Dawn was approaching, the glimmer of sunlight shining down from the cliff wall above. Pulling my arm, Suvan led me off the road to a small ruin. At one time it must have been a shed, but now the structure had collapsed on itself, leaving nothing but a tangle of debris. Part of the metal roof was still intact, lying on its side, half-covering a hole in the ground. After my last experience, I took a step backwards from this pit, unsure of what horror resided within.
“Come on,” Suvan said impatiently. “It’s completely safe. I’ve stayed here many times.” And then she slipped headfirst under the metal and disappeared inside.
With some trepidation, I joined her. I found myself in an uncomfortable cavity that barely had enough room for the two of us to sit. It had the smell of dust and decay. An enterprising spider had once been at work here, leaving a mass of grey cobwebs that got into my hair.
“We will rest here,” Suvan said. “Anyways, it’s going to be daylight soon. The Mutans will be out in force.”
“You said that you’ve been here before?”
She made a face. “I told you that there is no water in the Wasteland. At times I must return to the city to get that. I’ve hidden here before to stay out of sight from the Mutans.”
I nodded. “Tell me, what was that creature that attacked me?”
She shrugged. “I do not know, nor do I care to know. It is evil. But you are lucky that I came along to save you.”
“I would have been alright,” I lied.
She laughed softly. “That I doubt. I have told you how dangerous this valley is, but you go walking down the road like you own the place. I told you to stay on the outskirts of the valley, but yet you go investigate anything that strikes your fancy. Why don’t you listen to me?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know any better since I’m new to this sort of life,” I admitted. ”Besides, I’ve never been out of Ewark before. The work of the Ancients fascinates me to no end.”
With a sigh, Suvan shook her head. “I suppose I am used to their buildings and artifacts. They hold no interest to me except for the profit they bring. You’ll get used to it with time.”
“Tell me, would this city be worth the time to scavenge?”
“Yes, but the Mutans are too strong. It would take an army to dislodge them from the city. No merchant would take the pay the number of mercenaries needed for such an undertaking. My father had already written off the possibility and regretfully died when we were leaving for the last time.”
I stared at her. “Why did you come back to the city for me?”
My question took Suvan by surprise. She had a hard time meeting my eyes when she finally replied. “I came back to help you. I couldn’t leave you to die here.”
Touched, I reached over and put my hand over hers.
She angrily pulled her arm back, freeing herself from my clasp. “That’s not it, you fool.”
“Then what?” I asked in exasperation.
“It’s the way my father died. It’s the way those traders were butchered. I can’t let that happen to anyone else. The Mutans must not be allowed to have another victim. Now try to get some sleep. This is our only chance to get some rest and we still have a long way to go.”
She said nothing more, but instead closed her eyes and almost immediately dropped off to a fitful sleep. Soon morning came, flooding the valley with the light of the sun. From our hiding place, I could see the Mutans using the nearby road. There were hundreds of them, each one armed with sword and bow. They paid no attention to our hiding place, but instead were marching east, towards the entrance of the valley.
“Where are they going?” I asked Suvan, shaking her arm.
Her eyes fluttered open. She answered sleepily, “To raid and plunder anyone who crosses into the Wasteland. Or beyond.”
“Surely no one comes that far into the Wasteland.”
“You saw those burned wagons of the traders. They often come from the northwest, hoping to save time by cutting across the Wasteland. But I think there is more to their raiding than that.”
“What do you mean?”
She explained, “There are villages and towns on the edge of the Wasteland. The Mutans raid them for food. There are also easy pickings along the roads that the caravans use. At least that’s what I have heard.”
I shuddered at that idea. “But what are they?” I asked.
“What?” she asked with annoyance.
“I mean the Mutans, of course. They aren’t human, and they only exist in the expanse of the Wasteland. Where did they come from?”
She shook her head and said impatiently, “Some say they were once like us, but living in such an evil place has warped their humanity. Perhaps they are some hideous leftover from the days of the Ancients. Or perhaps they have been cursed by Allah. But it doesn’t matter. Right now, I suggest you get some sleep since we have a long night of hiking ahead of us. I will watch now.”
I tried to sleep. Though Suvan thought this hiding place would never be discovered, I still felt exposed. Tossing and turning, I finally fell asleep dreaming of my old bed back at my now-destroyed hotel. It was stuffed with feathers and so soft. There wasn’t a bed like it in all of Ewark.
I awoke with Suvan shaking my shoulder.
“You snore,” she said grumpily. “I thought the Mutans were going to discover us by your sound alone.”
“I’m sorry,” I replied sleepily.
“It’s your turn to watch,” she said. “Wake me if you see anything coming our way.”
The sky above was clear and through one of the openings, I could see almost a dozen strange creatures climbing the wall. They were the same things that I had seen last night. They were disgusting. With their long bodies and thick antennae, they looked like giant black, six-foot long crickets, but their crawling motion reminded me of nothing like that jumping insect.
"I saw those creatures on the cliff walls last night - what are they?" I asked Suvan who was trying to find a comfortable position.
"They're harmless," she replied crossly, obviously tired of all my questions. "They feed off the lichen on the walls. I have seen the Mutans hunt them for food before. Now stop asking so many questions and let me shut my eyes."
My watch started in the mid-afternoon. I stood at my post and kept on eye on the road. It was stifling inside the hole, and the iron sheet above us soon grew hot to the touch. It was boring watching so little. As the sun finally started to wane, I noticed that the nearby Mutan foot traffic began to decrease. However, as twilight came on, there was a sudden inrush of Mutans coming from the direction of the valley entrance. They were returning home, but to where?
Chapter 12