Circle of Seven, page 12
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Riley and his parents finally cleared customs, and made their way to the baggage carousel to collect their bags. Travelers were picking up bags and suitcases as the herd of luggage stampeded along the conveyor belt. Among the wonderful chaos Riley heard a man shouting “Gallagher family… Gallagher family” Searching the crowd Riley spotted in a black suit with a matching driver’s cap and holding a sign that read Gallagher Family. Riley pointed the man out to his father who waved him over. “G’Day mates, I reckon you’re the Gallagher family here to meet Shiloh”
“That’s right!” Riley blurted out excitedly.
“And you must be Master Riley.” The man tipped his cap and smiled. “I’m Chauncey, and I’ll be your driver.”
Within a few minutes their bags were loaded on a cart, and rolled out to a waiting limousine. Riley’s sister giggled with delight as she climbed into the limo. She even gave Riley the thumbs up sign which was reserved for the few times when she didn’t think he was bratty little brother.
“Have you folks ever been to Australia? …Naw? Aw, you’re gonna love it! Best settle in though. It’s a five hour drive.” Chauncey kept up a running conversation as they drove out of Sydney and into the countryside.
After an hour or more Riley finally found an opportunity to slip in a question. “Have any of the other families arrived?”
“Why, yes, mate, they are all here, in fact you’re the last ones to arrive,” replied Chauncey. “Now as I was saying, this here part of Australia is blooming loaded with--”
Riley sat back and gazed out the window as Chauncey rambled on with stories, observations, and his personal philosophy on barbecuing. The rest of his family had dozed off during the long drive, but Riley kept his eyes on the strange landscape hoping to spot a kangaroo. The car turned off the highway and onto gravel road. Houses became a rare sight along the bumpy road as the countryside became more like wilderness. Chauncey pointed to a wooden sign, which read MAROONG CREEK LODGE. “That’s where we’re heading. We’ll be there soon.”
As the car past the sign Riley spotted an old man with a long walking stick. The old man shuffled along barefoot. His skin was the color of charcoal, and walking by his side was an odd looking creature. “What animal is that?”
Chauncey gave the man and the creature a quick glance. “Oh that, that’s a dingo. Dingo’s are kind of like dogs.”
“What’s the old man doing out here? I haven’t seen a house for miles.”
Chauncey chuckled, “Oh, he’s on a walkabout.”
“What’s a walkabout?” inquired Riley.
“Sometimes these people, the aborigines like this fellow, just take off on long walks.”
“How long of a walk?”
“Oh a week or two, may be a few months, just depends on how long they want to walk.”
Riley leaned against the door marveling at all the twists and turns his life has taken since the crystal arrived. The limo bounced down a dirt road in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, then suddenly there appeared a wooden arch from which hung a sign “Maroong Ranch”. As they drove under the sign, Riley caught sight of several semi-trucks, and a number of RV’s. The entrance curved round odd rock formations before leading up to the front of a large rustic lodge with a wide front porch where a number of people were milling around. “Hey, we’re here!” Riley called back to rouse his sleeping family. Chauncey opened the doors, and then began pulling bags out of the trunk as Riley’s family shook off the last bit of sleep.
“Oh my, what a charming place,” exclaimed his mother as she climbed out of the limo. A young woman rushed up to the limo. She was speaking rapidly into a small headset slung over one ear. Behind this woman was a harried looking girl furiously taking notes, and pulling paper from an oversized bag.
“Welcome...” the young woman called out as she adjusted her headset.
“On behalf of Shiloh let me welcome all of you to Maroong Ranch. My name is Cecelia, and I am the Promotions Coordinator. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your accommodations and brief you on the itinerary for the next five days.” With that Cecelia turned and began to lead them down a pebbled path.
Cecelia briefed Riley’s family on the history of the ranch, the scheduled activities and background on the movie shoot as her associate handed over print outs, ID badges, and promotional material relating to the movie. The group walked briskly passed several bungalows. Along the way Cecelia pointed out some of the movie equipment, and every so often she’d interrupt her rambling dialogue with snippets of conversation directed into her headset before resuming her walking tour. Eventually, they reached a bungalow with a sign reading, “Welcome Gallagher Family”. Cecelia’s assistant unlocked the door making certain she had the correct set of keys, which were handed over to Riley’s dad.
There was a knock at the open door and Chauncey poked his head in. “Where would you like your bags?” Riley helped pull bags off the cart while his mother directed where the luggage should go.
“How do you like your bungalow?” Cecelia inquired breezily.
“Oh, it’s wonderful” Riley’s mother gushed.
“I’m so glad,” said Cecelia. “You have a bit of time to settle in before dinner, which will be at seven in the main lodge. I hope you like BBQ. It will be the first opportunity for everyone in the group to meet. The dress is casual and it should be great fun. I’ll see you there. I’m afraid I must scurry off now... lots to take care of.” A moment later Cecelia and her associate were gone.
Riley’s dad flopped onto a bed while his mom began shoveling clothes from the luggage into dresser drawers. Riley wanted to look around, but his mom insisted he help her and then clean up before dinner.
Chapter 24
The sound of soldiers snoring echoed through the ship. A few soldiers were tasked with the chore of being on night watch. The soldiers on watch decided to ease their duty by passing around a jug of grog. The men sat around the loading ramp enjoying the cool night air. The serenity of the night was interrupted when out of the shadows came a low rumbling sound. A rock the size of an orange rolled up, and bumped against the foot of one of the guards. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the stone. The guard gave the stone a kick back in the direction from where it had come. The stone skittered along the ground before bouncing into the swamp. A bit of mist swirled up from the swamp. The mist rose slowly up towards the cavern’s roof. The soldiers watched as the mist changed shapes as it ascended. Then from beyond the mist the guards caught sight of thousands of Shanks lining the upper reaches of the cave walls.
“Into the ship!” The soldiers scrambled to their feet. The effects of the grog immediately vanished as they clamored to reach the ship’s loading bay. Boulders rained down upon them. The crack of stone sent shock waves through the cavern, and eardrums popped as stone clanged against the ship’s hull. The soldiers were struck down like bowling pins. One lone soldier managed to crawl through the doorway and punch the switch to close the hatch. With a mighty effort the soldier reached down and pulled his broken leg into the ship just before the hatch banged closed.
Sirens wailed inside the ship signaling a call to arms. Momentarily dazed the troops lunged from their beds, stumbling as they grabbed up weapons and ran to assembly. By the time they reached command center, all remnants of sleep were gone, and adrenaline was sparking every nerve ending to full attention. The ship reverberated as rocks cannonaded off the metal hull.
Resentar roared his commands. He stabbed out assignments of team leaders, and flayed the air with his broad sword as he outlined the battle plan, and marched the troops toward the loading bay where they would engage the enemy. Gears chunked and clanged as the heavy cargo door began to open. Hinged from above, it slowly raised up and out, providing some protection from the stones cast down from the high cave precipices. The door shook in its casement as boulder after boulder smashed into the reinforced steel. The cacophony of the impacts along with the rattling of battle gear made it impossible to hear Resentar’s commands. Eyes sought out others eyes hoping to find confidence and strength, but all too often all that was found was doubt, eyes with too much white showing, eyebrows arched in concern, and eyes that darted about in nervous jerks.
Resentar selected a group of soldiers, and from his motions it was clear he intended to send them out first to draw fire away from the ship. It was Ventar’s group. This is madness, thought Ventar as he forced his face into facade of bravery and courage. He unsheathed his saber and held it high as a rallying point for his group, the group that would be sacrificed to give others chance. His heart lacked conviction, but he was a soldier and duty came first. That was what his father and his father’s father had passed down to him.
An arm grabbed Ventar by the shoulder and swung him around. Ventar turned to find Boss Grono by his side, saber held high and the strength of a mountain in his dark eyes. “You are not in this group!” shouted Ventar into the white noise of chaos descending upon them. Boss Grono placed a fist on Ventar’s chest and mouthed the word “together”.
The door was now up and locked in place. The outside landscape was cluttered with rock shards and large depressions where boulders impacted softer soil. The crashing of rocks suddenly ended. It took a moment for everyone to realize the Shanks stopped their bombardment. The soldiers stood still as the ringing in their ears dissipated. As their hearing returned, it was possible to make out the heavy breathing and snorting of the Shanks massed along the rock walls.
Just then Traiton casually strode to the front of the open door, his boots lightly scuffing the deck with each step. His appearance set off a series of excited howls, cries, and chuffing from the Shanks. It was their call to arms, one last war hoop before they vanquished this small band of intruders, and buried them all under a hailstorm of boulders. Seemingly unfazed by the eruption of wails from the Shanks, Traiton withdrew a green crystal from his robe and held it above his head. Green light emanated from the crystal filling the carven and the ship’s interior with an eerie glow. The light pulsed, becoming stronger with each beat. There came a loud blast of a horn from high on the escarpment then a torrent of giant boulders were flung down upon the ship.
The troops stepped back and braced as they witnessed a barrage of boulders rain down on them. Traiton stood unflinching with his hand still extended and to the amazement of everyone, the rocks slowed in midair and then descended gently to the ground well beyond the ship. Shouts of rage rose from the Shanks as Traiton walked out into full view.
Resentar and the rest of the troops moved cautiously just beyond the open door, driven more by curiosity than bravery. All eyes turned toward Traiton. He appeared to be speaking to a crystal in his hand.
Boss Grono nudged Ventar, “Look at the vines.” With the boulders still flying about, and Shanks flailing their arms in rage, it was easy to overlook the large thorny vines hanging from the walls were beginning to move. The vines, even the dead brown vines began to twitch and whip around, slowly at first but growing in intensity. Traiton’s outstretched arm whirled around and around ever faster. The vines reacted more violently, whipping and lashing through the air and battering the cliffs. Shanks were being knocked off their hooves and slung over the cliffs.
The troops watched in horrific awe, as Shanks turned to battle the possessed vines. Shanks withdrew long swords, and braved the whipping vines. The swords did little more than loosen the thorns, which became as deadly as arrows shot from a bow. The barbs embedded deep into the Shanks tough hide, and blinded those whose eyes were pierced through. Mayhem engulfed the cavern. The bloodied remains of Shanks littered the cliffs.
The green glow shuddered, and then faded to black. The vines hung limp on the rock walls and only the muffled moans from the injured and dying broke the eerie quiet of the cave. With a flourish, Traiton turned to face the soldiers. Cheers erupted from the troops and turned into a chant, ”Traiton, Traiton, Traiton”. With arms held high, Traiton embraced the moment, savoring the adoration, and reveling in the power of the crystal. The power of one only whetted his appetite to possess them all. With all the crystals under his control, nothing in the all the worlds could stop him.
Resentar stood in the shadows, and wondered if he’d made a grave mistake when he turned over the little green rock to Traiton. In a warrior’s life, it is the stories of battles that fill the void between fights. A sour taste enveloped Resentar’s mouth as thought about how many times the story of this battle would be retold. He knew they would tell the story of how Resentar was leading his men to a certain death only to be saved single handedly by Traiton. It will be Traiton the Powerful, Traiton the Magnificent, Traiton the Victorious, it was more than Resentar could stomach. Traiton was the privileged son of a king. A young man without training as a soldier, a young man who has never had his bravery tested in battle, but look at him now, posturing in front of the cheering troops as if he was a great war hero. Resentar scowled as he turned to leave. A communications officer rushed by calling out for Traiton. The officer pushed through the troops until he reached Traiton.
“Commander,” he panted. “We’ve picked up an unusual signal from a nearby star system.
“Ready the ship for departure,” Traiton barked. Another cheer rang out and men clapped each other in jubilation, eager to leave the monstrous planet. Striding up the walkway to command center, Traiton rolled the green crystal in his hand.
“It is time to find the others.”
Chapter 25
“Wake up, Dad!” Riley urged as he shook his father’s shoulder. “We’re going to miss dinner.”
His dad yawned, and opened one eye, jerking back startled to find Riley’s face just inches away. “Okay, okay champ, I’m getting up” Riley pulled on his dad’s arm to insure he got off the bed. The bell rang out across the ranch lands calling everyone to dinner.
It’s just like the old cowboy movies, thought Riley as his family walked into the rustic lodge. Inside the main hall, long tables had been set up with red and white checked table clothes. The big room was filling up quickly. People milled around chatting and laughing. The mood was festive and friendly. The smell of BBQ hung thick in the air. Just as Riley’s dad was about to ask where they might sit, Cecelia popped up with her assistant in tow, and directed them to a table towards the front. Already seated at the table were Nick, Madison, and Hannah with their families.
“Hello everyone…” chimed Cecelia, “this is the Gallagher family.” Greetings and handshakes were exchanged around the table. With everyone trying to talk over, around, and through each other it became almost impossible for anyone understand what was being said. Riley’s mom finally took charge and rearranged the seating so that the adults were sitting with adults, and kids with kids. This new arrangement seemed to suit everyone just fine.
Cecelia’s voice once again cut through the clamber, only this time over the sound system. “Test, test... test... can you hear me in the back?” A few hands went up in the back signaling okay. “Good... I want everyone to join me in welcoming the families who won the Shiloh Getaway.” Cheers and applause echoed off the rafters. “They’re our guests for the next few days so please make them feel at home. Also, the production has been tracking so well, that the producer wanted to show his appreciation for all your hard work. We’ve brought in some entertainment tonight... and the morning shoot has been pushed back to ten.” Wild cheering erupted from the production staff that usually was hard at it by five in the morning.
Platters stacked high with BBQ were ushered to every table along with buckets of corn on the cob, bowls of baked beans, baskets full of fruit, and pitchers of cold drinks. A band started wailing out some Elvis tunes, sung with an Aussie accent. The room took on the feel of a huge family reunion. All of a sudden, no one felt like a stranger.
Riley, Nick, Madison, and Hannah looked at each other in disbelief. The events that brought them to this faraway place were on all of their minds. Hannah held up a can of soda, “A toast,” she began, glancing around to insure no one else was listening, “a toast to the amazing crystals.”
“To the crystals!” the rest responded, and clicked their cans together. Just then another arm leaned in and clinked cans.
“To the crystals!” and the entire group turned to see who had invaded their private toast.
“G’day mates” said the newcomer.
“Jake?” Hannah almost fainted from shock.
“In the flesh” Jake replied as he pulled up a chair. “Glad to see everyone could make it down under.”
“When... how... did you get here?” stammered Madison.
“My dad and I have been here a few days. We’re staying in a trailer parked back by the barn. Dad was asked to supply a trained lion for the movie, so here we are.” The kids all had looks of amazement on their faces, except for Nick. His cold stare seemed to cut straight through Jake.
“Yeah, well…” Jake continued, “this ranch is a real working ranch, and they’ve got cows, horses, and even roos.”
“Roos?” asked Madison.
“Macropus giganteus” Nick injected, “better known as the Eastern Grey Kangaroo or as Jake inaccurately refers to them… roos.”
Hannah sensing tension, shot Jake a look that told him don’t mind Nick, he’s a jerk.
“Anyway, the roos are all over the place and you’ll see them when we go out tonight.”
