Chapter Two
The Half-Tiger
Rei burst the locked door open and ran up the stairs. He slid under the bed with his heart racing. He stayed there for what seemed like eternity. When nothing came to eat him, he stuck his head out from under the bed. Cautiously, he slid out from under the bed and crossed over to the door. His heart was beating so loud, it sounded like footsteps coming in the house. Suddenly, he froze, his heart stopping. The noise continued. Rei spun around in a panic and dove back under the bed. He whimpered until he heard the door open slowly.
"Rei?" the voice of that creature called out. Rei's eyes bugged out and his heart stopped again. He listened to the thuds as the creature walked around the room. He stayed perfectly still. Were it not for the fact that he was breathing, he could have very well been a statue. He was sure that he would prefer it.
The thuds were receding and eventually they stopped all together. Rei let out his breath in a rush of air. The tense muscles relaxed and his whole body loosened up. Suddenly a head poked into Rei's field of view. Having nothing better to do, he screamed as a tiger would. Unable to tell the beast in its own language to get away, he used his own.
It pulled back the arm it had stuck under the bed, which was now scratched. Rei took the opportunity and dashed out of the door and out of the house. He ran as far and as fast as he could until he collapsed, exhausted.
~~~~*~~~~
Garr snatched back the arm Rei had scratched. He blinked as a small blur of color sped through his legs and out of the room. Garr sighed and set off after him. Rei could only maintain such a speed for a small amount of time, he reasoned to himself. Therefore, Garr would have an advantage over the striped child. Or so he thought. This time the trail was relatively easy to follow. Especially for one used to tracking in the shifting sands of the desert. Rei was making no effort to hide where he had gone and Garr took advantage of that. After a while he found the boy asleep beneath a tree where he must have collapsed.
Garr smiled and pick the boy up. He blinked, surprised at how light Rei really was. Then he noticed that his ribs showed and the clothing wasn't exactly high quality. Garr made a decision and began walking off into the forest.
~~~~*~~~~
Rei woke up to a gentle rocking back and forth. Unfortunately for him…he got motion sickness. He blinked and struggled to get off the boat. There was something restraining him. This time he really blinked…and panicked. The creature had him! The creature's voice gently told him to stop struggling. Rei relaxed as the voice droned on and on. It was a deep voice, but not unpleasantly so…unlike old man Bunyan. Rei stared up at the bird- like face, still inherently wary.
The creature stopped and took out a canteen. He handed it to Rei…which meant the creature had been restraining him with only one arm! Rei's panic came back slightly. Rei took the canteen and stared at the creature.
"Drink up little one. It's just water." Rei blinked again and tried looking into the canteen. It didn't work. The creature took the water back despite that Rei was holding onto it with all the strength he had left. Which at the moment wasn't that much. It took a swallow and gave the water back. After a moment it spoke again.
"See, I'm still alive. It's not poison." Rei just continued staring at him. The creature sighed. Rei blanched and held on tightly. He was not going to fall from this height. Rei waited a few moments more, then took a small sip after sniffing for the few poisons he knew by scent. Again he waited, this time for the excruciating pain to start. When nothing happened, he drank greedily.
"Easy! Too much of a good thing is bad." The creature said suddenly. Rei stopped drinking and tried to figure this out. He wasn't having much success, so he went back to drinking. When all the water was gone, Rei sighed and was over come by overwhelming fatigue. Gratefully, he sank into sleep, feeling a sense of safety in the creature's large and obviously strong arms.
~~~~*~~~~
Garr looked down at the sleeping child in his arms. Gently, he detangled the canteen from his rather possessive hands. Again, he started off towards the desert home of his people. He was returning. But he was not returning alone this time.
The Half-Tiger
Rei burst the locked door open and ran up the stairs. He slid under the bed with his heart racing. He stayed there for what seemed like eternity. When nothing came to eat him, he stuck his head out from under the bed. Cautiously, he slid out from under the bed and crossed over to the door. His heart was beating so loud, it sounded like footsteps coming in the house. Suddenly, he froze, his heart stopping. The noise continued. Rei spun around in a panic and dove back under the bed. He whimpered until he heard the door open slowly.
"Rei?" the voice of that creature called out. Rei's eyes bugged out and his heart stopped again. He listened to the thuds as the creature walked around the room. He stayed perfectly still. Were it not for the fact that he was breathing, he could have very well been a statue. He was sure that he would prefer it.
The thuds were receding and eventually they stopped all together. Rei let out his breath in a rush of air. The tense muscles relaxed and his whole body loosened up. Suddenly a head poked into Rei's field of view. Having nothing better to do, he screamed as a tiger would. Unable to tell the beast in its own language to get away, he used his own.
It pulled back the arm it had stuck under the bed, which was now scratched. Rei took the opportunity and dashed out of the door and out of the house. He ran as far and as fast as he could until he collapsed, exhausted.
~~~~*~~~~
Garr snatched back the arm Rei had scratched. He blinked as a small blur of color sped through his legs and out of the room. Garr sighed and set off after him. Rei could only maintain such a speed for a small amount of time, he reasoned to himself. Therefore, Garr would have an advantage over the striped child. Or so he thought. This time the trail was relatively easy to follow. Especially for one used to tracking in the shifting sands of the desert. Rei was making no effort to hide where he had gone and Garr took advantage of that. After a while he found the boy asleep beneath a tree where he must have collapsed.
Garr smiled and pick the boy up. He blinked, surprised at how light Rei really was. Then he noticed that his ribs showed and the clothing wasn't exactly high quality. Garr made a decision and began walking off into the forest.
~~~~*~~~~
Rei woke up to a gentle rocking back and forth. Unfortunately for him…he got motion sickness. He blinked and struggled to get off the boat. There was something restraining him. This time he really blinked…and panicked. The creature had him! The creature's voice gently told him to stop struggling. Rei relaxed as the voice droned on and on. It was a deep voice, but not unpleasantly so…unlike old man Bunyan. Rei stared up at the bird- like face, still inherently wary.
The creature stopped and took out a canteen. He handed it to Rei…which meant the creature had been restraining him with only one arm! Rei's panic came back slightly. Rei took the canteen and stared at the creature.
"Drink up little one. It's just water." Rei blinked again and tried looking into the canteen. It didn't work. The creature took the water back despite that Rei was holding onto it with all the strength he had left. Which at the moment wasn't that much. It took a swallow and gave the water back. After a moment it spoke again.
"See, I'm still alive. It's not poison." Rei just continued staring at him. The creature sighed. Rei blanched and held on tightly. He was not going to fall from this height. Rei waited a few moments more, then took a small sip after sniffing for the few poisons he knew by scent. Again he waited, this time for the excruciating pain to start. When nothing happened, he drank greedily.
"Easy! Too much of a good thing is bad." The creature said suddenly. Rei stopped drinking and tried to figure this out. He wasn't having much success, so he went back to drinking. When all the water was gone, Rei sighed and was over come by overwhelming fatigue. Gratefully, he sank into sleep, feeling a sense of safety in the creature's large and obviously strong arms.
~~~~*~~~~
Garr looked down at the sleeping child in his arms. Gently, he detangled the canteen from his rather possessive hands. Again, he started off towards the desert home of his people. He was returning. But he was not returning alone this time.