Chapter 2
As soon as Marcus felt a draft pull him southbound, he stopped flapping his wings and let the wind take him. He felt the cold breeze start to slow as he picked up speed. Marcus could hear Liz say something to herself, but he could not hear over the wind. When he was at a speed where the wind was a light gust, Liz said again, “I need a shower.” Marcus turned to look at her and spun his tail to compensate for the change in direction. He said, “You look it, but I do not want to stop. Time is something we do not have enough of as is. The Great Lakes are the largest bodies of fresh water in the world. You can wash yourself on the shore of the next island we come across.”
“I said shower, not bath. And isn’t the water also somewhat polluted?”
“Well I’m not letting you out of my sight. Every time you leave me, you are attacked. How am I to protect you when you are secluded and under attack by some kind of undead…thing?”
“Didn’t we pack some fireproof blankets?”
“Yes, we did. But I will not risk your safety for cleanliness. If you being safe means that you smell like a sewer rat that a snake just vomited out, then so be it.”
“What did you just say I smelled like?”
“Like a pile of roses, dear child.”
Marcus passed by an island and Liz was able to convince him to land. He cared for her safety, and that meant that she needed to stay healthy. Marcus flew around the shoreline and found a large, clean area where the water was somewhat clear. He landed and made a half circle with his tail, body, and neck. The circle ensured that she was in full view and she still had access to the water. Liz jumped off his back in the wrong direction and walked away. Marcus broke the half circle and pressed his tail in front of her. He said, “And where might you be going?”
“I’m going to take a shower.”
“You are going to take a bath right here. It isn’t something you can debate with me.”
“Then we won’t debate it,” Liz said as she turned around. She tried to climb his tail, but her plan backfired when Marcus lifted it, and her, back to his circle. Marcus said, “I do not know why this is so hard a concept for you to grasp, but I will only say that it is for your own good.”
Liz started to remove her shirt, but stopped to look at Marcus. She said, “Please lift your wing.”
Marcus did as she requested, but he still did not understand it. Marcus could hear her humming to herself and when it stopped, Marcus knew that something was wrong. He felt her pounding on his wing and heard her scream his name. When he folded up his wing, Liz was standing below him with out any clothing, any covering, and three undead directly behind her. Marcus dismembered the undead with his fangs and looked around. Thirty more were in his circle, so he burned them all away. Liz did not let go of his claw; she held onto it like a life line. When all of the undead were but ash, Marcus let his flame die out and he said to Liz, “How did they get by me?”
“Th-they rose out of the s-sand.”
Marcus stuck his head to the ground and dug around with his muzzle. He found a body and it sprung to life. Marcus could smell them he told Liz, “Get on my wing.”
Liz did as she was told and when she was in place, Marcus folded his wing to cover her entire body. Marcus pressed his mouth to the ground and sent a flame into the earth. The resulting explosion ruptured the skulls of the undead and caused the ocean to bubble. He opened his wing and Liz walked out. She walked around and found her cloths. They were burned from to charred cloth that fell apart when Liz plucked it from the ashes. She stared at Marcus, who was staring at the bodies. He said, “come close to me, so I can clear the sand of debris.”
Liz did as told. Marcus swiped his tail across the sand and swept the bodies to the side. As she walked away from him, he said, “Well, now at least the water is warm.”
“Lift your wing.”
“No, I’m not human anymore, and I do not have the needs of one. You should have learned that by now. We need to leave this place to find an island that has no infected”
“Not until I find cloths. There’s got to be some in-” Marcus turned to the other building and burned it to a cinder. He turned to the other three buildings and did the same. Liz looked at him as if he did something wrong.
“Now we have no reason to stay here.”
“I’m not leaving until I find some cloths.”
“You don’t seem to understand. I chose to waist precious time so you could clean yourself, and now you do not want to. I can only grant one wish at a time, so I’ll start with the first.”
Marcus grabbed her with a single mighty claw and took flight.
“I said shower, not bath. And isn’t the water also somewhat polluted?”
“Well I’m not letting you out of my sight. Every time you leave me, you are attacked. How am I to protect you when you are secluded and under attack by some kind of undead…thing?”
“Didn’t we pack some fireproof blankets?”
“Yes, we did. But I will not risk your safety for cleanliness. If you being safe means that you smell like a sewer rat that a snake just vomited out, then so be it.”
“What did you just say I smelled like?”
“Like a pile of roses, dear child.”
Marcus passed by an island and Liz was able to convince him to land. He cared for her safety, and that meant that she needed to stay healthy. Marcus flew around the shoreline and found a large, clean area where the water was somewhat clear. He landed and made a half circle with his tail, body, and neck. The circle ensured that she was in full view and she still had access to the water. Liz jumped off his back in the wrong direction and walked away. Marcus broke the half circle and pressed his tail in front of her. He said, “And where might you be going?”
“I’m going to take a shower.”
“You are going to take a bath right here. It isn’t something you can debate with me.”
“Then we won’t debate it,” Liz said as she turned around. She tried to climb his tail, but her plan backfired when Marcus lifted it, and her, back to his circle. Marcus said, “I do not know why this is so hard a concept for you to grasp, but I will only say that it is for your own good.”
Liz started to remove her shirt, but stopped to look at Marcus. She said, “Please lift your wing.”
Marcus did as she requested, but he still did not understand it. Marcus could hear her humming to herself and when it stopped, Marcus knew that something was wrong. He felt her pounding on his wing and heard her scream his name. When he folded up his wing, Liz was standing below him with out any clothing, any covering, and three undead directly behind her. Marcus dismembered the undead with his fangs and looked around. Thirty more were in his circle, so he burned them all away. Liz did not let go of his claw; she held onto it like a life line. When all of the undead were but ash, Marcus let his flame die out and he said to Liz, “How did they get by me?”
“Th-they rose out of the s-sand.”
Marcus stuck his head to the ground and dug around with his muzzle. He found a body and it sprung to life. Marcus could smell them he told Liz, “Get on my wing.”
Liz did as she was told and when she was in place, Marcus folded his wing to cover her entire body. Marcus pressed his mouth to the ground and sent a flame into the earth. The resulting explosion ruptured the skulls of the undead and caused the ocean to bubble. He opened his wing and Liz walked out. She walked around and found her cloths. They were burned from to charred cloth that fell apart when Liz plucked it from the ashes. She stared at Marcus, who was staring at the bodies. He said, “come close to me, so I can clear the sand of debris.”
Liz did as told. Marcus swiped his tail across the sand and swept the bodies to the side. As she walked away from him, he said, “Well, now at least the water is warm.”
“Lift your wing.”
“No, I’m not human anymore, and I do not have the needs of one. You should have learned that by now. We need to leave this place to find an island that has no infected”
“Not until I find cloths. There’s got to be some in-” Marcus turned to the other building and burned it to a cinder. He turned to the other three buildings and did the same. Liz looked at him as if he did something wrong.
“Now we have no reason to stay here.”
“I’m not leaving until I find some cloths.”
“You don’t seem to understand. I chose to waist precious time so you could clean yourself, and now you do not want to. I can only grant one wish at a time, so I’ll start with the first.”
Marcus grabbed her with a single mighty claw and took flight.