The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1)

by Gwyndolyn Russell

  A snarl shook the walkway. They could hear flesh ripping. Black blood splattered onto the floor near them.

  The door opened. They rushed through. Jackal and Reaper stopped to see if Fenris would make it before the door shut. A three-toed foot with claws as big as the toes stepped into the light. Jackal held his breath. They stepped back slowly.

  They had quickly concluded that their bullets were useless, but their rifles were the only thing that brought them comfort.

  A hand just as wicked as the foot reached out of the shadows. Right alongside the rails of Jackal's weapon.

  Maybe it wouldn't see them if they stayed perfectly still. At this distance, it felt like running was useless. It would land them a swift death compared to if they stayed and fought.

  The creature yelped suddenly. Its hand and foot disappearing in the blink of an eye. Its cry slowly faded away, thrown down the maintenance shaft.

  The red lights of Fenris armor came into view, and the creature approached. They caught sight of its head first. Rotten meat stuck between the sharp, bone crushing teeth. Matte tinted bones that barely reflected the light of their flashlights.

  Both nearly pulled the triggers of their weapons, but a loud beeping from Jackal's helmet caught their attention.

  "We need to hurry.”

  Jackal agreed and followed Reaper down the hall. Fenris pulled the door shut. Slashed its claws into the service panel. The creatures would have to bust through the door to get to them now.

  Jackal looked over his shoulder. The wolf was calmly walking behind them while they ran. Somehow, Jackal just knew something was off. Perhaps it was the calmness of the creature. There was no sense of urgency, or any genuine emotion. A living statue.

  The others were shouting up ahead. Calling for them to hurry. They rushed, yet it seemed they never got closer. The running was endless. The hall stretched on and on. They were running on a treadmill. Each door identically spaced apart. The voices were still the same distance.

  Reaper had gotten ahead, rounded a corner, and stopped dead in his tracks. The darkness peeled away like smoke and petals. Something stood there, just barely within his sight. A rounded head, a birdlike beak with a hook at the end. Jaws lined with serrated teeth, perfectly lined up. Green gunk dangled from its mouth. Reaper slowly leaned in closer, eyes captured by what he thought was green, glowing eyes. When his light shined on the side of the face, large, glass black eyes stared right at him.

  The creature hunched over. Too big to fit in the hall. Long, spindly arms twitched and folded backwards against a thin frame. Its neck twisted as it showed off its nasty teeth.

  Reaper’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach. He stared death in the face, frozen. His mind emptied any hope or idea of escape. He could only think of the pain he was about to be in when that creature finally struck.

  A cry snapped Reaper to the floor, his own weight atop him. He groaned, reaching for his gun. Jackal held onto him, pulling him out of harm's way.

  Fenris had gone in for the attack, seemingly not caring if they were in the way or not. Not like it could help it. In tight quarters against a monster twice its own size, Fenris showed no mercy. They tore at one another’s bodies with vicious claws and equally deadly teeth.

  Jackal and Reaper watched, biting back their breaths. War had done its time scarring them both physically, and mentally. They had seen things no man should ever see. They had been hung out to dry in the field with broken weaponry and armor that did nothing to protect against the enemy’s own ammunition. The eldiravan walked over their friends and comrades like a mudslide. They fought knowing they were superior and the humans fought for survival.

  This was nothing like that. That monster and Fenris were in it to survive. They stood in the way of each other’s progress in life. They were fighting strictly to the death to prove who was better.

  They watched as Fenris used brute strength to bully the creature backwards, using the tight quarters against it. Fenris was far more nimble than its appearance let on. It ducked, dived, ripped open flesh and tore away metal armor. It even ripped off an arm.

  Green blood spewed out from the limb, burning right through the walls and floor. Fenris’ own armor was burning. It used the creature’s arm as a bat, smacking it in the mouth before shoving the limb down its throat. Fenris kicked it to the floor and finished it by tearing at its chest until the monster stopped moving.

  Reaper pulled himself backwards. “God have mercy on us…” He breathed out.

  Jackal put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t just sit there. We have to get the hell out of here!”

  Reaper pushed himself up. Together they ran away from the slaughter. They would not wait for Fenris. They were not sure what to think of what they had seen. They had seen nothing like that before. It tightened their chests. Made their skin flood with goosebumps.

  A door just ahead was left propped open by a metal cart. They clambered over it as quickly as they could.

  “Captain!” Sparrow shouted into the radio. “Where are you and Jackal?”

  “We can see you just ahead. We’re almost there.” Reaper answered.

  When he looked over his shoulder, Jackal had stopped. He was bent over himself, holding his knees.

  “Shit…”

  “Captain? What’s wrong?”

  “We’re fine.” He cut it short, turning his microphone off. He hurried back to Jackal and grabbed him by the shoulder strap.

  “Keep moving.”

  Jackal wheezed and waved a hand. Reaper threw his arm over his shoulder and grabbed Jackal by the belt. He helped him down the hall, letting his rifle hang against his chest. Another corner. The others were standing just beyond an open door. One side had not completely opened. It wiggled in place, unable to go in either direction.

  “Just breathe. I have you.” Reaper gritted his teeth.

  Jackal did just that. Focused on slow, deep breaths. His vision was blurring, peripherals going dark. He squeezed Reaper’s shoulder as tight as he could. His legs stiffened, no longer wanting to bear the weight. Reaper hoisted him up further. They were almost there.

  The door whirred as they neared. A misstep from extra weight caused Reaper to bump into the door. The whirring squeaked, cracked. The door slammed shut, which uttered a soft cry of discontent.

  Reaper looked over his shoulder, expecting to see Fenris caught in the door.

  What he saw was another creature like he had almost been eaten by. Bigger jaws, fatter teeth. A huskier monster with an appetite to match. It snapped its jaws, which rattled their bones. Reaper nearly collapsed onto the floor.

  It reared itself and broke through the door, tearing half of it off.

  Sparrow screamed from not much further away and disappeared around the corner. Mjolnir shouted for Ruby to help him.

  The monster was coming right for Reaper and Jackal.

  Each of its steps shook the floor. Mjolnir and Ruby shot at it, though the bullets only bounced right off its snout.

  Reaper could have left Jackal behind. Sacrificed his best lieutenant, his best friend, to save himself and potentially everyone. It would have been easy to do.

  He was not that kind of man. He did not even think about it. He would have thrown himself to the wolves if it meant Jackal would live to see another day. Right now, Jackal’s only hope was to be carried onto the shuttle where he could get oxygen. He could feel Jackal’s grip on his arm loosening.

  “Come on. Stay with me.” Reaper groaned under his breath.

  The monster snapped at them, its nose headed much further than it was meant to. Something jarred its body to the side. It crashed at top speed, sliding against the wall before toppling head first into the floor. Panels ripped up, cratered around the impact.

  Reaper stumbled, let go of Jackal to catch himself.

  He could hear Jackal hiss from the pain. Before Reaper could even get up, a foot hammered into the ground next to him. Then another foot.

  Reaper rolled away so he could
safely get up.

  A cloak of smoke and fur whipped across his face. Reaper scooted backwards on his rear. Fenris had caught up and just in time. While Reaper would be happy to never see that creature again, he was grateful it came back to them. It could deal with the monsters while they escaped.

  Jackal was stuck in the middle of the fight. He shielded his head with his arms and laid flat on the ground. Reaper would have tried to get to him, but there was no way he could make it through the dancing of the two creatures. Reaper could only back away and wait for a window.

  The creatures kicked Jackal around as they fought. Wires and bits of flesh rained down over him. The air knocked out of his lungs. At some point, one of them stepped on his leg. The snapping of bone cracking through the choir of roars and cries like a bolt of lightning. Jackal screamed. Held onto his leg.

  He blacked out.

  TEN

  Two medics were already at the shuttle bay with a stretcher and a toolbox of supplies. They knew only part of the damage received by Jackal and came prepared for immediate treatment. The doors opened up, the soldiers, and the only survivor of the Utopia, piled out, leaving barely conscious Jackal lying on the floor with Reaper watching over him.

  They watched the medics rush into the shuttle with a stretcher. Jackal was swiftly placed onto the stretcher. They stuck a needle in his arm, hung a bag of saline to a pole that was screwed into one end of the stretcher.

  They brought him straight to the medical bay. One medic led the way while the other guided the floating stretcher. When one noticed blood forming droplets on Jackal's ripped up pants, he quickly wrapped it in a towel. The last thing they needed now was a biohazard in the ship.

  "We hope he will be well." Fauriei looked up to Reaper.

  He smiled. "Jackal will be just fine. It's sort of annoying, but he's always okay."

  "We suppose the Great Tree of Life watches over him closely."

  "Something sure does." He noticed how Fenris was blatantly staring at Jackal as they rolled him away. He got the sense of dread from the strange creature.

  "Let me show you where you can stay." Reaper held a hand out to her.

  "It would be nice to rest." She took his hand.

  As they headed through the Syndicate, they chatted about trivial things. Life as a nomad compared to life as a soldier. The things they liked to do to relax after a hard day at work. Reaper found Fauriei to be admirable. She was a powerful woman who accepted the world’s weight upon her shoulders. While most fleebeeron end up in politics, promoting democracy and peace for all living creatures, including those as simple as amoebas, Fauriei had her own reasons.

  She knew there were truly oppressed species out there, and she was determined to give them the freedom they deserved. To do that, she had to fight in the political arena. She claimed to be quite successful in her tasks, yet enjoyed spending her time as a charity worker to those who needed immediate help. At least she had the financial backing to do so.

  Fauriei was heartbroken at losing the Utopia. In life, it truly was its namesake, allowing all who wished to lie down arms and live in peace with no worries for societal needs, or money, to do so.

  She was a soldier of the pen, that much Reaper was sure of. He wondered if he could do the same, yet when it came down to it, his hand fell to his weapon, rather than a pen. His perspective was different. As a soldier, he was surrounded by red tape, with a pen held over his head that could write out the end of his career and possibly the end of his life at a moment's notice. A pen could only save lives as long as it had a gun to command. Reaper did his part by controlling that gun for as long as his oath would be upheld.

  "It's a family room," Reaper said as he hit the button on the wall. "It should accommodate you well."

  The door revealed an open floor plan apartment, complete with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, bathroom, dining room, and living room. The furniture was nothing grand, this was a low ranking military ship after all, but it was better than most would have the luxury of using. The colors were barren, whites, chromes, and soft grays. Greenery from plants were spotted throughout, along with paintings depicting old landscapes from Earth. For any homesick human, it was a perfect spot to stay the night, giving the idea of what home used to be. The room even had a view of the light speckled blanket of space.

  “It is plain, but it will do wonders.” Fauriei said. The bird on her shoulder stood its crown of feathers up and bobbed its head up and down.

  “Your bird seems to enjoy it.” Reaper allowed her in first. “Tell me, how did you get a hold of an earth bird?”

  “Snow was a gift from Andrej Yanoveyvich. The first was killed by a man believing his gun was better suited than his words of anger.”

  “He went for your bird?”

  “No. He was after us.”

  His brow rose. Then he nodded and smiled.

  “Would the Syndicate be kind to drop us off at Fort Hope?” Fauriei asked.

  “We could make it there in a few days.” Reaper crossed his arms over his chest. “Could you tell me what happened with the Utopia?”

  “As we said before, we were headed to B-58 for Fenris. We were nearly there when the Utopia struck something.”

  “That’s it?” Reaper’s lips pursed. “If I had more information, miss, I could find who destroyed your ship and bring them in to serve time.”

  “We told you, we do not know!” The bird squawked, wings flapping. “The lights went out. Scans detected progressive damage. We ordered everyone onto the life preserving vessels.”

  “Where was Fenris during all this?”

  “Fenris was with us in the bridge until the commotion. He left, presumably to take care of the problem. When we saw him again, he locked us in the bridge.” The bird took a deep breath. “All we know now is that our people are withered and lost to the Great Tree.”

  Reaper looked down at his boots. This was no soldier of his he was dealing with. This was just a frail little flower.

  “I will let you rest, miss Fauriei.”

  “Please, it has been a rough time for us.”

  Reaper stepped out only to get called back to the door.

  “Captain Phillips, we would like you to take Fenris.” She said abruptly. “As we have no ship, we can no longer escort him to his destination. We know he is better suited with the Syndicate.”

  “There is room for everyone,” He could not even force himself to smile about the idea. “If Fenris wishes to stay, then all right.”

  Jackal was laid out on a gurney in the medical bay. Velcro straps held his body to the cushions. The head doctor stood over him with an assistant, cutting away his pants from the broken leg. A mask was attached to his face to keep the perfect amount of oxygen flowing into his lungs. A saline bag hung on a hook next to his head. He was at peace, unconscious from anesthesia. His eyelids twitched, eyes rolling back and forth in his sleep.

  They pulled the strips of pants away, tossing them in a too clean trash can at the foot of the gurney. The entire room was sterile, not so much as a speck of dust, or dirt anywhere to be found.

  It was clear to Dr. Reynolds the severity of the damage even before she had the clothing cutaway. Bones were stuck out in multiple directions, his tibia and fibula shattered. Once the clothes were cut away, she knew it was caused by pressure on the leg crushing them.

  “Jeez, what the hell happened out there?” She exhaled into her mask.

  “Last time I saw something like this was when I worked in the mines.” Her assistant said.

  “Really? What did you do?”

  “Amputated the limb.”

  Reynolds’ eyes widened. “Well, we aren’t going to be doing that today.”

  She adjusted her glasses, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her glasses performed a scan over Jackal’s leg.

  “We’ll piece the bones back together. Start the printer for rods we can attach to the pieces to hold them all together.” She grabbed a scalpel and began cutting into his leg.


  “Yourself?” He stepped to the other side of the room for the printer. “Maybe if we had a drone still, but no one has done that on their own in a hundred years!”

  “I hope you’re recording this then.”

  Chills ran down her spine suddenly. The room was always cold compared to the rest of the ship. Her glasses fogged.

  “D-doc’.” Michael stammered from the printer.

  Reynolds looked up to see the largest canine she had ever seen in her life. It floated in the doorway, a cloak of shadows draped over its sides. One set of horns stretched back and upwards, a second came from the brow and curled around the sides of the head like a ram’s horns, only a looser curl that pointed towards its crimson eyes.

  She nearly dropped the scalpel. The wolf had not been staring at her, but at Jackal. Its heavy aura weighed on her like gravity pulled her down. She could have sworn they boarded a dead ship to rescue survivors. What exactly was on that ship? What was that thing?

  The wolf seemed to sit in the air, a paw tucked underneath a bar to hold it in place.

  Reynolds breathed again. The look on the wolf’s scarred face softened. It looked on curiously, concerned.

  Michael waved his hands at the canine to shoo it away. "Go on! Get! No animals in the surgery room!"

  When he neared it in the attempt, the wolf was no longer such.

  In the blink of an eye, a metallic humanoid figure took the wolf's place. It towered over Michael, even with it hunched over to stay comfortably within the doorway.

  Michael let out a yelp of confusion and fell backwards. He blinked several times. Rubbed his eyes until he saw random shapes and colors. Still, it was some sort of person, or creature, or monster, standing right there in front of him, paying him no mind at all.

  Reynolds looked on in disbelief. Fear made her heart thump like a war drum against her ribs. Obviously they were seeing the same thing. A wolf turned into a person in the blink of an eye. Not just any person, something clad in armor like a dark knight. A pelt of a mighty kill wrapped around its collar and draped over its shoulders. Armor more ceremonial than visibly practical at this distance.