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Rapier claws rushed towards Rin’s face.
Not again, she thought, flopping to her stomach. The swipe of the animal's movement tousled her cropped, ink hair.
"I thought I told you to keep the cages locked at all times!" she barked to the observation deck, whipping around to glare at the occupant. She couldn’t see the man inside, caged behind steel and thick glass. Typical. Thompson never put himself in danger.
The creature’s bellow reclaimed her attention. Its khaki head thrown back, the animal mauled the air, tail whipping out behind. Talons. She’d never personally dealt with one so wild. Its sharp claws were fully extended, lethal in their length. The skin was darker than she’d ever seen, like burnt bread. Eyes of flame snarled, echoing the growl in its throat.
Why do they always give me the fun ones?
Again, she rolled, the Talon using its tail to strike. Long and curled, it was over twice Rin’s own height, tipped with dagger-like bone. Too slow, the next attack caught her just below her right eye. Blood slipped down her cheek and the Talon’s nostrils flared at the rust scent. Rin crouched, watching in confusion as the animal thrashed about. It frothed from the mouth, claws slashing in her direction.
A rookie Primer had left their job undone. Forgetting to clip their claws was one thing but missing the tail was an unforgivable mistake. Now she was paying for it.
Springing to her feet, Rin staggered away until her back met the cold steel wall. Heart hammering, she glanced about for the exit. For quick escapes, the door was always open in case something went wrong. There. Off to the left. With the Talon perfectly situated to kill her before she reached freedom.
Unsheathing one of the daggers she kept tucked in her boots, she moved to a defensive position. It would be suicide to strike back at it in now. Unwelcome and unbidden, her brother’s voice intruded into her mind. They can smell fear. The best way to survive when facing one is to stay calm. They’re easily outsmarted things. If he could see her struggles now, he’d laugh.
The door out. She doubted that Thompson would keep it open for long. The Talon might end up rampaging through the confines. One eye on the creature, she kept low to the ground, using its rage to her advantage as she dodged the strikes. Deep gouges multiplied in the metal around her as she continually shifted closer to freedom. Only a few more paces to go.
Rin paled as a resounding clank pounded her ears. The door was closing, Thompson’s patience run dry. Turning, her mind raced. The Talon still rabid, its attacks only increased in ferocity. Once the door was sealed, the room would fill with gas. She’d seen it before. She wasn’t about to let it happen to her. The Primers could re-cage the Talon without her.
A short snort from behind ruffled her hair.
Fantastic.
She’d let herself be distracted too long. The Talon had regained its focus, eyes fixed on her. She spared a single glance back to her exit. The solid steel door was already halfway down. She had seconds left. Flipping the dagger in her hand so she held it by its tip, she sent it flying towards the animal.
The Talon’s head jerked away as metal imbedded in its leg, letting Rin dash towards the hallway. Forced to slide out on her belly, she kept going until her side smashed into the hallway wall. High on adrenaline, she gasped in air before checking herself. Ten fingers. Ten toes. Tentative, fingertips brushed along the cut in her cheek. The blood was just starting to clot and she could feel the caked blood on her neck starting to crack.
Attempting to dust the grime off her fraying, stained cargo pants, she brushed the short ebony hair from her face. Sets of thin scars spread along her cheeks, disappearing down her neck. A knife gone and a still-bleeding gash that would almost certainly be infected. What a glorious start to a terrible day.
Reigning in annoyance, Rin marched past the technicians and up towards the observation deck. Her limp grew in prominence as she thrust herself into the room. Taking long breaths, she loosened her clenched fists. She didn’t want to give herself any more scars than she already had.
“Colonel.” A curt nod was all she could muster. She refused to do the full bow that was expected. Not to a man like him.
“What happened down there?” He didn’t even bother to look at her when he spoke. Eyes below, he watched in silence as the room filled with opaque gas. It made her eyes water just to watch.
“I don’t know,” she said, choking up the next word, “Sir.” She sent his hat a glare, attempting to set it on fire, “I was making sure the Primers had prepared the Talon, but the animal woke up and the cage opened before I could even-“
“Enough.” Thompson said with an absent wave. Finally, he turned. Gold and diamond stared at her off his chest, impassive and silent. Achievements rewarded for discovering and cultivating the Talon. His face was smooth and pale, clothes spotless. Tall, his hair was blonde and spilled down to his shoulders. His admirers claimed the hair was his most appealing feature. Even his shoes seemed to gleam.
Rin hated him.
Thompson glanced her over, eyes hard “You’re not doing your job properly. It’s your responsibility to ensure that none of the buyers ever has a problem and yet there are more reports coming in every day. Care to explain?”
“It wasn’t me.” Rin said, lip twitching, “Every Talon I process is fully trained.”
“Obviously not.”
“I’m not the only Tamer,” She bit her lip at his hard stare, “Sir.”
“You are now”
His words jarred her. It was as if a physical force pressed against her chest, making it impossible to breathe. She wasn’t friends with the others. She hadn’t even known their names. Nevertheless, a bond existed between them. They shared tips and secrets, laughed and shouted over the changes in policies. “All-” she swallowed hard, “All of them?”
“Yes, Tamer Rin.” He massaged his temples, seeming bored, “I believe I made that clear in my earlier statement.” Turning back to watch the room below, something of a smirk crossed his eyes as Primers removed the dead Talon, taking Rin’s knife with them, bringing in yet more cages filled with the recently caught. “It shouldn’t be an issue. There are few enough that you should be able to easily manage on your own. Clean yourself up and start the next batch as soon as the Primers are done.”
“Yes, sir!” Her hand snapped up to her forehead in a mocking fashion. The instant his back faced her, she stuck out her tongue.
Wash up. Get back to work. She’d have to mourn the dead on her own time.
Rin wasn’t two steps out the door when someone yanked her off to the left. “Jesse, what’re you-”
“Shh!” The other woman, short and plump, glanced to the sides. Hearing noises from the deck above, she pulled both of them further from view “Wait until Thompson leaves.”
Jesse. A sweet girl who kept machines for company. They’d spoken before but their conversations were usually limited to work. Now, Jesse had Rin huddled up in the corner, out of sight.
Moments, later the Colonel’s heavy footsteps pounded the metal floor creating a lingering echo. Rin kept her breath held though she wasn’t sure why.
“What happened?” She turned on the Technician, “Did Thompson order you to open the gate?” She wouldn’t have put it passed him. The rich always did as they pleased. Then again, how did he manage to wake the Talon? They were usually under for days.
“No, but someone let that Talon out on purpose.”
“Someone? You didn’t see them?”
Jesse repositioned her glasses as they slipped to the end of her nose with a humph. “No, I didn’t see anyone because no one was here. The changes were made remotely. According to these-” her fingertips caressed the blinking lights “-the gate never opened at all.”
“Are you sure you’re not wrong?” Rin said. She flinched at Jesse’s glare. Sighing, Rin rested against the wall. The timing was too perfect. A step closer, she would’ve seen the Talon wasn’t primed. A step further away, she would’ve been able to escape. Someone wanted her dead. “Hmmm?” She blinked.
“I said; have you heard anything from Earth?”
“No, not since the Lunar rebellion. We’ve barely managed to contact that system at all.” Rin’s shoulders sagged. Her brother left and Earth went silent. The fates had to stop; she had nothing but her life left to give. Glancing back to the other woman, Rin frowned when she thought she saw Jesse smile. The illusion shattered when the technician spoke again.
“There’s been news about Hunters though.”
Rin perked. Marcus?
“Most of them have stopped bringing in shipments. You wouldn’t happen to know why?” Jesse’s voice was light but Rin felt as if Thompson was interrogating her all over again.
“No” Rin said, moving back into the main hall, “I haven’t heard from my brother in two years.” This time, Rin could see the smirk on Jesse’s face, “Excuse me. I have to wash up.” She didn’t wait for a response. She had work to do.
¨¨¨
Staring through the thick glass at the Talons inside, Rin stood in silence, a cheap bandage covering her wound. Another batch, smaller than she’d ever seen. What Jesse said about the Hunters must’ve been true, only four new ones today. There used to be dozens arriving daily. She couldn’t blame them. So few men were willing to take the job now the colony was functioning. No one needed the Talon for beasts of burden. They’d transformed into pets of the wealthy. Why would any man risk their life for that?
Leaning in, she tried to decide which Talons were female. No one knew how to tell the difference between the genders but several stiff-collar scientists claimed the ones that wore feathers about their necks were male. Something about showing off. Rin smirked. Some things were truly universal.
The creatures stood in a numbed state, heavily drugged to ensure the safety of the Primers. They wouldn’t be knocked out until later, when they’d passed the first inspection. She doubted they all would. Only one showed signs of virility. In fact, it was getting quite fidgety.
Rin jumped back when the creature looked up. It stared straight at her and she felt herself shudder against her will. Its eyes. The eyes were red. A deep, furious, bloody red. Raising its head, it shrieked.
“Get out!” Rin ran. Down the stairs, through the hallway. She skidded into the room of cages. “Everyone, out!” She’d never seen a red-eyed Talon before. She wasn’t about to tangle with one now. “Come on!” She urged, tugging on the stunned fools.
The Talon seethed, claws fully extended out as it lashed at the bars that kept it confined. Bars quickly being shredded to scrap. Throwing itself against the metal, it was already half-way out.
“Hurry!” Rin shouted. Most had snapped to their senses but too many stood, trapped by awe. Cursing, she went back inside, grabbing two of them by their collars, hauling them to safety. Only one remained. A young woman, planted in the same position she’d been in since the start. She was new. Her clothes bore no stains or stitches. Auburn hair delicately piled on top of her head, her stained lips made a perfect ‘o’ of surprise. “This way.” Rin gestured her over.
When the frightened Primer turned, Rin noticed the trembling that shook the girl’s entire body. She was moments away from passing out.
The Talon’s cage mutilated, it barely kept the animal inside.
Refusing to let anyone die while she was on call, Rin charged forward to intercept the girl.
The Talon arrived first.
With one last heave, it broke free. Rin was mere moments away when its saber claws skewered the primer where she stood. A gasp, not a scream, escaped her. Life drained from her eyes, blood dyeing her clothes crimson. The Talon gave a sickening twist and the Primer crumpled to the floor. She didn’t move. She was dead.
Stumbling back, Rin slammed the emergency button. The doors lowered as her breath stayed trapped in her chest. A primer killed by a red-eyed Talon. Her brain refused to process what she’d seen. The murderer turned and met her eyes again. Its slit pupils seemed to bleed as the eyes darkened. Blood dripped off its claws as he charged, heading straight to her. Rin pushed the button again.
Close faster. The door was still lowering and the Talon was rapidly closing in. Close faster!
A loud thud reverberated against the walls as the creature collided with the door.
Abandoning the group, Rin flew back to her spot upstairs. The Talon’s claws had pierced through several inches of steel. It struggled before finally wrenching free. When it loped to the other cages, she thought it would liberate the trapped Talon. It stopped short, inspecting its now red claws. A scream escaped her as the beast below ran its fellows through as it had the Primer. It dispatched all three but unlike the girl, they screamed. Terrible, agonizing screams full of pain. Human screams.
¨¨¨
The rest of the day rushed by in a frenzy of dulled emotions. She was questioned, examined and interrogated. The attack of the Talon on her and the murder of the Primer sent everyone on edge. They wanted someone to blame. She was their only common link.
Trudging towards home, she borrowed the wall’s strength to keep herself upright. Dead. Not only the Primer but the other Tamers as well, if Thompson could be believed. To think, her parents had begged and scraped together enough to send Marcus and her here for a ‘brighter future’. Scoffing aloud, she almost missed the scraping behind her. Drawing her last knife instinctively, she whirled around. To nothing. Only the empty path she had just traversed met her. Nerves wary, she stepped forward.
“Hello?”
Silence met her. The brightly lit, unnaturally clean street held nothing. Not even a bin or lamp to hide behind. Yet someone was tailing her. She could feel it in the hairs on the back of her neck.
It’s only the adrenaline talking. She told herself, letting her arms relax down to her side. Anyone would be jumpy after what she’d just witnessed. A night’s rest in a warm bed was all she needed. Maybe a good soak as well. Re-sheathing her blade, she started to turn back towards her apartment door.
A liquid-soaked rag smothered the sound of her screams.
¨¨¨
Rin’s eyes opened to darkness. Jerking, panic gripped her when she couldn’t move. Frayed rope burned her wrists and ankles as she tried to wriggle free. Breathing deep, a dusty cloth made her throat burn. She choked. Eyes shifting, she realized a thick bag covered her head. It reeked of moldy produce. Honestly, her kidnappers could’ve had the decency not to cover her head in a mildew-infested bag. Forcing calm, she wondered how long she’d been out. She remembered being grabbed from behind but everything faded after that.
She froze when the click of a door sounded off to the left. Pulse rising dramatically as the steps echoed against a stone floor, the sound drew closer. Heartbeat thundering in her ears, she kept her breathing slow and even, feigning unconsciousness. The movements in front of her abruptly halted.
“Goodness sakes,” the man muttered, talking to himself, “Neil always did love to dramatize everything.” A soft chuckle later, the binds on her ankles were undone. Her calves. Her waist. She didn’t know how the kidnapper wasn’t feeling her pulse escalate but there were no pauses in the man‘s movements.
The bag over her head was suddenly gone. Daring to open one eye just a slit, she took in her surroundings as the gag around her mouth was yanked away. The room was dim, the lights above flickering. Odd. She’d never known lights in the confines to short out. Focusing on herself, she cursed when she saw her boots and the weapons they contained were gone.
Then she noticed the floor. It wasn’t concrete, steel or even stone. She’d never seen anything like it before. It was ruddy brown with streaks of gold, auburn and long, thin muddy lines running the length of the boards. The colors made patterns and no two sections were alike. It was beautiful. She’d heard of wood before. Heard it was made from trees but she’d always assumed those were just stories to tell children. Fairytales. Till now.
The man shifted in front of her again and she clenched her eyes tight. The very lost bindings were on her wrists. Taking longer to undo, she stopped breathing altogether. Right hand. Left.
She lunged.
A whoosh of air left the man’s chest as she landed on top. Taking advantage of his shock, Rin pinned him to the stone floor, hands searching for weapons.
“Neil! Ma-” he managed to yell before she stuffed her own gag into his mouth. Finding the handle of some knife tucked away in his clothes, she ripped it out of its sheath.
“Quiet!” she barked, holding the blade to his throat when the door burst open. A group rushed in but stopped short, not wanting to risk their comrade. Sparing them only a glance, she remained focus at the man under her mercy. “Come any closer and I’ll kill him!”
One of the others came forward, separating himself from the group, “No you won’t, Rin. We both know you’re too soft.” He must’ve been the leader. Others advanced and at least two pairs of hands yanked her free, attempting to disarm her.
Refusing to relinquish the weapon, Rin kicked out. A long string of colorful curses followed a deep groan as she caught one of the men between the legs.
“Let her go!”
Suddenly free of constricting arms, she stumbled back, still holding the knife. Crouching in defense, she finally looked at the faces of her abductors. Men. Around a dozen of them. Heavy beards shrouded their tanned faces. The little exposed skin she could see was a mesh of scars that stretched and spread under their patched leather clothes. Hunters. She’d never seen such a large group together before. Rin’s eyes fell on the man who’d called her out. The blade slipped from her fingers. “Marcus?!”
“Hey, sis” His grin was flawed. A front tooth had cracked since he’d left her. His skin bore more scars than the others, so much more that she wondered if there was any part of him that wasn’t marked. A chunk of his left earlobe was gone. “Miss me?”
Marching to him, her hand met his cheek with a sharp slap. The others backed away when she drew near. They weren‘t going to risk being kicked, “That’s it?! Two years and now all you can say is ‘miss me’?!” she raised her hand to slap him again but stopped short. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He didn’t deserve her emotions. Not anymore.
“Are those really your best manners, Rin?” Marcus said, scolding her under his breath, unfazed by her emotional outburst, “Now that we’re past the pleasantries, would you kindly sit back down? We won’t tie you up this time. I promise.” He crossed his heart in a mocking fashion.
No sooner had she obeyed than he stuck his head into the other room. Ignoring the Hunters, she looked at the wood. There room was barren but for the chair she sat in. It was wood too. Running her hands along its length, she marveled at how strong it felt for being a plant. How was such a thing possible? Especially here, in the outer colonies. Had the Hunters learned to work with wood?
A loud clicking made her look up. Screaming, she snatched the knife from the floor. A Talon! Larger than she’d ever seen, it dominated the room. Hissing at her reaction, more clicking came. This time, from Marcus.
The group of Hunters moved on her, shielding her from view. “Do you want to piss him off?” one demanded, twisting the weapon out of her hand, “Don’t ever speak unless spoken to!”
Rin blinked, confused. Opening her mouth, another, the one who had untied her, clamped his hand across her mouth. Scowling, she stood there, listening as her brother clicked at the Talon. She imagined that the sound he made was similar to the way rocks would speak. Rocks with phlegm. Lots of phlegm. Listening made her gag.
Watching Marcus and the Talon ‘speaking‘, she struggled out of the man’s hold, turning to him, “What’s going on?” she asked, voice kept to a whisper. Now that her fear was gone, she actually looked at the creatures. The skin was dark, several shades short of black, eyes making the starkest contrast. Bright, intelligent golden eyes stared at Marcus, calm and patient. Fully retracted, its twelve claws seemed no more than fingernails. Heavily decorated with feathers, it stood fully erect and the Talon on its flanks had their heads bowed in humble respect. Even their tails were wrapped around their waists like belts. They seemed so human. Were these Talon and the rabid monster from before really from the same species?
“He’s the leader, their ‘King‘.”
“King?” Rin almost laughed but his somber expression killed the sound before it left her, “Why’s he here?” King. The Talon had a King.
“He’s here to ask for our help”
It didn’t take long before Marcus motioned Rin forward and, cautious, she joined them. She wasn’t even sure which surprised her more; the Talon or the fact that her brother had learned to speak with them.
“You are Tamer.”
Rin’s jaw fell open. The voice was masculine, deep and rhythmic. Up close, she could see the angular features of… his face. “Y-Yes” she cleared her throat, surprised to hear herself stutter. She hadn’t expected it to speak English!
“She’s the only one left, Kalkon” Marcus said, looking Rin over. In that moment, he felt like an appraiser seeing if she was worthy of a bid. She looked back at him, brow furrowed. How had he known the others were dead? She barely knew it herself.
The Talon King snorted at the interruption, “Let female speak.” He shifted, physically rejecting Marcus from the conversation.
“Thank you-” Rin paused, not sure how to address him, “-sir.” All this time and now she was actually speaking to one of them. It freaked her out. “Why am I here?” She wondered if he even knew. Guessing by his earlier statement, it had to do with her job.
The Talon straightened itself- himself to his full height. She barely came to his shoulder, “Here to save.” His eye twitched in annoyance when her expression remained blank, “My people taken. I will have back.”
“I’m not in charge of that. I train them but-”
Kalkon roared, eyes and nostrils flaring, “Not animals!” His tail unwrapped, lashing out, “Sick. Caged are sick. Not animals!” A clicking emanated from deep within his throat as Marcus jerked her away.
“What’s going on!?” Rin demanded. The absolute fury of the Talon scared her more than the madness of the one that killed the Primer. It wasn’t the blind rage she was used to but bitter, calculating wrath. He seemed one misspoken word away from killing her and anyone else that got in the way.
Marcus pulled her further apart until they were as far away as the confines as the room would allow. The others Hunters gathered around the Talon, attempting to placate them. “I wanted to show you before I explained. I didn’t think you’d believe me if I simply told you”
“Believe what?” she was getting tired about being in the dark about everything.
“The Talon. The ones that we capture. They’re mad”
Rin’s dry stare made him shrivel, “Oh. Really?” She tilted her cheek up to him. The bandage had come loose in the abduction. Glaring out at him, the gash from the early morning was already red and angry. She turned her face to the other side, showing where old scars were still highly prominent, “I had no idea.”
“Literally mad.” He said, “They’re sick. As Kalkon said, this whole problem is a disease. It’s why their eyes turn red.”
His words sunk into her brain, forcing her to look back. It was true. The Talon that attacked her had dark eyes and that Primer; the Talon’s eyes were red then too, “Are you sure about this?”
“No.” Marcus grinned, “Not entirely. However, I believe that what he says in the truth. We have no right to use them as cattle. We already took up part of their planet. That’s enough abuse for anyone”
Rin nodded, giving in. She didn’t trust her brother anymore but she knew his instincts were right, “What’s my role in this? Why can’t you just get all the other Hunters to help and stop the supply entirely?”
“We’re working on it. But we need to get to those already in the system. Only Tamers can gain access once they‘ve been sold.” He looked away suddenly, rubbing the back of his neck.
There was her explanation, “The other Tamers were working for you, weren’t they?” she could taste bile even as she spoke the words. Her brother had come because there was no one else to go to, “I already slapped you once. I won’t do it again.”
Marcus laughed his grin back into place, “Wait here.” He left, speaking to Kalkon again. Moments later, he came back with a large leather satchel. Holding it out to her, his smile faded “There’s one dose for every Talon in captivity. It takes about a week to fully work and it’s very easy. They‘re all set up you just need to inject them and run. And-” he cut himself off, frowning as he looked at her, “Rin, please. I know what I did was awful. I know I don’t deserve your help so do it for them. They don’t deserve being locked up. No one does.”
She couldn’t remember him ever asking for anything, “Fine.” taking the parcel, she looked inside. Dozens upon dozens of vials stared back at her, “How do I know where all the Talon are?”
“Jesse.”
Rin choked, coughing. “What?!”
“She’d been working for us for years.” he grinned at her reaction, placing his hand on her bare shoulder, “She’ll give you the names and help get you in.” Leaning in, he pressed his lips to her forehead, “Sorry about this.”
“About w-”
¨¨¨
Rin groaned, hands clutching her head, neck stinging, “I did not sign up to get injected, poked and prodded!” She yelled to her own room, wishing she had slapped Marcus that second time. Grumbling, she flopped back down onto her bed. The satchel was there with note on top. Two words. Good Luck.
¨¨¨
The work went quickly. With the limited batches of Talon and the Primers too scared to go near them, Rin suddenly had time. She was burning through over a dozen houses a day. Amazing how many doors the word ‘free’ can open. They didn’t even bother to listen to the rest. Jesse came in handy for the more suspicious owner. A single tripped hazard alarm and they stumbled over themselves to get away, leaving the Talon easily accessible. That woman could be quite terrifying when she wanted to be.
Five days passed by since Marcus’s ‘recruitment’ and she was already down to the last name. The best and worst; Thompson. Appealing as it was to think of robbing the arrogant fascist of the Talon he’d built his empire on, his would also be the most protected. Even Jesse couldn’t hack into any of his systems. She was on her own.
Staking out his palace of a home, Rin counted through the doses again. Eight. She scoffed, eyes rolling. The more she saw the Talon as people, the sicker she became with the thought of owning them. Slavery was outlawed in every civil sector. The thing about laws is that there’s always a loophole. Eyes narrowing at his gilded estate, she couldn’t wait to knock him down off his high horse!
Darkness crept in as she waited. Slinging the satchel across her shoulder, she eased her way into the compound, sticking to the wall. Only two guards stood on duty. Adrenaline fueling her onwards, she approached them with an open air, “Good evening, gentlemen.” She pulled out her ID card, proffering it out to them, “I’m here to make sure the Talon are in good health.”
Their guns, previously raised for intruders, lowered, “No one’s allowed in while the Colonel is away.”
“Oh, are you sure?” Rin put on a feign of innocence, not sure if she got it right, “I am expected.”
“Oh, are you sure?” Rin put on a feign of innocence, not sure if she got it right, “I am expected.”
They glanced to each other before shaking heads. They weren’t about to risk being fired over a woman, “Come back later.”
Forcing a deep sigh, Rin nodded, “I understand.” Half-turned to leave, she grabbed the gun of the nearest guard, thrusting the metal back up into his stomach. Whipping around, her boot connected with the second’s head. Turning back to the first, she conked him in the back of the head to give her time, “Right. I’m so not going to be in trouble for this.” Dashing inside, she pulled out the schematics for the house Jesse had provided.
Down the stairs, third door on the right, straight ahead. Already panting, she smiled when she came upon three of the eight. Barely started and she was already close to halfway done. Readying the injections, she was done and moving on in moments. Four. Five. Almost there. She could do this. She had to do this! She couldn’t bear being witness to another death.
Reaching number six, the alarms went off. Cursing, she ran to the Talon. Managing to get the antidote injected, it shoved her chest, sending her flying into the door. Scared by the alarms, it charged wildly around the room. Rin could dodge them all, the next attack throwing her right into the hallway. Back arching in pain, she struggled to her feet when a voice came from another room.
Thompson. He hadn’t seen her yet but it wouldn’t take long. Limping away, there were only five more rooms to check. Five rooms, two Talon. Swallowing hard, she slipped into the nearest one. Luck, at last. Number seven, scared but docile, lay curled up in a corner.
Approaching at a crawl, Rin took out the second to last vial. The Talon gave no fuss or protest to her presence, barely even making at the pinprick of the shot. Taking a moment to rest, she stroked the poor creature, “I’m sorry.” She hoped the Talon would one day understand her whispered apology.
Tossing the satchel aside, she tucked the last serum into her boot. Rin froze when a hand came down on her shoulder making her heart skip a beat.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Thompson. She hadn’t even heard him come in.
“You told me I wasn’t doing my job properly, Sir. I was checking through the stock,” she doubted he would buy such a poor lie but if she could just get to the last one.
His grip tightened on her shoulder and she felt something shift with a painful pop, “Do you take me for a fool?”
Yes.
Unable to turn her body in his vice-grip, she thrust her elbow into his side with a satisfying crack. His body crumpled in around the fractured ribs. Released at last, she took off, slamming the door behind her. Four doors. Kicking down the first one, she growled when nothing but an empty room met her. The second and third offered the same result. Moving to the fourth, she burst inside. The Talon inside was turning, its eyes a deep, burnt orange. If Marcus was right, the Talon would start rampaging any moment. Fingers gracing along the top of her boot, they met the cool glass of the vial.
“Don’t!”
She’d almost forgotten Thompson.
“You don’t understand what’s going on. Please, wait!” Barreling in, his arms latched onto her, antidote slipping from her hand, “They’re not what you think.”
Rin couldn’t spare him the time for lies and brought her knee up to the side she’d injured earlier. Ignoring his groans, she dropped to her knees. Fingers splayed on the cement as she searched for the antidote, she prayed it wasn’t broken.
Fist curling around she glass, she turned back to the Talon. A tail whipped out to meet her, knocking her to the ground. Her lungs compressed as the air left them. She gasped. The Talon’s eyes had bled crimson during Thompson’s attempts to stop her. Muttering curses upon him, she pushed herself back onto her feet. Serum ready, she held the needle out in front like a knife. One good jab and then the Talon could finally be free of them.
The Talon snarled. Seeing Rin as a threat, it charged. Rin rolled too late, the tip of its tail tearing her shoulder open. Shirt blossoming red, she only tightened her grip on the antidote. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she stayed low to the ground. One jab, she kept repeating in her head. One clean strike and then she could run. The Talon could take care of Thompson after that.
“Don’t! Please!” The Colonel was laid out on the ground, unable to even prop himself up.
“Shut up.” She snapped, devoting her attention to the creature as they circled each other. The Talon deserved to be free and Rin wouldn’t allow anyone else die because of pathetic human greed.
Rin lunged.
The Talon struck.
¨¨¨
Rin’s eyes fluttered open. She scowled. Why was she always blacking out? It was starting to turn into a bad habit. Throat dry, she tried to work out where she was. Inside the confines; no wood. Everything gleamed in the steady lights from above. There was no smell and only muffled sounds from the outside.
“You’re awake!” Jesse. She leaned into the other Rin’s face, grinning, “I’m so glad. We thought you might never wake up. Well, they thought you wouldn’t, I knew you would. You were always so tough! I told them you were tough but they didn’t believe me at first. Not till after they saw you get away from that mad Talon with only that one cut. That was a bit extreme, don‘t you think? I know I thought so.” She took a breath, barely pausing, “Anyways, don’t panic. Don’t move and don’t bother trying to speak, you’ll just feel stupid later. They‘re not going to kill you but-” she stopped and Rin thought the sounds from outside grew louder, “-but, well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what they choose to do with the rest of us.” Pushing her glasses back into place, she bounced around the room.
A clinic, Rin realized as her eyes focused. It explained the lack of scents. Annoyed at the vague information, she tried to sit up. She couldn’t move. More than that, she couldn’t even feel her arms. She couldn’t feel anything below her neck. Attempting to speak, all that came out was a dry rasp.
“Didn’t you hear me?” Jess came back, nonchalantly sticking a needle into Rin’s arm, injecting a thick sludge, “I told you you’d only embarrass yourself.” She clicked her tongue. She sounded like a Talon.
Scowling, Rin managed a shake of the head and a short grunt. What happened to her? The last thing she remembered was injecting the Talon. She’d gotten the vial in, the anti-dote clear but there’d been pain. Sharp, biting, consuming pain radiating from her stomach like fingers till everything faded and grew cold. The Talon must’ve hit her. So how was she still alive?
A squeak from the door forced her attention away from the technician. For a moment, she thought that the injection was a hallucinogenic but then she heard the screams. Cries for mercy, too full of pain to have come from her own mind.
The Talon were inside.
Not the trained, sick ones she was so used to seeing but tall and intelligent like the leader, Kalkon. Draped in elaborate feathers, crude weapons wielded above their heads, hordes poured through the passages. This hadn’t been a rescue for the Talon. This was a slaughter for everyone else.
Jesse hummed, uncaring to the events outside, “Don’t worry, they won’t kill you with the others.” She glanced around the room, “They even kept Thompson alive. Don’t know why. He’s always been such an arrogant pain in my-”
“Mar…” Rin wasn’t able to finish his name.
“Mar…” Rin wasn’t able to finish his name.
The technician shifted to the side, revealing several rows of bodies laid out on slabs. Chests rose and fell, eyelids fluttered but there was no other movement, not the slightest twitch, a single gasp. They were living dead.
Rin tried to say her brother’s name again.
“He’s alive. They’re not killing anyone who helped them, some nonsense about honor. See him? Right there on the end. He looks so much better now, don’t you think?”
Rin’s stomach churned. Hair gone, whatever they’d shaved his head with left ugly, angry marks across his scalp and chin. Several cuts were still bleeding. Barbarians! Her eyes snapped back to Jesse and Rin glared with an intensity to melt her face.
“Awrh, come on.” Jesse pouted in response, “It’s really not that bad. One day, they might even let you go.” She giggled again and the screams outside increased as the door opened. The Talon was tale and pale, tail wrapped around its waist, “Don’t worry about her.” Jesse whispered, “She’s going to monitor your vitals until they decide what to do with you.” Turning to the Talon, clicking came from her throat before the Talon replaced Jesse at Rin’s side.
“Thank you.” The Talon smiled and Rin’s eyes widened. The seventh Talon in Thompson’s home, “Kalkon not attack until we free.” Rin panicked even as her body froze. Completely conscious, only her eyes would move. Talon at her side, Rin felt herself carted over to rest eternally by her brother.
“Shhhhh.”
