Tuesday, November 8, 2005

   Chapter 16: Call to the People (part 1)
“Lucifer…”
“Hang on,” the black-winged angel gasped to the girl he held to chest. He could feel her shivering from the cold water. “We’re almost there.”
With the last of his anger-driven strength, he swam to the rocky shore and carried Aurora out of the river, not even noticing that he was just as wet and cold as she. Like the walking dead, the exhausted and beaten remaining kids of the Caravan dragged themselves out of the water, where they collapsed on the nearest patch of soft grass they could find.
Nomei was the first of the soldiers to come ashore. Her face was grave, and her voice was unusually rough and authoritative. “Everyone, take off all the clothes you can!” she ordered, stripping off her soaked surcoat and armor.
The kids were too weary and too shocked from the event to question her command. They stripped down to their underwear and undershirts, taking the time to hang up their wet garmets in the trees. The two suns, still hidden by ominous clouds, weakly started to dry them out.
Contra and Sharp finally came ashore, and the reason for their delay was revealed. In their arms, each of them held a pseudodragon.
“Sasheeta! Koshga!” Raine called, running to the two Havoc graduates, with Yatii following after. But, as he drew closer, the grim expressions on their faces slowed him down. He stopped two yards away, meeting the eyes of Contra and not looking away. “Oh, no… no… don’t…”
“What is it?” Yatii broke in, stopping just behind his silver-haired friend. When he met Sharp’s eyes, he finally understood. Tears welled in the sides of his eyes. “They’re o-okay… right?” he stuttered.
Contra’s eyes softened, and he stepped forward and very gently set a round red ball that was Sasheeta into Raine’s arms. Both of her wings were torn in many places, and one of them was bent in an unnatural position. “She’s hurt very badly and she’s unconscious,” he told them. “I cannot expend my healing magic on her. We must use it on any kids we can still save from the river.”
When the two boys nodded in understanding, he continued, speaking to Raine. “I have heard that half of your magic is healing. If you can remedy some of the more minor damage, she might have a chance to survive for a while more; with luck, until we can make it to University. You are her only hope now.”
“It’s such a shame,” Sharp added quietly. “She’s still so young and she’s got so much potential. We really shouldn’t set her aside like this, but we have no choice.”
“What about Koshga?” Yatii asked, eyeing the brown-and-red creature that Sharp was holding. The Havoc graduate’s face became more tense again.
“She’s dead,” Contra said gently. The four of them stood in a shocked silence for a minute, though it stretched on and on like an eternity. Finally, Sharp turned away from them and carried his burden away into the forest. A moment later, Contra went back into the river, where he sifted through the wreckages for bodies and survivors.
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