Growth

So they found one of the sturdier stretchers and gingerly laid Alfred across it. He showed no signs of pain nor of waking as he was taken above deck and set under the repaired canopy. Bags were gathered as well and Captain Rogers announced one last optional meal. Many passengers accepted the offer. It was nice to have something good happen after such a dark day.

Bellies were filled and landfall was made. It took a little while to line the large ship up with the dock so that cranes could properly unload the cargo. But seeing as how the dragon had knocked everything around, that would be a problem regardless of how well the ship was positioned.

Speaking of the dragon, Captain Rogers had his hands full with the people who wanted it delivered alive. Calvin came to his rescue. Clare watched as Calvin’s words shut the angry clients up and a large amount of money traded hands. Clare wanted very much to know what was going on there.

But that would have to come later. She, Alice, and Raven had their packs on and stood over Alfred on his stretcher beside a plank that would connect the deck to the dock. Disaster side, Clare enjoyed her time on the sea and could not wait for the next stint. But until then, there was Cancun.

Clare had overheard that if there was one place to party, it was here… once. Now there were the salvaged hotels and bars and the walls around it that separated it from the wild jungle on the other side. The dock definitely did not exist before the Growth. It was as makeshift as could be but it was fully functional. And if Clare could compare the place to the few others she had visited before, it would most resemble a combination of New Orleans and Refuge 49.

Captain Rogers stood beside the plank and offered his apologies to his departing passengers. When that was done, he met with the Protectors.

“I know you want to continue your journey, but I need a couple of days if I am to help you do that. There are many affairs that need attending to now.”

“I understand,” Calvin said.

“Thank you. I appreciate your understanding. I would also understand if you want to take another vessel the next leg of your journey.”

“We’re fine with our current captain,” Calvin assured. “We’ll check in with you tomorrow to see how things are progressing.”

Captain Rogers returned to his duties. The group got to the ground and immediately set out for a hospital. There was a sizeable one near the wall between man and monster. It was shabby, but they had a clean room and nurses to watch over Alfred. It would do.

Raven dragged the others to the roof for a better view of their surroundings. Cancun was shoddy but livable. Definitely like the Refuge, Clare thought. And then there was the wild side of the wall. Jungle, jungle, and more jungle.

“You may find yourself out there one day,” Raven said to the young recruits.

“No.”

“Oh yes. Dragons seem to like the weather conditions around the equator and now is as good a time as any to mention that you’ll be hunting a dragon on your own one day.”

“One monster battle was enough.”

“This armor is made of dragon hide. To get dragon hide, you have to kill a dragon. ‘You’ being the key word here.”

“But we just killed one.”

“Doesn’t count. But fear not! You’ll be with a team of fellow Initiates.”

“Would we at least get the Elixir first?”

“Yes. You’ll be well equipped.”

“At least there’s that,” Todd said.

“Why don’t you all go relax?” Calvin suggested. “There’s the beach and a restaurant across the street. She should meet there for dinner at sunset. Marco, you’re with me.” He took Marco and left the others on the roof.

“Where’s he going?”

“Who knows? Anyway, it’s girl time,” Raven announced, forgetting Todd’s gender. “What should we do?”

With Alfred in good hands, the women made tracks to the beach for some rest and relaxation. The water was as nice as it had always been and the sand still as white. The concept of bathing suits was lost in time. The women simply removed their boots and packs and jumped into the waves. The cool water was an amazing relief from the burning sun above. Even Todd dashed into the water for relief from the summer heat.

“This feels incredible,” Clare said. “Who knew places like this existed?”

“And this isn’t even the best beach,” Raven said. She shook the water from her hair like a dog. “There are so many across the world.”

“I want to see them all.”

Raven laughed. “That’s very ambitious.”

“One of you teach me how to swim,” Clare demanded.

“Your inexperience knows no bounds,” Todd said.

“The water is smooth enough,” Raven noted. “Let’s wade out. I’ll show you what I know.”

“I have news,” Calvin said. The slightly sunburnt women and Todd had already taken a table at the shabby restaurant and already ordered without Calvin and Marco. The place was pretty shoddy. Its purpose was to serve food and drink and that’s all it would do.

“What’s the word?” Raven asked between chews. Each woman had water and grilled fish.

Calvin stood at the head of the table, Marco beside him. “Alice, you may not like this but after much thinking I have decided that it is best to continue our journey without Alfred in the event he does not wake up.”

“You’re right. I don’t like this.” Alice crossed her arms. “You’d better have a good reason.”

“I say this because Alfred backed your decision to become a Protector. Sitting around and waiting for him to wake up could take quite a while. His body underwent some pretty intense trauma. Those dragon claws almost completely ignored his armor.”

Alice sighed. “Yeah, fine.”

Raven kicked out a chair for Calvin. “Take a seat, shaggy.”

“Nothing for me?”

“I forgot. The server will be around soon.”

The men sat.

“So what did you do today?”

“I learned to swim!” Clare joyously announced.

“That’s a handy skill,” Marco said.

“I could have used it when you tossed us into the river…”

“We stand by our decision to abandon you,” Raven said. “It would have been best to completely avoid those Crusaders but that past is past. You passed our basic wilderness survival training.”

“Not sorry for abandonment?” Marco asked. “Typical.”

Raven shot him a look. “There was method behind the madness.”

“That’s all it was: madness.”

“What did you two do today?” Raven asked.

Calvin put a heavy hand on Marco’s shoulder. “Just had us a little heart to heart.”

Marco kept still.

“And speaking of training, we’ll be showing you a few more things during our voyage. Don’t expect a relaxing cruise. We gave you your one and only break.”

Clare and Alice frowned.

“You will both need it,” Todd said for the Protectors.

“We’ll have you just as prepared as your future comrades in arms, if not more so,” Calvin explained.

“They’ll be in shape, and the more talented the Initiate, the more likely they’ll get a job that more easily bumps him or her up to Brave rank. And of course with rank comes benefits.”

Two days passed. Alfred still showed no signs of awakening. Captain Rogers had a new crew and his harpoon guns repaired as well as new cargo to take with him along the next leg of the journey. There was just as much as when they had left from New Orleans, only no dragons this time. But Captain Rogers did mention that if the price was right, he would transport another.

During the two days spent in Cancun, Clare spotted more Protectors. “There are dragons out there,” Raven had explained. “And crafting dragon bones into weapons was becoming popular just before I left home last time.”

Calvin added, “And don’t forget that there is a lot of sinning to do in this city.”

The sea route was from Cancun would take them across the northern shores of South America and then down to Macapa at the mouth of the Amazon River. Estimated time of arrival: one week. Clare and Alice endured some pretty intense training during that time. And it took place on the open deck under the sun. Calvin did not go easy on them at any point in time. And while Calvin handled the physical aspects, Raven imbued the young women with her knowledge of combat strategies and what to expect in the near future. Needless to say, the women were exhausted by the end of every day. Much unlike Todd who enjoyed stretching out on the deck and watching between naps.

Looking up at the clear starry sky one night on the deck, the group of the two Protectors and two young trainees conversed with their fox companion. Marco was present as well. It was all one big vacation for him.

Raven started. “The Growth occurred over one hundred years ago,” she said, eyes on the sky. “Take a good look above us. The lights of the cities across the world were so bright that the stars you see above us could not be seen like this.”

“You couldn’t see the stars?” Clare had to be sure.

“Around cities and in their suburbs, no. And even outside of that, there was the haze of industry. Pollution still exists but back in those times it was in the atmosphere and further blocked what we can see now.”

“That’s sad,” Alice said.

Marco spoke up. “It was. But look now. I’d say it all worked out.”

“Did it really?” Clare asked. “I mean, didn’t millions die because of the Growth?”

“Who cares?”

Raven frowned. “Yes and no, Clare. I like to think that there were other ways to clean up Earth. The Growth was too extreme. I’m not sure the ends justified the means. But then again, I can’t say that I hate this world. From what I’ve learned, the old world sounds too… convenient.”

“What’s so bad about convenience? I would love a more convenient life,” Clare said.

“I know you would. But it would make you weak. After a life of luxury, what are you left with when all of your amenities are gone? Nothing. No survival skills. You are the prime example of this.”

“But that’s just it. You didn’t need survival skills then, right?”

“They didn’t. That is, until the day they finally did. And you never really know when things will change.”

“I sure don’t…”

Calvin finally spoke. “What’s done is done. Survive today to see tomorrow.”

“Master says that a lot,” Raven mentioned.

“It may not be a great saying, but it’s hers.”

“You really respect your Master, don’t you?” Clare said.

“Why shouldn’t I? She has yet to lead me astray,” Calvin answered.

Marco scoffed yet again.

“What now?”

“You’ve all been led astray. There’s no hope for humanity yet you keep trying. It’s futile but you persist. It’d be better to end it all and let Mother Nature have her way.”

“And what happens after you kill everyone?”

“We die off.”

Clare threw her hands up in the air. “And you think the Protectors are silly.”

“No humanity means no more wars.”

“Animals fight too, you idiot,” Alice shot.

“Without destroying a planet.”

Clare turned back to the Protectors. “So yeah, the Crusaders kidnapped a bunch of kids and is planning to use them as a child army.”

Calvin’s hand shot out and grabbed Marco’s grassy collar and reeled him in to his glaring face. “You failed to mention that during our little heart to heart,” Calvin said.

Marco managed a nervous smile. “Sorry?”

Raven patted Calvin’s shoulder. Calvin’s eyes locked with hers and then he released Marco.

“Fine,” the Crusader said. “It’s true. The Overseer ordered a mass kidnapping.”

“She’s having them brainwashed, too,” Alice added. Marco looked at her. His expression begged her to stop. Alice grinned and shrugged.

Calvin grabbed Marco’s shoulder and dragged him away. “You are telling me everything this time.” Marco accepted his fate and let himself be taken away.

“Watch yourself,” Raven called to Calvin. “We need him alive.”

Clare put a hand to her chin. “He has Primal, but he puts up no fight.”

“Why would he?” Alice asked. “We’ve got him surrounded. I can’t imagine a stupider idea.”

“Primal…” Raven said to herself. “Clare, come here.” Raven led the way to a barrel. “Arm wrestle. You and me.”

Clare shrugged and readied herself across from Raven. “We’ll need a referee,” she said to Alice.

Alice stepped up and put her hands on the contestants’. “When I let go, have at it.” She counted down to three and threw her hands up.

A deadlock. Clare put her newfound strength to the test and slowly pushed Raven back.

“Not bad,” Raven admitted. Then she put in some more muscle. Her victory was slow and steady but she put Clare down.

“Damn it!”

“Before that Primal stuff I would have put you down in a flash. I think we’d be even if I was out of shape and you’re a few years out of real shape. But by my estimation if someone drank our Elixir and another the Primal and immediately did this, they would be dead even.”

“The Elixir is that strong, huh?”

“It is. Kicks like a shot of the hardest whiskey you can get your hands on.”

“I don’t know, Primal had one hell of a kick.”

“Yeah, that stuff had us out of commission for a minute.”

“It did? Sounds more dangerous than the Elixir. As I said, just like whiskey.”

Marco had a black eye the next day. When asked about it he kept saying that he really deserved it that time and the grin he gave with his answer showed he was telling the truth and taking strange pride in it. Calvin had no comment.

Clare got a good look at the eye after breakfast and morning training. She was looking out over the glimmering waves with her water canteen in one hand and her new battle axe in the other when Marco approached. Marco was as shaggy as every in his all natural clothes.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” Clare said right back.

Brief silence.

“How’s training?”

“Calvin was pretty rough this morning. I wonder if something put him in a bad mood recently.”

“I didn’t think he’d be in a bad mood after getting his right hook in.”

Clare faced Marco. “What’s your game?”

“My game?”

“Yeah, your game. Why are you hanging around with us when you are more than capable of escape? Aren’t we your enemies?”

“There is no better candidate for a Crusader than you.”

Clare roller her eyes. “This again.”

“There’s a deep hatred for humanity within you.”

“You don’t know me.”

Marco took a step forward. “I do. Weren’t we both locked up all our lives? You and I-”

Clare raised her axe to Marco’s face. “You don’t know shit, Crusader. You had a mother. You got to travel. I got nothing. All I’ve ever had was nothing.”

Marco was slowly backing away with his hands up. “You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry.” He turned around to leave and Clare saw the slightest hint of a smirk as he did.

Clare lowered the axe. Part of her wanted to apologize, but the other part just faced the ocean and shut up. There was movement. She looked to her other side and saw Alice leaning on the rail a few yards away with Todd.

“What was that about?”

Clare shrugged.

“I’ve never seen you angry.”

“He just hit a nerve is all.”

Alice moved to Clare’s side. “I’ve been sensing some growing hostility from you toward him.”

“I’ve noticed it as well. It’s very uncharacteristic of you.”

“He just… Ugh!” Clare kicked the rail.

“We don’t have to talk about it.”

“I need to sort myself out. I don’t understand this myself.”

As if on cue, Calvin called the women back for more training.

Macapa, Brazil. Like cities across the world, it had devolved into a shadow of its former self. But with the help of the Protectors, it persevered. The Protector presence was the majority. Clare could hardly believe that so many were in one place at one time. Macapa seemed simpler than Clare’s previous sites as well. From what she could initially observe, there were no towering skyscrapers, no outstanding docks, no ridiculous crowds, and no smelly streets. It was pleasant. Simple and pleasant.

The boat tied up at a scanty dock and cargo was unloaded. Captain Rogers’ vessel was the largest in the area. The Captain did not make trips down the river so it was goodbye for now. Most dockworkers were ordinary men and woman but there were a few Protectors throwing their weight around. Their eyes gave them away.

“Why are they helping?” Clare asked Raven. The group was still onboard, waiting for things to calm down before departing.

“What, just because we are Protectors means we don’t have to work?”

“No, they just go around and kill people,” Marco said.

Calvin flicked his ear.

“Geez, it’s always violence with you people.”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” Calvin nudged Marco forward toward a ramp leading ashore. “Let’s get going.”

They reached solid ground with their supplies and walked through the streets. It was clean, just like the humid air, and stench-free. Marco kept getting looks during the walk.

“Where are we going?” Clare asked.

“A hotel to spend the night,” Calvin answered.

“Why don’t we just get on the next ship now?”

“Are you kidding?” Raven said. “Let’s take a break and enjoy solid ground. We’ll be drifting down the Amazon River for days when the time comes.”

“Is the river safe?” Clare asked.

Everyone laughed.

The group found a hotel and although it was run by Protectors, they had to pay. The man at the desk mentioned it was an economic thing. The hotel was nothing special but was still cleaner than what little Clare was used to. Calvin had a separate room with Marco. They were all on the third floor and Clare had a decent view of the area.

“Not a big city,” she remarked.

“No, but it’s important,” Raven said.

“Why is it so clean?” Alice asked.

“We have these things called ‘trash cans’ and everyone throws their junk away into those.”

“A trash can? Never heard of it,” Clare said.

“It’s simple. If you throw your trash into trash cans instead of on the ground, then it makes the city cleaner.”

“That’s so cool.”

“And simple,” Alice added.

“It sounds like using these trash cans would make the outdoors more pleasant for my kind and other animals,” Todd said.

“It would.”

“On another note, when do we eat?”

“Let’s unpack and then we’ll meet Calvin next door and figure something out. There may not be a steak around here, Clare, but there’s seafood out the wazoo.”

And seafood it was. They found a restaurant with a view of the river and chowed down on massive fish. The restaurant was just another lowdown salvaged establishment but they could eat and that was all Clare really cared about.

“Almost home,” Raven sighed.

Marco fidgeted.

“How long has it been for you, Calvin?”

“Just over two months.”

“That’s it? It’s been six months for me. Ah, it’ll be nice to see some friends again.”

“What’s the longest you’ve been away from the Great Tree?” Clare asked.

“A year,” Calvin answered.

“Eight months for me.”

“Why were you gone so long?” Alice asked.

Raven answered, “Something always extends our trips, whether it be recruiting young women or finding ourselves in trouble.”

“Or maybe even finding romance,” Calvin said.

“Oh, that’s right,” Alice remembered. “That week with a ‘hussy’, I think she was called.”

Calvin narrowed his eyes at Alice. She shut up but kept smiling, as did the others.

“But to be gone a whole year,” Clare continued.

“I was busy,” Calvin answered.

“Sometimes messengers come out to us to relay new orders as well.”

“What, other Protectors?”

“No, it’s usually birds. They make good time.”

“Well that’s nice of them,” Clare said.

“Some animals have sided with us. They see logic in our ways.”

“All the smart animals joined our side,” Marco said.

“Would you shut the hell up?” Calvin shot at him.

Marco obeyed for the moment. Dinner concluded, the sunset was enjoyed, and then everyone returned to their rooms, women in one and men in the other. There were two beds in each room so someone had to double up in one bed. Clare remembered Raven and Alice’s sleeping patterns and immediately sided with Alice. Raven was a kicker.

Breakfast was a quickie. Calvin made it that way. He wanted to get sailing as soon as possible, stressing that it was a long ride up the river.

“What’s the hurry?” Raven had asked. “You got someone you want to see there?”

Calvin did not answer. They went straight to the harbor and found transportation almost immediately. Apparently the vast majority of ships here were solely for transportation up and down the Amazon River. They weren’t that large but they were each mounted with at least one sizeable machine gun. “Just in case,” Calvin said.

One week was the e.t.a. The boat they boarded was actually quite sizeable compared to the others. Sleeping was on the deck but it was covered, to Clare’s relief. About twenty other travelers had boarded and each already secured hammocks that would serve as beds.

Clare’s tour of the vessel with Raven and Alice by her side was very brief. There was pretty much just an upstairs with a view and the helm and then downstairs with the hammocks, storage, and motor, from what Clare could see.

But she did spot something peculiar. Some of the non-Protector travelers were receiving injections.

“It’s a vaccine for yellow fever,” Raven explained.

“What’s that?”

“Just know it can kill you.”

“Shouldn’t Alice and I get it?”

“And Marco if he’s good.”

“Calvin and I discussed that. We want to see if Primal can resist diseases. Our Elixir does.”

“It does,” Todd confirmed. “I heard about it myself.”

Calvin and Raven looked at each other and shrugged. “Well good. That answers that.”

“Where did you get the vaccine?” Clare asked.

“We make it at the Great Tree. We have unbelievable facilities specializing in producing medications. Some we have to sell but a lot we give out for free.”

“I wish Marco had heard that.”

The boat suddenly began to stir. The three wobbled and the man getting his injection shouted in pain at a missed vein.

“That’s unfortunate,” Alice commented.

“I guess we’re off.” Raven sighed. “It’s a long but steady cruise. Clare, why don’t I give you a few more lessons on grammar?”

Clare smiled enthusiastically.

One day in and no trouble. Two days in and an anaconda attacked the ship. The gigantic reptile was lazily crossing the river when it collided with the boat. Apologies did not reach its ears as it wrapped itself around the boat twice and started squeezing. The metal hull of the ship creaked as it slowly succumbed to the monster’s strength.

There were ten Protectors aboard and two mounted machine guns. While the machine guns proved ineffective, the Protectors’ weapons overcame the formidable scales of the anaconda. The reptile felt the pain and unraveled itself. Everyone aboard cheered as it slithered away.

“That did not work for me,” Todd said, trembling.

“And that’s why we aren’t afraid of invaders,” Raven said as the anaconda’s tail disappeared into the jungle.

“Who in their right mind would not take a boat?” Alice asked.

Calvin shrugged.

“Just some idiot with a death wish,” Raven guessed.

“Or someone really brave,” Clare wondered.

“Learn the differences between bravery and stupidity and know your limits,” Calvin warned.

Clare leaned overboard and rinsed blood off of her axe. “I’ll try.”

Marco said, “I have an example of the difference. You thought it was brave to steal the Primal but in reality it was stupid and selfish.”

The Protectors rolled their eyes and ignored the snide comment, but Clare raised her battle axe and gave it a twirl. She looked at it as it glistened in the sunlight. “I get it now.”

“You do? You know you were wrong?” Marco was legitimately perplexed.

“No. I get why I hate you so much.”

“Excuse me?”

Clare spoke with an eerie calm. She moved the axe blade to Marco’s throat. “If the Protectors weren’t here, I’d lop your head right off those smart-alecky shoulders of yours.”

Calvin stepped up. “Clare.”

“I’m alright.” She pulled the axe back. “Still think the Protectors aren’t necessary, Marco?”

Clare strolled away to her hammock and relaxed. With Marco’s mouth shut and the anaconda on the run, Clare could take in the calm of the rainforest. The ambiance was as soothing as the forest’s around Refuge 49. The difference was the wonderful addition of the sound of waves. The humidity could stand to lessen though.

“Hey, Clare?” It was Alice.

“Yes?”

“Everything alright?” She sat in her hammock beside Clare’s.

“Want an explanation?”

“I don’t know.”

Clare faced Alice. She was still calm. “It’s not that he constantly has to get a word in. It’s not his smug attitude, or even how he looks at us with such condescension.”

“It’s not? That’s exactly what I hate about him.”

“No, no, I can look past that.” Clare looked back over the water and at the trees drifting by. “It’s that he makes me question myself. A lot.”

“How so?”

“He says all the right words.”

Alice grew frustrated. “Are you thinking about joining the Crusaders? What’s there to question, Clare? Our whole journey was to come here and become Protectors. We’re almost there! In just a few days we’ll be able to see the finish line and you want to opt out?”

“No. I still plan on becoming a Protector.”

“Then what’s going on in your head?”

“Marco has his points.”

“Like what? Kill everybody? Is that what you want? Do you want to kill me too?”

Clare sat up. “No! You know I’d never do that.”

“Then what?”

“Maybe the Protectors are too soft.”

“You watched Calvin butcher people.”

“He killed some people but won’t kill all of the bad ones. Sure, Ron and those guys were the heads of the operations but who knows how many more scumbags worked under them. They should have suffered too.”

“Clare…”

“I put an end to those poachers in Terra. But who were they going to sell the animals to and what were they going to do to them? The Crusaders have an army ready to purge the world of those assholes. But obviously not everyone deserves to die. There’s some good in the world. It’s hard to find but I know it’s out there. It’s not fair to punish those who haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I can’t sign with the Crusaders. And then there are the Protectors. They still kill the bad, which I’m fine with, but not all of the bad. Sure, cutting the head off the snake kills it, but the body still lingers and stinks up the air as it rots.”

“It may stink but it doesn’t have a head that bites people anymore.”

Clare sighed and just turned her focus to the rainforest. “Damn Marco.”

Night fell. The moon was directly above the ship, illuminating the river but the shores were still very much concealed by the shadows of the great trees above them. The day’s humidity left everyone sticky with sweat and Clare was not in a great mood. Lingering thoughts of the day’s events did not help. She had kept to her hammock most of the day and stuck around in it during the few night hours that had passed. The moon was now hiding behind scattered clouds above and the temperature had cooled.

Clare was still in her hammock when Todd jumped onto her lap, winding her a bit.

“What’s wrong?” Clare asked between a few deep breaths.

“Look through there,” Todd answered. He pointed to the shore with his snout. Clare caught sight of a little flicker between trees. She did not know what to make of it until a second glance suggested a fire. She got out of her hammock, battle axe in hand, and walked to the second floor with Todd. The trees were thick and great enough to still impede her view but she noticed it again. She went to the helm and knocked. The Protector within opened the door.

“Everything alright?” the relatively flabby man asked.

Clare pointed. “I think there’s a fire over there.”

The Protector followed Clare’s finger. “I think I see it too. That’s odd. Hold on.” He moved the ship closer to the shore but the view was not much better. “There’s a tributary up ahead. That should give us some clarity.”

The boat continued its steady pace and then slowed at the mouth of the little tributary. There was indeed a fire. A burning boat was ashore, casting shadows of a battle.

“Get that axe ready, missy!” The Protector rang an air horn that awoke their ship. Everyone jumped from their hammocks and grabbed their weapons. The boat was armed in seconds. Another Protector had reached the second floor and mounted the machine gun.

The captain made a tight turn up the tributary and hit the gas. They hardly sped up but it closed the distance. Clare identified Protectors on the shore but their assailants she did not figure out until she saw one’s clothes catch fire. Crusaders. Clare squeezed the axe handle.

“Come on, come on,” the Protector at the wheel was saying. He pulled the boat to the shore and the Protectors onboard leapt off and sprinted toward the battlefield much faster than their boat. Clare jumped from the second floor and was right behind them. Alice caught up to her with her claws strapped on.

“Is it who I think it is?”

“Yeah.”

“Keep your head.”

“I’ll try.”

The Protectors ahead of the women engaged the Crusaders beside their brethren at the front line. Clare narrowed her eyes and grabbed Alice’s shoulder.

“This way.”

Clare led them off into the jungle. Her route curved behind the battle. Despite the thick foliage above, Clare and Alice’s vision was quite clear. There were no Crusaders before them but Clare kept catching glimpses of them through the trees. There were a lot of them.

“Remember the slavers?” Clare asked.

“Unfortunately yes.”

“Same concept.”

The two slipped behind the Crusader forces and made their last-minute plan.

“Just like before? Get the ones that are alone?”

“That’s right. It worked once before, why not this time?”

Crusaders at the rear turned around. “I hear something,” one said.

“Primal giveth and Primal taketh away,” Alice muttered. The women shot out of the forest and attacked.

The first Crusaders were still taken by surprise and made easy targets. The others behind them, and there were quite a few others, left the Protectors to see to the threat at the rear.

Clare was focused, more so than she had ever been in her life. Calvin’s lessons filled her mind as she faced her opponents. It was Clare’s brute strength combined with the weight of the axe that gave her the advantage. Crusader weapons were suited for melee combat and included primal weapons such as spears and swords. When they raised them in defense against Clare’s falling battle axe, the weapons were cleaved in twain and the axe always found Clare’s target.

Alice was equally formidable with Alfred’s claws. Being extensions of her hands, Alice struck fast and in all the right places with the best accuracy. She was not unlike a rabid beast.

An arrow sung through the night and struck Clare’s shoulder. She grunted in pain but continued her fight with the Crusaders before her while scanning the jungle for the perpetrator. She finally spotted a woman on the branches above, ready for another shot. With perfect timing, Clare grabbed the nearest Crusader and threw him in the way of the next arrow. It caught him in the throat. Clare unsheathed her knife and threw it up into the branches, striking the sniper in the eye.

“Great job!” Alice shouted. But Clare heard shout of pain following the praise. A spear had cut her arm. Clare was denied the chance to avenge her when Alice dashed forward and shoved her claws into the Crusader’s face.

Clare returned to her business. She cut into another Crusader but she found it difficult pulling the weapon back out. A Crusader seized the opportunity to flank Clare. She braced for impact. But just before the Crusader’s blade could strike, a spear, Raven’s spear, flew into his back. He yelped and slumped over. Clare finally wrestled her battle axe free from her Crusader and saw Raven running to retrieve her weapon.

“Not bad, ladies.” She pulled the spear out. “It’s our victory!”

Clare and Alice looked around. Raven’s throw had killed the last Crusader and Protectors were already sorting through the bodies. The women looked at each other, then got to helping out. But not after Clare retrieved her precious dagger.

Crusaders were dragged further inland and Protectors toward the shore. The Crusader force contained about thirty fighters, the small attacked vessel had ten Protectors aboard and five were slain. Five more from the rescue ship perished as well.

The burning ship had to be abandoned after its flames were extinguished. The survivors were brought about Clare’s vessel and all they could do was resume travel. Passengers returned to their hammocks but few could sleep after such an ordeal.

Marco had stayed aboard. Everyone was surprised until they saw Todd behind him with his jaws clamped to Marco’s Achilles tendon, ready to bite down. Calvin took over and had to bind him and reassure that Marco was his captive to put everyone at ease. He was kept right in the middle of the ship on the first floor where everyone could keep tabs on him.

“They’re just as strong as us but most are lacking in skill,” Calvin remarked. The group had gone to the second floor to try to calm down.

“You’re telling me. Even our fledglings were able to kill a few each.”

“I owe you,” Clare said. “What you showed me, how you said I should use my axe, it all came back to me.”

“Me too.” Alice clicked her claws together.

“You can take those off now.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Their weapons were insufficient too.” Raven patted her armor. “They got our comrades in the head and neck areas but apart from that, this stuff still trumps them.”

“Our weapons cut right through theirs. Why is that?” Alice asked.

Raven explained, “We make our weapons from folded steel. It gives the blades better cutting power and some flexibility to prevent breakage. Their weapons, on the other hand, were made of stone or were rusted over. They’re numerous, but it seems we overestimated them.”

“Neat.”

“It sure is. Well I feel better. I’m going to sleep.”

“Me too.” Calvin and Raven departed.

“That was one hell of a fight,” Alice said.

“How’s your arm?”

“Sore but the bandages are doing the trick. And that arrow wound?”

“I had so much adrenaline pumping that I completely forgot about it. No one else noticed until I was close enough to the flames to see it sticking out of my shadow.” Alice laughed and Clare smirked. “Laughing at my pain, I see.”

“Yep!” Her laughter continued and Clare’s nerves calmed.

“What’s that one?”

“A macaw.”

“And that one?”

“A blue macaw.”

“So they’re like the same thing?”

“Aside from the coloration, yes.”

Clare had been spending the fourth day learning a thing or two about her surroundings with her companions. They were on the second floor and were provided with a pretty good view of parrots in low hanging trees, among other things.

“What about that one?”

“Where?”

“The one in the water.”

“That’s a caiman. Stay away from the edge of the boat.”

“Something is in its mouth.”

“That’s a howler monkey. Poor thing.”

“I’d eat that,” Todd said.

“There’s so much life out here.”

“Countless species live in this rainforest. You would need several lifetimes to find them all.”

“Incredible.”

“And so many could kill you, especially these days.”

“And there are dragons out there too?”

“Plenty.”

“So we’d hunt them here near the Great Tree?”

“No, the jungle is too thick and full of deadly distractions. You’ll be shipped to Cuba instead.”

“I think Captain Rogers mentioned that place.”

“He sure did.”

“What’s that over there?”

Clare was pointing dead ahead up the river. Far, far away was a light and undistinguishable silhouette.

“That would be the Great Tree.”

Clare ran into the helm, stole the bewildered Protector Captain’s binoculars, and ran back with them to her eyes. What Clare could make out was only the highest branches. They snaked through the clouds. Clare lowered the binoculars with disappointment. Alice immediately snapped them up and took a look for herself.

“It looks dead,” Clare said.

“Hey, you’re right,” Alice agreed.

“It’s not,” Calvin assured them.

Raven explained, “It’s once and perhaps final full bloom was long ago. We think it grew itself up and then shot its energy into the earth through its roots. But no, it is not dead. Not by a long shot.”

“Not dead, just tired?”

“Tired. Dormant. It doesn’t look good but it lives.”

“Its size is amazing, if nothing else. We’re still three days away,” Alice remarked.

“Keep in mind that high trees with thick foliage make it hard for the plants on the ground to grow. The Great Tree may not be better off without its leaves but in shedding them, it spared everything down below.”

“And there is a lot below it,” Calvin added.

Trees snapped on the port side and one fell into the river, partially blocking the path. The Captain made a tight turn to avoid hitting it. Everyone grabbed their weapons and got to their feet with the expectation of another Crusader attack. But none came.

A capybara, the world’s largest rodent species made even larger, burst from cover and tumbled into the river. It struggled in the mud a bit before regaining its footing but it was too late. A full grown dragon came crashing through the jungle and dove at the capybara headfirst. The rodent was gone in a single gulp.

Then the dragon noticed the boat out on the water. It raised itself onto its hind legs and reached a height of thirty feet to get a good look. But that was all it did. It just looked on. The entire vessel did the same with bated breath.

The Captain maneuvered the boat around the tree and travel could continue. The dragon and the humans hardly broke eye contact until they were a good one hundred yards away. Then the lumbering reptile returned to the rainforest.

“They’re just animals, aren’t they?” Clare said.

“They do not have a place in the world,” Calvin answered.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s talking about ecosystems,” Raven clarified. “They are an invasive species. It’s fortunate that they are few in number and breed slowly but they just do not belong.”

“Tell me about it,” Alice huffed.

Clare was having an incredible month. She survived a knife to the neck and an encounter with wolves and a bear. She made a new friend and together they traveled from Memphis, Tennessee down to New Orleans and then across the seas to Brazil. Along the way they were hunted by cultists, kidnapped, and battled a mighty dragon.

Day seven.

The Great Tree loomed above the vessel, casting its great shadow over them and a large portion of the nearby rainforest. Even if there were no clouds blocking the view, Clare wondered if its highest branches could still be visible.

Everyone was sitting in their hammocks with all of their possessions packed and ready to go.

“Almost there!” Raven said perhaps a little too loudly. “I’m going to find my friends first thing. What’ll you do, Calvin?”

Calvin shrugged.

“You’ll find that woman, won’t you?”

Calvin shrugged and looked away.

“Yeah, you’ll find that woman.”

“What about us? What do Clare and Todd and I do?”

Raven sighed. “I guess we have to deal with you first. We’ll go ahead and give you a quick tour of the city. It’s more of a fortress than a city but to each his own. We can drop your gear off at the Initiate’s housing and go from there.”

“I will be taking Marco with me,” Calvin said.

“After the tour, I’m leaving you too.” Raven smiled. “Sorry, not sorry.”

“How cruel,” Clare said.

“Hush. I get to have some personal time off. It’s only fair.”