by JA Huss
I shrug. "So what if I am. What's it to you? Aren't you working for the MR? Sent to capture us?"
"Yeah. So? They should know me better by now. Like I'm gonna bring them back my sister. What a bunch of dumbasses."
The word hangs in the air between us. Sister.
Apparently Tier has heard enough because he steps between us again. "Get to the point, Moju. Or I'll knock your ass off the cliff and you'll never get another chance."
Moju steps forward and they chest-bump themselves into a standoff. They are a lot alike from my perspective. Both about the same height, although Moju might be an inch or so taller. Tier is a bit thicker in the chest and shoulders, but that's probably because he's a few years older than us.
Us.
That takes me back a minute. It's a lot harder than it seems to get this simple characterization to line up with my current situation. Who is us and who is them? Why is it so hard to figure that out?
Both avians have black hair, Tier's is longer than Moju's, and more wavy. Moju has a more traditional military crop. And they both have a crapload of scars criss-crossing the exposed portions of their bodies.
I let out a deep sigh at their time-wasting bullshit and look up into the sky for my friends as they do the whisper fight between clenched teeth. It's a dark night, the moon must be coming up near new, and the clearness of the Milky Way astonishes me as I tilt my head upward. I make a slow spin and find each of the circumpolar landmarks: Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Polaris, Cassiopeia, and Perseus. My spin is complete when I notice the silence. They are both staring at me.
"What the hell are you two looking at?"
Tier frowns again, but Moju smiles and spills it all out. "I know where Dale is hiding, Junco. That rat-bastard, sonofabitch got away. He wasn't at the Stag camp when Tier blew it up. If it's answers you want, he's the guy that's got them. You wanna come with me to get some answers?"
Tier is growling but I just shrug, like this is the most natural thing in the world. "Sure."
He turns his back to me. "Hop on."
So I do.
Tier is still frowning as we leap off the cliff and my screams are pushed back down my throat by the impaling wind.
I hug Moju's shoulders as he sweeps me across the plains, but then, carefully, move my grip from around his neck to around his chest. His right hand reaches out and fans across the top of the dry wild wheat as we pass over. I let go of one of my hands and try to mimic his motion, but I can't quite reach. Then his body lowers, practically into the grass, and suddenly I feel them flicking against my fingertips as we move. I laugh and I can feel through his chest that he is laughing too. Probably at how easy I am to entertain.
I glance over to my left and see that Tier's annoying frown has become his default expression. I want to scowl at him for killing my happy buzz, but I smile and lift my disfigured hand into a quick wave instead. He shakes his head at me and does a quick salute with two of his fingers and smiles back.
The wind is cold as it passes over my wet clothes, but just as it was flying underneath Tier, the heat from Moju's body radiates outward and warms me.
Flying on top is far better than being clutched in the grip of razor-sharp talons, and not only for the obvious reasons. For one, I can see everything. I lay my cheek down on Moju's back and take in the southern view of rolling hills, then switch over and look north, past Tier's body, to see flatlands, which if followed long enough will lead you right into the Bread Basket.
Second, I can relax in knowing that I won't be dropped or slip through his talons. If there is one thing I excel at, it's balancing on the back of something moving very fast. I almost feel lazy for not standing up for a few quick flips as we move through the air.
And best of all, it feels like I'm really flying and not just a passenger. If I am an avian then that means I will, at some point I suppose, have wings. I feel my heart beat a little faster as I think about what it would be like to be so in control and free from the confines of human transportation.
Wings and flying. These are the only slightly positive things that might come out of this crazy trip.
I lean down so that my lips are close to Moju's ear. "Don't freak out, I'm gonna flip over!"
He shoots me a thumbs-up, but when I look over at Tier, his scowl is back. I hold up one finger to him, the universal give-me-a-minute signal, then flip my body over so that I'm lying on my back. Tier is instantly next to me, holding on to my arm, and I look over and laugh at the look on his face. Moju lets out a roar that makes my heart skip, and then I look up.
It is amazing. The stars flying by from the back of a bird. Only God knows what this feels like. Well, God and me. As if reading my mind Tier flips himself over too, his powerful wings let him soar into the wind with little difficulty, even when upside down, and then we are flying together. Time stops for me and all I can see is us. He flips back to maintain his thrust and resumes his position off to Moju's left side.
I find my favorite constellations once more and then flip back over to press my cheek into Moju's back and slip my hands under his wings and feel his powerful muscles. There are two distinct sets, those which power the wings and those which power the arms, and from this vantage point I can almost see them working together in my mind. He is extraordinary, capable, commanding, and mighty and I instantly love him, whether he turns out to be my brother or not.
We fly this way for a little while and then I feel Moju's body drop into a more vertical position so he can land. I gauge the distance to the ground, match it to his slowing speed, and jump off – rolling forward into the grass and then popping back up to fling my arms in the air like I'm waiting for the dismount applause.
The guys land next to me and Tier is clapping. They are both smiling and this makes my heart happy for some reason.
"Gah! You didn't have to jump off, Juncs!" Moju is beaming down at me. His face has a bit of a wind burn to it, but I can feel the energy pent up inside him. Carrying me for a few dozen miles has not even begun to tap his reserves.
I shrug. "I'm a show-off."
He grabs me and pulls me in so he can rough me up a little and I feel it. I feel the connection. It swells within me and I hold on to it, like something precious.
Tier breaks the spell. "So, where the hell is Dale? He's hiding in the woods?"
We are on the edge of a clearing where the long grass tapers in to meet a pine forest that rolls up into a steep cliff. There is an old house on top with a crazy slanted roof and I know where we are.
"He's up there?" I ask, pointing up to the house.
Tier screws up his face. "He's not up there. That place has been abandoned for a hundred years."
He's right. I know that because that old house is a fairly common party spot for RR cadets, but I'm not sure that he should know that. It makes him feel local.
"Nah," Moju says. "We're gonna spend the day here so we don't have to fuck with the security until after we rest. He's about three miles southeast still, Juncs. We can't just bust in there, he's not totally unprepared."
Tier lets out a long breath and I can see the argument coming. "If yer taking us to where I think yer taking us..."
Moju cuts him off. "Tier, will you shut the fuck up already? You know exactly where we're going, so stop with the bullshit."
Tier just stares him down. "So we're gonna sleep where? Here?" he says, pointing to the ground. "You want Junco to sleep in the pine needles?"
I open my mouth to say something but Moju beats me to it. "She's a fucking field soldier, Tier. I'm sure she's slept outside before."
"Yeah," I nod, "I'm a soldier. I've slept outside billions of times."
Tier turns to look at me. "Are ya now? A soldier, I mean?" His look is far more serious than is warranted for this stupid conversation.
"Tier, you know–"
He puts a hand up and cuts Moju off. "Are ya sure about that, Junco?"
"Of course. I was on scrubs maneuvers all summer."
He smiles at me
then, as if relieved. "Well, I guess we're sleeping on the ground then."
We truck up the north side of the hill to find a flat area that can still provide us cover from any aerial reconnaissance and lie down, Tier on one side of me and Moju on the other. Tier is not a big talker, but Moju is because he's asking me a million questions about my life. I answer each one patiently until Tier has had enough and growls for us to go to sleep like a couple of kids. We laugh at him and cover our mouths and generally act like children. Tier is lying flat out on his stomach, his hands tucked under his forehead like a pillow, looking at me. But when Moju pulls me into his wings for sleep, he turns his back and I feel shunned for being happy.
Chapter Fifteen
... and up above in the sky you see the eagles as they soar, free from terrestrial boundaries...
Finally, something that's actually true.
But I'm still not going back.
So get the fuck out of my dreams...
... because they are a restless garble of incoherent imagery that make no sense. I'm walking the streets of some dirty Old E-Bloc city one minute, then competing as an aerialist in the next. Twisting and turning in the air like a bird flying into the wind. My feet are bare except for the footwrap tape which binds along the ball and heel. The white powdery rosin makes them sticky as they search for the sweet spot that exists on the back of every horse at full gallop. There is no sound except for the tick-tick of a clock in the background. Even in my dream I realize this means time's a-wastin'. At first I'm frantic, but after a while the ticking fades into the background and finally, after what seems like an endless barrage of me slinking about in dark clothes, in even darker cities, it fades so far into the background that I can only hear it if I strain myself.
I come to the end of a dark tunnel and there is a man waiting for me there. I know who he is before he even turns around. Mr. trigger-happy commander from the motor pool. I absently wonder if he ever got the chance to shoot CP in the head, but then he speaks. This is the first sound in the whole dream besides the clock, so I lean in to pay attention. But all he squeaks out is one ominous statement. "It's all lies, Junco. Better come back to reality quick."
My eyes fly open and I reach over for Moju, but he's gone. Tier opens his wings so I can move. When I realize what just happened I'm angry. "You were in my dreams again, weren't you?" In the fading daylight I can see his face screw up as he gets ready to deny it, but I turn my back to him and push his wings off me to let the cool autumn air in.
He sighs. "Whatever happens in yer dreams, Junco, it has nothing ta do with me."
I let the anger from my dream fade away and we both stay silent for a few seconds. "Where did Moju go?"
"Top of the hill, ta find the landmark for the entrance."
"Entrance to what?" I feel like an over-sleeping mountain man, completely out of the loop after what should have been a short rest.
He props himself up on his elbow and turns me back to get my attention before answering. "The tunnel where Dale is hiding."
I lie there looking at him. His eyes are just plain green now, no glow. Nothing to make him look different. And his wings are drawn back tight against his back, the tips cupped over his shoulders. He almost looks like a human.
He studies me back and it makes me smile and blush.
"Can I ask ya something?"
I look up into his eyes as they search me for some elusive answer. "Go for it."
"How is it that ya know him for mere minutes and ya already have the look of complete trust in yer eyes?"
"Who? Moju?" I shrug. "I dunno. He just feels genuine."
"But me? I'm just lying about everything, right?"
A huff escapes my lips. "I never said that."
"Ya didn't have to. Ya tried to kill me."
He's got a point there. I feel a little reality panic coming on and begin to babble. "You came out of nowhere, Tier. I'd never even seen an avian in person before you. When he came up that tunnel I was already in the rabbit hole, ya know? I've just acclimated to strange stuff since that night on the hill. It's not that I don't trust you. Didn't I say I did before we went for that little swim back there in the caves?"
"Sure," he says, but I can tell he's not sure at all and the silence hangs. Besides, I roll back the memory and I know damn well I never actually said I trusted him. I said I could do what he asked. He probably remembers it correctly too.
"OK, you want to know the difference between you and Moju?" I ask. "As far as I can tell, he doesn't want anything from me. There, I said it. You want to take me to your leader, or whatever. Away from my home and my life. And I've got to tell ya, I'm not really interested in leaving my planet. Call me crazy, but I'm a little attached to it."
"How could you be? That's the part I don't understand."
I turn my head away. "Wow, you really are an alien. You have no clue at all." I turn back to see his expression, but it's blank. Nothing. "What kind of childhood did you have anyway? Oh, yeah, I forgot... you guys don't have families. I guess that explains things. I may not know very much about Moju, but from what I can tell at least he understands love."
Tier sneers at me. "Love? You think that monster understands love? You mean like yer pal Aren? That traitor ya think is such a good guy? Shit, Junco, you really have some great intuition going there, a regular Mystic Martin. Do ya pick all yer friends this way? Hell, no wonder we're in this fucking mess."
His anger tells me that I've crossed the line somewhere, but I'm not really clear on where that line was drawn, so I'm irritated. "Whatever."
He turns then, muttering under his breath. "What's that?" I ask.
He doesn't turn back, but he repeats the words anyway. "I said, yer just so lost ya can't even see what's right in front of ya."
I discard this comment completely. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Tier."
"Then ya better pay closer attention to those dreams, darlin'. Yer having them for a reason."
He starts to get up. I tug on his arm and he stops, but doesn't look me in the face. "Wait. We're not done yet."
He lies back down and looks up at the pine trees as he speaks. "I'm tryin' ta help ya, Junco. That's all. Just help ya. And all ya do is fight me." He turns to me then. His face is blank but his eyes want to say more.
"The thing is, Tier," I smile a little to settle him, make him listen, "things have just been off since you came into the picture. I mean, everything was fine up until I wrecked the Goat and saw you on the hill and you dragged me down this stupid rabbit hole."
His lip goes up in a snarl. "Me? I'm the one who dragged you down the rabbit hole?" He huffs out some air and shakes his head.
"See, this is what I mean. You seem to be under the impression that I am the problem here. And that makes no sense to me. If I've done something to you, why don't you just tell me what it is?"
"Here, how about this, Junco. Have I ever done anything to you? Anything?"
"You killed Aren."
"He was not who you think, Junco. You don't know what I know."
I sigh. Do I want to know what he knows about Aren? No. Not right now. "You poisoned me with your claws."
"That," he huffs, "was an accident. And I healed ya right afterward. A small scare, no damage whatsoever."
"You abducted me."
"Really? You made yer escape quite quickly from my recollection. I found ya outside in a jumbled mess, remember? You could have left. I never tied ya up, I never threatened ya, I never did anything. So the truth is, yer here of your own volition. I never abducted ya."
I feel my heart quicken because he's right about that. I could've left lots of times.
"Besides, Junco," he drawls out my name and I tuck down a grin, "you shot at me twice, chopped me in the throat, kicked me in the jaw, and stunned me with a plasma rifle for an extended period of time."
I sit up and laugh. "It was on stun!" I knock myself in the head with the palm of my hand. "I did not understand how you could have survived ten f
ull seconds of plasma fire." I look down at his face and then control my laugh because he is not amused.
I lie back down and change the subject quickly. "Well, you threw a boot at me. Could've hit me in the head. It was touch and go there for a second."
He smiles and then it turns into a laugh as he shakes his head, but this time I hold mine back. "And you slashed open my arm and pulled out my fucking health tracker. You're lucky I don't really need it anymore, otherwise I'd be pissed off. Plus, I have a huge gash that will probably be a scar."
"So you'd prefer to be in the custody of people who would keep ya against yer will?"
I click my tongue in frustration. "Says you!"
"Yeah, says me. And let's just take a look at the gash I left, OK?" His eyes meet mine as he leans his upper body over my chest to check the wound on the arm farthest from him. He looks down and gives me a smug grin and pulls gently on the corner of the membrane that he slapped over it before we fled the cavern. I can't help myself and I crank my head to the side so I can watch. He peels it back a fraction at a time, like he's trying to take care not to pull on my skin, but it doesn't hurt at all. The membrane comes off and he tosses it in the pine needles.
"See for yerself." And he leans down on me as he holds my arm up.
There's not even a scab where his razors slashed my skin open. There's dried blood, but as for the slash, there's not a red mark, not a discoloration, or any outward appearance that he ever touched my arm.
"Wow, that is some good shit you got on that membrane." I smirk up at him and wink before he groans about my swearing. He smiles and leans back, removing the weight of his body off mine, but his upper body is still positioned over the top of me. His face dips for a minute, like he's gonna kiss me and my heart literally skips a beat.
I swear he feels it.
"Do I make ya nervous, Junco?" he asks in a low voice.
His lips have my full attention but I manage to answer. "Not exactly nervous, no." His face dips a little closer and I look up to his eyes. They are his normal green color, but with little sparks of glow in them. "What does that mean?" I ask. "When they glow like that?"