Skye City: The Darkness of Emmilyn

The Hydra

We leave town, reaching a rather uninviting woodland – the kind of wilderness which seems likely to be rife with mutants. I have no idea how anyone knows which direction to follow because all I can see are jagged branches and yellow leaves and pine needles and pitcher plants and Eosian bird traps. Everyone including the superhumans appears exhausted, their faces sagging and their movements laboured. This rucksack is straining my back but we desperately need the supplies. I still would have preferred to risk a transport ride, but I sense our mother wants to keep the Rebellion at arm's length and at least we are away from the fighting for now.

A slender mutant emerges from the undergrowth with a segmented body, hundreds of legs and a pair of huge pincers. The slithering freak measures roughly three feet long and could well be poisonous but Arturo kicks it into a bush. We quicken the pace before the mutant can return to bite someone. Shudder.

'So hands up those who haven't killed anyone recently. I'm starting to forget what humanity feels like...' Arturo's words are met by frowns all round so he adopts a condescending tone. 'It's a tough life. It can break us or harden us. This is no time for weakness.'

'And how exactly do we stay strong?' I shake my head, but Otess interrupts with a chuckle.

'Well in Otessa Tribe, we find strength in each other. We see life as endless battle – for friendship, love, freedom, shelter and most importantly, good food! We believe if you're not prepared to fight for something, it's not worth having. You must keep your goal in mind – that's your motivation, that's what makes the pain bearable.'

'So, what you're saying, Otess, is we need to focus on good food and we'll get through this?' I laugh and so does the rest of the group.

'You'll get through this soon enough. Let's just meet the others and we can find a way to evacuate you guys. I'll stay behind with Dynah and Otess until we've found Myla and Killow. The Goddess only knows how I'll persuade them to join us, but I'll figure it out,' Arturo says.

'Er, excuse me, but I'm not going anywhere without you.' I glare at Arturo in the dappled light of the forest.

'Me neither... Me neither...' the group insist.

'I can fight, Dynah can fight, Otess can fight. The rest of you... Vytali, you're a good friend but you're no soldier. Emmi, Kyan, you're our future. I'm doing whatever's necessary to keep you guys safe and I won't hear another thing about it,' Arturo says.

'Arturo's talking sense, but I suspect there are keys missing, information we need, actions we must take. We should contact Vytali's father as a priority. I sense he has critical information, far more so than what's on the disc and we need to find the other telepaths. I must meditate on this and now is as good a time as any... Let's stop to rest,' Dynah says.

'Yup, now's as good a time as any, Dynah. I'm worn out,' Arturo says.

We walk a little further then drop our baggage and stretch our legs within a glade which reveals the dim purple sky. Arturo removes a square pack from the pocket of his rucksack, peeling the corner open and slurping the contents. Dynah shifts fallen leaves to reveal a patch of bare mud then she gathers twigs and Otess helps her, placing them into a pile.

Dynah sits with crossed legs and conjures a flame in her palm which drifts onto the twig pile, igniting a bonfire. Kyan's glowing face gawps as he sits beside his favourite transhuman, muttering, 'M-magic'.

Frost covers the leafy ground but slowly melts as the rest of the group sit around the bonfire, holding hands and closing our eyes. I am unsure what help we can possibly offer Dynah by sitting, doing nothing, but it feels intriguing to participate in the ritual, almost... magical.

'Clear your minds and let our energies be shared,' Dynah whispers and we just sit, enjoying the beautiful warmth of the flames.

Minutes pass without anyone saying a thing, even the boy and all I can hear is the crackling of burning twigs, but then I feel a jolt and hear shuffling. A touch disoriented, I open my eyes to see Arturo and Kyan have left the circle and the others are exchanging puzzled glances. Dynah is the only one still meditating as though she remains in a trance and I suspect I was entranced too. Confusing.

'Dynah, wake up... Dynah!' I say, scanning the trees and hearing shuffling to my right, then a whimpering. The supergirl jolts and we rise to our feet, collecting the rucksacks and dashing through the shadowy forest until we reach a bright clearing.

'Dynah, time to wake up!' Arturo yells, failing to notice our arrival as he focuses on a hideous aquatic mutant on the shore of a lake – its enormous body has four flippers and three long necks with snake-like heads. The necks are bending upwards but the heads are close to the ground, flicking their tongues and hissing. My eyes adjust to the brightness as the sun sets over the lake and I spot my little brother encaged behind the necks. He appears to be unharmed but fore-flippers are blocking his escape at either side. I want to scream but I cannot risk provoking the mutant.

'Oh my Goddess,' our mother screeches and I bite my lip.

'If we startle the beast, it could crush the boy. Dynah, what do we do?' Arturo gasps, holding our mother back.

'I could try controlling it, but there are three heads, three minds. I can only control one at a time,' Dynah says.

'I just need a moment, Dynah. If you can create an opening, I can rush in and snatch the boy,' Arturo says.

Dynah clenches her fists and becomes surrounded by a red aura which drifts from her body and consumes the three-headed mutant. One of the beast's heads rises slightly, hissing and Dynah winces as though she is struggling to win the battle of wills. A fore-flipper eases back and the left-most head rises higher as its tongue flicks between fangs.

The middle head bites the neck of the raised head, then all three heads thrash as Kyan and our mother scream. Diving, Arturo grabs the boy as his boots meet a tank-like body and propel from its scaly hide in one swift movement. He lands on his feet, stumbling with Kyan in his arms, just out of biting range. The three bloodied heads stop squabbling to stare at our group, hissing and then they lunge forwards.

'Run!'