157 - There's a Mander There

Ky sat in the shade, drinking from his flask, the picture of tired and despondent teenager.  He closed his eyes, let his head droop. Hara: coordinate.  Werfas: coordinate. He could see and feel his da and stepda and the zon as a block of glitter, as if they were in the midst of a glass globe filled with gold flecks. His da sent out a strand of communication. Kyrus: coordinate.

The rocks were nearly cleared and the road seemed stable; or would be once Zon Vishna stabilized the road bed after the last boulders were crumbled down and moved to one side.

Hara was the furthest along, no matter what Ky thought about the whole idea. It was dangerous for all of them, no matter where anybody was.  Her father had sent her through first when the first boulder had been shifted.  Ilax and Kyrus and Elemfias had apparently attacked that boulder with picks and hand shovels, hiding the fact that they were clinering the dirt underneath, so that the rock actually shifted in less than an hour instead of days.  It rolled, apparently guided by ropes wrapped around the top; down the rubble hill and off to one side of the road.

Dust and dirt and chitinous bits from dead bugs, a scattering of bones groaned and roared up into the air and down onto the diggers, bigger bits raining down in a patter, leaving the dustcloud of finer silt hanging in the air.  When their vision had cleared somewhat, Hara’s bird scrambled up to the hole and through it.  “The road’s pretty good past the block,” she called back and apparently ignored her pa calling her back.

There’s a mander there. Hara sent. There’s bones set up as if they’re living creatures tucked against the walls... da... this is really gross.  There’s drying flesh bits all along the road.  New flesh but tiny as if someone’s burying them in the sand. I’m ready.

Everyone ready?  Can you see the second block? That was Ilax’s voice in the code.

It’s good.  Our birds could do it... even the pack birds.

Kyrus got up and tucked his water flask into its loop, swung up into his saddle, picking up the lead train of pack birds in his off hand, snapped it onto the packline horn. Ready.

Ready. Ready. Ready.

All ready.

Kyrus... GO!

Ky snapped his bird’s eyes open to the fullest and jabbed her flanks with both boots.  His bird... and the whole train screamed and snapped open their wing stubs and ran, full speed up through the hole, over the rubble, pouring down onto the road beyond. “Hyayayayayayayay!"

"AIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIA!” He screamed as they tore down the road between the two rock falls and then, almost without pausing, jounced up the larger rockfall, an almost vertical scramble.

He clung to his bird’s breastband, almost lying along his bird’s neck, vertically, feathers in his nose, Hara next to him, her hand back, helping him haul the slower, loaded birds along. “GO, GO! GO!” If they were lucky, if there was an ambush set up, their job was to get through and past what was so clearly a killing ground.

Behind them a hideous shriek boiled up on their heels; nothing breathing. The sound would have torn living flesh.

In the chaos, Kyrus caught a glimpse of nightmare rising up trying to catch them.  Dead things.  Bones.  Scales.  Leathery bits strung together, clattering, the wind of their rising howling around their frames. A bush-dragon skeleton, dropping scales as it flapped up over their heads.  A young live bushie fell out of the body and smashed dead in front of Hara’s bird making it shy and jump over the poisonous splash.

Bones were rising all around them.  Tiny lizards with added on hands and claws, catching at their bird’s feet. Insects spitting poisons. A ragged skin blocked the sun as a sandsheet descended, casting shadow over them all.   

“AIAIAIAIAIAIAIAI!”

“YEIYEIEYEYIEYEYEIYEIEYE!” The zon at their backs smashed into the shambling dead army chasing them.