by Liss Thomas
Paloma felt over Missy’s body probing for injuries. “She has several breaks in her leg, and a few cracked ribs. The snake coils cracked the ribs but the broken leg bones,” she trailed off, “You, Brother?” she asked.
“She tried to escape,” Saal mumbled like a scolded child.
Paloma removed the bandage from Missy’s neck and examined the wound. “She has a lot of the venom in her system.” She rose to find something she needed. Missy’s fear continued to raise, her breathing becoming shallow and labored.
“Stay calm, she’s going to help you,” Saal told her. Paloma returned with crushed plants in a jar. She applied some of the herbs to Missy’s neck and re-bandaged the wound. Paloma then pulled another herb from the pot and held it to Missy’s lips.
“This needs to go under your tongue. It will help flush the poison out of your system.”
Missy’s gaze shifted from her face to Saal’s. Saal gathered the girl into his arms and held her head up. He helped open her mouth as Paloma worked to get the herb into place. Missy felt nothing and couldn’t stop the juices the herbs produced from dripping from her mouth. Saal lightly stroked her throat to induce swallowing. With the medicine gone, Paloma added another herb under her tongue. This one produced a tingle in her mouth. Missy inhaled sharply and gasped for air. This time the air produced a sound. When tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks, they also produced shuddering erratic sobs. It took several minutes before the crying subsided.
“Give me some time with the human,” Saal said.
Kell ushered everyone from the home. Dozer was particularly reluctant to leave Missy but Kell forced him out as well. When they were alone, Saal turned back to her.
“You will stay here with my sister. She will take care of you until you are well.”
“And you?” Missy croaked.
“I have to go see Anukhan, the bull will come with me.”
“No, please don’t,” she whispered.
“You saved us back in reptile country, and for that I am grateful.” He said, “I will try to keep you from Anukhan for as long as possible.” She didn’t respond.
“Why are you here, child? Why did you come to this world? You could have lived a normal life in the human realm, free from the dangers encountered here,” Saal said.
Missy’s harsh laugh burned in her throat. She tried to read Saal’s expression, dread or guilt or maybe even pain. He seemed different, not like the threat she’d heard the jackals to be. Missy sighed once then began her story.
“I was dying in my world. I’d been sick all my life. The disease, the cancer, would have eventually killed me. My monster, Charlie, would call to me; we would talk sometimes. A few days before my body would shut down completely, he beckoned me to him. I used the last of my strength to get out of bed and when I looked under it, I saw his hand coming from a beautiful shimmering blue light. I reached for him and when our hands touched, I was transformed. We became butterflies. Without the constant pain, we spend the day flying, playing and laughing. The next day, after much discussion, we became humans,” Missy’s eyes welled with tears. Saal wiped away the ones that escaped.
“Your monster weakened himself, he probably wouldn’t have enough energy to get home,” Saal surmised.
“Yes that’s right but he said he wanted to do it, for me. As humans, we ran, played, danced. I guess I died the next day, or was in an unconscious state, I don’t know. Charlie told me he waited for my human body to be buried, before he carried my butterfly self to a large tulip. He was dying too. In the end, his parents found him and brought him back to this world. They got a surprise two instead of one. He was so weak, they feared for his life. They kept me in sleep until he recovered then Charlie came to awaken me.”
“He had no idea he linked to you, did he?” Saal asked.
“No, he didn’t know. One night after I’d recovered sufficiently, his mother told me everything. That’s when I decided to go through the quest to become a monster. I didn’t want Charlie to be weak or sickly as I had been. So here I am,” she concluded. Saal looked away, his head low.
“I’m sorry I brought you here,” he said as he stood and started to pace, agitated and restless. Missy could tell he had a plan. “I’ll just tell Anukhan you escaped or something. He doesn’t have to know you’re here, and once Paloma has healed you, we can get you back home,” Saal said mostly to himself.
“Won’t he punish you for it?” Missy feared for him now.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, rushing back to her side. “Listen carefully, do everything Paloma tells you and you should heal quickly. I’ll visit every couple of days to check on you. Do not try to escape on your own! I will get you out.” He pulled her to his chest and rocked her for several minutes before he lay her back down. He fluffed the pillows and tucked the fur skins around her before he rushed out the door.
Chapter 25
The structure Saal led Dozer to resembled an old medieval castle. Guards stood sentinel at the drawbridge. They lowered it when they caught sight of Saal and his captive. Dozer’s arms were bound behind him with Kell keeping his weapon aimed at the huge bull’s back. The guards saluted as Saal entered. He simply nodded and kept going. He knew Anukhan would be in his temple with the peculiar machine. They followed the corridors around and down until they came to another guarded door. Saal snarled as the guards took their time opening it, raising his hackles as anger rippled through his tense muscles. Kell stepped in and backed the guards away with his own warning display. Saal pushed through the door and ushered Dozer inside and down the stone steps. Anukhan waited patiently inside.
“Well done, Saal. I see you have brought me a fine specimen. He will serve my purposes well,” Anukhan said as he came forward and greeted Saal.
Saal said nothing as he acknowledged his leader and placed Dozer in the clear cylinder prison the device would become to him. He secured the lock and stepped away as Dozer pounded on the walls and snarled trying to break free. The walls held against the massive attack the bull unleashed. Anukhan smiled.
“Yes, he will be useful for some time. So where is the human?” he asked.
Saal couldn’t hide his expression fast enough. He had not said anything regarding the human, how? Anukhan read his face.
“Oh yes, I know you captured the human as well. I have many eyes and ears everywhere. You were not trying to keep her from me, were you?”
“No, Anukhan, the human suffered injury while traveling through reptile territory. Once the human is well, I will bring her to you, Sir.” Saal didn’t make eye contact as he spoke.
“Very well,” Anukhan said, clearly reading Saal’s hesitance about the human. “You’re dismissed. Well done, Saal,” he added.
Saal set out to visit Missy a few days later. When he entered the house, he found her sitting on her own on the bedding. She smiled when she caught sight of him.
“I see the paralysis is decreasing,” he noted.
“Arms and upper torso. Legs are still not moving,” she commented.
“It will take time, human,” he said.
“By the way, my name is Missy,” she told him.
“It is much more enjoyable to simple refer to you by your species,” Saal said, a smile twitching at his lips. Missy rolled her eyes as Paloma came over.
“Missy is doing well. She should have full feeling in a few days.” She glanced nervously at Missy then back to Saal before she continued. “The next phase may not go as well,” she finished.
Missy caught the exchange. “What? What comes after the paralysis?” she asked.
“Normally, if you escape the snake and manage to stay hidden during the paralysis, they find you in the next phase. The venom puts the animal in a sort of withdrawal state and induces pain from lack of venom. Usually the cries of the animal lead the snake back to its prey,” Saal explained.
“How painful is it?” Missy asked.
“Not something I would wish on anyone. Grown jackals howl in agony for days until
the effects wear off.”
Missy nodded and took in the new information. “And the little wonder leaf, will it help?”
“Not much,” he said.
“Ok, anything after that?” Missy asked.
“That’s about it,” Saal said watching her face. She smiled and accepted fruit from Paloma, un-phased by the news.
“Come. You need fresh air,” Saal said as he lifted her from the floor and walked out into the warm sunshine. He carried her to the little creek that ran near the house. Jackal cubs played in the water and splashed about. Saal set Missy on a large stump then sat beside her. They watched as the young ones tried to catch fish with their teeth. They were quite young and didn’t have the hang of it yet.
“Maybe you should give them some pointers,” Missy said.
“Ump,” he said as he stood then transformed into a full jackal. He jumped into the water and howled at the cubs. Their ears perked up in attention as he demonstrated the correct way to catch the fish from the rushing waters. After the demonstration, the young ones, tried again. They didn’t catch fish but they were getting closer. Saal shook the water from his fur before he transformed. He sat back on the stump a little damp but thoroughly satisfied with himself.
“They’ve got the hang of it now,” he said.
“When are they able to transform like you?” she asked.
“After they reach adolescence,” he said. They sat watching for a long quiet moment before he spoke again. “Anukhan knows you’re here.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke but kept his eyes trained on the cubs. “He apparently has spies everywhere. We should be careful when we speak.”
“You never know who is listening,” a voice behind them finished. It was Kell. Saal growled and bristled as he rose and confronted the other jackal.
“Calm yourself, Saal, you have more to worry about than me,” Kell said, ignoring his friend’s heated stance. He walked over to Missy and examined her broken leg. The splints had been replaced and neatly re-bandaged. He probed near the breaks and seemed satisfied with the progress. “She is mending well. Paloma is a very good healer.”
“What are you doing here, Kell?” Saal snapped.
“Aside from spying on you and the human,” Kell began with a smile curling his lips. “I live here, remember. And, I came to warn you. Anukhan is eager to have the human; he will not wait for long. If you do not present her as soon as she’s well, he will send someone else, less involved to do it. Others are watching you too,” Kell said. He rose from before Missy and walked over to Saal leaning in to whisper, “I know what you are planning. He won’t let her get away. Watch yourself, Saal.” He turned and left the two of them there as he made for the house. Kell glanced back at them once more before he went inside.
“I must go,” Saal said after a several minutes. He wordlessly carried Missy back to the house and left her on her cushions. “I’ll return in a few days.”
“Won’t others get suspicious?” Missy asked.
“No, I am following a routine, checking on your progress. It will seem normal,” he said. Saal spoke to his sister briefly before he left with Kell.
When Saal returned days later, Missy had been moved outside to sit on a blanket with the cubs running around her. They jumped into her lap then stalked each other. Saal noticed she had full use of her legs. Even the splints were gone. He went over and sat beside her, shooing two of the cubs out of his way. They jumped into Missy’s lap and growled at him. Missy picked up the cubs and kissed them.
“Oh, he’s harmless,” she told them.
“You are becoming quite the den mother,” Saal teased.
“It is easy to do here,” she laughed.
“How’s the leg?” he asked.
“Stiff but moving. I don’t know what Paloma is giving me, but it is working wonders,” Missy said.
“Paloma thinks phase two will start sometime tonight. The venom is completely gone from your system,” Saal said. “I thought I should be here.”
Missy looked puzzled. “Why should you be here, Saal. There’s nothing you can do to make it any better.”
“I don’t know, just to have a friend nearby may help,” he said.
Missy looked up into his face. In her mind, she thought of him as a friend already but he was the enemy, wasn’t he? She smiled; she couldn’t think of him as that anymore. “Yes, it would be nice to have a friend around,” she finally said.
The first wave of pain hit around midnight and without warning. Missy lay unmoving on her makeshift bed and winced in the silence darkness. Saal lay only a few feet away. He’d made himself a spot nearby so he would be close. His eyes stayed closed but that didn’t mean he was asleep. Missy started the breathing exercises her doctor once prescribed for reducing tension and in turn, reducing pain. When the second, more severe wave hit, she had prepared for it. The intensity continued to mount but Missy refused to cry out in pain and at its worst, she lay in a ball, shaking and breathing rapidly through her nose.
Light was already filtering into the room when Saal stirred. He growled low in his throat, not ready for the day. He rolled over on the unfamiliar bedding then stopped. Remembering, he shot up and looked toward Missy’s bedding. Paloma sat beside her, applying cool water to the girl’s neck, arms, and legs. Saal knelt beside her.
“How’s she doing?” Saal asked. He watched spasms of pain ripple through her body. He heard the shallow, controlled breathing; he cringed to think of so much pain.
“As well as can be expected. She is stronger than I’d have guessed.”
“Yes, she is,” Saal said in admiration. He reached out to touch her but Paloma caught his hand and shook her head. “I want her to know I’m here,” he said as he sat back and stared. She lay in a ball, eyes shut tight, clutching a pillow to ward off the pain. Saal stood and transformed himself. He padded back over to her and nuzzled his head into her hands. Missy rubbed him. Saal got as close as he could without touching her. Missy bit back the agony and shifted, burying her head in the soft fur of his neck.
“She knows,” Paloma said.
Saal settled down to wait out the pain. It took several days but after the third day, the pain began to lessen. Saal never left her side. Paloma started the herbal regiment to decrease the pain more, and by the fifth day, Missy could bear it. She opened her eyes and saw Saal still lying close in his full jackal form.
“Thank you, Saal,” she whispered.
“Anytime, dear friend,” he said.
Chapter 26
Missy knew Saal had to go and report to Anukhan, but it still caused her to ache inside. She still experienced some of the effects of the venom withdrawal but at least the medicinal leaves helped to dull the remaining spasms. So she spent her days outside on her blanket beneath a large evergreen. Two of the cubs played in the nearby stream while three others snoozed near her feet. Missy leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes. A few birds chirped overhead and she wished they would find another place to have their heated conversation. She opened her eyes and gazed up into the tree. She saw two jays squawking. Then she saw another, larger bird flying overhead. She couldn’t tell but it looked like a very familiar hawk. She reached out and tried to sense Charlie.
“Charlie, can you hear me?” she asked.
“Where are you?” Charlie’s voice rang in her head. He sounded exhausted and terrified.
“I’m near the creek, right below you.” She watched as the hawk got closer and closer, finally landing on her outstretched leg. He hopped around in frantic excitement.
“How did you find me?” she sent to him.
“I knew they would bring you to Jackal territory; it just took me a while to convince my father to let me come, then to get here,” Charlie explained. His hopping had awakened one of the cubs. The little jackal crouched low and inched forward. Missy saw him just as he lunged for the bird and caught him in midair.
“Good job, junior, but you can’t have this one,” Missy told the cub, who growled and sulked a
t his foiled hunt. Missy placed the cub in her lap and rubbed him until he became calm, even drowsy.
“I see you are blending in with the natives,” Charlie observed.
“I’ve been here for a few weeks recovering from a few injuries. The jackals are not the cold-blooded killers I thought they would be. Paloma is a loving mother and sister to the jackal who kidnapped me. Even he has changed. I think the real threat is Anukhan. It seems he has a singular agenda that doesn’t affect the other jackals and as their leader, they have to follow him,” Missy said.
“I’ll believe that when I see it, my dear. We need to think of a way to get you away from here. Drago and Drina are threatening to burn down all of Jackal Country if you are not returned unharmed.”
“Charlie, they have weapons from my world. They are deadly and can kill quickly. Perhaps not so much against the dragons but if anyone else tries to come up against them, they will fail,” Missy warned. Then she remembered Dredge. “Oh, what happened to Egan and Dredge?”
“They’re fine. Your little cabayo crashed through the outer door and ran the halls until he found me. He pitched a fit and almost dragged me back through the forest to Dredge. The old bull had not made it far on foot and experienced some soreness for several days but he’s fine now. Father, the dragons, and even the Oceclan want to mass an army against the jackals for this,” he said.
“Are they nearby?” she asked.
“No. I convinced them to let me find you. I knew I could contact you once I got close enough. And if you had valuable information, I could pass it along. Drina is not far away, she flew me this far and is waiting on the other side of Reptile Territory. But Missy, you have wings, why haven’t you escaped from here? Flown away?” Charlie asked.
Missy’s eyes welled with tears. She couldn’t explain it.
“I know how you feel, love, but you need to use them, get yourself out of here. You should not feel guilty.”