A New Beginning

Chapter 60

We checked each level, and once it was considered cleared, the vehicle entered an elevator to go to the next level. Listening to the Brult made it a very entertaining trip, and I was almost sad when we reached the last level.

The doors opened, and the air made my claws extend as I growled deeply at the potent smell of a crawler.

Our guide looked at me sadly. "It... mad? Why?"

"Smells bad crawler bug," Soranto clarified.

It was clearly troubled. "Had vent check on Jbar. Bad bug bad for trade. Can find?"

"That's what we are here for."

"Please find! Please find! Not want bad bug."

"We'll help. Keep driving, but more slowly. Stop when I say stop."

"I drive! Tell me what need!"

It followed the long corridor to a junction.

"Stop, please."

The vehicle rolled to a stop where the passageways all met.

Soranto looked at me. "Find it."

With a faint growl, I jumped into the air to circle, coming to a hover in front of one opening.

"Tessa, shoulder."

I flew back, staring down that corridor with another low growl.

"Drive that way, please."

"Yes! Yes!" Our guide might not have ever seen a dragonet before, but it didn't even have to ask which way Soranto was referring to. Which was kind of the point of our hovering and staring.

We drove for a long way before my head whipped backwards, and I growled back the way we had come.

"Stop. Can you back up to the last door, please?"

"Yes! Yes!" He reversed the box to a door. "This one?"

"Find it," Soranto told me.

A quick flight past the door confirmed that it was the correct one. I landed on the floor and scratched at it lightly. This door was only wide enough for one, maybe two, people to walk through. The vehicle wouldn't fit.

Soranto vaulted over the side of the vehicle, not bothering to use the door. "Tessa, shoulder."

I returned to him as the others all came out of the vehicle.

"What's in there?" Soranto asked, gesturing to the closed door.

"Big room! Cargo. Metal boxes. Lots of boxes! Bad bug in there?"

"Looks like it. Is the air good in there?"

"Yes! Yes! All rooms fixed to good air! Can go in!"

Sipar came forward and opened the door cautiously, his phaser at the ready. After a quick visual scan, he pushed the door farther open as he went in.

Our guide followed him, looking around. I wondered what the world looked like through those strange eyes. Soranto went next, inspecting the neatly stacked rows of square metal crates. They were larger than what I was familiar with; each one was probably three times as tall as a Kymari. The massive boxes towering over us made me feel extremely tiny.

There were a lot of crates in the massive room. This was not going to be a fun search. Even the unflappable Drae looked slightly less than thrilled at the size of the task awaiting us. Although I knew that they wouldn't give up until they found what we were searching for.

We walked along the front row, waiting for me to determine which corner the scent was stronger in. The room reeked, making it hard to tell. I kept sniffing the air.

Soranto slowed down and walked closer to the crates with a frown. He ran his hand lightly over the swirls and designs that were etched into the entire side of a crate.

"This pattern... Can we open the crate?"

"Yes! Yes! Will open! Look all you like!" It came forward and began checking the sides. After a few seconds, it grew flustered. "Where handle? How open?"

A faint hum sounded as the etched design began to glow. Soranto cursed and jumped back just as the crate exploded with enough force to send us and fragments of the metal sides flying. The blast knocked me off Soranto's shoulder and sent me tumbling through the air. My flared wings strained to slow my fall, but I still rolled several times when I hit the floor. Huge pieces of metal barrelled past me – barely missing me.

The Kymari were thrown against the nearby wall, although my ears were ringing too loudly from the noise of the explosion to hear the impact. The room doubled as it began spinning around me, and my head weaved in strange patterns when I lifted it. My claws scraped against the metal floor, trying to find some grip as I attempted to stagger to my feet.

The double vision made it hard to focus, but I still saw the two crates stacked on top of the damaged one begin toppling forward. The metal crates screeched as they collided with the wall and began tumbling straight down.

The Kymari were already scrambling to their feet and managed to stumble out of the way. I cried out as the huge crates tumbled towards our guide, who was still trying to get up.

Drae managed to snag the Brult by the arm and dragged him backwards as the crates crashed down between us with a bang that made my head pound. The vibrations were almost strong enough to knock me off my shaking legs, and I struggled to remain standing. The topmost crate teetered towards the far side and – by some miracle – twisted so that it was jammed between the wall and the still standing rows of crates.

"Tessa!" Soranto cried out.

My head came up to seek him, desperately hoping that he was alright. He was on this side of the fallen crates and heading towards me in a shaky, limping jog. Relief flooded through me; other than a few small cuts and scrapes, he seemed unharmed despite the shrapnel and being flung against the metal wall rather harshly.

Behind him, some sort of machine was rising out of the remains of the exploded crate. My eyes widened when the etched patterns on the two fallen boxes began glowing a sinister orange color. I screeched an alarm call and flattened myself against the floor.

Both crates exploded with the force of the first one. Like a leaf in the wind, I was blown against the wall and then rolled around far too many times. It was a struggle to curl up and keep my wings tight against my sides as the force kept pushing me further. Small bits of metal caught in the same whirlwind clicked against my scales, while some larger debris struck my wings and sides nearly hard enough to crack my scales.

When I finally came to a stop, my ears rang loudly. I simply lay on the ground and tried to catch my breath. My head pounded, and I was far too dizzy to even try lifting my head to search for Soranto. My chest felt tight from the blast – like I had the wind knocked out of me.

Through the ringing in my ears, I dimly heard more booms echo across the room. My heart was racing, but I couldn't seem to suck enough air into my lungs. A smaller burst of wind sent me rolling into the wall once more.

My mind went black.