Zosozo in Oz by Rebecca A. Demarest

Author:Rebecca A. Demarest
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Zosozo, Oz, Thea, Ozite, Cycle
Publisher: Rebecca A. Demarest
Published: 2016-10-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 3

Mrow and I met Shaggy Man in the hallway exactly twenty minutes later, after I had found the forest green pants and jacket Clack-tick had packed. Shaggy Man was covered head to toe in cinder-gray shag; he looked like a walking carpet and I had to struggle not to giggle. We made our way towards the front door of the palace, but paused at a cross-hallway for Shaggy Man and Mrow to secret themselves behind a fern.

I took a couple of rapid, deep breaths—intentionally hyperventilating—worked up a tearful expression, bounced a couple times, then ran into the front hallway, sobbing and panting. The two Herkuan guards on duty lowered their weapons before recognizing me and rushing forward to help.

“The giant, oh God help me, she got loose in my room, and attacked me! Please, you have to help!” Ms. Gop let out a roar at precisely the right moment and there was a crash as the side wall of our room was smashed open, as the doorway was entirely too narrow to allow her access. The giantess was headed for the roof where her secondary job was to warn the Gump of our plans, so he could fly to the factory to meet us once we’d completed our task.

The guards, bless their conscientious hearts, didn’t bother to stop and ask any questions. They just bolted towards the disturbance, as we hoped most other guards on the grounds would do as well. Shaggy Man and Mrow joined me as soon as the guards had run past and we made our way out the door.

There were no other guards in sight, so we hurried down the street, trying to blend in. I should say, I tried—there was no try for the Shaggy Man. His gray shag and natural tendency towards walking in shadows made him completely disappear. I contented myself with trying to look like any other young Ozite woman hurrying home through the disturbed night and prayed anyone we met on the streets would be distracted by the rather loud noises now coming from the palace.

I had been so focused on our destination, and the possibility of guards, that I completely missed the person sitting with their legs extended across the sidewalk until I tripped over him. Shaggy Man caught me before I fell, but the person I’d tripped over hadn’t responded at all. I looked closer, wondering if he was dead, and was confronted by a skeletal creature. He was nothing but skin and bones, but still alive. His body had been eaten away by the Zos. If we hadn’t been in Oz, the poor creature would have died ages ago. It took a long time for his eyes to focus on me and away from whatever blissful image they had been immersed in.

I knelt down beside him and whispered, “I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

“Time...for Zos?” The skeleton held out its hand, grasping for a bottle that wasn’t there.

I could feel the tears welling up behind my eyes, but I couldn’t take the time to mourn for my countryman right now.

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