Page 34 of Tiger's Trek
Zakhar shook his head hard, but she nodded and winked that it was okay and clapped him awkwardly on the shoulder in slow motion. After she moved away, the creature, his seaweed hair floating around his bulbous head, opened his mouth, forming a large circle with his lips, and then made a sort of gagging motion. Slowly, out came a bubble that grew larger and larger with each heave of his body.
Zakhar acted as if to move away from it, but one of the others grabbed his shoulders and held him still. The bubble touched one of Zakhar’s hands first, and instead of popping, it grabbed hold of his hand and began crawling over his skin as if it were alive. Zakhar kicked hard then, writhing as if he were in pain, but soon the bubble was over his head, and then he calmed down and began breathing normally, his cheeks changing from red to a normal tone.
Stacia peered closely, and she could see there was no more liquid matter inside the bubble. It had completely encased him in the air.Interesting, she thought. Once it had re-formed and encompassed his body fully, the creature gave a snap of his mouth, and the bubble broke free. It began rising to the surface, taking Zakhar with it.
He knelt, his hands on the bottom of the bubble, shouting something that none of them were able to hear. Once it hit the membrane at the top of their liquid cage, it was slowly absorbed through, taking its human captive along for the ride. Zakhar kept his face pressed to the bottom for as long as possible; then, with a tiny pop, he and his bubble were gone, flying along the river current.
Turning with hands on hips, Stacia asked, “What happens at the surface? Will he be stuck in there?”
All the creatures started laughing with great puffs of their cheeks. “Don’t be silly,” the one with the crown said. “The minute he hits a rock...”
“Or a tree...”
“Or a root...”
“Or a fish...”
“Or even the air, it will pop,” finished the big vodnik. “Them bubbles are fragile. Now, come closer, gal. It’s your turn.”
“But what if he doesn’t know how to swim?”
“Not our problem,” one creature said.
“Guess he’ll learn then, won’t he?” said another, laughing as he reached for Stacia.
“No. Not me,” she insisted. “My cat next.”
“No. No. We are the ones deciding. If you protest, we keep both.”
He started blowing his bubble, and Stacia desperately cried out in her mind to Iriko:What do we do? I don’t know how to save her.
Don’t worry, Red. I’ve got this. Just go.
But without me, how will you see?
I can see from her eyes too.
What? How?
I’m not sure, exactly. But it started down here. When she began crying, I could see from her eyes too. I’ve been switching back and forth to make sure I wasn’t imagining it.
But—
It’s okay, Iriko said.I have an idea. Let me take this one off your shoulders. Go.
Iriko nudged Stacia’s hand and she ran it over his head, squeezing his ear.Just... take care of her.
I will. I promise.
Stacia felt the bubble hit the back of her head, and soon it encompassed her just like it had Zakhar. The burning hit her lungs as the strange liquid evaporated instantly, causing her to cough and her muscles to spasm. Unlike the priest, she didn’t kneel to watch Iriko and Zima as her bubble began to rise. Instead, she lifted her weapon and clicked the hidden switch, preparing to pop her escape device the moment she was clear of the vodnik’s trap.
Impatient, she waited, watching as inch by inch the bubble rose out of the membrane, exposing her to the river above. Wide-eyed fish hurried past her, carried in the wake of the current along with flotsam and debris. Her vessel rocked, and then finally she was free and rushing along, tumbling head over heels. Within a moment, the bubble hit the sharp edge of her blade and popped with an ear-numbing blast that sent her down into the cold river.
It took her several moments to get her bearings, and she almost lost her precious walking stick in the process. Luckily, her bags were tightly tied to her back; otherwise, they, too, would have been lost. She could only hope that Zakhar had been as careful about his things. If he hadn’t, they might have wasted many of their supplies. Stacia dragged herself out of the river, squeezing the water out of her tunic and hair and calling out for Zakhar while quickly heading back toward the bridge, which was now far upstream.
It was well past sunset, and as her eyes adjusted, she thought she spied a large rock ahead. But when she neared it, she found it wasn’t a rock at all, but her fallen companion. She knelt and lightly slapped his cheek. “Zakhar. Wake up. Are you okay?” she asked.
He groaned and cracked open his eyes. “I’m alive, if that’s what you’re asking.”
