Chương 15: A chance

It was a day before they packed up camp to head back to the capital. During that time Terran had kept his head down and worked. Glad to hear there was no fight in the village but concerned for the creature they had captured. This thing was clearly not wild and had some intelligence so he felt strange about participating in keeping it held against its will. Lucky for everyone involved it never fought back.

Word in the camp is that the captain was so terrifying the thing recognized him as its superior and came willingly. Terran, having worked beside the creature, doubted that. More likely was this thing had no real way to fight back and was smart enough to come willingly rather than risk death or dismemberment trying to flee.

"Same for me." Bringing food to different tents was a small side job of his that he had taken to enjoy and made time for instead of asking for soldiers to help. It gave him the chance to constantly be updated on the mission, check the moral and goals of those around him, and lastly it gave him plausible deniability whenever people came asking about where he had been. Habits left over from the lifestyle he held before military service. Coming to a stop the soldiers did their normal dismount and secured the area.

Scouts went out to hunt for the evening meal. Tents were set up for a sleep rotation. Guard positions and schedule were assigned. And Terran set his wagon to the side of the path and popped out the canopy to serve as a makeshift cook tent. Simple meals made of rice or beans and some form of meat was all he made every day. He would try and play around with spices and ask the scouts for different meats if they could find them to keep the soldiers from growing tired of the same few options.

He does like this job and he does it well. Nobody really messes with the cook. So when the cook brings a bowl of food over to the circle of guards that constantly watch the creature, they usually separate and allow him to approach and attempt to share a meal with the thing. After just a few days of this he had developed a small comfortable relationship with it. Today Terran introduced himself with a handshake. And … well…

it clearly didn't know what to do as it just stared at his hand for a bit before continuing to eat. So Terran pointed at his chest and said his name, then pointed at the creature to ask its name. Its eyes opened slightly wider and it pointed at itself and said "Blick". Strange name but ok. Then Blick pointed back at Terran and sounded out his name. It did take a couple of tries but he got it right and Terran nodded with a smile and tried other things.

Just pointing at things near them, he taught Blick the names of things. This continued during meals for almost a week. Being clearly intelligent, the big fur-ball was able to repeat and retain the information faster than expected. There are always some who see different as a bad thing. Human nature drives a bias against things that are other. Blick would experience this as weird looks and words he didn't understand so it never affected him.

But at some point a few of the guard got irritated with Terran visiting and teaching this "thing". Treating it like a person was somehow offensive. Terran didn't recognize the angst until someone legitimately tried to convince him to stop talking with the "beastman". Two weeks into travel the hazing started. Some soldiers would shout things at Blick, and when that didn't get any response they would throw small rocks or sticks at him and laugh.

Terran brought this up to one of the officers during a morning meal and got an eye roll and "the soldiers are just venting". Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. A month into the trip home, nearly halfway, was when things came to a head. Terran came with the mid day meal and found several people cornering Blick. Over the weeks of progressively annoying pestering someone finally got complacent enough to believe the fur covered stranger would let them actually bully it.

Terran noticed the commotion as he approached with two hot bowls of rice and meat. Several men were holding spears at Blick while he steadily backed up. Off to the side was two soldiers carrying away another who was trailing blood. It was so much Terran didn't think he would survive even if he made it to the healers wagon. Shoving his way through he burst into the clear space between Blick and the others and demanded answers.

"Now what the fuck is going on."

"Get back cook, this thing has gone wild. It sliced into Sergeant Kyle's neck." Turning and looking he could see the blood on Blicks clawed hand.

"And why would he do that nearly a month into this trip with no other signs of aggression?" The soldiers hesitated.

"Well? Anyone actually see what happened?"

I am dead! That soldier snuck up while I was carving up a new piece of wood. This trip was extra boring since I couldn't go hunting and food was brought to me everyday. I was just minding my own business when a soldier decided to smack me with a stick after yelling something. I have been learning words but I don't know so many still. When I felt the hit I rolled to the side, got to my feet, and burst forward in one smooth motion.

Fully expecting a fight to the death with an armored person I reached for the easy finish. I slowed just as I realized his eyes were wide with fear, but I couldn't fully stop the claws from entering his neck just above his chest plate. Everything happened super fast. The soldier grabbed his open neck and fell back as I moved away fast looking for some way to escape what I'm sure is going to be another attack. Several soldiers run over and point their spears at me. As they close in I see a familiar face.

Terran pushes through the crowd and yells something. Hearing and seeing some conversation, I grow more impatient thinking they will not understand that I thought I was under attack. Off to my left I see the two guards closest to the wagon are watching the shouting match instead of me. Looking back and forth between my exit and Terran I wait for the moment everyone is yelling and looking away. Thankful for the man who brings me food and new words I turn and sprint for the gap.

Reaching into the dirt below my feet I gather a handful mid sprint and hurl it at the two men in front of me. They swing their spears wildly in my direction as they try and cover their eyes. But I knew that was coming so the dodge was easy. It was the sprint through the rest of the camp that was terrifying. No sooner had I turned the corner than I ran into another soldier and we tumbled together before I pushed off him and took off again.

With several people running after me it was probably only due to their heavy armor slowing them that I managed to escape the camp. Remembering the scouts that often went hunting with almost no armor and bows I kept low and kept going for much longer than I could comfortably handle. Running through the jungle as fast as my feet could go I was brought back to the memory of little me running from the pack so long ago. The fear was the same, the chest pounding run was the same, but I am not the same.

I will not be the same. I have grown. I have hunted predators. I feared nothing in this forest before these people forced me into their camp. With focused eyes I scanned for a place to start my next goal… they want to chase me? They will have to watch their feet and the canopy. With a challenging smirk I race through the forest, planning.