Saving Na'Drahg

Chapter 30

She opened her eyes to total darkness. The ground under her was cold and damp and she was shivering from head to toe. She squeezed her eyes closed and then blinked a few times, waiting for her vision to adjust. She whipped her head to the side as a bright light blinded her.

"I am sorry for your discomfort. It should be easier to see in a few nahgs. I have not a lot of time, so you must listen carefully."

"Who are you?" Janine asked.

"You will know soon who I am. For now please just listen. Al'nuk has lost his way, but you have to help him find it again. I know you think it is not your duty, but it is imperative that you help him. His people will need him, though they will not know it until it is too late. You still have a brahg (hour) before the darkness descends. Go through the left tunnel. It will lead you to the house. Get what provisions you are able to carry and then return here again. You need to take the second tunnel to the right to find my secret. Do not reveal it to anyone. You will know when it is time for them to know. My time is up. Go before you freeze to death."

The light went out and she looked around. There were no footsteps to reveal which way the person went and no last glimmer of the lamp or light they used. Janine could hear a waterfall nearby, but there were no signs of life anywhere.

What happened to the beasts?

She moved her legs under her and felt her own skin against her rear. Her skin was covered in dirt and she smelled of burnt fire wood. The only clothing she had on, was a strip of cloth that was still hanging from her neck, but she had no visible wounds. Her muscles ached as though she had been to a gym and worked out for hours, and lifting her arms, they looked that way as well.

The person's words repeated in her mind and she jumped up looking for the tunnels she had mentioned. There were two that she could see. She was instructed to go into the left first, so that was what she did.

The stone was smooth to her touch, as though the tunnel had been formed by a river or maybe blasted by some high tech laser beam of sorts. She snorted at her thoughts and shivered as the temperature heated up around her.

The tunnel ran into a dead end, but at closer inspection, frantically running her hands along the walls, she brushed against something cold. Wiping away the dust, she saw the gleam of metal under all the red sand and looked up. She started shaking and laid her head against the ladder rung.

The woman never said it would be easy, but she could have warned her about the really high ladder that she had to climb up, to the equally high hatch above her.

Taking a few deep breaths and thanking which ever deity was listening at that time, for no one being around to witness her nudity, she started her slow ascend to the hatch above and hopefully to some clothing.

***

Alex dressed in the thicker garments and went to go find Janine. Ja'brahin informed him that she was no longer on the vessel and he punched his fist through a dispenser, sending parts flying in all directions. Sparks shot out of the side as he turned away.

He took Marco with him instead and laid traps all around the forest. They walked further to look for fruit and had to hide as a shadow went past them. He did not recognise the roar that came from the beast, but he could make out that it was a very angry Drahg.

They waited to see if any others were about or if the Drahg would return, but the sky remained silent. As they walked on, Marco grabbed hold of him as he was being pulled to the ground. Alex grabbed hold of his arm, his wings tearing through his shirt to aid him in the fight to hold onto him.

He saw the purple and yellow flower opening up as though in bloom and grabbed his laser out of the harness. He crawled over Marco and sliced through the thick tentacle like vine that had hold of him.

A dart flew out of the flower and he arched his back to cover himself and Marco with his wings. It bounced off of his wing and he quickly rolled away, holding onto Marco. They got up and ran, hiding behind a tree, seconds before another dart flew by them. It must have been his lucky day, because the poisoned dart found another target instead.

The huge beast dropped by their feet and Al'nuk pulled the dart free, but pierced its heart with the laser he was still holding onto. It gave a soft grunt before it stopped breathing completely.

"How are we getting this thing onto the vessel?" Marco asked.

"Easy. We carve it up here and leave the carcass to the Velyfra'snupt." He pointed behind him at the flower. "She did help us capture it."

Marco snorted while shacking his head, but took out his own laser and started slicing through the thick hide of the Rax'torepta. Unknown to them, It was one of the creatures that had attempted to hunt Janine.

When they had the hide removed and it cleaned out, Alex took the bag filled with all the innards of the beast and walked off with it. It was not safe to leave it near the vessel and he did not wish to give away their location.

He dug a hole and poured it out of the bag, before closing it up again. It smelled like the alleyway behind one of the bars Marco had dragged him to. The bins behind the bars were filled with week old food and the sun had been baking on it each day. The walls were yellow from the drunk men that stood urinating against it. That was why he found it amusing that they would turn up their noses at him doing the same.

He looked around, wondering where Janine had run off to. Ja'brahin had said that she was tracking her and that she was safe, but would not reveal her location. He felt frustrated at her inability to reveal the information before he cut his hand on the dispenser. She waited until he had asked her which way she went before informing him. He was going to have to work with Ja'nuk to smooth out those issues. He just needed the equipment to fix her, and that was all locked away in the house he no longer had access to.

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