AN: Holy Horus, I actually updated. Tis a miracle! angels sing in the background
Yeah, I know I said I was giving up on this thing, but this chapter was almost finished anyway (like a year and a half ago…), so… there you are. If I like where it's going, I might just decide to finish it (and fix up the first three chapters, they really need work), after I'm done with Jackal's Wrath. I'm thinking of possibly throwing in Nefer-tut later on, maybe… or one of her comrades… or enemies. I dunno yet, we'll just have to wait and see.
Anyway, back to the story:
This chapter mostly focuses on Orion and the Commandos, while Shadowrunners mostly focuses on getting to the desert. I've got the Shadow POV all planned out, but with Orion's I'm kinda making it up as I go along. I'm either going to keep this chapter short and switch between the two POVs quite a bit, and after that maybe give a chapter to each.
"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another that states that this has already happened."
- Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Shadow's POV
"-So if ye wanna reach th' pass by sundown, you'd better make sure that the spirits don't catch ya, or you'll be lost forever…." The voice of the truck driver truck that carried us into the deserts of Narle drifted into the back where Kitaro, Gar, and myself were crouched. K-Niner rode up front with the driver, who had the head, wings, and talons of a falcon and the rest of the body was human. I'd sitting on a shelf by the window to the front seats listening to the small conversations between the Doberman and the bird/human. In order to get us into the desert, K-Niner was posing as, well as himself (he was still thought of as loyal to Vetvix after all) acting as a captor of escapees from the Casanova revolt taking his prisoners to an ally in the canyons.
K-Niner nodded boardly half listening to the driver's urban legend and half keeping an eye on us in the back, to make sure we weren't getting too hot in back. I gave him the ok signal with my tail; we were doing fine back here. Garland was sitting by the doors, polishing his new weapon, a Cosmic Dragonate 2000XG. It was basically a gun, about twice the size of a handgun that had the power of a cannon (which was what the type of weapon was called, though it did not resemble a true cannon) armed with both steel plated bullets and the strongest lasers in this galaxy lined with shining chrome.
Since most of the firearms in the universe had either been "donated" to Vetvix's cause, or were being sold on the black market for outrageously high prices, Gar had built his own firearms, both for himself and for the Shadowrunners and he was very proud of them. The firearms I mean. Beside the doting human lay Kitaro, taking a nap on the dusty metal floor. Not a bad idea really, seeing as we really didn't have anything to do during the 2 hour drive, I suppose I should've been grateful that Polyester was a rather small planet, only about the size of the planet Mercury from Orion's universe. If it had been the size of most planets, the trip would have taken days.
I would've been napping as well, if not for the constant rattling of the truck and the creaking of doors. "I don't see why we have to ride in a truck anyway, why couldn't we have just ridden in a hovercraft or something, it's quieter and not as filthy." I had grumbled earlier. And thus not having anything to polish and the option of sleeping out of the question, I'd decided to sit close to the front of the truck and listen in of K-Niner and the bird/human's (who's name I'd learned was Rip) conversations. Although the half-breed did most of the talking, and the Doberman just listened and nodded to his stories, most of which were either myths or urban legends. In the past hour Rip had told the legends of "The Spear", "Bleeding Margaret", "Why the Star's Shine", "Dead Hare's Luck", "The Liver Bandits" and "Hallo's Ground".
A few rocks scattered and the truck shook violently as it ran over another pothole. I flattened my ears as I gripped on the ledge I was sitting on in an attempt not to be thrown against the side.
Kitaro lifted his half asleep head "I told you to sit down here with us where it's safer." "That floor is disgusting."
"That's a sorry excuse. You just want to eavesdrop"
"I'm not evesdropping…I'm gathering information."
"Information about a guy who puts a dead hare in a hutch? Yes, that's information that can't be missed."
"I'd rather listen to that than to your snoring"
"I don't snore!"
The fox scoffed "Yes you do"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Actually she's right. You do snore," piped in Gar.
I'm guessing K-Niner heard our small argument because he began snickering. "Ah, so ye likes 'The Canyon Race' tale, eh? Not surprisin', almost everyone does" said Rip, assuming the Doberman was snickering at his story "Then yer gonna love dis one: See there's this business guy right? And he goes into town looking' for a break and some good times, so he goes into this club…"
Orion's POV
The planet Funlandia certainly did not live up to its name. Unless you consider a dark desolate world practically without a single living thing fun, I wouldn't know. I really don't think I would want to either. As I stared out a window at the planet below Orsolon began to explain our mission again: to find the other half of the orb needed to heal the ferret Paris. The rumor was that the half was most likely still around the neck of general Chirtax, somewhere at an old golfing beach resort, so that's where we were headed. The soldier was apparently scouting for rebel activity, possible settlement, and of course possible slaves.
I'd been told that when the planet was free and Jon was still emperor, this planet was a grand theme park of the likes no earthenoid had ever seen. Beaches, rollercoasters up to 100 feet high, resorts, hotels, water slides, tons and TONS of junk food, petting zoos, trippy 3-D adventures, you name it, it was on Funlandia the place for "Fun, fun fun". I had also been told that the Empress had no intent of destroying Funlandia at all, and planned to use it as a summer resort.
But The Lethal Lizards' hatred of the planet as a result of rather embarrassing happenings with Pet Force there (see book 5 for details) and had it destroyed by their own hands. Now the coasters and theme parks were less than rubble, the hotels piles of ash, the food unheard of, and the beaches (and pretty much every other source of water) were nothing more than disgusting sewage. A sad former shell of what had once been the place of joy, laughter, and yes, fun.
The Nostalgic Novas landed on the planet's surface silently and delicately, barely even disturbing the leaves. I sat beside the window staring out at the scenery. The landscape looked much like a forest after a forest fire. The place looked like mostly charred ash on a field of dead grass, dusty soil, and the occasional bone or two.
The trip through the atmosphere of Funlandia was all the explanation needed to see why it had practically no life. In fact, you didn't even have to do that. Just look up into the sky and all you'll see is black. Not like night or space black, or ever-lasting-darkness black, but black like thick smog. The smog covered the entire planet, not only in the sky, but also I could see some small clouds drifting around the surface. I swished my tail and curved it so that it looked like a perfect C shape wondering what made this planet the way it was.
Wadealoid sat in a chair nearby nervously twisting a self-help pamphlet into a knot and muttering to himself about the smoggy planet.
"Alright" said Orsolon, standing from his chair (which looked eerily similar to a barn) "The plan is this: Since it's near impossible to check the entire planet with one party, we're going to have to split into two groups. Lanaius, Wadealoid, and I will investigate the east side. Bo-Star, Orion, and Royidra will see too the west side. We'll meet back here in two hours, radio if you've found something, if not we all meet back here in two hours. Any questions? No? Good. Let's move out Commandos."
Shadow's POV
I decided I rather liked the desert. I liked it at night anyway. Rip dropped off K-Niner and his "captives" at a small canyon. He poked his head out the window after we all were loaded out and looked up at the sky and landscape with his sharp hawk eyes. "Looks like no ships 'ave been here for quite a while…an' I don' see any dust lest from land-jeeps either. Ya sure yer in the right place buddy? I don' want a gun at me head for leaving one of the Empresses' top men here, ya know?"
K-Niner lifted his nose ceremoniously to the sky and inhaled the air lightly "No, I smell a dune-craft coming toward us, about fifteen miles from here or so I think."
He gave me a soft (but still convincing) jab with his boot "How about you, any of you hear anything?" I blinked up at him, obediently "Yes sir. The craft should arrive in a few minutes, milord."
Rip grinned a bit, "Milord, eh? Heh, you like your slaves nice an' formal, doncha?"
"Yes, well I don't enjoy the title of 'master' it's so overused these days, and it sounds so…barbaric. Besides, the only real master in the universe is the Lady Empress Vetvix, is it not?"
Rip nodded abruptly "True that is sir! Very true that is! Well, I gots a delivery to pickup, so I'll be seein' ya sir."
With that, his wheels spun into the desert night, leaving behind a large cloud of dust. "Well" Garland coughed "Where to now, O fearless leader?"
Kitaro scratched his ear casually "Where else do you think, human? We're going to get the orb."
Garland's glasses fell on his nose a bit as he glared down at the fox "I know that, I want to know how we intend to do it."
"Well before we do anything, I suggest we take shelter somewhere. The night's coming in fast, it's only 60 now, but it'll be down to 2o degrees out here in a matter of moments." The gray fox licked his nose and jumped to a nearby cactus, his nimble feet avoiding the sharp needles. He cocked his head to the side and sniffed.
"Just what are you doing?" asked K-Niner.
"Lookin'. I think a friend of mine lives somewhere near here I just want to make positively sure of it first."
"Well?" asked Gar.
"Well what?"
"Well, are they here? Or are you just buying time to think of a fancy way to say 'I have no idea where the hell we are'?"
Kitaro glared at him and climbed to the cactus' top, looking southward and without warning let out a tremendous banshee shriek, like the dreadful howl from the undead, enough to make one's blood turn to ice. A sharp thin line of fur stood up from between my ears to the very tip of my tail, the same was true for K-Niner, with what little fur was showing, and Garland put his hands to his ears. Kitaro ignored us with pricked ears.
Gar made a face, "What in the hells was tha-"
"Sssssst!! Hush!" the fox hissed, turning his head to glare at him for a second, before looking to the south again. His face seemed to twist with anticipation with every second that passed, his muscles tense, his ears looked fatigued from the strain he was putting into them.
K-Niner glanced at me curiously. I shrugged. Finally, a sharp cry sounded across the desert sands, a swift howl that descended into…one, two, three sharp yips. Kitaro's swirled gray and tan face relaxed and he looked relieved. He jumped from the cactus and faced us with a small smile, his tongue lolling out in satisfaction.
"Well?" I asked.
"Simply getting in touch with possible help, that's all. I've been here before you see, and I enlisted some old acquaintances."
"Coyotes. Deep-desert canyon coyotes." said K-Niner as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Exactly. We're staying in they're den tonight. It's about a mile or so east. We'll head for the orb in the morning, it's too cold to do so now, and after all that traveling, and we don't need to waste more energy. Besides, the sandworms are out 'round this time of night in the outer desert, so we'd be safer in the deep canyons. There's no sense in breaking our legs trying to outrun them." He shook himself, picked a small needle in his paw pad and headed into the deep desert with dog, cat, and human close behind.
Orion's POV
"If I get one more of these stupid things in my boot, I swear I'm going back to the ship and not coming out until doomsday!" Royidra grumbled.
Across the sector our small group was investigating were small thorny plants called "thrambles" (thorn/bramble plant hybrid…or something. I don't live here, so I wouldn't know) that easily found it's way into one's foot (or boot, then foot in the rooster's case) and lodged itself there until it was pulled out. I had gotten several stuck in my gloves and tail (my boots were protected by strong methril thanks to Isis) and Bo-star had also taken his share of the plants, getting them struck in his wool and in his shoes. But Royidra had it the worst, or at least from all the fuss he was making it seemed that way. At the time we were still searching for the soldier and all searched a specific region. I was searching the ground for clues (as I had a very good nose), Bo-star scanned for life signs and particles left by ships, hovercrafts, and land rovers with traces of General Chirtax's scent, DNA, etc. It was highly doubtful that he would be on foot, as the terrain was very dangerous, and seeing as he was a gerbil/human cross he'd take care to his large sensitive feet (on which he refused to hear shoes). Royidra however, was to look to the sky for signs, was watching the heavens instead of the ground, and thus ended up in the thramble stuck in his foot.
Bo-Star rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say, man. Whatever you say."
Royidra nodded, "That's right! Because I am perfect and you can only be perfect with the perfection of perfecti-ed-ness-ness-ness-ness….. And ummm… Hey, shut up!"
The sheep and I broke into laughter, Royidra eventually joining in with his loud raunchy guffaw. We were like this for at least a good ten minutes until a sound silenced it as quickly as it began. A sharp beeping sound came from Bo-Star's life-sign tracker.
"Looks like we found them"
"How far?" I asked
"About one and a half miles from here, northeast. In a former pool house. It looks like he's only going to be there for a short while, so we'd better get moving," he said looking at the locater screen and also sending a message to Orsolon that we had a lead. I nodded and jumped to be feet, hands on my flade and we headed off to the northeast.
Shadow's POV
Garland groaned and leaned on K-Niner's hard shoulder. "How much farther to be have to walk? My feet hurt and it's freezing out here"
"I know it is. But that doesn't mean you're allowed to lean on my shoulder like that," he replied gently shoving Gar off of him. I couldn't say I blamed him for being tired; we had been walking for quite a while, almost two hours to be exact. The temperature had dropped dramatically, as Kitaro said it would, and needless to say, we were less than ready to face thirty-degree weather and were more than ready to stop and take a long rest, but Kitaro (who was still trotting along at his fast pace) wouldn't hear of it.
"Oh, it's not that bad, you whiners."
Garland glared down at the steadfast fox, "Not that bad? My feet feel like 15-month-old freezer burned meat! I thought you said it wasn't far!"
"It isn't. The only other form of safe shelter is at on the other side of the planet."
I blinked, "But I thought Polyester's Burlap Desert was smaller than that."
"It was, but back then the nutrient plant food supplied from the palace, by orders of Emperor Lyman, who had a fondness of plants. With Jon gone and Vetvix's palace orbiting in the center of the universe, the original palace went to ruins and of course with out those elements no nutrients were released into the earth. As a result, combined with constant attacks and lack of insects to pollinate here, three fourths of Polyester turned to desert."
"Emperor Lyman?" I asked.
Kitaro sighed heavily, as if everyone in the world were programmed to say the stupidest things just to annoy him, "The emperor one the throne a few years prior to the rule of Emperor Jon."
"It is rumored that Lyman was the one who added Odious to the original Pet Force, and in doing so made the team," added K-Niner, "Before that it was only Garzooka and Compooky. And to tell the truth, Compooky really didn't do much, fighting wise."
At the Doberman's comment both Garland and Kitaro fixed glares upon him.
These days, mentioning of Pet Force, or any of it's members, was not to be in vain among the rebellion (and not allowed at all by common civilians and soldiers under Vetvix's rule, under penalty of death. Vetvix tended to be the type to hold a grudge.) For a moment I thought Kit was to attack him.
"Well, he didn't. I mean, he gave off facts and figures and random tidbits of information, but that was about it." The dog's ears twitched and lay back in defense.
"I know. I was there, I fought them, all of them and believe me, it wasn't easy. The four of them gave me hell, they did, some of the best battles I've ever experienced. It was tough and it was painful, and it was at times horrific, but we were both at our best- I remember feeling the wind tearing through my exposed flesh as I bled and became bruised and battered, battling long into the dark night and well into dawn." A reminiscent smile cross his face.
"It was exhausting and agonizing, and honorable, it made you feel like a true warrior, and in those battles I was reminded every day, every hour, every second, it reminded me that I was a warrior, and that I was truly alive. And I miss it. After they left, the battles with the emperor's army and militias and things were boring. We won in a matter of minutes, Kitaro, minutes! Hardly a battle at all, and against opponents clearly not able to hold their own against their enemies. I ask you, where's the glory in that?"
I nodded, "A battle unfairly won is not a battle at all."
"Precisely, Shadow."
Just ahead of us, Garland stopped in mid-stride. Kitaro smashed into the human's leg and I with Kitaro.
The fox winced and glared with sharp, yellow eyes at Gar, tail bristling with annoyance, "Bumbling two-legged, what in the seven hells did…you…" he sentence trailed off into obscurity as K-Niner, Garland and I simply stared.
There, just ahead the Burlap Desert's canyons jutted from the ground like monoliths, all painted different hues of yellow, orange, and red, like the sunset all melding together, giving the enormous rocks their unity. They towered above our heads imposingly, a great silhouette against Polyester's blue-black sky, its silver moon shining brilliantly high above.
But it was not even these great titans of stone that triggered such an awed and frightened reaction from our little group.
There, high above our heads the shapes of seven figures stood, imposing. Coyotes, all of them, but nothing like the ones Kitaro had mentioned. These were far from any normal desert canine; they stood at least three times their normal size, about as big as horses staring back at us with powerful, frightening golden eyes and fangs glistened in the dark, tongues either lolling out their mouths, licking their chops, or kept within a wide coyote grin that held hidden motives.
Garland's black hair whipped around his face as he glared at Kitaro as if he'd led us all to our demise And from looking at the way even K-Niner shifted nervously in the sand, perhaps he had.
Well, I thought At least there are only seven of them. Maybe we'll be able to fight them off… or we could run really fast before they try and eat us.
I thoughtAt that point the seven imposing figures were joined by seven more, and seven more after than until practically the entire canyon was filled with those cunning golden eyes. All staring hungrily, evilly, at us. All of us.
Garland eventually broke the silence, "Kitaro?"
The little gray fox looked up at him sheepishly, "Yes?"
"I hate you."