Martyr (The Martyr Trilogy) (23 page)

I
began to recount all that had come to pass since Knox had
come knocking on our door so early in the morning, from my training
session where I discovered that I possessed innate skills, to my near death
experiences and subsequent victory over the great cat by means of some
quick and fortuitous thinking.  She leaned close and rested her head on my
shoulder as I told the tale, listening with rapt attention but gazing out
at the shredded screen as if watching the events unfold there.  When I
finished at last, she sighed deeply before sitting upright and adopting a
scolding demeanor, complete with wagging index finger.  "From now on
you pack a lunch!" she commanded.  "You would never have
encountered that creature if you boys hadn't been out gallivanting about,
looking for food."
 
"I hardly think what we were doing would qualify as 'gallivanting',"
I retorted. "I'm not even sure how one would 'gallivant'."  I
saw her opening her mouth to say something, the index finger rising from the
armrest, and I hastily changed my approach.  "Anyway, I think Knox's
idea was to provide me with a working lunch; that I would at least be working
on riding and survival skills during the break.  As it turned out, I got a
whole lot more experience than I bargained for.  But your point is
well-taken.  I will ask Knox if we can bring something along, just to be
safe."
 
Maya relaxed noticeably, grabbed a handful of my shirt, pulled me close and
kissed me, lingering for a long moment before whispering, "I just found
you.  Don't get lost."  We decided to head back early so we
could find a picturesque spot to take in the sunset before returning to
base.  We ended up below the dam, by the spillway where the
water from the river above passed through the dam.  We couldn't see the
sun set over the horizon, but the effect of the late afternoon
sunlight filtering through the mist was breathtaking as the
vapor enveloped us in its cool embrace.  We sat together on the point of a
precipice that jutted out over the rift, our legs dangling in the void.
 
"So what did you do today?" I asked.
 
"Oh, so now suddenly you want to know about me?" she said. 
Then, ignoring my eye roll, added, "Only had the best day ever, that's
all!"
 
"You mean, besides the day we met, and the days we went riding
together, and that day at the canyon..."
 
"Oh...yeah...besides all those days, obviously!" she ribbed. 
"Yeah, so Charr took me to her workshop, down in the city.  That
in itself is an honor, as apparently she doesn't even let the others go there,
except for Corvus on very rare occasions."
 
"Corvus?  Why?" I asked.  I could think of a lot of people I’d
invite to my secret workshop before that guy.

“She
didn’t say.  Just that she made something for him, and needed him to be present
to test it out.  Anyway, the whole place is surrounded by a series of clever
traps, so don’t try to show up there unexpectedly to pay me a surprise visit.”

“I
wouldn’t think of it without a personal invitation from Charr,” I said.

Maya
went on.  “The really exciting stuff was inside the shop.  You wouldn’t believe
the kind of things she has made.  A couple of them are secret, I can’t tell you
about them.”

“C’mon,
be a pal!” I taunted, as I reached around and tickled her just enough to make
her hop a little closer.

“Quit
it out!” she shrieked, apparently blending two phrases in her tickle-spasm. 
“You want to be retrieving me from those rocks down there?”  I definitely
didn’t, and ceased with the juvenile behavior immediately, gripping her waist
instead.  Maya picked up her former thought.  “One of the secrets you’ll know
about soon enough.  It’s really cool.  But the other one…will blow…your…mind.”

“You’re
not exactly decreasing my desire to tickle it out of you, you know.”  She
pinched her eyes shut and stuck out her tongue.  “By the way,” I said, “when do
I get to actually see the city?”

“Oh,
I understand that will happen soon as well.  Charr plans to use the city, with
its varied terrain and numerous hiding places, as her training ground when
working with you.  I guess Kuro has left it up to each of them to decide how
best to train you.”

“We
could ride down there now,” I suggested.  “Find a nice restaurant, pick up some
groceries for the house…”

Maya
didn’t supply the usual witty retort.  Her eyes grew wide, unblinking,
seemingly staring through me at some distant vista visible only to her.  Then
she cast her eyes downward, a look of wistful sadness claiming her face. 

“What
happened?” I asked, lifting her chin softly with a finger.

After
a pause she answered, “I’ll never do those things.  We will never have that
kind of carefree life.  This is the only world I have ever known, or will
know.”

Her
words chilled me, but I knew she needed me to stay positive right now.  “You
don’t know that.  If we manage to take this world back from Magus, we could
begin to build a new one.  If we can give the people hope…”

Maya
looked up at me, her face brightening.  “That’s why you came, isn’t it?  To
give hope back to our world?”

“Maybe,”
I said with a calming smile and an assurance that I didn’t really feel.  But
somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice said, “Wait and see.”

21

Over
the next few days I got to know a different Knox.  Gone was the drill sergeant
condescension I had seen the first day.  He knew what I was capable of, and
what I wasn’t.  And he played a more defensive game than before, not exposing
himself as often by relying too heavily on his strength advantage.  He also
knew that each new weapon or fighting style would present me with a real, if
brief, learning curve.  His goal now was clearly not to demoralize me before I
had the chance to acquaint myself with each new scenario, but to ensure that I
learned what I needed in order to be an effective soldier.  After all, on the
battlefield we would need to watch each other’s back; thus to train me poorly
would have amounted to dulling his own sword, poking holes in his own armor. 
He actually offered words of encouragement when I evidenced facility with a
given technique.  It made training, if not enjoyable, then at least not
altogether unpleasant.  Truth be told, I started to like Knox, to appreciate
his stoic determination.  It became clear that the Knox of day one had been a
façade of intimidation, and not the real Knox at all.  And the more of himself
that he allowed to show, the more I realized how difficult it must have been
for him to play the part of that other man.

He
trained me with daggers, scimitars, sabers, and broadswords, in addition to
standard rapiers and swords of various lengths and weights, single- and
dual-edged.  He showed me how to fight differently with and without a shield. 
Lastly he taught me to wield two weapons simultaneously.  To my surprise I
discovered that this required a completely different set of skills.  Confronted
with his more cautious and reasoned approach, victory was not so easily
claimed.  One moment I would gain the advantage, only to be met with a cunning
counter-attack, later to turn the tide once more.  It was an exhilarating back
and forth exchange, and with each passing day I grew more confident in my
abilities.  During a lunch break Knox told me that Magus’ rank and file soldiers
were good swordsmen, but not great.  He was certain that I would be more than
able to hold my own against them.  He was careful to distinguish them from the
assassins, for whose skills even he reserved a healthy degree of respect.  He
said that I could beat them, but that I should expect the fight of my life. 

Each
morning I would train with Knox, and each evening Maya and I would ride out in
a new direction, discovering new wonders and ever more sublime panoramas.  One
day Knox cut me loose a little early, and I rode to meet Maya and Charr as they
returned from the city via the winding road that skirted the ravine.  I spotted
them at a distance shortly after I passed the dilapidated cinema, and waited
for them to reach the spot.  After exchanging greetings, Charr thoughtfully
rode ahead; out of earshot but still close enough to rush to our aid in the
event of an ambush.  I had Knox’s training to thank for the change in my way of
thinking that had me already starting to consider the potential military
implications of all movements and decisions.  “It isn’t paranoia,” he had told
me, “it’s survival.” 

Maya’s
deer at one point got a half pace ahead of mine, and I noticed that she had an
unusual formed object strapped to her back.  It wasn’t a backpack, as it
appeared to be a solid piece of material that hugged the curves of her back. 
Perhaps it was a piece of armor Charr had given her.  I was studying it, noting
the presence of several symmetrical grooves on its surface, and trying to guess
their purpose.  I was about to ask her, when I became aware of a sort of
electrical buzzing sound, distant at first, but growing steadily in
volume.  It seemed to fill the air, frustrating my efforts to determine
its source.  As the noise crescendoed to a piercing scream, I turned my
head suddenly.  As I did, something big whizzed past my cheek, the breeze
from its passage buffeting the side of my head.  A huge insect the size of a
watermelon braked suddenly and alighted upon Maya’s back.  Instinctively I drew
my sword and shouted, “Maya!”  Maya looked over her shoulder, saw my raised
sword, and jerked her deer to the side, out of my reach, just as I completed a
slice that would have neatly separated the creepy thing’s body from its legs.

“Justin,
no!” Maya yelled, as the bug fitted its legs into the grooves on Maya’s back
and made itself comfortable.  “This is Charr’s gift.”

My
face exhibited a mix of revulsion and shock, as the thing’s head rotated more
than 180 to focus one of its bulbous, wide-set eyes on me, several
redundant pairs of mandibles twitching constantly.  “Gift!  Really?  Why in
the…I mean…if you don’t know what to give, there’s always…oh, I don’t
know…flowers, maybe?”  I must have said it a bit too loudly, because Charr
turned and scowled in my direction.

Maya
laughed.  “It’s just that you don’t know what it is.  This is a hum-bug.  Charr
designed the docking harness and embedded it with tiny machines that attract
hum-bugs through sound.  It’s like the ones that repel the armor-cats, only a
different frequency.  Once they land, they stay because they can sip nectar
from a tiny hole in the harness.  I actually forgot it was on; this is the
first time I’ve drawn one!”

“That
is…just…so great,” I said with absolutely no sincerity.  “Why exactly would you
want to attract one, again?”

“They’re
telepathic, silly!  They’re not as smart as the puurr-deer, and they won’t do
something for nothing.  But for a little bit of nectar, they’ll perform simple
tasks like carrying items for you.”

I
managed to suppress my horror enough to realize that such a thing might have
its uses.  But I wasn’t convinced that it was worth wearing a giant bug
backpack all the time.  “Why couldn’t we use one of those to send messages over
distances, like to Reya?” I asked.

“Because
of the range,” Maya said.  “They will forget what they were sent to do after
only a short distance flying.  And they won’t pass it off to another bug. 
They’re just not that complex.”

That
brought me right back to “Why?”, but I decided not to press the matter.  As I
inspected the creature more closely, I determined that it looked most like a
large cicada.  It wasn’t really that disgusting, in fact its translucent wings
were quite beautiful.  It was unsettling more for its many and frequent small,
quick movements.  I tried to ignore it and its nectar-sucking sounds, and
pulled my deer up alongside Maya’s.  “So that’s the first of the awesome,
mind-blowing things Charr has in store for you.  I can’t wait to see the next
one.”

“You
know,” Maya said, “You’re slated to begin training with Charr in a couple of
days.  It might be a good idea to chat with her, see if there’s any preparation
she’d like you to do beforehand.”

“Yeah,
OK,” I said, and started to ride ahead.

“Hey,”
Maya said before I had gone too far.  “I missed you.”  I smiled at her and went
to catch up to Charr.

"So...,”
I said as I pulled next to her, “we're going to be working together
soon...anything I should know?"
 
Ignoring my question, Charr said, "Knox has you wearing that accursed armor,
I see."
 
"Uh...yeah.  Is that a problem?"
 
"It is if I'm training you," she said.  "I'm crafting
something...more suitable.  It will be ready by the time we begin. 
After you complete my training, you're free to choose for yourself, but I am
confident you'll make...the right decision."
"So Maya has told me a lot about what you do," I said.
 
"Not too much, I hope."
 
"I'm looking forward to seeing your workshop."
 
"Sorry, no," she replied curtly.  "I'm only contracted to
train you.  That entails no obligation to involve you in my private
pursuits."
 
So.  "Of course.  I shouldn't have assumed...," I began.
 
"I understand Knox has opted to collect you at your quarters each
morning," she said.  "I shall do no such thing.  I expect
you to arrive in the city a half-hour past sunrise."
 
"OK, no problem," I said.  "Where exactly?"
 
"Wherever I decide to be," she said.  "Find me."
 
I snickered.  She wasn't smiling.  "What, in a whole city? 
You're serious?  How am I supposed to find you?"
 
"There will be signs," she said.  "Trust your senses. 
A city of the dead is not the same as a living city.  The signs of life
are more obvious than you realize.  If you wish to do anything in
preparation, try to become more aware of sensory perceptions during your remaining
time with Knox."  
 
I did that, and over the next couple of days I nearly convinced myself that I
could tell when Knox was about to strike, and even the nature of the attack,
based entirely on the subtle sounds of his armor plates sliding against each
other, or the sole of his foot scraping against the ground by a
couple of millimeters as he shifted his weight.  Heck, I even thought I
could detect the minute increase in perspiration he exuded as he tensed for a
lunge.  Charr's game of hide-and-seek would be the true test, of
course.  In any case, I fought hard, striving to learn as much as possible
from Knox before our time ended, and I enjoyed the challenge.  At the
end, I thanked him sincerely, and in no small show of esteem, he welcomed
me as a comrade.
 
The day arrived, and I stood in the middle of what appeared to be one of the
main thoroughfares into the heart of the city.  Charr had been
correct, it was eerily silent.  But it was not abandoned.  Whatever
had happened here had occurred so fast that the people had been going about
their normal, daily routines: navigating traffic, pumping gas, hailing
cabs, making deposits.  The streets were filled with cars, most of which
had slammed into other vehicles or swerved off the road into a pole or a
building.  For the most part the drivers, and sometimes the
passengers, were still present in skeletal form.  I had just stepped past
a shattered bus stop where three partially mummified commuters had fallen
against each other and appeared to be frozen in grisly mid-song, heads tilted
back and mouths gaping.  A fourth slept, curled into fetal position
on the bench next to them.  To my right a set of bones was slumped over a
rusted food stand, its weathered skull watching me from the curb a little
farther along.  It was every post-apocalyptic scenario I had ever seen or
read about in popular media.  But far more disturbing with the
knowledge that it represented a very real event already transpired.
 
Suddenly I didn't want to be alone, as I felt for a moment as if I really were
the last person alive.  I wanted to call out to Charr, just to make sure,
before the hunt began.  But I knew that wasn't what she wanted. 
So I listened instead.  A chill breeze rattled the leaves of a dry tree on
the roadside.  When it stopped, only silence.  I walked along a
little farther, paused and listened.  Nothing.  A rustling
ahead.  I tiptoed forward, trying not to betray my presence.  An
overgrown lot, the top of a concrete fountain peeking over the tall grass near
its center, neat rows of large trees having spawned a small forest from their
wandering roots - what had been a park.  The grasses rustled again,
bending at the passage of something.  An emaciated cat emerged onto the
street with a panicked look, spotted me and rocketed off down the street. 
Seconds later a huge rodent with long, slender legs and bared yellowish teeth
came out of the grass behind it, whipped its head this way and that, its tiny
eyes failing to notice me, then took off in pursuit of the cat.  Life made
its presence known. 

Just
then a familiar noise from my recent memory: the buzz of a humbug, sounding
distant.  I looked up and saw a tiny black shape, barely visible as it
streaked across the dim, early morning sky.  Was this one of Charr's
"signs"?  I watched its arcing flight path, breaking into a run
as it passed overhead in an effort to try to triangulate its landing
spot.  It looked as though it ended up about six blocks ahead, and three
or four to the right. 
Reaching the neighborhood where I believed it to have gone, I stood between two
big, sprawling structures.  On one side, the backside of a strip mall,
complete with an endless row of dumpsters.  On the other, a huge apartment
complex that couldn't have been well-maintained even when there were humans
around.  I hoped that wasn't where I'd find Charr.  There was no sign
of the humbug, visual or auditory.  I continued to listen for a time,
fruitlessly, then another sense was activated; I smelled smoke.  There was
no wind, but - wait - there was the faintest breeze.  I calculated its
direction, and walked upwind.  At one point I couldn't smell it any more,
so I back-tracked until I could, then proceeded.  Eventually I located its
source - a smoldering bonfire in the corner of a parking lot belonging to an
office supply superstore, but its creator had moved on.  Dozens of shoppers
never had, their desiccated remains lying in and around the cars that filled
the lot, and no doubt in the aisles of the store as well.
In the periphery of my vision, I became aware of a flash of light that
highlighted the low-hanging clouds in a corner of the sky with a momentary
orange glow.  That’s where I headed next.  Coming around the corner of a tall,
angular building, I strolled into a once-grand courtyard framed by concrete
pillars set at regular intervals.  The pillars still stood, but beds of moss
and hardy tufts of weeds had claimed large sections of the paved courtyard.  A
heavily corroded iron gate stood slightly ajar at the back of the courtyard,
the word “zoo” just visible amidst the coils of ivy that threatened to envelop
it.  The gate creaked and swung open, and there stood Charr in full armor,
wielding a wicked crossbow.  “Nicely played,” she said.  “Now you’re ‘it’.” 
Without further delay, she cocked the weapon and fired a bolt directly at my
chest.  The armor deflected the tip, but the impact knocked me to the ground. 
By the time I got to my feet, she was readying the weapon once more.  “I’d
run,” she suggested.