Tumia

Run

"Vorian!" I heard Naovi's broken voice as she sprinted towards us.

The Hikomo seemed to have disappeared as I began counting the children. I noticed Thalia wasn't there and looked around, confused.

"Vorian," Naovi cried, tugging at my leg. "Thalia—she... she's still out there!" she shouted, pointing frantically.

"I'll go get her," I said as Naovi ran back to the other kids.

Eldrith stopped me, her expression frantic. "You'll die if you try to help her," she shouted, but I didn't care.

Thalia couldn't fight off a Hikomo alone. They come in packs; who knows how many there are now.

"Forget the human! Letting her die will free you," Eldrith added, gripping my shoulders.

"Get everyone back home," I said, sprinting into the forest.

I ran fast back to our initial spot, following the movements of the birds fleeing in the sky. I cursed myself for coming this deep; I knew it could be dangerous.

Following the tracks, I sniffed the air, catching Thalia's scent. She couldn't be far. Running through the forest, I saw a few Hikomos chasing each other. There had to be at least a dozen. I jumped into a tree for higher ground and a better view.

I saw a figure moving through the grass—it had to be Thalia. I dropped to the ground, chasing after her.

She was fast, and for good reason. Hikomos were the scariest land animals on Tumia. Their eight legs helped them move quickly, but I hadn't realized there was a nest nearby.

I caught up to Thalia, grabbing her arm as she shouted, slashing her weapon towards me. Her body was frantic, her eyes burning red.

She was breathing hard as she realized it was me. "Vorian," her voice cracked, and she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.

She was terrified.

Hearing more movements in the bushes, I grabbed her hand, sprinting through the forest. We needed to find safety and higher ground to escape these creatures.

We ran fast, my hand clasped with hers. I spotted a high tree we could climb and stay in.

"Get to that tree," I shouted as more Hikomos appeared, getting closer.

Thalia ran faster. I paused to take out my bow and arrow, shooting a beast in the head and knocking it dead. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the rest as five more emerged from the trees. These beasts were hard to kill, reproducing like crazy and always traveling in huge packs. I pulled another arrow, hitting one, but there were too many to act quickly.

Cursing, I began to run again, aiming for the tree. As I approached, Thalia was already halfway up. I jumped and began climbing, but one of the creatures bit my foot, dragging me down.

I screamed in pain as its teeth dug into my skin. Thalia looked down, panicked. "Vorian!" she shouted, throwing her knife, which struck the creature in the head, killing it.

I felt relief as I climbed quickly, following Thalia. We both made it to the top, looking down as the Hikomos crowded the tree, trying to climb.

"What if they get up?" Thalia asked in fear.

Resting for a bit, I laid my head against the trunk. "They can't climb. They'll get bored soon," I reassured her, and she nodded.

"Why didn't you run with the rest of us?" I barked, confused as to why she tried to distract them.

Thalia glared. "Don't yell at me," she said sternly. "Naovi got stuck, and I knew we couldn't outrun them, so I told her to keep going while I led them away," she spoke softly.

She used herself as bait? Was she insane? Thalia brushed her hair back, her face red from crying. I had never met a human willing to sacrifice themselves for others. It was admirable.

"How long do we stay up here?" she asked, looking down at the creatures below.

I looked around and saw a mountain not far off, closer to home. I lifted Thalia and wrapped my arm around her waist.

"We're going to jump and head over there," I said, pointing to the open field.

She stared at me like I was crazy. "Vorian, that's too far. I might fall," she said, fear lacing her voice.

"You won't fall with me. Just hold on," I said. She nodded, wrapping her arms around my neck as I jumped to the next tree.

I had to be fast to lose the Hikomos. Jumping from tree to tree, I saw a few vines and grabbed them as we swung.

Thalia screamed from the sudden action, and I smiled at her dramatics. We got pretty far, reaching the open field.

I dropped to the ground and let Thalia go as she caught her breath, looking around. The mountain was just ahead, and we could rest there before heading home.

We walked through the pink field as Thalia touched every leaf. They all glowed at her touch, intriguing me.

My theories were beginning to add up. My brother had been on a rant for the past two weeks, saying Olha had connected with Thalia. If Yobap appeared, it was something I couldn't ignore.

We reached the mountain and entered its lower cave. Inside, we rested on the floor, watching the landscape outside.

It was getting chilly as the sun set. Thalia looked around, feeling the sharp breeze. "It's very cold," she joked, rubbing her arms.

I pulled her to my side to warm her. Our bodies were accustomed to the planet's various weather and rarely got cold.

She blushed, getting closer to me. The cave's ceiling began to glow, now officially scaring me. My eyes fell on her face under the cave's glow; she was beautiful. I couldn't help but stare as she looked around, amazed.

"Everywhere we go, this planet seems to glow," she joked, unaware of its meaning.

Could Olha be playing a joke on me? Thalia was a human; there was no way she was my mate.