The building bordered the jungleand she was able to get Erling into the dense growth before hestumbled and went down, taking her with him. She untangled her legsfrom his. He moaned and spit up blood, then tried to rise and felldown again.
“It’s all right, Erling,”she said. “Just rest. We’re safe for the moment.”
“You need to get out of here.They’ll come after us with thermal rifles and moncrons.”
“What are moncrons?”
“Savage, fanged beasts trainedby the Raptor military to track people. I heard the beasts yelpingwhile I was in jail. Even if I were in optimum condition, I’d havetrouble escaping them. With my injuries, I don’t stand a chance.The moncrons are intelligent, swift and vicious. Find a stream orlake where the moncrons can’t trace your scent.”
“I’ll go look for a lake andcome back for you.”
“Don’t come back. The growthis so dense you’ll never be able to find me.”
“Then I’ll stay with you andshoot any moncron or guard that finds us!”
“You can’t shoot a whole packof moncrons and all the guards following them. I’ll stay here anddo my best to slow them down, so you have a chance to get to safety.”
“No, we’re in this together.”
“Think of Mich. Stay alive forhim.”
Toemeka’s head pounded. Thelack of sleep and food combined with the hopeless situation they werein overwhelmed her. She took a deep calming breath. If she lost hercomposure, they’d both die. “What good would leaving you do? It’sover a hundred miles through the jungle to the nearest village. Evenif by some miracle I was able to stay alive long enough to find it,they won’t have a spacecraft. This isn’t a technologicallyevolved area of the planet. I’d never make it on my own. By theStars, Fenian, why did you go into the crypto room? You could’ve atleast told me what you were doing!”
“The opportunity presenteditself and I took it. I’m sorry—sorry for everything.” Heweakly sat up and put his arm around her, drawing her close. “I’mseriously hurt. A short rest won’t make me strong enough to outrunmoncrons. You have a chance.”
“I’m not leaving you,Erling.”
Shouts came from the base and thesound of moncrons yelping. Toemeka broke into a sweat. They’d justrun out of time.
14
Twelfth Test
After the sparring match withMaster Jadock, Michio hiked high into the mountains to face what heknew would be his greatest test. Normally he’d enjoy theopportunity to go into the wilderness to contemplate, but right nowhe was too worried about Toemeka. Continuing his training, ratherthan leaving to make sure his wife was safe, turned out to be harderthan any of the other tests he’d taken.
He’d fasted to purify himself,but instead of feeling calm, he felt irritated and impatient. Hetrudged on, swatting the insects that buzzed around his head. Theweather was turning cold with the coming of night and he wished hehad a jacket. After awhile he decided he wasn’t gaining anything byexposing himself to the elements and began searching for shelter.
Michio found a cave that was onceused by an animal and cleaned it out to make it suitable. Then hegathered firewood and kindling. He started a fire by briskly rubbingthe end of a stick back and forth in a hollow on a piece of wooduntil a small flame flared up. He fed the fire small twigs and barkuntil it grew into a warm blaze.
A small, round stone caught hiseye. He picked it up and held it near the firelight to inspect itmore closely. Rays of blue light shot out from it.
Michio drowsily leaned againstthe rock wall, warm for the first time since he’d left themonastery. He rubbed his thumb absentmindedly against the smoothstone. As he watched the orange flames rose higher and higher untilthey were over seven feet high. Alarmed, he scrambled away from thefire. What was happening? How could a small fire suddenly turn into araging bonfire? Did the stone have some sort of power?
Fiery red eyes and demon-likefangs appeared in the blaze, then the flames changed into the shapeof an enormous, black, scaly body. The snarling beast stood on itshind legs and raised its enormous claws. Raw power blasted from theentity. It let out a blood-curdling scream and leapt at Michio,grabbing him and hurling him across the cave. Michio slammed againstthe wall—the wind knocked out of him. His lungs screamed with painas he tried to breathe. Straightening his aching back, he finallydrew in a gasp of blessed air.
Michio took a few deep breathsbefore staggering to his feet. He surrounded himself with a shield ofLight, then threw a blast of energy at the monster. The energy spearshot through the creature, but instead of killing it, the beast onlybecame stronger, larger and more powerful.
It grabbed Michio, absorbing thepower radiating from his shield, picked him up and threw him into thefire. Michio screamed in agony as the unearthly fire burned him,refining and purifying every atom of his being
He rolled out of the cracklingblaze, extinguishing flames in the dirt. Had he somehow crossed overthe veil into the Inner Worlds?
He hurled another blast of energyat the creature. Again the entity fed on it and grew so large itreached the cave ceiling. It advanced on Michio and he backed away,drawing psychic energy to him. Then he realized what he was doing andyelled, “No! Not power—love.”
He let the energy pass throughhim. Strength was in love not power; no power could stand againstlove.
The entity laughed hideously. “Iam you. In me, you see your own darkness. This is what you reallyare.”
“No! I am not you. I will neverbe you!” Michio shouted, yet he knew it was true. This beingrepresented the dark side of himself, the part that wanted strengthand to be in control. He staggered backward into the cave wall andcould go no further.
The monster attacked him, itsclaws ripping his flesh, its fangs biting his arms and legs. Michio’sscreams of agony echoed off the cave walls.
Shifting to a heightened state ofawareness, he watched the creature rip his body
