From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 10.1

They'd slept in the underground city for the night. Sealed shut into its depths, Vatra had been worried they would have suffocated in their sleep. Hisato had assured her the crystals, while also emitting light, also gave off the very oxygen they needed. A secure place to hide, indeed. If the ship above was found and destroyed, they'd still be safe.

Vatra stepped out into the morning light with a stretch. The hatch remained open behind her, but she'd been the only one to brave the surface so early.

Her ship awaited her. The Agkistrodon, in all its muted grey glory, was unscathed. She'd held up her own against the people from Earth.

Smiling to herself, Vatra was partly relieved that she wouldn't have to spend much on repairs for the vessel. But, she was also glad they made their mark. Perhaps the attackers were frightened after seeing what they could do.

Or, once they know we survived, they'll hit even harder, she thought with a frown.

The boarding ramp lowered after Vatra tapped an instruction to the surface of her watch. Without much thought to moving her feet, Vatra started up into the Agkistrodon. Her mind was reeling. What are we to do now? Keep hiding?

Fingers traced the symmetrical lines piecing together the interior of the vessel. Cold, metallic sections that had carried her and Spyro safely though the galaxies. The Agkistrodon asked for little more than a thirst for fuel as payment.

Vatra fluttered her eyes shut and inhaled deeply. The old coffee sitting in its maker brought back memories of smiling around a table long before the sun woke. Beating the rest of the world to the start of a day. There was nothing like it; the first to experience a waking moment.

She hadn't thought of those moments of Earth in years. Not until the arrival of the unknown survivors drew them up from the nearly forgotten depths of her mind. All she'd ever held on to were recollections that caused fire to ignite beneath her skin.

But they want to take my homeworld away from me, again. They blame my kind for what happened, Vatra scowled. I loved Earth, too.

Fingers clenched into a fist.

"You are stressed," Spyro said. He stepped cautiously up behind her, hands folded in front of him.

Exhaling sharply, Vatra pushed herself from the wall and started for the cockpit. "We're leaving. Tell the others to load up, or they're staying behind."

"Where are we going?" Spyro question.

"I don't know," Vatra admitted. She paused at the small gap leading to the controls and looked over the two, empty seats. "But I don't want to spend another second on this planet."

The pilot's chair creaked beneath Vatra as she sat herself down.

"Okay, but I feel as if I should still point out we need a plan," Spyro warned.

"We'll figure it out," Vatra shot over her shoulder.

The Agkistrodon erupted to life. A roar beneath their boots only amplified the vexation behind Vatra's words. Spyro took his exit without another word and left Vatra to the rattling ship.

Vatra stared through the panes until a chorus of boots thrummed behind her. Her hands clenched around the controls, fingers numb from the strength of her grasp.

Spyro took his seat next to her. "We are all loaded up, and the boarding ramp has been raised. Everyone is secured in their seats." Even though his tone normally lacked emotion, Spyro's words sounded especially hollow.

After raising the landing gears, Vatra guided the Agkistrodon through the canopy above them. They pulled upright at a sharp angle, burning fast for the atmosphere.

The surface of Pocarro had been permanently marred. A crater was all that remained of Belltower. The destruction of the blast left visible ruination far from the impact. Uprooted trees and valleys, where none had been before, scattered the landscape.

No one would be able to return to the planet, or, at least no one would want to return. There was nothing left for any living being to go back to.

They burned hard until Vatra was able to initiate the gambol to the Dead Zone. As she pushed the lever for the controls, Vatra hoped the attackers wouldn't be waiting for them. Luck had gotten her far without having her ship destroyed around her. She could only imagine the endless suffering of being out in the vacuum of space. Countless deaths, over and over.

Vatra shuddered as the stretch of light swallowed the Agkistrodon.

The violent rocking of the fierce burn settled to an even hum. A gambol was like calm water, guiding them along with little turbulence. Vatra took the peaceful moment and undid her restraints.

"I'm sorry I was such an ass to you," Vatra said. She turned to Spyro with a tight smile, though the apology was genuine.

"I do not think you were being a donkey, but you were acceptably stressed out," Spyro answered.

Opening her mouth to explain what she meant, Vatra stopped herself. She noticed Spyro's eyebrows hadn't raised as they usually did when he was confused. A faint glint in his brown eyes almost gave away his jest.

He was telling a joke, Vatra thought.

"Nice one," Vatra commented with a laugh. "Now get some background music to ease the tension around here. I'm going to grab some of that new food we managed to have loaded up on Pocarro."

Spyro nodded and pressed a button before Vatra could even stretch her legs out. The fast drums and guitar of a Blondie song pumped from every speaker around the ship.

Subconsciously drumming along to the music, Vatra tapped her hand to her thigh as she walked into the main kitchen. The others had already left the bucket seats along the walls behind the cockpit, and were standing around an array of food along the island counter.

"I see you've already made yourself at home," Vatra said as she scooped a handful of sultanas. The dried grapes, long transplanted from Earth to a variety of planets, were as sweet as they had been hundreds of years before.

Enyalius popped a sultana into his mouth. "Isn't that what a good host always says? 'Make yourself at home'." He pointed up to the speaker closest to them. "It's good to know your taste in music isn't limited to what you have as your jamming signal," Enyalius continued.

Heat rushed to Vatra's cheeks as she looked between Revna and Enyalius. She'd forgotten about that incident. Disregarding the embarrassment, Vatra shrugged. "You guys prefer Elvis?"

Revna rolled her eyes. "Please, no. That was all a facade to fit in with the crew," she paused and leaned in to Vatra, "I much prefer this era."

Following the sound of soft laughter on the other side of Revna, Vatra laid a cautious gaze on Nat. She still found the woman weighted down with suspicion. Her flirtatious hand along Hisato's arm as the two exchanged a look sent a cold chill down Vatra's spine.

No one finds Hisato that charming, Vatra thought with a glower. It wasn't jealousy at the action, since Vatra had never found anyone romantically compatible, but a lingering sense that Nat was playing some kind of role. Vatra just wasn't sure what that role was.