Discovery at Nerwolix (31 page)

“Sure you don’t want to wait for the
Zingfinolds?”

“Where are they? Everyone else already made
it back to the city and I alerted Sampson of the Vermix arrival
before
Jace even fired his gun. I’m not waiting on them any
longer.”

“Alright,” he nods, scanning the Dofinike
nest. “Where’re you going to hit?”

“Uh…” I search, trying to find the best
position. I decide on a little ways over, not quite to the middle
of the pit, but between Jace and the middle. I point. “Right there.
I’m going to get as many as I can for as long as I can and then I’m
going to book it.”

“And go where?”

“Back to the city.”

“Can you get there by yourself?”

I roll my eyes. “Just focus on getting to
Jace. You two worry about yourselves. I’ll be alright.”

“Fallon,” he tugs on my elbow. “I can’t
leave you by yourself. Let’s pick a meet-up point.”

“What if I’m being chased? I may not be able
to make it.”

Booker looks around, spotting something in
the distance. “See that tree? The one with the curved trunk and
that slanted branch? If you can, get there. I’ll wait with Jace at
the bottom and we’ll all head back to the city together.”

“Booker…”

“I can’t tell Boss the last thing I saw was
you racing off with a trail of Vermix behind you.”

“Okay,” I agree. “I’ll do my best. But if it
takes too long or they’re coming after you, don’t wait for me. Just
go.”

Booker nods and I offer a small smile.

“What does Jace say? You guys are Rogues,
right?” I wink, reaching for a Yulu. “It’ll be pie.”

A grin tugs at the corner of his mouth but
I’m already swinging myself to another branch, making for my new
destination. I fly from branch to branch and position myself where
I need to be—right by the chaos I’m about to cause. I glance over
and find Booker still sitting in the same tree, watching me.

We can do this.

I survey the area behind me, finding my
escape route—the branches that I’ll need to use when I have to
flee. Once I have my plan, I locate the meet-up tree. Okay. I’ll
try my hardest. My
very
hardest. But if I can’t get back, at
least Booker and Jace won’t wait too long for me. Finding the
blonde Rogue once more, I pull out my Traxpire.

I aim on the tight mix of Vermix surrounding
him. Inhaling deeply, I focus on the first Dofinike. This is it. My
heart thumps hard as I count down.

Three…two…one.

I pull the trigger.

I turn to the next Vermix, pull the trigger.
The next Vermix, pull the trigger. They’ve started scrambling but I
keep going, keep selecting a target and dropping it. The movement
is felt on both sides as the Vermix come rushing off the shore and
into the forest again. But I hold my ground. Everything inside me
is screaming that I flee, that I take off and head straight for the
city, or far enough to lead them away so Booker can go and get
Jace. I keep going. Another shot. Another shot. Another shot. I may
have only hit about six or seven but I can’t stop now. Even with
them all rushing forward, I have to keep going. I have to give
Booker a long enough opportunity. It’s now or never and I won’t let
Jace be taken from us that easily.

I pull the trigger again and again and
again, aware the Vermix have flooded back into the forest,
surrounding my tree. They’ve started climbing it, but I keep
shooting. I have to hold out as long as possible. Hitting the horde
racing up my trunk, I’m firing on automatic now, locating that
small patch on the crown of their head or right between the eyes
and I shoot. Again and again and again. No stopping. My heart is
thundering but my hands are steady. Have I given Booker enough
time? Does he have enough of a distraction to get in there and use
the Brulily? My tree and each one surrounding are being
swarmed.

They’re cutting off my exit points.

Shit.

It’s time to go.

With a final few shots at the rapidly
ascending Vermix, I switch my Traxpire to my left hand and reach
for one of the Yulus, swinging myself to the tree behind it. This
one, like all the ones nearby, are covered in Vermix. I can’t even
see their trunks. The Dofinikes are racing up to cut off my exit
and I won’t have any place to go—I won’t have anywhere to lead
them.

Double shit.

I just have to keep going. Keep swinging
from tree to tree to tree, moving faster than they can climb, which
seems impossible because by the time I’ve reached a new branch,
they’re moving higher up the trunk. Just keep going. Keep swinging.
Don’t even look back. Just keep—

I’m cut off. They’re all around me, already
at the next branch, already leaping toward my tree. I switch my
Traxpire back to my right hand and fire, blowing one back. I turn
and shoot again, hitting the next assailant and then the next. I’m
suffocated, surrounded by the Vermix around me and the ones racing
up my trunk. Shit. What do I do now? They’ll overwhelm me any
second. Another Vermix comes flying toward me, quickly followed by
two more and I focus on them. Three shots and they’re down. But
then another five take off in a thunderous leap and I’m frozen.

This may be it.

The five never reach me.

They plummet straight to the forest floor,
but I didn’t shoot them. Maybe they miscalculated their jump? Still
gripping my Traxpire, I search for the next set of Vermix but
before I’m able to focus on them long enough to aim, they fall just
like the first five.

What?

There is something else is in the trees with
me. The surrounding Vermix feel it too, all searching for it—the
silent movement that ripples through the Yulus. And one by one,
snarls of pain and surprise rip through them, Dofinikes falling
from the trees as if pushed or unbalanced. They start moving,
fighting back, but it’s useless. All around me, stiff Vermix fall
to the ground, others racing past to take their places.

Something whizzes by, striking a Vermix in
his neck. It’s a jagged edged dart and he’s right behind me,
standing on my branch. He stumbles back, knocking into another
Vermix and they both go tumbling off the tree. But a third Dofinike
climbs up, and using my Traxpire, I shoot him between the eyes. I
brace myself for the next one, consistently turning about,
searching. But they’re not here. Nothing is happening. With a peek
over my branch, I scan my tree, searching for the ascending Vermix,
but it’s a hive of movement below. The Dofinikes leap from trunk to
trunk, all silently pursued by the invisible assailants rushing
through the thick lime Yulus. Darts fly everywhere and Vermix fall
mid-flight, hitting the forest ground in thunderous booms.

The Zingfinolds have arrived!

Checking my escape route, I find I’m cleared
to head back to the city. But with the new help, I might be able to
join up with Booker and Jace at the meeting point. It’s only been a
few minutes. They could still be waiting for me there—if I gave
Booker enough time to get Jace. With a quick map of the branches
I’d need, I take off.

I swing from tree to tree to tree until
finally arriving at the one Booker had indicated as the meet-up
point. I let out a breath and pause. The Vermix aren’t over here.
They’re distracted with the Zingfinolds moving to the center of the
forest. This is good. The boys should be here. Scanning the base, I
search for the two Rogues, but through the lime green shield, it’s
hard to find them. Stroking the Yulu, it slowly lowers me down and
that’s when I spot them—Booker’s black hair and Jace’s bright
blonde.

I keep stroking the leaf and once close
enough, I let go and jump to the ground next to them. Both
jump.

“Just me,” I whisper, crouching beside the
Rogues. “How did it go?”

“Took out five with the Brulily and the rest
were so distracted with you, I just grabbed him and ran.”

“And you,” I look to Jace. He’s bleeding
from his nose and three talon marks are ripped down his left
shoulder, right through his shirt. We’ll need to get some Vilbrees
on that when we get back to the city. “Are you okay?”

“I am now,” he grips his Traxpire.

“What’s happening?” Booker looks up to the
trees. “Are they still chasing you?”

I shake my head. “Zingfinolds.”

Fallon
, Sampson’s voice beams like a
light in my head.
Fallon, can you hear me?

I close my eyes, concentrating.
Yes,
Sampson. I can hear you. The Zingfinolds have just arrived.

Good. Do not come back to the city.

What? Why?

“She’s talking to Sampson,” I hear Booker
tell Jace.

Reuzkimpart is moving his forces here and to
the Hylas Mountains.

But I see his troops. They’re all still
here—at the beach.

He’s brought more in—much, much more. Do not
come back to the city. It is no longer safe.

“What’s Sampson saying?” Jace asks, passing
Booker to sit next to me. “Are they sending more Zingfinolds?”

I shake my head, holding up a finger for
quiet.

Well what do we do?

For now, stay put. Use the assistance of
the Zingfinolds to shield you. I’ll keep in contact as much as
possible but I have to assist Hozfin here. We are holding our own
but… Reuzkimpart launched a
massive
attack. He wasn’t taking
any chances.

Okay
, I nod, even though he can’t see
me.

Are you still with Booker?

And Jace. We’re hiding out.

Good, stay there
, a moment passes
before his voice starts again.
Can you tell me—are you on the
right side of the shore or the left?

The left, I think
.
Opposite of
where I was this morning.

Okay…
Sampson pauses for another
moment.
Reid is coming for you. Stay where you are and I’ll try
to give you updates as I can. Please do the same with me.

Okay.

When Sampson’s voice stops, I let out a
deep, exhausted exhale. This can’t be happening. How did this go so
sour so quickly? Or maybe we knew. With Hozfin not wanting to
prepare and Reuzkimpart not wanting to fail, it was pretty
inevitable it would unfold this way.

“We can’t go back to the city,” I lean my
head against the trunk. “Reuzkimpart sent even more there.”

“Shit,” Jace shakes his head, Booker quickly
following. “Then what do we do now? What did Sampson say?”

“That we should stay where we are.”

“For how long?”

I shrug. “But we probably shouldn’t move too
much. He said Reid’s coming for us.”

Booker glances at the bleeding Commander
beside him. “But they know Jace left. They’ll go looking for
him.”

This is true. We’re not completely
invisible. I fired at the Vermix with Traxpires and they know the
Zingfinolds don’t use their weapon. They must know there’s another
threat out here. What can we do?

“What do we have in terms of weapons?” I
scan their hands and what’s buckled to their sides. With a quick
count, I nod. “Okay, four Traxpires. Two Brulilies, one knife and
one whip. This isn’t bad between the three of us. We just have to
stay hidden and silent.”

“And just stay here?” Jace asks, glancing
over his shoulder. “They’re a hundred feet behind us and all
around,” he looks up, still watching the Vermix leap from tree to
tree, some falling while darts whiz through the air. He shakes his
head. “We have to get someplace safe.”

“There
is
no where safe. We just need
to—”

A shadow falls over us and just as we all
reach for our Traxpires, a large Zingfinold shakes his head, arms
crossed and his face impassive.

“Humans…” he bellows deep, “you no safe
here.”

“Warze?” I gasp.

“Other humans at city. Why you here?”

“We couldn’t get away,” I struggle to my
feet. “They were chasing us… and they caught Jace,” I gesture to
him. “Sampson—the Fychu said they’re attacking Zinnollo, that we
shouldn’t go back.”

Warze nods. “City under attack. Is no safe
now.”

“Then what do we do? Where do we go?”

Warze whips around, clutching the neck of a
Vermix and with very little effort, snaps it. The Dofinike’s head
falls limp and Warze tosses him to the ground. With a growl, he
turns back to us. “Stay with me.”

Booker and I help Jace to his feet and
swiftly, we follow Warze through the trees. He moves with speed,
running on instinct, pummeling through Vermix who don’t even see
him. The Zingfinold doesn’t stop, but runs right past them, either
slicing their lower stomach or slashing their necks with a
near-invisible blade he’s clutching. Some, he merely grips and
snaps their heads to the side. We rush past them, over the trail of
dead Vermix, following as the Zingfinold moves with ease. Finally,
we reach a tree and without pausing, Warze races right up, gripping
the knotted bark in his thick fingers. Booker, Jace and I watch,
looking for a low-hanging Yulu we can use. There are only a
few—most clinging high up, shielding the top part of the tree.

“Can you get Jace?” I look to Booker.

He nods and wrapping his hand around the
Commander’s waist, the two Rogues take off after Warze. Selecting
my own leaf, I do the same, soaring up the tree and stopping when I
find the Zingfinold crouching on a wide, shelf-like branch. We’re
up high, between the middle and top of the Eckle.

Booker places Jace against the trunk first
and then takes a seat next to him. I keep close, tucking my legs to
my chest and wrapping my arms around them. Lowering my forehead to
my knees, I pant out my exhaustion. Warze crouches by the edge.

So much has happened—so much that I can’t
even remember it all. There have been too many close calls, and
those are the ones that I know about. I wish I could’ve been at the
city. To see what happened; to see how everybody is. We’ve been
resting here on this branch for about ten minutes when I look up. I
can’t take it anymore.