Awaken (28 page)

He don’t say anything back. I suddenly
decide I like this strange old woman.

We descend down the steep steps and I
find myself wondering how that crippled old woman was able to
handle doing so when she passes by me hanging piggyback on the
larger of her two companions. My unbelieving stare is met by her
loud cackling as it echoes down the wide tunnel we now find
ourselves in. The tunnel is massive, its walls smooth and rounded,
definitely no storm cellar. Settler made to be sure but no idea
what it could have possibly been used for. Maybe Tater knew....I
would have to ask.

At the far end of the tunnel we find
ourselves facing a large metal door with a long arm on it. The man
carrying Orakel lifts up the arm and slides the door open, and
unbelievably it seems to disappear...right into the wall! I don’t
have time to be too amazed by this though ‘cause by now we find
ourselves in a large cavernous room, so lit up by torches it was
almost like stepping into the daylight. But it wasn’t the huge
room, or the dozens of lit torches or the other people waiting
inside that amaze me so. It is the....stuff....I cain’t think of no
other word to describe it. Settler relics everywhere! There were
chairs and tables and plenty of other shite, all piled on top of
each other, towered so high I fear it’s going to topple at any
moment. They had used it all to partition off the large room
creating walls and rooms and pathways. The word of our arrival is
spreading fast ‘cause more people seemed to be appearing out of the
numerous nooks and crannies, eager to get a look at us.

Orakel is by now on her own two feet
and she is making her way through the piles not the least bit
concerned about it toppling on top of her so I reckon it was safe
enough. We follow directly behind her, me and Finn and Cat, and the
boy’s eyes are opened so wide I fear they may just pop from his
head. I can still hear Jax and Tater behind me bellyaching with
every step we take further into the overflowing room, but I don’t
heed them, so entranced am I by our surroundings.

I gasp out loud and cover Finns eyes as
we turn a corner and I suddenly see what I believe to be a naked
woman standing at the bottom of one of the piles before I realize
she ain’t a real woman at all...she’s some kinda statue, made out
of plastic or such. Finn pulls my hand away and laughs as I rap on
her solid bent arm with my knuckle causing it to fall from her
body. What the hell? What kinda uses could the settlers have had
for a plastic woman? I want to pick up the arm and examine it but
Orakel quickly kicks it out of the way and continues
walking.

We pass a couple of wide flat metal
boxes, their glass fronts shattered with dozens of spider web
cracks. I spot some rubber wheels poking out of another pile, kinda
like the one’s gra’da had got from the pickin’ grounds once. His he
had attached to his hand cart, but these seem to be joined together
with strange metal rods and a set of handles as if it were meant to
be steered....I cain’t even begin to imagine what it was used for.
My eyes are drawn to a strange multi sided red piece of metal
standing at the corner of another pile and in big white lettering
it spells

S T O P. Why the hell would you need a
piece of metal to tell you to stop? Stop for what? Curious. I ain’t
ever seen so much stuff...not even at the pickin’ grounds, and I’m
just as bad as Finn, my eyes are wide trying to take it all in. A
brightly colored ball grabs my attention now and I stop to pick
this up. Its heavy weight surprises me and I study the three
perfectly formed holes in its smooth surface but don’t dare put my
fingers in. I ain’t sure what it would do. Finn just grins at my
questioning look but I put it back down and hurry to keep up with
Orakel who is moving at a speed that amazes me for someone so
old.

I’m aware of the curious onlookers
trailing behind us now and how the number keeps growing, so that by
the time we finally stop in the middle of the huge room there’s at
least twenty or thirty other people besides me, Finn, Jax and
Tater. The braver ones walk up to me and touch my hair or take my
hand but most hold off, scared by Cat’s presence I’m assuming. Some
of them are like Talbert, covered in the sores and the blackened
lips while others appear to be disease free. Why I wonder. What
happened to them? Orakel shoos them away and they listen
immediately, like they were used to obeying her every command. I am
grateful for that….I ain’t liking all their eyes and hands on me.
She then points to the darkly stained table surrounded by eight
high backed chairs sitting in the center of the clearing. There is
a big stone hearth behind the table and the crackling fire burning
in it almost makes the cavernous room feel homey.

“
Sit,” she says. “You must
be hungry,” and gives a slight nod to someone in the mass of
people. A very tall, very thin woman, with a long hooked nose,
steps out of the assembled crowd. She gathers up a stack of clay
bowls from the table and wordlessly starts spooning up some sort of
broth from the cauldron sitting in the hearth. The smell of it
makes my mouth water but none of us sit as asked. It’s like we are
of the same mind and hesitate at the thought of taking food from
them. As if Orakel can read our thoughts though, her cackling
laughter fills the room.

“
Do not worry....what they
have is not catching.”

The smell of it is too hard to resist
however, and with an unspoken agreement we all sit on the strangely
padded soft chairs while the tall woman serves us the broth. I hate
to admit it but I am relieved she shows no signs of the sores on
her skin.

The broth is hot and tasty and filled
with chunks of meat I think is wolfling but I ain’t sure. Orakel
enjoys hers as much as we do though so I ain’t too worried about
the meats origin. Even Cat is treated with a charred bone though
Finn has to take it to her...none of the others will go anywhere
near her. Even the woman serving us goes out of her way to avoid
Cat at all costs. Cain’t understand why she was so afraid...the
devil cat ain’t going to bother with her. Cat would probably get
more enjoyment out of chewing on a chair leg than that scrawny
carcass.

After she had served all of us she then
approaches Jax again with another bowl and he grins eagerly, I
reckon he’s thinking he’s getting a second helping. Wordlessly she
knocks his hands away from reaching for the bowl, pulls a cloth
from it and none too gently starts cleaning his head
wound.

“
Ouch!’ he protests loudly
but she don’t heed him, she just goes right on cleaning. I cain’t
help but chuckle as she stares disdainfully down her long nose at
Jax’s complaining. She don’t say a word however, then finally done
she motions for him to hold the cloth to his head while she takes
the bloodied bowl away. I raise my eyebrow at his exaggerated
winces of pain.

“
What?” he says crossly at
my look. “She didn’t have to be so rough!”

“
Cry baby,” I taunt softly
but he chooses to ignore me.

Orakel waits patiently while we finish
eating but her shrewd eyes don’t leave my face. I can tell she is
eager to talk but she lets me finish my stew before the questions
start.

“
Tell me child, how is it a
new blood is in our presence right now. What is your name? Where do
you come from?” she says.

“
I think we should be the
ones asking the questions.” Jax answers crossly before I can,
throwing the bloodied cloth on the table. “Like why the hell did
your people try to kill me?”

She sends him a withering
look.

“
Please, if they had wanted
you dead then dead you would be. My people were merely ...defending
their territory. We are quite used to strangers trespassing through
our city, and having to protect ourselves and our
property.”

“
Hah!” Jax snorts at her.
“Attacking and robbing poor innocent souls unfortunate enough to
find themselves in your crazy town is more like it.”

“
My name is Tara,” I say,
cutting short whatever the old lady was about to say to Jax. I had
questions as well, we don’t have time for arguing.

“
I come from the sand
lands...a place called Rivercross. Have you heard of
it?”

She tilts her head, thinking for a
bit.

“
Mayhap…it feels to be a
distant memory,” she says finally. “The sand lands....a harsh place
indeed. You must be very resourceful young Tara to have traveled so
far and for so long and have not been killed or captured. The gods
truly must be watching over you.”

I smile at her but there ain’t no humor
in my smile.

“
Rivercross was attacked by
the Prezedants Army. My kin either all killed or taken...I don’t
think the gods give a damn about what happens to me,” I
say.

She gives me a slight nod.

“
My condolences on your loss
child but you couldn’t be more wrong. The gods have guided you
here...to us. They have sent us a new blood. That is indeed divine
intervention whether you believe it to be or not.”

“
I believe that to be pure
shite,” I say shortly and ignore the gasp of Orakel’s two
companions who are still hovering behind her chair. I ain’t sure if
they weren’t used to hearing someone speak to her this way, or if
they were just scared the gods would smite us where we sat. Orakel
don’t seem to take no offense though, just nods at me some
more.

“
I think otherwise. So what
do you believe has brought you to us then?” she says.

“
Coincidence…
happenstance….bad luck?” Tater is the one who answers. “We were on
our way to Littlepass when we encountered raiders and…well long
story short here we are, guests in your charming abode. Which by
the way, I must say I find a little disconcerting to be
underground. Does anyone else find that bothersome?” he asks,
looking ‘round the table and tugging at the neck of his tunic like
he cain’t breathe.

Orakel snorts loudly at this. “It is a
necessary means little man. The only way we can avoid his ever
searching eyes. You grow accustomed.”

The tall woman starts circling the
table again, this time with tin cups of tea. I pick mine up, sip
it. I ain’t quite sure what it’s made from, maybe dandy weed, but
it is hot and tasty. Jax eyes her suspiciously as she sits a cup in
front of him, but she passes on without incident.

“
What did you mean Orakel
when you said you have been waiting for me to arrive?” I ask the
burning question that has been bothering me. “How did you know I
would come here? Are you some sort of seer?”

“
I have been called
that….among other things!” She laughs again like what she said was
side splitting funny but I don’t get it. “I didn’t know it would be
you per say... the prophecy just said ‘A’ new blood would return
and we have waited very patiently. And now, here you
are.”

“
Ya ‘ave graced us with yer
light mistress!” The voice comes out of the crowd hovering in the
background and I recognize it from our earlier entanglement. Orakel
also notices and her piercing eyes search the crowd.

“
Talbert…step
forward.”

He does as she asks, Beanie bringing up
the rear, and the look on their faces is obviously saying they both
wished he had kept his mouth shut.

“
The watch?” She questions
curtly and he bobs his head up and down.

“
It is covered….but we
needed to be ‘ere Orakel….please. It’s the light…” he trails off as
if pleading with her to understand. She finally gives him a slight
nod and I can see him sag with relief at her approval. She
definitely was the one in charge here. Hopefully she was also the
one able to answer my questions.

“
What does he mean by the
light? When we had our earlier….disagreement with your people they
were calling me that….the light. What does that mean?” I
say.

“
It is obvious is it not? A
new bloods power comes from the light…the aura that shines when
your powers are at their peak. Talbert and the others, they
witnessed your light…your life force, or Chi as some call it,” she
says.

“
But you didn’t. All you did
was stare into my eyes and yet you have yourself convinced I am
this new blood…this thing you been waiting for. I think you’re
wrong. I think you all have been waiting so long that you have
yourselves convinced on the wrong person. I ain’t nuthin like
Beanie said the prophecy spoke of. I ain’t no healer, no
purifier...” I trail off not knowing what else to say. She leans
forward and studies me with those piercing eyes again.

“
Are you trying to convince
me or yourself child? You are what you are…there is no denying
it.”

Before I can respond to her puzzling
words we are interrupted by a young girl, maybe my own age, as she
starts gathering the stew bowls. I hand her mine and she bows her
head as she takes the offering and I notice the reddish sores on
her skin. Once she is out of earshot I cain’t help but ask ‘cause I
need to know.

“
What’s wrong with ‘em? What
sickness do they carry?”

Orakel shakes her head. “It is no
sickness that comes naturally child...they were given those pox
marks on purpose like.”

Her words shock me.

“
Who would do such a thing?”
I say, horrified, but it’s surprisingly Tater who
answers.