Chapter 68: Heading to the base

After Aiden had closed the door, separating himself from the rest of the team, the team was finally able to move.

This was the first time they had seen Aiden like this. They couldn’t help wondering what Ember had done to get him so riled up.

“Damn! That was intense.” Ivan whistled.

“Better late than never.” Alex shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve seen or heard those two having sex since we got on the road. They needed to cut the tension.”

Marcus gave Alex a side-eye. “Yes, yes, we know you’re an everyday kind of guy.”

“You have no say,” Alex replied. “You almost crashed because getting your dick sucked was more important than keeping your eyes on the road.”

Adrienne chimed in, patting Alex on the shoulder. “Stop it. We’ve all had our fair share of mishaps. What I’m surprised about is how they haven’t done anything this entire time.” She turned to the university students who were still looking shocked at what happened.

The first to find their voice was Cassia. She enjoyed watching. And when Ivan came up behind her and gave her an orgasm, she appreciated it. But what she wanted to say wasn’t about not having sex. She was having plenty with Ivan. What she wanted to ask was…”Did she just call him brother?”

The revelation struck the newcomers. They heard it, but it hadn’t registered until this moment.

“Yeah, why?” Ivan answered nonchalantly.

“So, Ember is Aiden’s sister?” Cassia asked again.

Ivan nodded, confirming her suspicion. “Why? Do you want to shame them for it?”

The only people who really knew they were brother and sister were Alex, Adrienne, and Ivan. It never came up with Sarah and Marcus. And it isn’t something they would normally talk about.

The silence hung in the air. The sound of Aiden and Ember on the other side of the door filtered in. They knew what was happening. Finally, someone responded.

“Whatever, it’s already doomsday. Fucking your sibling is the least of anyone’s worries.” Mike was the one who spoke up.

Ivan, whose face had gone blank, smiled. “I’m glad someone around here has his priorities straight. But seriously, they aren’t actually brother and sister. Their parents were married and died on their honeymoon. Even if you call them step-siblings, you would still have to use the term loosely.”

When Ivan said that, he hadn’t noticed the collective sigh of relief that spread through the rest of the people in the motorhome.

It wasn’t until midday that Ember and Aiden left the room. When they came out, Aiden looked relaxed. Ember was glowering at him. He kissed her on the forehead and walked out to look for the team.

They met them standing in front of a group of people.

“…Sex is not a sin. It is not a weakness. So why do we hide it? Embrace the new world. Embrace each other.” A woman in a form-fitting dress was speaking.

Aiden and Ember came up behind Ivan. Aiden saw him smile, listening to their preaching. “Thinking of adding her to the list?”

Startled, Ivan looked back. When he saw Aiden, he laughed. “Nope, not interested. Just appreciating the fact that we aren’t the only people who decided the apocalypse was a free-for-all.”

“Tell the others we’re ready. We need to go before the day ends.” With that, Aiden walked away with Ember, his hand resting on the small of her back.

The motorhome rumbled along a forgotten dirt track. The landscape here was different. It was wilder, more alive. The apocalypse caused the trees to change. Now the mountain looks like a nightmarish wonderland.

Aiden’s hand rested on Ember’s thigh. He hadn’t let her out of his sight since what happened at the checkpoint.

“Anything?” Aiden asked.

“Not yet,” Ember replied. “The soldier said we should see a waterfall that looks like a crying face.”

They drove for another hour. The path became narrower. Cassia saw it first, alerting others to the waterfall. It was tucked in a small, hidden ravine.

“Stop here,” Aiden said, his voice tight. “We have to go on foot.”

The thirteen people stepped out of the motorhome. The air around them felt cool. The sound of the waterfall was soothing. The path the soldier mentioned was almost invisible. It was a narrow opening in the thick undergrowth behind the waterfall’s mist curtain.

“Alright,” Aiden said, drawing his pistol. “Eyes open. If anything seems wrong, speak out.”

The trail was eerily quiet. The only sound they could hear was the crunch of their boots on the ground. The air was still, and a cloying, sweet smell began to emerge.

“Anyone else feel like you’re being watched?” Mario asked.

“It’s because it’s too quiet,” Mika replied.

Before Mario could respond, Maya let out a cry of surprise. She had stumbled into a patch of yellow vines. They were sticky and stuck to her clothes like cobwebs.

“Hold on,” Maya said, struggling to get out of the vines. “I’m stuck.”

Before anyone could move to help her, they caught the vines creeping up her leg. It wrapped her ankles, waist, and wrists, lifting her off the ground.

“Maya,” Mario roared, lunging forward.

But it was too late. The tree was already pulling her towards it. The other members started shooting. But their bullets couldn’t seem to harm the tree, with its thick bark. Ivan charged, trying to use his knives to cut the vines. It did no damage.

The tree began to cocoon her. It secreted a thick white sap, wrapping it around Maya until she was completely encased. They could see her struggling; her frantic struggle was becoming weaker.

She hadn’t stopped struggling when they noticed the cocoon getting smaller. Her athletic form seemed to deflate, her skin becoming sallow.

“Fire!” Marcus yelled. He took out a flare for his pack, struck it, and placed it on the cocoon. It started to blacken but wouldn’t burn.

Everyone stood helplessly, their anxiety, panic, and fear making them irrational.

Aiden’s heart was racing; he couldn’t think of anything. He glanced at Ember, seeing her in the same state as him. That’s when he remembered. He could access the Covenant Engine. There might be something in there that could help Maya.

CE, we need a solution. Is there anything that can help us in this situation? It’s a tree that’s immune to fire and physical attacks. Aiden talked to the CE for the first time.

[Organism identified. Sirenwood. An evolved carnivorous plant.]

[Core is protected by a dense bio-magical barrier.]

[Solution: The heart-rot]

[Description: A fungal spore that targets the properties of the Sirenwood. Bypasses outer defences and attacks the core, causing rapid cellular decay.]

[Cost: 1,500 AB]

Aiden couldn’t help cursing. They have 18,685 AB, which is already the result of their time together with everyone. Now he needed to spend 1,500. He didn’t complain or hesitate.

As soon as he paid, an acorn-shaped object materialized in Aiden’s hand.

“Em, “Aiden shouted. “Cover me.”

Ember didn’t hesitate. She started shooting, suppressing the vines and drawing their attention. He reached the massive tree. He could feel a faint thrumming coming from inside.

He pushed the heart-rot into a fissure in the bark. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the tree made a groaning sound. The green leaves began to turn a sickly brown. The branches dried and started falling off. A red substance started coming from the tree. The vines holding Maya went limp. Mario and Fernando rushed forward, tearing the cocoon open.

Maya was alive, pale and weak, but alive. Sarah stayed by her side, checking her vitals.

The Sirenwood continued to wither. One final groan, and it disintegrated. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

Mario carried Maya on his back. The rest of the walk was somber. Luckily, they didn’t meet any other obstacles.

At the end of the walk, they came upon a rock wall. Ivan touched it, trying to figure out if there was some kind of secret opening. He found nothing.

“Great. All this trouble to stare at a wall.”

But Ember felt the difference. A hum that vibrated from the soles of her feet. A call only she could hear. Her eyes scanned the rock face. It fell on a large, dark column. A swirl of hardened lava that looked like a fingerprint.

She walked towards the column. She wasn’t sure what she was doing; she only knew she felt a pull. She placed her palm on the column. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the rock beneath her hand started glowing a soft blue light.

The others turned when they saw the light. The wall in front of them started to shimmer, from solid to translucent. It became a massive door. In the centre of the door was a glowing silver pattern.

Ember stepped forward, placing her hand on the glowing pattern. The moment her skin made contact, the light flared. There was the sound of mechanisms disengaging, and the colossal stone door silently opened, revealing a dark tunnel.

They stared, stunned into silence.

They walked through, their footsteps echoing. At the end of the tunnel, the doors slid open, revealing a breathtaking lobby.

The Covenant Engine sounded.

[Welcome to The Eyrie, Architect and Consort]

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