“Only if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Jerber said confidently. He himself was picking the fruit with rapid expertise. He used the metal hook on the end of his wooden pole to twist off one of the round fruits and toss it in the air. Then he turned and caught it deftly in the basket strapped to his back—a neat trick if Brav had ever seen one.
“You’re good at that,” he said, nodding admiringly to indicate the boy’s technique as Jerber flipped yet another ring fruit into his basket.
“Thanks. Lots of practice.” Jerber grinned. “I always come out, whenever there’s something to be done outside the township gates. It’s the only time I ever get to see anything new,” he added.
Brav frowned.
“But your people have the power of space flight—at least, you sent a messenger ship to the Kindred Mother Ship to ask us to come visit you.”
“Really?” Jerber looked surprised. “The Ancient Light One must have sent it. We H’rakens never go anywhere.”
He sighed and flipped another fruit over his shoulder towards his basket. This one missed, however, and the round fruit broke into pieces on the ground. Dark pink liquid leaked from it and a pungent smell not unlike the butchering shed rose from the broken pieces, making Brav wrinkle his sensitive nose. But since Jerber seemed unconcerned, he said nothing about the broken fruit.
“So…none of you ever visit any other planets?” he asked instead. “And who is the ‘Ancient Light One?’”
“The only Ancient left. He lives inside the temple of the Mother Stone—but he only talks to Kozen,” Jerber said. “And no…” he sighed. “We never visit any other planets—how would we? We don’t have the same abilities the Ancients had and they were a long time ago—hundreds and thousands of cycles.”
“Really?”
Brav frowned, remembering that the ship the H’rakens had sent had been unmanned. It had been tiny, its computer banks filled with recordings of friendship and peace but other than the fertility statue which had gone to Danielle to study, there hadn’t been much else.
“Don’t you ever go visit other townships?” he asked, deciding to ask more about the “Ancients” whoever they were, later.
“Sometimes,” Jerber admitted. “When we need fresh bloodlines the Mother Stones all over the planet will send out beams to each other. Then the Ancient Light One tells Kozen—or whoever is the Head of the Collective at that time—where to send the young people who are the right age for Joining.” He shook his head. “I hope that doesn’t happen this time, though. I’ve had my eye on Yolii, Kozen’s daughter, for a long time. I’m just sure the Mother Stone will match us, if only I’m allowed to stay in our township.” He brightened. “And then I may be the next Head of the Collective!”
“Well, I wish you luck,” Brav told him, smiling at the young male’s ambition. He could see a bright, adventurous soul like this wanting to get past the boundaries of the village’s protective fencing and lead the way for his people. It was a shame the H’rakens restricted themselves so stringently, he thought as he turned to reach for another fruit and put it in his basket. Especially since he hadn’t yet seen any reason for them to be afraid.
That was when he heard a snarling roar and the sound of Jerber shouting in fear and pain.
Whirling around, he was just in time to see a pale hand with long, vicious claws digging into Jerber’s chest and dragging him into the copse of trees they had just been harvesting. The boy was struggling but the hand was almost as big as Brav’s own and whoever it was attached to was apparently very strong.
“Hey—get off him!” Brav led with the long wooden pole he was carrying. Rushing forward, he jabbed it into the thick tree branches above Jerber’s head.
There was an angry hissing sound that might have been words and the hand tightened its grip, the long claw-like nails digging into the boy’s flesh cruelly until the dark pink blood flowed and Jerber screamed in agony.
“I said, get off him!” Brav roared. He wished he had a blaster on him, but he hadn’t thought he’d need it just to butcher meat—which was all they’d had planned for that morning. So he had to do the best he could with what he had.
He jabbed with the metal hook end of the long pole again and then dived into the branches himself, reaching for whatever was trying to drag Jerber away.
Red eyes gleamed in the darkness under the trees. The creature—it must be a Riiver, Brav thought—had chalky white skin and features that looked as though they had melted and run together.
When it opened its mouth, Brav saw that its teeth were sharp points—as though it had a mouthful of fangs. And from every yellow point dripped a black ichor. It made Brav think of how his own fangs produced essence when he was near Danielle—but it was clear this stuff had no beneficial value at all. It was more like the venom you found in the mouth of a snake.