Song: Sleeping on the Black Top - Colter Wall
The hunter was sniffing around the base of the tree, I was sure my tracks were covered and my scent masked. Still god knows what upgrades they've achieved while I've been out here.
It was darker than the others, it's fur a tinted black mixed with a tawny, dappled, pattern. A spine of black ran from the base of its skull all the way to the tip of its tail. I'd never seen one up close before, nor did I want to, but they were impressive animals. They looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Pretty sure Riddick had a dog like this.
It's snout pushed the pine needles around catching onto something, I saw it before it did. A piece of Henry's trousers stained with his blood, half buried in the brush. The material must have torn off the night I brought him here. If they already had a lock on his scent we were screwed. I picked up a giant pine cone from a neighbouring tree, and launched it down wind. It wouldn't pick up a scent it would have to go to investigate, giving me time to get down there.
***
You can do this Henry. Fuck. I hate heights.
I shuffled out onto the thick branch as far as I could my legs throbbing with pain, I gritted my teeth from making any noise. I could sort of make her out through the leaves, she's was crouched low arrow loaded, I really hope her aim was as good as the night she found me.
She wasn't going down there! No. Why what for?!
I needed to see more.
I put my feet on the nearest branch, I just needed to push off and land my arse on it. It would be a lot less nerve wracking if I could actually stand. My stomach did a flip once I looked over the edge, she had risked her life to save me, I owed her the same.
Here we go.
I landed with a thump and sent the end of the branches rustling. Shit.
***
The mutt perked it's ears up at the pine cone and made to run after it, until there was a disturbance in the trees above. The hunter skidded to a halt sending dirt and needles everywhere, covering the scrap of fabric. If that was Henry I'll kill him myself.
It looked up.
Scanned across and landed it's orange eyes right on me.
Shit.
Before it could howl for reinforcements I let my arrow fly.
It plunged through the bottom of the hunters spine rendering its back legs all but useless, I was smarter than to try for the heart or head. They had metal alloy plates underneath their skin that would stop a bullet, so as deadly as my arrows were they were no match for a hunter.
I dropped down to the forest floor keeping my eyes trained on the dog, it circled in sync with me dragging its behind like nothing had happened.
Hunters jaws were reinforced they could snap your bones in one bite, their teeth were like razor blades tearing you to ribbons... if given the chance.
Don't get bit. Just don't get bitten.
The saliva they produced was laced with poison if it hit your bloodstream you'd have a painful slow death, there was no known antidote.
The chip in their head recorded everything; so that meant someone somewhere now knew my face, my location and what I was about to do.
I had slung my bow over my head on the drop down.
I now held my arms out as a challenge, both primed with blades my gutting knife cemented between my knuckles.
"It's me or you boy. Make your move."
His snarl stopped immediately and went blank. He quickly cocked his head and looked behind me.
***
If I cried out to warn her would it make it worse?
If they discovered where I was would it let her escape and try to get me?
Or would it howl for more hunters...
Could I let her die in my place. Could I just stay silent. No. Do the right thing Henry.
Fuck it.
I grabbed a pine cone to throw it away from the dog to see if I could distract it. As I reached over to the other branch that's when I saw him.
An absolute mountain of a man. More mountain than man.
He was the wild personified.
Standing at least 6'7, covered in dirt and trinkets.
His back was blanketed in bear skin and his hair fell long past his shoulders matching his brown streaked blonde beard.
Caramel skin and a scar through his eyebrow he carried two large Egyptian Khopesh's that glowed orange. They were strange almost alien looking scythes, he moved them in complete silence as if he was dancing with death.
He was coming up behind her. Shit. This can't be good.
The dog spotted him before she did, it's behaviour completely changing, it was transfixed on his moving blades. He had rendered it docile.
She saw the signs before I could open my mouth. Spinning to meet her new attacker, with her back to the hunter she backed up as he moved slowly towards them both.
"I don't want no trouble mister. If it's after you. You can deal with it. This isn't my fight."
He was chanting something, it was in another language. She looked back to the dog and it hadn't moved from it's hypnotic stance. She glanced at the arrow still protruding from the dog, it would hurt her to leave it behind.
She backed up further. I could see her eyes flicking to the trees. She was searching for an escape route.
He half crouched into a strange fighting stance, resting one of the blades along the opposite forearm. The hunter pawed forwards dragging its paralysed body behind it. The metal chip on its forehead was going crazy rapidly flashing red.
He moved so fast I didn't see exactly what he did. There was just so much blood. He painted the forrest with it.
YOU ARE READING
Evergreen
Adventure"It wasn't long now, time had ceased to exist. The world had become impoverished, crops have shrivelled to dust, wildlife slowly died out. There were only survivors now; groups of warriors scavenged to stay alive." My name isn't important, my stor...
