by Sam Ryder
Don’t be late. I won’t be able to wait for you.
~~~
I stepped on a twig, which snapped in half with a sound that, in the silence, was as loud as a gunshot.
A couple of steps ahead of me, Eve froze, turning slowly to glare at me. I shrugged.
We both said nothing, listening for any sign that the guards had been alerted to our presence. When no one shouted and no giant footsteps thundered toward us, we both exhaled. Eve leaned in, like she was going to nibble my earlobe. “Use your Seeker eyes and stealth abilities.”
When she pulled back, her gaze lingered on mine for a moment to see if I got the message. I felt stupid. I’d been acting like I was still the brutish oaf Protector I was before. It was hard getting used to this new body. But I needed to, and fast, or we would become marmot toast. I nodded once to confirm my understanding and Eve turned away.
She crept forward once more.
This time, I concentrated. Even though the night had fully fallen now, I could see everything. It might as well have been day for me. I spotted the hazards before my feet. Like the root I would’ve previously stubbed my toe on, releasing a series of curses that would’ve awakened the marmot and brought the guards a’running. Instead, I deftly slipped around it, skirting the edge of a thorny bush without getting so much as a single scratch.
My supersonic hearing was useful as well. It amplified every sound, including the barely audible noises made by my passing feet. By focusing on each individual footfall, I was able to reduce the noise I made to a whisper only I would be able to hear. Shit, even Eve’s passing sounded like a cacophony next to mine. Apparently Seekers had some advantages even Finders did not.
I slowed as the forest ended at the edge of the clearing. I moved in tight to Eve, not feeling awkward at all anymore. Being near to her felt natural, even in the midst of a dangerous mission. Plus, it was necessary to communicate silently.
“Tell me what to do,” I whispered, my lips brushing her ear.
Her head swiveled back and forth, analyzing the situation. I followed her movements, doing the same, noticing what I hadn’t before. Yeah, you would think it would be impossible to miss the presence of three very large giants keeping watch, especially given my night-vision eyes.
These giants, however, were so still they might’ve been statues, their bulky bodies seeming to meld with the walls they stood against, facing outward toward the forest. They wore gray clothing that made them even more chameleon-like against the dull-colored stones. My spider vision, however, could see the way their eyes darted back and forth across the tree line. I wondered what sort of intruders they were looking for. Supposedly they got along with the lions, so there must be some other enemy they faced, one that would be bold enough to attack their building site.
Or us. They might be looking for us, word having spread about Eve abducting their citizens.
Eve turned back toward me. “Go left along the edge of the wood. Get their attention. They’ll give chase, raise the alarm. I’ll go right. Make a full circle. We’ll meet on the opposite side. Then I’ll get us all the hell out of here.” All meaning me, her and the enormous marmot that was somehow hidden behind the half-finished structure.
I nodded in understanding. I wanted to say Be careful but restrained myself. Eve, of all people, was the last one who needed to be warned of the dangers of this planet.
To my surprise, however, it was she who raised a hand tenderly to cup my cheek. “Remember,” she said softly. “Your brains. Me fucking them out.”
“How could I forget?” I said lightly. It was enough to break the tension and help me loosen up a little. Plus, yeah, I wanted to get through this mission to reap the reward promised by Eve. Sex with a woman like her was pretty damn motivating.
With that, she slid away into the night, as soundless as oil sliding through a crack.
I went left on quiet footsteps, watching the giant sentries for any sign of recognition. Nothing. They were looking the other way. Toward where Eve had gone.
Oh shit. Had they spotted her?
I simply reacted, releasing a loud, high-pitched, “Yeeeeeehawwww!” like I was some redneck that had just jumped on a stolen horse to go for a joyride.
Yep. That got their attention.
All three guards’ heads twisted in my direction and their mouths formed Os. The element of surprise only lasted a split-second, however, because these were clearly professionals. They leapt from their positions, charging toward me. Actually, no, only one of them galloped in my direction. The other two chose different angles, one picking a spot ahead of me and another behind me. It was a well-coordinated effort to surround me, a technique they’d clearly practiced and used before.
Bad for me.
Luckily, if my experiences on Tor had taught me nothing else, they had taught me to improvise.
I plunged back into the woods, ducking under one branch that tried to clothesline me and then leapt over another that tried to cut me at the knees. Eve told me to circle in the opposite direction to her, but that’s exactly what the guards seemed to be expecting. That’s the direction I’d started in and they’d probably think I would continue that arc after entering the forest.
I cut back the way I’d come, toward the spot Eve and I had performed our reconnaissance.
I was about to burst back into the clearing, but pulled up short, my instincts firing.
What the hell?
The giants were gone.
I stopped just short of the clearing, eyes darting back and forth, trying to locate them. Had they followed me into the woods? If so, they could be hot on my tail, coming from behind. I took a deep breath, listening. No sounds. Perhaps these big people were adept at moving without sound in the forest, but I couldn’t believe my animal-like ears wouldn’t be able to pick up any of their movements.
Where had they gone then?
I leaned forward, heart hammering.
Thank the goddesses for peripheral vision. The attack came from both sides at once. One was in the form of a mighty punch that I swear would’ve knocked my head clean off my shoulders had it connected as intended. The other was a giant jumping from a tree, one in which it had apparently climbed while I was frolicking in the forest, feeling smart.
It was they who’d outwitted me, anticipating my every move.
I twisted away from the punch as hard as I could, torqueing my neck in such a way that I heard the crackle of bones. Even still, the side of the giant’s fist scraped off my jaw, knocking me off-kilter and sending me sprawling to the forest floor. The tree diver tumbled over me, his heavy body feeling like it was filled with bowling balls, crunching against my muscles and bones.
The dual blows were the equivalent of being in a head-on collision, something I’d studiously avoided my entire life. And I had no airbags.
My knee cracked against a hard root and my ribs slammed into a round rock.
Luckily, however, it was just superficial pain, and though it hurt like hell, I could tell nothing had been broken. My brain was still working, too, and I managed to scramble on all fours away from the tangle of giant limbs as they reached to pull me back. I kicked one arm and slid away from another and then was free of the weight of the forest, emerging into the clearing once more.
Right where the third giant sentry was waiting.
Have you ever taken out a high-interest loan from the mafia and then been kicked in the ribs by an Italian leg-breaker named Guido? Me neither, but I suspect it would feel much the same as the boot I took to the gut now. It was so heavy and firm that this guy would always be picked first in a game of kickball.
It sent me into the air, which was ironic considering the air had been punched—well, technically, kicked—from my lungs. You know how sometimes they say the second hit is worse than the first? Meaning when you hit the ground? That was not the case here. Landing on the ground felt like collapsing on a feather bed after a long, hard day. My ribs, on the other hand, were screaming like banshees. At lea
st one was cracked, if not all of them.
A lesser man would lie there and wait to be finished off. That’s what Earth Sam Ryder would’ve done. That’s what Tor Sam Ryder wanted to do.
But that’s not what I did, because in that moment I thought of Eve creeping around the opposite side of the clearing. I needed to maintain the distraction as long as possible. Plus, I didn’t want to be late. I wanted to get back to Tor. I wanted to make it home, and not just because of Eve’s promise of pleasure beyond my wildest imagination. Because of Beat and Vrill. Because of the Warriors who needed me.
I shoved to my feet, my teeth gritting against each other to combat the pain, a hiss scraping from the back of my throat.
Despite my determination, I was still doubled over, forced to run with my head down. Making me a perfect target for the giant knee that came whistling up to clock me in the jaw.
Luckily, my tongue wasn’t between my teeth or it would’ve been bitten off. As it was, my teeth clacked together and I heard something—or somethings—crunch.
My stronger, bigger Protector body probably could’ve taken the blow without going down. Which would’ve been bad, because then the giant’s left hook would’ve taken my head off. Instead, I tumbled backwards and the punch whooshed just past my chin. My Leveled-up body reacted faster than my brain, my arms going back as I rolled, pushing up and using my momentum to get back to my feet.
Arms grabbed at me from the forest, one of the other giants having recovered. I knew the third wouldn’t be far behind.
I turned and ran, hearing the thunderous sound of pursuit fall in line behind me.
My body roared with each step but I didn’t stop, rounding the corner and moving swiftly along the adjacent side of the structure, where—yep, you guessed it—three more guards stood at the ready, having been alerted by all the commotion.
Behind them something else loomed up, as tall as a wall but tapering off at one end, as long and sinewy as a snake.
A motherfucking tail.
I’d found the slumbering marmot.
I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I want to reiterate it now. I didn’t grow up athletic. I never played sports because I sucked at them. Who wanted to do something they were no good at? That didn’t mean I didn’t understand them. I’d watched sports before. The athletic side of things didn’t interest me so much, but the strategy employed by coaches and managers always had. Hell, I’d even played a few games of Madden and defeated my online friends with ease. Having the best players wasn’t always a prerequisite for winning, even if the odds were stacked against you. On any given Sunday and all that jazz. Plus, I was athletic now, so I had that going for me along with my knack for strategy.
So I put on my mental gridiron helmet and considered all the angles I could take to get past the three linebackers waiting to shove my face into the turf.
And then abandoned them all.
This wasn’t a football field. This was a battlefield.
And I was tired and injured and pissed off.
I charged at the giant in the middle, my facing tightening into an expression that would tell him one thing and one thing only: I want to rearrange your face.
The other two giants closed in from the side and the center one widened his stance as if to say, “Bring it, mutha!”
I cocked my fist and prepared to land the wildest haymaker of my life.
Three things happened at once:
One: The giant on the left tried to kick me in the face with a booted heel. Not nice.
Two: The giant on the right brought a scything uppercut meant to send me to the moon. Even less nice.
Three: The center giant prepared to take the blow, guarding its face with upraised fists. Nice.
I slid feetfirst, like a baseball player trying to score the winning run by avoiding a high throw to the catcher.
And yep, that giant’s wide stance left me just enough room to make it. Sometimes it’s better to be smaller than your opponent, especially when your goal isn’t to beat ’em up, but simply to distract them and then escape.
The only problem was the big marmot tail in my way, blocking my escape from the six goons behind me. A thought came to mind, something I should’ve asked Eve earlier but hadn’t considered until now. Did I need to be touching Eve when she made the jump back to Tor, or could I be touching the marmot while she touched the marmot on another part of the huge beast’s body?
I didn’t know if she was serious about leaving me if I was late, but I also wasn’t taking any chances. I charged for the portion of the long tail that looked low enough for me to hurdle, leaping over it like a criminal being chased by the cops might slide across the hood of a car. As I landed and turned, I kept my hand on the marmot’s skin, which was strangely smooth, almost like a dolphin’s.
Eve’s eyes met mine, where she was positioned about fifty yards away toward the middle part of the sleeping dinosaur-like animal. Her expression was frantic.
And I knew:
I needed to be touching her for it to work.
Don’t be late.
The only problem was that I was already late. There were more giants past her, racing in her direction. I ran faster.
The giants were closer to Eve but I was faster than them, making up my disadvantage one step at a time, ignoring my aching, screaming body, watching Eve’s head swivel back and forth between my progress and theirs, like she was at a tennis match.
I wasn’t going to make it. Luckily, Eve was no fool.
With giants on her heels and on mine, she raced toward me, running a hand along the marmot’s smooth skin as she sprinted.
I felt the displacement of air behind me as someone grabbed at my neck. One of the giants was faster than the others. Great, big and fast, like some NFL linebacker that can run a 4.5-second forty and bench press four-hundred pounds. Not fair.
Eve and I were twenty yards apart, ten, five…
The marmot woke up, releasing a bellow of anger at its slumber having been disturbed.
What happened to sleeping like the dead?
It didn’t just yawn, adjust its position and go back to sleep. No, nothing on this planet could be that easy. Instead, it shoved to its feet with such speed that it felt like the wall of flesh to one side had just disappeared, there one second and gone the next.
Which was bad. Very bad. Because now Eve wasn’t touching the marmot.
Our momentum carried us forward to the point where we almost crashed into each other. Which would’ve been perfectly fine if Eve still had a hand on the marmot’s side. She would’ve done her jumping thing and we’d be off this horrid rock.
Instead, she grabbed my hand and yanked me hard to the wrong side. At least it was wrong in my mind. She pulled me underneath the marmot. If the thing decided to sit back down…well, you get the picture—bye bye Sam and Eve.
Her decision was, however, just in the nick of time, because we’d both had giants up our butts trying to grab us. The two big lugs smacked right into each other, stumbled backwards a couple of steps, looking stunned and dazed.
We weren’t out of the woods yet. For one, we had about fifty tons of muscle and bone above us, all of which was being controlled by an enraged, somewhat drowsy animal who didn’t know what the fuck was going on.
It stomped one of its feet, like a bull pawing the ground and preparing to charge.
I swear to you, the ground didn’t just shake, it buckled, dropping a foot and then rising back up, like an undulating wave. Eve and I both stumbled, but our agile bodies responded in kind, maintaining our balance as we ran for…you guessed it…the same leg that was stomping. Ugh. Why me?
I realized Eve’s intention a moment later. All she had to do was touch the marmot while still holding my hand and we could make our escape. Even if we were about to be crushed by the marmot, we should be able to get into…teleportland? Jumpville? (I’d have to work on a proper name later)…before we were turned into a Seeker/Finder pancake.
Unfortunately,
the marmot had other ideas, either because it was smarter than it looked or just plain lucky. In my peripheral vision, I spotted its head as it turned, twisting around to look beneath its legs. One of its massive eyes met mine, and I swear I could feel the anger burning in that stare.
I put myself in its very large shoes. If I were a marmot and I realized tiny creatures were running underneath me, what would I do? I could already picture the bumper stickers: WWMD? (For those of you who are a little slow, like me: What Would Marmot Do?)
It would sit down, obviously. Which is exactly what it did.
“Eve!” I shouted, jerking her as hard as I could to the far side just as the marmot’s enormous bulk dropped like a boulder tumbling off a cliff. As I continued to hold her hand, I grabbed a fistful of her dress and shoved, going airborne. My head clipped the marmot’s underside, rebounding off and sending me sprawling to the ground where I rolled, end over end, tangled with Eve.
Seeing stars, I managed to look back just as the marmot’s powerful body landed with a concussive whump, flattening the three or four giants that had been reckless enough to chase us from the other side. I resisted the urge to yell, “Nana-nana-nana! You are a pancake!” Mostly because the marmot was still looking at us, releasing a blast of hot breath that splashed over us like a humid summer wind. As it turned its head further, its long, spiked snout scraped along the earth, carving a trench like a farmer’s plough during planting season.
Eve and I realized the opportunity we had at the same second, our eyes meeting. The thing was plopped back down so we once more had easy access to its side skin. She was on her feet a split-second before me, dragging me behind her and reaching for the marmot.
The marmot, as usual, had other ideas.
With impressive speed given its size, it regained its feet, leaving Eve grasping at empty air.
Again, it did the foot-stomping thing, causing the ground to roll, threatening to throw us off our feet. And all the while, it brought that spiked snout curving toward us.
With the path beneath the marmot open once more, another trio of giants decided to take the shortest route to us, apparently not worried about the risk of sudden squashing. Their friends were messy piles of blood, lumpy flesh and matted hair. Nasty and already starting to smell.
