Page 24 of Ryld's Shadows
“Give me your fuckin’ wallet!”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Give it!” the man snarled. The snarl turned to a surprised shout of pain, and he went down as one knee buckled. Hank was as surprised as his would-be attacker because as far as he could see nothing had hit the back of the guy’s knee. He didn’t have time to ponder it as the other man was getting back up. Then he saw Ryld at the end of the alley where Hank had left him.
He had his arms up, his hands clutched into tight fists pressed to his chest. His lips were pulled back from clenched teeth, his eyes wide and staring, and more concerning a deep shade of black that made them look like pits in his head.
“Holy Mother,” Hank whispered. He caught the next blow, pulled the man close and turned him toward Ryld and the gathering shadows. “Run. Run now. Both of you. If you don’t want to die,run!”
All their posturing and belligerence evaporated in the face of Ryld’s otherworldly transformation. They stood frozen for a precious second before pelting down the alley in the opposite direction while Hank threw a quick shield up between them and Ryld. Hopefully between anything else, but he couldn’t tell in the dark alley what were shadows and what were…shadows.
Ryld’s whole body was rigid and still. In the sudden quiet Hank could hear his harsh breathing. He waited another moment, braced, but when nothing came at him he called, “Ryld?”
No answer, no movement. He risked a step, then another. “Ryld, can you answer?”
Still no answer, but the harsh whistling breath paused, and he could see Ryld’s throat work as he swallowed. Nothing attacked him either, so he closed the distance between them.
“Hey,” Hank spoke gently, crouching down so he could look up into Ryld’s face. “We’re okay. I’m fine. Those jerks are gone. Danger’s past, though there wasn’t much, really. Couple of idiots.”
No response, so Hank kept talking. He knew what he said probably didn’t matter as much at this point as just keeping a calm, soft tone. The drizzle kept coming down. Hank wasn’t sure how much time passed, several minutes perhaps, before Ryld made a soft sound of his own. His eyes closed, and he swayed on his feet. Hank wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or things were about to get worse until Ryld opened his eyes again. Back to their usual shade of blue on blue.
“Ryld?”
Ryld exhaled, his shoulders slumping, and his arms finally dropping to his sides. “Hank.” He looked down where Hank was crouched, then glanced left and right. His worried expression relaxed. The drizzle had picked up to a light rain, and his hair was plastered down to his head, the color more a silvery gray when wet.
“Hi. Welcome back.” Hank rose and offered a hand in case Ryld wanted support. “How are you doing? Okay to walk the rest of the way home? I mean, I could carry you, but I wouldn’t without asking.”
Ryld looked around again. “Home? Where…where are they?” He suddenly focused on Hank, reaching out and running his hands over his arms and chest lightly. “You’re not hurt? I didn’t hurt you?”
“You didn’t hurt anyone, far’s I can tell.” Hank’s breath hitched once as Ryld’s fingers skimmed over him.Oh no. We’re not reacting like some idiot teenage goblin. Nope. “The guys in the alley ran away. Whatever manifested, I don’t think it was big or anything. I didn’t actually see it.”
Ryld sagged, and Hank automatically reached out to put his hands under his elbows, steadying him.
“I thought… I felt one get away. Are you sure it wasn’t more? I’ve never been able to stop them once they start to get away.”
“Can’t say for sure.” Hank planted his feet as Ryld leaned into him. “One of them, I think, went after trash-can-lid guy. Maybe bit his leg, but it couldn’t have been hard since he ran away fast enough. Do we, um, need to call someone? Does the shadow that got away need to be tracked?”
Ryld shook his head. “It was small. The small ones fade away once I’m…back. Not enough time for them to grow and become more…solid. More real. It’s very wet out here.”
“Heh. Yeah. It is. Think we can go home now?”
“Yes.”
They started to walk and were almost back to the apartment building when Ryld said, “I’m glad the shadow bit the other man, and not you.”
“Can’t say I’m sorry about that either.” Hank also wasn’t sorry that Ryld continued to lean against him as they walked into the building.
