Chapter 13 A Risk To Avoid
THIRTEEN
A RISK TO AVOID
Julia
I don’t know if he saw me crying, and staring at his muscled back, I try to figure out why he’s being extra watchful of me today. Was it because I left when he asked me to stay put? I was only trying to help when I heard Benjamin shouting. If he hadn’t sounded so close I would have stayed put.
Maybe he’s expecting more from me after our deal? Right now, more is hard to give, especially since I just lost everything I knew. Or once knew.
The Dreadnaut’s gone. That means I don’t have a job anymore, not really.
It also means my home and everything I owned is gone too.
It’s not like I had much but it’s still a shock.
I’d made friends on the ancient colony ship, and now I don’t know if they’re okay or not, if they made it off and if they did, if they’re here or elsewhere.
Thank goodness I had no family on The Dreadnaut.
My brother is living on the colony ship The Apollo, a much smaller vessel than The Dreadnaut and closer to the frontlines.
Regardless, for whatever reason, Krellix is being extra watchful of me.
I don’t really care. I’m not going to balk if he wants to be extra protective.
It’s not like I want to die out here. I’ve survived enough already.
I just hope he knows I can take care of myself.
I have my entire life and I don’t plan on stopping now.
Olivia coughs, startling me from staring longer at Krellix’s beautifully patterned tail, where his brown and gold coloring is the deepest.
He glances over his shoulder at me and I pointedly look away at the rocky slopes to his right.
Thankfully, and despite his watchful demeanor, he’s safely gotten all of us through the worst of the terrain.
We’ve been taking it one boulder at a time.
The shoreline has been covered in slick moss, pointy bushes, and steep drops, making passage slow and treacherous.
After several hours of it, we were all about done.
There were many breaks and near misses. At one point we had to stop while Krellix scared a family of bears away.
But since then the land has gradually flattened and the slopes have receded.
Having followed the base of Zaku’s mountain to its north side, the rocks have also begun to give way to the trees.
And soon—when Krellix tells us it’s time—we’ll cross the river and enter the larger forest on the other side.
Somewhere within is one of the soldier encampments.
If there’s antibiotics and doctors with medical supplies, it’ll be there.
I should know. I’d once been stationed at one of the encampments here.
Wiping my hands on my military jacket, I have the urge to take it off and discard it.
Either way, we’ve been following the river for several hours, trekking through the forest, and Krellix still hasn’t spoken a word to me outside necessity.
His mood hasn’t gone unnoticed by the others.
Now that we’re out of the rocky terrain and within the forest, he’s acting even more vigilant than before, his eyes often flicking between the trees and, whenever he thinks I’m not looking, back at me.
I feel bad for Olivia, who’s stuck in his arms. Although each time I have pressed forward to check on her, she has been dozing, only waking to eat a few of the berries we’ve foraged and to rehydrate with some water from my bottle.
Several ships have flown past, none of which have been military. Now and then, I’ll hear shouting or gunfire far in the distance, but the anxiety of it has lessened since we haven’t run into any more people.
When Krellix slips out of sight, I blink, realizing I’ve been staring at him this whole time. Ducking my head, I quickly tighten my mask.
This time tomorrow, if all goes to plan, Olivia, Benjamin, Quinton, and I will be at the encampment and I’ll no longer be under Zaku’s, Krellix’s, or any other naga’s control.
I won’t have to worry my choices will affect others anymore, and my burden will be lifted.
I’ll return to being a soldier if need be—if there is something to return to—and afterwards, maybe I’ll have a clearer idea where I’m meant to be.
Because until this past year, I thought I was meant to fight the Ketts like the rest of my family has… had.
Things have changed since then.
My thoughts have me distracted enough that I’ve lost sight of the others. I press forward, catching up, until I come upon Olivia, Benjamin, and Quinton huddling behind an oversized bush. Olivia leans against Quinton’s right side while his arm loosely hangs over her shoulders.
Benjamin and I trade a quick look as I crawl into the brush and kneel beside him.
“He’s checking ahead,” Benjamin says quietly, answering my question before I can ask it. “He said something about hearing pigs.”
“He didn’t see or hear anything else, did he?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Benjamin shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
Looking in the same direction as the rest of them, I find we’re facing the river.
A few minutes later, I spot Krellix sharply to my right as he slips into the river from the far bank.
I stand and lean forward to get a better view of him swimming.
Like a golden strand of hair in clear liquid, his body sways from side-to-side, mesmerizing me with its grace.
I swallow the knot in my throat as he swims towards us.
He ascends from the water like a golden god, his honey brown hair plastered to his skin, and ringing the shapely muscles of his shoulders.
They bulge as he shakes off the water, his glistening scales shimmering in the sunlight as the droplets go flying.
Gripped by the scruff in his right hand, he holds the corpse of a small pig.
He heads directly for us, his darkly warm eyes zeroing in on me, and I can’t help but swallow nervously.
“Geez, what a sight,” Benjamin mumbles. “You wouldn’t believe these guys exist until you see one.”
What a sight… is right.
Krellix looks good wet…
“We will not cross until tomorrow morning,” he grunts, stopping on the other side of the large bush we’re all behind.
“Why?” I ask as he slips to the right and into the shade of the trees, coming around the bush to be closer to us. “Did you see something?”
“It is more than what I saw, it is also what I can hear and smell—and what I cannot. Humans and nagas alike are nearby. The reek of burning wood, smoke, and metal clogs the forest ahead. There are downed ships and the air is heavy with chemicals I cannot name. It is also close to evening and without the full use of my senses amongst so many things, getting caught in the dark will be far more dangerous. We will cross at first light. Tomorrow.”
“If there are humans and ships nearby, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Benjamin asks, eyeing the pig in Krellix’s hand dubiously. “Shouldn’t we head for them? There might be a functioning ship with a medbay that Olivia can use and food. A radio? It could help.”
Krellix’s gaze shifts to Benjamin. “Do you know every human?”
His brow furrows. “No? Of course not. No one does.”
“Then we will continue to avoid them until we reach the encampment.”
“What if they need our help? Like we needed yours,” Olivia asks.
“He’s right though,” I interject before Krellix has a chance to respond.
“It’s best we avoid them. If there are nagas around, they will be…
hunting for them...” I hesitate and pause, meeting everyone’s stark gazes.
Thinking of the Boa and the other nagas vying for my attention, I imagine them without the glass between us and the various women who might not be aware of them stranded without such a barrier.
I do not envy them. “But it’s not only because of other humans, you’re more likely to find the medical aid you need at the encampment than on a random ship, hoping for supplies they might need themselves.
We’re really close, aren’t we?” I ask Krellix.
“Yessss.”
Quinton nods grimly, mumbling, “I don’t want to die out here. I say we head straight for the encampment at first light and not risk it. I’m sure the soldiers there have a plan to help the other survivors and are probably out there already helping them as we speak...”
Benjamin crosses his arms. “That doesn’t sit well with me.”
“You are welcome to head off on your own then,” I snap, reminding him once again he doesn’t have to stay with us.
“No one will stop you. We need to put our energy into helping those who need assistance right here.” I indicate Olivia with my hand.
“Right now, getting her proper treatment is what matters, not something hypothetical. If she doesn’t get help soon, her wound could get infected. ”
When I look at him, Krellix is staring at me, his expression curious as he openly considers me.
“We will make camp,” he announces, his gaze finally leaving me to survey the forest around us. “As long as we do not bring attention to ourselves—” he turns to Benjamin then to Quinton, Olivia, and me “—we will remain unseen. Predators will be distracted. Let ussss hope they remain that way.”
“Fine,” Benjamin huffs, turning his scowling face away to gaze over the riverbank. “But I don’t agree.”
Olivia is silent.
Shuffling over to her and Quinton, I look down at her with worry.
Her eyelids are half-closed and there’s an exhausted haze to them.
Concern clamps my gut. I shudder at the thought of one of the bad nagas getting hold of her but…
I also don’t want her wound to become infected.
“It’s too great of a risk,” I bend close to whisper for her ears alone.
“If we come across others, we can return for them with back-up later. I trust Krellix. If he says we should wait to cross until morning, it’s my recommendation too. His senses are much better than ours.”
She nods and I squeeze her hands, hopefully reassuring her that everything will be okay. Because I need it to be okay and if I can make her believe it, then maybe I can too.