Fire and Ice

“What are they?” asked Darby staring at the screen, “hunters”

“No, no!” said the Seeker fidgeting uncertainly, “they are moving too fast to be the hunters, they are moving too fast to be the hunters”

“Then what?” asked Crane, “what else lives in the jungle?” he turned to the Seeker and Kiefah and directed the question toward them.

“No, no...not the jungle. No, no...not the jungle”

“Make sense man!” snapped Crane angrily.

“No, my father is right” said Kiefah, “there is nothing in the jungle the moves like that”

“Then it has to be the hunters” insisted Darby staring at the monitor.

“Father explain, father explain” said Kiefah.

“Flurries” said the old man looking around at the small group, “flurries”

The Chamberlain watched from the safety of the canopy and the three hulking creatures pounded their way through the jungle, smashing at tree bark and uplifting roots as they forged a path through the dense undergrowth. The Chamberlain closed his eyes and prayed mercy to whom ever got in the creatures way.

“What are Flurries?” asked James moving closer to the group and away from the screen.

“My father is best to tell you” replied Kiefah and turned to the old man, “father tell them about the flurries, father tell them about the flurries”

“They are wild and ferocious creatures born of hate and hurt” he looked about the group as he spoke, his hands wildly moving through the air. “They are wild and ferocious creatures born of hate and hurt”

“So they are from the jungle” said Crane triumphantly. Kiefah nodded toward him, then his father and the captain sighed, “so they are from the jungle” he repeated quickly.

“No, they are what we are. No, they are what we are” he shook his head sadly and lowered his head gripping the side of the table. “The planet is an infection” he started slowly, “a plague on our people. The planet is an infection, a plague on our people”

“In what way?, In what way?” asked James

“It gets into mind and your body, it gets into your mind and your body”

“This is preposterous!” snapped Crane, “I’ve had enough of this nonsense, it’s clearly a pack of wild animals”

“Captain, I think we should hear out what he has to say” said Darby softly and turned back to the Seeker, “please continue, please continue” she said as her hands snaked around her stomach.

“When our people became hurt, injured...the planet would infect them and they would become...beasts. When our people became hurt, injured...the planet would infect them and they would become...beasts”

“That is not possible” breathed Darby softly looking at Reverend James, “Is it?”

“The universe is full of strange and mysterious things and I admit I have not seen many of them, but this could be possible. After all, until a few days ago I would not have believed a planet could alter its rotation”

“But what if we got injured, would we change. I mean, we’re not even from here...are we”

“But, nor were the colonists” argued James, “and if the change is to do with the geological change rather than biological it could cause a potential regression. We already have seen the effects of the planet on the populace, remember these were the old colony and these...” he said waving at Kiefah and his father, “are the descendants of the colonists”

“I want off this planet” said Darby standing and looking at the screen.

“Everything alright Cadet?” asked Crane

“Yes sir” she lied, “I just want off this planet now”

“You and me both Cadet, you and me both” he watched her for a moment as she walked out of the building and into the sunlight.

“They are moving fast, they are moving fast”

“Which way? Which way?” asked James.

“They are heading in our direction, they are heading in our direction” said the Seeker, turning from the lights on the screen, “they have your scent, they have your scent”

“Then we must go, then we must go” Aston James gripped the man’s hand and shook it warmly, “thank you for all you have done, we will return for you” he promised, “thank you for all you have done, we will return for you”, then turned and left following the path taken by Cadet Darby. Crane stood before the Seeker unsure of what to do, then promptly saluted and turned on his heels leaving the old man alone with his son.

“Take care my child, take care my child” he said softly

“I will father, I will father” Kiefah threw his arms around the old man and pulled his body close to him. “Hide, for the flurries will pass this way, hide, for the flurries will pass this way” he said and kissed his father on the cheek.

“They will not find me, they will not find me” promised the old man as he watched the boy as he ran through the open wound in the skin of the building. “Goodbye my child...goodbye my child” he wiped at a tear and disappeared into the darkness of the building.

The ground churned under the relentless path of the creatures talons as their claws sunk deep into the soil. The blood raced in their ears as the trees and plants shot past them, whipping at the strong muscular faces and slapping at the fur which covered the hide of the creature. The lead Flurry paused for a moment, allowing the other two to race past it as it stood with its nose in the air, tasting the wind and letting the smell of the hunt excite its senses. It howled at the sun as the lust for the kill rose in its body and it pounded after the other two creatures, tearing at vegetation as it ran.

Brambles and branches whipped at their faces and bodies as they ran through the jungle. The trees clawed at their clothes, as though attempting to stop their progress as they hurried through the trees. The noise from their progress masked the noise of the creatures in their wake as limbs of wood fell away from trunks and scattered over the floor.

“Is this definitely the way?” shouted Crane as a branch whipped his face. His voice was laboured from the sudden exertion and extracted as the air struggled with the concept of his words as he ran.

“You’re out of shape captain!” laughed James as he followed the wrecked foliage of the captain.

“I’ve spent too long on the bridge on that ship” he called back as he forged his path deeper into the vegetation. “Kiefah!”

“Yes, this is the right way to your machines” the young man shouted from the back of the group.

“Shouldn’t the boy be in front?” shouted James

“Where is your military experience Father, the lad takes point at the rear”

“But, surely he knows the terrain!”

“Nonsense, I have an impeccable sense of direction”

“Excuse me, but we need to turn here” called Kiefah from the rear of the group.

“You were saying Captain” laughed James as they changed direction. They stopped dead in their tracks as a massive explosion ripped through the jungle. The noise rose to a crescendo deafening the party as they stood frozen to the spot looking around desperately trying to locate the source. A wall of air roared across the forest, hitting the group and sending them off their feet.

“What the hell was that!” screamed Darby as she lay on the floor, her hands covering her ears as she rolled onto her back and stared over the canopy at the rising plume of thick black smoke in the distance.

“The dome...” breathed Crane, catching his breath as he pushed his aching body to his feet complaining at the strain placed on his muscles. He looked back in the direction they had fled and peered over the canopy, bringing his hand to his brow to protect his eyes as he stared toward the sun.

“Father” whispered Kiefah as he followed the captain’s gaze.

“No captain...” said James gently, “look” his vision was directed in the opposite direction from the colony and in the direction they were heading. Crane turned slowly and glanced at the Priest before following the trail of his pointing finger into the distance at the rising plume above the canopy.

“The ship...” sighed Crane, “my ship, my crew...”

“Yes” agreed James, “it would appear so”

“Then we truly are lost” moaned Crane as he sank to his knees.

The three Flurries burst into the clearing around the ruined remains of the old colony and fidgeted awkwardly. The roar of the explosion barely bothered the three large creatures as they glanced around the clearing. The air from the blast surged through the trees hitting the animals and disturbing the fur on their bodies. The largest of the creatures stood surrounded by the two smaller ones and raised its head in the air, while the others ran around the small clearing with their noses pressed to the floor, following various scent trails. The largest stood tasting the wind, his muzzle high sniffing in the odour carried on the breeze. His tongue flicked out and ran along its hairy maw, running over its long teeth, before it released a deathly howl on the wind and sprinted into the jungle with its two companions trailing in its wake. The three pushed a path through the trees, pushing and barging for position as they followed the scent on the wind...

“Captain” insisted James as he grabbed at the captain’s arm, trying to pull him to his feet.

“We have to leave” said Kiefah softly, “the Flurries”

“I am aware” snapped James, “Captain...please”

“No Father” said Crane, “it is lost, we are doomed” he looked around the small copse shaking his head, the sound of the creatures pursuit loud in their ears.

“No!” said James harshly, “We are never truly lost, not as long as we have our friends and our hope”

“Its useless”

“Captain!” snapped James, “while there is hope, there is faith. Please have faith”

Crane looked up at him and shook his head, “your wrong Father” he said, “we are stranded on a planet that is about to explode, now tell me where your faith is”

James grasped at the small silver cross around his neck, “Faith is all around us Captain, and your wrong. While there are tears, hope remains and with the daybreak, a smile and a cause. Have faith in me Captain, I shall save your soul” he smiled at the captain and held out his hand, looking over his shoulder at the movement of vegetation in the distance. “Now, if we could...” he said smiling at the captain as he accepted the priest’s hand and stood, “I would suggest a brisk run!”

Crane watched as the Priest disappeared into the brush and glanced at his two young companions, then past them into the jungle at the growing commotion. Panic set into his face and he pushed through the thicken after the retreating figure ahead of him.

They could smell the blood on their tongues. The could taste the fear in their air. The hunt was on and would soon result in a frenzy of blood-lust. The Flurries brushed aside trees and brambles as though they pushed their path in their relentless pursuit of food...

Vegetation raced past their faces in a blur as the yellows and greens of the forest merged with reds and browns. Blood raced through their veins, filling their mouths and surging through their ears. As they ran the thought of death pushed limbs and muscles to their extreme as aching bodies complained, hearts pounded and lungs exploded.

Father Aston James skidded to a stop in a small clearing and stared at the sight of the four silver metallic ponies resting where they had been discarded the previous day. He stood for a moment in elated joy and grasped the cross, bringing the metal close to his lips and kissed the silver pendant. “Thank you” he whispered as the air pushed its way back into his body. He rushed to the nearest and checked the systems, feeling a wave of relief wash over his body as he discovered the construction was undamaged and fully charged. A crashing close to his shoulder caused him to turn and looked into the bush at the form of Cadet Darby pushing her path through the thicken. He saw the same emotion cross her face as she approached and panted heavily, “come!” he urged, waving her forward.

He glanced over his shoulder as a second noise alerted him to another of his colleagues crashing through the foliage. “Hurry!” he snapped, glancing further into the trees, then back toward Darby.

“Father!” she screamed as a Flurry burst from the thicken and launched itself at the priest, knocking him from his feet. The blow was merely superficial, but the impact against the hard floor took the breath out of the man’s body as he fell roughly across the ground. The creature hollered and roared toward the sky as it towered over the two humans. Darby struggled through the last of the bush, with Kiefah close behind her. His eyes widened as he stared at the creature in the copse and dropped to his knees, his arms outstretched across the floor of the forest.

“Kiefah!” she snapped, “get up” The creature bore down on the form of the priest, its sharp talons bearing down on his body. Aston James rolled under the blows of the creature, avoiding contact with its claws. Crane pushed through the end of the trees and surveyed the scene before him as the priest lay helpless of the ground, Kiefah in reverence toward the creature and Darby standing watching the pair.

“Darby!” he called from the other side of the clearing, “the Pony!”, she looked at him and nodded as Crane ran across the clearing, ramming his body into the side of the creature. The Flurry screamed its fury and swiped at the captain, connecting with the back of its hand with the captain chin and spent him across the copse. He lay for a moment wiping the saliva from his mouth and staggered toward the second Pony. The creature pounced toward James and swung its heavy muscular arm toward him, grasping his neck and lifting him off his feet until he was at face level with the creature. James could feel the hot breath sting his face as he turned from its attention. He heard a whine of an engine close by as the moisture of the creature’s tongue ran across his cheek.

Darby stared in horror as the creature pulled Reverend James towards its face. She sat in the saddle of the Pony and ran her hand over the readings, feeling slightly relieved that the solar banks were full, with complete reserve tanks at full power. She gripped the reins tightly in her hands and kicked the motor units at the side of the Pony. The unit hummed with power and lifted off the ground, rocking slightly as Darby struggled to to keep control of the machine. She stared at the creature with a growing sense of anger rising in the pit of her stomach and turned the device directly at the beast as it opened its mouth. Darby twisted the reins in her hands and thrust the Pony forward, pushing the device hard into the body of the Flurry. The creature released its grip on the Priest and howled with agony as the Pony hit the Flurry forcing the creature off its feet and onto the ground.

James felt the relief flood over him and he rolled across the floor, his hand clutching for his chain as he lay staring up the Darby riding the Pony and bearing down for a second time upon the beast. The creature rolled in the debris of the forest floor and roared as the Pony bore down on it for a second time. Darby screamed in symphony with the howls of the creature, her eyes fogging over in a cloud of inky black hatred as she pulled hard on the reins and leant her body to one side, bringing the rear of the Pony to bear before the creature. She twisted her hands hard on the controls and the scream of the engines echoed across the forest clearing and flames spilled from the two thrust engines, scorching the body of the animal.

Flames licked the creature and engulfed the fur on the body, as its flesh burned and bubbled as Darby’s anger rose. She sat, with her head turned in its direction and she held the Pony reluctantly over the burning body of the creature. Its screams died in its throat as the body became embroiled and swamped in a wall of fire. Sweat formed on the brow of Darby as she sat in the saddle of the device, engines on full and fire spewing from the rear engines.

A smile crossed her face as the animal burned, the heat from the animal warming her skin and throwing a pale glow across the twisted features. She looked over toward Crane as he clambered into the saddle of the second Pony and focused on the trees beyond him. “Captain!” he called as she held her machine in position over the burning Flurry. Crane barely had time to look as the forest exploded in a blast of fur and fury behind him, talons striking the side of the Pony and sending it spinning across the copse. It glowered between the form of Darby on her mount and the burning corpse on the floor and the smell of roasting meat seared the air. Its eyes flicked over the clearing, trailing over the prone body of Aston James before resting on the figure of Kiefah, still in his subdued position of worship. Crane struggled to regain control over his Pony as the sound of the creature’s howls rang through his skull, echoing in his ears and he watched helplessly as the beast bound toward the young man.

“Kiefah!” stormed Crane as gripped the reins of his steed and pulled it to face the retreating back of the creature, then kicked it savagely with his heels and launched after the Flurry. The young man raised his eyes and stared with horror as the immense body of the creature bore down on him, its talons raised high above its head and with a bellow of rage, swung a clawed hand across the back of the villager. Kiefah screamed as the claws bit through his flesh and tore vast grooves across his skin. The pain rose up through his body as he pushed his body from the floor, arching his back and throwing his arms wide by his side. Tears streaked his face and the blood drenched his back as the massive maw of the animal clamped around his torso and lifted him from the floor. His body thrashed wildly as sharp teeth closed around him, clenching and gripping tighter and tighter and it threw its head around in wild excitement. The boys blood mingled and congealed around the muzzle of the beast as it swung Kiefah from side to side, biting deeper into his body. Kiefah screamed as he heard his bones snapped and break under the pressure of the Flurries bite and the smell of his own blood seeped into the open air. It relaxed its grip slightly as the heavy weight of the Pony rushed into its back, forcing the creature to stagger under its own weight and sag to the floor. Kiefah still remained locked in its mouth as the Flurry rested on its knees and stared at the back of the Pony driven by Crane circled to make a second attack.

Finally, releasing its grip on the boy, it threw its head on the head and screamed at the captain, tensing its powerful muscles to launch itself at the mechanical horse. Darby revved her engine and thrust her steed into the side of the creature sending it sprawling across the floor. It roared up at her as her mount passed overhead, with the woman cheering her success as the device passed over the muscular body. It swung its vast arm out at her and caught the bottom of the Pony, its claw digging into the metal skin and rupturing a cooling valve on the underside of the device. She struggled to maintain her composure as the Pony bucked and reared wildly from the damage. The creature narrowed its eyes and let loose a long low growl and tensed its muscles to pounce as the Pony rocked uselessly under Darby’s strained effort. A shadow passed over the head of the Flurry, and the second Pony swam over the creature’s body, with Crane looking down at the beast. He stabbed a finger at the control panel on the Ponies collar, cutting the power to the machine and grasped the reins as device dropped like a stone onto the creature.

It screamed as the weight of the machine crushed its body, forcing the breath from its lungs and crunching the bones in its skull, as the main weight of the Pony dropped heavily onto its head and upped body. Crane smiled satisfied as the creature twitched wildly beneath the Pony, a mixture of its blood and Kiefah’s tinged the floor around it as the movements began to slowly subside. Crane checked the instrument panel and glanced at Darby, who was still trying to regain control of her steed.

“That’s two of them!” he called triumphantly as the third and largest Flurry crashed through the undergrowth and stood panting in the centre of the clearing. Its eyes locked on the two crew-members on their mounts, then the two dead Flurries on the floor of the copse. It flashed a look of pure hatred as it noticed the fallen figure of the Reverend as he examined the lifeless body of Kiefah and growled its descent. Crane stabbed at the controls of his Pony as the beast stood high on its hind legs and roared at the sun, its howls curdling the blood and running chills across their spines. The Pony stammered and coughed as it struggled to regain power and the Flurry turned to face and flailing figure of Darby as she fought to regain her own mount. It pounded across the floor in her direction and swung its claw wildly at her as she pulled at the reins, lifting the head of the Pony to block its strike. The blow sent the Pony spinning uselessly across the clearing, the Flurry close to its silver body as it spun to a stop. Darby leant forward in the saddle panting heavily as she regained control and stared helplessly as the Flurry towered over her, a shadow falling across her face as the mighty creature bloated out the glow of the sun.

It narrowed its eyes and raised its arm high above its head and tensed as it peered down on the cowering woman. A rock slammed against the creature’s head, causing a brief respite from the beasts attention as it turned and glowered at Aston James who stood defiantly opposing the creature, another rock in his hand and his other gripping the silver pendant around his throat. The whine of the Ponies motor forced the Flurry to glance over its shoulder toward Darby, who was turning the engine over as she twisted the reins in her hand. A malicious smirk crossed the animals face, exposing the rows of sharp menacing teeth and it lashed out with its heavy-set leg toward the mechanical steed. Darby screamed as the pain of the muscular limb struck her leg, pinning it against the side of her own mount and she gripped the reins tightly, tears forming in her eyes as the sound of breaking bone echoed in her ears. The creature kicked out again, catching Darby for a second time, pulverising her bone and breaking the skin beneath her knee as claw and muscle trapped her leg to her mount. The Flurry waded across the copse as Darby fell limply to the floor, her moans of pain drowning out the guttural growl from the creature as her hands reached for her injured leg.

James slowly backed away, his vision of the injured, crying woman bloated out by the large bulk of the animal stalking its prey. He threw the second rock and watched as it rebounded off the animals hide and rolled across the floor. The fear in his body rose and his feet scrambled slowly over roots and vines as his slow retreat continued, ever facing the creature and locking onto its cruel eyes. “Our Father” he said softly, clutching the pendant tight in his hand, “give me strength in my hour of need” he whispered moving through the clearing.

“Run man!” he heard the yell of Crane from the other side of the copse and the laboured whine of the Pony as he desperately attempted to start the motor.

“For I shall not fear evil” he said defiantly as he stumbled to the ground and watched ominously as the Flurry casually stalked his prey, crawling at the ground as his four thick feet dragged through the dirt. His fingers curled harder around the pendant and he could feel the edges of the cross dig into his fist, making slight impressions in the skin as he spoke, “but deliver me from pain, as I bear witness to my own mortality” The creature loomed over the Priest and sneered down at the prone man as he lay sprawled beneath its body, “Lord, forgive me my sins” he closed his eyes as he felt the hot rank breath of the creature against his face, “and give me the strength to forgive others...”, saliva stained his cheek as the maw of the beast closed on the Priest, “as I walk your shadow” his voice began to rise as he felt a sharp claw run along the expanse of the body, “and revere your greatness” he could hear a low growl as the creature placed its head close to his, “Lord, accept me thy child...Amen!” he shouted as a rush of air screamed through the copse and the pressure of the creature’s body elevated slightly as it shifted its weight to strike.

“Julie!” he screamed, his lungs pitching to breaking point as a flash of movement tainted the air and the hot splash of blood filled his senses, “my Love!”