Chapter 7 – A Terrible Discovery

Chapter 7 – A Terrible Discovery

“Well if this isn’t awkward,” Sabra muttered behind Tim.

“Friends of yours?” Wrethdar asked Trevor, not bothering to keep his voice low or keep his emotions in check. There was worry and disbelief in his voice, and Trevor had the distinct feeling this was more than just some random dwarf that Tim held hostage.

“Unfortunately,” Trevor muttered. He walked forward and looked Tim directly in the eye. “I told you not to follow me.” There was a dangerous overtone to his voice. “Let the dwarf go.”

With a dejected look, Tim complied, sheathing his sword and releasing the dwarf. In a quick movement the dwarf elbowed Tim in the lower region and dashed to Wrethdar’s side. Trevor continued to glare at Tim, although the blond was doubled over with Sabra patting his back sympathetically. Tim groaned slightly as he stood up straight to face Trevor. His eyes were watering and his complexion was whiter than normal. It was almost like Amanda’s complexion.

“So I take it you’re not a prisoner,” Tim observed in a slightly higher voice than usual. Trevor nodded stiffly, anger burning in his eyes, eyes that never left Tim’s. He wanted Tim to feel uncomfortable, to feel like he was in danger. In reality he wasn’t that far from getting himself injured more than he already was.

“I specifically told you not to follow me,” Trevor repeated. “You were to go back to Phoenix and wait for me to return.”

“And when do I ever listen to direct orders?” Tim asked in a serious voice. Trevor preferred dealing with funny-Tim rather than this serious-Tim. Serious-Tim was so… serious.

“You make a valid point, but still,” Trevor said, “Without water there would have been no way you and Sabra would have been able to keep up. I gave you that order for your sakes.”

“And I appreciate that,” Tim piped up almost before Trevor had finished. “But I’m a big boy now, Trevor. I may not act like it all the time, but trust me, I am.” Suddenly Tim’s expression brightened as if he suddenly had an idea. Trevor anticipated it, though, and spoke first.

“Yes, if your little stunt didn’t do any damage we will be getting water,” he said. Tim grinned even more.

“Good job, good buddy.” Trevor laughed slightly. Inwardly he kicked himself. Why was it he could never stay angry at Tim? Still pondering that question, Trevor turned around to face Wrethdar. The old dwarf looked slightly puzzled at the exchange that had happened, and the younger dwarf shared his expression.

“Wrethdar, I apologize on behalf of my friends. Their only intention was to rescue me under the premise that I had been kidnapped,” Trevor apologized. Wrethdar nodded, accepting the apology.

“We still get the water, right?” Tim blurted suddenly. Trevor groaned and rolled his eyes.

“You barge into my city and take my son hostage and you expect me to give you water!” the old dwarf snapped. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

“If you were not friends of Trevor I would have you executed.” Wrethgar paused for a moment and then continued, “Yes, you will still get the water and you will be shown out of here immediately.”

Suddenly another servant walked into the chamber bearing Trevor’s stuff, the backpack still open to reveal the canisters filled with water. Wrethgar’s face mirrored shock as another dwarf entered, this one dressed in a black tunic and black pants. Also wearing chain mail, he had the addition of a helmet held under his arm and multiple weapons dangling from his belt and strapped across his back. He was definitely not a servant.

“High Councilman,” the dwarf gasped. “Grothag the Violent has been slain. He was discovered in one of the tunnels where it collapsed in.” Trevor turned to stare down a cowering Tim.

“Ooops,” Tim mouthed, shrugging.

“And our watchmen above ground have spotted some kallri in the area. They may be discovering the tunnels any minute now!” Wrethgar’s eyes widened and his gaze fell upon Tim and Sabra.

“Wrethgar, what is a kallri,” Trevor asked, diverting the High Councilman’s attention from his friends.

“They are grotesque creatures with yellow-grey rock-like skin,” the old dwarf said with disgust.

“mutants,” Trevor muttered. He turned to the well weapon clad dwarf. “Did these watchmen happen to notice what direction the kallri were heading?”

“East, for the most part,” the dwarf replied. Trevor had an idea.

“Wrethgar, I don’t think they’ll pay any heed to your tunnel. Show us to the surface and we’ll deal with the kallri.” Wrethgar nodded, probably quite happy to get rid of the troublesome humans.

“Go,” Wrethgar said, waving his hand to the warrior dwarf, “show them to the surface.” With a salute he turned and passed through the chamber doors. Grabbing his things, Trevor followed with Tim and Sabra close behind.

-

On the surface the dwarf disappeared after pointing them to the specks on the horizon that were the retreating mutants. Without a word Trevor, Tim, and Sabra set off at a fast pace. They traveled for a long time in silence, Trevor still annoyed with Tim, Tim still uncomfortable in the lower regions, and Sabra not wanting to get in the way. Nobody wanted to talk anyway. Things had been too weird for them to even bother. mutants, cyclopes, and dwarves. Trevor had never been so confused in his life. He was just glad to be back to searching for Jamie.

It was nightfall before anyone spoke. They sat huddled by the fire, and the conversation was mostly sparked by shock on Trevor’s part. When Sabra had cuddled up to Tim his jaw nearly hit the ground.

“What the heck!” He blurted. “Did I miss something here?”

“Yeah, you did, good buddy. That what you get for sending us away,” Tim said in his usual sarcastic tone. Trevor shook his head. He didn’t want to bother pursuing this. He was going to pursue a different subject, but Sabra beat him to it.

“So, why are we following these mutants?” Sabra asked.

“I figure if these aren’t the first mutants to be seen out here, then there’s a good chance Joseph, Jamie, and Karen got nabbed by mutants,” he explained. Sabra gave him a questioning look.

“Trevor, mutants don’t live in big communities like those dwarves. They have little packs, like wolves. The chances of those being mutants from the same pack are slim,” she explained. Trevor glared.

“You got any better ideas?” he asked darkly. Defiantly she nodded.

“Yeah, it’s called not getting your hopes up yet,” she said. “Lots of things have changed here in the valley in the past seven years. The mutants, and now the appearance of cyclopes and dwarves…” she trailed off.

“Was that Grothag guy a cyclopes?” Trevor asked. Sabra nodded.

“That explains why it was a big deal…” Trevor trailed off and sighed. “Alright, well, I’m going to get some sleep. We can continue trailing the mutants in the morning.” With that he curled up and fell asleep.

-

Morning came and the three trackers packed up and began their trek anew. They traveled and traveled, stopping only for lunch. After that they continued on until nightfall where they found themselves on an overpass back in the city, the road Grand Ave running beneath them. A noise bellow made them stop. Quickly they hid behind the overpass barrier and then peered over the edge slowly. It was not a pleasant sight.

“Oh. My. Goodness!” Sabra exclaimed softly, eyes wide in terror. Slowly she sunk down back against the wall in shock. Tim followed suit, but Trevor remained with his head poking over the barrier intrigued by the massive camp of mutants spread out bellow them, grotesque figured emphasized and distorted by the light from their fires. Their snarls and grunts resounded up to the overpass where the three humans hid. For a moment Trevor pondered the language the mutants were conversing in, but quickly shook his head and joined his friends in hiding.

“This is bad. Very bad,” Sabra was saying when Trevor crouched down next to her and Tim.

“Oh really? How so?” Trevor asked sarcastically. He was surprised when Sabra turned to him, angry features barely visible in the dim moonlight.

“You don’t realize do you?” she asked. “mutants don’t gather in groups like this, not normally anyway. For them to be gathered together like this…” she trailed off.

“Is a big deal,” Tim finished for her. She nodded and hugged her knees close. She stared silently at the car wreck across the street; metal frame dented and broken with the front end pushed through the barrier and over the edge of the overpass.

“Trevor, I think this is where we leave and get some help from Luke,” Tim said. He placed a comforting hand on Sabra’s shoulder. “This is obviously a really big deal, one that could mean problems for the Phoenix Encampment.” Trevor couldn’t help but agree. They’d followed the mutant scouts all the way here hoping to find Jamie and Karen. He had a feeling they were down there in the mutant camp, but he also knew there was no way of saving them unless they got help. The only logical choice was to go back to Phoenix and gather reinforcements.

Trevor opened his mouth to respond but suddenly something caught his attention. Where once there were grunts and growls there was only silence. Quickly he motioned for the other two to remain silent. Without a sound he rose and peered over the barrier, heart pounding in his ears.

His heart rate slowed slightly as the massive encampment stretched out before him, fires still alight and mutants still huddled around them. But now they were silent and still, like yellow-grey rock statues, all eyes fixated on one spot within the camp. Trevor followed the direction of their collective gaze and found himself staring at a raised platform in what seemed like the middle of the encampment. Upon the platform stood a cloaked humanoid figure, arms folded in front of it and hood drawn so far forward that the firelight could not penetrate the shadows. Only two icy-blue glowing orbs could be seen beneath the hood. The sight sent a chill down Trevor’s spine.

Tim and Sabra suddenly popped up beside Trevor, nearly scaring the crap out of him.

“What’s going on, good buddy?” Tim whispered.

“Observe and you may yet find out,” Trevor retorted sharply. He quickly made a sign to Tim to get him to shut up. For the first time in seven years it actually worked. Tim quickly turned back to the sight before them in vivid fascination.

The cloaked figure raised his hand suddenly, his glowing gaze directed out into the crowd and he began to speak, his voice booming unnaturally loud, his eyes glowing all the more brightly.

“My fellow warriors,” he addressed the mob of mutants, “it is time. Time for us to finally take back what is truly ours! Time for us to show the humans that we are here to replace them as the dominant species! To show them that we will be trodden down no more!” A cheer erupted from the hideous army, deep, guttural cheers unlike anything the three watching from the overpass had ever heard.

“Let us overthrow the humans of Phoenix once and for all!” The figure raised his hand even higher, his eyes gazing directly up at the sky. Suddenly his hand began to glow, dimly at first, but quickly it became like a small blue sun. With a cry of words in an unrecognizable language the glow began to expand in tendrils of light. They reached out and then slowly began to wind their way up towards the sky. They finally came to a point and with a flash merged together. When the light finally dimmed the cloak figure stood there, an amazing sword grasped within his hand. He lifted it and then pointed it down Grand Ave.

“To Phoenix! To victory!” With a roar the mob of mutants rose and began to march. The ground began to rumble and their chants and war cries quickly rose into the night sky like some horrible scene out of ancient mythology.

“We’ve got to get back to Phoenix and warn everyone! Luke especially!” Sabra exclaimed over the din of the marching mutants below.

Tim patted her on the shoulder and said confidently, “We will.” He turned to Trevor and awaited his word. Trevor gave Tim a questioning glance at the odd exchange between the two.

“I’ll explain later,” Tim said.

“Alright, we’ll go around the mutants and then back onto Grand. We can move a whole lot faster than they can,” Trevor said. Tim and Sabra nodded affirmatively.

“Let’s go.”

-

“Repairs to the east wall are complete, Luke.”

“Thanks Double-D,” Luke replied. The man nicknamed Double-D, Devon, grimaced at his friend’s nonchalant response. It had been a surprise to find him on the east wall rampart as it was, but for him to be so far gone in thought that his reaction was nothing more than an automated response was something else entirely. At first Double-D questioned in his mind as to what the problem was, but he quickly connected the dots as Trevor and Tim arrived.

Trevor looked uncharacteristically crestfallen, which in reality meant he was down-right depressed. Even Tim had a calm and collected air about him, a somber look plastered on his face. And Luke… Well, Luke looked like Luke. Constant worry and fear had taken its toll on his friend. Sometimes it seemed like he’d lost the ability to laugh or smile. The first time he’d smiled in a long time was five days previous at the arrival of Tim and Trevor. But, it seemed, that lasted only so long, and Luke quickly reverted to his usual self.

“Any sign of them?” Luke asked, his voice gravelly, almost as if he hadn’t had anything to drink in some time. Seeing his friend’s sullen demeanor, Double-D did not doubt that was the case. But a strong whiff of alcohol changed his mind quickly. Whiskey was definitely the culprit here.

“Nope,” Tim stated simply. Trevor shook his head negatively.

“There’s something else, Luke,” Trevor started, but was abruptly cut off by a wave of Luke’s hand.

“Tell me later. I’m busy,” Luke stated, his words slurring slightly. But before Luke could finish, a glint from down 83rd caught Double-D’s eye and the large Asian turned his attention towards it.

His heart nearly quit beating as his eyes traced row after row of the creatures that had been attacking them for nearly a year. Usually they attacked in small groups, growling and swinging their primitive weapons like some monster carved out of rock. But this was entirely different, and it scared Double-D. Luke’s friend and captain of the encampment’s defenses cursed under his breath. Luke heard it instantly.

“Double-D, what the heck have I told you about…” Luke started his reprimand but trailed off as his eyes were met with the horrific sight off in the distance. “Oh crap.” Foggy as it was, Luke’s mind was able to draw the same significance from the army of creatures marching towards the encampment. The fact that they were mobilized into an organized group of soldiers was the first tell. They never were organized. Luke had assumed they were too stupid and minds too mutated to be able to comprehend something like this. He still thought this, but he did not dismiss the possibility that somebody with enough intelligence and influence could have pulled them all together. He had a sickening inkling about who it was too. His fist clenched in anger.

“Never mind,” Trevor said, “That speaks for itself.”

In a fluid movement Luke withdrew a metal container from within his black jacket, removed the lid, and took a long, painful swig. With eyes watering he replaced it and turned to Double-D.

“Prepare the defenses!” he ordered in a strong, clear voice, belying the fact that he was quite inebriated. With a nod Double-D took off without a backward glance.

Luke returned his gaze to the massive army of creatures slowly moving closer to the encampment. There was no way they would be able to defend themselves against such an army. As well trained as his men were, they were greatly outnumber and still unaccustomed to the ways of war, the ways of battle. Neither am I, Luke thought bitterly as he leaned against the rampart wall.

“Well,” Luke began, cringing as he smelled the whiskey on his breath, “looks like there may not be much left for Jamie and Karen to arrive to.” Trevor’s eyes narrowed dangerously and Tim backed away slightly, both from Luke’s statement and Trevor’s look. For a split second he wished he had Sabra beside him.

“No, Luke, there won’t be anything left if you don’t snap out of whatever state you’re in and lead your defenders into battle!” The statement was filled with so much emotion that Luke was taken completely aback. That coupled with the subsequent hit to the back of his head by his angered friend. It was very out of character for Trevor.

“Do you even see that army?” Luke yelled at his friend, waving a hand in the general direction of the creatures and rubbing the back of his head with the other. “I would be leading them into death’s own hand!”

“And what do you suggest we do, Luke? Run away? Sit here and wait for them to slaughter us all?” Trevor asked angrily. “Is that what your wife would have wanted?” Luke looked up at Trevor, anger evident in his eyes. Trevor’s stomach dropped as he saw something else in his friend’s eyes, a murderous rage that was pushing towards the surface, a hidden anger that until recently had been kept in check and subdued. An anger that Trevor may have inadvertently unleashed.

In one swift movement Luke had one hand around Trevor’s neck, eyes ablaze with hatred, anger, and most of all pain. With a firm grip on the man’s neck Luke pulled Trevor’s face near his, making certain that he could see the reaction in this man’s eyes. Then, in a low, gravelly voice, Luke began to speak.

“Don’t ever speak of her to me in that way. You did not know her. Do I make myself clear?”

Trevor’s eyes widened at his friend’s anger. Although in the current situation he deeply wondered how much of a friend this man was. Trevor wanted to blame it on the alcohol, but deep down he knew this was some deep seeded emotion within Luke, something that the combination of alcohol and circumstance had finally brought out.

“Luke, let him go,” came a soft voice from near the two men. Out of the corner of his eye Trevor could see her. It was Sabra. She moved closer placing her hand on Luke’s arm as if to pull it away, to release the man’s grip on his friend’s neck.

“You know full well that this is not what she would have wanted,” she said to the angered man. For a moment Trevor did not think it would work, that Luke’s anger and pain was so overwhelming that no force of reason could affect him. Trevor was thankful that he was wrong. Luke’s grip loosened and his hand fell away weakly.

Rubbing his neck gingerly, Trevor chanced a glance at his so-called-friend. Where once there had been anger threatening to make this man explode there was only frailty and defeat. This man was suffering, being eaten emotionally from the inside out, and with no way to combat it. He was in no condition to lead an army. He was barely in any condition to stand, and everyone standing there on the eastern ramparts knew it.

They’d always said he was the natural choice for leader in their lunch group. They’d even put it up to a vote, and everyone had agreed. Luke had even cast him as the leader of a group of mutants in a novel he had written in the November of their senior year. Everyone seemed to think that he was leader material. Trevor had argued against it, of course. He didn’t think he was a good choice. He’d voted for Luke in that area, but looking at the drunken wretch the man had become he wasn’t so sure any more. Second to Luke he would have chosen Andy for the job. But he was off somewhere being hunted down by Amanda, the next best choice, and Amber. And as nice of a person as Tim was, he was defiantly not a leader. Sure, if push came to shove he’d be able to hold out on his own, but he was too much of a goof to really qualify. Which left him, Trevor “the Serious,” as Tim had so aptly called him.

“Alright,” Trevor said suddenly, preparing to take charge in Luke’s stead, “Sabra I’m going to need your help. With Luke in his current condition I’m going to need you to help me convince these people to follow my orders, and fast. This is not going to be easy, but I think we can make it.” Sabra nodded.

“Whoa, wait,” Tim piped up after a good bout of silence, “You’re taking charge of the Defenders?”

“Indeed,” Trevor replied affirmatively.

“Who are you and what did you do with Trevor?”