The Travelers - Chapter 17

*First Ranking – A hard to attain degree of study, aptitude, or ability.  A first ranking is very hard to achieve, although most of the Travelers do have that accomplishment.  Very few Arlytians have more than one first ranking.  (Charge Seren has four First Rankings, one of them being in Aviation/Astronomy.)

*Med Towel – a towel run through a purification cleaning process to make in suitable to use in medical situations.

*****

Chapter 17

“Go on, lad.  We talked about this last night.  Charge Seren has a responsibility to a lot of people, but you are one of them.  I’m sure he’d like to see the work you’ve done so far on the map.”

Corbin was encouraged, but not entirely convinced by Kel’s words.  Still, he knew Kel believed what he said, so maybe he should follow through on presenting the map to the Charge Pilot.  With a deep breath, he gathered up the carefully-done map and started toward the spot where Charge Seren was sitting down to eat his first meal. 

Corbin allowed himself to study their leader as he approached.  The man’s dark blonde hair had grown since they’d left Arlytia, and Corbin liked the way it brushed the collar of Seren’s clothes.  He was a broad shouldered man, but filled with lean instead of bulky muscles, and Corbin guessed he stood at least five inches taller than Corbin himself.  The best part of Seren was his eyes though.  They were startlingly blue, and Corbin felt like there was always a sparkle to them.  Even when Seren frowned or scolded, his eyes sparkled.

Corbin groaned inwardly.  His thoughts reminded him of poetry classes he’d had as a young teen.  Besides studying their planet’s greatest poets, they’d had to make attempts to write some prose of their own as well.  Almost every girl in class would giggle through their recitations of poems about a boy with dazzling smiles and sparkling eyes.  He’d wanted to gag on the tackiness of their words then, and now he wanted to gag himself for even thinking in such a juvenile way.  Yet, when he stopped in front of Seren and the man looked up from his seated position, Corbin saw that blue sparkle and his mouth went dry.

“Backer Corbin, can I help you?”

“Uh…” Corbin stuttered, momentarily forgetting why he’d walked over.

Seren studied him for a moment before his eyes glanced down at the rolled paper in Corbin’s hand.  “Is that something I need to see?” he asked helpfully.

“Oh, um…yes.  It’s the map…that you assigned me…I just wanted to…um…I thought you might want to see it, er check it.” 

At that moment, Corbin wanted to suffocate himself with it.  He’d been about as clear as mud and stammering like a fool.  He hadn’t even made as much of a fool of himself when he’d been in trouble on ship.  But then he saw that spark in the Charge’s eyes and he relaxed a little.

“I thought you might want to see the map so far,” he managed to say without faltering.

Seren smiled slightly.  It was small, but it was warm.  “Sit down, Backer Corbin.  I would like to see what you’ve done so far, but I’d like to finish eating first.  I wouldn’t want to get anything on your work.”

Corbin nodded and sat down quickly, and then silently scolded himself for plunking down like a toddler.

“Have you eaten, Corbin?”

Corbin nodded.  Kel, being the cook that he was, had been making sure Corbin and everyone else in their group was getting enough to eat.  “Charge Kel keeps everyone fed,” he shared.

“Charge Kel?  He’s a good man, an interesting one.  He’s got first rankings in three fields, but he prefers culinary duty over all of them.  I was going to have him part of Group 1 or 2, but he requested assignment to Group 6 at last minute.”

“He did?” Corbin questioned, this being news to him.

Seren nodded.  “He…”

The pilot was interrupted at a shout which had him on his feet in an instant.  Corbin rose just as quickly, his eyes darting to where the shout came from, and a shiver a fear ran down his back when he spotted what was quickly causing terror to move through the crowd.  An animal, a large animal, was standing between two trees—two trees that he and Charge Seren were very close to—its look menacing.

Corbin took in the details of the threat automatically, recognizing it not because it was familiar, but because it matched the description and picture Charge Seren had given of the one animal that they’d encountered that definitely posed a danger.  The creature was larger in person than Corbin had imagined.  Its black/brown fur was long, dragging on the ground, and though it stood on all fours, its shoulder was a good four feet from the ground.   Sharp teeth could be seen as it opened its mouth in a low growl.  Corbin sensed intelligence in the creature, and that was confirmed when the animal’s head moved slowly, as if searching for something, and then held its gaze on Charge Seren.  All the other Travelers were frozen, each doing their best to not provoke the animal to attack; some glancing nervously toward Seren and the other Charges for instructions.  Those who could speak or move without startling the predator were directing the people to be still, but have their protectors ready.

His mouth dry and with one eye on the threat, Corbin looked at Seren, and was shocked to see the man looked determined, but not afraid.  He was staring down the creature, his hand hovering by the protector strapped to his side.  He moved just slightly, putting his body between Corbin and the animal.  The move caused the creature to growl and take one slow, menacing step toward them.

“Backer Corbin, stay behind me,” Seren said lowly, his lips barely moving.  “Do you have your protector with you?”

“Yes, sir,” Corbin managed, keeping his voice as quiet as Seren’s.

“Good.  I don’t believe the creature has a good view of you.  As quietly as you can and with as little movement as possible, take out your protector.”

With almost miniscule movements, Corbin did as directed, thanking the heavens that Seren’s body was blocking the creature’s vision.

“Done, sir,” he whispered.

“Carefully set it to Full Protection,” Seren ordered.

Corbin swallowed.  He’d never used a protector on Full Protection mode.  Arlytians hated to kill anything, but he trusted Seren and knew that the man would not make this decision lightly.  “It’s set, sir,” he said after a moment.

“Good, now slowly put it in my right hand.  No sudden movements.”

Corbin tried to control the need to shake.  He understood what Seren was doing.  If their leader moved too much to retrieve his own protector, the animal could attack before he had the opportunity to set it and fire.  This way he had a weapon ready to use in a moment.

When the protector touched his palm, Seren gripped it, his eyes sparking with even more determination.  “You stay behind me, Corbin,” he reiterated before he made the slightest movement with his head.

Corbin noted the subtle movement and recognized it as a signal to someone else. A bang! rang out, the sound of a protector being shot in safety mode.  Corbin knew the sound.  It was used as a scare tactic to hopefully run off dangerous wildlife so no one would come to harm. 

It didn’t work this time.  The animal was provoked instead of scared by the sound, and his gaze, which still remained on Seren, narrowed as he burst into a leap that was shocking to see.  It had gone from standing immobile into the jump, and the height and distance it was achieving was terrifying.  It was also coming right at Seren and Corbin.

Corbin gasped, his mind uselessly shouting that he didn’t have his protector.

But Seren had it, and the man raised it as quickly as the animal jumped, and he caught the creature in mid-leap, his shot clear through the animal’s neck.

Corbin saw the shot make contact, but in the next second his feet were out from under him as Seren grabbed him and brought them both to the ground.  They rolled several feet, ending with Seren hovering over him as the creature landed, dead, right where they had been standing a moment before.

Corbin lay on his back and stared at the creature, his eyes wide and his body frozen as he tried to take in what had just happened.  He didn’t hear his name being called until a hand cupped both sides of his face and made him look away from the animal.  His green eyes met Seren’s blue ones.

“Corbin, breathe!” Seren ordered, now that he had the younger man’s attention.

It wasn’t until he heard that order that he realized he was holding his breath, and it was definitely starting to affect him because his vision blurred.  He took a gasping breath that didn’t help much, and then a deeper one when Seren spoke to him, repeating the order to breathe.

He managed two or three deeper breaths before some of the worry eased out of Seren’s face.

“That’s it,” the older man approved.  “You’re all right.”

“Are you?” Corbin managed to choke out around another breath.

Seren nodded.  “I am.  Everyone’s safe.”

Corbin’s gaze wandered over the man still hovering atop him, and his eyes saw something Seren, and everyone else who was quickly gathering around seemed to miss.

“You’re bleeding!”

He sat up, forcing Seren to sit back, and brought the Charge Pilot’s attention to the blood seeping through the sleeve of his shirt.  Seren grimaced.  “I didn’t even feel it happen,” he murmured.

In another instant it seemed like both of them were completely surrounded.  Anxious voices filled the air until Seren lifted his unharmed hand in a signal for everyone to quiet down and pay attention.  As soon as the voices quieted, he spoke, his tone and eyes showing his authority. 

“Pilot Sabik,” he called.

“Here, sir,” the woman replied.  She was already at Seren’s side.

“You will pick a team to take care of the creature’s remains…respectfully,” he insisted, “and without anyone unnecessary hanging about.  Make sure a Recorder is present to document the activity.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Charge Carter,” Seren now called.

“Here, sir!”

Seren acknowledged the man with a nod.  “Pick a crew to investigate the area and make sure there are no more threats.”

The man saluted and immediately began gathering a crew from the security team.  Seren turned his attention back to Sabik.  “Sabik, appoint someone from each Group to oversee that everyone is packed and ready to travel as soon as we are able.”

As he was giving his orders, Charge Cayson had knelt by him and was wrapping a Med Towel around the man’s arm and applying pressure to ease the bleeding.

“Sir?” Cayson said, gaining the leader’s attention.  “Pilot Sabik can handle things, but I’d like to get you taken care of.”

Seren glanced at his arm, noting the pressure Cayson was keeping on it.  He nodded once, but then looked at Corbin. 

“I want Backer Corbin checked for injuries as well,” he insisted.

“Of course, sir,” Cayson agreed, and smiled appreciatively when Charge Kel crouched down by Corbin and helped the shaking man stand.  “Kel, you’re qualified,” he stated, surprising Corbin with that information.  “Can you examine Corbin while I look over Charge Seren’s injury?”

“Absolutely,” Kel agreed.

“My shelter is just over there,” Cayson stated, “and I have my supplies there as well.  We can take them both there.”

With a nod, Kel agreed, and a few minutes later the four men disappeared into the minimal privacy of the canvas, with Amrynn and Ozias standing outside in self-appointed guard duty.