“Not for ‘some reason’! Keep in mind, you are humans on Heltiana’s land! I am afraid someone could have become aware of your presence.” Jack stopped abruptly and turned to David, Brooke, and Nicole who were falling behind in the crowd. “Brooke! Nicole! David! Do not lag behind! Keep up!” Jack shouted over the crowd.
Alex, Jack, and Mark waited for the three to catch up before moving on. Jack raised his voice to a normal volume so that the other three could hear as well.
“We will be out of this town and onto the road again. There are only a few blocks between us and the edge of town. The journey from then on should only be two days on foot,” Jack said.
“Oh, so it should only be one day’s travel if we fly!” David said excitedly.
“No. We will not be flying. That road is traveled frequently because it is in between the two towns. I do not want to raise much suspicion. Those who fly tend to be in a hurry. It takes too much energy. We will look suspicious and most likely be stopped and asked who we are and what our business is. It is too risky. Be careful. Soon, flying will begin to be tiring if you do it too much and eventually you may not be able to do it at all for a while.”
“If we stop being able to fly, will we not be able to fly again?” Nicole asked, alarmed.
“A few days of rest should enable you to fly once again. Much faster for a while, too,” said Jack as he stole a glance at Nicole and smiled. “So much faster.”
The group of teenagers fell silent with their questions as they mulled this over. Jack chuckled to himself and walked on. Ahead of them, yards away, they could see a large arch hanging over the street, connected to two buildings. Beyond that, no more buildings or streets could be seen.
Jenna leaned against the wall in an alley, coated in shadow, resting. Her brother sat beside her, chewing on an apple. She felt a slap on her leg. Startled, she jumped, and looked down scornfully at her brother.
“What in the world was that for?” she growled.
“Look,” Jensen pointed to the crowd at a man surrounded by young teenagers. He wore a top hat and cloak. Jenna recognized him immediately. She smiled wickedly. We haven’t lost them completely, she told herself.
“When do you want to make our move?” Jensen asked.
“Not now. I know where they are going. We will finish our act here and meet them there. In four days, we will go,” Jenna replied. “I’ve always wondered what it felt like to kill a human.”
FORTY
Shortly after leaving the town, they came across more forest. David complained, but Jack reassured him there would be no more forest once they got to Borthenaheim. Once they left the last town and were on the road again, Alex took notice of Jack’s slowly growing comfort the more distance that was put in between them and the town. Alex had asked what about the town bothered him so much, but Jack refused to tell him.
They traveled on a well-worn wide dirt path in the middle of the forest. As they walked they passed many strangers. Some were in cars or wagons or went on foot. Most were merchants or traders or businessmen. Occasionally, they would see people seemingly traveling for personal purposes, as they were.
Before they knew it, night had fallen and they were forced to retire. Jack instructed them to find a place a distance away from the road in order to sleep. Everyone seemed to find trouble sleeping, but eventually they managed to doze off. Even Jack slept. Unlike his companions, Alex found himself wide awake. Not an ounce of drowsiness lingered in his eyes.
For a while, he lay back against a tree and stared at the stars, twinkling brightly. He lay like that for the night, restless. Dawn finally came, and he hadn’t slept a wink. Yet he still seemed to have enough energy to last the day.
“Man, why is it so hot out today?” David asked, fanning himself with his shirt collar.
“Now that I think about it, it’s gotten so much hotter in just a few hours,” said Mark as he shielded his eyes from the sun as he stared up into the blue sky. Nicole pulled her hair in a ponytail. Beads of sweat had formed on the back of her neck.
“We’ll be fine. Just a little heat won’t kill you,” Nicole said.
“I can see heat waves!” Brooke shouted as she pointed in front of her. Everyone squinted in the direction she was pointing in an effort to see what she had.
“This sudden heat is only a sign that we are closer to Borthenaheim. The area around Borthenaheim is much hotter than the rest of the island. The reason is unknown. Borthnaheim is much cooler than the areas around it. To this day, I still find it strange. It is right next to the ocean. That is why there are boats and ships docked there,” Jack explained.
“Ah, water,” David sighed dreamily. “That sounds so good right about now. My throat is as dry as the desert!”
Alex stretched his arms to the sky and yawned, walking behind the others silently. Though, even he had to admit it was hotter than he was accustomed to. Suddenly, a black blur passed in front of him, and a strong wind knocked him off his feet. Alex looked beside him, to the forest, where the strange black blur seemed to go. The forest on that side was shrouded in darkness.
Jack and the others turned to see what all the commotion was and gasped when they saw what Alex was staring at. A figure formed within the darkness and began to emerge. What they saw made all of their hearts stop. The figure loomed high above them, its slick black fur shimmering in the sunlight, erie silver eyes shining brightly, and sharp claws digging into the soft earth. The beast that stood before them was a tall black silver-eyed lion— twenty times larger than any other ordinary lion.
The lion opened its large mouth, revealing long sharp teeth, and let out a roar that filled the valley and beyond. Birds flew from the trees and animals scattered, seeking protection. When the lion’s roar died down all was silent, and the air was still.
“Alex! Get over here! Now!” Jack shouted.
Alex remained where he was, frozen to the spot. But not with fear. He didn’t understand why, but he wasn’t afraid of this beast. He felt as if this ferocious lion was familiar.
Jack lunged forward and stood protectively in front of Alex.
“What is that thing?” Nicole asked nervously.
“A Mienthian,” Jack said as he breathed unconsciously.
“A what?” Brooke asked.
“Stay back. It’s dangerous! Alex get up!” Jack demanded. “We don’t know what this thing is capable of.”
Alex stood, but he did not move.
“Go!” Jack repeated, nodding to the others.
Alex stared at the lion. The lion stared back. David rushed over and tugged on Alex’s arm.
“Dude! C’mon! We have to go.” David tugged harder.
Alex shrugged him off and brushed past Jack. Everyone stared in silence and bewilderment as Alex walked to the lion. He stopped when he was barely inches away from its face. The lion bowed his head and dug his claws into the ground. Jack began to run forward but stopped when Alex reached out his hand and let it hang in the air. Then, he began to pet the lion’s head slowly.
The lion purred and nudged his head into Alex’s shoulder. Alex jumped but continued to stroke it. He remembered where he knew this lion from. The lion was the one that had been following him around and showed up in Alex’s dream.
“It’s fine,” Alex said. “He isn’t going to harm us.”
The lion laid on the ground and allowed Alex to stoke him some more. Alex turned and faced Jack.
“He’s on our side,” Alex said.
“How can you be so sure?” Brooke asked.
“Yeah, it’s an animal! How can you prove that it’s not going to bite our heads off?” David asked. Alex smiled.
“I can’t. You are just going to have to trust me,” Alex said as he gestured to the lion.
Mark sighed and after a hesitant step walked over and placed a shaking hand on the lion’s smooth black fur. Alex was ta
ken aback at first. He didn’t expect that quick of a reaction. Mark clamped his eyes shut and waited for the beast to bite his hand off. He waited but he didn’t feel anything. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see the lion’s eyes were closed and it was purring softly.
As it purred, Mark could feel vibrations through his palm. The lion’s fur was soft. Mark laughed nervously and stroked its fur. The lion nudged him with its head and Mark stepped backwards. He laughed nervously and relaxed, petting the smooth fur more calmly. Nicole and Brooke soon followed along with a hesitant and trembling David.
Jack recovered and joined them.
“Just be careful,” Jack said.
“Whoa! He’s so cold!” David exclaimed, throwing himself into the lion’s fur. “Ah… It feels so good! I thought I was going to melt!” Everyone threw themselves onto the lion and sunk into its fur. They all sighed contentedly from the relief of the heat.
“We should get going. If we wait any longer we will have to spend another night,” Jack explained.
“Aw… just a couple more minutes?” Brooke whined.
“It’s so cold!” Nicole said.
“I’m sorry to drag you away but we have to get into town. It will be much cooler there,” Jack said as he started walking, not waiting for any of them to catch up. Reluctantly, they pulled away from the lion and hurried to catch up. Alex stood for a minute and watched them walk before turning to the lion.
“I have to go. Maybe we’ll meet again?” Alex turned and ran to the others as they walked away. He had just met the lion, but he felt as if his heart ached from the idea of leaving him. He was a bit farther back from the others just as before. He didn’t get far before something nudged him in the back.
He spun around to the lion looming over him. Alex turned and ignored him, walking away. The lion followed, and again, he felt a nudge but he brushed it off and walked on. The lion nudged harder and Alex spun around. The lion rubbed his head against Alex’s chest and Alex laughed. Without warning, the lion scooped it’s head against Alex’s stomach and jerked upward. Alex was sent head-first into the lion’s fur and onto his back.
The lion took off and Alex nearly fell off it’s long back. Alex clung onto the lion’s mane and pulled himself upright. The lion ran unexpectedly fast and Alex bounced up and down, almost as if he were galloping on a horse. He watched as his friends’ backs grew closer. He was going to run into them!
“Whoa! Stop! Hold on! Wait!” Alex shouted, but it was no use. The lion kept running. “Look out!” Alex shouted at his friends.
They all turned just in time to see a large black lion leap over them with a boy barely clinging onto its back. Alex gripped the lion’s fur tighter as it leapt into the air, barely hanging on. When the lion hit the ground again, it bounded a few more steps before turning to face the astonished group of teenagers and more than amused man in a cloak and top hat.
Jack was laughing hysterically, tears falling from his eyes. Alex had never seen Jack laugh like that before. The four teenagers soon joined him.
“Hey…” Alex trailed off. He was still breathing hard from the constant bouncing and screaming.
“Hay is for horses,” Nicole laughed.
“I don’t see the humor in this!” Alex shouted. They laughed even harder. “You try riding on the back of a running lion! It isn’t exactly easy!” Alex slid off and, as if answering his request, the lion bounded forward and swept the five of them onto his back, running forward. They weren’t laughing so hard then.
The lion skidded to a stop. They all slid off and plopped themselves onto the ground in a heap. Jack had much more control over himself than the others. While they were scrambling to get their balance, Jack was standing and brushing dirt off his shirt.
“Now, as much fun as this was we really must be going,” said Jack as he held his hands out toward Brooke and David, who was sitting down, waiting for the dizziness that had built up to fade. They both took Jack’s hands and staggered to their feet.
Once everyone had gathered themselves Jack ushered them onward. The lion watched as they went for only a second before bounding after Alex. The lion stopped running and began to walk beside Alex. They had walked a few miles before Jack finally noticed the silent lion trailing next to Alex.
“Alex. We can’t take that lion with us,” Jack said, moving next to Alex so they could walk and talk at the same time without having to yell.
“Why not?” Alex asked.
“It’s a lion. We can’t bring it into a town! Not to mention it’s a Mienthian! We aren’t trying to bring attention to ourselves! In fact we are trying to avoid it!” Jack explained.
“What’s so special about Mienthians anyway?” Alex asked.
“Mienthians are a very powerful and extremely dangerous species that was believed to be extinct five millennia ago! This lion should not be here!”
“How do you know this lion is one of them?”
“I’ve studied them in books for quite some time. This lion, according to the books at least, is one of the most powerful of them all. It’s said that they didn’t belong to any kingdom, world, whatever you wish to call it. They belonged to no one.”
“Why’d they go extinct?” Alex grabbed the lion’s mane as they walked.
“They were hunted,” Jack sighed sadly.
“Hunted?” Alex exclaimed. “Why?”
“They were dangerous. Out of control. And they wouldn’t join anyone’s side. There was also a belief that if you killed one and wore their pelt you could gain some of their power. Many tried and failed but those who succeeded were respected and seen as someone powerful. No one would go against them. No one.”
“Did their pelts give them more power?”
“From what I’ve seen? Not by a long shot. The worst part was, we know next to nothing about them. Only that they were powerful and how to identify them. We had no idea what kind of power they possessed. Only that it was power not to be trifled with. My point is, we can’t bring a Mienthian into an overpopulated town with people just craving for more power.”
Alex looked down at the ground and watched his feet hit the dirt road. His palm holding the lions fur began to grow cold and Alex jerked his hand away. He looked up at the large lion and watched as black smoke swirled around it. Alex jumped back and stared in astonishment as the lion continued to walk. As the lion walked, the smoke swirled and the lion began to shrink. Alex rubbed his eyes and looked again. Sure enough, the lion continued to shrink.
The lion gradually became smaller and smaller. The smoke finally disappeared and the lion stopped shrinking. In the lion’s place stood a small black cat with silver eyes. Alex walked up to the cat and crouched down. The cat walked up to Alex and walked around him, nudging him with its head all the while.
“Is that… the lion?” Brooke asked.
“Yeah… I think so,” Alex gasped, unsure of himself. He reached out his hands to the small cat and it walked into his hands. He looked into the cat’s silver eyes and, automatically, he knew.
“Yeah, it’s him,” Alex said confidently. He held out his arm, and the cat walked up it and onto his shoulders. Alex stood and faced Jack. “So? Do you think he can come to town with us now?” He asked.
Jack stared at the small black cat resting on Alex’s shoulders. “That… was amazing. I had no idea Mienthians could do that. But yes, we can bring him. Speaking of which, we have stopped too many times for this cat. No more breaks. If we keep going, we should make it there just before sun-down.”
FORTY-ONE
After many hours of walking, the teenagers and Jack found that the forest ended and another hill lay before them. The heat tickled their necks and sweat beaded on their skin. David pulled off his hoodie and jacket and tied the sleeves around his waist. Brooke rolled her jeans into cuffs and Nicole tightened her ponytail. Mark wiped sweat from his forehead and did the same with his hoodie a
s David had done to his.
“I’m melting! This heat will be the death of me! When I’m melted, gather my liquidy remains into a bucket and bring me to my parents for me, will ya?” David fell to his knees dramatically and clutched his chest with one hand while groping at the sky with the other. “Cherry! Is that you?”
“Who’s Cherry?” Nicole laughed.
“My dog. She died when I was seven,” said David as he paused and gasped for breath. “Oh! It really is her! She’s calling for me! Goodbye, my friends! It was a pleasure knowing you all!” David fell onto his hands and took one last breath before falling flat on his face in the grass.
“Oh no! We don’t have a bucket to put his melted remains in! Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to leave him here. Too bad. He won’t be able to see his parents after all,” Brooke called behind her as everyone walked past the motionless “melted” body of David. Hearing her words, David shot up and scrambled to his feet. The five of them were already far away from him, farther up the hill.
“Whoa! Wait up! I’m not actually dead!” David ran after them.
“Oh, you weren’t?” Nicole asked when David caught up with them.
“I never would have guessed!” Brooke added.
“It’s just that you were such a good actor!” Alex chimed in.
“You made me think you were really dead!” Mark said sarcastically.
“How much further do we have to go?” David whined, ignoring their remarks. “The sun is setting for pete’s sake!”
“As a matter of fact, not far. Once we get up this hill, we should…,” Jack began to explain. Their heads rose above the top of the hill and a cool breeze greeted them. They froze in place once their feet met the top and their eyes widened in awe from the scene before them.
The hill sloped into a valley. To their left was a grand, vast ocean that sparkled in the setting sun. Docks and boats outlined the coastline and, not far from there, was a city. It was so big they couldn’t see the other side of it. The dirt road that led up the hill trailed down and through the city. Freighters were being loaded at the docks, and a boat drove around farther out, towing a young man on skis. The sun sank below the horizon, and the sky turned into a dark shade of blue.
The Abnormals: Book One Page 27