Author's Note: Please leave a review!
P.S. 'Butte' is pronounced 'byuute.'
There Are No Monsters
25 years later…
Agent Sung Lee set down his coffee, the curling steam tinged emerald by the numerous holo-screens dotting the walls. The bitter brew sunk into his stomach, warming him. He laced his fingers together, assessing the shadowed faces of his colleagues as they took in the disturbing news. It was only a rumor, but the higher ups weren't taking any chances.
He glanced down at his tablet, studying the large moon covered in white clouds, blue seas and green continents. It, along with several other large moons, orbited a stunning gas giant with swirling blue bands. The moon was a natural world, as opposed to terraformed planets, and was of priceless value to its investors. He hoped the rumor remained only a rumor.
God help them if it turned out to be true…
\\'/
Gabriel slowly crept up the cliff side, the warm wind whipping his black tendrils and tugging at his faded beige cargo pants as it whistled across the dry plains below, gaining strength as the sun rose higher in the blue-green sky. The orange and white stone was cool beneath his fingertips as he pulled himself up, every muscle straining with each grasp and push, the ever present danger of slipping and falling hundreds of feet to his death lurking in the background of his mind. Cool sweat slowly trickled down the back of his neck and chest, slowly soaking his sleeveless leather vest. It gently flapped in the wind as he hitched himself onto a small ledge, pausing to slow his breathing and listen to the hissing warbles of his quarry.
Kite snakes, or kite dragons, lived above the plains and desert hills, preferring the dusky purple mountain cliffs to the south and creamsicle-striped mesas of the Whistling Plains. They burrowed into the stone and dirt, laying their eggs once a year. When the hatchlings were strong enough, they were forced from the nest. They would spread their bright red flaps of skin into wide arrows and glide on the thermals to another nesting ground. Those too weak or afraid died by smashing into the ground below. An adult kite snake that fell to the ground and couldn't find a gust strong enough to lift it was an easy meal for the many predators that roamed the plains.
Gabriel had arrived in the early nesting period. Most of the females would have laid their eggs by now. They would guard and care for them, the males occasionally lending a hand. Biologists theorized this sharing of nesting responsibilities was a leftover instinct from the kite snake's bird-like ancestors.
The key word Gabriel cared about was 'occasionally.' The males were incredibly lazy creatures, preferring to sunbathe with the females rather than warm the eggs. It was mid-morning and he was counting on the kite snakes' need to warm to buy him some time.
He peeked over the edge. No movement. Gabriel quietly hoisted himself onto the larger ledge, hundreds of holes burrowed into the curved walls of the top of the mesa. His infrared sight allowed him to discern which holes were currently unguarded. He squinted into each one, reaching in and grabbing a few eggs if neither parent was present. These exotic eggs would fetch a good price, especially with the name 'dragon' attached to them.
When his pack was full, he secured the bundle to his back and slowly began the climb back down. The view was spectacular, but he didn't want to wait around and mess with a brood of angry kite snakes. The two-meter long creatures jealously guarded their eggs and would try to knock him off the ledge with their enormous wingspans and sharp teeth if they could.
His comm squawked and Gabriel slipped, his claws instinctively latching onto his handholds. He hung there for a few moments, his two hearts hammering against his ribcage.
"Hey Gabriel! You alive?"
He could practically hear Jeremy grinning on the other end. "Sonuvabitch," he muttered as he pulled himself against the stone. He slowly reached for his comm and clipped it to the front of his vest. "What?" he snapped.
"Morning sunshine."
"You almost got me killed," Gabriel growled, slowly inching his way down the cliff side and hoping the kite snakes stayed in their burrows.
"Nah, you're too ugly to die."
Gabriel huffed and continued his descent, slightly alarmed by the hissing cries above.
"Anyway, I got a favor to ask you."
"Figures."
"There've been some disappearances of some of my family's best heads. Think you could track 'em down?"
He didn't immediately answer, concentrating on the invisible path he'd mapped out on his way up. Gingerly, he tested potential footholds. When he returned to Eladoro to see his parents he'd ask about getting a new pair of boots. These were wearing out and they were his last pair. Another chew toy for Jonesy. "What happened to their implants?"
"Can't get a signal. And the trail's dead. Sensors can't pick up anything and the dogs can't smell nothin'. 'Cept Old Blue. Refuses to go back out there for some reason. I think he's gettin' senile."
Gabriel grunted, arms burning. He was slowly edging towards the halfway point. The hissing had faded. The kite snakes had smelled his scent in their burrows, but as long as he wasn't coming back for seconds they were content.
"Come on. You're the best tracker other than Estevan."
"So ask him."
"Shut up, Gabriel. You know he'll shoot me if I go near his place."
"Maybe 'cause you slept with his daughter?"
"Come on, I'm not the only guy she's done it with."
"Yeah, but you're the only idiot to get caught," he clicked as he looked around for a better hand hold. It was getting hotter, but Gabriel didn't mind. It only made him feel more energized. His tendrils, deflated to release heat easier, whipping in the wind as a hot gust from the south rushed over the plains. The golden fields that stretched to the horizon bowed and rippled. Hangmen trees dotted the rolling hills, their empty seed pods that dangled from their twisted limbs clattering like dry bones.
"So can you do it?"
"What're you offering?"
"Drinks at the Outlaw Hideout?"
Gabriel rumbled, thinking. The bastard knew he couldn't resist going to that place. Given the excuse, he went there whenever he ventured into the settlement. Hell, he made up excuses to go there. "There a limit?"
"If you find out what happened to the zarok, no limit. But Gabriel… try to go easy on my wallet."
"No promises."
"Screw you."
"See you at midday?"
"Sounds good."
Gabriel shut off the comm and clipped it back onto his belt. He easily clambered down the rest of the mesa, its sides gradually sloping outward. Securing the eggs in a side compartment, he hopped onto his hovercycle and sped off towards Jeremy's ranch.
\\'/
The Whistling Plains stretched out before him, a herd of red antelope-like creatures bleating as they caught sight of his hovercycle and bounced out of his way. The small craft hummed as it streaked over the high grass, past the grand mesas and uwanu trees, the pale sentinels' smooth branches rising above the earth, silent guardians that had been here long before humanity had cast its first telescopes towards the planet. Galicia and Aragon hung low in the sky, the emerald sphere and icy orb slowly rising above the plains, their sister moons Andalusia and Murcia hidden from sight.
Gabriel zipped past a blue painted totem, the head of a wolf carved onto the top. Its eyes glowed with a faint red light from the sensors embedded inside them. He was in the Wan's territory now. Through his goggles he spied one of their zarok herds to the south, the brown and black striped creatures grazing contentedly. The people of Eladoro maintained the belief that free range stock made the best meat, but Morgan Wan, Jeremy's father, was keeping them unusually close to home. Gabriel wondered just how many heads the family had lost as he approached the white- and orange-splotched butte rising over the plains.
Nebular Enterprises, the company that had funded the settlers' journey, had adopted a policy of low impact living. All Eladorans lived in buttes, carving out their homes room by room at the base of the massive rock formations. Totems were set up around each family's territory to denote feeding grounds and monitor their livestock's movements. The only exceptions made were the shelters for tagging zarok and tending to sick or injured animals. Although carving out homes and businesses into solid rock was a tedious and tiresome process, no one complained when tornado season approached.
Gabriel slowed his hovercycle to a leisurely pace, a smile pulling his top mandibles back slightly as the excited shouts of Wan girls reached his keen ears. Other than his parents, these people were the only other family he had. The hovercycle kicked up dust as he brought it to a halt and set it down. He rubbed his eyes after he removed the goggles, blinking away the harsh light of the midday sun. Three little girls ran towards him, happily chattering and asking him a dozen questions as they encircled his vehicle. Gabriel slipped off his bike and crouched so he was at eye level, letting the twins Seneca and Aurora braid his dreadlocks while Paria showed him her loose tooth and told him about the missing zarok.
"Uncle Gabriel, are you going with Jeremy to find our zarok?"
He nodded.
She looked around then leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You know what I think?"
"What?" he clicked quietly.
"I think that the monsters in the Red Labyrinth ate them."
He chuckled, a deep rumble rolling up from his chest as he stood, the six-year-old twins whining that they weren't done yet and he was ruining his pretty braids. One shake and his tendrils split apart. Gabriel looked down at the slightly older Paria, completely dwarfed yet unafraid. There were some men in the settlement who couldn't even claim an ounce of her bravery. He patted her head and said, "There are no monsters."
He strode off, catching sight of Jeremy as he rode up on his golden-scaled lonma, a horse-like reptile with a long tail, spiked elbows and clawed hoof-paws. Its sharp eyes, fiery spirit and ability to run long distances were greatly prized by the Eladorans. A breeding program had been quickly established by the first settlers, the tamest lonma submitted to the scientists at Tau Sigma IV. After several generations and genetic tampering, a docile population of lonma was created to serve humanity. Bonding with humans began at birth to ensure domestication. The settlement had learned that lesson early after a man was killed and eaten by his poorly trained lonma.
Jeremy hopped off his mount, securing it to a post before facing him. Smiling came as easy to his friend as riding or hunting did for Gabriel. Sweat matted his wild, black hair and dripped down his tan face and neck. He was an amalgam of ethnicities and only an anthropologist would be able to determine how much of what he had inherited, his slanted eyes the only indicator of his Asian ancestry on his father's side. Jeremy flashed him a smile and they clasped hands, pulling each other into a quick half-hug. As soon as they broke away, Gabriel punched him in the shoulder. Hard, but not too hard.
"Ow! Jeez man, it's not my fault you left your comm on." He rubbed his shoulder, still smiling even as he winced.
"You knew I was climbing today."
"Maybe…"
His own smile tugged at his mandibles, but he tried to keep his face as serious as possible.
"Jeremy." They both looked up to see Mariana, hands on her hips as she looked down at them from the top of the steps leading into the Wan house. She had the same wild, black hair as her brother but carried more of her mother's Argentine and Brazilian heritage with her light skin and angular features. Mariana was all curves and Gabriel couldn't help but stare at her exposed leg wrapped in tight leggings, the other limb hidden by a split riding skirt. "Are you going to invite him inside? Mama made roast karrow and she wants him to eat first."
Jeremy sighed. "Yeah, okay, can say hi first?"
Mariana rolled her eyes and went back inside. Jeremy punched him in the shoulder. "Quit looking at my little sister like that. I have to worry about every guy in Eladoro going after her. Do I have to add you to the list?"
Gabriel shrugged and headed towards the house.
"I've got six sisters to worry about, alright," he continued, lowering his voice as they drew near the door. "Eden's turning 16 soon and I am going crazy trying to keep her away from all those Neanderthals that want to…"
Jeremy went quiet as soon as his mother appeared from the kitchen. She was a thin woman with a kind smile and infinite patience. Despite the tired lines stretching from the corners of her eyes and mouth she still retained a measure of her youthful beauty, her wavy ash brown hair wrapped into a loose bun. The youngest, Shilin, clung to her skirt and hid her face. She was the only one in the family afraid of him and he kept his distance.
The house smelled of spices and meat and Gabriel breathed deeply, the familiar smells comforting. There was however, a new smell. Or smells, he should say.
Paria, Seneca and Aurora burst through the door, four tiny barking fur balls bouncing after them. "We have puppies!" yelled the twins excitedly. Small wet noses brushed against his boots as the black puppies took in this unexpected and unique scent. Pink wet tongues licked his hands, no doubt catching the scents of his hovercycle and the kite snake eggs. "You want one, Gabriel?" asked Paria. "Papa says we can only keep one." He didn't say anything as his hand gently wrestled one of the pups that had starting tugging on his pants.
The next hour was full of food, laughter and conversation, although Gabriel noted Mr. Wan was quieter than usual. At an unseen signal that only came after more than twenty years of marriage, Ms. Wan hustled all of her daughters into the kitchen, leaving the men to discuss the problem of the missing livestock. He'd noticed Mariana's displeasure at being left out of the discussion, but she didn't say a word as she left to help with the chores.
"Thank you for helping us, Gabriel," said Mr. Wan.
Gabriel nodded.
Mr. Wan cleared his throat and rubbed his hands over his worn jeans. Touches of gray and white ran along his temples, his face weathered and tan, the slanted eyes he'd inherited from his ancestors giving his features a wizened look. "As Jeremy might have told you, both our sensors and our dogs have failed to determine what happened to our zarok."
"I didn't give him the details," Jeremy quickly said.
His father nodded in acknowledgement before returning his attention to Gabriel. "Totem sensors indicated that the zarok crossed our northern boundary two days ago. We rode after them that evening, but had to call off the search before nightfall. The next morning we followed their tracks since the tracking devices were unable to pick up their tags. The dogs lost their scent in the flatlands around the Red Labyrinth."
"Jeremy said Old Blue refused to track."
"He's old and his sense of smell is starting to dull," Mr. Wan explained. He gestured towards his son. "Jeremy will take you to where the trail ends. Hopefully, you will be able to determine what happened to them."
Gabriel nodded. "I see well at night. I will track them as long as it takes." He quickly raised a hand to cut off the elder Wan. "Your son has already promised payment and I agreed to it."
Mr. Wan looked at his son. "Very well."
Jeremy and Gabriel set out immediately, both taking a lonma. It was easier to track by mount, plus the animals would alert them of any dangers hidden in the shrubs and high grasses.
Ixion's rays beat down on the rocky hills, heat whipping off the orange dirt like pale fire. Gabriel's heat sensitive eyes caught the crouched form of a black-eyed cougar watching them from beneath a cluster of heavy shrubs. They normally roamed the dusky mountains and forests to the south and north. He watched it watching them for a moment, before returning his attention to the trail Jeremy was leading him on. A gust of wind blew from the south behind him and he paused, reining in his eager lonma. He inhaled slowly, Jeremy noticing his absence a few seconds later. He turned and trotted back beside him. "What? What do you smell?"
Gabriel rumbled and looked back the way they had come. "Someone's following us."
They waited, the only sound the rushing of wind over the grass and the cries of distant birds. Jeremy was about to suggest they move on when another rider appeared around the hillside. He groaned. "Dad's gonna kill her."
Mariana quickly caught up to them, her tight-set face daring them to tell her to go back.
Jeremy snorted. "You had to wear a cowboy hat?"
"We're ranchers Jeremy. Honestly, you're the vainest guy in Eladoro."
"Hats flatten my hair."
"Whatever."
Gabriel tolerated their bickering, taking the lead so as not to get dragged in and have to pick a side. The two, barely a year apart, were closer than most siblings. Mariana though had an independent streak that often got her trouble. Gabriel had noticed an increasing tension between her and her father. Jeremy was the only son and even though it was the family ranch, the ranch would go to him. The Wans fully expected their eldest daughter to get married soon. But Mariana, Gabriel knew, was all about business. Ranching was in her blood and she could haggle with the best. Most of the men in the settlement were intimidated by her and he couldn't see her settling down anytime soon.
"Gabriel, don't listen to her!"
His attention snapped back to the present and he glanced back at the two, a smug smile curving across Mariana's face. The look of annoyed desperation on his friend's face was amusing and he locked eyes with his sister, waiting expectantly.
"Do you know Jeremy's real name?"
Jeremy muttered a threat under his breath, giving her a dirty look. Gabriel trilled softly.
"His name is—"
"Lalalalalalala! He can't hear youuu!" Jeremy blurted, leaning over to cover her mouth.
Mariana pulled her mount away, laughing. "His name's Barringer!"
His friend groaned in frustration. "You traitor! You promised you'd never tell anyone."
"You made fun of my hat," she said, lifting her chin and closing her eyes, a quiet 'hmph' escaping her throat as she trotted past him. Her smirk as she drew near Gabriel told him it was all in jest.
Gabriel chuckled. It actually made sense. All the other Wan girls were named after natural wonders found on Earth, their parents caught up in the trend of naming children after people, objects or places from the homeworld. Jeremy had once told him about the time he'd met a talented ship's cook of French ancestry named Eiffel, ironically nicknamed by his shipmates Awful Joe. "Barringer, huh?" he clicked, looking back at Jeremy's sour face.
"You're both assholes. You know that, right?"
They rode through the morning, falling into a comfortable silence after arguing and joking for about an hour. Gabriel became increasingly focused on the trail, Jeremy pointing out the deep hoof marks the zarok made after a pack of foxwolves had attacked. The large predators had been successful in their hunt, isolating a member of the herd and bringing it down not far outside of the boundary outlined by the totems. The carcass had been dragged away, but Gabriel wasn't interested in the slain zarok. The foxwolves had earned their kill.
Jeremy led him to where they'd lost the trail, the ground flat and rocky. Not even the dogs had found anything in the area. Gabriel hopped off his lonma and handed the reins to his friend, crouching as he studied the ground. "How many are you missing?" he rumbled.
"Three minus the one killed by the foxwolves."
His brow furrowed as he studied the tufts of crushed grass and chipped rock, the zaroks' scent all but gone. He traced the flattened grass with his fingertips, huffing as he scanned the horizon. The grass hadn't been nibbled on and a hoof stepping on it wouldn't leave that kind of mark.
"What?" Mariana asked.
"One of the zarok fell, but I'm not sure why." He remained crouched, weighing their options. "Take me beyond the dogs' search area."
"That's close to the Red Labyrinth," Jeremy said, his face tensing in anxiety.
Gabriel grunted and hopped back on his lonma, heading northwest towards the fanged rocks of the red-colored maze. The ominous rock formation jutted high into the air, its crimson fangs rising over the dusty landscape. Fifteen years ago a couple of tourists and an Eladoran guide had once ventured inside of it. When they didn't return, the old sheriff and his deputy had gone looking for them the next day. No one ever saw them again either and to this day no one went near it. The Red Labyrinth was infused with metals that disrupted all electronic equipment, creating a dead zone around it for several kilometers. And if that weren't enough to create tales of a minotaurian monster roaming within its twisted depths, even the animals steered clear of it.
Gabriel left his lonma with Jeremy and Mariana. Although the sun was high, it was nearing midnight in Terran time and the Wan siblings were becoming drowsy. He left them to set up camp and get some sleep while he tracked throughout the long afternoon. He preferred hunting alone. Sometimes he didn't even know what he was looking for when he went out every few months. Even if he didn't catch anything, he found a singular thrill in the chase and the challenge of stalking. Out in the wilderness he could let his mind go blank, relying only on his senses, the silence refreshing.
Navarra's sister moons and a few wispy clouds slowly traveled across the clear aqua sky. Eladorans never saw the planet Nephele, their side of the moon forever facing the stars.
By sunset he'd given up. Mile after mile he'd searched for any sign of zarok. The only thing he'd found was frustration. He didn't lose trails often and his failure ate at him. It was an annoyingly intriguing puzzle. The only rational explanation he could think of was that someone was stealing the zarok. But who? And why? He ran over a list of possible enemies, if there was such a thing in Eladoro.
He found Jeremy by himself, asleep. Mariana and her lonma were nowhere in sight. Gabriel settled himself on the ground, crossing his legs and watching for any sign of his friend's sister. As the land began to cool beneath the violet sky, she rode in from the hills from the east, the lonma and her glowing orange against the darkened plains. The two lonma left at the camp also watched the pair approach, warbling and stomping in excitement. This woke up Jeremy, who lightly sprung to his feet, his hand on his holster. Gabriel was somewhat impressed at how quickly he reacted.
"Chh, it's just Mariana," he grumbled, turning to the lonma to try and calm them. Lonma possessed a pseudopack mentality, accepting the company of close kin and relatives. Strange lonma however, were not tolerated unless it was the breeding season. When the two recognized the other creature they settled down, barking in greeting.
Mariana dismounted, the circles under her eyes telling Gabriel she hadn't slept much. "You find anything?"
Gabriel shook his head.
Jeremy sighed and sat on large, flat rock. "I went west for a while. Nothing."
The three of them sat in silence for a minute, the realization that the zarok might never be found hard to swallow. Gabriel broke the silence. "Jeremy, does your family have a problem with any of the other ranchers?"
"What? No. Everyone likes my father."
Mariana nodded her head in agreement.
"What about you?"
His friend's eyes narrowed. "What about me?"
"You've gotten into some arguments with the Young brothers in the past. And there's Estevan Parra." He'd butchered the last sentence. Gabriel swallowed to try and ease the burning ache in his throat. Damn b's and p's.
"The young brothers and I are fine. They stay on their side of Eladoro and I stay on mine and when we're in town we nod and move on."
"And the Parra family?" He caught of whiff of anger from Jeremy.
"Look, I know he's mad at me but Estevan wouldn't steal our cattle."
"Hold on," interrupted Mariana. "What's this about the Parra family? Jeremy what did you do?"
Jeremy remained tight lipped. She looked to Gabriel who looked at Jeremy. His friend sighed in frustration. "Fine! Jeez, I… I slept with Reina… and her dad caught us."
Mariana rolled her eyes. "Oh my God."
He folded his arms.
His sister rose and began packing her bedroll, muttering about the stupidity of men. Her pack secured she turned to face him, arms crossed. "Whether or not he stole the zarok, you have to go and apologize to Mr. Parra—"
"What?!"
"And whatever you do, do not accuse him of stealing."
"Have either of you considered that it might have been pirates? They could have slipped passed the sensors." Jeremy directed his theory to Gabriel, trying to avoid Mariana's line of discussion.
"There would be signs of landing and boot prints if that were true," rumbled Gabriel as he stood. "Your father should report it to the Sheriff Brady and have him warn the other ranchers. Maybe they're missing livestock as well."
Jeremy grumbled and began packing up his bedroll while Mariana watered her lonma. Gabriel slipped on his rebreather, his lungs strained from the day's exertions. They rode back to the Wan ranch, the mood of the group tense and disheartened. Very little was said and no one looked forward to telling Morgan Wan that they had failed to find anything useful.
