Spectator

Chapter Ten: Then

They were on a plain, the grass a pale gray, the dirt silver. It sank and swelled like some sort of ocean. There was a tight cluster of craggy rocks where it dipped the lowest, and even though the sun burned red, Kali could see the tracings of two moons in the sky. They were on Mars. Or an approximation of Mars, clearly, one that didn't have featherless birds flitting through the clouds, or six legged antelopes grazing the field.

Most of Earth's animals that had been relocated after the collapse had needed to change to adapt to their new world. Some had done it on their own, and others had help. But there would be no critters here, and even though she could see the milky white blur above them that mimicked the ever present dome, it wasn't the same. Still, Kali got the message. They were being prepared to fight on all fronts, even home territory. They never knew when they would have to again.

"Stone-henge," Nari called out, referencing some ancient Earth structure with a bunch of constructed rocks they all pretended had appeared in the night. They all headed towards the rocky valley as swiftly as they could. Sure, the other team could already be situated and waiting, but there wasn't much cover out here in the fields. It would be just Kali's luck to be struck by some errant blast thirty seconds into the match.

The wind turbines had really been tugged up a notch; when Nari looked back at them, her ponytail was nearly horizontal, bangs fluttering to the side. "Remember," she called out to the others. "Protect Raella at all costs!"

Right, Raella. Nari's eyes met Kali's for a brief second, and she could almost see the challenge there. Raella would be protected, but Kali had to fend for herself. Or else, probably.

They didn't want to make it too obvious, Nari said, so they formed two rhombus-like shapes, culminating in a sharp eight. Nari led the point of the right rhombus, with Dom furthest right and Inno trailing as the last. Raella was the left, which became center point. Kali would have liked the middle of the left rhombus, but she was assigned left-back instead. She really hoped they weren't ambushed from the back.

Their pace wasn't relentless, but it wasn't slow either - until Alrich had to open his mouth.

"I see someone over there." They were spread out, but not so much that he had to yell. They all looked up; even from the back, Kali could see someone's distant shape. More than a few, moving quickly.

"They're moving to the rocks," Nari said. "Beat them there!" Gone was the determined jog; now they sprinted across the faux Mars grasslands, into harder, less even ground. Raella stumbled at one point and Dom was at her side in an instant, grabbing her by the elbow and sticking to her as if he was a shadow. Less obvious might be better. Was that why Nari had picked Kali?

Her lungs were burning by the time they reached the ravine, the ground rising around them as they sunk further down. At least nothing felt like mud, just solid ground. The gulch was narrower than Kali liked, until they were forced to walk in pairs, with her and Inno bringing up the rear. Perhaps they should have tried to stay higher up; anyone from above would have a fairly clear shot. It seemed like Nari was trying to bring them up to the surface, but the ravine was determined to turn into a labyrinth. Still, she didn't split them up, only slowed their pace, going carefully around each corner and hugging the walls.

They weren't in a good position, perhaps, but the other team had found one even worse.

"Up there!" Inno whispered excitedly. The cavern ahead branched into four directions, and the Gourds had picked a higher path - one that tipped precariously out from the rock face. It would have been a good hiding position, had they gotten a few meters further, but the Lotus had turned the corner fast enough to avoid an ambush - and to plan one of their own. The Gourds were still squeezing along the narrow path, one by one.