Adventures at the Earth’s Core

Adventures in the Lost World

Episode 1

Atawna and the Lost World

Chapter 6 Strange Land

Atawna awoke first. She was very stiff and sore, and her skin was blistered in several places from her encounter with the volcano. For a few seconds she had trouble recalling where she was, and then it all came back to her. She sat up, stifling a groan as she did so. A few feet away, Chara still slept. She was lying on her back and her chest rose and fell gently. She still wore no halter and the pink nipples of her breasts were erect with the cold. “I’ll have to fix something up for her today,” Atawna thought.

She decided to let her sister sleep while she looked around. A few yards away a river of water surged from the tunnel that she and her sister had been caught in on the previous day. It was very strange. They were on top of a large hill and water welled from the summit and flowed down the sides. But there were stranger things than that. What had she seen when she had first been tossed onto the slope? It seemed that the sky of this strange land had been black and dotted with points of light. And then there was the matter of that large glowing object in the sky. It had looked like a slice of melon.

She looked upward. The sky seemed very bright. Much brighter than she was used to. And it was blue! What had happened to the sky? Why was it not its normal white? And there was that strange object. That explained the brightness. There was a glowing orb in the sky. It was so bright that it was impossible to look at it. And it seemed to be radiating heat. Shading her eyes she looked down-slope. Well, there was something familiar. A few hundred feet away was the fringe of a forest. It seemed very much like the one she was used to. It stretched as far as she could see.

A groan from Chara alerted her to the fact that the girl was waking up. She knelt beside her sister. Her skin too was badly blistered. It would be best if they both got into the trees as quickly as possible. There were numerous medicinal plants in the forest. The sooner their burns were treated the better.

It took Chara a few minutes to orient herself. Like Atawna, she was amazed at the strange world that they had discovered. And like Atawna she was anxious to get to the protection of the forest. Together the two girls moved down the slope toward their natural habitat.

The forest was not quite the same as the one they were used to. Many of the trees were different. And none were as big as the Emperor of the Forest. But there was enough that was familiar to make them feel at home. They settled themselves near the top of a forest giant, and then while Chara wove a platform for them to sleep in, Atawna went in search of food and medicines.

It did not take her long to find what she wanted. Fruits and nuts were abundant, and most of them were easily recognizable. In addition, she was able to find the medicinal plants she wanted for the painful burns that dotted their bodies. She returned to her sister and helped to finish the platform. Then while Chara ate, she crushed the leaves, berries, and stems she had gathered and dressed their wounds. The soothing ointments she smeared over them soon deadened the pain. In a day or so there would be almost no trace of the injuries they had received.

Atawna then turned her attention to Chara’s clothing. Leopard skin would have been more suitable, but she had no weapons to hunt such an animal, much less the time to scrape and cure the hide. So she had brought some bark fibres that could be shredded to make a crude halter. She would pad it with part of her own loincloth so that Chara’s sensitive breasts would not be irritated.

Now it was time to rest. They would have to create some weapons tomorrow, but they needed some time to heal and recover from their ordeal. Atawna felt that she would probably have lots of time to explore the strange new land she was in. Curling up beside her sister on the platform, she let the swaying of the tree rock her to sleep.

Exhaustion and full stomachs helped them sleep the rest of the day and most of the night away. Awaking before dawn, they wondered at the phenomenon of night. The darkness was so alien and strange, and clearly dangerous. They realized that they were going to have to change the pattern of their existence if they were to survive. In their home world they had not worried about what time of day they had hunted or traveled. Continual light meant that there was no advantage to any animal they might encounter. But in this new world, there were clearly creatures that were better adapted for night than they were. They could hear the sounds made by large predators as they roamed the forest. Encountering one of them in the darkness would place them at a distinct disadvantage. And so they waited for dawn.

When it came, they prepared for the day. They had few resources. Between them they had only a knife and the length of silken rope Atawna had taken from the dead Cinzani. First on the list of priorities was to make a couple of bows and prepare some arrows. Atawna led the way. The ointments she had made had helped their wounds heal to a remarkable degree.

She needed a certain type of wood for the bow. Trelana bows were designed to be easily carried and not to hinder movement through the tangle of vegetation in the treetops. But they also had to be powerful enough to stop most animals. Of course, Atawna did not know what sort of animals she might encounter in this strange land, but during the night she had picked up the sounds of many predators with which she was familiar. She would design her bow the way she had been taught.

It took her awhile to find the tree she needed. And longer still to cut enough wood with only her knife to fashion two bows, but eventually she had all that she needed. In the meantime, Chara had gathered reeds suitable for making arrows. These too had to be just the right sort. They had to be both strong and light, but not so light that they would not carry well. They would need feathers for proper flights, but could make do with stiff leaves until they came across the right sort of bird. And they had no metal for arrowheads, but certain hardwoods could be fashioned into a reasonable substitute. They met in a tree they had designated as a rendezvous point, and then swung off together toward the platform they had decided to use as their base. Dusk was upon them, and with only an hour or so of daylight left Atawna wanted to be in a safe place before the darkness came.

They were almost back to the tree platform when both girls heard a strange sound. It was a sharp “pop.” It sounded completely out of place in the rainforest. Then there was another “pop.” Both girls came to halt high above the forest floor. They looked at one another and nodded. They set off in the direction of the sound.

James Court stared in dumb amazement at the beast that had been stalking him. It was something out of a nightmare. It was about his height, with a head like a lizard, and a mouthful of sharp teeth to match. Powerful forelimbs ending in razor sharp claws were raised to strike, but even more arresting were the hind legs. They were powerfully muscled and equipped with a large central sickle-shaped claw that was clearly the beast’s main killing weapon. Yellow eyes flecked with red studied him carefully as he stood almost petrified with fear. A movement to his right broke James out of his trance. His years of martial arts and weapons training took over. As he realized that there was more than one of the beasts, he reacted. He fired once into the creature standing in front of him. The powerful slug knocked the creature off its feet. Incredibly the beast scrambled back up and lunged toward him. His second shot took it out. But now the second hunter was upon him. He fired again, twice, each shot catching the charging beast in the head. The slugs tore the back of the beast’s head off and sent it tumbling at his feet. He almost missed the third beast. It had come up behind him and he picked up its movement only just as it began its attack. His first shot did not kill it, but merely paused its forward momentum. It took two more shots to bring it down. But now his gun was empty. He was not ready for the fourth creature that stalked toward him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that three of its fellows had been killed. All it saw was its prey in front of it.

In his belt were two more clips, but they were not intended for quick reloading. Each was in a separate pouch with a flap closed by a snap. He had no time to reload. He reached for his knife, only remembering at the last second that he had given it to Lin Yao. Backing away slowly, he fumbled for the ammunition clips, but he knew he would be too late. The beast advanced slowly on him. It seemed to know that he could not escape. He watched in horrid fascination as the beast opened its mouth to reveal its long rows of teeth. It tensed for the kill.

The beast leaped, but James was not there. To his utter amazement, as he waited for his death, a rope dropped about his shoulders. Then with a jerk, he was yanked off his feet, his arms pinned to his sides, and hauled into the air. The monster that had sought to rip him apart found only empty space. With a snarl of rage it spun in place and jumped after its suspended prey. But James was no longer within reach. He was now twenty feet above the ground and being pulled rapidly higher. Frustrated and yowling with rage, the savage beast leaped at the trunk of the tree attempting to climb after its disappearing prey. But it was not designed for climbing. Finally realizing that it was accomplishing nothing and distracted by the appetizing smell of its dead companions, it turned away.

With an overwhelming sense of relief, James realized that he had been saved. But saved by whom? He was being hauled steadily into the upper branches of a forest giant, his arms pinned to his sides. He still clutched his useless pistol, but was unable to move enough to load it. Sixty feet above the forest floor he stopped rising. He twisted his body in an attempt to see who was pulling on the rope, but the leaves and branches shielded his savior from his eyes. He swung helplessly, wondering what was going to happen next.

“What do we do with him?” whispered Chara. “He is dressed so strangely.”

“I’m not sure,” answered Atawna. “He certainly seemed to need saving. But why he did not take to the trees? The big claws cannot climb.” She referred to the name her tribe had given the fierce raptors from whom she had rescued the strange man.

“He is very tall and handsome,” said her sister. “But very strange also. He has no weapons how did he manage to kill three big claws?’

Atawna shook her head. The same thought had been running through her mind. She had acted on impulse when she saw the strange man about to be killed, tossing the silken Cinzani rope over his shoulders with practiced ease. It had taken the strength of both her and Chara to haul him to safety. He was a big man, much larger than most men of her tribe, and he weighed almost as much as both of them combined. Fortunately, their well muscled arms and shoulders, strengthened by years of moving through the treetops were up to the task of pulling him to safety. But now she had to decide what to do with the man she had saved. By now he had realized that he was not going to be pulled up any farther and was shouting something in a strange language. Atawna could not understand a single word, but she had little doubt about what he was saying. She thought for another minute. Then motioning to her sister began to pull on the rope.

James had been hanging six stories above the forest floor for several minutes now. “Hello?” he shouted, raising his head so that his voice projected into the treetops. “Are you just going to leave me here? Thank you for saving my life, but I really do think we should meet. Hello? Hello?”

Other than the screeching of parrots James’ shouts were met with silence. Were his mysterious benefactors still there or had they left him to fend for himself? If so he was in another “pickle.” The rope was so tightly wound about his arms that he could hardly move. His hands and lower arms were tingling as the circulation was slowly cut off. His own body weight acted to imprison him. Flexing his muscles he tried to loosen the noose that held him, but it was no use. If he was going to be freed he would need help.

“Hey,” he shouted, a touch of anger in his voice. “Why did you save me just to leave me hanging? Help me get out of this rope.” He began to shift his body back and forth, causing him to swing. Perhaps if he could achieve a great enough arc he could get his feet against the tree and take his weight off the rope. It seemed a vain effort, but it was the only chance he thought he had. He had only just begun, however, when he felt a tug on the rope and he was pulled skyward once more. This time he was pulled into the canopy, giving him a chance to place his feet on the branches of the tree. He now faced a new dilemma.

His arms were now too numb for him to prevent himself from falling. As he attempted to get his footing on the lower branches of the canopy, he swayed dangerously, seventy feet above the ground. Now if the rope was loosened he would almost certainly fall to his death. As he teetered precariously, he felt a steadying arm on his shoulder. He almost fell off the branch in surprise. Standing beside him was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, and she was almost entirely naked!

The young woman seemed completely unconcerned by his rude stare. Holding on to his arm, she helped him move along the branch to a place here he could sit safely. James settled and closed his mouth.

During his life, James seemed always to have been surrounded by beautiful women, his mother being one of them. Then there were his aunties, Jia Li, Katie, and Amy, along with his nurse Sarah. Any one of them would have been considered a dazzling beauty in her own right. Of course there were also Melissa, Ayashe, and Lisha. These women were all closer to his age. But in spite of their beauty any of them was in fact, old enough to be his mother. However, his rescuer was definitely very close to his own age and a beauty to rival any of the women he had known.

Surreptitiously he studied the young woman who stood in front of him. She was balancing unconcernedly on a narrow branch, coiling the rope that she had unwound from his arms around her narrow waist. She was tall, about the height of his sister, with raven black hair and startling blue eyes that seemed to blaze like sapphires. Her figure was exquisite, highlighted by a slender waist, and swelling breasts that were barely hidden by a leopard skin halter. Her arms and legs were powerfully muscled. He wondered at that. This was no weak young girl. This was a woman whose strength probably exceeded that of any female he had ever known. And yet, her musculature was not overwhelming. She moved with the grace of some jungle cat, her smooth tanned skin flexing as her muscles flowed beneath it. She wore few ornaments other than a gold armband above her left elbow, and her hair was braided and wrapped about her head to keep it under control.

She raised her head suddenly and caught him staring. Her glance sent a shiver through him, but it was not one of fear. He was difficult to put words to the emotions her glance raised in him, and he felt unsettled. He blushed and then jumped as a voice from behind startled him.

“He is even more handsome up close, Atawna. I wonder what he looks like under all that cloth he wears.” James turned, almost falling from the branch as he did so. He had to grab on to another limb over his head to steady himself. He found himself staring at a younger girl. This one was blonde-haired, but her resemblance to the first was obvious. Like the first girl she was almost naked, and dressed in a costume that was even scantier. Her hair too was braided and wrapped about her head, forming a sort of golden crown. Although he had understood nothing of what she had said, the way she was looking at him clearly indicated that he was the subject of her comment.

“Clumsy too,” continued Chara. “Better hold onto him before he falls out of the tree. No wonder he couldn’t escape the big claws. Still, he is very tall and handsome.”

“Chara,” Atawna scolded, “remember your manners. And be careful of this stranger. We know nothing about him.”

“He doesn’t look dangerous. I could push him off the branch with one hand. And I don’t think he understands anything we are saying. He hasn’t said a word.”

Atawna frowned. “All men are dangerous. Even one as awkward as this. And don’t forget, he somehow managed to kill three of the big claws.”

Chara had forgotten. She looked down to the forest floor where the remaining raptor was tearing chunks of flesh from his fallen relatives.

James stood confused between the two girls. He cleared his throat. “Thank you for saving me,” he said. He realized that it was unlikely that either girl would understand anything he said, but it seemed the proper thing to do. Pointing to himself he said, “I’m James Court.”

The dark-haired girl looked at him. A glimmer of understanding shone in her amazing eyes. “JamesCourt,” she said, running his names together.

James corrected himself. It appeared that he had encountered a culture without last names. “James,” he said tapping his chest. “James.”

The girl pointed to herself. “Atawna,” she said slowly. Then pointing to him, “James.”

He looked at the other girl. She smiled at him dazzlingly, her blue eyes wide. “Chara,” she said, emulating her sister by touching herself between her small but barely concealed breasts. James hurriedly looked away. Although not as well developed as her older sister, her figure was quite fetching.

“I must be going mad,” he thought. “This has to be every man’s dream. And yet this could be very awkward. He thought of Lin Yao. What would his sister think when he came back with these two gorgeous beauties? That reminded him that Lin Yao was waiting for him. He had left her alone in the forest, intending to return in only a few minutes.

But now he was faced with a severe problem. He was seventy feet up a tree with two mysterious beauties who looked as if they were more than at home in the rainforest. Somehow he had to convince them to let him return to the forest floor. He turned to the older girl and pointed to the ground. “Down,” he said, “I’ve got to get down.”

Atawna looked at the strange man she had rescued. He was as Chara had pointed out, very handsome, standing well over six feet tall. His dark wavy hair, steel gray eyes, and powerful build sent shivers down her spine. The felt herself blushing, a reaction she had never had in the presence of any male member of her tribe. “What would it be like,” she wondered briefly, “to have all that power between her legs?” Her colour deepened and she realized her sister was grinning at her like a tree cat.

He wanted to go down. She did not understand why. The forest floor was infinitely more dangerous than the treetops as he had cause to know. But is it was obvious that he was not comfortable in a tree. That was puzzling. Atawna had never heard of a man who was not at ease in the treetops. However, interesting as she found him, she could think of no reason to keep him with her against his will. She uncoiled her rope again, and tying it to a branch let it fall. The tall man looked at her. He said something, and then with a grateful smile took hold of the rope and descended hand over hand.

James hurried through the rainforest. He had been gone a lot longer than he had intended. As he approached the shelter he and Lin Yao had built he sighed in relief. He could smell wood smoke. Lin Yao was inside the shelter waiting for him. Thank goodness. He feared she might have heard the shots and run off into the forest to look for him. It was now quite dark and if she was wandering thorough the forest she would be very likely to get lost.

His heart sank as he peered into the shelter. The fire was only smoldering embers and the shelter was empty. He shouted into the forest, calling his sister’s name over and over again. The only reply was the echo of his own voice. But he did not stop. She might be close by. If she was lost the sound of his voice would guide her back.

Suddenly there was a slight disturbance above him. He reached for his sidearm and then relaxed as the two forest beauties who had saved his life dropped to the ground beside him. What happened next surprised him. Both girls went into the shelter and stood there for a few seconds, almost as if they were listening. Then they came out and pointed into the forest. They somehow seemed to know that Lin Yao had been there and where she had gone. Unable to think of any way of communicating, James nodded to the older girl and let her lead the way. She nodded curtly and moved off into the forest. James sensed a change in her manner, but could not determine what it was. He sensed that somehow he had managed to offend her, but could not think of anything he had done. As he followed, he tried to think of a way to communicate. The language barrier between them was becoming a source of irritation.

Atawna moved quietly through the forest. Moving along the ground after dark was foolhardy, but the strange man she had chosen to help could not move through the treetops. She wondered why she was bothering to do this. For a short time she had felt an attraction to him, but having followed him back to his shelter she knew that had been a foolish dream. Heavy on the air inside the shelter was the scent of a woman. The man already had a mate. For a few seconds she had considered not helping him. She knew from the crushed vegetation and the smell of his mate exactly what had happened.

The stranger’s mate had been in the shelter, but something had made her leave. She had gone only a short distance and then her trail intersected with that of a man. Clearly she had been ambushed and taken prisoner. Then she had been pushed ahead of her captor and forced into the forest. The trail was quite fresh, less than an hour old. She would have no trouble following it, even in the strange darkness that descended on this world every day.

They followed the trail in silence; or at least tried to. The tall stranger moved like an elephant, but she doubted that she could make him move more quietly. She moved on, alert for an ambush, either by the kidnapper they were following, or some wild animal. Who knew was sort of dangers might lurk in this world at night?

She caught the scent of the ambush several yards before she reached it. Strung across the trail ahead of her were more than a score of men. Raising her hand, she halted her sister and James. It was then that she felt a slight sting in her breast. She gasped in pain as a burning sensation swept through her breast. Looking down she saw that a feathered dart protruded from her soft flesh just above he nipple. Quickly she plucked the dart from her breast, but it was already too late. Her knees buckled beneath her, she realized that she had not scented the enemy soon enough. Then her vision clouded and she pitched forward. Her last waking thoughts were that she had failed her sister and the handsome stranger. Then darkness closed over her.

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