Chapter 26.
South.
The lands south of the Akuna are very unhospitable, it is a rocky land filled with strange vegetation and even stranger animal life and my companion and I are ill equipped to travel such a harsh environment but Alune trusts in the Goddess and I do not want to tarnish that belief by calculating the odds against our survival.
From the memories of Oshismarie Inastro Sistashion
Osh and Alune traveled under the night moons southward and into the land called Tambor they managed to elude any detection by the vengeful Thungodra or ravenous wild beast, this was due in no small part to the skill of the Touchtender who had been taught by her husband how to survive and where to find shelter from anyone wishing to do them harm. Now as the twin sun’s rose and the screams of Dawn-callers filled the air they sat in a small cluster of Eul rocks well hidden from view and began to eat what they had at hand and that consisted of one small jar of Fish-sauce and nothing more.
“To an Outlander Fish-sauce is a very tasty ingredient to any meal but if that meal consists of only sauce it fails in many ways”, the Callaxion commented, then he took a finger full of the thick concoction from the ornate little jar that his companion was holding for they had no utensils and reluctantly put the thick paste into his mouth for he hated the pungent taste of the condiment but it was all they had.
“Hunger makes any meal a feast” Alune said as she ate a dab of the Akuna treat, it was a proverb that was often told to her by her mother when she was reluctant about eating her food, “be thankful we have this a least” but the old woman could not help but wish for a some fresh baked Kasha bread and Rimar and a nice hot cup of Deep-root tea to wash it down with, then looking down she saw a small reptilian creature near her foot and quickly reaching down she took up the scaly thing and held it out to her companion, “Rockrunnes are tuff but filling would you care for some?”
Osh smiled and shook his large head, “no thank you” he said politely.
Shrugging her shoulders, the old woman put the squirming little creature into her mouth and bit off its horny head with one strong bite then spitting it out she quickly ate what was left.
Soon all the food was gone and Osh wiped his soiled hand on his traveling robe as he spoke, “as I see it we have little to choose from, we can sit here and starve, continue our escape or return from where we came and be killed or taken prisoner”.
“Or we can continue south” the Touchtender added.
“What makes you think that we will have a better chance going in that direction?” Osh asked looking out at the rocky terrain.
“I put my trust in the Goddess….and…” she replied.
“And what?” the old man asked leaning his large head to one side.
It took some time before Alune was willing to answer then at last she turned to her companion and looked him in straight the eyes, “Something pulls me” was all she could say.
The earnest reply gave Osh very little to work from for he was always use to precise and calculated responses to questions not vague unknown “something’s”, but he was sure that no matter what path they elected to follow it was destined to end badly.
“Very well” he smiled standing up, “We will head south”.
And armed with only their hopes and an empty jar of Fish-sauce they headed into the unknown.
The battered Hunter ship Cronos was also heading south, the great storm had damaged the massive craft and even though the Akuna and Outlanders had managed to make repairs to masts and hull they were unable to maneuver the vessel in the direction from wench they came instead they headed southward for something called to them and they were powerless to resist.
“The wind is at our back and the tides are with us” Cian said as he stood on the master deck with Andra at his side, “ we still have a strong crew and whatever come we shall be ready”, he turned to look at the woman near him who now wore only a thin covering or soft Rimar hide, her dark hair was free and blew softly in the wind, his strong body ached to caress her once more but she seemed to be far away and he knew his words had fallen on deaf ears, she is in pain from the loss of her mate he thought, and although they had lain together he felt that she wished to be alone so he walked away without saying a word and left the Outland woman to her grief, but how could the Kandrac of the Akuna know that the Off-worlder was not thinking of her lost love but of her past.
Andra was trying to remember the face of her brother but it seemed to elude her like a pale ghost in the wind and no matter how hard she tried she could not hold that fleeting image in her mind’s eye. Simon, my brother, why does your face seem so far away? But her question went unanswered and after a time she stopped asking and turned to look out to the undulating waves, as a young farm girl she longed to travel on the sea, to feel the rolling waves under her feet and smell the sweet fresh air that carried the scent of faraway lands but now it all seemed so empty, a memory without substance, nothing really matter, she had her orders and that was enough, my orders? She thought, I’m not a soldier anymore and that part of my life is gone, I follow my own course now, but what path will that be without Arn at her side? She thought of him and reached out with her mind as she had done so many times before, she knew that they shared a strange bond, a mind-link that allowed them to fight as one and know what the other was feeling, but try as she may she had only her own thoughts filling her mind, then she realized that her heart held no more love for her lost mate, he was gone and that is the end of it.
I never really loved him anyway she told her mind, I have my orders now and they must be followed. The sky was clear and hordes of Sundroppers circles overhead, the waves were calm and no enemy was on the horizon, north, west, east, or south what does it matter now? So Moonbud stood unmoving and let the Gods carry her to whatever end they had in store.
Endo smiled as he held the power of the Gods in his hands, he was familiar with firearms for he had been taught by Osh his adopted father how to use a Chamber-rifle but those were only crude projectile weapons forged by the Talsonar and not the sophisticated plasma rifle that he now possessed.
“This can make a slave a master” he said with a smile on his reptilian like face, but Rawna standing near him shook her head in dismay.
“Bury the thing before it kills us all” she said wringing her small clawed hands.
But her mate only laughed at her childish innocence, “There is nothing to fear, this will free us from those who wish to enslave us again”. And that dread had been rising inside him for some time now, he remembered his enslavement in the dark caverns of the Forrest people in the far off land of Caltarine and he made a vow that no Sandjar would be made to suffer like that again, “It is only a machine that can be controlled, here I will show you”, he looked at the small readout screen that had stopped blinking and now showed a steady green light then he lifted the heavy weapon to his shoulder, took aim at the dried skull of a Rimar resting near their Karrack and pulled the trigger.
“BLAM!”
A white-hot streak of power shot from the barrel and instantly blasted the thick skull into burning fragments, at the same time Rawna utter a loud scream of terror, to her it seemed like her mate had released the lightening of the Gods. Endo saw the terror in her eyes and began to move close to her but she pulled away and seeing her pain he put the rifle on the ground and took her in his arms.
“There is nothing to be afraid of” he said in a soothing voice, “It was just a release of stored up energy nothing more”, and to show his affection he stroked the back of her head and began to make a low grunting sound that all Sandjars found very appealing.
“Promise me that you will rid us of such things” Rawna’s voice was filled with emotion and even with the comforting of her mate her body shook with fear, “We will soon have a young one to care for” she added.
Endo continued to hold her tight, That is why we need such power, it will protect us from those who wish us harm”.
His mate pulled back from him and looked
into his large eyes, “Will you do as I asked?” this time her voice was firmer.
Endo smiled and nodded his head, “I will do as you ask, I promise”.
And hearing this Rawna closed her eyes and pulled him close to her body, but as they stood there Endo felt a warm wind that blew from the south and he could not help but gaze at the weapon on the ground and deep inside him he knew that he had made a promise he could not keep.