Hybrids: An Indoraptor Story ✓

Last Night In Chico

Wretched little-

Unhinged flea-infested maggot with spikes!

Tear him down in repayment! Slash his throat, Seven, for all his wretched-!

I had to tune her out. Like a mosquito to the brain, she bugged me the entire walk, rambling over and over again just from the prior incident. And I didn't do it just because she felt right (which she was), but, simply put, she was slipping into the annoying side of things. The pieces of myself I had continued to forfeit from mind and body despite how terrible they were.

Besides, I didn't want to fight another headache.

My mind didn't return to me until after we reached the inner lining of the main city. The wound had started to heal, now just a slow ooze slipping down my white snout to the brazen nip of teeth at my 'beak'. It didn't leave a massive trail that the humans could predict, but I was worried some other creature may follow if they were desperate enough.

Attacking us while we're still healing?! Blowing our cover, spilling our blood-!

Ripper had found an overgrown alleyway siding a brick library to hide behind, keeping watch just like he had done at the house. The shade helped cover Ripper and keep him cool, while rays of sunlight reflected off my white hide, blinding any foolish bystander who tried to look for something worthy to expose. Ripper remained standing, watching the cars and busy humans rumble by, and sighed. He could tell I was still staring at him -- not just over the injury, but in suspicion. I hadn't found the right time to ask him what happened, or point out the self-inflicted wound on his earhole. So I kept still, low in the grass, rumbling quietly and licking the spilling blood to draw my attention elsewhere.

I knew not to trust him! I sensed this to happen-

Oh, shut it, will you?! I growled. Ripper quickly whirled to me.

"What is it?"

"Oh-" I didn't realize he was watching. I growled aloud to dismiss it, and shook my head in sync. "N-Nothing."

"Your head is speaking, isn't it?"

I suddenly felt the other half of me snarl in warning, a second twinge of pain rushing to my brain to add onto my misery. So I pushed it off, too, with a heavy snort.

"No."

Ripper blinked, about to turn before refocusing on the slash on my skull. His eyes widened just an inch, watching each droplet of crimson pulse out between each heartbeat I gave. It was interesting to see, from his perspective that is, and daunting all the same. From here, I could tell he wanted to say something, to try and comfort me (as well as himself). But whatever embarrassment enraptured him at that moment forced the black indoraptor to snort it off, and gaze back to the outside world.

Typical Ripper, he doesn't care, my brain sneered. Look at him-

I know he didn't mean it. He would've spoken freely had it been meant!

He hurt you!

That wasn't him, you know this!

Rrr... My brain whirled about, grumbling to herself. Again with the 'self-apology' that isn't a self-apology-!

Just shut up for once. Please. He's been through enough.

And so have you. Know your place in this leech-infested hierarchy before you drop further below the food chain, indoraptor.

Grrr...

I blinked, suddenly refocusing on the distant hybrid. I didn't think he meant to apologize. Or maybe he did, but was too scared to see a reaction -- a nasty one, no doubt. Exhaling quietly, I rubbed a claw over the cut, my quills raising as a flare of pain burst from the initial touch. Inhale... My jaws widened up for a breath, exhale. Ripper looked back to me again, this time staring at the slashed line that drew from my chest to my lower abdomen, the original scar he made. His maw slowly parted, but I silenced him long before he could start.