Page 34 of Orange Sky
“Was that a challenge kitten?”, I asked, amused.
She just kicked my legs with her tiny foot and I barely felt it.
I can feel the heat from her eyes. Yes, she looks really angry right now. I don’t know what her problem is.
Then she scurried away from me. As fast as her little legs can move towards the bushes. I tried not to follow. I think I have an idea what she’s up to. It’s strange that she relieves herself by squatting down on the ground. I haven’t seen any lifeform who does that. Maybe her kind does. Unlike us, we just look for a nearby tree and went with our business.
After a few moments, she stood up, duster her hands against her tunic then glared again at me. I tried hard not to smile. She looks cute and fluffy like a small neko with all the fur up. Too bad she doesn’t have a tail.
I allowed her to rest some more before I decide we need to leave this area. The relic is weighing heavy against me. I am still undecided if I should bring her to the Elders. I need Roqs on this. He is the only one I can trust with this issue. If I can’t trust the Blue Tribe leaders who are also the parents of Axad, then something is wrong with me. My instincts had never led me astray. And something is telling me that I need to keep her a secret. And Roqs is the only Manasty I fully trust. Even though he’s probably chasing me down as we speak. This is the longest we’d been apart.
I wonder what he would say about her.
She’s rubbing the fine sands along her body again. Is that how her kind groom themselves? How primitive.
Sighing, I pulled out a small cloth from my holster bag. Then took another flask of water. With no water in sight, it will be days before we come across another river.
Before I can go near her, I smelled it.
A sharp, rich smell of iron.
What the –
I looked around. Who could be producing that too strong of a smell?
Then it stopped. But I am on high alert. A monster lives in this area that craves iron. I felt my fur began to stand on end.
I had no time to waste.
I grabbed Brin and hauled all our stuff, her and myself on the horse. I did not mind her comfort as she struggled to sit herself upright.
She was screaming so near to her face. All of a sudden, I can smell iron again. There are no iron in this region.
Then I looked down. It was coming from her.
I had no time to stop though. Maybe she will understand me?
“Why do you have iron?”
She stopped fidgeting and I felt her staring at me.
At the same time, I hear something moving, about 3 miles away.
“Why do you have iron?” I shouted at her. Even if we manage to get away, that thing will follow us even if we reach outer regions.
She was speaking gibberish again. Then she brought up one shaking hand towards my face. Her other hand I can see gripping too tightly on the stick.
There are gashes on the top of her right hand. And some thick pearls of blood. This near, the smell is almost suffocating.
To be sure, I grabbed her hand and licked along the gashes. I pulled her hand tight against my hand. True enough, she has iron for blood.
Fuck.
Maneuvering the reins along my body, I grabbed a cloth and pulled it tight against her hand. The strong smell is gone but she probably had some on her clothes.
What the fuck was she doing bleeding like that? When did she get hurt?
This is one of those moments when I want to use one of Axad’s crystals and transform her to dust. Of all the alien life forms I will meet, I met someone who has pure iron blood!
