Galileo (Battle of the Species) (2 page)

“Why hesitate?” Tig asked Desh. “This is your kill.”

“I think it’s just a scout,” Desh replied. “It was taking Roma back to the den. If another Prymin finds our village, they’ll send the entire pack,”
he said.

“So, you want to go after the pack?” Kia asked.

“Yeah,” Desh said, looking to Tig. “We’re only postponing a fight if we leave now. Better if we take care of it away from the village.”

“Your call.” Tig nodded, then looked up into the trees. “Follow the Prymin — we’re going after the den. Odar, you stay and return Roma’s body to his family.”

Desh took a deep breath, hoping that his instinct was correct. He looked at Kia for reassurance and wished they could do it alone. Kia was far more forgiving than the virile Torans, who learned to fight and hunt as soon as they learned to walk.

It’s a good call, Brother
, Kia thought.
You’re doing fine.

Thanks
, Desh projected. “All right. Here we go,” he said and released the beast.

The Prymin dropped to the ground with a thud and picked itself up, growling furiously. It dug its paws into the snow, focusing its red eyes on Desh.

Desh emitted lightning bolts from his palms, landing inches from the Prymin’s feet. The beast jumped back, startled. It stared at Desh, hesitating, and then took off running through the forest.

Desh jumped high into the trees, running beside the Torans, when the branches became too dense for the soldiers to fly. His spike-soled boots gripped onto the icy branches, and though they kept him from slipping, they hindered his speed immensely. He began jumping from tree to tree to quicken his pace until they neared a clearing. He slowed down, treading lightly to decrease the sound of the ice crunching and avert snow from falling.

As the soldiers arrived, they took a small swipe of snow and placed it on their tongues to prevent the heat from their breath from rising in clouds of steam in the cold Toran air. They landed, keeping their distance, with each new arrival landing closer and closer to the den.

Within the clearing lay two dozen Prymin, their mouths thick with drool. They ripped raw meat off broken bones, coating their white muzzles with crimson red blood.

The arriving Prymin appeared over a snowy knoll, targeting the largest in the group and rumbled in stentorian growls to report.

Clean arrows
,
Desh projected.
Let’s not waste the meat
.

The Torans returned the green-tipped arrows to their quivers, retrieving arrows fastened with tips made of clean, strong bone. Desh looked around, finding all of the soldiers in place, and put his fist up in the air. The soft moan of the Toran bows could be heard throughout the trees, as the winged men took aim. The Prymin looked up towards the sound and stood erect as they bared their bloodstained teeth and sharp nails.

This is my battle. Kia gives the war cry
, Desh projected.

The Toran soldiers looked at Tig for a reaction to the slight, but he gave none. Tig looked over to Kia and nodded to the youngest Toran. Kia took a deep breath and let out a thunderous squawk that was neither bird, nor human, but somewhere in between. At the sound of the war cry, the largest Prymin howled and the huge creatures scattered through the torrent of arrows.

The Prymin jumped for the trees, climbing at a swift pace. Desh looked down at a Prymin racing towards him. He put out his palm and fired a lightning bolt that seared the Prymin’s neck. The beast let out a tortured howl and fell to the ground in a smoking heap of fur. The Prymins scaled the trees with undaunted fleetness, advancing on the Toran soldiers. The Torans pulled back on their arrows, but the massive branches obstructed their view, spurring the soldiers into flight for better aim.

Desh projected an image of the Torans no longer aiming for the Prymin climbing towards them, but rather for one on an opposite tree that was climbing towards another soldier. The soldiers switched tactics and arrows filled the air. A yell came from one of the Torans and Desh turned to see a Prymin on the soldier’s back, ripping through one of his wings. Half a dozen arrows penetrated the Prymin’s back and it too fell to the ground, with feathers still protruding from its mouth. The firing dissipated, but the Torans continued flying and jumping, searching for those still hiding.

Hold your fire
, Desh projected. He looked around, searching for movement, but saw only feathers and mounds of bloody white fur in the snow. He closed his eyes, listening, and released a fire bolt into a mass of snow that howled in pain. The jolt of electricity seared the Prymin beneath the icy blanket and the animal shook violently until the only movement was the steam rising from the body. Another bolt fired from the Mindeerian the second he heard the nails scraping the frozen bark. He opened his eyes to see the bolt sear the trunk as the last Prymin reached Kia. “Kia!” Desh yelled in horror. He jumped over the clearing and slammed his feet onto a thick branch, racing for his friend.

Kia dropped the bow and rammed an arrow through the Prymin’s chest with his hand. The Prymin spat blood and its tail came over its shoulder towards Kia’s throat. Kia put up his hand to block the claw, until
a barrage of arrows pierced the beast from every direction.

The Prymin fell to the ground, creating a thick cloud of white powder around it.

Desh’s heart continued to race while they looked around for more creatures in hiding. Once they felt secure they had killed the last Prymin, the Torans landed on the ground, retrieving their arrows and returning them to their quivers. Desh looked down at his hands and clenched his fists, trying to control the shaking from the lingering adrenaline. He took a deep breath, but resisted the temptation to rest. Instead, he walked around, wanting to remain prepared in case another were to spring out of the snow and kill him.

Relax, Brother. We got them
, Kia thought.

Desh couldn’t help but smile.
Who needed telepathy when one could read friends’ minds by the expressions on their faces?
Desh thought to himself.

The soldiers tended to the wounded and assessed the damage to their uniforms, flesh, and wings. Metal wands swiped across open wounds, cauterizing and creating healed scars within seconds. Soldiers mumbled obscenities when it was announced that they’d have to walk home due to the damage to some of the soldiers’ wings.

“We won’t make it back before dark if we walk,” Tig said to Desh. They looked up towards the departing sun and the clouds that looked ready to burst. “We’ll make camp here for the night and walk back in the morning.”

“We’ll freeze to death, Tig. What if it snows tonigh…” Desh stopped when he saw the image of a cave floating around Tig’s mind. Desh looked around, finding the mouth of the cave entrance, hidden behind a massive tree.

“The Prymin’s den,” Tig said. “For such vile creatures, they’re astoundingly hygienic. They don’t even eat where they sleep.”

Desh walked into the cave, with his palms illuminated. Despite the minimal space, there was a sufficient amount of room to shelter the soldiers. It was dry, clean, and would give them refuge from the snowfall.

They gathered the bodies of the Prymin, admiring the food that would feed the entire tribe, and fur that would not only keep them warm, but also camouflage them on hunting trips during winters to come. Nothing would be wasted, including the bones that would be used for arrowheads and knife handles. The soldiers finished binding the bodies together with vines and sat by a crackling fire. They roasted one of the Prymin, gulped down fresh water, and gathered their strength, while stories were told.

          
Out of the corner of his eye, Desh saw Tig tap on his thought blockers, initiating the silver shell to form around the outer lining of his ears. The Mindeerian smiled, trying not to take offense, knowing that intergalactic agents like Tig had secrets to keep, even from the most trusted.
           “Our last hunting trip on Torres,” Kia said as he sat down on a stone beside Desh. “I’m going to miss it.”
           “Come on,” Desh replied. “We’ve never lived in space before. Aren’t you the least bit excited?”
           “Sure I am, but aren’t you going to miss this place?” he continued, gazing at the trees that vaulted high into the sky. “They say no other planet in the Federation has trees as big as ours. That none have branches thick enough to run on or build houses in. I’m going to miss the trees.”
           “I’m sure I’ll miss this place too, but this has never been my home,” Desh replied. He thought about Mindeere, the planet of his birth, hoping that he would one day be able to return. He took a bite of meat and caught some of the men whispering and glancing at him. Desh listened to their thoughts for a moment, until Tig walked up.
           “Will you give us a moment, Kia?” Tig asked.

“Yes, sir,” Kia said, then jumped off the stone and sat on the other side of the fire, never straying too far from Desh.

“What’s on your mind?” Tig finally asked.

“They’re angry with me,” Desh said, watching the men.

“I wouldn’t say ‘angry’,” Tig replied.

“I can hear their thoughts, Tig. They’re angry.”

Tig grinned and nodded. “Yeah, okay. Maybe their feathers are a little ruffled.”

“I can’t hear yours though when you’re wearing thought blockers. I hope you know I meant no disrespect,” Desh said.

“Don’t worry, I’m not offended. I am, however, curious to know why you would have Kia give the war cry when you know it’s an honor given to the Alpha of the tribe. Kia may very well be Alpha one day, but not at fourteen.”

Desh looked over at Kia and tried to imagine how it must have looked to the other soldiers. Kia hadn’t yet come of age and therefore didn’t yet bear the tribal tattoos on his face like the others did. He must have looked like such a child to the men.

“Kia and I will no longer live by the Toran way once we leave for school next week,” Desh replied. “I need him to understand that. He will always give the war cry in my battles, regardless of whether there’s another soldier who’s older, stronger, or more experienced.”

“Then today was exactly as it should have been. You proved yourself today, you know,” Tig said.

           “I don’t know how much I proved, considering I had half the tribe helping me,” Desh mumbled. “Tig, how do I earn respect and prove that I deserve my position when I’m constantly being babysat? How do I prove that I’m not a coward?”

“A coward would have killed the lone Prymin and gone home. Their families will be safer tonight because of your orders today. Don’t think the men don’t realize that,” Tig replied. “You’re more respected than you think, Desh. And though your responsibility may be to one day lead, ours is to keep you safe, especially while you’re still learning. And Desh…like it or not, you
are
still learning.”

CHAPTER 2

Fight like a human

Planet: Earth
Galaxy: Milky Way
Federation Date: 7.5.7266
Earth Date: 5.14.5181 A.D.

Renn buckled, taking the full force of the fist to his stomach. He fell into the dirt, scraping his hands against the rough twigs and rocks, and strained to breathe. He always hated this view — dirt, rocks, and Jonah’s dusty shoes so close to his face. Renn grabbed onto a tree, pulling himself up before Jonah could pin him down again.

Jonah was only a year older than Renn, but even at the age of fourteen, he was already a full head taller than his classmates, and thirty pounds heavier.

           “Walk away, Jonah,” Renn warned.
           “In your dreams, butt-wipe,” Jonah replied. “You have no right here!”
           “I’m half Earthling. I have as much right to be here as you do, and you kicking my ass every week isn’t going to change that,” Renn said.
           “Not if you burn a human, you biohazard. Come on, it would be worth it to see you get banned from this planet.” Jonah grabbed Renn’s shirt and pulled him closer. “I dare you to spark!” he hissed.

Renn clenched his fists in an attempt to hide the electricity that snapped in his hands, burning his own fingers and making him jump.

Jonah laughed and shoved Renn into the trunk of a large pine tree.

Renn swung his right fist, but Jonah grabbed his arm and used the momentum to throw him to the ground again.

“You’re such chemwaste!” Renn seethed, picking himself up.

“What did you call me?” Jonah asked, slapping Renn across the face when he got up.

Renn swiped at Jonah’s hands, fearing what would happen if he lost control of the energy revving up inside him.
It has to be a physical fight
, Renn reminded himself.
Fight like a human, fight like a human.

“Come on, spark, you mutt, spark!” Jonah taunted.

Renn took another swing, but his punch did little more than jiggle Jonah’s flabby belly. He saw Jonah make a fist, but couldn’t move fast enough and Renn’s nose took the full impact. He felt warm liquid trickle down his chin and he fell backwards feeling the disorientation engulf him.

Renn scrambled to get back up and grabbed a broken branch, pointing the sharp end towards Jonah. “I don’t need telekinesis to stab you with a stick,” he said, readying himself to lunge.

Jonah watched, calculating. He looked around at the feeble options nature provided as weapons and his posture relaxed in resolution. “It doesn’t have to be today. I will get you, mutt. Remember that,” he replied before walking away.

Once Jonah had disappeared over the hill, Renn dropped the branch and scrunched his shirt to his nose. He stood there for a while, leaning against a tree trunk, waiting for the bleeding to stop. He took deep breaths as he fought back tears, and hoped no prying eyes were watching.

He stared at the dirt path before him and brushed the blond hair out of his eyes with his scratched fingers. If he turned left, it would lead him to school. If he turned right, the path would take him back home, but that scenario always ended the same way.

Renn had first met Jonah on a school hover-bus leaving for summer camp in the third grade. Jonah was in the fourth grade and went as a counselor’s helper. He acted like he was a nice guy, passing around homemade chocolate chip cookies to the kids on the bus. The chocolate chips, however, contained laxatives, a sickening drug to other species. Renn spent two days puking his guts out, to Jonah’s sheer amusement. It could have ended a lot worse had Renn’s Mindeerian body not been half human.