12. A fight for survival

The group gather to work out what to do next, not only for the safety of the other group struggling in the forest but also for themselves as they work to subsist on the land.
 
 
 
Around and around, the carvanners questioned if they’d be able to find, let alone catch up with the High Redoubt group. Sitting quietly as the group discussed the options, Nox fingered a cypher she’d carried since the Endoval towers. She’d been keeping the tiny cypher for a particular question, one she didn't ask in case she didn’t like what she found out. Now, it seemed the caravanners were at an impasse and were likely to go nowhere without some sort of assurance. Carefully choosing her words, she tapped the cypher and asked a question of the datasphere.
 
How long would it take for our caravan to find the High Redoubt group?
 
Out of the mindless collection of information that was the datasphere, a reply came.
Two to four days.
 
So, it was possible to find and catch up with the second group. She shared it only with Fureva-Yung, Marius and Jaden via her telepathic link , knowing they wouldn't ask uncomfortable questions about how she knew..
 
“So we can catch them,” Marius replied aloud and finally settled the question with the group, “But when? Are we equipped for the trip back into the forest?”
 
Now the Jaden and the militia members of the party could speak from experience about the gathering of food supplies. The decision made, they broke into groups headed by experienced travellers, ready for a day of foraging and hunting.
 
At this turn in the topic, Fureva-Yung turned and left the group. Nox noted her companion’s disappearance and followed her out of the circle.
Where are you going?
I’ll watch the margr. Watch what they’re up to. Make sure none come this way.
Here, Nox pulled out a cypher that could be used for camouflage, It will keep you hidden, I don’t need it.
This could hide us all, Fureva-Yung examined the cypher and discovered it would cover a space 6 metres wide, Maybe good for raiding the margr.
I worried, Nox confessed, remembering the lecture she received from Jaden and added, I’m told you have to tell people when you’re leaving if you want to be responsible.
I will keep that in mind, Fureva-Yung handed back the cypher.
 
With the sun high in the sky, the groups set out into the wilderness to their allotted tasks. Fureva-Yung got as close as she could to the margr camp and climbed a tree. From her vantage point, she studied the margr, becoming an expert on the race. She was surprised to find there was very little in the way of social structure. The strong took what they wanted from the weak, and violence wasn’t just a way of life, it was entertainment. Fights between individuals and small groups broke out all over the camp of primitive tents. Those not involved would cheer on their pick for the win, showing their support for the next potential leaders.
 
Fureva-Yung was pleased to discover there were no more than twenty-six margr in the village. That was a number they could deal with. With the clever use of a cypher or two. In a small clearing, tied to a pole, was the beaten body of a woman. Fureva-Yung noted she moved weakly against her bonds. Still alive, for the time being. She noted the pole's location in relation to the shelters around it for when she, Marius and the others decided to attack. Fureva-Yung also paid close attention to the pyramid on the hovering rock at the end of a long vine bridge. A dark doorway gave access to a space beyond that seemed important to the margr. This was the one place where violence did not break out even though margr moved in and out of the area all afternoon. From deep in its dark interior, Fureva-Yung spotted something more than margr. It was taller than all other margr and metal arms and legs caught what light made it past the doorway. Even from inside the pyramid’s inky depths, Fureva-Yung still tracked the creature as sparks of blue lightning lit up the metal framework. On those occasions, Fureva-Yung could see the atrophied body of ancient margr inside the frame, one horn sprouting from its head. She had found the home of One-horn himself, the undisputed leader of the margr.
 
At the edge of the forest, the groups were collecting supplies for the trip into the forest. The land was rich and full of life compared to the caverns they’d travelled for days. Though their presence had disturbed much of the larger game, there was plenty of smaller animals still to hunt. Alton and Yitti had made and set up traps for rabbits as the rest of the group foraged for herbs, grains, fruits and roots. Jaden and Nox were doing well, having found their share of edible leafy herbs. In looking for tubers, they’d uprooted a nest of grubs that Nox collected in a pouch as a crunchy treat for Fureva-Yung.
 
Temila drew their attention to a bush full of green-skinned nuts. “Leave those, the skins are tough and take too much effort for the small amount of nut flesh inside.” But what was inedible to the average caravanner, Fureva-Yung often found tasty.
“Nox,” Jaden said as they picked nuts together, “I want to apologise.”
Nox froze mid-pick and stared wide-eyed at Jaden. Apologies were not something Nox was used to. Her father only used the term when he wanted something from her.
"I treated you like a child. Marcus and I were never blessed, and I had no place, but I tended to think of you as my daughter. We need everything you have to offer, and I can’t afford to think of you as the little girl that hung around my shop." Jaden kept picking nuts, and Nox continued to do the same.
“When you snuck away to follow the scouts, all I could think of was how worried I was, instead of remembering how clever you are.”
 
Emotion welled up in Nox’s chest and threatened to stop her breath. She blinked, and was surprised to find tears. Jaden kept picking nuts and talking quietly.
“What I want for you is to feel confident enough to share what’s on your mind with the whole community. I want you to assert yourself and let people know how capable you are. You have so much to offer, and you never have to fear what others might think. I’ll be there to support you no matter what. Does that make sense?” Jaden looked up at Nox to see the young girl's mouth gaped wordlessly open and closed in astonishment.
 
Did it make sense? It was like taking a sip of cool water only to find you’d been thirsty the whole time. It was a delicious morsel to someone who never knew they were starving. To be seen, and known and still loved and accepted, Nox had never known how important that feeling would be until it welled up inside her.
Nox reached for Jaden and pulled her tight, nodding wordlessly.
“There, I’m glad to see we’re still friends.”
Nox just clung tight to Jaden as she realised somehow adulthood had come crashing down around her head.
 
As the sun set, the individual groups regathered at the caravan. Several rabbits, a collection of berries and other edible plants made up their supply, expected to last the four days it would take to find the other group. Fureva-Yung came back and shared what she’d discovered on the margr, leaving out that the leader had only one horn. Nox handed Fureva-Yung the pouch of grubs and a sample of the nuts found for her.
“We collected lots so you wouldn’t go hungry. I hope you like them.” Nox said, waiting until Fureva-Yung had at least tasted the offerings. What the nuts lacked in taste, they made up with a pop as the skins gave way under her powerful jaws. The grubs were tasty if only a small meal. Still, she was enjoying the textures of the new food and the friendly feeling around the camp when, across the dark grasslands, a drum began playing.
 
The four companions looked across the camp at each other, knowing that this was the moment they had prepared for and dreaded.
“We have to go, now,” Marius said to Yitti and Orv. Alton stood as well, his newly acquired machete in his hand, “I’ll sneak in ahead and unbind the woman…”
“Binna,” Nox corrected, “Binna Mayes.”
“Right. If the rest of you can create some sort of distraction at the other end of the camp?”
 
Fureva-Yung nodded and ran off into the night on her big powerful legs. She sped through the night, outstripping all the others in her effort to run around the village to the farther side. Out of her pouch, she pulled a cypher, a small cylinder with a button on the top. With a devilish grin, she stepped into the camp's light and roared. Marius bounded after Fureva-Yung, his levitate giving him extra distance with each bouncing stride. He alighted at the edge of the camp, hidden behind a tent in the shadows cast by campfires. Across, he could see Binna still tied to the pole near what now looked like a large boiling cauldron. Keeping to the shadows, Marius imitated the look and gait of the margr and made it behind the pole without being detected.
 
Jaden, Yitti, Orv and Alton ran in together, Jaden’s spear glowing brightly like a beacon in the night. They made straight for the outskirts of the village nearest the caravan.
“See the fires. Burn what you can. Let's see if we can’t smoke out this metal-margr,” She gestured to the men as she pulled out a few pieces of iotum and grubs she’d kept aside from Fureva-Yung’s meal. An armour made of grubs crawled over the arm, across her shoulders and down her torso. Now equipped for battle, she too took up a fiery brand, and started setting alight to the settlement.
 
Nox had been taken by surprise. At one moment, the group were eating their meals and sharing information. Then the drums started. Fureva-Yung was gone like a shot, and Nox tried desperately to follow but couldn’t keep up with the speed. Lost in the dark, she tripped, face planting in the tall grasses in front of the margr camp. Annoyed at her clumsiness, she didn’t hear the three small lizards scampering through the grass towards her. She stood and focused her thoughts on an illusion of Sharevellen floating over the camp's walls. She felt that the image of their dreaded enemy from the garden would catch a few margrs' attention. Behind her, the lizards leapt.
 
AAARAAAR! Fureva-Yung bellowed, and the whole camp of twenty-six margr’s turned to see her step into the light of the nearest fire. Her chain swung back and forward in one hand, the other seemingly clenched around nothing. A few margr’s fell back in fear of the terrible roaring beast and instead turned on the firestarters in the middle of the camp. But, the majority of the violence loving beings ran at Fureva-Yung, who stood and waited, counting heads as they did.
 
Marius cut Binna’s ropes as the village of margr was drawn to the sound of roaring. The ropes went slack, and Binna almost cried out as he clasped a hand to her mouth.
“You wouldn’t want to spoil Fureva-Yung’s distraction, would you? Now hold onto me. We’re going to go for a little ride.” And helping Binna to stand, he grabbed her tightly around the waist and launched both of them into the air high above the camp. Catching a breeze that whipped up the fire below, he and Binna sailed back over the walls and away from the margr.
 
The margr attacked, twenty after the challenging Fureva-Yung and six after Jaden’s group. Once she decided they were all in range, Fureva-Yung pressed the button. A high-pitched whining sound could just be heard above the tidal wave of screaming margr. A moment and then bolts of electricity sprang out from Fureva-Yung and the mob of margr. Smoke rose, as fur, flesh and horns burned and charred under the ferocity of the electrical detonation. As the smoke cleared, Fureva-Yung dropped her scorched hand and looked around at the seventeen margr lying prone, never to rise. On the outer edge of the mob, three margr looked across the same devastation at their injured enemy and leapt across the bodies of the fallen.
 
The six on Jaden’s group were ferocious in their attack, tripping up Jaden and sending her sprawling on her back. Orv swung at the margr left and right with his hammer, and Yitti and Alton did their best not to fall under the attacking margr. Grabbing one of the iotum, Jaden created a force that pushed back the margr on top of her before standing and putting her spear between her and the hoard.
 
Out in the grass, Nox was now aware of something trying to climb up her legs. Desperate to hold onto her illusion, she swatted at the creatures feebly. Incited by her action, two creatures bit her in the thigh. The illusion disappeared, and suddenly Nox was having difficulty focusing her thoughts. Her eyes grew heavy, and she swayed on the spot. Everything was forgotten now as Nox fought the only fight left open to her, the one to stay conscious.
 
Above, Marius was looking for a good place to come down when he spotted Nox first thrashing around where she stood before going still. She swayed on the spot, shaking her head, oblivious to everything around her.
“Um, we’re going to have to make a short stop. Just stay still and hidden,” Marius said to Binna as he lowered them to the ground. With a familiar fizzle, the cypher Marius had been he’d been carefully conserving for the past few days had finally gave out. He rubbed his leg where it had surrendered it's last energy into his flesh. Furtively he glancing around. At least no mutant killer mushrooms this time. Probably just as well it was over, he would've had a hard time continuing the "infected with blue crystal" cover story. Regardless he could do nothing about it, so he released Binna gesturing for her to keep low and turned to Nox.
“Nox, I’m coming!”
 
Fureva-Yung grinned, a malicious fervour spreading across her face. Her chain swung up and swiped the head from one margr continuing through the arc to strike another. The margrs’ attacks were aggressive but uncoordinated. One hit her, as another missed and yet a third tripped over the dead in their haste and crashed into their comrades. Now it was Furevea-Yung’s turn. She remembered her fear at being hunted by these beasts through the Endoval forest, and she relished the spice it gave to the fight.
 
Amongst the flaming tents, a margr bit Alton on the shoulder, and he was driven back. Yitti dodged under a second attack as Orv swung his hammer driving two margr back. Two attacked Jaden, the first getting through, but the second was parried away with the end of the spear. Where the margr had brute force and ferocity, the humans countered with intelligent tactics and well-practised skills. The battle evenly matched the margr changed tactics and started dodging attacks. Jaden, Orv and Yitti all missed their strikes at the margr, but Alton judged his attacker’s movements correctly and sliced through the margr’s belly. It was now five margr on the four injured attackers. One snapped out and bit Yitti on the arm, as a second was parried away by Orv. Alton swayed on his feet. Seeing Jaden beset with two of the creatures, he stepped in beside her.
 
Barely conscious, Nox pulled out her dagger and stuck it through one of her tormentors and kept the other two at bay until Marius made it to her side. Taking a lizard in each hand, he flung them out into the darkness. Nox’s blade fell from her hand as another wave of drowsiness overtook her.
No! Fight it! Help Fureva-Yung and Marius and Jaden! Don’t give up like some stupid baby! She broadcasted unconsciously across the telepathic connection as she fought the poison running through her blood.
“Don’t worry, I’ll fix it!” Marius said as he found the bit wound and sucked the poison out.
 
With two margr left in front of her, Fureva-Yung was drawn away from her fight by the disjointed telepathic call from Nox. She looked up , and saw the small group of allies surrounded by margr. The chain swung high and from the momentum of her last attack. With a casual flick, she brought the chain down on her two remaining enemies making pulp out of the margrs. Blood and gore flung everywhere as she stepped out of the circle of death she had wrought and towards the last remaining resistance surrounded by flames.
 
The lizard venom was potent. Drawn into Marius' mouth, it passed through the mucus membranes and into his bloodstream before he had a chance to spit it out. With an unintelligible garble of reassuring words, Marius fainted at Nox’s feet. Having kept herself awake, Nox spotted the injured lizard slinking back towards her for another bite. She stretched out her hand and enveloped the nasty little creature in a glowing ball of energy. Biting her lip to keep awake, she turned to the remains of the attack in front of her. She could just make out the dark shadow of Binna hiding in the grass.
Binna, turn around. Help, She connected telepathically with the woman. The barmaid and Cerelon refugee spun around and saw Nox waving her over, Marius unconscious at her feet. She’d not seen Marius fall, and was disturbed by the voice in her head. She shook her head and stayed firmly where she was. The poison now wearing off, Nox sighed and searched for the mind of Fureva-Yung.
Fureva-Yung, could you come over please? I need your help.
 
A margr attacked Jaden. In the moment, she spun around, dropped to one knee and drove her spear around and up into the margr’s throat. Orv also spun, putting his whole sizable weight behind the hammer blow. Alton struck out and hit the second margr on Jaden as the last got its claws on Yitti and raked the flesh from his side. With Fureva-Yung running in from the other end of the camp, the remaining margr was finally killed, with Jaden claiming the last on the end of her spear.
 
The battle over, Fureva-Yung peered out into the darkness and spotted the pale Nox waving with Marius at her side.
What happened to her? Fureva-Yung asked, marching across the space between them, and grabbed hold of the swaying Nox. Gratefully, Nox let Fureva-Yung catch her as they both looked at Marius. He had no wound, no sign of injury.
I don’t know, Nox had to admit. She could remember very little of the moments after the lizard bites, These attacked, She pointed at the one still in a stasis bubble, You can have it if you want.
Fureva-Yung moved her hand over the lizard, and when the stasis dropped, she grabbed the squirming creature and bit its head off.
It bit me. You bite it. Nox smiled groggily.
 
They sat a moment resting and tending to their wounds as Marius gently snored. Yitti was in a bad way with his side slashed open, and Alton wasn’t too far behind a crescent of teeth punctures surrounding his shoulder. It was decided Yitti would take Binna back to the caravan as the rest dealt with the last remaining margr, One horn.
 
Marius snorted awake and sat up.
“What did I miss?” He looked around, spotting Fureva-Yung looking down, concerned, “You were amazing! The roar and then the explosion and then the smack-smack.”
Marius imitated the swinging moves of Fureva-Yung lashing out with her chain.
“Jaden was great too! Didn’t you see it?” Nox countered, copying Jaden’s spin and strike with her spear, “Oh, you didn’t, you were sleeping.”
Undeterred, Marius stood up beside the charred and blood splatted Fureva-Yung, “Yeah, but nothing beats our big fuzzy ball of death!”
“Yes, I was amazing,” Fureva-Yung agreed, either missing or ignoring the fuzzy comment. “We haven’t finished yet.”

She turned to the floating rock and the pyramid now lit from the burning village below. Nothing moved, and only the crackle and snap of burning was carried on the breeze.
“Are you ready?”
“Ah, one thing. The flying wore off,” Marius informed the group, and there was a sad acknowledgement that it was bound to happen sometime.
 
Collectively, the group started back through the now empty village to the bridge up to the rock. Nox slipped behind Fureva-Yung, disappearing from sight. Marius pulled out his sword, and Jaden held her spear in front, ready for the fight. Fureva-Yung shook herself all over and stretched. A glint of something dangerous now sparked in her expression.
“Yung Smoosh!” She roared and charged up the bridge towards the pyramid entrance.