Page 35 of Orange Sky
???
(Brynn)
Whoever made it look like riding a horse on a full gallop was easy are totally crazy! If not for this guy’s big thighs, I have broken my neck ages ago.
He seemed stressed out by a nick of blood on my hand. If my blood smells like iron to him, I wonder how they bleed? Do we not have the same blood? Maybe not looking at the stripes in their body like that of a tiger. Still, I’m pretty sure they should be warm blooded creatures, right?
I gasped and closed my eyes briefly. We just jumped from a very high cliff and amazed I did not leave my soul back there. Whatever is after us, I couldn’t hear or see. But I long for the day when Zirc can finally understand me so I can scream and bitch at him for this abuse!
Still, I’m pretty sure he’s trying to save himself and me in the process. I know I owe a lot to him but –
“Hold the reins Brin!”, he shouted at my ear at the same time he shoved the reins at my hands. The makeshift bandage came a bit loose as he did so. But he wrapped it again together with the reigns!
I felt and heard the swoosh of his sword as it sliced outwards.
Then a loud clang like metal meets metal. I couldn’t see with the flurry of motions beside me. For a big guy, he moves really really fast!
I tried to hold onto the reins as he said. Am I supposed to direct the horse somewhere because all I can see is open plains. I am bad at directions and if not for Waze, I will be lost.
More loud clang. I can barely hear Zirc breathing which I find alarming.
Then all of a sudden, the earth in front of us erupted. It boiled and out came large tentacles of steel. It glinted against the afternoon sun, making them look like sharp stainless steel.
The horse kept pushing forward but I know we will run into those huge tentacles in a few seconds. At last, I felt Zirc leaned forward and took the reins even though my hands are still on it.
“Hah!”
And urged the horse to move forward. Move faster.
I had no time to close my eyes as I saw the huge monstrous thing in front of us. The pods on the tentacles began to whirl.
Zirc just leaned forward. He leaned almost all the way down, I felt my chest touching the back of the horse.
I could hardly breathe as we passed by the monster. It looks as if we’d just seen the tip of the iceberg. Because if these were its tentacles, then surely we haven’t seen its body, its head?
Zirc maneuvered the big horse left, right, then straight ahead. Leaning so low I hope his back is not hurt from all the whirling blades.
Dust flew all around the place. I never felt so helpless!
Seconds or maybe more than that, the smoke cleared.
“Hold!”, Zirc shouted and my body instantly followed to hold on tight to the reigns. I felt him moved again, like reaching into the saddle bag. Then just in front of me, he is holding a crystal in both hands. It is a solid white and pink on the edges. Similar to a Himalayan salt. It is only as large as my fist.
“Hold on tight Brin!”
That was the only warning I got before a bright light enveloped us. Then I felt nauseated. My insides is like a circus, on revolt! I wanted to puke but held on.
When the bright light is gone, I swear it was only for a few seconds, I saw that we were in another location. There are huge oak-like trees everywhere. So they are still orange in color. Up above, a canopy hides us away from the suns. The top of the trees are light orange, it felt like autumn because I think some are yellow. The trunk of the trees are dark reddish orange in color.
Of course, Zirc gave me no time to explore our surroundings. Or even breathe the first fresh air I’ve had since I landed on this planet. Even the town with the blue stripes people do not have this kind of air quality.
I felt a swish of air and Zirc’s arms felt like metal as he gripped me down. So I guess we’ll be walking. Though I think the forest is not that thick. In between the trees, even a car can pass through. But the leaves are thick enough to cover almost everything.
I saw that Zirc is not looking at me all. His eyes are almost all dark of steel grey. I wonder how far he can see with those eyes. He seemed frozen in stone but the grip he has on my arm is like heavy duty manacle.
“Quiet,” he shushed when I tried to move my legs a bit.
I tried to take this opportunity to study our surroundings. I tried to marshal my mind to think about what just happened.
