Time Torn

by Ilse V Rensburg

  Caiseal grabs hold of my hand and I pull. Caiseal doesn’t share in Elvin's acrobatic skills and after some slipping, shuffling and swearing I managed to tug him out, landing on my backside as I do.

  The two pirates ignore me as I push myself up. Turning to Riley I can feel fear bubbling in my chest like indigestion. He speaks before I can. “She must have taken him.”

  The leader, she chose the Captain.

  Riley’s jaw locks. “We’ll find him, Cris,” he says, his fingers brushing against mine before he turns to Caiseal and Elvin. “Go back to the ship and prepare to disembark, Cris and I will find the Captain and Kevin.”

  Caiseal snarls. “Delighted to.”

  Elvin glances at my hand, still so close to Riley's. When he doesn’t move to follow Caiseal the pirate pauses with an exasperated sigh and turns back to glare at me. “You two... the girl and you, you’re going to rescue our Captain?”

  Riley crosses his arms and stands tall as he replies, “that’s right, is there a problem with that?”

  “Well...” Riley cuts him off with a glower. “She rescued me and cut off one of those things’ heads and then, somehow, she befriended a siren. I think she is more than capable.”

  I flush, looking down at my now ruined boots. Riley makes me feel like a normal teenage girl and not like I am a prophesied hero with the weight of the world on my shoulders.

  Caiseal nods, turning away before I can think too much on his expression but I'm happy to see them go, it gives me a moment to thank Riley for being one of the only pirates who has stood up for me.

  “Thanks. It’s nice to have someone believe in me for a change.”

  Leaning forward he runs his forefinger along my cheek, his lips caressing my forehead as he murmurs, “I’ve always believed in you, Cris.”

  “You know that you’re too old for me right,” I reply.

  He steps back with a smile. “Cris I’m nineteen. Stop looking for excuses.”

  I look away, wrapping my arms around my shoulders and shiver. The sun is low and the clearing is freezing. I'm not looking for excuses. My parents had practically brainwashed me with the repetition of, ‘he’s too old for you.’ Especially if the guy looked like Riley... From the corner of my eye, I look him up and down and can’t help smiling.

  My dad would have freaked if I'd brought Riley home, but what was a two-year age gap when you're a pirate female prophesied to save the world? With a sigh, I focus on what is important now – finding the Captain.

  “Where do you think he is?”

  Riley looks around us, stretching his arms behind his back.

  Then looking at me he opens his mouth to reply when a shout comes from the north, echoing into the natural bowl we stand in.

  Grabbing hold of my sword I sprint out of the hollow and back down the stone road. The exclamation seems to have come from the centre of the village. I can hear Riley’s boots hitting the stone as he runs behind me, and I am glad to have him. The leader of the gorgons looks like she means serious business.

  I turn in a circle. All around me are huts constructed from reeds and raw timber. They closely resemble stilted bungalows. Most of them are in the same condition as those on the outskirts save for two, one of which has a colourful array of washing flung over the railing of a balcony.

  Kevin rushes out of a lived-in looking hut. The reed door silently swinging off its hinges as he escapes. I almost giggle, recalling the girly scream that had to lead us here but Auristella's voice is booming from inside. Kevin, half shuffling, half running, has each of his boots covering his lower areas. Without the pair, he'd be stark naked. He reminds me of a dog that has just been caught eating its owner’s Christmas dinner.

  I smirk, turning my attention to the hut. Venette flies from inside, landing sprawled on the surface of the balcony with Auristella hovering over her, half human, half bird. Riley moves so that his body shields mine. I push against him, annoyed that he still thinks I can’t protect myself. He responds with a slight shake of his head.

  “Where is she?” Auristella roars.

  “Who are you to disturb me?” Venette screams back at her with such force I can almost see the spittle leave her lips.

  “Shut up! I could kill you! I have every desire to but I’m saving all my hate for your cousin! So, don’t make me hurt you Venette.”

  Venette pushes her shoulders back, her eyes darting to the other side of the balcony. I follow her line of vision and gasp. The leader of the gorgons is spread-eagled against the side of the hut, her nails long and taloned as they hold her up. Her skin slithers, changing from caramel to scales and back again. I look back at Venette in horror. Her skin is changing too.

  “Auristella! Behind you!” I cry out.

  Venette pushes herself up on to her elbows, the skin on her back stretching as they give way to leathery wings. The leader’s dress tears falling to the ground before billowing up as it is carried off by the wind.

  Her hands are now completely claw-like and spikes protrude from the dull grey skin of her elbows. I guess I shouldn’t have worried about Riley being interested in a gorgon... He looks repulsed as their thick plaited hair recedes, an inverted horn growing above two elongated tusks that merge with their ears.

  If I had been worried before it was nothing compared to how I feel now! Why hadn’t Georgia changed? I would be the dead one now if she had because I can’t see myself winning against these monsters. It's as if the younger gorgon hasn’t even wanted to put up a fight. A sick feeling bubbles in my belly which I shove back down.

  I can analysis Georgia’s actions when we defeat Venette and the gorgon queen because the simple fact of the matter is that we have to. We have to succeed no matter what.

  “Why do you speak ill of Vanja?” Venette asks, her s’s pronounced as if she has a lisp.

  Auristella cackles. “Don’t act like you don’t know Venette! I am sick to death of doing your bidding.”

  Vanja jumps so that she is perched on the rafters beside them. “You didn’t seem to mind when you started,” she coos, or what I assume is an attempt at a coo. It sounds more like a slithering growl.

  The siren twists her body so that she is almost backed up against the wall. My throat constricts. She needs help!

  “That was before I thought I could be loved before I knew I wasn’t just a fiend. That I could live in harmony with the humans, including the men, and you...You destroyed it all for me.”

  Vanja’s mauve lips curl upwards, her voice coming out as a snigger. “Is this about that boy? The one I had turned to stone?”

  “He was no more a boy than you are a woman.” Auristella shoots back heatedly.

  “Tsk tsk young one. He would have broken your heart in the end. All men are the same, that’s why we rid the world of them - they lie, they cheat, they crush our hearts into a pulp and they kill! Do not forget the real story about Medusa and Pursues, Stella. We saved you a great heartache. No man is worthy of our love... of any love. He was undeserving of you.”

  “Why must you be so determined to live in the past Vanja? Have you not seen the changing times with each of your victims, and now, a pirate crew that includes a female! Is that not progress? Theodore was a good man; it was I who did not deserve him.” Gritting her teeth, she leans forward. “You destroyed my one chance at happiness, and now you will never know how it feels to love and be loved by a man!”

  Rolling her eyes, she pounces down from the rafters landing lithely beside Venette who cocks her head towards her queen retorting for her. “Come now Stella, you are being irrational.”

  Even I want to slap her. Who is she scolding? A baby?

  Auristella flinches. “I am being irrational?” She spits. “You killed my true love! Look at me Venette! Both of you, look. At. Me...” She pauses until both of the gorgons are staring at her with puzzled expressions. “I am a monster. Who could love me?”

  “Oh, Stella! Is that what this is about? Take any man you desire. You want the bright-haired one? Hav
e him, he can be your pet.” Venette replies with a nonchalance that leaves me squirming for what is to come next.

  “I don’t want what you have had! Are you not listening to me? Theodore did not love me for my voice... But how could I expect a cold-blooded creature like yourself to ever understand?”

  “Enough!” Riley yells from his protective position in front of me.

  My hand flies to my chest as I turn to him in alarm. What is he doing?

  His green eyes are bright. Much too bright. He looks wild... wild and passionate, but also surprised. It makes me wonder if he has spoken up on purpose or if he has somehow been offended by the conversation between the siren and gorgon. His right shoulder hunches up and he coughs into it, clearing his throat so that he can yell out, “where is the other man you took?”

  No one speaks and no one moves. Auristella and Venette appear frozen in time as Vanja leans against the railing with a superior resting bitch face. The wind pushes against the stoic jungle foliage and one of the hut's floorboards creak. Finally, Vanja lets out a dramatically loud breath and cocks her head in our direction. “As I assume you have already freed the others, the one you seek is tied up tight within my abode.”

  My forehead crinkles. She's up to something. Riley doesn’t seem to care as he takes off towards the bungalow with damp washing flung over the bannister, pinned down with stones.

  I turn my attention back to Auristella who is bristling at Venette.

  Do I stay and attempt to protect her or do I chase after Riley and hope we are not running into a trap? The siren had said that there were only three gorgons remaining, but that doesn’t mean that there are no other monsters.

  Finally, I turn on my heels and run.

  “But don’t try too hard to escape girly! Once Stella is dealt with, we will be coming for you, and this time I’ll be sure to kill you.” Venette coos after me.

  It is the period at the end of the sentence that has been missing. My shoulders tighten but still, I sprint, racing up the steps of her home and into a darkened room. Her hut is filthy with random objects piled from floor to ceiling. It appears that Vanja has a hoarding problem.

  I edge back as rustling comes from behind a stack of aeroplane seats. The room is gloomy with only a thin ray of light peeking through the door frame. Gulping, I inch forward exhaling in relief when I see the Captain crouched on the floor rubbing his wrists as Riley removes his bonds.

  Sheathing his sword Riley straightens, walking past me wordlessly. My heart constricts. Had I done something to piss him off?

  The Captain chooses this moment to chastise me. “I told ye not to come here, lass!”

  “You’re just lucky I don’t listen very well.” I shrug.

  He pulls me into a one-armed hug and ruffles my hair. His knees click as he stands and steps past me to inspect the area by the door.

  “You lose something?” I ask looking down at the mud-encrusted wooden slats with a grimace as a green cockroach the size of my big toe runs past.

  “That son of a biscuit eater threw my sword down somewhere here. She said she wanted to fight me first.”

  I frown. Monsters are so weird. Moving to stand beside him I crouch down and shuffle some papers and moth-eaten bags around. I am sure his sword will stand out and it doesn't seem to be here.

  Straightening I kick at a moth-eaten damask hat box. It rattles. Lifting the lid with my thumb and forefinger, since I am freaked that a rat might jump out at me. Inside is a bronze locket. Its chains are made up of small hexagonal links.

  Placing it on the palm of my hand I press the clip that allows the locket’s case to spring open.

  There is a folded piece of paper on top and beneath it is a compass. The lid is made of cut crystal, its interior mother of pearl with an ivory dial. It's beautiful.

  “Found it!” The Captain bellows.

  I plop the compass and paper into the purse on the inside of my sword sheath and turn towards him just as a commotion outside has my heart lurching. I rush from the hut with the Captain at my heels.

  Auristella hovers above the ground. Her immense wings stirring up more mini tornadoes in the sand surrounding her. Despite her fierce appearance, she is a gazelle with two wild lionesses attacking. One gorgon rips at her back while the other attempts to rip her wing off.

  Screaming I rush into battle.

  Riley reaches Vanja before me, pulling her back by the yellow inverted horn on her head and stabbing her in the chest with his sword. The irregular weight on her back has Auristella tilting sideways. Every visible vein on her body is becoming more and more prominent as they darken. She is the perfect angel of death archetype, only now she is bleeding and beaten.

  Whipping my cutlass from its protective leather pouch I swipe at Venette. My blade brushing past the gorgon and nicking my friend instead. Venette faces me with a scowl. My hands tremble and I leap backwards. The power that has lent me strength before has deserted me. The Captain soars past. Grabbing hold of Auristellas’ wing joint, he stabs at Venette repeatedly.

  Pressing my heels down I suck in my breath. My cheeks pushing out as I hold it. I have to think of something that will make me angry! I have to push until I feel the trickle of power re-associate itself with my body! I let the breath I hold in whoosh from my lips as panic strangles me. What if I’ve used it all up?

  Helplessly I watch as Vanja drags her reptilian body from the ground. Her bones splaying in awkward directions as she grabs hold of Riley’s legs. It is as if I am trapped in a horror movie.

  As soon as Riley peers down at her he will turn to stone. My eyes are hampered with tears as I fumble forwards.

  Time stills as the event plays out.

  I crash to the ground with a feeble sob. I have the ability to stop this from happening! I have to stop it! Wretchedly I watch as his blood starts to form bumps against his skin. He looks as if he is morphing. His left arm twitches. He has something in his hand.

  I press my palms into the ground. Georgia... Georgia’s hands all over Riley, Georgia kissing Riley! An electric current zips through my veins. It isn’t painful this time. This time I enjoy it. I almost fly I leave the ground so fast.

  Auristella reaches Vanja as I do. Grabbing hold of her emergency cone orange horn she pulls the gorgon’s head back and spins her.

  Riley is on his side breathing heavily with his hand wrapped around his throat.

  I drop down in relief.

  “Riley?”

  He looks back at me with a weak smile and I give him a quick peck before twisting back into action. Venette is pummeling towards me. How the hell has she survived so many stab wounds?!

  I sneer at her, my body buzzing with energy. Lurching at me I launch into the air, my boots grazing against her yellow horn as she overshoots me. Landing with a crunch the soft ground beneath me shudders and cracks blowing up a storm of dust.

  Coughing I wave at it unable to see where the gorgon has gone. I can see Riley’s silhouette waving something around him.

  The dust settles. It is Georgia’s head. He is swinging it at Venette with a veil over his eyes, and the gorgon appears to have just realized who his weapon of choice is.

  Dropping her head down she swings at Riley. Her tusks knocking him down, and like a drill, she rotates knocking me, in the same manner, mid-run. I roar as she swipes at me, her talons ripping my side like a badly sewn blouse.

  I hiss in surprise. My body is numb, but I know I have been wounded from the dripping sensation against my ribs.

  Pushing myself into a backwards plank I cartwheel up grabbing the hilt of my cutlass as I spin. I am already mid-run in the air. Landing, I jut my elbow out so that my blade is across my neck as I push it out and into the armoured scales of Venette’s arm. She wails, knocking my sword from my grip as olive green blood oozes from the wound.

  Mentally chastising myself I search for another weapon. The white sand is a mist raining down as man fights monster and the angel of death seeks her vengeance.

  V
enette grins as her yellow forked tongue strokes her pointed teeth. I inch backwards, the numbness along my ribs beginning to ebb. I am defeated. How am I supposed to get out of this one? I won’t survive fighting with my bare hands.

  She is a predator swaying forwards with the comfortable knowledge that she has her prey cornered. Dropping my hands to my side I hang my head, watching my blood shatter like rubies onto the white sand. She makes a gurgling sound, enticing me to look up.

  Her head has been pulled back exposing her throat. Auristella stares back at me and I am a vessel of gratitude. Dipping down I reach for my sword, my fingers coming away empty as Vanja kicks it away from me.

  Her yellow eyes flare as she hisses, “time to die, little hero.”

  I jump backwards, my body twisting into a backflip. Upon my landing, I crouch down, one palm flat against the sand as my other reaches into my boot and wrenches out my dagger.

  The sand burns, growing steadily hotter as if the ground beneath is boiling. I pulse with power and instead of jumping like I'd planned I sprint forward moving faster than I could ever have imagined until I have her throat in my grasp.

  I push her up until she is hovering above the ground, her wings flapping and coiling in an attempt to escape me. She reaches out grabbing hold of the arm that imprisons her and scratches at it until it turns red. With my other arm, I stab the dagger into her jugular. Her wings beat listlessly as she collapses onto her knees dark green blood spraying out around us.

  Pulling the dagger from her neck I turn away from the gorgon who is gaping at me in shock. My shoulders shake. Auristella looks exactly like I imagine I do - Dirty and bloody. She saunters towards me with far more grace than I can manage after such a battle, her clawed feet coming to rest beside the dead gorgon who is gradually turning back into a human.

  “I was hoping to watch the life leave her eyes knowing it was I who killed her, but you, Cris, you have left me in your debt today. You are far more of a hero than you give yourself credit for.”

  I blink down at my dagger which has a layer of coalescing garnet and jade blood. I wipe it on my ruined shirt. My power and my adrenalin seeping away and leaving me with stinging arms and an indescribable pain along my side.