Chapter 22
“Let me get this straight. A bunch of little hands pull us out of the trees. And they couldn’t leave us any food?” Norm asked, astonished, scanning the area, as if he hoped a wild cheeseburger might scurry by.
Dylan secured the backpack. “We should just be grateful we’re not dead.”
“Dude, I get that you’ve been chosen to like, save the universe and all, but you don’t understand my hunger. I could eat the universe! The moss is already starting to look like broccoli, and I don’t even like broccoli. I don’t suppose you can call one of those bunnies back?”
“Norm.”
“Fine, fine, but now that I’ve been dead, I want food even more. I’m hallucinating.” Norm pointed at a brown rock. “Is that a peanut butter cup?”
“We got bigger problems.” Dylan studied the surrounding tree line, looking for any sign of the black hunters who might be lurking beyond the shadows. “We gotta figure a way through the trees before we can worry about finding food. If the void catches us again, we’re the food. We need to stay in the clearings and even then, we still have the Terovians if they followed us.”
“Either way, we’re screwed?” Norm shrugged.
“Guess so.”
“I like our odds.”
“I’m gonna call Weird before we go.” Dylan pulled the phone from his pocket.
“What can he tell us? The void hide in shadows and I’m pretty sure space pirates could stay hidden from anything Weird could get a hold of.”
“Probably, but he might be able to give us some paths that aren’t as covered with trees.” Dylan tapped the call.
The phone barely rang on Dylan’s end. “D-Max! Norm! What’s up, bros?” Weird’s usual enthusiasm blasted through the phone.
“Were you sleeping on the phone?” Dylan joked, turning on the speaker.
“Sleep?” Weird’s voice cracked. “How am I supposed to sleep? You guys need me.”
“We do,” Dylan acknowledged. “Listen, can you tell where we are on the mountain?”
“Yeah, you guys haven’t made it too far. Kinda looked like you went a little sideways this morning.”
“We did. We ran into some, uh, trouble… in the trees.” Dylan winked at Norm, knowing Weird would go ballistic if he knew what had been happening.
“Was it mountain lions? Or bears?” Weird gasped.
“It was bears!” Norm said flatly. “Definitely bears.”
“We need the best path.” Dylan interrupted. “One toward the southeast peak that doesn’t take us into the woods. The bears like to hang out there.”
“Lemme check it out.” Weird’s keyboard clacked in the background. “From where you guys are, keep heading north. There’s a small path at the east end of the clearing you’re in. It’ll open up, then there’s a bigger trail with less trees that doubles back southeast. That should get you where you want to go.”
“Are the trails pretty small?” Dylan asked. “I don’t want to be out in the open with the mountain lions, either.”
“They don’t look too big. Based on how much ground you guys covered yesterday, you’ve got at least four or five hours of walking just to get above the tree line. The terrain looks sorta rough in some spots too, so it might be even longer.”
“Thanks, Weird. No quicker routes you can see?”
“Not without going through some heavy patches of trees.” Weird said, clacking away on his keyboard. “I wish I was there, D-Max!”
Dylan marveled at his passion. “Seriously, Weird, you’re too valuable where you’re at. Listen, we gotta go, dude! Battery’s at less than half.”
“Battery conservation mode: on. Just call if you need me! Later.”
Norm shook his head. “Did you ever think we’d be relying on Weird for anything besides help with a computer?”
“Nope, but I’m glad he’s there. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without him.”
They found the path easily and headed toward the trail. By mid-morning, the sun had burned off most of the dew, warming the air considerably. They zig-zagged up the mountain, the terrain harder to navigate, through ditches and thick patches of brush, sustaining numerous scrapes and cuts on the way.
"So, how much farther do you think, D?” Norm asked, keeping a close watch on the trees to either side.
“Can’t be too much more. We’ve been on the path for almost an hour.”
“I hope so. I need a break, man. Some of us still get tired.” Norm leaned on a boulder, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“Let’s find the next trail and then… uh-oh.” Dylan’s words trailed off, pointing to another silver wrapper ahead on the trail.
“Now we gotta wonder,” Norm squinted through the glare, “are they leading us in the right direction or are they just leading us to the dinner table?”
“They could have used the first wrapper as bait if they wanted to get us,” Dylan climbed a fair-sized boulder for a better view. “Whoever it is, someone is trying to tell us where to go.”
Norm got a second wind, hustled to pick up the wrapper, and inspected it for any trace of food. “Maybe, but I need some freakin’ food, people!” Norm desperately licked the wrapper. “Mm, granola never tasted so good!”
“I guess the wrapper is their way of telling us we’re going in the right direction.” Dylan stood high on the boulder for a better view of the clearing. “But how would they know we changed the direction we were heading?”
“I don’t know, but let’s get going before they run out of energy bars,” Norm marched ahead, hoping to spot another wrapper.
“Do you think with anything but your stomach?” Dylan followed Norm into the next clearing. Despite its smaller perimeter, it was covered with thick patches of trees and brush, making the next trail head harder to find.
“Weird said the next trail would head back to the southeast and up the mountain.” They walked along the eastern perimeter, keeping a healthy distance from the shadows.
They looked for the trail for only a minute before- “There we go!” Norm spotted another energy bar wrapper just beyond the trees. They pushed through the branches and found the path, more like a shallow gully made by the melting snow. It was slightly lower than the surrounding ground, difficult to find without the help of their unknown guides and the well-placed wrapper. Following the trail, they ascended the mountain on an angle.
The sun lit the open area but splintered at the edges, becoming full shadow under the surrounding foliage.
Norm looked from side to side with every step. “Do you think the void called his friends?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Dylan responded without stopping. “I just wonder how many of them there are.”
“Do you think one of them would just jump out of the shadows and grab us?” Norm wondered out loud.
“Wouldn’t they have done it already? I’m right here. I think they want to drain everything out of you, make you as afraid as they can before they kill you.”
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“That’s a nice thought. Kinda sounds like a vampire.” Norm said, his feet becoming heavier with every step. “Can we rest for a few? This climb is way harder than the trail we took this morning.”
“Of course, man.” Dylan dropped the pack in the middle of the path, in a stretch of sunlight wide as any they had encountered.
“Whew. If we had food or water, this would actually be like a real rest.” Norm plopped himself down next to the pack, his fatigue on par with his hunger. Dylan stared up at the mountain top, soaking in the energy it gave him. Something about Shasta was deeply rooted inside him already, like a wise, ancient spirit watching over him, guiding him to a place he’d been before.
Norm lay back on the ground, taking slow, deep breaths. The blue summer sky above, the sun in the periphery, enjoying another rare moment of peace. A peace they both needed. The boys had lost a lot in their young lives. And for better or worse, it bonded them. Loss. Not the stuff childhood friends usually have in common. Yet, bind them it did in a powerful way. Norm watched the sunlight beating down on Dylan, contemplating how long they would be safe when a row of billowy clouds passed overhead. Like a curtain dropping on a stage, the dense cluster cast itself in front of the sun.
“Dylan!” Norm gasped. “They’re here.”
The void sprang from the branches. Instinctively, Dylan cocked his fist, burning with white-blue flame. It snatched Dylan’s arm before he could strike and thrashed him to the ground, pinning him like a car had parked on top of him, his breath already gone. He squirmed to get his feet under him when the void slammed the side of his head, -pop- an explosion of pain in his ear. The sound vanished; his vision blurred. The void raised its hand high for a final blow when a ray of sunlight split the clouds.
Norm crashed into the creature’s side, his momentum carrying them into the shade. The sunlight washed over Dylan, a welcome breath. His energy waning, Norm held what breath he had and crawled toward the light. The void snatched him by the neck and flipped him over. “No fear?”
“Not- of- you.” Norm gritted his teeth, glared into its red soulless eyes, the aura of blackness settling around them, when a halo appeared above the void. The beast shrieked and thrashed violently. Dylan wrapped his fiery hands around its neck. Norm kicked the creature in the gut, knocking it and Dylan back into the sunlight. With the sun on his skin, Dylan squeezed its neck, digging his fingers into its icy throat. Norm looked up, another cluster of clouds.
“Dylan, kill it! Hurry,” Norm urged him.
Dylan clenched his teeth, tightening his grip on the beast. The void flailed; white-blue flames erupted from its eyes, crackling through its head. Dylan held firm, flooding it with energy. The creature hissed in a death-rattle and disintegrated into a smoky mist.
“Nice work, D!”
“Norm!” Dylan pointed to the shady woods behind him.
“Don’t even-” Norm turned, exhausted. Pair after pair of red eyes appeared within the shadows, trained on them, bouncing into a frenzy, ready to feed. “Run!” They raced up the path, the shrill hiss rustling through the trees to their left. Dylan’s long legs glided effortlessly up the grade of the mountain. Norm, running on adrenaline, held pace for a few seconds before his breaths and his strides shortened. Dylan waited for Norm to catch up. In front of them, the incline was steeper, shrouded in over-grown timber, a tunnel of shade. The trail was barely visible except a faint light at the end of the underpass.
“We gotta go! Fast!” Dylan sprinted into the gloom. Norm tried to catch a breath, but only managed to grab a choked bit of air before entering the canopy. The steep fifty-foot climb didn’t work in Norm’s favor. He tripped and sprang to his feet, but lost all his momentum. Forced to take another breath, the void’s vacuum wrapped around him like water in the deep end of the pool. He held the oxygen he had, focusing on each step, taking him closer to the light.
Willing himself, Dylan made it through the tunnel in one breath. Norm was only halfway up, in trouble. Taking a quick breath, he sprinted down the slope and collided with Norm. Dylan lifted Norm by his arm when the void-effect engulfed him. He pushed, churning his legs, and thrust Norm into the light. Dylan lunged forward and crashed to the ground, inches from the brightness. Crawling on his belly, his hands touched the light when a gnarled talon dug deep into his flesh, cutting, burning, freezing all at the same time. Dylan dug his fingers into the dirt, sliding downward, when Norm grabbed his wrists. The gloom sank into Dylan, another black hand tearing into his thigh. Two more latched onto his shoulders, arching him backward. Norm strained helplessly, losing the tug-of-war as the void pulled Dylan into their netherworld.
Dylan kicked at the demonic hunters, trying to block the pain. Desperate, he wriggled free of Norm’s grasp, allowing the void to drag him back into the shadows.
Norm fell to his belly. “No!”
Breathless, Dylan ignited. Blue-white fists chased the gloom, lashing the creatures with pure light until they released their grip and retreated to the surrounding darkness. Drained from using his power, he lumbered up the slope before Norm pulled him to daylight.
“Come on, man! We ain’t outta the woods yet! That might have been a poor choice of words, but we gotta do something else.”
Dylan turned to face his pursuers. “I’ve had enough of this.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Norm spotted a patch of clouds on course to block out the sun again. “We gotta move!”
Dylan stood firm, staring into the shadows as pair after a pair of red eyes appeared. His arms extended to his sides, both fists engulfed in flames. “There’s nowhere to run, Norm.” Dylan said coolly, preparing for a fight. “We can’t run up a whole mountain.” Energy coursed through his body, stronger than before. The flames ignited Dylan’s forearms all the way to his shoulders until his eyes crackled with the Om’s life-fire.
The frenzy of void shrieked, bobbing anxiously, waiting for the clouds to block the light. The ground rumbled beneath them.
“I think there’s a lot of them!” Norm hollered above their wails. “If this is how we’re going down,” Norm grabbed a solid branch and hoisted it into a baseball batting stance. “I’m goin’ down swingin’!”
The clouds eclipsed the sun's rays. The pack of void, different sizes and shapes, erupted from the shadows, a tornado of vicious intent. The earth rocked, trees shook violently. Dylan cocked his fist. Norm coiled to swing. A tsunami of mountain animals crashed around them and tore into the horde of void. Waves of deer and elk fearlessly gouged the demon hunters. Coyotes, raccoons, birds, and insects swarmed the wraiths, then fell to the ground as if their life switch were simply turned off. A black bear thundered past Norm. Charging at full speed, it plowed through three void, driving them down the incline before he collapsed. The animals’ attack didn’t last long against the void’s power, yet still they came, relentlessly protecting their young Scion. Dylan moved to help them when the coyote from their camp tugged fiercely at his shorts, pulling him toward the woods behind them.
“I have to help them,” Dylan said when an invisible force pushed his hips. “Something’s got me.” Neither could see anything but the coyote.
“Into the trees, Scion! Into the trees!” A voice said from nowhere.
“I heard that! Let’s go!” Norm said, pulling Dylan away from the melee. They followed the coyote into the woods, the sounds of the battle fading. The boys had learned enough to not look back until they were sure they were safe and didn’t until the coyote led them into another sunlit clearing.
“H-hold up,” Norm huffed, doubling over to catch his breath again. “That… was crazy. The animals… they protected us. Well, you, anyway.”
“I wanted to help them,” Dylan replied, kneeling down to pat the coyote. “But the void will keep following me. Thank you, my friend.” The scraggly canine returned the affection by mouthing his hand, then pulled his shirt to keep moving up the mountain.
“Guess it’s time to go,” Norm announced, when he noticed something flying above them. “Hey, is that thing one of Weird’s little satellites?” He pointed to a flying orb with what appeared to be a series of camera lenses mounted on it.
“What the hell is that?” Dylan eyeballed the electronic spy. The orb hovered closer, its main lens twisting itself into focus.
“Well, I hope it’s one of the good guys,” Norm replied.
“Aah!” The scream came from nowhere. A tiny creature materialized, swinging a crystal-studded staff and smashed the flying spy to the ground with a single blow. The creature landed and poked the mangled orb. “Not a good guy.” Standing all of three feet tall, he stood proud, like a soldier. Wavy black hair wrapped around his deep bronze face and over-sized, dark gray eyes. He wore a small woven skirt that draped him to his knees. His wiry frame was rippled with sinewy muscles except for a round pot belly.
“Thank you.” Dylan studied the little man.
“Yeah, thanks, but who- or what the hell are you?” Norm blurted, observing the short humanoid being.
“No time!” The little man poked Norm in the gut with his staff. “Into the trees, now!”
“Hey!” Norm swatted it away. “I’m movin’, ya goofy little midget!”
“Follow Ka’ana,” their tiny rescuer commanded, pointing at the coyote. Ka’ana led them into another dark, wooded patch.
“Hey, Mr. Munchkin, these things chasing us, they like the shadows, y’know.” Norm said, forcing himself to keep up.
“Quiet, fat one!” the little man hissed. “Black ones everywhere.” No sooner than the words passed his lips, the sounds of the void erupted behind them. “Hurry!” Ka’ana, the coyote, led them to the edge of a small ravine with a thirty-foot drop. “Jump!” the little man said from behind.
Ka’ana effortlessly jumped the ten-foot gap to the other side. Dylan leaped without slowing, clearing the pit, and tumbled to a stop. Norm planted his foot and stumbled into the air, crashing chest first into the opposite ledge.
“Dylan!” Norm scratched at the hard earth; his fingers unable to get a grip. The little man bounded across easily and pulled Norm by his arms.
“Su’So!” the little man called, bracing his feet for leverage. A nearly identical dwarf-like warrior materialized beside them. A single void, like an ebony mandrill, hurled itself over the ravine. The coyote launched, snarling, catching the void in the air before disappearing into the gloom below. Ka’ana yelped and fell silent.
“Thanks, grumpy,” Norm said as the little man pulled him onto the ledge.
The horde charged toward the chasm. The boys and their rescuers bolted through a patch of trees until they came to another black oak, out of place among the pines. Circling behind it, Su’So tapped his staff against the trunk. The bark shimmered and vanished, revealing a small passage. It was a bit short for Dylan and Norm, but perfect size for their tiny saviors.
“Go! In!” Su’So whispered, pushing the boys through the wooden entryway. The void were almost upon them, hissing manically when the hidden passage shimmered and sealed around them.
On the Southwest slope, the Terovians were creating a makeshift base camp. “Vorgan, that was the last drone.” Shmire said, staring at the black screen. “We have no way to track the Scion.”
“You concede far too easily, Schmire.” Vorgan grinned, his menacing eyes filled with anticipation. “Release the blood-gutters.”