The Cyber Chronicles Book III - The Core by T C Southwell Page B

cart.
    A qualm of
apprehension coiled in her gut, but it did nothing to lessen her
determination. She was going to stay with him, no matter what, and
make him notice her. Only when he felt something for her would he
make an effort to stay with her, instead of blithely accepting that
Manutim would come and take him away one day. Manutim was just a
man, even if he was a wizard. Sabre had already defeated a mage; he
could do it again if he really wanted to, and it puzzled her that
he was so defeatist about it.
    Dena came back
full of childish observations, which Tassin listened to rather
absently, with a stiff smile.
    As the sun's
first rays gilded the dunes, Sabre led the donkeys into the mist
wall, Dena aboard one, Tassin following him. The rainbow-shot mist
closed behind them in a solid white wall. Once again, they walked
through the wet grey rocks, the cart rattling over stony ground.
The cool dampness was a great relief after the dry heat outside,
and Tassin licked the dew off her lips. Dena gazed around in awe at
the strange new world.
    After half an
hour of mist and damp rocks, the brown and green flickers shot
through the landscape and a new Flux-reality shimmered into being.
Dena clapped her hands in delight. A park-like world surrounded
them, by far the loveliest Tassin had seen. Huge fragrant blossoms
budded dew-fresh from lush foliage, moss-like grass gave under her
feet, and spreading trees were vivid green against a cobalt sky.
Tassin looked up and frowned. The sun was at midday, whereas
outside dawn had just broken. Without Purr, how would they find
their way through?
    There was no
sound or smell, and Dena skipped beside the cart, poking her finger
into the semi-solid Flux-reality with cries of glee and gales of
giggles. The donkeys snatched at the vegetation, but found little
in their mouths to chew, despite the leaves they tore off. Sabre
strode ahead, apparently still angered by Tassin's stubborn
insistence on coming to the Core.
    They had been
walking for about four hours when he stopped, allowing the donkeys
to attack the nearest bush. Tassin opened her mouth to ask what was
wrong when she noticed the dark shapes flitting through the trees.
She flung a look at Dena, signalling her to be quiet, then watched
the creatures. About a dozen of them moved through the bush, hard
to see, but they seemed big, and she could make out glinting tusks
or teeth and gleaming green eyes. A faint padding and scratching
accompanied the wraith-like forms, indicating that they were
Real-reality.
    The beasts
headed in the direction whence the trio had come, and Tassin
guessed that these monsters were leaving the Zone in search of
better pickings outside. She shuddered at the thought of the havoc
such fearsome beasts would wreak. They did not notice the cart or
the three people, and ran on at a mile-eating lope, leaving a
putrid stench in their wake. As soon as they vanished into the
Flux-reality, Sabre led the donkeys forward once more.
    By the time
they stopped to rest, they had passed through three Flux-reality
worlds, none horrible, but none as nice as the first. The sun shone
at mid-afternoon in a world of dense thorny brush and soft, sandy
soil. After eating, they took turns standing watch while the others
slept and the donkeys munched fodder. When Tassin woke,
Flux-reality had changed, and they had to wend their way through a
world of petrified trees. Dena ran about collecting pretty stones
and pieces of petrified wood, showing them to Tassin and Sabre
before storing them in her pockets. Flux-reality was becoming more
solid, and she enjoyed pushing her fingers into the dead trees.
    When the green
and brown flickers warned of the next Change, they stood close to
the cart and waited for the new world to materialise. It turned out
to be a swamp, and Tassin's feet sank into the spongy ground, as
did the cart's wheels. Tracts of waving marsh reeds rolled away
under a dull grey sky, and white birds hovered and dived into the
reeds,