Chapter 40: The Forest

As Kyle guided the silent tracked vehicle deeper into the forest the sounds and signs of life increased. Though they had crossed many miles the flashing amber dot on the GPS screen was still further away. In fact it appeared to be located in the upcoming water. The temperature was about the same as out on the plain but the humidity had increased dramatically and soon the entire team was covered in sweat even though they were seated and not walking.

"So far we have only seen signs of small animals and birds," Roxy began, "I wonder if there aren't any large animals." She finished and as if on cue a loud blood curdling roar came from the forest.

"I guess that answers your question," Xenos said with a laugh. A small herd of four footed animals about shoulder high with wide green and black alternating stripes burst from the woods in front of them. They stopped as they saw the vehicle rumbling toward them a then another roar came from the forest. They turned almost as one and raced in the other direction. Shortly a cat like creature with long fangs growing from the roof of its mouth and a golden coat with black spots bounded onto the path. It looked at them momentarily roared again and then bounded after the distant fleeing creatures.

When they had driven further they spotted a group of birds that had clustered on the path. The birds took to the air at their approach and it was then they saw one of the green and black striped creatures had been killed and half eaten even before the birds had started. Evidently the cat had chased it down, killed it and eaten its fill before leaving the rest of the carcass for the birds.

The team stopped for the day drove off the path in case a piece of equipment should come down it. They had just finished setting up camp and were cooking supper when an unmistakable human scream brought all of them to their feet and scrambling out of the cabin. There was a crashing of underbrush and then a human looking woman burst onto the path. She looked at the team for a moment then turned to flee the other way just as there was a crashing in the woods ahead of her.

A manlike creature rushed onto the path ahead of her. With a shriek of pure terror the fleeing woman reversed her flight and ran back toward the assembled team. Ava did not know who these strange creatures were but she did know what the Mordom was and the deadly peril it posed. Besides these creatures looked more like her and had made no threatening moves. She had nearly reached them when the Mordom hurled its spear. The last thing Ava remembered was a terrible pain in her back and seeing the tip of a spear protruding from her sternum. She crashed to the ground unconscious before she hit.

As one Becka and Shakti raised their rifles and fired at the Mordom. The beams from the rifles struck him in the chest and dropped him instantly. Eliana scooped the woman up as if she were a feather and with Kate close behind rushed into the tent. Eliana took one look at the wicked barbs at the spears tip that she was sure would cause much more damage if she pulled out of the woman's back. With a split second decision she snapped off the spear at the rear like as if it were a twig and pulled the tip on through. Kate saw that though labored and shallow the woman still was breathing. She placed her finger to the woman's sternum and thought 'heal'. Eliana was sitting on her knees with the woman resting in her lap filling it with her blood. As Kate withdrew her finger Eliana quickly flipped her over and Kate touched the wound in the woman's back. The word 'heal' formed in Kate's mind again as she touched the wound.

Both women watched as the bleeding stopped and the injuries began to mend. Eliana looked into Kate's eyes in with an unspoken question.

"I don't know," Kate answered. "I know nothing of her internal makeup, only time will tell if my healing has been effective. Set her on my bedroll and we will monitor her progress." Eliana gently laid the woman on Kate's bed as Kate opened her medical case. She withdrew a small square and poured an antiseptic on it from a vial she also removed. The small square grew in size and took on a sponge like consistency. Gently she dabbed the quickly drying blood from the woman front and back. When Kate's treatments were completed they looked down on the woman and studied her physical appearance.

The woman had dark red mid back length hair with eyebrows and eyelashes the same color. She breasts were larger than any woman's on the team except Eliana's although they were not grotesquely large. She had a flat stomach with muscular legs and arms. Her skin was pale white but covered in small brown dots over her entire body. Her clothing consisted of a top that covered very little of her breasts but furnished support for them, a simple loin cloth that covered her womanhood and knee high boots all of which were made of some type of reddish-brown animal hide.

While Kate and Eliana were taking care of their wounded patient the rest of the team walked over to her fallen pursuer with leveled guns. When they had determined he was dead they studied him closer. He was even taller than Eliana they judged about seven feet total. He had two muscular arms and four muscular legs. His shaggy mane of shoulder length hair was midnight black and most of his face was covered with the same color of hair. Vicious looking tusks grew from both upper and lower jaws. His open glazed eyes were grey with black pupils. His skin was black with white spots scattered all over it in no discernable pattern. His garments consisted of a simple loincloth, a leather belt which supported a scabbard which in turn was filled by a wicked looking knife which though crude it was definitely metal of some form and a harness designed to carry the spear he had thrown on his back. Two of the team dragged his body back to the camp for further examination by Kate.

Ava became conscious and opening her eyes studied her surroundings quietly. She was in some type of structure. Her last memories were of running away from a Mordom and toward a group of strange looking creatures. Then she remember an awful pain in both her back and sternum area and looking down at the spear sticking out of her, then nothing. Ava cautiously moved one hand and felt for her wound. To her astonishment there was nothing to feel. She craned her neck and looked down expecting to at the very least to see a scabbed over wound. Nothing! She could neither see nor feel as much as a scar. She looked around her some more and spotted two of the creatures. One was huge and had four arms and tan skin and the other was very short. Both looked to be females as evidenced by the milk jugs that grew from their chests not unlike her own.

Ava spied the open flap that allowed light to enter and she began to formulate a plan of escape. Only two of the creatures were present which meant that the others must be outside. Ava was very fast on her feet and she felt certain that if she could get away from these two inside with her she could outdistance the rest. Carefully she flexed her leg muscles to assure herself they were both intact and not bound. Like lightning she sprang to her feet and dashed toward the opening.

From the corner of her eye Eliana saw their patient jump to her feet and race toward the entrance. Eliana reacted with lightning speed of her own. Eva was just beginning to think her escape was assured when two arms encircled her and lifted her feet from the ground. Two more arms stilled her kicking feet and she was carried back to her starting place as if she weighed no more than a single leaf. The four armed woman set her gently and yet firmly on her butt and stood there silently blocking her way to the opening.

The woman then gave an unmistakable laugh and said words that Ava did not understand. What Eliana had said was 'where do you think you are going little lady'. She then admonished Ava with her shaking finger and laughed again. She placed herself between Ava and the entrance making clear her intensions to stop her should Ava attempt escape again. Ava decided further attempts to escape would be a waste of effort and instead turned her attention to the other woman who had knelt down in front of her.

"Kate," the woman said and then repeated herself. Then she pointed to the other woman and said, "Eliana." She then pointed at Ava and arched her eyebrows in question before starting the sequence over again. On the third attempt Ava began to understand. The woman in front of her was named Kate and the giant woman was Eliana and they wanted to know her name. When Kate pointed at her again she said, "Ava." The process of learning Ava's language had begun. The translator implant behind Kate's ear began to assimilate first words then phrases and then sentences. At the same time it shared its growing vocabulary with the other translators implanted in the other team members.

The team had decided to remain at their location while learning Ava's language. Two guards were on duty at all times now instead of one. They had learned that Ava's people called themselves Lanaii and that the creature that had been pursuing her was of a race called Mordom. When asked why the Mordom was chasing her Ava began to shake with fear but at last said, "Mordom eat Lanaii." After allowing Ava to regain her composer the language lesson continued.