“Why would that matter?”
“Because easy offends me. And I think it offends him too.”
Lightning flashes. The storm is moving fast. An hour at most before it hits.
“This is your last chance,” Vek says. “Come with me. Survive the storm in comfort. Or stay here and hope he bothers to save you.”
I pick up one of the stones scattered from last night's desperate activities. Test its weight.
“You should go.”
“You're making a mistake.”
“My mistake to make.”
He stares at me for a long moment. Then backs away slowly.
“When the storm hits, remember you chose this.”
“I'll choose it again.”
He turns to leave, then pauses. “For what it's worth, I hope you survive.”
Then he's gone, disappearing into the canyon's maze. I'm alone with the purple fruits and storm clouds that grow darker every minute.
I pick up the third fruit, tuck it into what's left of my suit along with the water. Thunder rolls overhead. The air tastes electric. Dangerous.
I should find shelter. Should run. Should do something other than stand here waiting for disaster.
A sound behind me. Soft. Deliberate.
I don't turn. “I know you're there.”
Silence.
“Both of you.”
More silence, but the quality changes. Charged. Two predators who've been watching the entire exchange.
The air shifts. Someone moves to my left. Green scales catching peripheral vision. Vek circled back. Or never really left. To my right, a shimmer of heat against stone. Crimson scales. Khor.
They're both watching. Waiting. The storm builds overhead, and I'm caught between two hunters while the canyon fills with electric tension.
Neither speaks. Neither moves closer.
The storm will force this. When the rain falls, I'll have to choose. But for now, in this suspended moment before the sky breaks open, I'm exactly where I chose to be.
Between two predators. Belonging to neither.
Waiting for the storm to decide what happens next.
KHOR
DAY 5 - LATE MORNING
She threw the rock harder than necessary. Not to wound. To make a point. Vek disappeared into the canyon maze, but like most young hunters, he circles back. Can't quite abandon the hunt even when rejected.
I drop from my perch on the canyon wall. The impact sends vibrations through stone, announcing my presence properly. No more hiding. No more watching from shadows.
