Nova raised her hands up in a gesture of surrender, meaning no harm. She was the one surrounded by tribesmen, and they had every good reason to kill her. She was on their land. But, if she promised to leave, surely they would let her? Here was hoping.
Everyone's attention was on her, and their chatter, laughter and joyful expressions dropped. It was silent except for the distant call of other animals in the forest, a few bird chirps, and the soft breeze rustling through the leaves.
Two men dangled from a branch nearby, each using one hand to hold on as they sniffed the air in her direction. Others were the same, and some were even hanging upside down by their feet, tilting their heads around to see Nova properly at a normal angle; their braids hung loosely. Children were scooped up and naturally put on their mother's backs protectively.
The capuchins leapt from one branch to another, all beginning to chirp and grunt and bark in Nova's direction, their agitation growing as they assessed her.
A man, shorter in stature than Nova, landed gracefully in front of her, his shoulders rounded, hunching forward slightly, his hair a magnificent white, long and in two braids on either side of him. His skin was slightly lighter than others, and his dark eyes were slightly milky, going blind. He looked old and wise, wrinkles framing his features, yet he moved with grace, barefoot, using a staff for his leadership position more than a walking stick.
"Who are you, girl?" He asked. Four men slightly taller than him yet still shorter than she landed by him, acting as guards, proudly standing tall, their chests inflating, clearly assessing her. A baby capuchin hopped down, hanging from a branch nearby and grabbed at her dress, chirping as its interest grew.
Nova looked back at the leader, trying not to shift on her feet uncomfortably under everyone's piercing stares and the monkey's growing interest. She was overly aware that this man spoke to her in their mother tongue, a language she never learned but could suddenly understand.
"Pale face," a few whispered. They were slowly inching closer, crawling along the tree branches. Nova noted that they were all rather on the smaller side, even the men. They had to be ranging from 5ft to 5 ft6.
"I am Nova. Please, I am only trying to make my way home." As the unfamiliar words left her lips, foreign on her tongue, she could see they understood her.
Nova couldn't explain or understand it. But she wouldn't complain or think too hard on it when so much about this day or night or whatever time it was right now, was so incredibly twisted and confusing. Right now, all that mattered was that they understood her and that she could communicate with them.
"And where is home? You do not belong here." His lips pulled back slightly at his stern words, almost in warning. Those eyes flashed red, making Nova's heart stop and kickstart into a rapid beat. It happened so quickly that she convinced herself it was a trick of lighting.
His guards sniffed the air, leaning towards her as they did. "What is she?" The question echoed throughout the gathering, and it was repeated among them.
Nova gulped. "The resort… No," she added quickly, not wishing them to believe she was trying to take over their land. She should have left the moment those workers had been killed, and that is what she plans to do now. "Not the resort-"
"Resort? What's that," a few whispered.
"- I want to get off the island," Nova finished, ignoring their commentary. They probably didn't know what a resort was, and she didn't want to waste time explaining. Right now, she wanted to get off this crazy island.
"Off the island?!"
"OFF THE ISLAND?!" Their words echoed again as they repeated it.
"No one gets off the island-"
The monkeys hopped up and down, swinging back and forth, shaking aggressively. The natives also acted similarly, bouncing up and down and baring their teeth at Nova. Their behaviours and mannerisms match the capuchins.
Wasn't it better she got off the island and leave them be?
Before Nova could speak more to the leader who had been assessing her or trying to take the baby monkey off her back, who started tugging on her hair painfully, a haunting whistle echoed through the forest, silencing everyone. Nova froze. She knew that sound now and what it meant.
All at once, everyone looked up at the shadow falling over the forest.
"What have you done?!" One of the leader's guards leapt for Nova but his attack halted upon seeing the baby capuchin now on her shoulder checking her scalp curiously.
"You brought her here."
Many gasped at the leader's words.
"Ixana."
"Ixana."
"Ixana."
"The sky matron is here?!"
Ixana? The sky matron?
Nova gasped as many of the men transformed, growing black, brown or black and white fur, shrinking into capuchin monkeys.
"What…"
"Ixana is here!" A woman called and transformed mid-leap into a monkey and landed on another tree branch, grabbing the young capuchin from Nova and climbing up to the tree tops, traversing swiftly as the baby moved to her back. The females scattered with their young under the leader's orders.
Nova began backing away, watching everyone and watching the skies through the canopy at the shadow flying back and forth, the wind picking up from the eagle's powerful wings. While everyone was distracted, she knew it was time to run for it.
"Get her!" The leader screeched, and his eyes glowed a vibrant red.
All the men and capuchins turned to her. "So eery," she muttered and sprinted away from the calls of the tribe, the cries and the sounds of the harpy eagles now attacking the monkeys. One cried directly above her, and she'd watched as two golden talons snatched more than a few from above her, followed by blood spurting down atop her head.
Horror paled her features and kicked her into running faster. The men were close on her tail, but many began to scatter and help themselves from the attack of this 'Ixana. '
"Where is the girl?!" A woman's voice, loud, like multiple women, spoke at once, echoing, like delayed static, whistled through the woods. The fine hairs on her arms rose. That was one of the eagles. This Ixana.
Nova looked behind her again. Only a few followed, but many started to show fear. "This way!" A few called out, trying to give Ixana her location.
Those that had screamed out to the eagles then scattered, lithely hopping up and climbing along the trees, changing into their monkey forms—something she would not see herself getting used to anytime soon. It was much better than those… *gag*… bats that really were like vampires.
The flapping of wings grew louder, pushing her legs to move faster.
She was no athlete, but she had partaken in 100-meter sprints in school—and she'd been good at them.
The only problem was she couldn't keep that pace for long. And this forest, no, this entire island felt off. Supernatural, almost. If this wasn't some bizarre dream, then perhaps it was radiation or twisted experiments left behind on Isla de Tayun.
Whatever it was, the animals weren't normal. They seemed to change between man and beast. And she was certain they'd catch up to her in no time.
The wind whooshed around her as a shadow swallowed her up. She tipped her head back and gaped at the large eagle above her, its talons extended towards her.
If I close my eyes and squeeze really hard, I'll wake up, right?