The Excisionists: Book 1 Page 14

  Zuri stated the obvious. “If you can bend space, why can’t we travel from planet to planet like that? Why do we need a ship to get to Zerkola?”

  Everyone stared at me awaiting a response. “I wish it worked just like that. The problem is that I can only influence the matter on the planet I find myself on if I’m transporting more than one or two other players. My abilities don’t extend from planet to planet unless there’s a portal like Dobos or if I go with only one or two other people. I can get to any planet by myself, but I need a party to enter the Crypt on Zerkola.”

  “Can’t you just make a hole in the Crypt and get inside?”

  I shook my head. “No, the Crypt is built with Inconel in it’s walls. Unfortunately, one of the properties that makes Inconel so strong is dense electron lattices and that interferes with bending space. It’s not something I can move through.”

  She pressed her pink lips together. “Well that sucks. Guess I’ll have to figure out a way to get us in.”

  Jinx added her views. “It’s not the entry that’s hard. They need some trinkets and items like the cave spiders, but we’ll be allowed in without any other resistance. However, I’m not sure what we are required to do once we’re in the compound. That’s the part that will be difficult.”

  Wes was obviously growing tired of conversation. “I say we worry about that when we get there. For now, let’s get some upgrades and then get to the bones.”

  Jinx agreed. “Let’s go.”

  We headed into the vine covered wooden shack to see wooden shelves laden with wares of every kind. Most of the others got weapons upgrades, but I traded items for increased health and armor. I knew I was vulnerable to attack, so I focused on preventing this as much as I could for the time being. After everyone was satisfied with their purchases, we got back to the ship and crammed inside to get to Jalov. I took the ship with the rest of them, but mentally transported myself and waited on the desert planet to keep myself sane in such a small space.

  Chapter 7 – Wes

  I breathed in the heat of the planet and surveyed the group’s response to the terrain. My lizard body felt more alive when I was here instead of standing there soaking in the cold dampness of the other planets. Out of all of the planets, Jalov was the brightest. Both Jinx and Crispin were uncomfortable. Jinx writhed in the light and Crispin looked like he’d melt.

  I pointed a charcoal talon at each of them. “You two should stay on the ship. We can take care of this objective.”

  Neither hesitated to get back on the Leyv.

  Jalov was covered in umber colored sand. Plateau tops were lifted up in the pale sky by reddish-brown jagged cliffs. Only a single sapphire pool of water was on the surface of the planet which supported the few trees with deep brown fissured trunks and triangular orange brown leaves. Short spiky plants made of tough material grew in sparse clumps across the horizon. This was a difficult terrain to tread through for anyone other than a Wa’ada.

  I turned from the group to point to our destination. “We need to go past the village over there and get to that far plateau. There’s a narrow canyon we have to walk through and then climb to get to Bone Cave.”

  I heard Phineas snicker. “We don’t have to do any of that.” His legs drew a circle and I could see Bone Cave nearly within reaching distance.

  I smiled. “I forgot you can do that here. Well, let’s go.” I was the first one to enter the manifold and then walk into the elongated slit of a door in the reddish-brown rock wall.

  Everyone else followed quickly behind me. The dusty interior was lit by streams of sunlight that poured through the hand-blown glass tubes imbedded in the rock above forming primitive skylights. Particles of dust danced in the sunlight that streamed in and highlighted neatly stacked piles of polished and bleached bones. Most of the bones were stacked and arranged into attractive sculptures. Geometric patterns spanned the ceiling and walls. A large bone chandelier holding white wax candles hung above a large alter. Bones from unrecognizable species crisscrossed and hung like garlands while others formed flower like pieces to cradle candles in. Carved arched doorways led to similar rooms with additional artistic pieces.

  I approached the altar made of twisted shapes holding together long bones that were studded with teeth of all shapes and sizes. Atop the alter was a humanoid skull bejeweled with two large garnet crystals in the eye sockets and spiky teeth protruding from the cheeks, forehead, and chin. Silver chains were screwed into the temples and hung in nets around the sides and back of the skull like thin spider webs. A narrow snake chain circled the top of the skull and hanging from it in the center of the forehead was an exquisite piece of jewelry. It was made from a silvery metal with an iridescent sheen that formed a latticework orb. In the center connected by four tapered metal beams was a single drop of emerald liquid suspended as if in a vacuum inside of a slightly larger glass orb. Golden gears encircled the orb that were disconnected from any other piece each spinning in different directions from the other gears.

  I lifted the humanoid skull, pulled off the chains, and removed the garnets from the eyes. “Hey, hand me some Aqua Pura.”

  Edan tossed a glass bottle filled with viscous cobalt liquid to me. I uncapped it and put a few drops on the top of the skull. It began to tremble as did many of the bones on the altar. They pulled together and formed a skeleton that then grabbed the bottle from my hand and drank the remaining liquid. With each gulp, more of the creature reformed and we watched as muscles knit together. Next came the skin and hair, and finally, the eyes, nails, and lips. Iolite pulled a thin cloak from her pack and covered the naked prince.

  He sat down on the floor and stared up at us with sable eyes. “Thank you, my friends. I’m afraid I don’t have much strength and must get to Bwetye quickly before I slip into a coma.”

  Opal lifted a thick crimson crystal from around her neck and placed it on the prince. “This will help for now, but we’ll get you there quickly.”

  His energy level picked up some and he stood up. “I am grateful for your crystal and will return it after I arrive on Bwetye.”

  Phineas didn’t waste a second in creating a connection to the ship. We carried the prince onto our craft and Amber put the coordinates in for Bwetye. As we traveled, Amber pointed out that the ship was running on its last reserves of fuel and would need a new source of energy to make another trip anywhere else. The prince promised to refuel the ship with large lithium crystals which would last much longer than the current ones. Bwetye was much further than we had anticipated, and we had to keep ourselves entertained for the ride. I spent time in the bar tasting cocktails and appetizers from many different planets. When I tired of this, I moved to the holographic display room. Entire worlds opened up to my view with a few computer commands. I was able to explore a fairly detailed map of Zerkola with surface details along with being able to see the beasts that lumbered in the lochs whose waters were fed by the massive black seas.

  When we reached the oversized planet called Bwetye, I was amazed by the lights and colors I could see from a distance. The entire planet seemed to be made from a giant colorless crystal. The interior was glowing with a fiery red-orange that reminded me of a sunset at the beach. Triangular and cubic crystals jutted from the surface in random intervals forming statuesque figures. The light from the sun, the moons, and the interior shot through the crystals and separated into spectral displays that shifted depending on what the strongest source of light came from. We landed the craft near the large castle of Zaria and followed Prince Vladislav inside.

  He traipsed through the palace like a kid in a candy store taking bits of items offered to him and stopping to run his fingers across the glimmering globes that lit the rooms. He sat on his throne with joy and waited for his attendants to place the crown on his head and the golden scepter in his hands.

  He drew in a deep breath. “I missed this more than you can imagine. I’ve been imprisoned in that cave for longer than I can know. Now that I’m back in my home, I
can feel the power flowing back into my veins. I’d like to give you a gift, however, I need to ask you a favor.”

  I nodded. “Sure, what do you need?”

  “Before I left, there had been a crystal quake in the mountains of Zuri. Many of our citizens lost their minds, you know, started talking about ghosts and such. We don’t know what’s caused the changes in their perception, but we need brave souls to examine the region and bring back a report on what they find. Are you willing to do this for me? If you do, I’ll give you a reward.”

  “Yes, we can do that for you.”

  “Oh! Thank you! Here, take this.” He handed me a recording device to place over my eyes and record everything I saw. “You all must take one so I may see for myself what’s causing all the ruckus.”

  He handed one to each of the rest of the group members and we agreed to help Prince Vladislav. It didn’t take long for us to return to our ship and pilot it near the fissured glassy mountains. They were jagged and reflective with no good spot for the ship to land. We knew we’d have to climb for several miles taking video all the way to be sure we didn’t miss anything. Phineas wasn’t happy that he’d have to travel like a common character, and Opal’s abilities to see the crystalline tower warp points was distorted due to the many distractions caused by the countless shiny objects. Amber kept muttering under her breath and Crispin seemed overprotective of her. Iolite and Zuri climbed quickly along side Edan without complaining, but Mica couldn’t stop whining which quickly got on everyone’s nerves. It started with simple observations but rapidly progressed to outright complaints about everything. On top of it all, Jinx was wanting us to move more quickly, yet didn’t want to make the climb herself.

  Mica stared up at the glassy rocks. “That’s crazy that we have to get up there. Do we really have to do it? I mean, can’t one of us get up there and take pictures or something?”

  Iolite shook her head and pointed out handholds. “Just grab on there and push up with your feet here. It’s not that bad, plus we get to do something that no one else has done yet which is pretty cool.”

  He started climbing slowly behind the others with Iolite near his side. “This is hard. What if I fall off? Do I have to start again at the bottom?”

  She tried to hide her frustration. “Probably, so just hold on.”

  Mica was still complaining despite his sister’s encouragement. “But what if we get to the top and don’t find anything?”

  She looked away from him to calm her nerves. “Hhhhh. There’s something up there or we wouldn’t have to get up there.”

  Suddenly, he slipped and cried out. “Ahhhhh! Did you see that? This thing is impossible. I’m going to go back and wait for you at the ship.”

  Iolite finally got mad. “Stop it! Stop being such a baby. You were the one who wanted to do this the most, so you need to just man up and get it done.”

  He crossed his arms and leaned up against the mountain. “Humph! You’re always so mean! Why–”

  I was sick of hearing him bawl so I broke off a chunk of glass, threw it at him, and smacked him squarely in the head. He fell downward and landed on a small ledge several feet below. He landed on his back with a thud and immediately started sobbing. We all laughed, except for Iolite.

  She glared up at me. “You suck!” She climbed down toward her brother to help him get back on the trek upwards.

  Edan tossed another chunk at him that bounced off his shoulder. “Serves him right. We’ve been listening to him cry about every little thing for twenty minutes or more. Either you step it up, or we cut you from the team.”

  Jinx finally had something to say. “While you’ve been a valuable member so far, your position is tenuous and is dependent upon your completion of this task. Are we clear?”

  Iolite stared up at us with anger in her eyes. “You have no idea what it’s been like for him. Everything he’s gone through. None of you could ever handle what–”

  “Settle down. It’s just a game.” It was irritating to watch the two of them. She was always trying to protect him and made more then enough excuses for his behavior.

  He stopped blubbering and wiped his cheeks. He rubbed his head and nodded without a word keeping his eyes on the ground. Iolite helped him up and followed behind him without speaking to any of us. I knew they were upset, but I didn’t care. I was happy to be free from the incessant banter back and forth between the two, and almost wished that his fall would have dropped his health bar to zero so he’d either have to wait at the bottom of the mountain for us, or take time to make up the distance that would have been put between us.

  When we finally reached the top, dancing lights poured out of the crevices deep in the surface of the mountains like the Aurora Borealis, distorting the images around us. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I was reminded of a fishing trip long ago when I was barely old enough to tie my own shoes. My uncle had taken me to a frozen lake that he’d drilled holes in. We sat for hours catching fish after fish and then cooked them over a fire in a barrel inside the fish shack. When it was getting dark, he took me outside to see the colored lights in the sky. I remembered thinking they had to be angels or something otherworldly.

  I looked around to see what everyone else was engaged with. They all seemed to be fascinated with some aspect of either the light or the crystalline structures of the mountain. When I turned back to the direction I’d been headed, something brilliant caught my eye. It was brassy and shimmering but far off enough that I couldn’t make out what it was. “Hey Crispin, I’m going to check that out. Call me if you find anything of interest.”

  He didn’t seem to be paying much attention to what I was saying, but at least acknowledged that he heard me. “Uh, yeah.”

  I continued walking toward the object, but it began to move away from me. Soon I was jogging toward it just to keep up. I was so focused on the item that I didn’t see the block of crystal in my way and crashed to the hard ground when I caught my foot on it.

  “Ahhhh!” I pushed myself back up from a prone position on the mountain and tried to track the object, but it had completely disappeared from view. “Uhhh! All that for nothing!” I stood up and shielded my eyes from the glow of the mountain to see if I could glimpse it again.

  Suddenly, behind me was a whispering voice. I spun around to see what it was coming from, but only saw shifting shapes from lights reflecting off the glass. Ghostly images played out scenes in the distance, but each time I tried to get close, they would vanish. I was confused on where I was and what the rest of my party was doing.

  I realized that in my wanderings I’d been left alone. “Hey, can anyone hear me?”

  I ran in circles and listened for familiar voices but heard none. I pulled my locater out along with a map of the location but couldn’t make sense of it. I was lost and didn’t know how to get out. Panic filled my chest and my heart began to pound. Stretched images of humanoids surrounded me and then vaporized as I neared them. Finally, I sat down and buried my head in my hands to calm myself and try to regain my bearings.

  Chapter 8 – Amber

  I watched my group closely and tried to block out the Commander when we reached the top. He was always chattering away about something which was super distracting. Sometimes, he said something that actually made sense but for now it was the familiar monotonous droning on about home.

  “Seems to me, you’d be doing better if you’d had a hot meal from that copper pot your mamma used to use. She’d stay there in the kitchen for hours stirring up something tasty.”

  I irritated with him and whispered back under my breath. “The pot again? What’s with you today?”

  I must have spoken louder than usual because Crispin answered. “What’s with me? Uh, not much I guess. Just hoping we’d find something quite easily and be able to return to the prince soon.”

  I bit my lower lip. “Sorry.”

  He looked over at me with a puzzled look on his face. “Sorry for what?”

  I shook my head and st
ared at the ground. “Nothing, never mind.”

  He scanned the area and pointed to the few who remained in the area. “I wonder where everyone else is. Check out Mica. He seems to be lost in his own little world.”

  I knelt down and touched the mound of glass shaped like a heart. “Don’t know why they’d all leave so quick. Can you see what they’re looking at?”

  He stared at them for some time. “No. They seem to be looking at the lights. I…wait…did you hear that?”

  I listened for a while but couldn’t hear a thing. “Nope, what did it sound like?”

  He pointed in an odd direction where nothing was visible. “That! Come on, you had to hear that.”

  I looked up into his dark eyes with a sardonic smile. “Don’t tell me you’re hearing things now too. I thought I was the only one who did that.”