The Boys of Fire and Ash Read Free Page A

smoke and ash from the Fire Mountains blocked out the sun and sky; the only light was the orange glow of fire and lava. Time was kept by hunger.I felt a faint grumble in my stomach and realized Av was right: nearly mealtime.
    “Bringing those back with you?” Av said, smirking as he nodded to the Slag Cavies lying beside me. Cubby covered his mouth, trying to stop his giggles.
    I scowled at Av, who was holding at least twelve fat, juicy Cavies.
    My jaw locked and I got up and looked out across the junk heaps, scanning for another Cavy, a fat Cavy, a trophy Cavy. Then I heard a rustling by my feet.
    Poking his head out from under my rusted metal scrap was the little black head of a chubby one. Slowly and quietly, I unhooked my spear from the throwing cradle and held it over the unsuspecting creature. Then, too soon, I slammed the spear down, missing the Cavy and hitting the ground with a crunch. The Slag Cavy squeaked in terror, and in a wild, determined fit I slammed my spear down again and again, trying to nail him. The confused and frightened rodent managed to dart out of the way every time until finally taking off and disappearing down a hole and into the garbage.
    I was trophy-less.
    Frustrated, I threw down my spear. Then, taking a deep breath that burned away what was left of my nose hairs, I began my walk of shame to join Av and Cubby on top of their mound, waiting to hear them laughing.
    But when I joined them, they weren’t even looking at me. Av, still and alert, was facing the East Wall of the Pit, his neck cranked up towards the dark tree line, Cubby copying his stance exactly.
    “Hear that?” Av asked.
    He knew I didn’t. I didn’t have the kind of ears Av did; no one had the kind of ears Av did.
    “No,” I grumbled.
    “It’s getting closer,” he said.
    I halfheartedly scanned the tree line at the top of the East Wall as I stuffed my gear into my pack. I didn’t see or hear anything.
    “See?” Cubby whispered. “I
told
you I heard something.”
    I couldn’t help it, I had to laugh. “Av! Cubby’s just a big baby. Don’t listen to him!”
    “I’m not a baby!”
    Then I heard it for the first time: a hideous, deep, guttural call from somewhere in the distance.
    I stiffened; Cubby looked at me nervously. He was right. There was something out there. The noise was sick, twisted, unlike anything I’d ever heard before. No wonder Cubby was so worried.
    “Some kind of bird?” I asked hopefully.
    “Nah,” said Av. “Bigger than that.”
    “Outsiders, then? Making a dump?” For centuries, people from beyond Nikpartok would come to the Pit and toss in their junk. I’d never seen it happen, but the Landfill was proof enough, and I’d heard stories from other Brothers who’d seen it.
    Av just shook his head.
    The call sounded again, closer than before.
    Cubby jumped and moved in nearer to Av. Another call, loud and angry.
    I jumped and winced when I found myself doing the same.
    We watched the tree line, waiting to catch a glimpse of whatever was making that noise. The dead trees, bent andbroken, twisted into each other. All was still and silent, not a sign of life. The three of us stood frozen for what seemed like forever. I noticed how ridiculous Av and Cubby looked: Av’s brow furrowed in concentration, Cubby’s mouth agape in terror.
    “By Rawley!” I said finally. “Doesn’t matter what it is, it’s a forest animal!”
    “But—but what if it’s coming down here?” asked Cubby.
    I rolled my eyes. “Cub, have you ever seen anything but us and Cavies in the Pit?”
    “No.”
    “There you go, then. Nothing can survive down here but us,” I said, heading back to my pack. “That’s how it’s always been!”
    Always. The Pit was ours. We were alive here. We belonged to the Pit. Anything outside that and the Pit would make it dead in no time.
    Cubby followed me back to my pack and began gathering up my Cavies, but Av stayed rooted to the spot, listening and watching.
    The call