Hibour

      “Hey- hey come on” Nalina called across the creek bed. Her voice carried down the barren rocks. “Come on boy- where did you go?”
      It was the third day in a row she had returned to the same creek at which she had encountered the umbra raptor. The first day she had skipped class again and finally received a scolding from her mother. Yesterday she waited until after class and saw nothing. Today, she used the bathroom just before the bell rang and managed to escape just a few minutes early.
      But here she was, sitting alone on a rock in a riverbed, a hundred meters from the nearest dirt road, a hundred more from the next nearest human. She looked at her roll of smoked chu. She had stuck the pale meat on the end of a tree branch as an offering to the wild raptor. At least, that had been her plan several hours ago. Aside from a few micaflies, she hadn’t attracted any critters.
      She collapsed backwards, her back to the dusty rock. Tauci was setting, casting a bright gold-orange glow that faded into lapis blue overhead. Already she could see a few tiny specks of lights. She knew many of them were planets, but didn’t know them by name. Two of the half-illuminated Calphisian moons were up, which wasn’t unusual, except that they were nearing conjunction. Nalina held up a hand at arms length to find that she could cover both of them. Older generations always said it was a sign of good fortune if you could cover two moons with one outstretched hand. She never understood that, but never failed to repeat the test whenever she saw two moons.
      Clearly though, luck was not with her tonight. She grunted as she slipped off the rock and bit off some of the smoked chu. The meat had gone a little stale from being out for so long, but it would supplement the dinner she was going to be late for. With a little effort, she climbed up the embankment with one hand, holding the smoked chu stick in the other hand. Rocks crackled and tumbled as she made the effort, but she cleared the embankment without issue.
      It was darker than she had realized. The electric lamps on the road were already on, visible through a thin line of trees beyond the clearing, about a hundred meters before her. She hefted her knapsack and started walking. However, the clatter of several more rocks behind her gave her pause. Had she dislodged a boulder? Had she dropped something? She looked over her shoulder.
This time, her heart practically seized. The fear was almost painful. A tiny part of her monkey brain kicked in. An ancient, biological instinct, a deep rooted product of evolution, told her she was in grave danger. Spastic, macro brain function told her to freeze. Make no movement. Tempt no danger… because she probably couldn’t run fast enough. This was death.
      The theropod dinosaur that stood at the edge of the embankment to the creek was not a puny umbra raptor. It had no sleek plumage, no long, feathered tail and no canine-inquisitive nature. This creature loomed tall, easily the size of a carriage. Without a doubt, it was the largest beast she had ever encountered without a fence between them. Grey and coated in a thin down, it bore a brightly colored crest on its head. Clawed arms protruded from its thorax. Orange, beady eyes peered at her as it turned its head one way, then the other. It’s snout tapered to a blunt nose with nostrils that flared in her direction. The dilophosaurus took a step closer, tipping its snout the other way, sizing her up as it balanced itself with a long, slender tail.
      Nalina shook violently, unable to move. The creature’s walking gate would almost outpace her if she ran. She thought to scream, but the terror had fully taken her. No one would hear her anyway. The nearest human was hundreds of meters away, at best. The creature loomed over her, so close she could feel the heat coming from its leathery skin. It smelled like grass and livestock and as it lowered it’s head, she caught the faint whiff of sour carrion and gore. The creature’s jaws parted, emanating a low breath that reeked of that same sour smell. It presented rows of pearly, predatory teeth, each the size of her fingers. Nalia gasped, falling to her side, unmoving, mouth agape.
      The dilophosaurus closed its teeth on the remaining smoked chu, then uprighted itself, holding the small morsel in its mouth. Nalina hastily pulled herself along the dirt, then scrambled to her feet and burst into a run. She heard the treebranch snap in the creature’s maw as it finished the chu, but dared not look back. It hardly mattered. Within moments she could hear the thing’s steps as it followed her… with apparently very minimal effort.
      She looked over her shoulder to see the creature keeping up with ease. It was nearly abreast with her, head cocked slightly, its eye fixated. The way it walked was unsettling, almost playful. Briefly, she got the sense that it wanted to give chase. Perhaps running from it only triggered further predatory behavior.
Nalina’s foot caught a rock. The world spun before she hit the ground hard. Hot pain cracked in her knee as she tumbled in the dirt and pebbles, rolling over multiple times. She was face up again when she finally rolled to a stop. Her leg was in terrible pain and she wailed frightfully into the night. Her teary eyes again settled upon those two moons, now a little more vivid in the darkness. A lot of good that omen did for her.
      She tipped to her side and finally saw the gash on her knee. Fresh blood was oozing down her calf. Her muscles had gone taught. Beneath the agonizing pain, the leg felt like a rock. Under no circumstances would she be walking home on this, let alone outrunning this bipedal carnivore.
      Rolling onto her back, she faced the dilophosaurus. It had stopped and leaned over to look at her. The vehicle-sized predator made a grunt, then prodded the dirt with its snout, then looked at her. Nalina could only sputter with pain as she watched it. The creature reared up, made another sort of grunt, then turned away.
For the first time in several minutes, Nalina felt something other than terror. To her astonishment and confusion, the creature bounded off back in the direction of the creek, closing the distance with remarkable ease, almost trotting as it climbed down the embankment. She briefly saw it in the darkness beyond the creek before it vanished beyond the brambles.
      Blinded by her sudden turn of fortune, she almost hesitated to stand. When she finally did, she found it almost impossible to walk. “Ah- sssshit” she cried as the pain in her leg caused her to crumple back to the ground. Getting home like this was out of the question. Aarav and her mother would start looking for her soon, but they would never know to search over here. She was an hour from home. There was a fuel station down the road, but it was unlikely to be attended at this hour. No one knew she was out here.
      Perhaps if she started dragging herself, she could get to the roadside. If she was extremely lucky, a carriage might come by, or a pedestrian might go for help. It was all she could hope for at the hour. Perhaps her shouts would carry to the nearest tram station if she made it that far? All this was assuming she didn’t faint in the process of dragging herself.
      Then, to her immense misery, she heard the sound of movement back at the creek. The creature was returning. She caught a glimpse of it’s long tail crossing the creek bed. Her face turned towards the dirt as she tried to muster the strength to get up again, but her leg was entirely crippled.
The creature barked as it drew near. Then, much to her surprise, she heard a voice. “Whoa- whoa! Hey there, boy. Winds alive, are you okay!?”
      Nalina turned her face, laying against her shoulder, clutching her leg. Through her tears, she saw a man dismounting from the theropod. The beast stood aside tamely, but watched her. The rider was in chaps and leather pads, the same kind of stuff outlanders wore in the newspaper pictures. He lifted a small oil lamp and set it on the ground. “Lad… oh that’s a wound that is.. let me see”
      She felt a gloved hand on her shin. “Oh dear. Do you live nearby, son? Gonna need to clean this before we get going… but I’ll get you home.”
      “I’m a girl,” she whimpered. For some reason it was all she could think to say to the stranger. The situation was so confusing. Over his shoulder she could still see the dinosauride watching, perched like a bird, merely swaying with the breeze. The man noticed her gaze and looked over his shoulder. 
      “Ah- Oh, apologies girl. That’s Glifid… he came out to my camp, barking like mad. Old fella figured you were in trouble.”
      “He ate my chu-“ she said, shaking as the stranger put a wet cloth on her wound. It stung like mad and Nalina tensed, squeezing her fists.
      “Ah- sorry, lass. That’ll sting a little. And I’m sorry if he scared ya. He takes after snacks… and I let him wander a bit. I had no idea there were kids out here!”
      “I’m ten” she asserted, watching him prepare some wrappings from his bag.
      “Oh, forgive me, I meant no offense, miss. I should know better, my boy is ten, I understand. Now, what’s your name? Where’s your momma?”
      “Nalina… Nali Hiara. I live on the West side.”
The man paused, looking at her with a more knowing eye now. “Moons above… you’re a splitting image of Blithe…” he blinked and looked away, clearly a little spooked himself. “Forgive me girl, uh- Nalina. I knew your father. Maybe you don’t remember me, I was there when your…” again he stopped, glancing at her, clearly rattled. “Uh. When they buried your brother. Oh what a terrible shame that was.”
      Nalina said nothing. She simply wiped the tears away and sniffed loudly as he helped her up. She never knew her father and barely had a relationship with Aatriv. But if there was one thing true about midland towns in the Commonwealth, it was that everyone knew everyone else. Even strangers were just distant acquaintances. Such was probably the case across all of Calphis. It actually bothered her a bit when people spoke of her oldest brother. They all seemed to know him better than she ever did. Sympathies were always expressed, great sorrows shared, but never could she share them herself. What was the big deal? She has never known them.
      Without a reply, she brought the conversation full circle. “Well I don’t remember you, mister. What’s your name?”
“Ah, I’m Tal Mislan. You might know my son Jerich… he’s in your class, I believe. I run the ranch south of town. My boys and I camped beyond the creek over there looking at the new pasture the city sold us.”
      Nalina perked up a little as he brought her beside Glifid. “You have a ranch with animals like this?” She asked. She was surprised to feel his hands take her under the arms before he hoisted her onto the dinosaur. The creature was boney down the spine, but the fine downy coat was soft like a pillow. He felt strong beneath her, like she was no burden at all. Glifid tipped his head to peer at her with one orange eye, then addressed the guidance of mister Mislan.
      “No, not really. Glifid here is just one of two dilos. We herd Calphauna… bols and other livestock. We stock a lot of the meat in the market and red eggs and milk at the grocer.”
      “Do your raptors come to the creek sometimes?” She asked as they started moving. Glifid’s hips displayed from side to side beneath her, but his torso remained perfectly steadfast in his gait. Even from atop the beast, it felt so bird-like and controlled.
      “Raptors? Uh… well we keep a few barn raptors for the vermin. I wouldn’t call them livestock… They come and go. Why? Did you see some out here, Miss Hiara?”
      “Uh, just one, nevermind.”
      Mister Mislan smiled at her, putting a hand on Glifid. “Well that’s just fine. Do me a favor and take the scruff right here, lean forward a little. Didn’t expect a rider today, otherwise I’d have put the saddle on him.”
      Nalina complied, putting her weight forward on the animal. Glifid didn’t seem at all bothered by her. She felt him move to accommodate her weight, his front end rising up slightly. “Wow,” she said quietly. The rancher smirked a little and gave the beast a pat on the neck. 
      “Just hold on like that. He won’t give you  any trouble, I promise.”
      Tal Mislan guided Nalina and his dilophosaurus to the tram station, then handed her off to the conductor who ferried her along to her transfer. It was very late by the time the tram slowed to the Westside platform. Aarav was waiting there in his fleece lined jacket and one of their lanterns. Before the tram had even stopped, Nalina could make out the frustration on his face.
“We missed dinner!” He exclaimed as he scooped her off the tram seat. “We were out looking for you! Mom called in late, then had to go in without knowing where you were! And now she’s going to lose it… and you're hurt! 
      Nalina only smirked as she rode along on his back. She was still thinking of ranches and beasts and dirt. She looked up at the sky as Aarav went on. Those two moons- she should really learn their names- still hung overhead, easily eclipsed by her outstretched hand. The night felt so open and free when she gazed up there, unobstructed by telegraph wires and ceilings and factory towers. Perhaps she really should look into that animal handling idea.
      “Sorry Ravvy” she offered him, sounding only half sincere. Her mind remained elsewhere.
      “Ew… did you soil yourself too?”
      “What? No! I did not!” She blurted back at him.
      Aarav turned up his nose in exaggerated disgust. “Why do you smell like a barn then? You’re such a weird kid!”
      “Stop calling me a kid, I’m ten! I’ve had enough, put me down-“

—

      Awhile later, Aarav propped Nalina on the couch. Her leg was as stiff as a rock, but she wasn’t really feeling the same pain anymore. The leg had gone numb in the time it had taken to get home. That was a good thing as far as she was concerned, but her older brother wasn’t in agreement.
      “Eat your soup and bread” he said, putting her dinner in front of her on a large plate. “It better be all gone when I get back.”
      “Wait, you’re going somewhere? It’s late,” she exclaimed.
      “I’m walking down to the wind station to borrow their phone. Gotta call the doctor.” He answered as he put a scarf on.
Nalina looked at the ceramic clock on the table. Not only was it late, but Sagas of Sol would be starting very soon. “Can’t you do it in the morning? I bet the doctor isn’t even in right now.”
      Aarav frowned as he pulled a wool-lined bullop over his head and shoulders. “Yeah… that’s probably true, I’ll leave a message with the power station to have them try again first thing in the morning. Or maybe they can call the doctor at home. You should really be more concerned, Nali. Injuries like this aren’t good for kids your age.”
      Nalina snorted and ripped off a piece of her bread. She was no stranger to injury. “I’ll be up by tomorrow, Ravvy, you’ll see.”
      “Well, in that case, you’ll be able to catch up on all your chores,” said Aarav.
      Nalina balked at that. Chores? On her day off? While she was injured? He couldn’t be serious. Unfortunately, his expression suggested otherwise. He put his calwool hat on and stepped towards the radio set.
      “Here… listen to Sagas of Sol. Tell me what happens.”
With a click of the power and a careful tune of the dial, the familiar sounds of their favorite late night radio program filled the den. He shuffled back out the door before the intro was over. Nalina glowered after him, not because he put the idea of chores in her head, but because he was willing to miss the show. Aarav never had time for fun anymore. Resigned, Nalina hunched over her soup and listened to the wonderfully poetic voice of Paulipi Bine.

      …Now, ladies, gentlemen and gentlekind, it should come as no surprise at all that the consequences of the Makemake Rebellion can be felt even in our own history. The situation on the Opula orbital set the stage for the establishment of the old Kuiper Alliance. Transhumanism thrives in large part because of the Alliance. Therefore, the significance of these events cannot be understated… but no such grandiose ideas could have been going through the mind of Eskat Roa in March of 2276. No indeed, Roa was a technician serving under the Jovian based engineering firm that ran Opula. You see, our dear Roa had a family of three and was promised prospects in the new orbital, as were all his peers. A new life in a new world. Indeed, dear listeners, poor Roa and his tribe were struggling to receive their dues in light of the same ideals that would eventually deliver our own ancestors to Calphis. You see, Roa was a man of work and family… he was no rabble rouser, no dissident of chaos. Roa had never once been described as a violent man. But things began to change in weeks leading up to that fateful day in March…

      Nalina was asleep by the time Aarav returned without the doctor. But rather than move her, he draped one of the blankets on her and turned the radio off. For a moment he stood there, eyes weary from work and walking. His younger sister was the picture of innocence and naivety in a town that was rapidly jading to him. Adulthood was thrust upon them. No matter how often he brought it up, he knew it wasn’t fair to set expectations of her. But likewise, it was irresponsible to let her go unprepared. That was a lesson he had learned all too well over the last few years.