Page 10 of Alien Warlord's Fury

"We follow the ridge line," I pointed to the elevated path. "Longer route but safer ground."

"The direct path would save hours." She gestured to the valley below, where morning mist still clung to the vegetation.

"The direct path shows signs of recent slides." I indicated the scarred earth where large sections had collapsed. "We take the ridge."

Her markings flared silver with frustration, but she followed as I led the way.

The day grew hotter as we traveled. Claire pushed the pace, always a half-step ahead of what I set. I adjusted our route constantly, reading the land's warnings—a displaced boulder here, stressed vegetation there.

The planet itself seemed increasingly agitated. He navigated the shifting scree, his tail acting as a fluid counterbalance.

Claire stumbled mid-afternoon, catching herself against a tree trunk. Her markings flashed painfully bright, and she gasped.

"What did you see?" I asked, moving to her side.

"They're moving the younglings." Her voice was tight. "Hammond's taking them deeper into the complex."

"Why?"

"I don't know." She pushed away from the tree, moving faster. "But we need to hurry."

I lengthened my stride to match hers, noting how the ground beneath our feet had grown warmer. The forest thinned as we continued west, revealing more evidence of the land's distress—trees leaning at unnatural angles where the soil had shifted, rock formations split by new fractures.

Claire's pace increased again, her attention fixed westward. Her steps grew careless, following the pull of her visions rather than watching the terrain.

"Slow down," I warned. "The ground here is?—"

She didn't hear me, moving ahead where the path narrowed between two rock formations. I caught the shimmer in the air before she did—a distortion like heat rising from sun-baked stone, but with an unnatural blue-silver edge.

"Claire, stop!"

She didn't register my warning, drawn forward by whatever pain or vision pulled her. I lunged forward, my hand closing firmly around her upper arm, yanking her back just as she was about to step into the energy field. My tail rigid with alarm. Terror burned through me, raw and absolute, and my body reacted before thought. The idea of losing her carved a hollow straight through my chest.

The contact sent a shock through both of us. My lifelines flared, her markings answering with silver light. The energy field before us pulsed in response, expanding slightly before contracting again.

"What are you doing?" She tried to pull away, but I held firm.

"Look." I pointed at the distortion. "Energy field. Like the ones from the Great Division."

Her eyes widened as she finally saw it—the shimmering barrier that would have enveloped her if she'd taken another step. The air around it smelled of sulfur and ozone, crackling faintly.

"I didn't see it." She stared at the field, then at my hand still gripping her arm.

"Your senses are overwhelmed by the visions." I released her slowly, making sure she was steady. "This is Hammond's work. The experiments are affecting the planet's energy."

Claire reached toward the field, stopping just short of contact. "It's the same energy signature as the younglings' pain."

"We go around." I gestured to a path that would take us on a wide berth of the distortion. "Carefully."

She shook her head. "That adds hours we don't have."

"The alternative is death." I stepped into her space, using my height to emphasize my point, my tail held stiffly behind me, emphasizing my resolve. "My pace. My path."

"Or we return."

Her markings flashed with anger, eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't."

"To keep you alive? I would." I held her gaze, letting her feel my resolve through our bond. "The younglings need us whole, not dead from rushing blindly into danger."

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