Discovery at Nerwolix (36 page)

“They’re coming—a whole swarm of Vermix.
They’re rushing down the mountain.”

More orange blasts shoot overhead as a new
wail echoes in the night. I peek past the slope again, finding an
entire wave of Dofinikes leaping down toward the forest base with
Ludins sweeping low, snapping with their pointed black beaks. The
Vermix turn and fire Traxpires in response, lighting the darkness
with the bright, blinding blasts.

“They’re leading them right toward us.”

“We have to move,” Jace says.

I shake my head. “Reid said to stay here. If
we leave, he won’t be able to find us again.”

“Well we can’t stay
right
here,” he
pokes his head out. “If the Ludins don’t find us then the Vermix
will and I’m not on board with either.”

“Then where do we go?”

“There,” he points to the trees ahead.
“We’ll hide in them until they pass. When Boss and Warze come back,
we’ll spot them. Come on,” he takes my hand and with Booker on my
other side, the three of us race toward the only possible
shelter.

We get there just in time because the swarm
of Vermix come racing down the southernmost tip of the mountain,
the large birds flying overhead. Orange blasts fire up, darkening
the Ludin silhouettes which soar down and skim the ground, grasping
Vermix in their pointed beaks. Shrieks fill the air, snarling and
hissing and wails and the sound of Traxpires all bloom upward,
creating a cacophonous soundtrack to match the horrific scene.

One Vermix races toward the trees, seeking
shelter like us, but he’s snapped in two by the Ludin’s beak. I
cover my mouth, praying Reid and Warze aren’t in the middle of it.
But how would I know? There’s too much movement, too many bodies
running… how can I tell if they’re in there?

Please don’t let Reid and Warze run into it.
Please.

“We should get to higher ground,” Jace
reaches for one of the Yulus. “Come on.”

Before he’s able to get a firm grip, Reid
and Warze drop beside us, peering through the trees at the stampede
of fleeing Vermix. The Zingfinold hoists three squirming Dofinikes
over his shoulder with ease, frowning at the scene ahead. Placing a
finger over his mouth, Reid looks between us. We stand, watching
the Ludins soar down and snatch Vermix mid-run, some snapping the
Dofinikes in two while other Ludins attempt ripping them from their
pointed black beaks.

“Jesus,” Jace whispers.

“It’s effective,” Reid turns to Warze. “How
long will this go on?”

“Ludin stop attack when full.”

“And they just started so… it’ll be a
while,” Reid looks at me with a slight frown, something ticking
away behind his eyes. “I wish there was a way you could communicate
with Tucker.”

“Tucker ride with Walker, yes?” Warze raises
a furry brow. “Walker know Zingfinold signal. Will direct to
us.”

“But can he hear it?” Reid asks. “Through
all this? Will Walker be able to
hear
it?”

Warze nods. “Zingfinold train to hear call
of brother anywhere.”

“Okay…” he nods. “Then that’s our play.
Let’s find a spot a few branches up and wait this thing out. We’ll
let them know where we are once the Ludin have cleared a path,”
Reid selects a Yulu, wrapping his arm around my waist.

“Hopefully theirs is currently feeding,”
Jace makes a face at Booker. “I don’t want to meet it if it’s still
hungry.”

“If it is, we’ve got some grub for them,” he
gestures to the bound Vermix. “Come one.”

We all sail high into the trees, selecting a
branch about half way up. Warze unloads the three bound Dofinike,
sitting them up against the trunk and then approaches Reid who has
the shield of leaves parted. Both look out into the lit night
filled with fleeing and fighting Vermix and low-soaring Ludins. The
panicked scene hasn’t changed one bit. Except now we’re up here
watching, instead of down there, in the midst of the chaos.

“Where are all of the Zingfinolds?” I
ask.

“Waiting for Ludin attack to finish.”

“They’re in the trees with us?”

Warze nods.

“Well…” I exhale, crossing my arms, “at
least we get a moment of rest. Everyone doing okay?”

The boys nod as Reid approaches me, softly
cradling my elbows. “Has Sampson said anything?”

“No.”

“Have you heard from Clarence?”

I shake my head.

“I wonder what he’s been doing—if the queen
and chancellor are able to help.”

“I thought he would’ve contacted me by now…
or Sampson,” I shrug. “But he hasn’t said anything.”

Reid rubs his chin.

“Warze,” I look at the giant Zingfinold,
“how long does it take them to get full? Will a handful of Vermix
do it?”

“Ludin have big appetite. Take time to fill
large stomach.”

“So we’re looking at a while, Boss Lady,”
Jace says, slumping down next to the Vermix. “Might as well make
yourself comfortable.”

The bound Dofinikes attempt snapping and
moving toward Jace but he merely punches the closest one in the
snout. It recoils but tries again. And just as Jace goes to slug it
once more, Warze pinches each of the Dofinike’s necks until one by
one they fall motionless.

“Did you kill them?” I ask.

Warze shakes his head. “Sleep.”

“So it’s just a waiting game?” Booker
asks.

Reid nods, crossing his arms as he begins to
pace. I do the same, periodically peering out the shield of leaves
while Jace sits next to the sleeping Vermix, waiting for the time
to pass. After a long while, Warze moves to the branch’s edge.

He lets out an alternating high-low note
that sails into the chaotic night, past the Traxpire explosions and
the sharp, violent chomping of the feasting Ludins. He waits a
moment and does it again and after another minute, releases a third
cycle before withdrawing from the edge and turning back to us.

“I call Walker.”

“Already?” I ask.

“Where are they going to land?” Jace gets to
his feet. “Up here?”

“On ground. We meet there,” Warze reaches
for the sleeping Vermix and with very little effort, hoists them
over his shoulder. “Come. We leave now.”

“And they’re going to come right
now
?” I ask, glancing between Reid and the Rogues.

“Walker knows we here. He looks for us. It
is time,” Warze leaps off the tree and into the darkness.

Reid nods. “Let’s go find Rogue Leader.”

“With you, Boss,” Jace reaches for a Yulu
and swings himself down. Booker is right behind him and Reid turns
to me.

“Ready?”

“It’s a little late to ask that.”

With a smirk, he wraps an arm around me.
“You’re probably right. Hold tight,” he says and we’re soaring back
to the ground.

The night is still lit with bright orange
blasts and the screams and snarls of the escaping Vermix. Only a
few Ludins fly over this part of the mountain and most are still
picking the fleeing Dofinikes right off the ground. I’m not sure
how long it’s been since Hozfin launched his aerial attack but it
doesn’t seem to be lessening up.

On the ground, I clutch Reid next to me and
he responds by squeezing my hand. We stare straight ahead at the
chaotic scene with Jace and Booker, Warze already marching out
toward the forest edge with all three Vermix still slung over his
shoulder.

“This is crazy,” Jace says. “How are they
going to find us?”

“If Warze says Walker will know…” Reid
starts.

“I still don’t know, Boss,” Booker chimes
in. “How could he
hear
it? And with all this going on?”

“Even if they find us,” I look between the
three, “what’s going to stop their Ludin from devouring us? Unless
he’s full… and yes,” I turn to Reid, “I know we have the Vermix but
it may not be enough. We’re going to have to stay back at first and
let Tucker and Walker come to us.”

“What is Warze doing?” Jace’s mouth drops
open.

We shift our stare to the giant Zingfinold
waiting at the base of the forest, watching the herd of racing
Vermix pass without even a glance. Ludins soar low, snatching the
Dofinikes right off the ground and then return to the sky, dropping
bits of arms and talons and snouts like a storm of mutilated
pieces. But Warze stands still, unfazed by it until the bright
golden wings of a Ludin flap toward the ground. It lands a mere
fifty feet from the stoic Zingfinold and squinting, I can barely
make out two figures on its back.

Walker jumps off first, followed quickly by
Tucker and then Warze rushes out to meet them. Unbinding the
Vermix, he tosses one at the Ludin’s beak as a few Dofinikes race
toward the trio. But the tribesmen spring into action, shooting
Brulilies and in Tucker’s case, firing the Traxpire and creating
more orange blasts that cast a gentle glow on the already golden
Ludin. Warze chucks another bound Vermix toward the giant beast and
it catches it easily, snapping the Dofinike in two, a piercing
scream filling the air. After tossing the third captive up, Warze
withdraws as the Ludin garbles down the last Vermix and in its
moment of distraction, the three tribesmen race back.

“Fallon!” Walker rushes over and throws his
arms around me in a tight hug. “Thank God!” he pulls back. “I’m so
sorry…I tried going after you but this Vermix kept cutting me off.
He finally saw you so I distracted him and led him away. Otherwise
he would’ve gone after you himself. Are you okay?” he searches me
for injuries. “What happened?”

“She survived. That’s what happened,” Reid
gently squeezes my elbow, yanking me back by him. His eyes dart
over Walker’s shoulder. “Tucker,” he jets toward the Rogue Leader
and the two hug. “Glad to see you.”

“You too, Rox. Can’t believe you made it all
the way back here.”

“Can’t believe you actually flew that
thing.”

“Wasn’t me.”

“No?”

“I have my talents, Rox,” Walker grins. “You
should know that.”

With a controlled exhale, Reid focuses on
Tucker again. “How many Ludins are out here?”

“Hozfin released the most well-trained he
had—five.”

“Most well-trained?” I ask.

“Least likely to kill their riders,” Walker
explains. “Most of the ‘pilots’ feed them and have ridden them
before. I just started working with the Ludins so Hozfin said it
was fine if I went. Think I did a pretty decent job landing.”

“Outstanding,” Reid rolls his eyes, focusing
on Tucker again. “Any idea how many Vermix casualties resulted with
the aerial attack?”

“Based on what I saw…” Tucker rubs the back
of his neck. “Probably a few hundred.”

“A few hundred.” Reid repeats.

“Yeah. There are only five and the Vermix
have been shooting off their Traxpires.”

“We’ve seen,” he nods, folding his arms. “Do
you know if most are down here now? We’ve seen a lot of Vermix come
this way. How many do you think are still towards the top and
middle of the mountain?”

“A lot.
Still
.”

“Shit,” Reid curses, looking to Warze. “And
you said they’ll finish attacking when they’re full?”

Warze nods.

“Then that means once they’re done, we’re on
our own again. And with Reuzkimpart bringing in more forces…” he
shakes his head. “I wonder if we even made a dent.”

“I’m sure we did,” I say. “A sizeable chunk
too. And it’s not over yet. It’s
far
from over.”

“Yeah,” Jace nods, “but what are we going to
do when it’s done? Go back to Brulilies?”

“And Traxpires and knives…”

“And whips,” Reid winks at me, a secret
smile growing. He wipes it clean and focuses on the rest of the
group. “Look, the only thing to do is keep fighting. The
Zingfinolds have a population of like what,” he turns to Warze, “a
few hundred? Maybe a thousand?”

Warze nods.

“And Reuzkimpart brought a
few
thousand—maybe more. We knew the odds would be stacked against us.
Nothing has changed. The goal is still the same.”

“But Boss…” Jace says quietly, “if that was
Hozfin’s last plan… what’s next?”

“Just keep fighting, Commander. Until we
hear anything from Sampson or Clarence…” he briefly glances at me,
“just keep fighting. That’s all we can do.”

“Ludin start finish,” Warze scans the night
sky which is not as illuminated as before. Fewer orange blasts are
sparked and less wings flap overhead, sending the Vermix racing.
They’re still heading down the mountain but there aren’t as many
because only one Ludin sweeps above—and that’s the one Tucker and
Walker rode in on. It mostly circles in the night sky, watching the
movement below and dodging Traxpire blasts. “Ludin soon leave.”

“Then we’re back in the trees again?” Jace
looks between the group. “Or what?”

“Until we can figure the next phase,” Tucker
shrugs, looking to Reid for his confirmation.

“Back to Zingfinold warfare,” Walker nods.
“Silent death from above. It’s the best we got and it’s
effective
.”

“They already know we’re here,” I say.

“But they’ll be so frazzled from the Ludin,
they won’t be thinking clearly,” Walker crosses his arms. “We can
still pick them apart piece by piece. I’m sure you and a group of
tribesmen stayed here on the southern tip while the rest were in
the north right? Chipping away? That’s what the Zingfinolds
do.”

“We took down a few,” Booker agrees. “From
our end at least.”

“See?” Walker says. “We just go back to
that.”

“For now,” Jace sighs. “But
then
what?”

“There is no ‘then.’ There’s only now.
Surviving this moment.”

“Well,” I look to the boys, “we
do
have the Fychu on our side. That gives us the best odds, right? I
agree with Reid… and Walker. Just keep fighting. There’s nothing
more we can do.”

“So trees it is?” Tucker looks around the
group.

Everyone nods.

“Well,” Walker smiles, “at least we’ll have
time to—”