Scab Among the Stars by J T R Brown

Author:J T R Brown [Brown, J T R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-03T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Mukjal sprinted through the Smolder Plains, back toward the blade-weeds, the resocite under his arm painting his skin green with its pulsing light. He considered cutting north and getting to the catacombs through the Figurant’s cave. He decided against it, planning instead to stop off at his throne room to grab a few schematics.

◆◆◆

Insala was unresponsive. Her chest rose and fell in shuddering motions, a weak wheeze escaping the reed in her mouth. Rin’za wanted to think she was just concentrating deeply, like an Ev’ramite in trance, diverting every spare particle of energy to her miracle, but he knew that wasn’t true: she was unconscious. The party had the good fortune that her breathing miracle functioned on an autonomic level—as long as she breathed, they breathed. Her body spasmed and phlegm bubbled out the top of the reed before her uneven respirations returned. Rin’za wondered how long they had until those weak breaths stopped altogether.

He felt conflicted: he wanted to transmute back to Chancel right away to get Insala help, but he also hoped they’d have enough time to figure out Mukjal’s plan and get the evidence they needed—not to mention figure out how to save Child. Either outcome required sacrifices Rin’za didn’t want to make.

As her echo’s illness worsened, Ladrin’s level-headed soldier exterior fractured and fell away like a broken shell. Inarticulate moans came from deep inside her and she shook like a jiddix addict in withdrawal. Rin’za wondered if the echo relationship was the real reason Bexlan-Ansibites didn’t believe in romantic love—they could never be closer with anyone than they were with their twin.

Child seemed somehow sadder—more tragic. It was like the vessel he’d put his hope in had sprang a leak, and centuries of his positivity were draining out. Rin’za knew what the vessel was: them. Maybe he’d fantasized about coming to Chancel and recruiting superhuman heroes to stop Mukjal, but all he’d found were these flawed mortals.

On their way to the cave, Rin’za tried to devise a plan to combat the Figurant, but Child offered little about the creature other than she was “bad, bad” and she would “take your bones.”

They knelt behind a twisted rock formation and set Insala’s stretcher down quietly. Ladrin pulled the waters from her silks, sighing at the few remaining drops in the bottom of the vial. Rin’za withdrew the one remaining plexin bark wad from his pocket. Hailsound sharpened his dirk on a rock.

“I’m gonna have to speed us up—or slow it down. If we have to set Insala down to fight this thing we will, but we need to have her close enough to breath. Let’s sneak first, run second, and fight last,” Rin’za said.

He put a hand on Ladrin’s shoulder and whispered, “Can you do this, Ladrin?”

Ladrin breathed deeply, trying to steel herself and recapture the warrior within her grief. The lines of worry and pain smoothed as she became calm, focused, detached. She nodded.

“Child, can you tell us anything more about this thing?” Rin’za asked.

Child shifted from one foot to the other.

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