Van Laven Chronicles (10 page)

CHAPTER 18

“Vaush, wake up!” came the fierce whisper and the not so gentle nudge.

“What?” she said groggily as she opened her eyes. Her body ached all over and it was still dark out. “It can’t be time to go, the sun’s not even up yet.”

“Someone was here.”

She shot up, bumping into Comron. “Another assassin? Striker’s stars, how many did they send for you?”

He cut her a look. “If it were an assassin, we’d all be dead right now.” He roused Wensel from his sleep.

“Who else could it be?”

“I don’t know,” Comron replied, hastily stuffing her belongings back into her satchel. “But we need to be on our way.”

“Huh,” Wensel said, rubbing his eyes. “What’s happening?”

“Comron thinks he saw someone,” Vaush explained. “Maybe it was another survivor.”

“Then why would they run?” Comron replied.

“Did you say something snarky to them?” Vaush said, pulling on her boots.

He shook his head. “I didn’t have time to say a word. I sensed their presence. When I woke up, I only saw them slip away.”

Vaush frowned. “Maybe it was a native.”

“No, too tall and they wore hooded cloaks.” He slung his satchel onto his back and strapped the rifle onto his arm. “I don’t know what the hell it was. But you two have five minutes and then I’m leaving.”

“I’ll be done in four,” Vaush said hopping to her feet.

She quickly performed her morning rituals, not venturing too far for fear of running into whatever it was Comron saw. It obviously had him rattled.

When she approached them, Comron handed her his sidearm.

“Seriously?” Vaush said.

“I don’t know what’s out there,” Comron replied sternly. “If you see anything move, shoot first and we’ll sort it out later.” He leaned in, showing her how to remove the safety. “You know how to use one of these, don’t you?”

“Sure, finger to this lever thingy, right?”

He turned to Wensel. “What about you? Are you a good shot?”

“I’m just teasing,” Vaush interjected. “I can handle one of these just fine.”

Comron gave her a steely look then turned away. “Come on. We make the coast today or die trying.”

By late afternoon, Vaush was ready to drop from exhaustion, her legs burned with fatigue. She’d run out of water long ago, but not once had she asked for a break. Even that wasn’t good enough for the indomitable Prince of Nethic who remained sullen and moody.

But how could she blame him? Being five days cut off from civilization in this backwoods world was enough to make anyone testy and highly anxious to be rescued.

Just when she thought that their circumstances couldn’t get any worse, a fat raindrop splattered on top her head, followed by another and another.

“Perfect,” she muttered.
Spira gets to have him in some luxurious romantic spot, while I get him in this rat hole…in the middle of monsoon season.

But Comron doesn’t love Spira, it’s all a show! Did that revelation give her permission to feel for him, to stop the mental battle raging within? She couldn’t remember ever feeling so powerfully drawn to a person. It made her sick to her stomach to know that she’d never see him again, not in this capacity. Somehow, she’d come to care deeply for the man and even felt heartbroken that he was being forced to marry a woman he clearly despised.

Nonetheless, she reprimanded herself.
It’s his duty to marry Spira and I have no right to feel anything but gratitude toward him.

Comron had stopped up ahead and was waiting for them to join him. “We’re rapidly losing daylight,” he said staring at the thick, purple clouds. “If we pick up our speed, we can still reach the coast.”

The heavy raindrops were falling harder and faster. Wensel pulled alongside Vaush and ducked his head down under his coat. Vaush shielded her eyes and looked at the sky. “You’re asking us to pick up speed in this?”

Comron turned a cold eye on her. “Listen, I am sick and tired of this place. I intend to do everything in my power to reach the shore today, with or without you two.” Having his say, he took off into the downpour.

Stung by his words and curt manner, Vaush didn’t move. Wensel touched her arm. “He’s the necessary evil that’s going to get us to the shore. Don’t let him get to you, dear,” he said with a fatherly smile. “Come on, we can’t lose him.”

It was all they could do to keep from stumbling through the underbrush or to avoid running into low hanging branches. Within minutes, the drops had turned into an unrelenting sheet of rain. Vaush could barely see Comron a few meters ahead of her.

“Hurry!” Comron called out.

Vaush quickened her pace, fearing they would lose sight of him altogether. The wind picked up, driving the rain hard into their faces. Without warning, Comron came to a dead stop, causing her to run into him.

“Look,” he yelled over the pouring rain and pointed downward through the branches before them. “The rain washed out our path.”

They were bordered on one side by the stream and on the other by dense forest. She turned her back to the rain and faced Comron.

“Now what?” No sooner had she spoken the words before the ground gave way beneath their feet. She reached for Comron and he latched onto her arms but her momentum carried them both down into the gulf along with Wensel.

Vaush screamed as they slid and tumbled downward in a thick mix of mud and foliage. They landed with a splash in the river below.

Comron popped up out of the water that rose chest high. He waded toward Vaush and Wensel.

“Are you hurt?” Comron inquired with genuine concern.

“I’m fine,” she said though a little shaken.

“Me too,” Wensel added.

Comron glanced at their supplies floating downstream. He made after it, allowing the current to sweep him along. The strap hitched onto a stump sticking out of the water and Comron easily retrieved it.

Letting the current carry her, Vaush drifted toward him, but then stopped when she saw something behind the prince making its way toward him in a serpentine fashion.

“Comron, behind you!”

He wheeled around just in time to see a huge reptilian creature swimming rapidly toward him. Its heavily armored skin and spikes were clearly visible. A crogodan. It had to be at least five meters long.

Comron leapt out of the way, scrambling up onto a large boulder to his left.

He turned to Vaush. “Get out of the water! There’re bound to be more of them.”

Wensel wasted no time making his way to the bank but Vaush remained in place. The crogodan temporarily lost sight of Comron. It circled the boulder in confusion, until its keen sense of smell detected him. With blinding speed, it lurched up out of the water, hurling huge snapping jaws at Comron. Instinctively Comron jumped backward barely escaping the powerful jaws. But the boulder only stood half a meter out of the water. It would be seconds before the crogodan heaved its bulk up onto the boulder.

Again, the crogodan struck dangerously close. Comron retrieved the rifle and aimed.

Still waist deep in the river, Vaush took a step back but hesitated as she watched the crogodan continue to circle the boulder. Comron opened fire and Vaush jumped as the shots rang out, three in all, but the crogodan maintained its relentless pursuit.

It heaved itself up onto the boulder with Comron, knocking him backward into the water.

“Comron!” She raised her blast gun and charged ahead splashing loudly in the water, yelling to get the crogodan’s attention. It took no note of her as it closed in on him, cornering him against the boulders. Its large snout rose up at Comron as he remained trapped.

“No!” Vaush screamed. She unloaded two shots at the crogodan, snapping one of its spikes.

The crogodan whipped its large head around, but her relief was short-lived when it dove back into the water and gunned for her. Panic-stricken, she tried running for the riverbank but was impeded by the strong current working against her. Its power virtually held her immobile as the crogodan bore down on her.

“Vaush, run!” Comron shouted from behind as he continued firing on the crogodan.

Vaush turned and the crogodan opened its jaws wide, revealing blunted teeth intent on bearing down on her. She twisted away just as she fired into the beast’s mouth. The projectile struck but did nothing to slow the attack. It lurched at her in a flash and Vaush screamed as the powerful jaws clamped down around her waist and dragged her under for the death roll.

Her world spun out of control. As the water bubbled around her, her lungs burned and she pounded futilely on the crogodan’s snout. Another body moved next to her, a moment later three muffled shots sounded. Instantly, the crogodan released its death grip. Strong arms wrapped around her, dragged her from the water and up onto the riverbank.

Coughing up water and gasping for air, she leaned against Comron. He supported her and brushed the hair back from her face.

“Vaush,” Comron said anxiously as he stared at her. “Let me look at you. Are you all right?”

Trembling, she let him examine her torso. The crogodan’s teeth were more designed for grabbing and holding, rather than tearing and severing. Other than bruises and scratches, no serious damage had been done. She glanced back at the water, now red near the floating crogodan carcass. Comron must have shoved the barrel of the rifle down the beast’s throat and fired the shots. She rested against him, afraid her legs would give out.

“That was very courageous of you,” Wensel said guiltily. “Surely, Zelo had you under his wing.”

“Shut up!”
Comron shouted and turned to Vaush. “What in the blazes were you thinking doing such a foolish thing?” His voice was angry with concern. “You could’ve been killed!”

She felt his heart pounding as madly as hers. “I don’t know. I didn’t think.” She lifted her eyes to his. “I just…I couldn’t let it hurt you,” she said softly.

Comron’s brow furrowed as he stared intently at her. She felt the deep emotion shared by two people who’d proven themselves willing to sacrifice their self for the other. But then he glanced at Wensel and the moment fled.

“Ignore my orders again, and you’re on your own,” Comron said in a harsh tone, but darted his eyes at Wensel.

Vaush saw it but was growing impatient with Comron’s need to maintain this fiction. If they simply explained the situation to Wensel, she was certain he’d understand and keep the matter to himself.

They all turned at the rustling in the brush. Vaush stepped back and something crunched beneath her boot.

“Egg shells?” Wensel said. The ground was covered with them and several mounds of dirt with hollowed out tops.

“Mother’s bitch!” Comron said. “We’re in their damned nesting grounds.”

The baby crogodans emerged from hiding, hissing and wailing to alert the adults to the intruders. Behind them, water splashed and they turned to see three more large crogodans rapidly making their way up the bank toward them.

Comron clutched Vaush’s hand and ordered Wensel, “Run!” Vaush was nearly yanked off her feet when Comron dashed ahead with her in tow. Blindly they dashed through the forest in the wind and rain. They knew full well that the crogodans were just as deadly on the ground as they were in the water, especially when their young were threatened. Vaush spared a quick glance over her shoulder, behind Wensel were five or six crogodans in hot pursuit, hungrily flicking their tongues.

Comron’s grip tightened around Vaush’s hand as he darted around a tree and leapt over a fallen log. Vaush struggled to keep up nearly tripping over it, but Comron pulled her up and kept them moving.

Wensel cried out in terror as the crogodans closed in on him. Only then Vaush realized she’d lost her blast gun in the river, not that it would have done much to stop a charging crogodan.

The ground ahead sloped upward impeding their progress, but thankfully it had the same effect on the crogodans. But they kept up their pursuit hissing and snarling at Wensel’s heels.

“Run, Wensel!” Vaush called out. The incline gradually increased to a slippery vertical wall, but with the crogodans at their backs they had no other choice but to climb it.

“They can't follow us there!” Comron said, lifting Vaush up onto the wall and guiding her hands to strong holds. He turned to Wensel as he began his climb. “Come on!”

Wensel leapt up onto the wall, his hands thrashed madly for a grip as he cried in terror. “Help me, please. Help me!”

“Climb, damn it!” Comron said as he looked down at him. “Keep going,” he ordered Vaush.

Vaush clung to the cliff side, carefully choosing her next move. But she inevitably looked down and saw Comron extending a hand to Wensel. Relieved she started up the cliff hopeful that they would all escape a horrible death.

“Wensel!” Comron yelled in panic.

Vaush turned in time to see Wensel fall into the midst of the hungry crogodans. His horrified screams rose up as the crogodan’s erupted into a vicious feeding frenzy, clamping down on limbs and ripping them from Wensel’s body. His cries stopped abruptly when one of the crogodan’s snapped his neck.