Chapter 7. All creatures great and small
Day 3
Planet Fred. 7 a.m.
"Black Flower I like. She's like the flowers that grow deep in the forest, with their black petals and beautiful smell. Her top is surrounded by a thick mass of shining black petals that floats around her, and she smells like Spring. She calls me 'Rgs', and she says it in a soft, sweet tone. Black Flower plays with me and strokes my head, just the way I like. When she speaks to me, I can see what she is saying and she sees what I'm saying. I'd do anything Black Flower asked me to. She wants me to show her food. It's silly. Can't she see what food is? Anyway, I'll show her food.
I don't know why I have to carry Burnt Log. Burnt Log I don't like. Black Flower's smell changes when she sees him. Her scent turns more like his. I don't like his smell. He's always in heat. He wants to mate with Black Flower. Black Flower also wants to mate with him, but she covers her hairless skin when she's with him. I don't understand. I don't want Black Flower's smell to change, she smells like Spring. Burnt Log tried to hurt me with Fire From Above. How does he hurl Fire From Above? I don't like Burnt Log. He called me "Brn-e". He's bigger than Black Flower, but he seems a lot weaker than her. Black Flower can float like buzzing bugs or flapping beasts, but with no buzzing nor flapping. I like Black Flower. She smells like Spring. I wish we could leave Burnt Log behind, so Claws Everywhere can eat him. Here she goes, stroking my head again. I like Black Flower. She smells like Spring."
"Seems like Barney likes what you're doing, Di," Clark said. "Hey, big fella'! Thank you for showing us what to eat!"
"His name is Argos, Kal. Be careful, he doesn't understand words, but he can read intentions," Diana replied. "He has yet to forgive you from yesterday's misunderstanding"
Yes, Clark remembered all too well the incidents of the last day. His eidetic memory registered every inch of her skin. "No. Don't go there, Kent," he said to himself, shaking his head at the thought of last night's dream and today's morning wood, which took more than half an hour to come down. To all the reasons why she was well out of his league, namely her being a Princess and he just a farm boy from Kansas, or her being the most beautiful woman in several worlds, now he had to add his lack of powers. He had to chuckle at the thought that not even Maxima would accept him like this. Of all the things Maxima could have done to him, this one, leaving him defenseless in the company of the woman he would like to impress the most, seemed the worst. Ironically, Maxima would probably never know it."
"Kal, Argos is pointing at that bush over there. The one with the green fruits." The Amazon's words brought him back to their task. He was making a map of the location and description of all the plants that Argos usually ate quite a lot. Actually, this one was the first fruit plant.
"I need to see that." He descended from Argos back to the ground and walked towards the bush.
"Kal, be careful." Diana put her hand on the pommel of Eunice.
"Sure. I want to know what these babies taste like." He grabbed one of the green fruits, rubbed it against his shirt and took a bite.
"Kal! We don't know if these fruits are poisonous! They can even be corrosive to your...OUR digestive system! We know nothing about them," she chided him. She didn't want to point out that he was now the most endangered of them two.
"Mmmm! I know now that they're delicious! Here! Think fast!" He threw one to Diana and another to Argos, who caught it with his beak "There you go, boy. They look like kiwi, but taste like grapes," he said.
"Mm-hmm." The Princess bit the fruit as well. "Yes, they are very juicy and tasty, Kal, but still..."
"Di, this is a risk that we'll have to take sooner or later. We have no way to know for sure about how dangerous these vegetables and fruits are. We'll have to trust our purple friend here. He seems well fed, don't you think," he joked.
"And, besides, I had no breakfast and I'm starving"
"I'm just saying," she began.
"I know what you mean. Don't worry. I'll be fine." Making an improvised bag by pulling out the front of his T-shirt, he began to pick many 'kipes' (as he started to call them), while eating some and throwing others to the Amazon and her friend.
"You know what," Diana said looking at one of them. "I think I can make wine out of these."
"You know how to make wine? Atta girl," he exclaimed in genuine surprise. "I knew classical Greek education had its benefits!" He stared at a tall grass growing some fifty yards from where they were with farmer's eyes. "That looks a lot like wheat. I'm having closer look."
"But, Kal...!" Diana rolled her eyes knowing that asking him to be careful was pointless.
She and Argos felt it at the same time. Moving slowly, against the wind, a pack of creatures, magenta in color, like the vegetation, with blue stripes and blue beaks shaped like a hook, were quietly surrounding Clark.
Argos emitted a growl, in which Diana could hear,"Claws Everywhere!"
"KAL!" The Amazon jumped in his direction, landing in between him and the animals, Eunice in hand. "Kal, behind me!"
The animals, no more than seven, the size of big dogs, had their fingers ended in blue claws, sharp as knifes.
Used to fighting beside this woman, Clark put his back against hers. Taking the initiative, he began to throw 'kipes' to the beasts' faces, blinding them with their juice. The ones on Diana's side attacked her only to be welcomed by the Amazon's fury and the flat of her sword. Meanwhile, Clark's attackers had their vision restored and were ready to jump at their prey.
"Kal, here!" She said, slipping the sword in his hand and taking her lasso out of her girdle. She wanted to hurt the animals the minimum possible, so she tried to tie them together with her lasso. Clark was waving Eunice left and right. He managed to wound the left side of the first one's head, but the other two were already jumping at him. Instinctively, he let himself fall down, and the two beast bumped each other's head. This only pissed them off. Seeing Clark on the ground, the two approached him slowly, watching his every move to avoid being surprised again. When they were confident enough to jump on him again, Hestia's lasso bound their necks together and Diana's fist knocked them down.
As the Amazon was helping him to stand, Clark saw one last beast on a tree, ready to jump over their giant purple friend, distracted as he was by the fight.
"Argos," he shouted, throwing Eunice at the attacker. He missed the shot, but it was enough to scare the animal and make it run away.
"Great Hera, Kal! Would you be more careful now, please?"
He was about to retort something witty when he saw the marks of the beasts' claws in her arm "Di, they scratched you! How is that possible?"
"I don't know. Their claws might be of some material as strong as estranium, so I'm guessing their beaks are too." She touched her arm. "We've been lucky. Next time we should be prepared."
"Roger that" Clark went where one of the fallen beast were as Diana flew to retrieve her sword from the tree canopy where it was stuck. She descended on Argos' neck, and stroking his head she asked "Are you alright, my friend?" The big purple beast let out an affirmative growl, looking at her with those dreamy eyes of his. When the Princess made sure Argos was alright, she moved to where Clark was squatting beside the dead beast.
"I didn't mean to kill it. I was very scared. That's not a feeling I'm very comfortable with. Until now, only Brainiac and Darkseid could make me afraid. Anyway! These creatures are remarkable. Perfect killing machines individually, attacking in pack as a unit, practically unbeatable." He shook his head in amazement.
"Argos called them 'Claws Everywhere'. I think when they are all over you, that's everything you can think of: claws everywhere," said Diana.
"You were right, Di: we got lucky, very much so. I'm sorry I was so careless. I should've never left the Plaser guns in the Javelin, I should've brought one. I just didn't want to make the same mistake I made with Argos. If not for your powers," he began.
"It's got nothing to do with powers, Kal." The Amazon squatted beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's not? Should I have mine, I'd just have to spit on them to put the entire pack on the run." There was anger in his tone."You wouldn't have to put your life at risk to protect mine, dammit!."
"That's not true and you know it. We've always risked our lives for each other in the League, Superman. It's what we do. It's what I do for you as you do for me. Always" Her grip on his shoulder grew a little tighter.
"Superman? Ha! Under a red sun there's no Superman. Superman is all about power! I'm lost without mine, Di. You know? I'm blind and deaf. I try not to think about it, but it's eating me from the inside out. When I think we wouldn't be in this situation if I have my abilities. I can't help but blame myself for putting you and Bruce in this mess. It makes me so very angry." He hit the ground with his fist.
He looked at her blue eyes. The warmth he found there made him lower his sight in embarrassment. On him, her eyes have always had a power far greater than her lasso in extracting the truth out of his soul.
"I always thought that 'Superman' was a lot more than some extraordinary abilities. Or will you define me only by my gifts? We are more than what we can do. Take Bruce as an example: he has no powers, and yet he stands as one of the greatest heroes the world has to offer.
And, as for our current predicament, that's Maxima's doing, not yours. That crazy woman is the one to blame for all this, don't you dare take all the blame on your shoulders, Kal. I won't let you, you hear me?" She put her arms around him. "We'll figure it out, you and I. We've always helped each other out of more dire situations than this. All will be well, you'll see." They hugged for a while, until he said:
"Okay. Enough moping. We have work to do and a lot of food to find still." he took her hand as they were moving towards Argos "Di, I..."
"I know, Kal, I know," she tenderly cut him off.
They continued their quest.
"Black Flower I like. She's like the flowers that grow deep in the forest, with their black petals and beautiful smell. Black Flower plays with me and strokes my head, just the way I like. She smells like Spring.
Burnt Log I also like. He feeds me Honey Balls. He threw Shiny Thorn to scare Claws Everywhere away from me. He calls me 'Rgs'. Black Flower I like more, she smells like Spring, but Burnt Log is alright too," thought Argos as he was carrying them to the next food source.
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Sorry it took me a while to update. Thanks for the reviews.