Feral Heart by Duron Crejaro (distant reading .TXT) 📕

bar that ran across the length of the platform. Men, women, even children of varying ages, all in varying degrees of despair. Some stood tall, confused stoic, wondering why all this was happening. Others were shaken, running the gamut from desperate pleading to languished crying. My heart bled for them, I couldn’t imagine what it must be like, ripped away from their homes without explanation, restrained and paraded in front of the masses like this. The angry resenting voice once again began prodding at the back of my mind. That’s when I saw them, my parents; they were hand in hand, grief stricken and among those that seemed silent and resigned to fate. I halted in my slow march towards the stage; I wanted to yell to them, ensure them everything would be all right. I couldn’t because hell, I didn’t even know myself. They hadn’t noticed me; they were busy looking out at the crowds.

 

Another shove, more violent than the first rocked my body. I stumbled and almost fell to the ground. After regaining my balance, I turned in a swift motion and gave the enforcers right behind me a scathing venomous glare, complete with a snarl. They were taken aback, shrinking away from me in discomfort. The anger beating away at my mind making a slow procession forward, I straightened my shoulders and posture. If this were the way things were going to go down, at least I would have it happen with my dignity in tact. The enforcers remained on the field as I ascended the stairs. They didn’t chain me to the pole like the others. What would be the point? There was nowhere for me to go. Enforcers littered the field, and when I scanned the once again roaring crowds in the stands I could easily spot the enforcers placed all around in their shiny uniforms and menacing weapons.

 

As I walked, the gaze of those gathered burned into my back. I ignored them all, keeping my eyes glued on my parents. Their faces lit up with recognition, dad even tried to rush to me, but the restraints on his hand jerked him back towards the poles that held them. I couldn’t restrain myself any longer and burst into a full run. I all but collapsed into their embrace. How long had it been I wondered. Thinking back, I realized almost two months had passed since I had seen them. Mom began crying, and I could tell dad was on the verge as well. I smiled to them, trying to reassure them, despite knowing what Mrs. Davenport had planned.

 

“Where on earth have you been young lady?” Dad asked.

 

Redness rushed to rouge my cheeks as my eyes scrunched into a grimace, guess I should have expected him to start like this, “I uhm, well.”

 

“Leave her alone David.” My mother squeezed me harder than she ever had before. “This is neither the time or place for that.”

 

“No it’s ok mom. Well Dad, I met this Wylder guy when I was exploring the Old World. He saved me from a pack of Wild Dogs. Then Cami got taken, and no one would tell me what they did with the Wylder they took. So, I ran off to the Wylder. They helped me find Cami, they are really nice, and I think you would both like them.” Once I started, I couldn’t stop myself. “I dunno what they told everyone, but most of it’s lies. We did overturn a base in the Old World, but it was a secret research facility where they were doing experiments on the Wylder, me included.”

 

“What do you mean you included?”

 

“They did all kinds of horrible stuff to us. But it doesn’t matter, all that is over with now and I’m here.” I hugged them again.

 

“Why would they experiment on you? You’re not Wylder.”

 

“Well, everyone seems to think I am. Really though I feel just like everyone else. I don’t have any strange powers like some of the Wylder.”

 

I considered telling them what Mrs. Davenport had in store for today, but decided against it. They would find out soon enough, no reason to cause early grief. A small sigh escaped me, but went unnoticed. Just then, a procession of armed enforcers appeared at the end of the field, followed by a number of lesser political figures within the city. Mrs. Davenport entered last, strutting across the field behind them all, nose upturned. Watching her disgusted me, her and her obnoxious superiority complex. The angry voice in the back of my head persisted in its quiet push forward, one of my eyes twitched.

 

She stepped up to the podium and tapped the microphone a few times, sending a thump thump thump through the speakers that echoed through the stadium. Those gathered got quiet, their crescendo dulling down to a murmur of whispers floating through the air. The enforcers on the field formed a long line behind her, facing the stricken people on stage.

 

“Citizen’s of Nashboro. I have gathered everyone here today, so together; we can witness the beginning of the end of the Wylder scourge that has plagued us since the near destruction of humanity. I know you have all heard the reports of the attack on the enforcer-training base. I know many of you have been worried about the security of our fair city. Rest assured we are working day and night to make sure that these unholy creatures do not force their way through the perimeter walls.” She said.

 

I watched, many in the stands cheered, yelled, clapped. All in exaltation of this, foul woman who now claimed dictatorship over this community through fear and paranoia. They were all at the hands of a maniacal racist and they didn’t know it. What’s worse I thought, they don’t even realize they could be next on the chopping block.

 

“Through our tireless efforts. We have rounded up a large portion of Wylder sympathizers from our grand community. What’s more, we have a special treat for everyone. The perpetrator of the vicious slaughter of our young enforcers in training was caught trying to sneak back into the city. She stands before you, ready to be judged for her crimes alongside her conspirators.” She paused to turn and give a gesture in my direction.

 

“All of these criminals before you today, have been trying to strike at the very fabric of everything we have worked so hard to achieve. I tell you all right here and now. We will not stand for this, these creatures and their accomplices will be dealt with in the only way that they understand.” She turned again to the captain of the enforcers and gave a nod.

 

I closed my eyes, tears pouring from them as the sound of gunfire echoed through a now silent audience. Only the painful screams of those dieing at hands of a madwoman’s designs overshadowed the weapon’s discharges. A sudden movement on both sides jerked me back a step. I knew what it was before I even opened my eyes. My knee’s lost their ability to support me and I fell into my parent’s arms. They sagged under the weight and we crashed to the ground. The smell of coppery blood assaulted my senses, but there was no pain. I knew then how evil this woman was. I had been spared, saved as the main event. I lay there, embraced in my parent’s arms, forced to watch as the gaping wounds poured blood. I held them, not caring about the sticky wetness of blood as it soaked into my clothes. I stared into their eyes until life left them vacant. I descended into a sobbing weeping mess, unable to move or speak. I couldn’t help myself and at that moment wished for nothing other than my turn to come. I ignored the unintelligible shouts of the crowds, the rough calls for order from Mrs. Davenport, nothing mattered anymore.

 

That’s when it happened. I would have sworn I imagined it at first, but no, it remained. A whisper of power in the air, a small taut current of energy inundated everything around me. It hummed through me, soothing my tortured soul. I blinked away the tears, scanning for the source. I almost missed her, so faint in her appearance that sunlight streamed freely through her. Aeolia, she stood amongst the crowds, unmoving against the backdrop of chaos. She smiled at me, the same unfaltering self-confident smile she always wore, in that moment I knew I was saved.

Chapter 29: The Beast Within

The voice in my head nagged as I scanned the chaos. Screams of terror rained down on me from the audience. Enforcers reached for weapons they thought they wouldn’t need. All through the crowds, I saw them appear, wraiths intermingled with the masses. A Palustri, half shifted with the body of a man, but the fur, claws and snarling head of a Jaguar rushed an enforcer who fumbled for his gun. He reacted to slow and went down, as terrified people hurried to get out of the way. Nearby, a gigantic bear towered over the people; I smiled when I realized it was Binala. She reached with paws nearly twice the size of the enforcer’s head picking him up, and in one smooth motion chucked him over the edge of the stands into the field below. The Ursus and her notorious temper never missed a step, as she took a shot to the arm. She charged forward and rammed knifelike claws into the offender’s guts. She splayed him open, letting the contents litter the ground.

 

Then I saw Gloria; a vicious snarling oversized mass of fur, claws and teeth. She leapt between chairs, bounding over bewildered citizens as she assassinated enforcers with the same prejudice they showed her in the Academy. As I watched her rip another enforcer to shreds, the largest cheetah I’ve ever seen bound through the air, well above the heads of onlookers. His spotted sides heaved with heavy breathing as he stalked along the field. His eyes never left the Enforcers that scrambled to encircle Mrs. Davenport.

 

Nalena appeared far off to my right. Her lithe muscular half tigress form glowed fiery orange in the bright afternoon light. She struggled to fight several armed guards that surrounded her. One went down from a swift powerful swipe to the throat. The others closed in on her. An enormous Lion charged in; it leapt a great distance. Its flowing golden mane whipped back from its open maw as it landed with a sickening crunch on a guard, crushing him to death before roaring in rage.

 

A loud screech reverberated around me. A shadow loomed overhead, passing across the field with lightning speed that I could barely follow. An owl, easily twice the size of a man, zipped through the air towards the stage, at the last second it turned, dove and caught an screaming enforcer in its taloned clutches. It regained its height in the air; the squirming man didn’t hinder it in the slightest. The owl hovered for several seconds before releasing the man; he fell, screaming the entire way, before his cries were silenced on impact.

 

So it went, the masses cowered in fear, or tried to flee. The enforcers present picked off one by one in short order, or