Page 12 of Alien Warlord's Fury

Gradually, her eyes focused again, finding mine. Her breathing came in short gasps.

"Hammond..." She clutched at my arms. "He's connecting the younglings to some kind of machine. Their pain is feeding the energy disruptions."

"How many younglings?" I kept my voice calm, anchoring her.

"Twelve." She shuddered. "Young ones. Their markings are unstable, like mine."

The implications chilled me. Hammond was using the younglings' developing connection to the planetary energy, amplifying and distorting it for his own purposes.

"We'll reach them," I promised. "But we must be cautious. These disruptions will only worsen as we get closer."

She nodded, some of the tension leaving her body as she stepped back from my hold. The loss of contact left an unexpected emptiness.

"I understand the need for caution," she admitted reluctantly. "But every delay..."

"Is necessary to ensure we succeed." I gestured ahead. "The path widens soon. We can make better time there."

We continued, more in sync than before. Claire still pushed the pace, but now she watched the terrain, alert for the shimmer-signs of energy fields. I found myself impressed by her adaptability—once she understood the danger, she integrated the knowledge immediately.

The sun began its descent, casting long shadows across the broken landscape. We needed to find shelter before dark. The unstable ground would be doubly dangerous without full light.

"There." I pointed to an outcropping of rock that formed a natural shelter. "We'll rest there tonight."

Claire looked ready to argue but glanced at the darkening sky and nodded. The admission of physical limitation clearly frustrated her, but she followed me to the shelter.

The small cave was dry and defensible, with solid stone beneath and above. I checked it thoroughly before allowing Claire to enter, confirming no creatures had claimed it first.

She sank down against the wall, exhaustion finally showing on her face. Her markings had dimmed to a faint glow, pulsing slowly with her heartbeat.

"Eat." I handed her the last of our prepared food. "Tomorrow we'll need to hunt."

She took it without argument, another sign of her fatigue. "The energy fields are his doing, aren't they? Hammond's experiments."

"Yes." I settled across from her, watching as she ate. "He's tampering with forces beyond his understanding."

"Like the forces that caused the Great Division?"

I nodded, surprised by her insight. "Similar. Your people's records of that time are incomplete."

"So are yours." She met my gaze directly. "Neither side knows the full truth."

The statement held no accusation, just fact. I found myself appreciating her clarity, despite our earlier friction.

"The truth is in the land itself." I gestured to the stone around us. "The planet remembers what we've forgotten."

Claire's markings pulsed briefly brighter. "That's what the visions show me sometimes. Memories that aren't mine. Knowledge I shouldn't have."

"The markings connect you to the planetary consciousness." I studied the silver lines visible on her wrists. "That's why Hammond wants the younglings. Their connection is still forming, malleable."

"And mine?"

"Unstable. Powerful." I met her eyes. "Dangerous, to yourself most of all."

She didn't flinch from the assessment. "I know. But necessary to find the younglings."

Outside, the wind picked up, carrying the scent of coming rain. The temperature had dropped with the sun, making the cave's shelter more valuable.

"Rest," I told her. "I'll take first watch."

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