Chapter 7
Liz woke to a hundred ton silver head playfully nudging her side and accidentally knocking her into the pool. Marcus lowered his claw to pull her out and she accepted the offer. He lifted her out of the water and licked her. Liz said, “Marvelous; first, I’m covered in shit, then chlorine, and now slobber. What’s next?”
“Good morning to you too, little one.”
For the first time, Liz accepted the name. Beforehand, she believed he was using it as a pun or he was simply being frank. She knew then that to him, ‘little one’ was her title. Now that she was not only his equal but also his companion, she felt a bond to him that none of her family, friends, or compatriots could measure up to. When Liz was with Marcus, she was home. Liz felt it better to keep the thoughts to herself, so she simply smiled.
Marcus lifted his head and faced the horizon. She could see his breathing and wondered if he needed to give himself his own lessons. Then she saw his nostrils move and realized he smelled something. Liz waited and felt troubled when she saw his lips curl and his eyes narrow. What was even more disturbing was the fact that he made no attempt to end her fears, which was out of character.
Nearly an hour went by, and Liz took to pacing the length of Marcus’s claw. Another hour went by. Liz remembered her nudity and walked to the closet at the far side of the pool she bathed in. Liz found a red skirt, a black and red T-shirt, and a leather jacket. She did not need sneakers, as she was much more comfortable barefoot. Liz was nearly finished fitting on the long skirt when Marcus dropped his head to ground level and said, “I fear we may be doomed. The army of undead draws closer with the hour, and I fear even we may have met our match.”
“What do we do?”
“What can we do? If we tell the humans of the army, they may panic. If we wait, then they will blame us for withholding information. Little one, you must promise me that you will tell no one of this until I speak to Katherine, the new leader.”
“Marcus, I will do as you ask unless someone asks me about it directly. One of the resolutions I made when I first changed was that I would always tell the truth. I would die before breaking that oath.”
“Very well, but do not let it pass your lips unless they ask you about it. Come with me and we will continue a lesson we ended yesterday”
Liz was afraid. Yesterday’s lesson had her going through his digestion system. Marcus said, “I wish you to see if you can hold your breath underwater without anything holding you under. Jump to my back and we will see what you can do now that you are truly free.”
Liz was reluctant to do so, as she still did not trust him. Still, she rarely had a choice in the matter, so she jumped to his head and braced for anything. Marcus was true to his word, as usual, and took Liz off the ground for another lesson she was bound to hate, as usual.
He took her out to Yerba Buena, where he found Thomas sitting on a rock, thinking about something. What that something was, Marcus had no idea and no intention of finding out. He landed and Liz jumped off his head. Thomas said, “Well aren’t you a piece of perfection,” in a tone that did not suit him. Liz said, “You’re happy about something. Do I want to know what it is?”
“Isaac told me about how you changed to be a titan like himself. I guess that means I have to start being the nice guy to you, eh?”
“Thomas, you can say what you want to me. I’m not an easy person to piss off.”
“Well then, fuck you and get out of my face ya lousy bitch.”
Both of them were quiet and Marcus stopped his steady breathing; he did not need to breath, but the steadiness kept him focused. Thirty seconds passed until Liz lost her ability to keep a straight face and she came apart out laughing. Thomas did the same and they hugged each other. Liz was thankful that she didn’t do it too tight and Marcus was thankful she remembered.
They spoke for a short few minutes until Marcus interrupted. He said, “I’m sorry, but it is time for your lesson, Liz.”
Thomas instantly spoke up and said, “Is there anything I can help with? Believe it or not, but they had us do actual work in boot camp instead of just feed us bad food and shit in our ears.”
“Sorry Thomas, but unless you can hold your breath indefinitely, you will have to stay behind.”
“Fine, fine, but now I lost my train of thought.”
“What were you thinking about,” Liz questioned.
“How do I tell Zack that he can never lift a blade again? How do I tell him that his chances of having children are slim to none?”
Marcus felt a pang of regret that seemed to emanate off of Liz. Thomas said, “What? What’s wrong?”
“Did they tell you how such an event happened?”
“No, but it must have been bad.”
Liz explained her actions and Thomas just said to her, “Ever heard of cruelty to animals? Oh forget it. Look, I’ll tell him that your sorry and I’ll get him a pistol to use you for target practice. Would that make you feel better?”
Liz nodded and Thomas said, “Great, now I have something to say. If you don’t mind, I will be going back to the infirmary.”
With that, Thomas walked away. Marcus said to Liz, “In the water, double-time!”
“What are you, a drill instruct-”
Marcus leaned forward and snapped his teeth not close enough to grab Liz, but more than close enough to frighten her. She jumped into the water and Marcus followed. She swam as fast as her body could move, but Marcus was a serpent. He knew the water and knew how to move in it. Liz saw how he twirled his body like a snakes to propel himself forward and copied his movements. She was moving over forty miles per hour three feet before Marcus snapped at her. He continued the chase as Liz moved deeper into the water. She was ten feet from the bottom and passing fifty when she came to a deep crevice more than large enough for Marcus to fit through. Still, he would need time to adjust his angle, so Liz took the dive. The crevice was exactly Marcus’s size, with a foot of water between him and the rock at all times.
Liz swam faster than before to lose him, but she stopped. The tunnel had ended and what remained of the old chamber where Dem and the others were tortured to insanity came into view. Marcus came right behind her, but even he had to stop to remember those dark times. Liz continued to swim and Marcus followed. His lesson was complete, as she no longer needed to breathe.
The room was caved in. Shards of stone hundreds of times Marcus’s weight littered the area, but the dome itself was untouched. Marcus looked around for Liz. She was looking through a building for anything of interest (In her younger years, Liz would collect oddities she found on hikes and in old stores). She came out with a hat. It was a general’s hat, and a bullet hole penetrated the upper right quadrant. She placed it on her head and Marcus saluted her. She smiled and started to frown when Marcus pointed at her and pressed his claw upon his left breast.
Li had no idea what he was trying to say. She signed him her concern and he breathed in and out multiple times. Large bubbles trailed to the top of the cavern from his maw. When his body was full of water, and his form sunk to the bottom of the area, Liz got his point and did the same. Marcus, now free to speak, said, “Little one, I believe Isaac will need to make you a set of cloth similar to his, as yours seems to melt away.”
Liz looked over her body and…Readers, take a wild guess.
“Good morning to you too, little one.”
For the first time, Liz accepted the name. Beforehand, she believed he was using it as a pun or he was simply being frank. She knew then that to him, ‘little one’ was her title. Now that she was not only his equal but also his companion, she felt a bond to him that none of her family, friends, or compatriots could measure up to. When Liz was with Marcus, she was home. Liz felt it better to keep the thoughts to herself, so she simply smiled.
Marcus lifted his head and faced the horizon. She could see his breathing and wondered if he needed to give himself his own lessons. Then she saw his nostrils move and realized he smelled something. Liz waited and felt troubled when she saw his lips curl and his eyes narrow. What was even more disturbing was the fact that he made no attempt to end her fears, which was out of character.
Nearly an hour went by, and Liz took to pacing the length of Marcus’s claw. Another hour went by. Liz remembered her nudity and walked to the closet at the far side of the pool she bathed in. Liz found a red skirt, a black and red T-shirt, and a leather jacket. She did not need sneakers, as she was much more comfortable barefoot. Liz was nearly finished fitting on the long skirt when Marcus dropped his head to ground level and said, “I fear we may be doomed. The army of undead draws closer with the hour, and I fear even we may have met our match.”
“What do we do?”
“What can we do? If we tell the humans of the army, they may panic. If we wait, then they will blame us for withholding information. Little one, you must promise me that you will tell no one of this until I speak to Katherine, the new leader.”
“Marcus, I will do as you ask unless someone asks me about it directly. One of the resolutions I made when I first changed was that I would always tell the truth. I would die before breaking that oath.”
“Very well, but do not let it pass your lips unless they ask you about it. Come with me and we will continue a lesson we ended yesterday”
Liz was afraid. Yesterday’s lesson had her going through his digestion system. Marcus said, “I wish you to see if you can hold your breath underwater without anything holding you under. Jump to my back and we will see what you can do now that you are truly free.”
Liz was reluctant to do so, as she still did not trust him. Still, she rarely had a choice in the matter, so she jumped to his head and braced for anything. Marcus was true to his word, as usual, and took Liz off the ground for another lesson she was bound to hate, as usual.
He took her out to Yerba Buena, where he found Thomas sitting on a rock, thinking about something. What that something was, Marcus had no idea and no intention of finding out. He landed and Liz jumped off his head. Thomas said, “Well aren’t you a piece of perfection,” in a tone that did not suit him. Liz said, “You’re happy about something. Do I want to know what it is?”
“Isaac told me about how you changed to be a titan like himself. I guess that means I have to start being the nice guy to you, eh?”
“Thomas, you can say what you want to me. I’m not an easy person to piss off.”
“Well then, fuck you and get out of my face ya lousy bitch.”
Both of them were quiet and Marcus stopped his steady breathing; he did not need to breath, but the steadiness kept him focused. Thirty seconds passed until Liz lost her ability to keep a straight face and she came apart out laughing. Thomas did the same and they hugged each other. Liz was thankful that she didn’t do it too tight and Marcus was thankful she remembered.
They spoke for a short few minutes until Marcus interrupted. He said, “I’m sorry, but it is time for your lesson, Liz.”
Thomas instantly spoke up and said, “Is there anything I can help with? Believe it or not, but they had us do actual work in boot camp instead of just feed us bad food and shit in our ears.”
“Sorry Thomas, but unless you can hold your breath indefinitely, you will have to stay behind.”
“Fine, fine, but now I lost my train of thought.”
“What were you thinking about,” Liz questioned.
“How do I tell Zack that he can never lift a blade again? How do I tell him that his chances of having children are slim to none?”
Marcus felt a pang of regret that seemed to emanate off of Liz. Thomas said, “What? What’s wrong?”
“Did they tell you how such an event happened?”
“No, but it must have been bad.”
Liz explained her actions and Thomas just said to her, “Ever heard of cruelty to animals? Oh forget it. Look, I’ll tell him that your sorry and I’ll get him a pistol to use you for target practice. Would that make you feel better?”
Liz nodded and Thomas said, “Great, now I have something to say. If you don’t mind, I will be going back to the infirmary.”
With that, Thomas walked away. Marcus said to Liz, “In the water, double-time!”
“What are you, a drill instruct-”
Marcus leaned forward and snapped his teeth not close enough to grab Liz, but more than close enough to frighten her. She jumped into the water and Marcus followed. She swam as fast as her body could move, but Marcus was a serpent. He knew the water and knew how to move in it. Liz saw how he twirled his body like a snakes to propel himself forward and copied his movements. She was moving over forty miles per hour three feet before Marcus snapped at her. He continued the chase as Liz moved deeper into the water. She was ten feet from the bottom and passing fifty when she came to a deep crevice more than large enough for Marcus to fit through. Still, he would need time to adjust his angle, so Liz took the dive. The crevice was exactly Marcus’s size, with a foot of water between him and the rock at all times.
Liz swam faster than before to lose him, but she stopped. The tunnel had ended and what remained of the old chamber where Dem and the others were tortured to insanity came into view. Marcus came right behind her, but even he had to stop to remember those dark times. Liz continued to swim and Marcus followed. His lesson was complete, as she no longer needed to breathe.
The room was caved in. Shards of stone hundreds of times Marcus’s weight littered the area, but the dome itself was untouched. Marcus looked around for Liz. She was looking through a building for anything of interest (In her younger years, Liz would collect oddities she found on hikes and in old stores). She came out with a hat. It was a general’s hat, and a bullet hole penetrated the upper right quadrant. She placed it on her head and Marcus saluted her. She smiled and started to frown when Marcus pointed at her and pressed his claw upon his left breast.
Li had no idea what he was trying to say. She signed him her concern and he breathed in and out multiple times. Large bubbles trailed to the top of the cavern from his maw. When his body was full of water, and his form sunk to the bottom of the area, Liz got his point and did the same. Marcus, now free to speak, said, “Little one, I believe Isaac will need to make you a set of cloth similar to his, as yours seems to melt away.”
Liz looked over her body and…Readers, take a wild guess.
Chapter 8: Refuge
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