Standstill

Chapter Eight

It didn't surprise Lowan when someone eventually came to check on them. Surely others had heard the Tatsuqry and felt the train shake.

The man who came to check on them had walked in with a stern expression, probably prepared to scold them for making such a ruckus.

He'd taken one look at the dead Tatsuqry, then at them, and had fled, screaming a little higher than she thought he'd ever admit.

Grey and Kiyoshi had taken little notice.

"If it's fallen we need to leave." Kiyoshi said.

"No." Grey was sharp.

Kiyoshi pressed his lips together and then blinked at something he saw in Grey.

"No, it's not going to work, you know what will happen if you try."

Lowan cut in before Grey could respond.

"Yeah I agree with Kiyoshi, it's time to go." she gestured to the window. Grey turned and the frustration melted from his face.

"Oh stars." he murmured. Kiyoshi pulled their bags from the compartment. Lowan slung her bag over her shoulder and started climbing up to the roof.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Grey grabbed her ankle as she reached the top. She shook him off and turned to look down at him.

"Those things are hunters, they also create a bond with their prey, us. They won't attack this train if we're not on it." She kept climbing and crawled on top of the next car's roof. Grey and Kiyoshi followed her up. An idea was forming in her mind. Grey would probably yell at her, and there was a better chance they'd die. But she clung to it nonetheless.

"Come on." She started moving on bent legs to the end of the train. Her foot slipped and Grey caught her.

"Stay in the middle." He moved in front of her and Kiyoshi stayed behind. Together they shuffled towards the last car. The Tatsuqry's cries grew louder, and Lowan started to pick up the flap of wings. She turned back to see they were a few hundred metres from the river, one of the Tatsuqrys had reached their old cabin, and seemed to be poking its brethren, waiting for it to wake up. When it didn't, Lowan heard it make a different sound, something more like a call.

The others responded in key.

"That doesn't sound good. " Kiyoshi said from behind her.

"It's not." she explained, "that one just passed on its brother's last bond."

Kiyoshi's eyes widened as he realized who that was.

"Here, Lowan, climb down." Grey had made it to the small porch at the end of the train. She used the ladder and Kiyoshi quickly followed.

She heard the Tatsuqry that landed in their old cabin start to race across the top towards them. It was smaller, which was how it managed to get there first. But the others were close behind.

"The train is moving too fast for us to land on the tracks and not shatter our legs." Grey stated, the wind slightly muffling his voice.

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Well what is your plan?" Grey pressed, eyeing the oncoming wave of Tatsuqries. Somehow Lowan knew they wouldn't be able to take that many at once.

The front of the train had touched the bridge. The Tatsuqry on the train growled, five cars away now.

"We need to jump." She gestured to the water. The end of the train hit the bridge, they were crossing the Emerald river.

Kiyoshi shook his head, staff in hand, watching the approaching Tatsuqry.

"You'll impale yourself on some rocks or land wrong and snap your neck."

Grey nodded, "Let's get inside, we can warn the driver and wait till we're on the other side, there's coverage there."

Lowan looked at the closest Tatsuqries, their red eyes all seemed trained on her. Her shoulders tensed.

Anger.

They were angry at her.

Seeing them now she knew the train would be torn to shreds and everyone on it if they didn't get off it.

"There's not enough time, they won't stop hunting us until we're dead, or they are. I think we can use the river to at least make them lose the scent."

Kiyoshi climbed back up to the roof and met the Tatsuqry head on. It roared and shot out its head to tear him to pieces. Kiyoshi shoved his staff in its jaw, keeping it open. The Tatsuqry reared back, shaking its head vigorously. Trying to dislodge the staff.

Another swooped down and Kiyoshi barely missed being snatched up by claws.

"Time's up." Lowan said, before jumping off the ledge.

She focused on the water, hoping whatever was inside her would make itself known.

There.

She felt it. A well, someplace she'd never reached down before.

She cut through the air like stone, plummeting faster.

Her whole body suddenly snapped up.

Talons wrapped around her torso in a death grip, biting into her clothes. She twisted up to see the Tatsuqry with Kiyoshi's staff in its mouth carrying her up, towards the swarm of others.

She watched Grey and Kiyoshi hit the water.

The Tatsuqry shook its head furiously, turning its whole body to the side. Lowan felt herself flung up, out of its grip as the beast finally released the staff from its mouth.

Her hand reached out to grab it. Fingers curling around one of the blade ends, drawing blood. Her body landed atop its back. She immediately grabbed under its wing, anchoring her to the beast. It roared and whipped around, trying to buck her off.

She grunted, tightening her grip on the staff. Ignoring the pain.

She let loose her own cry and plunged the staff through its head.

The Tatsuqry shook, and then began its descent. The largest horn on its head broke off, and an orange liquid bubbled out. Lowan let go of its wing and pulled away from the Tatsuqry.

Fire crept up her leg.

She would have screamed but the wind tore away her voice.

Lowan felt something reach out to her. It blanketed the pain enough for her to focus. Time seemed to slow. She watched the water collide with itself, her breathing seemed to catch up and she turned to see the Tatsuqry falling alongside her.

Kiyoshi's staff was still protruding from its head. And yet Lowan felt her eyes widen when its glaring red eye remained trained on her.

She felt the warm blanket tighten around her, and the Tatsuqry passed her and crashed into the water.

Lowan closed her eyes as the waves rose up to meet her.