7
A slight breeze blew through the copse of trees that Gailen now stalked. His heightened senses allowed him to detect animal life around him with almost pinpoint accuracy. These periods of solitude were precious to him. He felt one with the world and the woods about him.
How can this be bad? Alena is just crazy. How can it not be good to feel like this? Gailen thought.
A large brown squirrel chattered to itself for a few moments, before it sensed his proximity, and jumped from its perch, scurrying into the nearby brush. Gailen chuckled to himself as he watched it flee, its long bushy tail bouncing behind it.
Yes, she and the sages were wrong. They had to be. Maybe someone in the past, long ago went too far, too long and who could blame them? The feral euphoria was intoxicating...but inherently bad? How could it be?
A snapping branch nearby brought Gailen from his thoughts. He spun on his heel, and crouched down, observing the direction of the disturbance. Without quite realizing it, his reflecting had diluted his feral almost to nil. His renewed concentration called to focus just how quiet the forest was. It seemed as if all the creatures in the forest had simply vanished while he was lost in thought.
Great. So much for being human...if I'd just stayed in feral, none of this would be a surprise.
Further branches snapped and cracked ahead of him.
Well...it can't be Them. It's making too much noise. It sounds as if someone's strolling off the beaten path.
A young man dressed in simple garb walked into view. His short dark hair looked as if someone had put a bowl on his head and cut around the edges. The young man paused as his gaze registered Gailen crouching in front of him. Still feral, Gailen noted the faintly detectable scent of danger from the newly appeared figure, but he discounted it with a frown. How could a youth like this be dangerous?
"You don't seem to be a part of our village. I've never seen you before," spoke the boy.
"I'm just passing through."
"Through the woods? Seems most likely you're spying on us." The youth's expression twisted into a snarl. "Maybe we should go see my elders. They would be most interested in meeting you."
Gailen tensed, sensing the youth's actions before he made them.
"I am Raven!" The youth threw his arms up from his sides with a flourish, and a trailing darkness followed from his feet to his outstretched hands like a great, living cloak. Sunlight glistened impossibly off the wave of shadow joining his hands and feet, and strange globes of darkness began to shoot out erratically from its thick folds.
Gailen's foot struck Raven in his midsection, sending the boy collapsing to the ground in a pile, just as the first few projectiles flew wild into the surrounding brush. His heightened agility brought him onto the collapsed Raven with two catlike bounds.
Gailen gave an irritated growl at the downed youth, who coughed and sputtered. "I think that's enough out of you."
Pain tore through Gailen's shoulder, as a glistening black crow zipped past him out of nowhere, slicing his shoulder deeply as it went.
He gave a howl of pain, and clutched his shoulder, "What the hell?"
Raven's giggling bordered on insanity, as Gailen watched the crow swing around for another approach. "Did you think a kick would end it, Stranger?"
He scowled, and mumbled more to himself than to Raven. "Actually, I was hoping it would."
The dark crow swerved in and around the surrounding trees, leaves brushing its glistening wings as it targeted him from the air. Branches parted nearby it, and the crow's twin pulled into formation with it. Their speed seemed to increase unnaturally as they plummeted toward him.
Dammit, there's two of them now! Gailen leaped to his feet, and backed away from Raven's prone form.
"You can't run!" The youth's giggling was unarguably insane, now, but Gailen chose not to heed it. Instead, he employed his enhanced agility and speed to dive through the trees away from the attacking birds.
Sunlight was starting to fade away from the copse of trees he yet inhabited. A slight breeze brushed Gailen's hair as he sought refuge behind a nearby fallen tree. Even as feral, he would have to first shake the birds from his tail before he could attempt to outrun them.
Shards of bark rained down on his head as the twin crows passed over his head, searching for their quarry.
"Well, Raven, I think it's time we part." He peeked around the tree enough to give a small wave.
Raven rolled to his side, following his voice. "You can't run from me." He sounded disproportionately confident for still gripping his stomach. "You're mine now. Your fate rests with me and those who lead. Your time is over, and mine beg-"
A large gray rock struck Raven in his forehead, silencing him, and he scurried for cover.
Gailen flung another nearby rock at his retreating form, splintering the bark from the tree the youth hid behind, and waited for the crows to be far enough along their path for him to make a run for it.
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"I'm serious, Targ, that man so infuriates me. He's...so...so...infuriating!" Alena flung her arms into the air.
Targ sat on a rock, taking stock of himself. Two new holes appeared on both legs of his jeans. Unsurprisingly, they were both located on his knees.
"I mean, who does he think he is? Running off like that! He could be hurt, and we wouldn't even know!"
Targ noted that the sun had already crossed the horizon, and even the residual sunlight had almost completely faded from the sky. Shadows were frequent and so long they might as well be never-ending along the road. Crickets chirped incessantly all around them.
Not much of a camp. There's not even a campfire. Targ thought, A few rocks to sit on, and a mat of dead grass piled up for each of us. At least they're not rotting away. Hopefully it won't decide to rain.
A flash of light streaked across the clear sky, and called to Targ's attention the stars that were already appearing in it.
"We need to stick together. Honestly, what has gotten into him?" Alena continued as if she hadn't noticed the shooting star at all, pacing back and forth in front of Targ.
Targ stood in the space provided him by her neurotic pacing, and began to test the stiffness in his legs, flexing them as best he could.
"So that's it then. The council is our primary concern now." She seemed momentarily calm, but it was not the first such a time that she had, since they'd made camp. "We need to continue with our journey, and stop this nonsense."
She paused, as if just now noticing Targ's actions. "Are you feeling better, Targ?"
Targ paused in the midst of attempting to squat, and looked over at her. The long, flowing, pinkish-white dress she wore looked unscathed by their recent adventures. It was pristine, free from rips or loose threads, and completely devoid of dirt, smudge, or even grass, a stunning contrast from how he looked.
"I'm feeling better." He rolled his shoulders, studying her garment thoughtfully, "I wish I felt as good as your clothes look."
Alena blinked at him, pausing in the middle of whatever she'd been about to say, and allowing her mouth to hang open for a few moments, before snapping it closed once more. "Well. You need to make sure you're alright enough to walk."
"Too bad there's no pharmacy around here. I think a couple of aspirins would help loads."
"A what?"
"You know...a pharmacy where you buy medicines?"
"I've never heard of one of those before, Targ."
"That's weird. I'd have thought you would've."
"Well, I haven't, and I'm not sure you have, either."
"...What?"
"Let's just say...you haven't been yourself lately, Targ."
Myself...how haven't I been myself? Targ frowned in confusion for a few moments, but Alena forged onward regardless.
"Anyway. Maybe we should go look for Gailen. He's been gone awhile now."
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Stars twinkled brightly in the moonless night. The sound of wind filled the air as dozens of bats flew helter-skelter about, hunting for their nightly meals. Bushes swayed and parted for the lone figure that hurriedly passed through them. Despite the movement of the underbrush, the figure moved with graceful precision, expertly dodging twigs and debris that could expose his position in an instant.
His dark brown canvas-like clothing held up surprisingly well against the punishing pace and occasional impact of leaf and thorn.
I hope the road's not much further.
Pausing in his retreat, Gailen turned his head to look back into the darkness he'd just come through. His golden eyes flashed minutely in the starlit night, shifting and revealing the terrain to him in an almost ambient glow.
No pursuit for some time now. I must have finally lost him...I'm sure the others are wondering where I'm at now.
After a short pause, Gailen turned and bounded on into the brush. Darkness rushed to fill the void he had just stood, obscuring any sign of his previous presence that might have yet lingered.
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The branch creaked under the weight of the raven. Pine needles drifted lazily down to the ground beneath his perch. From here, he could easily look over much of the region's long and winding road. Starlight illuminated the surrounding roadway as his fleeing prey joined up with two young companions.
The three seemed to recognize each other. At first, they seemed to greet and speak with one another, and then his prey began to argue with another of the group. The wind carried disjointed parts of their heated debate to him.
His golden eyed prey pointed back toward the way he came, waving his arms excitedly. The blonde female simply folded her arms and stared at him, perhaps waiting for him to calm once more. Eventually, she stomped her foot, and the word 'irresponsible' drifted up to his perch.
She turned then, and began heading down the road. His prey stood still for a few moments, watching after her. The third one in strange looking clothing shrugged at his prey, and ran off after the blonde. The one he wanted followed after only another moment's hesitation.
Soon... he thought, very soon.
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