Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

            “I’m not sure how it happened,” she told Carrie for the umpteenth time, stuffing the unruly rat back into her pocket. “But we’re going back at least one last time. I don’t care if I die--”
            The words slipped out before the horror of them stopped her.
            “I mean…I just know it will be different this time. He’s changing, Carrie.”
            The words were foreboding, but filled her with strange hope. The rat settled with dejected whimpers from her pocket seat as they headed for the stony plains.
            But somebody was missing that day. The sentry station was empty, making her rush over with a mixture of dread and excitement. Even peeking behind the bench revealed it empty.
            “Where is he? This shouldn’t be different…” Carrie rambled in confusion, “He’s ditched us! He’s totally left us to get baked by his brother again!” Carrie declared, but Terra didn’t believe he would do such a thing. That didn’t stop his ominous words from a previous run from ringing in her ears: “I…I don’t owe you anything,” he’d said. Damn him.
            Jeremiah’s looming shadow began to dance in the far reaches of the mountain pass--he would be arriving soon.
            Or, not.
            Because at that moment a group of tendrils came sweeping from above and snapped around her arms, writhed around her hips and slithered around her mouth so that she could be yanked into the air without so much as a scream.
            She kicked and jerked until the chords tightened to hold her thrashing. She remembered these strange vines--they had killed her once. And they had been attached to Judar’s fingertips, so she craned her neck towards the source.
            He held one hand to his lips at her widened eyes. The chords ensnaring her body were taught from the flesh of his fingertips, exactly like a mutated puppet master. She’d never seen this strange power, but didn’t feel the need to ask as Jeremiah stepped out from the mountains below.
            All three dropped their gaze and held their breath, watching, waiting as the dangerous monster scanned his surroundings with a slit gaze.
            He never looked up--as most predators never did. She thanked the heavens for that.
            “Imbecile. I know I heard something,” he growled angrily with one glowing hand ready to fire. “And abandoning his post--who does he think he is?”
            They watched Jeremiah stalk back to town until realizing that the only sound were Judar’s velvety wings stirring up the cave winds. Once they descended and her feet touched the ground, the navy chords ascended back into his fingertips and disappeared. He stepped back while she shook off the strange feeling of being held like that.
            “You…” she started, dumbfounded until a smile found her lips.
            “You saved us?” Carrie accused, “What is going on here?”
            “Just shut up and follow me--now, if you want to stay saved.” With a snap of his wings they strode towards the mountain pass without another word.

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            The two stood before a looming, black wall--the backdrop from their first encounter with Jeremiah. It was a swirling void of impassibility, and to touch it would mean death, Judar explained.
            “I think that you can lift it,” he confided unexpectedly, making Terra almost choke.
            “But, you’re the keeper of the barrier, at least that’s what everyone’s been saying,” she claimed. Carrie was getting mad.
            “Why am I the only one who doesn’t understand what’s happening right now? He just killed you and now--”
            “I was the keeper, until you showed up,” Judar admitted bitterly, ignoring the rat’s question. “But ever since you showed up, I haven’t been able to. So, I have reason to believe that you must have some sort of influence on it.”
            “But, I don’t know how!” The wall of death gave no submission to Terra’s plaintive cries. Judar narrowed his eyes and breathed tightly through clenched canines.
            “Okay, fine. I’ll help you. They don’t call me the Puppeteer for nothing,” he declared, then out shot the chords from his fingertips; only this time they attacked her differently. They crept around the back of her head, weaving through her hair and clinging to her temples until they could branch into her eyes--or brain--either way, she was no longer in control.
            His hands raised, her hands raised. Power pulsed behind her forehead and suddenly the wall disintegrated from top to base. Black particles dissolved and drifted into nothing. Carrie--for once--was speechless, but Terra was overcome with liberation.
            “Come on!” she whooped, running excitedly out of Slag Town and into the frozen biome.

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            The first thing to greet them was a bite of winter air. The ground was snap-frozen, icy, and wind battled with snow flurries. The difference between clammy cave and freezing blizzard was stark; apparently the only thing that had been disconnecting the two biomes was that big black barrier.
            “Wow…” Terra’s breath bloomed in the air, seeming to revel in the freedom with them.
            “We--did made it! We’re out of Slag Town.” Carrie was almost spilling out of her pocket in excitement. The two liberated travelers turned towards Judar and he took a step back.
            “What…why did I…?” he stammered, “…We’re outside, and it’s not--it’s not consumed?”
            Terra stepped towards him only to have him shrink away.
            “What do you mean?” she tried nervously, “This is where we were trying to get. Now we can, um, we can…” She didn’t really know what their next goal was.

            “No…this shouldn’t be here. It should be impassible, infected with darkness, and Jeremiah...why has he been lying to everyone?” Judar seemed shaken, betrayed. He turned to her.
            “Did you know about this? What exactly are you planning to do out here?” The challenge came with sudden aggression that made Terra worry.
            “Um…we don’t really know yet.” No answer came quick enough. They’d been traveling on the whims of Carrie up until now, not stopping to consider what to do without a whim to follow.

            “You don’t have a plan,” Judar stated, looking around the white plains in disbelief.

            “I just destroyed the way out of Slag Town. I did that, for you, and you don’t have a plan.” He was beginning to get angry now.

            “There’s a bunch of territory out here that Jeremiah’s been keeping us from, and I just let out the whole town! And for what? Nothing!” Judar began to pace back and forth, his barbed tail lashing.

            “No one’s allowed outside--not even me! Germ’s going to kill me, actually kill me! And then, you! He’s going to kill you again and…”

The sudden thoughtful pause made her nervous.

            “He’s going to kill you, and it will all go back to normal…”

            “Does he know about your resets?” Carrie whispered furiously. Yes, Terra confirmed. He knew, and he was going to do something with it. She realized what he was thinking before even he did, but when they turned to flee the navy puppet strings were already slithering around her legs.
            “I should have never fallen for all that sweetheart s**t. You’re going to fix this and then--you’re going to keep it that way.”
            The vines wrapped tighter and tighter, crawling upwards and mummifying her body. Carrie’s small bones crushed against her leg with a squeal, which she hoped was quick and painless. Tiny cracking sounds and barbs of intense pain began to invade her body as well, but her screams had already been constricted from her lungs.
            “This time, don’t come back,” Judar threatened, and finished their conversation by wringing out her last breath.