Free Kastori Revelations (The Kastori Chronicles Book 1) by Stephen Allan Page A

lupi.
    “OK, thank you, Celeste.”
    Everyone convened in the tight quarters of the airlock and immediately dispersed to their separate quarters for water and food supplies.
    “Cortanus, speak to everyone on this ship. Talk about how long it’ll take.”
    “Acknowledged,” Cortanus said. “Your commander has decided to go to the ocean, fifty miles west of here. The journey will take you the rest of today, and then most of tomorrow. Assuming you return immediately, you will be back here in two days time, in the evening. Just in case, however, it is recommended that you pack for four days of hiking. Do you have any questions?”
    “Yeah, I do,” Cyrus shouted, Crystil figuring it was for her “benefit.” “We have a ship that can get there in a few minutes. Why are we going to walk?”
    “Cortanus, I’ll take this,” Crystil said, darting to Cyrus’ room.
    Her nerve was slipping, thanks in no small part to the delay in the expedition, the discovery of the nocturnal monster, and the encounter with the lupi. Adding in Cyrus’ sarcasm and defiance created a recipe for an explosion from Crystil.
    “Our legs will last a lot longer than our fuel, Cyrus,” she said, annoyance palpable in her voice. “We may never use this ship again for flying. But if we do, we’re not going to do it when our legs suffice. As long as we stick together, we’ll survive.”
    Cyrus said nothing, his lips curled in, and Crystil walked out.
    “That’s what I’m worried about.”
    She paused and her body tensed up. She did not dare turn around, lest she lose her cool.
    Instead, she stormed to the cockpit, not subtle in her footsteps. She breathed slowly, let out a long sigh, and nodded.
    “I’m good.”
    She walked out and met Cyrus and Celeste at the airlock. Both had their backpacks and rifles.
    “You guys are prepared,” she said.
    “We always are,” Celeste said. “Even if some of us take more time than usual.”
    Cyrus gave a short laugh, and Crystil told herself to give him a longer leash as the door shut behind her and the pod opened up below.

 
     
     
     
    12
    Crystil ran through a quick mental checklist of her supplies as the pod descended to the ground.
    Four days of water. Four days of food. An assault rifle with two hundred rounds. A knife. A small container for any materials they would collect.
    She had them all. Feeling in control, she felt less stressed. The three of them talked about their favorite places to eat in Monda and their favorite vacation spots, but when two miles turned into five, which turned into ten, the conversation turned into sheer silence. One foot in front of the other. Keep the forest to the right. Listen for anything unusual. Stay focused.
    Crystil didn’t mind, having years of experience going silent for hours, if not days, for a mission. But she could see the frustration building in the impatient Cyrus and the concerned Celeste.
    “Does this ever end?!?” Cyrus said.
    “Think of it as a chance to enjoy the views, Cyrus. Hiking’s an opportunity to do that,” Crystil said from the front.
    “Hiking is a four or five-hour endeavor with ever-increasing better views, not flatlands!”
    Crystil just focused on her walk, leaving Celeste to calm Cyrus. They soon resumed conversation again, but only for a half a mile before the silence kicked in again.
    When the sun set, by Crystil’s estimation, they’d made it about seventeen miles. Tomorrow’s gotta start early, and we can’t stop. We may need that fourth day of supplies. Nevertheless, with the burnt red backdrop that the sunset produced, along with the confidence that a full day could get them to the ocean, Crystil stopped.
    “We’ll stop here for the night. I recommend sleeping in the trees. The branches are thick enough to rest on comfortably and high enough to stay away from danger on the ground. Take your bags up.”
    She began climbing before either Orthran responded. Even when Celeste came up, Crystil didn’t stop, already