Twenty Two
The crew argued for a bit but we were all tired and hungry and the lure of shelter was too great. We gathered our belongings and resumed our trudge. The path widened into a dirt path surrounded by long brown grass and the occasional red starred tree. Some flowers bloomed nearby perfuming the air with the scent of lilies.
We turned a corner, and Thorn in all his feline glory lay on his back, legs up, head hanging backward over the edge of a branch looking at us upside down. George growled and ran toward him. Thorn scrambled up and climbed higher to avoid the baby coreck until I took pity on him and grabbed the little devil.
Finn approached. “Take us there.”
Thorn jumped up and snuffed at his feet. With a sneeze, he turned and started to run. We followed after him. Thorn slowed down near the top of the third hill and on the down slope there were no more mountains in view.
Industry was not what I expected. When Ute first described it to me he mentioned lush farmlands, thick old wood forests and fertile land as far as the eyes could see.
The Industry I saw was none of that.
The E’mani had been doing some mining themselves. The ground was torn up and rocky. There was no green grass, no fertile wood. There was only dust and rock in sheets, in hills, and valleys. We’d gone from the mountains and hilly grassland to this. Strip mines as far as the eyes could see. It was worse than the quarry filled with rocks, this had once been a growing place full of life.
Finn keened and fell to his knees. He stretched out his hands along the dirt. I could hear him murmuring to the land. Near staggered and sat as well. Edd stood silently taking stock. Jace and Hana sagged into each other.
“It is all gone,” Giggy whispered.
Zanth said, his voice flat, “Enough. We expected this, and we need to find shelter.” He glanced at the sky above us. The second sun drifted in front of the first, casting a shadow, highlighting the gray clouds brewing.
Thorn watched our reactions with his keen kitty eyes. He yowled and got our attention.
I hadn’t realized it, but I’d fallen in the dirt, running my hands through it, trying to feel the earth. There was a distant echo, a flutter in my belly. The land murmured to me of terror and pain. But it was still holding on. Strength entered my body, the fatigue in my muscles waned.
The journey through the mountains had taken its toll, but we survived. I was fiercely glad we came when we did. I could feel the land’s life flickering underneath my palm. My fingers trailed along the soil. I needed to come now; the land did not have much more time.
We trekked to the Thorn’s home. I made Finn leave markers along the way as we veered off the path where we had left the others. I knew Marin would come. He couldn’t leave right after us. He had to take care of the clan, but he would not be far behind, a few weeks at most. Then we would have it out. Not talk to me, would he?
Darkness settled upon the land by the time we reached Thorn’s settlement. It was located near the bottom of one of those strip mines. It made sense. If they were hiding, the E’mani wouldn’t think to find them near their own structures. The path down was steep and treacherous with gravel in the dark. Giggy fell but his sheer size prevented significant injury. For a big guy, he had the grace of a gazelle.
Ledges of rock protected the village from view. Cabins spread out in neat lines, a single dirt road down the middle. I remember thinking Groos a bit bleak when I first saw it but this was much worse. There were blue lanterns located on each of the houses. No breeze reached the bottom. The air smelled stagnant with sweat.
Thorn moved in front of us and changed. The fur receded and his face stretched. I shuddered. It was just as disconcerting the second time. All his limbs cracked and popped, skin flowed, and he was naked as a blue jay once more. I wondered if it hurt to change shape.
“Welcome home.” Thorn held out his arms in a grand sweeping gesture and tipped his non-existent hat. He pointed to a large cabin at the end. “You will bunk on the floor there. The cabin is empty. No need for a watch. We are always on guard. You will meet the rest of us in the morning.”
There wasn’t much talk while we settled in. I chose a corner with my back to the wall near the door just in case I had to pee in the middle of the night. I hated being in the middle, Finn placed his gear out in front of the door itself and Zanth squatted near me. The room quieted quickly, at least until Near started snoring like a chainsaw. It was kind of soothing by now.
~ * ~
A door slamming woke me. I arched my back, turning onto my side. Looked like no one else was awake except for Finn, who leaned against the door, knees bent, watching me. Zanth snuffled and rolled over. Hana spooned between Jace and Edd. Finn blew me a kiss and patted the floor next to him.
I dodged sleeping bodies to settle against the wall on his left next to the doorway.
He pressed his mouth to my ear. “The town is stirring. They are letting us rest for now. Not everyone is happy we are here.”
“Of course they aren’t.”
“Do you know what you are looking for yet?”
“No, and I didn’t dream. We are close. This feels right.”
I felt the knock against my back before it sounded in the room. Finn and I scrambled up and stepped outside to answer.
Thorn stood, dressed today, at the door with two others. One was an older man with several scars and burns, covering his face and shoulders. The other was an attractive female with long black hair in a thick braid, and tight leathers. I couldn’t resist seeing if Finn noticed the woman. His gaze remained on me. He smiled and his hand came to rest on my shoulders.
Thorn started talking first. “Let me introduce Yann.” He indicated the older male. “And his daughter, Zara.” She smiled and inclined her head. “You two, come to the town center. You can meet everyone else. For now, let the others rest.”
Zara immediately slid up beside Finn and pressed into his side, batting her eyelashes. Finn moved closer to my side, but the girl didn’t get it. Surprised she didn’t get dizzy with all that fluttering.
Thorn slashed her an irritated glance, then copied her actions and sidled up next to me. “So you and him?” He inclined his head to Finn. I shook my head no. “So you and me?” he added with a wink.
“I am mated.” I lifted my sleeve to show off my mating band. “He is on his way.”
“For someone who is mated, you seem awfully close to little brother other there.”
A flush stole over me. I bumped Thorn with my shoulder. “Not your business,” I said then hesitated. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” he said.
“Have we met before?”
Thorn grinned. “I have always wondered about my people. And my father was the town leader until his recent passing.”
I brushed my hand along the back of his. “I am sorry to hear of his passing.”
Thorn smiled and squeezed my hand. “Me as well, but it was his time. Before he passed though, I had more freedom to explore. I loved those gardens in Groos. I saw you following the girl, and I saw the E’mani waiting behind her. I wanted to stop you.” He shrugged.
His actions saved my life. “Thank you.”
Thorn smiled at me and put his arm around my shoulder. I gave his hand the beady eye and raised my brow.
He grinned and squeezed the stuffing out of me before letting me go.
The town center wasn’t far. The area was like an open-air amphitheater. A large central stage dominated the area, surrounded by benches. There were cats draped in various poses across every surface. Thorn chuffed and they all shifted. It hurt to hear Thorn shift. Hearing fifty people shifting set the room rocking. There were groans and grunts and cracking. Once changed, they all stared as one at me and Finn. Creepy. I noticed something else as well. Their eyes always changed. They weren’t the same in the different forms. I wonder how aware they were when they were cats. I would have to remember to ask.
Thorn strode forward. “Our kindred are returning from the mountains. They state a desire to fight the E’mani. Welcome them.”
“About time,” growled an older woman with salt and pepper hair and bright purple streaks who stepped from the crowd.
There were murmurs from around us, but no other comments. Her name was Kyna and that was the only welcome we would get. When the Fost fled to the mountains, many were left behind, whether too slow or too stubborn to leave. Entire clans lost. Of those left, one of the strongest clans resided here. Their claim to fame was their water and air magic, shape-shifters and fierce fighters all. Their hatred for the E’mani eclipsed even my own. They’d been fighting non-stop waiting for their people’s return. Pretty sure we were a huge disappointment.
Only a few ventured to talk to us. The rest returned to their various duties and chores. The most eager to greet the new arrivals were the single. The clan had small numbers, and by now, everyone was related to everyone else. Thus Thorn’s eager greeting. It wasn’t just the women being eyed. The attractive female from earlier remained glued to Finn’s side, practically wriggling in joy to be near him. Maybe I was just being catty but when she leaned her breast on his arm, I had to battle to control my urge to slap her. And I knew it wasn’t my place.
With a grimace, I turned to Thorn. “Would I be able to get a tour? Explore? There’s a reason we came. I want to find some of their laboratories, their buildings. There’s something I need to find.”
“You never did explain how you came to be with the Fost. How do you bear our marks?” Thorn ran his finger down my arm.
“That is probably because I don’t know. The E’mani destroyed my home.” My heart twisted. Mom. Sarah. “They killed my mom, my family, my friends. And then they took me and brought me here. I am not from around here, you see.”
Thorns eyebrows rose at that. “Where are you from?”
“A galaxy far, far away.” A pang shot through my chest. Sarah and I used to play a game and add Star Wars references every day to a convo, casual-like. I missed her. I missed it all. My mom especially, she had a way of making me see the truth beneath the surface.
“You appear to have survived. How did you get away?” Thorn tugged me to the corner to continue our talk.
“I’m not sure how. I keep having these dreams, I need to find one of their labs and fast. We are running out of time.” A chill shivered down my spine. I needed to find this place. It was important.
“I can take you on a tour then.” Thorn nodded as the rest of my crew filtered in, then he escorted all of us to a building where breakfast was served. Mmm, porridge.
Zanth was nowhere to be found. Finn cuddled in the corner with Zara. I noticed Thorn giving them the side-eye. Jace, Giggy, Baren, Hana, and Near all scattered to learn more after eating.
Thorn grabbed supplies and we were off, George trailing behind.
The town was named Center. There were mountains to the east. And to the west were forests. The hills made it difficult to see the breadth of the area we faced. I wanted to head to the woods first. I remembered trees in the few glimpses I had from my nightmares.
We walked into the forest, the same wide, tall trees with dark gray bark and spikes oozing a thick, acidic sap. But these trees were taller, thicker, more oppressive, the foliage lush. Our own growth was young compared to here. There was an old feel, a sense of age and tragedy. The branches hung starkly in the dawn sky casting foreboding shadows on the ground before us. It had been charted at one time, but the paths had long since gone wild, the way lost. We wandered along in the footprints of animals, silent. The forest called for it.
An hour passed, maybe more. My shoulders tensed for no reason. A shiver ran down my spine. Not cold per se…off.
I stopped and made a complete three-sixty but saw nothing. “Do you feel that?”
“What?” Thorn took a drink from his canteen, slowing to stand next to me.
“Nothing, I guess. Do you come this way often?”
“Never, this way used to teem with E’mani so we learned to avoid it. Now it is habit. We stick to the grassland or the mountains for our food.”
“But I thought cats were curious.”
Thorn snorted and capped the water. “Curious. Not stupid.”
I cleared my throat. “What was it like here after the war?”
He glanced around. “Desolate.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Thorn waved away my words. “We all were. My great-grandmother was hurt in the war. She could not travel and my great-grandfather would not leave his mate behind. They stayed along with my great-greats, and hid at the edges of the mountains, with the rest of the clan. Rough going, but these past few decades, it has been as if the E’mani never existed. They up and vanished one night never to be heard from again, by us at least.”
I balled my hands at my sides. “They came after my world.”
“Yes. What was it like there?”
“My race was very similar to the E’mani technology-wise. That’s why they took us, I guess. It is almost eerie, how alike our races were. I always wondered if given a few centuries, we could have become like the E’mani.”
Thorn whistled. “What was it like with them?”
“Desolate,” I echoed his words.
His hand brushed my shoulder. “Now I am sorry to put such a sad expression on your beautiful face.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “You’re good.”
Thorn winked. “I know.”
We resumed our shamble. Eventually, the ground in front of us cleared and we stumbled onto a paved road. What the hell?
Thorn cursed, grabbed my arm, and pulled me back to the edge. Greenery encroached on the highway with its bright yellow dashes, attempting to take over.
After months here, the road, so similar to home, jarred me. “I think it is abandoned.”
“How have we never seen this before?” Thorn turned in a circle on the blacktop. George hissed and darted among the trees, having decided to join us on our jaunt.
A limb cracked in the forest like a gunshot. A squeal escaped me. Thorn twirled back the way we came and pushed me behind him. We both grabbed our knives.
One minute.
Two.
Did someone follow us, or the E’mani? My heart rate picked up.
George crawled down the tree he’d climbed. And Finn sauntered out of the trees.
My shoulder relaxed. “Asshole.”
“What, what did I do? What is this?” Finn waved his hands.
Thorn scanned behind him. “E’mani engineering.”
“That is good, right?” Finn asked.
“I guess,” I muttered.
I followed the lines on the highway. There was a short stretch of concrete that led to a Y in the road. There was a path left and right.
Hmm, which way to go? The roads appeared indistinguishable to the naked eye. I chose right. It felt right. The left. Not now. Not with only the three of us and George.
As we covered more of the trail to the right, the twitch in the back of my neck faded. My gait became looser. We’d been walking for an hour or so. The road branched one more time and we chose right again so we wouldn’t get lost.
The road was well demarcated, no signs of life or recent usage. No trees grew overhead. No vegetation marred the flat perfection. The highway ended at a parking lot with an adjacent field of wildflowers before more hills of gray dust and rocks.
We took a break in the grass.
“What do you think this place was?” Finn asked.
“An airport, I think, they landed their ships here. There must be a building nearby,” I replied and started to pace down the runway. But we couldn’t find it. The trees grew thicker at the edges of the field. No paths, only the way back.
I put my hands on my hips. “It doesn’t make sense not to have somewhere to unload supplies.”
“I am not seeing anything,” Thorn replied while turning in a circle, nearly trampling poor George. George hissed at Thorn and attempted to crawl up his leg. Thorn shouted and tossed him away. George scampered back and attacked Thorn’s ankle. Thorn cursed and drew his leg back to send George flying.
“Hey,” I yelled. “Not my cat.”
Thorn dropped his foot and shook his fingers at my pet. Who promptly lifted up his leg and took a piss on his boot. Oh my god, I had to cover my mouth. Thorn screeched and darted after George who took off running. Then Thorn promptly ran smack into a wall next to the field. His nose crunched and he fell back onto his elbows. George hummed and swished his tail sauntering back toward me.
Finn and I ran toward Thorn. I checked briefly on Thorn’s face before checking out the building. The brick was translucent, nearly lost against the grass. No outside markings. I couldn’t see a door. Bare brick walls. No lights. We blocked off the building with our hands, but felt nothing but stone.
“What is this brick?” I asked.
Thorn grumbled and poked his nose lightly, mopping up the blood on his shirt. “I do not know. The E’mani used it for all their buildings near the end of the war. We are unsure where they got it. Somewhere close. It is indestructible. Knives glance off it. Magic cannot touch it.”
“Finn?” I inclined my head at the rock.
Finn pulled out his imbued blade. He jabbed it into the block. Flecks of debris showered the ground around us. Good.
“What is this?” Thorn grabbed the knife from Finn’s hand, injury forgotten.
“Ferok, our new metal. It works against them. We found it near our valley.”
Thorn lifted the blade, rays of the suns sliding off the edge. “How much more do you have?”
“Enough for all of us, and we can call more,” I replied. Finn glanced at me. “Well, we hope. That is why some stayed behind, to get more of the metal.”
“This is good.” Thorn said while twirling the blade.
“No way in,” Finn concluded.
Thorn nodded. “We should go back. My clan will be upset I have been gone all day.”
“I am sure a few of them were following us,” I said.
Thorn grinned, unrepentant. He tossed us a drink and some rations before heading back the way we came. The pace was sedate and we reached the Y again within a few hours then turned left. I couldn’t help my glance back to the path we hadn’t taken. I had a feeling I would be going there soon.