Banished

Crazed, bloodshot yellow eyes roll and try to pinpoint my location. The beast, or beasts, shuffle on thickly muscled legs and sniff the air, muzzles high. A wide mouth of long black teeth also sports two tusks that curve up from it’s lower jaw, good for ripping and tearing. The blurred beast is only one, I see that now as it’s overlapping twin mimics every action. I’m sure I would appreciate that fact more if I wasn’t so terrified. It growls, huffs at the air and roars again.

My adrenaline spikes and I feel my twist race down my spine. My back burns and my muscles spasm like I’ve been electrocuted. This is different from last time and I question what new hell has ignited inside me. Panic grips me. I dread trying to learn a new twist while facing an unknown threat. The distraction could prove to be the end of me. I need to rely on my training as much as possible before the effects of the twist take over.

I struggle with my breathing, in through my nose, out through my mouth, but my calming technique is backfiring. All I am doing is sucking in more pollen, more poison. It is disorienting and I suspect the pollen is playing with my mind.

The creature seems to have gotten a read on me, or close enough, and with a final throaty bellow, it charges.

Time slows. Fear and adrenaline churn, coldfire flashes through me and I feel a strange wetness, a burning chill sliding from my back. I shift, screaming my own challenge of pain and defiance as poison laden air shimmers all around me. The tiny shards of polished steel, a cloud of splintered mirrors have manifested around me, reflecting the golden color of the pollen. I sense them turning with me as I change my trajectory to meet the creature at an angle. I don’t know what they are so I ignore them and stick to what I do know. I move now through instinct, years of combat training kicking in. To defeat a larger opponent I will need to find it’s weak spot, a throat or belly. It rushes past, presenting its side.

I can’t tell if there is a slowing effect to the poison but my twist feels more controlled this time. I sense the hard packed earth beneath my feet as I run and I haven’t lost myself completely to the change like before. There is a rush of air as the beast explodes past me and I throw instinctively at a flash of pink. A shriek of pain and I know I’ve struck something tender. I spin, trying to keep it in view but a wave of dizziness causes me to stumble. I nearly fall over and fear paralyzes me. I shake it off and right myself, grasping another knife from my thigh. I move to a defensive position and am astonished to find the creature still moving away from me, it’s great bulk too heavy for it to stop quickly. It seems as disoriented as I am and it bellows as it turns, shaking its blocky head. It hesitates.

I wait, as ready as I can be. My adrenaline spikes again and a strange power thrums through me. Where is Khane? My back is to him now so I can’t see but suspicion worms through my mind. Would he leave me here to face this thing on my own? Would he rescue his precious Bel while the beast is distracted with me? Would he leave me here to die? I shake my head, trying to clear it of confusion.

The beast is still shaking it’s own shaggy head and I almost laugh. Two warriors shaking their heads at each other! It huffs and whines. I suspected it isn’t used to pain and it doesn’t like the feeling. It shuffles again and with a final, angry snort, it ambles off for a safer place to sleep off the effects of the pollen.

I watch it’s plated backside sway and disappear into the distance. Shock holds me motionless. I have won! Wonder floods through me. I have faced a monster on the Banished side of the Gates and I have won. I’m not dead. I’m not even a sticky mess.

I cough and cry, lowering myself to the ground as the adrenaline leaves me and the strange thrumming power fades. My back is on fire and feels like shredded meat but I am otherwise unhurt. I don’t know how long I sit there, alone in the dust, tears running down my face. A pair of worn leather boots come into view. Khane’s maybe but I can’t seem to find the energy to move or look up. Someone is talking but they sound so far away…. Another pair of boots joins the first. More talking.

“Keira?”

I’m still alive, I think to myself.

“Are you ok?”

“Still alive.” I whisper to the boots, sharing my secret with their dusty leather.

“She’s in shock. Can you help get her up? We need to get away from here and find a place to set up camp before the storm hits.”

I vaguely remember a forced march along the wall and out of the pollen fields. Someone tall supported my left side as I stumbled along. My back throbbing, the pain nearly making me pass out several times. Unfortunately, I remain consciousness due to a persistent nagging that I finally realized is Khane’s voice in my ear. Why can’t people just be quiet for once? Is that so hard?

I think I woke once during the night, briefly, and saw Aito rummaging through a backpack. His movements seemed jerky and odd. But maybe I imagined it. My dreams were full of crazy monsters that started to attack me. Each time they would rush me I would feel the slithering of cold steel from my back, the air shimmering wetly. Then I would watch in amazement as they veered off and left me standing alone. Alive.

When I wake again it is to the smell of something cooking. My nose tingles and my stomach rumbles.

“Don’t move yet. I’ll get you a cup.” Naoaki gently touches my arm.

I feel hot and sweaty and distinctly off. I am lying on my stomach, not my usual sleeping position, and my arm is covered in drool. I want to sit up but I hesitate. My back no longer feels like it is on fire, more like a bad sunburn now, but I am not impatient to test whatever has caused so much pain.

“Here. I’ll help you sit up.” Naoaki helps me into a mostly upright position and pushes a battered tin cup into my hands. I sniff. It smells like potato and ginger.

“Thanks.” I cough after the first sip, the hot liquid washing away the last bit of pollen that had been coating my throat. I look around as I continue to sip the clear broth. Fish squishes in the corner of the tent, maybe asleep, maybe not. Otherwise it is just me and Naoaki.

“What,…. how long?” I hardly know what I want to ask. How long had I been lying here, out of commission, vulnerable? How horrible had my twist been? What was the weird cloud shining around me? Had I imagined that? Whathappenedto my back? The self-conscious part of me worries that my DNA might be too jacked even for my fellow survivors to accept.

Naoaki gives me a knowing look and settles cross-legged next to me.

“You are wondering how much of a bizarre freak you are?” She nodded at Fish. “You don’t even want to know what’s going on over there. He’s my cousin and even I get the jimmies sometimes.” She cocked her head at me as though truly seeing me for the first time.

“It was magnificent.”

“Really?” I hardly dare to hope.

“Yep. Bloody wings of steel and shattered mirror. That’s new for you, isn’t it? Here.” She hands me my knife, the one I’d thrown at the creature. “It dropped not far from you. Thought you’d like it back.” With that she pats me on the head like a favorite pet and leaves the tent.

I sigh, re-sheath my knife, glad to have it back, and slowly finish the soup. It is light but filling and the warmth is soothing despite the heat still radiating from my back. I look over at Fish as I turn Naoaki’s words over in my mind. He has nothing to add, however, just a quiet burble to himself. It seems to me that Fish is changing, evolving, still mutating. I hadn’t heard of a twist continuing to change after puberty but maybe that is happening to me too? ‘Bloody wings of steel’ sounds cool if a bit gory.

I decide to go see what the others are up to and meet this mysterious Bel I had helped save. I hope she is worth the effort. I groan a bit as I shifted my weight to stand. The movement puts a strain on the tender flesh across my back but I am determined to get myself up and moving. I have no desire to stew in my own juices like Fish. Outside, the sun looks high, so it must be late morning. I flick down my second lids and survey the area. A light breeze fluffs my hair and skitters across my back. I feel unusually exposed. A quick exploration and I realized that the back of my shirt is missing. Two spaghetti straps hold the front up and the base is still intact around my waist but the back of my shirt has been cut away. I am left with the bare minimum of coverage. Fine for now, at least until the frayed cloth gives out.

I start walking toward Aito and Naoaki. They are talking to someone I can’t see. The mysterious Bel perhaps?

I get halfway there and stop cold. My custom harness is gone. It was leather and Aito had made it just for me. It held my collection of special knives to my back. Had it been cut off? Where were my knives? My questing fingers flutter across my shoulder, noting the transition from smooth skin to a raised edge. It feels slick and tender and is crusted with dried blood. A sense of wonder fills me. How is this possible?