A Piece of the Pie (Chapters 47-49)

Chapter 47 – Wandering for a While

That was far too close.

I looked down at the corpse that recently attacked me. In the dim light, I could just tell that its massive bulk was covered by some sort of solid stone, and there was a complete lack of features anywhere on its body, let alone its face.

I peered into the gaping hole where its heart should've been, and just managed to avoid gagging.

I had managed to draw out my blaster and dove out of the way all Buzz Lightyear style and fired a few shots at the thing, just as its club came crashing down right where I had been standing.

What freaked me out the most wasn't that I came very close to being an IHOP special, but this thing seemed to have been out searching for me – and knew exactly where I was.

I picked up my pack with a few chills running down my spine, and I got the hell away before anymore of those things – or anything worse – showed up.

I moved swiftly through the dense jungle until daybreak. Only when I could clearly make out my surroundings did I dare stop for a rest and refill my water stores at a nearby stream. I didn't want to risk a fire just yet, so I kept the fish in my pack and munched on another granola bar.

Somewhat refreshed, I kept a move on. The flora was beginning to thin out as I pressed on. I walked at a steady pace for a number of kilometres without any further upsets.

Now nightfall had come, and I was still alive. So far so good. I snacked on a couple of almonds as I manoeuvred myself amidst the mangroves.

Walking along in the dimming light, I started to hum some of my favourite songs to myself to keep my mind from going scary places. A clearing opened up in front of me, a short hill with a large tree drooping over it like an umbrella. Looked as good a place as any for a night's rest.

I dropped my pack against the trunk and slowly closed my eyes...

♪I could see the city light...

♪wind was blowing, time stood still...

Before I fell asleep, an eagle flew out of the night – was he ever something to observe.

"Feo, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to go help dad find Dim."

Vera just caught her sister leaving the main gates of the city.

"Dad will be fine on his own. We have to get everyone together in case the shapeshifters come back."

She grabbed Feo's wrist tightly and pulled her back towards the gate, looking her fiercely in the eyes, but her voice remained soft and gentle.

"I'm not letting you leave me again," Vera almost whispered.

Feo stopped struggling to leave and just stood there in her sister's grip.

"Now don't you guys look suited up for an adventure?" Vera turned now to Jake, Mouk and Sam, who were also caught in the middle of trying to casually make their way out of Luno Versa unnoticed, presumably to find their friend.

"Hey, yeah... we're just... James sent us out here to watch the wall –" Sam started to explain.

"Sentries!" Mouk stepped in to clarify, "we were ordered onto sentry duty!"

"Come back inside, we have sentries already posted all around the city. You guys have no idea where you're going. My father will come back with Dim, and until then and probably after, we will be needing all the help we can get."

"Alright... well, what can we do?" Sam stood up straight and gave Vera his best salute.

Vera just laughed and shook her head, pointing everyone back into town.

I woke up this morning without something trying to remove my head from my shoulders, and figured I could put in a few clicks to get warmed up for the day. I stretched out nice, threw my pack on, and set off at a leisurely jog.

I kept up a decent pace for a while, breaking every so often for water, and around about midday I stopped for some lunch. I got a small fire burning then pulled a fish out of my pack and unwrapped it from its leafy package.

I know what you're thinking: fish doesn't just stay on its own, you have to freeze it or salt it or something. Whatever the lions did, it was still fresh and fried up nice. I managed to not completely burn this one, and I collected a few berries from nearby and threw them on top.

I'm still breathing so I'll assume the berries were not poisonous.

Fueled up once more, I packed my things and made my way onwards in what I believed was approximately the right direction.

Every so often I climbed into the branches of a relatively steady tree to make sure I was still getting closer to the mountains. It seemed so, but it also seemed to be taking a long time.

Chapter 48 - Dim's Log

Day ten.

I have survived nine days now in the wilderness. I don't know how I have survived this long without pepperoni and cheese fused in my mouth – but, miraculously, I am still alive. Progress towards my objective is slow, but I press urgently onwards, forever focused on my goal –

My inner ramblings were suddenly interrupted by a loud sound-barrier breaking noise high above my head. I leaped at the nearest tree and scrambled up to get a good look. In the sky there were a number of large aircraft getting smaller and smaller as they rose into the atmosphere.

About time! I've spent more than two weeks total in an alternate dimension on the Moon, and only now have I finally seen a freaking spaceship! I really hope it wasn't all the shapeshifters and Noruav leaving before I could get a chance to talk to them.

I really wish I had brought some music with me – since seeing the ships, things have been really quiet for the past couple of days, and my singing is not something I want to hear too constantly. The good news was there hasn't been anything - that I know of anyway - lurking about trying to kill me.

I'm still good for food, I've been managing my stores pretty decently, but I am getting kind of bored. The jungle had dwindled down, and I'd spent the last while walking through grasslands, the landscape had not changed for the longest time.

At nightfall I would try to find a tree or rock to lean up against for shelter, but sometimes I've just decided to keep walking. Luckily I periodically pass small streams to fill up on water.

The mountains were getting closer – I figured I would be at the base in less than three days time.

I wonder how things are going back on Earth? I wonder if anybody actually notices that we're gone. It's a good thing I already finished finals, and I guess we're on summer vacation now – though we probably are getting a fresh blizzard anyway. I still might have some trouble explaining my absence to my boss. I'm also kind of missing my other friends, and I wonder what my parents and kid brother are up to?

I wondered too how things were going back in Luno Versa, I hope I didn't freak them out too much by leaving, I've been gone for longer than I thought I would be.

I hope someone found the note attached to the drawer in my desk explaining I'd be back soon, so I hope they don't worry too much.

I hope Feo isn't too mad at me...

Why the hell did I put my note in the drawer of my desk, and not somewhere that someone could actually find it...

One thing I was certain of, when I do go back to Earth, I definitely want to take Feo for a visit.

Chapter 49 - All Along the Watchtower

Daylight was fading quickly, and the sentries were beginning to get anxious.

"Commander, do we know for sure that they're coming?" a young soldier asked.

"The king seems to think so," Gondowan replied in a low voice, betraying the worry that was growing in his own mind.

It had been nearly two weeks since that man appeared to reveal his plan to Strad, and still nothing... the calm was making Gondowan more nervous than if something was actually happening.

"He said we would need to be prepared for the worst. I hope that doesn’t come, but I am afraid to think that he might be right..."

"Commander! How are things looking up there?" Uly shouted from the ground.

"Very quiet, miss Uly. We may be safe for the night," Gondowan reported half-heartedly.

"That's good, a few of us are going to the outskirts to try to see anything, keep an eye and an ear out for us."

"We will do that. But still, don't let your guard down."

Uly nodded and returned to the town centre, where a small band was gathered. They carried light weaponry and flashlights, and followed her out of the city gates. Several floodlights on the parapets were periodically switched on to check for an enemy approaching.

This outing's purpose was to scour the dunes just outside the city, to see if the shapeshifters might be approaching and planning on sneaking into the city unnoticed. Vera had voiced her concerns earlier that she doubted a whole army of the shapeshifters would march up and try to storm the city. By now they should know the city has some substantial defences, so they would instead probably try to get inside and then strike, rather than force their way through.

The desert looked peaceful enough. A light breeze blew from the north. The sky faded to a deep shade of purple. Uly and her group waited for about an hour, then decide that things looked quiet and made their way back to the city.

The soldiers on sentry duty enjoyed some burgers from the castle, but always kept a watchful eye on the horizon.

We had lived in peace for so long, and now all this, Gondowan thought to himself. I wish things could return to the way they were –

"WHAT IS HAP –"

A cry from a soldier on the west wall broke Gondowan's thoughts. Suddenly the air around them became completely still and it was as though all the sound instantaneously left the world.

Fractions of a second later, it sounded as though the heavens exploded.

Above, hulking ships blocked out the sky.

From the town square, a blast of energy fired towards the shapeshifter airships from a cannon built for just such a purpose. The sizzling orbs hit their marks, but no one could tell if they had any effect.

From each ship hundreds of figures descended upon the city.

Gondowan shouted over the din, "HERE THEY COME!"