Armageddon
Chapter 9.2

Jaya scaled the building with ease, every muscle in his body contorting and working overtime. He hung off a flagpole off the side of a smaller tower as his eyes scanned the eastern gate. The carriage was finally moving, and several guards followed the on foot while twelve or so on horseback lined either side. He turned his head off towards the distant peaks of the mountains caging the Humans in their own home. “Let’s make this interesting and get a head start.” Holding the monkey to him with a large hand, he leaped off the building and into the treetops surrounding the palace.

Jaya had one pace and it was not in him to slow down. With a goal in mind, he swung from branch to branch. Sweat ran down his neck and pooled in his shirt, but his body was able to keep up with his determination. The wind whistled past them. When there weren’t any trees he ran across the ground, and his normally deadly-silent steps thudded with the weight and strength of his body. He ran and climbed and swung until the sun touched the mountain peaks before his pace slowed to a jog and the monkey, who had climbed into his pack, poked her head out.

Jaya breathed deeply through his open mouth, his face glistening in the fading sun. She watched him curiously, slowly sinking back into the bag. After a good hour or so he finally came to a stop and began stretching his body. Tiana leaped out of the bag, landing on the ground in her Human form. She plucked the pelt off her shoulders and watched him bounce around.

“Are we stopping? Isn’t Vladimir going straight there?”

Jaya gave her a rebellious look. “Vladimir wouldn’t drive his troops that long. They’re stopping for the night and so are we, unless ye’re trying to kill meh. Ya are, aren’t ch’ya?”

She waved him off with a frown. “How much longer? It took me and Michael three days,”

“With all due respect, little monkey. Ya took the backward way to get there and ya both were injured and starved. That’s why it took us so long to find you. We’re heading straight there, in an actual line. We’ll get there mid-morning. Vladimir is taking the road. He’ll get there late in the evening.”

“Well,” she sighed, unclasping the golden buttons of her gown. “I overdressed for nothing,”

“Stripping now, eh?”

“In a manner of speaking. Relax. I’m dressed like a proper ‘lady’,” she tugged off the lower half of her gown to reveal another one beneath it, plain white. He seemed slightly disappointed. She hung the bottom half of her gown on a tree branch and turned to face the small clearing.

“It’d probably be best if we don’t have a fire; there are sentinels in the area that keep the dark creatures in the mountains. We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves,” he leaned against a tree, making sure to toss his bag to the side. With a big yawn he continued, “Or the fact ye’re a Human. Although, ya don’t quite smell like it anymore. A dark creature wouldn’t know the difference,”

“Are you talking about those monstrous creatures they had in the tournament?”

He opened one eye and watched her curiously. “Yes, those creatures.”

She stared at him before looking up into the darkness of the mountains looming just over them. “They’re up there...? They’re...”

“They are the ones that eat the Humans when they wander too far from home,” Jaya finished her sentence. She visibly grew pale and swallowed nervously.

“I-I’ll keep first watch,” she mumbled, rubbing her arms. She suddenly felt cold. He didn’t say anything but watched her for another minute before rolling over. She sat next to him, drawing her knees to her chest. Once more she doubted her place in the world. Had she chosen the right path? With a deepening frown and a new look of determination, she knew she had to fix the way the world was. It was her job to unite the ties and bring the Humans into the light. She would accept Vladimir’s proposal. Officially.

“I can hear ya frowning,” Jaya mumbled just a few moments later. Impulsively she slapped him. He rolled just out of reach, dodging the blow.

She couldn’t help but laugh. He was exhausted but wanted to continue their conversation. She regarded her friend warmly, he worried about her more than he let on.

The night passed without incident, and Jaya, who had run as fast as he could have for an entire day, had fallen into the deepest of slumbers. Tiana too, found her eyes drifting closed. The time passed and her head was soon hanging downwards.

Something rough and hard brushed against Tia’s hand and she slowly opened her eyes. The early morning sun just starting to lighten the sky. The crisp air of early winter stung her nose. She blinked and cautiously dropped her gaze.

Something brown was slithering next to her, its body coiling like a snake as it moved past. Her heart slammed against her chest and her eyes widened. Something seemed to catch the change about her, and a large reptile rose out of the grass. It jerked in her direction with a loud hiss emanating from its cobra-like head. She instantly rolled on top of Jaya, who was now wide awake himself. He grabbed her and lifted her into the air as a long, sharp claw the size of her entire body slammed against him. She was thrown from his grip, only to find herself in the coils of a long and rough body.

Brown scales vibrated around her as the creature tightened its grip. Its skin grated into her like the sharp sand of any beach and she cried out in pain. Jaya launched himself at the creature’s head with two curved blades in either hand. In an instant, it was over. The head rolled into the grass and the body went limp around her. Tia toppled to the ground herself, curling in as the pain overtook her. The joints in her fingers locked to keep her from causing any more damage to herself as she held in a scream.

Multiple areas of her body bled, anywhere her flesh had been rubbed raw by the creature. She shut her eyes tightly, rocking back and forth. Jaya came next to her, his hands fluttering over her wounds.

“Tiana, listen to meh. I know it hurts; I know it does. But they’re all surface wounds. I need ya to get a grip and relax,” His voice was strained.

“Jaya,” she gasped, grabbing his forearm tightly. “My skin... was rubbed off!” She hissed, yanking her face towards his to give him a dark glare. “You fucking get a grip!”

He groaned and rolled his eyes before grabbing the pelt and throwing it over her. Not a moment later she was a small little monkey with wet, red fur. He scooped her up, much to her dismay, then grabbed his bag and took off into the trees once more.

He had spent a few days in the Human world tracking down Michael. While he was there, he had learned just how far their technology had grown, and he knew of just the nanotechnological based spray that could heal his Princess’s wounds.

They crossed the border at the break of dawn. Several alarms sounded, but he moved so fast the cameras did not capture him.

He traveled quickly and hid in one of the outsourced warehouses to rinse off and alter his appearance. It didn’t take long till he was fully washed and adjusted to pass by any Human bodyguard unnoticed, black suit and all.

He uncovered a hidden vehicle and checked the battery. It started without an issue. Moving rapidly, he placed the monkey in the back seat and gently peeled off the pelt. Tiana formed before him, shivering as her blood quickly darkened the leather seats. He hesitated, watching the red liquid ooze out of her arms and neck. Even her ankles appeared to be bleeding.

“Why hasn’t yer blood clotted yet?” He asked.

She glared at him. “Humans... don’t heal... as fast,” she spoke through gritted teeth. He rolled his eyes and shut the vehicle door, only to climb into the driver seat. “D-Do you... even know-,”

“Yes, now shut up. I’m taking ya to the hospital,” her cold grip tightened on the seat as the vehicle lifted into the air. He toyed around with some dials on the front and the warehouse door opened, allowing them to take off into the sky.

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