Razor's Pass

by L. Fergus

  “Stupid cat,” Bart bemoaned. “It was luck, that’s all. No one could find that thing as their true love. Yuck.”

  “Shut up,” said Cowboy.

  “What’s he talking about?” said Kita.

  “Nothing, kitten. Lamenting his arrogance. Here, keep eating,” Snowy said with a smile.

  Kita ate two pouches of meat before Snowy helped her stand.

  “You want me to carry you?” Zidin said to Kita.

  “No, but thank you. I think I can manage.”

  “You can lean on me if you need to.”

  Kita took a few wobbly steps. “I might just do that.”

  “Fine, but you need to keep eating.”

  Kita nodded.

  Morning came, and they stopped in the shade of a spire. Kita collapsed against a rock and put her head back to sleep.

  “You can’t sleep until you eat,” said Snowy.

  “I ate all the meat.”

  “We still have these,” said Cowboy, holding up two ration bars.

  Kita stuck her tongue out.

  “Eat,” said Snowy.

  Kita was too tired to argue. She took the bars and ate them as quickly as she could. When she was done, Snowy sat down behind her and pulled Kita into her lap. Kita pulled Snowy’s tail around her and fell asleep.

  Zidin woke Bart for his turn on watch. Bart took his time getting ready, and Zidin grunted to speed him along.

  “Let me ask you something since she trusts you,” said Bart as he fixed his hair.

  “What?” Zidin said agitatedly.

  “Are Kita and the cat an item, or are they just having fun, so to speak?”

  “What does it matter?”

  “Depends on the tactic I take to make Kita mine. There are different ways to approach a girl depending on their relationships—free, boyfriend, married, or widow. You have to approach in just the right way; otherwise, forget getting laid.”

  “I think it’s none of your business. She’s happy, let’s leave it at that.”

  “She could be much happier with me. She just doesn’t know it yet. I need to figure out how to get the cat out of the picture. What she sees in that thing is beyond me.” Bart shuddered.

  “How about you not upset the cart? She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her. You do anything to upset that and you’ll have the Crushing Depths to pay.”

  Bart smiled into his compact. “Oh, there might be a few tears, but those are good. You can take advantage of those. If she gets upset, I know ways to calm her down.”

  “Don’t count on it.”

  “A kind word, a gift, a special treat—if you know what I mean—is all it takes.” Bart smiled like a man who had done it a thousand times.

  “You’ve never seen her upset. Usually, someone has to be mauled before she’ll calm down.”

  “She likes it rough, does she? Interesting.”

  “Let me spell it out for you. That girl has a mean streak ten miles wide and a hundred deep. When she gets mad, people die. I don’t want to think about what she’d be like with a broken heart. That cat is the best thing that’s happened to her in a long time. You mess it up and I will break you. If she flies into a berserker rage, you better believe I’m throwing you to her. I’m curious to see what creative ways she comes up with to mutilate you. Am I clear?”

  “Believe me, I won’t break her heart. She’ll be walking on clouds. I think I have little to fear from her. You saw how she was carried away earlier. She never drew her swords.” Bart chuckled. “She’s all bark and no bite. Well, hopefully, she bites a little, if you know what I mean. I don’t think our darling Commander would be a match for someone like me. She got her title by heredity, right?” Bart rolled his eyes.

  “She was chosen to be Junior Legion Commander by the existing Commander, and her other title she received after beating me in a duel.”

  “Doesn’t say much for you, does it? That’s ok. I’m used to being the most powerful one in a group. Don’t worry; I like you. I won’t hurt you. Go get some sleep, big fella.”

  Zidin grunted, shook his head, and went to bed.

  Kita woke to a tickle in her nose. She crossed her eyes to focus on the large tail in front of her face. Batting it away made it come back. Giggling, she turned it into a game. The large tail twitched this way and that as she batted it.

  “You know this is what mothers do to keep cubs entertained,” said Snowy.

  “Guess I’m easily amused.”

  Cowboy stood over them. “Are you two getting up? We need to make up for yesterday.”

  Kita sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Keep your spurs on.”

  Cowboy’s eyebrow rose. “I gather you’re feeling better?”

  Kita showed him her arm. It looked as good as new, but she wiggled her fingers to be sure.

  “Good. How much farther do we have to go?”

  “We’re closer than you think. It’s ten miles away.” Kita pointed. “We should be there after midnight.”

  Kita stopped the group under another spire.

  “Why are we stopping? Are we here?” Bart demanded.

  Kita scowled. “Yes…and no. Our destination is still a mile away. What we want is at the top of this spire.”

  “Why can’t we just walk?”

  “Because there’s an army of ravagers between us and there.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “A little birdie told me.” Called Omega.

  “I’m not like you and the cat. I can't squirrel my way up the side.” Bart glared at Snowy.

  Kita’s eyes narrowed. “You’re the rock shaper, make stairs. I’m not going to tell you again to leave her alone.”

  Bart rolled his eyes.

  “I suggest you take her advice,” Cowboy said with a menacing glare. “You keep insulting the lady and I’ll help Kita whip your ass.”

  Bart scoffed, but he left to shape stairs out of the rock. Stair by stair, the group made its way up the side of the tall spire. They soon reached the flat top, featureless except for a rock formation in the middle containing a door.

  Kita and Cowboy examined the door, searching for the panel to open it. Cowboy found it built into the door’s center. He placed his hand on the panel, and it turned red. Kita tried next, but it wouldn’t open for her either. She jammed her finger into the biometric scanner.

  “That won’t do anything without the palm print first,” said Cowboy.

  “Will you not second guess me?” snapped Kita.

  The panel changed to solid green. Black pixels replaced green ones as Kita hacked the system. The outline of a palm print appeared, and a rotating cube appeared on the panel. On each side was a moving grayscale image. They look like snowstorms. Pieces of images appeared around the cube. When the images were complete, the cube stopped rotating and vanished. The door slid open. Kita stuck her tongue out at Cowboy. “Let’s go.”

  “You’re so professional,” Cowboy grumbled. “How did you know how to hack the panel?”

  “Secret.”

  “You agreed to tell me.”

  “You want me to get into the algorithm right now?” Because if you do, I don't know what I did…Yet.

  “We’ll discuss it later.”

  They entered a small landing with a shaft and a pulley on the ceiling on the far side. Cowboy hit a button on the wall. From the noise, something was moving up the shaft. The open cart elevator reached the top, revealing a pair of giant human-sized black spiders.

  A spider pounced on Kita, knocking her to the ground and pinning her to the floor with its legs. It tried to bite her with its fangs, and she struggled to shield herself with her arms from the spider’s massive fangs. The claws on its feet sliced into the unprotected areas of her legs. She screamed when the large fangs punctured her hand and large droplets of venom fell on the floor around her.

  The second spider lunged at Cowboy, but Snowy pounced on it, tearing at the creature’s giant abdomen with her claws.

  Zidin charged from the rear of the grou
p, pushing Bart to the ground. In the close confines of the room, he had no room to swing his sword. Instead, he used it like a lance, driving it through the spider attacking Kita. He yanked it off her and bashed it against the wall until it stopped moving.

  “Snowy! Move!” yelled Cowboy. Snowy flipped off the spider as Cowboy fired his weapon into the spider. The head of the creature disappeared in a mist. “Nothing like a shotgun to end a fight.”

  Kita swore at the two large holes in her hand. She held her palm up to her face and looked through each hole in turn. The moment of humor took her mind off the pain. Her ears were ringing from Cowboy’s gunshot. Snowy said something, and Kita looked at her, shook her head, and pointed to her ear with her good hand. Ok, downside to having augmented hearing.

  Snowy pointed at Kita’s hand.

  “It’s fine,” Kita said a little too loudly. “I don’t feel sick, and there’s no streaking. I think the venom missed me.”

  Bart said something, and from the grin on his face, Kita wanted to smack him. “Get on the elevator.”

  Kita’s hearing improved on the way down. She muttered in frustration. It felt like she had hands over her ears. To make it worse, the constant high-pitched ringing drowned out what she could hear.

  When the elevator reached the bottom, everyone stood ready. The door opened, but nothing waited for them.

  Kita went first followed by Snowy. The only light came from the elevator and it didn’t go far. Snowy pointed to the walls—webs and cocoons coated them. Kita sliced a cocoon open, and a half-digested ravager splashed onto the floor. Both Kita and Snowy turned up their noses.

  “Bart, get up here!” Kita yelled over her shoulder.

  Lighting a flame in his hand, he made his way to them. “This place is disgusting. Are you sure it wouldn’t be better above ground? Fighting an army would be better than this.”

  “You want to climb back down the spire?” said Kita. Bart shook his head. “I didn’t think so. Burn it.”

  “Burn what? If you’re talking about the cat, even I think that’s a little extreme. We could leave her for the spiders, and later you and I can watch the sunset,” he cooed.

  Kita punched him across the jaw. Bart spun like a top and landed face-first against the web-covered wall. He thrashed in the webs trying to free himself, but the more he tried, the more entangled he became.

  “Oh, quit moving, wuss. I’ll cut you free.” Kita used Dusk to cut through the webs.

  Cowboy and Zidin laughed, while Snowy looked upset.

  “There, better?” Kita said to Bart when he was free. “Now, you are to stay in front and burn these webs.”

  “Did you have to hit me so hard? I don’t mind a girl who plays rough, but pushing me into those webs has left me a sight.”

  “Keep complaining and I’ll do more than hit you.” Kita turned her attention to Snowy and guided her away from Bart. “You ok?”

  Snowy had tears in her eyes. “Why does he hate me so? What did I ever do to him? I wouldn’t leave him to the spiders.”

  Kita put her arm around Snowy. “He only says those things because you’re a threat to him. He thinks if he belittles you enough, I’ll see what he wants me to see in you.”

  “You—you’re not, are you? I can do more if you want. I know we haven’t done much, but I didn’t think now was a good time or that you wanted to or…”

  Snowy cried quietly while Kita cursed the day she allowed Bart to come. It’s not too late to leave him here, is it? “No, no, no. I’ve loved spending time with you. It’s one of the few times I get to be me. I couldn’t think of a better person to spend those precious moments with. I want more of them with you, no one else, ok?” Kita wiped away Snowy’s tears and stroked the fur on the side of her face.

  The tears in Snowy’s eyes sparkled in the firelight. “I love it when you call me that. It lets me know you really are interested in me.”

  Kita looked at Snowy curiously. “When I call you what?”

  Snowy’s smile showed her fangs. “You call me a person and not something else. You see me as who I am and as a friend. Not some kind of monster or freak.”

  Kita put her hand on Snowy’s cheek. “You’re a great person. A person I want to know more about and enjoy spending time with. You’re a person who I think has the prettiest eyes, the cutest ears, beautiful soft fur, a great ass, and you have this.” Kita held up Snowy’s tail. “This is awesome. I never get tired of looking at it or playing with it. I love the way you carry it and the way it moves and twitches.”

  Snowy laughed. “I like that you like it. Sometimes I think it’s a nuisance, but I don’t know who I’d be without it. You make me so happy.”

  “All these things help make up Snowy, the wonderful person. The person I can't wait to give all the time you deserve. Right now, all I can do is ask you to forgive me for not being able to give you the time you deserve and to please wait for me?”

  Snowy’s ears went up. “Oh, of course. I don’t mean to hurry you. I know you’re busy with everything. I’m glad to tag along.”

  Kita took Snowy in her arms and whispered, “You’re doing no such thing. You help me in more ways than you know. I just want you to know that I’m not ignoring you, and I don’t want you to go away. I want to spend many more days and nights with you.”

  Snowy purred happily. “You know, this is the strangest place I can imagine for this type of conversation.”

  Both girls laughed.

  “True. I hate that I have to fit pleasure around business.”

  Swearing and shouting brought their attention down the hallway. Bart had moved down the tunnel. When Kita and Snowy caught up to the men, they found them engaging foot-long spiders. Three clung to Zidin’s back, biting his exposed skin. Cowboy had shot three, and two more were burnt. Snowy charged a pair coming behind Bart. With three quick strokes, Kita removed the spiders from Zidin’s back. He collapsed, and Cowboy and Kita knelt to examine him.

  “What happened?” Kita said as she waved Bart over to provide light.

  “They came from behind us. I’m not sure what we missed.” Cowboy let out a long whistle. “These spiders have nasty venom. It’s already turning the skin black and streaking. I don’t know if we’ll be able to save him.”

  Kita jumped up and went to the spider bodies. She grabbed one and jabbed its fangs into her arm. She repeated with two more.

  “What the blazing suns are you doing?” Cowboy yelled as Kita collapsed.

  Snowy returned from inspecting the walls. “I think they came in through a duct at the top of the wall back there.” She cried out and rushed to Kita, seeing the men over her. “What happened?” she demanded of Cowboy.

  He recoiled at the ferociousness of her question. “I told Kita that Zidin was beyond saving, and she injected their venom into her arm.”

  “And you let her?” Snowy snarled.

  “She didn’t announce her intentions. She just did it. Dammit. She’s a third the weight of Zidin.”

  “Do something! You owe me that much!” Snowy screamed at him.

  Cowboy looked up, but he couldn’t meet Snowy’s eyes. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do. Even if we were in a fully equipped lab, I don’t know if we would be able to do anything for either of them.”

  Kita coughed and stood up. “Bloody moons, that stuff burns.” She stumbled and fell against Zidin. On the positive side, the ringing in my ears has stopped. His breathing was shallow and heartbeat faint. She placed a hand on his neck and another over his heart. She injected him with a stimulant and the antivenom before collapsing on her back.

  Snowy and Cowboy rushed to Kita. Bart tried to push Snowy out of the way but received a gash across his hand. He said something to her but backed off to lean over Cowboy.

  “Kita, are you ok?” said Snowy.

  “What did you do?” demanded Cowboy.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m just waiting for the antivenom to finish clearing my system.” Kita coughed, and a small amount of blood
came up.

  Snowy cradled Kita’s head in her lap.

  Bart tried to give Kita some water, but Cowboy pushed him back. “If she’s coughing up blood, the last thing you want is to give her water.”

  Zidin coughed and moaned, and Cowboy left to attend to him. Snowy stroked Kita’s hair as Kita closed her eyes.

  “You ruin everything you touch, cat,” Bart whispered to Snowy. “You nearly got her killed this time. I don’t know how you’ve spun your twisted web around the others, but I see through you. I’ll protect her and them from you if it’s the last thing I do.”

  “If anyone around here is spinning lies, it’s you. You know nothing of us, you selfish little prick. I know you’re only after one thing. She’ll never sleep with you. You’re lucky she’s willing to be seen with you.”

  “Looks who’s talking, freak. Did your daddy violate a war cat or was a war cat the only thing willing to touch your mom? I think she takes pity on you—like some ugly and disgusting pet someone abandoned to the gutter.”

  “She took pity on you, and you’ve acted like a spoiled brat, howling to anyone who will listen that you’re in heat. You haven’t missed an opportunity to treat her like she’s some piece of meat for your enjoyment.”

  “Believe me, she’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of it.” Bart leered at Kita.

  “She told me how she wanted to be with me.”

  “People tell their pets that all the time.”

  “They only tell it to the ones they want to be with. Has she said it to you?”

  “She knows she wants me. I’ve seen it in her eyes. She doesn’t think I see her little glances at me, but I do. I’m just letting the desire and curiosity build. Soon, she won’t be able to take it anymore. She’ll come to me in the middle of the night and give it all to me. And you, cat, will be left out in the cold.”

  “You sound like you’ve had too many lonely nights. Are you sure you haven’t been getting her mixed up with the person in your mirror?”

  “Bart, get over here and help me with Zidin!” Cowboy yelled.

  “Your days are numbered, cat,” Bart hissed as he left.