by Beth Hoyer
a river and followed it. Reaching a thick tall tree next to the river, he settled on the tree to look below to see a fire which his people called an Eater surrounded with rocks and sniffed the air. He could smell unfamiliar scents around nearby the fire. With a growl Torrin waited to see through the tree branches, a figure that the Drainer saw appeared to be Human by the looks of the face came dressed in grey gonoid skins walking towards the fire with long night sky colored hair. The humanoid swung the hair out of the face revealing Human ears and leaned down to place some sticks into the Eater. Torrin edged himself closer towards the edge of the tree branches to look. The place was a small clearing where the figure had a small hut which was made out of tree bark next to the roaring fire.
The figure he saw appeared to be alone which brought a smirk to Torrin’s face he thought “Good, need to fill in tank.”
Torrin walked towards the edge of the branch to froze seeing the figure looked up looking into the tree he was hidden. Then the figure shrugged and bent down as Torrin jumped from the tree to land silently behind the figure. The figure turned around and howled some call in a feminine voice with a hint of guttural tones which Torrin roared charging at the female a foot smaller than he. The female yanked a stick with an Eater on the edge and waved it towards Torrin who towered over her who looked at him with brown angry eyes.
The female yelled something which Torrin translated to himself “Get back, demon!”
The female repeated the words which Torrin took off his metal headband that was settled around his forehead and threw it at the female hitting her in the head. The metal headband flew back into Torrin’s hand. The female shook her head and dropped the stick with the Eater into the large Eater then ran towards a cluster of trees yelling which Torrin threw the weapon and it hit the female in the legs. Then the weapon flew back to his hand as the female fell towards the ground and with a roar he charged grabbing the kneeled female by the hair. The female reacted by slashing at him with a knife like stone in her left hand. She growled some sound still slashing at him.
He growled out in Rayala “I don’t have time for this.”
Switching languages he spoke in the female’s language “Who are you?”
The female spat at him and gripped his arm with anger flashing in her eyes as he tightened his hold in her hair.
Torrin still speaking in her language said “I don’t have time for this, Human.”
He pulled her head up and eyed her throat. It was like the Humans bare skin pulsing of blood. With a growl he grabbed her left hand holding the stone knife peeling off the weapon from her hand. Then he put a hand on her chest which she struggled to remove as her throat swelled up. Torrin proceeded to open his mouth showing retractable fangs and was about to bite the female’s throat when he felt pricks of pain on the arm holding her hair. He looked to see long thin sticks peeking into his skin suit and looked around growling as he felt waves of sleep hitting him. With a snarl he could feel the hold on the female lessening as he struggled to stay awake. The female yanked his hand from her chest and stood up snarling some growling sound as the bushes around them rumbled showing in Torrin’s blurry eye sight, Humans like the female came out armed with sticks and stones. Some had pipes in their mouths aimed at him.
Torrin groaned out in the female’s language as a wave of uncontrollable sleep hit him “Beddune, where?”
Then every thing went black.
Torrin woke up to hear voices talking faintly as the sun shifted down near the horizon. He shifted to find himself tied to a tree with ropes wrapped around him. He was in a sitting position with his hands tied together and his feet were stretched tied to a thick log in front of him. Shaking his head Torrin let the cobwebs of sleep left him as he looked around. He was still in the clearing but looked around to see other Humans in gonoid skins were walking around the area. One of the Humans Torrin saw was sitting at the edge of the log that Torrin’s feet were tied to.
The Human spoke in masculine tones with a guttural voice “The demon’s awake.”
Torrin gasped out in hunger in the Human’s language “I’m no demon.”
He noticed the others came forward to surround him most of them radiating of anger.
The Human at the log again said “You attacked one of us.”
Torrin growled as he felt hunger and answered to the accusation “I had to, Human. I’m a species called Drainer who feeds on essence from inside your bodies. I must feed.”
The male spoke again “What essence is that?”
Torrin growled out “The essence that is inside your bodies which that female is leaking.”
He pointed to one of the Humans with his tied hands with a finger which he assumed was a female.
Torrin again growled out as the Humans looked at the female “Get that female away from me before I harm you again. The smell is driving me to feed.”
The male sitting at the log answered “The essence you drink is what we call blood.”
Torrin snarled out growling “yes, food.”
He struggled with the ropes tying him and eyed the female who stood there with arms folded.
The male at the log asked “Orders?’
The female with arms folded replied “Get him something to feed on before he feeds on us and alert the Beddune about him.”
Torrin moaned out “Yes, food.”
The male sitting at the log asked “Do we have one of our cows brought here? Perhaps he can feed off of that?”
The female spoke “Bring them anyway. I refused to let this Drainer to feed on one of us.”
Night fell and Torrin roared still struggling against the ropes binding him. He could smell blood which was calling him to feed through his nose in the two holes in his suit covering his skin. He roared again. One of the Humans came forward to him with a small hand sized gonoid skin bag with a tube coming from it.
The Human stuck the tube in Torrin’s mouth and ordered “Drink Drainer.”
Torrin slurped up the contents and spoke in a strained tone in the Human’s language “I could use some more, what I had isn’t enough.”
He could see the Human stood up illuminated by the series of Eaters scattered around the clearing.
The Human spoke “You’ll have to wait for the Beddune to arrive.”
The fog in Torrin’s mind cleared as he exclaimed “The Beddune! I was sent by my King to find the Beddune for-”
The Human interrupted “Later Drainer. Wait for the Beddune to arrive then they’ll help you. Save your strength.”
Torrin growled some sound of frustration as the Human walked away.
He groaned as he closed his eyes and let sleep over came him.
Torrin woke up to hear his communications link on his arm switched off with a beep sound. He looked around in the clearing to see one of the Humans was standing talking faintly to a shorter than them figure. The figure Torrin saw was barely illuminated by the firelight scattered around the clearing. He could see the figure was joined by other figures that were short and appeared to be wearing night sky colored clothing. The Human pointed to Torrin who strained against his bonds staring at them. Then the figure with two others walked forward and was illuminated by an Eater the three figures paused to stand watching him. Torrin saw with shock that the figures had a night sky colored long sleeve top and pants wrapping around the feet and legs which was under a mid lower leg length skirt. Torrin also saw that there were sun colored Felidae like ears peering top of the head and had a cloth mask covering the face except for sun colored Human like eyes peering out. One of the figures walked forward towards Torrin and kneeled with a fluid motion.
He heard the figure ask in a guttural language “You are seeking the Beddune why?”
Torrin replied in the same language “The problem is my King is seeking a mate and a way for him to feed not by person.”
The figure spoke “They say you’re called Skyan and your kind drinks the blood of others to live like a Drainer.”
> Torrin demanded “How did you know our name? I never gave the name out.”
The figure spoke “That’s not important for we are who you seek called Beddune.”
Torrin gaped at them as one of Beddune stood up and gestured as another came forward. The Beddune had a bowl which Torrin could see white stuff pooled in it, which the Beddune brought to his lips. Torrin found the stuff tasted good and drank greedily feeling his familiar strength returning.
He gave the ropes a tug and heard the Beddune say “Save your strength Skyan. The Unnamed Ones will free you.”
One of the Humans, Torrin assumed, was the Unnamed Ones came forwards with a long metal knife and proceeded to cut the ropes binding Torrin’s legs and hands including the rope tying him to the tree.
With a groan Torrin stood up and looked down at the Beddune who was foots shorter than he was.
The Beddune spoke “There’s a valley we will take you in the morning.”
Torrin fingered his communications link which one the Unnamed Ones spoke “Don’t, the Beddune are capable of turning off any kind of technology like their immune to it.”
Torrin groaned as he spoke “The others of my kind will come here inquiring about my tracing device being shut off.”
One of the Unnamed Ones who freed Torrin said “Don’t worry the Beddune tells us your King is familiar to them and knows about this.”
Torrin spoke “This is something the King forgot to tell.”
In the
