A Single Strand || #Wattys2018

Chapter Ten

"Our planet, which lost its name during the war, used to be a gateway to the rest of the galaxy," Avalu says. "With the start of intergalactic travel, we became the-" Avalu turned to Mahanako, who said, "Ambassador. The word's ambassador."

"Right," Avalu nods. She turns back to Hyrna and continues. "We became the ambassadors to the nearby Harrovay Galaxy. We thought we were the start of a new era for the Kaivan Galaxy. It turns out," Avalu bows her head, "we were very wrong."

"Something dangerous made its way across galaxies, didn't it?" Hyrna asks.

"Very," Mahanako says with a nod. "Avalu?"

"A big threat managed to cross over from the Harrovay Galaxy," Avalu goes on. "What's worse, they crossed over at the start of the Takome Migration. It happens every thousand years."

"What causes it?" Hyrna wonders. She sits down in the sand to get more comfortable, letting her wings sway back and forth with the tide.

"The volcanoes underneath the islands erupt," Avalu explains. "They go off all at once, columns of magma and cinders." Avalu flamboyantly waves her flippers in the air, trying to mimic the pattern of cinders as they travel towards the surface of the water. "We Takome can't survive that, so they go underneath the sanctuaries. Under the islands."

"Wait a minute," Hyrna interrupts. "There's a sort of chamber beneath the cliff on this island." She points out to where she's taken up her residence. "Is that a sanctuary?"

"Precisely," Mahanako nods. "The chief sanctuary in the islands. There used to be more islands around here."

"Used to be?" Hyrna interrupts again.

"Well, when the continents sank, the islands were all we had, I think," Avalu says. "I wasn't around when they sank. I was born after the war. Well, I was born after it started. I think Mahanako knows more about how the old islands sank."

"I do," Mahanako agrees. "When the invaders came, the islands that spanned the water for miles sank. They destroyed them, trying to kill as many of us as possible. This archipelago is all we have left." Mahanako hits his tail against the sand. "At least, in this area of our planet."

"Avalu said that this planet's name was lost to the war," Hyrna remembers. "What exactly happened there? How does a whole planet just lose its name?"

Avalu turns to look at Mahanako. The elder Takome shakes his head, and the long crests on his head and back droop.

"These... monsters... came from all sides," he finally continues. "They were ruthless. They attacked every tribe. All twenty four. Anyone who spoke this planet's name ended up dead. People whispered it in secret, above and below the waves. Almost all of them were sought out and killed."

"Father Kuringki..." Hyrna whispers, disgusted. "What even were they?"

Mahanako nods at Avalu, who goes on. "They call themselves the Karnas. I've never seen one before."

"I have," Mahanako says. Avalu grimaces. "I heard they look really ugly!"

"They do," the elder replies. Avalu laughs. Hyrna waves a paw in surprise and confusion.

"Wait," she interjects. "They're still here?"

"Precisely," Mahanako says. He moves to look behind Hyrna, gazing almost mournfully. "They've set up an occupation base on the last continent apart from the ice caps. They're too cold, and the Karnas themselves we think are cold blooded."

"The last continent?" Hyrna asks. She can feel herself growing more and more intrigued by the second. "I remember reading in my scanner something about continental nangji'e - sorry, the malkugas - but I just assumed that all the continents naturally sank a long time ago."