Strange Journey
By: Phoenix Hoshika
Part V
"Three weeks, it's been three whole weeks. I can't believe I've been locked in this room almost an entire month." Taiko thought idly as she lay on her bed looking up at the ceiling then sighed. "I'm getting out of here." Taiko thought as she sat up and walked out onto the balcony and looked up before going over to the edge and taking a look down. "I would be on the highest tower." Taiko said taking a step back. "But if birds can do it so can I," She said preparing to take a leaping jump off of the balcony, that is until she felt something gooey being splattered over her back. Taiko shuddered as another blotch hit her back.
"I'm sorry, but I can't have you jumping of buildings." The man said.
Taiko turned around to see him holding a wooden spatula and a small bucket filled with yellowish goo.
"What did you just put on me?" Taiko demanded as she touched her back to find that whatever he had thrown on her had hardened and was keeping her from moving her wings.
"Don't worry; it's nothing that won't wash off."
"Get this crap off of me now, Jon!"
"Jon? Not Jonathan? Should I take the shortening of the name you gave me as a term of endearment?"
"Don't flatter yourself; Jon is just easier to yell." Taiko said as she scratched at the hardened goo on her back.
"Wash off huh? How's that when this junk won't even peel off?"
"Oh, it will with a special agent I keep in my room… in a drawer next to my bed." The man said smiling to Taiko's enragement.
"Get out! Get out now!"
"So, soon? We haven't even had our first meal of the day together."
"Seeing how you plan on keeping me in this prison indefinitely what's one skipped meal?"
"I really wish you wouldn't refer to my home as a prison, it makes me very uncomfortable."
"I suppose it won't be a prison for you seeing how you can leave whenever you want!"
"Even if let you go exactly where would you go? Find yourself a nice little town to live in? I'd hate to burst your bubble, but there are no towns on this world, in fact the only people living on this entire planet are you and me."
"So, why plaster this gunk on me to keep me from flying away?"
"Even if I were to remove the glue, seeing how you're no closer to controlling your wings than you were three weeks ago all you'd be doing is committing suicide. Second, for someone who was trained to fight you're pathetic."
"What!"
"There may be no other people around, but this world is full of dangerous wild creatures that are terribly strong. The way you fight you wouldn't stand a chance."
"Okay, I only said I was a black belt in karate to hopefully intimidate you. I may not be trained in any kind of martial arts, but you saw where I used to live. Do you honestly think I could have survived there without knowing how to fight?"
"Even so you're too weak. Without good fighting skills and a bit more muscle those animals would tear you to shreds with one strike. So, for your own safety please stay in the castle." The man said as he left the room.
"As if I had a choice! Jon! Jon! Get back here you bastard!" Taiko screamed, but there was no reply. Taiko ran back inside and punched the solid oak door with her injured hand. "Ack, damnit," Taiko cursed as she cringed in pain. "JONATHAN!"
"Sheesh, you sure can scream awfully loud." The man said suddenly appearing behind her.
"So, are you a masochist or something?"
"What are you talking about?" Taiko asked holding her arm to her chest protectively.
"I can see through walls you know. I saw you punch that door. It will never heal if you keep treating it that way."
"Blow it out your butt."
"Must you be so vulgar?"
"Leave me alone." Taiko said leaning against the wall and sliding down into a seated position.
"Leave, come back, leave. What do you want me to do, Taiko?"
"Leave." Taiko said closing her eyes.
"You're scheming on another escape plan aren't you?"
"And what if I were?"
"As long as it doesn't involve jumping I don't care, either way you'll be wasting your time. Even if you do manage to get out all you'll end up doing is coming right back here once you realize there really is no one beside you and me on this planet."
Taiko's eyes snapped open. "I don't believe you."
"I'm not making it up. If that was the case I'd have servants to cook and clean for me instead of doing it myself."
"You lock me in some abandoned castle and then try to get me to believe that no other people exist anywhere on the face of this planet, how dumb do you think I am?"
"No, I never thought you were dumb, but you obviously have some trust issues. You'll see for yourself sooner or later." Just as the man finished speaking a loud roar could be heard echoing just outside the room door.
"What was that?" Taiko asked sweat dropping.
"Hmph, I can't believe it came all the way up here."
"What was that?" Taiko repeated a little more agitated.
"Oh, just one of my pets."
"Pets?"
"Yes, I have a few dozen wild animals running around the castle, just for fun."
"Just to make sure I don't get out you mean."
"Don't misunderstand, I can keep you here on my own, those animals are just here for my amusement. Besides that if you can somehow get past me then my pets shouldn't be a problem."
The next noise they heard was the sound of something coming up the wall of the castle. "What in the world is that?" The man uttered as he ran out onto the balcony. Looking down he saw a creature in the form of a man using its claws to climb up the wall. "What in the world is this?" The man asked himself. He was telling Taiko the truth; they really were the only people on the planet. Long ago the man had made a wish; he wanted to fly and live in a castle far far away from any other people. His wish had come true and for over a millennium he had been living on that very planet by himself with only the wild, untamable animals to keep him company. He had seen everything in the world he had come to call home and knew for a fact that no such creature as the one he was currently looking upon existed anywhere on that planet.
"What's going on?" Taiko asked following him outside.
"Something's coming up the wall." The man said running back over to Taiko who was still standing in the doorway. No sooner did he say those words the creature had leaped high into the air and landed on the balcony on all fours. As it stood it looked directly at the man then its gaze shifted to Taiko and lingered there. The man watched observantly as the creature stared at her.
"I don't know what or who you are, but you're not taking her away from here." The man said stepping in front of Taiko. "I take it you are familiar with this creature?" The man said to Taiko.
"What makes you think that?"
"It obviously came here to get you. It must have followed us through the portal from your planet. No creatures like this exist here."
"I already told you I have no idea who he is!"
"He? Are you sure about that? You speak as if you're certain it's a person." The man said drawing a sword out of thin air and as he did so the creature swiped at him with its claws. The hit connected with his sword, but the blow was still powerful enough to push him aside. The man slid across the balcony. "You're strong." He said after coming to a halt.
Taiko stood frozen as she beheld the creature before her for a second time. "So, you were real." She thought as she stared at him.
"Nice try." The man said charging sword first at the creature. His blade connected, but didn't even make a scratch. "What are you?" The man asked just before his sword was knocked from his hands and he found himself flying across the balcony once again this time hitting the wall.
Taiko's blood froze as the creature turned and looked at her. "Am I going to die? Oh, God please let it be quick." Taiko thought as she closed her eyes.
"You, you're determined to take this girl from me aren't you?" The man said as he staggered over to them. "Fine, take her!" The man said pushing Taiko into him. The creature caught her and made a low growl as he glared at the man. Despite her nervousness Taiko's body was too paralyzed by fear to shake as she felt the creature's claws against her back.
"What? What's he doing to me?" Taiko thought as she felt her back grow warm. After a few minutes the glue had melted away and evaporated. "I can move my wings again." Taiko thought looking up into the creature's face. It then picked her up and was walking over to the edge of the balcony when the man called out.
"Wait," he said causing the creature to turn around.
"I said you could take her, but not before you tell me what you are and more importantly why are you so bent on taking that girl?" The creature just growled at him and continued to walk away.
"So Taiko, you rather be carried off by some wild animal than stay here with me?" The creature stopped moving and flames burst from the horn like ridges on his back. "I'll take that to mean what I said insulated you. Now that I have your attention do you now mind telling me what a monster wants with a human girl?" After carefully putting Taiko down on her feet the creature begin to slowly walk over to the man. Before he reached him an animal that looked like a mix between a bull and a rhino crashed through the bedroom goring the man with the horn on its nose. The animal shook the man off and charged toward the creature and Taiko. With one clean swipe of his claws the creature nearly ripped the animal in half.
"Jon!" Taiko shouted seeing the man sit up despite the gaping hole in his body. "Jon…" Taiko said kneeling beside him. It was true she couldn't stand him, but not once had she ever wished him dead.
"Strange, I thought I was lonely when what I really wanted was to die." The man said looking up at Taiko and smiling. "You and your new friend should get out of here. Those things explode when you kill them."
"You're coming too." Taiko said moving to pick him up.
"Stop, I've lived long enough."
"But, why do you have to die like this?"
"It doesn't matter to me, now get out of here." The man said with his final breath. The next thing Taiko knew the creature had grabbed her and was jumping off the balcony. Her eyes widened has they rushed toward the ground.
"Fly, fly, fly." Taiko thought as she concentrated on flapping her wings fast enough to get her and the creature air born. Half way down an explosion shook the tower and rocks came falling down. Taiko was able to get her wings moving just in time to fly out of the way of the falling debris.
"Jon." Taiko thought as she looked back at the castle. She had only known him for a short time, but in that time she had grown to somewhat understand his desperation and had felt a little sorry for him. The castle quickly went out of eyeshot as they zoomed across the sky.
…To Be Continued…