I jerked when I heard Kasey’s cry, looking back in the direction of the rorret and causing my hand controlling the living stake to move and fly right into the upper cavity of another rorret. This time I screamed, watching it drop to the ground, thrashing, while the stake embedded itself inside of it… killing it.
“That would do.” Kasey said. I gave her a side-eye glance then the first rorret went limp. “What the hell…” Kasey gaped.
I released the rorret and it fell to the earth with a thud, its body severed in half. Kasey stared at me, her eyes disclosing her fear...this time not for the creature that lie dead at our feet.
“Come on. Let’s go before more come.” She said walking around me, taking a wide girth around the two dead rorrets. I quickly followed her cause god knows that I didn’t want to be around when they do.
We moved stealthily as possible through the trees trying our best…well my best not to draw any attention to us.
“I really wish you could see the other side with me. That would help a lot.”
“I thought I was. I saw those…those whatever the hell they were.”
“Rorrets…They were rorrets. And the quills that shoot out from their bodies are not just lethal weapons but their children. If it had gotten inside of me, it would have eaten me from the inside out.”
I stopped walking. “What kind of hell did you bring me to, Kasey?” I whispered angrily.
“Hey!” She stormed towards me just as angry. “You’re the one who wanted to prove yourself to your husband tonight. You’re here now so keep quiet or more will hear us.” She pointed up ahead. “There…the children.”
I tried my best to see what she saw but only an empty field sat in front of me. “I can’t see them.”
Kasey leaned up against a tree dropping her head on her arm.
“Are you ok? I asked but I knew she wasn’t. Her arm was still bleeding profusely which concerned me.
“Yeah.” She propelled herself off the trunk then crouched down.
“Aren’t I able to heal others?” I stooped down beside her.
“Don’t worry about it. I can heal myself.” She quickly said. “It’s best that you stay here. I can see them. Stay out of sight until you see me.” Without waiting for an answer, she moved ahead keeping low to the ground.
Further and further, Kasey crept away into nothing. I tried to make her out in the dark, but she must have crossed over because she was no longer there. Now alone, every crack or break made me jump. I clutched the hunting knife in my hand that I took out of Gawonii’s collection and waited.
This was a bad idea. A really bad idea.
I wasn’t a fighter. Until I came here, I wasn’t able to hurt a fly. I have allowed these people to make me into something I’m not. So, what I have a little power…ok that is kind of cool but each time I had encountered a threat, I got lucky. Really lucky! Blowing out short puffs of air through my mouth, I rocked back on my heels praying that Kasey would hurry up.
I had to think of something to keep me occupied until she came back. No telling how long she would be gone. Then Gawonii’s image popped up taking me back to what had started at the cabin before we were interrupted. His connection with me must be getting stronger because he was able to get into my mind and enhance any lustful urges, I had for him. He now knew what I liked, what I hated, my sexual thoughts and desires. I felt downright vulnerable.
I heard a crack somewhere behind me. Jumping, I held the knife in front of me checking out the area. I couldn’t make out anything and concluded that it had to be an animal. Shaking my head, I looked up at the moon.
God, I wish she would hurry up. It’s—
CRACK!
I crouched, flattening my body against a tree. The sound of wings…very, very large wings flapped overhead. Too afraid to look up, I held my pose. There was loud thud on a tree not too far from me.
The sound of scraping nails on the tree bark had me wincing. The scraping was shadowed by a clicking noise. Seeing movement at the corner of my eye, I gradually twisted my head careful not to draw any attention to myself.
I bit down on my lip when I caught a glimpse of four red eyes monitoring the open field. A rorret had perched itself on a tree directly beside me, its wings outstretched ready for flight.
There was another sound of something landing this time over top of me. The same clicking and scraping sound began overhead.
Tilting my head back, knowing that I was going to regret it later, I froze. All I could think of was that my life sucked at that very moment.
Remaining very still, I waited. It had to be scouting out the field. Hopefully, Kasey got to where she needed to be. There was another thud on another nearby tree.
Shit! It just keeps getting worse. This was not the party I wanted to attend. Then without warning, the one that just landed dropped down to the ground and began creeping along the forest floor entering the field. Hearing wings flap above me, I caught sight of the last two flying away. My shaking hands covered my face thanking the gods that I was still alive.
I relaxed ready to go back. I must have been out of my mind not listening to Gawonii or Kasey. I just had to be stubborn because he was ordering me around. If I happen to get out of this alive, he was surely going to kill me!
A loud rustling came from the field. My hand gripped the handle on the blade so tightly I could feel my pulse throbbing through my veins. I prepared myself for survival when I saw Kasey emerge through the thick grass with a group of children trailing behind her. Sighing, a sigh of relief, I stood up, dusting myself off.
Kasey waved to me to meet her halfway in the field. It looked like she was struggling with some little ones. She didn’t have to tell me twice.
I started to make my way to her when an object grazed my right cheek then smashed into the tree behind me splintering the trunk. Looking behind me, my heart stopped. I eyed the same creature, I had to help Kasey pull out of her arm.
“Kasey!! Run!” I yelled turning in time to see a large rorret dive down on top of me knocking me onto the ground its beak-like mouth snapped barely missing me.
In the distance, I could hear the children screaming but I couldn’t see them with this thing over top of me. Movement along the rorrets body caught my attention. Its quills fluttered along its back and began to quiver.
Lailah this would be a good time to get the hell out of here!
Grabbing hold of the hunting knife, the next time it lowered to snap at me, I stabbed it right below one of its eyes. A shriek filled the air and it stumbled backwards discharging a barrage of sharp living quills into the ground a few feet ahead of me. It stomped the ground, foam dripping from its mouth as it continued to cry out.
Rolling out the way, I got up on my feet and went to go help Kasey. She was fighting off another with the children huddled together on the ground.
I gathered up the kids, picking up the littlest in my arm and proceeded to lead them through the thick grassy field to take refuge in the trees when a horrible cry vibrated through the night sky. Falling to my knees with the children beside me, I covered my ears to shut out the sound. I have never heard anything like it. One of the little girls started crying wrapping her arms around me saying words I couldn’t understand. I had to find a way to protect the children.
I felt an object hit my shoulder. I jumped unable to see what it was in the dark. Then I was hit with another…and another…then more. Taking a good look at the ground, I paused swallowing down the bile that threatened to spew out of my mouth. All I could do at the moment was to stare in horror. The sky was literally raining insects, birds, tree lizards, anything that shared a home in the trees we cowered under.
Everything that hit the ground around us lay motionless. I went to quickly move the children along when numbness came over me and I fell to the ground confused. My legs weren’t moving…why?
The children weren’t moving either.
I went for my knife I dropped but I couldn’t move my hands.
What the hell was happening? Why can’t we move?
The rorret!
The sound coming from it was paralyzing anything living. My upper body, unable to hold up any longer, fell to the ground.
I heard what sounded like more wings too large for any ordinary bird getting closer. There was a crash behind me. I didn’t have to maneuver myself around to see what it was… I already knew it wasn’t good. A rorret swooped down and landed beside the one making all the damn noise and another next to it. Soon we were surrounded and in a whole lot more trouble than originally expected. I needed to get us out of here now! One by one, each rorret stood up on their legs to join in with the screeching. The pitch had to be causing major havoc on our systems.
Concentrating, I remembered what Kasey had told me earlier and searched for a water source. Any living thing or object with water I should be able to control. The rorret causing all the problems crawled over me standing up on its legs. Fighting through the shutting down of my nervous system, I turned all my focus on it wishing I had a little help. The head rorret lowered to the ground and crawled over top of me and the children, its quills quivering. A picture of Gawonii flashed in my mind…
The quills discharged, but into the body of its parent…imploding. The rorret keeled over, dead.
That was the last thing I saw before my sight blacked out.
My hearing was next to start failing. There was a wail different from the debilitating siren.
Abruptly, the sound was shut off allowing my sense of hearing to listen to the commotion around me. I could hear voices unfamiliar to me yelling to each other.
My fingers twitched; the paralysis fading.
Slowing my sight began to come back and I could look around me. I saw not one but three dead creatures lying on the ground. Still not having full function of my limbs yet, I listened as battle sounds erupted in the field. My fingers spasmed even more as the feeling started to come back in them. Testing if I could move them, they scratch along the surface of the earth until they could dig into the ground. The dirt turned into cool soft clay as they sunk deeper than I began pulling as much water out of the earth as I needed to regain more strength.
Now stronger, the paralysis in my legs disappeared. Crouching low, I observed the scene around me trying to place the sounds of the war taking place. I spotted Gawonii and three men that were at the cabin finishing off the last rorret. When the final death scream filled the night sky, Gawonii turned his eyes to me cold as sin. He was something past furious. He then cut over to look at Kasey who now was just able to move and drop down onto her knees and bow.
Gawonii ran over to the children and lifted one of the scared children into his arms who were now moving. Gawonii handed the child over to one of the men just as he yelled something in Tsalagi at Kasey, who stood up and said a few words back but was quickly silenced by the tone in Gawonii’s voice.
Why can’t they speak so I could understand?
Gawonii abruptly turned in my direction hearing my thoughts. Narrowing his eyes, he plowed through the tall grass making his way over to where I stood. But he didn’t get far when Kasey collapsed. One of the men escorting the children yelled for Gawonii and he turned to see Kasey on the ground. Running back towards her, he lifted her up into his arms, concern and fear replacing anger.
“Galutsv! Come!” He snapped at me walking away.
I didn’t move right away as he commanded but he never turned to see if I was following him far too concerned about the children and Kasey.
…Or he just didn’t care.
Chapter 9
Atonement
We made our way back through the night, soon reaching the children’s homes. By then Kasey had regained consciousness. Waya, Onacona, and Tsiyi made sure that the children were returned to their homes safely while Gawonii and I made sure that Kasey had her arm looked at which was already on its way to being nearly healed.
Satisfied that she was going to be ok, Gawonii grabbed me by my arm and led me out of the house and onto the dark path. He dragged me down that path to Inola’s, barging into the home startling his sister. Inola took one look at Gawonii’s grip on my arm and nodded her head. Without so much as requesting an explanation, she went back to doing whatever the hell she was working on turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to whatever punishment I was in for.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared because I was terrified. Kasey warned me of the consequences, but did he have to do it here. I’ve been embarrassed enough in front of his sister who made it clear that she wasn’t that fond of me for snatching him away from Kasey.
Tossing me inside one of the rooms in the house, I shook in my sandals. He stared at me his silence troubling. As much as I would have liked it, I still couldn’t read his thoughts which would have come in handy right now. But it was safe to say that his mood posed a serious threat to my well-being.
Well, maybe now he will have this marriage annulled and send me home.
“As much as you detest being my wife, you can safely assume, also, that I detest being forced to follow through with this obligation of being your husband.” He finally said responding to my thoughts.
“In a short time, you have proven to be insolent, disobedient, reckless, and lacking self-control. Your decision undermining my request to stay behind had placed children’s lives in danger and nearly killed Chitsa… and yourself. To wait centuries for you, only to get this shell…” He pointed to me. “…barely exhibiting the great spirit, you used to be is disappointing.” He approached me until he towered over me. I stepped back only to be stopped by the bed that was behind me. “When I tell you to remain in a place where it is safe, I, as your Chief and your husband expect no argument, no rebuttals, and definitely no untrained spirits traipsing around getting a tribe of people she has no respect for killed! You knew Chitsa would not deny your wishes to go out into danger which emphasizes your selfishness. You have abused your power and are not deserving of it!” He turned away picking something up in the corner. “Ten lashes.”
“No! Wait! I didn’t ask for this! For you or this shitty ass curse! I was trying to live a normal life before dying and I wake up here. If you dislike me so much, let me go home so you can get back to your monsters, prophecies, and anything else that comes with it.” I pleaded. “I just want to forget all of this. I don’t want any parts of it or this sham of a marriage.”
He ignored me.
I blinked back tears because technically I knew I deserved whatever punishment that he was getting ready to execute because I still could hear the children’s screams and I wasn’t able to help them. I eyed the hand-crafted switch he held in his hand then the door.
“You will not reach it and I will add on five more for your defiance.”
“Look Gawonii…I’d learned my lesson out there. You were right…I was disrespectful and rebellious, but I will listen for now on. All I wanted to do was help. I didn’t know what we were up against. What happened tonight was punishment enough, I promise you.” I continued pleading my case to him.
“…And begging shows no honor.”
So much for that.
Hiawassee, like an angel from heaven, chose that moment to come into the room. She said something to Gawonii pointing to me and that’s when the argument broke out. She snatched the switch out of his hands.
He swiftly left the room without so much as a backwards glance at me. I looked over at Hiawassee confused. She carefully sat the switch back over where Gawonii had picked it up from and wobbled over to me. Placing her hand in mine, she sat me down on the bed.
“I’m trying.” I said tearfully.
She tsked wiping away my tears. Brushing my hair with her fingers, she spoke but I couldn’t understand her. She spoke for a while as if she were sharing something with me. When it seemed like she had no more to say, she inspected my face before patting the soft mattress. Guessing that she wanted me to lie down, I swung my feet onto the bed and placed my head down on the pillow. She covered me wit
h a blanket then left.
Staring into the darkness, I found it hard to relax after all the excitement tonight. I sat up and made my way to the door. I went to turn the doorknob but thought better of it, so I went over to the window. Lifting up the single-pane window as quietly as I could, I slipped outside running down the path towards the pavilion on the other side of the performance square. I sat down between the kiln and the pottery wheel hoping to keep myself hidden from any random lurking winged spiders.
Damn vacation…Damn Kasey…
None of this would be happening if she would have just left me alone up north. Standing up, I walked, quickly, down the dirt path towards where I remembered Kasey was recovering. Might as well go see how she was doing. She did try to save my ass this evening. Gawonii was right. I put them all in danger… unnecessarily.
I spotted the home that Gawonii and I had left her at and was getting ready to run up the tiny path when I saw Gawonii’s tall figure turn up the path first. Quickly and quietly, I slipped between a bush and a tree to watch.
I wasn’t surprised at all but there was a pulling in my chest seeing him there. The door opened before he could reach the porch and Kasey came out, bowing.
The expression of fear on her face reflected in the dim porch light and I could hear her desperately explaining something in their language.
He answered back and the harshness in his voice made it clear that he was chastising her for tonight’s adventure. He reached down taking her by the arm and dragged her to her feet. Kasey’s face distorted letting a small cry escape.
Gawonii released her instantly seeing how much pain he had caused her. As quickly as he let her go, he pulled her back into his body wrapping his arms around her. Biting my lip, I watched as he lowered his head down, lifting hers up to kiss her. Kasey did not protest kissing him back.
My mouth dropped at the scene.
“Angeni.” I heard behind me. Spinning around, I saw the old lady that ‘blessed’ me in the square standing behind me. Her eyes bore through me, then did a slight shift over to the two lovers standing not too far away.
THE AGENI SERIES: AMA ANGENI Page 10