Wild Rides

Chapter 25 - Exit Strategies

I stared down at the little things clinging to me. They were so much cuter than the pictures. "I want to name them after the moons of Olnari."

They would live far longer than I ever would, and I wanted their names to be a part of me. Yiltor, Soficar, Setvarion, Aeolis, Hielo, and Ukyria were the names of my favorite tales as a child.

"That sounds sweet," Louie offered. "You can tell me about the names while we move, okay?"

I nodded and started getting up from the trench she had hidden us in. The little ones would need to eat soon. We had very little on us, and I refused to give them drug laced cakes as their first meal.

As I stood the little ones held onto me, gripping onto my top with thin narrow claw like hands. They had been very still while we were hidden, but after the collapse and Louie's return they were restless again, chittering incessantly.

"Listen to all of those demands. Not even a solar day old, and ready to scold me," I chuckled at them. "Auntie Louie is helping us keep you all safe. You are precious beyond compare. She is going to help me avenge the four who should have been with you."

They quieted down and nestled up against my chest. "They hungry yet?" Louie asked as we worked to open the hatch.

"I think they are more nervous about the chaos. But yeah they are hungry," I agreed, caressing their little heads.

"I have a cake-"

"Nothing with drugs!" I cut her off.

Louie laughed at my abrupt response. "What kind of Auntie would I be if I drugged these little angels? I have one piece they can share," she said, offering a small flattened cake with sweet meat and fruits stuffed inside.

"Where did that come from?" I asked, staring at it wide eyed.

"Didn't I also deserve to eat?" She quipped back

"I meant, where did you buy it. Maybe we can get more," I quickly explained.

We jerked and muscled the latch until the rusted hatch finally screamed open. I stared nervously into a dark corridor devoid of light and shuttered. We couldn't turn back, but I really, really had reservations about moving forward.

"Use your bracer to light the path," Louie reminded me chuckling and she stepped into the darkness.

I took a deep breath and followed her, our bracers lighting the way as we moved quickly forward. If I remembered our maps correctly, this path would lead us to a hatch behind one of the underground markets. We moved without talking, listening for any movement behind or ahead of us. When we finally reached the hatch, I was too afraid to open it.

"Here, they need to eat," Louie reminded me, passing the offered cake from earlier.

We broke it into small bits and took turns feeding the little darlings. For as small as they were, I was surprised they polished off the whole cake. Soon after their little tummies were full they leaned back against me again, little round bellies protruding from every one of them.

I couldn't help smiling down at them. "They look so precious," I whispered, holding them in my arms as they lazed back, satiated and content.

Faint voices echoed around us. I couldn't tell if they were coming through the hatch or from the path behind us. Wide eyed, I held my little Rothulings to my chest and prepared to defend them.

The sound of chuckling from behind us, made me jump and spin around. Sensing my heightened nerves, the babies climbed over my shoulder and hid themselves on my back under my hair. Louie and I quickly extinguished our bracers and waited in silence. It only took a few seconds to realize the voices were coming from the market on the other side of the hatch. I let out a long held breath and waited for them to move away from the door.