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Hejira: Crystalline Hall

By Mantrid Brizon

Episode 15: There Be Dragons

Kahlera stands high in a tall tree, perched atop a large branch. She holds her yew bow, looking down at the bait that she had placed near a clearing and about fifteen meters from the tree. A whitetail buck appears with small six-point antlers. She draws an arrow from her quiver, resting the back against the string of her bow. She takes aim, waiting patiently for the deer to come closer. It stands over thirty meters away, eyeing the bait as though it knows it is a trap.

“Come on. Just a little more…” She thinks to herself.

Suddenly, she feels a gentle tap on her leg. Looking down she sees Gareth, who sits on the tree branch with his side leaning on the trunk of the tree. He holds up Vetra, pointing to himself with an innocent, childlike expression. She smiles at him and nods her head once, lowering her bow. Gareth clenches his fist and pulls down in silent victory. He turns back to the deer, who has stepped a few feet closer, now just under thirty meters from them. He takes aim with Vetra, holding her tightly with both hands and resting an arm on his knee. He slowly exhales as he squeezes the trigger.

He fires a single round, dropping the deer with a clean shot to the side of the head. Kahlera seems to jump in surprise, quickly regaining her balance on the tree branch. They look at the deer lying dead on the ground for a moment before Gareth holsters Vetra and jumps down from the branch. He falls five meters toward the ground, landing and rolling forward, before quickly standing and walking towards the deer. Kahlera slings her bow and jumps down, landing gracefully on her paw-like feet.

“I do not think that I will ever get used to that sound.” She comments as she approaches the carcass.

“Give it time.” He says, kneeling down beside the body.

“I would like to do it this time.” She says as she takes out her knife.

“Sure thing, babe.” Gareth smiles as he steps back.

Kahlera brushes against him as she kneels by the carcass, smiling back as she looks him over. She cleans the deer, removing the unwanted organs and entrails and leaving them in a pile near the bait. Gareth carries the deer back to their camp around four-hundred meters away, where Naomi patiently waits for them. They have spent a full week walking north along the road, and were running very low on food. Naomi cooks deer meat for them, while Kahlera dries the remainder and Gareth checks Vetra.

He unloads his sidearm before removing the slide, and switching the barrels. He inserts the original, .40 caliber barrel instead. Reassembling Vetra, he reloads her with his limited supply of hollow-point ammunition.

“What are you doing?” Kahlera asks curiously.

“I’m going to use more powerful ammunition. We’re getting farther north, and I just like being prepared.” He answers.

They take the time to rest, preserve the excess deer meat, and spend quality time together. For the past seven days, when they weren’t walking the road, they were resting or eating, so being able to sit with each other for an extended period is a welcome break from their journey. Naomi looks at her laptop, trying to remember what it looked like when it was turned on. Gareth lays on his side behind Kahlera, who sits uprighgt, his stomach pressing against her buttocks. Kahlera takes a piece of hide from the deer and fashions it into an elongated oval, poking holes on each side. Using Gareth’s boot laces, she fashions a traditional sling, a weapon she is quite proficient with.

Gareth strokes and scratches her back gently, regularly distracting her as she tries to work; she certainly doesn’t mind. She ties the second boot lace to the body of the sling and quickly sets it down, turning back to Gareth who lies behind her. She leans over him, grinning wide. She leans in, giving him a passionate kiss. She gives him kiss after kiss, as he lies back, pulling her over him. Naomi looks up from the blank screen of her dead laptop, watching the couple. She sighs and shakes her head, before clearing her throat to get their attention.

“I’m only a child…” Naomi softly scolds them.

“Sorry.” Gareth smirks.

“Children must grow up sometime.” Kahlera quips, glancing back at her.

“Why couldn’t I have just been trapped with Faye and Kelly instead.” Naomi comments.

“I certainly would have preferred the privacy.” Kahlera remarks with a wink.

As the day wears into the mid-afternoon, they finally strike their camp, going back to the road. They walk for several hours, finding a stream that bends near the edge of the road. They fill their canteens, but Naomi is curious to see if the stream grows larger; she has hoped to bathe and wash her clothes for several days now. They decide to leave the road behind, and follow the stream to see where it leads. They follow it into the forest, marking trees with Gareth’s Kukri knife, as they journey ever deeper.

The stream turns into a small river, and after a short distance, they find that it is fed from a moderate body of water. It is hard to say whether it would be considered a large pond, or a very small lake. The water is somewhat cold, but crystal clear. They can see all of the way to the bottom, where it is being fed from a submerged spring. They set up a small camp near the edge of the lake, taking the time to wash their spare clothes. Naomi wades into the water, slowly adjusting to the temperature.

She turns back to Kahlera and Gareth, who sit by the campfire, drying the spare clothes from a branch high above it. Naomi clears her throat to get their attention. Desiring privacy, she shoos them away. The couple look to each other and smile. Kahlera stands, grabbing Gareth by the hand, and pulling him away from the campsite. He quickly takes Kahlera’s bedroll with his other hand.

“We will be right over here!” Kahlera exclaims as she leads him away.

“Yeah. Take all of the time you need!” He adds.

“Oh please…” Naomi mutters as she rolls her eyes.

Naomi knows that they won’t be back to disturb her, so she takes her time. She climbs out of the water when her fingers begin to visibly shrivel, before drying herself by the fire. To her surprise, Gareth and Kahlera have yet to return.

“Guys?” Naomi calls out to them.

“I am a girl.” Kahlera yells back from a distance.

“I certainly hope so.” Gareth quips.

Naomi follows the sound of their laughter, where they lie together on the grass, undressed but underneath the bedroll. Naomi returns to the camp as Gareth and Kahlera take their turn, bathing together in the water.

“I’m glad that I’m getting to wash up. I was getting a little worried that my smell would bother you.” Gareth admits.

“I like your smell.” Kahlera coos as she wraps her arms around his neck.

“That’s good, because I didn’t.” He laughs.

He gives her a tender kiss, holding her tightly as they wade in the water. They are soon passionately making-out, as his hands hold her submerged hips, reaching ever lower. She holds him tightly as he caresses her taut buttocks. She purrs as he squeezes.

“Again?” She asks sweetly.

“If only.” He replies, tilting his head back towards Naomi and the camp.

Suddenly, they are startled by a gunshot from behind them. They turn back to see Naomi holding the Kahr pistol, pointing it at the woods.

“What happened?!” Gareth asks.

“I saw something!” Naomi yells back.

“I get that… What was it?” Gareth demands.

“I… I don’t know. Its head looked a lot like the skull from the cave. It was really scary…” Naomi’s voice trembles.

Gareth and Kahlera quickly climb out of the water, rushing to put on their clothes.

“We should get back to the road, just in case.” Kahlera suggests.

They quickly brush dirt over the fire, and collect their belongings. Naomi returns the Kahr pistol, which Gareth slides into his waistband. He keeps Vetra held tightly in his hands, following the river back to the road. As they walk along the riverbank, they hear strange noises in the forest. It certainly sounds like creatures, but it is unlike anything Gareth has ever heard before.

“It is The Fallen…” Kahlera comments. “We must leave quickly!” She urges.

Her tone of voice expresses unbridled dread.

“Who are ‘The Fallen’?” Naomi asks.

“They are terrible creatures; vicious beasts that hunt all living things in large packs. As strong as a bear, and more numerous than a family of wolves. They are one of the four most feared animals of the forest. Very dangerous, and territorial. We must leave this area before they decide to attack us.” Kahlera explains.

“Why are they called ‘The Fallen’?” Gareth asks, keeping his eyes trained to the woods.

“It is said that they were once the first race made by Sahvath, but they disobeyed, and were thusly punished with a terrible curse that made them what they are.” Kahlera answers.

The sounds of The Fallen grow more numerous in the distance. To their horror, the sounds seems to be quickly approaching them. Once on the road, they hasten their pace, until they are jogging down the path. The sounds follow them from just within the bushes, staying within earshot, but out of their sight. They approach a fork in the road and stop.

“We need to go left. Sarvah said that was the way.” Gareth says.

“No…” Kahlera begins. “I do not trust that… Woman… We should go right.”

“This isn’t the time to be jealous. I don’t think she would lead us into some sort of trap.” Gareth replies.

“I agree. Sarvah was clearly infatuated with Gareth; she wouldn’t send him off to die.” Naomi adds.

“If I am wrong, I will concede and begin to trust her… Maybe.” Kahlera says as she starts to walk the right path.

“God damnit.” Gareth mutters.

Reluctantly, Gareth and Naomi follow Kahlera’s lead, taking the right fork. It quick becomes narrow, winding through the forest. The sounds are so close, Gareth is certain that the next shriek will be accompanied by a hand reaching out, grabbing at him from the bushes. The path grows ever steeper, and they soon discover that it leads up a hill, between a small rock valley. They soon reach the crest of the hill, only for the trail to dead end at a sheer rock cliff that surrounds the area like a crescent moon.

Gareth turns back to Kahlera who is visibly embarrassed. He sighs in frustration and places a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently before leaning in and kissing her forehead.

“I… I’m sorry.” She murmurs in shame.

“It’s okay. We’ll talk about this later.” He says softly.

The bushes tremble in the valley behind them. They move just beyond the path, standing on a cliff that overlooks the little valley. They are boxed in, and the creatures seem to know it. Several of the creatures step out, looking up at them. The Fallen stand roughly four feet and six inches tall, covered in stringy black or gray fur. Their four-toed digitigrade feet are lined with long, razor sharp claws, as are the three fingers and thumb on each hand. The claws are easily three inches long. Their three eyes are vibrant colors, with one red, one blue and one yellow eye each. Their faces look otherwise baboonesque, with long snouts devoid of fur, and six sharp fangs that cannot be covered by their lips, two on the bottom and four on top, on either side of the bottom fangs.

The Fallen roar loudly as they stare at the three. Naomi charges her aura, while Kahlera takes out her yew bow and an arrow, covering the tip with her own golden aura. Gareth sighs and makes sure that Vetra is ready to fire, unclipping the flaps of his double magazine pouch in preparation. The Fallen suddenly rush them, attacking in a wild and unorganized fashion. As the three are positioned well above the creatures, aiming down a valley that runs parallel before them, they kill nearly a dozen in a matter of seconds, before they come close the top of the hill.

Naomi had been regularly practicing her aura talents with Kahlera, who trains her, as soon as she discovered she had them. She has since mastered the aura push, shockwave, telekinesis, flamethrower, and shield. She fires concentrated shockwaves, and short blasts of burning red aura streams down into the valley. Kahlera fires enchanted arrow after enchanted arrow, of which she has several dozen, having made more over the course of their journey. Gareth aims for center-mass, firing one to two rounds per second.

He fires Vetra empty and quickly reloads, swapping the empty magazine for a full one in a single fluid motion, before returning the empty magazine to the pouch on his belt. The creatures struggle up the hill, over the blood and bodies of their fallen kin. As though realizing their defeat, they soon disperse, retreating back into the forest. Having fought off a large wave, and without so much as a scratch, the girls are elated.

Gareth, however, immediately sets down his pack, taking out the Ziploc bag of .40 caliber ammunition. He had fired a magazine and a half; he quickly reloads his magazines, just in time for the creatures to return from the forest in even greater numbers. They rush through the valley, towards the peak of the hill, as quickly as they can. They scramble over the dead of the first wave. Naomi and Kahlera barely have time to bring up their weapons before the first Fallen makes its way to the top of the hill.

Gareth fires as it rushes him, dropping it dead on the ground barely three meters away. He moves towards the entrance of the valley, while Kahlera and Naomi attack the Fallen who are bottled within. Gareth fires as quickly as he can into the creatures, felling them in droves, though every corpse seems to land closer and closer. He reloads and continues firing, then reloads again. The wave begins to let up, but Vetra suddenly runs dry. One of The Fallen clambers over the bodies, leaping at him.

To Kahlera’s horror, The Fallen latches onto his shoulders, trying to sink its teeth into his neck. They fall backward onto the ground. As he lands with a hard thud, Vetra’s slide moves into battery. Impulsively, Gareth pulls the trigger on his empty sidearm, firing a purple bullet of energy from the pistol, and into the chest of The Fallen that leans over him, holding him down. He pulls the trigger again, firing another as blood sprays over his shirt. The Fallen lies dead over his body, pinning him down.

Another Fallen stands before him, jumping at him and clawing viciously at the body that lies atop him, as though it doesn’t realize that it isn’t Gareth. He aims for its head and fires another purple bullet. Naomi and Kahlera can see the dark aura bullet as it strikes the second Fallen, killing it instantly. The second wave breaks and returns to the forest as Kahlera rushes up to Gareth, pulling both corpses off of him and helping him up. She latches onto him, holding him tightly. The blood from his shirt stains her top, and the fur on her firm belly. He wraps his arms around her and feels her trembling.

“I thought I lost you!” She exclaims,

“Not today.” He says softly, stroking her back.

“Not ever! I need you…” She coos.

“Guys!” Naomi yells to them.

They turn back as the creatures run through the bushes in the background. They appear to be regrouping for another assault. Gareth and Kahlera return to the cliff beside Naomi. Gareth reloads his magazines with the last of his .40 S&W ammunition, taking out the spare Kahr magazines as well.

“You used an aura.” Naomi comments.

“Yes. Why are you using those instead of your aura?” Kahlera asks.

“You said people could use it in desperation. I’m not going to trust that to work again; Better safe than sorry.” Gareth replies.

He keeps his weapons and ammunition close, returning to the entrance of the valley. Kahlera and Naomi both join him; Kahlera is nearly out of arrows, popping open the retention snap on her knife. Naomi charges both palms with her crimson aura, preparing herself for the battle ahead. The creatures rush them in a third wave, which is about the size of the first. Gareth fires round after round as Kahlera uses the last of her arrows. Gareth passes his Kahr to her so that she can keep fighting.

Kahlera nervously fires several rounds, while Naomi roasts The Fallen alive with her concentrated aura streams. Gareth reloads as they come close enough to claw the three. They step back as they fight off the creatures. Gareth soon runs out of ammunition again, as does Kahlera. One of The Fallen reaches out its hideous claws towards her and slashes at her neck. She stumbles back as Gareth watches in horror.

The slide of his empty pistol locks forward on its own. He takes aim, firing another purple bullet from Vetra and into the monster’s temple, killing it before it can touch his lover. He gives her his hand, pulling her to her feet before passing her several magazines for the Kahr. He keeps firing purple aura bullets from his weapon as Kahlera reloads and rejoins her comrades. Soon, the last creature has been slain, and the few remaining beasts scurry back into the forest. The noises grow distant and quickly disappear.

Gareth turns back to Kahlera, holding her close. Naomi collects the spent brass for Gareth, on impulse, as her hands tremble from the adrenaline rush. Gareth kisses Kahlera’s cheek, and she nuzzles his face with her snout. They gaze into each other’s eyes; the reality of almost losing one another sinks in.

“It’s okay now. We’re safe.” He says softly, stroking her cheek. “I’m not ever going to let anything take you away from me… I love you.”

Gareth had never said that to her before. The look on Kahlera’s face speaks volumes. She rests her head on his shoulder and squeezes tightly.

“I love you too. I cannot live without you.” She confesses.

“Then don’t.” He whispers softly into her feline ear.

They kiss passionately as her tail sways, moving past her waist and wrapping behind his back.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we should really leave, before The Fallen come back.” Naomi says.

“Right.” Kahlera agrees, pulling away from Gareth.

They quickly grab their packs. Naomi passes Gareth as much of the spent brass as she could find; he slips it into his cargo pants pockets. Kahlera returns the Kahr and empty magazines to Gareth. They rush down the path, through the valley of corpses, and out of the dark woods. They never hear a single creature stalking them. They return to the fork, taking the left path as the sun begins to fade away.

Not wanting to risk being caught by more creatures, they decide collectively to walk as long as they possibly can without stopping, to put as much distance between them and The Fallen as possible. As they walk, Kahlera tells Gareth how rare it is for both he and Naomi to have talents. She offers to train and practice with him, as she already does for Naomi. Gareth readily accepts. They walk for several hours in the pitch dark, using only Gareth’s flashlight and Vetra’s light to see. Now well over ten miles from the battle, they make camp.

Naomi lies down in her sleeping bag near the small campfire, quickly passing out from exhaustion. Gareth and Kahlera lie next to one another, snuggling together atop her bedroll. He looks down at the blood stains on her fur. He sits up, taking out his Crusader canteen and a cloth from his pack. He wets the cloth and gently dabs at her belly, cleaning her.

“I was so scared I was going to lose you…” Kahlera begins, speaking softly. “I have never felt like this for a male before. I do not want to live my life without you in it.”

“And I don’t want to live without you either.” He replies, gently wiping the rust colored stains from her fur.

Once her fur is clean, he puts away the cloth and canteen. He lies back down with her, pulling his sleeping bag over them, using it as a blanket.

“Thank you.” She says as she snuggles with him.

“You’re welcome.” He says before kissing her forehead. “You know… Even if there is a way back to earth, I’m not ever going to leave you. I promise.” He adds.

Her grip tightens as he speaks, and she nuzzles his neck with her snout.

“I know that my tribe will not like our coupling, but I do not care. Whatever happens when we reach the village, I would rather be happy with you, than unhappy with them.” She coos.

“Would they send you away?” Gareth asks.

He suddenly feels horrible for the position that he has placed her in. As much as he cares for her, he feels as though it was out of turn, making her choose between him and her own people, even if inadvertently.

“Perhaps, but so long as we are together, I will be fine.” She replies.

“You’re something special.” He says with a smile.

“I know.” She grins.

They share a quiet laugh and quickly become comfortable, keeping both pistols loaded and near their heads. Gareth has already switched back to the nine-millimeter threaded barrel, and loaded all of the magazines for both firearms. He wasn’t taking any chances if any of The Fallen should come back for them. They hold each other tightly; Gareth gently strokes her back as she seems to purr. This is certainly the strangest relationship that he has had, but it feels more real than any of the others.