Planet B

Ch.23

Kyver'd seen her fair share of violence and blood, but this was something new to even her. She felt the red mist as it moistened her face, tasted Pagen on her lips, and suppressed a gag as she rolled sideways along the metal walkway, holes appearing where she'd just been sitting. Shouts sounded all around her, some of pain and others of warning. Kyver sprinted toward the closest building, leaping over the water that separated it and the walkway and crashing through what was left of the window, shoulder rolling as she landed.

There was standing water in the building where she landed, though not much, and she tore off her jacket, the leather already starting to sizzle as the burning water ate at it. Part of the floor was raised and she made her way to it, pulling a greased rag from a pouch and rubbing down her boots to get the acid off. She glanced out the window, half a dozen of the scouts laying in various states of dead and dying on the walkway. Other buildings had movement in them, though she couldn't tell if they were friend or foe.

She replayed the last few minutes in her head. They'd entered this most recent block, swept for traps, found none. Once the walkways were determined stable, they took their break. Then they were attacked. It didn't make sense for another trap, it would have triggered right away or during their search. The only other option was living defenders. But who would live in Lowden? It was cursed.

Voices rose from the street and she looked around for cover. An old metal desk sat nearby on the raised floor area and she hid behind that, pulling her discarded coat with her so as to not draw attention. Peering through a crack in the aged furniture she saw two men walk past the window, each carrying one of the weapons usually mounted on the buildings. Given the range of those things, attempting to attack from the street was no longer an option, she'd be killed before she was near them.

Kyver surveyed the room and found no exits on her level, the one doorway in the back covered by rubble. The ceiling however had a small hole in it, large enough though that she could fit through. Once the men were out of sight she backed up against the wall, aimed as best she should, and sprinted toward the desk. She leapt, landing on the desk, and two steps later leapt again, catching the edge of the hole.

The handhold shifted under her weight and for a moment she thought it would collapse, sending her sprawling into the water below, but it held. Kyver grunted as she pulled herself up, thankful for the years of cat burgling and the strength built up in her upper body. Rolling onto the floor on the second level she froze, eyes wide.

Crouched in the corner, hackles raised, sat a kormeng. Eyes red, it stared at her, muscles tensed and wary. Even crouched the beast was nearly as tall as Kyver and easily twice as wide at the chest. It was covered in grey fur with wisps of orange and red throughout. Its teeth were bared, fully filling the gigantic maw she was sure could enclose her entire torso.

Behind the creature lay another one, though it looked sickly. Kyver'd only seen a couple of the creatures, and always they were alone. She'd not heard of any sightings of groups, and here before her were two. It was obvious the one was protecting the other, a fact Kyver hoped would save her life.

Slowly she began backing away, the beast never breaking eye contact. Her back came up on something solid, and she realized she backed into the exterior wall, a window just to her side.

A shot sounded from outside and a cry followed. Laughter came next, then a sickening crunch as the cry abruptly stopped. The kormeng looked to the window, hackles raising more. From her new spot in the room Kyver saw that the second kormeng wasn't just sickly, it was injured. Multiple punctures were crusted with dried blood and the creature winced as another shot sounded.

An idea, though not a good one, came to Kyver. Moving slowly she edged toward the window. The kormeng watched but maintained its post. She stole a glance out the window and saw the two men across the street, looking into the building across the way. She called from her glove one of the stones she kept and, careful not to move too much, threw it out the window at the men.