"I think I have two men that can help you," Vorn begins to walk around the horse, "Collin and Fjord, they are my best men. However, what about this pole here in the middle? Does it serve a purpose?"
"I merely placed it there to hold the sides up until I can get more of it together, I intend to remove it," She points to the two halves being held up and they notice that part of the animal is together and the rest is still in pieces, "I will just set the pole aside and decide what to do with it later."
"What purpose does the pole serve though?"
"On a real carousel, the rider would hold onto the pole as opposed to a set of reins."
"I see, are there any other uses for the pole?"
"To hold it up," She points to the ground, " A carousel is like a plate, it spins in one direction, each animal would be held in place by a pole. Well, and truth be told, if I could find an Olympian, I could give them the pole, it is a sport after all."
"Pole dancing is a sport?" Vorn looked confused, shakes his head and continues, "So, there are more than horses?"
"Oh my heavens, yes! Goats, bears, lions, tigers, giraffes, ostrich, hippos, you name it! There was even animals that were make believe, like Unicorns, think horse with a giant spiked horn on its head."
"I have never seen a bear."
"Honestly, you do not want to." Laurel tells them, "Bears have claws that are two inches long, they are quite dangerous." She turns to look at the horse, "There are so many fascinating carousel animals; centaurs, sea serpents, dragons, monsters of all kinds."
"You seem to know a lot about them," Winston touches the horse. "We can help, we just need to finish your property, complete the shop and then Vorn can delegate a few men out here to help you with the horse."
"Speaking of horses, guess who is here."
"Really?" Laurel was so excited that she shoved everyone out of the workshop, "Shoo, I want to see your Grah-na-it-lo, did I say that right? Who cares! I need to see it!" She laughs as she slides the door shut and follows them back to the empty field.
Here it was, she saw it as it flew down from the sky, a twelve foot giant. It had not one wing on either side, but two, and it's eyes were scary looking even though the creature was calm. It's legs were massive, thick like a tree trunk, and fluffy too. She could not tell if it was feather or hair.
"Vorn." The man on the creature called out, "It is good to see you brother, how are things?"
"Viper," They shakes hands and embrace, "All things are well." He motions towards Laurel, "This is Laurel, she was interested in our Grah-na-it-lo, and wanted to see it first hand."
"It is a pleasure," Viper takes her hand and leads her towards the creature, "This is Dahala, he is one of the largest brought here to Earth by our people. I appear to be the only one so far able to get close to him, he is very, how do you say? Stubborn."
"In this light I cannot tell if he is black or brown or?"
"Oh, he is black," Viper points to areas on the chest, "These little bits here are new and they give the appearance of being brown, but they will darken as they grow."
Yuri watched as Laurel looked at the creature, he smiles as she tries to touch it and scoots backwards after it snorted in her face. She was brave and curious about everything, and he decided that he would be brave too. He walks slowly up to where they are standing and offers up his hand, and to everyone's amazement, the Grah-na-it-lo sniffed his hand and laid his chin in Yuri's palm.
"Beast charmer." She tells Yuri, "Have you ever ridden one?"
"No," Yuri admits, "I was never brave enough to do so."
"They are for the guards of our world," Viper tells her, "They are special and not everyone can ride them."
"He is beautiful and frightening all at once." She reaches her hand towards Dahala, and this time she leaves her cupped hand there for him to sniff and is amazed when he licks her palm.
Laurel is laughing, and her other hand goes up to gently touch the beast on his head, and soon he is placing his whole head against her and making a lowing sound like a cow. She places her head next to his and feels his vibration as he lows, and her smile brightens.
"What do they eat?"
"Apples, oranges, they are primarily vegetarians, I think that is what you call them." Viper tells her, "They on very rare occasions will eat meat, but only when there is nothing else."
"They can eat meat? So, does that mean they have sharp teeth?"
"Yes, they do." Viper gets the horse creature to open his mouth and she is in awe at the large pointy teeth.
"They look like shark teeth! Wow! That is creepy cool." She started to touch them and then draws her hand back quickly, "They are magnificent, and so soft."
"Yes, and they are not bad to ride." Viper gives her a very warm smile and places his hand behind her back gently, "Perhaps, you would like to go for a ride?"
"Really? I would love too!" She smiles and then looks over at Yuri, "Do you think it would be okay?"
"I don't see why not," Yuri responds, "as long as you don't go to high, I think it would be just fine."
"I don't like heights, so that is a good idea."
Winston steps up and takes Viper by the arm and draws him aside, "She is my sons, he has not marked her yet, but she belongs to him." He glares at Viper and squeezes his arm, "Bring her back."
"Of course," Viper manages to sputter, "We will go on a little ride and be back soon."
Viper moves back towards Dahala, he makes sure that the leather looking saddle was in place and fit nicely between the wings without harming. He checks the other gear and the rein looking gear that adorned Dahalas head. He checked hooves and wings for any obstructions, and when all seemed to be in order he climbed onto the creatures back and reached down for Laurel.
"Yuri, I think perhaps I will need your help getting Laurel up here, she is rather short and Dahala is rather tall."
Yuri walks up to Laurel, "Are you sure? They fly swiftly and you will have to hold on." She nods and he take her in his arms and hands her up to Viper, "Take good care of her for me."
"I promise I will."
The Ride
Viper handed Laurel the reins to Dahala, then he made this sound that sounded like a whistle and with one great surge they bounded up into the air. It was so quick that Laurel nearly lost her balance. Viper noting that Laurel was nearly unseated grabbed her tightly and held on, he took a small part of the reins and was showing Laurel how to guide the great beast.
From the ground, Yuri and all gathered were frightened, they had seen how fast the Grah-na-it-lo had taken off. Laurel was this tiny fragile thing barely holding on, and Yuri was running his hands through his hair and pacing already. He started saying that he should not have let her go.
It was so fast, this great and frightening beast, she could barely catch her breath. He swooped up and down, and flew so fast it was difficult to see the ground below her. She made out her house and then as swiftly as it was there, it was gone. They dashed over other homes and trees and the little stream that ran at the back of her property.
Viper saw that she was scared, so he slowed the great beast and made the move to fly higher. He heard her intake of breath and saw her hold tighter to the reins. It was then that he placed his arm around her middle and held her tighter, it was his way of trying to comfort her and, he thought, keep her for himself if only for a little while.
She is beautiful, this full figured young woman, with ample bosom and rounded hips and bottom. He could see why Yuri was so interested in this little human. Her hair in the lights looked like mahogany, and her skin was sun kissed with a touch of blush from the air. She smelled like earth and flowers, roses to be exact, she was intoxicating.
He was so engrossed in his thoughts of her that he did not notice how fast and high they had gone. Flying into the setting sun, into the fading light as fast as they could, he could now see that her hair is golden brown. Oh how he wanted to touch it, to caress her hair, her face, her body. This little human female, she is ..
There was a hummmmm and this metallic roar.....
He did not see it or hear it until it was too late. He could not hear her cries, her yelling at him to do something, to look out! It was a Cessna, they were flying at about five thousand feet and the creature had tried to swerve but Viper held the reins tightly. The plane and the creature brushed wings and the great beast cried out in agony as one of its left wings is torn asunder.
The sudden movement shifted Viper and he could not hold on, the creature tilted over on the right side, and so he tried to get his grip on the saddle but it was no use. The last thing he saw, was the look of terror on her face, as he fell. It was odd, this feeling of weightlessness, on their planet they were always so heavy. He could sense his arms moving as if he could paddle his way back up to the saddle, back up to the beautiful woman who sat teary eyed and frightened. He doesn't know how long he would be able to see her, see the beast as it slowly descends too, but he would watch and pray that she would be alright. He tries to call out to her, to tell her to hold on, but as his body kisses the treetops he could see her starting to fall and he knew one way or the other, he was dead.
Laurel saw the plane, she tried to tell Viper but he had this dreamy look on his face, and no matter what she did he would not respond. She grabbed at the reins and tried to steer the great beast away from the plane, but again, it was no use. Viper had a death grip on the reins, she did everything but hit the man and there was nothing, he was checked out of reality.
"Dahala," She screams, "Oh god no!" The plane hits and the cries of pain coming from the Grah-nah-it-lo was terrifying, it veered strongly to the right and begins to fall from the sky.
It was then that she felt Viper, he had not been ready for the sudden shift and he falls over the side of the beast, the look of shock registering on his face. His arms flailing about as if he were trying to swim through the air, legs kicking at the nothingness around him, and his mouth trying to speak words that would go unheard. She could feel the tears stinging her face, not just for the beast, but for Viper as he falls, and the thought of "What will happen to me?"
She held on, with every ounce of strength she had she held on, talking to Dahala tenderly in hopes that it would sooth its pain. The reins begin to feel slippery as they get nearer the earth, and she knew that she must do something to keep from falling, but she also knew there wasn't any way to stop it from happening. They began to tilt more to the right and she began to slide off the beast, she wrapped the reins around her right wrist, but it only cause Dahala pain and aggravation.
"It's okay, " She whispers to Dahala, "I'll let go, so you can land."
Dahala and Laurel were still three or four stories from the ground, maybe even higher, when she slipped off the edge of his wing. She did not think about the pain to come, nor the pain that her death might bring, only the joy that she had known. The images of Yuri and his family, all of her friends at the bookstore and the car show people that made her life so amazing. Mostly, she thought of Yuri, and the moments that they shared ....
"Where in the hell are they?" Winston shouts at Vorn. "They should have been back ages ago!"
" I don't know, " Vorn looks nervous, "I will contact the island, see if they flew there."
Winston walks over and pokes Vorn with his index finger, "He had better not have taken her there, for your sake and for his."
Alexi and Ivan are watching Yuri, their father and Vorn. All of them are agitated, worried, and their father is mostly pissed off. Alexi points to their father who is poking Vorn angrily and basically yelling in his face and thinks they should intervene before it get out of hand.
"Dad," Alexi begins.
"DON'T," Winston shouts. "Viper was supposed to bring Laurel back an hour ago. Your future sister-in-law is gone, we cannot reach her and you want me to remain calm?"
"I am sure that they are fine, " Ivan starts.
"FINE?" he yells in Ivans face, "Does it look like your brother is fine? DO I LOOK FINE?" Winston paces, "You should have marked her! You do not have to breed with her to mark her. Bonding with a female is NOT about breeding, it is ensuring your future and ours."
"I wasn't going to do that until I got mom's approval."
"YOU MOTHER!" Winston basically screamed this, "She is on our planet, NOT here. I AM HERE! I already told her about Laurel, she and Dimitri approved Laurel without seeing her. When she comes back," he walks over to Yuri and pokes his finger in Yuri's face, "MARK HER, BOND WITH HER!"
"Okay."
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
"Yes, Sir," Yuri tells them, "I will bond with Laurel."
"Damned right you will, and your brothers and I will be present."
Vorn had wandered off a bit from the group and was talking frantically with someone on the phone, "What do you mean?"
The woman on the phone replies, "Dahala went off the tracker about an hour ago, we saw it flying and then it was gone. We have sent two teams out to look for them. "
"Shit, shit, shit!" Vorn curses under his breath, "Can you send me the coordinates?"
"Yes," she responds, "Vorn, I have an officer here next to me, he says that your brothers tracker..."
"What about it?"
"Sir, it says that his," She tries to explain. "It says that his life is no longer functioning."
"FUUUCCCKKK," Vorn shouts and throws his phone down onto the ground and screams up into the sky, "FUCK!"
"Hello? Who is this? This is Lt Colonel Winston, tell me the situation."
"Hello, my name is Radna, I am with the Grah-na-it-lo Corp. I have just informed Vorn that Dahala has gone down and have sent the coordinates for him to find."
"Gone down?" Winston interrupts, "When? Where?" He had been stooping over because he had picked up Vorns phone, "How high were they flying?" He asks, as he slowly straightens fully.
"It was about an hour and ten minutes ago, they are about thirty minutes from your location and," she thinks maybe she should not tell this next part.
"How high were they?"
"Uh," she starts.
"ANSWER ME!"
"We are estimating between five and ten thousand feet."
His face was red, he wants with every fiber of his being to crush the phone that he holds in his hand. He is enraged at such foolishness, their people know that humans are fragile compared to them, and this idiot just may have ruined his sons happiness. He walks over to the Hummer that they had come in and beats it with his fists until they too are red, only this was his blood.
"You get this location pulled up Collin, and you get us there." He warns, "NOW!"
Vorn begins to follow, but the look on Winston's face made him halt, he knew that look. He knew that if he followed, if he spoke, if he did anything, Winston would tear his limbs off and that would just be the beginning of the pain he would feel. He stayed put, and he watched as the other grunts loaded up into the other vehicles and drove off leaving him alone.
The group drove at outrageous speeds and arrived in twenty minutes to the last location, it was wooded and hilly, thick with brush and stickers that poked into the legs and midsections like little knives. They spread out at arms length and began to call out to Viper and Laurel, but there was no reply. Flashlights were brought out and they continued the search as the time clicked by, one hour, two hours...
" Who am I? Why can't I move? Ouch, it hurts to move, to think even. I can't see anything." She tries to look around, but her body refuses to cooperate, " There is a sound coming from my left, I wonder what it is? Oh, is it a ...I can't remember. My head hurts, it feels so cool here, like sleeping on a cool freshly made bed. A bed! I know what a bed is! But, I can't remember my name. Who am I again? " She thinks to herself as the darkness settles in.
The sun begins to rise, still there is no sign of anyone, not even the teams that the island was supposed to have sent. Winston has been on the phone yelling at them almost all night, his anger making his face exceedingly red as he shouts at them. Over and over again he berates and belittles them and warns them that he is going to the elders about this. He is mid scream when one of the grunts calls out that he found something.
"YOU HAD BETTER FIND THEM, BECAUSE IF I DO YOUR DONE FOR!" Winston threatens.
"Over here Sir," The grunt calls again.
"What is it?" Winston approaches and stops dead in his tracks, "Ah fuck." He looks at the bloody saddle.
"If the saddle is here, then they must not be too far away." The grunt offers.
"Maybe, or maybe it passed through here." Winston looks around, "It could be anywhere for God's sake."
Ivan and Alexi had seen it, they hurry to intercept Yuri, "Don't brother, don't."
Winston seeing Yuri, rushes to him and tells him, "It isn't good, we found the saddle and it has blood on it."
"I need to see it."
"Don't son, you don't need to see it."
"I do." Yuri tells him sadly. "I need to see it for myself."
Winston walks with him and they look at the bloody saddle, and he could feel the weight that now lay upon Yuri, all of the pain and sadness hitting him all over again. It was a time of firsts for him, Winston being a man of little emotions, but he felt it as the tear slowly rolled down his face and he walked away before anyone could see. His chest felt tight and his heart raced as he felt the agony of what was surely to come, and it killed him to know that he may have been the death of his sons girlfriend again.
Nine am, the sun reaching for the clouds in the sky, warming the air and the ground around her, she was alive. She could feel warmth touching her face where she lay. She could hear things moving around in the trees and see things flying over her head, then something touched her and she tried to scream, but nothing came out. It was merely a mouse, it was curious about this thing lying on the ground, the thing that blocked its path to the tree that it lived in.
She had slept, it was a frightful dream and she tries to remember it. She thought that she was flying, touching the heavens with her outstretched hands and feeling the cool moisture of the clouds. Then the sky became dark, lightning flashing across the sky and she falls, slowly almost gracefully into a cool bed of grass and flowers. It is here that she dies, alone and afraid, and no one could find her. Perhaps that is the way of it, she thinks, and she closes her eyes and welcomes the dream that comes.
Winston and the others are still searching as ten am looms, other than the saddle nothing else has been found, and Winton grows madder by the moment. They look on the ground and in the trees for any semblance of life and it is only after telling the grunts numerous times to search a hillside before them that another item is found.
It is Paul that runs to speak to Winston, "Sir, we found uh."
"What? What did you find?"
"Perhaps you should."
"God damn it Paul, speak the hell up!"
"I think you should just follow me." Paul looked like he was going to be sick, his face looked ashen as he lead Winston and the others to the spot.
Approaching the spot the first thing one saw was a leg, no, not the whole leg, just from the knee down. A broken looking thing, like it had been ripped from the body with such tremendous force, the bone sticking out and flesh peeled back. Part of the pant leg was visible, a shoe still intact, but the end looked nawed upon and what little blood was there was nearly gone. The local animal population had made quick work of the free food.
A few yards away was an arm, in the same state as the leg, only it was bare, the sleeve torn away from the flesh. Here and there as they walked they found pieces of a body, a hand here and a foot there, but none belonging to Laurel. These bits of mangled corpse was Viper, his torso was the only thing left intact, if you could call it that. Bugs and all manner of critters were taking up residence in the openings of the torso, blood had pooled around the body and many creatures were languishing in it.
"If he did not die in the fall," Winston begins, "I would have killed him!" Winston glances around, "Search over there!" He points towards an area between where the saddle fell and where they found the body. "Set up markers, if the saddle is over there and he is here, she could be anywhere over there."
The search continued until noon, this time they could see other Grah-na-it-lo coming in to help with the search. Fifteen of them flew overhead, and Yuri beckoned one to come down and let him on. He took off after tossing the rider to the ground and shortly after Winston did the same to another rider, both wanting to hasten the search.
Another half hour had passed when they see a Grah-na-it-lo start to descend to the ground, both men pushed their beasts to follow as quickly as possible, and it was as the closed in, they see her. Laurel, blood soaked and stationary. Not far from her was Dahala, his wing torn and bloodied, he protected her from the rider. Rising on his hind legs to keep the woman away from the fragile human.
Yuri jumped from his beast and ran to them, he spoke softly to Dahala who then began to weep and low into Yuri's giant palm. He moved Dahala a bit away from Laurel and looked down upon her, her arms broken and sat at an odd angle. Her right hand and wrist were torn away, there was only a bloody and shattered mass on the end, flesh torn up almost to her elbow. The left knee was missing the patella, and the leg was bent unnaturally under her body, like it was the Cobra yoga pose gone horribly wrong.
"She is breathing erratically," Winston tells him and grabs his son by the arm, "We have to place her in stasis! Yuri, there is only one place that can fix her, we have to take her home."
Yuri just stared, he was in shock and in grief. She was dead.
"YURI!" Winston slaps him hard across the face and then grabs him and shakes him, "She is alive, but we need to take her to U-leyla. The healers on our planet can fix her. WE HAVE TO GO NOW!"
Winston picks Laurel up, "Get Yuri on the Grah-na-it-lo, I will hand her to him. MOVE DAMN IT!"
The woman moves Yuri to the beast and helps him up, then helps Winston with Laurel and it is then that Yuri begins to awaken. Laurel had made a sound, it was soft and almost ...
"Laurel," He whispers, "My Laurel." He grabs the reins and turns the great beast towards the sky, his father swiftly on his heels.
