Their Call, Calico: The Series
Part Ten
◀ Back to Part Nine | Table of Contents
Based on Original Published Work by Author
☯ Legend on reading Armistice’s / Calico’s Life:
☴ Indicator for dialogue: “ ”
☶ Indicator for thought, and lyrics: Italic Font
☱ Indicator for action: Bold Font or wording with quotations.
☳ Poems and Songs [ are indicated ]
☷ Names : Bold Italics
☵ Setting set inside: Brackets: {SETTING}/{BOLD}
{ Armistice’s mind wanders, as Mirra fires another series of shots into the running plume of smoke and tiger guts splashing against the trail and stairs. }
Armistice:
“ I’ll tell you what type of name Armistice is. Naming a child after Armistice Day, or an arranged formal agreement where two conflicting parties meet sounds like the perfect name for a son, but… have you ever just considered what an agreement actually is?
We assume it’s like shaking hands; both parties are happy and they can go on their merry way to wherever their balanced roles of responsibility proceed. But no, it’s not like that.”
Lionell:
“ ( he rubs his Moscow Mule copper mug against his beard) Okay, I’m listening. Let’s see if you can spin me a web.”
Armistice:
“ You know, like I told you, I ended up with two step parents and both carried the weight of the original parents. So much so, that over time I ended up just calling them nuMom, and nuPop. But, I kept my name. Okay, I’m trailing. Look (Lionell takes a sip of his bottle)…
It’s like that, a replacement of responsibilities. But it goes further… What exactly is the point at which two sides, that completely hate each other, and want nothing more but to completely melt each other into slime; gunk in the shit of space or something?”
Lionell:
“ You tell me, and you’re almost out. You want something stronger like ( hums the “Tequila” song tune) Tequila ( gets up { and goes into his kitchen})?”
Armistice:
“ You got something sweeter. I mean, sure, okay. If you’re having it, I could take some. But-”
Lionell:
“ I got an interesting drink I could make. Oh, and your point about agreements is (he takes two glasses out and more liquor bottles from his pantry and gets to concocting)? ”
Armistice:
“ They’re risks, calculated risks. You don’t partner with someone unless you’re risking yourself and what they value — and they don’t do the same, either.
And then… my last name, “Silver”… In 1933 there was a global agreement on silver in London. Around, say, sixty global governments agreed not to melt silver or replace paper money with silver coins. China, India, the U.S., all the major money players were involved in this risk for power.
The point was to maintain the value of silver all over the world. The U.S. decided to keep thousands of ounces of its mined silver away from recirculation.
That same year the U.S. government forced citizens to bring their gold bars and bullions to the bank. It wasn’t until the mid-70s that citizens could flaunt their gold bars again. Money control, or a risk to control the state of wealth, you be the judge. ”
Lionell :
“ Deep. Sounds like history is your forte.”
Armistice:
“ That might not be my only skillset (he sips his drink and eyes Lionell’s backside as he reaches down to his freezer to grab some ice cubes on the glasses). Look at you, mixing on the rocks… hey, but any compliment, I can take. ”
Lionell:
“ Keen eyes, there. ”
{ Quentin turns back to Armistice, as Armistice falls to his knees while the poison moves through him. }
Quentin:
“ (trying to speak as his throat is hoarse from crying) Sir, we’re fucked! ”
Mirra:
“ Cabrón! We have to move on, this is some crazy shit the Commander-in-chief has gotten us into. Let’s go before we’re all torn up by tigers. ”
Mirra pushes TL Kenneth away from Quentin, and then grabs onto the shirt of Armistice to lift him up.
Mirra:
“ Let’s head to the gate, Armis, I got you — sir. Hold my shoulder. Let’s go! ”
Quentin:
“ (getting up while moving forward to hold Armistice’s back, he glances one more time at his brother {while another tiger comes from the forest pounces on his stationary open hand and pulls it to loosen the bone}) Let’s move. Bye Ken, we’ll… we’ll meet again. I’ll come back-”
Mirra:
“ Keep moving, Quentin! ”
The trio of Team Alpha go up the stairs, running and jumping over stairs, while seeing the bridge up ahead closing in.
{ Roars and growling appear all over the place. A tiger, Kurlock, appears to get to the bridge ahead of them.}
Mirra:
“ Nope, our cover doesn’t matter at this point ( fires at Kurlock, and he lunges over the bridge towards Quentin). Shit, that was my last bullet! ”
Mirra hands Quentin a knife from behind.
Kurlock:
“ Freshly weakened under the loss of one of yours. ”
Kurlock, stops ahead of Quentin, grinning to appreciate this gorilla whore’s sorrow and misery.
Quentin suddenly lets go of Armistice, and runs full pursuit at Kurlock waving his arms in a maniacal fashion.
Quentin:
“ Gonna peel off your stripes, limb from limb! ( he tackles Kurlock, but Kurlock pushes him over. Instead of rolling back, Quentin shuffle’s back and drives the knife into Kurlock’s neck. Kurlock darts away with the knife in its neck.)”
Mirra keeps going forward with Armistice, and Quentin gets up to join them.
They make it up through the dragon gate, and it bursts open. Mirra quickly uses her emptied assault rifle to link the doors shut.
Mirra in response, turns around and eyes the hoard coming at them.
Mirra:
“ BEARS ! and they are… pandas? ”
{ The ground starts rumbling as an enormous roar carries through the sky towards them. An F-16 fighter jet screams through the smoke, and deploys one missile at the growing range of emerging tigers.
The earth quakes in the Palace Temple Village, and the bamboo trail, and the painted tunnel morphs into torrents of flames bathing in the suffocation of smoke and entrails. The pure kind population breaks apart into a frenzy. }
One Pure Kind:
“ Get into your homes, the pure kinds have been invaded. Run, or head to the Great Bonsai. Remember your prayers and hymns. Go now! ”
Second Pure Kind:
“ Where is our leader, Rendemra? Where is my grubby? Glucorn, where are you?! Glucorn? ”
Third Pure Kind:
“ Juhikyop! Oh, on this trail we bridge to you. ”
A group of Pure Kinds running by the Third:
“ And we trail back. Go Eabbernath, back to your maffa, now! ”
{ During the chaos, Mirra looks up ahead at the Labyrinth circle with a roaring Gammina bound together to one of the Golden Buddha statues. The torches were just lit, as the bearer pure kind drops the last torch in shock} and runs for its life.
{The field begins to catch fire. }
Mirra:
“ What is this place? I have to save that bear or it will burn up. It’s helpless!”
Quentin:
“ Aren’t we, if we split? He’s not doing too well.”
Mirra:
“ You have this, and you should know these are pandas, they eat bamboo, right? See if you can place Armis in a nearby hut, and get back to me. I’ll need your help. He’s safer hidden, if the tigers get in here.”
Quentin:
“ Okay… okay (Quentin huddles over and puts Armistice in Gammina’s home).”
{ Gammina eyes the two gorilla whores running towards her. Completely petrified, she urinates in fear.}
Gammina:
“ Help! Calico! Pure Kinds. I am Rendemra’s grubby. Did I mean anything to any of you? Was I ever loved? ”
Gammina begins panting harder, and then slips out of being concious as the blaze spreads around the Labyrinth circle.
Gammina:
“ Calico, find… me… on..trail…”
{ Mirra takes a cloth from her pocket and covers her mouth, and informs Quentin to do the same. Quentin points out to head back, as this is (to him) a ludicrous decision. Mirra slaps Quentin across the face, and then grabs him by the shirt, and points to Gammina.
They run through the fire onto the circle. and Gammina’s left foot begins to be set with embers and flame. }
Quentin unhooks his canteen, and Mirra reaches to her bayonet blade as they go to Gammina to spring her loose.
Mirra proceeds to cut at her rope while Quentin douses the flame from her foot. She is able to loosen the rope after cutting two of the wrapped cords.
Gammina’s body falls forward onto Quentin.
Quentin:
“ Help, Mirra! ”
Mirra:
“ We’re going to have to do this together. Deep breath, and use your shoulder strength. Let’s lift the body on to the fancy maze in the circle, there. Clealy, there’s a cult, here, or someone is hoarding animals for their own military. It’s sickening, the sick psychos in this world!
Let’s go on two….Two.”
Quentin and Mirra are surprised at how heavy Gammina is, but are able to edge her body to the top of the fallen wall onto the Labyrinth. They get on top of the wall, and sit with Gammina’s body.
Quentin:
“ Now, what do we do? ”
{ Rendemra, sees the fighterjet deploy the missile in the distance and the eruption of chaos that ensues following the explosion. His heartbeat races.
He meanders down a hill trail, and sees that Gammina’s ropes are on fire, and her dried blood stains are on the Golden Buddha. }
Rendemra:
“ She’s gone…Gammina…she’s gone… my grubby… she’s gone…”
Rendemra is having trouble making sense of what’s going on, and wonders about the fate of the Village without someone that he could manipulate to follow in his footseps:
Calico’s most likely dead from the bloodloss. But Gammina she could have followed the acts with anyone, after.
Yes, the acts…yes, she is probably home…still painting like a good grubby… still painting…yes, that is my Gammina… still painting. I should have told her; her art could not compare…would be recognizable by humans as a masterpiece.
Rendemra:
“ The gorilla whore took my maffa… and they took my last hope for this great pure kind nation (his eyes begin to stream in tears). All of the sacrifice, the lives that were bled…Yes, my Gammina is home, I will go see her…”
He walks by several pure kinds who eye him from their houses.
Rendemra stops to greet them with his last remaining strength.
Rendemra:
“ My brottos…Gammina…(tears begin running out of his eyes) Calico did this. This is what happens when the Forbidden Acts, The Trails… I can’t speak, now. Calico’s actions have resulted in the gorilla whore, and now… Now, I must go home…Let me see her, my brottos. Let me see my grubby… ”
{ Rendemra goes on a silent path as other pure kinds pass to offer their support to him, and put their heads on his back as he walks by to his grubby’s home.
He enters Gammina’s home,} and takes in the reflections of the flames of the Labyrinth field through the windows; he looks around the living space at the mural Gammina had been working on for quite some time.
Rendemra:
“It was perfect.”
Armistice stands up behind Rendemra, while he stands in wonder at Gammina’s work.
He has Lionell’s beard, and his eyes are very similar. Lionell was a painter. Could this be him? Did Lionell become a literal ‘bear’?
Armistice coughs up some blood, and it drips down onto the floor.
No more questions, no more regrets, I know what I have to do…
The cranking down of Armistice’s trouser zipper startles Rendemra, and he turns around to see Armistice’s blood covered shirt, followed by his cracked eyes.
This is a Therochordis demon of sorts, and not a normal gorilla whore — thinks Rendemra.
Rendemra stumbles back, and gets both his back paws in two paint cans. He continues to lose his balance as he knocks over some red paint and it goops over his backside.
Rendemra is panting, and out of steam. He tries to roar but is out of breath and instead, vomits on the floor.
Armistice:
“ Looks like we are in the same boat, Lionell. Just you and me, my bear. ”
Armistice stumbles forward, and loses his balance so that he is on his hands and knees like Rendemra. He begins to walk towards him like a crawling human… like a gorilla.
Rendemra’s body shakes, and he clearly can’t move. He starts whining for help.
Armistice proceeds to mount Rendemra.
Rendemra lets out a screech each time; as time passes under the crackling and murmuring wails of the forest.
Calico, Yurry and Lemur are amazed and shocked at the reign of terror up ahead. Ashes. Two pandas run by them on fire.
Yurry turns on his walkie talkie:
Yurry:
“ Team Alpha, did you call in the Pentagon emergency jet? This was a code blue — this cuts our salary to no more than half! Did you verify the code? Over-Well actually, no. Not Over!
Whose idea was this? I need this money. Over.”
{ No response follows. }
Lemur:
“ What is this, Calico? It is so hot.”
Calico:
“ I am not sure, but I have seen small flames from the tiki night, at the zoo. These are much bigger. It is best not to touch the flames (points with his nose) like those over there.
My Gammina is here, somewhere.
How do you feel, Lemur? ”
Lemur:
“ I want to keep helping my family. How do I do this? ”
Calico:
“ We have to find Gammina, and we can be a stronger family. Will you join me, Lemur? ”
Lemur:
“ Yes. For family!”
Calico:
“ For family! ”
Calico and Lemur move ahead of Yurry, but turn back towards him.
Yurry:
“ It’s okay, you two. Go, find your wife and mother. I have a mission to do. Until we meet again, Zhù nǐ hǎo yùn! ”
{ Calico and Yurry, trot ahead, and Yurry takes out his rifle with its flashlight, and proceeds to head towards the Village. Yurry turns around and the clannars have moved in behind him.
Yurry’s rifle goes off, as Calico edges in by the first few pure kind homes, and looks around.}
Calico:
“ Where did they take her, why can’t I think? Gammina!”
Lemur:
“ You almost become red water; you need to take a deep air breath. I did so to calm myself during the first antiwonian. Deep air in, deep air out.”
Calico:
“ I can’t, I can’t, she may be dead. I have to hurry; I have no time.”
Lemur:
“ The only way to have time is to be present. Stop and deep breathe, Calico. ”
Calico:
“ I will… I will… (Calico closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. He inhales, and then his tired lungs are cooled as the air runs through his body. Calico repeats, and then looks deep into Lemur’s eyes).
I am ready to find my love, I am ready to do whatever it takes. Lemur, let’s go! ”
Lemur:
“ For family! ”
{ Calico gets further into the Village near the Palace. Suddenly, blame begins to pour from the ash and village bricks at Calico. }
One Pure Kind:
“ There is the whore of a bear, he sacrificed all of us to the gorilla, shut your doors and do not let him enter! ”
Another Pure Kind:
“ Traitor, leave us for good or drown in the flames. Leave, Calico! ”
Several adult Pure Kinds rush out and start throwing old persimmons at both of them. It hits Lemur, and she growls back.
Lemur:
“ What is wrong with these others? ”
Calico:
“ They have been… (Calico then projects out loud, and goes next to Lemur to support her body)…We have all been brainwashed by Rendemra! He has been murdering off this local bear species to get more pandas here. Rendemra has tricked all of us. He just wants to control all of our lives.”
One Pure Kind:
“ And why should we trust you, of all kinds, Calico? Let’s kill his friend, maybe that will teach him not to mess with real Pure Kinds. ”
Calico:
“ I will protect her; she is just a grubby. Would a pure kind really say such horrific things to another kind — especially a bear like us, like our ancestors? ”
One Pure Kind stops and then backs up, realizing that other Pure Kinds are watching him struggle with this “conundrum” facing their moral code system.
Another Pure Kind:
“ How do we even know that is even a bear. Its skin is mangy. It is clearly not one of us! ”
Calico:
“ Do your eyes deceive you? She is a bear, and she was tortured by the clannars — who are controlled by Rendemra. Oh, how I could pour the tales of what I have seen in the Forbidden Tower! It is forbidden, because Rendemra has kept all of us in the dark!
Why do we even eat persimmons, take that into your thoughts, would you; if not of your eyes?”
A Pure Kind Maffa:
“ Rendemra is a good leader, he knows what food nourishes our bodies and our minds. ”
Another Pure Kind:
“ Does he, though? I lost my youngest after he couldn’t digest a persimmon. ”
A Pure Kind Maffa:
“ Maybe, your grubby was unfit for our brother planet to begin with. Only a true Pure Kind can eat a persimmon! ”
Another Pure Kind growls at A Pure Kind Maffa.
Calico:
“ Do you all hear yourselves?
We are even at war about what we eat, and what we do. If we are so pure, why do we not live freely, not through a form of controlled imprisonment by single pure kind? Some leader he is, he is not even here as we all suffer from what is to come from these flames. ”
A Pure Kind Maffa:
“ Calico, you’re right about that. Where is Rendemra? ”
The Pure Kinds collectively inquire each other.
A Grubby:
“ (running into the crowd of Pure Kinds by the Temple Palace) He went to Gammina’s house; your house, Calico. ”
Gammina, what did Rendemra do to her?! What is he doing to her?! It is time to confront this killer for what he is!
Calico:
“ It is time to save my love. I know you all do not trust me, so I will do this alone. But, know this, I will vouch to fight for all of your freedoms. Village or pilgrimage, we serve our pure kindship to the end. It is in our blood. It is more than just the stories of the Pure Kind lore!
Lemur, let us go save my Gammina! To family. ”
Lemur and Calico depart the confused crowd of pure kinds, and head to Gammina’s house.
{ Yurry fires his last bullet through the eye of the fifth tallied tiger killer and it moans into darkness, as (he runs towards the flames) gaining on the main gate. }
Yurry:
“ What Hell is this?!
Team Alpha, I hope you survived. Pandas, so many! ”
Yurry storms on by 8 or 9 pure kinds running into their homes. They glance back at him completely terrified.
{ The fire suddenly runs on the painted trail, and it races forward to the Palace Temple. It jumps up onto some of the wood beams underneath its tiled roof. }
Several of the pure kinds leap out of their homes, in complete shock and sadness.
Another Pure Kind:
“ The Palace. Save our Palace! The texts, we can’t live without their permanence! ”
A Pure Kind Maffa:
“ We can’t? It might be that the outsider was right. If we’re what’s left of our kind we should carry on the legacy of our words, and not just be isolated from those — those we can share this knowledge with! I might not be a leader, but I am a maffa.
You brottos might be the leaders, but you need a good maffa to protect and feed you! ”
One Pure Kind:
“ Brottos, do we protect the Palace? I don’t know what to do?”
Another Pure Kind:
“ Hush, we must pray to Chloresto. Let us bow to its destruction.”
Another Pure Kind’s grubbies go outside and bow with their fatta. Their Maffa, who heard A Pure Kind Maffa, stops next to her lover, eyes her angrily, and proceeds to bow.
Yurry watches the pandas acting erratic, and runs at them waving his gun while making a growling noise.
They burst into all directions, but Another Pure Kind runs forward into the Palace Temple flames and catches fire.
Another Pure Kind:
“ For Chloresto, my love…For the Pure Kind! (he screams and wails in pain).”
{ This pure kind’s family is at a loss for words. }
Their Maffa:
“ (she roars in misery) Go, my grubbies, my love, Khoyahuahans made up his mind. Farewell.
We have to follow the other maffas, let’s go! ”
Yurry:
“ Oh my God, that panda committed suicide!
Leave, why aren’t you all leaving? Go and be free, what have they done to you? I think I am losing it. The natural world has fallen apart! ”
Yurry goes to the nearby village homes, and yells into each, and backs out as the pure kind pandas flee their homes.
Yurry then catches a sharp flicker of light in the distance. He speculates and hopes that it is handmade and darts to it, and hops over a frantic grubby running straight towards him.
{ There are two glaring lights dancing off the bubbling charred golden Buddha statues. }
Yurry:
“ Signal mirrors, yes. Yes! That’s it! ”
Yurry rips off the pouch for his signal mirror and waves it near one of the Golden Buddha statues. The signals dance around the other statues until they meet Yurry’s.
Yurry frantically takes in the scenario. If they’re in the middle of the flames they can’t call for help otherwise, they will completely choke to death in the smoke. But time is of the essence.
He scans for resources, and then he runs into one of the homes and takes out a mattress. He, then, runs into another and retrieves another torn up mattress.
Yurry:
“ Okay, think. Shit, just one wrong move…they could be dying this very moment...”
{ The Palace Temple splits open and one of its angled walls plunges outwards. }
Yurry:
“ Okay, the beds are going to take about 2–4 seconds to burn up completely. They are light but have metal coils, and are a bit soggy. So, they have that going for them. Let’s rescue my team. Here goes! ”
Yurry drags one mattress as close to the wall of flames and the statue. To his amazement, he sees Mirra and Quentin, and another… panda.
He brings the other mattress over and slides it on top of the flame wall mattress, and it lands perfectly on the Labyrinth wall.
Mirra forces Quentin to get up, and points to move forward across the mattress plank. He complies.
To Mirra’s shock, Yurry starts dragging Gammina, and she pitches in right away by getting underneath her shoulders. She assumed that this would have been an ordeal to convince someone to save the life of another. They hold her up and see {that the mattress cloth covering has completely unpeeled and the rusty metal coils are revealed.
There’s only one way out. }
Mirra and Yurry rush forward onto the coils and the heat is immense. As they are going across, Mirra’s footing breaks through and Yurry quickly swings her and Gammina’s body around onto the mattress near the flame wall (which is also starting to flame up).
Yurry’s clothes catch on fire as his right leg falls into the flames, off the mattress.
Quentin:
“ Yurry! I got you! ( Quentin pulls Yurry by the hand from the flames onto the village’s unpaved forest bedding ).”
Quentin also catches on fire. Quentin rolls as immediately as there are a few flames on his arm. Yurry quickly throws his hand grenade back into the flames, and then jumps forward (Quentin seeing this, gets up to run).
Yurry strips his clothes off while running, and then rolls onto the ground.
Mirra rolls Gammina forward, but they only move so far.
{ The grenade explosion goes off and pieces of the Labyrinth wall fly all around its circumference. }
Mirra covers Gammina as a piece of the wall stabs into her left shoulder.
Mirra:
“ Fuck! Damn this place! ”
Quentin goes over and helps get Mirra up. They work on getting the panda to safety near one of the village houses.
Tearing up the last bit of his camouflage uniform trousers from his body, Yurry stands up covered in ash in his white underwear. He drags two fingers on his chest to make a large “S” symbol.
Yurry then approaches Mirra, Quentin and Gammina.
Yurry:
“ Look out, here comes Super Panda! ”
Mirra bursts out into a wheezing laughter with bouts of coughing, while Quentin just rolls his eyes, and lets out a few fake laughs.
Super Panda:
“ Mirra, do you have your canteen? ”
Mirra nods, and unclips it from her belt.
Mirra:
“ You thirsty, Super? ”
Super Panda:
“ Pour it into the mouth of the panda you rescued, and close her jaw, and put some on your wound there. ”
Quentin:
“ I have some ointment and a few strips of gauze. ( he sighs) If only I could have saved my brother. ”
Mirra:
“ Kenneth, was his family. ”
Super Panda:
“ My God, Quentin! ( he goes up to Quentin and hugs him)”
Super Panda’s body ash gets all over Quentin and the super “S” is no more.
Mirra pours the water into Gammina’s jaw, and slowly closes it.
{ Calico and Lemur head side-by-side to the kind who started all this mess. The fake maffa, the killer, the crown of the clannars, the blood-thirsty manipulator, and the slayer of Komiak, Jul, Aub and Hig, and Hilly, the maniacal “mortacracist”…}
They both stop next to Gammina’s house, and inspect the surroundings to see if there is a clannar.
Lemur:
“ I see no clannar, Calico. ”
{ Suddenly, the Palace Temple erupts into flames in the distance, and Calico peers back. }
Calico:
“ The Temple is going down. Its time has come.”
{ A voice creeps up in the darkness.}
Rendemra:
“ Time is not yours to keep, bear. Oh time, was never yours to gain. You were always breathing, urinating and wallowing in your filth, bear, the moment you set foot into my lands. Your time exists by my own.
I could have killed you, but your path was set. You desecrated my utmost benign hospitality.
Nature’s wrath was parted for you, bear, and you tore out her beating heart.
Now, it is time I put an end to yours! ”
{ The beast of the inferno emerges from the darkness ahead of Lemur and Calico.
The clunk of metal and human boots pounds the silent air, and the moan heard from the Palace Temple in the distance behind them.
This is Rendemra in his full form, the form that existed underneath his tales and blood drenched skulls. This was the beast within.
Standing before them was a paint covered panda, his hind legs are stuck into pain cans. Leaning over his back is Armistice bent over, dead, without trousers unveiling his metal prosthetic leg. His lower half is stuck inside Rendemra’s rear. Armistice’s legs and boots drag behind Rendemra’s, and there are scrapes on Armistice’s right leg as he drags both on the painted trail. }
Lemur:
“ I am not so certain on if I am happy, sad, and not so sane right now. Maffa… no, Monster- not Maffa ? ”
Calico:
“ This has always been your true nature, Rendemra. After all, I would know, you called me a gorilla whore. I would know one when I see it. ”
Rendemra:
“ Mutter your laughs, all you want. At least I have performed the acts more than you ever will, bear; especially, now that Gammina has died.”
Calico’s calm, collective and confident state plunges.
Calico:
“ She’s-”
Rendemra:
“ She’s dead. My grubby, she’s dead!
The brottos tied her too close to the flames which emerged from this invasion, or whatever this is.
She would have made a fine leader — a tortured one, but, often those are the best. ”
Calico:
“ I don’t believe you-”
Rendemra:
“ Neither did I. I honestly thought she would be the one to watch the clannars devour you, limb from limb. Well, what good are you now, Calico?
And you, Lemur. Your death will now be expedited, so enjoy life as much as you can, because you won’t have a tomorrow; just like your maffa. ”
Lemur pounces at Rendemra’s side and tries to bite it. Rendemra’s neck turns, and he bites into her ear.
Calico rushes over and bites Rendemra’s other ear. Rendemra lets go of Lemur, and blood runs down her neck.
Calico:
“ (while holding onto Rendemra’s ear) Take me to her, or I will rip out your skull, Rendemra! ”
Rendemra:
“Well-played. You and I aren’t that much different, after all. Maybe, you could fill up my paws as a leader of this — ”
Calico:
“ Take us to her, now! ”
Rendemra:
“ It is but a long walk. We can depart in the morning. After this body is quickly removed, you have my utmost determination and loyalty, I will do as you — ”
Calico:
“ No, Rendemra, you will walk now, with the weight of the world on your shoulders. ”
Rendemra:
“ Oh, but I am so old and weak. You wouldn’t hurt your elder, would you my two adorable grubbies? ”
Calico goes around and grabs Armistice’s leg and tries pulling. Lemur, angrily, goes around and tugs on Armistice’s other leg. Calico and Lemur both pull their hardest.
Rendemra shrieks again. The pain spreads throughout his body. Armistice is stuck in there, securely.
Calico:
“ Either you walk, or we will deliver you pain. Make up your mind. ”
Rendemra is cornered. He’s enjoyed this with so many, but I can’t; I don’t enjoy this. I feel sick. I need to find my love even if I should stoop so low.
Rendemra:
“ It appears you are the most vile kind in all of Korea — ”
Lemur and Calico:
“ Walk! ”
Rendemra begins to move slowly forward while dragging his human counterpart behind .
Calico:
“ Keep walking and don’t make a sound. Something that you seem to be used to doing. ”
{ Rendemra proceeds to move forward until they stop not too far from the seething blaze of the Palace Temple.
It suddenly cracks open, and a piece of the wall falls just behind them. }
Rendemra:
“ My Temple…the teachings.”
Calico:
“ Walk: even the temple wants us to keep moving forward. ”
{ They continue walking further, and Calico notices Yurry, up ahead, putting a mattress on top of another mattress next to a forest of flames around the Great Labyrinth circle. }
Calico:
“ Pick up your pace, Rendemra! ”
{ They stop right in front of the scene as they all witness Yurry hop into the flame wall. Both Calico and Lemur share glances in mortified distress. The flames start to catch onto both mattresses.
Suddenly, the mattress inside the flame, quickly unpeels.
Quentin jumps out, and then Yurry gets out of the flame, but falls back into it.
Calico and Lemur begin to tear up. Then, immediately, the body of a pure kind, Calico knows so dear, flings out of the flame as does another human: Mirra.
Calico and Rendemra:
“ Gammina !”
END OF PART TEN
Including Content from the original story published in the author’s work
The Trails To Attrition © 2007, Wasteland Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 9781600471520© 2024, Their Call, Calico: the Series
Wasteland PressAdam Mullin (a.k.a. Good Day, Adam)
