Rhee Coiled part 2
A Tales of Tuomi short story
Read Part 1 here
Friendly reminder since it’s been a month, this has a few potentially triggering elements, the main one in this part being child abuse/neglect/abandonment. It is also rather violent and a bit graphic in this part. As promised, I go into the title’s meaning a bit more below.
If you’re skipping this story, this is the final part so next month will be something new. Feel free to browse my story index until then.
Rhee kept smiling as she dressed in her new clothes. It had been years since she had smiled, but it seemed that was just one more thing he’d returned to her. She noticed the pants she had scavenged were a bit too large so she simply rolled up the pant legs and belted them at her waist with a scarf. The shirt was missing a couple buttons, but still covered her far better than her prior top.
Her stomach gave a small rumble and she realized she was also thirsty. Urzon likely derived his water need from his meals, but she would require water. She looked at the pool, debating if it was drinkable. The rocks beside the pool were glistening, which seemed odd because she knew springs got their water from below, not above.
She discovered the rocks were cool to the touch, confirming the water was not from the warm pool. There was a steady trickle down the rocks and she cupped her hand to collect it. It tasted like the water in the colony barrels which was funneled rainwater from the surface. It would seem these rocks acted much the same way and simply drained into the pool so it was easily overlooked.
She grabbed a tin mug from her bag and held it to the trickle. Soon she had a full cup of water that tasted only slightly muddier than the barrels of the colony. She imagined if she let the mug sit awhile most of the sediment would settle to the bottom, but she drained the mug, too thirsty to care for now. A second mugful was collected and she decided to allow it to sit for now.
Voices carried over Urzon’s nest and she quickly clicked off her flashlight. Flickers of light bounced off the ceiling, indicating the intruders had their own light sources. She trembled as she felt for the daggers in her bag beside her. Clutching a handle in each hand she prayed Urzon would return quickly.
“Look!” A voice shouted, “See? I told you there was a creature here!” She vaguely recognized the voice as Vic’s and her trembling increased.
“So many bones!”
“This thing cannot be allowed so close to the colony!”
Rhee could see their side, but she felt only anger towards them. These were people who had decided it was perfectly acceptable to deny a crippled, orphaned girl a bed to sleep in, clean clothes to wear, and proper food to eat. Things that a creature that lived atop a pile of bones had made sure she was given promptly and without even needing to be asked.
“Here,” one shouted, “their clothes are here.” Rhee heard them cluster around her first nest.
“It… it ate them?” one asked, his voice shaking. She smiled at the memory, gruesome as it was. Yes, she wanted to tell them, and I hope he devours you as well. She had never truly been as violent as the other children had made it seem, but she decided she was done being nice to those that had wronged her.
“And the girl? Did it eat her too?”
“Good riddance if so,” replied Vic, “the fire was supposed to eliminate them both.” Rhee smothered her gasp.
“Hush with that,” one of them chided sharply, “everyone was told it was an accident.” She felt her anger seethe in her veins. Her mother had never done anything to these people and yet she’d been murdered. She tried to think back to the days before the fire, her memory muddy and full of gaps.
A man had been visiting frequently, acting overly familiar, and her mother had repeatedly rebuffed him. She did not wish to remarry, she had told him, for she was still mourning Rhee’s father who had died of a wet, hacking cough the year before. It had eventually angered the man and he had finally stormed off shortly before the night of the fire. After the fire, Rhee had learned the man was part of the council and held a great deal of sway in the colony. She had been too young to see the connection before, but hearing Vic’s comment tied it all together.
Clattering bones told her the men were attempting to climb the nest and Rhee readied herself. She no longer had any qualms about harming these intruders, not after their admission. She watched the beam of light flicker and wobble as the holder climbed, her back pressed against the nest. He made it to the top and shined the light over the pool and far wall. Due to her position against the nest, she remained in shadow and unseen.
“No sign of it,” the man announced. “There’s a pool of some sort here, might it be aquatic?”
“It looked like a snake man,” Vic told them, “are snakes aquatic?” Rhee actually wasn’t sure due to her difficulty with reading. She had seen pictures of snakes in water, but more were shown in arid, desert environments or jungles. She imagined their tough scales and muscular tails were versatile enough that aquatic species could be possible.
“Let’s ready the trap up here,” she heard one say and her blood went cold. If it was anything like the traps she’d seen, it was a brutal and deadly contraption. Originally designed for the fire breathing lizards that used to threaten the colony, the trap would be a huge threat to Urzon. She paused, realizing something. Urzon had moved out on his own over a year ago, probably approaching two now, by her estimate. The last lizard was seen roughly around the same time. Urzon, she realized, wasn’t a threat to the colony at all, but had eliminated a major threat to it instead.
Rhee waited as the men grunted and groaned, hauling the trap up onto the nest. It would unfortunately be well concealed up there and would clamp its jagged metal spikes into Urzon the moment he entered his nest to rest. She heard the men slide back down, keeping to the other side as they waited for Urzon. She knew climbing up to the trap would not be possible for her, but perhaps she could disarm it another way.
Grabbing one of her pillows she pulled its cover off and began filling it with bones. When it was almost too heavy for her to throw, she zipped it closed and lobbed it up into the nest. As she’d hoped, the trap triggered, its jaws slamming together.
#####
Urzon made his way back to his nest, a plump scuttler slung on his back. It was roughly the same size as the last one so he knew Rhee would be happy with it. A loud clang sounded, followed by shouting, warning him that tailless… humans, were ahead. He plunged forward ready to rend the intruders to pieces.
What he found was a strange device up on his nest, likely the source of the noise, and three males cornering Rhee at the pool. He was pleased to see her armed with the claw-like sticks and even more pleased to see she’d bloodied two of the males. Crippled youngling she may be, she was certainly not weak. He recognized one of the males from the prior encounter and decided to go for the others first.
With their focus on the tiny female before them, they were easy prey. The first went down with a gurgled cry, alerting the others, but Urzon was not concerned. The second male wielded a similar claw to the ones Rhee had, but he made the mistake of turning his attention away from the armed and very angry Rhee. Urzon smirked as she pounced upon the male’s back, digging both claws into the sides of his neck.
The final male, the one that had gotten away before, seemed to realize he was now alone and up against not one, but two capable enemies. He glanced at the nest, as if hoping it would aid him instead of blocking off his escape.
“Was it you?” Rhee asked, her husky voice sharpened to a lethal edge. “Did you set the fire that killed my mother?” Urzon started in surprise, realizing the fire had not only scarred and crippled Rhee, but taken her family from her. The fact it was intentional as well caused his rage to flare again.
“She should have accepted my father’s generous offer,” the male replied, “had she done so you both would have lived quite comfortably. Instead, she embarrassed him in front of everyone with her public refusal.”
Urzon was about to end this male’s miserable existence when Rhee screamed and launched herself at the male, her claws raised. Her damaged foot did not seem to slow her as she slammed the claws into the male’s chest, his eyes widening in shock. She was not done, Urzon realized, as she extracted the claws and slammed them into the male again. She repeated the attack over and over, even after life left the male’s eyes, her voice growing hoarse from her wordless shouts. Tears were streaming down her face and he waited until she began to slow before pulling her gently away from her kill.
She turned to him, dropping her claws and burrowing herself against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and even coiled some of his tail as well, cocooning her in what comfort he could. Her sobs shook her delicate frame and he wished he had the words to ease her sorrow, but he doubted such words even existed.
He had no idea how long they stayed like that, but eventually her shaking subsided and she looked up at him.
“Leave their heads,” she said softly, her voice raw. He nodded, unsure what she planned, but willing to follow her lead. She pulled away gently and smiled at the ground. At the scuttler he’d brought her, he realized, skinned and gutted as before. She picked it up and began setting up her sticks, pointedly ignoring the three deceased males around her. Leaving her to her task, he began his own.
Urzon typically did not eat such big meals so close together, but he had occasionally done so before without issue. He dragged the kills into a pile and began stripping them of their cloth. He left their heads as Rhee had instructed and groaned at his now bloated stomach. He glanced up at his nest, the strange device taking up his usual resting spot, and decided he probably was too full to make the climb anyway. He noted Rhee was still daintily picking at her meal and wondered if she’d mind if he napped on her nest for now. Sliding sluggishly to her nest he was surprised by its softness. He curled up, not bothering to rest his upper torso on his scales as the bedding was actually softer. He poked the strange puffy masses and found them delightfully squishy. Taking a red one, he burrowed his chin into the softness instead of his arms and was soon asleep.
#####
Rhee sighed and leaned back as she polished off the last of her meal. She was feeling drowsy again, but wanted to check on Urzon before she napped. A glance up at his nest showed only the disarmed trap which took up most of his usual nap spot. Puzzled, she looked at where she’d seen him drag the bodies, but only three dismembered heads remained beside a pile of clothes. He had listened, though likely did not understand the need for it. She glanced about the rest of the space and finally found him.
A smile tugged her lips upward again at the sight of him draped almost bonelessly on her bed, a red pillow clutched in his arms and thoroughly snuggled. A yawn so wide it nearly cracked her jaw reminded her of her own desire to nap and she made her way to her bed. She had luckily built it bigger than she actually needed so still had room even with a teenage Sylthe taking up a large portion of it. She grabbed herself a few of the pillows, draped a blanket over herself, and cuddled up beside Urzon to nap.
Rhee woke feeling more rested than she had in quite some time, though her body was unwilling to leave her warm, comfortable bed. Her bedding shifted beneath her and she realized Urzon had coiled himself around her in his sleep. His scales were smooth and slightly cool to the touch and she wondered if he could feel her hand running along them. Her bladder prompted her to move and she reluctantly slipped out of her warm cocoon. She flicked on a flashlight and looked around for a place to relieve herself.
Just a few steps into the tunnel that led to the mining camp she spotted a perfectly round hole the size of her fist situated on a rocky outcropping about knee high against the wall. She had seen pictures of such holes in books and realized it was likely left by one of the blind burrowing worms that called these tunnels home. Seeing no evidence the worm was still using it, Rhee hopped onto the stone protrusion and used the hole as she would a toilet. As she did, she spied similar holes along the walls, though no evidence of current activity. She imagined it had either been long gone when Urzon had moved in or hadn’t lived long after he had.
Leaving a cleaning cloth beside the hole, Rhee returned to the main cavern. Urzon was precisely as she’d left him and she decided additional rest would be helpful. As she climbed back amongst his coils she noticed they seemed to adjust to her presence instinctively though she saw he was still sound asleep. Snuggling back down, she found herself quite liking this sleeping arrangement and wondered if he would consider it continuing.
#####
Warm. He was blissfully warm. Even the hot spring didn’t warm him quite this much. He sighed contentedly and snuggled further into the softness around him. It had been years since he’d been deep enough in a youngling pile to be this warm and his drowsy mind couldn’t seem to comprehend the source of the warmth.
Something soft and warm slid along his scales and his brain stalled. He was full grown now, had been on his own for almost two years now, so there were no more younglings to snuggle with. Yet he was not alone. His company shifted and an arm flopped across his back. A very warm arm, he noted, far warmer than a Sylthe youngling’s arm should be, not that he was complaining.
Urzon scented the air, confused, but too drowsy to open his eyes. Female, but not a Sylthe. Rhee, his brain finally supplied. He had not realized a human youngling could generate such warmth. It would seem they were indeed quite different though they shared similar upper torso appearance. He was a bit surprised she had not angrily woken him for commandeering her nest, merely joined him. He wondered if human younglings slept in piles like Sylthe did or if their seemingly natural tendency to generate warmth made it unpleasant for them. Rhee did not seem to find this at all unpleasant though, judging by the way she was contentedly draped, her breathing deep and even.
A twisting cramp had him reluctantly opening his eyes. His body was ready to expel the bones of the three males and he found himself dreading waking Rhee with the noise. He would expel them elsewhere, he decided, their bones did not deserve to be part of his nest anyway. Satisfied with his decision, he slowly extracted himself from Rhee and headed down the tunnel. It did not take him long to reach the abandoned human nest again and he quickly began expelling the bones.
When he returned, Rhee was awake and stretching. She smiled as he approached and he found he liked seeing her do so. Sylthe had two smiles, one when happy and one when murderous, though most only saw the latter. Rhee got to see the former as he smiled back. It had been awhile since he had the opportunity to do so, but he imagined that would change now.
“Sleep well?” He asked her, earning an energetic nod. He noticed the bones had been removed from her hair and the braid had mostly unraveled during her rest. She saw where his gaze had traveled and held up a wavy strand.
“Could you?” She asked him and it was his turn to nod. She retrieved the pronged item from her bag and handed it to him. Curiosity getting the better of him, he asked what she called the item and learned it was a comb. He used it to detangle her long, ebony hair and then braided it for her. She coiled and pinned it up as she had before then turned to him, her face serious.
He sat back on his coils, contemplating the plan she had shared with him. There was much about it he did not understand, but she knew her kind better than he did. If she believed this would ensure no more humans came and disturbed them then he would aid her however he could. He could not fault her for wanting nothing to do with them after learning they had purposefully started the fire that killed her mother and crippled her. He’d offered to butcher them for her like he had the danglers, but she had merely shook her head. Not all were guilty and worthy of punishment, she’d explained, and he had accepted her assessment.
He waited as she readied herself and collected the heads in a large cloth. He imagined she did not wish to soil the one she typically used to carry items with them. She indicated she was ready and he scooped her into his arms. He climbed his nest, pausing at the top and pushing the strange metal contraption down before following it.
“It will make a suitable deterrent,” she told him, “even if we don’t actually use it they have no way of knowing that.” A clever ploy, he agreed.
At the end of the tunnel, he paused, a bit nervous. He was a skilled Sylthe, but he was still just one against what was likely to be many and such open terrain was not his ideal choice for an outnumbered fight. Rhee seemed to sense his concern.
“See the glowing chains?” She asked him, knowing he could not miss the strange glowing chains that arced up to the ceiling of the cavern as if a giant dangler had used them to make its web. It seemed to provide ample light for the humans below. “It’s called the light web. The color changes to simulate the daylight patterns above ground. It is how we gauge a day’s time. It’s very early morning so few will be up and about right now. Most that are up will either be very young or elderly.” He nodded, feeling a bit better about approaching the humans’ large nest.
As he moved away from the tunnel the ground became littered with mounds of broken glass, metal, and discarded items. Small scuttlers and a few pouncers picked through the mess.
“I spent most of my time picking through this looking for food,” Rhee admitted and Urzon wondered if there truly were innocents in this nest. “I slept just over there, by that shed.” The remains of a flimsy shelter, its door hanging crookedly open, barely stood where she pointed. Beside it a small nest of cloths could be seen, tattered and dirty even at this distance. He hoped she couldn’t feel him trembling, his anger and disgust at her mistreatment ready to erupt into violence.
He carried her across the littered refuse and she indicated he should set her down. She walked, head high and foot dragging behind her to where the chains began, tied into the ground with thick posts. He noticed playful shouts could be heard and a few small humans darted about. Younglings, many only half of Rhee’s size, were chasing each other and a ball. A white-haired female approached Rhee, her back stooped with age.
“You know you are not welcome within the light web,” the female chided, but Rhee stood tall.
“I wish to address the council,” Rhee said firmly, “see to it they are assembled here and the children taken elsewhere.” He watched as she pulled back the cloth slightly, the female’s wrinkled face paling as her eyes widened. He shifted on his coils and the female finally noticed him. He smiled at her, his fangs on full display, and fear practically poured from her as she scurried off.
Urzon noticed groups of females arrived and began herding the younglings away. A group of two males and two females also arrived. They all turned stern glares at Rhee until they noticed him and blanched. He relished the scent of their fear in the air.
“If you desire admittance you are wasting your time and ours,” one of the males stated.
“I have no wish to associate with any of you beyond today,” Rhee replied, unfurling the cloth in her arms. The contents rolled out, stopping at the feet of the male that had spoken. Shock, horror, and anger joined the scent of fear in the air.
The plump male approached the heads, his heavily jowled face pale, “Vic? My son… You… you murdered my son!”
“And you murdered my mother,” Rhee shot back. Urzon noticed only one of them was shocked by the news. “These three came uninvited into the tunnels and sought to harm me and my companion. They paid dearly for it.”
“So you have come here to threaten us?” asked one of the females and Rhee shook her head.
“I merely wish for justice,” Rhee countered, “before I killed him, Vic admitted his father ordered the fire that killed my mother.” She pointed at the plump male. “He should be held accountable for his crime.”
“And we are to take a murderer’s word?” the plump man asked, laughing, “You admit to killing your only credible witness. The whole colony knows the fire was an accident.”
“Oh, I don’t care if any of them believe me,” Rhee said calmly, “I don’t expect them to do anything about it at all actually, just you.”
“And what do you expect me to do?” Urzon smiled, awaiting Rhee’s answer.
“Die.”
He whipped forward, his tail coiling tightly around the plump male. Rhee had been quite detailed in how she had wanted this male to die and Urzon was more than happy to oblige. There would be no quick venom or claws for this male. Just the slow agony of every bone snapping under the crushing pressure of his coils. The non-tails went first… legs, Rhee had called them, the male howling in pain as Urzon crushed both of them thoroughly.
He felt the arms go next, pinned against the male’s rotund chest and belly. The other humans watching seemed frozen, unable to act on the typical fight or flight instinct, as Rhee had predicted. The male’s face began to turn red, then creep towards purple, as Urzon continued crushing his ribs.
The male gasped, unable to get air into his lungs, as Urzon felt ribs crack. The gasping turned wet as shattered ribs punctured lungs. A final gasp expelled blood and the male died. Urzon relaxed his coils, letting the male fall to the floor. This would be the first time a kill he’d made was not eaten, but it felt fitting. Eating a kill gave a level of respect that this male simply did not deserve.
“Urzon here is a Sylthe,” Rhee told the others, “he has kept this colony safe by eliminating the fire breathing lizards that plagued our crops. He has wanted nothing from us in return, but to be left in peace, yet these three brought a trap into his home and sought to harm him.” The humans came out of their daze, murmuring amongst themselves.
“We did not send these men,” a female assured him, her eyes wide with fear, “they have paid for their transgressions.”
“Yet you have not paid for yours,” Urzon countered, letting his anger bleed into his voice, “you have failed one of your own so severely she no longer wishes to be associated with you.”
“She was violent with the other children,” the other female countered sharply.
“As I told you and others multiple times, I was just defending myself,” Rhee snapped back. “You just used it as an excuse to kick me out. I spent years digging through trash for scraps to eat because you didn’t want to listen.” Urzon saw the female flinch as if struck.
“You can make amends by supplying food now,” Urzon said gently. “I can provide her with meat aplenty, but she requires more than that.” He had been confused when Rhee had explained meat did not provide her all she needed. She had used strange terms that he still didn’t fully comprehend, but he understood enough to follow the plan.
“A basket of fresh produce once a week,” Rhee instructed, “left at the mouth of the tunnel. You are not to venture further inside, we still have the trap to ensure you do not make it back out alive.” The female paled, but nodded her understanding.
“It will be done,” the first female assured them, “we can have the first basket ready later today.” The female paused, her expression sad, “I know it may mean little to you, but I am sorry for how you were treated. I was not part of the council when it was decided, but it seems unfairly cruel to do that to a child, especially one that had just lost their mother.”
“It certainly was,” Urzon agreed. Rhee put her arms around his neck and he scooped her up. He gave the assembled humans a final glare before heading back to the tunnels. Their darkness was soothing after such bright light from the light web and he felt himself relax. He felt Rhee shudder and slump against him and wondered if she felt relief as well.
#####
Darkness enveloped her as Urzon made his way through the tunnels. She had once been terrified of these tunnels, their unending darkness unsettling and hiding untold dangers, but now she felt only comfort. She could tell Urzon was relieved to be back in his element again as well, the tension in his muscles easing as he made his way back to the nest.
Rhee shuddered and melted into Urzon’s chest, grateful the plan had worked. Her thoughts churned over everything that had happened and she felt it would take days if not weeks to sift through and acknowledge all the emotions that had resulted. She had avenged her mother today and herself in a way. Six years she had dealt with the horror of that fire and the resulting loss, the cruelty of the other children, and the callous abandonment of the colony when she needed them most. It was over now, she told herself, she could move on with her new life.
It was an unorthodox life, she knew, but it was already shaping up to be a happy one. She had ensured their safety from further attacks and even made sure her diet was balanced with the necessary plant matter a human required. The weekly baskets would also remind the council of their mistake and she hoped they learned from it.
The basket arrived as promised and Urzon informed her it was the woman who apologized that had delivered it. Rhee had not wanted to deal with anyone from the colony again so soon and had quickly agreed when he had volunteered to retrieve it once he heard her arrival. Rhee was grateful and rather impressed with his acute hearing.
Rhee took inventory of the basket, Urzon peering curiously at the contents as he lounged on their bed, red pillow snuggled once more in his arms. Theirs, she mused, it felt good to share it.
Alongside the expected fruit and vegetables there were additional items. Rhee knew the woman was genuinely sorry about what had happened and obviously was trying to make amends, but it felt like too little, too late. Still, Rhee would make use of the pot, the can opener, and the small lantern that had been included in the basket. Her stomach rumbled softly, announcing its desire for lunch. Urzon had of course heard the quiet noise and was already stretching, ready to hunt for her.
“It can be a smaller scuttler,” she told him, “I will supplement it with some of this.” He nodded and smirked.
“Asking me to be a less proficient hunter, Rhee?” He asked her jokingly, “Am I not lazy enough for you?” She laughed at his jest, feeling lighter than she had in years. Yes, she decided, this new life was indeed going to be a happy one.
The End
Rhee Coiled… she certainly gets coiled, doesn’t she? Even her hair does. The title means more than that though. Recoil can mean the backlash of an action, both in the case of Rhee’s widowed mother publicly rejecting the pushy council member and being murdered for it and that murder along with Rhee’s injuries causing the rather gruesome death of said council member. Another definition is to pull back, as if in disgust. The colony pulls back from Rhee, forcing her to scavenge to survive. She also pulls back from the colony completely, choosing to live with Urzon. Where there isn’t any recoil is equally important. Rhee does not recoil from Urzon though he’s a killer and a ‘monster’ and Urzon does not recoil from Rhee because she’s scarred and crippled.
If you’ve read my other Tales of Tuomi stories you likely have noticed ‘monsters’ being a theme and I’m not just talking the hybrid creatures that populate Tuomi. Indeed, you could say they aren’t the ‘real’ monsters of my stories, but let me know your thoughts! If you don’t feel comfortable sharing them publicly, you are welcome to use the new direct message feature.
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