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Chapter 8.

Knowing the unpleasantness of this room in intimate detail only added to Viky’s vehement loathing. Each association furthered her dislike, cementing the desire to never return. But a summons from the Godmothers could not be ignored. Tardiness not tolerated and even a lack of enthusiasm could lead to reprimands and extensions of the visit. And they knew, somehow, they always knew everything.

The room was cold. All underground dwellings were cool, it was one of the reasons Traditionalist women wore nine layers of clothing, but this room had the penetrating, raw feel of air ladened with moisture and miserable memories. She shivered, huddled with her sisters in submissive, supressed near silence. Severe old women glowered down from rows of portraits in gilt frames. Each competing with its neighbours as to who could cast the most censorious or critical gaze.

Swaths of yellow and green Biophyte, enmeshed and overgrown, competed for ceiling space and cast the room below with dull mustard shadows. The stone bench wasn’t just cold to touch but the longer a person was required to remain seated the bitter chill crept up your spine, seeping silently into your soul.

Shaar fiddled with a tatting spindle, fingers working mechanically without thought. Viky noted, with some dread, a sling surreptitiously augmenting an elaborate headpiece. Her twin wore a similar design. Sheeli’s sling was less obvious, but both sisters were proficient with its use. And they were both impulsive.

Viky drew no comfort that they had chosen to arm themselves.

Gabreel was practice controlled breathing in-between consoling her little girl who was finding it difficult to fit on her mother’s lap along with her newborn brother. The Godmothers were displaying a lack of common decency by keeping nine women and their young children waiting, and Gabreel, who was always on time and scheduled everything, wore disappointment openly.

Punctuality was also important to Tus’hii. She had marshalled them all effectively to arrive on time and with nothing currently needing organizing was attempting to sooth Hannareey.

Jess was close to panic, and perhaps exhaustion. Hanna had been misbehaving all night. Runing off early this morning and needed chasing down. It had taken Jess, Moves-Like-a-River and Viky to corner her. Viky had grabber perhaps a little too hard and wasn’t sure if Jess was ever going to talk to her again.

Isobeel held her little Arrabeel in the warmth of an embrace. It was difficult to tell who was comforting who, but Viky was sure no clothes would be crumpled in the process and the beautiful woman would emerge from whatever befell them like a Princess from a classical romance.

When the summons to visit the godmothers had first arrived Ly with practical for-thought had passed Maddie a thick traditional quilted blanket. Now spread at her feet within its folds her daughter’s and the twins’ girls settled in a sociable group, muttering in muted undertones as the older three imitated each other’s finger play.

“I wonder what Power they will display when they eventually turn up this time,” Maddie whispered.

“Something to fill us with respectful awe no doubt,” Viky shivered.

“They are watching from behind that screen,” Shaar’s fingers flew, not missing a stitch.

Viky gave a barely perceptible nod. It irked her, they were watching to see how her sisterhood was responding, and she was playing into their hands by over-reacting. They were supposed to be uncomfortable, and she was, and that further fed her displeasure. Viky emotions progressed from apprehension to provocation.

Little Hanna, never one to sit quietly for long at the best of times grew tired of Tushii’s ministrations and gave voice to complaints with a lusty bellow. Startled, placid Arrabeel joined in with the low insistent droning whing parentals everywhere knew to fear. The plaintive cries woke Maddie’s baby causing an avalanche of demanding voices to join the chorus as mother’s futility consoled.

Apparently even the most heartless Godmothers couldn’t ignore the distress of so many young children. Three elderly women stepped from behinds a screen covered door.

“Hush, babies sleep, adults silence.”

Words and cries cut off with quick gasps and cool efficiency. Unnatural silent descended. An unfamiliar oppressive mental sensation blanketed her mind. Her parents had warned her about this. The mind-altering effects of a yellow communication fractal. Not having experienced the sensation before she wasn't sure if it was full Coercion, Nudging or something different. It was beyond annoying.

Viky experimented with attempting to murmur under her breath. Exhaling her efforts produced a small cloud of fog. Sinking into soft folds the children on the quilt shut eyes in silent slumber. Arabeel hickuped, eye lashes brushing flushed cheeks. Viky filed away the fact powered Commands didn’t apply to involuntary reflexes, not that that information was currently useful, she couldn’t vomit at will. A skill it may become necessary to acquire if she was going to spend the rest of her life at the capital.

Godmothers Nichool Introduced herself with a conceited half-smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. The woman revelled in the trepidation on her sisters faces. The skill was impressive, in a depressing, domineering way, but her rebellious mind asked why the demonstration had been necessary? If the Godmothers hadn’t been tardy the children would not have become fractious.

“I am your Godmother Odeet,” A softly spoken woman with flabby cheeks quivering with each word addressed them. “We have called you here to discuss a recent situation. It has been reported to us that some of you young ladies have ventured into the Evergreen unchaperoned.”

With grey hair streaked every colour of the arura she smiled in a grandmotherly way. Viky was not fooled; the old shrewd eyes didn’t smile.

Odeet continued “It is inexcusable that any woman should experience or expose herself to harm. It is our belief all of you are complicit and involved with this endeavour.”

Viky wrestled with self-reproach. She should have known the Godmothers wouldn’t support any worthwhile endevor.

“You,” the tall angular Godmother stuck a bony finger at Maddie. “What is your name? Tell us of your involvement. Weigh your words with care.”

“I am Maddiisa Your Grace, and I should have known better. It was my idea, and I just got caught up in the moment. I am so sorry.”

Unable to continue Maddie’s sobs were muffled as she hid her face in trembling hands. Viky hadn’t been sure if Maddie was going with defiance or naïveté.

Timoyyn quietly weeping, attempting to hide the fact. Sheeli sniffed, whipping her eyes as Shaah’s hand itched towards her sling.

“You,” the condemning finger moved to Tushii and was met with an unruffled serenity.

“My name is Tushii your grace. but don’t think we can be blamed.”

Clear and concise Tushii spoke with conviction, looking in turn, at each stern Godmother’s face.

“You do not appear to agree, speak your mind,” Odeet swivelled her podgy digit at Viky.

A shudder ran up Viky’s spine, settled as a bundle of detachment at the back of her head. Storm blast, how did they always know? She had been controlling her features, focused on Navleen. Internally groaning, collected her thoughts, Viky struggled to shake a chilly mental lethargy creeping into her consciousness. The deep knowledge and sagacity of the Godmothers was legendary, but it must have limits, otherwise why were they bothering to ask question?

“My name is Viky. When I discovered Jess had been abused, she asked me to tell no one. The laws and conditions of our bonding and the penalties for breaking the contract are explicit and Jess was afraid of further punishment or only making the situation worse if she let anyone know. She feared losing her sisters, her friends. If we share a measure of blame then it is because we, like Jess are kept in ignorance, without resources or knowledge. None of us know what happens in this sort of situation, we still don’t know what is going to happen. If Jess had told us earlier, we wouldn’t have known what to do then either.”

“The right thing to do would have been to come to us and let us deal with the problem,” The third God mother shook her head sadly.

“Why?” Viky asked before she could stop herself.

“Excuse me?” Godmother Nichool frowned. “We said so we could deal with the problem.”

“No, let her speak her mind, explain yourself little one,” The third grandmother encouraged.

Viky took a deep breath, she was in so much trouble, the force at the back of her mind intensified as she fought against answering.

“Why should we have come to the Godmothers? You have never given us any indication that you would help us. The only times we see you it’s when you want to tell us off, the rest of the time we are ignored. Each time we have been in this room you intentionally make us uncomfortable. Trying to frighten us with displays of power, and now you accuse us of being complicit and not helping our friend. We didn’t know you would ‘deal with the problem,’ and until now had no indication our health, safety or happiness was of concern to you.”

“You would have let your sister continue to suffer mistreatment?” Godmother Nichool’s eyes narrowed further.

“No. Of course not. Jo-joohn suggested that someone had hired an assassin, so, I don’t know how, but such a thing must be possible. We may not have done that, but we would have thought of something.” Viky met Godmother Nichool accusing eyes.

The godmother who had not introduced herself chuckled quietly.

Odeet’s features momentarily softened, before returning to the furrowed composition.

Beside her Shaar’s body was ridged and Maddie gave a strangled gasp.

“You are entirely too opiniated for one so young. Is this how you show respect for your elders? We have heard enough of your excuses.” Godmother Nichool was not impressed. “A Sisterhood is supposed to support all its members. We cannot express enough our disappointment that you have failed in this sacred duty. A suitable punishment will be considered at our leisure.”

“Excuse me please, but what is going to happen to Jess?” Viky asked. If they were going to be punished anyway, they may as well find out.

The woman had turned away, but the third godmother stopped, turning back.

“Be at peace. Jessaaray will be expected to satisfy the conditions of her bonding contract, producing a daughter and two sons, but Jo-joohn has lost his rights to be the parent of any more children. As Jessaaray already has a daughter, and the young newly graduated Commanders all have the right to a first-born heir to claim as their own, she will need to choose a widower or otherwise single Commander who already has an heir. The situation is unusual, law dictates as Jo-joohn caused the death of two of her children, she can claim his right to the first-born and second son. Whoever she selects can become the parent to her first two sons, regardless of any other son’s he may have. This will make her highly eligible, she will not have a problem finding a bondmate and fulfilling her contract.” The woman graced them with a half-smile.

Viky nodded, she hadn’t known of the rule, but that was not unusual. The intricacies of the legal system were mind-blowingly complex. Thankfully this one sounded fair. Perhaps after History she should study Law?

“Thank you, will she be able to stay a part of our Sisterhood?” Viky knew she was pushing her luck expecting an answer.

The woman smirched, giving her thoughtful consideration. “That will depend on the man she selects. If the man is part of an established team, then no, Jessaaray will join the Sisterhood of his team-mates. Your men are going to be assigned to stay at Chruciaal, so if she chooses a man who is also stationed permanently in Chruciaal then you will have opportunity to continue seeing and supporting her.”

From the doorway Godmother Nichool shook her head and glared. “Viky, I will remember your name and keep my eyes on you. Such impertinence is not becoming of a Lady.”

“Come now Nichool, her comments and questions were valid from her perspective. Motivated by concern for her sister.” Another half-smile formed, and the old eyes twinkled.

“Elrii, you would have us moddy-coddel every young woman that passes through Chruciaal,” Odeet gave the reprove with contempt and turned to leave. “You may leave, speak and wake at your leisure.”

Elrii moved her hand to conceal the smile she gave Viky from the other older women as she turned and following in their wake leaving the room.

Tushii put her forefinger to her lips, looking at them fugitively as they gathered sleeping children. Gabreel stood with relief, not quite supressing a groan, as the Sisterhood departed.

Once out of the room Tushii rounded on Viky.

“You shouldn’t have irritated them. It will mean trouble for the whole Sisterhood; they will remember that you vexed them long after forgetting your comments were legitimate.”

“Do you think I had a choice? The same power that was used to make us all quiet was added into the instructions we were given to speak. I was commanded to speak my mind. Could you have refused to answer one of their commands?” Viky deftly defended herself.

Tushii opened her mouth and shut it. “Flame and Assault.”

“It’s true, my grandmother had the same power, or something similar,” Maddie said. “I could feel it, cold and a slight pressure in the back of my mind. If it’s any consolation the Godmother will be chilled and have a massive headache after controlling so many people.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“That must be why they only ever keep us for a short time,” Tushii frowned.

Viky faltered, shot Maddie a warning look. If her grandmother had the talent Maddie may have inherited and that sort of information was best closely guarded. A puzzled frown crossed her friends features. Cold, she shivered, not the delightful tingle of supressed excitement but a numb dread that grew in her heart and caught the breath while still in her throat.

That chilled sensation had punctuated pivotal moments in her life since arriving in Chruciaal. Something she couldn’t quite remember connected to Naveen’s arrival and earlier when she had considered courting Jieleen.

“It was good you found out what’s going to happen to Jess and that we will be staying in Chruciaal.” Gabreel said, giving Viky an encouraging smile and interrupting her train of thought.

There was a murmur of agreement.

“What will happen to your family Tushii?” Timyyn asked.

“I’m not sure, maybe I should ask the godmothers for help,” she replied bitterly.

“How much longer will their resources hold out?” Shaii asked.

“This rotation, maybe part of the next if they can get a good price for the family home. But the Warrens of Amaraanth have a substantial number of unsold and empty First Family Houses. It was a calculated risk. Thought it was a one in seven chance of me being assigned back home but knew teams were also occasionally asked to stay at the capital. My parent and brothers would have coped with moving to another city and joining my Household almost anywhere. I will write, and we will decide on one of the contingency plans.” Tushii hid her disappointment under firm resolve.

“How did they let a first daughter, with a dependant family, into the women of the contribution anyway,” Timyyn asked.

“There are never enough second daughters to make up the quota, I wasn’t the only one, and this wasn’t the first time it’s happened.” Tushii’s reply was terse.

“It’s the same in First City,” Maddie added sympathetically. “Although some of that problem is resolved by Major House first born sons bonding women from the Trades or Crafts and the grandmother adopting her sons first born daughter as the heir.”

“Wouldn’t that be illegal?”

Tushii shrugged. “For every law a man makes, within a heartbeat there will be nine ways found, if not break it, at least to circumnavigate it.”

“If we can help out in any way let us know.” Gabreel puffed.

“I just need to be left alone to think.”

Viky understood. Would have liked to have been alone. To absorb the information and ruminate over its deeper ramifications. The chill etched in her bones wilted as a throbbing behind her temples grew.

“I wonder why it’s not that bad in The Rifts?” she muttered.

“What was that?” Gabreel asked.

“In The Rift, there are more boys than girls born, but most families have at least one daughter, many had a couple. I wondered why.”

“I was told the ratio was five to one, thought it was a universal truth. If we’d have known Rift families had daughter’s I would have just moved there instead of coming to Chruciaal.” Tushii sighed.

“No, the ratio varies according to city and rank. I don’t want to sound disrespectful to your people Viky, but Diggers, Xianees, isolated settlements of primitives and people of the trades always have more daughters than the nobility of any major city.” Gabreel said.

“My grandmother says it’s because men are always doing stupid things like fighting in wars or running of into the jungle, things that get themselves killed. With so many boys not going to live long enough to become men the world needs more male babies. And of course, the ones you don’t need for first or second sons become D’char, who are required for all the dangerous and boring jobs.”

“But sons of noble families don’t do, well anything much. Look at our men, some have hobbies they pursued before training, but unless a man of noble birth becomes a Commanders they are not required to work. I know some men fight, but it is illegal and, well my brothers were never interested in the forest.” Tushii argued.

Viky was struck with the injustice of life. So many situations were unfair. Surplus baby boys made into second class citizens. What had happened to Jess’s was wrong on so many levels. But if people were willing to subjugate babies to mutilation the jump to hurting others was not the extreme gulf she had been led to believe. And controlling another’s mind, her personal sanctuary, was not even considered a crime. Since coming to Chruciaal how many decisions she had thought were her own were in fact the will of others?

The desire to hide resurfaced. To find a place where thinking was not required, and time passed without interference. But she was an adult, a Lady, a mother, and couldn’t afford the luxury of inactivity. There was a lot of things she couldn’t change, but that didn’t give her the excuse to do nothing.

Dereniik Froze. Ahead on the track a barely definable movement rippled against the Evergreen. Colloids momentum continued and he reared ended derenick.

Flickering tongues of white blue gods fire continued to crackle irregularly throughout the forest canopy. Creatures without number provided a cacophony of break background ambience a small comfort many would fall silent in the presence of an alpha predator.

Some things ahead Derek mumbled a warning.

The more intelligent animals wouldn't attack a human. Unless you startled or provoked them, invaded their territory, threatened their young, all held your mouth the wrong way. But just as deadly with mindless animals, or the swarming buzzing winged ones, those acted on impulse or were carried by fickle forest breezes.

Tired beyond belief derenick inhaled. Filling his lungs with dank mouldy air that was not no refreshing and judging by the beats putrid aroma a health hazard he would have loved to avoid. If he had a choice.

He planted the branch had strapped to the remnants of his right calf carefully into forest floor regrowth and detritus. Pain continued to throb from the recent unprofessional amputation but other equally serious injuries competed obliterating perspective. Grasping the bamboo currently used as a crutch he scanned for danger. Not much of A weapon, when employed as such Darren leak lossed much needed support, but frantically waving it had scared away a couple of curious obstinance teens and he wasn't going down without a fight. His mother had sacrificed too much for him to die now.

See it Dominic struggled to discern a fade outline.

Card hurriedly scrawled glyphs on his left arm.

Yes colour?

Did have black spots no they and encroaching fuzzy edges were constant feature.

Translucent no green I think. Superbly camouflaged almost invisible

describe.

Floating below the canopy. Irregular body. Don't think it's a fixed shape. Long, lustrous, hella cool appendages trying to drift above the forest floor.

Symayaan.”

Clyde sounded sure And was usually right.

As if recognising its designation the creature pulsed, becoming opaque. Snatches the tranquil breeze carried a waft of decay to dare Knicks over world sensors. Flowing limb like structures billowed and shimmered in the , mottled light it didn't appear to have a face but derenick felt scrutinised.

Dredged through numbing mind fog, searching forgotten corners. If he had ever once known anything about the animal the winds of time had eroded the memory. Although near starvation, horrific injuries, and unimaginable grief interfering with his ability to assemble coherent thoughts.

Kyd Made the glyph for extinct.

Either the animal was extinct, And subsequently the nightmare had become a hallucination of epic proportions or Kyd should have made a Cliff for endangered. Derek suppressed his annoyance and the rapidly following guilt.

It wasn'tKyds fault, he had never been interested in linguistics, never wanted to be a commander. Chasing down drug cartels was far from his dreams as it had been for academic derenick to ever wish this much exposure to the great outdoors.

“Dangerous?” Donik noted a creeping group vine tender and wobbling precariously flicked it away with his crutch.

“Defensive, not aggressive”

defensive how, how does it defend itself?”

“Unsure.”

“Have you got anything does it hunt using sight sound sent?”

“Unsure.”

“You've got nothing is it a predator scavenger vegetarian.” The last was a little too much to hope for.

“Unsure.”

Storm blast, what wasn't kind telling him? Derek used his crotch to swat away one of the small multi legged flying creatures that were constantly attracted to the remnants of his lower calf. Buzzing a short distance it's settled to glare longingly from a branch. They needed to move. Some animals and plants responded to static heat signatures, and plenty of plants possessed offensive or defensive structures. Spines, thorns, barbs, grouping and tripping tendrails, Catapults and trumpets that spent burning juice or shot Darren X personal nemesis borrowing seats.

“You think we can edge passed it?”

“Possible,” Kyd scrawled.

Trial they were using, not quite as wide as a man was tall, had been cleared by a wandering giant gastropod. Derrick estimated, from the forest regrowth, they were only a day or two behind the lumbering beast. Roughly parallel to a small Creek it headed the general direction of a valley he thought may eventually lead to a small settlement. Finding the trail their chances of survival had blossomed from nonexistence to now only needing the luck of the herald. Derek was an atheist, kyd had been a believer, maybe someone had loved him enough to give him a break, but injuries accumulated each day and movement off the path, into the tangled Evergreen slowed their pace to that of a dribble.

Shuffled forward, the vines between Kyd and himself pulling taunt as he told his friend to the left edge of the path.

Fleeing the cartels first attack they had lost seven teammates, their mounts, and kites feet. The second attack cost even more lives, derek's right arm, conscience and possible sanity. The amputation of his right foot had become necessary. Donut was not sure how many days had passed since then, time was no longer linea. Dilating some moments to impossible lengths, contracting others to a heartbeat and freezing some with crystal clear clarity.

Should leave him. Not many men survived extensive gut wounds. It was hard to tell if becoming stuck in the void had saved his life. They had been warned his current condition was irreversible. Dying alone, left to become forest folder, Dominique couldn't have done that to an enemy.

With a Bush green flame erupted from a Bush to his right just ahead.

Instinctively derenick pool centres, tapping the power of his lilac fractal, and shimmered out of sight.

The world changed. Without eyes to reflect light was momentarily blind. I heart beat later his brain adjusted, I sound vibration and energy scape emerged. Learning to interpret what he was ‘seeing’ had taken rotations practise and ur nick was still far from an exit expert. Body lighter, or more correctly, reacting to the force that kept everything falling to the ground in a different way, he started to drift. Muscles reacting differently to the physical environment, the bamboo wood dropped from fingers no longer able to grip. Overhead, distorted calls he recognised as screeching flitters or accompanied by blight bright flashes of their life energy. And the pain, the relentless agony of accumulated injuries, ebbed. Not evaporating completely, but the relief was profound.

The Symayaan, more beautiful than he had imagined, distracted him from the sprouting flames that should have been a more immediate concern.

Der nick shimmered back into sight with great reluctance. Stumbling was followed by an inelegant role to avoid strange green fire. Kyd, jerked by his fall, impacted ground behind with a soft thud. Derek mentally swore.

Reorienting himself, groping for the bamboo, struggling to stand who took precious heartbeats. If the animal had been intent on a kill he should have been dead.

The flying hadn't spread, confining itself to 1 Bush. It looked like an ordinary Bush, but then so many of them did. The forest was quieter. Not the silent treatment he had experienced before the well Cologne had stalled them. Was that yesterday, a couple of days ago, nine days ago. He couldn't tell.

They had to move, didn't have a choice, forward seemed the best direction. He had taken a few cautious shuffling steps before another Bush exploded. To his left I faint after image, similar to the residual grew glow of base fire, shimmered for half a heartbeat before dispersing.

“You see where that came from?”

‘Symayaan>”

storm last. That's what he thought. Although having one animal attack them was enough, more than enough. Only was it attacking, could they be warning shots? Maybe they could cut back into this track after a short detour around the animal.

Inviting wall of greenery found the track. In places he could have been almost a tunnel. Closer to the river the foliage was impenetrable. Not scrambling uphill? Not easy in his current condition. He couldn't die not yet. Derek glanced at the 9 pin securing a bandage around his torso. It promised its safe delivery.

With only a slight wobble Derrick stepped resolutely over the clam like pincers of something that could have been either flora or fauna and edged around electrically charged Moss. Knocking the trunk of a tree with his bamboo sent shooting spines into surrounding foliage. He tapped it again to judge the real own time. Once negotiated, he spinning animal was avoid, then kyd was untangled from a drop vine.

Donic checked they progress there about a body length from the path.

“Leave me.” Kyd wrote.

“Never.” Derek didn't have the breath to argue. It had all been said before.

A venomous slither flaming from before them. Bathed in perspiration he would have to have been a highly offensive to its delicate sensory organs.

“My choice.”

“And this is mine.”

The glow sting creature flashed iridescent orange as a flock of purple winged brocas flitters scolded him. Der nick stumbled and crash.

“I want to die.”

“We are on a Commission; we don't get to choose.”

The collection of rocks he had been using to balance morphed into a snapping animal with more teeth and eyes than a tree had leaves. Keenan with his leg stump sent the creature spinning why and his stump became half hands breath shorter. Panting heavily he scrambled up and remove thorns from water made of his leg. A viscous goo wept from a lingering puncture wounds. He didn't have the bandwidth to think about it. What what he could off with what, in another life, had once been his best cowl.

“Please.”

Kyd had begged previously. It had taken a bit to work out, but eventually confessed he thought derenick would have a much better chance without him.

“We started this together; we finish it together.”

Storm blast. The fool opened wounds on his side where he had removed, we had been there leeches? Not important now, needed to keep moving.

Step, shuffle, scan for danger.

Step, shuffle, scan.

Repeat.

Each hard 1 action and accomplishment. When they were approximately 3 body lengths from the path he turned to run parallel to it again.

Keep moving.

Something scratched on his arm. It took a few heartbeats to recognise Clyde was frantically repeating a glyph.

“Sorry. What?” Where had his head been? Not focused that was sure.

“Rustepheen.”

“Where?” Der nick struggled to lift his head and raise bleary eyes to the canopy.

“Left.”

Gods light! How had he missed the animal? It was a monster. lurking high, red on orange, it crouched tentacles extended, draping over tripwires that ran to the forest floor. Waiting for some idiot to stumble into them. Any unexpecting victim to brush one would be caught in the sticky web like snares. Once trapped prey was hoisted into the cabinet P further bound and left to decomposed.

Dernek felt sick. It was a horrible slow death. No that was the stench. The air was rank.

Storm blast. Bye weren't going to survive if he couldn't detect an animal that obvious. Ironically he'd received top marks when they'd studied biota. But that had been so long ago. Ancient history. Only he was still a young man, wasn't he?

“Thanks Kyd, can you see the tripwires?”

“Not alive,”

well it was worth asking. The almost translucent threads would be hard to pick up in the mottled light under perfect conditions. There nick tucked the bamboo under the stump of his right arm and rumped weary eyes. It accomplished little, except a residual amount of glue, was something else he had touched, stung. Adding another layer of discomfort and tears further clouding his vision.

Avoiding the final plants and the patch of foyer thorns Derrick edged further from the Rusterpheen. The cunning animal had positioned itself strategically over the path. But evidence suggested it had lived in the general area for some time. Trip wisely did the surrounding pendant trees and tautly wrapped decomposing carcasses were strewn overhead. Ileet swarms investing some of the fresher cadavers.

Dear Nick's heart sank further as a haystack nest came into view. A larger detour would be required.

Slick biophite coated forest floor as Danny started up the incline again. Resorting to his hands and knees keep it flowers stained his skin. Unfortunately the stain would remain visible even when he wasn't , negating his one defence strategy against predatory animals who hunted by sight. Bring his bamboo around in time to ward off an electrically charged tumble Bush. With callous indifference it brushed past. Convulsive spasms shook his limbs I call it jerked against the ropes binding them together.

“Sorry my friend.” Dominique whispered.

Kyd had never been one to waste energy complaining. How much was he still suffering? What if he was being cruel, dragging his friend through this endless nightmare? It seemed the right thing to do. Maybe there was a cure for being stuck in the void. If he could just get back to civilization, surely after suffering so much Kyd had to have a chance?

The world hushed. Flitters stopped screeching. Buzzing flying creatures stopped humming. The only sound came from a teasing breeze rustling leaves and stirring branches.

Looking up dernek knew what he would see. With malevolent, lethargic, elegance the Rustopheen Was stirring. In moved fascination Dora nick watched as tentacle appendages pantages wrapped around branches and body flowing moved with stately calm towards them.

Stone blast. The tumble Bush had become ensnared in a tripwire. Reaching this area a profusion of binding silken threads would coat them all.

Heedless of screaming muscles Derek scrambled. Tearing out Tufts of Moss and skidding decomposing mulch. Lanyards of a swinging spiked vine blocked his path. Dear nick crashed through. Over balancing he skid down a few body lengths and collided with a nest of ground fitters. Squawking they took to flight. One leathery wing touched the tripwire, the creature writhed, became more entangled. It's futile struggle and cries grew fainter.

Would the flitter be enough to distract the Rustephee? Amazing how callous you became after a few 9 days spent in the forest. Lying on his back the canopy spread before him, another problem approached.

The Symayaan, With enviable dexterity move through the Rustepheen web and tripwires. Straight for them.

Dereniik Rolled. Spent precious heartbeats untangling Kyd, again. Where was his bamboo? Didn't matter. Had to move. Crawling would have to do.

The forest floor had given way to leaves twigs and a depressing number of bones, cartilage, claws and flitter beaks. Avoiding the tripwires dear nick ripped his hands and means dodging through trees and bushes. Saw a few living animals, not a big surprise. Almost made it back to the path, or at least where the path would have been, except the rotting remains of a child gastropod hung suspended and wrecked from a spreading lilla tree.

To slow. Filtered light faded as the Rustepheen’s shadow arrived above them. Dear nick frantically sought a solution. Invisibility wouldn't work. The creatures picked up vibrations. Pounding heart and erratically twitching limbs we're not doing him any favours.

The Rustepheen started spinning web, sleek, sticky, almost invisible threads caught the slight breeze and began to drift towards them.

This was it.

Using a convenient tree for support Derrick stood. The world wavered darkness encroaching. If he was going to die he wanted to be on his feet. Foot. Or at least standing. Leaning. Realistically couldn't have gone much longer anyway. Didn't know how long it had been but It had to be some sort of record.

The Symayaan attacked.

Spouting green fire she blackened the drifting strands of web and continued in ark to inflamed a dangling tentacle.

High pitched squeal. Startled, darnick had not expected such a large monster to make that noise.

Not expected the Symayaam to position its body between the Rustepheen and himself.

“Move.” Kyd scrolled on his arm.

Yes. He needed to move. The Rustepheen was Three or four times the size of they deliver And he didn't know how a confrontation of this nature would end up. Hope in the Symayaan knew what it was doing and hadn't brought him to a battle he couldn't win.

There nick crawled until locating at bone, possibly a Welcaloon femour She uses a crutch. He heard rather than saw the Bush's further flames erupted.

She knew.

Knew what?

Rustepheen ahead.

Yes, yes I guess you're right. She wanted us off the path. Her first shots were warnings to protect us.

Smart.

Do you mean intelligent not just instinctively protective.

Yes.

You called her her is it a female?

Unsure.

Well I hope she's alright.

She's ahead.

What Are you sure?

Yes.

Couldn't see her. Pulling centres he she mid out of sight. Brain adjusting as the life ahead signature burst interview. Moving, almost swimming other life energy signatures scattered before her. It took him a few heartbeats to realise what she was doing. Clearing the path. For them? Possibly. Either way flowing hair make life easier.