Page 20

VAREK

F ire scorched through my shoulder with each step. The landscape blurred at the edges, my vision narrowing to the cracked earth directly before my feet. One step. Another. Each movement sent fresh waves of agony radiating outward from the burn.

"We need to rest," Rivera said, her arm steady around my waist.

I shook my head. "Not yet."

The ground beneath us hissed, releasing a plume of sulfurous steam that stung my nostrils. Arenix itself seemed to be protesting the damage Hammond's reckless drilling had caused. The once-stable terrain now betrayed us with every step – cracked earth, steaming vents, patches of ground slick with geothermal residue.

"Your fever's getting worse," she insisted, guiding me toward a twisted rock formation that offered minimal shelter.

My legs gave out before I could protest further. The impact of sitting sent another bolt of pain through my shoulder. I gritted my teeth against the sound trying to escape my throat. Warriors did not show weakness. Even now, even with her.

Rivera crouched beside me, pulling out her damaged scanner. "The western compound is still at least a day's journey at this pace."

"We don't have a day," I managed. The failing system would not wait for my weakness to pass.

"We won't have any time at all if you collapse from infection." She pressed her cool hand against my forehead. "You're burning up."

The sky darkened suddenly, and cold rain pelted down, soaking us within moments. Just as quickly as it began, it stopped, leaving us drenched and me shivering.

"The weather patterns are destabilizing too," I observed, teeth chattering. "The ancient system controls more than we realized."

Rivera's silver markings pulsed along her collarbone, visible above the neckline of her shirt. Through our bond, I caught fragments of her thoughts – calculations, probabilities, worry.

"Can you make it to that ridge?" She pointed to a slight elevation perhaps two hundred paces ahead. "I think I spotted water."

I nodded, though my body screamed in protest as she helped me to my feet. The ground beneath us shifted, slippery with rain and the strange, oily residue that seeped from the earth. Rivera's grip tightened around my waist as we navigated around a fallen tree, its roots torn from the ground by some recent tremor.

"What's that smell?" she asked, nose wrinkling.

"Dead qrixith." I gestured toward a carcass half-hidden in the tall grass. The large, lizard-like creature lay picked clean, its leathery hide stretched over prominent bones. "They're usually scavengers. If they're dying..."

"The food chain is collapsing," she finished. "Hammond has no idea what he's doing."

"Or he doesn't care."

We fell silent as we struggled up the ridge. Each step required all my concentration, my world narrowing to the placement of my feet and the burning pain in my shoulder. I focused on Rivera's presence beside me, her unwavering strength the only thing keeping me upright.

At the crest, a small stream trickled through the rocks. Rivera eased me down before kneeling at the water's edge.

"Is it safe?" I asked.

She held her hand over the surface, her markings brightening. "It's contaminated, but I can filter it." From her pocket, she produced a small device salvaged from the ruins. "This should work."

I watched her methodical movements as she filled a container and attached the filter. My vision blurred, and I blinked hard to clear it. The admission came before I could stop it. "I've never been this helpless."

Rivera glanced up, her expression softening. "You're not helpless. You're injured. There's a difference."

"Not to a warrior." The words came out harsher than intended.

"Well, to an engineer, there's a very clear distinction." She handed me the filtered water. "Drink."

I obeyed, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. Through our bond, I could feel her steady determination, her focus on immediate problems rather than dwelling on the impossible scale of our task.

"The scanner shows elevated radiation to the south," she said, studying the cracked display. "We'll need to circle around."

I drank the last of the water, gathering my strength. "How far to the next shelter?"

"There's a rock outcropping about a kilometer ahead. We can rest there properly."

One kilometer. An insignificant distance under normal circumstances. Now it might as well have been a hundred.

"Let's go," I said, struggling to my feet.

Rivera rose with me, her arm once again around my waist. The contact sent a different kind of heat through me, one that wasn't caused by my fever. Our bond thrummed between us, a constant reminder of our unprecedented connection.

"Lean on me," she instructed. "I'm stronger than I look."

"I've noticed."

The landscape grew more treacherous as we continued. Fissures split the earth, some releasing noxious gases that made my eyes water. Vegetation had withered, leaving behind skeletal remains of once-lush plants. In the distance, a herd of grazing herbivores moved steadily away from the western ruins, their instincts driving them from the danger.

"Animals always know," I murmured.

"What?"

"When to flee. They sense the danger before we do."

A sudden gust of wind carried the acrid scent of dying flora, making us both cough. The sun emerged from behind clouds, beating down with unnatural intensity after the brief rain. My damp clothing steamed in the heat, but the fever made me shiver nonetheless.

We stopped frequently, each rest shorter than I needed but longer than we could afford. The pain in my shoulder had become a constant companion, occasionally flaring into white-hot agony when I moved wrong. Through it all, Rivera remained steady, her presence both physical support and mental anchor.

"Tell me about the western compound," she said during one rest, clearly trying to keep me alert.

I focused on the question, fighting through the fog in my mind. "It's newer than the main settlement. Built after we discovered the ancient outpost."

"But you never went inside?"

"No. The Elders forbade it." I paused, struck by the irony. "Until they sent me after you."

She smiled slightly. "Lucky you."

"Indeed." Despite everything, I found myself returning her smile.

The ground trembled beneath us, a brief but violent shudder that sent us stumbling. Rivera's grip tightened, keeping me upright as a nearby fissure widened, releasing a cloud of steam.

"That's getting worse," she observed, tension in her voice.

"Hammond's drilling." I forced myself to straighten. "We need to keep moving."

Each step became an exercise in will. Put the foot forward. Shift weight. Ignore pain. Repeat. The landscape blurred around me, details lost to the fever and exhaustion. Only Rivera remained clear – her face set in determination, her markings occasionally brightening as she used her abilities to detect safe passages through the increasingly dangerous terrain.

"There," she said eventually, pointing to a formation of rocks that created a natural shelter. "We can rest there."

The final steps to the shelter took everything I had. As soon as we reached it, my legs gave out completely. Rivera lowered me against the rock wall, her concern flowing through our bond.

"Your wound needs cleaning," she said, examining my shoulder with gentle fingers.

I didn't resist as she carefully removed the makeshift bandage. The pain had dulled to a throbbing ache, which I knew was a bad sign. I caught her flash of alarm at the sight of the injury through our bond.

"That bad?" I asked.

"I've seen worse," she lied, reaching for her pack. "I'll use the rest of the filtered water to clean it."

The touch of the cool water against the inflamed skin made me hiss. Rivera worked methodically, her fingers gentle despite their urgency. I watched her face as she concentrated, the silver markings along her collarbone pulsing softly.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

She glanced up, surprised. "For what?"

"Not leaving me behind. It would have been the logical choice."

Her hands stilled. "That was never an option."

The simple statement carried weight beyond the words themselves. I felt the truth of it through our bond – her absolute refusal to abandon me, despite the danger, despite the urgency of their mission.

"Rest," she said, applying a fresh bandage made from torn fabric. "I'll keep watch."

I wanted to protest, to insist I could stay alert, but my body betrayed me. Exhaustion pulled at me, dragging me down into darkness. The last thing I saw was Rivera's face, concern etched in her features as she settled beside me.

I woke to darkness and pain. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was or what had happened. Then Rivera's warm presence registered through our bond, and memory returned. The ruins. Hammond. Our desperate journey.

She sat at the entrance to our small shelter, silhouetted against the night sky. The twin moons cast enough light to see her profile, her head tilted back as she studied the stars.

"How long?" My voice came out as a rasp.

She turned, moving to my side immediately. "About four hours. How do you feel?"

"Better." It wasn't entirely a lie. The rest had cleared some of the fog from my mind, though the pain remained.

"Your fever's down a little." Her hand brushed my forehead. "I found some mertil leaves while you slept. They should help with the infection."

I recognized the plant name – a common medicinal herb used by our healers. "How did you know?"

"My markings." She touched her collarbone. "They... recognize things sometimes. Plants, materials. It's hard to explain."

"The bond is changing you."

She nodded slowly. "Both of us, I think."

The admission hung between us, neither accusation nor regret. Simply truth.

A distant rumble shook the ground, reminding us of our purpose. Rivera checked her scanner, frowning at the display.

"The tremors are increasing in frequency. We need to reach the western compound by tomorrow."

"Then we should move now." I pushed myself up, gritting my teeth against the pain.

"In the dark?"

"The moons provide enough light. And we've rested enough."

She didn't argue, though her concern flowed through our bond. Instead, she helped me to my feet, her touch gentle but firm.

Outside our shelter, the landscape had transformed in the moonlight. The cracked earth glittered with mineral deposits, and steam from the fissures created ghostly columns in the cool night air. In the distance, the silhouette of the western ruins stood against the horizon – our destination.

"The scanner shows a relatively stable path if we head northwest for about two kilometers before turning west," Rivera said, studying the device.

I nodded, taking a careful step forward. My body protested, but less violently than before. The rest and Rivera's treatment had helped, if only slightly.

We moved slowly through the night, the twin moons our guides. The cooler air made breathing easier, though occasional gusts carried strange, acrid scents from the disturbed landscape. Twice we had to detour around newly formed fissures, steaming and bubbling with unknown substances.

"Look," Rivera pointed to a set of massive tracks crossing our path. "Something big came through here recently."

I studied the impressions in the soft earth. "Ikthar. A predator. Moving away from the ruins, like everything else."

"Smart predator."

"Smarter than us, apparently."

She laughed softly, the sound unexpected and welcome in the desolate landscape. I caught a flash of her amusement through our bond – a bright spark amid the worry and determination.

We continued in companionable silence, conserving energy for the journey. The bond between us thrummed with shared purpose, a connection deeper than words. Occasionally her markings brightened as she sensed something in our path, guiding us around dangers I couldn't perceive.

Dawn broke as we crested a ridge, painting the landscape in harsh light that revealed its true devastation. What had once been fertile ground now resembled a war zone – cracked and broken, steaming with noxious gases, devoid of healthy life.

"Hammond did this," Rivera said, her voice tight with anger. "All for power."

"And resources." I surveyed the destruction. "The drilling operation extracts rare minerals."

"At what cost?" She gestured at the ruined landscape. "This isn't sustainable. He's destroying everything."

Another tremor shook the ground, stronger than the previous ones. We braced ourselves, watching as a nearby fissure widened, spewing sulfurous steam high into the air.

"We have to keep moving," I said once the shaking subsided. "The western compound can't be far now."

Rivera nodded, adjusting her grip around my waist. I leaned on her more heavily than I wanted to admit, my strength waning despite my determination. The fever had returned, sending alternating waves of heat and chills through my body.

The sun climbed higher, beating down with unnatural intensity. Sweat beaded on my skin, making the fabric of my clothing stick to the wound. Each step became an exercise in endurance, my world narrowing to the placement of my feet and the steady presence of Rivera beside me.

"Water," she said, guiding me toward a small depression where liquid had collected. She tested it with her markings before filtering it through her device. "Drink slowly."

I obeyed, the cool water momentarily reviving me. Through our shared bond, I felt her growing concern, her calculations of distance and time, her worry about my condition.

"I won't fail," I told her, meeting her eyes. "We will reach the compound."

"I know." She capped the water container. "But at what cost to you?"

I had no answer that wouldn't sound like empty bravado. Instead, I struggled back to my feet, focusing on our goal.

The landscape grew more treacherous as we approached the western ruins. The ground here showed the most damage from Hammond's drilling – deep fissures, pools of bubbling liquid, bare rock where vegetation had been stripped away. The air itself tasted wrong, metallic and sharp.

"The scanner's showing dangerous radiation levels ahead," Rivera said, studying the device. "We'll need to circle around to the north."

The detour added precious time to our journey, but we had no choice. Even with my limited senses, I could feel the wrongness of the direct path – a disturbance in the natural energy of the land that made my lifelines ache in warning.

By midday, the western compound had grown from a distant silhouette to a visible structure – a collection of angular buildings surrounded by Hammond's drilling equipment. The sight gave me new strength, pushing back the fog of pain and exhaustion.

"There," I pointed to a ridge overlooking the compound. "We can observe from there before approaching."

Rivera nodded, adjusting our course. The final climb tested the limits of my endurance, each step sending fresh agony through my injured shoulder. Only Rivera's unwavering support kept me moving forward, her strength flowing through our bond when mine faltered.

At the crest, we collapsed into the shelter of a rock outcropping, hidden from view of the compound below. Rivera helped me sit with my back against the stone, then turned her attention to the scanner. Her body was too close. Pressed against the stone beside me, breath steady, eyes sharp. I told myself it was tactical. But the bond hummed between us—and I didn’t move away.

"Heavy security," she murmured, studying the readings. "Motion sensors, armed guards, drone patrols."

I focused on the compound through narrowed eyes, fighting to stay conscious. "We need to find a way in."

"First, you need to rest." She pressed her hand to my forehead, her touch cool against my burning skin. "Your fever's worse."

I couldn't argue. The journey had taken everything I had, leaving me hollow and weak. I felt Rivera's determination harden into resolve through our bond.

"We'll wait until nightfall," she decided. "I'll scout the perimeter, find us a way in."

"Too dangerous alone," I protested.

"More dangerous if you collapse in the open." Her expression softened slightly. "Trust me, . I can do this."

Trust. Such a simple word for such a profound concept. Yet as I looked at her – this human who had fought beside me, supported me, bound herself to me in ways neither one of us fully understood – I found it came easier than expected.

"I trust you," I said simply.

Her markings brightened briefly at my words, and through our bond came a wave of something complex – gratitude, determination, and something deeper I couldn't name.

"Rest," she said again, settling beside me. "We have hours until nightfall. Save your strength for when we need it."

I let my eyes close, surrendering to exhaustion. The pain in my shoulder faded to a dull throb as consciousness slipped away. The last thing I felt was Rivera's presence through our bond – steady, unwavering, a beacon in the darkness pulling me forward.

For her. For our peoples. I would endure.