Stranger in a strange land

It was a mistake to have laid down.

Darin sat up, when shooting pain lanced through her shoulder. She fell over to her uninjured side almost landing into Jacks lap., who had already shot up to his feet when she had gasped out in pain.

“Christ you alright!?” He asked as she blinked rapidly breathing sharply through her clenched teeth. Darin forced herself upright again, her right arm hung limply useless.

“My arm. Its dislocated. We need to set it, now.” She managed stars dancing in and out of her vison. Jack knelt hands open his expression one that of someone who had no idea exactly what he the hell he was supposed to do. Darin rolled her eye’s lifting her limp limb with her good hand.

“Hold this at an angle and shove it back in on three ok?” Jack held her arm as she said this, Darrin exhaled then nodded to him.

“Ok 1-

Jack shoved her back into the socket the first try, Darin’s mouth was in an open silent scream. She rocked back and forth flexing her numb hand until the feeling finally returned to it. Darin shot Jack an glare, he shrugged chuckling dryly.

“I said three, you hard of hearing or something?” She hissed still flexing her numbed hand.

“Yeah I know, but I heard that it’s best to do something like that when it’s least expected.” Jack explained holding a hand for her to take again. Darin stared at it for a moment then took his open hand, he pulled her up without much effort. Finally standing she realized just how short she was compared to him, not obscenely so half a head at most.

“Mind telling me what your doing out here?” She asked changing the subject.

“Don’t think you’d believe me if I told you honestly.” Jack answered taking off his watch cap and running a hand through his unkept blonde hair. He nodded to her then to the other side of the cliff where the pigmies had once been.

“ You mind telling me bout’ that?”

Darin scoffed shaking her head amused.

“You first. I’ve heard-“

“Wyoming, I was hunting in the Big Horns. One second there then I’m here in this god forsaken jungle.” Jack said without skipping a beat, Darin blinked nodding her head slowly.

“Ok that is weird. I was expecting you were some kinda crazy fan looking for an autograph, but now I just think your crazy. Fairs fair I suppose, I was looking for an ancient totem found it but turns out it was worshiped by cannibal pigmies so yeah.” Darin crossed her arms going to the edge of the cliff, she looked down seeing that there were many areas to get down from where they were. Jack appeared next to her looking down as well, Darin cracked a wiry grin as he paled and gulped.

“Not too keen on heights are ya?” She asked as he adjusted his rifle strap so it would fit over his chest. Jack let out a fake laugh jumping up and down apparently trying to psych himself for something or some other.

“Not the height that gets me, it’s the sheer drop and sudden stop that really you know makes me concerned.” Darin nodded slowly his explanation making a fair amount of sense.

“What do you plan on doing exactly?” Darin finally asked the question that had been lingering since he’d shoved her arm back into place. Jack at this point was stretching his arms and legs, he twisted side to side joints popping in various places.

“Well I figured that since I just saved your life you owe me one. So, I guess you can help me get home.” Darin stared at him for a couple of seconds then palmed her forehead shaking her head slowly.

“Fine. Not going to deny that. Been to a lot of places but never Wyoming, I’ll help you the best I can. But first we need to get off this cliff, there’s a small fishing village close by with a sea plane waiting for me so we get out of country I’ll help you get home.”

“Speaking of countries where am I exactly?”

Oh, Zobia it’s right next to the Merin republic and right between the Equestrian and Grifonin empire.”

“Oh. So nowhere I fucking know OK then OK…”

--

Getting down the cliff was easy for her, she’d been climbing since she was three so it wasn’t a choir to get down the face of cliff. Jack on the other hand had nearly fallen off six times and was currently clinging to the cliff as she yelled at him from the ground.

“It’s only ten more feet, easy!” She shouted trying her best not to laugh at his plight. Jack pressed his forehead into the stone letting out a strained groan then lowered himself to the next foot hold. The stone gave way, Darin winced as he fell down landing in a dense patch of bushes at the bottom of the cliff. She unslung her machete quickly chopping through the bushes until finding him on his back groaning.

“You dead?” She asked, turned his head slowly to her then flipped her off.

“Next time. Were taking the elevator.” He muttered as Darin grabbed his now open hand and pulled him upright. Darin eyed the man as he unslung his rifle checking to see if anything was broken. Really looking at him he was fairly built not jacked, no pun intended, fit despite his pale skin she guessed he must be what he said he was; a hunter.

He’s built like a predator. She realized, thin muscular in all the right places the way his eyes ticked across the tree line. Not a nervous look, he was watching something even without meaning to do it…

“Hey.” Darin nearly jumped out of her skin as Jack was now standing next to her.

“Been eye balling me pretty intensely their lass, you good?” He asked throwing in an odd accent, Darin coughed walking past him into the tree line. She felt a chill as he followed her, knowing he was watching was…unnerving. Every once and awhile she’d glance back see him there rifle tucked into his right shoulder barrel to the ground. He kept looking around glancing her way on occasion.

“You hear that?” He asked suddenly bringing her to a stop.

“Hear what?”

“You said there was a fishing village near here yet…” Jack nodded to the trees a confused look on his face. Darin listened, and heard nothing.

“Darin, a forest least where I’m from only gets this quiet for one reason.” Jack held up his rifle looking down at it then her.

Darin took off before he said another word.

She tore through the bushes jumping and ducking were she could, behind her Jack tried to keep pace and was failing miserably.

It seemed like an entirety before Jack was able to catch up, when he did he saw her standing in a semi clear area perhaps a path. They were on a hill by the looks of it overlooking a…

“Oh my god.”

The village was burning, flames crawled up the sides of thatch-built buildings. It was like a scene out of Apocalypse now, there were bodies scattered everywhere Jack could see. Darin swallowed looking to him trying her best to sound calm.

“What do you see.” She choked out, Jack leveled his rifle looking through the scope to the village. Bile formed in his throat at the sight he beheld.

“Woman and children looks like they were lined up…executed…the men I guess…”

An almost inhuman scream filled the air as a body came crashing out of one of the aflame buildings. The person was essentially a human torch which ran for several meters before falling to the ground, dead.

“Are inside the buildings.” Jack breathed out sharply though his nose then grabbed Darin by the shoulder spinning her around to face him.

“What. The actual fuck is this!?” He demanded pointing towards the village. Darin put her hands on his chest and shoved hard, the second she did his rifle dropped and another gun was pulled pointed right at her face.

“Did you do this.” He asked slowly.

“I-“ She started, Jack pulled hard on the receiver the barrel was now a inch from her forehead.

“Did.You.Do.This.” He repeated.

Darin took a step forward letting the barrel press against her head.

“No.”

Jack lowered the gun sliding it back into its holster, he then bent over proceeding to gag. Darin gave him a moment, he didn’t puke though when he finally stood upright again he was fairly green.

Rhatata! Rhatata!

Machine gun rounds cut through the buildings but it was clear that they were not aimed at them. Darin and Jack dropped to a crouch as a set of men walked into the village square, in total there was seven. Six of them all wearing black from their heads to boots. They carried assault rifles and various implements of death on their bodies. The man in the middle was the exact opposite of those who surrounded him. He wore the same appeal as Darin however his cloths were grey rather than olive green. Most notable about the man was the fact that his head was…

“What the actual fuck.” Jack lowered his rifle giving Darin a tired stare.

Rather then a normal human head the man had a jackal for a face, Jack knew it wasn’t a mask as the man spoke his features moved unlike that of a mask.

“So he has a dog face.” Jack said letting Darin have a look through the rifles scope. She did, then rubbed her face several times with both hands.

“Franco Mishan, his name is Franco Mishan.” Was all Darin could say as the men around the man named Franco Mishan opened fire on one of aflame buildings.