Chapter six: Insanity!
Present…
Robert
I tried to keep as still as I could, watching as the Terinans moved below us. The ache on my arms got worse each second I was there, and the side of my head throbbed mercilessly. But I stayed still, knowing if I moved an inch, they'd see me.
The others were in less trouble from moving. Ithiell and Amanda were in the Y of a tree, with Ithiell holding both her and the tree with his tail and one of his arms. Amanda was holding on to the tree with one arm as well. Rtaia was further up in the trees, her claws stuck in a thick branch, upright, and holding on.
Still, the Terinans moved below us. They'd become to much, and we'd run as fast as we could. We'd only managed to climb the trees (by Rtaia's suggestion) as they'd caught up to us. Although we'd managed to take out their numbers, there were still just too many. And more seemed to come each time.
Sweat trickled down my forehead, and I managed to catch it in my tongue before it fell to the ground. Son far, I'd counted at least thirty-three Terinans. Way too much for four people alone to fight.
I looked over at Ithiell, and he looked at me. He mouthed 'birds' and then looked up at Rtaia. She got the same message I did. Amanda was already changing.
How am I gonna do this without falling? I wondered, watching as my feet twisted and changed. There was only one way I knew of, and as my head became that of a Peregrine Falcon, I watched as the Terinans continued to come. Were they looking for us, or just finding a good place to start taking over? I couldn't tell.
I waited until the last possible second to shift my wings, and when I did I flapped them hard.
Then…
"Screehaaa! IMMAAAA!" Came the panicked voices from below, and as I watched the others take off, shots were fired. Jahara beams. The Terinans most favoured weapons. Grey beams of light shot past me as I worked my wings for all they were worth, finally managing to get above the trees.
An owl, a kestrel, and a pigeon hawk soon joined me.
(Let's go! We-)
But he never got to finish, because at that moment there was a scream. And it didn't come from any of us.
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Jade
"Heeeyaaaaa!" I grabbed the Terinans arm, arching my back and throwing him over my head. I knocked him straight into his brother that was trying to slice and dice me with a crescent sword. His spikes got impaled on the other one. I rolled and grabbed the sword before either could react, finishing the job.
Not far from me, Ax was doing his own handiwork.
They'd come out of no-where as we reached the cliff where the tracks stopped, and the others had barely been able to get into the trees before they'd attacked. It was the only place I could think of where they could get the time to morph. Until then, Ax, Tobias and I would be getting into them.
"TSSSSEERRRR!" Tobias cried, raking the eyes of a taller one. Then he flapped up, trying to get enough altitude to strike again. Ax was whipping his tail left and right at whatever Terinans came at him. Me? I was using what I'd learnt in the past six years to fight with all I had.
I ducked as a blade came swinging at me, then swung my own sword into the belly of the one that was trying to attack me. He dropped like a stone.
TSSSSSEWWW! CRASHHHH! A Terinan fired at me, barely missing. Seconds later his weapon, and himself, were pieces on the floor.
"Thanks Ax!" I called, then ran and grabbed the shoulders of one that was coming at me. I flipped over him, and when he turned to look at me… well, he was kind of missing a head by then.
The fight was brutal, but in this game it was either them or us. And they had come to our planet and attacked first.
BAM! I was down! A Terinan had run into me while I was looking for Ax. His face was just inches from mine as he smiled that sick smile.
"Want a taste? Well, guess what?" I grabbed his shoulders, stuck a foot in his waist, and threw him over me with all my might. He screamed as he fell down the steep cliff, made by our earlier fights. I managed to get myself upright, then windmilled my arms as I teetered on the edge. Seconds later big thick fingers wrapped around my wrist.
(Need a hand?) Marco asked. He pulled me away from the edge as I saw Jake drop stealthily down from the trees and take out two at once. I saw Cassie and Rachel were already ripping into the fray.
"Thanks" I huffed, then picked up the crescent sword I'd dropped and threw it at a Terinan that had Tobias in a death grip. Seconds later Tobias took off into the sky.
(Thanks Jade)
"We watch out for one another" I panted as two very dumb Terinans came running at Marco and me. Marco ran at them, slamming them with pile driver fists. Safe to say I wouldn't be seeing them around any more.
"DIE HUMAN!" One slammed me from the side before I could defend myself, almost knocking me off the cliff. I grabbed him roughly, turned him, and waved goodbye as he joined his brother.
I heard a pained roar, and turned to see a blade had been shoved straight through Marco's shoulder blade.
"NO!" I screamed, trying to get to him. Three Terinans got in my way, and I expertly dodged around them. I saw Jake take out the Terinan that had attacked Marco, then Rachel go over and pull the sword out. He screamed in my head and bellowed in animal rage.
TTSSSEWWWWW!
TSEEEERRRRR! Tobias!
I turned in time to see him falling into the ravine, one wing smoking.
(TOBIAS!) Rachel tried to reach him, but was swarmed by Terinans.
So, it was up to me. I ran, and jumped off the cliff, reaching out for Tobias.
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Past…
Well, six months simply blew by. Ithiell taught us how to shift, as well as some neat self-defence manoeuvres he'd learnt from home. We taught him about clothes, and the importance of wearing clothes, especially in front of us girls. Well, Robert taught him that. After he taught Ithiell how to shift into a human male. Different from anyone else.
Not to mention the fact that my ice-skating career was really taking off now. The focus thing Ithiell taught us? Well, I used that to focus on what I was doing. Coach was proud of me. Heck, I was proud of me.
We had a little trouble with clothes as well in our shifts (embarrassing alert!) but were managing to fit more and more clothes into it, each time we practised. It was all very, very cool.
I walked home one afternoon from practice, bouncing my new skates on my shoulder and just skipping along happily (my parents had believed me when I told them someone had stolen my old ones) and dreaming of being the best skater ever.
"I can feel the beat, feel the beat" I sung, without my walkman this time, just unable to stop myself.
"Hey guys, it's the little fifth grader" I suddenly heard someone snicker from behind me. I rolled my eyes and stopped walking, wondering why Dean always had to show up when I really didn't want him to.
I turned around. Sure enough, Dean Owen was there, flanked by his two goons. Dean was in year six, and he was almost thirteen. He had been held back a year or two because of his shockingly low grades. Sadly enough, so had his sidekicks.
"What do you want now Dean" I sighed, rolling my eyes again.
"Well, those new skates of yours-"
"Don't even think about it. They're mine, and you have no right to try and take them"
"Who says?"
"I say"
Keep in mind, this was the first time I'd known, yes, known, that Dean and his buddies weren't going to get a chance to pound me one if I didn't comply. I was feeling pretty confident right then.
"Oh really? Rick? Get her!" Seconds later Rick came barrelling at me. I jumped to the side, making him round on me.
Anything you have can be a weapon.
I swung my skates at him, connecting firmly with his jaw as he came at me again. He fell back, blood spurting from his teeth.
If there are more than one, make sure you remember they're there as well.
I ducked as Deans other friend, Carl, took a swung at me. I kicked his shin, then twisted my leg around his other leg, bringing him down hard and fast.
And whatever you do, don't forget to focus!
Finally, Dean himself came at me. I dropped and rolled as he swung a fist, ending up just behind him. He turned, just as my fist met his face. He fell to the ground, cursing and screaming in pain.
In mere seconds, I had brought down the three biggest bullies of primary.
Bet that would make them rethink picking on me again.
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When I got home, I was nearly run over by something small with hair.
"Ryce!" I cried as my little brother Ryan grabbed onto my legs, nearly tripping me over. I stumbled back into the couch, finally able to get up and detach the five year-old's grip on my jeans. Ryan grabbed my hand.
"Mamma in ta kitchen!" He yanked me forward with unbelievable force for a five year old, and I barely managed to get my bag off before I was dragged through into the kitchen. I saw my mum looked like she'd just gotten out of the shower.
"Mum? What's up?"
"You're father and I have to go to that conference, remember? Which means we have to leave now and get to the hotel before tonight, and then we'll be there for a couple of days" She said as she fussed around in the kitchen. She slammed a cupboard, then it hit me. Of course!
"Oh, yeah. But… that means Connor…"
"He's coming over tonight. So is Matt and Amanda" Then she smiled, came over to me and kissed me on the cheek "Now you be good for them, all right?"
Her hair smelled like lavender "Yes mum, I will"
"Oh, and your sister might need a bath. She's been playing in the sandbox all day" she added as she took the stairs two at a time. I sighed.
Tina was Ryan's twin, and just as bad as Ryan was. But I had to be the responsible older sister, and I did what she said. I made them both take a bath at the same time as I heard my parents getting ready and running around outside.
When I was done I stuck them in their room, giving them some of my old baby toys to play with. My dad came out just as I was shutting the door.
"Hey baby" he gave me a kiss on the forehead. He was tall and lanky, and just made me feel like I was a dwarf compared to him. But he loved me, and that's all that mattered.
"Hey daddy. You'd better get going soon"
"We are. Be good, okay"
"That's just what mum said!"
"And don't forget it"
"Like I'm going to bouncing off the walls all night"
"Just don't have sugar after five, okay"
I rolled my eyes at him, and not long after he and mum left. Connor came minutes later, with Amanda and Matt in tow.
I had to admit, I secretly had a crush on Connor. He was responsible, and the only one old enough to baby-sit all five of us. Not like Matt wanted a babysitter anyway. He had pre-teen issues, I guess.
He sorted our dinner out, made sure the three of us did our homework, and put Tina and Ryan to bed.
I watched him for a little, before making my way downstairs. Matt was slumped on the couch, feet resting on the coffee table, flipping channels and muttering about stupid little sisters.
I went outside to the trampoline, where Amanda was sitting, looking up at the stars. I sat beside her, trying to see what she was seeing.
"You like Connor, don't you?"
"What! No! Like a boy! You've gotta be-"
"Jade, don't lie to me. You're not a very good liar"
"Humph! So I like him, all right? What's it to you?"
"I just think it's cute, that's all"
I snorted "Yeah, real cute"
We looked up at the stars again, before I noticed something that caught my eye.
"Uh… Mand…"
"Yeah, I see it"
It looked like a blinking light, and that blinking light was getting closer.
"Uh-oh"
It was swerving and swaying wildly, and as it came closer we finally saw what it was.
"An alien spaceship! Has to be!"
"But what's it doing!"
"Listening to a really good song?" I joked, and when Amanda stared sideways at me I shrugged and cried "I don't know! You tell me!"
We watched as the spaceship hovered and swerved, then we saw a flash of light, and the thing fell downwards. Then there was an amazing flash of light, then nothing.
"It crashed!"
"Oh my god!"
We both jumped up, then started seeing if we could see where it went from where we were.
"Hey! You two!" It was Connor, and we turned around to look at him, stopping our erratic jumping. He came out, shutting the sliding door behind him.
"What?" I demanded, feeling fear grip my throat. Had he seen the light? Was he wondering why we were so desperate to find out what it was? Did he think we had somehow caused it?
"Phone for you. Someone named Robert" he handed over the cordless phone to me, and I felt a tingle as our hands brushed slightly.
"Thanks Connor"
"Now don't be on the phone all night. It's almost nine-thirty and a school night"
"Okay, thanks again" Amanda waved him off. He smiled, shook his head and sighed, turning and muttering something about the two of us under his breath. I put the phone to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Robert. I just saw-"
"Yeah, we saw it too"
"We have to get Ithiell and get there, fast!"
"For once, you're right. We'll meet you at the cave in half an hour"
I hung up, and looked at Amanda.
"Well, looks like we might have another alien on the planet"
"Yeah. But the question is, is that good or bad?"
I honestly didn't know how to answer her. What I did know was we'd be 'going to bed' early this night.
A/N I know, I know, I skipped ahead a bit. But I think it'd take too long to get to the point. Don't worry, this just leaves me to twist my storyline even more!
