Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
What he produces is not merely a little big. It is absolutely fucking oversized. In order to fit the suit, presumably claimed from one of my unfortunate bounty hunting brethren, the arms and legs both need to be sort of clamped up higher than they want to sit. It is pink, though, which would be cute if I weren’t still terribly aware of how he sources his dyes.
“We’ll put a belt on it,” he says, unintentionally sounding like every mom trying to convince her kid that they’re going to grow into outlandishly sized clothes.
He does put a belt on it. The combined effect is of everything being way too tight, and far too loose. When I move, I don’t so much walk as shamble along.
“Good,” he says, ignoring the evidence of his eyes. “That will work.”
“I can’t fucking move!” My objection is lost in the muffling effect created by voluminous fabric spilling up into my protective helmet. I can just see over an impromptu ruffle, and that is it. A thin line of reality meets my gaze as Manik ushers me out of his hideout and into a wicked plain of terrible snow and trees and probably things that will eat us if we are not careful. Computer didn’t mention anything like that, but Computer is always focused on the target. She doesn’t care about the fauna and the flora. She only cares about the bounty.
“Follow me and stay close,” Manik says. That would have been difficult enough if I was wearing normally functioning clothing. His legs are much longer than mine, and he covers ground with more than twice my speed. Within minutes of departing the shelter I have fallen behind multiple times, further and further back each time.
“I said, keep up!” Manik turns around from several feet ahead and glowers at me. All I can do is lift my cloth and alloy weighted arms up and let them fall back in a shrug of despair.
He sighs and returns for me. “I am going to have to carry you, aren’t I.”
I wave my gloved hands up at him. I can’t even grip in these things. He might have bundled me up against the cold, but he basically made it impossible for me to do anything besides trundle around in terribly dangerous conditions.
Manik picks me up and slings me onto his back. I hold on around his neck as we start moving across the icy plains with a swiftness I did not imagine he was capable of — but should have. Manik is a fucking animal. And a monster. And a beast. He’s every trope ever created rolled up into one terrifying… thing.
It is a thrilling experience to be carried across the world I almost died coming to, by something so much more powerful than myself and yet apparently benign. I really think Manik has been misunderstood. He’s not such a bad guy. He’s just strong, and principled, and people never like creatures like him. They want to destroy him because he’s better than them. Yes. That makes sense. I wish I could snuggle my face against the back of his neck, but I am forced to keep bobbling along in this bubble of mine instead.
For a while, I feel something close to happiness. And then Manik stops dead. He becomes a sentient statue. Every bit of his attention is focused on the deep forest. He puts me down and puts a finger to his lips. I wasn’t going to make a noise anyway. I don’t know what’s going on, but something has my instincts turning my stomach into a knot of pure fear.
He can obviously hear something I can’t. His senses are not nearly as impeded as mine. Whatever is out there, it makes him angry. He slides me from his back and tells me to stay still in a tone that does not allow for anything resembling disagreement. I freeze, staring at him. Something is happening to him.
He looks like a different creature. His eyes have narrowed and seem to glow. His teeth are bared and sharp. The very shape of his face is sharper, harder, and more intense. His shoulders seem broader, and his motions are more aggressive. He is undergoing a complete transformation — and it is absolutely fucking terrifying.
There must be something incredibly dangerous ahead. Something capable of doing great and permanent damage to us both. I am freaking out, but I couldn’t do anything about it even if I wanted to. The oversized suit is keeping me more or less completely in place thanks to the fact Manik basically stuck me down into the snow like a marker.
I expect him to go off and engage the enemy, but he didn’t come out here with any weapons. And that suddenly strikes me as very, very strange. What were we hunting without weapons? And what is he doing now?