Bastial Energy (62 page)

“Steffen,” Terren said. “What’s happening?”

“The Dajrik and a bunch of Slugari are coming to meet us.”

“I can see that. What are they going to do with us?” Terren asked, his voice growing heavy with urgency. “What did Shudu say exactly?”

“Just to wait here for her to get their leader.”

“There was nothing she said to give you the impression we wouldn’t be harmed?” Terren asked, now clearly troubled.

“No…” A rush of fear pulled at Steffen’s heart. He’d never even considered they might be attacked.

The Dajrik was close enough now for his eyes to be seen, black as shadows. The group of Slugari behind had come around to the Dajrik’s sides. Their beady eyes didn’t look curious but aggressive. Steffen took two steps back and reached over his shoulder to make sure his bow was there and ready.

“Tell them to stop. That’s close enough,” Terren told Steffen. Another two steps and the Dajrik’s next would be on top of one of them.

Before Steffen could remember the word for stop, the Dajrik and Slugari did so on their own. Steffen felt a burst of relief and let out a loud breath.

A Slugari came to them from between the Dajrik’s massive feet. “Who is your leader?” she asked in common tongue.

“You speak our language,” Terren replied with amazement, taking a step toward her. “I’m leading this small party.”

“You have a Krepp with you, I am told. Where is he?”

Zoke stepped around them to show himself. “I don’t wish to hurt any Slugari,” he said.

“Come out here,” the Slugari replied in a tone that made it seem like Zoke’s words had never reached her. Her speech was deep and soft at the same time, like a young woman with a low voice.

Zoke followed her order but turned to share a look with Vithos as he puttered forward. It seemed as if the Elf was nodding his head.

“Turn around with hands behind you.” The Slugari spoke before Zoke was close enough to touch her. He stopped and obeyed. “You may not want to hurt us, but there is no such thing as a Krepp uninterested in the taste of us.” The Dajrik closed a massive hand around Zoke’s torso so that the Krepp’s arms were stuck behind him.

Vithos blurted out some Kreppen words before composing himself and speaking in common tongue. “Don’t hurt.”

“He’s with us,” Terren added. “We’re friends with your race. We want to help.”

“So I have heard,” the Slugari replied. “But we are not taking risks.” Another Slugari came forward with some sort of vine, wrapping it around Zoke’s wrists. The Dajrik took another hand to Zoke’s legs and lifted him as if pulling out a weed. Just like that, it walked away, holding Zoke like a pigeon ready to take flight.

“Where are you taking him?” Terren asked.

“He will be safe for now,” the Slugari who had spoken first answered. “We do not want him too tempted by our smell.”

“He…” Vithos had a hand on his chin, his face twisting. “He no…” Vithos pointed to his nose desperately. “He no…”

“He can’t smell?” Reela asked.

Vithos nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. He can’t smell.
Gurradu.
He no like Slugari.”

“Whether or not that is true, we will feel safer with him not around. Now, I heard it from Shudu, but I want your leader to tell me. What are you doing here, and how did you convince Shudu to show you our secret passage?”

“We were sent here by our king, Welson Kimard of Kyrro,” Terren answered proudly. “A war has started above ground. The Krepps have joined with Tenred to fight against us. Are you aware that the Krepps have been searching for your colony for many years?”

“Yes,” the Slugari answered. “We are aware of the search but not of this war. Before you tell me more, answer how you convinced Shudu to let you down here. Any Slugari in her position would let herself die over compromising the colony.”

Terren bit his lip.

If we tell them about the psychics, they won’t trust anything else we say,
Steffen realized.

Reela came toward the Slugari. “May I speak?” she asked politely.

“Yes,” the Slugari answered.

She knelt down so that her face was level with the Slugari. “We explained the situation between the Humans and Krepps to Shudu. This war involves your race as well. You’re in great danger. Please allow us to explain, and you’ll understand why Shudu felt it was worth the risk to bring us down here. We wish to work with you to help each other.”

Steffen didn’t doubt she was using all the psyche she could to alleviate the Slugari’s worry.

“I understand,” the Slugari replied with a crooked twist to her mouth that looked closer to a smile than anything else. “Explain and we will listen, but I do not promise anything else.”

Terren started at the beginning, when Tenred didn’t renew the treaty. For a warrior, Steffen thought, Terren was an excellent storyteller. As he described the journey that had led them here, all nearby Slugari slithered over to join the mass of listeners. While Steffen couldn’t tell if even half of them could understand Terren’s language, they still seemed enthralled by his voice and gestures.

“What would you have us do?” the Slugari replied when Terren had finished.

“Fight with us,” he answered. “Help us defeat the Krepps and worry no more about hiding.”

“How would we go about doing that? We stand no taller than your waist. Our magic is not strong enough to burn through the skin of a Krepp. Our movement is slow, and our claws can pierce through the ground but not through an enemy.”

“What of your Dajrik?” Terren asked.

“Our Dajrik is older than he can remember. He has forgotten all battles but one, and in that he was forced to run. He does not wish to fight any more than we do.”

“No one wishes to fight, but you can’t hide forever. You’ll be found eventually.” Terren spoke bluntly.

“We realize that, which is why there are escape routes to another hideout. You say we cannot hide forever. To that, we say you cannot fight the Krepps.” The Slugari squeezed her claws together as if it pained her to say it. “They are far too strong. Especially when led by Doe and Haemon. Their magic ability has grown to be unparalleled. You think it is silly to run and hide, I can hear it in your tone, but in truth, fighting is far more insane. I am sorry you came all this way to hear that.” The Slugari started to turn.

“We were offered a way out of this war!” Terren called after her, but she didn’t stop. “If we gave up your location to the Krepps. It’s you they want, not us!”

At that the Slugari turned back. Her eyes looked to burrow deeper into her head. She said nothing.

Terren continued. “But we’re not ready to see to the destruction of your race, and we’ll probably be next.” He gestured to Reela. “As Reela said earlier, we came here to help each other. Now you wish for us to lay down our swords and let the Krepps tear down our cities and kill our people?”

“I never said these words.” The Slugari’s voice had softened to a murmur.

“You might as well have when you said our enemy is too strong to fight.” Terren pulled his blade from its sheath, the metal singing as he spoke. The cluster of Slugari rustled, the front line of them slithering backward. “You don’t know our strength. A single Krepp knows to fight, but Krepps know nothing of war. Kyrro has war in its blood. We were born from war. We know how to battle. We know when to fight and went to flee, and this is no time to flee.”

He drove his blade into the ground so that it sliced deep into the hard dirt. Murmurs echoed through the crowd. “Stand with us, even though it be only up to our waists. Share resources, give us information of the Krepp leaders, and lend us your Dajrik so we can save your asses before you’re all torn apart by Krepps!” He slammed his fist into his other hand.

The Slugari’s eyes had grown so dim that Steffen wondered if she could still see from them. The crowd of Slugari watching was dead quiet, still as stone. Terren’s heavy breath was the only thing heard.

Finally, the Slugari’s eyes came back to size and she spoke in a calm, clear voice. “Let me take a day to scout some things and ponder this. You and your party can stay here for the night. I will give you an answer tomorrow.” She waved her claw at the group of Slugari that had gathered behind her. From it slithered another. “This is Hejel. He knows common tongue as well. He will lead you to your sleeping quarters.”

Before leaving them, she slithered back to Terren. “Please do try and refrain from drawing your weapon in here.” Her voice was stern, but her crooked smile served to make her words sound less serious.

Terren pulled the weapon from the dirt and put it away. “We never got your name,” he called after her.

“Refer to me as Queen,” she replied without as much as a look back, disappearing into the crowd nearby.

Hejel was male. Steffen could tell by his tail, as it was shorter and rounder than female Slugari. Other than that he looked nearly the same as Queen. Like Shudu, there was a small pouch around his arm.

Steffen pointed at it. “Do you go above ground like Shudu?” he asked.

“Because of this?” Hejel lifted his arm. “Many of us carry these seed pouches, but very few of us go above ground. I have not been in years. It is far too dangerous. In case we need to flee our home in a hurry, we carry fertile seeds at all times.” Hejel gave the strap of his pouch a testing tug. “Let me show you where you will be staying. It has been so long since we have had visitors. I must admit I am excited to see you try our flower beds. Follow me.”

Flower beds?
Steffen had never heard of such a thing. He reached for his bag over his shoulder, retrieving his pen and scroll. The moment his hand grasped the pen, words poured out of him without thought.
“Caregelows are their source of light, stationed within clumps of plants so as to feed them with energy. The Slugari seem to use their own Bastial Energy to keep the caregelows lit and healthy
…
”

Steffen had to pause to watch where he was going. The group of Slugari that had gathered at the entrance was in the hundreds by now. Hejel slithered right through them, expecting to be followed. Steffen found himself in the back now, behind Effie and Reela, who were holding hands as they filtered through the sea of shimmering green. Many of the waist-high creatures lifted their claws to be grazed by Steffen’s forearms as he passed them. They squeaked and murmured excitedly with each touch, which was surprisingly warm.

After just a few steps, Effie gasped loudly. “I’ve never felt so much Bastial Energy. I feel as if I could fly if I tried,” she said.

“Make sure you don’t,” Reela replied. “When you fall, I’m going to lose you among all these Slugari.”

“The Slugari naturally have far more Bastial Energy than Humans. They must be transferring some to us as some sort of greeting,” Steffen guessed.

Up ahead, Terren was shouting. “Hejel! Why are they clawing at me? Hejel, I’ve lost you.” There was a touch of fright in his words.

“I am waiting up here,” their guide called out. Hejel already was through the mass of animated Slugari, and Steffen had just entered. “As I said, we do not get visitors down here. Many are thrilled to meet Humans and an Elf.”

“My body is absorbing the Bastial Energy,” Effie said, her voice strained. “I can’t hold it in.” A faint white glow started pulsing from her arms. With each pulse, Steffen felt a gust of heat.

Reela dropped Effie’s hand and tried to get some distance. “I’ll clear them,” she said.

With Steffen’s next breath, a terror clutched his heart.
Need to get away from Effie, now!
Along with the Slugari, he pushed away from her.

The moment he was no longer touched by her heat, he felt like himself again.

Effie was on her knees. From her skin pulsed a white glow that made the sand dance beneath her feet with each rhythmic throb of light. Then a burst of pure white exploded from her hands. It was straight, like a sunbeam piercing into a pitch-black cave through a small opening. She aimed it overhead, and immediately the thin ray of light began expanding into the surrounding space. In the duration of a blink, it exploded like a flash of lightning, finding every wall and pillar around them. A blaze of heat lived and died with it.

Effie warily picked herself up. “I apologize for that. I’ve never had so much Bastial Energy within me. I didn’t know how to handle it.”

The Slugari clattered together in groups while many others rushed to check on nearby plants.

“I had no idea some Humans had the potential to absorb so much Bastial Energy,” Hejel said with bright eyes. “Perhaps we may be of use to you in times of battle. I will report this to Queen later.”

Chapter 62: Touch

STEFFEN

With the rest of the Slugari now keeping their distance, it became far easier to stay with Hejel. Steffen stayed toward the back and tried to take notes as best he could. For each plant he recognized, he made a note of it. For each plant he didn’t, he described it as best he could. Most of them he knew, although they were far brighter in color than he’d ever seen. The copper red of queensblood, the ink and indigo streaks of riverdilly, the glow of golden yellow in the goldbellows—he’d only seen such mixtures of colors in paintings. Even the white found on the taviray flowers was so fresh and bright that it seemed as if a single speck of dirt would ruin it.