19-1-1

We had been travelling for four rotations now, but only one and a half of those were on foot. Once we had moved out of the immediate area, we’d found that the southerly grav-line was functional. In fact, the devastation and destruction caused by the flooding was absent the further south we travelled until it was impossible to tell anything had happened. Even the abnormal movement and numbers of wildlife hadn’t reached this far and it gave me hope that perhaps this latest incident wasn't as bad as we had feared. Yet something told me it wasn’t over yet. If we didn’t do something, it was only going to get worse.

My worried thoughts drove my pace and, as a result, we made good time. It only occurred to me on rotation three that perhaps I was pushing my team too hard. I was used to travelling alone, at a fast pace and pushing my limits for the sake of my own safety but travelling in larger groups wasn't like that. We all had a different pace and different limits that we have to account for as one cohesive travelling party. When I discussed my concerns with Mathias, privately, he reassured me that we were all feeling the same drive but I tried to revise my thinking going forward to account for my team.

Even telepathically, Mathias preferred not to use words so he conveyed his thoughts in a very abstract way. This time it felt like mild amusement, reassurance, warmth and determination wrapped around a core of steel which hid a gooey, rich centre that I associated with Mathias, the unique feel of his mind that few ever had access to. Everyone’s was different but it’s such a personal thing, to let anyone that deep into your mind, that I always felt privileged to experience each mind.

We all had a unique scent as well but it was subtle, usually only discernible in very close proximity which was just as well. If everybody had strong scents, not only would it be impossible to live close together for fear of being overwhelmed but we’d also not survive long, falling prey to the giant predators of the wild whenever we strayed from the relative safety of the cities. They’d sniff us out before we’d even gone three steps. Not that many city dwellers ventured out of their cities for more than basic orientation during schooling.

Going was a lot easier once we hitched a ride on the grav-line. For the first eve, we decided to stay on it through the night. It was possible to travel the grav-line like that, as long as you either stayed awake or slept in shifts so someone was always keeping an eye out for eddies or instructions but there was always more risk travelling in the dark. My shift was in the early hours of morn, when it was still dark, and I was with Merrick. He was at the front, his keen eyes ideal for spotting oncoming dangers and I took the back with the rest of the group between us. Part of our job was to make sure no-one drifted off while they slept as well as making sure the grav-line was clear, so to help with that, we tethered ourselves to each other in a long chain. Merrick could move us through the gravity stream as he navigated the flow of the grav-line and I could manoeuvre and stabilise anyone who fell out of the sleeping huddle.

Our shift was uneventful, apart from a brief investigatory swoop from a pair of Fudgey Dinglebats who were hunting. My heart beat a little extra fast as I tried to remember if it was their mating season yet but that was a few moons off as far as I could tell. There was a reason their name had become a swear word among the Myath. The problem came when the time came to handover to the next shift.

“Merrick, our shift is up. I’ll wake Kaylor and Eecee.” I sent on a tight telepathic band.

I felt his wordless, affirmative response and began pulling myself closer to my companions on the tether. I had just reached them when Merrick gave a warning shout and a Dire Fang leaped into the grav-line just where I had been. Because he had jumped up, his momentum took him even higher and he quickly left the force of the artificial gravity again, the angle was just so that I knew he’d come come down soon but he wouldn't land on solid ground. We didn’t have long. Whenever a wild animal messed with the grav-line, it always ended badly for everyone involved.

I woke everyone from their slumber a bit too forcefully, never taking my eyes off of the Dire Fang as it fell back into the gravity stream of the grav-line, the safety features preventing him from hitting the ground and killing himself. He must be hungry or he thought we would be an easy meal to risk the danger. That or he was young. It didn’t matter, he still had forward momentum but soon he’d realise his situation and panic, flailing around as he sailed towards us. We were about to encounter teeth and claws in a low gravity situation at high speed.

“Merrick! Stay at the front and watch out for more. His pack may give chase.” I shouted, too urgent to waste time with telepathy. “Everyone, take you Warrior Forms now!”

We all shifted just in time as my predictions came true. The young Dire Fan, realising he had little control of his movement, panicked and tried to attack us. His erratic movements increased his speed and he drew closer to us. Closer and closer until I could smell his fetid breath. I raced, ready to defend against him when I felt my tether tug me hard. I hadn’t noticed as we’d drifted closer to the edge of the grav-line, my focus on the threat from behind. Merrick had been keeping an eye on us and corrected our course at the last moment, sending our group into the relatively safer fast moving central stream. The Dire fang wasn’t so lucky. It’s flailing continued to propel it towards the edge of the grav-line where it encountered an eddy, rapidly slowing it down. But it wasn’t prepared for it and managed to launch itself out of the grav-line altogether, tumbling head over heels off into the nearest foliage.

We stared at where the Dire Fang had disappeared, tense and ready for pursuit even as our momentum took us away from the area, expertly guided by Merrick still up front. But none came. Still we waited, just in case and Kaylor replaced Merrick who was exhausted by now. After a while, when we were sure no other predators were close to the grav-line, we finally relaxed a little, although we remained in our Warrior Forms as a precaution. Once everyone was settled again and the shift change complete, I joined the huddle and went to sleep.

Despite the close encounter, I would have continued travelling on the grav-line at night but the others were tiring and it wasn’t as necessary once we had gained enough distance from the Mountain to make me feeling a little more comfortable. It would slow us down a little but I made sure we stopped early enough to make camp for each eve. The speed of the grav-line meant we were still on schedule considering we weren’t sure how much of the grav-line would be functional when we started out. It was a sunny morn on rotation four and I estimated we’d be there before the end of the morrow.

As we got closer to the Igidoe border, I became twitchy. My contact knew I was coming but he couldn’t do anything to alert his people or we’d both be in danger and the Igidoe would be extra alert on their borders because Kine had already approached them. I decided we needed to discuss the problem.

“Kaylor, bring us to the ground as soon as you can please?” I called out from my position just behind him as he took his turn navigating. My timing was good as we soon came upon an eddy and Kaylor expertly guided us to it, exiting the grav-line with grace and immediately surveying the area, guarding us as we followed his dismount. Once we were all safely on solid ground, we moved away from the grav-line and found a defensible area where we could talk and rest in relative safety. Although riding the grav-line wasn’t as tiring as walking the entire way, it still took concentration and effort so a chance to rest was welcome.

“Everyone okay?” I asked as we gathered together, keeping an eye on the surroundings whilst we got comfortable. Everyone nodded or gave quiet ‘yeahs’ so I quickly moved on. “I called a halt for now because I’m concerned. The Igidoe are territorial on the best of rotations but with the recent unrest and the approach from Kine about the Gathering, it’s not beyond reason to be even more wary as we approach their border. I want to go on foot from here and I’ll be going into Igidoe territory alone so you’ll need to find a-“

I was cut off by the protests of several voices.

“No way Sierra!”

"Like that's going to happen!"

“Don't even think about it Royal Sierra.”

“Are you insane?”

“It’s not safe.”

“We’re your guards, you can’t leave us behind.”

“No.”

That last was Mathias and he uttered his single word pronouncement emphatically. I resisted the urge to sigh and reminded myself that this was just a symptom of having more people in my life who cared about me. It was hard to adjust to the realities of what that meant, which included trying to convince people I cared about, that it was better and safer for me to go into hostile territory alone. Granted, its a difficult argument to win but that didn’t make it any less true…

Mathias had effectively silenced the swathe of voices trying to argue with me, another reason he had gained his moniker of The Silent King. From the looks on their faces and the impenetrable wall that was my uncle, arms crossed and staring at me, I had a feeling I wasn’t going to win this argument. Time for plan two.

“Okay, I can see you all feel strongly about this.” I hedged. “But the best I can do is bring only one other person. My contact will not like it, at all, but it’s doable. I really can’t compromise more than that Mathias.” I stated. He didn’t need to know that if he absolutely refused to budge on it, I‘d take two with me. I may be the expert on the wilderness. Leader of this diplomatic delegation and the only link to the Igidoe contact… but Mathias was my uncle and a former King. He could be as stubborn as the rotation is long if he put his mind to it.

Underneath his inflexible determination, I felt his worry. The fear of losing his last link to his lost brother and of knowing that, this time, he could have done something about it. I wasn’t going to die, I’d gotten out of worse situations than a pre-planned meeting with a contact in Igidoe territory, but Mathias’s instincts were screaming at him and playing on his guilt and trauma. When all this was over, I’d try and talk him into meeting with Healer Roake and addressing these old wounds. Mathias had some closure now and he needed to try and come to terms with his pain. In the mean time, I could help ease his troubles by agreeing to one guard.

Mathias thought about it before finally grunting his ascent. I smiled warmly at him, sending my understanding and love to him telepathically, trying to let him know I understand his concerns and would be sure to remain safe. I saw a flicker in his eyes, not sure what it meant, but it was gone as quickly as it came. The discussion moved on to our next steps and I did my best to concentrate in order to make this excursion a success and return safely.

“Okay so who goes with Sierra?” Eecee asked. Although she was a fun loving, mischievous sort, whenever it came to her work or her loved ones, she was a serious and effective individual.

The group went back and forth a little, but I could already tell it would come down to either Merrick, Eecee or Kaylor. The other guards, though very effective, weren’t as experienced either with the wilderness nor with my personal brand of doing things. Mathias, though powerful, stealthy and beyond capable, would be a political catastrophe if he were even spotted in Igidoe territory, let alone caught. Not that I planned to get caught.

“Merrick is a great scout, good with stealth and information gathering. He’d be great going into unknown territory.” One of the guards said.

“Hmm, yes but Sierra is more familiar with the area so a scout may not be as useful as a guard in this situation.” Eecee commented. I respected how she just casually hinted at the fact that I had previously entered another’s territory clandestinely and was about to do so again. It’s good that I could trust my team.

“So it’s between you and Kaylor then.” Merrick said. He didn’t seem disappointed to be left out of consideration but Eecee had a point. I knew the area well and exactly where we were going.

There was a weighty pause as the two eyed each other. The siblings were close and fiercely protective of each other despite their banter and playfulness. Eecee brought out the fun side of Kaylor and he brought out her maturity. They made a good team and really disliked being separated, but I had faith they’d cope well. They always did. Their skills were different but complimentary and their strength evenly matched in all but their Resting Forms. There really was nothing to recommend one over the other and either would be a great choice. I trusted them to listen to me but also to think for themselves and have good judgement. Either way, I’m sure we’d succeed in our goal. Finally they spoke at the safe time.

“I’ll go.”

“You should go.”

They chuckled, having talked over one another but they seemed to be in agreement. Kaylor would accompany me.

“Alright! Now what to do with the rest of you.” I pondered, looking at each of them closely.

My guard sorted out, we went to work planning our route to the Igidoe border and finding a sheltered, hidden place for the rest of my team to hunker down in as they waited for us to return. I accessed my personal mapping programme, trying to remember if there was a suitable place near by. I needed to avoid the Myath route just in case one of the communities was due through here any time soon. I know my team wouldn’t do anything to them but the Myath didn’t know that and some of the communities were actively hostile to non-Myath. Suicidal, by any definition, but some went a bit loopy under the constant pressure and hostility directed towards them.

I grew frustrated as I consulted my maps. There were few good areas for my team to hunker down and any that were close by were on Myath routes. Could I risk putting them so close to potential trouble? It might be alright but it might also defeat the whole point of keeping a low profile. Maybe I should just use one of the Myath camp sites and send out a warning on the closed network… Still, that might not be enough and any kind of ruckus could alert the vigilant Igidoe border patrols. Maybe…

A memory sparked and I quickly changed the criteria in the map, deciding to show everything rather than searching for a specific thing. The screen filled with little markers and symbols and I scanned it carefully, trying to figure out what I was remembering. It wasn’t a ruin or a camping site but something else. Not a cave, those were almost never empty and not worth investigating to figure out if you’re wrong. No, nope, no, Ah! There it was. A natural rock formation, kind of like a tipped bowl, odd to find in the heavily forested area but ideal to shelter under and in. The perfect windbreak, easily defensible but too exposed for wildlife to claim for a den. Fires would be obscured and protected from the elements… it was perfect.

“I think I’ve found something. It’s about half a rotation’s walk from here but it should keep you safe, sheltered and out of the way of any locals. It also has the advantage of being close enough to the border to offer help if we need it but far enough away that you shouldn’t be found by Igidoe patrols. Do you want to see it?” I asked as I fiddled with the map, creating a copy of just that one location and sending it to the entire team. It should integrate into their own personal maps and orientate them properly. Hopefully, no one would get separated but if they did, they’d have a way of finding the planned camp site. “Did you all get that marker? That’s our meeting place until we decide otherwise. So what do you think?”

They each opened their maps, the new marker just visible as it flashed to alert them to its location.

“Hmmm, hard to say until we get there Sierra but i must say the location looks good in terms of its relation to the border. You’re the expert in the area so if there are no other options, all we can do is check it out.” Kaylor commented. He seemed quite relaxed about it all but I could tell he didn’t like this lack of information. He’d probably send Merrick out on a scout just to build up a picture of the area once he and I left for the meeting.

“There are a few other options but they’re not ideal and I’d need to send off a few communications about it if we decide we have to use them. It’s not ideal and I’d prefer to keep comms to a minimum until we get back to Icanthie territory. I’d say they’re emergency options only. I’m sorry but there just aren’t that many good places to hide around here, most of them are already taken.” I shrugged but it really annoyed me that I didn’t have better options for them. I needed better contingency plans for all the areas I frequented but I’d never lingered long around the Igidoe Kingdom.

“Okay, lets go. The sooner we check it out, the sooner we know what we need to do next.” Eecee declared, doing a wonderful job of rounding everyone up and getting us moving again. As usual, we travelled as stealthily as possible, often taking to the trees, both to reduce any evidence of our passage and for a slightly easier journey. We kept all communication to hand signs, forgoing even telepathy. Technically, telepathy was a digital signal because we used our nanites to send and receive our electrical signals which made it vulnerable to interception, even with the best training and experience. Better to be safe than end up on the sharp end of an Igidoe’s claws and teeth.

We’d had to descend from the trees when they became a little more sparse making the gaps between them too far to traverse easily. Despite the thinning of the trees, the undergrowth had become tall and thick, making any sort of forward movement that bit more difficult. I had an uneasy feeling tingle up my spine but I couldn’t quite pin point the cause yet it kept niggling at me, getting stronger and stronger until it clicked. Just as my hand brush up against something damp.

“I’m getting soft.” I growled viciously at myself, not bothering to remain quiet. It wouldn’t matter soon and we’d just have to deal with the consequences. I should have spotted the change in vegetation. Still, it could be worse, it could have happen once we’d reached our camp site, then the only viable camping option would have been spoiled.

I looked around, seeing the confused and concerned faces of my team briefly as I tried to assess how bad it was. It was bad.

“Sierra?” Kaylor whispered hesitantly. “What’s wrong?”

“This is Itbit Dew.” I stated grimly. Some of my team looked confused but some were rightfully scared. They knew but I’d have to explain to the others. “Itbits are small, twelve legged creatures that secrete a viscous, dewy substance often mistaken for dew drops. They cover their territories in it and, depending on the rotation, the mood of the Itbit, a plethora of random criteria, the Itbait can infuse into their dew knowledge, or poison, or emotion. Some actually search out the dew to consume it like a drug, but most accidentally absorb it through their skin. Rarely, very rarely, an Itbit will offer you dew to specifically communicate or to provide a medicinal effect but mostly, it is a defence mechanism. Once it takes effect, you are helpless until you have experienced whatever was in the dew drops. It can take moments or it can last rotations, no one can tell until it’s over. And each dew drop is different. They have the same effect within one territory at a time but its cumulative. The more dew drops you absorb, the longer the effect takes place. If we’re really unlucky, we will have stumbled across an Itbit territory boundary and get hit with two different effects.”

My entire team now looked appropriately concerned.

“How do you know it’s Itbit dew and not normal dew?” One of the younger guards asked, licking his lips nervously.

“For one, its too late for Morning Dew, the sun would have evaporated it by now, especially in this light. Secondly, that is an Itbit nest.” I said, pointing at the diamond shaped waving of viscous liquid and long grasses with flexible branches used to give it a supportive structure, making the classic diamond shape. “But finally, I’ve accidentally touched one and I’m feeling an inexplicable terror.” I paused, trying to control my breathing which was beginning to elevate. “I really hoped it would be poison.”

“Why would you say that!” Merrick exclaimed looking wide eyed. I should really try and check to see if any of them were affected but it took everything in me to control the rising terror and adrenaline coursing through me. I also spared half a thought for avoiding any more dew drops.

“Well, if it were poison, I’d probably have the antidote.” I licked my lips as sweat beaded on my brow. “I carry them with me wherever I travel. Only a few are hard to get a hold of and the poisons they treat tend to be lethal anyway. The problem with Emotion transmitting or Knowledge transmitting dew drops is that they can’t be countered.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, desperately ignoring the terror beginning to claw deeper into my mind. “You have to experience the emotion or knowledge before you’re free of it. They can endanger you by impairing your judgement or making you oblivious to your surroundings, so wrapped up and involved in the experience, nothing else registers. I once knew someone who got completely high and went around kissing everyone until he tried to jump off a building. We had to restrain him until it wore off.” I could hear a faint wobble in my voice, the only indication that my control was slipping. I couldn’t let that happen, not here. Not now. “The biggest problems though are the psychological effects which are much longer lasting. Some things should never be known. Some things are too awful to experience…”

I had been trying to distract myself from the terror by teaching the others but I’d hit my limit. It was just too much. I started to shake so badly, the world around me quaked in my vision and I felt my breathing speed up even more. It was coming. It would eat me. I can’t escape. I can’t escape. I can’t escape. No no no nonononononononononono-“

Abruptly, it cut off. The terror that felt like it was going to tear my mind to shreds was just gone and I was left off kilter. The adrenaline still coursed through me and I felt rubbery and unsteady, but it was gone. I gasped a couple of times before I managed to regain control, taking deep, even breaths and blinking away the phantom terror. Looking around, no one was panicking so I must not have screamed or drawn attention to myself, thank goodness and could breathe a deep sigh of relief. It had only been a short one. It could have been so much worse. I closed my eyes just relishing the peace of my own mind, trying to shake off the brief yet profound terror that left linger echoes, when a scream pierced the air, quickly cut off and thankfully muffled in the dense foliage.

Oh no. My eyes snapped open to find the source of the scream and I immediately knew. The others had been hit too. I searched out each of my team members, trying to figure out how to get to them without absorbing another dew drop. Who had been affected? All of them? How was I going to prevent a bunch of Icanthie Imperial guards from attacking each other in response to the terror, or running off after an imagined threat when they were out of their minds on dew drops? And then a worse thought occurred to me… had anyone heard that scream?