Bounty of Ash

Chapter 7

5

I landed on my feet. I think I am getting better at this non-human thing.

I was in the middle of a large clearing, torches flickered around the perimeter and beyond them was thick, impenetrable jungle. Benyst’s modest hut stood in the middle of the clearing. I looked up, taking in the star-filled sky above me. It always seemed to be night here. It was a peaceful and secluded spot yet with the jungle surrounding it; it held an undercurrent of raw power.

“Phoenix!”

A woman’s light voice sounded from inside the hut. I turned in time to see a curtain fall back into place as the sound of footfalls filled the clearing. Noiryn was here too, interesting.

“It is so good to see you!”

She bounded around the hut and across the grass towards me. Noiryn was as lithe and graceful as the last time I’d seen her, which come to think of it was really only a week ago. Time is hard to keep track of when you’re moving between worlds. The blue scales that covered her body shone in the torchlight and her third eye was open and bright. That was new. The last time I’d seen her, it blinked from time to time, but nothing more. Very interesting. She threw her arms around me, and we held each other like it had been years since we’d seen each other.

“Noiryn, I’m glad you’re here. I was hoping to see you both.”

She stepped back from me, a big smile on her strangely beautiful fish mouth.

“I’ve been spending a lot of time here lately,” she whispered, excitement evident in her tone. “Wait till you see Benyst.”

“I heard that!” A gruff voice called. I looked up to see Benyst coming towards us.

At least I thought it was Benyst. The last time I had seen him, his face had been a distorted mask of tumours and growths. His forehead had hung heavy over his eyes, his lips had been distended like pink plantains, and his arms and hands had been lumpy in the extreme. But now, now his growths had reduced dramatically in size. Yes, there was still some deformity, but the shape of his face was more visible. His lips had shrunk considerably, his arms looked smoother, and I could actually see his eyes.

“Amazing,” I breathed out the word, and my wings unfurled with the sound.

“Oh, don’t go getting excited.” Benyst waved at my wings, a smile on his renewed lips. “It was bound to happen sometime.”

He winked at Noiryn. She giggled. My brain melted.

“Whoa, are you two...” I let the question hang in the air as I looked back and forth between them. Benyst held out his arm, and Noiryn tucked underneath it, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“It’s early days yet.”

She smiled. He smiled. They smiled at each other.

“Wow, that’s awesome guys. You make a cute couple.”

And it was, and they did. There was something about Benyst's gruff nature and her soft heart that seemed right together. In the torchlight, I could almost see their energies intertwining. Her blue softening his red, as his red intensified her blue. As I watched them stare into each other’s eyes, I could almost see Benyst’s face reforming.

“So why is your face changing?” Benyst appreciated blunt.

“Ah,” he sighed, pulling from their embrace, but keeping hold of Noiryn’s hand. “That is a mystery for another day.”

Translation: I’m not talking about this right now, Phoenix. Benyst valued his privacy. I wondered if Noiryn knew what was going on. Not that I’d try to pump her for information or anything.

“Cool, another day it is then.”

“So what brings you here, Phoenix? Or is this just a friendly visit?” Noiryn asked.

“Ah, she just likes my stew,” Benyst grunted. “Come on ladies, let’s eat!” He turned and headed back around the hut with Noiryn by his side and me trailing behind them.

“Actually,” I said, trying to be nonchalant. “I found out there’s a Bounty out on me.”

They both froze in mid-stride and then began to talk at once.

“Bounty?” Noiryn asked.

“What the hell!?” Benyst exclaimed.

They peppered me with questions, not giving me time to understand what they were saying, let alone answer. I could hear the fear in their voices, fear I hadn’t yet allowed myself to feel. And anger. Benyst was so angry. His rough voice pounded through the clearing like boulders sliding down a mountain side. I could feel my stress levels rising and with it, my power. I knew if I didn’t do something to stop their energetic avalanche soon, I would explode. I threw up my hands and unfurled my wings, letting the buildup of power pour out their tips in a rain of sparks as I bellowed.

“Enough!” They stopped talking. I took a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry, I have only just found out...”

Benyst cut me off.

“We better get inside. Now.”

He took Noiryn and me by the wrist and led us quickly into the hut. Even in my anxious state, being led around like a child pissed me off. He shoved us both through the hut’s door and closed it behind us, whispering an incantation as he did so.

“We should be safe now.”

“Benyst,” I was trying really hard to contain myself. “I don’t care what’s happening; don’t ever pull me around like that again. Ever.”

I held his gaze. For a moment he looked as if he would argue with me, then he thought better of it.

“Sorry.” That was pretty big for him.

“Thanks.” I released the breath I was holding.

He nodded, but it seemed that at that moment something had changed between us. When we had first met, I was alone and scared, powerless in a world full of incredible creatures out for my blood. But now I was stronger, now I had both my wings, and even though I couldn’t control all my powers, I was a lot better at kicking ass. Something we’d both have to get used to.

“How did you find out?” Noiryn asked, trying to ease the tension as she gestured for me to take a seat by the hut’s central fire.

“Yeren told me.”

“Yeren?!” they chorused.

“Yep, told me as she was lobbing balls of corrosive black ooze around my apartment.”

“Your apartment back in your old time?” Noiryn asked.

“Yes, I guess Sid must have told her where it was.”

Sid. I wish that had turned out better.

“But you’re a Traveller, how did she get in without permission?” Noiryn was leaning forward in her chair, concern painted her face, her third eye was looking me up and down.

“Well, as she pointed out, it must not be my home anymore.”

Saying the words out loud hurt. If that place was no longer my home, then I had truly left that life behind. It was where my family was, well, my post Void, pre-wing family, the people who had raised me. How was I going to let that go? I could feel tears welling up and decided that it was a question better answered later. Much later.

“What did she say about the Bounty?” Benyst’s voice was a quiet growl. I couldn’t tell if he was pissed at me or the Bounty itself. I’m going with Bounty.

“She said that a creature in the Void had promised a share of my power to whoever brought me to them alive.”

“Ha!” Benyst laughed. “They already tried that! And look where it got them! A useless Bounty if ever there was one.”

Behaving as if the matter was closed, Benyst got to his feet and began to ladle stew from the cast iron pot that was bubbling above the fire. I kept talking.

“She said that this creature had figured out what went wrong the last time. She said that they knew how to strip me of my power. And...” I sighed. “I believe her.”

Silence met my words, only the sound of soup dripping from the ladle Benyst held poised above the fire filled the space.

“Did she say where the meeting place was?”

“Nope. She wouldn’t tell me who had put it out on me, either.”

“Well, that’s how Bounties work in the Void. Anonymous ’til the last.” Benyst said as he resumed pouring stew into bowls. So Yeren had told me the truth about Void Bounty protocol.

Great.

“What does the Archer say about all this?”

Benyst shoved a bowl of stew in my hands as he spoke. It smelled amazing. My stomach growled. I hadn’t had breakfast and fear be damned, I was going to eat. Noiryn passed me a spoon, and I tucked in.

“That’s the other problem,” I said between mouthfuls. “I can’t find him. He was supposed to be at my place when I returned, but I came back sooner than we both thought. I guess he went out or something.”

I was about to mention that my gargoyles didn’t know where he’d gone, but decided to keep their existence to myself. I trusted Noiryn and Benyst, it just felt like something I needed to keep to myself for a while.

“Why didn’t you go to his home?” Noiryn asked.

“Well, this is kind of embarrassing.” I put down my empty bowl. “Wow, I inhaled that,” Benyst grunted approvingly. “I don’t know where his home is, I’ve never seen it.”

Yes, I have never seen my boyfriend’s place. I know, I know, red flag. Seriously though, I hadn’t really cared before now. Yes, I’d asked to see it, and he’d said he wanted to wait until I was stronger because it was a hard place to Travel to, and that was all right with me. Until now. Now I wished I could show up, kick the door down and demand he take care of me. Yes, I’m complicated.

“That’s not embarrassing,” Noiryn said in a matter of fact way. “I’ve heard it’s very hard to Travel to.”

“You think I like my privacy.” Benyst chuckled.

“Well, I have to find him. I need his help to figure out who put this Bounty out on me and what the hell I’m going to do about it.” I stood up. “But first I have to go to a birthday party.”

“A what?!” My friends were getting magnificent at speaking in unison.

“A birthday party for my brother.” I slapped a hand to my forehead. “And I need to get him a present! s**t!” I slapped my other hand to my forehead. “I have no freaking cash on me, and I can’t go back to my place and get my purse. Triple shit.”

“Jeez, girl, you’re a Traveller! With all your power at your fingertips, you can’t get some cash?” Benyst was smiling at me; it was strange to see his lips so small.

“I’m not robbing someone, Benyst.”

Benyst laughed outright.

“Rob someone! You couldn’t do that if you tried, not in your nature.” He wiped tears of mirth from his cheeks, a much easier task now they were smoother. “Just bewitch one of those money dispenser thingies.”

“Money dispenser?” What was he talking about? A machine that dispenses money? “Oh, an ATM! I hadn’t thought of that. That might actually work. Good idea.” It would be harder than opening a door with my powers, but I think I could manage it. I moved to leave.

“Alright, I’ll go do what I need to do in my old time and then head back here.”

“And while you’re gone, we’ll see what we can find out about this Bounty.”

Noiryn looked concerned but hopeful as she crossed the room to embrace me. As we hugged her hands brushed my wings and the question I’d completely forgotten came hurtling to through my mind.

“s**t!” I exclaimed. Noiryn jumped back. “Sorry, Noiryn. I just remember a huge question I had to ask you guys. Well, not really a question, more of a concern I need input on...”

“Spit it out, Phoenix.” That was Noiryn, Benyst was rubbing off on her.

“In my old time, when my wings are away, I can see them in my reflection.” They both just looked at me. “I can’t go around like that! What will people think when I’m walking down the street? What will my parents say?”

“Oh!” It looked like a light bulb when off in Noiryn’s brain. “You’re worried that people will see them.”

“Yeah, that seems like a problem, no?” I countered.

“Don’t worry, Phoenix, only Travellers, will see the reflection and most won’t be looking for it.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

“But,” Benyst interrupted. “With the Bounty out, they will be more observant than usual. So take care.”

“I will. Wait a second, how come I didn’t see the wings when I first got back to my old time. I looked for them, but they weren’t in my reflection.”

Benyst thought about this.

“I don’t know. Maybe you were tired. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Okay....” That was not as reassuring as I’d hoped.

“Then be off with you.” He grunted.

Benyst raised his arm and appeared to wipe the air in front of the doorway clean. The energy shield he’d put up dropped, and I slipped out of the hut.

“See you soon,” I called over my shoulder.

I moved to the centre of the clearing and thought of a place in my old time, a busy street a few blocks from my home where I could get a gift for my brother.

“Seriously,” I grumbled to myself. “I’m a freaking Traveller, every creature in the Void is trying to hunt me down, and I’ve got to go to a birthday party.” I pulled at my coat. “When do the perks kick in?”

My wings that still seemed from time to time to operate independently of me began to flap and pull me up into the air. I hovered ten feet above the ground.

“Oh yeah, this is pretty perky.”

I smiled to myself and Travelled.