Sandstorm Box Set Page 12

  Following the curved, red tunnel, Darius kept his torch high and his knife clutched in his cane hand. He knew that the sandstorms drove creatures into hiding, giving him more things to worry about than Watchers. He reached an intersection, veering left. Lifting his torch, he spotted a faded, familiar marking as high as a hand could reach. A circle.

  Seeing that familiar marking triggered memories. All at once, Darius was a young man, with a limber body and a spear in his hand. In a cave that often felt menacing, the circular marking was a thick blanket, comforting him on a cold night. He smiled as he passed the familiar drawing, heading over some crushed rubble and skirting a divot large enough to grab a boot and hold onto it.

  His love for the caves was tempered by his fear of their power.

  A few times while sleeping in his hovel, he had awoken from some terrifying dream, where he was trapped in the suffocating darkness forever, dragging his body through a tunnel with no end. Listening to the crackle of his torch, he clutched it tighter, remembering that time when he had been without it. Darius had been lucky to make it out after his accident.

  And yet he kept returning.

  He followed the cave through several more turns, using his old, faded markings when he could find them, substituting memory when he couldn’t. In a few places, he saw slashes on the walls from the miners. He entered a narrow section of the tunnel, bending down and leaning more heavily on his cane. More memories came back to him. He recalled Akron’s stories of avoiding animals in the caves. Akron had been lucky in his travels, until he wasn’t.

  A pair of glowing eyes startled him.

  Darius thrust his torch in front of him and froze.

  A small, desert fox craned its neck and looked back at him, fear in its face. Darius held it in an uneasy glare for a moment before it raced away, burrowing into a distant hole. Rocks scattered and fell, pinging off the floor as its claws scratched something out of sight.

  Darius took a few steps, finding the fox’s rear end on the side of the cave. Its tail waved back and forth, and then it disappeared. He heard the echoes of its escape somewhere in the wall. It sounded as if the fox had gotten much farther than just into a small hole. Where was it?

  He knew foxes found dens that were smaller than humans could navigate, but this lair sounded deep.

  Heart hammering, Darius crept closer, illuminating the pile of stones the fox had kicked up.

  The fox had revealed a head-sized, circular opening.

  Stooping, Darius poked at the surrounding stones, loosening a few more and knocking them to the ground. A den.

  Not a den, a passage.

  He stuck his torch into the hole, illuminating a space that went much deeper and wider than a normal animal’s lair. Looking up, he saw something else.

  Akron’s triangular mark.

  **

  Darius bent down, making his way through the hole he’d exposed after moving more rocks. His pack scraped the ceiling. He held his knife in front of him, as if the fox might appear and nip him, but it wasn’t close. Far in the distance, he heard louder echoes as it went farther away.

  Darius kept crawling, fitting his old frame through the passage, leading with his cane and his knife. The cave was hot before, but now it was sweltering. The ceiling of the passage weighed down on him, pressing his bag tighter on his back. A new, panicked thought struck him.

  What if he got stuck and died? He would surely die slowly.

  No one except Elmer knew where he was going, and even if someone else did, who would look for him? Darius might be a fossil for someone else to discover. Or maybe no one would ever find him. He swallowed as he dragged his lame leg behind him. His torch illuminated an end to the narrow, uncomfortable space. Pulling himself through, he pushed with his hands and his cane, until he regained his footing and stood.

  Darius was deep in a dark cave, with sides as wide as the one in which he’d traveled.

  He looked left and right, down two sides of a tunnel he’d never explored.

  Darius felt as if he was on to something more promising than he’d ever found. But which way should he go? The last thing he wanted was an encounter with a cornered, scared fox.

  After some debate, he chose a path to the right, combing through the tunnel, stopping every so often to check for revealing marks. He saw no more triangles. He kept going, ignoring the pain in his joints and leg, stooping or shimmying as needed. The tunnel walls were a blend of auburn, with mixes of brown, or occasionally black, where varieties of rock blended together.

  Eventually, the tunnel rose, seemingly headed toward the surface. Darius followed it until he found a sliver of light.

  A breeze told him he had reached an exit.

  He slowed, wondering where he had ended up. Ducking beneath a low-hanging crag, he peered into a seemingly empty desert, illuminated by the light of the moons.

  He saw no sign of Red Rock. No sign of the small, mud-brick hovels, or the Comm Building.

  It took him a moment to realize he’d ended up on the far side of the eastern wall. Darius wanted to turn and explore the tunnel’s other direction, but if he stayed too long, his exploration might run until daylight.

  If he were caught, or missed, he might never see what was on the other side of this new tunnel.

  Eventually, his good sense won out, and Darius snuffed out his light and snuck out into the moonlight, intent on getting back to his colony before daybreak.

  Chapter 30: Neena

  A crunching noise echoed from somewhere below.

  Neena startled, ripped from her dozing. Her memories came back to her as she balanced on the rocky ledge, searching the darkened desert. Kai sat up slowly beside her. The twin moons cast a pale glow over the landscape, illuminating the outlines of some of the dunes. Neena guessed it was close to morning, but not close enough.

  More crunching.

  Whatever was below them was bigger than a bird.

  Slowly, Neena scooted closer to the edge, peering down toward the holes. A few shadows moved between them, munching quietly. Neena listened as they tore and chewed on the carcass.

  Occasionally, a growl floated up to where they perched.

  Wolves.

  Neena steeled herself on the ledge. Listening to the noises below, she felt a fear she hadn’t had in many years. All at once, she was thirteen and hunting with her father again, huddled in a cave, clutching the small spear she’d had back then and listening to a wolf pack sharing their kill outside. She and her father’s small fire had petered out, taking away the protection of smoke, so that all they could do was wait and hide. She’d clutched Dad and listened to the animals growl, crunch, and shift in the dark, certain that the wolves would come for them next. That night had been sleepless, like too many others in those early hunting days.

  Feeling the weight of that memory, Neena held on to her knife. Kai kept close, giving her a measure of comfort. After a long while, the wolves slunk off into the night, finished with their scraps. She watched their shadows merge with the darkness.

  If only she had a spear.

  Maybe she could’ve gotten lucky and killed one of them for food.

  **

  Neena stayed awake until rays of sunlight crept over the eastern horizon, watching for the wolves. They didn’t return. Peering over the ledge, she spotted the remains of the fawn. What had once been recognizable was now a pile of blood and fur. Small ribs protruded from the last of the fawn’s flesh; the sand was stained red.

  As unappetizing as the fawn had been, the rest of their makeshift meal was gone.

  Neena saw no new holes. A small reassurance, she thought, after another night with not enough sleep. Too many of those were already taking their toll. Neena felt the fatigue in her muscles, which were sore from so much travel, and in her eyes, which were harder to keep open after several nights of mostly dozing. Blinking through her dizziness, she reached for her flask and nursed the last of her water, while Kai also drank.

  They stood, stretching out the
ir legs under a sun that was slowly rising.

  “We should get off this ledge before the daytime heat bakes us,” Neena suggested.

  “Of course.” Kai chewed his lip, looking down at the carcass. Thinking on something, he said, “It isn’t often that I see a pack of wolves.”

  “There are a few packs around here, but usually, they stay clear of us,” Neena told him. “Of course, food has been getting harder to find.” A thought she’d had the night before came back to her. “If we come across any wood, perhaps we should fashion some spears today.”

  “Probably a good idea,” Kai said.

  Returning to the ledge, they maneuvered their way down, a little more familiar with the climb now.

  Reaching the stream without incident, they drank wordlessly, replenishing their flasks. Neena put her hands over her eyes to ward off some of the sun’s emerging glare. Having made the decision to return to her colony the night before, Neena had one less worry. She could already feel the tug of her brothers, pulling her toward Red Rock. Now, they just needed to make it there alive.

  “How long do we have left to travel?” Kai asked, following her gaze.

  “If we can make it without incident, we should be to Red Rock by late morning tomorrow, with only another night in the desert,” Neena said. Saying those words gave her a small dose of relief.

  “What else is between here and your colony?” Kai asked.

  “There is a place to get water a ways from here. We should have enough water to reach it.”

  “A stream?”

  “A tree with large roots,” Neena clarified. “Usually I tap the base and find some water.” She looked down at her flasks. Normally, her extra flask kept her insulated against dehydration, but sharing with Kai had been a stretch. They’d have to make do.

  “What is the terrain like?” Kai asked.

  Neena thought on that. “The ground gets a little firmer, with more rugged hills than dunes. We’ll have to travel through desert for about a dozen klicks to get to it.” As she spoke the words, she found herself wishing the terrain would help, but she knew only rock was safe.

  “Are there any more caves up ahead, or rock formations that will give us shelter like the ones where we’ve stayed?” Kai asked.

  “There is a long, wide rock that forms an alcove, which we should reach before nightfall,” Neena said. “It’s usually where I stay, on the way back to my colony.”

  “That sounds like a place toward which to head,” Kai agreed. “At the very least, we’ll be out of the sand. We both know how tiring the tug of the desert can be on weary feet.”

  Neena agreed.

  With the decision made, they made their way south over the windswept desert, away from the carcass, the holes, and the rock formation. Neena was grateful to gain some distance between places that were now laced with bad memories. The thought struck her that she might never see them again.

  It seemed as if Neena’s old life had been swept away. Or maybe it was the urgency of returning to Red Rock, which seemed to take away all thoughts of the future.

  They resumed their pace from the day before, walking in the same quiet pattern that kept them safe. A few soaring birds gave them a measure of comfort. When they were about level with the dune where they’d seen the spray of sand, Neena looked over, noticing several giant holes in the distance. This time, she saw no carcass.

  “Whatever that animal was, I hope it received a quick death,” Kai whispered grimly.

  Neena swallowed the lump in her throat, refraining from more conversation. They walked under the burgeoning sun, past more uneven, sloped dunes, until the heat became oppressive. Having traveled with Kai a little longer now, Neena was acquainted with his mannerisms. When he worried, he scratched his chin. When he was more relaxed, he walked with his hands at his sides, but he never stopped scanning the desert. Definitely a hunter, she thought.

  Watching him, more questions came to her.

  “What is it like at your colony?” she asked him.

  “We live in an oasis, around a small lake, as I mentioned,” Kai said. “Our houses are built in an area of more compact soil, though we get plenty of sand blowing in around us.”

  “Do you have wood there?”

  “We have to travel for it,” Kai said.

  “Like everything else, wood is scarce,” Neena said knowingly. Thinking back to some of the many stories she’d heard as a child, about buildings like the Comm Building, she asked, “What are your buildings made of?”

  “Stone, mostly,” Kai explained.

  “You don’t use mud brick?”

  “More and more people are moving away from mud brick, as their old houses crumble. They think it might help the with the Abomination attacks.”

  Neena nodded. She understood his concern. “Do you have any that are made of enormous, smooth stone?”

  Kai seemed confused. “Large pieces from the desert, you mean?”

  “Buildings built with tools we no longer have,” Neena said.

  “Tools from Earth, you mean,” Kai said, his voice filling with the same wonder that had driven her questions.

  Neena nodded. She stared at Kai, surprised to hear the answer at which she’d hinted, but wasn’t sure he’d understand. It was strange hearing the same term coming from the lips of a stranger. “It sounds as if you have the same stories as us.”

  “It is believed that everyone on Earth is dead. Is that what you’ve heard?” Kai asked.

  Neena nodded. Speaking of the mysterious place always gave her a sense of awe. “A few people think that we were stranded, generations ago. Some say that our home planet lost the resources to get to us here. Some say a large catastrophe happened that made it impossible for them to reach us again.”

  “It sounds as if your people are no closer to an answer than mine,” Kai said, with a sigh. “How long have your people been here?”

  “Our people were sent here on a mining mission a few generations ago,” Neena said. “It was to last a few years, perhaps longer. I don’t think we were meant to stay forever.”

  Kai thought on that. “I believe we were sent to colonize, though the stories differ. In any case, I do not think either of us will get off this planet.”

  “Unfortunately, true,” Neena said. Recalling her original question, she said, “It sounds as if you know about the type of stone to which I’m referring.”

  “We don’t have any buildings like that, but I know what you are describing,” Kai agreed, waving a vague hand across the desert. “About two generations ago, our people moved from another place, farther away, with structures said to be from Earth. The hunting had gotten so bad that our ancestors were forced to head for a new area. Of course, the buildings were too large to move, but a few pieces from the original settlement have found their way into our homes.”

  “How far is that place from your colony?” Neena asked.

  “Many days north from New Canaan, wherever it is,” Kai said, relaying what was clearly an old story. “They say lots of people died during that move. It is a journey that no one has dared to make since. What food existed there is long gone.” Kai thought on it with a shrug. “Even if there were food and we wanted to journey back, with the Abomination in the desert, making that much vibration would be suicide.”

  Neena opened and closed her mouth on too many questions. “I can’t believe the places you describe exist.”

  “And I can’t believe we have come across each other,” Kai said. “Meeting you makes me wonder if other people exist.”

  Neena nodded as she thought about that. “They do. At least, I think they do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Years ago, when I was a child, it was said that some people visited our colony,” Neena explained. “It has been enough years that it has almost become a rumor. But I remember some of the whispers of our people, as the story was passed among us. Our leaders were said to have met with them.”

  “It couldn’t have been us,” Kai said. �
��Our leaders would have told us about it.”

  “Exactly what I was thinking,” Neena said. “But even if our people haven’t met, I think your theory must be right about others, especially when I reconsider those rumors.”

  Kai nodded. “That is incredible to think about.”

  “What do you call this planet?” Neena asked.

  “Ravar.”

  “We have the same term, then,” Neena affirmed. “That makes me believe the stories we’ve heard from our ancestors were true.”

  Turning an earlier question on her, Kai asked, “Those buildings made with the material you described before. Do you have them?”

  “We have one,” Neena said. “It is called the Comm Building. Our leaders live there, along with some of the people who look after us.”

  Wonder filled Kai’s eyes. “The Comm Building. I would like to see it.”

  “You will, once we reach Red Rock,” Neena said. “It is in the center of our colony. Of course, we will have to get there, first.”

  Kai nodded. “For more than one reason, I hope that we do.”

  Chapter 31: Raj

  Raj, Samel, and Helgid walked with their heads bowed, exiting a row of dirty, mud brick houses and merging onto the main pathway. All around them, men, women, and children traveled the smaller alleys, converging into a single procession. The men looked at each other with sullen, commiserating expressions. The women walked with their heads down, herding their children, or keeping the younger ones quiet. Their slow trudge reminded Raj of the flow of the river toward which they headed—a single mass, pouring steadily in the direction of the bridge.

  Filing onto the main path, Raj, Helgid, and Samel fell into a row with several others, slowing their pace to accommodate new people. A boy a year or two younger than Samel tugged on his mother’s arm, resisting the flow of the crowd. A few of the elderly colonists coughed into their shawls, not used to the exertion, or a journey that took them so far from their homes. All were expected to come, unless they were gravely ill.