Chapter 7.

It had all taken longer than the time Ly had available to them. In their next life, if they were lucky and there was a next life, they would come back as a Commander with at least a couple of orange Endurance fractals.

Trudging up the steps from one of the lower levels with leaden legs was grueling and they couldn’t afford to slow down. It was inevitable that one of Lady Maddiisa’s household would wake soon. The body purifying tub had been filled with fresh hot water and an abundance of food was already laid out, but servants needed to be present to serve.

D’char were not citizens. Didn’t have their own lives and couldn’t own possessions, but Ly had carved out dice and a simple Strategy set from scraps of bone. Sneaking a game during quiet evenings with a couple of friends was not a regular occurrence. Fe was simple and the dice would no doubt be stolen, bribed, or taken from them within the nine-day. But the youth’s pleasure at receiving the gift had been worth the effort and would at least temporarily give Fe a reason to endure the nightmares. Their conversation had been revealing because even a fool sees more than they know. Ly wasn’t sure what to do with the information, but it did confirm what Lod had spoken about.

Ly sort and found Co stirring a vat of crushed grain used to make potage. They hadn’t the time to find out exactly why such vast quantities of food was prepared each day. Circumstantial evidence suggested an answer that was seriously unpleasant. Sadly, there was nothing they could currently do about the situation.

“Will you be able to direct foraging parties away from the gabled lower entrances until the danger is past?” Ly asked.

Co grimmest. “Only if I can make commander O'Leeary think it was his idea. Just now he thinks it's quicker to send them out via the aqueduct. How long do you think it's going to take?”

“Depends on who is commissioned to investigate. The current new team is very young and inexperienced. Unexplained D’chaar deaths are such a low priority they may be commissioned the job just to give them a bit of experience.”

Co grunted. Not surprised.

“You can't look into it?”

“No. I'm currently looking after a mother and her newborn.”

“You always were a lucky one. Any chance of getting me a promotion?”

“We have always been friends; I will certainly be on the lookout for opportunities or you.” Ly grinned, not that they felt like smiling.

“Well, I owe you one, no, I owe you more than that. Anything I can do for you?”

Co had offered. And there was something. It was a simple task. No risk to Co and another loose end tied up.

Reaching the gallery their friend Py had a batch of Sullaat rolls ready, straight out of the oven. Tantalizing mouthwatering aromas trailed Ly back to Maddie’s suite. Elite people seldom realized some of the most useful friends were not in high stations.

***

Each night Dereniik put off sleep for as long as possible. Delaying the inevitable in a vague hope that exhaustion would allow sleep so deep dreams would not invade his subconscious mind. But it was not to be. With crystal clarity the reoccurring nightmare unfolded, dragging him through the trauma afresh. Heading as surely as a twig caught in a crushing current to an inevitable fatal end.

The team traced down a couple of women who had unexpectedly been able to purchase property. Then a few more whose first-born sons were wearing tiny new fractals not acquired from the Coalition. Dereniik guessed their next commission would be to find the black-market supplier. They followed the sequins. Established the women all had either social or bonding connections to the small tribe who were inexplicably no longer represented at the Council chambers, by either an Arbiter or Regional Commander.

Like much of The Wild Waters, the tribe was in a remote, isolated area. Team Leader, Deputised Operative Commander Vavant bribed a youth from an adjacent tribe for its precise location. Dereniik called him out, voicing disapproval, the familiar mild teasing of best friends ensued. Dereniik rubbing it in as they struggled to decipher the rough drawn cryptic map.

Finding the settlement where the informer had formerly lived had taken the luck of The Herald. The neighboring one, where they suspected to find more information about the drug cartel, proved elusive. Three days of futile searching. Another fruitless morning with no progress. The Team regrouped at the mouth of yet another steep walled valley.

“Only have another nine-day,” Vav shook his head. “We split up, three groups of three, need to cover more ground.”

“Small groups of Nisayaan are less likely to attract attention.” Aqiid drawled.

“The arura today is full of lilacs and blues tones, the Nisayaan won’t stand out,” Targo voiced his concern. “I think we should stick together.”

“I sighted a wild flock, five or six animals, only a hand-width ago. If my city eyes could pick out wild ones, glittering and shimmering in and out of sight, nine flying in formations going to be flaming obvious. We should have gone stealth from the start.” Fhran muttered.

Dereniik gave his team mate a warning glance, they were all frustrated, didn’t want another argument.

“So, we drop the formation and stick together,” Targo looked to the twins for support.

“No. We’ll be fine, three Nisayaan playing, dancing, it’s got to be a fairly commons sight, and we are just locating the settlement. We will divide up, each group scouts an area, meet back here when Gods first eye is ninety degrees above the horizon. Sooner if anyone sights anything.” Vav usually tried for a consensus of opinions, but that wasn’t always possible.

“We are a long way from the roost, my mount is already getting antsy,” Timaan unconsciously rubbed a red rash on his arm, magenta fractal glinted in the strong light.

“Understood, how many more hands widths’ do you estimate we have until the Default will make them unmanageable?” Vav asked Aqiid.

The rest of them had been city boys, only becoming skilled riders during the rotations of training. Aqiid cast an experienced glance at Gods First Eye.

“The homing instinct will kick in early ‘cause these narrower valleys won’t get a lot of light when she’s low. I’d give it four or five hands breath. Tonight, Gods Second eye will rise before First set’s but she’s low and Third eye’s not due for a couple more days. We’ll be riding back under a light arura, not full dark.” Aqiid replied in his heavily accented drawl.

“We have plenty of time then.” Vav nodded, decision made.

Dereniik glanced to where the magnificent nine-winged beasts perched with long whip tail and guide ropes anchoring them in the trees nearby. He agreed with Fhran, nine animals, even dodging and weaving imitating undomesticated stock, would draw attention, be noted as an omen, warning or good luck depending on the individual’s religious inclinations. Facing the unknown without the security of a full team was daunting but they were running out of time.

Vav turned towards Dereniik, “Take Kyd and Aqiid, check everything on your right and cut around that ridge till you reach the range we searched yesterday. Then work down anything that looks like a valley. I’ll take Jorgo and Friink, start from this valley mouth and work up. Timaan take the twins work on the left, up to that ridge and back down all the waterways. We should meet in the middle, if not we return to this place and head back together.”

Climbing trees, the men gathered reigns, mounted pouches and took to a shimmering arura laced with golds, lilac and blue. Dereniik, Kyd and Aqiid soaring over the rugged twisted mountain to flank the others. Winging up through thermals and gliding in the shimmering rays of light. Gods Fire danced on the tips of the tallest trees and the calls of a thousand flitters and other animals of the jungle canopy below drifted up in joyful chorus. It was a perfect day.

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They lost valuable time following a ravine that twisted, heading away from their intended destination to an area previously searched. The next lead back to the informant’s tribe’s territory. Retracing their steps, Gods First Eye slid another hands width closer to the horizon. Another hopeful candidate, and another dead end. Kyd finally located a spring. Following the steady gushing water as it cut its way down the steep gorge twisting into a narrow valley. Tinkling streams merged, white-water gushing together, cascading over rocks.

Dereniik missed the subtle signs and overshot an abandoned settlement. Long deserted, the ruins were nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding rampaging jungle growth. Kyd’s sensitive artists eyes picked them up and with hand signals alerted the others. Turning back Dereniik picked out the unnatural straight lines that would have once been a wall surrounding the settlement. Vegetation, Drop-vines and brambles smothering the surfaces. Substantial trees grew through gaps and now he was looking, an almost complete circle of Great Trees nestled within the overgrown gardens. A second fly-over and what could have been a dark tunnel entry was sighted. They circled again. Kyd signalling, he had seen movement. Dereniik reasoned it must have been a flitter or other animal as nothing human materialised.

The dank stench of moulds and stagnant water caught his throat. For the longest time he thought the smell would never leave him.

The feeling of loss and despair gript at his heart. Once people had laboured at length to build themselves a home. All that remained of their ambitions was a discarded carcass of stone reclaimed by the trespassing jungle green. Who had lived there? What dream had they woven, and stories had been told? What questions plagued them and what answers had they found? A tickle of foreboding crossed his mind and was quickly discarded. Abandoned historical sites always made him question his own mortality. Marvel at the insignificance of man, and his inconsequential place in the rushing passage of time.

It wasn’t worth landing. Ruins offered nothing to attract drug dealers and sequin. Guiding his mount away the inkling of discord niggled at his mind. But he was snug and secure in the Nisayaan pouch, nine strong wings effortlessly vibrated above.

It was taking a long time to meet up with the rest of the team.

Dereniik made excuses.

He was setting a measured pace, had been a little humiliated at missing the ruins.

The unpredictable twists and turns slowed them down.

They had been constantly diverted, exploring small gorges when other streams joined the main waterway.

Gods First Eye traveled a good two hands breadth. They didn't reach the valley mouth or met up with the other teams.

Anxiety built as they wove around bends.

The first sign of recent human activity appeared. They overflew a bridge spanning the watercourse at a narrow junction.

The rapids ended with a series of small waterfalls and smoothed into a placid stream curving around a graceful bend.

Dereniik’s Nisayaan harrumphed.

Ignoring his directions through her reigns she attempted to turn back on herself. Ahead Kyd’s mount spun, fighting her snout rings, skittering upward she narrowly avoiding clipping his animal. Dereniik circled, fighting to keep his mount’s head. Nisayaan were sensitive to scent, particularly blood, a jungle predator had possibly made a kill ahead. Aqiid, with enviable perfect control over his mount, scouted around the bend.

Returning in a heartbeat.

“Settlement. Destroyed. Ahead.” Head and shoulders out of the pouch Aqiid’s hand-signals were an excited blur.

With extreme caution Dereniik encouraged his resistant animal around the next bend. Snorting and harrumphing the Nisayaan turned in the general desired direction but took herself higher. Resisting all urging to move lower for a closer inspection.

The air was clear, no indication of smoke, but Dereniik felt slightly lightheaded. A similar sensation when they had worked in the highest mountains on an assignment close to Xiaan. Then a teasing breeze brought a slightly acrid scent to his attention.

Destruction on a staggering scale, scaring on exposed rock faces and shattered rock, lay before him.

“Phasefire.” Aqiid signaled.

“Recent and a few varieties. Multiple wielders.” Dereniik signaled back.

“Would have been a wonderful place, whoever destroyed it had some powerful fire power.”

Dereniik agreed, couldn’t keep the horror from his mind. Felt the tension translate to his mount and with effort controlled his emotions.

The settlement had been carved into the cliff face of the valley wall. Low, but well past the high-water level of the Month of Flood Assaults. Lost somewhere in the mists of time the river had undercut a naturally less resilient shelf of rock. Into this softer substrata people had dug tunnels and habitats. A jungle wall had once enclosed a perimeter both up and down stream, it now lay in scattered chunks.

Dereniik encouraged his jittery mount to hover as he tried to comprehend the overwhelming devastation. The lack of co-operation limited his perspective but it was not difficult to imagine the sprawling settlement would have amply provided for accommodation for several nine hundred people. Ornate carvings decorating portions of the cliff not pockmarked with Phasefire. Toppled statues and menhirs were sprawled among torn up terraced garden beds. All indications of previous prosperity.

The rock overhang was obliterated in places, deep hollows indicating where collapsed tunnels would have once provided access to the interior parts of the settlement. Whip-Phasing score marks crisscrossed walkways and steps rendering them useless. Strew rocks and scared vegetation indicated someone with one of the variations of Manipulative Phasing had played havoc with the debris. Pockmarks scattered around the ruined gardens and outbuildings showed a Bolt Phaser had picked off individual targets.

Scattered over the area remnants of Nisayaan carcases were strewn. A settlement this isolated would have benefited from a roost, although animal husbandry was not a high priority for people of the Wild Waters. Predatory animals and scavengers hadn’t had a chance to work on them indicating the destruction was recent. Although the lingering acrid smell of Phasefire may have kept some carnivorous scavengers at bay.

Scenarios ran through his mind. Had this population worked for the drug cartel? Been eliminated when exposure was immanent? Or had Wild Waters Arbiters taken matters into their own hands, removed an embarrassing problem? What of the people? Were some still trapped inside, or had they been evacuated before the destruction?

Dereniik’s apprehension grew. If people were still trapped inside, they would try and dig themselves out, once they felt the danger passed. Whoever had wiped out the settlement had access to an insane amount of fire power and would be sure survivors didn’t cause further trouble. A hostile reception could await them.

Aqiid, with better control of his mount, was lower and assessing the ruins. Out of range for Dereniik to call and not within line of sight for hand signals. Glancing about Dereniik couldn’t see Kyd, the forward-facing pouches of a Nisayaan and bulk of the animals’ body and wings cutting off the view above where Kyd evidently still struggling to instil his will on his mount.

Dereniik wheeled his animal to sight Kyd.

Skin tingled as his hair stood up.

Phasefire leapt from the ground.

In a heartbeat Aqiid was ingulfed. Vapourised. Static burst, pulsating the air. A smell so acrid he could taste it, accompanied his futile cry.

Cracking like a whip, the stream swung his direction.

The distance dispersed much of the energy, but the cascade clipped the tips of his animal left wing blades.

She squealed. Faltered. Ripped the reigns from his hands. Bolted. Frantic, and in agony. An erratic, lopsided, life-saving flight path. The Nisayaan shimmered out of sight.

Phasefire whooshed past them again. Blinding Dereniik as bright purple static flashed in his eyes. Close enough to feel the throbbing energy. An amethyst stream of devastation cut another swath through the surrounding air.

Dereniik brain went into overdrive. His mount, straining, fought to put distance between them and their attacker. There was nothing he could do for Aqiid, nobody survived a direct flare of that intensity.

Don’t think about it.

Grieve later.

Kyd was higher, the sweep continuing his direction. Had he dodged out the way in time?

Winging up over the waterfalls Dereniik’s animal chose to reappear. Glancing behind a purple bloom signalled the next stream. It sliced towards them with bizarre, brutal beauty. Throwing his body to the right his Nisayaan lurched. She screamed and shuddered as the stream took out the tips of her wing blades on his left. Speed decreased, and with each wing oscillation a heart wrenching grunt was yanked from deep within the suffering animal. She disappeared again. Rounding the bend took them out of the line of fire.

Plummeting, Kyd’s animal materialised, and collided with them. Human and animal screams combined, echoing off the narrow valley walls. A smouldering stump all that remained of Kyd’s animal’s whip tail making manoeuvring and balancing beyond unpredictable.

Heart racing, blood pumping, a strong muscular spasm tightened around Dereniik’s legs. The pouch he road in contracted. When facing danger female Nisayaan could expelled whatever the pouch contained. God’s Light, what else could go wrong? Dereniik caught a glimpse of Kyd’s wide terrified eyes before the animals parted.

How much time did they have?

Another contraction built, stronger, enduring the pain took his mind from contemplating the fate of the rest of his team. Rounding the next bend Kyd’s Nisayaan crashed into protruding rocks on the cliff face, righting herself she struggled weakly onward. Dereniik’s animal dropped lower, unable to maintain altitude. Shimmering out of sight. Kyd fell behind and out of sight as Dereniik rounded another bend.

His animal shuddered. A contraction built, forcing Dereniik’s head and shoulders above the lip of the pouch. Dereniik, re-establishing his grip on her reigns, attempting to turn the animal. His effort was met with blatant refusal. Dereniik couldn’t bring himself to bloody her snout, adding to her pain. Her instinctive Default had kicked in and deviating from the path home would not an option she would consider.

Trembling another contraction rippled through the Nisayaan’s abdomen. Lacking the fierce intensity of the first few it didn’t bode well for the animal lasting the long trip home. Wind tugged at Dereniik’s cowl as he was edged further from the pouch. The weaken animal convulsed. Dereniik felt her pain and his heart sank.

Nisayaan were not intelligent, but they were majestic. Watching them dance in the arura one could not help but delight by their free-spirited natures and agile beauty. Damaged wing blades hummed with stress. How the nine, oscillating, simi-translucent wings kept Nisayaan afloat was a mystery. Flitters flapped leathery wings that caught the air. Other animals had plumes or bellows. Tribalight waved broad filaments that caught the air and pushed them along with acrobatic easy.

But nothing under the arura flew well with half its flight structures sliced away.

Dipping lower, whip tail and remaining wing tips brushed the top of the jungle canopy. Gods Fire scattered. Flitters screeched. Dereniik made himself Invisible and therefor lighter. With a final heaving contraction and callous indifference, he was expunged from the pouch. Dereniik floundered, grabbed a fist full of the pouches edge. Dangling, clinging to the lip, Dereniik shimmered back into sight. Contemplated pulling himself back in the pouch but crashing while in a pouch was as equally undesirable as negotiating a landing from freefall.

Searching for an appropriate landing site Dereniik’s arms were straining and beginning to cramp before a relatively clear small moss-covered patch of ground appeared. This was going to hurt. He let go.

Dereniik awoke in a bed soaked with of perspiration. Reality re-established itself as his mind caught up with his current existence. He had been given praise for his quick wits and courage in taking the leap. At the time thoughts of bravery hadn’t crossed his mind, desperation and fear leaving no room for heroic thoughts.

His survival had been a fluke. Dumb luck. Not skill, knowledge or ability. Memories of his team tugged waves of heartache from his guilt-ridden soul.

With supreme effort Dereniik stopped his spiralling thought. Allowing the trauma of rising to occupy his mind while forcing his remaining unco-operative limbs to respond.

He had a Commission.

He had found a name.

He would report to Zegreeb and start investigating why someone had murdered Commander Issolo.