To Live Again

Chapter 10

Sarania POV

My heart beats fast as my hands and arms lock around my  sister. No longer small and fragile, but strong and angry. Her eyes leak tears onto my shirt, but I don't care.

"They sent me, Sarania." She whispers, and I know she wishes for Jericho to not know. Neither do I. Jericho would be too willing to protect us, and I couldn't live without him. I nod, as if it was a normal conversation. Smile.

"I know." I reply. It could be a reply to anything.

"They want you captured." She murmurs. I nod, inhaling her scent. "They'll spare us all if you become captured. Begin to injure humans again." I nod again. Of course this would be their deal.

"If that is what it takes to save you, and my family..." I take a glance at Jericho. "I will do it." Osyra smiles. Her face is in pain, but she won't disagree. I know she has been keeping a tag on me. Waiting. I release her and smile. She has grown since I last saw her. She must be five feet ten, so I'm still at least a foot higher than her. But this girl is no longer the child I needed to care for. With the attacks, and moving from our planet, and the years of caring for others, she has grown into a strong, vibrant creature. Her hands feel her leather, a warriors uniform. I sigh. Of course they would make her fight. They would know it would hurt me more than anything else. I walk towards Jericho, tell him about my sister. He nods and smiles. Then I grip him tight and tell him not to worry. My sister will care for him. Osyra nods slightly. She knows I'd refuse to let her go with me. Even if they promised, they were still attacking all people attached to me. So I hug them both, leave my weapons. I make sure they have a store of bloodvines and snagvines, for the healing juices. I whisper to Osyra in Lastarian, and she begins to cry. I touch my thumb to her forehead and hold Narumato and my pendant. Yet again, blackness holds me and I land.

The crowd storms me and holds me captive. They cuff me, and drag me into the huge building in front of me. I am thrown into a chair. The head of our break in for Earth stares at me.

"You finally captured her, then..." His voice is cold, and I can't help but struggle for my empty holster. It could easily crush a skull. My cuffed hands stop me.

"I am here. And if you sign a statement to secure my family, and my lover, I will stay here. If you do not, I will kill you." I snarl at him, stopping struggling. He laughs coldly.

"If you sign this..." He waves the paper at me. My identification sheet, "then I will leave them alone. But you will have no protection for yourself. You can choose. You, or your family and your... human." He snarls at human. Undoubtedly, he craves their meat and luscious blood.  

"I choose my family and my lover. I could never choose myself. Where is Narumato?" I growl, suddenly remembering my companion.

"Being held. She too, will die." He laughs again. I have the urge to scream and scream until his ears begin to bleed.

"Obviously, you pathetic idiot. She is my flesh animal! Didn't think of that, did you? Think it was an over sized wolf? Ha! She dies if I die." I laugh, cold and rather hysterically. I sound clinically insane. The head looks rather embarrassed he hadn't thought it through. Past this embarrassment, he is horridly angry. I have made him look stupid. He slams the sheet down and then jumps up.

"FILL IT IN, OR WE HAVE NO DEAL." He shouts, and smashes out of the room. I look down and swallow. This would be difficult.

Osyra POV

I look at Jericho and tell him to walk back to the cave. I only want him to do this because then I can fall apart. Have a relapse. I can't do this, and I know what my sister will do. She would rather die than see me gone, beyond the help of the juices that heal. I'm holding my head in my hands, trying to work out what will happen. She will die. They never keep their promises. I sigh, rub my head carefully. My hair cascades down my shoulders. I tie it back in a loose tail. I feel tears drip down my cheeks and rub them away. I look into the wilderness. Oh Sharichi. What would I do? I hear a footfall and snap up, twisting around as fast as possible. It's Jericho.