and I often visited the town here before the war. I gave a couple of the sermons in the town’s church – I was a vicar before I got called up to fight, you see. My parish was on the outskirts of Kentvale, but I relished visiting this valley.’
‘But how’s it been kept secret?’ William thought that maybe Terrafall wasn’t as well resourced as he’d initially assumed.
‘The topography and remote location make it difficult to find. That pass we ventured up is furiously guarded. There is a camouflaged gate just before the entrance, guarded by some equally well-camouflaged men.’
‘Look!’ cried Ori.
A dry stone wall appeared at the head of the valley, roofs with smoke rising from stout chimneys peeking above it on the other side. There were two buildings that caught William’s attention above all others, the first an impressive white clock tower, built close to the wall, and further back, a castle, which rose above every other structure, dominating the backdrop of the town. A waterfall cascaded from the high, rocky peaks that surrounded the upper valley, sending a trickling river through the settlement and on towards the green fields.
William hadn’t seen a flowing, clean river in a long time. He was used to the stagnancy of the river in Kentvale: brown, stinking and full of things he’d hate to name.
As they approached the town’s gate two guards indicated for them to stop. The first was a tall, thin man with neatly parted black hair and a moustache to match. He wore a black cloak, which hung neatly from his shoulders. The second was half the height of his partner but almost twice the girth, with a shock of curly brown hair framing his plump face. His clothing was a complete contrast too, made up of a mishmash of animal skins.
‘Ernest Goodwind and Marcus Gunn, two of the top guards in the Hollow,’ said Ichabod, before William could ask.
‘What are they wearing?’ asked Althea, eyebrows raised. ‘The shorter one looks like a hobo.’
‘Haven’s Hollow opts for a more sustainable form of clothing, items that are easily crafted,’ replied Ichabod.
‘Ichabod, you’re back! It’s so good to see you safe,’ declared the tall man with the thin, curly moustache. ‘What’s happened to your arm my friend?’
‘It’s only a dislocation. It just needs to be manipulated back into the socket.’ Ichabod adjusted his bad arm, grunting. ‘And it’s good to see you too, Ernest. These are my friends, Ori, Althea and William.’
The two men gave the children a cheery wave.
‘And you’ve kept this old piece of junk in one piece,’ said the shorter one with the chubby, flushed face. ‘Any luck with finding your wife?’
‘More than you can imagine, Marcus,’ said Ichabod warmly. ‘I’m going to need to see Branimir. He needs to know what we’ve discovered.’
‘He’s been waiting for you,’ said Ernest. He placed a silver-edged monocle over one of his hazel eyes and pulled out a tub of pills. ‘Before you go, take these, they’ll help with the pain until you can see the medic.’ He passed them to Ichabod.
‘Thanks Ernest,’ said Ichabod, swallowing two of the pills. ‘We’d best be off now.’ He nodded and passed Ernest the bus keys through the driver’s window, indicating to the kids to get off the bus.
‘Who’s Branimir?’ asked William as he climbed down the stairs.
‘The valley’s leader and, I suppose, king,’ said Ichabod. ‘He established this place in the town here shortly after he came back from the war. He used it as a sort of recovery camp for troops. But then it developed into something much more when Terrafall began clamping down on society. I first met him when I came to this village as a vicar, then during the war, I served under him as a lieutenant.’
William just nodded in reply, still captivated by what was going on around him.
Marcus, the chubby guard, banged on the gates and they swung open. ‘Open sesame!’ he said, grinning, his round, flushed cheeks making his eyes turn into slits.
They walked into the town, entering into a small courtyard that had an ornate fountain gushing water in the centre. One side was dominated by the white clock tower William had seen earlier above the dry stone wall. He looked up to the spire.
The white surface glowed, as if it were a pearl. It vaguely reminded him of the town hall in Kentvale, except this building didn’t emit a sinister vibe. All he felt from it was a feeling of awe.
There were small white cottages dotted around the impressive building, some surrounding culs-de-sac, others lining narrow, cobbled alleys. Groups of people hung about in the streets, trading gossip or shopping at neat, attractive market stalls. It was a massive contrast to Kentvale.
‘I’m going to bring Mum here,’ he uttered quietly to Althea. ‘She needs to see this.’
Althea nodded. ‘It’s all very nice, but when are we going to look for Erisia? She could be anywhere. We don’t have a clue.’
Ichabod overheard. ‘That’s why we came here. You see, Branimir and the Haven Development, which form the group that controls this valley, have been staunch protesters against Terrafall since it took charge with force after the war. The Haven Development have masses of information on Terrafall, so I’m sure they’ll know where Erisia is.’
They were approaching the castle. Its central tower was surrounded by four smaller towers, rising to half its height, and a turreted wall encircled the base. A man dressed in a fur coat with long grey hair and a beard to match dominated the large balcony of the main tower, gazing down at them.
Ichabod waved in his direction. ‘And there’s the man in question.’
‘He really does look like a king,’ said Ori. ‘Or a Viking.’
‘Branimir is a great friend and leader. I couldn’t have fought with a better man during the war. He was the first person I came to when my wife went missing,’ Ichabod told them. ‘He supplied the bus and helped get it into Kentvale, and gave me the tools I needed to begin my investigations. Without him I wouldn’t have been able to get this far.’
‘What exactly happened when you came back from the war, if you don’t mind me asking?’ said Althea, moving closer to Ichabod, as they walked over a drawbridge that crossed a moat fed by the waterfall they’d seen earlier.
‘Me and Branimir came back from defending the southern coast a year and a half after the end of the war, when the fighting finally eased, and the food ran out. Branimir left for his home here in the Hollow and I for mine, a small village just outside Kentvale. On my return I found that my children had been killed, and that my wife had been taken to serve Terrafall.
‘It took a while to find her – she was working at the hospital – but even when I did, we barely got any time together. Then, after eighteen months of scarcely seeing each other, they said her skills as a nurse were needed at the coalmine encampments, and I saw her even less then. She was due to return home a few weeks ago, but didn’t turn up. I searched and searched. When I finally gained access to her room at the encampment all I found was blood. So that’s when I came to Branimir and set out on my journey to discover what had truly happened.’
Althea flung her arms around Ichabod. ‘You should’ve told us all this when we first met you. I wouldn’t have been such a brat if I’d known that! I’m so sorry…’
‘It wasn’t relevant at the time, but at least now you know some of my backstory,’ said Ichabod evenly, clearing his throat.
William knew Ichabod was trying to put on a brave face. He decided to quickly change the subject. ‘Should we go in now? The sooner we do, the sooner we get our answers and can work on saving your wife and my mum.’
Ichabod nodded and guided them through a high archway, William noticing a portcullis poking from the ceiling above. He pushed the reinforced studded oak doors with his cane and they creaked open. ‘After you,’ he said, nodding his head towards the cavernous hall on the other side.
William stepped forward across the cold flagstone floor. The stained glass windows sent colourful shards of light into the hall, casting a carousel of shadows around the draped walls.
‘Welcome!’ boomed a voice, seemingly from above them.
William’s eyes fell on a wide, grand staircase to one side of the room, its banister twisted with mythical creatures he couldn’t name. The man from the balcony above descended it slowly, taking two steps at a time. His huge, muscular frame and long beard gave him an intimidating air, but when William looked up at his face, his rosy cheeks and jolly smile indicated a gentle personality.
‘Branimir, it’s good to see you,’ said Ichabod, meeting him at the stairs.
‘By the beard, my friend, the same to you.’ Branimir placed his hand on Ichabod’s good shoulder. ‘I see you bring children with you? Saved them from Terrafall, have you? You’ve always been a kind soul.’ He beamed widely causing his grey beard to bounce on his chest.
Ichabod’s face dropped. ‘The boy has lost his mother in the same way as my wife. We were right, Branimir, Terrafall is behind these crimes, but my friend, it’s worse than we imagined.’ He suddenly gripped his cane harder. He was clearly in pain and the recent dose of medicine obviously hadn’t taken effect. ‘Terrafall is kidnapping people to sacrifice to the tremors. It has come to believe the tremors are gods!’
Branimir’s great brow furrowed as his eyes enlarged. ‘What?’
‘It’s true,’ offered Althea. ‘Terrafall are a bunch of sickos.’
The burly man smiled at her. ‘So the mighty have turned to a sick kind of faith. Well, that surprises me, as Terrafall has always shunned religion.’
‘What can we do?’ William asked him.
‘Terrafall has got away with too much for too long, but I believe now more than ever we have the proof we need to take up arms against it.’
Althea and Ori seemed to like this idea as they grinned at each other, but Ichabod and William stared at Branimir, mouths partially open. Did that mean war? William didn’t like the sound of it… War usually led to innocents being killed, and because his mother was in their hands, she could get caught up in the crossfire.
‘We can’t be sure that we’d succeed against Terrafall. The Peace Enforcers outnumber us,’ said Ichabod. ‘Do we really stand a chance?’
‘But before we do that, we’ve got to think about saving the people who might still be alive,’ added William. ‘My mum, for example.’
‘We must try and stop them! They have poisoned the world for too long. Since the war this poor planet hasn’t had a break. And lad, don’t you worry about the people they have abducted. They will be saved. Mark my words,’ Branimir said, his booming voice filling William with confidence.
‘And we will exact our revenge for the people it has already taken from us, the people it murdered in cold blood,’ said Ichabod, looking at Althea and nodding. ‘Your parents will be given justice.’
‘What, Alfie?’ said Ori, mouth and eyes full circles. ‘Revenge for our parents, what does he mean?’
Althea bit her bottom lip. ‘Nothing, Ori.’
He didn’t buy it. ‘The people who’ve got Will’s mum killed our mum and dad? Why didn’t you tell me?’ screamed Ori. He shook his head and ran out of the castle.
‘Oh – I didn’t mean to…’ Ichabod hesitated. ‘Fear…’
‘Just don’t,’ said Althea, running after Ori.
‘Should I try to make amends?’ Ichabod asked William.
‘She’ll sort him out. Best to leave her to it.’
‘Terrafall causes so much heartache and pain. The sooner we deal with it the better it will be for everyone,’ said Branimir, arms crossed tightly over his great chest.
Branimir’s words quickly brought Erisia to mind. ‘Do you know who Erisia Morret is?’ William asked.
‘I need to check our records. However, before we take this any further, I suggest you all take time to rest,’ said Branimir. ‘You and Ichabod need medical attention.’
‘We should start now,’ said William, crossing his arms over his chest. ‘Time might be running out for Mum.’
‘Ichabod needs that arm seeing to first, my lad,’ said Branimir, eyebrows arched. ‘I know you feel the urge to rush, but rushing leads to mistakes and could destroy the mission.’
Ichabod patted William’s shoulder. ‘I’ll take myself to the town medic. As soon as I’m done we’ll discuss Erisia. You need to deal with that cut too. It’s for the best, and I promise I won’t be long. Terrafall have my wife too, remember.’
William didn’t reply, and Ichabod limped out of the room without another word, leaving William alone with Branimir.
Silence hung between Branimir and William, but it didn’t last long.