I tried to think back to just before the fight started. How long did it take for the plasma field to come online after the crystal was pressed? Was it a half-second? A full second? Either way, I was fairly certain that if I snatched the crystal out of its housing, I’d have enough time to get clear before ending up looking like a burned matchstick. I had to know, so I shoved my fingers under the device as far as I dared and met eyes with Skrew.
“You might want to back up a little more,” I warned him. He did so without a word.
I yanked and threw myself backward, landing 10 yards away two seconds later. I was still getting used to my newfound strength. The Enforcer’s body was still there, and in my hand, I held the crystal, its bezel, and about two inches of a dozen bloodsoaked wires.
There was no explosion, and I wasn’t dead.
I inspected the crystal closely, poked it a few times, and watched as the hole I had made spread across the surface in spider web-like cracks. A few more taps, and the crystal turned to dust, which I gently blew away.
Behind the crystal was a nest of metal circuirty, and a black orb about the size of a marble. It was so black, it looked as though I were peering into a bottomless pit at the edge of the universe, its shape only defined by the circuitry surrounding it.
I pulled some of the wires free and broke the frame holding the orb in place. Nothing happened, so I prodded it with my finger.
You are our avatar. Make your way to our artifacts. Retrieve them. Assemble them. Open the way for our arrival.
The words of the Lakunae bounced around in my head for several seconds. I felt a bit dizzy and numb. Whatever it was that I’d found, I knew it was important. If nothing else, it was different than any of the tech I’d seen so far. Different than anything except…
I drew the sword I’d found in the belly of the dragon and held it near the orb. The material was identical, so far as I could tell. I didn’t know what either was made of, but it seemed to be the same substance.
I experimented by touching the two together, but nothing happened. Then I realized the significance of that. I touched the two together a little harder. Nothing happened. I set the device on a small, exposed rock, warned Skrew to take another step back, and struck the orb hard enough to cut it in two. The blow cracked the rock, but the orb wasn’t damaged. There wasn’t the slightest hint of a scratch or blemish on its obsidian-colored surface.
Well, that was weird. I figured the orb was some kind of power source, and it was probably incredibly valuable. I’d need currency at some point, especially since I was traveling to a city, so I decided to search the rest of the corpses.
I had to move the trees off the two other bodies, but a quick inspection of both smashed Enforcers revealed only one other of the orbs. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected when the Lakunae told me to retrieve their artifacts, but these little orbs definitely weren’t what I had in mind. Hell, I didn’t even know whether these two little black spheres were actual artifacts. Regardless, they were likely useful to someone on this planet, someone whom I could barter with.
The sword at my side was priceless, however. I’d never found a blade that could hold up to something as destructive as plasma or slide through crystal like it was glass. I examined the weapon for a moment and traced the smooth edge of the pitch-black blade.
“I think I’ll call you Ebon,” I said.
“Who’s Ebon?” Skrew chirped, but I ignored him and sheathed my newly named sword at my side.
“Let’s go,” I said as I pocketed the two orbs. “Lead the way to Brazud.”
Skrew nodded, kicked the second Enforcer’s leg as he walked past it, and continued down the trail.
Chapter Sixteen
We’d only been traveling a day, but Skrew acted like it had been a week. The status of our rations also made it look like it had been longer as well. I was down to a day—maybe two—of water, but I still had at least three days of food left. Skrew had gorged himself with the “yummy tasties,” as he’d called them, and was completely out. The last time he complained, about a half-hour ago, I’d told him that if he was hungry, he could eat his boogers. He hadn’t talked to me since. It was heavenly.
Brazud was only two days away, according to Skrew’s knowledge. My vrak guide wouldn’t starve to death. Something else might kill him, but dehydration and starvation wouldn’t do it. I was almost starting to like the little guy, even if he made my skin itch. Even at his most annoying, it was better to have him there than be alone.
I kept my head on a swivel, inspecting each and every thing we passed. The local wildlife excelled at camouflage, so I didn’t allow myself to grow complacent. Every rock, tree, or shrub could be a predator lying in wait. I could handle anything that decided to jump at me, but Skrew would be nothing more than a limp slice of bacon to even the tamest predator.
As we continued down the well-worn path, I kept an eye on my surroundings but turned my thoughts to Skrew. His people were slavers. They even enslaved each other. For that reason alone, I found myself unable to fully trust him. Although he’d given me no indication that he meant to betray me once we reached Brazud, he also wasn’t right in the head. Anything was
