Eon

Chapter 6

The Insurgents and the Chesons continued to delve into the forest. The Insurgents were silent, shaken after their experience with the dead parts of Eon. Joey in particular seemed disturbed as his eyes shifted with the constant movings forest. Carson was stuck in a deep depression, his face dark and his lips thin as he realized that the natives were not as pure as he once thought.

A pillar of smoke had formed on the horizon. Carson was the first to spot it, pointing out the disturbance to Han, who had said little for a long time.

"That is our doing," Han replied calmly.

"Is it, like, a big campfire or something?" Joey asked as he turned to look at the smoke.

Han shook his head. "We are purposefully burning the forest deter certain insects and to make way for farming grounds. We have been using this technique for some time now. It is an essential part of our continued existence."

A group of Chesons past by the Insurgents and their guard. They were covered in soot, eyeing the humans intensely before passing them. One of them held a torch. This native approached Han and whispered something to him. Han nodded. The Insurgents watched as the native walked a few feet, knelt to one knee and set his fire onto the ground. The flames began to take shape, crawling up the tall trees. A series of sharp snapping noises sounded, each crack sending Carson's nerves aflame. The natives circled the fire, fanning it with long ferns and shouting to one another in frantic english.

"I thought you people liked the forest," Joey said, covering his mouth as choked on the smoke. "Shit."

Han nodded. "We do this for Eon. Without our necessary guidance the forests would be eaten by insects and her soils would not heal properly. This will also deter future burning."

The fire began to spread tenfold. The Chesons continued to guide the flames, their blue bodies covered in grime.

"Please follow me, Insurgents," Han insisted. "We will take you to the scientist, and then our journey will be over."

They climbed up a towering mountain covered in trees with long pine needles which housed a variety of large insects which marched up the bark. The hides of the insects blended with the gray and violet colorings of the trees in a slight dance of natural perfection. The camouflage on display was so adept it seemed miraculous, each facet of the insect's body matching its surrounding perfectly. Carson shivered as he realized that the Insurgents had probably ignored many of the hiding creatures on their trek without their knowledge or consent. They had slept in sleeping bags and sometimes without any protection at all. Carson wondered if the insects were venomous, although their great size was enough to cover him in an impending dread.

It was evening when the Insurgents reached their destination. At the top of the mountain was a single, enormous tree whose branches sprouted out towards the horizon, engulfing the view with leaves larger than Carson himself. The Insurgents gaped as they looked up at the thing, eyes filled with wonderment and shining lights. Han and his guard passed them and went to the tree's base. Han knocked on the bark once. A hollow noise rang through. Carson looked towards Han and saw the native's gaze shift uncomfortably.

"We will leave you to talk to the scientist," Han said as he slowly wrenched himself away from the great tree. The winds were picking up momentum now as the branches above the Insurgents swayed aggressively and leaves broke away and drifted out into the sun like lost souls in need of refuge.

Carson could hear something inside the tree, some type of movement that sounded strangely familiar. He peered at Han in suspicion but the Cheson did not give him any hint of what lay in the great tree.