The Acolytes of Crane (Theodore Crane, #1)(80)

He beckoned both Ed and I to step onto the platform as he firmly grasped the ropes in his hands. Tentatively, I once more treaded on it, while Ed followed closely. Straining, he loosened the rope, lowering the platform along the cliff’s face, while I clasped the railing with white knuckles.

We all descended to a shelf along the side of the cliff. The being led us beyond his neat steppe farm and down a winding ledge on the cliff. I felt goofy from the abundance of oxygen in the air.

The wind rushed in, triggering logs from the upper shelf to come down crashing in front of us. I stepped back, and my heel stumbled against a gnarly, thick vine. As I fell, the blades of grass beneath me turned hard like a bed of nails. The Tritillia being grabbed my hand and pulled me into his arms just before I was inches from being stabbed by a thousand petrified blades of grass.

I smelt his beard as he pulled me in—it reeked of a garlic-like scent, and I scrunched my nose to block out its foul odor.

‘Ha, they know we are here now. We must hurry to the cave. Take caution in your strides. They usually don’t act this quickly. There must have been word of your landing,’ he said. We ran with consideration to every step. The cave was dark, and an impervious blanket of vines curtained the entry.

‘We must hurry. They will be here soon and the wind speed aids in the rate of their transport. I hope you can use that thing,’ he said, after pointing to my sword, and then he shook his head.

In a nagging feminine voice, another being slung words in our direction from within the cave. ‘Zzz-Is that you Pike? I hope you have not brought any more pets back here! I have my hands full-zzz with just you-tch.’

Pike said, ‘Ha, like you can talk! You are the one I have to feed and care for! You know what? I should trade you in for a Morlorian! Not only it could protect me, but I also could sleep all day! Ha!’ Despite his mocking words, he lovingly bowed to her. ‘My queen . . . I have great news. I bring to you, the Earthen Messiah.’

‘The Messiah? The one destined to save Sephera?’ rang out a breathless voice, alluringly feminine.

‘It is he, my queen.’

From the darkness at the back of the cave, a stunning, beautiful Elon emerged, much like a walking Venus Flytrap. She was a strange and wondrous creature. Human-like in appearance, but completely composed of plant cells. Her limbs were smooth and taut; chlorophyll coursed throughout her veins. She did not wear any clothes, and did not need to. The features so common to humans were all rounded down and reduced to insignificance on these beings; however there was no mistaking that this being was female, due to her wider hips and bosom.

No eyes! But she did have a mouth that flapped as she spoke. Positioned directly in front of the mouth was a jaw harp that vibrated as she spoke, producing puzzling buzzing sounds. From this being standing before me, I learned of the uniqueness of an Elon’s voice.

Lovely strands of leaves arose from her scalp, flowing down all the way to the bottom edges of where shoulder blades would have been.

Briskly walking over to the cavern wall, she pulled down a tiny disk attached to a string. I blinked as warm light flooded the cave; she had opened up a glass skylight at the top of the cave. Instantly, the leaves in her locks delicately unfolded even more in direct response to the sunlight. Inquisitively, the leafy brownish green figure sized me up and down. ‘Ah, a boy-zzz. I cannot imagine they would send a boy to save Sephera.’

She lowered her voice as she turned to Pike. ‘The boy-zzz—he is not who he says he is. He cannot possibly be a Messiah.’

‘Jezra, he has Wrath, and the Dietons are with him. Look, upon his head, it is a rolesk. I am certain of it,’ Pike said.

‘This is my robot Ed, and I am Theodore Crane,’ I said.

Pike turned to me. ‘Your robot? Ha, you are dumber than I thought. That robot does not belong to you. He is made of metal and claims you to be his master, but a true Messiah would give him the freedom he deserves—liberation from command. I am Pike, the Rangier responsible for this green rock we call Tritillia, and this is Jezra, my Elon wife and rightful queen of Tritillia. We have a lot to discuss, boy. Please excuse her buzzing, it is an unavoidable affliction of Elon speech,’ Pike said.

Jezra frowned and raised an accusing finger. ‘You are lucky to have a wife who will even talk to you, buzz or not! I should have stopped-tht talking to you the moment you grew that stink-trap beard of yours-zzz. The boy cannot stay, Pike. He has zzz-no courage!’

My face grew flushed. Reality hit me— this slender woman could possibly have all the power of the anti-Zane forces on Tritillia right in her leafy green finger. ‘I do have courage! I am here. And I will fight until the end.’

Jezra seemed unimpressed. ‘Theodore, do you know why you are here-zzztht? Pike and I have been waiting for you-za. We knew hundreds—no, even thousands of years ago, that you would be here. We founded this dwelling, because it was the closest spot to where it was prophesied that you ffft-would land. You are supposed to be a Messiah, a savior of a cause that you are not aware of-tch.’ Strutting, she leaned back, arms crossed, to listen for any pathetic peep from the lost and befuddled boy standing right before her.


I protested, knowing I didn’t look the part of a 275-pound warrior with iron chestplate, bulging biceps, square jaw, unruly stubble, and bass-baritone voice. ‘I was promoted to the rank Messiah, and I know why I have been chosen. I am here, right? I need to save Sephera—that is all I know. Why does everyone doubt me?’ I asked, while I leaned against a protruding rock on the tunnel’s wall.