Fog and Flame: Land of Szornyek, #7

By Ariele Sieling

The forest is ablaze and Cleo's army is on the move, but that's not the worst of it. A new monster, the Dark Koponya, has stepped through the portal and threatens all life as they know it. Askari's life might not be easy, but at least she and many others have managed to find enough security to stay alive despite the monsters who plague the land. But now, the small peace they've found hangs in the balance. 

 

Askari has barely had a chance to warn the human warriors of the new enemy they face, when she is captured in the forest and dragged off to meet the Dark Koponya. With the world afire and only Polly and Logan for support, Askari sees only one way to potentially rescue the world from the clutches of the Dark Koponya. She doesn't want to do it, but she's the only one who can.

 

And as far as she can tell, it's the only option they have left.

 

This action-packed finale of the Land of Szornyek series is filled with adventure, action, and excitement.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ariele Sieling
• Release date: Jun 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201865948

Ariele Sieling

Ariele Sieling is a Pennsylvania-based writer who enjoys books, cats, and trees. Her first love, however, is science fiction and she has three series in the genre: post-apocalyptic monsters in Land of Szornyek; soft science fiction series, The Sagittan Chronicles; and scifi fairytale retellings in Rove City. She has also had numerous short stories published in a variety of anthologies and magazines and is the author of children's books series Rutherford the Unicorn Sheep.She lives with her spouse, enormous Great Pyrenees dog, and two cats.You can find her work on Kobo, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Apple, GooglePlay, and Payhip. Visit www.arielesieling.com for more information.

Book preview

skull

Chapter 1: A World Afire

All around Askari, smoke billowed. Flames licked the edge of the forest as tree after tree caught fire. Flocks of birds whooshed up through the canopy with a great deal of chattering and chirruping, while other small animals crashed through the underbrush, trying to outrun the blaze. Askari dodged around great tree trunks and skipped over roots, keeping her eye on bits of red-hot ash floating on the wind and trying not to cough as smoky grit filled her lungs.

She knew the contingent of human warriors had been traveling toward the voro nest from a southward direction, and she wanted to warn them about the fire and the Dark Koponya before they arrived, if that was even still possible. Logan had run the opposite direction, searching for friendly valik to spread the news of the Dark Koponya’s arrival.

The Dark Koponya. The most powerful monster in existence, according to Logan. And inhabited by a voro. A deadly combination, feared by monsters and humans alike. Except for Cleo, apparently. Or Cato. They had thrown their lot in with this horrific creature. As far as Askari was concerned, they had chosen the wrong side.

Polly scampered through the trees far overhead, keeping pace with Askari. Moose, Arrow, and Dreadnaught still battled Cleo’s valik back at the train yard with the aid of a few hulla and a small group of Paityn’s valik. She was worried about her friends, but knew they were strong, and at the moment, the best thing she could do was bring more allies to aid them in the fight.

The only good news was that the fog had mostly burned up with the fire, which meant any of her allies who didn’t have the berries to help them remain resistant to the hallucinogenic effects of the fog could still render aid. At least for now. As long as the Dark Koponya didn’t start producing more fog than the fire could burn up.

As she ran, she pondered the conversation she’d had only a short time ago with Logan, her father: the Dark Koponya, King (or whatever) of the Voro, had stepped through a portal with Cato’s help and was here to rule Earth, to turn humans into livestock—bodies for voro to inhabit—and to destroy life as they knew it. And maybe some other terrible things too. With the combined strength of a koponya and a voro flowing through its veins, if it even had veins, it controlled the fog. All the fog. It could produce it and use it to manipulate humans and gargs alike. According to Logan, the only way humans could survive would be for someone to step through the now-open portal and shut down all the other portals from the other side, and then kill the Dark Koponya.

If they couldn’t do that, then Earth, and everyone who lived on it, was doomed.

Askari wasn’t sure if success was even possible. But if it was, many, many obstacles remained in their way. For starters, the fire Askari set to destroy the voro nest raged around them and was spreading much more rapidly than Askari had anticipated. The second enormous obstacle was the ongoing battle between Cleo’s band of valik and Askari’s allies—Moose and Arrow, the hulla, the group of Paityn’s valik, who had also arrived already. And the more valik and humans arrived, the bigger and deadlier the battle would become.

In addition, as far as she knew, Cato and the Dark Koponya were still back inside the old barn with the portal, so there was no telling if anyone could get past them to even go through the portal. And it was purportedly impossible to go upstream, as far as the portal was concerned, without dying. But Cato had returned to the other side several times, using other valik or human bodies as hosts to protect his true skeletal form from whatever was between worlds. And Logan thought there might be one other possible way—Askari. She might be able to do it.

She’d been producing a strange chitin on her body, as part of her later-onset half-valik puberty. Both Cato and Logan had theorized that this chitin might protect her as she passed through the portal. Of course, there was no knowing unless she got it in her head to try it, then succeeded and was able to return. And the consequences of it not working were, well… her death.

There were a lot of problems. And none of them small.

But for now, she had to focus on one task: warning the humans about what was happening. Because if they walked into the middle of the battle being waged at the nearby train yard without all possible information, there was a good chance they would all be slaughtered—and then used as husks for whatever voro survived the flames.

She stumbled into the clearing she’d been aiming for. Using her deep hearing—another skill she’d gained from her half-valik puberty—she’d been following the distant sounds of talking, blades clanking, and wagon wheels, assuming humans would be the ones making those types of noises. She was nervous about talking to them; the last time she’d done so, they had not been kind. Even Shujaa had outright rejected her. At least the smoke hadn’t made it this far, so she could breathe clearly, and her eyes had stopped watering, though truth be told, she probably looked a bit mad, with sticks poking out of her hair, wet shoes, red eyes, and covered in mud.

Luckily, the first person she laid eyes on through the barely budding bushes was Harcos. While he had not been completely happy or comfortable with her after discovering her new identity, he was also not technically against her.

Askari! he hissed, glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed her arrival. He stood beside a water barrel perched on the back of a wagon, but strode over to her immediately and dragged her back into the woods where no one could see them. What are you doing here? Amaka was very unhappy when you ran off, especially since it happened at the same time Cleo attacked. They’ve decided you’re a threat, that you’ve defected to ally with the monsters.

He glanced down at the mug in his hand he’d just filled with water, then reached out and handed it to her. She gladly drained it, sighing as the cool liquid soothed her scratchy, sore throat.

I’m not a threat, Askari said, looking up into her oldest friend’s eyes as she handed the now-empty mug back to him. You have to believe me.

I do. Harcos ran his fingers through his hair and leaned back against a large oak with a sigh. "You told the hulla to come back and tell us where the voro nest was. And you fought against Cleo when she attacked, not with her. You wouldn’t have fought her if she were your ally. And you wouldn’t have aided us at all if you were our enemy. So why are you here now?"

Something bad is happening. Really bad. Probably the worst thing that’s happened since the Cataclysm. And I wanted to warn you. She gestured toward the rest of the group. All of you.

I presume it has something to do with the smoke? He nodded toward the dark cloud rising over the trees.

Sort of, Askari replied. She leaned against a tree and wiped sweat from her forehead. I set the voro nest on fire using a… er, kind of monster plant? It grows underwater but is always burning. Hopefully that will take care of the voro nest. And hopefully, the monster fire will consume its fill before it takes over the whole planet.

…okay… Harcos raised an eyebrow.

But there’s something worse.

Spit it out! Her friend’s face was a mask of concern. We don’t have time to beat around the bush.

A vision of the Dark Koponya emerging from the portal filled Askari’s mind. There’s a portal in the middle.

Garg’s blood, Harcos breathed, his eyes widening.

And something just came through. Askari swallowed. It’s a monster called a Dark Koponya. And… and, from what I understand, it… it’s like a koponya, but it’s got a voro inside— she spoke as rapidly as possible, wanting to get the facts out so Harcos could decide what to do with them. And it has all the power over the fog like a koponya, but even more than a normal koponya, I guess, because it’s also got the power over fog like a voro, and it’s here to take over and farm humans to create some kind of voro utopia.

Excuse me… what now? Harcos’s jaw dropped.

Askari shrugged. She didn’t know what else to say. It was bad, and she knew it, and now Harcos knew it.

And where did you get all this information?

Logan and Cato had a discussion about it in front of me, Askari replied truthfully. And I watched the Dark Koponya come through the portal myself. All the monsters acted like they worshipped him.

How’d you get away? he asked.

I ran.

You didn’t succumb to the fog? After being inside it for all that time?

Askari shrugged again. I have a sort of resistance to it. You know that.

I see. His eyes narrowed, his mind clearly whirling. She could tell that he knew she hadn’t told him everything. Right. It’s how you got us through the Field of Screams. You were still semi-affected back then. And while you were caged. But you’re not now?

She took a deep breath, nodded. She might as well tell him everything. He’d get it out of her eventually anyway, plus it might help her regain his trust sooner if she shared the information voluntarily. It turns out there are actual tentacles in the fog, which made me think I was seeing things. She shrugged. Since it’s not all illusion, it makes it a lot easier to tell the difference between fantasy and reality. And I guess I’m… She almost felt embarrassed to say it, …in a kind of second puberty. I had my human puberty, now I’m in my valik one. She thought this might have been the most awkward conversation she’d ever had. So I was a little affected, but I guess I’m less affected now. Because of… you know. Changes. And stuff.

She found it difficult to meet his eyes, but this detail had done the trick. Harcos’s expression turned from vaguely suspicious to intensely interested.

A second puberty? he exclaimed. Is that why weird things keep happening to you? His eyes lit up. That’s why monsters are suddenly hunting you down—I bet you smell different or something. And why you seem like you’re getting stronger and faster still, even more so than me or Zaj. I mean, you’re in your twenties! And… and… His eyes opened even wider, if that were possible. Other things are happening too, aren’t they? He raised his eyebrows.

Askari looked at the ground, feeling about as embarrassed as she possibly could.

Askari. Harcos’s expression shifted to mild amusement. You’ve known me since I was born. Tell me.

Fine. Askari crossed her arms, feeling a bit defensive and inordinately embarrassed. I can hear things. And I keep growing this… stuff. Logan calls it chitin. And Polly and I bonded.

Okay, okay, let’s take this one thing at a time. You can hear things? Harcos was gazing at her intently.

Like, if I listen really hard, I can hear things that… that you can’t. Like I can hear the bugs in the ground. And I can hear a person’s heartbeat from a mile away.

You can hear a heartbeat a mile away and bugs in the ground, he repeated with a breathless excitement brimming in his eyes.

Askari nodded.

That’s how you keep finding us in the middle of the woods, with no idea of where we might actually be. He frowned. And how Moose and Logan keep finding us. And Paityn and the others, and Cleo… I guess that explains a lot.

She nodded again.

Okay. He took a deep breath. This is a lot to process. Tell me about the chitin.

It’s like a shell that grows over me randomly. Logan says I’ll be able to control it eventually. And it’s why Cato captured me and kept me in a cage for seven days. He was trying to force me to grow it, to see if it would cover my whole body. He thought maybe if it did, I could travel backward through a portal. I’m sure he would’ve hitched a ride. Regular humans and monsters can’t go through the portal because… she frowned, something about it being ‘upstream.’ And something about radiation. I guess Cato has done it a couple times but only by using people as a shell to protect his true voro skeletal form. The people died, of course.

Harcos’s eyes narrowed. How many times have you experienced this chitin stuff?

Just… three or four. A little bit when Cato had me in the cage. But I pretended I didn’t. Then when Polly and I bonded. Then it randomly happened in the woods earlier.

Okay, tell me about Polly then.

She rescued me from Cato, before I ran into you the last time, by unlocking my cage, but the fog almost killed her. Too high a concentration, I guess. So I carried her out, and she did this like, blood bond thing, and suddenly she could speak to me in my mind. And then… Askari grunted as the minket in question dropped from the treetops onto her shoulder.

Secret.

Why is it a secret? Askari frowned at the minket.

It just is.

That’s not a good answer. And besides, I thought you liked Harcos.

Harcos reached into his pocket and held out a piece of beef jerky to the creature. Would this help?

Polly eyed him for a moment and then snatched the treat from his fingers. Fine. But only meat boy.

Askari laughed.

What? Harcos frowned.

She calls you ‘meat boy.’ But she said I can tell you, and only you, the secret.

Harcos grinned at the moniker and reached to scratch the minket on the head.

Anyway, we did this blood bond thing, and then she told me to go pick this flaming underwater monster plant, and… Askari frowned. Okay, I don’t entirely understand, but it healed her somehow, and also I’m immune to it, and… I used it to burn down the voro nest.

I can’t believe she can talk to you now. Harcos’s eyes were wide with wonder, and he shook his head slowly. That would have been so useful so many times.

Yes, it certainly would have been. Askari needed to shift focus back to delivering her message. Now that you know all my secrets, you probably have a thousand questions and would like to take me back to a lab somewhere to study me. But the Dark Koponya is here and wants to use you all as hosts for voro and take over the world. I need you to pass on the message.

Amaka and Minda are planning our attack strategy as we speak, Harcos said. But this information will likely alter our approach.

How are you going to get through the fog, though? Askari frowned. A lot of it burned in the fire, but I imagine it would still be dangerous for you.

The kod berries. Harcos reached into his pocket and pulled out a small container of bright red berries. After you sent the hulla back to us with a message, the Elnok was very helpful and gave us bucketsful. They only last about an hour, but we each have a handful to eat as we go into the fog to fight.

The Elnok had berries. That was an interesting factoid.

Do you know where she got them? Askari asked.

After they realized Cleo was out hunting you, she and some of her hulla raided Dwelling Town, and apparently, Cleo had been cultivating them for a long time. She had luscious bushes full of them. It makes sense.

In winter, though?

Harcos shrugged. They’re monster berries. Didn’t you just use a flaming plant that burns underwater to destroy a voro nest and save your minket from dying?

Fair point. Askari gave a small laugh. Do you think the berries will work against Dark Koponya fog?

Harcos shook his head. I have no idea. I hope so, if we are to stand any chance at all of destroying that portal. His face grew thoughtful. Do you think your chitin could actually get you through the interdimensional space to the other side of the portal? Is it strong enough to protect you from the radiation?

Askari shrugged. He clearly knew more about the portals than she did. She only wished she had more time to mull it over with him, to pick his brain to learn everything he knew about the science of the portals and what might lie on the other side. Maybe. I’d be more willing to try if I knew how it worked and had a little more control over it.

You experienced it when locked in a cage, right?

Yes.

And when you were afraid Polly was going to die.

Yes.

And when you were running to destroy a voro nest—that was presumably after you left us, and we… er, were not nice.

Yes, Askari confirmed.

So, high emotions every time?

She hadn’t seen the pattern before, but it was definitely there. Fear, anger, frustration, all at the boiling point as the chitin had begun to grow. She glanced down at her feet. She didn’t feel anything right now. But she didn’t want to rile herself up on purpose either. Who knew what could happen?

That’s kind of like regular human puberty, he pointed out. When you’re young, uh, certain things happen… he gave her a pointed look, when you feel certain things. You know. But as you grow older, you learn to control and manage and manipulate… those things… in a healthy way, because you understand them. Perhaps it’s similar.

She knew he was talking about sexual feelings, and