Page 38 of The Arabis Triad

He gave his brother a quick nod. “I understand. Paxt, I’m glad to call you brother.”

Paxt stood and hugged him without a moment of hesitation. He slapped him on the back. “As am I, brother. As am I.”

Paxt released him. Coltan nodded and together they made their way to where the scaled ones had disappeared, taking care to stay hidden using leaves and trunks. They crouched behind the last line of flora before the entrance to the cafe, waiting to make sure they were alone.

Coltan slowly drew aside a leaf. Cool air, tainted with the smell of earth, washed over him. He stepped inside the cave, waiting for Paxt to join him. It was dark inside, yet the gloom was lit by little yellow glowing dots all over the cave walls. Coltan looked closer to see that the glowing dots were a variety of phosphorescent lichen. On their own, they were tiny, but en masse they emitted a light bright enough to see that the cave was indeed quite deep.

Paxt indicated to move inside, and together, they cautiously crept along the wall and into the depths of the cave. The air became cooler, damper. The sweat on his body dried, and he shivered.

Sounds echoed toward them, quiet at first, then louder as they moved closer until he heard the individual hissing and clacking of each scaled one. Light streamed beyond a bend in the wall.

“Let her go!” Ashir’s furious voice bounced off the walls. It was good to know his brother had recovered from the head injury.

Coltan glanced at Paxt, who gestured to wait. He agreed; they needed to see what they would be up against. They couldn’t just charge in.

“Take that off her. Can’t you see you’re hurting her!” Ashir roared.

The light flickered, and there was a curious buzzing sound. The hair on Coltan’s arm stood on end and the air crackled with a living energy. The dull light increased into a blinding intensity that whitewashed the rock walls of the cave.

Ashir roared, a sound filled with anger and pain that abruptly stopped. It was followed by a cry that dove straight into Coltan’s gut and pierced his soul. A sound that began as a whimper, then escalated to one of complete and utter agony.

Evelyn.

Her scream was cut short.

Chapter Fifteen

Paxt

Paxt bolted around the corner, heart in throat. A group of scaled ones huddled around her. She was splayed on a table, arms tied to supports out to her side. Unconscious. Naked. Vulnerable.

Ashir was tied on the table next to Evelyn, also unconscious. Dried blood streaked across his face, and his head listed to the side. Straps on his wrists, chest, and ankles held him to his table.

Both were hooked up with wires attached to their heads, palms, and hearts. The Arabis crystal was held by a device against Evelyn’s forehead. It glowed bright magenta and purple, throwing light over her face tight with tension.

Somehow, it was activated, something only their crystal towers could achieve.

Whatever the scaled ones were doing, it needed to be stopped. Misuse of such power could annihilate worlds. In a flash, there would be nothing left of this planet and everything on it but a few specs of dust.

And they were putting Evelyn at risk.

Black clouds circled the ceiling, rotating in a swirling pattern that pre-determined a raging storm. A stiff wind stirred the dust from the floor and whipped his hair in his eyes.

He didn’t have time to think why clouds were in a cave, before he slashed his sword through the back of one scaled one, slewing it open from shoulder through his backbone. Its body split and fell in opposite directions, green blood spewing over the floor with a wet splat.

Coltan shot another with his pulser. Hissing and clacking, the scaled ones broke away from Evelyn. Paxt shot with one hand, while slashing with the other.

A scaled one lunged at him but before it could get anywhere near, he struck and slid his sword through its throat. Its eyes bulged. Its head tilted back as a slender green line gushed its olive toned blood. The head fell back as the body crumpled to the floor.

Coltan roared as a great red slash opened along his back, deep crimson drops bleeding across his skin. He lashed out, severing the head of the scaled one that had injured him.

Coltan’s muscles strained as he doubled his efforts, slashing, hacking, shooting. He spun about attacking the scaled ones. Severed bodies collected at his feet as he attacked. Limbs detached. Blood splattered. From the corner of his eye, Coltan fought hard, his style smooth and true as he cut through scales and flesh. His chest heaved as he panted. The blood rushed through his veins as he waited for another attack. It took a few moments through his fighting rage to see that they had downed them all.

“Evelyn. Ashir.” Paxt dropped his sword and pulser and staggered to their prone forms. He ripped the wires off their bodies, leaving little ends on their bodies, embedded beneath their skin. He worked them out as gently and as quickly as he could, concentrating hard to not leave the finest of the wires behind.

Overhead, the clouds boiled and billowed. A scream rent the air, and his skin crawled. The enraged sound grew louder as he worked the wires. Coltan held his sword and pulser at the ready.

The crystal glowed bright, throwing intense heat from the surface. Evelyn’s delicate skin turned red and blistered. The scream intensified, spearing through his head. Paxt helped to ease the remaining wires from her, working them from deep within skin and muscle.

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