❝how do you kill a monster without becoming one?❞
In the last city ruled by man, fish soar in the skies above and monsters lurk in the alleys below. Ten years ago, Jase lost both his legs and his mother to one such monster. However, tragedy couldn't...
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Kova ran with the river that he would always know first as Life Giver and second by its human name, Akutan. It flowed through the Second District and then farmland in the east. Behind him, Huraira followed without grace. She snapped every twig and crushed every flower. Kova cringed but did not say anything, instead focusing on his own feet. The last thing he wanted was to make a hypocrite of himself and so arrogantly trample the life that bloomed by twilight. It had no less worth than he did.
"Slow down!" Huraira snapped. Kova did. Then he stopped and turned to look at her. She'd fallen behind quite a ways. "I can barely see! How are you going this fast?"
"See?" Kova cocked his head. "How can you not see?"
"Maybe because it's the middle of the cold season and past midnight?" Huraira grumbled. "There's no light!"
Once again, Kova frowned before pointing to the moon.
Huraira scowled at him. "That's not enough light to see shit! How are you-" She stopped talking. Good. She talked too much. But then her scowl deepened and wrinkles appeared between her brows. Kova watched all of this happen silently - or perhaps curiously was a better word for it. "Your pupils... they aren't just for decoration?"
"I do not know that word."
"De-cor-a-tion."
"Ka, saying it slower does not help."
Huraira's face twisted with annoyance as if Kova was the one being stupid. "Your pupils actually have a use," she then said - not explaining the day-kor-ay-shon word at all.
"Chē? Why would they not?"
She pursed her lips and seemed to think about it before giving up with a shrug. "A lot of humans do weird things like that." She came closer - uncomfortably closer - examining each of his eyes. "These are freaky. Do you control them?"
Kova shoved her off him. "Do you control yours?"
"No-"
"Then why would I be able to control mine?" Chimeras. He would never understand them. He started to run again, but slower this time.
Despite their reduced pace, Huraira continued to trample on everything. There wasn't much growing this time of year - everything was covered in snow - but Kova admired those resilient few that defied everything to bud and bloom or simply to exist in a golden state. And then, despite facing all odds, they were still trampled on - killed - because something bigger couldn't be bothered to watch where they put their feet.
It was enough to irk Kova, but his fear of Huraira kept his mouth shut. She was bigger than him. Stronger. He doubted that she would hurt him on purpose but she might by accident. She already had. The last thing Kova wanted was to become another flower beneath her foot.
Eventually, though, they came to the oldest willow tree in Last City. Kova knew she was the oldest by touch and smell. Kova had spent many nights sleeping in her embrace. Now he had returned, hoping she would once again lend him some of her ancient wisdom.
