FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Hejira: Crystalline Hall

By Mantrid Brizon

Episode 04: Tripping The Rift

They walk through the gate, which closes and latches behind them, and head down the path, which is considerably wider and more worn than the southern trail. Gareth looks around as they walk. They had been inside of the city for several hours, but Kahlera is nowhere to be seen. He doubts that she is behind them; she must have sent him on a fool’s errand.

“Figures…” Gareth grumbles.

“So, what are you going to do with your plants now?” Faye asks him.

“Maybe start a little garden?” Kelly chuckles.

“I kept my word, so I’ll hold onto them. Otherwise, that knife was traded for nothing.” Gareth replies.

“It probably was, bro.” Kelly says.

“In a world this vast and unknown, the chances of seeing the same person again are remote, at best.” Naomi adds.

“Well, I’ll take it on faith and see what happens. Until then, this plant lives in my pack! Maybe I’ll talk to it; I can name it Bob!” Gareth says with a smile.

They hike the path for over an hour as the sun slowly begins to set in the distance. Nearly ten miles down the road, they see a moderately large boulder with a being laying across the top. At first, they wonder if they are alive, but then the figure crosses its’ legs, gently swaying their feet. To everyone’s surprise, it’s Kahlera, who seems to sun herself atop the rock.

“Knew it…” Gareth says to Naomi with a smile.

Kahlera sits up and blinks in surprise as she sees the same four humans walking up to her, for a third time.

“Are you following me?!” She growls as she stands up.

“No, but we do seem to be walking in the same direction.” Gareth replies.

He approaches Kahlera and kneels down, setting his pack on the ground in front of him. He unbuckles the flap and immediately presents her with the herb, and the pouch of seeds. Kahlera is visibly surprised, and quite puzzled. She hops down from the boulder as Gareth closes his pack and slips it back over his shoulders. She still seems apprehensive.

“What do you want in return?” She asks, tilting her head to the side.

“Only what you promised earlier.” Gareth swiftly answers.

“That is a high price to pay for a plant…” Kahlera admits. “Where are you going, anyway?” She asks.

“We’re looking for the Crystalline Hall.” Faye answers.

“I have heard of it, but I have never seen it. It is said to be close to my own tribe.” Kahlera begins.

Her eyes shift to back Gareth, who she quickly looks over. She has never had a reason to trust a human, but his body language is sincere. Perhaps he and his friends are an exception?

“Perhaps if we travel there together, the priestess of my village might know where to go from there… If that sounds acceptable to you, of course.” Kahlera offers.

“I’m not su-.”

“That’ll be fine.” Gareth says, holding up a hand and interrupting Faye.

“Good.” Kahlera says with a head nod.

Gareth can’t help but smile. Kahlera sees his warm expression and grins in turn, her eyes scanning him quickly once more. Faye looks over to Gareth, then back to this strange cat girl. She sees her tail swaying and looks at the girl’s almost sinister grin, remembering Casius’ warning. Faye hesitates to trust her so openly. She looks to Kelly and Naomi. Naomi doesn’t even look at her, and Kelly merely shrugs.

“We should start walking now.” Kahlera says after a pause.

“Right.” Gareth says as he steps up to her.

Gareth and Kahlera look back, making sure that the others are following their lead. As they walk along the path, Faye reaches out and slows Kelly and Naomi, allowing Gareth and Kahlera to advance ahead. Neither of them seem to notice. As they walk together, Gareth can’t help but talk to Kahlera; his curiosity won’t allow him to remain silent.

“So, what brought you all the way down here? Your village is so far away.” Gareth asks.

“I was with a group. We were tasked with looking for medicinal herbs to stockpile. We were only supposed to be gone a week, but we could not find any of the herbs on our list, and our leader did not want to return empty handed.” Kahlera answers.

“You didn’t want to just go back?” Gareth raises an eyebrow.

“Of course.” She turns her head to him.

“So why didn’t you?” He asks.

“She was the leader. We should never question or disobey our leader.” She replies.

“I see…” Gareth pauses to think. “But what did you want to do?”

“I did not want to be here in the first place. The priestess asked me to go with them herself, and I could not refuse.” Kahlera sounds annoyed.

“What happened to the others?” He continues questioning her.

“About a week ago we were attacked by raiders. In the fight I was able to escape, but I lost my weapons. The others were not so lucky. I have been scavenging and wandering back towards my village alone since then.” She answers.

“What did you lose?” Gareth asks.

Kahlera sighs and glares at Gareth.

“How many questions are you going to ask me?” She growls.

“I’m sorry. I’m just… Never mind.” Gareth apologizes.

They walk in silence for a few moments.

“You know… You can always ask me questions too. Dialog might help build trust.” He suggests.

“What would I possibly want to ask you?” She snickers.

Gareth sighs in frustration and becomes silent. Kahlera turns her eyes to Gareth, who looks ahead, staring down the trail. She suddenly feels badly for what she had said to him, but she can’t explain why. The regret wells up, and she takes a deep breath.

“A bow and a sling. That’s what I lost…” Kahlera suddenly speaks.

Gareth turns to look at her as she lowers her head.

“I am not a very good fighter. I am a healer. I was necessary to the group because I could recognize the herbs we needed. I am a good hunter, but it is not what I do for the village… I admit that if you and your friends had not arrived when I was being robbed, I would certainly be dead right now.” Kahlera says as she looks back, staring into Gareth’s eyes.

“You’re welcome, then.” He says with a smile. “And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you went with that group. I never got to be a hero before, so thanks for that.”

Kahlera seems to smile back, but quickly turns her head from his view. Gareth decides not to bother her with further questions; they walk in silence. Kahlera shifts her eyes, glancing back at Gareth.

“What do you think they are talking about up there?” Kelly asks the girls.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care, but I don’t trust her…” Faye replies.

After hiking until twilight, Kahlera stops and turns back to the others. Once the three catch up to them, they build a basic camp about fifty meters from the path, and prepare to spend the night. Kelly and Gareth gather a considerable amount of firewood and build a moderate fire, keeping the surplus wood close by so that they can feed it throughout the night. Faye and Naomi cook a simple meal with Kelly’s large cook set, while Kelly organizes the food into manageable rations.

Gareth sits away from the others, his back to the fire as he looks towards the road. Kahlera looks over at Gareth, staring at him. Faye watches the cat girl, her gaze fixed upon him. She won’t allow herself to trust Kahlera, especially with Gareth, who clearly has a bizarre attraction to her; Faye questions Kahlera’s every move. Suddenly, Kahlera gets up and walks towards Gareth. She kneels down beside him as he turns to see whoever is approaching.

“Oh, hi.” He says as he turns back to look at the road.

“Hi…” She says as she looks down at him.

Kahlera sits down on the ground beside him, crossing her legs in front of her.

“So… What are you doing?” She asks.

“Sitting.” Gareth chuckles.

“I can see that. Why are you sitting? Are you alright?” She questions him.

“I’m fine. I’m just thinking.” Gareth replies.

“… About what?”

“Everything… Two days ago, I was on a trip with them… Now we’re here, wherever here is, and all they want to do is leave.” He explains.

“Do you not want to leave?” She asks.

Gareth sighs but doesn’t answer her. He looks solemnly at the road, as though her question had somehow hurt him. She looks Gareth over; she is fascinated by this human. She struggles to think of something more substantial to say. She feels as though she has to say something, in order to justify being this close to him.

“That vest is very nice. Is it new?” She finally says.

She immediately feels embarrassed for failing to say something more meaningful.

“Thank you, and yes, it is.” He replies.

“It… It looks very good on you…” She comments.

Gareth turns to look back at her, a little smile on his face.

“N-not that I was looking at you or anything!” She says defensively.

“Thanks.” He chuckles.

“It makes you look like a hunter.” She adds.

“Is that good?” Gareth shifts his body to face her.

“In Sahvorai culture, hunters are the most respected, and all hunters are warriors. Only tribal elders such as priests and chieftains are more respected.” She explains.

“Yeah, that’s good.” He smiles.

Kahlera feels quite embarrassed. She tries to come up with something else to say. She looks away, struggling to speak. This does not go unnoticed by Gareth.

“So maybe you’d like to know how we got here?” He asks her.

She nods her head silently, so Gareth explains their situation. He starts from the first day of their vacation and ends with their first meeting Kahlera on the road. He spares the details that he would consider too boring or unimportant to mention. After rambling on for nearly twenty minutes to a curious Kahlera, he finally finishes.

“That sounds like quite a journey.” Kahlera replies.

“It’s certainly something. I think the others are just eager to find a way home.” Gareth says.

“Only the others?” Kahlera prods.

“Why? Are you going to miss me?” He winks.

“No! Just… Uh… Curious.” She nervously answers.

“For me, the journey is the destination.” Gareth begins.

“What does that mean?” Kahlera tilts her head to the side.

“It means that I am going along for the ride. I enjoy the adventure itself, not where it is that I am going. I’m perfectly happy walking the distance, whether or not I get anywhere.” He explains.

“Oh!” Kahlera’s tail sways.

They sit in silence for a moment, looking to the road. Gareth looks back at the others and sees that they are talking amongst themselves. He leans a little closer to Kahlera, who turns her head quickly to him, as though startled.

“I’ll tell you something, just between us…” Gareth whispers. “Considering what my life was like at home, I don’t really care if I ever find a way back. I just want to see how it all plays out. Maybe this world is better?”

Kahlera visibly smiles, her sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. After a moment, she lowers her head and her smile fades.

“I admire your spirit, and I hope it works out, but you may not like this world either.” She says.

“I guess I will just have to see for myself.” Gareth replies. “I’m going to get something to eat before bed. Coming?”

He gets up and walks away from her, leaving Kahlera to sit in the dark. She watches him walk back to the camp and prepare some food. Gareth prepares two meals and sets one aside.

“What are you doing?” Faye asks.

“Uh… Getting Kahlera some food?” Gareth answers in a confused tone. “She has to eat too, after all. What’s-his-name shared our food, before he got smoked.” He adds.

“We spent two days with the guy and you don’t remember his name?” Kelly laughs.

“Do you?” Gareth turns to him.

Kelly sighs and pauses to think. He looks to the others and then back at Gareth before shrugging his shoulders.

“That’s what I thought.” Gareth smirks.

Kahlera soon joins them, and the group quietly eats their individual meals of jerky and dried fruit. Kelly and Faye soon ask Kahlera what they can expect; she describes the mountain pass that they will have to go through, and potentially climb over. Kelly and Naomi seem bothered, but Faye only seems more excited. Gareth sits quietly, unfazed by the daunting task ahead.

They unroll their sleeping bags and attempt to get comfortable for the night. Gareth notices that Kahlera only uses a simple bedroll that sandwiches her body. He feels badly, as he worries that it will get cold during the night, but looks to the others and says nothing. He lies back and eventually drifts off to sleep. Naomi struggles to sleep, tossing and turning endlessly. After nearly an hour, she sits up in frustration.

She pushes two more logs into the fire as it was beginning to die down. The fire grows taller, so Naomi pushes a few more logs in, hoping to keep the fire alive until she can fall asleep. She begins to lie back down and sees Kahlera sitting up almost parallel to her. She focuses her eyes, and as they adjust she sees that Kahlera’s head is turned, watching Gareth closely as he sleeps. She even seems to have moved her bedroll nearer to him. Naomi is more surprised by Kahlera’s interest in Gareth than anything else; she remains silent, watching her for a moment.

The next morning, Naomi wakes to the sounds of voices and clanking noises. She slowly opens her eyes to see Faye passing her some dried fruit and jerky. She kneels down by her sister’s sleeping bag and smiles warmly.

“Hey. You get enough sleep?” She asks her.

“No…” Naomi grumbles.

“Well, too bad!” Faye exclaims, patting Naomi on the head.

“We’ve got a whole day of suffering ahead of us.” Kelly adds as he walks by.

Naomi eats her rugged breakfast as Faye packs her sleeping bag for her. Gareth, Kahlera and Kelly wait for them by the road as the two girls catch up. They start their hike early in the morning and walk for hours, stopping occasionally to rest or relieve themselves at any available bush or tree. They find a stream just in time for their canteens to run dry; Kahlera seems to be using a hollow gourd with a rope sling as a canteen.

“I really hope my feet are going to callus over soon.” Kelly thinks aloud as they sit for a moment.

“No longer enjoying the adventure?” Naomi asks.

“I never was to begin with, and I definitely don’t enjoy pain.” Kelly quips.

“Don’t be such a bitch. Pain is just weakness leaving the body.” Faye scoffs.

“Whatever you say, Miss Gutsy.” Gareth murmurs.

They soon continue walking. As Kahlera had said during last night’s dinner, the group approaches a large mountain range. The hills are very steep, almost vertical; climbing them without professional gear is all but impossible for the group. They grow taller and more imposing as they hike down the path, which winds through a natural valley. There are rock formations on all sides of the valley. Occasionally a rock breaks off and rolls down the stone wall, towards the path.

As they turn a corner, following the path, they find another rock formation in front of them. The path forks to the left and right of the formation. As they approach the fork, they all note the incredible height of the formation; it is easily over forty meters tall.

“This looks a lot like Appalachia.” Gareth comments.

Gareth turns to Kahlera. She looks back at him and blinks. They stare at each other for a moment; as they do, she becomes visibly nervous.

“What?” She asks sheepishly.

“Lead the way, please.” He says warmly and with a smile.

“Oh, right!”

Kahlera turns to the pass on the right and they begin to walk towards it. Kelly stops as he hears rocks shifting. He calls out to the others, who stop and turn back to him. More rocks tumble from the formation before them, then suddenly and without warning, a major rock slide occurs. Large rocks, some bigger than an SUV, break off from the central peak and come barreling towards the group. They all scramble out of the way; Faye and Kelly rush to the left while Gareth, Kahlera and Naomi move to the right.

They struggle to climb the steep walls as rocks fly past them and head for the turn in the road, slamming into it and creating a wall of rocks that grows taller and thicker with each passing second. What is easily one-hundred-thousand tons of broken rocks and boulders form an impenetrable barrier and splits the group in two. The rock slide stops as suddenly as it had started. Gareth looks to the two women on either side of him and checks to make sure that they are alright. To their amazement, none of them were crushed, or even so much as scratched.

They look around and see that they have been separated from Faye and Kelly, who are on the opposite side of the rock pile, which is easily ten meters tall. Looking ahead, the fork has essentially collapsed, leaving two thin paths with a nearly impenetrable obstacle between them. Behind them, the rock slide has slammed into the valley wall, rather than following the curve in the path; the valley wall is a sheer cliff that’s at least twenty meters tall.

Faye and Kelly can’t possibly climb over to them safely, if they are even alive. Gareth and Naomi call out to the others, shouting their names. After a moment of silence, Faye and Kelly call back to them. They are alive and unharmed. At first, Faye and Kelly try to scale the freshly built wall, but the rocks shift and begin to move towards them, as though the pile will collapse. They back away in fear. Gareth tells them that it’s too dangerous to even try.

Speaking up, Kahlera says that they may have to take an entirely different way to the village, as the left fork winds around the mountains entirely. The right fork, which Gareth, Kahlera and Naomi are on, heads through the valley in a relatively straight line.

“Exactly how far does this left fork go?” Kelly shouts over the wall.

“You will be at least a week behind us!” Kahlera replies.

“Fuck that!” Faye says as she scrambles up the wall, causing more rocks to fall and nearly starting another slide.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Kelly grabs her by the hips and pulls her back.

“Naomi is over there! Gareth is over there! We can’t just go another way! What if we get lost?!” She screams at him.

“I can tell you where to go! Just remember these directions!” Kahlera yells over to them.

“Wait!” Faye shouts back.

She quickly takes out a small memo pad and a pen from her musette bag and prepares herself. She tells Kahlera to begin and Kahlera slowly shouts very simple directions, following the path and noticeable landmarks. As soon as she is done, Faye reads them back to confirm. As she does, Gareth has an epiphany.

“Kelly’s pack is carrying nearly all of the food, as well as the large cook set.” He whispers to Kahlera.

He is leaning close to her ear so that Naomi won’t hear him. Kahlera turns back to him, but his proximity causes her snout to brush against his face. She looks up at him, freezing like a deer caught in headlights. She doesn’t move back or speak as her pink feline nose rests at an angle alongside his cheek. Without thinking, she breaths in through her nose, enjoying his scent.

“Uh… We… We’ll have to h- hunt and forage along th- the way.” She nervously whispers back.

Left without any other choices, they split off into two groups and take separate routes. Faye looks at the rock pile in frustration. She can’t believe that they are forced to walk around the mountain pass. She wants to simply climb it, but looks back at the mountains. She could never make it over them without snapping her legs, ankles, neck or back. Kelly doesn’t even want to entertain the idea, content with following Kahlera’s directions and catching up to them later. Though she doesn’t voice it, Faye doubts Kahlera’s directions from the start.

Kahlera and Gareth begin to walk towards the pass, but Naomi looks to the rock pile and begins sobbing quietly. She sits down on a rock and buries her face in her hands. Her companions hear her cries; Gareth reaches out, grabbing Kahlera’s wrist to stop her. Startled by his touch, she turns back to him as he motions to Naomi. He returns and kneels down in front of her. Kahlera watches the two as Gareth tries to comfort the distraught girl.

“It’s going to be alright.” He says as he wipes away her tears with his thumb.

“No… It’s not. What if she doesn’t make it? What if we don’t make it?! The odds of finding each other, in continent with this square mileage, is mathematically improbable!” Naomi cries.

“Hey…” He gives her a gentle hug. “Improbable is not impossible. Besides, Faye’s a hard ass, and as her little sister, you’re at least half as hard. Maybe even three-quarters.” He assures her.

“That is not funny…” She grumbles.

“I’m sorry. Faye is tough. Her and Kel will get out of there like that.” He says as he snaps his fingers. “What we need to do is be strong, and meet them on the other side of the mountains. You’re going to see her again real soon.” He smiles.

“What if something else happens?” Naomi looks to him with glossy eyes.

“I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I’ll be here for you, so long as I live. I promise.” He assures her.

“Okay…” Naomi nods slowly. “But what about Faye and Kel?”

“They’ll be fine. What you need to do is worry about you.”

Kahlera is touched by the display. Perhaps the rhetoric of her own tribe is false, and some humans really are good? They are certainly capable of all of the emotions that the Sahvorai are. Naomi quietly stands and Gareth rests a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. He guides her away from the rocks and up towards the narrow pass. Kahlera stands there as they approach. He stops and looks to Kahlera. After a brief gaze, he reaches out and gently takes her hand into his, pulling her away from the pass as well. They march on, determined to make it to the other side, and to Kahlera’s village.