Astra snapped awake to see Elde standing over her body, looking down at her uneasily. His hot breath burst onto her face with short clammy puffs as he gently pressed his wet nose against her cheek and eyed her with his disturbingly strange eyes. For a moment, she didn't move. Was she still having a nightmare or was this monster truly this close to her?
What if he turned on her? Would she have the strength to defend herself? Using what? She thought back to Vojin and remembered what he said about a weak spot. Elde had that weak spot. She noticed his temples were sunken in. It would be an easy target to see but difficult to hit if he attacked her.
"I see you're up finally!" Sagan's voice burst through the silent cave. "Elde, come here before you give the poor woman a heart attack." The beast lifted his head and turned towards Sagan. He slowly made his way over to him. "Let me tell you, Elde has been staring at you for the last half an hour. I don't know why but I think he has a thing for you. You make quite the impression."
"I'll make a mental note of that," she replied, trying to shake the dream from her mind and pretend like everything was okay.
"I've been up for some time, so I was able to grab some stuff for the trip. Do you know how to handle a knife?"
"I have a weapon." She patted her pockets.
They were empty. Where did it go? Where was the dagger Vojin gave her? Her teeth ground onto one another. Where was her only form of protection? She shot up quickly and searched around the cave, feeling like her heart was about to explode.
"Are you ok? You look worried about something."
"I had a knife. Where is my knife?" she snapped, looking under the fur she slept on. "I didn't even realize it was gone until now and I'm worried I lost it when I fell. I know I put it in my pocket."
"Oh... Everything Alek found in your pockets he put in his bag to keep safe. Sorry, we meant to give it back, but we forgot. We just didn't want anything to fall out when you were unconscious, since we had to drag you several miles."
"Where is it?"
"Over there." Sagan pointed with his pursed lips. "There must have been someone looking out for you because not only was it not damaged in the fall but you somehow managed to not cut yourself with the knife. How you pulled that one off is beyond me."
"Luck I guess." She searched the numerous bags lying around the cave. She needed to find that tooth. Where was it? Without it, her chances of survival would decrease significantly. "Which bag did you put it in? I want it back. I feel safer having it on me."
"Take a breath, love. It's in that one." Sagan pointed to a leather bag leaning on the side of the cave.
She walked over to the bag and sat down before lifting open the buff leather flap and searching the inside. There were a few dried herbs, what looked like an unfinished weapon, some rope, and finally, nestled safely at the bottom was her dagger.
Was he right that it wasn't damaged in the fall? She took it out and lifted it. Yes, he was right. Everything seemed to be intact and surprisingly enough, the poison not only had remained in place, but was fresh within the vein. She sighed as she lowered the weapon.
"Did your friend give that to you?" Sagan wondered.
"Yes, he did. He wanted me to be able to protect myself."
"That was nice of him. He sounds like a good friend."
"I am lucky I met him."
"I can teach you how to use it during our down time."
"What downtime?"
Sagan smiled. "At some point we will have to find shelter. We'll train there."
"That sounds good. Thank you."
Astra traveled towards the entrance of the cave and peeked outside. The sun had crawled from its grave and reflected its light on the river. She walked further onto the green grass and watched the wildflowers dance in the wind before she approached the river and stood by the water.
As she stared at the nature, she thought about all the creatures on this planet. Was she really in a world ruled by demons? Was Elde a demon? Even though Vojin had explained that they were not really demons, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe they were. They all looked evil to her. Then again, they seemed to think the same about her species.
She ran her fingers through her tangled hair and tried to get some of the knots out. What would today bring? What dangers were lurking around this planet? At least on Earth she would have been able to have a general idea of the dangers she was facing depending on the region she was in. Her jaw tensed with the thought of traveling into the unknown with a complete stranger, but she knew she had no choice.
"Today, I want to give you some pointers about this place," Sagan said as he approached her from behind. She slid the tooth into her pocket. "That way if we ever get separated, you'll know what you can eat and what the different plants can be used for."
"Yeah, that sounds good. I don't really know much about the plants out here."
"You guys leaving now?" Alek asked from behind her.
"Yeah," Sagan replied, adjusting the brown bag on his shoulder.
Alek walked up to Sagan. He stepped in front of him and for a moment, he didn't move or speak. He just stared at his friend with glassy eyes.
"You need to come back safely and come back as soon as you find her friend. I'll wait for you all here and keep Elde company, but I need you to come back in one piece."
"I will."
For a moment longer Sagan and Alek stared at each other before Alek wrapped his arms around his friend. Small creases formed around his tightly shut eyes and it looked like he was holding back tears. He then turned around and walked back into the cave without another word. Was it too hard for him to say the final words of "goodbye?"
She gave Sagan a moment of silence. This must be hard for him. Her eyes grazed across the tumbling green hills on one side of the river and the flat, rock covered lands on the other side, before ending where the river disappeared into the distant mountains.
"Where are we going?" he finally asked after a long pause.
"That way." She pointed to where she last saw the brightest star in the sky. "The star seems to be just on the other side of the water, so I think I need to follow the river."
"You sure?"
She chewed on the edge of her lip. The last thing Vojin told her was to follow the star and he would find her. Though there was a chance that he died during that fight, something in her gut told her he was still alive. Something was whispering to her soul that he would find her and help her get home. She needed to listen to that whisper, even if it was just empty hope.
"Yeah, I am sure. But we need to cross the river. Is there a safe place to do that?"
"I know just the place. Follow me."
They began their journey through the rolling hills beside the blue river. It was just warm enough that Astra took off her jacket and wrapped it around her waist. For the most part, the skies were clear with the occasional cloud that would pass over the sun.
On occasion they would pass under shady trees that grew from the water's edge. Though the cherry bark was smooth, the trunks of the trees were uneven in texture with holes throughout. Roots wrapped around the stones, drinking from the water that splashed from the river.
She breathed in, closed her eyes for a moment and saw her father's face. He looked sad. He always looked sad when she thought of him, now that she was on Pannotia.
After a few hours, they finally stopped at a section of the river that had a bridge made of floating stones. These stones were the color of cooked salmon and were about two feet in diameter. It was hard to tell if they were natural or created by someone else since they were perfectly oval and seemed out of place on the river.
The water, which made the stones bobble ever so slightly, was calmer. Sagan made his way across them. They were only about a foot apart so he didn't need to take large steps. Every step he took, the stone dipped slightly under the water, but remained floating.
"Come on Astra! It's safe, don't worry."
She stepped on the first stone and felt it sink a bit. The water caressed the rubber at the base of her shoe but didn't go beyond that. Now that she was so close to the stone, she noticed that it was covered in small holes of different shapes and sizes. She took a few more steps and looked over at her friend who was already halfway across and waiting for her. Creatures of every shape and size swam beneath her in the deep river. Some were long and scaly while others were short and smooth. Though she couldn't see the bottom of the river, she imagined that it was also teaming with life.
"I've never seen anything like this," she whispered as she knitted her brow and watched an eel-like creature, at least thirty feet in length, slither through the cool liquid. "That thing is crazy big."
"It's harmless. Don't worry."
"I hope you're right," she said under her breath. "How deep is this?"
"God, I would not want to find out through swimming to the bottom."
She ground her teeth while she imagined how awful it would feel to sink to the bottom of the river.
"How dangerous are these waters?"
"Not dangerous at all."
"What about that massive thing that just passed under me?"
"The snake looking thing?"
"Yes."
"Oh, that was just a baby. I know because I've seen them get so big that you don't know where they stop or start. They are harmless. I've even swam with them. All they want to do is eat plants and sleep. You will sometimes see them come out of the water for short periods of time to breed."
She stepped onto another bobbing stone. "I take it you have witnessed this event?"
"Yes. It was like watching a creepy animal documentary that you just want to end. At first, I thought they were fighting, but then I realized those weren't screams of pain."
"I wonder how awkward it is to step out after a good night's sleep and there are two river snakes just doing it right in front of you? Do they stop having sex and move to a more private area or are they like explorative hippies, unafraid to display the goods?"
"Mmmm, think free love," Sagan replied as he turned his head towards her.
"Ah, as expected. Speaking of love, I love bathing and I haven't washed in... let's not mention how long it's been, but I'm sure you can "smellstimate" the time. How do you guys keep clean?"
"Well, for the love of God and all things holy, take a bath tonight. I smellstimate it's time. We take baths in this river and have never had a problem with any of the creatures. They just leave you alone and the more curious ones are curious from afar," he said with a chuckle.
A bath was something she had wanted to take for a long time and the thought of washing the dirt off of her seemed like a reality that was too good to be true. She looked down at the water and was almost tempted to jump in, but as another large creature passed underneath the stones she stepped on, she decided to find another time when the water wasn't so deep.
They finally made it to the other side of the river and stepped onto dry land. It was different, going from rolling hills, to a flat land covered in massive rocks that were oftentimes far taller than she was. Some of the rocks were piled on top of one another forming mounds, while others were scattered across the land. Between the rocks, were small green flowers that blended in almost perfectly with the grass. The flowers had six petals and a dot of yellow in the center which was so small she almost missed it.
Her eyes itched as she passed through the land, and she rubbed her runny nose. She must have had a small allergy to the pollen.
Sagan stopped and put his finger up to his lips before pointing behind her. His eyes were wide and suddenly became tense. The muscles around her neck tightened. She knew without even having to look they were about to become the prey to a predator.
Astra turned around. There it was, a beast the size of an Asian elephant. It blended in almost perfectly with the boulder half its size that it stepped out from behind. The monster had black horns that twisted to the sky, and it stared at the river with its wide-set azure eyes. It didn't see them yet, or at least it didn't appear so. The beast walked over to the river, with muscles bulging under a sable fur. Bending down, its long honeydew tongue scooped the water into its massive mouth. There was no fur on its head that was shaped similar to a mapusaurus and as it opened its mouth, it looked like its jaw was split in half in the center.
"Don't move," Sagan mouthed, with a knife already in his hands.
Although he told her not to move, every morsel inside of her wanted nothing more than to run. The seconds they stared at this beast, waiting for its next move, seemed like hours. A single droplet of sweat trickled down her brow as she touched the side of her pocket, too afraid to reach inside and pull out her weapon.
Astra felt a tickle in her nose. Shit. It must have been the pollen from the flowers. She tried to hold back a sneeze but suddenly felt her head lurch forward and the sound erupted from her lips.
The beast's eyes snapped towards them. It rose on two feet and opened its dragon-like jaw, before it pushed out its shoulder blades until they broke through its skin, becoming spikes. Sharp teeth the size of her forearm glistened in the sun's light as an ear-piercing howl erupted from the beast's muscular throat. Its black claws slammed onto the ground before the monster grabbed onto a nearby boulder half her size and hurled it at them. Astra's heart lurched in her chest as the boulder barely missed her head, coming so close to her she could feel the wind rush by.
"Run!" Sagan yelled and raced up a hill towards a large rock formation just a few hundred feet away. She followed him and pulled the weapon out of her pocket.
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die," she thought to herself as she moved her feet as fast as she could.
It lowered its large head and charged towards them, gaining momentum as it did. As fast as she could, she raced towards the rocks, hoping Sagan knew where he was going.
"Climb! FAST!" he yelled out as he jumped up on the rocks and pulled himself higher and higher. As she approached the rocky formation, she turned around just in time to see the creature only feet away. It was too late. She didn't have time to climb.
She twisted to the side. The beast barely missed her and rammed its head into the cracking rocks. A rain of pebbles bounced off her skin as the monster pulled back and shook its head, howling with rage. She jumped out of the way as a large rock rolled loose and crashed down beside her. The beast bared its teeth, and she could have sworn that for a moment, she had seen it smile.
She was trapped. The rocks were too steep for her to climb and the beast was only feet away from her. A loud roar exploded from its mouth. It lifted its fist up to the air, ready to crush her.
Sagan leaped from the ledge, onto the back of the monster and landed between his spikes, ramming his weapon into its flesh. With a growling roar, the demon stumbled back and grabbed at Sagan, barely missing him, once, then twice, but before it grabbed at him a third time its head snapped towards sound of a soul crushing roar.
Out of the river came Elde, his once clear antlers glowing a smoking umber red. He left a trail of boiling water in the churning river behind him, and his lips were raised above his teeth.
"Climb!" The voice of Alek was heard clearly.
She turned her head and saw Alek running from the direction they came from. Onto the ground he threw a large bag that he had been carrying on his back. Attached to the bag was a rolled-up fur and on the sides hung a bundle of dried meat.
Elde bared his razor-sharp teeth as Alek ran up behind him with a knife in each hand. The monster let out another deafening roar and slammed its fists, leaving craters in the ground below it. Sagan grabbed onto the knife, pulled it out of its skin, and again stabbed it into its back. The monster reached behind him, barely missing Sagan. He was just out of reach from its deadly claws.
Elde lowered his head and charged, colliding with the angry beast who snapped its jowls towards him. The beast raised its claws and slashed them across his side. Alek ran up and gouged his knife into the ribcage of the beast. He used it and the help of Sagan's hand to push himself on its back.
"Get Astra to safety!" Alek barked as he pulled the knife out of its side and began hacking away at the back of its thick neck.
Sagan ripped his knife from the creature and leaped off its back just as the beast grabbed a hold of Alek and threw him fifty feet across the land. He rolled to a stop, coming inches away from hitting his head against a large boulder. He looked like a warrior with streaks and droplets of the other creature's blood covering his body.
"CLIMB!" Sagan's scream was drowned out by another roar. He hiked up the rocky formation, this time pointing out another rock that was lower to the ground.
Astra again tried to scramble onto it but found that she didn't have the strength to push herself up. It was then that she felt a pair of strong hands lift her from her hips and she was able to climb onto the safety of the first rock. She looked down. It was Alek. He motioned her to keep moving.
Quickly she followed, climbing as fast as she could. She leapt from rock to rock, higher and higher until she finally made it to the top, only twenty-five feet off the ground.
"We're safe up here. He can't climb," Sagan panted. He smiled at Alek who sat down beside him and wiped the blood from his weapon with a cloth he pulled from his pocket.
She couldn't seem to catch her breath and her hands shook uncontrollably. That was close. Too close. Astra looked down as they ripped at each other with their teeth. She had never seen anything so violent. Both creatures fought without fear or mercy.
Elde once again rammed his sizzling antlers into the beast. The creature ripped open Elde's side with one of its black claws. It then picked him up and threw him into the side of a rock. He shook his head. His skin was split open at the side of his face from the impact he made with the rock. Again, he lifted his lips over his nose, showing his massive teeth dripping with saliva.
Elde charged. They collided. He snapped at the beast, barely missing it once, twice, three and four times, before biting down on its throat and ripping a chunk out. The beast sliced open Elde's chest just as his antlers burned into its side.
Though she wanted to turn away, she could not. Her eyes were locked onto this horrible vision, hoping for the best but afraid for the worst. How would she survive in this world when creatures like this lived here?
Elde peeled back a chunk of the creature's skin, causing a vein to explode onto the green grass as it ripped in half. His chest heaved with every breath as it dripped in blood. She wanted to help him, but she was paralyzed with fear and knew she would do nothing more than get in the way. Turning to her side, she looked at Sagan and Alek who blankly gazed at the battle. They were unaffected by this macabre scene. Had they seen this before?
With a howl, the beast collapsed on the ground. It struggled to get up but fell again. Elde snorted and stomped his feet, looking down at the creature. He shook his head, splattering the grass with droplets of his blood.
Elde wrapped his mouth around the defeated animal's neck who closed its eyes. With a quick thrust, he ripped the throat from this creature's body, consuming the bloodied flesh. As the beast's head fell to the ground, its tongue lolled out of its mouth and its muscles became limp. A puddle of crimson blood formed, slowly creeping its way across the grass.
Elde looked down at its chest. A small area about the size of her fist began to bulge and as it did so, a cracking sound was heard. Broken ribs tore open the flesh, creating a bloodied opening the length of her hand. The bones stuck out of corners of this opening like shards of pine. He narrowed his eyes as a red mass covered in thick purple veins pushed through. The opening stretched wider as this mass bulged from the cut. Finally, what appeared to be an organ the size of a softball fell onto the ground. In an instant, it was consumed.
"How did he do that?" she asked as she cringed at the blood coating his lips. "What did he just eat?"
"A heart," Sagan responded. "He's telekinetic but I've only seen him use it to pull the hearts out of the ones he kills. It's easier if he pulls it through the throat instead of breaking open the ribs but for some reason today, he chose to do it through the chest."
"This entire concept is disgusting," she replied, her upper lip tensing.
"You'll get used to it. At first it is a bit much, but after a while you become numb to it."
"I'm not sure I can become numb to death."
"I didn't think I could either, but now that it has become such a norm in my life, I am shocked at the things that I am used to."