He pushed past me, knocking my shoulder aside, headed toward the village. I stood there, wondering how this was going to play out. Did this loser really have to be the next Traveler from Ibara? The guy had some baggage. But whatever problems he had were nothing compared to the reality I was about to dump on him. How would he handle it? The sick truth was that I had to trust a kid with major attitude, authority issues, and a history of violent crime. Oh joy. I’d faced impossible situations before, but this was like nothing I’d ever had to deal with. Suddenly, at seventeen, I had to be a responsible adult in charge of a problem kid. How wrong was that?
I did the one and only thing I could do.
I went with him.
(CONTINUED)
IBARA
I followed Siry on a twisted route through the tropical village. He didn’t say a word the whole way. The few times I asked him a question, he ignored me. I was exhausted, but there was no way I’d show weakness. We took some turns around huts that made me feel as if we were walking in circles. At first I thought he was testing me, or trying to wear me out so I’d give up. It was neither. He was leading me on a route so impossible to follow, I’d never be able to find my way on my own. It got more complicated when our journey took us away from the populated village and into the jungle. The huts became fewer and farther between. The jungle grew thicker. The path grew narrower.
I was lost.
As we moved deeper into the jungle, the creepy thought hit me that maybe this wasn’t so much about my not finding my way here again. It might be about my not finding my way back. Alarm bells started going off in my head, but I didn’t know what else to do but continue following. He was the Traveler from Ibara! Never mind that he was some kind of juvi who hated his father’s guts and probably hated mine and was leading me into a trap. I had to go. Just another day in my twisted life.
The path narrowed to a single track. Thick brush whipped at my arms. It had gotten long past old. “How much farther?” I asked.
No answer. I was getting dizzy. My scabs were burning. I didn’t want to show weakness, but this was just dumb. The path opened up to a small clearing, and I put on the brakes.
“That’s it,” I declared. “You gotta tell me where we’re going.”
Siry turned around. He had a knowing smile on his face. I hated knowing smiles. Almost as much as I hated smirks. I’ve mentioned that, right?
“Getting tired?” he asked snidely. I didn’t care much for snide, either.
“I trusted you,” I gasped between breaths. “I followed you to wherever the heck it is we are, and I want to know why.”
I got my answer. It wasn’t the answer I wanted.
The jungle came alive. Before I could react, I was tackled by three guys. I hit the ground. Hard. Yes, it was a trap. They’d been waiting for me. They quickly tied a blindfold around my eyes and pulled me to my feet. I stood there, dazed, being held by several strong hands. They didn’t have to try so hard. I had no strength. Not a word was said. It all happened quickly and efficiently.
“Are you afraid?” Siry whispered in my ear. He was so close I could feel his breath.
“Terrified,” I answered, trying to sound bored.
“I could have you killed,” he hissed. “Nobody would know. Nobody would miss you. Nobody would care.
“That would be a mistake,” I said calmly.
“Why is that?”
“Because you’re a target, and I’m the only one who can help you. Without me, you’re done.”
Siry gave no comeback. I hoped my words hit home, or at least made him think. I sensed him move away. I tensed up. Would he be crazy enough to kill me? I had to be ready. It didn’t matter how exhausted and weak I was, I had to defend myself. I couldn’t see a thing. For all I knew, death was seconds away. I had had enough. I took a breath and summoned what little strength I had left. I was about to lash out and start kicking some Ibara butt, when Siry barked out an order.
“Bring him,” he commanded.
I stopped. They weren’t going to hurt me. At least, not right away. The guys who held me started to walk, and I was once again dragged along to an unknown destination. At least it was unknown to me. These guys knew exactly where they were going. We walked quickly through what felt like dense jungle. All I could do was go along and hope they didn’t run me face-first into a palm tree. Things were not going well. My one ally on Ibara was a thieving kid who’d just threatened to kill me, and had a bunch of friends to help him. I had to go along with whatever game he was playing. At least for a while.
Our trip ended when I was roughly pushed down into a seat. My arms were rudely pulled behind my back and tied together. These guys weren’t pros like the security drones who worked for the tribunal. They may have tied me up, but I felt as if I could break free pretty easily. Their last act was to yank off my blindfold. I squinted, and got my first look at Siry’s world.
It looked like a jungle junkyard.
D. J. MacHale
The Pilgrims of Rayne
We were in a clearing that had been hacked out of dense foliage. The surrounding growth was a thick wall of vines and vegetation that looked too tangled to walk through. The trees overhead formed a canopy that blocked out the sun. A quick scan showed only two paths out. Or in. There were bamboo platforms built everywhere. Some were at eye level, others on the ground. Two structures rose high up toward the canopy of trees, with several levels from the ground to the top. There were lots of makeshift ladders and bridges, tying the structure together. The whole thing was lashed together by rope and twine. It was impressive and crude.
The place was outfitted with an odd assortment of junk. Wooden and bamboo furniture was randomly scattered. Tables held dirty bowls and cups, along with the remnants of half-eaten fruit. This wasn’t a neat bunch. I saw several large, wooden chests tucked under platforms. Clothes were hanging all around, giving the place the appearance of a messy bedroom. There were books and drums, baskets and tools.
It wasn’t all a random mess. I saw a few beautiful sculptures made out of black rock. There was the head of a girl, a hand, a man’s torso. Very cool and probably very stolen.
Most everything I saw looked as if it could have come from the village. A few things didn’t. There were large chunks of sheet metal being used as roofing over some huts. High up on one of the platforms was a brass telescope on a tripod. There was a picture frame dangling from one platform. It was golden and intricate, with no picture. One thing stood out that I had no explanation for. It was a metal sign hanging between two vertical poles. It was about two feet square and looked as if one side had been eaten away, leaving only the left half. The sign had been white at one time, with faded black letters that now read:
FOURT BR T RU CI
It looked to me like a chunk of an old traffic sign. But there was no such thing as traffic on Ibara. It made the mystery of this territory grow deeper. This clearing looked like it was home to a bunch of castaways who had to make do with bits and pieces left over from their wrecked ship, while using whatever else the jungle provided to make shelter.
The people who hung out in this odd little oasis completed that image.
I counted fifteen people. They all looked to be in their midteens, the same as Siry. There were mostly boys, but a few girls were mixed in. They all had the same grungy look. Their clothes were worn, and nobody seemed to be too concerned about taking a bath. They all looked pretty healthy though. They weren’t out here in the jungle starving. Most hung out on the various levels of the bamboo structure, looking down at the new guy. Me. The group that had ambushed me stood on the ground, circling me. I looked into each of their eyes. They all had the same look as Siry. It was an odd mixture of boredom and anger. Not a good combination.
A thin girl with long, stringy, blond hair jumped at me to see if I’d flinch. I didn’t. She laughed and got right up close, nearly putting her nose on my cheek. She sniffed, then giggled. “Scared,” she said playfully. “I can smell it.
