The Journey of the Marked (The Miyran Heir Book 1) (13 page)

Eros and the others ran through the
night, arriving at the edge of the forest just as the sun began to rise. They
sprinted as quickly as they could through the sparse trees and tall grass. With
each step, the sound of rushing water grew louder and the Graeliths’ footsteps
behind them grew quieter. Eros hoped they were well ahead of the Graeliths,
though he guessed the increasing noise of the rushing water drowned out any
sounds the Graeliths might have made. This thought kept him moving as swiftly
as he could.

Tip came upon a small clearing of
tall grass and stopped. Azetan stopped immediately next to Tip, followed by
Eros, and the others. Prizene reached the clearing last.

Prizene bent at the waist and
breathed heavily, “How can you run with the weight of these packs?”

“Practice,” was all Tip replied, as
his eyes picked their way across the terrain.

Eros wasn’t as winded as Prizene,
but was still catching his breath. Tip, on the other hand, was almost breathing
normally. What kind of training could condition him for a run like that?

Tip slid forward cautiously,
feeling before he took each step.

“What are you doing?” Kenrya asked
with exasperation. “We need to keep moving!” She strode through the clearing.

“No, wait!” Tip shouted, but he was
too late.

Kenrya stepped into the thick mass
of tall grass concealing the edge of the cliff. She fell from view with a shout
of surprise.

“Careful!” Tip shouted, holding his
arm out to stop the others from rushing to her aid. “Feel for the cliff edge.”

Eros crawled, feeling for the edge
with his hands, surprised how difficult it was to locate. He found the edge and
parted the grass with his hands, allowing him to peer over the side. Ten feet
below, Kenrya held onto a rock sticking out from the cliff wall with her feet
hanging loosely and the rushing water of the river below her. She looked at him
with a fear in her eyes that startled him, since Kenrya had showed nothing but
defiance and anger until now.

“Hold on!” he shouted. “We can use
the rope Arith gave us to pull you up.”

“Hurry!” she called back. “The pack
is too heavy for me to hold on much longer.”

Eros watched as she tried
unsuccessfully to find a foothold. One of her hands slipped and her body swung
to the side. She struggled for a moment before grabbing the rock with both
hands again.

“Hang on,” Eros said calmly. “Don’t
worry!”

“Not worry? Eros, I can’t swim. Help
me!”

Her fingers slipped and she fell
into the water below.

“Kenrya!” he yelled and reached for
her. He stood and threw off his pack to go in after her.

“What happened?” Azetan grabbed him
by shoulders.

“She fell. She can’t swim. I’ll go
in after her.”

“Don’t be foolish. I’m Plinte.”

As the Plintes’ breathing slits
allowed them to breathe underwater, this was indeed the most sensible plan. Azetan
quickly stripped off his pack, swords, and footwear. “Follow the river and
watch for us!” he shouted. Then he walked to the place where Eros had parted
the grass, peered over the side, and leaped into the water. It looked like he
was leaping into the grass, but Eros heard a splash indicating he hit the water
cleanly below.

“What can we do?” Prizene shrugged,
motioning toward herself.

“We follow the river and watch for
them. Maybe the cliffs will be lower farther downstream.” Eros handed Tip the
coiled rope from his pack, which Tip threw over his head and one arm, then Eros
positioned his smaller pack to his front and hoisted Azetan’s pack on his
shoulders. He handed Prizene the swords, which she strapped to her waist, and
the footwear, which she placed in her bag.

“We should stay close to the
trees,” Tip suggested, “and watch for a better place to see them.”

Eros, Tip, and Prizene dashed along
the edge of the forest. They watched as closely as they could to the area where
the grass was tall, hoping to catch a glimpse of the raging waters and their
companions, and hoping, above all else, to stay ahead of the Graeliths.

Natal examined the remains of the
control box that once operated the electric barrier blocking access to the
western forest from the city. Clearly, an illegal laser gun had demolished the
box, and according to earlier reports, the Liput possessed one. This group of
marked ones impressed him. Possession of such a weapon was rare. Indeed, they
were proving to be worthy adversaries, clever and evasive.

Nord was waiting for information. He
stood just outside the wall, staring unhappily toward the forest. “Report!”
Nord commanded.

“One of them destroyed the control
box maintaining the gate with a laser gun,” Natal explained. Armed guards were
now positioned at both sides to block the opening.

“And the Graeliths?”

“In pursuit of the marked ones
through the western forest. Gornith leads the group.”

“Gornith? I wasn’t aware he had
returned from the marshes. His skills?”

“Superior. He maintains them well
and relishes this hunt. He considers these marked ones a challenge worthy of
his personal attention and skill.”

“I’m sure he does,” Nord laughed. “And
what of the Krystic?”

Natal gestured to a Graelith
standing off to the side to come closer and replied, “She still travels with
them. This Graelith tracked the group into the alleyways and can provide
information.” He turned to the Graelith, “Tell us what you know of these marked
ones.”

The Graelith spoke with a gravelly
voice, softly, but clearly, “A unique group of five. One, a Liput, easy to spot
with his full hair and colored tips. He’s agile and quick. Second, a Plinte
with dark skin and a high forehead. A very skilled fighter. We believe he
killed at least two of us. The third, a Krystic female with red hair. The
fourth is a Human boy, also possessing strong fighting skills. Two Graeliths
attacked him several nights ago and only the Graeliths bore injury. The last is
an Arlian female. Presumably all five bear the mark, though only three are
confirmed at this time — the Human, the Plinte, and the Arlian. Their marks
were observed by our men.”

“You describe them and yet have
told us little. If you saw them again, would you recognize them?” Natal asked
with irritation.

The Graelith merely returned
Natal’s stare.

Natal shook his head. They aligned
themselves with a powerful species that could identify any creature once close
enough to smell it, but one that couldn’t recognize a short-haired female from
a male of the same species half the time. At least the Graeliths had an uncanny
ability to track the marked. He pinched the bridge of his nose before turning
to Nord.

*******

Nord stood silently and considered
this information. He glanced toward the girl they found earlier, the feisty,
rebellious one who was being held by one of his men. He generally selected a
more attractive species, but he preferred lone girls and except for this one,
the streets were barren of children today. Grime from the street coated her
skin and dirtied her hair. He hoped that once cleaned, she would please him. If
not, she was expendable. Regardless of the outcome, he excitedly anticipated
the rest of his evening with this girl. She looked as though she still had some
fight left in her, and he welcomed the challenge.

His thoughts returned to the marked
ones — five of them, all different species and all possessing different skills.
Such a diverse group rarely banded together. If they rallied their communities,
they could create an army strong enough to challenge Nord’s power. Perhaps this
was Anyamae’s plan. She might be using these marked ones to create cohesion
among the outbounders, inciting them to unite and rise up against him. That
would also have the side benefit of creating a diversion, giving the heir a
chance to mature without being noticed. Nord must prevent this from happening. He
felt the Miyran power growing stronger. The heir must be nearing sixteen. He
would gather more Graeliths from the marshes far to the south and amass a
larger army. The Plintes and Humans posed the greatest fighting threat. He must
ensure they didn’t join forces. The Plintes possessed less cleverness, but
greater physical talent. Destroying the Plintes first would drive fear into the
other species.

Nord signaled Natal that they
should return to headquarters. “For now, we’ll trust Gornith to hunt the marked
ones. We have other concerns to discuss.”

Natal nodded in understanding and
called for an air transport to carry them back.

Tip ran along the forest edge
heading south, along with the flow of the river; Eros and Prizene trailed
behind him, following his path. He maintained a safe distance, ensuring the
others never veered into the open grassland that dangerously hid the edge of
the cliff. The sounds of rushing water filtered up from the river below. Occasionally
he stopped to peer over the side for a glimpse of Kenrya and Azetan, but with
the Graeliths not far behind them, he minimized these delays, his speed
allowing him to stay ahead of the others. Growing up in the fields of Kentish,
he spent many a day making trips to and from the fields with heavy packs loaded
on his back. He and his brothers often raced with each other, which conditioned
him to move quickly while carrying heavy loads. Perfect for their current
situation.

The grasslands turned toward the
right ahead. As Tip rounded a group of trees with thick bushes, he was dismayed
to discover a rock wall blocking their path. His heart pounded and his hands
began to sweat in frustration. Frantically he scanned the area before realizing
the only option was a rope bridge that stretched across the river’s chasm.

Eros arrived, followed shortly by
Prizene, and examined the rope bridge. He held the side ropes and put weight
tentatively onto the main rope, testing its strength. “The bridge looks sturdy
enough,” he concluded, “and we need to cross the river at some point.”

Tip marveled at Eros’s ability to
stay calm and in control. He wished
he
felt in control, but he couldn’t
stop his hands from shaking. He tried to temper the tremor in his voice when he
expressed his main concern, “But is it strong enough to hold one of us plus the
weight of the packs?” If not, what could they do? Maybe he could rig something
to help. Tip studied the nearby trees and those across the chasm. “Maybe we can
string the rope and pass the packs across to limit the weight.”

“Can you rig it quickly?”

“I think so,” Tip said, nodding. After
all, how difficult could it be to anchor the rope on either side?

“Graeliths run slower, but they’ll
find us soon enough.”

Tip swallowed hard as he nodded to
Eros. No one had to tell him twice. The butterflies in his stomach were doing
an excellent job of reminding him.

“I’ll see if I can gauge how close
they are,” Prizene said, and circled back to check the Graeliths’ progress.

Tip removed his pack and grabbed
the coil of rope. He searched the trees for one with a sturdy limb higher than
one on the other side of the bridge. Focusing on his task calmed him a little. Finally
settling on a good option, he quickly scaled the tree trunk and secured the end
of the rope. After scrambling back down, he placed the rest of the coil of rope
over his head and arm, wearing it like a sash across his body.

Tip called to Eros, “I’ll go first
and secure the rope on the other side. You fasten the pack straps and push the
packs across.” He hurried to the nearest end of the rope bridge and closed his
eyes for a moment, taking two deep breaths. When he opened his eyes, he still
saw the one, thick strand of rope on which he would walk, plus the other two
lengths serving as handrails with smaller rope intertwined in between. Crossing
would not require exceptional balance; the real danger was that too much stress
might break the rope. Of course, their only other option was facing the
Graeliths and abandoning Kenrya and Azetan. Tip nervously glanced back in the
direction they had traveled where the Graeliths would be, then placed his hands
on the rope. It seemed far less scary than mere moments before. He stepped onto
the rope, then placing one foot in front of the other, crossed the bridge,
playing out the rope as he went. Once safely on the other side, he smiled back
at Eros. Not as bad as he anticipated. Tip secured the end of the rope to a
lower limb on the other side, laying the remaining coils on the ground. He
pulled on the rope to test its strength, then gestured to Eros, who fastened
Tip’s pack to the rope and pushed it with all his might. The pack traveled
halfway across and stopped.

Prizene returned and reported, “I
can see some Graeliths running this direction. They’re making stops to peer
into the river, which is slowing them down, but it’s just a matter of time
before they reach us. We have at least a little time, though.” Then she spied
the pack and groaned. “Oh no! The momentum is not enough.”

Tip shook the rope, trying to move
the pack farther across. The pack shifted a few inches, but not enough for Tip
to reach it. They needed another plan.

Prizene took a deep breath and
said, “I’ll get it.” She dropped her pack and Azetan’s swords, took a deep
breath, and ventured out onto the rope bridge. Tip admired her courage. She
stopped halfway across and gave the pack a strong push. With Eros and Tip
shifting the rope, the push was enough for the pack to reach the other side
where Tip retrieved it.

“Good work!” Tip cheered, and
Prizene beamed with pleasure.

Eros removed Azetan’s pack from his
back, looped the swords and belt through the handles, and fastened it to the rope.
Using the same process, they worked the second pack across much faster this
time. When Prizene’s pack was fastened, Eros told her to go ahead across with
it and he would push his own across.

Now with Prizene safely on the
other side, Eros fastened his own pack to the rope and pushed it halfway. Then
he followed the others across the bridge. Just as he arrived at the midpoint,
three Graeliths rounded the group of trees and slowed when they saw the scene
in front of them.

“Hurry!” Prizene yelled.

The lead Graelith yelled a mighty
roar and drew his sword as he charged toward the bridge. Eros barely hesitated.
He gave his pack a mighty shove and Tip retrieved it on the other side. Then
Eros picked up speed, working his way across.

Tip watched the lead Graelith
tentatively put a foot on the bridge. Then the Graeliths began shaking it
wildly. Tip sucked in a breath, watching as Eros gripped the handrails tightly
to keep his balance. Grabbing the ropes on his side, Tip pulled them tight to
lessen the Graeliths’ impact. The Graeliths apparently grew tired of this
approach and one of them was chosen to follow Eros.

“Give me your hand!” Tip shouted to
Eros, but he was still too far away.

The Graelith, much heavier than
Eros, added too much weight and the ropes on the Graelith’s side started
snapping loose. Eros edged another foot closer to Tip. The rope snapped loudly.
Tip lunged toward Eros, almost falling over the side, but Eros was still out of
reach. Eros grabbed the bridge, bracing himself for a fall. The other end
ripped loose and he swung toward the rock wall. He hit the wall with his left
side, but maintained his grip.

Tip looked down, surprised to see
the Graelith had also managed to keep his hold on the rope. The Graelith
snarled.

“He’s still there!” Tip yelled.

This prodded Eros to quickly
untwist his hands and continue climbing. The Graelith did the same.

One of the Graeliths on the other
side targeted Eros with a knife. Tip shouted a warning, “Look out!”

Eros glanced behind him just as the
larger Graelith threw the knife. He lurched to the side and the knife missed
him, but cut through a section of the rope.

“Give me your hand!” Tip yelled. Eros
pushed himself up, finally reaching Tip’s hand and Tip pulled him onto solid
ground.

“Move!” Prizene commanded. Tip
found her charging at them with a drawn sword. He pushed Eros back from the
edge, as Prizene took a mighty swing toward the remaining pieces of rope
anchoring the bridge. With two powerful swings, she severed the remaining rope.
The bridge and the Graelith plummeted into the rushing water below.

The large Graelith on the other
side let out another loud roar, as more Graeliths rounded the group of trees.

“Head for the cover of the forest!”
Eros shouted. He grabbed his and Azetan’s packs and darted toward the trees.

Prizene grabbed her pack and
followed him. Tip threw his pack on his back. He glanced at the rope and bit
his lip. They might need it. Not to mention the fact that the Graeliths might
use it to cross. He started loosening the rope from the tree.

“What are you doing?” Eros called
back.

“We might need this!” Tip yelled,
as a knife whistled past his ear and into a tree. He couldn’t waste time with
the knot. He pulled out his gun and shifted the control. He fired, severing the
portion of rope stretched across the river, cutting off the Graeliths. Then he
shot the knot near him. The rope came loose from the tree and, as he bent down
to grab the remaining coils with his other hand, another knife hit the tree
above him. He turned back to the Graeliths to find several with knives aimed
directly at him. Luckily, bows were not common in Zolei or they would have
pierced him already. He smirked slyly, their knives against his gun. He raised
the gun toward them and fired, hitting the edge of the cliff on which they
stood. The rock crumbled and two of the Graeliths fell to the water below.
I
wonder if they can swim.
He shrugged, then jogged into the forest after the
others, leaving the enraged Graeliths to find another way across.