Fire and Ice

The light from the morning filtered in from the broken ceiling and crept along the debris laden floor. The sun stroked Cadet Darby’s face and warmed her skin as she stirred on her make shift bed of pine needles, fern leaves and lichen. She smiled in the sun embrace and rolled onto her side, safe in the knowledge that with the new day brought new hope. She remembered being led by the hand through the remnants of broken buildings and discarded homes and into a pitiful damp squalid excuse of a dome. She had watched as Kiefah had arranged the vegetation into a resemblance of a bed and had worried over the uncomfortable nature that would disturb her slumber. As she lay on the leaves, she watched as the young man smiled and walked from the room, telling her his father would need him and he would return in the morning.

Her dreams had been plagued with a mixture of calls and voices, draining the energy from her body and leaving her in an exhausted stupor. Images of paradise had been infiltrated by coarse animals and eruptions, and throughout the night she had tossed and turned in an unsettled sleep. But, here she was now, basking in the early morning rays, a smile playing across her lips. “Hungry...” she murmured through her ruby red soft lips and her hand rested on her stomach, “I need to feed” Her eyes remained closed as the hunger in her stomach grew and the small voice in her head whispered in her subconscious.

She felt pressure on her shoulder and a gentle push on her body and slowly her eyes opened to reveal the sight of Kiefah bending over her body. “Are you alright?” he asked, blushing as her looked over her sleeping form.

“Hmm...Kiefah” she murmured attempting to sit up, her hands moving to her eyes.

“You were talking” he said softly, his eyes drifting to the floor.

She wondered how long he had been watching and replied, “I was?”

“Yes” nodded Kiefah, “you were talking” he said again.

“What did I say?” she asked as she pulled herself from the floor and to her feet.

“You were hungry”

Darby placed a hand over her stomach and smiled, “I suppose I am” she commented, “do you have anything to eat?”

Kiefah nodded, “I will bring you food, but first you must come” he urged her waving her toward the door.

“What’s the hurry?” she asked as she followed Kiefah from the dome.

“My father wishes to speak” he said as he disappeared through the open hole in the side of the wall, “we must hurry” Darby took a final glance at the pile of leaves and sighed, reluctantly following as he ran between the buildings, pausing and glancing around at the faintly moving trees.

“Kiefah!” she called as they moved. He paused and looked at her as he allowed her to catch him, “can I ask you a question?” she asked. He looked at her and nodded, “Were you watching me sleep?” His cheeks flushed a deep red as he lowered his gaze from hers, “that answers that question” she laughed.

“Forgive me” he apologised, “but I have never seen a woman” he stammered.

“Never!” exclaimed Darby, genuinely shocked by his revelation.

“Well...I have, but not this close” he struggled with his words as his face grew redder, “I have seen the women from the other villages, but only from a distance...you are the first”

“I’m honoured” she smirked as she teased him.

“We must go” said Kiefah hurriedly, “my father”

“Lead the way” she laughed pointing ahead of them. Kiefah ran to the next building, pausing by a small opening and glancing about him before moving to the next building and ducking inside. Darby watched for a moment, glancing around at unseen figures in the shadows. “Feed me...” she murmured as she pushed herself from the building and trailed in the wake of Kiefah.

“Tomas has not returned” remarked Thoryn sitting on the rock and peering over the edge of the forest. The fire was beginning to fade in the hand made hearth built by Seeka. The embers drifted into the early morning air and the smell of the small rodent cooking over the ash touched the children’s senses as they stirred under the older boy’s watchful gaze.

“You have been awake all night” the remark made by Seeka was more a comment than a question as she crawled from a pile of fern leaves to his position on the rock. She moved close to the boy and wrapped her arm around his, pushing her body into his chest. “You need to rest” she said softly.

“I need to protect you” he said simply, “I am the oldest, it is my duty”

“That’s stupid!” snapped Seeka pulling away from his body and staring at him, “I am old enough to look after myself, I do not need you” The other children began to stir as the sound of their voices drifted across the camp.

“Tomas was as old as you” commented Thoryn, “and he has gone”

“Where is Tomas?” asked Jai-sen as he wiped the back of his hand against his eyes.

Seeka shot a look at the older child and pushed herself off the rock and bent close to the youngest of the group, holding his arms in her hands and looking into his eyes as she spoke, “do not worry” she said softly, “Tomas has not returned from last night”

“What has happened?” asked Beilal from the other side of the fire, “Where is Tomas?”she said echoing the words of Jai-sen.

“We do not know” admitted Seeka, glancing toward Thoryn then back at the two children, “he never came back last night”

“Is he lost?” asked Jai-sen as tears welled in his eyes.

“We do not know” said Seeka again, “he has not returned”

“Was he taken?”

“Jai-sen!” snapped Thoryn standing on the rock and looking down at the children, “he has left us. It is that simple”

“But Thoryn, what has happened? Are we safe?”

“I will protect you” declared Thoryn proudly.

“As you did Tomas” said Beilal slyly.

“That is different” replied Thoryn curtly, “he went off by himself in search of food and has not returned. That is that!”

“But, we all did” insisted Jai-sen, “and we came back”

“He has gone and that is all”

“You fought” commented Beilal, “I saw you”

“Yes, you fought” agreed Jai-sen. “Then we left”

“Enough!” snapped Thoryn, “I shall not be questioned!” his temper was rising under the scrutiny of the younger children.

“Thoryn” warned Seeka, “you are scaring them. You must remember they are young”

“That is excuses made by the weak” exclaimed Thoryn, “they must learn or they to will be taken in the night”

“Is that what happened” yelped Jai-sen, his eyes widening in horror.

“No” said Seeka softly, “nobody was taken in the night” she looked at Thoryn, “were they Thoryn?”

The older boy shook his head mildly, “when I returned you were sleeping” he said sitting on the rock and gazing into the distance at the rising sun, “I let you sleep and built and fire stronger. I stayed awake watching for Tomas and any animals” he raised a thick branch in his hands, “I would fight them off and keep you safe” he declared, “the night was long and the jungle was silent. Tomas has gone, I will keep you safe”, he pointed at the dying fire and the meat cooking over the ebbing flames, “the meat is warmed and tastes good, you must eat and we shall move soon for the place of fire and ice” Jai-sen and Beilal shuffled uncertainly toward the fire and picked at the cooking meat.

“What should we do about Tomas” whispered Seeka joining Thoryn’s side.

“There is nothing we can do” he admitted, “he is gone”

“What do you think happened?”

“I do not know” said Thoryn eventually, “if the warriors were still in the jungle then he may have been taken, or there are animals in the trees” Seeka looked out over the landscape, then back toward Thoryn her mind racing. The two boys had argued she thought, but could Thoryn have...no, she dismissed the thought as soon as it had entered her head, there was no way, surely?

“My dear, my dear” remarked the old man as Darby entered the low-level room. “I trust you slept well, I trust you slept well” he smiled as he spoke, only briefly as he waved her toward a small monitor set in a bank of computer screens.

Darby nodded and smiled back at his open wizened face, “Thank you, thank you” she replied as she gazed into the monitor, pausing to check out her reflection in the dark screen before focusing on the tiny markers on the image. “What are these? What are these?” she asked.

“Marks, marks” he said desperately.

“I do not understand” said Darby shaking her head, “I do not understand, this is a seismic monitor” she said waving her open palm toward the monitor, “where is it directed at?” she paused looking at the old man, then sighed and rolled her eyes, “this is a seismic monitor, where is it directed at?”

“It shows the dwellings, where we stand and what stands around us. It shows the dwelling, where we stand and what stands around us” his finger jabbed at the screen, “these are us, these are us” he said as he pointed at the glass, “but we are not alone. But we are not alone” his finger moved to another part of the screen, dragging his finger across the monitor and making a deep groove in the thin layer of dust which had settled.

“The hunters? The hunters?” queried Darby looking at the Seeker.

“We do not know” interrupted Kiefah, “my father has been watching most of the night. We noticed two marks late last night after you had rested, they entered the dwellings close to the place of command”

“They stop, they stop!” exclaimed the Seeker, “they move through the dwellings...then stop. They move through the dwellings...then stop. You see, you see” his fingers repeatedly jabbed the two faint marks on the screen, “they not move since night fall, they not move since night fall”

“The captain” murmured Darby turning from the screen and crossing the room carefully, her hand running over her arm as she thought out loud to herself, “it has to be. If it were the hunters, they would have moved at first light” she reasoned, “it has to be the captain” she spun on the spot, “Kiefah!” she exclaimed, “can you take me there?” she asked pointing at the monitor.

Kiefah nodded, “but why?” he asked carefully glancing at his father.

“If I’m correct” she said “then that is my commanding officer and we are safe”

“My son, what are her words? My son, what are her words?”

“She says we may be saved. She says we may be saved”

“Voices” whispered Crane sitting sharply from his prone position on the floor. His vision was blurred as his eyes struggled to focused and he cast his gaze around the room until they settled on the kneeling form of the Reverend James. The priest had his eyes closed and his hands locked in silent prayer as his mouth moved to a soundless mantra. “Father” snapped Crane as he moved quickly across the floor and crouched by an open hole in the wall gazing down at the ground below.

“Be still” chided James.

“There is something out there!” whispered Crane through gritted teeth.

“We are safe here” said James calmly, “come, sit and let us pray worship for the morning sun and seek our path for the day ahead”

“We haven’t time for that religious bullshit!” snapped Crane examining the jungle before the dome. “Our position has been compromised and all you can care about is your fucking prayers to god knows what”

“Please captain” said James softly, his body remaining calm and still under the verbal onslaught, “have faith and trust the world. Sometimes we must place our fortune to luck”

“We make our own luck Father” retorted Crane, “there’s no such thing as...” his words stopped in his throat as he ducked down out of view. “There!” he exclaimed, “voices” he strained his senses as he listened.

“I hear nothing” replied James returning to his quiet mantra ignoring the protests of Crane as he continued his vigil across the jungle. A noise erupted from the floor below their position as crates and furniture were disturbed. “It seems you were right” remarked James pulling himself from the floor and cautiously peering through the doorway and into the dark filled interior of the dome. He peered through the dome at the litter spread across the floor, scanning the crates and boxes for signs of life. “I see nothing” he whispered as Crane joined him on the opposite side of the arch. The captain raised a finger and pressed it against his lips, indicating for complete silence. They stared at the floor, running their eyes over the distorted shadows which were cast from the morning sun. Upturned tables and chairs fought with dust covered sheets and crates across the ground, but nothing could be seen of their silent invader. Crane motioned to James to wait with his hand, then pointed to himself and the metal staircase. James nodded his understanding and watched as Crane carefully stepped out of the safety of the upper storey and placed his foot on the ageing staircase. The steps moaned under his weight and complained by throwing small dust clouds of oxidised into the air below. His hand ran along the rusting railing as he moved slowly through the dark interior, his eyes scanning and picking through the dome.

“Captain” the soft female voice drifted through the dome and was tinged with an edge of relief.

“Cadet Darby” whispered Crane, still searching the gloom for her. He sighed audibly as she rose from behind a large stack of crates at the far side of the dome. “Father” he called into the rafters and stepped down the rust encrusted steps, running his hand through the red lined metal.

“Sir” Darby pulled herself from her hiding place and moved across the floor, standing to attention as she came to a stop before her commanding officer.

“No need for that Cadet” remarked Crane warily as he eyed the pile of raw material behind her, “who’s your friend?”

“Oh yes!” she exclaimed, “Kiefah!” she called as a pair of eyes watched uncertainly from the shadows He stepped into the centre of the dome and walked carefully and silently across the floor until stopping in front of Crane. Kiefah looked at the imposing form of the captain and copied Darby’s rigid pose.

“It would seem as though you have a fan captain” laughed a voice from above. Darby looked up and smiled at the form of Reverend Aston James as he walked down the stairs and came to a stop by the small trio. “My son” said James gently and placed a hand on his head. Kiefah frowned and looked at Darby who shook her head and stifled a giggle at the young man’s confusion at the greeting.

“May I ask who exactly he is?” demanded an impatient captain, “from our experience the locals are less than hospitable”

“Sorry sir” stammered Darby, “this is Kiefah, he is the son of the Seeker...a wise man...”

Her words were drowned out by the sudden exclamation from Reverend James, “The Seeker!” he cried, “that’s it captain, the one we were told to find”

“Quite” remarked Crane waving away the Reverend’s excitement.

“You were told to find my Father, by who?” asked Kiefah

“A man named Shuran” said James, “he freed us and told us to search for the Seeker. We would get our answers from him”

Kiefah nodded, “I know of this man, a wise man and a good man” he looked about the dome for a moment, “he is not here?” he queried.

“No” said the Captain, “he remained in the jungle village” he said pointing upward.

“The people of the trees, then he is dead”

“You don’t know that” replied Crane.

“I have my eyes” remarked Kiefah, “I see what is happening. I see the fear in the eyes of the people. I feel the scream of the jungle, I know the gods are unhappy. He will be dead of he is in the village of the trees” he looked about the small group, “I will take you to my father”

Lady Theye watched as her throne room was cleaned from the blood cast by the body of Shuran. The Chamberlain stood by her side, his head lowered in respectful silence, and his hands placed together across his chest. “Chamberlain” said Theye softly as she pushed by bulk from the throne.

“My Lady” he cooed as he bent lowly as she walked past him.

“I tire” she admitted stopping by the small bronze cage. She smiled at the fidgeting creature inside the cage and plucked a piece of meat from a small pot on the table by the stand and pushed it through the bars. She watched as the furry animal grasped at the meat and dropped to the floor of the cage, chewing the food and grasping it between its small fingers. “Look at him” she said delicately, “only a few hours ago he had a meal fit for a king, and yet he still hungers” she pushed a second piece of meat through the cage bars and smiled as the creature bit into the red flesh, “is this our fate?” she asked, “to be locked in an endless circle. Pleasure and sadness, hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other, Chamberlain. For every smile, there must be tears, for every sob must be a laugh”

“My Lady” he bowed as he frowned at her words, “I am sorry”

“No need to be” she said smiling as she unfastened the cage and opened the tiny door. She reached inside and withdrew the creature from the cage, pulling at the chain around its neck, “are you still hungry my pet?” she asked looking into the eyes of the creature. It squeaked in response and she smiled from its attention, rubbing her finger under its chin and crossed to the window and gazed across the canopy as the sun caressed every part of her kingdom. “Look Chamberlain” she said, “all you can see I command. We are the closest of the people to our god, we touch the sky...and that is why we must cleanse this earth”. Her fingers scratched the ear of the small animal as she spoke, “somewhere out there are the scum that have displeased me”

“We will find them my Lady” the Chamberlain assured her, “and bring her back to the palace”

“It is to late for that Chamberlain, I wish them dead”

“My Lady, I shall inform the warriors”

“No!” snapped Lady Theye turning on the frail old man, “I have other means” she pulled at the silver chain in her hand and her eyes locked on the creature running along her arm. “My pet is still hungry...aren’t you baby” she cooed, “would mummies little baby like to go hunting” The creature squeaked with excitement, blood lust rising in its stomach. “I thought so” her fingers played with the clasp around its neck and released the Flurry from its chain. “Go my baby, go find mummies enemies and kill them!”