Clarity's Doom (Ancient Origins Book 1) (24 page)

“In movies, it always seems danger lurks around every corner,” Clarity said.

“It does here, but dinosaurs have a certain respect for me and my men. We hunt well.”

Doom was never without his spear. He had a new weapon hidden in a sheath at his rope belt. A knife, the blade steel, the handle bone. All the villagers wore one, including the children. All villagers were becoming skilled in hand-to-hand combat with Solace’s training. She proved a huge boon to their cause. For now, the swords remained hidden, their number growing in all homes.

“I think Menace is falling in love with Solace,” Clarity said.

Doom snorted. “Falling? He falls any harder and he’ll be his own sinkhole.”

“I loaned her a few coats for precaution.”

“Well damn not too many I hope.”

“No, not too many. I need a few for another reason I’ll tell you about later. It’s a good thing I bought a box before I fell down the rabbit hole.”

“You’re ready for anything, well at least your purse is. Now you have the other women making purses.”

“Mine comes in handy, but it’s easier to carry what I need in few smaller sacks at my hip. Out here you have to ready for anything.”

“Be ready to be amazed.”

As they slipped through the foliage, Clarity sucked in her breath to see massive long necked dinosaurs. They were high enough they could look down on them. Between their feet were smaller dinosaurs, all herbivores, quiet and calm. In her mind, she wondered if T-rex were still huge if he’d come crashing through the serenity and scatter everything. The blood would follow. This planet was growing on her. Few dinosaurs ventured near her when Doom was around.

“Your planet is dangerous but calmer than I would have imagined for a place filled with dinosaurs.”

“Years ago, it wasn’t as calm. The hybrids were out of control. Death was rampant. One human changed their thought process.” Doom slipped his hand into hers. “I can see how that’s possible.”

On tiptoes, she kissed him. Her arms snaked up around his neck as the kiss deepened. A slight movement to her right and she jumped back howling. A massive cave hyena was watching them. Doom gripped his spear and took aim. A flurry of activity was in their wake in seconds. Kiki was in front of him with her arms held splayed.

“No, wait, Bongo is my friend. His mother was dead and I picked him up and refused to part with him. Nick would only let me keep him a year in our cave. Besides he grew too big.” Kiki raced to ruff up the cave hyena’s mane and place herself between man and beast.

Doom shook his head then cocked it sideways. “Are all children full of this many surprises?”

Clarity chuckled. “More.”

“There is no way that beast is coming into my village.”

Kiki smiled. “He doesn’t need to. He just wants to check on me from time to time. He’ll stay away from the village. He wouldn’t like Muffin.”

Doom was grumbling. “Muffin, Bubble-gum, and Bongo. Do you females ever pick decent names?”

The hyena ambled away after a few more pats and scratches. Clarity wondered how often Kiki followed them.

“Are they still kissen?” A voice called. Kiki groaned.

“Luke, I told you to be quiet.”

Luke came lumbering out of the foliage with his hands stuck in the pockets of his tanned pants. Rex followed. The dinosaur gave the boy’s hair a playful chomp until he was pushed away.

“I ain’t no snack,” Luke grouched.

“Where are the other children?” Clarity asked.

“Blue and Cole like Solace, she plays cool games, for babies,” Luke said. “Nina is crazy, every time Menace says anything she giggles and sighs. Oh, Menace, that’s wonderful; you’re so smart.” He tittered rolling his eyes.

Clarity hid a laugh behind her hand. “The others?”

“Em’s hanging out with the kid named Flight,” Kiki said, she seemed sad.

“What is it honey?” Clarity asked.

“Em’s afraid to talk to the other kids, the other human kids that aren’t our human. She made friends with a boy last year; he was ten. He was killed. She refuses to like the others, afraid they’ll die, too.”

“They always do,” Luke said and again rolled his eyes. “They don’t have the good sense to run when they need to. I always tell them find your damned feet.”

“Luke.”

“Well, it’s what Nick says.”

“All right, back we go to the village,” Doom said while Luke protested. “Back, let’s go.”

“Geez. You gonna kiss her again?”

“Luke,” Kiki yelled again.

“None of your business, and stop following us,” Doom said.

“Kissy kissy,” Luke said swaggering. Doom swatted his ass.

****

The first snowfall was met with delight and dread. Within the safety of the village, the children could play when not making weapons. It was common to see Muffin and Bubble-gum roughhousing, and it was also plain to see in the coming months a new mixture including dog would be born. Doom showed no anxiety, he was happy to let the bulwark have her pups. They would be kept safe in the area made for the new children who slept together with Muffin, the dog, a T-rex, and occasionally one huge hyena.

Damned hyena.

It was impossible for him to tell Kiki no. Doom never before allowed himself to get too close to children, but Kiki and Luke were starved for attention. He decided, until the hybrids were defeated, the children would keep their names and be given to no one. They had taken care of each other for a long time. Things would stay the same unless the children gravitated to a certain couple. All couples had their eyes on the twins. Since the boys adored Solace, Menace kept the others away.

The time of the big sleep was still a ways away. Doom spent every waking hour with a sword until Clarity dragged him outside. The snow was only ankle high. Doom was shirtless. The cold wouldn’t affect him until the season deepened. He didn’t like wearing shirts regardless. A wad of snow hit him in the belly. Clarity stood laughing. She wore fur from head to toe.

Doom gazed down at his bellybutton full of snow. “You realize this means war.” His eyebrow lifted.

He was hit in the chest from another direction.

Doom, quick as lightning, scooped snow and began to throw in a mad frenzy. The children squealed, Bubble-gum spun and using his paws sent snow everywhere. Muffin followed suit until Rex was buried to his chin. The dinosaur groaned and shook his head in annoyance. The twenty humans who had been found joined the fun, and the village became a mass of flurried action.

Clarity flopped onto her back to make a snow angel. When she was done, she pulled Doom over to look.

“We call these snow angels.”

“What’s an angel?” Doom asked.

“What’s an angel?” Luke yelled in mock outrage. “Geez Louise.” He flopped back and made his own while Clarity chuckled.

“Earth humans say there are angels who watch over us,” Clarity said.

“I never heard of such a thing,” Heath said.

“Do you have religion on your planet?” Clarity asked.

“I don’t know what the word religion means,” Heath said. Other humans nodded in agreement.

“That actually explains a lot,” Clarity said.

Doom had no idea what she meant, and the others looked as confused. The humans from the other Earth were sweet and calm. It was hard teaching them to fight. Doom knew Clarity grew frustrated with them. Only Solace understood the drive behind Clarity. Doom could see the differences between Clarity and the other humans he’d known. He and Menace spoke often of the determination in the two females.

The villagers took to fighting like fish to water when they began to understand there was hope in their actions. As he gazed at his people playing with the humans and animals, his own hope surged. Doom was going to win his life back.

****

“Try and stay out of trouble,” Doom said as his thumb caressed Clarity’s cheek.

The room for hibernation was prepared. Menace was kissing Solace. For six weeks Doom’s people would sleep. The humans were left to take care of everything. Clarity admitted she was excited.

“Everything will be fine,” Clarity promised.

“Don’t let that damned dinosaur eat everything,” Edge said snarling.

Clarity laughed when Rex took off with a string of sausage in his mouth, Bubble-gum trailing fast on his heels. The bulwarks were already settled in their own sleeping chamber. The hyena was nowhere to be found.

“We’ll make sure everything is ready,” Clarity said.

“I won’t lock the door from the inside,” Doom said.

“You can,” Clarity said.

“I want you to sleep with me at night, please?”

Clarity rose on tiptoe to kiss his lips. “That’s going to kill me.”

“Just make sure you have about a dozen coats when I wake up.”

“They’re all gone, at least they will be. I need the ones I have for our secret attack. I split some of them with Solace, too. Seems like Menace is as sexy as you.”

“To her I hope, not you.”

“I’m kinda crazy about you.”

Doom smiled. The villagers gathered in the room where massive amounts of furs were strewn. An intense heat from dozens of rocks warmed the room. There was little in the way of ventilation except enough air to keep them alive. Clarity would need to open the vents further if she were to stay in here at night. It wouldn’t matter, the vent could be almost sealed when she left, and she could touch the rocks to heat them.

Clarity sat near Doom as he burrowed under furs. He wore his own furs now that the weather had changed. She was surprised how cold it got. They were safe underground, but above ground was a winter wonderland. They were snowed in.

As everyone settled, the humans left. Doom reached to hug Clarity one last time. He yawned, lay back and stopped moving. He could be woken in an emergency he informed her, but he would be groggy and not very responsive. Clarity kissed his forehead and tucked the covers high under his chin. She rose, gazed at the others and left, sliding the door closed behind her. It was time to get moving.

Clarity gathered everyone into the main hall and stood on a table. She held snowshoes in her hand.

“I’ve had you all make a pair of these for a reason. These are snowshoes. They strap onto your feet so we can walk on top of the snow out there. We’re not as trapped as Doom thinks we are. We have a lot to do.”

“Woot,” Luke yelled.

“Luke, you and the other younger children need to stay here and help guard the home front.”

“Aw, man.”

Flight jumped off his chair, arms outstretched and every so often pretended to be firing a machine gun. Soon Luke, Em, and the twins were returning fire. Nina flopped onto a fur, clutching at her chest.

“You got me.” Nina in her drama queen fashion twitched and kicked her legs, once, twice, and lay with her tongue lolling out.

“Well aren’t
your
Earth kids a wee strange,” Heath drawled.

Clarity grinned at him. “If you only knew.”

“I’d like to go with you,” Kiki said. “I can help.”

“Yes, of course you’ll be a huge help and bring your arrows and the knife Doom made you. Everyone, I want you armed to the teeth.”

“Uh, how in the blazes do you arm your teeth?” Heath said.

“Our Earth expression.” Solace leaned in and whispered. “It’s time we got badass.”

“Well, geez, Clarity already scares the crap outta me.”

“I think it’s safe to travel with the weapons we trained with. The hybrids should be sleeping, but we’re not sure what we’ll run into. If they’re awake, I want enough bombs to seal them in, and keep them sealed in, although I doubt they are awake,” Clarity said.

“If they aren’t asleep?” Heath asked.

“We’re going to have to crawl out of here; do you really think if they’re awake or haven’t migrated they’ll be wandering in all that snow? They may wear furs but they’re animals. I don’t think Neanderthals hibernated, but during winter when it was dark I bet they slept for hours.”

“She has a point,” Solace said.

“But what if some have humans in them. More geared to our kind?” Heath asked.

Clarity shoved a sword into his hands. “Let’s go find out.”

“You’re lucky you’re so cute, because you sure are bossy,” Heath said and winked at her.

“I also have my tasers and mace.”

Heath rocked on the balls of his feet in his high booties. “We better git then.”

The snow was so high they had to shovel their way out the door. The air was crisp and clear. Everything asleep as far as the eye could see. They stood for a moment admiring the white snow blanket where before almost everything was green. The trees were heavy with the weight, snow bowing the branches.

Heath whistled low in his throat as he gazed around; there was no one awake from the village to whack at him.

“It’s like Old Man Winter suddenly jumped on Mother Nature and she wouldn’t get busy, so he flies into a rage of frozen anger because he can’t get laid. Then spring will come in a few months, just like Mother Nature will finally let him come to make him mellow. That old bat keeps that man on his toes.”

On snowshoes, they trekked to the hybrid mountain wary of the sabretooth cats. Doom was positive only the animals left in the area were the ones that hibernated, but they carried a barrage of bombs and swords on sleighs that skimmed over the snow easily. The mountain was easy to get to with the foliage almost completely buried everywhere. Once inside the nearest sheltered cave, they removed their snowshoes and crept within the larger cavern.

A few sucked in their breaths when the first cave they stumbled in was the hybrid sleeping chamber.

“They’re all asleep. We should kill as many as we can.”

“These ones yes.” Clarity stood over a group of hybrids. All males, with young ones half their size in the mix. The young were all male as well. The furs under them left their nude bodies exposed. She paused for a moment noticing three who looked familiar. DaV-nin’s children. They were twice the size of what they were a few short months ago. Almost full grown.

“Do you think they’ll wake if they smell blood?” Solace asked.

“Maybe.” Clarity replied.

The idea gave her pause. Killing them now was a perfect opportunity, but when they woke everyone would have to be ready, even the other villages. Clarity exhaled loudly, her breath spiraled around her face. There had to be a better solution. There were also unexplored caves. They might risk being detected if this wasn’t the entire lot. She didn’t want to wage war this very moment.