Just in case, I changed my appearance every time I reached a blind spot.

Occasionally caught sight of limping forms going around the school grounds. Day and night. Not since yesterday though. Somehow, I didn’t think they were benevolently given a break.

Just when I started to relax into a new routine, a flash of bald head from under an equally eye-catching red hat made my heart sink. I backed away from the wildly gawking Kalantan soldier.

What were they doing here, in this dorm? Perhaps he carried some benign message of truce?

Yeah, right!

The man wasn’t dressed in uniform. I got a firm impression – a scout. I’ve never even seen Raktkalis’s troop out of battle dress. With that in mind, they had no chance of blending in. Those people spent every waking moment trying to intimidate and stand out in any given environment. The opposite had to be next to impossible. I scratched my patchy beard. After all, seamless guises were a lifestyle, too.

He hadn’t forgiven, nor forgotten.

The branded soldier’s exile has been scrutinised by an unnecessarily large group. Kalantan soldiers took shifts alongside security. That should have been my clue. Quite naïve of me to expect anything else. Luckily, I hadn’t. I’ve been preparing for the worst case, as well.

This barricade left me with the climb over the heavily safeguarded walls. The perimeter was established to shield the city against the aggressive fauna, flora and even the sympathising humans. A dangerous way out, which was acceptable as the very last resort.

My hands had scabbed over and could take some strain again. If anything, I was thankful the pesky lordling took this long to seek me out.

However, before my grand escape I had some things to take care off. A retaliation was required, for one.

Standing below my window, pulled on the thin wire. My essential items smacked me in the face. I could probably have retrieved the bag like a normal person, but the location has been, or was about to be, compromised. They would be expecting a window escape too, so I just wasn’t going to put myself in that situation. Contrary to appearances, I didn’t particularly enjoy such exits.

I started with the optional endeavour.

Someone messaged about a replacement part. I had no funds for it, and wasn’t going to trade the elegant phone, as its value much exceeded a single part.

Ascertaining it wasn’t a trap, I snuck in and stole it. This guy was a whole other entity, with connections, as well as money. Yet another heel I step on in my quest for basic survival. But I had no choice. It was the perfect fit! It would take ages to find another one like it. At this time, I had little to lose, but a lot to gain.

For my main errand, I set out to retrieve the hidden recorder from Raktkalis’s office.

Warming up my throwing arm, I re-examined the distance to the roof. Scaling the wall all the way up there may prove to be harder than anticipated. Slight unruliness of marred fingers aside, the left elbow had felt off ever since. Should probably save the scraps of my mobility for the perimeter wall. Besides, some soldiers were patrolling the surroundings.

I should have expected this. Repercussions encouraged to not repeat the lacklustre performance. Their lives were on the line.

The front entrance had two bodybuilders trying to look casual. I entered through a trusty window. Who did they think this was fooling? The men weren’t in uniforms, but the battle-hardened soldiers were unmistakable. I have no idea if this was self-inflicted, or directed. Either way, it added inconvenience. Not much else though. Not at this capacity.

Quietly slipped towards an elevator… and ran headfirst into another pair. The baldies moved, letting me in. The partition shut behind me. I swallowed, but my mouth was way too dry for that.

Watchful eyes scrutinised a long-haired, thinly-bristled guy in front of them. Could these veterans of the wastes recognise the alien growths masquerading as human hair? I’ll find out soon!

“Where you going?” croaky baritone asked and I gesticulated upstairs with a thumb. As if there was any other way. I clicked the button just below their barracks.

The men seem to have been ordered to let weird people get their head in this noose as far as it went.

“Hadn’t seen you here before,” the brute resumed chatting. This just wasn’t a face of a small-talker. Interrogation, then. They’ve been screening speech.

I shrugged, holding my breath and waiting for the sleeping gas to take effect. It was slow-going on the massive bodies. Or… oh no. Could it be, they were conditioned to be immune to chemical warfare?!

The smaller man slumped.

The livelier one immediately reached for my neck. His moves weren’t precise. I managed to evade. Kicked him in the groin, then tapped the jaw so hard, my own bones have dislodged. It was warranted. The musclehead barely felt it. The hit failed to knock him out, but added to the disorientation. It gave me some room again.

I scrambled to pull out a filter from the pocket and eagerly bit down on it. Pulled in a lungful. The conscious Kalantan got back on his feet, successfully crushing my throat this time. Now neither I, nor he could breathe anymore. Both were turning shades of red. His massive physique crushed me into a corner and I couldn’t do much to resist.

Soldier’s grip lessened and I shook the deadweight off.

Even without the clamp around the neck, my breathing hardly improved. I struggled to pull in the life-giving air. Something felt wrong. Head wasn’t delighted to turn sideways. I will have to visit some sort of specialist for everything that got banged up during this misadventure. Hopefully that’s tomorrow.

The door opened. I slammed the buttons to close it again. An unrelated person passed by, staring with mouth agape, before retreating back into their room.

Stepped on the shoulders of the fallen giants to get to the maintenance hatch, and kept climbing the service ladder.

I had little time. Minutes. I had been lucky to not fall out into a lobby full of soldiers, but they’d soon realise something was off anyway. Now or never. While Raktkalis was preoccupied elsewhere right now.  

Belatedly, I was having second thoughts.

I had no solid reason to be taking this risk. I could be halfway out already. I said I wouldn’t do this anymore. Overconfidence and these half-baked plans will be the death of me.

Even panicking, I didn’t waste a single moment for inaction. That way was a certain death. I was on a path, and there was just one exit.

Slid down the wire to the window I had previously finagled with. The defect hadn’t been noticed. I jumped into the office and stood still, but stupefied.

They hadn’t found the second recording device. I did tuck it away in a prime undetectable location. Instead, a solution has been applied regardless. Everything from floor to ceiling has been renewed. Furniture, light fixtures, paint and the panels.

I screamed out in exasperation, but my crushed throat just gave a fizz. And then I heard a response to it. Growling. Beyond the door.

Well, I was done here anyhow. I turned to go. Just as the door handle bent. Dogs spilled into the room.

Dogs.

Dogs?

They weren’t dogs!

These were not even local animals! This sick fuck kept invasive fauna as pets?! Who does that? The general-to-be was supposed to be the first in line to exterminate them!

Toothy grins from ear to ear kept me rooted in place. The animals had been examining me – the exact same way. They had human eyes. Everything below that had been removed, and turned into horrifying maws of countless needles. Neat scar lines joined the different kinds of flesh.

These creatures might not even be naturally mutated. They’ve been surgically turned into this. They had walked on two feet once!

From yips, yaps and gargles it didn’t seem like mental facilities had remained intact. Deterioration had to be a blessing. An indispensable adaptation to bear existence in this grotesque form.

One of the specimen carried a large bone in its gaping face. Oh. So that’s where Raktkalis’s staff has gone.

What a terrible final thought to have.

While the animals squabbled over who would get the first bite, I undid a vial with gas. I didn’t have a slightest inkling if their alien anatomy was susceptible to common poisons, but that was worth a shot. The only shot.

One after the other, the strange abominations laid down and closed their repulsively familiar eyes. I couldn’t stop shivering. The sight was a lot to take in, even if I had previous exposure to beasts. That was outside, never within cities. It was supposed to be safe here.

They were the very antithesis to civilisation. Especially within this region. I couldn’t comprehend why a general’s relative would have them around. Military’s sole goal was to exterminate mutated animals.

At the same time, the tension within me has reached its peak. Of all things, this had been the tipping point. Not only was I hunted, hurt – but also forced to endure the inhuman terrors too?!

He will pay for this.

Damage of valuable property will do nothing to the entitled twat. This needed to get personal. Kill his pets? Comically, this wouldn’t even count as murder. Not even in the campus. Invasive life-forms didn’t have rights.

Couldn’t bring myself to. I’ve disposed of many for far less, but there was a strange kinship with these people. After all, my ears weren’t human either.

Infuriated over all the inconveniences in my path, I determined to make him pay in the pettiest way possible. I had a pouch of dust which caused reduction of motor and brain functions when inhaled. And an awful skin irritation when not. It came from a plant that dazed, then digested its prey.

I liberally sprinkled the tidy stacks in the closet, then the new furniture. Coincidentally, substance was black, too. He won’t know what hit him.

Zipped down the wire and immediately ran off at full speed. There had been sentinels, but their backs were turned away – scanning for an incoming threat. Nobody followed.

After all that, shorting out the grid and climbing over some inconsequential razor wires seemed like a well-deserved vacation.