Status: Taking it easy but still going.
Not So Hollo
Rumors
-the previous day-
After a meager dinner of watered down broth of potato and some mysterious, cheap root and a rare treat of crusty bread, my father and I sat down to listen to our old radio. It was beat up and made of various metal pieces of junk but it was our beat up old piece of junk. There were only three channels: one for the local news, one for the Patrollers news, and a forbidden station the government banned anyone from listening to. They could detect who switched to that channel within city limits, but they couldn't figure out where the original broadcast was coming from. The punishment for listening to it was to be reformed. Patrollers take people into the tower then they walk out alone, but changed. They're the same person they were before but completely docile and obedient. Basically this station was too rebellious and slandered the respectability of the government blah blah blah. Also they couldn't identify who the speaker was or where they were, but the thing that ticked them off the most was that they couldn't stop every curious person from listening to it. It was especially dangerous in this town because we're the closest town to the Tower besides the main city that surrounds the Tower of course. This lil' ol' town of Benjamin. Nothing changed here because of the Tower, but I was kind of glad since riots and gangs weren't as popular here compared to the outer towns. There are terrible stories of the outer towns, especially the ones closest to the Craters.
Ever since an Aiza killed my mom during a patrol and put dad in a wheelchair, we don't listen to the Patroller station too often, but there were certain rumors circling around town.
"Good Evening to our quaint town of Benjamin! We'll get to the weather and all that good stuff after a short gossip that has been increasingly popular this week. Now some exciting news or rather rumors are going around that the Ghost is here! Admit it, we all want to know who this person is. Man or woman? Insane or justified? Other cities pay this person handsomely to rid the surrounding area of their Aiza infestations. I thought the Patrol was supposed to do that. -raspy laughter- Rumor has it that this wanderer stays in town for a week or two, strikes a deal and like magic all the class 5 Aiza and above are exterminated...", the tinny voice continued as I cleared the bowls. Father was sitting by the fireplace with the light shining off his prominent gray stripes by his temples. His face looked more gaunt and his cheeks more hollow in the light of the fire but I knew it was just the energy he was emitting. It was dark and sad. A tragedy best left unsaid.
"Hey dad?", I spoke softly as I sat in a chair beside him, "Do you know who this Ghost person is? I've never heard of him. Do you think he's a criminal or a...a good guy or something" I avoided saying Patroller. He was gazing at the fire, well as much as he could gaze with the glazed eyes of the unseeing. It was a stare you saw in someone that was completely broken.
"Hmm? Oh who now?" He slurred his words heavily. The day mother died was the day he died on the inside. The healthy hair and strong body of his father five ears ago can not be compared to the frail and lifeless man that rejected the light of the fire to warm his cold bones. "Nooo, he must be aaaaah criminal or scam..." These answers were typical of him on the best of days.
I sigh as I half heartedly listen to the radio and wash the supper dishes in a tub of dirty suds.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I can feel it before I can see it. The waves of heat that Ferals produce savagely. The waves told a story of bloodlust and carnage. Also being upwind, I could smell the rancid odor of rotting meat and rotting living flesh. It was just another advantage to being freaky little me. A branch snaps under a careless paw of a type 6. A type 6 was a nasty breed that used poison as its main defense and offense. Luckily this Aiza used its fangs to transfer the poison, I can easily dodge fangs, although there was a chance it would slobber on me. Oh well. I smile as I whirl and nock my bow. My arm is as taut as the armor of a type 8 of which my bow is made from. Staring directly in the eyes of the Feral, I let loose the arrow. This Aiza resembled a puma sized fox with grain colored scales replacing fur, but with 4 pairs of shiny red eyes instead of two. It is rare that you meet a Feral without bleeding red eyes so it did not surprise me to see it again for the thousandth time. Its jaws hung open to reveal yellowed teeth and a dry lolling tongue. I thought it was interesting that this species had lizard like feet. I'm lucky this one couldn't figure out how to climb trees and rock faces or this Feral would've been a little more difficult to kill. Its eyes might have been kind once or even cold, but there was no control over its fight or flee instincts. It was purely on the offensive with no emotion or regard other than rage.
There was no need to guide the arrow with my powers. There was no struggle or pain, there was only the receding waves of bloodlust vibrating into silence. My arrow was lodged firmly in between the four eyes of the feral. My aim carried the Feral home, where it belonged. Its body lay still in the red stained grass of the meadow along with the six Feral cubs. It was just my luck to stumble upon the brood when they hatched and came at me with both the power of a Feral and the power of a newborn's hunger. It was like looking at a free buffet. This mother Aiza was infected and laid six eggs which passed down the virus. It is sad that they never got to experience the good in life, but I cannot change that now.
The adrenaline was starting to wear off. Three days of tracking the hurried steps of the Feral for three hours of dodging its brood. That left me with a whole day full of cramps and achy feet. I pitied the Aiza, the no-cub mother laid to rest with her children, as I pitied all Aiza especially when I have to send them home.
Instead of sitting down or retrieving my arrows, I walk over to the crude meadow nest where the still warm egg shells laid cracked and discarded. Instead of feeling the cold green of the lesser Aiza in the surrounding area, I felt a small vibration. If I had not been alone, I would not have noticed it. But the waves grew stronger as I approached the shallow hole. The waves felt strange, not at all like a Feral but that of a normal Aiza. I already have my bow strapped to my back so I unsheathe my forearm length dagger from the belt slung around my hips.
"Screeeee! Scree! Scree! .... Whomph", were the muffled sounds that came from the various egg shell and debris pile. I lift a large piece of shell with the tip of my dagger to reveil a much smaller egg, compared to the other giant sized spotted eggs, emitting the clear blue waves of a healthy Aiza. I guess there was a seventh egg and wasn't seven a lucky number? The runt egg wobbled as the little fox like Aiza poked its snout into the fresh air. I was at a loss. Do I kill it and save it from the suffering of starvation or death by another Aiza? Or should I take it and sell it in the next town or what else do I do with something like this? It was not unheard of to keep an Aiza for food or as a pet as long as its mutations weren't dangerous. This was a poisonous type 6, no one would take a little guy like him, and I was miles away from the dreadful arena near the outside. Not that I would give them a little cub like this one.
The little scaly fox broke free of its confinements and landed not so gracefully on its snout. "SCREE! SCREE! SCREE!" It called out for its mother. I felt its need for the contact of a sibling or parent. It was a blind call of loneliness and despite being able to feel its need, I felt its cry ring inside my core. Even when I turned away from it and prepared to leave, I could not ignore it. I tried to shut off the feelers I used to sense Aiza, but I felt it none the less. Dammit, I guess I've just become a mother. Sighing I take a blanket out of my pack and wrap the little Aiza cozily in it. What do I do now? "SCREE! SCREE! Hablm! Mmmm! SCREE! SCREE!", the little runt started up on more cries of unhappiness.
"Ssshhhh, that's right. Quiet now or big bad monsters will come and eat you up, little runt." I murmured to him. Wait, yes it's a him. He quieted down. I'm pretty sure he hummed a little reply as his eyes fluttered against the alien light of the sun. "You sure got a lot of sound for a runt. Little Runt. Big Mouth Runt. Better Not Bite Me Or I'll Die and Leave You Alone Runt. Yes, I think I like the name, Runt. Yes, 'cuz that's what you are aren't you? You're just a Lucky Runt. Aw" Runt was playing with my side braid of silver hair while I baby talked to him. His eyes had finally opened to reveal the baby blue orbs untouched by the Feral virus. I had not felt maternal in any way before this, so to say this made me uncomfortable would be an understatement. It might be nice to have another companion besides the silent herd beast that pulls my wagon. Maybe I can keep him, but boy is that going to be a lot of work. But I sure as hell couldn't leave him here especially now that I went as far to give him a name.
First, I would need to travel to the next town and get some more supplies, and a little extra cash for hunting down a couple local Ferals wouldn't hurt...much. I wander around until I find a flat rock to read my map. I had edited it many times in colored ink where what sort of Aiza were in certain regions or where the more territorial Aiza's boundaries were. But my finger followed the smooth lines of well traveled roads for the nearest town. The town was dangerously close to the Tower, but me and Runt needed supplies for the fast approaching fall and winter. The town was called Benjamin. But why did it sound so familiar? I avoid traveling this close to the Tower but the feeling was still there. The idea that finally something was familiar.
I sighed and made my way back to my cart for the journey to Benjamin. Benjamin...
After a meager dinner of watered down broth of potato and some mysterious, cheap root and a rare treat of crusty bread, my father and I sat down to listen to our old radio. It was beat up and made of various metal pieces of junk but it was our beat up old piece of junk. There were only three channels: one for the local news, one for the Patrollers news, and a forbidden station the government banned anyone from listening to. They could detect who switched to that channel within city limits, but they couldn't figure out where the original broadcast was coming from. The punishment for listening to it was to be reformed. Patrollers take people into the tower then they walk out alone, but changed. They're the same person they were before but completely docile and obedient. Basically this station was too rebellious and slandered the respectability of the government blah blah blah. Also they couldn't identify who the speaker was or where they were, but the thing that ticked them off the most was that they couldn't stop every curious person from listening to it. It was especially dangerous in this town because we're the closest town to the Tower besides the main city that surrounds the Tower of course. This lil' ol' town of Benjamin. Nothing changed here because of the Tower, but I was kind of glad since riots and gangs weren't as popular here compared to the outer towns. There are terrible stories of the outer towns, especially the ones closest to the Craters.
Ever since an Aiza killed my mom during a patrol and put dad in a wheelchair, we don't listen to the Patroller station too often, but there were certain rumors circling around town.
"Good Evening to our quaint town of Benjamin! We'll get to the weather and all that good stuff after a short gossip that has been increasingly popular this week. Now some exciting news or rather rumors are going around that the Ghost is here! Admit it, we all want to know who this person is. Man or woman? Insane or justified? Other cities pay this person handsomely to rid the surrounding area of their Aiza infestations. I thought the Patrol was supposed to do that. -raspy laughter- Rumor has it that this wanderer stays in town for a week or two, strikes a deal and like magic all the class 5 Aiza and above are exterminated...", the tinny voice continued as I cleared the bowls. Father was sitting by the fireplace with the light shining off his prominent gray stripes by his temples. His face looked more gaunt and his cheeks more hollow in the light of the fire but I knew it was just the energy he was emitting. It was dark and sad. A tragedy best left unsaid.
"Hey dad?", I spoke softly as I sat in a chair beside him, "Do you know who this Ghost person is? I've never heard of him. Do you think he's a criminal or a...a good guy or something" I avoided saying Patroller. He was gazing at the fire, well as much as he could gaze with the glazed eyes of the unseeing. It was a stare you saw in someone that was completely broken.
"Hmm? Oh who now?" He slurred his words heavily. The day mother died was the day he died on the inside. The healthy hair and strong body of his father five ears ago can not be compared to the frail and lifeless man that rejected the light of the fire to warm his cold bones. "Nooo, he must be aaaaah criminal or scam..." These answers were typical of him on the best of days.
I sigh as I half heartedly listen to the radio and wash the supper dishes in a tub of dirty suds.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I can feel it before I can see it. The waves of heat that Ferals produce savagely. The waves told a story of bloodlust and carnage. Also being upwind, I could smell the rancid odor of rotting meat and rotting living flesh. It was just another advantage to being freaky little me. A branch snaps under a careless paw of a type 6. A type 6 was a nasty breed that used poison as its main defense and offense. Luckily this Aiza used its fangs to transfer the poison, I can easily dodge fangs, although there was a chance it would slobber on me. Oh well. I smile as I whirl and nock my bow. My arm is as taut as the armor of a type 8 of which my bow is made from. Staring directly in the eyes of the Feral, I let loose the arrow. This Aiza resembled a puma sized fox with grain colored scales replacing fur, but with 4 pairs of shiny red eyes instead of two. It is rare that you meet a Feral without bleeding red eyes so it did not surprise me to see it again for the thousandth time. Its jaws hung open to reveal yellowed teeth and a dry lolling tongue. I thought it was interesting that this species had lizard like feet. I'm lucky this one couldn't figure out how to climb trees and rock faces or this Feral would've been a little more difficult to kill. Its eyes might have been kind once or even cold, but there was no control over its fight or flee instincts. It was purely on the offensive with no emotion or regard other than rage.
There was no need to guide the arrow with my powers. There was no struggle or pain, there was only the receding waves of bloodlust vibrating into silence. My arrow was lodged firmly in between the four eyes of the feral. My aim carried the Feral home, where it belonged. Its body lay still in the red stained grass of the meadow along with the six Feral cubs. It was just my luck to stumble upon the brood when they hatched and came at me with both the power of a Feral and the power of a newborn's hunger. It was like looking at a free buffet. This mother Aiza was infected and laid six eggs which passed down the virus. It is sad that they never got to experience the good in life, but I cannot change that now.
The adrenaline was starting to wear off. Three days of tracking the hurried steps of the Feral for three hours of dodging its brood. That left me with a whole day full of cramps and achy feet. I pitied the Aiza, the no-cub mother laid to rest with her children, as I pitied all Aiza especially when I have to send them home.
Instead of sitting down or retrieving my arrows, I walk over to the crude meadow nest where the still warm egg shells laid cracked and discarded. Instead of feeling the cold green of the lesser Aiza in the surrounding area, I felt a small vibration. If I had not been alone, I would not have noticed it. But the waves grew stronger as I approached the shallow hole. The waves felt strange, not at all like a Feral but that of a normal Aiza. I already have my bow strapped to my back so I unsheathe my forearm length dagger from the belt slung around my hips.
"Screeeee! Scree! Scree! .... Whomph", were the muffled sounds that came from the various egg shell and debris pile. I lift a large piece of shell with the tip of my dagger to reveil a much smaller egg, compared to the other giant sized spotted eggs, emitting the clear blue waves of a healthy Aiza. I guess there was a seventh egg and wasn't seven a lucky number? The runt egg wobbled as the little fox like Aiza poked its snout into the fresh air. I was at a loss. Do I kill it and save it from the suffering of starvation or death by another Aiza? Or should I take it and sell it in the next town or what else do I do with something like this? It was not unheard of to keep an Aiza for food or as a pet as long as its mutations weren't dangerous. This was a poisonous type 6, no one would take a little guy like him, and I was miles away from the dreadful arena near the outside. Not that I would give them a little cub like this one.
The little scaly fox broke free of its confinements and landed not so gracefully on its snout. "SCREE! SCREE! SCREE!" It called out for its mother. I felt its need for the contact of a sibling or parent. It was a blind call of loneliness and despite being able to feel its need, I felt its cry ring inside my core. Even when I turned away from it and prepared to leave, I could not ignore it. I tried to shut off the feelers I used to sense Aiza, but I felt it none the less. Dammit, I guess I've just become a mother. Sighing I take a blanket out of my pack and wrap the little Aiza cozily in it. What do I do now? "SCREE! SCREE! Hablm! Mmmm! SCREE! SCREE!", the little runt started up on more cries of unhappiness.
"Ssshhhh, that's right. Quiet now or big bad monsters will come and eat you up, little runt." I murmured to him. Wait, yes it's a him. He quieted down. I'm pretty sure he hummed a little reply as his eyes fluttered against the alien light of the sun. "You sure got a lot of sound for a runt. Little Runt. Big Mouth Runt. Better Not Bite Me Or I'll Die and Leave You Alone Runt. Yes, I think I like the name, Runt. Yes, 'cuz that's what you are aren't you? You're just a Lucky Runt. Aw" Runt was playing with my side braid of silver hair while I baby talked to him. His eyes had finally opened to reveal the baby blue orbs untouched by the Feral virus. I had not felt maternal in any way before this, so to say this made me uncomfortable would be an understatement. It might be nice to have another companion besides the silent herd beast that pulls my wagon. Maybe I can keep him, but boy is that going to be a lot of work. But I sure as hell couldn't leave him here especially now that I went as far to give him a name.
First, I would need to travel to the next town and get some more supplies, and a little extra cash for hunting down a couple local Ferals wouldn't hurt...much. I wander around until I find a flat rock to read my map. I had edited it many times in colored ink where what sort of Aiza were in certain regions or where the more territorial Aiza's boundaries were. But my finger followed the smooth lines of well traveled roads for the nearest town. The town was dangerously close to the Tower, but me and Runt needed supplies for the fast approaching fall and winter. The town was called Benjamin. But why did it sound so familiar? I avoid traveling this close to the Tower but the feeling was still there. The idea that finally something was familiar.
I sighed and made my way back to my cart for the journey to Benjamin. Benjamin...
♠ ♠ ♠
I haven't updated in a while so I did it today. I got caught up in school work and other stuff. I'm not going to lie, but sometimes I was just too lazy to write. I can update every weekend from now on if anyone's interested. But let me know (even if you type a smiley face and that's it) if you want me to continue. I'll write a few more chapters after this but I need to know if I have an audience to write to. Thank you for reading this till the end, I appreciate it a lot. :)