So he thought he could drag her into this, did he?

Whatever this was that Rial had going on with the slavers, Tala didn't appreciate the fact that he assumed she would simply go along with him. Certainly, she felt bad about what had happened to the people of Manorest and whoever else had been caught up in the machinations of these cut-throats, but the whole world was barbaric and if you allowed such things to get to you you'd be crushed under the weight of it all. Rial might have been sheltered from this fact by hiding in the mountains all this time, but she was born knowing this.

Still, she didn't have much choice in the matter.

She cursed herself through gritted teeth as they cut their way through knotted vines and clawing branches. Why had she come with him?

Memories of a crowd baying for blood and a rusty scaffolding flashed across her mind.

She would wait and see, as she always did. Find out exactly what part to play in all of this, and then play that part to the fullest. Hopefully Rial was the main player in this story, but if not...

Now she had a weapon of her own, this 'coilgun' that possessed more power than anything she had handled before. The simplicity of its lines and the sharp, rounded discs that it fired spoke to her in a language that was both pure and lethal. It was a thing of beauty.

Of course it was no Mead, but Mead came with its own set of difficulties; she often found herself glad that she did not have to deal with the sly machine. Interestingly, it could not detect the coilguns, it could only infer their existence through photon path mapping. When asked what that meant, Mead replied that basically it needed to have them within visual range.[1]

They tried to make the weapon explain.

"Imagine a line in 2 dimensions," Mead explained. "A line with length and width, but no depth. Now turn that line laterally towards you. A 3-dimensional creature such as yourselves would no longer see the line. That is what is happening to me. I can not 'see' the coilgun in the dimensions I am designed for. I can only infer its existence from other evidence; as if you shone a light side-on at the line to reveal its shadow."

The second of the coilguns she had ruefully thrown deep into a mass of rotvine, once she had followed Mead's instructions on how to scavenge it for ammunition. Throwing such a beautiful thing into the poisoned thorns pained her, but it was far too bulky to carry and would in fact have hindered her use of the first.

It seemed Tala was the first to appreciate how wondrous the coilguns truly were. She began dusting the thing down and cleaning it almost unconsciously; the previous owner had not cared for it at all. Grit filled the workings in a manner that set her teeth on edge.

This fact provided them with knowledge about the slavers, too.

The slavers had no idea what they possessed. They had been forcing the ammo discs into the machines straight from their hands, along with whatever dirt and oils covered them. Mead believed it likely that unless they were soon dismantled and cleaned they would stop working. The ammo feeds, closed cylinders that would normally be strapped to the sides of the weapons or to the belts of their operators, were cracked open like packets of rations, allowing the carefully weighted circles to gather grime and dirt. The frictionless propulsion the weapons relied on to generate projectile power degraded rapidly with such treatment; it was a miracle the shot they had seen had flown so straight and true through the other slaver's chest.

Tala only half-needed Mead's explanation to understand all this.

"Be careful of it," Rial had said, seeing something in her eyes when she looked down at the rifle in her arms. "Things like that can take far more than you ever meant to give."

Tala let the cryptic remark pass without acknowledgement.

There was little time to study the gun as they advanced further through the forest, choosing to take this route over the plains outside that Mead's scans showed were spotted with groups of people. Though these groups were separated by large distances they had decided not to chance encountering anyone who might be a threat, especially since Mead was unable to identify those holding the advanced weaponry. Rial used his sword to cut them a way through the vegetation.

They walked for hours that merged into days, all becoming one solid block of time defined by thick shadows and a constant watch for the reddened leaves and barbed thorns that threatened the unwary. One cut from the flora here could spell death.[2] Tala was impressed by Rial’s woodsmanship; he moved with an ease she could not, with a skill she had never seen. No one she knew had travelled this far into the poisoned woods. She moved in his wake, heeding his grunted warnings of this or that plant.

They slept high in the canopy. It was something that had never occurred to her, but the proliferation of intertwining branches and vines here made it sometimes easier to climb up than across, and only a few meters above the ground the thorns and nettles stopped. There was something relaxing about laying supported by the thick, leafy branches up here, though a constant chill breeze meant she would never choose such a bed if offered an alternative.

The breeze, rustling through the branches all around, at least gave the benefit that she could not hear the things that walked below. Not unless she strained to. They were always gone by morning.

It was more than two weeks before they finally came to the edge of the forest again, to reveal a wide expanse unlike anything in Tala’s experience. Black rock stretched out into the distance in front of them, smooth and glinting in the light, its surface covered with whorls and waves that made it seem like a turbulent river, frozen in time. It was free of the moss that Tala had believed grew over everything in this world.

“Obsidian,” said Rial, though Tala could at least identify the rock. “Usually you’d find it around volcanos, but here… well, you’ll see.”

His meaning became apparent as they stepped out onto the glassy rock and began the long climb up its slow ascent. The darkness of the rock made it difficult to perceive at first, but the realisation gradually dawned on Tala that they were climbing a single hill, sloping down on all sides and surrounded by flat lands. What had appeared in its blackness to be smooth rock revealed itself to be dotted with cracks and crags and jagged spikes, and they both had to focus on the ground beneath their feet.

The clouds above turned darker, rolling in with the promise of a storm.

“Look,” said Rial after several hours of quiet climbing.

Tala turned back and took in the way they had come.

The obsidian stretched out behind them like a giant tail, a huge gash in the land that extended all the kilometres back to the tree line. She could see the shape of it now, the width of this tail that was far narrower than its length, though it must still be more than a kilometre across, delineated from the mossy grass either side by a sharp line.

“This is where it landed,” she said, hair whipping against her cheeks.

“Crashed,” corrected Rial. He shoved his hands into his jacket against the increasingly violent wind.

He turned to face up the hill.

“We need to get inside,” he said, resuming the climb.

Tala followed after, increasing the pace to catch up. Coming close to twisting an ankle through careless footing, she focused on the ground below, which is why she didn’t notice the figure standing close to the peak of the hill until they were almost upon him. She gasped and drew back in alarm.

The figure was ashen white, skin translucent over his frame to reveal the bones beneath. Knotted and dirt-ridden hair blew wildly in the wind, as did the torn, filthy rags in which it was clothed. Through these tears torn flesh could be seen, covering the body from head to toe, with three especially deep gouges carved out of the chest. Dry, flaking skin hung from the edges of these wounds, as white as the rest of the figure, with no trace of blood. Tala could see this had once been a young man, but what it was now was… different.

The eyes glowed a bright violet.

She gathered herself up before Rial even had time to offer an arm in support, shaking the fear off and moving back in to examine the creature in front of her.

It emitted a strange, low clicking sound from its throat as she studied it, eyes moving to focus on her but unmoving otherwise. She had never been this close to one before, not with time to do anything but run, and this was the first time she had seen the pallid flesh close up, smelt the curious straw-like odour they gave off, experienced the absolute silence of a being that did not breathe.

It was fascinating.

“Why doesn’t he attack?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the creature.

“It, not he. And it’s not here for you,” replied Rial, as he bent down and took hold of what looked for all the world like a dead branch, blown here by the wind.

“It’s been following us all along,” said Tala. It wasn’t a question.

Rial nodded as he hefted at the grip. A wooden groan came where he pulled, and the earth shifted slightly.

Tala broke off the inspection of the dead man and stepped over to help, grasping the handle further up and straining with Rial to lift. With a loud creak the hatch they had been pulling at slid sideways, rocks rolling with it to reveal a dark hole beneath.

“The lights don’t work in this part of the ship,” Rial explained as she stared at the jagged edges of the shadow.

Something had blown a hole in the ship here, erupting from within to burst the walls outwards. Rial and his friends had used thick, fixed-together wooden planks to hide it from view, burnt black to match the surroundings. They slid it back over as they climbed down and stood in absolute darkness until the flare of a match sent the dark skittering away. Rial, producing a torch from somewhere, put the flame to it and held the light aloft.

Tala stared at the stained walls that ran ahead, yellow in the torchlight though she would bet they were a dirty white in reality. Cavities at regular intervals stood out black in the night, paths or holes of varying size and unknown purpose that dotted the walls on either side. In the distance the corridor curved off to the left.

“So why didn’t you tell me about the dead guy out there?” asked Tala as they began walking along a steeply-slanted corridor.

“I didn’t know how you’d react. I thought it might be better you didn’t know a walking corpse was following our every move.”

“I told you; you are going to tell me everything,” said Tala angrily.

“There’s too much to tell! I can only tell you what I think’s important!”

“A corpse following you around everywhere doesn’t seem important?” growled Tala.

“He’s… always been with me. Since this all started,” whispered Rial, stopping in his tracks.

Tala almost bumped into him in the dark.

“He?” she asked, not missing the change in Rial’s tone.

“He… it… was a friend, once. A long time ago. Now it is not. We think it’s a… check on me, a safeguard. You know how different antibodies bind to different diseases?”

Tala grunted an affirmative.[3]

“Well, he is an antibody designed for me. As long as I am no threat to the organism, the host, it does not react, and he’s easy enough to shake off for a while. But he always finds me again, and it’s likely he’ll rip me apart like paper in the right circumstances,” continued Rial.

“What circumstances?” she asked.

“No idea. And I hope I never find out. He doesn’t follow me into the ship, anyway.”

Rushing footsteps echoed up towards them. Tala could tell they were a child’s steps before the small figure rounded the bend, an orange lantern of a type Tala was unfamiliar with held out ahead, tiny fingers wrapped around the handle. The child’s speed picked up even more when she saw Rial, a cry of delight travelling ahead to greet them.

The girl stopped a few paces from Rial to carefully place the lantern on the ground, then half-ran half-fell into Rial’s legs, hugging for all she was worth. Tala smiled involuntarily at the scene; Rial ruffling the girl’s light brown hair whilst the child made burbling noises of happiness.

Heavier footsteps came soon after, and a couple rounded the bend carrying two more lanterns. Tala studied them as they approached.

The man was tall and greying, with the same distinctive three-line khiladri scar as the walking corpse outside, this time sweeping across the face. His left eye was covered by a patch, and a sword hung at his side. Tala could tell he knew how to use it. She could also tell that, though dangerous, he was little threat to her.

The woman, though, was a different matter. Shaleigh, she introduced herself as. She stood a head taller than Tala, broad shoulders flexing as she moved, revealing the strength beneath. Though she must have been older than even some of the council members back in the city, as was the man who introduced himself as Eselwol. Tala found herself mentally reviewing her surroundings, preparing areas of retreat and cover; not that there were any down this narrow corridor. Still, there was no way she would ever go one-on-one with this woman. Better to run and hope you could outrace her.

The child released her grip on Rial as they made their introductions and returned to stand between the two, taking one hand of each adult. It was clear these two were lovers, but still, something didn’t match up between the little girl and the two adults.

“Oh, she’s not ours,” Shaleigh answered at Tala’s quizzical expression. “We are… looking after her. Until her parents come back.”

Tala couldn’t miss the look of worry that flashed over Shaleigh’s face, a look that quickly spread to Rial’s. He nodded, gesturing them all to turn and head back the way they had come.

Shaleigh crouched besides the little girl for a moment, speaking in soothing tones.

“Now, Aresa, we’re going to have a talk once we get back to the living area. Can you go play with Pilo and Kim? They must be wondering where you are.”

The girl clung to Shaleigh’s hand as they walked down the corridor, which grew ever brighter as they rounded the curve. What had been dull strips near the top of the walls now glowed, bathing the passages in a gentle light.

“When are mummy and daddy coming back? I thought they would be with Rial,” said the girl, Aresa.

“Soon, child. Soon,” said Shaleigh, reaching down to ruffle the child’s hair again.

They descended into the ship.

[1] Another interesting revelation. Mead's skin could actually detect light as a human eye did. Tala did not think she would ever change near the machine again.

[2] Though of course such injuries didn’t always end with you dead. Some just made you wish you were.

[3] It was only now, standing in the ruins of a technology beyond her comprehension, that she realised how ridiculous it was that she knew this without knowing how she knew this, how this had been discovered in the first place.