Kovich

C09201

            A large, seemingly marble, structure towered in the air. It was about the height of a building colored in a deep tint of grey and had a slight luster to it, though the sun wasn’t out that day to let it shine. It was a statue, displaying a soldier equipped in a uniform helmet, leather suit, and laser gun in its right, gloved hand. In its left hand dangled a decapitated head of a creature unearthly.

            The head had a wiry texture of hair that interweaved itself in the soldier’s fingers. Though the statue was marble, looking closely, one could see a texture of scales amongst the skin - specifically the chin, cheek hallows, and forehead area. Its nose caved inward, like a skeleton, and very subtly combined with a mouth that lacked lips but possessed large fangs to compensate for them. The mouth was forever doomed open, presenting a display of not one, but two tongues which were long and flexible.

            The rest of the mutant’s body lay limp at the soldier’s boots, contorted in an exorcist-like position. Long nails peeked from the creature’s four fingers, which led into a hand-wrist conjunction; most likely immobile unlike ours for it lacked an apparent joint. An arm snaked about until it reached an elbow, then a shoulder which jutted outward like a small wing. The thing had large ribs that buldged out of the marble skin and spiraled inward into a stomach, completed with an unfortunately spiky spine in the back. The legs were similar to horse legs without hair, for they were much too large for the creature’s proportions and once past the knee, contorted into a strange ankle position. Though it lacked hooves, four large toes were instead, also completed with the complimentary sharp nails again.

            A soldier, much like the one in the model, stared up at the odd effigy; his dark locks falling around his eyes and onto his cheeks. A total of one hundred soldiers - a complete regiment - stood around the statuette that day; the sun smothered in rain clouds that bore no liquid. These soldiers weren’t exactly quiet either, nor were they still. Without direction but simply an order to meet at once before the memorial, said division waited outside until further notice.

            Standing alone, otherwise, Alexander shifted his focus to the decapitated critter and said, to himself, “What on Earth is that?”

            Not completely out of nowhere came a snort. “That,” said a man, addressing from Alexander’s left, “is what you’re gonna kill. And believe me; it’s not of this Earth.”

            Alexander glanced, without moving his head, to place a face to the voice. He observed a height-kissed man whom had to look down at him when he spoke. His most noticeable feature being his hair, was a dark, dark shade of cherry and long enough to be pulled back with a black band and still fall past his shoulder blades.

            “Could’ve fooled me,” Alexander joked and was chronologically graced with another snort.

            “Not saying I’m the most educated when it comes to the other soldiers around here, but you –“ continued the man, dressed in the same leather uniform as Alexander - and the rest of the hundred men for that matter, “You’re new, aren’t you?”

            Alexander, this time, turned his head slightly, offering this man more than just a profile. “I wouldn’t call it new,” said Alexander, blinking away the black hair that brushed his eyelashes. “But, I’ve certainly got no history.”

            In one swift motion, the man lifted his right hand just to Alexander’s reach and announced, “Rey Zuliani. Two years.”

            Alexander peeked down at Rey’s gloved hand then rose his own, taking his in a firm grip as they shook. “Alexander Kovich. Four months.”