Project HAVOC

Chapter VIII

It was almost two weeks since Chance and Aaron left Poynt Town. The days were shorter and the air was cooler. The cactuses and bushes were coated with frosty dew every morning, and the once dry, still air blew with a chilly bite. Cloudy mist puffed from Julia's nostrils with each breath as she pulled the wagon. Her winter coat was growing in scruffy patches, making her look like a different animal.

Chance held the reins tight as the wagon hobbled over the rough terrain. The ground was rocky, but the vegetation gradually grew denser the further north they traveled. Majestic mesas were a welcoming change in the landscape, some as tall as a house and as wide as a city block. The sight of the smaller rock formations were just as pleasing, forming into shapes that roused the imagination.

Riding in silence for hours, they soon rolled past a familiar landmark. It was a row of pinnacles merged together, forming a great wall to the west. There were two gaping holes in it, with bumps and grooves that resembled a humanoid face. As the sun sank behind it, reddish, gleaming eyes glared at the tiny passing wagon, never failing to send a chill up Chance's spine.

"Hey, Chance?"

Lost in thought, Chance tore his eyes from the landscape and brought it to Aaron sitting beside him. Now accustomed to the cooler climate, Aaron had left his wolf pelt in the wagon and opted for the newly-tailored poncho he purchased at Poynt Town. His hair was freshly trimmed, his broad chin and high cheekbones no longer hidden beneath the blond mane. He looked a lot better, a long way from the malnourished slave Chance found a month ago. For some reason, the transformation pleased Chance.

"Chance?"

His thoughts wandering again, Chance blinked back to reality, his cheeks seering. He averted his gaze and pretended to focus on steering the wagon. "What is it?"

"I don't mind joining you north, but why don't you stay in Poynt Town? I've been traded to several territories, and that place seemed to be the most stable. I know there's slave-trading, but with Swing in charge, we won't have anything to worry about. There's plenty of work, and he won't let Bryan—"

"Enough, Aaron." Chance shot Aaron a glare, only to meet a pair violet eyes filled with concern. Letting out a sigh, his face softened. "Swing and I are friends, and he's done a lot for me. He was one of the first test subjects of the HAVOC gene, and he knew about the effects even before the cataclysm. He helped me realize my own talents and did the same for many others. You know about trees, right Aaron?"

"Hm? Trees? I guess so."

"The seeds that fall from it. The farther it ventures from the parent tree, the more likely it will take root on its own. I just want to stand on my own, and that means I have to go elsewhere."

Aaron nodded and a slight frown twisted his face. A blanket of silence fell over them, the wagon creaking over the rocky ground the only sound. A crow cawed overhead, prompting Aaron to respond. "Seeds that traveled the farthest are the ones that were eaten, Chance."

"Eh?" Chance raised an eye, his head tilting to the side. "I was actually thinking about floating maple seeds. You know? Going where the wind takes you and all that bullshit."

"And you said I'm naive." Aaron laughed, his booming voice echoing in the twilight sky. "That's okay. We'll get eaten together, and rise from whatever pile of shit we find ourselves in."

"Sure." Chance took a final look at the pinnacle wall, its eyes now shrouded in darkness. Shivering from the sudden night's chill, he cracked the reins and urged Julia onwards. "Let's get moving. We need to make camp."

~~~~~~~

The sun had long disappeared beneath the horizon, and a brilliant, full moon loomed over the sparse land in its place. Hawks cawed overhead as they prowled the night sky, sending rodents scurrying in the bushes for safety. Occasionally, a chilly breeze would cut through, carrying tumbleweeds and the distant howl of a lone aggrohound.