Serensia in Tark

Serensia read her notes back to herself, her heart hammering against her rib cage as the words super-charged her excitement, it was a breakthrough. One that would — could... she shuddered, what this meant to Aradia, to its leaders. It would...

Another puzzle piece clicked into place. She turned pages wildly until she found it. A passage that she'd wrote down when she'd first found a knack for finding stories, how her curious hunt for gossip had turned into something more.

"With his last breath he spoke my name,

And with it did the sacrifice claim.

The lives of six so the gods did yield, and

The power of them to replenish the shield.

I Erya make the kings oath to marry,

To have seven children and let them my power carry.

And when it is time and the burden too much I'll go to my death,

With the name of my chosen on my last breath."

It was one of the first paragraphs she'd written down. She was thirteen years old when it had changed. When a new paragraph somehow took its place. It was as if a fuzz had blanketed her mind, and then words replaced the ones that everyone had always known. She flipped a few pages forward.

"Aradia, land surrounded by sea,

living in harmony.

Protected by an invisible shield,

that only the king can wield.

If no child this curse to bear,

a champion must be selected to take his chair."

A screech had her sitting upright, but the silence after suggested it was no more than a bird of some sort. Returning her attention to her notes, she remembered asking her parents why the prophecy had changed, but they had only stared at her blankly. It wasn't only them; it was as if the new foretelling had altered every Aradian's memories. Maybe, it was because she'd written it down that she remembered the initial fortune, but even when others had read her notes they couldn't recall it. They assumed she had written her own rhyme, nothing more. It had only hardened her resolve to prove that something else was going on, and now, six years later she had uncovered the truth. She had known it as soon as she looked into Kaijan's eyes. She was certain, even as she sprinted back across branches, no longer caring about the height, or waiting for others. She crossed bridges without concern for the huge Tarks coming from the other end. Now that she knew that she'd finally found out the truth she had no idea what to do with it. There was a reason it had been kept from them, a motive for the tournament... the tournament. More pieces clicked into place. The puzzle clearer now. The tournament was just another part of a much bigger story. Another sound blasted through the trees, but she was so immersed in her own thoughts that she hardly heard it.

Kaijan...

Could she tell him, or any of them?

Did she approach the king?

Or keep it to herself and watch them die...

She couldn't. She had to warn him, to share the knowledge, maybe they could find a way to change it. But then the shield...

Serensia stared at the lines running along the inside of the old tree, and then read the descriptions she'd been focussed on one more time. She would have to show him proof, he wouldn't just believe her.

Kaijan.

"Kaijan!"

He'd walked past her window and a second later knocked on her door. She rolled her eyes at the gesture, before closing her book and going to open the door.

She knew something was wrong before he even opened his mouth. His eyes were wide — wider than normal, and he was sweating, a fine layer glinting on his bronze skin.

"What's wrong?"

He was breathing rapidly, like he'd sprinted across the tree-city faster than her. "Forician's," he kept looking back over his shoulder, "They're flying."

She didn't quite comprehend him. "Forician's can't fly."

"Well, these ones can!" He announced. "I need you to get lower, wait inside the trunk."

She wanted to argue. To stick by his side. To help. But right now, he was as a prince as she'd ever seen him. He spoke with authority; this was an order. She nodded mutely, retreating to grab her book before leaving her quarters behind. She briefly thought about telling him what she'd found, but decided against it, it wasn't the moment for distractions, that and the city above the trees was no longer the calm place she was used to.

Kaij

Kaijan ran. He had lived in these trees for a long time, and like the dark passages of Kava, he knew the pathways of Tark. The winding staircase that revolved around giant tree trunks, the branches that could be travelled, the shortcuts; secret handholds that led to paths above or below that would get him to his destination faster. He leaped across a chasm, climbed small protrusions that surrounded a trunk, swung across ropes, and climbed ladders.

"Bo!" He was out of breath, but the Tark still heard him.

He must've noted his face. "Kaijan... did it go that wrongly?"

Kaijan still found it strange that there was such obvious concern behind that brutish appearance.

"What? No!" He answered defensively before realising there were more important matters than his botched walk with Seren.

Bo smiled. A wide grin that looked almost comical on his face. "It went good then."

"No," he shook away the image of her literally fleeing him, "Forician's are coming."

Bo's face hardened. He leant back and uttered a battle cry, the bird like screech echoed through the trees warning the watchers on the outposts.

"How far? Wait," Bo stopped, "where is Serensia?"

"She ran away — he cut off. "I might've tried to kiss her."

Bo didn't laugh, but he didn't hold back from a little teasing. "You do look strange, even for a Sulf, maybe give it longer, let her get to know that personality that we love."

Kaijan snorted. "Dating advise right before we battle Forician's, such a Tark thing to do."

Bo responded, but it was drowned out by battle cries whistling through the trees. The Forican's had been spotted. But the warning was different.

"Was there anything out of the normal?"

Kaijan cursed, he'd forgotten the most important part. "They were flying."

Fear wasn't an emotion that permeated Tark, but then again, the concept of flying Forician's was less of an occurrence. The city was elevated to protect them from the beasts below, but if they came from above...

Bo's relaxed expression had morphed, tension taught muscles tightened his skin. "Flying," he said as if Kaijan would tell him he was joking.

He wished he was. But there were times when humour didn't help. This was one of those times. The cities defences had been built to target the enemies on the ground, not the sky, then again nothing could defend against a flying Forician.

"Yes, ten or more of them."

Bo's fist's clenched and unclenched. He looked towards the heavens as if they would help, or maybe that was just Kaijan's kind of beliefs in gods and higher powers, when his gaze returned it was resolute. A warrior prepared for battle he knew he couldn't win, but with no fear of it.

"Kaij, find Serensia and take her to one of hollows."

Kaijan stiffened, he hadn't even thought about it. Seren wouldn't know what the signals meant. He had to get to her before...

He was already turning. "I'll come back as soon as I get her safe."

"Luck be with you." Bo touched his heart, a symbol of a warrior prepared to fight to his death.

"Good luck," Kaijan shouted, not returning the gesture. He knew of something that might just save them, it wasn't enough to tell Bo, not that the Tarkian would approve, but it gave them a chance and a chance was all he needed...

*

He found Serensia immersed in the same book she'd been in earlier, he briefly wondered if she was writing about him in her diary, before pushing the thought aside, he didn't want to know...

When she looked at him there was something different, almost pitying... he was a fool for thinking she could like him.

But he would save her, nonetheless.

They were running towards the Hollows, the borough of Centre, a deep vault inside the huge tree-trunk. When the attack began, the city rattled as the huge monsters landed and began their assault. Explosions shattered the air as wood split and then came the screams.

"We should help," Serensia said.

He smiled at her willingness to run back into danger, possibly death. "I will, I just need to get you to —

He stopped, catching her with an outstretched arm. He put his finger to his lips to prevent the response. But he didn't need to, she had heard it to.

The beat of wings disturbed the air above them. He held his breath, watching the gusts sway the canopies above. He couldn't imagine what the size of the wingspan and the power of each beat had to be to sway the heavyset branches.

He pointed towards a bridge crossing that would get them close to the Hollows and motioned for Serensia to go towards it.

She was wide eyed, her breathing rapid as she fought to quiet it. However, she moved quickly, he followed her onto the bridge, the sound from above had faded away now, the leafy canopy settling back in place, a protective shield —

He heard a crack and then a crunch, and before he could react the Forician was coming right at them, diving through the trees and breaking them like they were brittle bones, the creature; a sparkling mass of silver and purple scales hit the bridge and sheared it, sending them flying through the air...

He hit a branch below knocking the wind from him. He lay strewn over the wood in a daze of pain, he knew he was broken, he could feel it in the fact that he couldn't feel anything. His legs and arms were useless, but he could still see. The Forician, a terror of teeth and claws and talons was rising through the damage it had caused.

Kaijan tried to turn his head to find Serensia, but he couldn't move. He could do no more than watch as the monster settled on branch above him and eyed him, as if waiting for him to do something. He coughed blood, but that was all he could manage.

The Forican snorted, and then shook its great head as if in disappointment. Kaijan waited for it to finish him off, he wandered how it would happen. With its sharp claws, or serrated beak, or would it shift and then...

"Kaijan," he heard her voice, it washed over him giving him courage despite the tears of fear running from his eyes, "are you okay?"

He tried to speak but it hurt too much. All that came out was a gurgle of blood, and a noise of agony.

"I'll find a way to get to you."

He summoned every ounce of strength. "No, leave me." Every word hurt, but he pressed on. "There's nothing you can do for me. Not anymore. Get to the Hollows, you're not far." He gauged were he'd landed. There were entrances on every level.

"I can't leave you. I won't." The determination made him smile despite the pain.

"You need to get to the trunk, push the symbol and the door will open. Close it and don't come out."

She tried to disagree.

"That is an order!"

The Forician watched from above as if it knew there was another player, and it was waiting for it to expose itself. Great big purple eyes watchful. The Prince of Kava noted a hint of intelligence in them, something he'd not heard of in the tales of the crazed beasts.

"Good that you're not my king then," Serensia said as stubborn as a Sulphite, one of their good traits, Kaijan had always thought.

"Serensia, I'm broken. Don't sacrifice —

He couldn't see her, but he knew she wasn't there anymore.

And then she came into view, on a branch directly below the monster. "Come on you big ugly bird. Come catch me."

She was running across a branch, her fear of heights nothing compared to the monster above. "Come on!" She screamed, fear lining her voice. "Come and —

The bird-like monster cocked its head as if listening to her or trying to. Silly! He blinked, they couldn't understand anything beyond a meal... the monsters head turned up, and another beast appeared; the newcomer shot through the broken canopy, this one was smaller, half the size of the one that had broken him. It was a dull grey. It's wingspan almost insignificant. But its eyes made up for its size, they held the craziness of a starved man. There was nothing in them but pain and rage. It landed in front of Serensia, almost breaking the branch, but the tremor knocked her off her feet. The thing, for this one was a shapeless mass with tiny wings. It slid towards her, and... he sat up. It was nothing more than a reflex reaction, but somehow his body obeyed. The broken pieces of the Prince of Kava snapped back into place, but he hardly thought more of it. He was up and running, he didn't even think of the monster above, it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was her, and the thing coming for her...

Serensia

Serensia stared into pits of madness. The Forician slithered towards her, its eyes didn't blink. Reptilian. Wild. Crazed orbs that held no trace of remorse, or intelligence. There was only hunger and rage. She didn't move as it came, she couldn't. Her limbs had frozen like the branches that surrounded her. The biggest secret of Aradia would die with her, but maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it was meant to happen like this. She doubted her discovery would cause anything but pain and maybe even war. So, she lay there watching death inch closer, the slug-like mass reared up when it got close enough. She closed her eyes, prepared for what she was about to do. She would rather roll off the tree and fall to her death than be eaten by a monster.

A yell caught her mid-roll, she opened her eyes and saw Kaijan swinging through the air, his feet smashed into the raised Forican, which had no grip on the perch, its body swung in slow motion and then toppled into the abyss. Kaijan dropped down next to her.

"I thought you had given up," she said taking his offered hand.

"Thought I would stick around to reprimand you for disobeying an order."

She shrugged. "I'll be glad to take any punishment considering you're still alive, how are you alive though?" She had seen his broken body distorted around a branch.

A thoughtful expression crossed his face, but before he could answer a shrill cry pierced the air.

The Forician above was staring right at them. It's eyes locking onto hers like cross hairs.

"We gotta go!"

Kaijan nodded. "I need to get something," he said to her, "it is our only chance."

She could still hear the screams and explosions rattling the city under siege, the assault wasn't over. As if in response to her thoughts another Forician broke through the canopy, but they were already running.

The biggest Forician watched them, but it didn't attack. There was something strange about that, but it was lost to wings and the cracking of branches behind them.

"So, what is this thing that can help?"

"I left a Stone here," he responded.

It took her by surprise. "What? But..."

The question was whipped from her lips as the chasing monsters sailed over them, blocking their path.

They backtracked, she glanced back to see if the bigger Forician was moving to trap them, but it hadn't. The notion surprised her. She didn't quite know why it hadn't finished Kaijan off while he lay broken on that branch, then again there were a lot of question she would have to investigate if she survived.

"It was a gift to Khumo," he said talking for the sake of evading the fear, "Tarks don't trust the Stones, but I couldn't leave them defenceless if something like this ever happened. It would be a last resort."

"Where is it?" She asked, thinking about how to buy him time.

A nervous laugh. "It's next to that big Forician back there."

She didn't to ask why he'd run, was he was trying to trick it into following? so, he could backtrack and get the Stone.

"What does it do?" She asked.

"It opens portal."

How on Aradia will that help, it won't —

The Forician, a black-like slug in the same mould of the one that Kaijan had kicked slithered forward. It didn't seem to be as adapt at moving across the branches as in the sky until it launched itself at them. There was nowhere to go, it happened too fast. The strike so quick her mind couldn't comprehend it. She could only watch as its huge gaping mouth opened over her... An arrow thumped into it flank knocking it sideways.

"Go!" Gumbo shouted standing on a branch wielding one of the Tarkian weapons in his giant arms. The bow: once attached to a contraption and aimed at the ground looked as it had been ripped from its hinges and was now being used as a mobile weapon.

"Thank you, Bo," Kaijan shouted, the big man simply waved his hand already running towards the next shout.

"Come on," Kaijan urged already sprinting passed the Forician lying on its side, but still moving.

"How is teleportation going to help us?" She repeated running alongside him.

"It's not like we can get everyone out of here..." she trailed off, Tark had a massive population, but... realisation stopped her in her tracks.

"You're going to use it to get us out of here. You're gonna leave."

Kaijan laughed. "I hadn't even thought of that." He looked bewildered, that it hadn't occurred to him. "It's a good idea actually. But no, I'm not leaving my friends' people, I'm gonna send these monsters back to where they belong."

They climbed to the same level of the massive Forician. From this vantage point they would've usually seen the tops of the trees, only now the foliage had been ripped open, like a giant cut in the city. Tark opened up and she stifled a scream. The city was a mess, it looked like long forgotten ruins, bridges hung like corpses, carved structures had caved in, platforms no more than debris. Tarkians were strewn across the trees, some impaled by their own home, others in the mouths of monsters, their bodies broken... blood splattering the wood like paint. There were some they still fought though; weapons trained on their attackers.

"Come on!" She said managing to tear her eyes away from the scene.

Kaijan had frozen, his eyes travelling over the carnage laid out beneath them. Anger, hatred, revulsion flashing across his face like an expression reel.

"Kaijan," she said softly, "we have to go, the quicker we get this Stone. The more people you can help."

He nodded. "I'm gonna kill every single one of these things," he whispered, but the soft serious edge to his voice was far more dangerous than if he'd shouted it, true enemies had been created today.

"I let Khumo down," he admitted more to himself than her, "he cannot forgive me for this. If he were here..."

"Nothing," she interrupted, "he couldn't do anything more. They came from the skies, Tark was never prepared for that. But you can save more of them than anyone else. You can give them the chance to rebuild instead of leave Tark a graveyard that disappears into the trees, grown over and lost. You," she took a deep breath, revealing this now would make or break him, "are the son of the king of Aradia. You and only you have the power to defeat our enemies, I've already seen it."