The Jewel of Veenah

Broken Part 3

Torn from your home

With never a breath

From deep you will soar

To life after death

Chapter 3 Broken  

Kia opened her eyes. She tried to move, but was glued in place by the sticky fallout from the explosion. Her body laid twisted. She took a breath and choked when dust filled her lungs. Pain wracked her body.

"I have gone to Perg with all who have died." Tears washed the burning clay from her eyes. The ground rolled below her, grinding into her head and increasing her agony. "I never knew the pain followed someone into death. And why am I speaking if I'm dead?"

The ground quivered as if Terah was being shaken like a boar skin rug in the wind. Rocks and trees flew into the air. Kia remembered the blast of the Harvester. She'd never seen one so close, but she knew the damage they caused. And she knew the beings who controlled the giant machines. The Zid, rulers of Terah. The thought of them so close sent waves of terror through her.

"I'm not dead!" She struggled to free herself from the rubble. One arm finally loose, she scratched and dug the wet, rocky clay from around her and finally freed her other hand. She closed her eyes and held her breath as the air filled with flying dirt. Another layer of ash and tephra settled over her and hardened like the adobe bricks which made up the village lodges and huts. Stones fell and she flinched as one struck her leg. She kicked her way to freedom, but her long, dark hair was trapped, permanently imbedded in the new rock.

"My knife!" Slashing her hair loose, she shrank back against the cliff.

Sheltered under the precipice from falling debris, she cleared mud from her eyes and realized Moonlight still ruled the dark sky. The gray haze of light covering the area came from the rock harvester.

"Stix! Rok! Where are you!" She screamed at the top of her voice then cringed, wondering if the Zid heard her. No, they're inside that Harvester digging up the world. She screamed again and dashed for the tree line. Another explosion sent rubble into the sky and the stench of smelters filled the air. Within minutes, poisonous gasses would end all life.

"Stix! Rok! Vee! Song! Somebody answer me!" She untied her woolen cloak, the only other item besides a long-knife allowed a fem on her bonding quest, and shook it clean. Then she wrapped it around her head and face so she could breathe.

She had to find her sisters.

"Veenah, ruler of the day and night, help me!"

A gurgling croak sounded in the darkness. She shrank into the tangled remains of a tree. Zid rarely ventured out in the darkness. Their eyes didn't work in low light, but great birds of the night with yellow eyes the size of a fem's head did see well. Nightbird could appear on silent wings and pick up any creature, including Terians, stupid enough to move around in the open after Warmsun went behind the mountain.

What made that noise? "Rok? Are you there?"

"You better be quiet!" Rok growled, but reached through the darkness for Kia.

"You're alive!" Kia fell into Rok's arms, sobbing, and Rok's embrace lifted her off the ground.

"I'm here," Rok whispered, "but keep your voice low. I thought for sure you'd been killed. Oh, your beautiful hair. Are you hurt?"

"I was nearly buried under the rocks and dirt. My hair was stuck and I cut it loose. Rok, you're covered in blood. What is that horrible smell?"

"I just killed one of those filthy Zid!"