Page 13 of Twin Warriors

Chapter Five

Amy woke with a long, lazy stretch. Once again, she had slept soundly. She rolled onto her back, staring up at the dim early morning light peeking into the cave.

As was her morning routine since the first night in the cave, Amy gently gripped the two dark markings over her wrists and reached out to her family. She didn’t need to hold her markings to speak with the others but touching them with her palm gave her a stronger connection.

Emi?

Good morning, Amy, Emi replied with a long yawn.

Tope?

I am here, Tope said, sounding a bit distracted.

Kisma?

A wave of warmth and love flowed through her, making her smile.

Maku?

Another wave of warmth flowed up her other arm.

Satisfied that everyone was well, she sat up and brushed her thick brown hair out of her face. She stretched again, allowing a long, wide yawn to rip from her, before she blinked and looked around.

The cave was just as she had left it the night before. Glancing over at Emi and Tope’s bed, she found that only Emi lay sprawled out on the thick blankets.

“Where’s Tope?” She asked, rising to her feet.

“He left before the suns rose. I think he is hunting again.”

Amy nodded. Tope seemed to like hunting at ridiculous hours of the morning. She didn’t mind. A fresh breakfast always went down well.

Knowing that Tope would probably bring back some poor animal, she began to pile wood in the fire pit she had in the center of the room. Amy had constructed the pit when they first made this cave their home right below a small crack in the ceiling that sucked the smoke out. The first time she had made a fire, Tope had gone above ground to see if the smoke could be seen in the forest, but there was nothing. She wondered if maybe the crack led to another cavern or passage that pulled the smoke out to the desert somewhere.

Shrugging her shoulder, she used the peculiar little device that Emi had told her was like a lighter and started a small fire.

Once she was sure it was lit, she turned and made her way back to the room with the pool. As wonderful as their little cave was, it lacked the basic plumbing of a conventional bathroom, leaving Amy with only one option. She moved to the far end of the room, squeezing through the vertical gap in the wall and entered a smaller space. This area was only big enough for one person to fit and had a small dark hole in the ground. She had no idea where it led, but she just hoped it didn’t go to some poor creature's home.

Pulling down her pants, she maneuvered over the hole and let her bladder release.

Just as she was finishing her morning pee, a loud crashing sound echoed from the pool room before a loud splash was heard.

Amy’s heart jumped at the thought of something falling through the hole in the roof of the pool room.

Most of the time, it was just leaves, a few branches and once a small feathery thing fell in. Tope had quickly taken care of it, telling her it had been a delicious snack.

Whatever fell in now sounded huge. Was it Tope? Was he hurt?

Panic gripped her as she wrapped her hand around the two dark markings on her wrists.

Reaching out to the others, she waited to see what was going on.

Tope’s voice called out to her in her mind.

“Stay where you are! Arusians have found us!”

Amy’s body turned cold at the thought of the huge alien cyborgs finding her small home and her family. They would kill Emi and Tope if they saw them.

Shaking off the panic that filled her mind, Amy fixed her long tunic and pants, then crept over to the crack in the wall. She peered out, trying to see what was going on.

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