Inhumane.

Sniffia slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sun above. She noticed she was on Peirce’s back, strolling through the woods far from the other side of the mountain. Judging by the position of the sun, it was mid-day. 

Feeling her finally stirring, Peirce looked behind and smiled. “Hey! You’re awake. Good afternoon.”

Sniffia blinked. She tried to move her body but it was too weak. She let out a low groan.

Peirce started to explain, “The flowers were too strong, but don’t worry before the day ends you will be totally fi….” He suddenly stopped. Something snapped from the trees behind them. He scanned the area. Sniffia tried to move her head as well, but found she didn’t even have the strength for that.

“Don’t worry, we’re close to my village. We’ll be okay.” Peirce whispered. He took a silent step; the birds around the trees suddenly flew away. It wasn’t they that had startled the birds.

“Close to your village? How long have you been carrying me?” Sniffia asked.

“Six days,” Peirce answered, nonchalantly.

“Six days!” Sniffia cried. More birds flew. Now it was them.

“Yeah. Inhumane, remember?”

Sniffia had heard legends of Inhumanes endurance, that it was far greater than any other species in their world. But carrying her for six days seemed impossible! And, more than that, he didn’t even look tired!

Pierce looked around, turning in a few different directions.

“Are you lost? Don’t you know the way to your village?” Sniffia asked, looking confused and feeling a little bit dizzy from the flowers and Pierce’s constant shifting and turning.

Peirce swallowed. “Hold tight, something is not right.”

“What’s not right?”

“Sometimes, I don’t take chances.”

Suddenly someone shot a venomous dart at them.

At that moment, Sniffia scented it. “Duck! Peirce!” Before she’d even finished those words, Peirce had fallen to one knee. The venomous dart sailed above their heads to the tree in front of them. Without hesitating, he ran as fast as he could.

Panting, Peirce looked behind him. “What was that?” he gasped.

“You’re asking me? I just woke up!” she screamed back at him. She glanced behind her. Seeing no one running after them, she sighed. Seriously, this guy dodged the dart even before I could tell him it was coming! Was he faster than my scenting? Who is this guy? she thought as she held onto Peirce tightly.

“I don’t recall my village being surrounded by people who want to kill their own kind.” Peirce said. He was so lost in his musings, his foot caught up with his other foot then he tripped.

“Ahhh!!” he and Sniffia screamed as they rolled down the colorful grassy hill. Reaching for the bottom, Sniffia rolled on Peirce as they stopped.

“Are you alright?” Peirce asked, panting, anxiously focused on Sniffia.

Suddenly, three teenage boys jumped out in front of them, each wearing a colorful mask and holding old weapons in their hands. Their leader, clearly a teenage boy as well, stepped forward from behind them, holding a bamboo stick as his lance in his right hand. In his other hand, he held three darts between his fingers.

Peirce looked up with a piercing glare, panting.

“Well, is that Pierce the Unlucky?” the leader asked in a taunting tone, walking closer to them.

Pierce cleared his throat. “Good afternoon to you, too, Node,” he croaked.

Node pulled off his mask and grinned in his taunting way, squatting before them. Without his mask on, Pierce thought his silly hairstyle looked like more of a queue.

“You left without telling anyone, again. You got your grandma worried. And you brought home a girl with you!” Node said, inclining his head. “Where did you find this foxy Inhumane?” His eyes narrowed as he pressed his finger to Sniffia’s cheek. She bit at it. He immediately yanked back his hand. “She’s more fox than foxy! Wow! Where do you get this freak?” he ranted.

Peirce stood up. “Hey Node, she’s not a freak!” Peirce retorted as he pushed Node backwards. Everyone stared in shock, even Sniffia.

“You just pushed the elected youth leader, you mudlark!” one of the teenage boys shouted.

Peirce looked at Sniffia, then back at them with a withering stare. “And so?!” he sputtered.

Node adjusted his jacket. He walked closer to Peirce, gesturing for his friends to calm down. He grinned again. “Since the unlucky in you seems to be lucky enough to have a girl like her, let’s say, you are luckily invited to my naming tonight!” he said in a benevolent, bragging tone, raising his hands sideways and walking backwards while smiling. “The foxy girl is invited, too. And change your pants before coming!” He left with his friends as they hit Pierce with their shoulders, snorting while walking towards the village.

Peirce rubbed his shoulder as he watched them go. “Sorry for that. Welcome to my village, full of… ”

“Inhumane?” Sniffia completed his sentence.

“No, that wasn’t what I was going to say,” he said. He knelt down, offering her his back. “Climb on.”

Sniffia turned her face away.

“Come on you can’t walk for now.”

“I don’t even know you, and we’re enemies! Is it normal, taking your enemies to your home? Huh?” she asked. She tried to stand up and walk away. Suddenly, she staggered. Before falling to the ground, Peirce dashed over and she fell on his back. Sniffia gave a half-shrug, looking embarrassed.

Peirce smiled. “How lucky you are.” He lifted her up on his back and walked towards the village. “I can’t wait to see my grandma.” The thought of his grandma cheered him after that unfortunate encounter with Node. He fixed his eyes on the village ahead.

Sniffia looked at him, then, slowly, looked behind her. Giving a quick sniff, she narrowed her eyes.

“Girl, can I ask you your name?” Peirce said, walking towards the village. He turned to a paved footpath leading to the village entrance guarded by two ordinary looking men who held distinctive spears in both hands, watching closely as people moved in and out of the village.

“Sniffia,” she huffed. She was still sniffing. She scanned the crowd like she noticed someone strange among the people but couldn’t trace where the smell was coming from.

“Is Sniffia, your name?” Peirce asked. “No… Sniffia doesn’t sound like a name. What’s your real name?”

Sniffia looked around at the people, ignoring his question. I smell a man but his scent is too faint. Why can’t I nail it? she thought as she sniffed. Suddenly, she spotted a tall man wearing a cloak far away on their right. She stared at him intently. He slowly raised his head, flashed his long pointed canine teeth and onyx eyes, and moved towards them. Sniffia took a sharp breath and shook her head. The man vanished as two couples passed in front of him, chatting. Sniffia looked everywhere and gulped.

“Sniffia. Sniffia. Sniffia!” Peirce called.

“Yes?!” she screamed close to his ears.

Peirce winced. “I called your name over and over again, but you didn’t answer. Any problems? How are you feeling?”

She shook her head as he passed through the entrance. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing as in that is your name?” Pierce joked.

Sniffia looked at him resentfully. “Where is my knife?”

Peirce smiled. “Oh! You mean that pointed thing! Hmmm… I’m not sure where I put it.”

“Where is it?” she yelled.

People walking nearby stared at them. Peirce smiled at them, then he took a quick glimpse at the two men with spears guarding the entrance. They glared at him, suspiciously. He swallowed hard as he walked past them with a grin that made the babies around their mother’s arms cry.