Warriors by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Author:Nicholas Sansbury Smith [Smith, Nicholas Sansbury]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
Published: 2020-07-14T06:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-THREE

Ada lay on a rocky outcrop overlooking a beach littered with boats. She had stashed the gear salvaged from her boat in a nook in the rocks.

After a night of rest, she had set off to find a seaworthy vessel. About a mile away from her capsized boat, she had discovered a small catamaran with its sails stowed in the cabin, out of the weather. They looked potentially seaworthy if she could patch them up a bit.

The boat reminded her a bit of the Sea Wolf, and while she had no idea how to operate it, she decided to check it out.

Using her rifle scope, she pressed it to her repaired visor, making sure the path ahead was clear.

A squeaking sounded behind her. The adolescent female monkey she rescued had followed her around for the past twelve hours, not leaving her side.

While it was nice to finally have a companion, she worried that the creature would draw the attention of less benign beasts. Leeches weren’t the only things she worried about here.

Another distant wail sounded, as if in answer.

Ada remained prone, the rifle butt tucked against her shoulder. She didn’t see anything moving in the wake of lightning flashing over the beach, but that didn’t mean something wasn’t down there.

She had a choice to make before she moved: bring her hairy friend with her or leave it here in the rocks with her gear.

Another squeak forced her to turn.

“Quiet,” Ada whispered.

The monkey tilted its smooth, black face and blinked its big obsidian eyes. Of course, it couldn’t understand her, but there had to be a way to make it be quiet.

Ada pointed to the dirt. Stay here. The monkey blinked again.

She could barely see it at all in the sporadic lightning, but it must have adapted to see in the wastes, because the damn thing kept staring right at her.

Standing, she started to leave the rock outcropping, but the creature cried out. Ada crouched back down and put a finger to her visor—another command the monkey didn’t understand.

She pointed to the ground a second time.

The primate cried again.

Ada cursed. She had no choice.

“Fine, come on.”

She turned the flashlight, now mounted to the rifle barrel, and left the outcropping. She moved slowly through boulders, tangled roots, and debris. The monkey kept up easily, leaping from rock to rock.

At the bottom, she swept her light over the beach before advancing toward the sailboat. The hull of another vessel provided a rest stop halfway there.

She wiggled her toes, trying to keep the blood flowing. The broken toe with a missing nail, freshly wrapped, was feeling much better, and her stomach had calmed for now.

X’s note and her new friend had completely changed her outlook on life. She was determined to get back to the Vanguard Islands.

If she must die, it would be in the Sky Arena, by a Cazador spear or sword.

But she didn’t plan on that fate, either. After her journey into the wastes, she felt she could best whatever opponent she faced there.

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