Rivers of Gold

Chapter 7

Just like that. He left.

It was so quiet.

Mom was quiet too, and her eyes were wide. Before she shook out of it, and looked at my shoulder.

"How?...", she muttered, before meeting my eyes. "I am so sorry, Flix. I didn't intend on hurting you further...", she pulled me into her arms and hugged me tightly.

I hugged her back and cried softly into her neck. She purred and cooed, and rubbed my back in soothing circles. But it didn't last long.

I fisted my hands and threw myself away from her.

"Flix?", she asked, surprised at my actions. "What's the matter?", her voice was full of concern.

"I'm going to find him. I have to talk to him!", I turned around in a hurry, opening the door and rushing out.

"Flix! Your furs!", I heard her call out, before the double doors closed, and I pressed a button.

I managed to find my way out of the building, but the air was so cold, I instantly started to shiver. But I pushed on.

I remembered the way that me and Shadow took to get up here, so I hurried through the milling crowd, towards the cliffside. I found the path leading down and hurried down, my skin becoming numb and prickling, but I still pushed on.

After going down a few levels, I reached the lowest level, and as I looked across the massive gap between the village and the landing caves, I saw Shadow turn onto the path. He's there! I've got time!

My legs were burning and aching, and I felt my heart tearing in fear of being too late.

But managed to catch up to him before he was halfway to the caves.

"Shadow! Shadow wait!", I called out, reaching for him. He stopped and turned to face me. I saw the slightest of surprise cross his face before it vanished.

"What, Flix?", he grumbled, turning back around and taking a few steps. I huffed and grabbed his arm, pulling him back around to face me. "Ay!", he growled, pulling his arm out of my grasp.

"Listen!", I yelled at him, pointing a finger at his face. "I was kidnapped from my Mom by my own brothers! Who rapped me since I can remember and then sold me off to some humans! I just got my Mom back, and now you are leaving me?! I thought you loved me!", I screamed up at him, tears spilling down my cheeks in steady streams.

"I do love you Flix! But what you've been through is nothing! NOTHING! In comparison to me!", he yelled back, his eyes narrowed and his black, feathered wings sprouted from behind him and flared out.

"Then tell me! You are nothing but a mystery! I know nothing about you!", I screamed at him, meeting him head on. A crowd had gathered and was watching us.

"I got these scars from fighting in a damn Hive War!", he pointed at his melted scars. "I was the General! I sacrificed myself so many times! I saw the horrors of war first hand! I fought with my family! My friends!", he motioned with his arms around us, like his family and friends were watching. "We won! I had the greatest collection of trophies any Yautja would drool over! But now it's all gone! GONE!", his wings turned to metal, and the feathers rattled together.

He was heaving, and I held my ground, even though I was scared. Of what? I didn't know.

"Then the humans captured me! Tortured me! Rapped me so many times that I've lost count decades ago! They forced me from a human to a damned Yautja! They surgically removed the majority of me and replaced it with machine parts! I was awake and could feel it all! They kept me in their prison for 73 years 8 months and 17 fucking days!", he roared, and I flinched backwards, losing my ground. "All of my family and friends are dead Flix! All of them!", he roared, before it looked like all of the air was forced out of him.