Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) (18 page)

"
This is too easy." Thane scanned the area, yet still saw no sign of the Jeger. He drew his sword in anticipation. "I don't like this."

"
Maybe she gave up?" Donna said, with hope in her voice, but he silently shook his head.

"
Stay close," he ordered over his shoulder. The two women armed themselves and stood side by side, slightly behind him. Their tension grew. "Give me the key, Princess." Thane fell back to retrieve the gold disk.

"
You do know how to use it, right?" Valencia gave him a sly smile as she handed him the device. He rewarded her with a vicious glare. In spite of the pressing situation, she still had the ability to tease him.

"
We don't know how many creatures Inga brought with her, but target only one Glauc-tuko at a time. Although they hunt in packs, the beasts don't like sharing their food, so you shouldn't have to worry about facing two at once." He gazed at Donna, evaluating her quickly. "Take that weapon of yours and keep firing until you run out of ammo before you take to the sword." He stressed the word "before" with as stern a tone as he could muster. Then he turned to Valencia. "Princess, I'd hoped to leave you out of this fight, but alas I fear it won't be the case. You still don't have enough control over your power to be much use to us, so you must rely on your blade. I will deal with the Jeger."

When they finally arrived at their destination, it was anticlimactic when they saw the Gate. The Gate was not very impressive to behold. It was carved out of natural rock face with a smaller alcove in the center at the base. On the smoothed surface ran two diagonal fissures hinting at the instability of the rock. Within the small alcove, was a round hole, presumably the resting place for the golden disk.

"It doesn't look like much." Donna whispered to Valencia. Although her words sounded unimpressed, Thane saw her blue eyes were darting back and forth in search of the monsters. He put a finger to his lips then turned back around. As if on cue, he spied a lone figure coming towards them from atop the hill. Two Glauc-tuko came into view, following the Jeger. Inga positioned herself in front of the Gate as the creatures hissed at them.

"
About time you got here, Princess." Inga folded her arms across her chest, her voice condescending and nasty. "And you brought your lackey too."

"
Why are you doing this, Inga?" Valencia moved past Thane but only by a single step. Each hand held a long knife. "I thought we were friends."

"
At first, it was for the money. There is a pretty price on your head to capture you alive," Inga answered honestly. "But the longer I stayed in your pitiful company, the more I wanted to see you suffer." She sneered at the princess, baring her pointy teeth. "You are going to enjoy watching my 'pets' devour your friends before I turn you over to my employers." She shook her head in disgust. "Of course, I wasn't sure you were my target until the old hag died and you showed that amazing power. What a waste of time waiting for some hint of proof that you were the Matka-Zem."

"
Did you kill the Keeper, Inga?" asked Valencia. Through the bond between them, Thane felt the stab of pain that pierced the princess's heart at the Jeger's hurtful words. "Like you did the others?" Valencia added.

"
I wish I had, but the witch died of old age." Inga tilted her head to one side and seemed finally to notice Donna standing behind Valencia. She gave a wicked laugh. "Oh, how nice of you to bring dessert. My pets are becoming quite fond of human flesh." Inga's sinister laughter echoed around the small clearing. She reached out a hand to scratch one of the Glauc-tuko's eye ridges. "Although that old couple were a little tough and stringy for their taste."

"
We found your compound on Sora, Inga." Thane stepped in front of the princess to shield her from the Jeger. He wanted to redirect Inga's attention onto him to stop her torturous words. "Your little pets are all dead."

"
What?" Inga yelled at the news, her face turning red with anger. The Glauc-tuko hissed. "You will pay for this Mlinzi. My pets will rip you apart and eat you alive."

"
Let them try," Thane answered in a quiet tone that stopped Inga from continuing her rant. He pulled back his cowl to reveal his identity to the Jeger and gave her an evil smile.

"
You?" Inga whispered in surprise.

An unsettling silence fell over the valley. No one spoke as the tension built. Each waited for the other to move. Seconds felt like hours, still no one dared twitch a muscle. The tedious silence grew, pressing around them, causing their hearts to pound, palms to sweat, bodies to tense.

***

With shaking hands, Donna stepped from behind her friends and reached for her gun. She had become familiar with the use of the sword while on the yacht, yet Thane still made her practice reloading the ammo cartridges without missing a beat. She was glad to have the pistol and the four magazines tucked in the waist of her jeans.

Her breath came in shallow gasps. With a quick glance from the corner of her eye, she spied Thane's expression and fear gripped her stomach. Bloodlust shadowed his features and a faint yet vexatious smile touched his lips. She glanced at Inga and saw the evil shine in the woman's face. Although, Valencia was behind her, she could hear the princess's deep inhalation of breath. She adjusted the magazines in her waistband and raised her gun with shaking arms. Her father had taught her how to shoot, but never had there been fear involved in her training. She prayed her aim would be true.

***

Valencia could see Donna's hand shake as she raised her weapon. Thane was as still as a stalking cougar, ready to pounce at the right moment. She spied the old cook and saw her readiness, too, and an unholy gleam in her eyes. She felt the tingle of power ignite within her and allowed the energy to build, but this time she controlled the energy, condensing it into a tight knot. The dry, dead grass had no life that she could sense, and not even a bug flew in the sky—rendering her power useless.

***

When she saw the yellow eyes of the Mlinzi, Inga felt fear for the second time in her life. In both instances, this man was the cause. Even as a child, Thane had been a formidable fighter. Although she was one of the best fighters among the Mlinzi, he still had bested her. He was the cause for her refusal to take the trials. If she could not even beat a young boy, how could she survive the tests? Oh, she knew of Thane's uniqueness. He'd been abandoned at birth and left at the gates of Kifo. Naji had found the babe and recognized his qualities at first glance. She had kept him at Kifo, instead of fostering him to a family until he became of age for the Branda. Even knowing he'd been raised in such a focused manner, Inga still doubted her abilities and fled in disgrace. She both cursed the man who had changed her life and feared him, too. Over the years, she heard the rumors of Thane's increasing abilities and she never doubted them for a second. Now the man, whose nickname was "Death", stood in front of her, and she was afraid. She had not planned to face such a foe and she desperately searched for a way out of her predicament, not daring to make the first move.

***

Thane stared at the Jeger with unblinking eyes. Although she physically appeared calm, he saw her body heat rise as her fright increased. The Jeger's eyes darted, as she searched for a way to escape. He planned to take full advantage of her weakness and a slight sardonic smile formed on his lips. It was the report of Donna's gun that started him moving.

As the sound echoed around the rocky valley he flew forward, and the Jeger followed suit. A Glauc-tuko screamed in pain while the other leapt towards the women. Reports from Donna
's gun continued to echo around the valley. Swords clashed together as sparks flew to the ground, igniting the dry brush into a blazing brush fire. Black smoke bellowed around them, obscuring their vision. With parries and thrusts, he blocked the Jeger's weapons with relative ease.

"
You're getting slow, Inga. Are you out of practice?" Thane taunted in the Jeger's ear as he spun around her back. Twisting and turning, they were dancing with death. He purposely lowered his guard and Inga took the bait. She drew close, as if intending to strike a deathblow, but she only received a blooded nose for her effort. Dazed from the strike of Thane's elbow, she staggered backward and fell against a boulder. The smoke from the fire obscured his view. He could barely make out Inga fumbling for something inside her pouch, so he drew near to finish her off. As he did, the Jeger threw a handful of sleeping sand into his face. Almost too late, he scrambled backwards, holding his breath to keep from inhaling the dust. One inhalation and he would be under the Jeger's blade. Although his eyes burned from the sand, he was able to escape the swirling dust. However, Inga had disappeared.

With little vegetation to feed its flames, the fire quickly moved down to the valley below, leaving only smoke and ash. When a strong breeze removed the smoke around the gate, Thane saw the two women standing side-by-side with two dead Glauc-tuko at their feet. Donna had dispensed with her beast with several shots and had then killed the princess
's creature with a bullet to the brain.

"
Thane!" Both women cried at the site of him and ran to his side.

"
What happened?" asked Valencia. With his blurred vision, he barely saw the princess's worried expression. Before he could reply, she retrieved a water bottle from her pack and helped him rinse the sand from his burning eyes.

"
The Jeger caught me off guard and used sleeping sand to distract me." Thane's mouth twisted in disgust at his incompetence. "I should have known better than to give her any distance between us."

"
Where is that woman?" Donna glanced around.

"
Gone." Thane dried his face with the end of his tunic before heading towards the gate. "But I fear we will see her again . . . one day." He glanced over his shoulder when he realized the girls had not followed. "Let's leave this world."

As they stood by the rock face, Thane removed the golden disk and placed it into the hole at the center. He chanted softly over the shiny disk. The ground vibrated and a flash of blue light stung their eyes. When they were able to see again, the rock had vanished and in its place was a shimmering square pool of suspended water.

"Wow! How beautiful!" Donna stared at the glistening gate in disbelief.

"
You must decide now, little earthling." Thane placed a hand on her shoulder. In spite of her constant chatter, he did not want her to stay on Earth. He knew if Inga learned she stayed behind, she would kill her, just for spite. In addition, she was a good influence on the princess. However, the choice was hers to make. "Will you come with us or stay?"

***

"I . . ." Donna glanced at Valencia and saw pleading in her green eyes. She knew her friend wanted her to be at her side. She knew Valencia thought she might be the only one who loved her for herself, and not for being the Matka-Zem. Donna looked into Thane's irritated red eyes and saw approval in their depths. In spite of his grumpy demeanor, she saw the kindhearted man behind the training of the Mlinzi. Donna thought about staying and felt a hollow pit in her stomach. What was there to go back too? She had not seen her family in two years, much less her other relatives, and she doubted they would even miss her. Without a doubt, she no longer had a job and the apartment was surely gone. After a month on the ocean, she had grown to love the aliens. They were her family now. Valencia would need her and she still had to find a way to get Valencia and Thane together. With a big smile, Donna nodded and said, "I'll come because one of us has to remain levelheaded."

SORA

Valencia stepped close to the Gate and extended her hand to feel the silvery-blue pool. The open gate shimmered at her touch. It looked like a vertical pond of mercury, yet it was not liquid at all. It was not something one could touch, only feel around them. Both warm and cold currents swirled tantalizingly around her hand, teasing her senses and making her skin tingle. She glanced over her shoulder at Donna and saw her own apprehension in Donna
's expression.

"
Earth is the only home I know," she said and gave her friend a shaky smile. She took a deep breath to steel her nerves.

"
I'm nervous, too." Donna gave an anxious giggle, "But we might as well see the other side."

"
I guess so." Before Valencia could change her mind, she stepped over the threshold.

Forcefully sucked into a blue tunnel of light, she traveled through a wormhole at an astonishing speed. Bright blue and white tendrils of light swirled to form the tunnel, twisting and curving through the fabric of space. She seemed to be flying, well, more like falling, through time. She should have been afraid, yet she felt safe in the mixture of colors, guiding her to another world. Within a span of ten deep breaths, Valencia stood on her home planet.

Thane's hand gripped her arm firmly and moved her out of the way just as Donna stepped through the gate. Appearing dazed from the experience, both Valencia and Donna peered around at their surroundings, taking in the environment. With a soft pop, the Gate closed, covering the area in total blackness.

With a gentle flare, the darkness receded from soft, glowing crystals mounted on the walls. As the crystals illuminated the area in a bluish glow, Valencia realized she was inside a cave. It was a small chamber with unusually smooth walls, too perfect to be natural. No markings marred the sleek surface and the place was barren except for the Gate.

"Come, follow me," said Thane. He led them out of the cave. "The first trip through the Gate can be disorienting, but it'll soon pass."

Valencia looked back at the Gate and saw a round, metallic disk balanced on its edge. For a brief moment, she thought of returning to Earth. Instead, she stepped away from the gate with a sigh of reservation. She would never live a normal life.

Thane led them to a hidden tunnel to the right of the gate. The narrow passageway was perfectly round and straight as if it were melted smooth. Although the tunnel seemed level, the women's legs burned from exertion long before they saw the light at the end. When they drew near the opening, a figure rose and blocked their way.

"
Stay here." Thane pushed her against the wall with the flat of his hand and before she could even groan, he'd quickly moved ahead.

"
Not on your life," Valencia mumbled under her breath and raced after him, Donna at her heels. Stopping on the threshold of darkness, she watched the Mlinzi warily stalk toward the waiting stranger with a hand on his sword hilt. As Thane reached the figure, they began to talk in low whispers, facing each other like advisories, ready to strike.

To her utter shock, she saw Thane pull the person into a tight hug. Valencia
's heart constricted in her chest and she bit her lip to prevent an astonished gasp from escaping. Jealousy raced through her while she stared at the pair. The person was unmistakably female and they shared more than a friendly hug. Valencia tried to control her feelings, refusing to act like a lovesick girl.
Love!
The word pulsated in her thoughts and she stared at Thane. Although he could be infuriating, she felt safe with him. She would need Thane's quiet reassurance and hoped to have him at her side in the coming days. But was that love?

No, I can
't be
, she thought in denial as her heart skipped a beat. With some effort, she pulled her eyes away from the Mlinzi to focus on the woman.

The person was a slender female dressed as a Mlinzi. Smaller than Thane, she was the size of an average human. When she stepped into the sunlight, her dark skin glistened a soft green. A thick braid of onyx hair cascaded down the woman
's back to the ground. She was not a pretty woman, for her nose was too wide for her round face and her chin was practically nonexistent. Her left cheek bore an old scar, marring her dark skin with a jagged stripe of white. As she studied the woman from the shadows, she saw how her brown eyes sparkled with pleasure at seeing her fellow Mlinzi. She watched affection play on the woman's features while she conversed with Thane and jealously raised its wicked head inside her heart again.

Without waiting for the Mlinzi
's command, Valencia left the safety of darkness to face the mysterious female. Before she could make a jealous remark, the woman's eyes grew wide in surprise and she quickly placed a fist over her heart. In one smooth motion, she bowed her head and dropped to a knee.

"
Forgive me, Matka-Zem. I wasn't aware of your presence" The woman tilted her head to the side to look up at Thane and give him an angry glare.

Valencia stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the woman. Shocked by the woman
's reaction, her spirits sank. The full weight of her position struck her like a physical blow. She was supposed to be some powerful being, revered by all, alone in her station . . . forever. How the woman greeted her validated her worst fears. Placed on a pedestal like a priced trophy, she would never be just a woman. She could never be free. It seemed she'd just left one cage for another. Panic swelled inside her and she glanced down the tunnel for a way out. Valencia frantically scanned the area until her eyes locked with Thanes. Protected by their brown second lid, the Mlinzi's eyes were still as intense as those of a prowling tiger. Embarrassment caused her cheeks to flush when she realized he had witnessed her panic. She averted her gaze.

"
Val, you okay?" Donna placed a gentle hand on her arm.

Valencia was glad the human was beside her. She was not alone in this new world.

"Stand up!" Thane grabbed the Mlinzi by the collar of her cloak and yanked the woman to her feet. "Our reluctant Matka-Zem is not accustomed to formality."

"
I guess I'll have to get used to it." Valencia bowed her head and absently kicked a rock. Donna giggled from beside her and she quickly turned to look at the human. "What?" Her friend only smiled and shook her head.

"
Your Majesty, this is Alana." Thane introduced the woman in a formal manner. Valencia gritted her teeth and glared at him.

He never called me that before,
Valencia thought as she saw a slight smile curl the corners of his mouth and his eyes sparkled in delight. Thane's humor fuelled her anger and she briefly forgot her sorrows. When the woman placed a fisted hand to her heart and bowed her head, Valencia raised her chin, took a small step forward, and extended her hand.

"
Hi, I'm Val." To her surprise, the woman actually backed away and stared at her hand in confusion. When she fearfully glanced at Thane for direction, Valencia experienced several emotions within a matter of seconds. Shock was first, taking the air from her lungs; disbelief penetrated the numbness—the woman was actually afraid of her. Insecurity and awkwardness followed together. She stopped in mid-stride and, with a sigh of dejection lowered her arm. Depression was the last and final emotion, which sucked the very strength from her body. Tears of despair burned in the back of her eyes. She rapidly blinked her lashes and refused to release the sob that threatened to escape. Donna's firm grip on her arm brought Valencia out of her misery and she gave her friend a twisted smile.

"
Everything will be fine, Val," said Donna.

Donna
's presence gave her courage. She would need their friendship to support and ground her in the coming days. She knew things were going to different, but she wanted a day or two to ease into the whole, crazy idea of her being a deity. The response of the first person she met was disturbing, and she doubted it would get any better.

"
This way, Princess." Thane grabbed the female Mlinzi and pushed her in front of him. When they emerged onto the ledge of the unnatural cave, they paused in wonder as they stared over the landscape. Above the tree line, the ledge they stood on was high in the mountains giving them a view for miles. Two suns set in the horizon. Remembering Thane's lecture, Valencia recalled that the brighter of the two suns, called Alpha, was weaker than Earth's own sun, although it still provided life-giving warmth. The sun was still high in the sky, slightly past the noon hour. In comparison, Beta, the smaller, dull reddish orb further away from the planet, sat lower in the horizon, still giving warmth to Sora but to a much lesser degree. Dominating half of the sky was a red and white striped gas planet. Sora was actually a large moon that orbited the giant globe far enough away that its inhabitants couldn't feel the effects of its tremendous gravity, yet the gas planet still dominated the evening sky. Even thought it was mid-day, the swirling colors of the red and white planet, in unison with Sora's lush cobalt blue vegetation, caused the atmosphere to have a twilight blue tint, close to a lavender color. Vegetation was numerous, and at first glance, looked much like Earth's, yet instead of green, multiple shades of blue covered the valley below. The air was heavy with moisture, as if it were about to rain. However, there was not a cloud in the sky.

The valley below was dotted with settlements that varied in size. Small townships and surrounding farmland spread over blue landscape, with plumes of ebony smoke curling into the lavender sky. Further still, towards the horizon, was a magnificent golden city, glistening in the suns light. Built on a gigantic, oval mesa, the high walls of the city surrounded the tall, pointed structures that shimmered against the sky.

"Wow. That is one impressive city," said Donna as she stared at the site of the alien city with a gleam of pleasure in her eyes. "I wonder if it is El Dorado."

"
That is Kota Emas, the city of gold, home of the Torpek." Thane said, before starting down the steep trail to the right of the hidden cave.

"
Is that where we are heading?" Donna asked as she followed Thane.

"
Yes." Thane educated the women, saying, "Kota Emas has been the home of the Matka-Zem for one-hundred years."

"
Another gilded cage," Valencia whispered. As she stared at the beautiful city, flashes of childhood memories penetrated her thoughts of how she had never been allowed outside the golden towers. The feeling of dread compressed the air from her lungs and she hoped her gut feelings were wrong. Her eyes swept over the distant farmlands, wondering how she could prolong her arrival. Valencia feared that once inside the city's walls she would never get out.

She saw Thane glance over his shoulder to make sure she was following him. When he saw that she hadn
't, he came back to her side. He placed a hand on her arm to draw her forward.

"
Let's get moving, Princess. It'll be dark by the time we reach the cabana."

As the Mlinzi propelled her towards the path, Valencia looked back at the cave that contained the Gate. With a heavy sigh, she allowed him to draw her to her destiny.

***

Just as predicted, it was fully dark when they made camp for the night. At the bottom of a small hill, Donna spied a stone staircase that vanished behind a Prussian-blue grove of willow-shaped trees. Thane led the way up the stone staircase and pulled back the willowy branches to reveal a russet, circular structure with a flax-colored thatched roof. There were no windows in the round structure, only a door.

"You call this a cabana?" Donna stared at the shabby shack with disgust and leaned close to Valencia, saying "It looks like a witch's house."

"
I assure you, the cabana is sound, little earthling." In a testy voice, Thane volunteered more information before she could ask a question. "Yes, I've stayed here on a few occasions." He opened the door and stood back to allow the women to enter. The layout of the cabana was a single room with a square sunken hearth in the middle. The room was bare except for a tiny cupboard and a pile of bulky pillows ready to use for a wandering traveler.

"
Get those and bring them here," Thane ordered as he grabbed an armful of small branches piled to the side of the wall.

"
Why are there big pillows in here instead of chairs?" Donna asked as she pulled a heavy pillow close to the fire.

"
Pillows are easier to maintain and have a wider range of uses then chairs." Alana explained as she placed another large pillow on the opposite side of the fire pit.

"
Find something more suitable for the Matka-Zem to sleep on, Alana," Thane ordered the female Mlinzi as he squatted by the hearth. Valencia hovered by the door and watched Thane start a fire in the square hearth. "Stay here while I find us some food." Thane and Alana did not even glance at the women before they left the shack, leaving the two friends alone.

"
I wish I hadn't come here." Valencia plopped onto a pillow by the fire. "Let's hike back and go home."

On the trek down the mountain, Donna had watched the princess
's depression threaten to suffocate her spirit. Tears glistened in her friend's huge eyes but the girl was too proud to shed them in front of the Mlinzi. Now, alone with the princess, a small sob escaped Valencia's lips and she bowed her head in shame.