Chapter 16
He kneeled down to allow the elderly, young, and weak to climb his leg. When the only people left on the ground were the men, Marcus started to move. He kept his pace slow so not to throw anyone off and to avoid accidents with the soldiers running between his claws.
Progress was slow, but they eventually reached the city line where the gun turrets were located. Marcus moved around the corner and was pleased that the turrets were no longer functioning. He kneeled to allow the people off his back and waited in a very uncomfortable position for his back to be clear. When everyone was on the ground, Marcus instructed Mitch to get everyone across the bridge and then reactivate the gun turrets. The people started to walk with the soldiers at the front. When all of the people were on one side of the guns and Marcus moved out of the way, Mitch fired up the turrets. They were deceptively silent, and Marcus tested them out with the swipe of his tail. They worked, and the guns woke a sleeping child.
Marcus jumped into the water and swam alongside the group as they made their way across the bridge. They passed through the tunnel and Marcus flew around the island. He landed next to the gate and told Zack to go inside. He said, “What am I supposed to tell the other soldiers, asshole? They sat up all night for you. What the hell did you want us to do?”
“Allow everyone who walks by here safe passage, but check them for infections beforehand. After that, tell them to find vacant buildings to sleep in.”
Zack turned around and walked inside. Marcus curled into a ball in the area next to the gate and let his mind wander. He thought about Liz, how finding their parents would change their relationship. His thoughts changed to his parent’s reaction, and how he thought they would view him. He woke as the mountains to the east started to glow. The group he rescued walked by him and into the gates, where he could hear Zack yelling orders to the poor people.
The group slowly deteriorated until two people walked out of the gate. Marcus recognized their scent as that of Liz and their father. He stayed motionless, but he was awake.
They were all silent; Liz could not think of anything to say, Marcus wanted his father to speak first, and his father was too afraid to speak. Marcus did not open his eyes, but the quick, short breaths told him his father’s emotion. He finally built up the courage to say, “Is it true? Are you really…Marcus?”
Marcus opened his eyes and leaned his head closer to his father. He said, “I am but a shell of who I was. Only in memory am I your child. The world changed very quickly, and I needed to change not only what I was, but who I was as well in order to survive.”
Marcus leaned his head back and looked his father over. He looked like a very different person than when they last met. He looked tired, worn out, and his arms were covered in scratches, bruises, and stitches. Marcus also noticed that his attention was to his fangs, not his eyes. He realized that he had grown too used to intimidating the humans and Liz was too used to seeing them to realize it.
Marcus lowered his head and turned it to the side so all his father could see was a single massive silver eye. Marcus said, “I hold the memories of my loved ones very close to my heart. They will never be led astray as my old self had. If there is something you wish to say to me then please speak now. If not, I would like to speak to Liz in private. Go inside and tell mother what you saw, and what has happened to her child.”
His father looked to Liz, who nodded. He walked through the gate and it closed behind him. Marcus looked at Liz and said, “Was a warning out of the question?”
“Yes. I only had one chance to get him out here, and warning you would have blown it.”
“It was an awkward moment that I hope never to repeat.”
“I wanted to get it out of the way. Now he knows who you are, so he should trust me when I’m around you.”
“Were there any arguments on the subject?”
“Yup. He didn’t trust you and thought I was your next meal. He thought you were going to eat me or something.”
Marcus grabbed her with his tongue and pulled her up. She actually laughed and somewhat enjoyed the fact that a playful side remained in him. He placed her on the ground and she leaned against his head. She asked, “You didn’t ask me out here for small talk, did you?”
“I always enjoy your company, but yes, there is something important I wanted to discuss with you.”
“What is it?”
“When you were trapped by the soldiers, what exactly did they do to you?”
After their first incident with the cloths almost two weeks ago, Liz felt no qualms giving him the information. She told him about every rape, every moment, and every beating they gave her. Marcus was truly angry. Smoke trailed from his nostrils and he tried to hide it, but she noticed and said, “Don’t worry; there’s no one else around to see.”
Marcus let the smoke trail and his eyes changed to pure hatred. Liz looked away; his expression was almost too much for her. When her story was finished, Marcus asked her another question, “Do you think they may have impregnated you?”
Liz stared at him. She looked worried, and Marcus did not explain until she answered, “They did.”
“As your guardian, your parent, and your brother, I cannot simply allow you to have this child.”
“Then I take a pill.”
Marcus looked at her and said, “I cannot trust you out in the city even with me at your side. You can ask around, but I doubt anyone here will have anything you can use.”
“Then what will I do? I guess I should ask what you will do.”
Marcus hated every idea that came into his mind. He knew she would hate them as well, but he was convinced that the medical solutions were not attainable. Marcus looked at her and said, “I think you know what I need to do.”
Liz’s expression changed from blankness to pure dread as Marcus moved his head very close to her. He kept his eyes locked with hers and there was a moment of silence as Liz saw what he was about to do. She turned around to run, but Marcus placed his wings around the exits. He said to her, “You need to understand that this is necessary. The more you comply with me, the easier it will be.”
Liz started to cry, and Marcus stuck out his tongue to grab her. He pulled her into his maw and closed shut. Liz screamed, but Marcus’s jaws muffled out the noise. Her screams grew louder as Marcus did what he hated, but knew he had to do. He grabbed Liz’s legs with his tongue and did what he could with a single side of his tongue to remove all of the foul things the soldiers gave her. He loathed every second of it, but he kept doing it until it was finished. When he was done, Marcus opened his mouth and lowered Liz to the ground, where she continued to cry. She was half naked and her entire lower body was turning pink. Marcus dropped his head to the ground and waited for Liz to stop crying. It was another hour before she spoke. She said, “If you ever, ever, ever do that again-”
“Save your threats. I did what I needed to-”
“-I’ll kill myself!”
Progress was slow, but they eventually reached the city line where the gun turrets were located. Marcus moved around the corner and was pleased that the turrets were no longer functioning. He kneeled to allow the people off his back and waited in a very uncomfortable position for his back to be clear. When everyone was on the ground, Marcus instructed Mitch to get everyone across the bridge and then reactivate the gun turrets. The people started to walk with the soldiers at the front. When all of the people were on one side of the guns and Marcus moved out of the way, Mitch fired up the turrets. They were deceptively silent, and Marcus tested them out with the swipe of his tail. They worked, and the guns woke a sleeping child.
Marcus jumped into the water and swam alongside the group as they made their way across the bridge. They passed through the tunnel and Marcus flew around the island. He landed next to the gate and told Zack to go inside. He said, “What am I supposed to tell the other soldiers, asshole? They sat up all night for you. What the hell did you want us to do?”
“Allow everyone who walks by here safe passage, but check them for infections beforehand. After that, tell them to find vacant buildings to sleep in.”
Zack turned around and walked inside. Marcus curled into a ball in the area next to the gate and let his mind wander. He thought about Liz, how finding their parents would change their relationship. His thoughts changed to his parent’s reaction, and how he thought they would view him. He woke as the mountains to the east started to glow. The group he rescued walked by him and into the gates, where he could hear Zack yelling orders to the poor people.
The group slowly deteriorated until two people walked out of the gate. Marcus recognized their scent as that of Liz and their father. He stayed motionless, but he was awake.
They were all silent; Liz could not think of anything to say, Marcus wanted his father to speak first, and his father was too afraid to speak. Marcus did not open his eyes, but the quick, short breaths told him his father’s emotion. He finally built up the courage to say, “Is it true? Are you really…Marcus?”
Marcus opened his eyes and leaned his head closer to his father. He said, “I am but a shell of who I was. Only in memory am I your child. The world changed very quickly, and I needed to change not only what I was, but who I was as well in order to survive.”
Marcus leaned his head back and looked his father over. He looked like a very different person than when they last met. He looked tired, worn out, and his arms were covered in scratches, bruises, and stitches. Marcus also noticed that his attention was to his fangs, not his eyes. He realized that he had grown too used to intimidating the humans and Liz was too used to seeing them to realize it.
Marcus lowered his head and turned it to the side so all his father could see was a single massive silver eye. Marcus said, “I hold the memories of my loved ones very close to my heart. They will never be led astray as my old self had. If there is something you wish to say to me then please speak now. If not, I would like to speak to Liz in private. Go inside and tell mother what you saw, and what has happened to her child.”
His father looked to Liz, who nodded. He walked through the gate and it closed behind him. Marcus looked at Liz and said, “Was a warning out of the question?”
“Yes. I only had one chance to get him out here, and warning you would have blown it.”
“It was an awkward moment that I hope never to repeat.”
“I wanted to get it out of the way. Now he knows who you are, so he should trust me when I’m around you.”
“Were there any arguments on the subject?”
“Yup. He didn’t trust you and thought I was your next meal. He thought you were going to eat me or something.”
Marcus grabbed her with his tongue and pulled her up. She actually laughed and somewhat enjoyed the fact that a playful side remained in him. He placed her on the ground and she leaned against his head. She asked, “You didn’t ask me out here for small talk, did you?”
“I always enjoy your company, but yes, there is something important I wanted to discuss with you.”
“What is it?”
“When you were trapped by the soldiers, what exactly did they do to you?”
After their first incident with the cloths almost two weeks ago, Liz felt no qualms giving him the information. She told him about every rape, every moment, and every beating they gave her. Marcus was truly angry. Smoke trailed from his nostrils and he tried to hide it, but she noticed and said, “Don’t worry; there’s no one else around to see.”
Marcus let the smoke trail and his eyes changed to pure hatred. Liz looked away; his expression was almost too much for her. When her story was finished, Marcus asked her another question, “Do you think they may have impregnated you?”
Liz stared at him. She looked worried, and Marcus did not explain until she answered, “They did.”
“As your guardian, your parent, and your brother, I cannot simply allow you to have this child.”
“Then I take a pill.”
Marcus looked at her and said, “I cannot trust you out in the city even with me at your side. You can ask around, but I doubt anyone here will have anything you can use.”
“Then what will I do? I guess I should ask what you will do.”
Marcus hated every idea that came into his mind. He knew she would hate them as well, but he was convinced that the medical solutions were not attainable. Marcus looked at her and said, “I think you know what I need to do.”
Liz’s expression changed from blankness to pure dread as Marcus moved his head very close to her. He kept his eyes locked with hers and there was a moment of silence as Liz saw what he was about to do. She turned around to run, but Marcus placed his wings around the exits. He said to her, “You need to understand that this is necessary. The more you comply with me, the easier it will be.”
Liz started to cry, and Marcus stuck out his tongue to grab her. He pulled her into his maw and closed shut. Liz screamed, but Marcus’s jaws muffled out the noise. Her screams grew louder as Marcus did what he hated, but knew he had to do. He grabbed Liz’s legs with his tongue and did what he could with a single side of his tongue to remove all of the foul things the soldiers gave her. He loathed every second of it, but he kept doing it until it was finished. When he was done, Marcus opened his mouth and lowered Liz to the ground, where she continued to cry. She was half naked and her entire lower body was turning pink. Marcus dropped his head to the ground and waited for Liz to stop crying. It was another hour before she spoke. She said, “If you ever, ever, ever do that again-”
“Save your threats. I did what I needed to-”
“-I’ll kill myself!”