The Reincarnated Luna

Manticores

"How big is this place really?" We had been walking down a cobblestone path leading from the main packhouse for almost thirty minutes now.

"We tried to keep most of the buildings close together, but the lab just kept expanding over the years so we had to move their main headquarters to its own space. Not to mention the lab back by the packhouse has become outdated and is being renovated to be more useful."

"I think I'm going to die." I said putting my hands on my hips and trying to not sound like I was breathing heavily.

"You literally ran faster than I had ever seen yesterday, and now walking for an extended amount of time is going to kill you? I think you'll be okay." He laughed obviously not even breaking a sweat.

"That was different-" I had to stop and cough, "Lilly was in danger." He paused and turned back to look at me.

"How did you find her actually? I have been trying to figure it out and I couldn't smell her at the park." I stood there for a good minute exaggerating my wheezing and holding my side to make sure Eli knew how unhappy I was with having to walk this much.

"I tracked her by her smell at first, but once I caught a whiff of it I was able to feel the ripple of her movements." His brows furrowed.

"Most of us can smell others, but what do you mean the ripple of her movements?" He waited patiently until I caught up with him and we continued walking. Luckily a large building was finally coming into view through the trees.

"Well, I was able to hear the motion of the air." He still looked at me doubtably.

"Somehow the air around me became thick like water. Everything causes a ripple when it moves, which causes everything else to move. Every ripple is different depending on the object creating the ripple. I just somehow knew how tell the vibrations apart." Closing my eyes I stopped moving. Eli kept walking for a few steps before he turned and stared at me. I cleared my mind again, trying to focus on my surroundings. A small breeze blew down the cobblestone path sturring some pollen and dirt into a small hole right off the path. The air around the hole rose and fell as if it was breathing. I began to walk toward it.

"See, I knew where Lilly was. Just as I was able to find this momma Rabbit." Careful not to disturb the Rabbit and her babies, I slowly moved some loose grass from over the hole. Eli crouched down beside me rubbing his chin.

"I could tell there was a rabbit close by the smell, but I couldn't pinpoint it because it wasn't fresh. I'm still confused as to how you did that?" The Rabbit raised her head to look me in the eyes. Almost as if she was begging me to leave them alone and let them be. I carefully placed the loose grass back over the small family and started walking toward the building again.

"The air around the hole sturred. It was moving with the vibrations from her and her baby's breathing. They caused a small ripple around them as the wind blew, and I felt it." He didn't look confused anymore, but stunned. His mouth was slightly open as he shook his head.

"That absolutely amazing. I've never heard about anyone being able to do that before. Is there anything else out of the normal you've noticed?" The large glass office-like building was growing larger and more intimidating with every step.

"Well, I don't really know. All of this is new to me." Eli nodded as he stopped me from opening the heavy glass door and turned toward me.

"That's understandable. I also have a few extra abilities since I am of Alpha blood, but I suspect some of it has to do with Fin." I nodded, a soft smile dancing on my lips.

"I've got my very own superman huh?" Eli titled his head to the side with the most adorable confused look on his face. I patted his shoulder while shaking my head.

"Don't you worry old man, I'll show you my vintage movie collection. It might have to wait until we aren't trying to save the world and everything, but I promise I'll introduce you to the world of superheroes if it's the last thing I do."

"I'd like that-" He was cut off by the large glass door swinging open beside us. I was lifted off my feet by two log-like arms. After a few seconds of me awkwardly dangling there, the man let out a deep rumble of a chuckle before gently setting me down.

"You're even more beautiful than I imagined!" I was met with strikingly slicked-back silver hair and a handlebar mustache to match. When I looked to Eli for help he was just smiling lovingly.

"This is Dr. Walsh Blackwood, my father. Dad this is Alora." My eyes widened. I don't know how I didn't see it before. The man in front of me had the same strong facial features as Eli, but he had bright green eyes instead of Eli's electric blue ones.

"I am the lead scientist of this establishment. What a pleasure it is to be at your service Luna." He took my hand and kissed the back of it. At this point, I was incredibly uncomfortable and I assume Eli realized it because he cleared his throat.

"Want to let us inside maybe?" Walsh's eyes slid to his son then back to me.

"I guess we can't keep this inpatient one waiting can we?" He turned on his heels, motioning for us to follow him down a vast corridor. He took his wrist and waved it over a small scanner on the wall and smiled when it opened.

"This is where all the fun happens." I felt Eli rolled his eyes as he took my hand.

The next hallway felt like we were in an undecorated hospital. Everything was a stark white and smelled like disinfectant. ut there weren't any waiting chairs or vending machines.

"Of course we have various different projects going on in the separate wings of the building. Some have whole floors, corridors, or even just have their own rooms."

"How many scientists do you have working here?" I couldn't hide the astonishment in my voice as we passed plenty of rooms with windows for observing. Each one filled with people bustling away with their microscopes and computers.

"Who is stationed here just depends on the projects. While I am the lead scientist we have six separate major projects with five to ten people assigned to them. Weekly we have a meeting to discuss our new findings and how to move forward. Monthly we have every project lead meet and decide what projects are really worth continuing and what ones should get less attention. We don't exactly believe in abandoning projects here. They just get paused and reassigned later." I nodded wondering how much money it must take for all of this. I was staring through one of the glass walls at a small animal that looked like a tiny lion cub, but when it turned around it had a scorpion's tail.

"That's a Manticore in the flesh. I know you've heard of the ravenous animals running the woods, but most Colony citizens are lucky enough to never see one of these terrible animals." I put my hand up to the glass and the little lion lunged scratching and stinging furiously.

"Where have these things come from? They didn't start popping up until the existence of Amaruq's became public." I tried to pick my brain to remember my history courses.

Not only do the Wolves run the land outside of the Colonies, so do monstrous animal hybrids. Plenty of people would argue that the Werewolves were just another animal hybrid that went too far and only deserved to be put down.

A flashback from a lecture in school came back to me. I had to debate about that topic before I graduated. I was one of the only ones who chose to debate for the Amaruq.

Now I know that the Amaruq are in fact older than these hybrids, but just in the couple hundred years since their existence was discovered, they have multiplied like insects and threaten to overthrow intelligent life entirely.

"Back when the war was officially declared, there was an explosion in the region of what used to be Nevada, in the United States. Within the next month, similar explosions in government facilities across the globe erupted. We believe this was someone, or some group releasing the various types of Manticores. This is just one breed. As you know there are now hundreds and thousands of different species. More being born each day too. We're just trying to figure out why they reproduce so sporadically. " He motioned for us to keep walking.

"I was taught that the Amaruq controlled them, and used them to their own benefit. Killing humans and using them to infiltrate the Colonies." Eli glanced my way but didn't say anything as his dad answered.

"Now honey if that was true we wouldn't be getting slaughtered with every step we take outside of our packs." I gulped. He didn't seem to be talking down to me or anything, just simply trying to educate me. Regardless I felt ignorant once again for not questioning what I was taught growing up.

"Are you ready?" Dr. Walsh sounded like a little kid about to show their parents a drawing that they worked really hard on. Without waiting for a response he waved his wrist in front of another scanner and vapor erupted from the doors as they hissed.

"Please step into the decontamination chamber." A female robotic voice resonated from a small glass chamber that came into my line of sight. Past that glass chamber was what looked like a giant forest.

Maybe an indoor greenhouse?

We all three stepped in and Eli gave me a clear mask that covered my entire face. Seconds later a green smoke filled the room and a countdown from 30 seconds started. Once it was over the door to the greenhouse opened up. What I thought was just simple plants and greenery were actually structures formed entirely from the plants.

"We have a new prototype ready to be planted late on this week. Let me show you the progress we have made." Eli walked side by side with his father as they talked about the prototype. I was astounded by each building we passed. There were playgrounds like I had seen before, and other buildings that seemed like homes. Obviously, they had issues; some were missing roofs, some were just a clump of plants, but quite a few of them were full-fledged buildings.

I wasn't paying attention as I was walking behind Eli and ran face-first into his back.

"Well, what do we have here?" An older feminine voice rang out from the direction Eli was facing. I rubbed my nose and stepped around him to see who was talking. A beautiful stout older Hispanic woman wiped her hands on her pristine white lab coat but she didn't completely get all the dirt off before she offered me her hand. I didn't even glance down to her hand to question her motives; this was a test. I shook her hand firmly never taking my eyes from her electric-blue ones. Her stone-cold gaze never left mine for a few minutes straight as she firmly held my hand in hers. A large grin spread from each corner of her lips and reached all the way to her eyes, showing off her laugh lines and crows feet. She pulled me in smothered me in a quick hug before patting my back and turning back toward Eli.

"Nice going, Elijah! I like this one! She has guts." She walked up and punched his shoulder. "And the gods know she'll need those to keep up with you." I raised an eyebrow.

"Alora this is Dr Isabella Blackwood, she shares the same title as my father. Together they manage all of the projects we have going on here." His accent changed a bit when he said her name. My heart dropped when I realized this feisty woman is Eli's mom. He smiled taking my hand in his and dragging us after his mom toward the large house-shaped greenery covered in flowers in front of us.

"Okay as you know there are four rooms that are supposed to grow with each cluster planted. A kitchen with a fire nook for cooking, and a rain catcher along with water purifying plants, and we were able to add a sort of compost type situation to the bathroom." She was walking us through the weird house that was basically a cave made if plants it was so dense. It opened into a large room that seemed to work as the living area/ kitchen. Then there were two bedroom like spaces that had a lot of moss and soft plants growing on the floor. In between the two archways that led to the rooms was a room with the compost area and a small twig-like plant that looked like it took from the rainwater that is collected and turned it into a shower/ faucet. I was in complete awe that I basically drowned out all the details that his mom was saying.

"What are all the flowers outside?" I mumbled not exactly speaking to anyone in particular.

"Those are for various types of fruits, vegetables, and even beans. We've been trying to cover all our bases to give these people a good start. That way they don't have to worry about much, except for trying to keep safe from the different Manticores."

Eli's dad said in a hushed tone trying not to interrupt Eli and his mom's conversation. I listened intently trying to comprehend everything. At the very least while I didn't understand the way it worked scientifically, I could understand the benefit of these planted houses. Not only for the people outside of the Colonies but also for the people who feel trapped inside the Colonies. There wasn't really an option for the humans. They either had to live in the Colonies or take their chances with the Amaruq and the Manticores. Both of which we would grow up believing wanted nothing but to kill us. After a few minutes, we stopped by other houses that had been planted, and then we were guided out of the Greenroom and into another laboratory-like room.

To my horror, there were cages lining the back wall. My feet felt like they were filled with lead as the three passed me to walk into the room.

Are they experimenting on Manticores here?

"Don't jump to conclusions. Listen and don't comment. Let see what this is really about." I silently agreed and calmed myself. I leaned on a sidewall and just focused solely on the conversation at hand.

"Group D didn't respond very well to the last serum, but group F is showing tons of promises with serum 1.3." His mom skimmed a chart that was on the front of a cage before opening it.

"This one here seems to be showing some weird anomaly. We haven't seen this in any of the other Manticores." I grew stiff scared to look at the poor animal, but my curiosity got the best of me. Weirdly Isabella was holding the (otherwise normally vicious) griffin-like cub in her arms. It looked as if it was asleep, and I wasn't able to hold myself back. I marched up to Isabella and slowly took the tiny thing from her arms.

"O-Oh? okay there." She didn't try to support it in any way as she handed the nearly lifeless animal to me. This creature appears to have physical traits similar to a bird, cat, and dog. I could feel its soft heart beating uncharacteristically slow. I knew everyone in the room was staring at me like I had two heads, but I didn't care. I drowned out all the snarling and loud clanging from the locked up animals and took a deep inhale while closing my eyes. I brought my forehead to it's chest and slowly I heard nothing but my heartbeat and this small creature's heartbeat. As I exhaled I could feel its rhythm picking up to match mine. My heart ached for what kind of lives these creatures have.

What now? We have to help it

"Dive deep. Into its subconscious. All we need is one little light. Just find something, any sign of life, and hold on to it." I kept my eyes closed and focused on its mind. I Invisioned a red fire burning deep within an abyss. Buried deep and about to go out. The Flicker of the fire moved along with my heartbeat. I just need the brain to come back to me. After a few seconds of no change in the tiny fire I started to panic. It flickered out of rhythm.

"Alora breath I can feel that there is hope. Some remnants of what this little thing used to be, but it must have been this way for hours if not days." Finally just as I was about to give up, I breathed a small breath into the fire.

"This is going to take a lot out of you, but when you exhale again open your eyes and slowly breath toward the animal." I did as Selene instructed, but once my eyes were open and I exhaled I could see a purple-blue hue coming from my mouth and traveling into the animal's nose.

It twitched in my hands and everyone in the room started to buzz and move. Multiple things happened all at once. My head grew heavy and an alarm sounded, causing all the lights in the room to go red and start flashing. Eli went to take the animal from me but at the same time, it awoke and quickly made its way up my arm and onto my shoulder while showing its fangs and spreading its tiny scaley wings. It snarled at Eli; making it obvious that it was not going to be removed from my possession. Eli's mom grabbed a syringe from a tiny rolling tray and outright made a lung at the animal on my shoulder. Just as I sensed her movements I also moved to protect the small lifeform. I don't know why; these things have also killed thousands, if not millions of people. They aren't innocent in this world, but somehow I can't bring myself to let harm be brought onto one that I know is innocent. This tiny thing has never known compassion or love, and who knows what they've been doing to it in here during its short life.

Just before the syringe plummeted into the tiny animal's body I put my hand just under the needle. Isabella pushed the plunger down without a second thought as I clutched the small animal to my chest ensuring it wouldn't be hurt.

"What have you done?" I heard Eli scream angrier than I ever wanted him to get.

Maybe he wasn't actually angry, but scared?

I turned to look him in the eyes, but all the noise was miles away now, and when I made eye contact with him he was sideways.

Or is that me?

Everything is going blurry and my head is spinning.

Which way was up again? I need to stay standing up.

That was my last thought before a very strong pair of arms caught inches above the floor. My vision went completely black and just before it consumed me I was able to make out the subtle scent of vanilla after a heavy rain in a forest.

"Fin."