Of Monsters and Men

So what they were telling her is that she was expected to ride one of these monsters?

"You've got to think I'm insane!" Was what Kitty was about to say, but she reconsidered speaking at all with the impatient gaze of this human-like figure glaring down at her. Instead of saying that, the girl adjusted her bag over her shoulder, took a last glance at the gooey monster that had been just about to eat her, and gingerly stepped onto to this strange saddle-like thing.
 
"Good choice, girl. Hold on now. It'll be a rocky ride." Said Estraven, the deer-like creature. He started moving in a quick trot, not very confident their guest would be able to manage a steady grip if he were to start with an all out gallop and only barely missing trees.

"No hurry, we already missed dinner anyway."Said Ezra with a sigh, once it was obvious Estraven wouldn't be going any faster. The other only responded with a quiet huff that may have been a laugh. He looked over at the girl, but had little to say really. He'd always been a quiet man, back home someone else would probably be more welcoming.
 
She was going to die, she was going to die, she was going to die—the words kept echoing in her mind as she screwed her eyes shut and tried not to think about how she was going to be eaten. Why had she agreed to this? Wouldn't it have been better to let the other monster finish her off? Maybe then, at least her death would've been quick and painless.

Kitty adjusted her grip on the saddle and tried to stifle a whimper. Why couldn't she have gotten home earlier? Stupid, stupid decisions she had made.
 
"This silence is uncomfortable, make some conversation, Ezra, the poor human must be disoriented." Said Estraven after a few minutes of silent trotting.
Ezra clicked, he made a weird clicking noise of frustration and turned to the human.

"Fine. Look... we're not going to call you -human- forever. So tell us your name, or an alternative you like that we can use. I'm Ezrael and this is Estraven. He told you earlier I think." Said the man. The deer-like creature hummed in affirmation.
 
The girl dared open an eye to look at Estraven, then at Ezra.

"You might as well call me 'late to dinner,' for all the trouble I've caused you." Kitty grumbled, almost snappishly, making reference to Ezrael's prior comment about missing dinner. It wasn't her fault they'd come all the way out here to save her. She wanted to tell them to let her go home... but the thought of monsters knowing where she lived.... "Where are we going?"
 
"If you're going to be like that, we will use that name. Long names are normal amongst our people anyway." Said Ezra with a roll of his eyes.

Estraven laughed a bit as they trotted. "We're going to our home. A recently founded Village, where we live. It's a the heart of these woods." He explained.

"Anything else you want to know, Miss Late to Dinner?"
 
"Kitty as in Cat?" Said Ezra, looking at her in confusion.

"Your planet?, haven't seen your name on it so far. We didn't think it had an owner" Said Estraven with a snort.
 
"Yes," she sighed, "Kitty as in Cat. And weather I own the planet or not is irrelevant. Eight billion people were wiped off the face of it!"
 
The twin lights that were Ezra's eyes flared for a second, fixed on Kitty. Estraven interrupted his trot mid-step and fell into a slower pace the moment one of Ezra's hands went to rest on the fur of his back.

"Wiped by your human wars and nuclear weapons, child. Not by our arrival." He said, his face a mix of disgust and anger.
 
Kitty bit her tongue and said no more about it. There were other things to be thinking of right now. Other, likely more important, things. Besides, what was the point in irritating them? It was a fruitless venture.
 
Something in Ezra revelled at making the kid shut her mouth. Something else strangled that feeling fast enough, though. She was just that, a child. Nothing to do with the tragedies that had punished this world.

The light in his eyes dimmed, but he remained quiet.

Estraven sighed, picking up the pace into a fast trot. In the distance, some lights were visible. All of them in cold colors, nothing resembling the warmth of a flickering flame.
 
The color of the light was enough to give her shivers. It was... unnatural. But then, so was everything else. It should've hardly been a surprise.

Kitty's grip tightened. The moment opportunity presented itself, she was leaving.
 
The three of them walked into a clearing, the trees seemed to have bent to give space to a single street. It wasn't a human village, ruinous and reclaimed, it was something else. Something that could pass as human maybe from afar in the daytime, but once one walked within its borders, it was clear enough it never had the intentions of even pretending.

The buildings were low, made of dark stone and wood, barely taller than Ezra. Definitely not tall enough for someone like Estraven to walk in. They all had a rectangular space with no stone or wood. It resembled a blackboard, only it didn't reflect light. It was quite wide on all of the buildings. At least the eight or so that were easy to see from where they stood. Blue orbs of light lit up the street every so often, going this way or another. Otherwise, it was empty, dormant, waiting.

Estraven stopped at what could be assumed was the entrance. There was no announcement of it, no billboard with a name. Only the slow start of a paved floor separating the forest from the actual village.
Ezra got off of the Stape, sighing, passing a hand through his locked hair. Now, which of the residents here looked less horrific by human standard?

"I'll leave you both here" Said Estraven, interrupting his thoughts. It didn't make things better, or easier.
 
Kitty hesitated before stepping off as well, placing her feet on solid ground. She rubbed at her arms, both because it was cold and because she was uncomfortable. Really, really uncomfortable.

There were monsters here, she told herself. It didn't help that she couldn't see them. Were they hiding? Asleep?

A better question was why she stuck so close to Ezra. He was a monster, too—albeit a rather human-like one. Maybe that was why.
 
"I'll see you in the morning" Said Estraven, trotting away into a side street. He didn't look back, tired as he was and eager to join his fellow stags.

It was a struggle not to ask him to please stay. Or please take the child with him. Ezra looked at the kid, she stayed close to him as they started walking. Maybe he didn't want to consider, that no one else looked this human and no one else would be available right now. Maybe he didn't want to think about why he still looked human. About why he still kept a spare room from so many years ago.

"I have an extra bed. You'll stay at my place for the night." He announced, aware that the silence had lasted long enough already. It was a bit of a walk...

"Just be quiet, letting others know you're here can wait until tomorrow evening."
 
She didn't say anything to him. Chose not to, perhaps, or maybe Kitty hadn't heard him speak. She was looking back to where Estraven had gone, then at her surroundings. It was night. It was spooky. There were monsters. She wasn't at home.

What was preventing her from bolting right then? Was she afraid he would catch her? Could he read minds?

Kitty glanced up at Ezra, musing on the last question.
 
He wasn't looking at her, just walking down the main street. But he did feel it when she looked at him, and then looked back.

"What?“ He said, as a loud whisper.
 
The lights, a few of them came closer to them both for a few seconds before continuing their routine through the village. Ezra didn't pay them attention at all.

Time passed, they walked through empty streets, passing by many short strange houses without stopping to enter any of them.
 
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