Banished To Earth Book Two (6)

   “We’re different.” He stopped mid-sentence. 

 

     In perfect unison, they turned toward the ocean. Silhouette unknotted the hooded duster. “Take it, pistol inside.”

 

    Chase, his eyes fixed on a distant mound of water rising far offshore, snatched it from her hand, unfurled the duster, and felt the weight of the pistol tug against his hand as it dropped toward the ground. Flicking it up like a yo-yo, he plucked it from its adhesive nest with his right hand while whipping open a portal with his left.

 

    The mound was twice as big now, easily two hundred feet across, and rising toward them like a tsunami. He yelled, “Jump”, as a leather-winged reptilian beast sliced out of the roiling blue water and took to the air, three hundred feet offshore.  

 

   A spiny black snout, bristling with fangs, flared its nostrils as it swooped and swayed on a ten-foot-long serpentine neck. Two black slitted white eyeballs stared down at them from a head that was more spiked black battering ram than anything else.

 

   Sunlight strained sickly pink through the membrane of its massive airliner wings, while a spine-fringed scorpion tail whipped and snapped from the rear of its heavily armoured body, which looked for all the world like a four-legged tank. If you could call its’ four green-scaled, bony talons legs. Its curved claws were obviously never designed for walking, but perfect for snatching and shredding.

 

   Desperate to escape, they threw themselves into Chase’s portal, a moment before a flaming cylinder of blistering white fire vitrified the very sand they were standing on. Fortunately, Chase had slung the cloak over his shoulder when they jumped.

 

   Cool shade caressed them when they tumbled out. The washboard of roots they landed on was not so gentle.

 

   Of course, a rough landing didn’t hurt nearly as much now that their transformation from human to hunter was complete.

22

 

  “Why did you do that?” Silhouette asked through a grin.

 

   “Unlike you, I’m not tired of living.”

 

   “Chase, I believe she is joking.”

 

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

 

  “Question?” Chase asked, pretending to scan the area for monsters.

 

  “Why didn’t they give you any gear or dreams?”

 

   “I found gear.” He held up the hooded duster and pistol. Still trying to avoid the question.

 

  “No. I found the gear. And I gave it to you”.

 

   “Yeah, and that was awfully convenient. Why did you come back to my beach?”

 

   “Your beach. I never left it. It was you who came back to,” Her fingers made quotation marks in the air, ‘look’ for gear, just lying around.”

 

    “Okay, who did you kill to ‘find’ it?” His voice was heavy with judgment.

 

   “You know, a simple thank you would be nice.” Silhouette loved pushing his buttons. “A giant flying snake did the killing. But I did the digging.”

 

   “Digging?” Pry asked.

  

  “From the snake's gut, nasty business, but I got it done. And you might want to run that through a few wash cycles before putting it on.”

 

   Chase’s eyes involuntarily shifted toward Trudy’s house majestically sitting atop the hill at the far side of the field.   

 

    “Trudy?”

  

  Chase reluctantly nodded yes.

  

  “Tucker is there too and…”

 

   “Oooh, is he now. This is going to be fun.”

 

  “We picked up a mother and her little girl, too.”

 

23

 

       The Huntress’ eyes darted up at him. Somewhat surprised by the admiration he saw in them, he said nothing.

  

 “I don’t hurt kids. And if her Mama loves her, she’s got nothing to fear from me.”

 

    Chase’s features lifted. “Good to hear, surprising too. You did say people aren’t people anymore now, didn’t you and, if you and Tucker want to butt heads…”

 

    “Yeah, well,” her voice trailed off, “Chase, give me some credit. And you might want to stow that heater before you burn your toes off.”

 

  “Right and thank you.”

 

    As if on cue, a portal opened ten feet in front of them. Tucker leapt out, landed sideways on slightly bent legs. His pistol was pointing straight at Silhouette.

 

   “Well, what do you know, James Bond is here.” Silhouette looked around as if expecting a chuckle. They didn’t get it. “What? Nothing.” She shrugged.

 

   Pry threw herself between him and the Huntress. “No Tucker, no.”

 

   Before he could reply, the ground shook. “Earthquakes, really, earthquakes?”

 

   “No Silhouette,” Chase said. “I think that was a shift.”

 

   “What is that smell. It’s sweet?” Asked Tucker, lowering his gun.

 

     Four sets of eyes rolled up. The air shimmered around their ankles and rippled up from the ground.        

 

   It was as if the trees’ great shadow had come to life, turned blue and rose like a curtain from the trees’ apron of knotty roots. Blue shadow? This was no shadow.

 

    No one moved. They barely breathed.

 

    An all-too-familiar scent further sweetened the air, followed by a soft sigh. Something snatched the weird blue veil straight up into the ancient trees' vaulted boughs. Their eyes followed it up. Saw the pale azure ‘mist’ dissipate amongst the thick foliage. Another quake shook the world. Blinding white light exploded overhead. Shielding their eyes, they could see nothing.

 

   The flash faded. They lifted their heads and saw it, an oak, but not, ‘their’ oak spread above them. Its’ bark, chocolate brown. Leaves like little rainbows fluttered all around, tinkling like tinny windchimes in the breeze, releasing the unmistakable scent of hot chocolate into their nostrils.

 

    Their eyes sagged, bodies swayed and heads swam. Chase wobbled and stumbled over a strange vaguely familiar root network that was spongy, nothing like the stony roots of the old oak, until he finally staggered into the sunlight.

 24

 

     “Party pooper.” Silhouette’s words rolled from her mouth in a drunken drawl. “Chocolate high. Yeah, that’s alright.”

 

    Unfortunately for her, the effect was short-lived. After a few moments, they all sank to their butts as the initial intoxication wore off.