Auria

Chapter 14 - My Bad

Cold water burned Auria's open wounds, though it numbed her tired, bare feet.  She washed for a minute and kept a wary eye to the surrounding hillsides, then noticed a darkness to the water.  She dove in.

'What are you doing?' thought Gen.
'Swimming.  It's deeper here.'

The water became crystal clear near the bottom, where she picked up a couple rocks and coddled them until returning to slap both on the bank.  The hillside appeared serene and quiet.  Auria sank beneath the surface one more time.  Picking up another large rock, she became startled.  A shadow crept over the creek channel.  She sat still against the bottom for a moment.  The bird looked over its shoulder, then flopping wings swept away, failing to notice the girl.

'How did he understand me, earlier?'
'You have a chip in your head.' thought Gen.  'It translates telepathically the true intentions of one's meanings into words.  That's how they explained it.'
'Who are they?'
'They are...  Think like a bird on the wind.  The wind is they... and they control the skies.  They allow the rains to come... and the sun to shine... the cold to fall and the heat to stay.  They are those who will always have a say about everything.'
'So, just say you don't know.'
'You've caught me.  But, they do exist.  By our thoughts and deepest desires.  They are what we cannot see, but cannot avoid.'
'Did they make the universe?' she thought.
'They had a hand in it... as do you.'
'Found trees for ya spears.'

Auria ran along the creek bank, reaching ahead to grab and swing from the highest perch of a thin, tree trunk.  She pulled and snapped a small, brown-barked stick, then drug it between two close-growing trees for leverage to snap the top, producing a spear one and a half times the length of a man.  A good shaving across rocks formed the point.  She continued until several spears lay in a pile.

'High ground, now.' thought Gen.

She gathered the spears and climbed a hill, toward the Arena wall.  There, she stabbed each spear into the ground and began tying them together loosely to form a sharp-tipped frame.  They formed an outward-facing circle of spears.  Both ends sharpened over a rock she'd smashed against another, cutting it in half.

'I'm a creamy, cold killer... gonna be chilling...' she thought
'That's ice-cold,' thought Gen.  'Or stone-cold.'
'I like hers.' thought 238.
'You would.'
'Ice-stone, cold-cream, killing musheen.' she thought.  'Hey, it's my head.  If you don't like it, get out.'
'We love it.' thought 238.
'Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...'
'Not hearing you... humming inside my head.'
'Anything to drown out the noise.'
'Munch, munch, crunch, crunch.'
'238, are you eating?'
'No, ugh maybe...'
'There's no action here.' thought Auria.  'I say we move.'
'You've been sitting for only five minutes.' thought Gen.
'Yes, but the sun is going down.  Haven't you noticed.'
'Who taught you not to be afraid of the dark?' thought Gen.
'My Mother?'
'No.'
'238?  No, definitely my Mother.' she thought.
'How do we fight in the dark?'
'Close up.  Let our traps aid us.'
'Set traps and wait.  Rocks.  You're on a hill.  Find two of the strongest spears and keep them close while you gather rocks.'

Something tapped Gen on the chest.  He opened eyes and saw Loof standing upright, cane outstretched and touching his chest.

“Sot, how nice to see you.  Where's Loof?”
“Not this time,” said Sot, “Loof isn't here for you.”
“Just a little bit... for your old, pal Gen.  Why don't you dance for me, Loof?”
“Never!  Guards!”
“What did I do?” asked Gen.
“You've interfered with the fight by using a second mentor.”
“I'm her Master.  238 is to blame... kill him if you like.”
'Gen, how dare you say that.' thought Auria.
'It isn't my fault.' thought 238.  'My name was on the list.'
“Defer to wager.  Arena challenge for fighter Gen 238.” said Gen.
“Denied.” said Sot.  “Your mistake, your challenge.”
“I wager myself, then.” said Gen, taking off his helmet when the robotic guards charged weapons.
“Challenge accepted.  Terms and conditions pending.” said Sot, pecking the cane to the floor and walking away.  A bulging rear end of puffy pants covered its huge, bulbous buttocks.
“One for the road, Loof.” said Gen.

Sot dropped to all fours, ripped off pants and threw them, shaking his rear above his head, bobbing back and forth.

“Loof, have Mercy.” said Gen.
“You know I can't overrule my better half.” he grunted, shaking harder and faster, his enormous backside changed colors in the light, almost glowing.  “Let it mesmerize you, take you away to somewhere hypnotic and...”
“Still not doing it for me, Loof.”
“Sot will deal with you.”  He stood, picked up the cane and picked up pants with it and slid them to his hands.  “You are despicable.” frowned Sot.

'238, what is happening?' thought Auria.
'Master Gen is being carried away by the guards.'
'What did he do?'
'Cheating... or something worse.  He wagered himself to the Arena.'
'He's going to fight?'
'But, as a former champion, they won't allow him to fight as Master Gen.  He'll be penalized.'