by J. Todd
Chapter Four
Dawn came with me greeting it with an early morning hunt. I caught a couple of decent rabbits that day. I had them in the pot cooking in a decent stew for the morning when Arian sat up in bed. He looked around confused and still looking a bit worn. I took pity on him and went into the bathroom. There I filled the tub and laid out a towel and an old robe of my father's. I stepped into the main room to find him perched at the edge f the bed.
"Go bathe, we won't do anything today. I am going hunting all day and I will gather a few fruits from the hidden orchard." I grabbed the things I needed and walked to the door. With a large basket strapped to my back and the things in it. I had enough room in it to get a month of food for me and Arian.
"Wait." Arian's whisper filled the room. "I am sorry for last night. I am grateful for everything you have done for me. You have done more than anyone I know." He frowned. "I am also sorry for taking the bed," He muttered.
"I told you the day before, you were to sleep there. I only ever slept there during the long sleeps I had. Like the one I had when we got here. I usually sleep in the loft." I lied. I always slept in the bed. He did not need to know that though. I let him have it as he had never slept in one. I had that bed for too long. He needed it more.
I left the cottage and went to the orchard to hunt small creatures and collect fruit. I also collected herbs and wild onions and garlic growing in a thicket nearby. I caught several small rabbits. I gave them a field dressing and scraped the skins clean. I intended to use them to make a warm cloak for Arian, for the winter. Even with the hot days due to the jungle atmosphere it did get bitter cold during the winter at night. Arian would need the cloak then. I had one already, although it really needed to be patched up soon. Arian needed his first.
I then wrapped the rabbits in a waxed paper at the bottom of my basket. I then went to the stream and set a line in to fish. I gathered fruit nearby. Every once in a while I pulled in the fish I had caught. I knew when to pull the fish in be tying the thread to my ankle. Went one snagged the hook the thread cut into my ankle. I then pulled it in. When I had several fish and a good heap of fruits I field dressed the fish. I then put them in more waxed paper. I piled the fruit on top. It was well after lunch and I was hungry. I started the trek back to the cottage.
When I entered the clearing it felt closed. I had felt this once before. It was when one of the Others were nearby. I stashed the basket high in a tree using a rope hidden in the tree for that purpose. The Others were here once before. They killed my family. The Others were a form of monster which resembled humans. They never were though. They had the body of humans, but they were scaled and they had the head of carrion eaters, usually a sort of dog-like head. They weren't very smart, but they were fierce.
Unslinging my bow and placing an arrow on the string I started my sprint. Running swiftly and silently I ran for the door. Once inside I aimed. Nothing. I heard a noise. I ran out of the cottage to see Arian sprinting to the cottage. I took aim and shot. The arrow sped over his shoulder and hit the leading beast square in the chest. It faltered and collapse taking another down. I shot at that one too. Both dead I realized the others were too close to shoot at those speeds. I yanked a dagger from my belt and ran at them. I passed Arian thrusting the bow and arrow into his hands as I passed him. I sprang on the leading creature, stabbing it in the throat. Gore and blood spurted everywhere. It stung my hand. I fell to the ground and rolled away. The remaining creature now following me. It jumped at me. I climbed to my feet and sprinted away. I headed for the forest. I was weaponless. I needed to get the creature away from Arian. I shouldn't have left him alone. He did not know the dangers of my home well. I lead the creature deep into the forest. I looked for the one place I knew I might die at but the creature surely would.
I looked for purple vines hanging from a tree. These were deadly to any who got tangled in them. I found them and ran right at them. So did the creature. It would die. I sprinted right into the vines. Dodging and spinning I managed to get away from the vine. However, the creature didn't, it was snatched up in mid stride. The vines tore him apart spilling its blood everywhere on the ground under the tree. I ran from there quickly and took to the main path home.
I entered the clearing again in time to see another creature enter from the opposite side. Arian was watching my side for me. He smiled a relieved smile. I however, did not return it. I ran for him. The creature coming into the clearing was what I feared the most. It was larger, easily twice the size of the other four. It was the leader. This one was the smart one. I had to kill it quickly. I made everything look like child's play. After all, I have been at this for a long time. I grabbed the bow and an arrow from Arian as I passed. Quickly I knocked the arrow. I swung it up. I aimed. I shot. The arrow sped through the air and hit the creature in the eye. The thing roared in pain. I by then had another arrow in my hand. Arian had stepped up to my right and hand me an arrow. I again nocked, aimed and shot. This time I hit the creature in the soft flesh of the throat. I reached out for another arrow, one was thrust into my hand. I again aimed. This time I ran as I aimed, right at the creature. I literally ran up the thing's body and loosed right into its heart as I jumped away. The creature shuddered and collapsed as I landed safely in front of it. I turned and looked right at Arian.
I guess I must have looked wild and scary because Arian stood there and stared at me. I walked over to the hiding tree and pulled the food down. I took it all inside and put the fruits, onions, and garlic away. I then sliced the fish and rabbits into strips. I took those strips to the side of the oven and lay them over the smoking rods hidden by a metal door. I then took the herbs and placed them in bunches and tied them to the rafters. I checked the stew, added a few herbs and cleaned up.
Arian had watched me from the doorway. I then went to my pack and pulled out new clothes and stripped. Arian blushed and turned his back. I threw my soiled clothes into the fire. I then dressed in new clothes, my favorite ones. The white ones. They were all I had left.
I walked out the door right beside him and went around to the practice chest and pulled out two things. A bag of salt and a bag of ground sulfur. I went to each of the creatures in the clearing and sprinkled them with each. For some reason this always dissolved the monsters like ice melting, only faster.
I used buckets of water to dilute the sludge further. I worked and toiled while Arian got his head back on his shoulders. After the creatures were gone I began to dish out the food and sat to eat.
"How can you be so calm?" He asked.
"What do you mean?" I answered with another question.
"You killed them. They were like me. They were humans." He accused me.
I sighed. "No, they were not. They never were. I know who and what they were. They were clones, and bad ones. Monsters dissolve with salt and sulfur. They dissolved. You didn't when I sprinkled you with the mixture the first night in the cave. If you had you'd have been dead. Besides, it was us or them." I looked up into his silver eyes. "I prefer to live. I know I am not an ideal person. I have learned to survive. I have thrived off the death of monsters. They killed my family. So I kill them now. It is that simple." I got up and left the cottage. I went around to the practice chest and opened it. Arian had followed me. I dug until I got to the bottom of the chest and pulled a small box from it. "This is why I kill." I said and thrust the box into his chest.
I left him to look at what was inside. It was a picture, faded and torn along the edges. One side was a little scorched. The picture showed my grandparents, mother, father, my sister, and me, before the war. Tied to it was a faded ribbon, once bright red, my sister's. Under the picture a necklace and two rings. The rings were plain, but for one word in each. FOREVER in one and ALWAYS in the other. They were my grandparent’s rings. The necklace was my mother's. A locket with a single strand of hair, my father's. These were what was left of my family. All I had. There was small amounts of blood on the ribbon and jewelry. Theirs. Fro
m that night so long ago. I was away. I came back to their deaths. I barely escaped. Their deaths were my burden. I will kill all the monsters I can to atone for their deaths and my survival. I swore this then, I still will swear it and forever will I follow the vow.
This is who I am, who I was. I am a killer. I kill monsters. I am the only one who can. Without remorse or sorrow. Without pity and without a heart, can I do this? My heart died that day.
I stood facing the south where the creatures had come from. I heard people whisper of a savior. He never came to help. I did. I would someday hunt the men who were the real monsters. I would destroy them. I made a fist of my hand so tight my nails bit into the skin. Blood dripped from my hand.
Arian took my hand in his and smoothed it between his hands. He then took my hand and pressed the cuts to his lips, kissing my palm. All this time with me I had not noticed but he never grew facial hair like my father and grandfather had. I believe it was from the genetic twisting f his body the corporate entity had done.
"I am sorry. I did not know." He whispered, his voice back to normal. "I should have realized you had family once." He wrapped his arms around me. "Tell me." He commanded me. I did. The night relived in my mind yet again, and yet again I cried. He held me. Finally, darkness came and I slumped at the table defeated. How can I be defeated? I think I already was. By him. I looked at him and he looked at me. We both had our lives ruined by the monsters. "They will pay." He said simply. I nodded. I lay my head on the table, tired. Arian shifted, I heard the cloth from his clothing. I closed my eyes and sighed. I was too tired to climb to the loft. I refused to take back the bed. I slept at the table.
Late in the night I heard a clatter of the shutter banging back and forth at the window. I sat up and found myself in bed with Arian. He must have carried me there and fallen asleep too. I got out of bed a secured the shutter and closed the window.
I turned to find Arian standing right behind me. My heart beat faster than when I ran through the forest at a sprint. He wrapped his arms around me again. I felt cared for by him this time. I felt happy. I snuggled into his arms willingly. He tucked a finger under my chin and lifted my face to his. His lips brushed mine softly.
"Arian?" I breathed. "I'm new to this."
"So am I." He answered. He was right. With no other human contact how could he know about these things. I did not knew what to do, but I needed him. For the first time in my life since my family died I needed someone.
