Page 12 of Diamond

Kuret

Ahead, the dense foliage breaks into a small valley, splitting into three winding paths, each veiled by thick greenery. I pause, scanning the options, but my decision is made for me when I hear it, the rustling of leaves, followed by the sickeningly familiar wet sound of the aliens.

I don't hesitate.

Following the noise, I move silently, keeping low as the plants close in around me. My senses are still slightly dulled from whatever they used to drug me, the lingering effects tugging faintly at my focus. But nothing can deter me now.

I crouch behind a wide, leafy plant, my movements slow and deliberate as I peer through the underbrush. The edges of my lips stretch into a smile when I finally spot one of them, stumbling clumsily into my line of sight.

It circles in place, searching for something it won't find. Instead it will meet its end.

The alien drifts closer to the giant plant shielding me, and I hold my breath, counting down the moments until it comes close enough for me to grab. When it's just within reach, the snap of a twig nearby pulls its attention away. The distraction is all I need.

I lunge from behind the tree, my battle cry ripping through the air as my hands slam into its wet slimy head. We tumble to the ground, and I drive my fists into its face, relishing the wet crunch beneath my knuckles.

It reaches for a weapon at its side, but I knock it away, pinning it under my knee on the ground. A sharp pain radiates through my abdomen. I glanced down to find the alien has driven a knife into me.

Because of the hardened muscle, it doesn't go all the way in. Gritting my teeth, I press my knees tighter against its sides, watching its eyes bulge as it squeals. It tries to struggle against me, but my knees and one hand have pinned its limbs to the side of its body so that it cannot access any of the surrounding weapons.

My strikes grow wild, fueled by rage, until I reach for its eyes. My fingers dig deep into its eye sockets, and with one violent pull, I tear them free. It makes one last pained sound and goes limp, gray blood and pink slime spurting from its injured body. I fling its eyes onto the lifeless form, hissing in disgust.

Wiping my bloodied hands against the dirt, I notice the even bigger pack strapped to its back. Intrigued, I crouch and attemptto undo it, only to find no clasp or buckle. Frustration prickles at me.

With a sharp tug, I pull the knife from my torso, bitting down on my tongue as if to reduce the pain. The taste of my own blood fills my mouth, a distraction. Dark green seeps from the wound, but I ignore it. I will clot soon enough. I can't afford to leave a trail.

Blade in my hand, I begin sawing through the alien's pack.

"You are the fourth one I have killed, but you will not be the last," I murmur under my breath and immediately I hear a soft gasp in the distance.

I whip my head around to search for the source of the sound, then I hear a female's voice being carried by the wind from the same direction.

"Greetings. Can we come down to speak to you? We do not mean any harm," she says, and I am taken aback.

Why would a female want to talk to me?

The first thing I note is the distance her voice is coming from. Not too far but also not close enough that I can directly locate her. Her voice is strange, stilted in my language, her accent clumsy yet deliberate. She is not one of my kind, but neither is she like the gray slime I just killed. My ears twitch, catching every nuance of her tone, even as my grip tightens on my knife.

It could be a trap. It may be a trick of the disgusting gray aliens. I don't doubt their ability to use something like this to lure meinto a trap, even with their previous attacks being as direct as they were.

My arm works harder at sawing through the strap when I hear her again, her voice even more amplified this time. "My name is Ree, and I was taken by the hunters. I managed to escape and find an ally and we are looking for other allies. Can we come and speak with you?"

Hunters? I pause, considering. She must be above me, high in one of these towering plants.

I don't know if I should respond, but I decide that there is no harm in trying. I've never been without allies and having a friendly face that I can ask about the workings of this place and maybe even the location of more of the slimes to kill wouldn't hurt.

"Where are you?" I ask, keeping my tone guarded.

"Not far from you, up high in atree."

So that is what the giant plants are called.

"Are you alone?"

"No, I have a—" She hesitates briefly. "—a friend with me."

I run my tongue over my teeth, unsure. If they're larger or stronger than me, this could turn into a fight I'm not ready for. But if they're weaker, I could always deal with them later.

If they are friends, then they must both be female. Surely I can take on two females. The idea of it makes my marks pulse in horror, but I am injured and this is a new place, clearly full of dangers.

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