Fire and Ice

Crane and the Reverend James slowly picked their way through thick vines of the jungle. Creepers and brambles grasped at their clothing and pulled them back, while all around them the sound of night was beginning to stir.

“This is not good” whispered Crane and he pushed another vine from the path before him, “I feel as though every step I take is being watched”

“I too get that feeling” agreed James.

“Good!” snapped Crane, “then it isn’t just me then”, he ducked as a branch swung low from an overhanging tree.

“It’s this forest” commented James, “It feels confined...oppressive”

“Meaning?”

“I don’t know” admitted James, “It’s hard to explain, but I feel as though there is something not quite right about it”

“As though it doesn’t belong” James nodded in the darkness, which was lost on the captain who kept forging ahead, “one thing I do know” he said eventually, “we need to find shelter and quickly, god only knows what’s living in this jungle at night”

“It does not pay to blaspheme” chastised the priest, “but I do concur with your thoughts”

“Sorry, Father...slip of the tongue” he pushed back a layer of fern and stopped suddenly, rising a hand and peering through the dimly lit forest.

“What is it?” asked James, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“Don’t know, might be nothing” admitted Crane, “but I should have swore I saw something more ahead of me” he dropped to a kneeling position, resting his legs on the hard jungle floor.

“The villagers?” asked James glancing back at the way they had come, “we have heard nothing”

“We wouldn’t, they know this terrain better than we do remember” They waited in silence for a moment, watching and waiting letting the eternal passage of time march onward as the light overhead from the moon lit sky offered very little in the way of illumination.

Eventually, James whispered, “could they have gotten in front of us” he asked peering past the prone form of Crane.

“Unlikely” the captain commented, “but they could have been in the jungle already” his eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness and carefully he scanned the area, relying on his training to pinpoint the exact location of the enemy. “More likely they were already here”

“Hunting?”

Crane nodded, “probably, but what were they hunting? Definitely not us”

“Food?”

“Yes” agreed Crane, “but would they leave the village this close to nightfall just for food” he pondered his own thoughts for a moment, his hands wandering over the foliage around him. He carefully stood and stepped forward slightly and precisely over the ground, “I can’t see anyone” he remarked, but still moved carefully, placing his feet gently on the rough floor and stepping lightly to avoid bringing any attention in their direction. James stood and copied his actions, moving silently through the thicken and brushing aside the occasional branch. “Here” whispered Crane dropping to his knees again and holding a branch in his thick hands. “Look” he pushed it toward the priest who peered at the broken wood in the captain’s hands.

“What am I looking at?” said James as he stared at the branch.

“This has has snapped, not deliberately but rather hurriedly as though someone was running through the forest this way away from the village” he said quietly. “You can just about make out the remnants of a forced trail pushed by someone running this way...and heading in that direction”

“Or something” remarked James uncertainly.

Crane shook his head, “no, this is definitely the size of a human” he placed his hands on the floor and pushed down into the soft moss covered flooring, “If you feel, you can make out small indentations roughly the size and shape of a boot”

“You can’t know for sure”

“How long since you left the service Father?” asked Crane.

“I have been in the faith for many years”

“I thought as much, you’ve forgotten basic training, survival and tracking techniques” he grinned to himself, knowing the priest would not see the smugness cross his face, “These marks in the ground have been made by a military issue boot, probably female due to the petite nature of the imprint, and the way the vegetation has been damaged shows that she would have came this way at pace”

“Joanne Darby” breathed James

“Yes, Cadet Darby” smiled Crane, “seems she has escaped and came this way”

“How can you be sure it wasn’t her pursuers and not her...if it is her of course”

“Simple” boasted Crane, “anyone natural to this planet, would be careful not to leave a trail to follow, especially if there are other dangers like wild animals in the forest, they would show a certain degree of respect to their surroundings” he straightened and peered through the trees into the distance, “no, this is definitely Darby. Now lets see where she was heading” he strode with a confidence that he had not felt in a while through the forest, his eyes still scanning for any signs around them and stepping carefully, while searching for signs of Cadet Darby’s escape.

Shuran sat alone in the centre of the small vine cell and smiled to himself. The light from the torch illuminated his face as it shone through the glass of the lantern. He felt a warm glow of satisfaction as he crossed his legs as the priest had done and closed his eyes in silent contemplation at his actions. Had he done enough to become vindicated of his betrayal? Only time would tell.

“I wish to be alone” said Lady Theye loudly across her her court. She sat at the head of a table, laden with a variety of food. Platters of fruit toiled with wares as exotic red, yellow and red berries mixed with round citrus fruit, laying on beds of vine and fern leaves. Small wooden trays bore the remains of small animal carcasses, browned from cooking and bones poking through the edges of the meat. A barrier of vegetables framed the meat, mixing greens, orange and browns and in the center of the table sat a large blooming bouquet of flowers, ornate and pristine in their elegance. Lady Theye moved her ample frame and pushed herself out of her seat and looked over her council, picking a chunk of meat from her teeth and spitting the remains onto the floor at her feet. “Be gone!” she ordered as she crossed to the small bronze cage which hung in the corner of the room. The small furry animal inside jumped excitedly as she approached, it body bouncing on the caged bars of its home and the small bell ringing around its neck from the leather collar. “Here my pet” she cooed and deposited a lump of cooked meat through the bars of the cage, “a nice piece of leg meat, young and fresh” she smiled as the creature leapt from its perch and chewed at the meat at the bottom of the cage. “Oh, Chamberlain” she called as the councillors filed out of the room.

The old Chamberlain bowed lowly and smiled, “my Lady” he cooed, his voice rich as gorged as his stomach from their feast.

“My loins hunger as much as my stomach” she said turning, “I wish to mate, have one of my husbands brought to me” she waved her hands in the air extravagantly as she moved to her throne and lowered her large frame into the fur lined seat. Her hands moved between her legs as she parted her thighs and see closed her eyes and threw her head back smiling. “I urge to feel the passion inside me, the thrust of excitement. I wish to be taken, and pleased” she moaned as her fingers pressed against the material which covered her groin. The Chamberlain stood watching smiling at her self-gratification, feeling his own frustration as his own groin swelled under the image of his queen sprawled before him. He wished his own body on top of her and could imagine their bodies locked in sweaty ecstasy as their arousal mixed with juices of their love. “Chamberlain!” snapped Lady Theye bringing him out of his fantasy, “now, my body aches to be pleasured!”

The Chamberlain bowed, attempting to hide his own excitement in his groin and moved backwards out of the room. “No, wait!” she commanded, holding up a hand, “I have a better idea” He felt a rush of blood to his head and hoped beyond hope that she would...

“The newcomers” she said, casting aside the loving eyes of the Chamberlain, “bring me one of those. The tall one, with the tight clothes and tighter buttocks!” she grinned with the thought and thrust her hand down the front of her clothing, “I wish to have him, over...and over again” she laughed as the Chamberlain stalked from the room. He hurried along the corridor and lost himself with the satisfaction that if he couldn’t pleasure her himself, he could at least watch from his hidden chamber above the throne room. He felt his groin swell with the thought and grinning hurried through the palace to the small cell.

As their eyes became accustomed to the gloom which surrounded them, the two men moved as quietly as they could through the jungle. James glanced back through the retreating trees in their wake, his eyes narrowing as glimpses of ghosts danced in the shadows. “I have the strangest sensation that we are being followed” he remarked as they continued to pick their way through the jungle, following the path made by Cadet Darby.

“Me too” agreed Crane unexpectedly, “I keep getting a feeling like a prickle on the back of my neck”, he remained focused on moving forward as he spoke, ignoring the priest behind.

“The villagers?” asked James, his eyes returning to the back of Crane.

“No” commented Crane, “whatever it is, it’s to quiet” he slowed to a stop, holding his hand in the air again, indicating for his companion to halt. “More likely, we’re being hunted” he crouched as he spoke and peered through the trees.

“Do you think they realise we’ve gone?” asked James copying the movements of the captain.

“If they haven’t already, they soon will” he parted the branches before him, “look” he said revealing the sprawling sight of a number of mow level domed buildings spread across a small clearing.

“The colony” breathed Aston James, “we’ve found it”

The Chamberlain stood with the door to the cell open and gazed inside in utter dismay. In the centre of the room, instead of the two men sat the small frail figure of the teacher. He cursed his luck and visibly flinched as he closed his eyes and bit down hard on his teeth. He spun and faced the wall opposite in the corridor and hit the leaved wall with frustration, his hand making a soft dull noise as it struck the wood lined walls. He leant his head against the corridor, his forehead pressing against the fern and leaves which lined the wall and sighed as his mind raced. How long had they been gone? Where had they gone? Questions leapt and played in his thoughts as he turned back to the figure sitting with his legs crossed and stalked toward the figure, his fists clenching and unclenching as he walked.

“What are you doing here?” he screamed, looming over the figure on the floor. Shuran ignored the question and simply sat smiling with his eyes closed. “Where are the prisoners” the Chamberlain’s voice rose to a crescendo as he screamed the high-pitched question. He shook as his anger grew, the Lady Theye would be mad he thought and raised his arm in the air, bringing the back of his hand down roughly on the face of the old man. The noise of the strike echoed through the room and the Chamberlain smiled with grim satisfaction as a small plume of blood erupted from the teacher’s mouth.

Shuran smiled through bloodied teeth, “you have failed” he mocked, as a second strike rained down on his face. A red mark smeared his cheek, as his smile grew.

“Guards! Guards!” screamed the Chamberlain as he padded out of the cell and into the corridor. He listened to the laughter forcing its way out of the old man and running along the corridor as a mixture of cries and footsteps hurried along the floor. “Bring him to the throne room!” he commanded as two warriors ran around the corner of the building and came to a stop before the Chamberlain and glanced into the room. They moved into the cell and roughly picked up the old man and dragged him along the winding corridor, his feet dragging along the vine floor to the sound of the teacher’s laughter.

“She definitely came this way” remarked Crane as his fingers followed an indentation in the soft mud of a footprint. He looked up from the floor and gazed into the rising buildings. He could see Aston James examining the outside of a small dome, his hands running over the rusting surface of the bodywork.

“What happened here?” James asked himself as flakes of oxidised material came away in his hands, “decay of this age should take decades, but this...this “ his words trailed away as he glanced back toward Crane. “There is no way entropy on this scale could happen in the time that this colony has been here”

“I’m sorry Father, but I need to find my crew” Crane stood and gazed around the empty site, “the colony has been abandoned, that is a fact and there is nothing we can can do about that, but out here somewhere I have crew members that are in need of us”

“I understand your concern for your crew captain, but I do not think you grasp the severity of the situation”

“And what pray tell is that?”

“The rust and decay across the buildings is relatively fresh, meaning whatever caused it is not a natural event, at least not to us” Crane shook his head, “if this is a natural aspect of this planet, then the effects could spread to your ship and that would mean we would be stranded here. The rate of oxidisation is immense. What did Sorenson say...three days? If your ship does not leave this planet by then, then this could be the result”

“There is nothing that can cause decay on this level this quickly” commented Crane joining Crane by the building and tracing the lines of the structure’s frame. He pulled his red stained hand away from the panelling and stared through the darkness at the rust on the palm of his hand.

“Nothing we know of captain” said James as he looked across the other buildings, “this could hold the answers into the fate of the colony”

Crane considered the comment for a moment, “I’m sorry Father, but that will have to wait, I must find my missing crew first” he said shaking his head and rubbing the dust from his hand.

“I understand your loyalty and commend it” he smiled gently, “we will look for her, first thing in the morning” he said placing a hand on the captain’s shoulder, “then we look for this Seeker...I’m hoping if we find him, we’ll begin to find some answers. But first, I think we should get inside shelter. I still get the oddest feeling that we are being watched” the two men gazed into the trees before they pushed their way through one of the panels and stepped through into the ageing building.

Dark eyes narrowed and watched as the two men disappeared into the dome.

“What!” stormed Lady Theye as she sat and listened to the accounts presented by the Chamberlain. She could feel her sexual excitement replaced by fury as the old man knelt on the floor before her flanked by the two guards at his side and the fawning Chamberlain behind him. She looked at Shuran, her eyes peering through his body and piercing his soul.

“Why?” she demanded, “why have you done this?” her words rang through the throne room and the anger in her voice was clear.

“My salvation” whispered Shuran through cracked bloodied teeth as he smiled up at her.

She roared with anger and struck him savagely her fist connecting with his chin and the old man was sent sprawling across the floor, blood exploding from his mouth with the pressure of her fist. “Explain” she screamed as her body loomed over his frail form.

“I betrayed my people for my own life” he begun as he gazed up from the soft flooring, “but I was wrong. My guilt is consuming me, I am wrought with my own wrongdoing. I seek penance for my sin and I seek forgiveness from my god” he smiled from his position and wiped the stream of blood from his mouth, “they do not belong here” he cackled, “they shall bring my salvation. I offered my life in return for theirs and they accepted” he laughed and his body shook with the effort, “I seek forgiveness”

“I do not give it” shouted Lady Theye as she brought her heavy foot into the old man’s midriff. She flushed with anger as she heard weak bones crack under the pressure of her kick.

“I did not ask for it” smirked Shuran as he coughed up more blood, as his lungs exploded inside his body, “not from you”

“You stupid old man!” yelled Lady Theye, “How long?” She brought her foot into his body for a second time, “I said how long!”

“Before the orb set” he giggled through the pain as he spoke, “they have gone Theye” The heavy set woman bent down and grasped the old man by the neck and lifted him to his feet, snarling in his face. Shuran smiled, “I shall meet my ancestors with happiness in my heart and forgiveness in my soul. I betrayed my people, but I have condemned yours” Lady Theye squeezed his throat harder as she brought the back of her hand across his face, splitting his eye.

“You have brought nothing but your own death” she spat.

“I die in the knowledge that you shall die also” he laughed. Lady Theye shook with anger and released her grip on the old man. His body slumped to the floor and he grasped onto life desperately.

Lady Theye knelt by his body and smiled at him, her fingers running along the deepening gash across his brow. She dug her nails into the bloody scar and smiled as he screamed under her torturous attention. “Chamberlain” she said softly, “take the guards and wait outside”. The Chamberlain bowed lowly and indicated toward the door, ushering the guards from the room as they moved. She stood and licked the blood of the old man from her fingers and walked across the floor to the small bronze cage hanging quietly in the corner of the room. “If I cannot feel the swell of another inside me” she remarked as her fingers unlocked the bars, and gazing at the excited creature inside. “I shall have my sport another way” The small animal leapt from side to side of the small cage, its blood-lust rising as it stared past its master and toward the old man, lying on the floor. “My pet is so hungry” she cooed as she opened the door of the cage and stepped aside allowing the creature to breathe in the cool air of freedom. “He can get so frustrated, being stuck at the end of a chain” she remarked as she crossed to her throne and lowered her frame into the fur lined seat, “and so can I” her smile twisted into a cruel mask on her face as she thrust a hand down the front of her clothing covering her groin. “Kris” she snapped, “feed”

Shuran looked at horror as the small creature jumped from the cage and stalked the floor, moving silently on four tiny legs. The eyes of the creature turned from dark black orbs into shining pools of red as the blood lust rose through its tiny body...tiny...tiny? As it moved across the floor, the body of the creature began to swell and expand, its limbs stretching and growing, sharp talons emerging from spindly fingers. Its muscles swelled beneath its frame and bones cracked as the creature grew larger, its face swelling and transforming into a hideous parody of its former self. The ears grew larger, forming into the point and the creatures nose expanded over its face as its feature became more profound. Shuran backed away on horror as its mouth expanded, revealing rows of tiny sharp razor teeth, covered in a layer of slavering saliva. The animals black fur crawled as the sinews beneath the skin became larger and stronger, “Hungry...” the voice split the air and gripped Shuran’s soul, “...feed me...hungry...” it echoed with unholy fear dripping from its tone.

Shuran’s eyes glanced toward Lady Theye, then back at the creature stalking him, then back to the woman again, “please” he begged to deaf ears. She closed her eyes and threw her head back in sexual self-gratification as her fingers moved deeper into her groin and with her free hand released a large ample breast and ringed the dark nipple. Her groans of pleasure mixed with the cries of horror from the old man as the creature pounced onto the teacher’s body.

The floor shook and the air tasted of sexual excitement and blood as limbs were torn from Shuran’s body in a frenzied feeding. Teeth ploughed deep troughs into the leathery skin as blood flooded from tooth and claw and the cries were lost in the howls of the creature. Bones snapped and splintered as flesh was torn from the old man’s body as his screams were lost through the corridors of the palace.