*You didn't check to see if we were being followed*
The rough voice is niggling and persistent. I huff and ignore it yet again as I listen to the sounds of my shoes crunching over the gravel of the road i'm following.
There's trees surrounding both sides. Fresh air grows colder now that the road twists its way up the mountains usually only visited by people seeking an escape from the squashed town life.
*Rolf*
The voice escapes my lips, moving them now.
"I told you not to do that!" I hiss back, snarling at the nothingness around me, as if the demon would suddenly tear out and follow alongside "there's nothing here!"
I swept an arm to the trees that bristled in the wind. Birds flitted overhead and called in the distance. Further ahead was the smell of a small smokey fire burning away the greenery.
That's where we were going.
My legs moved onwards. I didn't pant for breath, since my need for air died alongside me as a baby.
Whatever facade I had of living was from this demon breathing life into my shell and using me as its mouthpiece.
Usually, we had boundaries. But today, Zolin had been particularly on edge and bolder to cross those lines.
I turned again to walk backwards so he could get a good look at the empty road snaking back around the trees.
Maybe that would calm his nerves?
*Hmm...*
"See?" I scoffed and rolled my eyes "nothing."
Not everything was out to get us. I just wanted to take a walk without feeling like I was going to be jumped or hunted down.
As fearsome and dangerous as Zolin was, there were bigger things than him out there. I hadn't seen any out this far, but he never let me forget there could always be an opportunity lurking.
I felt how tense he was. My life was his. My blood was his. He needed me to survive, and I was no good to him damaged. We were one until he decided it was time to become two again.
I fucking hated it too; the feeling of my spine and organs being torn and sucked from me. As much as I told myself I wouldn't do it, I always threw up in the process.
The churning and flipping of my gut when he squeezed around my organs to tear out of my back always had me throwing up blood congealed with whatever I had managed to feed him that day.
Luckily, he knew how risky splitting was. We only did it if we had to. He couldn't survive long without blood, and I was far too vulnerable without him nestled securely inside me.
It kept up the appearance too that we were human. The only thing that gave us away was the blood-red eyes all hosts gained when they had their own Blood Demons make their nest inside.
Other than that, he made sure we looked the part as best we could.
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The smell of smoke peeled at my nostrils now. Getting closer, I could feel myself smiling as I knew what waited for me there.
Zolin lifted too, burning in the familiarity.
*Hot food* he hummed.
"A decent meal" I agreed "one that isn't from a can."
*Or microwaved* he added with a laugh.
I chuckled, remembering the complaints over another cold tin of spaghetti or beans I fished from the cupboards back home.
Zolin was a creature who hunted his blood, which also made me one by association. He didn't care how he got it, just that if it thrilled him for the chase before death.
The fresher, the better. Frozen steaks and butchered cuts didn't keep him content. He did like to indulge in sizzled meats, but nothing beat the excitement of a gushing body for him.
I felt him yearning as my mouth watered.
"After we get there, we can take a trip" I told him now, wiping the drool onto my sleeve "indulge a little."
The place may have been swarming with birds, but I knew other larger wildlife stretched their hooves through the undergrowth further down the cliffside.
Zolin knew where the hunting grounds were. We shared the same information on the different species around here.
*We'll head out the back* he replied *take Sunflower with us.*
I felt my gut tighten at the mention of her name, and tried to ignore how uncomfortable it made me feel.
Sunflower was a code-name for the daughter of another creature who lived in a skin up here. All of us had names to take over our true identity. The worse the name, the better you were in our little hellhole. They gave everyone in this family a name, even though they weren't one of us.
Wishful thinking, I guess?
'Sunflower' wasn't a frightening name. It was a joke on how ordinary Zahli was; on how easy she could be compared to her family. Zolin and I used the name with love, but the organization I belonged to only spoke it through jeering comments and mockery.
But this was before she had been attacked by one of the branded creatures as a child. It tore off her leg, infecting her with its own virus. It twisted her arm into that of the monster that had attacked her as a permanent reminder of how weak she had been.
'Sunflower' had a sort of edge to the name now. One blackened arm was stretched and turned up into claws half the length of my own arm. The monstrous hand always dripped black ooze, trying to spread its virus to anyone unfortunate enough to wander into it's path.
Although she had the arm, she was no beast. Being mostly normal made her enjoyable to be around, but it also made her a liability because she still couldn't protect herself fully like we could.
Still, Zolin liked her and so did I. He liked to shadow her as if she were his own daughter. I tried not to let his feelings flood into my side of the emotions.
We had to be hardened killers. We belonged to a place filled with people just like us; hidden and boldly visible. Some were more unhinged than others, and more were willing to kill than those who couldn't.
All of us were marked to show we belonged to something darker than society liked.
A simple grey wristband with a fake name and blinking red bulb held so much fear for the people up here. It was the meaning behind it that had them avoiding anyone branded with one.
We weren't just criminals, but the worst kind of monsters out there.
But, Zahli didn't care about that. She still smiled when we visited, and chose to be around us unaccompanied.
I'd never do anything to hurt her anyway. Her monstrous father was far too protective, and Zolin was way too smitten.
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Glistening orange hair caught my eye. Swaying out behind her in the lifting breeze, Zahli rushed towards us from up the road that peeled to the right, waving with a black gloved hand.
Her dark green cardigan was buttoned up to protect her against the bite of the air and cover her skin. Brown boots easily rolled over the rocks; blue denims scrunched up in folds almost to her knees that had a dirt stain on one of them.
She walked with a limp. Her other leg was a prosthetic that was wedged into the boot. She had gone for the one adorned in bright yellow sunflowers against a shimmering white background today.
Her neat outfit had me aware of how sloppy I looked.
My white shirt was smeared with dirt, grass, and specks of blood across the front of the black logo crackled on my chest.
My soft faux grey denim shorts were crinkled from sleeping in them overnight and torn towards the edge of one leg from getting it snagged in barbed wire months ago.
While she wore nice boots, I was trekking along in simple black and white thongs, layered with bread-clips underneath the middle partition that kept coming loose.
It wasn't the welcome I wanted to give her. I was shabby compared to her. I at least wanted a shower and fresh set of clothes before even thinking about greetings.
"Rolf!" Zahli slowed down before me, checking behind her for the figure of her father "it's been ages! It's so good to see you again!"
She rushed forward to squeeze me into a hug, while I patted her soft back in return. Her clawed hand curved around me, making me aware of the pointed tips prodding along my arm.
It stained my shirt, trying to infect me. I already knew it couldn't. It was just another mess to add to my disheveled appearance.
"And how are you, Zolin?" she grinned as she looked into my red eyes I averted away.
*Good as ever, my precious little one* he crooned back.
"He's good" I relayed, embarrassed by his over-affection.
Her smile turned to a frown when she looked me over.
"Aren't you cold?"
I peered down at myself, grabbing onto my arm to check my temperature.
My skin burned back and I could see it was paler than usual.
Zolin was freezing.
"A bit" I replied meekly, not wanting to be a bother.
She'd give me the clothes off her own back. I didn't want her getting cold because my own demon was dumb enough not to let me know we were freezing and needed to find somewhere to warm up.
Thicker clothes would have been nice, rather than the ones I went to bed in last night. If I had known our hunting trip would have turned into an impromptu trip several hours away, I would have at least thrown on some proper pants.
I felt stale in comparison to her rosy cheeks and fresh face.
She even wore perfume that smelled like artificial daisies; the sweet sun-washed, meadowy kind, not the pissy weeds the real thing reeked of.
"We have a fire going" she jerked a thumb behind her "I was actually getting more wood for it before I saw you here."
I smiled and scanned the sides of the gravel road littered with leaves and twigs. Marching over to yank one up, I held it out for her.
"There you go."
"I need a bit more than that" she giggled as she held it up "but it's a start."
Grinning, I swatted through the litter on the hunt for more. She was doing the same, poking them under her clawed arm to begin a little bundle.
I followed, moving up while she hovered nearby.
"How have you been?" her voice chirped as she wandered down to a branch poking out.
I dragged my own out from the leaves and snapped the thin branches off to tuck under my arm.
"You know..." I shrugged back, swinging a stick in my hand "...the usual."
Still being given Missions to hunt and kill targets. Trying not to be killed by other creatures lurking near our little safe haven back in the organization that housed us all together. Trying to win the favour of the more important monsters so we didn't slip down the food-chain...
Food itself was a whole other ordeal. There were places we could and couldn't hunt. Creatures that were protected by association to others prowling under the same brandings. Killing one of them would mean a whole world of pain for us both.
It was safe out here. No branded creatures came out this far because of what Zahli's family meant.
I glanced over to her and saw that she had been watching me. Turning away, she snapped more sticks for her pile.
"I already know you do bad things" she spoke up "I can handle it. I'm not a little kid anymore. I can stand up for myself."
She screwed up her face and tried to harden it, making me snort at her attempt at looking mean.
*She really is adorable* Zolin chuckled *she really does try.*
I let the noise escape my lips, shaking my head at her.
"I'm terrified" I mocked her.
She huffed, scowling, before a cheeky smile spread across her face.
"You'll fear me now!"
"Oh yeah?" I dismissed her to return to the leaves "and what makes anyt..."
I turned to look at her, feeling the bottom of my gut drop.
She stood there, wiggling her exposed fingers she had pulled from her glove. Still holding her bundle under one arm, she marched towards us, laughing.
*Oh, fuck! You think she's serious?*
"It's a trick. She's just being stupid" I muttered back. Still, I didn't dare take my eyes from her.
She kept coming. If it was a joke, she was pushing it.
"Zahli!" I blurted out in panic now as I backed up "that's not funny!"
"But look at your face!" she chuckled, picking up the pace "come here, Scaredy Cat!"
She began to run. Dropping the sticks, I immediately bolted up the road.
She had the disadvantage in boots. They weren't made for pursuit. Still, I wasn't much better. Old wounds twisted along my spine to stab along both sides. It didn't cause much pain if it wasn't aggravated. As well as that, my thongs could blow out at any time and I'd be left to hobble up the sharp rocks like a wounded animal.
*Face her!* Zolin urged me when I gained distance between us *she's testing you!*
"And she can test all she wants! I'm not getting touched by her!"
On the surface, it all looked like a silly, juvenile game. Deeper down, I knew that a single press of a finger would mean disaster for me.
Her family was well known, not because of their vulnerable, red-headed human child being guarded by a medley of monsters, but because every single one of them was also the host to a disease that swarmed through their bodies.
It protected them by coming forth to cover their bodies like a black shield if they were threatened. But, it also betrayed their monstrous forms by stripping any colour from their furs.
You could tell who belonged to the family immediately. In a way, it was a warning of what to avoid.
One touch and you could become just like them, or die in agony as the disease ripped through you.
The family wasn't too keen on expanding either. They lived away from others just to avoid that reason. Zahli's 'death-omen' father was the one who dealt with anyone who was stupid enough to live through the wrath of the disease, should they accidently make contact with it.
It was also the reason why the virus from Zahli's dripping, clawed hand didn't infect anyone on contact. With her disease already swarming through her, it nulled the intended effect. With the original monsters, it would break their bones into new creatures, but with her it was nothing more than another stain.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxU4WnSs2y
Still, Zahli liked to fool with me. Any leverage over me was a win in her eyes. It was like facing one of the branded monsters herself without the help from any of her family.
She knew I wouldn't fight back. So, I ran.
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Scrambling up the gravel road that squeezed into a path, I tripped past the glowing leaves lining the way towards the little wooden house nestled near the cliff-face.
The window was glowing from behind thick curtains. I could hear murmers of chatter and hear the clinking of glass within.
The fire was visible now. Circled with bricks, the blaze was contained so that folded chairs could be placed at a safe distance around it.
Her father, Xaivier, was here, leaning over to place sticks into the fire that licked dangerously close to his body. His long white hair was tied back and his plain blue shirt hung down when he leant down to toss in another log from the pile beside his chair. He wore thick brown pants, similar to the plastic-looking ones of a fire fighter, possibly to keep them from catching.
Every part of him was fireproof, except his clothing. He could only go through so many pairs of shorts and shirts before remaining in a human skin became a liability.
The perks and disadvantages of having a monster that possessed scorching fire itself. Still, it made him more dangerous than most. He was the only one in the family who did have such a gift.
As much as I wanted to outrun his daughter, I didn't want to be near him. I knew I'd have his eyes on me as soon as I entered his circle. I couldn't relax with having someone silently scrutinizing every movement.
It had been years since I gained his trust and was allowed to be this close. It still didn't change the fact I was still part of those hellbent on branding every creature they could get their hands on, including him and his family.
His mismatched eyes locked onto me. I couldn't turn back now or pretend I hadn't seen him.
"Agnosia" he grunted out, nodding once "Zolin."
My fake name. I felt the sneer climb up before I could contain it.
"Wildfire" I bit back his own, smirking when I saw his hard eyes follow me on my path past him.
The back fence was where I wanted to go. The wooden property divider had a gap in the middle where a gate should have gone. A dirt trail snaked down through the forestry and towards a little watering hole I knew laid close by.
Where there was water, there was bound to be something to eat.
Zolin was ready to kill. I was ready to be anywhere that wasn't alone with Xaivier.
I heard Zahli slow down once she realized I wasn't playing anymore. Her breathlessness slowed and she let out a little giggle now that she was in sight of her father.
I kept up my walk for the darkness, seeing her go over to hug her father who pulled her glove back on.
*We should wait for her*
"She'll come" I smiled to myself as I lingered at the back fence, seeing her head lift to watch me "she always does."
I slipped through the gap and wandered down the trail, taking my time.
She couldn't stay away. She was too trusting but too fun to avoid.
I liked being around her. I could just relax when it was us two.
Sure enough, I heard her rushing over for us. Crunching down the path, she shoved her shoulder into me, grinning.
I returned it, grabbing onto her when she stumbled off balance.
"Zolin's hungry" I explained "sure you want to come watch?"
She lifted her head high, acting mighty.
"I'm not scared of a little blood."
*A little* Zolin muttered in amusement *so naive..*
"It's going to be more than you think" I warned her, checking behind me "your dad isn't coming too?"
Her head turned too before smiling at me.
"He said he'd hear anything if it happened" she said "and I'm fine. I've had my leg ripped off, remember?"
She lifted the prosthetic, hooking it in her long claws that dribbled over it.
They were going to be a nuisance. That and her gloved hand.
"I have to know that I can trust you" I turned stern now "I can't be here with you trying to fool around."
Zahli looked offended, dropping her leg down so she could pout at me.
Zolin grinned back, bubbling with pride at how she was trying to stand up to us.
"Zolin's in the same boat" I folded my arms.
*What? Stop lying, you fu... *
"I'll believe it when I hear it" she stated with a smirk, walking ahead.
*Arsehole*
"Shut it" I muttered back, seeing Zahli snickering at me fighting with myself.
I scowled as I followed behind, watching her get further ahead confidently.
Fishing into my back pocket, I made sure Zahli wasn't going to sneak a peek back at me. Turning my back on her, I checked that no-one was following us.
I unfolded the paper, seeing the little photo of Zahli clipped in the middle and all of the information scrawled out about her.
"This is what we are here for, ok?" I reminded Zolin, tapping the paper "get in and get out before anyone knows."
Zolin wanted to keep ignoring the Mission. We had even walked up the road after parking the car further down. We had to have a quick escape if she wanted to put up a fight.
"We'll split. I'll take care of her, you keep her from touching me."
The disease only worked with skin contact. Zolin didn't have a shred on him. He was immune to her touch.
Zolin shifted uncomfortably, ignoring me.
"It's either us or someone else" I hissed to him as I folded up the paper to stuff it back into my pocket "and you know how someone else will be."
They'll rough her up, maybe even take advantage. They won't be kind to her at all. If they could, they'd kill whoever stood in their way.
I continued walking so that Zahli didn't get suspicious. Already she was waiting ahead, saying something that I tuned out.
She didn't have a damn clue. I hated it all.
*There's the watering hole* Zolin offered now, swallowing *use that.*
"Take her leg" I mumbled under my breath "get her hands out of the way...."
*She'll make noise. Her father is up there.*
I paused, thinking. She did the same, making another quip that I jeered back at, not hearing.
"Take her body."
Zolin could tear into bodies. Blood Demons were one of the many that could. She wasn't already occupied; he could squeeze right in and walk her obediently out of here, keeping her mouth closed the whole way.
*She's small. I could hu...*
"Us or them" I repeated through gritted teeth, locking eyes with Zahli again who waited for me.
So oblivious. I wish she would just run.
Please, just run.
Zolin squirmed inside me as we closed distance between us, moving into position.
She still waited, smiling.
*Us or them* Zolin sighed back, just before he began to bulge out of my splitting skin that spilled blood down the path towards her.
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