Chapter 3.
My first Wraith.
Day thirteen...
Trip in mountains has been superseded afternoon walk in the woods.
First, Kate was so tired the next day after the fire, that she wake up just before noon. The last few days of almost-clock mental effort made, that now she was felt, like someone had sucked all of her strength... ironically, she thought, because she was in a world, where it was literally possible.
Secondly, Kylen Andarias for two hours telling her about the modernization of the town... in which she, as an outstanding scientist - he stressed - could really help them. Nothing complicated, remarked, because Wraith annihilate every society, which they deem as a threat. Just a few simple amenities, that make their lives easier, but do not expose them to the wrath of the Wraith.
Harrigan agreed. She could not deny them. After all she owes a lot to them - she and her friends... who, she hoped, returned safely to home.
So, putting aside personal plans, she began by presenting them to quickly few sketches watermills and windmills, thanks to which Vallen could obtain a electricity. She also take a look at the local sewer projects, which to her surprise, has long functioned efficiently in this small community. As and the drainage system of farmlands.
She also decided to take advantage of the nearby geothermal sources, about which she learned by chance from Miriam. Perhaps at a later time will even run with steam driven devices, whose principle of operation she briefly explained the local Council. It would have helped them at harvest or in the town.
Residents Vallen very carefully listened to all these revolutionary for them information. They never met anyone who had so much knowledge in so many different topics. And although visitors from another dimension explained to them as easily as they could how they get on this planet, it still people from Vallen partly believed, that Katherine Harrigan may be, however, a messenger of Avatars.
The one whose arrival heralded from thousands years a engravings high in the mountains.
- ...And how do you know, that it is not because for their causes you find here? - asked two days ago in some point Miriam, thereby cutting off mocking words the professor. - A few days ago you perceived, that our world is a... fiction. But today you are here... So, how sure, that this is not due of Avatars you become moved just here?... Our prophecies has thousands of years, and in this galaxy these creatures... - she nodded at dogs - ...they are very rare. Practically we know them only from the sculptures in the mountains... And yet, by a strange coincidence, arrived here you and they. As in the prophecy.
Wald wanted to say something, but she silenced him with one, grim look.
Seeing this, the rest of the team proposed later Miriam to come back with them... as a tamer professor, they joked...
It was probably the only time when Harrigan saw a older woman laughing, fondly remembered now those day Kate, and stopped at the top of a small hill behind the town, looking for each other.
Between her and the settlement stretched the great meadow full of colorful wild flowers and fluffy grass, over which merrily buzzing insects. Farther was first buildings of Vallen. View almost like a fairy tale, reminiscent of a small town in a forgotten corner of Europe, she thought.
Yes, she had help in the modernization... only, that after two hours on arguing with the local "golden handles" about everything, she lost all enthusiasm for these plans. So, she packed a small backpack, change clothes and walked with dogs for an afternoon walk. Since each of them knows better how it should be done, what she has designed... go ahead, now they have a free hand, she said with irritably to them and turned on her heel, she returned to the Miriam house. In truth Kylen appeared very quickly, convincing her, that she should go back, but he quickly realized, that new member of their community needs a respite.
- All right. You're right - he said quietly, with a slight smile. - Take a break... and for two days they would ask you to come back - he snorted.
He knew them too well to know that they will not be able to work together, if someone not will be supervised them. Each of these men always tried to be a leader and command the other, what leading only to quarrel, so they always need someone, who were replaced their all in this task... and this time this task coincided to Harrigan.
However now, when she aimed, together with the dogs, to the woods, she was happy that this... "honorable" task, today will miss her.
She improved her backpack and undid the dogs off the leash. Here they are no longer threatened for animals from the town, so they can run freely, happy that finally they may run riot at will. Although all the time and so Kate watch of them, using telepathy - it was one of the few cases, in when her abilities was very useful. Telepathic "contact" with the dogs allowed her in any time to affect their "natural" reactions, which to the environment might be undesirable.
She slowed a little pace. In here vast meadows slowly began to give way to trees, which finally completely taken their place. Only there, covered with mixed forest area, began to climb slowly up, to a dozen miles away change into a typical from those landscape, ended by beautiful and majestic mountains... mountains so high, that their tops were covered with snow throughout the year.
She speeding pace, entering the forest. Here, the high and big trees gives little shade, protected from the still bright sun. On Vallen day lasted thirty hours, and in addition was the middle of summer, so the day was very long... enough that Kate still had problems adjusting to obowiÄ…cujecego time here.
She looked around. From the side, in a small hollow, she saw a murmuring brook with crystal clear water flowing on the larger and smaller pebbles. The lack of terrestrial civilization was immediately noticeable, she thought wryly. Here, no one knew what it pollution, or diseases of civilization. All was immaculate, as on Earth, yet two hundred years ago, before the era of technological development.
But not only she quickly saw inviting-looking stream. Two dogs immediately vigorously rushed toward him to take a cooling bath. Chocież climate in the area appeared to moderate, however, and so for the dogs from far north it was still too warm.
Having no other choice, Kate paused with a slight amusement looking how both dogs with pleased lie down in the cool water. Light, refreshing breeze rustled the leaves of trees and gently swing her partly loose hair. She looked up, at the flickering among the tall treetops rays of the sun.
Somewhere from above she heard a strange sound... which after a moment was repeated. Dogs also listen for a moment, but then they came out from the stream and moved on, happy. Probably it's some local animal, she consider and she followed by them. That would be great malice of fate if this sound turned out to be a Wraith dart, she thought. And now, in her first from a long time free afternoon, she would meet these green cockroaches... at the beginning her forced relocation to this world. If it were, it mean that fate have a lot more sarcastic sense of humor than her own, she stated in thoughts.
Another sound came to her ears. This time it was crackin twig.
She looked nervously down the path... and breathed a sigh of relief. It was just an animal, resembling a forest tapir. Probably she slowly starting to fall into paranoia because of those all Mili's "hunches", she thought reluctantly.
So far she was too much busy working on restarting the interdimensional bridges generator, to thinking about her situation. But now... Now she no longer has anything to keep attention her mind and consciousness of the place in which she found herself, slowly began her reach. And with it all the knowledge that she had about the Wraith.
She speed, starting to jog. Maybe it relaxed her a little, she thought.
The dogs eagerly moved forward, with no problem keeping her speed.
She slows down only a kilometer away. Just was started a small forest canyon, about which mentioned her Miriam.
On the beginning of the steep, rocky walls were not too high, but relatively quickly this situation has changed and a few dozen meters away slope of the canyon were already about a hundred meters - enough that falling down person would be die on the massive boulders defaulting on its bottom.
And then the dogs were interested in something on the other side... or rather someone.
A tall figure in a black coat and long white hair was looking at her from the other side.
- Oh, shit - she muttered to herself in polish. - Well, Mili, you prophesy.
Only this was missing her today - the Wraith...
Wildfire stopped for a moment. He saw this human female and her two animals before, but now also she saw him. And now, in the light of the day, he could look at her more closely.
So, it has to be this all Avatar, he thought.
Somehow she did not look particularly special. Just an ordinary, human being. Medium height, slender. How threat she could be to him? - he thought and smirked corner of his mouth.
But now, when he looked at her from the other side of the forest canyon, not this, so actually, preoccupy his mind. But again the impression that once he already met her... very, very long time ago.
Her petite, gentle face, surrounded by thick, wavy hair tied awkwardly in the back, and close to the body outfit, thoroughly emphasizes all her shapes...
Very neat shapes, he thought, accurately studying her a his gaze.
And suddenly Commander flinch, torn from his reflections, when the human female suddenly smiled and raised her slight hand as if in greeting.
Did she heard his thoughts? - he flinched. Not. It's impossible. It's just a human, he thought and growled under his breath, admonishing himself for being so stupid conclusions.
Even with just a few dozen meters that separated them, Kate saw his grim face - as if she personally killed the ax all his family, she thought slightly disgusted and she pulled harder on her forehead baseball cap, she moved on.
And suddenly she realized that for several tens of meters both sides of the little canyon should connect... as said her Miriam.
She grabbed quickly dogs and she pinned them to the leash. She had hoped that it will not happen, but if, however, their paths crossed... this oversized cockroach was able to frighten her dogs, she thought.
She straightened up, wanting to move on, when suddenly the corner of her eye she saw that Wraith disappeared. She looked around hurriedly, anxious, but she nowhere could not see it.
On the one hand, good, she thought, but on the other it worried her. Now, at any time, he may appear on her way with this his sucker on the hand - she grimaced reluctant at the thought of it... and suddenly she felt a strong tug. Impatient dogs decided to move on, pulling her along.
Observing area carefully the corner of her eye, she quickened her pace. And yet she was still able to simultaneously admire this place.
The lockal vegetation remarkably resembled that which she knew from the Earth. It's amazing that in two distant galaxies evolved so similar flora, she thought. High, like redwoods, trees and mosses covering the ground. Or maybe it's because of Lanteans, who have brought with them samples of terrestrial plants and spread them across the galaxy?
Yes, it would be more logical explanation, she stated and stopped in front of the place where both sides of the canyon were connected, at the foot of a high rock. She looked carefully around, but fortunately the Wraith disappeared without a trace. She breathed a sigh of relief ab she leaned forward to let go the dogs... and then the corner of her eye she sees something black on the side. She straightened up sharply and almost jumped back at the sight of the Wraith.
- Jesus, you want me to have a heart attack? - she pointed out, holding firmly the two dogs that almost tore out to greet him.
The Commander stared at them for a moment. This bigger he met yesterday. The second, all white, had to be his companion about which mentioned the female.
He smiled corner of his mouth.
- You're not from here, are you? - asked throaty voice.
Kate flinched at first, but then smiled with a slight irony.
- And what, you know all people from this town? - she joked, trying to relax, but meeting face to face with the Wraith is definitely not conducive to such matters.
- No... But every the local human would have been far away, in your place - he said, looking at her menacingly.
- I visiting my cousin - she added quickly and smiled broadly.
- From which planet you are from? - he asked suspiciously.
- I do not think you know this place - she waved her hand, trying to somehow get out of this situation. - You know, this is a little backwater on the edge of the galaxy, away from the trade routes... Hardly anyone visits us...
- What's the name? - he growled menacingly.
- Uh, Coruscant - she said quickly the first name of a planet that came into her head.
Wildfire slightly furrowed his brow, wondering for a moment.
- I told you that you probably do not know it - she again added quickly. - Actually I see the Wraith for the first time in my life - she said, knowing that her behavior must be strange for him as a human. - We know your species only from legends...
- Yours legend apparently not tell you to much about us, if you stand still here - he hissed, moved closer his face to hers.
He was much taller than her, so he had to stoop. Harrigan smiled as wide as she could, tilting slightly backwards.
- I know, I know, you feed on the people... and with food you do not discussed - she joked. - But, it was you, who started this conversation - she reminded him.
The Wraith Commander growled again, showing his sharp, shark teeth...
And then rescued her dogs - bored standing in the place, they began to spin and moan.
The Wraith looked at them as if with a slight reserve, not being sure of their behavior. In truth, so far, they did
not show any signs of aggression, but it was still laupus, he thought. And well-trained laupus was able to attack in the blink of an eye on a sign of human... He found out about it a long time ago personally, he remembered reluctant those event.
- Your planet must to be very forgotten, because such creatures are rare.
- It's... such other variety of laupus... dogs - she explained. - They are usually kept for protection and companionship... Although, this variety is just more for companion - she said, although she did not know why.
Maybe instinctively, as always on the Earth, in the case of humans uncertain as to the reaction of dogs. So now, seeing the concern on his face, at the view of hanging around uneasily animals, she did the same... Although, it was foolish of her, she thought, because she just increase his advantage in case he tried to attack her.
The Commander clearly relaxed at her words, now calmly looking at the dogs, which of course were happy that someone drew attention to them. Then he stretched out his hand, and they started waving even more theirs tails. Keeping them in place has become more difficult for Kate.
- Can you? - she muttered. - If I let them, they will jump on you... Unfortunately it is difficult to unlearn them this way of showing joy on someone view.
But he did not respond... so, Harrigan frowned, disgusted and suddenly she let go of braces.
The Wraith jumped back up, when both dogs almost shot out from the place, and then they began to fawn to him, jumping up and moaning with joy. He growled, trying to scare them... but they just looked at him for a moment, surprised issued by the Wraith sound, and then they again started revolve around him.
Kate grinned maliciously. It was a funny moment, she thought. Wraith did not know how to deal with this double dose of shaggy joy fawning to him.
- I warned you - she snorted. He looked at her angrily. - Take it easy... If you ignore them, they will lose interest in you - she said casually and slowly moved on.
After the while she whistle on her fingers.
Dogs stared after her for a moment, as if wondering whether to go or stay with potential new companion to play. But when the Wraith growled again, this time louder and more menacing, he scare them slightly. So, they immediately ran after the woman.
- What? Big, nasty bug frightened you?... Good to you both, little traitor - she threw the polish and she scratched them on the head, when they poke their noses in her hands. - Yes, yes, I know. Nasty, oversized cockroach - she said and looked at the place where he stood. But it was no one there. She looked around. - Or he teleports... or there is hidden entrance to the cave, like in the movie - she said, glancing at the large rock wall on the side, and then she moved on.
.
.
Wildfire embed his fighter on one of the platforms in the main hangar, but not once has left its interior.
His mind was still great concern about the human female and her connections with the mysterious energy readings from Vallen. He knew the legend the humans living on this planet - the legend of the arrival of the envoy of Avatars. And what he saw and what he knew very well suited to this legend.
And yet he still rejected a thought that this all may be true.
A thought, that the female, which he had seen, can be foretold thousands of years ago the messenger of the Avatars. That would mean that she is one of them... And personally he would prefer that it was not. For him it would be better if she was to be just an ordinary mortal... although now he does not want to admit it even to himself.
Lost in his thoughts, he did not even notice when form the corridor emerged another Wraith.
Stardust was slightly lower than his nephew, but of similar build. His smooth, silky hair shoulder-length, only on the sides of the face were pinned in two thin braids. His left eye was decorated with elaborate tattoo.
He belonged to the Oldest Wraith, born long before the Great War.
And he was the only family that remained Wildfire after the war.
Once he was Hivemaster, Commander of Nebula, but after the war he gave up this function for his nephew and went back to what he worked in the past: for repairing a ships. He preferred it a lot more than the command the hiveship. Less hassle and less stress.
Anyway, after the war with Lantanas and so the time has come to finally give way to the younger
generation space. Let them prove... And let them create a new world in which they will be lived for the next ten thousand years. Because their world, the Oldest world, disappeared with the advent of war.
And with the destruction of Patria - their home planet.
- About what you so meditate? - he asked with a slight sneer.
A younger Wraith twitched, torn from his thoughts.
- Above anything special - he said and stood up to jump out of a fighter.
- Hmm, really? It looked like something you seriously troubled - he noted. - Could it have something to do with the strange energy readings on Vallen? - he asked with a sneer.
- Sharpwind told you? - he muttered somewhat dissatisfied.
- Well, it was hard not to notice that suddenly you disappeared for two days - he replied with a note of irony. - So, how's the investigation? - he inquired, still with clear amusement. - Or maybe you were more busy trying to catching the local furry creatures? - Stardust snorted, glancing at the lower part of his coat, where was could see plenty of bright pelage.
Wildfire also looked down and grimaced mouth, unhappy.
- No - he growled. - This laupus hair...
- Laupus? - First Officer repeated anxiously.
- Yes... But they was kind of strange.
- What's that? - he interested in.
- They are more... friendly... They approached to each... A female, to which they belong, called them: dogs. In a conversation with the other human, she mentioned that this particular variety has been bred for companionship... And indeed they did not show any aggression. In fact they demanded my attention.
Stardust watched on him closely all the time and at the end he slightly furrowed brow.
- What color were those laupus? - he asked.
His words somewhat surprised Wildfire. Now he furrowed his eyebrows slightly.
- One gray-white, and the other all white - he responded slowly. - Why do you ask? - he was surprised.
- Is this human female maybe was a medium height, slender, with long, dark hair... and she was spoke in a strange language? - asked cautiously Stardust.
- Yes... But how do you know? - his surprise was growing with every moment.
- So it's true - said a older Wraith, but more to herself than to his nephew.
- What is truth? - asked the Commander, more and more confused by behavior his uncle.
- The Legend of arrival Avatar - he muttered, and turned on his heel, walked hastily down the long corridor.
A younger Wraith caught up with him quickly.
- You're talking about the legend from Vallen? - he demanded an explanation.
- Not now... I must first speak with the Council - almost grumbled Stardust.
But Wildfire did not give up so easily. He never did. It was also his advantage and disadvantage. When something caught his attention, as long he drilled a topic until he has obtained a satisfactory explanation... Even if this put him into trouble. Therefore, and this time he was not going to give up, until his uncle does not explain what he is able so well describe this human female.
- Don't treat me as a little boy - he almost growled, irritated and he grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. - I wants to know what's going on. Why is it so important that you must to talk about this with the Council?
On the face of Stardust showed a stoic calm when he looked at his nephew. And then he smiled a little corner of his mouth.
- You always said that my storys are a fairy good for children - he said calmly, but with a hint of irony. - And suddenly you interested in?
- But earlier your storys never so well does not coincide with reality.
- Because you had never been checking this - he said, and moved on.
Commander again caught him step.
- Can you tell me or not? - now he definitely growled, slowly losing patience for his uncle games.
- But you do not believe in the story about Avatars.
- I did not say that I do not believe in them. I just do not understand your fascination with them - he pointed out with a note of irony. - You treat them almost like gods, while they left us when the war broke out... And we anyway won. Ourselves without their help.
- If you believe in the story of Avatars, you should remember that as ascending they can not meddle in the affairs of mortals - said Stardust, still calm. - And the Great War was just such a case.
- Stay on topic - he scolded him lightly. - What this human female has in common with the Avatars?
- You know the legend from Vallen about the arrival of Avatar. So, you should easily associate facts - he
said, and walked into the small room transporter.
Beam moved them to another level hive before Wildfire could speak.
- Are you suggesting that these strange energy readings from Vallen and this human female, is nothing more than a fulfillment to this... prophecy? - he snorted. - That she is the messenger of Avatars?
Older Wraith stopped suddenly and looked at his nephew seriousness.
- I still do not understand why all these questions, if you and so do not believe in my words - he said, clearly offended by the behavior of the younger Wraith. Even if this was now his commander. - Yes, I think that this female could be Avatar announced in the legends. Energy readings and those two creatures that you described, very well reflect what contain engravings in the mountains on Vallen... And now excuse me, but I want to talk about it with someone who will not be making fun of my words - he added maliciously, and went to the door leading to his quarters.
Wildfire remained in the corridor.
He could not remember the last time he saw his uncle intrigued something so serious. Ever since he remember Stardust was an oasis of calm. Always cheerful, even carefree and fond of a joke. But now the Commander saw a completely different side of his nature.
The one which he remembered only from childhood, from the beginning of the Great War, when the old world the Oldest Wraith suddenly collapsed and they were thrown in the depths of the conflict, which they did not wanted.
.