Free The Broken World Book One - Children of Another God by T C Southwell Page A

such a strange
world?"
    "One who likes
plants?"
    The Mujar
smiled as Nog pushed through a barrier of black and red fronds,
leading him onto the beach of a plasma sea. It stretched away to
purple mountains on the horizon, an expanse of heaving, glowing,
chaotic jelly-like liquid that seethed with life. A feeding frenzy
was underway, and the brilliant amber plasma could hardly be seen
for all the creatures that consumed it. The tiny crabs were piled
three deep along the shore, shovelling the plasma into their mouths
with their pincers.
    Delicate,
bird-like creatures strolled across the quivering surface on thin
legs that ended in enormous feet, pecking at the plasma with long
beaks. Several bloated, seal-like animals swam in it, kept afloat
by air bags along their flanks and using flippers to paddle through
the slime. Many other animals joined the feast, some of which
defied description. Flying creatures swooped down to skim the
surface and scoop up mouthfuls of plasma, others hung under
balloons and dropped long tubes down to suck it up. All
concentrated on eating as quickly as they could, and no squabbles
broke out.
    Chanter watched
the scene with deep fascination. Perhaps strangest of all were the
plants that grew along the edge of the plasma sea, fishing for
their food with long whip-like appendages or sucker-covered
tentacles. Some swiped at the flying beasts with almost invisible
nets, others used suction to ensnare their prey. Surprisingly,
there was little noise other than the occasional squeak of a
trapped creature and the slaps and pops of the feeding plants.
Chanter found the sight bizarre and slightly macabre, but this was
a new experience, and he absorbed it in all its weird detail.
Obviously none of these creatures, either plant or animal, had any
control over the elements.
    The animals
were much like Lowman beasts, driven to eat and reproduce as much
as possible to feed the carnivorous plants. They displayed a
remarkable lack of intelligence in their inept attempts to avoid
the plants' traps. The plants were far too alien for him to judge
their intelligence, if any. From the air's poor quality, he deduced
that the carnivorous plants relied upon their consumption of meat
for energy, and did not use photosynthesis. What little air there
was seemed to be the product of the aquamarine grass, which
appeared to be a true plant. The whole system was rather chaotic
and pointless, as if a bungling child god had started to create an
impossible world, then grown bored and left it half finished. The
plants were, in his opinion, monstrosities, and the animals ugly
and ill designed.
    Nog stood
nearby, watching the scene without interest, and occasionally
yawned or scratched. He showed no impatience, but was clearly
growing bored as time dragged by, since he did not share the
Mujar's fascination. A tentacle brushed him, and he bit it, causing
it to writhe away.
    "Tell me what
you know," Chanter said.
    "We could live
on this world all our lives and not know everything about it. The
animals feed on the many plasma seas, which seem to ooze from the
ground, for it never runs out. The plants eat the animals, except
for a few that are true plants, like the crimson forests and the
grass. The plants never eat each other, but they do sometimes kill
others to thin out the competition. Those further away from the
seas use scent to lure their prey, and the animals here seem
incredibly stupid. For the creatures of our world, this is a safe
place, with good soil and plenty of sun and water. The plants don't
harm us, perhaps because we are akin to plants as well as animals,
and they don't see us as rivals." Nog stood on his hind legs,
raising himself to Chanter's eye level. "I have not been home for
some time. How fares Shamarese?"
    The Mujar
shrugged. "Little has changed. To return now would be folly."
    Nog looked
away. "I long to return. We all do."
    "You will, soon
enough."
    "I'm old,
Mujar. I feel certain my next journey will be to the