by L. Fergus
Snowy returned with a large stag dangling from the jaws of a war cat. She removed a leg and gave it to the cat. It bound up the slope clutching its prize. Zidin helped Snowy clean and cut the meat.
“You’re throwing away the best parts,” said Snowy.
“This?” said Zidin holding up a kidney.
Snowy took a bite out of it, and Zidin turned green. Kita laughed.
“Shaper, come get a fire going so we can roast the meat!” Kita yelled at Bart.
“Now you need me, eh? First, it’s for the fire I’ll light here. Later, it’ll be for the fire I can light elsewhere,” Bart said as he went by.
Kita was glad her roses hid her blush. I’m seriously reconsidering my stance on usefulness over personality.
Kita picked at her dinner still feeling full from eating days before, but she ate what she could—she wasn’t sure when she’d be able to eat again. As she nibbled, she observed the others. Each person ate differently. Zidin ate with his hands ripping the meat off in big chunks. Cowboy used a knife to cut, and then he stabbed the meat to get it to his mouth, though he didn’t remove the bandana. Bart somehow produced a fork, knife, and plate and created a rock table with a stool. Snowy refused to let her share be cooked. Instead, she happily tore away the flesh, making a bloody mess. Kita giggled at her when she stopped.
“What?” Snowy asked shyly.
“You’ve got a red mustache.”
Snowy licked at it with her tongue and then licked her hand and cleaned her face. “Better?”
Kita laughed. “Now, it looks like you’ve got lip makeup on.”
Snowy’s ears and whiskers drooped.
“It looks good on you.”
“Anything is an improvement,” Bart chided.
“Ignore him. I think you’re beautiful.”
“I know you do,” Snowy said.
Kita blushed.
“You’re cute when you blush.”
Kita’s blush deepened as Snowy winked at her.
At the bottom of Razor’s Pass, Kita didn’t hesitate to step onto the sand of the Unfinished Wastes. She climbed to the top of the first dune and admired the sea of sand that rolled off into the distance before shimmering heat made them disappear. Tall spires rose out of the sea, and a slight breeze blew the sand, giving the dunes motion. The others gathered at the base of the dune. Kita went to see what the problem was.
"The sand is cursed,” said Bart. “I don't carry any ward of protection."
"Neither do I," said Kita. She picked up a handful of sand and let it fall between her fingers. "It's just sand. There's nothing cursed about it. Come on. We’re losing daylight."
The others each gave Bart an amused look as they walked away. Even Sarge gave him the cat version of a snicker.
"How do I know you're not in league with evil spirits?" yelled Bart.
"Let me ask you a question," said Kita.
"Ask me a question now, and soon you'll be asking for other things."
Ugh, why am I putting up with this? "Do you want to take a chance with a curse or take a chance with me? Because you only get one shot with me."
Bart's ears perked up.
That's it. Hear what you want to hear. Snowy looked worried. I promise it's not what you think.
"Come on," Kita told her group as she led them up the dune.
“Don’t I get some motivation to get me out on the sands?” called Bart.
Kita turned without stopping. “Yes, either come or go. I care not which.”
Bart hurried to catch up. “I love a girl who plays hard to get.”
Kita scowled.
Dusk fell, and the heat of the desert evaporated. Kita worried about the effect the heat would have on the others. Maybe it’s better if we traveled at night.
“Are we going to make camp?” said Bart when Kita didn’t stop.
“No. We’ll rest during the day and save our water and strength.”
“We can't see in the dark. How will we know where we’re going?”
“I can,” Kita and Snowy said in unison and then laughed at each other.
“I might believe the creature can, but you’re human,” Bart scoffed.
Kita smiled mischievously. “Come closer. Look deep into my eyes.”
Bart smiled broadly. “Gladly.”
Once he was looking into her eyes, Kita flipped through her lenses.
Bart recoiled in shock. “That’s not possible.”
“It’s possible, and you’ve got a pimple forming on your jawline.” She pointed to the spot on his face.
Bart took out a compact. “It’s barely formed, but you’re right. Don’t suppose you’d like to check out the rest of my features with those magic eyes?”
“Who’s to say I haven’t been?” Kita held down some bile. I think I’d rather rip my eyes out.
The group kept moving until the early morning rays turned the dark sky a lead-gray. Kita decided to make camp in the shadow of one of the massive rock spires. Before the sun came up, she climbed to the wide and flat top of the spire to look around.
The desert was empty except for the rock spires. Kita cycled through her lenses to take a closer look. Odd-looking creatures basked in the early morning light at the base of a spire. Zooming in, they had the head of a dog, the body of a fish, and were all black. One dove into the sand like water. The other creatures joined it.
“What are you doing up here?” said Snowy.
Kita jumped, startled. “I came up here to check our position. We’re going in the right direction. We should reach our destination in three more nights. I scanned the horizon and found we’re not alone. There are some odd dog-fish creatures at that spire over there.” Kita pointed to where she'd seen them.
Snowy smirked. “Dog-fish? You mean a seal?”
Kita shrugged. “I guess, sure. All I know is that it dove off the rocks and plunged into the sand like it was water.”
“Makes you wonder what else is out there.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. Damn. We’ll have to be careful.”
A long awkward silence hung between them.
“It’s ok if you’re more interested in him than me," Snowy blurted out. "I know he’s gorgeous, and I understand. I’m still willing to come with you to make up for what we’ve done. Just tell me now.” A pair of big tears welled up in her eyes.
“What! Never,” Kita said firmly. “The last thing I want is to touch that slimy bastard. On the other hand, you’re what I’m most definitely interested in.”
“But, you flirt with him and give him these looks.”
Kita laughed. “I’m stringing the bastard along. He’ll be willing to do anything as long as he thinks he has the slimmest of chances. I’m sorry. I’m doing it without realizing it. It’s a skill I mastered when I was a teenager to get what I wanted from the guards.”
Snowy wiped away her tears. “I was never able to do that. When I was human, I was frumpy and overweight. I was happy when a guy would look at me and ecstatic when he would talk to me. Even when I was married, I always felt insecure, afraid he’d leave at any moment. I must sound foolish.”
“You’re not foolish, and I’m sorry. I should have mentioned my intentions with him to you earlier. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Kita bit her lip and then said hesitantly, “You’re happy a girl’s looking at you, right?”
Snowy giggled. “I guess so. I never thought about being with a girl. Growing up it was uncommon, but I knew a few couples. My parents always taught me to fall in love with the person.” She let out a long sigh, and her eyes darted away. She returned her attention to Kita with a shy smile. "You really do like me and the way I look?”
Kita smiled wolfishly. “I think you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” She took Snowy’s hand and invited her to sit. Together they cuddled and watched the sunrise.
“We need to watch out. Creatures live in the sand,” Kita said when she and Snowy returned to the desert floor. “I saw a group of seals that dove into the sand north
of here.”
Cowboy looked up from his notebook. Everyone else was asleep. “If you see any on our journey, would it be possible to get closer and observe them?”
Kita sighed. “If they’re not far off the path, we’ll try and get close enough for me to see and you to write. Fair enough?”
Cowboy nodded.
Kita, not tired, let everyone sleep and stood guard. Just before dusk, she roused everyone.
They marched into the night. She led them on a path from spire to spire. Movement out in the desert caught her attention.
“I’ve got some fish-like creatures with long noses. They seem to be playing and jumping out of the sand doing summersaults.”
“Sounds like a dolphin,” said Zidin.
Kita had no idea what a dolphin was, but Cowboy nodded.
As dawn approached, Kita stopped at a spire. “I’m going to the top to get a fix on our position,” she told the others.
“I’ll come with you,” said Snowy. “The dawn is pretty,” she said after they reached the top.
“I like the stars. They always bring me peace. You want to sit and watch the sun come up?”
“Sure.”
Kita helped Snowy take a seat and then sat beside her. The sun peeked over the horizon. How does one go about making a move? I’ve never had to do it before. But, what if I do it wrong—or worse, she doesn’t want it? She said she was interested, but is she really? Was she saying that to make me feel better? She seems to like me calling her beautiful. What do I do? It feels like my heart is beating out of my chest. What if she can hear it? I’m so going to screw this up. But if I do nothing, will she think I’m rejecting her? Gah! Kita quit being foolish, just put your arm around her. DO IT!
Kita feigned a yawn and stretched her arms. Oh, I feel ridiculous. Slowly and carefully, she placed her arm on Snowy’s shoulders. Oh, please, oh please, don’t reject me.
Without a word, Snowy leaned in and placed her head on Kita’s shoulder.
YES! She does like me. Kita swallowed hard to try and keep her racing emotions and heartbeat in check. She then settled back, trying to relax.
When the sunrise was over, she looked at Snowy. She was fast asleep. Kita shrugged and decided a nap sounded like a good idea.
As the sun reached midafternoon, Kita and Snowy climbed down the spire. Zidin sat on a rock with a disapproving scowl. He waved Kita over. She touched Snowy’s arm and left her so she could get some sleep.
“You’re late.”
“Sorry. I’ll take your shift tomorrow.”
“I don’t care about that. You’re not that late. I don’t like that you’re somewhere I can't get to easily. What if you get into trouble?”
“I know, but it’s the only time I get to be alone with her.”
“So, you two are?”
“No! Well, at least not yet. Right now, I’m enjoying having someone else to talk to. I’m sorry if it’s infringing on my other duties. It’s just been a long time,” Kita said with a sheepish look.
Zidin’s face softened. “I think this is the first time it’s infringed on your duties. I just wanted to know if you were courting her or leading her on. You’ve done a lot of flirting with that shaper.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m courting her. I’m just getting to know her like she’s getting to know me. I am not leading her on. That idiot Bart, on the other hand, I am. I think his shaper abilities might be useful. If I have to flirt a little to get him to bend to my whim, so be it.”
“That’s what I thought. If you want private time with her just say so. I’ll make sure the others leave you alone.”
Kita gave him a shy smile. “Thanks. I’m not sure when I might take you up on that. But, thanks for offering.”
“Same with Bart. If he becomes a problem, I’ll gladly break him in half.”
Kita chuckled. “There are worse things I can do to him, but I like the idea.”
“You have told her that you’re leading him on, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. I wish you had asked me that earlier. We talked about it, but only after I sent the wrong message. I think we patched it up; once I explained things to her.”
Zidin nodded. “Sorry, it just came to me.”
“Not your fault. Now go get some sleep.”
As the moon passed high in the sky, Kita poked the sand with Dawn. “Be on your guard. There are sounds coming from under the sand.”
They walked on.
Kita stopped several times to listen. The sound was becoming louder. I don’t like being hunted. Maybe I can draw it out.
“Everyone get back. I’m going to see if I can get its attention.”
“Be careful,” said Zidin. He backed off, but not far.
Kita jumped up and down on the sand. The sound grew louder, so she kept making noise and kicking the sand around.
Three giant black creatures exploded from the sand. Large fins stuck out of the creatures’ backs, sides, and tails. They looked like the dolphins she saw before but with blunted noses.
Kita dove to her left, missing the first two, but the third caught her arm in its massive jaws. She screeched as the numerous teeth stabbed her. The creature dove into the sand and dragged her along the surface.
The wild tumbling made it impossible for Kita to draw her swords. The creature rolled, tearing the muscles and tendons in Kita’s arm and shoulder. It plunged back into the sand and dragged her farther across the sand.
Kita grabbed a thermite charge from her belt. She slapped it near the creature’s eye and ignited it. To Kita’s surprise, the creature burst into flames. It made no sound but thrashed wildly, tossing Kita into the air.
Kita landed hard on the sand. She sat up and swore over her mangled arm as the burning creature exploded. Chunks of it rained down around her. Ignoring the pain, she jumped to her feet and ran toward the others.
Cowboy stood his ground. The creature swam on top of the sand, its large tail propelling it forward. He drew a weapon from his back, broke it open, took one of the shiny cylinders from his belt, inserted it, and snapped the weapon shut with a flip of his wrist. Bringing the weapon up to his shoulder, he sighted along the barrel. The creature’s giant mouth opened, and Cowboy fired. The bright flash and bang startled Kita. The creature exploded in a large fireball.
Farther away, Zidin and Snowy worked together on another creature. Snowy clung to the creature's back with her clawed feet while striking its gills. It bucked, tossing Snowy high into the air. She landed and rolled in the sand. Zidin planted himself in the creature’s path. When it was close, he jumped to the side and swung. Great White sliced the creature in half from mouth to tail.
Bart had a fourth creature caught in a whirlwind of sand. Flames from his hand heated the sand, scouring the skin off the creature. He let it fall to the sand when most of the skin was gone.
Kita gathered the others. “Is everyone ok?”
She received positive responses from everyone.
“What about you?” said Cowboy, pointing to Kita's arm.
“It’s nothing. It’ll heal.”
“As much as I admire a woman of courage, that is not nothing. It is rather ghastly,” said Bart.
Both bones in Kita’s arm were exposed, and much of the muscle between her elbow and her bracer was torn open. She tried to wiggle her fingers, but none moved.
“It’ll heal, eventually. There’s nothing that can be done.”
“That’s not the type of wound that heals, Commander,” said Bart. “I’m surprised you haven’t passed out from loss of blood. Let me have a look.” He grabbed Kita’s arm. “How that creature didn’t take the entire arm is amazing.” Bart lit a small light with his free hand. “Why are your bones shiny?”
Kita yanked her arm away. “You don’t know anything. Unless you’re hiding you’re a healer.”
“Sadly, I am not, but I often work with them. They need someone who can sterilize and cauterize. I’ve learned a lot about battlefield medicine. You still haven’t answe
red my question.”
Kita glared at him. “Don’t worry about it. It hurts plenty, but I’ll be fine by tomorrow. Come on, let’s go.”
As they walked along, Kita asked Zidin, “What were those, any idea?”
“Sharks. They look like the great whites off our islands in Arcone, except these are solid black.”
“They're covered in some kind of oily fluid,” Cowboy interjected. “I would surmise it’s to help them glide through the sand. It’s proven to be highly combustible.”
As the night wore on, Kita felt tired and lethargic. She halted the group. “Snowy, can you take over point?”
“Are you ok?” said Snowy with a concerned look.
“Yeah. My arm just hurts.”
The group moved out. Kita walked next to Zidin and was soon leaning on him.
“Zidin, I—”
Kita collapsed in Zidin’s arms.
Kita lulled awake and mumbled something, and Zidin and Bart moved to her head from examining her arm. Snowy pushed Bart out of the way.
“Foo—” was all Kita could manage.
“Give me some of that jerky meat.” Snowy cradled Kita’s head in her lap and tore off tiny chunks of the meat, but Kita wouldn’t take it. She hung on the edge of consciousness, too weak to move.
Cowboy dribbled water on Kita’s face. “No luck. Try slapping her.”
“No way,” said Zidin. “I don’t want to know what she’d do to me.”
“I know!” said Bart with a gleam in his eye. “She needs to be kissed by her true love. Out of the way, cat. Let me see her.”
Snowy bared her fangs and then hissed.
“I think that means no,” Cowboy said with a chuckle.
Snowy bent over and gave Kita a gentle kiss.
“Ah, stupid cat,” said Bart. “It’s supposed to be true love. Now scoot over, and I’ll show you how it’s done.” He tried to push Snowy aside, but Zidin pushed him back.
Kita’s eyes focused on Snowy. “My bones are metal, but you still have to be patient,” Kita whispered.
“Shhh, kitten. Eat this. You need to raise your blood sugar. Accelerated healing needs a lot of energy.” She fed Kita tiny pieces of the meat.