Thicker than Water
A New Species is Born
Everything hurt; and I mean everything. The searing icy cold that had been surging through my veins from when Andy bit me had now been replace with a numbing warmth. Somehow I knew I was dead, seeing as I couldn't feel my heart beating and I wasn't breathing. Yet I was alive?
You are meant for more than being a human. Live again and bring peace between the two species. A voice whispered in my head, right as my heart began to thud in my chest. I gasped, and the numbing warmth changed into a burning fire that burned through my body. It felt as if my vocal chords had been charred, keeping me from being able to scream.
The fire raged, burning away the iciness creeping towards my heart, merging with it and changing my body. My veins and arteries throbbed and ached, pushing upwards in my skin. Slowly my lungs began to burn and I took in another huge gasp of air, before taking more ragged breaths. I could feel pins and needles begin to start in my fingers, and I curled them back and forth. The raging fire continued to spread through my body before it centered in my chest and vanished.
My eyes snapped open and I stared up at the bright blue sky. The sun's rays shone brightly down on me, and I blinked my eyes rapidly.
"Ashley!" I looked over to a dark doorway, seeing Andy standing there with both shock and happiness on his face. My defenses kicked in and I sprang up from the ground and began sprinting away from them. He had bitten me... but I was still human? Or was I? I was running so fast through the abandoned streets, faster than human ever should have. And I kept running; down the deserted streets and out into the lush forest.
I finally collapsed on the edge of the forest, where the clearing for the main base of the rebellion was. It was only about midday, but it felt even later seeing as how long I had been running. After laying there in the shade for about an hour more I summoned enough strength to drag myself towards the base.
"Who are you and why are you here?" I heard someone yell, followed by the sound of crossbows being aimed at me and guns cocked. Exhaustion overcame me again, and I fell to my knees.
"I... need help..." I gasped out before the world went dark again.
Talon
"Please Brit Boy, we need to assemble an assault team to go after Outlaw! We can't let those leeches get him! I've already lost my entire quadrant; please don't let me lose him too." I begged Brit Boy and he sighed again.
"I'm sorry Talon, but we simply can't. It's too much of a risk. I know how much he means to you Talon, just as much as he means to me. But we can't. I'm sorry." He hung his head and I felt tears threaten to fall. Both of us sat there in silence, and I could tell from his body stance that he was fighting off tears too. Suddenly a woman walked in her eyes hard as she walked over to Brit Boy.
"Brit Boy, a man just ran out of the woods. He's unconscious; he simply asked for help before falling over. Should we bring him in?" She asked and I felt hope begin to bud in my chest. Brit Boy and I stood up at the same time.
"Show us him Caster." She nodded, and we followed her out to the watchtowers. Brit Boy and I gasped at the same time as we realized who was lying out in the field.
"Grab a medic and have him meet us out on the field." Caster nodded and ran off, I ran down to Outlaw's side. Brit Boy arrived just a few seconds after me with the medic Shaman, and the three of us knelt by Outlaw.
"There's a lot of blood..." I whispered, noticing the dark red liquid still oozing out of his neck. Shaman grabbed Outlaw's chin and tilted it to the side exposing his neck. The three of us gasped at the deep bite wound on his neck and I felt my stomach drop.
"Feeding bites are shallow, and I am sorry to tell you this... but he's been infected. From the looks of it, only a few hours ago." Shaman said quietly, and I couldn't help but let out a choked gasp. He's infected... Even Brit Boy looked resigned, before pulling out his handgun.
"But there is more; when infected the venom only takes about ten or so minutes until it's run it's course. What is confusing me is why he's not burning up in the sun." The three of us exchanged glances, before Shaman turned his focus back to Outlaw. Lifting up Outlaw's lip the three of us gasped when we saw the set of pearly white fangs.
"This is amazing... Bring him into the base, and put him in a cell. Talon, I want you to get the story behind this after he's awake again." Brit Boy motioned for some other soldiers to pick Outlaw up and we all headed back into the base. I find out what had happened to Outlaw in the few hours he had been taken away from us.
You are meant for more than being a human. Live again and bring peace between the two species. A voice whispered in my head, right as my heart began to thud in my chest. I gasped, and the numbing warmth changed into a burning fire that burned through my body. It felt as if my vocal chords had been charred, keeping me from being able to scream.
The fire raged, burning away the iciness creeping towards my heart, merging with it and changing my body. My veins and arteries throbbed and ached, pushing upwards in my skin. Slowly my lungs began to burn and I took in another huge gasp of air, before taking more ragged breaths. I could feel pins and needles begin to start in my fingers, and I curled them back and forth. The raging fire continued to spread through my body before it centered in my chest and vanished.
My eyes snapped open and I stared up at the bright blue sky. The sun's rays shone brightly down on me, and I blinked my eyes rapidly.
"Ashley!" I looked over to a dark doorway, seeing Andy standing there with both shock and happiness on his face. My defenses kicked in and I sprang up from the ground and began sprinting away from them. He had bitten me... but I was still human? Or was I? I was running so fast through the abandoned streets, faster than human ever should have. And I kept running; down the deserted streets and out into the lush forest.
I finally collapsed on the edge of the forest, where the clearing for the main base of the rebellion was. It was only about midday, but it felt even later seeing as how long I had been running. After laying there in the shade for about an hour more I summoned enough strength to drag myself towards the base.
"Who are you and why are you here?" I heard someone yell, followed by the sound of crossbows being aimed at me and guns cocked. Exhaustion overcame me again, and I fell to my knees.
"I... need help..." I gasped out before the world went dark again.
Talon
"Please Brit Boy, we need to assemble an assault team to go after Outlaw! We can't let those leeches get him! I've already lost my entire quadrant; please don't let me lose him too." I begged Brit Boy and he sighed again.
"I'm sorry Talon, but we simply can't. It's too much of a risk. I know how much he means to you Talon, just as much as he means to me. But we can't. I'm sorry." He hung his head and I felt tears threaten to fall. Both of us sat there in silence, and I could tell from his body stance that he was fighting off tears too. Suddenly a woman walked in her eyes hard as she walked over to Brit Boy.
"Brit Boy, a man just ran out of the woods. He's unconscious; he simply asked for help before falling over. Should we bring him in?" She asked and I felt hope begin to bud in my chest. Brit Boy and I stood up at the same time.
"Show us him Caster." She nodded, and we followed her out to the watchtowers. Brit Boy and I gasped at the same time as we realized who was lying out in the field.
"Grab a medic and have him meet us out on the field." Caster nodded and ran off, I ran down to Outlaw's side. Brit Boy arrived just a few seconds after me with the medic Shaman, and the three of us knelt by Outlaw.
"There's a lot of blood..." I whispered, noticing the dark red liquid still oozing out of his neck. Shaman grabbed Outlaw's chin and tilted it to the side exposing his neck. The three of us gasped at the deep bite wound on his neck and I felt my stomach drop.
"Feeding bites are shallow, and I am sorry to tell you this... but he's been infected. From the looks of it, only a few hours ago." Shaman said quietly, and I couldn't help but let out a choked gasp. He's infected... Even Brit Boy looked resigned, before pulling out his handgun.
"But there is more; when infected the venom only takes about ten or so minutes until it's run it's course. What is confusing me is why he's not burning up in the sun." The three of us exchanged glances, before Shaman turned his focus back to Outlaw. Lifting up Outlaw's lip the three of us gasped when we saw the set of pearly white fangs.
"This is amazing... Bring him into the base, and put him in a cell. Talon, I want you to get the story behind this after he's awake again." Brit Boy motioned for some other soldiers to pick Outlaw up and we all headed back into the base. I find out what had happened to Outlaw in the few hours he had been taken away from us.
update
9/16/14