Over a Decade Ago

Completely covered save for his eyes, a young boy snuck through the outskirts of the town. A few meters behind him, a woman limped, leaning heavily on the crutch beneath her arm.

'Little one, slow down,' she urged, her voice low. The boy glanced back at her, nodded once, and waited for her to catch up to him.

'How much farther, Mama?'

'Deep into the forest, Little one. Remember, we walked all that way when we arrived, here?'

The boy half nestled into his mother's side, walking at her pace.

'Where are we going, now, Mama?'

The woman stopped, looking over her shoulder. She leant down to the boy, slipping a sack off her shoulder.

'Somewhere very new. Quickly, Raziel, we must hurry!'

Raziel took the sack from her. He knew the tone of her voice; he'd been hearing it every so often all his life, and he knew it meant trouble.

He knew it meant they were headed to the ship, and off the planet.

With a glance at his mother, he set off a little faster. Freed of her luggage, his mother was able to move faster, and they slipped from the town into the nearby forest.

'Raziel, do you remember the way?' his mother asked.

'Yes, Mama. Are we hiding?'

'Turning invisible, Little one, yes. Take my tail, and stay with me. And if anything happens-'

'Keep hiding until you come to tell me it's safe. I know, Mama.' Raziel kissed his mother's arm, then took a hold of her tail. With a shared nod, they turned invisible.

They hurried through the trees, as fast as the woman could hobble. Raziel did his best not to trip over any roots, or lose his balance, or lose hold of his mother.

The longer they took to reach the ship, the more Raziel grew frightened. HIs mother was breathing heavily, limping more severely. And then, he heard something that made his blood run cold.

'Spread out! The Sciamachy can't be far off; they don't like straying from the ship around here!' a cruel, deep voice shouted. 'There's bound to be more than one. And watch your backs - they're disgusting, deceptive creatures.'

Raziel collided with his mother. She became visible, again, and knelt in front of him.

'Don't show yourself, Little one. And if anything happens to me, run. Do you understand?' she hissed. Raziel nodded, and his mother grabbed his chin. 'Don't ever show your face. Don't ever trust anyone - not even your own kind. And keep yourself safe, Raziel.'

'Yes, Mama,' he said, tears brimming in his eyes. This sounded terrifyingly close to a final goodbye.

His mother nodded, and turned invisible. Raziel, following suit, made his way up into a nearby tree.

With his back to the tree's trunk, and the sack pinned beneath him, he could see the ship. See the Sapiens trying to get inside it, and some who were slipping into the forest.

He saw his mother hobble into view, one hand raised in surrender, and the other on her crutch.

'Please, please! I mean no harm to your kind. I'll leave your planet in little more than an hour, and I won't be trouble for you any longer. Please!' she begged, lowering herself. One of the Sapiens approached her.

'Where's your companions?' he demanded, and Raziel recognised him as the one who'd spoken before. 'How many of you are there? Tell me, now!'

'Please, it's just me. I'm wounded, and I haven't been a fighter in over a decade. I don't even have a weapon - search me! Just let me leave your planet, and I won't be of any concern to you any longer! I beg you, do not judge me by what you know of my kind. I won't be back here, again. I'll go far from here!'

'Where are the rest of you?' the Sapien demanded, drawing a sword from his hip and holding it at Raziel's mother's throat.

No! Mama, Raziel thought, clasping a hand to his mouth to stop him from screaming out. He shuffled, slightly, to try and look at his mother's face. He didn't understand why she kept herself in their view.

'I told you, it's just me. I was rejected by my kind because I refuse to be violent any longer, and I'm injured. I'm lucky to have even escaped my planet with a ship. Please, I'm alone and I'm only trying to remain alive. I'm not harming anyone!'

The Sapien drew his sword over Raziel's mother's torso, and she gave a yelp. Raziel cried out, and saw Sapiens turning in his direction.

'Only another one of you would be worried by your harm,' the lead Sapien snarled. 'Go on, sniff it out!'

'Please, it's only me! I have no companions!'

Forgetting all of his mother's words, Raziel scrambled back down from the tree. He raced on towards the ship, leaving the sack behind.

Breathing heavily, Raziel kept himself invisible. And, as he got closer, he heard his mother once again begging the Sapien to spare her, and let her leave. Only this time, her voice was tinged with hysteria.

Raziel stopped, suddenly recalling he was still a child. He hid behind a tree, looking at his mother. Silent tears rolled from his cheek, and he crawled into a bush.

'Please, I'm alone!' Raziel's mother cried. The Sapien leader swung his sword again.

Raziel hardly dared to breathe. He heard his mother gurgling, choking. Watched her slump forwards, and fail to catch herself.

'Find the rest of them!' the Sapien roared.

Raziel was frozen in horror. It wasn't until the stomping footsteps had faded that he found the strength to scramble free.

'Mama,' he whimpered, crawling to his mother's side. She gave a wet cough.

'Little one,' she croaked. 'You were supposed to run! Grab some spare things, and run, my love, and never look back. Don't trust anyone you meet, and keep safe. I'll watch over you. I love you, Raziel.'

'Mama,' Raziel wept, trying to sneak beneath her arm.

'Raziel, go! I won't let you die as well!'

His mother coughed, again, and weakly pushed him away.

'Take everything you can carry, from within the ship. Be fast, Little one. And go far. Stay hidden.'

'Mama-'

'Raz... Raziel,' his mother scolded. She frowned, weakly, and coughed, hard. The dark puddle of her blood was slowing its spread.

Raziel looked back at his mother's face. Her eyes were losing their usual light.

He backed away from her. Sniffling, he clambered aboard the ship. Gathered materials, clothing, a stitching kit. Food, water, things to make a shelter, and some basic medical supplies. Things he knew his mother gathered, first. Things his mother always worried about.

He went back to her side, with his supplies. Touched her cheek and called to her. But she didn't move.

Footfalls sounded, again, and Raziel's heart raced. He hoisted his things, cast one last terrified glance at his mother's body, and ran.

It was a miracle he never ran into one of the Sapiens. Darting blindly away from the ship, towards the further edge of the forest. Away from the last town they'd been in, away from his mother, away from anything he knew here.

Night fell, and still he ran. Legs and back screaming, protesting the weight of his pack and the distance he'd covered.

He didn't know where he was. He didn't know where he was going. He hardly knew what to do.

Exhausted, he fell to the ground. Fortune in his favour, he'd made it to another patch of forest, and found himself safe as his body gave in to the need to rest.

He woke to a girl standing over him, dark brown hair cascading around her face like a waterfall. Her eyes were deep brown, her skin a golden olive, and her ears the rounded shape of the Sapiens.

'What are you doing?' she demanded. 'This is my forest to play in. Nobody's supposed to come here.'

Raziel stared at her, drawing his things closer. He took slow, shaking breaths. His mother had said not to trust anyone, but... what was he supposed to do if he met someone? And a Sapien, at that.

'What's your name? Why are you all covered up, like that?'

'I'm no-one. I'll leave, just... I'm going. Please don't be mad,' Raziel whimpered, scurrying back. 'I don't want to be trouble.'

The girl sat down in front of Raziel, smoothing out her large skirts.

'Well, whoever you are, you're a little weird.' She leant closer, holding out a hand for Raziel to shake. 'I'm Briony.'

'R-Raziel,' Raziel replied, softly. He took the girl's hand, and she pulled him to his feet.

'You're weird, but you're my friend, now.'