The Phoenix Colony

"I don't think your understanding me, boy," began Frank, not stopping. "You got anyone named Reva in your cozy little hole in the wall?"

 

Derek spat at the man's feet. "Who the hell wants to know?" He was light on his feet, preparing to move at the first sign of danger.

 

Reva's head jerked up as she listened, hand still on the woven gate, how did they know her name?

She would wait for the minute. Though curious she didn't want to just walk out and declare herself until she heard more.

 

Chrys heard Reva's name, "I don't like that guy's tone." She thought aloud.

Releasing her tail, Chrys grabbed Fox's hand, "Stop scratching me, sopmething's up. THere's someone out there, and I don't smell a freindly scent anymore." She stated, calmly with a touch of apprehension.

 

What the hell? Why did Chrys have a tail? Allen stared at her hard, trying to notice all the changes. It looked like Chad was changing also. He was all red, and his skin was starting to look really tough.

A voice spoke outside, not sounding friendly at all. Allen got up and went over to the door, standing to the side behind the outcropping of rock, just in case they decided to shoot.

"You got anyone named Reva in your cozy little hole in the wall?"

This didn't look good. He had a feeling that things were going to get out of hand real quick. He felt himself begin to tense up, ready for the strike, but then he made himself fall into a relaxed redyness. He looked over at Reva, wondering if she would go out.

 

Derek spat at the Frank's feet. "Who the hell wants to know?"

He pointed at his badge and said, "Officer Frank Sellyon, and you really shouldn't spit, spitting is for monkeys, savages and skinhead hicks. Are you any of those things boy?"

 

Reva sighed from her place hidden behind the partition. Oh. One of THOSE guys.

 

Derek grinned a sinister smile and said "I guess I'm a savage. Need me to prove it?" He lifted the javelin above his head, prepared to throw.

 

It was time to step in. Or out, as the case may be.

Reva took a deep breath and just said, "Derek" quietly as she negotiated the barrier at the cave mouth.

"What do you want?" She asked the rough-looking men, her arms crossed, the leather jacket's collar turned up against the cold.

 

"Don't go out there Reva. I think this is going to get ugly."

It was too late, she had already gone out.

Every little bit of training and instinct that he had was screaming trouble. Why were they here, and at night? The man who spoke obviously had a God-complex. He was in charge, no matter what, and it looked like his normal mode of operation was intimidation. The way he had responded to Derek's words showed that plainly enough.

Swearing under his breath, he moved to the middle of the doorway. From there he could move in or out, whichever was needed.

 

Frank looked at the boy, then at his weapon, then back at his face and shrugged. "Go ahead, see what happens. In my career I've been shot 12 times, survived 3 gang turf wars and sniffed enough bad coke to kill a horse. You think some ****poke little bastard is going to bring me down with a pointy stick?" He turned back at his men and then back to the boy and continued, "I could break your back without lifting a finger, not that I will. I just figured Reva would want something, and then maybe you'll all listen a bit closer to what old man Sellyon has to say." Frank tossed the wingtip at the boy's feet, the paper sticking up clearly. "Go ahead, read it, if it doesn't mean anything to you, then why don't you throw that stick of yours?"

Then a women stepped out of the cave and asked, "What do you want?"

"Your Reva then?" replied Frank, eyeing her suspiciously. Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "Then read that message there, the one in the bloody shoe."

 

Chrys watched Reva walk out, unarmed. ...HWat?! Does she need like a bodyguard or something?!...

Chrys adjusted herself to a crawl position, and slowly headed for the mouth of the cave, the hunter in her was starting to show,...Somebody's gonna die, and, by golly..they're not going to be form this tribe...She thought with determination.

 

Allen looked back at Chrys, barely able to see her in the gloom of the cave.

"You, with the tail, where's the gun? I think we'll need it."

With that he returned his gaze to the men and Reva. He wasn't very concerned about the spear, which was understandable. Derek wasn't much of a threat.

 

Fox is keeping herself busy by trying out her ability some more. As she concentrates she can sense the men around the entrance. She looks up and see Reva leaving the cave.

She gets her knife back from Raylene and walks to the the woven door, standing beside Allen. "I'm guessing there is going to be some trouble." says Fox. While standing behind the door the concentrates on the movements of the intruders, as her muscles automatically tighten up ready to spring if any of them starts trouble.

 

"Your Reva then?" replied Frank, eyeing her suspiciously. Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "Then read that message there, the one in the bloody shoe."

Reva didn't bother answering him but bent to pick up whatever had sailed through the darkness to land in front of Derek. She straightened slowly face blanching as she brushed snow off of a familiar wingtip shoe.

"Where did you get this?" She asked, I will not break down...

She didn't look at the man until she had her composure though her face felt gaunt and stiff, her eyes opaque as polished jade.

 

Hearing Reva say his name made him instantly lose his temper and return to reality. Still wary of an attack, he allowed his javelin to fall to his side. With the leader out here, Derek was, to put it simply, reassured. He looked straight at the man and said. "Alright, you've delivered your message. Now get the hell outta here." Reassured though he was, he still had to maintain his responsibility as a guard.

 

"Me and the boys went down the mountain on a business trip, you know how it is. In this God damned place you have to have a million eyes everywhere at once." Frank chuckled a bit, his men following suit. "When we started heading back we heard gunshots," his chuckle stopped immediately, replaced with a bit of grimace. "I checked into it, and found this," pointing at the shoe, "In the middle of the snow, now your not an idiot, you and your group are obviously not showing much trust for us, wise but ill informed. We don't want to fight, that's like suicide on this planet." He looked around at the trees a bit nervously. Dark shapes, shadows dashing around in no where.

"This place wants us dead, and it will succeed unless we cut the bull**** out right now. There is something out there that killed Mr. Freeman. Now I don't know much, but what I do know is that if we want that thing dead we are going to have to keep **** peaceful, so why don't you," he said pointing at Derek, "Quit the macho ballsy crap, and you," he said pointing to Reva, "Start showing a little faith in peace and good will. This isn't a ****ing Christmas special, but for God'sake it isn't a Stephen King novel!"

 

"Ah but it seems you are expecting a little Christmas spirit, Mr. Sellyon," Reva slipped the paper from the shoe and folded over an extra time without reading it, putting it into an inner pocket of the leather jacket. The shoe she held in her left hand, "Perhaps gifts and good will toward your men?"

Reva's voice wasn't cordial but she took care that it wasn't antagonistic either.

"I'm sorry to say that there is no room at our inn and we are fresh out of stables. However, let me present you a gift for your trouble."

Reva turned to the partition, knowing that Derek would watch her back, she poked her head in and almost bumped heads with Chrys.

"Could you gather together a few nuts, berries, pod legumes, and some dried meat and bundle it up, please? Don't give away our whole supply. Then bring it out to me." Reva smiled at those gathered at the doorway, "Pray I don't screw this up," she told them and then ducked back out.

She turned back to Frank's group and nodded as civilly as she could.

"We've had a run-in with something that may concern both of our groups," Reva told him in a clear voice, "But tomorrow would be a better time to discuss it. We'll build a fire outside and talk it over."

 

The spear was ready. It was perfectly balanced. The haft fit matched every groove in his hand. It was like an extension of his body. The blade reflected the dancing flames. Every so often he caught sight of his friend’s name. Cevin was soaked in sweat. His breath was ragged. Finally, his body quit refusing to be pushed any farther.

The hunter dropped into a corner and stared at the flames. He looked up at Pasha. “I have to go after it. Are you with me?”

 

Chrys responded to the request quickly, gathering everything. As she garnered the bundle, she began to feel an itchy sensation starting at her hands and stretching up her arm. She ignored and left the cave to give the bundle to the visitors.

Once outside, however, the sensation refused to be ignored.

"Holy mothaflippa!" Chrys screamed, practically throwing the bundle at the man in the Uniform. "I'm on fire!" She screamed, running for the stream.

 

Allen watched as Chrys ran for the stream. This might throw things off balance. The others probably had never seen a person with a tail screaming bloody murder. He edged farther outside.

"So, you're a police officer? How did you end up here?"

 

Reva resisted the impulse to smack her own forehead with her palm. Well, that would show Frank just how different their tribe was. Unless he was used to screaming cat-girls, of course.

 

Derek couldn't help himself. He burst out in laughter at Chrys's antics. "Probably should've mentioned to her that she's allergic to those chocostrawberries," he spurted out between fits of laughter. He didn't agree with her decision to give them food. If you feed 'em, they just keep on comin' back. Like animals he thought.

 

In her current mood, Fox was looking for a fight. She walks out the door and looks at Frank leaving. She turns to reva. "You know, Allen asked a pretty good question. Frank is probably crooked as all hell, for the government to be willing to send one of its cops to prison." says Fox.

 

Frank, picking up the bundle and handing it off to Floyd, said bitterly, "For keeping the streets clean. Now if you'll kindly excuse us, we are quite hungry and very grateful." As he turned and began to walk away he shouted over his shoulder, "Just give us a little ring-a-ding tomorrow when you want to talk, we aren't going anyplace."

20 minutes later they were back in the cave, gorging themselves on the food. Frank ate in a dignified manner, but he ate a lot. The others just stuffed their faces. "Show some damn civility you ****ing animals!" he shouted as he stuck a bit more fruit into his mouth.

"Sorry sir," said Dwayne, ripping a bite of meat off the main piece. "But we haven't eaten in a while and we're all pretty damn hungry."

"Well I can't stop a starving man from satisfying his hunger, just don't eat it all, I don't know when we're getting more." Frank stuffed a bit more of the food in his moth and after chewing it throughly, he said, "One thing is for sure, one of you idiots needs to learn how to hunt, or find berries or something. We need us some stability."