The Fall Gauntlet Omnibus, Volume 1: A Sci-Fi Adventure Series (Books 1 - 3) by J. A. Merkel

Author:J. A. Merkel [Merkel, J. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Worlds Apart Media
Published: 2024-01-23T23:00:00+00:00

Eight

In the warm, brilliant sunlight of the savannah, Soren and I take turns vomiting everything inside of us onto the barren land. Below, the canyon opens up into the river, which slithers and widens as my eyes track its course through the new dry and immense land, an endless expanse of russet splotched with jade, emerald, and olive-colored plants that have evolved to survive drought and harsh winds. On the river, dark edges appear on the water’s surface like serrated knives.

My stomach reels in pain each time I throw up whatever is left inside me. The hairs on my arms tingle, and my forehead is hot enough to boil tea. My entire body is burning off toxins.

Once our vomiting and coughing fits are over, Soren and I sit on the ground with our backs leaned up against one another. Everything hurts.

“We have to find you a doctor,” I say. “He admitted that he did something to your mask.”

Soren’s breaths are shallow against the hollow of my back. We are not breathing as one. “I’m not doing so well, I think,” he says.

His confession scares me.

“What about you?” Soren asks, his voice weak. “He poisoned you too.”

“It’s temporary. I’m starting to feel better.” I remove my mask and wipe the sweat from my brow. “I don’t know what town is next, but we have to keep moving. I can’t leave you here.” The horrifying thought that I could still lose my brother out here, away from help, away from the false security of the Crown and the capital, grips me with a cold, merciless hand.

To my surprise, Soren stands. He takes great care as he pushes himself to his feet, like a great ape waking up for the day. “Then let’s keep moving,” he says.

I stand but don’t fully trust my legs to keep me upright. “What are you going to do without your mask?”

Soren’s expression doesn’t change. Our eyes meet for a moment before he reveals his mask and presses it to his face.

“Soren—!” I’m still afraid that the added effects might cripple him.

The integration process is quick but not without pain—pain that Soren seems to be holding in places he won’t show me. In time, I hope he will. He starts sniffing the ground, and I see the likeness of a bear, as thick, dense hair sprouts on his mask and his holoskin activates.

“If we need to move, then let’s move,” Soren says. His voice is stronger in this state. I hope he isn’t using it to ignore the pain and push through, but then again, we aren’t left with much choice. He brought his mask with him, and even though the Crown still has a hold on me and my brother, the masks are the most powerful weapons we have. We have to use them. For now.

Soren bounds off into the vast and empty outlands as the river snakes below us. I put on my mask and follow. My eyes adjust to the day’s brightness as small clouds roll overhead.

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