460. Wilderness, 6

(Rose)

R - What else have you learnt from that gift?

B - Some bits and bobs. About the past and the present.

R - Anything remarkable?

B - About the present, well, there is the unfortunate truth that these lands of central Asia are under the same influence as Europe for human reproduction.

R - ...

B - About the past, I’ve learnt a little about the cities of the sun you mentioned, and... Their history is quite grim truly.

R - That I already know.

B - No, it’s worse.

We’re walking through a peaceful set of fields. I smell blood in the air, but that’s just my imagination surely.

B - It was a city of ogres.

I shiver unwillingly, picturing slightly what she means by that.

R - ... You think we should change course?

B - Not really, we can continue. The second city you’re after should be similar to any other you’ve visited so far. It would be the kind that was already abandoned before the new world rose. It should be at peace.

R - Should be...

B - As you said, it’s a place of importance in history. Many things could have happened since.

~

R - Anything about quantum electromagnetism or physics?

B - No. I won’t be able to teach you anything new. Hopefully if we happen to find pieces of Euler or Einstein’s brain on our journey, it might help.

R - Who’s that? One stone?

B - Oh. He was a famous physicist. Some of his work you’ve studied with your friends in Ukraine. He pioneered relativity.

I didn’t recall the name. Only some principles and equations.

~

Blume is positive the Tamźródlo was not human made. It’s unrelated to the cities of the sun in her opinion.

B - That would violate a few laws of thermodynamics. Because simply put, the invisible sea level, the energy level of the world has risen considerably. Human, normal technologies, cannot create energy. And since as far as I’m aware, no star has been vacuumed and converted into T.I. by humanity, that thing is most likely alien. It must be exotic.

R - You seem pretty confident, though you haven’t seen the white castle that keeps floating out there.

B - I like logic as much as you. And T.I. is another form of energy. An exotic form to Earth.

R - The flying castle had some human looking architecture though. Door frames, walls, ceilings. But nothing stating or showing obviously its origin or age. It didn’t look modern and it didn’t quite look ancient either.

B - Let’s just say I highly doubt the architectures of the ruined city of the sun you’ll find will have any resemblance or similarity with the one of the source.

R - My life won’t be at stake either way. And neither will be yours.

B - Should we bet on the likeliness of architectural similarity then?

R - Bet? Bet what?

B - Eh, we’ll figure out something.

~

I chuckle. I adjust a strap of my bag with my good arm.

The city where we camp is just there. It’s not the city of sun yet, but today’s venture is soon to be over.

We’ll be home soon. And she’ll awaken in a new form in a few days.

I hear a howl in the distance. It sounds like a dog or a wolf. I’m not sure which species of the two.

R - Can you tell?

B - No. Still far. Dogs I think.

I have a bad feeling about this, so I hasten my steps toward the city.

I’m afraid there may be a pack of stray dogs after my scent.

~

Not long after we enter the city, it becomes obvious that this fear was justified. A pack of more than a dozen beasts has tracked me. They’re after my meat.

I’m surrounded, but inside a city, it leaves plenty of roads to escape.

Though I’m out of breath already. I tell Blume to be ready to help if needs to. She silently nods.

She didn’t say a word. Maybe because she notices that I’m nervously grinning.

My left stump is too short to be of any use, so my right hand grips the knife a little more firmly.

The first dog to reach me is in an attack stance, but doesn’t jump at me. It barks loudly, calling the others and intimidating me.

I lure it, making a sudden fake move of attack. It fell a little for it. Just enough for me to leave the corner I was in.

Another corridor later, my leg is being bitten. I fall, yelling for a moment.

Pain turned into fire.

I stabbed it in the throat and ripped half its neck open.

I painfully got up, leaving one dog to collapse but hearing the other loud barking sounds closing in. I ran.

~

A minute or so later, I was climbing stairs, throwing junk behind me to slow down my canine pursuers.

I reached a ladder to the roof. I held my knife between my teeth and began clumsily climbing.

The old ladder was about to break down, making me nervous, but it held.

A few steps away from the top, a dog appeared, barking very loudly at me. The others below me are trying to climb.

I’m stuck and surrounded.

Blume was still oddly quiet so far. She seems to wake up and has a maternal tone in her voice.

B - What are you going to do Rose?

R - ...

B - Come on...

O - Come on...

I feel a shiver. Is it alright?

B - Yes, might as well. Indulge yourself. It’s not that much of a challenge for you now.

I sigh, still holding the knife in my mouth.

And I begin to smile...

~

It all went into a lulled frenzy.

Holding the ladder with my chin while my hand managed to bleed the dog above.

Running.

Ripping more leather open.

Kicking a dog jumping at me beyond the edge of the roof. Running more.

My sight becoming achromatic, and as if night had fallen around me or colours swapping between light and dark.

Jumping above a gap. Ripping another hunter after me as it tried to bite me.

Blume knew I didn’t need her help. And that a part of me was feeling better this way.

The part that wants to feel strong.

The part that enjoys prevailing against fearful odds.

The part that enjoys being an ogre.

The opposite end to my ideal that I painfully accept as a part of me.

I’m bitten again. I pierce its skull just as violently against the ground.

The last few dogs remaining don’t jump at me anymore. They’re rethinking their strategy. Many have fallen and I’m not on my knees and bleeding to death yet.

They turn around and flee.

I don’t pursue them. I’m breathing heavily. Light and colours slowly return to my eyes, and pain reappears in my blood. I feel weak, out of breath and in pain. Still, I have a smile.

~