Blood Brothers by Vicky Seleya

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The men climbed down, clambering down shelves and slopes, through fissures, and past underground waterfalls, carefully sliding Alonzo to each other as they descended. The Grendlers squat bodies belied their agility -- as well as their speed -- as they scrambled through the planet, barely hesitating at each obstacle while keeping the humans at a frantic pace.

"Danziger?" Morgan gasped from in front.

Danziger grunted in reply.

"I have to rest. Now. Can't we stop for a minute?" Morgan begged.

"Ask your friends. This pace wasn't my idea."

"Yeah, but the tour was," Morgan reminded him tensely as he slowed and lay the pilot's legs on the ground, plopping down beside him.

"Martin, we can't afford to lose them," Danziger cautioned as he gently lay Alonzo on his back.

"I don't think we _could_ lose them. Besides, they slowed down," Morgan pointed out.

Ahead, the Grendlers were edging across a mineral-encrusted land bridge that arched over a deep chasm. Danziger watched as multicolored gasses rose from the hole in the earth to swirl around the creatures. A thin tendril of flame unexpectedly shot from the broad fissure, striking the second Grendler, igniting its rags and making it jump to the safety of the other bank with a screech.

"Tell me we don't have to cross that," Morgan pleaded futilely, as they watched the Grendler roll in the dirt on the other side, frantically extinguishing the flames.

Danziger nodded his head in resignation. "Yup. We have to cross that. Just don't look down and don't breath too deeply. We don't know what those gasses are."

"I don't think I could do either if I wanted to," Morgan gulped.

Danziger watched another flame leap far above the bridge, flailing around as though alive and seeking before receding to its lair. "I hear you," he replied soberly.

On the other side of the chasm, the second Grendler rose with a shake, moving stiffly. The men's guide helpfully examined its companion, only to be rewarded by a cranky roar. The guide turned toward the humans and beckoned urgently.

"We're gonna die, we're gonna die..." Morgan repeated the phrase like a mantra as he rose and dusted himself off, only to be silenced by Danziger's dangerous glare. He watched quietly as Danziger hastily examined the pilot before bending at Alonzo's head and directing Morgan to do the same at the pilot's feet.

"Um, Danziger?" Morgan asked over his shoulder as he lifted. "What happens if Alonzo has one of those twitching thingies while we're on that bridge?" He carefully glanced over his shoulder to see the other man.

"Morgan, don't make this any more complicated than it already is. Just hang on tight and keep moving. Watch what you're doing, OK?"

Morgan gulped and nodded as he edged closer to the bridge, then abruptly stopped.

"Morgan, now what?"

Morgan watched the gasses as they danced hypnotically before him. "I can't do it, Danziger. I just can't."

"Morgan, we don't have a choice. We have to cross it. I'd offer to go first, but I'm not too keen on crossing that bridge backwards and I doubt we could change places. I don't think you could hold Alonzo's body at this point." Danziger stepped forward a step, propelling Morgan forward and onto the bridge. "Don't look, Morgan. Just walk. One foot in front of the other. Straight ahead." Danziger's eyes and throat started to burn as the sulfuric gasses insidiously permeated the delicate tissue.

Morgan hugged Alonzo's legs to his hips and squeezed his eyes shut as he listened to Danziger's directions. Willing his legs to obey, he reluctantly inched over the bridge. The gasses tickled his skin and burned his nose. Morgan could feel the muscles in Alonzo's legs contract and apprehensively wondered if it was due to the gasses or another tremor. He tightened his hold grimly and plodded on, one arduous step after another. Morgan's head swam. His ears buzzed.

As they neared the opposite ridge, Alonzo's muscles suddenly relaxed, pulling the liaison off balance. Losing his equilibrium, Morgan staggered sideways and fell with a shriek, taking Alonzo with him. He landed with a soft thud on the opposite side of the chasm, Alonzo landing in a heap on top of him, momentarily knocking his wind out. Gasping for air, Morgan opened his eyes as his hands caressed the ground beneath him.

When Morgan fell, Danziger threw Alonzo forward as he jumped clear of the pair, grabbing a nearby ledge for balance. Catching his breath, Danziger turned to his companions, carefully slid Alonzo aside then bent to check Morgan. "You OK, Martin?" the mechanic asked as he leaned against a rock face for support while he wheezed.

Morgan met his eyes with wonder. "We made it. We're alive." He beamed jubilantly. "We're alive."

Danziger shook his head. "I wouldn't get too excited until we're done with them." He jerked his head in the direction of the Grendlers, who were both eyeing Alonzo with disappointment.

"Danziger, let me enjoy my little victories, all right?" Morgan muttered irritably.

"Well, enjoy them on the run because your friends are moving out."

Morgan groaned as he accepted Danziger's hand up. He bent to gather the pilot's legs, then suddenly looked up past his shoulder to the mechanic. "Hey, how come they're always 'my' friends?"

Danziger shrugged. "It just sounds right. Let's get going."

They continued to crawl over boulders and shelves and around sheer rock faces, methodically meeting each new challenge, never pausing to think, to allow their bodies to admit defeat. Their journey took them through tunnels and vast caverns, along a ledge barely wide enough to walk on -- hanging hundreds of feet over a cavern floor littered with stalagmites -- and through such dark that, unable to put Alonzo down to turn on the lumalight, they had to inch along by touch alone, following the scent and sound of the Grendlers. Time and again, they would round a corner hopeful that it would show them the way out, and time and again their hopes were dashed as they encountered yet another long series of tunnels.

Morgan's mind drifted as he senselessly followed the creatures. He thought of Bess and all the things that made her so special to him. As he climbed up a steep embankment, struggling to keep from falling himself and hanging onto Alonzo as well, he remembered the amusement park Bess had dragged him to when they were first married. He recalled how they had to climb down from the huge thrill ride she had somehow managed to get him onto when it broke down. He remembered his terror to this day, but he also remembered how they had climbed down, one step at a time, with Bess supporting him every step of the way. He smiled at his memories and stood a little straighter. The Grendlers veered through a low portal. The humans both hunched over in order to follow. Morgan smiled again. Bess had not been able to get him to go on another ride since that day -- except in VR. He missed his VR, Morgan mused. He needed his VR at times like these. Danziger muttered behind him as he felt Alonzo shift and twist in his hands. Morgan slowed and adjusted his grip.

"Morgan." Danziger's quiet voice broke through his reverie.

Morgan sighed. Reprogramming his VR could wait, especially since it was back at camp. "What now?"

"You need to stop," Danziger stressed meaningfully.

The Grendlers turned and stepped into another tunnel, this one large enough for the men to walk upright.

"Of course I need to stop," Morgan explained, with an edge creeping into his voice. "I've needed to stop since we started..."

"Morgan, you know what I mean," Danziger commented tiredly.

"Again? You can't be serious. What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't care if you stand on your head, just keep them busy. Look on the bright side. He almost woke up on that bridge back there. The gasses must have knocked him back out. I'll try to make it fast."

"Yeah, I'm sure you will," Morgan muttered under his breath. He spared a glance over his shoulder as Alonzo twisted in his arms again. He could see the pilot's head casting around as he started the climb to consciousness.

Danziger met Morgan's eyes and raised his eyebrows. "Just get them away fast, OK?"

"Danziger, does he always dream this much?"

"I don't know. You'd have to ask Julia. Just be grateful he is now."

Morgan nodded as he calculatingly watched the Grendlers. "I think there's a bend coming up. When I say 'now' I'm letting go, OK?"

"Yup. Be sure to keep them out of eyesight as long as you can."

"What are you going to do?" Morgan whispered. He could almost feel Danziger's shrug through Alonzo.

"I'm making this up as I go along. Whatever works. Just so long as he keeps dreaming."

As they approached the bend, Morgan tensed. "Ready?" he asked Danziger as he shifted his hold. "Now!" Morgan lightly dropped Alonzo's legs and raced around the corner directly behind the Grendlers.

As Morgan drew alongside, their guide briefly glanced at him. Morgan forced a smile and nodded to the creature, his hands innocently clasped behind his back. As soon as the guide's attention was off him, Morgan stretched one long arm behind the guide to strike the injured Grendler in the center of its burn before taking several large strides, separating himself from the two creatures.

The Grendler jumped, squealing in pain, and turned to its companion, enraged. Morgan watched nervously as the guide blankly regarded the other Grendler. The injured Grendler suddenly launched itself at the other, smashing it into the wall before they tumbled to the floor, screeching. Morgan ducked back around the corner as the two Grendlers began brawling in earnest.

Morgan returned to find Danziger grimly massaging his hand. Alonzo lay quietly beside the mechanic, his hands resting on his abdomen.

At Danziger's curious nod in the direction of the screaming Grendlers, Morgan explained, "The oldest trick in the book. Works every time." Morgan plopped down with a satisfied smile next to Alonzo before turning to scrutinize the pilot. "You had to do it again?" Morgan grimaced as Danziger nodded. "Well, at least he didn't bleed this time."

Danziger's scowl silenced him.

The two men exchanged uneasy glances as a sudden silence filled the tunnel. They sat quietly, warily peering down the tunnel, watching and listening for the Grendlers. Eventually, they could hear the shuffle of approaching footsteps. Their guide rounded the corner and beckoned for them to follow, then turned to continue their journey. The men wearily lifted Alonzo and followed. As they rounded the bend and continued down the tunnel, Danziger heard the second Grendler as it stepped from an alcove into line behind him to trail the humans while muttering fervently under its breath.

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