The Beast and The Brain.

I was exhausted, from running with J, to flying, and fighting, I barely had the strength to fly back over the swamp. I know J said it was dangerous to fly over swamp, but I hoped that maybe they were too distracted with catching J that they wouldn’t’ be on the lookout for a dragon. Also, with the fact that they had sent three of their own after me, I also hoped that they wouldn’t be expecting me to be returning so quickly and of my own free will.

I pulled in my power again to save energy. I knew that I had to fly as close to the canopy as possible to pick up my scent and find the hole where I broke through the trees. From there I would pick up J’s scent and follow it back to the hideout. Then from there…well I would play it by ear. After all, I didn’t have a clue as to what or who I would be facing when I got there.

It was a hard flight back. I was against the wind the entire time, so I had to fight to keep my place close to the tree tops. It took twice as long to get back to where I left J. And by the time I found the hoe lint eh canopy, the sun was hot against my back my mouth was dry, and my energy was extremely low. I dove into the hole, and for once was grateful for the darkness, for it soothed the heat of the sun from my neck and back. My eye adjusted instantly, and for a moment I stood on the ground where I had kissed J and looked around the swamp with new eyes.

Sunlight streamed down to the floor like broken shards of glass, the small streams of water glistened like fire flies in the broken light, and birds sung from the trees which echoed through the woods. I stood quietly for a moment and breathed through my nose. It was in that small moment, that I understood how J could consider this place beautiful.

I remained still for a few moments. The urgency to go after J was like a strong itch, but I fought it off for a moment. I was determined to seer this memory into my subconscious, so when I found J, I could show her. I also wanted to be sure that there weren’t any enemies in the area. When I was finally content that I wasn’t in any immediate danger, and that I could recall this image perfectly, I turned back into my human form.

It was the worst mistake I could have made.

As soon as I was in my human skin, my body drained of energy. I keeled over and puked and knew immediately that something was wrong, that my body wasn’t just drained of energy. The wounds that the gryphon had given me before hadn’t even drawn blood, for my skin had been too thick. But now, they were open gashes on my body. I yelled out of pain and surprise as the wounds, to my horror, began to ooze yellow puss. I vomited again. But not from the sight of the puss, I felt…ill, really ill. I stumbled forward through one of the small creeks and collapsed against the rocks. My legs were in the water but I didn’t have the strength to move them. I dropped my cheek against the warm rock and found a frog staring at me. It had little horns above its eyes, and I remember J telling me their name but for some reason I can’t remember.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When I regain consciousness it’s raining, and I’m absolutely soaked to the bone. The next thing I noticed is that the creek had risen from the rain and was up past my waist. I considered myself lucky, since I woke up before I drowned. I forced myself to my elbows and pulled myself further up the rocks until the water was down to my feet.

I collapsed and prayed that I was far enough up the rock because I didn’t have the energy to move any further. I didn’t lose consciousness again for some time. The rain didn’t let up and I expected myself to feel cold, but instead the rain felt good. This meant, I knew, that I must have a fever. I didn’t feel too bad, just tired, and thirsty, and…dizzy. I kept mouth open and let the rain drip down my throat. It took effort to swallow. I glanced at one of the gashes on my forearm. Even in the rain I could tell it was infected, though luckily I didn’t see any blood or puss, and didn’t smell any rotting flesh.

I pressed my cheek against the rock, when it hit me. I could die. I was running low on energy before this happened; now I was laying exposed in the middle of a swamp without supplies or allies coming to help me. I was alone, completely alone and if I didn’t get onto my feet, as soon as possible, I was screwed. It also happened to be this moment that I noticed the frog.

It was still on the rock, and only a few inches above my head. Not only that…but there was more than one. They were all looking at me, and suddenly I wondered if they were dangerous. “You guys…aren’t…going to…eat me…are you?” They just continued to stare at me, and I started to laugh. I imagined what J would say, ‘Oh look you communicating with your own kind now.’ I fell asleep then, and didn’t wake for some time.

At least, I think it was a while, because the next time I woke up the creek was low and my clothes were almost completely dry. And considering the humidity of the swamp was a miracle. It wasn’t until I tried moving that I noticed I was covered with frogs. A few jumped off when I stirred, but most of them remained situated on top of me. Some were on my arms, my legs, my torso, and there had even been one on my head. “Get…OFF.” I rolled onto my back and when I moved the rest of them hopped a few feet away to safety. I stared up to the canvas of trees, my mouth was like paper, and my head pounded with a headache, but I wasn’t dizzy.

I stared at the trees for a while, testing my fingers and toes. While everything hurt and I felt like I had been hit by a herd of horses, I was alive. I needed something to eat. But first things first, I needed to get to my feet. The frogs hopped further away to avoid being squished when I attempted to stand. My arms and legs shook from disuse, and it took me three attempts to get to my feet and stay there. The gashes along my body looked a lot better, but I wasn’t in a good position. My energy was drained, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to turn into a beast and hunt pray. So that left me to the option of trying to get food as a human. There were a few problems with that situation.

First: I had no weapons, or anything to kill an animal of decent size to replenish my energy with. Second: I didn’t have the strength to hunt a decent size animal…even if I did have a weapon. Third: there wasn’t any dry wood to burn, and anything I caught would have to be cooked so I wouldn’t get sick off of raw meat. My beast side might be able to handle large amounts of raw meat, but I wouldn’t. I let out a deep breath.

I needed a plan.

I need food, I need a weapon…I looked around the murky swamp and then caught sight of the frogs. “Well you didn’t eat me, so it hardly seems fair that I should eat you…” One of the frogs croaked back at me a hopped further away like it knew what I was thinking. Then it hit me. If I could find where J and I had last slept I would be in luck. She had dried fruit and nuts, and I think even some dried jerky. It wouldn’t be enough to restore my energy, but it might be enough to allow me to change for long enough to catch myself some real food. Not only that, but my sword would be among our stuff, I just hoped it hadn’t gotten rusty from the rain.

I drank from the stream with shaky hands and wobbly legs until my throat didn’t feel so dry and looked around. I tried to remember which way J and I had come from, but I couldn’t remember, and it all looked to same. So I gave myself just enough power so my sense of smell was stronger. The rain had washed most of all the scents away, but in places I could still pick up pits of color and smells of myself and J, and of course the men that had come after us.

I stumbled as I followed my scent back to where J and I had come from. It took everything I had in me to keep my sense of smell strong and my legs moving at the same time. And a walk that should have taken a half hour, took half the day. I nearly passed out twice, but I forced my mind to hold an image of J before my eyes, and feel and taste of her lips, and it gave me the will to go on. By the time I stumbled back to the island I was done. I collapsed onto J’s soggy blanket and fell asleep.