Of Gears and Humanity

| 09.1

[ELENA]

For what felt like hours, I was stuck on the creature once it became clear. With my back against the iron bars, I watched as it broke through the shadows, rushing towards me. Its massive claws dug into the dried dirt with each commanding step. Under the moonlight, I could see the blue of its fur, highlighted by the stars in the night. What looked like bones protruded from its longs; white, shiny, strong bones. And on its shoulders, I saw darkness, mud.

Dried, old blood.

It roared. I screamed. I turned to close my eyes, to look away from death as it approached at a frightening speed. But the sound of Damien jumping off from the Gate broke a hole through my fear and I looked up. I saw him.

Highlighted by the moonlight, Damien didn't look human to me. The glow around his body made him inhuman, majestic even. The weapon in his hand had a glint on its tip as he brought it down with him. It was as if he paused mid-air, reading for the attack, waiting for the beast to get closer. It wasn't until I smelled the breath of the horrible creature that Damien finally came down from the air.

His weapon slammed against the face of the beast. "Hey!" he shouted.

Still pressed against the Gate, I watched as Damien rolled off of the beast and steadied himself on foot and knee. His weapon was at his side, outstretched and ready. With his mouth pulled back, eyes pinched with anger, he looked dangerous. When the lion-beast shouted, he did, too. For a second, the two of them screamed at each other.

But I held my breath. Damien couldn't have been human. As he lunged back at the beast, I knew he couldn't have been. I had trained for years to fight, to be ready for battle, but to move like him? To leap off the tallest Gate in human history without an ounce of fear in him? That wasn't human. Covering my mouth, I knew he had to be a machine. An Attribution killing the beast he'd summoned to kill me.

"Come one." After a second attack, Damien rolled again, this time standing in front of the beast. He rolled his head around his shoulders before a smirk lifted the corner of his lips. "Come at me."

The beast was in front of him, hunched over, preparing to pounce. With its front legs bent, I was able to see the bones more clearly. And immediately, I knew, they weren't bones at all. They were just like the stone that made the Gate; bright lights shimmered around its joints.

It howled. And I jumped. The beast's eyes were focused on me, glowing brightly, unnaturally. Its head faced me, teeth glistening with black bile. With its dark blue lips pulled back, hunger in its eyes, I felt every ounce of fear allowed in a person to settle in the pit of my stomach.

I was going to eat me. I was going to die.

"No!" Damien clapped his hands together. "Hey! Look at me! Focus on me!"

The beast looked back at Damien. A low growl slipped out from its mouth. Damien nodded and licked his lips. "That's right, look at me. I'm what you want. You want something to kill, right?"

Something to kill? My hands trembled as my fingertips pressed against the wall. Was he going to offer me as food for the beast? Was this a game for him? I thought he jumped the Gate to save me.

As the creature growled once more, Damien placed on hand on the ground. His fingers kept him steady as he pressed out his other arm. The weapon remained in that hand.

The way he moved was different than I'd ever seen but familiar. It reminded me of Theo when he fought head to head with a guard. The stance, with their bodies bent forward, ready and braced for an attack. Even the way Damien held his weapon reminded me of the warriors of Homestead.