Ok, it's starting to get good now! Sorry again for the delay, finding time to write lately had been a real chore! Hope you like this and I will continue to get these out even if it is not as fast as I would like!
Keep R/R ing I enjoy the reviews!
Thanks!
Darwin
Chapter Eleven: Escalation
Gerard was panting heavily, his legs aching and rubbery, trying hard to keep up with Gui'Yata loping easily to his left. His chest hurt, and sweats beaded and rolled down into his eyes, his back, and into places that were altogether miserable with the moisture. His dark hair was matted against his face and obscured his vision. That was already starting to corona with fatigue the dark circle narrowing the longer he moved. His arms were leaden and as his swing decreased his steps minced closer together. The Soua had set a ground eating pace, scouts on Yimhi running in great strides ahead of the main party, but most were on foot covering ground easily despite the lack.
Gerard badly wanted to slow the pace, to stop and drink some water, to regain his breath. He was frightened to ask the favor, when he was owed none with these creatures. He had allowed that fate to befall him with his lack of action, for being the burden he was to their society. He continued to keep his mouth shut and ran with reserves of strength that were fast dwindling in the face of the road still ahead of them. He did not know just how much longer he could continue. He felt himself stumble, regain his footing only to stumble again. Each time his tall companion's attention would turn unobtrusively to him, as if the creature expected him to fall, to fail. Gerard was unsure just what the creature's thoughts were, but waves of guilt for his own weakness washed over him.
Gerard was driven by another thought, another reserve of strength that dulled his senses to the complaints of his body. The alien had hinted at it, and until now he had denied the feeling in himself. There was a spark of caring for Courtney, of attraction there within him, an urge to keep her safe, and it was feeding him strength beyond the physical. Courtney was elusive, hard to read with her melded cultural styles. He still did not know her whole story; she had been very private about her earthen past when she had been so open about her recent past on Soona. There was a pain there in her eyes when he looked at her, some deep hurt that she had been unwilling to share. He had seen the way that she started to give over to an obvious, at least physical, attraction, only to see the wall come up. She was so good at defending her emotions and he was unsure whether it was the society she was in now or that something had happened in her past that made her defensive emotionally. He had wanted to find out more about her, even from the first, when he had found her in the company of the alien Gui'Yata, on the ship, on earth what seemed like eons ago in his consciousness. What would give her the drive to forsake all that she was on Earth and trade it for a life where every day she faced death? He still wanted to know that, he wanted something more from her than the business like style with which she had regarded him with to this point. And there was a very real possibility now that he would never get the chance.
"No," He thought physically shaking his head as his leaden feet continued to pound unfeeling on the mossy soil. If he had any influence on events Courtney would be returned to them, to him. He was not sure how that was going to come about but he was determined to do what he could to deal with his unit mate, and make this all right again.
Gerard's noise echoed loudly in Gui'Yata's ears, irritating him. The sound would carry a long way in these woods, and were there enemy ears the man would give away their approach. Gui'Yata did not think that the human realized just how loud he naturally was. He would leave the human behind, as others had already sub vocalized to him to do, were it not for the overwhelming feeling that this man was vitally important to the rescue, and the outcome of this war. It was a feeling that he had tried to rationalize away, suddenly seeing a soft spot that he seemed to have developed for the humans, telling himself that he had been exposed to their culture too long. Yet the feeling would not leave him, Gerard had a part to play and it had not yet come to the end of it.
He shook his head minutely smiling under his mask. Courtney was the same way when she had first begun her training. She had been so easy to track and overcome that first year in training. He had assumed that she would figure out just why he was able to find her so easily when practicing between trees very similar to these. He had finally enlightened her of his observation when it became obvious that she would not think of it on her own. She had since mastered stealth, better than some Soua that he knew. That pang went through him again at the thought of what was being done to Courtney while she was being held in the swamps.
"She had better be safe," He thought angrily. The world around him grayed out for a moment as his thoughts turned to what he would do if the human that he had come to like, even love in his own way, came to harm or died, "Yanah protect them if they have hurt her," he thought a wave of anger making his blood white hot.
The rasping sound coming from Gerard penetrated his thoughts and his hackles rose again. He looked to his right and down seeing the heavy reds and oranges of the man's body indicating that he was nearing the end of his endurance. Gui'Yata grimaced under his mask, realizing that they may have to pause on their way to allow the human to regain some of his strength. That grated on his already anxious thoughts, wanting to get to Lmarianta as soon as was possible, get Courtney out quickly, and kill this human responsible for her capture.
He looked away again seeing the coursing bodies of the infiltration party all around him. Only three of them were from the founding party, Nobaya, Yaha and himself. The others were varying members of their city, Tomakaya and Temasu had insisted on joining the party, each having a reason to seek vengeance against these Noa.
Tomakaya he understood, she was a seasoned warrior, a great asset to this hunt, but Temasu? He was young, not even blooded yet in the hunt. On his other claw though, the boy had already shown great cunning and foresight in his escape from Hosmara Field. His body still bore the long sword scar down his back. It was proof of his bravery transporting the clue that had been essential to their investigation into the bloody ambushes. Quona himself had given the boy special dispensation to join the hunt.
Many of the others attending this rescue were equally incensed with the Noa, each having suffered some undue loss from the two attacks upon Taysa. In all there were thirty of them ranging silently through the trees in a rough semicircle of warriors and all looking for Noa blood. This time they would have the element of surprise and the fury of the righteous to back them.
Gui'Yata glanced sideways as he saw Gerard falter again and reaching to his helmet transmitted a signal he had hoped not to have to make. The group immediately slowed allowing the looping middle, Gui'Yata and Gerard at its apex to catch up with them. Quickly the scouts jumped from their mounts and scaled the trees, needing no prompting to remind them that they were in enemy territory. Gui'Yata watched the party disperse into the thick cover on the edge of a clearing and soon none was to be seen. Silence fell over the forest as the rustling died, and the trees took on foreboding anticipation at upcoming events. Gui'Yata shivered despite his exercise.
He shifted his attention to the human standing just a bit behind him bent over with his head hanging low and his hands upon his knees. He looked barely able to stand and his chest was heaving mightily as he tried to process the thinner oxygen content in the air. Gui'Yata knelt down staring at the man, "Will you survive?" He was alarmed at the heart rate his helmet revealed in the man, high even for a human.
"Sure," Gerard panted, glancing at the alien through his bangs, "No problem…I…don't….know why… you stopped."
"Because, your body tells the truth even when you prefer to lie to save face," Gui'Yata stated flatly. He shook his head minutely, "This is one Soua whom you do not have to throw up a façade for."
"Yes you," Gerard continued, "But… what about…the rest."
Gui'Yata shrugged in that very human way, "Let them think what they will, they will not go against Quona's orders."
Gui'Yata straightened looking to the horizon. He estimated that the swamp was only several clicks away, and that their time table would not be set back too badly by a break, they would most certainly make it before nightfall. He stumbled back as the ground shook violently his dew-claws reacting instinctively to keep him on his feet. He did not see when Gerard was thrown to the ground by the force of it. A quiet rumble began steadily rising in intensity until it not only filled their ears but tried to control their heart rates as well. At first he had thought it was a sinkhole even if they were rare this time of year, but the echo did not sound proper, it did not sound like it was coming from under the ground, it sounded as if it was coming over it.
"What's going on?" Gui'Yata shouted into his mask, aiming his question at the sentries. They did not answer him at once. And the sinking feeling in his gut played counterpoint to the rumbling world around them. Gui'Yata heard the loud whooshing sound just clear his head and watched in horror as the tree where the left hand sentry had been explode into small splinters of wood.
Quona heard the warning from the sentries on the perimeter fence and his eyes automatically went towards the swamp. Yet there was no sign of threat from that direction and he shifted his gaze taking in what he could see of the perimeter. The alarm had been raised to the East, well away from the swamplands. He began to move that direction but was intercepted by a runner bearing news.
"Quona," The young warrior said respectfully bowing low, "An army approaches."
His heart leapt, "How many?" He said calmly despite the anxious feeling.
They had repaired the communications devices just before the rescue party had left, relaying their still beleaguered state to Donona. They were isolated now the Noa had effectively cut them off from the rest of their own world. Scouts had reported watchers at nearly every crossing through the forest surrounding their home. They would try to travel the treetops only to find small bands of Noa fighters to bar their path, many had been turned back others had gone out and never returned. Quona did not know if any had actually made it through the net. The Noa were gathering again, preparing to attack and Taysa's numbers were so few with the rescue party gone that the resistance would be easily overwhelmed. He was certain that the Noa knew of their deficit as well. It was only a matter of time, but how long was a mystery.
The Eesan had dismissed his claims at first, unwilling to believe the Noa were anywhere close to being capable of the kind of organization that had so nearly destroyed their world. They still held to the belief that the Soua were the supreme beings on the planet. The Noa were mere animals playing at civilization. Quona frowned at that thought, that sort of thinking would mean extermination. And with that knowledge he had presented visual evidence of his discovery, the proof of not only the Noa's involvement but exactly how they had managed to get them all to believe that they had been fighting their own.
Unlike previous attacks the Noa had not been given the chance to clean up or destroy the physical signs of their presence. The band that had made it over the Treetop Bridge had been quickly isolated by Raha's destruction well placed barrage of plasma grenades, and with much intense fighting killed. They had more than a dozen Noa bodies many still rotting where they lay, and they had the modified masks with skins glued to the insides. The evidence was more than even the overly biased Ot Eesan could refute. Reluctantly they had promised an army, one to fight off and hopefully rid the Soua Society of the Noa threat. After all they could not hunt if they had to concern themselves with fending off Noa attackers every time they tried to board ship.
But then the question in Quona's mind became, who had come first? Had Donona's army come or was it another wave in the already crippling attack by the Noa?
"At least three hundred, Quona," The hunter said.
"Hm, show me," Quona replied following as the younger Soua turned and headed back in the direction he had come.
They paused at the railing and Quona picked out the thick mass of individually moving heat signatures moving through the forest below them. His body relaxed visibly, Donona had made it first. There was renewed hope welling up in his hunt hardened heart.
The Soua did not conduct their armies in a traditional sense, to look at the group it was disorganized groups spreading and overlapping across the land. It looked essentially like barely controlled chaos. That look was farthest from the truth. Parade formations were all well and good if you wanted to look impressive for some high ranking Eesan with a penchant for dressage. It was not a very functional way to conduct a war however. Formations were too easy to hit, the steady procession provided convenient targets all in a line, and practically painted targets on the backs of the leaders of each group. The Soua way was much more efficient when it came to resources, all the members moving willy-nilly about the field making hard targets of their forms. They continually were mixing and remixing until the enemy could not pick out whom led and who followed. The spacing between targets was also greater so an enemy might hit one target but would be unable to make it a mass casualty. It was highly effective.
Quona noted with some dismay that several of the warriors were already bloodied by battle, and he knew that the Noa had tried to halt the advance of the only help that Taysa had coming. He moved grimly to the lift and slowly descended the tree in it meeting the grizzled Soua leading the party below the city. It was Tlamak, the second oldest Soua on the Ot Eesan, nearly thirty years Lyonas' elder. Quona bowed low to the Soua, one of the most respected Sougra ever to hunt the galaxy. Quona's own impressive reputation paled compared to this Soua's exploits.
Tlamak's head was thick with short stiff spikes paled completely white. His hair was smoky gray just a shade darker than his skin, but it was so ornamented that hardly any skin from it showed but the tips. His skin was nearly devoid of all markings. He was tall and had begun to show signs of the frailty that only came with extreme age. His skill was not to be discounted however, though he did less hunting and fighting that some on the Ot Eesa his strategy was second to no Soua, living or dead. His armor and weapons were very old, and it was said that his teacher had been so impressed with his skill as a Fausi that he had given Tlamak his own armor. They were immaculately kept however, functioning now as well or better than it had upon inheritance. Tlamak was fingering his raspa impatiently as Quona stayed stooped over in his presence.
"You honor us with your coming," Quona said respectfully.
Tlamak motioned to him to straighten, "What has transpired here?" The old Soua's voice grated quietly. He listened intently as Quona retold the whole tale of the attacks since leaving Donona and ending with his sending of the party to get Raha out of the Noa's custody. The Ot Eesan frowned deeply at the mention of the human, "Your city places too much weight on the human's benefit, to the peril of all," Quona frowned now, then the Ot Eesan went on, "No matter," He growled proudly, "We will soon be done with them. And their refuse will while away their time hiding in holes in the ground when we've finished. Then they will go the way of the Glantanta only remembered in the Telling."
Lyonas only nodded, even if the words sounded a little too much like counting Bwanga before they had spawned.