To Where the Sun Rises (Part 2 of 'A Tale of People and Apples' Trilogy)

Chapter 9: The Creatures of the Night

The night started with whooping and jabbering in the distance that Luka was so familiar with.

The Orcas were terrified as they huddled together in the long cove, children at the very back and regular citizens holding hammers and swords and shields in the moon light and the flood light.

"You're sure they won't attack me?" Eeva asked Luka. He was surprised to hear fear in her voice. He held the rope that was attached to her waist and his hand tightly, bringing it taut.

"So long as you stay close," Luka said back to her, which he very much intended, his hand holding the rope tightly.

He was surprised how little the Orcas had been outside their walls. "Did you never travel the night with Goddard and Calysa, using them as repellent?" He asked her.

"Rarely," She said sharply back to him. "There was never any reason to leave our walls. We had everything we needed, remember?"

Luka thought for a moment as he looked to the sky. The pending Creatures were terrifying, but the stars that sparkled in the night were majestic and cheered Luka up by the sheer volume and mystery of them. Luka turned to Eeva and said, "Not even to look at the stars outside of the Field?"

She looked up at the now starry sky and gasped as well. It was a much prettier picture than the one painted within Orconia City, the stars she peered upon no longer diluted by a protective blue lid.

Eeva's smile elicited one from Luka, even in the frightened anticipation of what was to come. "Not even for that," She said to him. They softly smiled at one another.

From above and hanging from the lip of the cave and the fastened rope, Tristan straddled partially down into the opening of the Cove, pistol in hand. "I have movement, east," Tristan said below, Luka nodding.

Night was here.

"Save your bullets, Tristan. They don't do much good on the Creatures," Luka said, thinking back to his earlier skirmish with the Creatures of the Night outside of the Ring.

Tristan nodded and climbed back to the roof of the Cove, drawing his sword and holstering the black metal to his waist. Signey was at his side with her hammer, but hearing Tristan's words, she started climbing down the rope and joined Luka's side with haste.

The whooping got louder. Luka and Signey stood together in the narrow corridor towards the eastern Cove, standing confidently and with weapons ready to defend the others.

The whooping was even louder now.

Luka watched as soldiers readied their weapons, the sounds of the creatures mere meters from them.

In a frantic and breathtaking dark flash that even frightened Luka, shadowy figures were upon them. Pincers and yellow eyes skidding through the sand as they came to a stop before Signey and Luka's flinching but confident glare.

At the edge of the flood lights that the Orconian scientists had planted, the Creatures pawed at the sand and clawed at the edges between Luka and Signey, trying to find a way through to their prey and through the gaze of the Hosts.

"Hosts indeed," Eeva said from behind Luka, a sword in her own hand in case the Creatures broke through Luka and Signey's glare.

"Signey, west," Tristan yelled from atop, his heat-seeking eyes spotting a larger bulk of Creatures from the west.

Before Signey could go and support Laplan at the west flank, a great spray of salt and water erupted from the dark ocean. Luka and Signey and Eeva couldn't help themselves but orient to the great bellow that followed.