A/N: Review thanks to all that left them. Numbers are dwindling significantly, so maybe interest in this story is waning. I'll still continue it, though, as I enjoy it.
Beta thanks to my friend, MarkeyDeSad.
So, Chuck and S'ra are moving on from the golden city and will now start to cross the sea…
Exo
Chapter 14: Island Hopping
Knowing they would be able to hop across the sea and make it all the way across made the whole venture less stressful. No setting off to only have to turn back before reaching the other side.
They did want to move on from the horror of the day before, though, so after waking, making love, something they vowed to do each morning, and a leisurely breakfast, they packed up their things and set off.
As they flew over the water, high enough to avoid any contact with the large sea creatures they had experienced before, they did look down.
This water was just as turbulent as the Caspan sea near Grillain but no krattak breached the surface. Maybe they didn't populate these waters.
After an hour they could see the approaching islands. Two of them, probably about three miles apart. The one on the left looked rocky and they could see flying creatures circling it, probably xynth. The one on the right had none of those, but smaller birds could be seen there. The land beneath was covered in greenery and looked far more attractive. They aimed for there as their first stop.
Thirty minutes later, S'ra brought the flier to land a short distance from the shoreline. They were in an open space with what looked like bushes surrounding it apart from the side dipping into the water. It was almost as if it had been made this way.
They climbed out of the flier and walked toward the bushes. A mass of small yellow birds fluttered up from them as Chuck and S'ra approached.
The small birds looked to Chuck like colorful versions of the birds he used to see in hedgerows in Los Angeles, just in much larger numbers.
At first, Chuck thought that they had startled the birds but then found them settling on their shoulders and arms. The birds seemed to like them. S'ra wasn't used to this and started to panic, but Chuck calmed her. "They like us, S'ra!"
"I can see that, but it's still unnerving."
Having their tiny claws landing on bare flesh wasn't that comfortable either. The birds seemed to sense this somehow and rose up, but still swirled around them.
Chuck realized they were being guided. He grabbed S'ra's hand and said they were being led somewhere.
They were indeed. The flock led them to a gap in the bushes and along a corridor through them to a structure that had been previously hidden.
The single-story stone structure was not large. Once the birds had guided them to the building, they fluttered away, scattered, presumably returning to their nests.
The stone was party covered in the green moss, but not completely. They brushed enough away to find a stone door, fortunately open.
Walking inside was reminiscent of walking inside the golden building back in the city. Light pervaded the place but from no obvious source. Chuck wondered if this was built by the same people?
Inside were displays on the walls. All showing aspects of the golden city, some inside, some from outside. Only one showed something else, there was a crater filled with golden rubble and a golden road led from it toward the city that was beyond.
"My guess is that was some sort of airfield that was also bombed," Chuck said.
S'ra gasped and Chuck turned quickly to see why. "These are live recordings!" She pointed at a display showing the central forest and, yes, the golden creatures could be seen moving amongst the branches.
"This must have been setup to observe the city, probably by whoever bombed it all that time ago," Chuck surmised.
She looked at him. "People with similar technology." She waved at the lighting.
"Yeah. They obviously wanted to make sure the inhabitants never left."
This was all a bit creepy, so they didn't stay long.
When Chuck and S'ra left the building and made their way back to the flier, they expected to be accompanied by the yellow birds again, but saw none, nor did they hear any. It was quite strange.
As soon as they reached their flier, both agreed not to stay longer and they set off again.
As they approached the largest island, they saw more xynth flying above it but there was something different about them. They looked bulkier as if they had spikes rising from their backs. A slightly different species? As they got closer, and flew over the coastline, they realized that was wrong. They had riders on their backs!
This was an unexpected surprise. Were these humans? Were they friendly? Should S'ra, who was flying, avoid them? That choice was taken out of their hands as a dozen of these riders appeared around them, with the lead one pointing down to the ground.
S'ra could easily outdistanced them, but the spears they were carrying were sufficient threat to prevent that.
She was guided to what looked like an airfield, although there were no other fliers.
The men that surrounded them were definitely human, but their skin color was very pale and had a hint of blue to it. Some stayed with the flying beasts while others grouped to escort them somewhere.
S'ra was fascinated by the tame xynth and approached one being held by one of the men. Although there was a saddle of sorts strapped to the creature's torso, just behind its wings, there were no ropes or ties for the rider to hold to guide the creature, or necessarily to hold onto either. It was, and had looked, as if the man and the beast were perfectly in tune with each other. She wondered if there was some sort of telepathy in place.
She had always been frightened of the xynth, but this creature just calmly observed her and didn't threaten in any way. She didn't, but felt she could have stroked it and the creature would welcome her touch.
Her attention was drawn back to her own plight when Chuck called to her. They were to be escorted away from the flier. The men didn't respond to questions and just led them away.
They were led by their silent captors to a building on the edge. Single story, stone building, covered, as the one on the other island, in green moss. Chuck realized that from above these buildings would probably be invisible, covered in the perfect camouflage.
They were taken to an older man with white hair. He was standing talking to the man next to him in a language S'ra didn't recognize, which didn't bode well.
When Chuck and S'ra were in front of them, the other man stepped back. The first looked at them for a minute, then surprised them by talking in S'ra's language. "The first of your people to come our way." Their shocked expressions amused him.
"Come eat with me." He turned and led them to what seemed like a dining area and arranged for food and drink to be brought. The two were hungry so this was welcome.
"We know of your people beyond the mountains in the orange plains and recognized your flier when it appeared. We thought we'd seen the last of you when you went into Angarz." When they frowned at him, he explained, "The golden city of the Anzari. None have ever escaped before."
"Were you the ones that bombed the city?" Chuck asked.
The man nodded. "Over a millennia ago."
"Can you tell us the story?"
As they ate, the man, Traada of the Pradur people, told the story from over a thousand years ago.
The golden-skinned Anzari and the pale-blue-skinned Pradur were the dominant people on the planet, both far more technically advanced than any others. The Anzari dwelt in Angarz but sailed across the planet lording it over the other peoples they encountered, demanding tributes. They felt superior and in many ways they were. "They encountered my people, the Pradur, who lived far to the east and the Anzari were surprised to find people equally advanced. Our two peoples clashed but were equals, so we settled into an armistice and avoided each other for five hundred years. What changed that was when we started hearing stories of Anzari experiments on animals. our two peoples have very different views on interaction with nature."
Although technically advanced, the Pradur were believers in living harmoniously with other species, almost symbiotically. That was still true now, hence Traada's people abandoning machinery for transport and flying on xynth on the island.
The Anzari saw other creatures as there to be used. They started to experiment on xynth as weapons, making them deadlier and even started attacking Pradur locations with them as well as other locations. They also used land creatures too and completely wiped out one people.
The Pradur retaliated. After forty years, the Anzari were pushed back to the single city. Their foe, the Pradur, were reluctant to wipe out the golden people completely, it went against their beliefs, but had bombed the city and destroyed their airfield. One Pradur scientist developed an aerosol drug that was effective on the golden-skinned people and the Pradur dropped that too. It accentuated their belief they were different to others, but made them feel they had to hide from everyone else.
Traada's ancestors were set up on this island, Graflir, and the associated island group to observe and alert if the Anzari ever tried leaving again, threatening the outside world.
"We believe the Anzari continued experimenting, but on themselves. The transition from human to beast happened relatively quickly. That occurred six hundred years ago."
"But you are still here," S'ra said.
Traada smiled. "We like it here. We are more at one with nature than those back in our cities in the east."
"Before coming to this island, we landed on one nearer the city and were guided by small birds to a building full of screens of the city," Chuck told Traada.
"Ahh. The island of the Ritti. That was one of the first observatories set up. The closest. We pulled back from that and work from here now." He smiled. "Did the ritti welcome you?"
"If those are the birds, then, yes," S'ra replied. "They guided us to the building with the displays."
"If they had thought you Anzari, you would have received a very different welcome. The ritti can be quite viscous when they perform a swarm attack."
He looked at the pair of them. "Tell me about yourselves. You seem unusual in wanting to explore."
Chuck said, "Before we do that, you seem to know about the people of the orange plains, as you call those living north of here. How do you know them?"
Traada smiled. "We have technology to be able to see other parts of the world."
"So, what do you know of the purple-skinned creatures that attacked our people from the north?" S'ra asked.
"Ahh," Traada said. "The Frakku. They are not another degenerate species like the Anzari, but seem to have evolved into what they are now. They are not symbiotic with the xynth like us, but use them as weapons. Not a species we Pradur want any interaction with."
"So, the fact we nearly wiped those attacking our city won't upset your people with ours?" S'ra asked.
"We are not against people doing what they have to do to survive," the older man stated.
Chuck nodded and then answered Traada's question about them exploring. "The desire to explore comes from me, originally. I know people of this world are not naturally explorers, but those of mine are."
S'ra wasn't happy about Chuck just sharing this, but it was too late to stop him now.
"You claim to be from another world?" Traada asked with a shocked expression.
"I don't claim. I am."
Traada looked at S'ra. "You too?"
She shook her head. "No. Only Chuck."
Traada quizzed Chuck for the next half hour. "I can't help feeling our scientists back at the main city could be involved somehow. They would certainly want to meet with you."
"Not during our honeymoon," S'ra stated emphatically. She had noticed Chuck's excitement but also knew that their time together would be severely reduced when he met their scientists.
Realization hit Chuck as she said that. He looked at the older man. "Maybe we return home via your city."
Traada knew he should probably send them straight there, but he had taken a liking to the couple, so would just send notification instead.
They spent the next hour discussing the route the couple were taking.
"My people have explored the world," he older man said. "Further south you will find the jungles of Flarzere. Little is known of the inhabitants, human or animal. I wouldn't go there but skirt around it. Beyond are the pink plains and then the Kazmar mountains and then the Shaxi Glaciers. My people have never crossed those successfully by flier or xynth. It's too cold for the latter, but magnetic forces rising from the pole disrupts flying in craft."
This was all useful information for the couple.
Traada proceeded to tell them the location of the main city, how to get there from the south and who to ask for on arrival.
They had spent most of the day with him, but such a productive day.
Before they left, Traada arranged for their flier to be restocked with fresh food and drinks.
"You have been very kind to us," S'ra commented.
"You have brought me interesting news and I wish you well on your travels, but do try to be more careful or your honeymoon will be short-lived."
He walked with them back to their flier and waved to them as they set off around the island and in the direction of the next, a safe rocky location that they would be able to land on with no fear of attacks from creatures.
After landing the two made their dinner and discussed what they had learned.
Inevitably, Chuck wanted to meet the Pradur scientists to see if they had had any involvement in his arrival on the planet. S'ra understood this but urged caution. "They may want to keep you detained as they learn about you."
Chuck nodded, "We'll face that when we see them. In the meantime, we have more exploring to do."
S'ra agreed and, after clearing up, they settled into an embrace that inevitably led to them making love before drifting off to sleep.
A/N: A lot learned as they started their trip across the sea, both about the golden city and its inhabitants, and what the two of them will face as they continue their journey.
This was an even shorter chapter than the last, but, again, all I could manage. I hope it was enjoyable as it was.
Glossary (pronunciation in brackets)
People:
Anzari (Anz-Sari) – golden-skinned people and now creatures
B'rack (Bur-Rack)– S'ra's previous boyfriend (we never meet him)
Chaldir (Charl-Dere) – governor of the city state Grillain
Thrace (Thrase) – military commander of the city state Grillain
Durban – (Dur-Ban) Air Sargent helping Chuck
Flack (Flack) – one of the generals under Commander Thrace
Frakku (Frack-Ku) – purple-skinned savages
Garron (Gar-Ron) – S'ra's father
Gralik (Grar-Lick) – second son of Praid
Kaldik (Cal-tick) – son of Commander Thrace
Pal'na (Paal-Nar) – wife of Chaldir
Pradur (Prar-door) – Pail-blue-skinned humans
Praid (Pray-Id) – governor of the city state Sanklin
R'lna (Rul-Nah) – wife of Praid
S'mia (Sur-Mere) – S'ra's mother
S'ra (Sur-Rah) – first person Chuck Bartowski meets on the new planet
Tald (TarlD) – first son of Prad
Traada (Trar-dar) – leader of the Pradur settled on Graflir island
Verzian (Verr-iss-ien) – chief astronomer in Sanklin
.
Plants and animals:
Clarek (Clar-Rek) – plant that produces leaves that people use to clean themselves
Conith (Con-Eeth) – leaves of this plant produce fast-acting, healing liquids
Deak (Dee-Ack) – small plants that manage to grow in the crevasses of rocks in the mountain ranges
Gritch (Grit-Ch)– flesh of this plant used to clean teeth and breath
Ixtag (Eecs-Tag) – black-colored predator that live in forests
Krattak (Crat-tark) – terrifying, huge sea creature
Landic (Land-Ick) – deer-like herbivore
Pake (PayK) – plant, the flesh contains pain-killing properties and is used for that purpose
Ritti (Rit-Tee) – small yellow birds
Vetia (Vet-Ia) – leaves of this plant very flexible and used by Chuck to cover himself. Sap burns people from the planet but didn't affect him
Xaxic (Zacks-Ick) – foul smelling leaves of this plant used to ward off predators
Xynth (Zinth)– flying predator
Zryth (Zreeth) – stone-colored cat-like predator. Related to the ixtag
.
Places:
Angarz (Ang-Garz) – the golden city
Caspan (Caz-Pan) – sea near Grillain
Flarzere (Flarz-Zere) - southern jungles
Garverd (Gar-Vert) - mountain range
Graflir (Graph-Lear) – main island in the chain near Angarz city
Grillain (Grill-Ain) – city state S'ra comes from
Kazmar (Kaz-Marr) – southern-most mountains
Niteth (Nee-Teth) – largest of three moons that circle the planet
Pallain (Pall-Lain) – neighboring city state
Retith (Ret-Teeth) – the planet Chuck was now on
Sanklin (Sank-Lin) – city state governed by Praid
Shaxi (Shack-Si) – glaciers at the southern pole
.
Other:
Bract (Br-Act) – nutritious bars carried to eat when access to other food hard to achieve
Chendia (Chen-Dere) – powerful anesthetic, like chloroform
Flaxik (Flack-sic) – new drug created to induce ovulation
Merriclat (Merry-clat) - device for rebuilding and repairing lungs