“Okay, so what are you scouting out there?”
“Trees. Lots of trees.”
“No buildings?”
“Nope.”
“Shit.”
“Yep.”
Yeah, I was starting to lose a little hope. It was still possible this was a populated planet with people who could help us, but if this was a planet capable of intergalactic space flight with people who could get us back to Earth, wouldn’t it be moredensely populated? Wouldn’t there be flying cars or rockets in the distance?
But then something lifted off from a ridge to the left. It was large and fast, maybe a craft of some kind? Its path was jerky, like a bird’s. Maybe a man-made glider, I hoped. Yeah, not exactly a realistic hope, but it was the best I could do in the few seconds it took for the large object to cross the ravine, swooping out of sight far below.
Carefully, I took another step forward and looked over the edge, trying to see what exactly it was. One more careful step forward, and I got a hint of movement. I leaned further, wary of my footing. Something large and powerful swept up from below. I gasped, and then I was airborne.
I screamed as air streamed around me and closed my eyes tight, not wanting to see the end, but I wasn’t falling. Instead of a steady plummet, I rose and fell in abrupt waves, something tight clamped around my waist. I carefully opened my eyes, and sure enough, something horrifically large, purple, and feathered held me tight in its claws. I screamed again, then forced myself to stop. We were flying crazy fast over the treetops, and if it dropped me now, there was no possible way I’d survive the fall.
I glanced around, but what could I possibly do? Hanging sideways from a monster bird was somehow not an improvement from being trapped in an escape pod filled with goo. If I lived through this year, my next bingo card was gonna be a lot more creative.
The creature flew for maybe another five minutes or so, but honestly, keeping time while quietly sobbing in terror was a bit difficult. Eventually, we reached another rocky outcropping, and the monster set down on the edge, keeping me stuck solid under one of its massive talons. It made what I could only assume was a pre-dinner victory shriek, then lowered its terrifying head. Beady red eyes and rows and rows of teeth were the last thingI saw as its mouth opened wide and its long, thick tongue wrapped around me, its rounded jaw encasing my upper body. Several points of sharp pressure closed down, and I cried out, bracing for the end. The monster froze, then all at once pulled back. The creature seemed to retract in on itself and gagged. It straightened and shook its head, its massive tongue flopping about. It stretched out a feathered wing and wiped its tongue along its feathers. After a moment, it leaned down toward me again. Small, sniffling puffs of air ran along my side before it straightened up, gagged again, and then kicked me off the rock ledge.
I gasped and rolled, falling about five feet before hitting another hard stone. I groaned and rolled onto my back just in time to see the massive monster huff and take off into the sky.
The fuck.
Now I wasn’t even good enough to eat? Wait, no, that was a good thing.
I lifted a shaky hand and tried to cover my face, but my arm protested with a sharp pain in my shoulder. I took a deep, stuttering breath and only barely kept in the whimper that tried to escape. I couldn’t lose it now.
Okay, new game plan. Stand up, try not to fall over, then try to figure out what direction I came from, and then walk, what, maybe a hundred miles and try to find my friends?
That thing had flown so far, so fast. Was there any chance of making my way back to the others? Using my other arm, I successfully covered my face, blocking out the oddly green sun, and attempted not to break down.
“Fuckity fuck fuck.”
three
. . .
Kex
A horrible screechingnoise ripped through the forest, and I flinched. Memories flashed through my mind, surrounding me with the enemy’s war cry as weapons flew past and I dove for cover. In a moment, I was back in that tight crevice where I hid through the longest night of my life.
I shook my head and focused on the sacred aloon trees before me. There was no war in the forest. Here, my spirit could find peace. I frowned and pushed through the ferns, heading toward the screech, my ears twitching the closer I got. It sounded like a ranook, but they were so rare this far east in the spring. It would be a sight of beauty as long as I did not stray from the protection of the trees and become its dinner.
I stepped carefully across the forest floor, trying not to advertise my presence as I reached a gap in the trees. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough to get a good look at the ranook, but I stood in wonder as its massive purple wings shimmered in the afternoon sun.
This was why I had returned to the solitude of the deep forest. To remember there were things in this world worth experiencing. To remember my place in the universe, as smalland insignificant as it may be. I thought briefly of the last few months, of the heartache and loss and the impending decision ahead of me, then pushed it aside. I had months yet to be selfish before I had to make a choice.
Something groaned near the cliff edge, and my hand went immediately to the spear at my back. I loosed it from my strap and held it at the ready as I eased out of the trees. Around a small boulder, a creature lay prone on the rock, strangely colored and covered in some type of slime. It was definitely not ormonai. I stepped closer, lowering the back of my spear to prod it, but its arm moved away and revealed a pale, off-white, round face, almost the color of stone, and eyes of a lovely brown.
It blinked at me.
No, she. I knew instantly she was female, as if her spirit sang to mine.
Her features were odd but attractive. She blinked at me again, and my chest throbbed as if a tether hooked under my ribs and pulled gently toward her. Heat tingled through my extremities and I leaned forward, grinning down at this slimy, if not intriguing woman, with absolute certainty. I had found her in the most unlikely of places.