The wolf led me further into the jungle and I struggled to keep up with it. It moved fast for being injured and I almost lost it a few times, but it came back to make sure I was still following. We were loosely following the river downstream and I took comfort in its bubbling. It twisted and turned at irregular intervals, winding through the thick jungle. We had ben walking for about thirty or so minutes now, and I was getting bored. My senses were fried from being on high alert for the last few hours and I needed a break. I glanced down at the wolf limping beside me. Its coat was dark and blended expertly with the dark undergrowth and it padded along on quiet feet, though it still hesitated to put weight on its left. A beam of sunlight hit the wolf's flank and my eyes widened. Its fur was actually a midnight blue rather than black.
"You need a name." I said aloud, hand on my chin. The wolf looked up at me with bright azure eyes that seemed to tell me it agreed. I frowned, looking closer at it. I was pretty sure it was a wolf, but it seemed way smarter and better behaved than the canines I was used to. And bigger, too. The Imperial Hounds had been expertly trained and even they didn't stick so close to my side when I was walking them. It seemed to be responding to what I was saying as well, like we were having a conversation.
"Can you understand me?" I asked. The wolf nodded and barked once, a questioning look in its eye. "Well, how 'bout that? Are you a boy or a girl? I'm getting masculine vibes but I could be wrong." The wolf growled at me, sticking its, her, nose in the air and walking in front of me. She lifted her tail and sure enough, there was the female organ. I smiled.
"I got ya. A girl, then." She barked once, continuing to walk. Her paw buckled and she growled, forcing herself to keep walking. It was the second time it had happened in the last fifteen minutes. "Girl." I said, stopping. "We can stop if you need to." She shot me a look that told me if I suggested something like that again, it wouldn't end pretty for me. I held up my hands in defeat and we continued to walk through the jungle. The sounds of the birds returned, though a little more distant than they had been previously. I let my thoughts roam, trying to find a good name for her. She had blue eyes and was strong as hell, unwilling to quit even when she could barely walk. She reminded me of that old poster with the lady saying 'We can do it!'. Rosie, I think her name was. I smiled down at the wolf.
"How do you like the name Rosie?" She cocked her head to the side, then barked once. My smile grew. "Good. I'm glad you like it, Rosie. I'm M..." My voice refused to work and I frowned. "My name is M..." My frown sank further. "M... M..." I couldn't do it. I couldn't say my name. Hadn't Robot Lady said something about an incompatible character? Did that mean I couldn't use my full name? I had to go by Tal? I sighed. Today was getting weirder by the minute.
"Well, I suppose my name is Tal, now." Rosie barked, looking back at me with intelligent eyes. I sighed, shook my head, and gestured for us to continue. "Let's keep going. That sun is getting mighty high and I don't know how to make a shelter." She barked once again, continuing her march. I walked by her side, my nerves not as on edge as earlier. Rosie seemed like a good wolf and she hadn't attacked me yet, but it pays to be ready. I kept my head on swivel, looking for something, anything that would give a predator away. I had trained with the Imperial Guard enough to hold my own in a fight against a human, but I doubted my abilities against a beast. I listened to the birds calling and the insects buzzing. The calls were strangely familiar, in the uncanny valley kind of way. Like there was a bird that would start and go about 90% of what I knew but would end differently. Small things like that, but we were safe for now.
We walked for another three or four hours. Rosie kept pushing herself harder and harder, and it got to the point where I had to put my foot down. She'd been limping heavily for the last few minutes and was panting hard.
"Rosie." I said in my Emperor voice. She froze and looked at me, a little bit of fear in her azure eyes. I knelt down next to her and rubbed her head and behind one of her ears. Her head was large and thick with muscle and her fangs flashed in the speckled light. Her jaw was larger and squarer than the canines I knew, too. Probably to give her a stronger, more deadly bite. She was adorable and panted happily as I pet her, tongue lolling out of her mouth. "We've got to stop, girl. You're hurting yourself." She snarled and shook her head no.
"Yes. I'm not going to let you get hurt again, ok?" She shook her head again and barked twice. It seemed like she was really insistent that we keep going. I nodded, giving in. "Fine. But I'm carrying you." She started to growl but I cut her off. "No arguing, missy. You can't walk but clearly want to go somewhere, so I'll carry you. Ok?" Rosie thought for a moment, or at least I thought she was thinking, and then she barked once. "Good girl."
I bent and slid my arms under her chest and rear and lifted her into my arms with a 'hup!' of effort. I damn near lost my feet, stumbling back. Rosie was incredibly light, like I was picking up a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian, not a four foot tall wolf. "What the hell?" I wondered aloud. "What else can this body do?"
"Error." Robot Lady said. I groaned and rolled my eyes, ignoring the weird hallucination. Adjusting Rosie in my arms just slightly, I continued our walk. I was careful not to jostle her injured paw too much. Not long after I picked her up, the jungle ended and a large, grassy field began. Trees still cropped up every now and then but nowhere near as many as the jungle we had just exited. The sun hung in the sky above us, shinning brightly on the grassland. The grass was long, almost waist height, and a combination of green and yellow that was extremely pleasing to the eye. Rosie looked off to my left and barked once.
"That way?" I asked. She nodded and barked again, giving me an 'Are you stupid?' look. I laughed. "Alright, alright. We're going." I set off at an easy clip just shy of jogging, moving parallel to the jungle's edge. I felt good. Strong. Like I could go for another hour or three at least, but I was careful. I knew how quick that exhaustion could sneak up on you. Still, though, my legs felt strong. Hell, my whole body felt strong. Ready. I flexed my muscles, delighting in the feeling, and a smile crept onto my face.
The field started to change, slowly but surely. Wild, untamed grasses became interspersed with irregular fields as I walked. Eventually the wild grassland was replaced entirely by farmland, but farmland that seemed to have been abandoned. The crops were starting to spread out of their rows, more than any farmer would normally allow. I'd just started to wonder why the fields were so overgrown when I got my answer. A black shape rose out of the grass and crops, dark and ominous, and my heart sank when we got close. The house had been burned and only the bones remained, and the scent of ash was carried on the wind. What happened here? Rosie whimpered in my arms, drawing me from my thoughts. I shook my head, coming back to my senses.
"You're right. There's nothing we can do for them now. Let's keep going." We walked around to the front of the house and my mouth fell open. I whirled around and shut my eyes, praying that what I saw wasn't real. I peeked over my shoulder and sighed. Sadly, it was real. A family, presumably the family whose house was burned behind them, hung impaled on spikes in the front yard. There were five of them; Father, Mother, and three children. Tears welled in my eyes and I let them fall for the unknown people. They had been there quite a while, it seemed. The crows had done their work. What few meat and cloth remained was blackened and burned, like the bodies had been burned at a low temperature to extend their pain. Rosie whimpered again and shifted, licking my cheek. I laughed and sniffed, leaning back.
"Gah, come on, Rosie! Your breath stinks." I turned my back to the atrocity and continued to walk South, trying to put it out of my mind. Day One and I've saved a creature and come across a war crime. Let's focus on the positive. My forced positivity met another wall when we came across the second farm in the same state as the first. One less person out front but otherwise just the same. We didn't stop this time, just a silent acknowledgement. Rosie barked and nudged me towards the sun a bit, changing my direction. I squeezed her a little bit closer, grateful she was with me. I don't know how I'd have handled coming across that on my own. Not my first body, but my first child. I fought the image of the burned bones from my mind and focused on the present.
The sun was off to my right as we walked, setting slowly. I felt the ground under me begin to rise just slightly, and when we crested the small hill, we looked down on a little village. It was quaint, with probably twenty or thirty lit chimneys and a wooden fence surrounding it, but my eyes were drawn to the horizon. There, maybe half a mile from the far edge of the village, lay the ocean.
I gasped and stared in wonder at the stars glittering in the water. I'd never seen the ocean before and was stunned into silence. It was beautiful. The sun was setting over the water and it cast everything in a burning orange, even the small strip of pearly white sand. The fires burned and swirled together, becoming a mix of beauty. I breathed deep of the salty sea air, and my heart soared. It was new and exciting and I couldn't wait to go fishing. I'd never been before and had no idea what I was doing, but I didn't care. Grandfather would always rant about how much he loved it before he passed and I know Father had been a few times, but he never took me.
My attention was ripped from the vista when Rosie growled, low and soft. Not at me, but at the fields behind us. I turned, and my eyes went wide. Multiple sets of golden eyes reflected in the setting sun, looking out at us from the grass. A deep sense of dread began to settle about me. Those eyes looked hungry. I could have sworn I heard a growl come from a few of them but that could have just been Rosie. Those eyes must have been why she was so insistent on getting out of the jungle. Were they following us? I walked backwards down the hill, keeping the eyes in my sight. They didn't leave the grass, but they watched us the entire time. At least two more sets appeared while I was retreating. None of us blinked until the eyes disappeared out of view. I turned and sprinted towards the safety of the village. Rosie whimpered in my arms and I adjusted her as best I could.
"I'm sorry, girl." I said, keeping my eyes on the wall. "We're almost there. Just a little more." I cast a glance over my shoulder and my eyes shot open. A dozen or so creatures were chasing me and slowly gaining. They had an oblong body the size of a man and ran on two feet. And my gods those feet were terrifying. They had this massive claw on either foot and it looked vicious and sharp, ready to tear flesh from bone. A sinewy neck extended from the feathered body and a terrible, vicious looking head sat atop it. The beak looked almost as long as my arm and flames sparked from the corners. It curved downwards, looking like another claw on its face. A long, feathered tail bounced behind the creatures, helping to keep their balance as they raced towards us. Each one seemed to have a different coloration or pattern to their feathers but they all seemed hand crafted to blend into the green-yellow of the grasslands. Their eyes shone a menacing, haunting gold. They honestly looked like headlights from the cars back home but a little less bright. It didn't stop the horror from welling up within my soul, however. They looked prehistoric and violent, the perfect killing machines.
There's nothing like being chased by a pack of hungry raptors to put a pep in your step. I tore towards the village, feet pounding against the earth and Rosie whimpering in my arms. I would not let her die, not after all of this. I heard what I hesitate to call a 'bark', but lack the words for what else it could have been. A sharp, quick sound came from one of the creatures chasing me and three peeled off from the group, picking up speed and trying to cut me off. I growled and leaned into the run, praying that my new body would hold out. We were five hundred yards from the wall and my heart dropped. A gate was falling, and far faster than I would have liked.
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"WAIT!" I screamed, running as hard as I could. "WAAAAIT!!!" Of course, they didn't wait. If anything, the gate started closing faster. I snarled and put on an extra burst of speed. I could have sworn that the creatures laughed when the gate slammed home, closing me off from safety. I didn't stop. I needed to get Rosie behind those walls. A laughing bird running on two feet pulled up next to me, glaring at me with hungry eyes and Rosie barked. It jumped away in surprise only to be replaced by another one with green feathers. My heart picked up speed and Rosie's growl deepened. Twenty yards, now.
Time slowed for a moment as my brain tried to figure a way out of this. Nothing came, of course. Just the same old thought of 'One foot in front of the other'. My brain told me that I couldn't do anything, that the gate was closed and my fate sealed. My body said otherwise.
Ten yards from the wall, I planted my feet and leapt, sailing through the air. I closed my eyes, expecting to crash into the gate, but no pain came. At least, not at first. A sharp, stinging pain came in my left foot a second or two later, followed by the rest of my body. I rolled, trying to keep Rosie safe. There was a whine and a whimper then an 'oof!' from me when we hit something hard back first, but no other sounds of pain. The real agony came when my head smashed into the something hard, and everything went white. I couldn't see anything and I felt my body shake and spasm. I gasped, but no air came. I was dying. Again.
A strange, painful sensation began to form in my core. It grew hot and moved up my chest and into my throat. It burned and I screamed, but no sound came out. The fireball moved further up my neck and settled right in the middle. The heat intensified, growing so hot that tears fell from my eyes. I felt like I was being burned at the stake. The image of the child flashed in my mind and sorrow filled my heart. The heat in my neck grew worse, drawing another scream. It echoed in my head, driving a spike of white hot agony even further into me. I groaned, and the heat finally began to lessen. Residual heat still pulsed in my neck, and I touched it gingerly. Heat burned my fingers, but in a surprisingly pleasant way. The overload of sensations was breaking my brain. The pain in my head/neck and the pleasure in my hand waged a war in my head, and I was the loser. It was too much. Breathing started to get easier right as I was about to wish for it to stop and I sighed, relishing in the sweet, cool air. It soothed the burning a little and I took a moment to enjoy it. Something cool ran across my face and I shifted, making a noise of disgust. I moved a hand and brushed a soft fur coat. Rosie. I opened my eyes slowly, ignoring the stars and sparks in my vision, and found myself lying against one of the houses, Rosie standing over me.
"Are you ok?" I asked, my voice hoarse. It was rough and scratchy and my throat was extremely dry. The wolf nodded and barked once, struggling to her feet and tail whipping back and forth. "How's your paw?" She placed it on the ground and stood under her own power. "Nice." I stood as well, with only some slight pain in my foot. My head swam and a wave of nausea came over me, but I fought it down. Looking around, I started to realize just what sort of village this place was. There was an off-putting odor that I couldn't quite place but was definitely familiar that landed on my tongue in waves. I had to force myself not to gag as I assessed my surroundings.
The roads were made of dirt, and not great dirt at that. They seemed dusty and poorly maintained, with weeds and grasses growing in the middle. The building that had served as my crash-pad had a hole in it, but not from me. There was a hole in the side of the wall that allowed me to see into the building where I found a family of four apparently having supper. The father had a spoon halfway raised to his lips, and he and I made direct eye contact. I smiled at him. He did not smile back. My attention was once again torn from my surroundings by Rosie's growl. She had her hackles raised and was growling at the figures approaching us from the wall I had jumped. I ran my hand through her fur and she calmed slightly, I think. She wasn't growling as loudly, at least. I took a step away from the house and folded, my left ankle giving out. Rosie blurred, moving far faster than any creature should have the right to, and caught me before I could hit the ground. I grunted and regained my balance, limping away from the house with her help. The setting sun was warm on my face and I smiled, tilting my head back and taking in the rays. I tried to gather my thoughts, but this old guy walked out in front of the others, leaning heavily on a cane. It looked like it took a lot of energy for him to move and even more to speak. His voice was rusty and old when he did talk.
"Who are you, boy?" he asked. A few of the others around him took a step towards me, brandishing spears and swords. I held up my free hand in surrender.
"Whoa, there, gents." I said, chuckling slightly and readjusting my hold on Rosie's back. "No need for weapons."
"You've invaded our village." the old man snapped, eyes alight with a rage I hadn't expected. "You brought the Terrors to our gate! You brought a Cave Wolf into our home! You've killed us all!" The man's temper flared my own and my eyes narrowed.
"Hey, you're the assholes who closed the gate on me." I shot back. Some of the men gasped and stared at me, the old man most of all. Rosie snarled.
"You dare talk back to me, boy?!" he roared.
"I am not talking back." I replied cooly and calmly, running my hand through Rosie's fur. That seemed to piss him off even more. He gasped and pointed at me, ready to launch into a long-winded lecture when someone pushed their way through the crowd of guards.
"Grandfather!" A voice cried. The voice turned out to belong to a girl. The most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She had long, mud-red hair that caught the last vestiges of sunlight perfectly, turning her hair into a fiery forrest. She was small and thin, concerningly so, and no more than five foot four and a buck seventy soaking wet. Her tan, sun-kissed skin shone in the setting sun like melted caramel. She whipped her head back towards the old man, breaking our stare. "Stop it! Can't you see he's hurt?" The girl knelt down next to my ankle, inspecting it. I grunted and rose to my feet, fighting down the pain and the sickly sweet scent in my nose. I held onto Rosie tightly, balling my fist in her fur. She growled just slightly but let me hold on to her anyway.
"It's just a sprain." I said, waving my hand. "It's not that bad." The girl shot me a vicious 'Try me if you dare' look, and I backed off. I turned back towards the old man as the girl looked at my ankle.
"Bah, of course you'd care for him, Vartin." He spat the word like a slur and the girl flinched, but continued nonetheless. She started glowing a soft gold color and she held her hands to my ankle. Is she using magic? My mouth fell open and I watched the girl in fascination. I'd never seen magic before. The girl's emerald eyes flicked up to mine, and I could have sworn sparks rose from her cheeks when our eyes met. "You bring danger to our doorstep!" the old man was saying, having continued his rant. "We should kill you where you stand!"
"Stand down, Grandfather!" a commanding voice shouted. "The Terrors are gone." A large, strong looking man wearing a feathered skirt and headdress pushed his way through the crowd, and the men lowered their spears. He had a jade piercing through the middle of his curved nose and his green eyes were fierce, yet kind. "Can you blame him for trying to survive?"
"I can blame him for bringing that thing!" the old man jabbed his cane at Rosie. She snarled in objection.
"You take that back! She has a name." Headdress narrowed his eyes and cocked his head.
"Really? She has a name?"
"Yeah. Rosie." Rosie looked up at me at the sound of her name, azure eyes smiling in the dusk. I smiled down at her. "She's a good girl."
"Hmmm." He crossed his arms over his bare, bronze chest and gave me an assessing look. "What's your name, boy?"
"Tal."
"Tal. I am the Chief of Rivera, Kiltont. It is nice to meet you." The Chief gave me a small bow, really more of a nod of the head. "May I ask why you have come here?"
"I was trying to escape those things. What the hell are they?"
"We call them Terrors. They are fierce predators, faster than men, and very rarely let their prey escape. How did you, while carrying a Cave Wolf of all creatures, leap a fifteen foot wall while outrunning them?" His jade eyes locked onto mine, intense and focused. I didn't see any malice in them, but they held the promise of violence should he deem my answer unsatisfactory. I decided on truth being the best choice. As Father said, the truth may lead to pain, but it will not lead you astray. I straightened and let go of Rosie, standing on my own and looking the Chief in the eye.
"I have no idea." I said, standing tall. He may not believe me, but it's the truth. The Chief snorted a laugh, a smile playing at his lips.
"You don't know."
"Honestly. I should be dead. I broke my neck on that house, dude." I said, gesturing towards the place I had landed. There was a dark, bloody stain from my crash. Confusion crossed my face. "How did I survive that?" My hand rose to my neck and I winced. Rosie whimpered and licked my other hand; I pet her in return.
"And the wolf?" I shrugged.
"I found her in the jungle. She had this huge splinter in her paw and it looked really bad. I couldn't just leave her there, so I removed the splinter and bandaged the wound. She's been following me ever since." The girl who had been healing my ankle let go, looking up at me with those bright emerald eyes. They shone in the slight darkness and she quickly looked away. "Miss, would you take a look at her paw, please?" The girl nodded, reaching out for Rosie's paw much like I had. Rosie growled, her lips curling down and baring her teeth. I stroked her back gently. "It's alright, Rosie. Good girl." I whispered. She stopped growling and let the girl unwrap the paw. She gasped and I knelt, gasping as well. The wound had healed entirely. Not even a scratch remained. I ran my hand over the spot where, a few hours earlier, there had been a huge gash in the paw.
"That's incredible." I whispered. "It's gone. Can you walk?" Rosie barked and hopped around, panting excitedly. I laughed, rubbing her ears and head. "Glad you're feeling better."
"You have tamed a Cave Wolf, outran a pack of Terrors, and survived a horrible fall. And you have no idea how you've done these things. Is this correct?" I nodded.
"Yes, sir." The Chief narrowed his eyes once more, looking me up and down, then at Rosie. He was quiet for a while, then said:
"You seem like a good person. Or at least not an actively bad one. You may stay the night, though you must leave in the morning. You may rest in my house. Come." He turned and started walking without waiting for a response. I cast one last glance at the girl, who was kneeling next to Rosie and looking at the ground, hands in her lap.
"Thank you, miss." I whispered. Her wonderful, emerald eyes locked onto mine, though she said nothing, just nodded. "Come on, Rosie." I said, following after the Chief. The wolf chased after me, bounding along side and sniffing at the air, leaving the girl behind. I cast a glance over my shoulder at her. She really was beautiful. Her small form was illuminated by the rising moon and I struggled to tear my eyes from her.
"Why do I need to leave? I can't take a day or two to get my bearings?" The Chief shook his head, continuing to walk further into the village. The soldiers fell in behind him, keeping a wary eye on Rosie. They didn't level their weapons, but the suspicion was felt.
"No. If the Lord were to discover you," he shuddered. "I don't want to think about it. For your own safety, you must leave."
"I have nowhere to go!" I practically shouted. The stress of the day was beginning to take its toll and my emotions started to fray. I took a deep breath and reentered myself. "Chief. I can understand your position. I wouldn't believe me either, honestly. But the truth is the truth. I was ready to accept death at the gates, but my body jumped. I have no idea what is going on."
"I believe you, Tal. That is why I am taking you to my house. Mariza should be done with supper soon. A hot meal should do you some good."
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate the hospitality, and, please, forgive my rudeness. It has been a long day." The Chief chuckled.
"it is fine, Tal. We all have those days." We were silent for the rest of the walk. The buildings got nicer as we walked. Well, not nicer so much as less bad. They were still pretty shoddy compared to the Crystal Palace, but I could tell that this was the wealthy side of town. More than once I caught sight of someone watching me from the windows, but they would always duck away before I could get a good look at them. After five or so minutes of walking, the Chief stopped in front of a two-story house. It was clearly the nicest one in the village, with an actual porch and a candle in almost every window. The Chief nodded to the soldiers behind me.
"Thank you, gentlemen. I can handle it from here."
"But, sir..." one of the soldier's said. "The wolf... What if it goes berserk?"
"She won't go berserk." I said, answering the man's question. "She's a good girl." Rosie barked in agreement. "See?"
"Do not worry, Adotil. I have it under control." The Chief said, glaring at the man.
"Yes... yes, sir." The soldiers departed without another word and I watched them go. They took their time, slowly walking down the street and back to their lives.
"Now then," the Chief said with forced enthusiasm when the soldiers had disappeared from view. He mounted the porch steps and opened the door, gesturing for me to enter. "shall we?"