Beyond Forsaken Worlds (The Gemarine Chronicles Book 1) by JP McDonald

Author:JP McDonald [McDonald, JP]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kunzea Press
Published: 2022-11-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Location: Yarmandor

Year: 116 (2 years ago)

Lilianna – 20 years old

Lilianna wasn’t looking forward to going back outside again, but I can’t stay in my little bubble of suppressed desire forever.

Her tired eyes felt red raw – like wriggling iron worms nestled peacefully under the cover of her eyelids. The pills didn’t combat the sulphur as well as what she had expected. Xan’s eyes, however, were vitreous orbs holding the horizon’s gaze, effective and unscathed. The ridiculous goggles he’d fashioned the previous day served him well. Although he looked like an insect, he wouldn’t need half as much time in the regen chamber as Lilianna would.

She recalled their conversations into the early hours of the morning. Xan was excited about the footage that would be captured on the trail cams, lyrically describing the new species he wanted to find in the Grouter System after they were back from Yarmandor. Laughing at memories of when Massy had his finger bitten clean off by an Angel Boronus. Remembering Massy absent-mindedly stroking the little reptilian’s head while a retractable set of teeth had shot out and taken his digit as its own.

She marvelled at how, even though her eyes stung and hurt, her cheeks ached more from the laughter they’d shared.

“C’mon, little love,” Xan announced. “It’s time. There was movement on the trail camera stream about sixteen minutes ago, so we gotta go catch the Oppatous.”

He threw her the pill and this time, as soon as it went down, she held out her hand for some goggles.

“Oh, the pretty little lady doesn’t care about ruining her appearance today?”

She groaned. “Please, bossman, I’d like to follow safety protocol, if you don’t mind.”

Xan threw her the goggles, then bent down and gave Qilin her injection, all the while grinning at their exchange. They waited until the MPD beeped, signifying they were okay to venture outside.

The xanthic fog was still thick around them, especially in the valley. The ground was a mess of rocks and they crunched and cracked as the trio traipsed across them. Boulders lined the clifftops, peering down like elder overlords, surveying the fate of their lands. They hardly saw a living thing, except for the various insects, so Lilianna started to get doubtful they would find what they were searching for.

Xan dismantled the trail cam fixed to a large rock face, stuffing it inside his pack. He placed the pack on the ground against the rock and took out the containment chamber. “Let’s go without packs from here.”

She nodded, already tired from the walk, but careful not to show any signs of weakness. Xan still had a bounce in his step – How does he maintain such a high level of vibrancy? I want what he’s having.

There was a puff of dust ahead and Qilin pounced numerous times. She was in pursuit of something that was disturbing the path that curved around the bend.

Xan scampered after her as best he could, and Lilianna straggled behind. Before them, a cloud of dust had formed, and Xan pushed through it uninhibited.

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