Ashes of the Realm - Juliette's Dream Read online

  “What did she say?”

  “There are no accidents.”

  “In hindsight, I’m thankful I had mine.”

  “Me too, Vring.”

  “What are you planning to do when we arrive?”

  “This trip is to gather information to formulate a plan. That’s why I’m glad Jingo came with us. He’s much better than I am at that. He sees things that I don’t.”

  “We all have our gifts.”

  “Look at him; he’s sleeping on Cezee’s back.”

  “It’s the safest place to sleep. You should try yourself. We’ll arrive tomorrow and you haven’t slept. We’ll be pretty much on auto glide for the rest of the night. Take your feet out of the bindings and I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

  Scotty removed his feet and leaned back on the broad shoulders of the giant Zord. He looked up at the stars knowing he could never sleep, then fell asleep ten minutes later.

  Vring and Cezee caught the rising warm air masses and rose and glided without having to flap their wings. The night passed silently and smoothly. Scotty woke as the sun came over the horizon and stretched his arms and legs. He had a dream of a young woman with green eyes and auburn colored hair. The dream slipped from his mind as he tried to remember. All that remained was her asking him, “Who are you?” He knew he had seen her face before, but he couldn’t remember where. She was beautiful, and her expression was one of wonder.

  “How much longer before we arrive?”

  “We will be where we can see the fields at mid-afternoon. I think we should not venture close during daylight.”

  “How am I going to learn anything if I can’t get close enough to see the layout of the community?”

  “I’ll let you watch through my eyes. I’ll give you my vision.”

  “Fair enough, Vring. Let Jingo know what we’re doing.”

  “Cezee just told him.”

  Vring flew over a large flock of birds that were circling a forest, “We’ll circle here and take a look at those fields. If they use their scanner, they might think we’re part of that flock below.”

  “What has them disturbed?”

  “A family of Torg just entered the trees.”

  “That is disturbing.”

  Vring looked at the huge field ten miles away and focused in on the beings laboring in it. He sent his vision to Scotty. Scotty closed his eyes and saw the field as if it were only a half mile away. “Wow. You have great vision.”

  “Comes with the territory; we have to be able to see from high altitude.”

  Scotty saw the laborers in the field and then he saw the fifteen guards sitting in chairs on the hills adjacent to the fields. They were all holding weapons and watching the workers. He watched as Vring focused on one of them, and immediately saw the one that had killed his mother. His expression hardened and he vowed that one was going to be his to handle. Vring then started looking at the various species in the fields and Scotty said, “Stop. Go back to that last one.”

  “Which one?”

  “The Human.”

  Vring circled slightly closer to the fields and looked at the one Scotty wanted to see. It was the girl in his dream. Vring immediately saw Scotty’s surprise. “You’ve seen her!”

  “Yes, in a dream last night flying here. I also know her face. I have seen it somewhere before.”

  “Well, what do you want to do about it?”

  “Vring, I notice that large numbers of the workers go into the woods and quickly return.”

  “If ya gotta go…”

  Scotty laughed, “Where did you hear that?”

  “You need look no further than the one on Cezee’s back.”

  “Sounds like him.” Scotty thought a moment, and then decided, “Find a place for us to land for the night. I have an idea and I want to discuss it with Jingo to see what he thinks.”

  Vring circled higher, then picked a grove of trees on the edge of the forest. The two huge Zord flew lower and Scotty pulled his bowgun. There were three Torg on the edge of the trees and all three were downed quickly. The Zord landed and the other ten members of the Torg family fled, having never seen such large creatures. Jingo said, “Bon Appetite. Enjoy your meal.” He turned to Scotty and said, “What’s up?”

  “I’ve had a dream.”

  “So how’s that different from what you normally do?”

  “In my dream I saw one of the workers in the field.”

  Jingo’s eyes narrowed, “Are you sure it was the same one and not someone who looked like them?”

  “It was her, Jingo. I want to try to capture her and take her back with us. The Zord are right. I don’t know enough to just go in close and endanger them. She’s Human and she can tell us things we just can’t see from a distance.”

  Jingo thought about his idea and sat down, keeping one of his bowguns in his hand. “All right, here’s how we’ll do it.”

  “You’ve already come up with a plan?”

  “Yep, but you’ll have to take a risk. You and Vring will have to leave as soon as it gets

  dark. There is a small line of trees next to the fields.”

  “I’ve seen them.”

  “I noticed that this appears to be the community bathroom. It’s a wonder those trees aren’t a thousand feet high with that much fertilizer.”

  Scotty shook his head and Jingo continued. You and Vring should fly on the backside of those trees and wait until she takes a trip to the woods, if you know what I mean.”

  “Then what?”

  “Simple. You grab her, run your Human backside off, and jump on Vring. He’ll have to fly low for about three miles so as not to be seen above those trees until he gets behind the hills. Then he’ll head straight out until he’s far enough away to gain altitude.”

  “You make it sound easy.”

  “No, it’s not going to be easy. There’s a guard about a hundred yards from the tree line that goes into those trees if someone is slow coming out.”

  “I didn’t notice that.”

  “What you probably didn’t see as well is that he is carrying a blaster.”

  “That isn’t good.”

  “No, and he’ll be able to see her even if he can’t see you and Vring. If he fires at her, he’ll probably get you as well. Still want to try it?”

  “Yes, at the very least I should be able to see more from that location even if I can’t make this happen.”

  “I was going to suggest going there myself, but now that we’re after one of the laborers, she will probably cooperate faster with you than me.”

  “That’s true.”

  “Better go ahead and eat. If you’re successful, you don’t need to carry any extra weight.”

  “I’m going to leave most of my arrows with you.”

  “I don’t know about that, Scotty.”

  “If I need any, I’ll be running away from whatever would cause me to use them.”

  “How many are you taking?”

  “One bundle in the gun.”

  “Better make it count.”

  “How am I going to know when she’s coming to the woods?”

  “We’ll be watching for her. As soon as she starts your way, Cezee will tell Vring and he can tell you.”

  Scotty took a deep breath and shrugged, “Can you think of a better idea?”

  “Scotty, I am not going to take Cezee where he might be killed. I will take risks, but I will not endanger him. Knowing they can see us with their scanners will keep me away. I agree with you. We need inside information on how they operate, and this dream of yours must have some kind of meaning. I can’t think of any other way to really learn anything without endangering our Zord.”

  “I agree. We’ll leave as soon as Vring finishes his meal.”

  Sunrise was coming and Scotty and Vring were hiding at the edge of the forest next to the field. Scotty said, “Well, I’m going to go in the forest and spy on our hosts.”

  “I’m concerned about you being able to get out of th
e trees before she is seen by that guard,”

  Scotty sighed and said, “I know. Where’s a Torg when you need one?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was thinking that if a Torg roared, that guard is not going to go rushing into anything, blaster or not. No one in their right mind would go in the brush with a Torg around.”

  “I can roar like a Torg.”

  “What?!?”

  “It’s easy. That’s how we try to lure them out of the forest.”

  “Let me think about this.”

  “Take your time. She’s not coming anytime soon.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Ladies don’t like such dirty behavior. She’ll wait as long as possible.”

  “Most of them go during their meal time. I hope she doesn’t come with a crowd.”

  “Would you?”

  Scotty snickered, “You know me too well. No, I’d make sure I went alone.”

  “So will she; Humans are funny that way.”

  “Vring, I’m going to need your help on this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t want the guard looking for her. I’m going to kill one of those grecks up in the trees and scatter its blood at the site where she enters the forest. I’m going to grab her and that’s when you roar and run out of the trees. “I’ll come right behind you. As big as you are the guard will have to know it’s a huge Torg that attacked her. He won’t rush in.”

  “What if he burns the forest?”

  “He won’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Even guards need bathrooms.”

  Vring started laughing.

  “Let’s go into the trees. You turn around so you can make a fast escape and make as much noise as you can running through the brush.”

  “I don’t think that will be a problem.”

  Scotty chuckled, “Me, either.” He reached up and pulled his visor down over his face and they moved into the forest.

  Juliette Larson felt her back hurting, but ignored the pain. She was sitting on the ground picking small yellow pods and putting them in a basket. She hated the pods; they were the same color as the Magrum. She thought about the dream that had come again last night. Why did she keep having that dream? She took a deep breath and glanced across the field at her parents picking pods. All they’ve ever known is backbreaking work. She looked at the sky and asked the Creator to save them from this horrible existence. She wondered why her family was being punished. Then she shook her head; it was because of the blasphemy of attacking the Creator’s Holy Realm. Her family had the misfortune of living on one of the planets that sent their ships to attack the Realm. But how long must she atone for those sins? “Please save us from this. I beg you. Please save us.” Julie continued working and though she tried to wait, she had to make a trip to the woods. She stood and held up her hand. The guard nodded to her.

  Jingo and Cezee were circling keeping a close eye on the Human female. Jingo was amazed that she went all morning and never moved toward the trees. “That’s incredible. He had already had to land twice while Cezee circled without him. Finally she stood and said something to a guard. The guard nodded and she started toward the trees. “Let them know,”

  “White Hair, she’s coming.”

  Scotty thought, “I see her.” He moved to the edge of the trees she was approaching and took the greck he had shot and used his sword to cut it and spread its blood all over the bushes and surrounding trees. As she moved closer he moved next to a tree and waited. She walked in twenty steps and stopped. Scotty reached out and grabbed her from behind. She issued a loud scream and Scotty hit her under her chin and threw her over his shoulder.

  Julie pushed a bush aside and walked into the forest’s edge. She glanced around and saw blood everywhere. “Oh, my God, what’s happened?” Then something grabbed her and she screamed. Then she felt the lights go out after a blow to her chin.

  Vring heard her scream and released a Torg roar that rocked the trees. Then he rushed out toward the small clearing. Scotty ran after him carrying the young woman on his shoulder.

  The guards jumped up, and the one next to the woods refused to move.

  “Glex, what are you waiting for?”

  The guard looked up at the huge yellow-skinned being on the hill and said, “Why don’t you come on down and see what you can find.”

  “Didn’t you hear it run away? Go check and make sure.”

  The guard gingerly but slowly eased forward toward the place where the female had entered the forest. He stopped every ten feet and listened as he pushed brush away, all the while expecting to be rushed. The Torg attacked in groups. Even though one had run away, there were probably more. He had gone about ten yards into the tree line when he saw the blood. He came running out of the woods and said, “It took her. There’s nothing left but a lot of blood.”

  The guard on the hill laughed and yelled, “Does anyone else need to visit the trees?” Then he laughed even louder. Two Humans working in the middle of the field continued to pick pods and wept at the loss of their daughter. They cried quietly, and mourned the loss of another child. It was much later before they could hold each other and rock in each other’s arms as they wept.

  Scotty ran out of the trees and ran up Vring’s arm to the binding. The female was regaining consciousness. She moaned and Scotty said, “Are you able to hold on?”

  Julie opened her eyes and didn’t see anything, but felt something in front of her. “Can you hold on?” she heard.

  She said, “Who are you?” and Scotty remembered his dream. “We’re going to get out of here, but you have to hold on to me and throw the cape on my back over you.”

  She felt around and found the loose fabric and said, “What’s going on?!?”

  “I’ll explain later, but if you want to live you’ll do as I ask. I’m not going to harm you.”

  She put her head under the fabric and wrapped her arms around the being in front of her. She was surprised; it was another Human. Suddenly, she felt the ground under her start moving. She looked and saw she was flying about ten feet off the ground at a very high velocity. “Where are you taking me?”

  “To freedom.”

  She heard the word and wondered if her prayers were being answered. For the moment, she held on tight and whatever she was on accelerated and flew away from the fields.

  After a few moments she realized she was on a living thing. She felt the wings flapping and the muscles under her flexing and moving. Then she heard, “Vring, are they doing anything?”

  She heard in her mind, “No, Jingo says the guard looked in the woods and backed out quickly. It appears you were right. They think she’s dead.”

  “What about the guards on the hill?”

  “Your favorite is laughing at her apparent death. You might want to hang on tighter; I’m going to make a pretty hard left turn in a moment.”

  Scotty said over his shoulder, “Lean to the left when he turns, and hold on tight.”

  Julie leaned left and held on to the rider in front of her. She still couldn’t see anything but shifting colors that hid everything. Then she heard, “All right, the land goes up from here and I’m going to go higher.” She felt the wings catch air and they went up quickly. She saw from under the cape that trees were far below.

  “Vring, we need to make a stop.”

  “Why?’

  “I stopped our passenger from finishing what she came in the woods to do.”

  “That’s ok. I don’t think I’ll be able to do that for a week.”

  Vring started laughing.

  Scotty tried not to, but started shaking with his suppressed laughter.

  Julie felt the one she was holding on to laughing. She shook her head and said, “Who are you?”

  “My name is Scotty Robbins. The one we are riding is Vring. And you are?”

  “My name is Juliette Larson. You pack a mean right hand.”

  “I’m sorry. I couldn’t
think of any other way to get you out of the trees without being seen.”

  “You could have asked.”

  “Would you have come with an invisible voice?”

  Juliette thought and said, “You’re forgiven. You did what you had to do.”

  Scotty wondered at how quickly this woman adapted to her situation. “Vring, are we far enough away now?”