24. Rin

24

Rin

I fight my way back to consciousness in stages, feeling sick. As I fully awaken, there's a hissing click that could only be Kuret.

I open my eyes to see Roshan pacing around the small cave, looking as agitated as usual when Kuret is around. It's surreal for a moment as my groggy brain tries to process where I am.

We are still in the cave that Kuret scouted for us earlier and it is still dark outside. I struggle to gather myself mentally.

The only real difference to me is some very curious itching in and around my ears that I hadn't noticed before. Maybe I'm having a reaction to something in the cave? I don't really know, but it's extremely uncomfortable and, honestly, rather distracting.

Then I remember the changes in my skin. My heart skips a beat, then skips another when I realize that the sounds aren't just rustling and Roshan is far more than just agitated.

It's dark in the cave without Kuret's glowing. Wait. Why isn't he glowing?

I shoot up, my ankle protesting the movement. The pain is sharp but is gone almost instantly, leaving only a dull throbbing and the familiar aches from my misadventures earlier in the day.

Roshan is still moving erratically, and I can hardly see in the dark, but the odd sounds and Kuret's hissing continues. I want to call out to him, but I clamp my teeth down on my tongue.

I move toward Roshan, pushing him to the side, searching for Kuret's green glow. I finally get Roshan to move enough so I can move forward in the cave enough to look out the entrance.

My eyes widen when I see a strange-looking creature pushing something sharp against Kuret's face with a devious, wide grin on its face. I move a hand to my mouth to keep a gasp from escaping. Its head is far too large for its body, which is much smaller than Kuret.

How did it gain the advantage on him?

Kuret is calm, so still he's not even blinking, the only movement the thrumming of his green glow, but his eyes are alert and his muscles tense. A quick glance down reveals he has his own knife poised and ready to strike.

Both must be unsure they can move fast enough to survive.

My heart is roaring in my ears, and I hear all my inner voices screaming at me to do something. One part of my brain is telling me to run before it notices me. That I have enough time to make it past them while Kuret grapples with it.

But if Kuret loses, I have no idea what this new alien will do to me.

I look over at Roshan to see if he is big enough to hurt whenever this creature is, but he looks even more frightened of it than me. He must have encountered it somewhere before.

The two aliens are still in a weird staring contest, neither one looking frightened. They are clearly insane.

I glance back to the forest, but no, I can't leave Kuret. I might not have liked that look on his face when he killed Tehlmar, but he saved me.

The other alien's body is coiled around Kuret like a shadow, its sickly gray-green skin an ugly contrast to Kuret's dark gray. It's head is so much larger than it should be, it's nausea-inducing.

Even though they seem evenly matched, their sizes are so different that it doesn't make sense. From the look on its face, the monster is getting ready to strike him down. It's just enjoying itself in the meantime.

No. Kuret might have weird views, but my bābā taught me better than to abandon an ally.

My eyes frantically dance around the cave for a weapon or anything I can use to attack this monster. There are only packs, a water bottle, and of course lots of rocks. There might be more, but it's hard to make out much in the muted light.

Without any idea if it will work, I pick up a rock that looks closest in size to the balls I used to play with as a child.

After a moment of agony wondering if I'm about to get Kuret killed, I toss it at the creature's head with all the strength I can muster. My skills haven't diminished, and I hit it hard on the side of its head.

It's a flurry of movement after that.

Kuret stabs upward into its chest, but it twists to the side enough he only grazes it. Next, Kuret darts his other arm out, grabbing the knife and twisting it out of the creature's hand, yelling out in pain as he does it. I instantly feel better, assuming with the blade out of the way, Kuret will destroy the thing.

Instead, it screams at him, then raises a booted foot and kicks him in the side. My jaw drops as Kuret flies through the air and collides hard with a nearby tree.

What?

My heart is in my mouth as it races toward me, pure hatred in its ugly face.

If Kuret had no chance, I don't either. I suck in a breath, shut my eyes tightly, and say my last words to Allah before I fight for my life, then open them wide again.

There is a promise of death in its large, crazed eyes, then it starts speaking. "I'll kill you slowly for that."

I clench my fists, ready to kick out, but I don't get a chance. It suddenly shudders to a halt, then falls, a knife sticking out of the back of its head.

My heart thumps painfully as a surge of relief rises and I let out a breath, thankful to still be alive. Kuret is propped partly against the tree, panting.

He saved me. Again. I'm still reeling when Roshan moves up against me, seeking reassurance. I pet him absently as my mind races.

Everything here really is going to try to kill me, isn't it? I hate violence. It has been the cage that has defined my life… but here… here it isn't about just violence. It's about survival.

Maybe I need to trust Kuret. Something in me surges in anticipation at the thought of not being alone, but then the ever-present fear surges back up to crowd it out, replacing that deep longing to feel safe and settled with the hard truth of reality. Life has taught me that safety is an illusion, and people usually abandon their principles to cling to the lie.

I shake my head, my mind finally screaming out to me that there is a spear sticking out of Kuret's leg and he's bleeding.