The still of a clear night sky was broken by the black mist floating out of an abandoned hospital building. On top its roof glowing fumes of embers spouted its black clouds into the illuminate moon lit sky. Inside the burning building there laid an underground lab that seemed misplaced from the rest of the apparently long abandoned hospital.
A recently made tunnel that goes down a dark flight of stairs meets with a lone set of double doors at the bottom. These doors come flying off there hinges with men and women dressed in white coats running for their lives to get out of the collapsing building.
Many had already perished by the falling rubble and rocks, caught on fire by the heated blaze or trampled over by their peers. Truly an unsightly scene to behold as people screamed filled the air with terror as they ran choking on the thickening fumes begging for help but receiving none.
It was every man and woman for themselves.
Amidst the panic and beyond the double doors located down the stairs lied a room that suffered a huge gas pipe explosion as people where running back up the stairs to get out. In what looked to be what was left of a chemical testing lab a young girl sleeps as she floats in a tank filled with liquid. The room around her moved with the chaos of collapsing rubble from the ceiling and frenzy scientists trying to save themselves.
The remains of lifeless armed guards scattered all over the old hospital from the ground floor all the way up to the roof, along the corridors to some of the rooms there was a trail of splatted and spilled blood on the once white marble like floor to the rotted white walls.
Each corpse telling its own story of how they met there sorry end. Some armed guards clean separated from limb and body. This painted sight of death followed with the coming fire and smoke made it look like a scene out of an alien verse human horror flick. A horrific aftermath of fallen dominoes.
What kind of demon could have done this?
Following the trail of bodies in order of the oldest to the freshest victim led all the way through the floors up to a recently broken hole, this hole goes through the last two floors leading to the roof of the hospital. On top it were two young boys in the mists of an intense clash of steel with a rather elderly man.
This would have seem like elderly abuse if it was not for the monstrous deformity that was reaching out from the old man’s back. There were four giant spider legs moving about behind him one pair hovering over his shoulders whilst the other stabbed onto the ground like a pair of freaky hind legs. From its sharp claws down to the way they moved it looked every bit like overgrown spiders leg save for the fact that they had no hair on them exposing its fleshy pink skin like a shaved cat.
To his torn patterned robes, his large jagged shark teeth sword and the bitter eyes on his aging face that pierced through the two young attackers he seemed anything but human. The only human sign came when his forehead began dripping blood after the life or death exchange he had against them.
He looked to be losing wind and the sharpness in his eyes began to soften as he coughs heavily due to the smoking flames around him. He did not want to show it to his attackers but he was human. Bleeding out from slash wounds on his legs and side he stood there staring down his young attackers as he catches his breath. The two boys were also sitting back to catch a moment of rest. One of them seemed like he needed more rest than the other.
One had a medium build and stood at five and a half feet. Armed with a straight sword in his right and a pistol in his left he had a mix race complexion and wore a blood stained green hoody. He being the more exasperated out of the two kneeled down on one knee as he wiped off a splatter of blood on his left cheek onto his torn arm sleeve, there was splatters of blood stains on his hoody but none of which was his. He felt fatigued after slaying his way up here, only now looking into the eyes of the freak of nature he has been having trouble with can he see the end of the tunnel.
Seeing the softness in the old man's eyes he knew he was close. Just a little more and this bastard’s heart will stop!
He turns over to his partner in crime who was standing over to his left. Using one of the large rubble like a foot stool he stood there scanning the old man for weaknesses. Wearing all black shoes loose tracksuit bottoms and vest he stood just a little shorter than the boy with a sword and gun combo. Armed with a strange jet black diamond shape sword in his left and equally dark kunai on his right he had a brown skin complexion making the only easiest thing to spot on him in this late night his red headband that was on top of his forehead. The red ribbon at the end swayed freely in the breeze.
He looked to have already caught his breath and was waiting for the green hooded one to move. Closing his eyes he takes a deep breath. A moment later a layer of faint mist appears around him in a bubble like silhouette of his body.
This is a defence ability called knights armour. Much like a med evil knights armour this mist is a skill that uses the inner energy of a person to shroud there body making it harder to sustain fatal damage from an attack. This protection is also put over there weapon of choice as to lessen the damage and strain they put on it in battle as well as increase its killing strike. The stronger the person’s energy the stronger the armour.
However it requires great discipline to unlock and it demands a steady use of energy else it fades. It will put strain on the body of someone who tries to force it once they are out of energy leaving them weak and defenceless.
The boy in the red headband put his -knights’ armour- on as a nudge to the other boy to get off his ass and help him finish this. Picking up on the hint the boy in the green hoody shot a bitter glare at his kunai holding counterpart. Looking back at his target that was behind a wall of flames and smoke he takes a deep breath of the toxic air he creating a bubble like mist around himself as well before standing back up. The old man who was looking worst for wear noticed that they had already found there second wind draws a subtle, icy grin that cracked the wrinkles on his face.
Activating his -knights armour- also he stands off his hind spider legs and up on the ones his mother gave him in a sloppy fashion. The boy in green hoodie brushes a pebble that was under the soul of his shoe as to get a better grip on the ground, getting into his fighting stance he picks the right moment on instinct and begins charging towards the half freak with the headband boy following suit.
Coming in with swords in hand they met in the middle slapping there weapons shrouded in their will to kill. Attacking with such power that shock waves of sparks danced in the air followed with the clapping echo of metal hitting metal.
The two young attackers against the kingpin of this shady hospital the three of them darted around, shot, threw, slashed and defended from every angle they could find they continued with no intention of letting up until one of them land that fatal blow on the other.
Meanwhile the building was further losing its ability to stand as ceilings bent and crumbled slowly giving away. On some of the lower floors the boy with the red headband had cut the pillars clean so the building could fall and crumble in due time. He also started the fire as a designated timer as well as send all the survivors up in flames.
Back underground the young girl in a tank sleeps unaware of what was going on. With the sound proof glass of the tank she could have very well dreamed through this waking nightmare if it was not for one remaining scientist holding a thick old folder with papers tightly in his right hand stopped running and made an effort to try and open the tank. Wearing a white lab coat like the rest of them he wrapped his arm holding the folder around his mouth in an attempt to keep the smoke out of his lungs.
With his left hand he begins to fiddle around with the controls on the console that was attached to the tank. A few button hits later his eyes sharpened as he coughed, the smoke was starting to affect him. The tank had not reacted the way he wanted. Seeing this he then dramatically swings his free arm down on the console slamming a large red button on the top left hand corner as if taking out his frustration on it. The tank began to slide open from the top but abruptly stopped as soon as it started. He flinched in confusion as if this was not meant to happen.
Hitting the button once again in the hopes it will act differently this time he again looks at the tank with expecting eyes, but to no avail. Some of the liquid in the tank was freed but not enough to take out the young girl. Pushing himself away from the console he drunkenly took two steps back as he looks at the girl in the tank peacefully resting.
In a fit of rage he stepped forward and slammed his free arm over the whole console breaking it. He may have got his rage out of his system but other than a numb arm and split console it solved nothing. Shaking his head he stepped back again coughing more profoundly, his tantrum had wasted him more oxygen than he could afford.
Learning his lesson he calmed down and just observed his test subject with mourning eyes.
Around the same time the boy with the green hoody and his teammate with the red headband had at last decided the fight. Standing over the half monster half man with their swords pointed to his neck he kneeled there covered in open wounds, both of his top flesh like spiders legs where cut clean off and his sword was shattered and left behind his attackers. The glowing of the ever growing flames and moon reflected on the bloody wounds and his unsightly defeat.
They had him right where they wanted him. A pent up rage filled up the eyes of the green hooded boy. Like a just lit match his eyes burned as he looked his victim in the face consoling what he was about to do to him. This rage grew and began to overflow until he blinked, killing the flames dead, replaced with eyes void of emotion he looks back only to get the job done.
“This is for Gregg and Jon…” He said in a rough, plain voice, his eyes glazed out. He lifts his sword above his head about to kill a man who was already defenceless until a girl suddenly appears between him and the old man blocking his fatal strike with her katana and knocking him back.
The boy taken by surprise quickly regains his balance and points his pistol to the new target. However in-between his crosshairs his expression quickly softens when he recognises who it was.
She was a girl who looked around the same age as both of the boys. She had a purple vest with black quarter length shorts that where covered over with a purple cloth like short skirt. Part of her hair was long and jet black but tied to an odd pony tail directly on top of her head where it falls down to her waist. The rest was up to her shoulder length and hangs around her face of cream like pink. With a cream katana case tied around her back the most noticeable thing about her was her different eye colour. One of them being dark brown and the other being purple.
“May? What are you doing here?” The boy in green said a little agitated as he lowers his gun from her face.
May said nothing as she silently looked over to the green hooded boy for a moment studying his features as if trying to build a story to what kind of bloody mess he been through. His blood stained clothes told her more than she would have got out of him with words and far more than she wished to know.
Her look of concern only surpassed slightly by her the look of gratitude for his safety.
“May my child, you’ve come back.” The airily soothing voice of the man she saved broke her mood. It had the tone of a noble preacher. For someone who was about to meet his maker his calm tone was misplaced. The boy with the red head band made his way back beside the gun and sword wielding one after being forced back by May.
He did not seem all too alarmed by her appearance instead looked more bothered that the fight was over. With his diamond sword hung over his shoulder and his other hand in his pockets he turns back over to look at May and the old man with a dreary expression.
“Father,” May said to the old man with her back turned to him. A sense of dread was present in her voice. “I just wanted to know one thing… before I kill you.” She turns around to her father pointing her katana to him. Covered with a layer of duty her voice trembles.
“And what would that be my child?” Father said in his airily soothing voice.
Her eyes fall on him but flinch as if wanting to look away. For this was her father, caller of lost lambs and killer of many innocent children both orphans and family. For years he has bent and fooled the good, pulled and twisted the greed in lesser men. Helping himself to get what he wants. Using orphans as test subjects since they get better results because of their undeveloped minds and body are better adapt to the changes his tests force upon them he had built a cult like organization that followed his disturbing trail of thought.
Disguised as a preacher he would use pretty words to sway the weak, foolish and the sick to his vision, at some point he himself began to believe his own dribble and he became known as father. His sickness knew no limits. Even went as far as to experiment on his only daughter before she was born. The result, her strange purple eye as well as a list of other strange new powers unknown to man came to her.
Keeping her in the dark May only realised this later thus escaped his clutch and took shelter at a temple that is home to the green hooded boy. Sadly because of this, people he considered brothers were taken from him and so he took it upon himself to get payback. Feeling guilty, May came to right her families’ wrongs and end her father’s life for all the lives he had taken over the years up till now.
So now she is here, pointing her sword to her own blood.
“You have no right to call her that! After what you’ve done to her!!” The green hooded boy snapped and begins to march his way back to Father, his sword hand itching to cut him down.
“Stop!” May said in a demanding tone, snapping her head around she stopped him dead in his tracks. Realising that it came off too harsh she took a deep breath to compose herself before looking back at him. “It’s alright Spriiko, I can handle him.” She insists in a calm but sharp tone.
Spriiko walks back and forth as if there is an unseen barrier stopping him from getting too close to May and Father. Letting off a shout to get rid of the pent up rage in his system he walks back to where he was and leaves May to talk to Father. May seeing him back down she then went back to speaking with Father.
“Father.” She said looking down at him, she swallowed before continuing. “I remember one of the few time you came to speak to me, you would sometimes say: ‘you are my perfect child. After all these years looking I have found you’… Then of course everything changed when I told you what this eye sees in you.” May said her voice becoming a little sharp by the last sentence.
Father remains silent listening to her whilst she looks away to the floor, her eyes watered up whilst she calms down and starts from the top trying to find the best words to use.
“Was there someone else like me? ‘Is’ there someone like me? If so where are they!?” She said in a shout, her voice began to shake with dread.
Father’s eyes widened with shock but then transforms into a proud smile.
“Hang on.” Spriiko interrupts with a puzzled face. “Others? Meaning you’re not the only one?”
“And you think he’s going to speak if there was? That’s cute.” The boy with the red headband said with a chuckle.
“Shut up Sniper!!” May snapped. “This has nothing to do with you so say out of it!”
“Hey, I’m just trying to save you a load of headache later.” Sniper said with his arms above his head in surrender whilst backing off. Turning around he dropped them back to his sides and turns back around to take a look at Father as he sighs.
“I mean look at him, he’s clearly somehow finding enjoyment in all this.” Sniper said whilst walking back beside Spriiko. “The whole time we are fighting he had that calm look even when things where going south, in fact he seemed more calm now than before. I’ve seen his kind. I know there tendencies. Incas you don’t know what I’m alluding to it starts with ‘sui’ and rhymes with tidal.”
May was silently listening. She grips her sword tightly in anger. She hated to admit it but she could tell that there was no sign of repentance in his eyes. As his daughter she knew more so than him but even so she wanted to at least try and pull something out of him. Maybe there was a soul in there.
“I just want… need to know if I am the only one that had suffered by your hands.” May said as her breaths became horsed and tears began rolling down her cheeks. “That is all I ask from you. Can you at least grant me that? As a father?”
Back underground the man who was trying to free the girl from the tank was just about done accepting the fact that he can’t get her out. Looking at the files in his hand he glances at the only exit out of the underground lab. It led to the flight of stairs going to the first floor. His legs begin to reach for them without much consent form his mind and body.
He stops at the mouth checking his exit. It was all clear save for a trampled body of a woman, one of the few victim from the mindless stampede out of the room. One last time he looks back at the girl in the tank.
“Just when we were finally able to repeat our last success, what a waste.” The man said under a deep, dry voice. “Father, we were so close.” His head shakes in disappointment as he turns and makes for the steps fading off into the dark, smoke covered stairway.
At the same time up on the rooftop Father gives May a proud smile.
“I’m surprised you gathered so much from the little I said.” He said whilst holding that smile. “Then again you have always been a very fast learner.”
Spriiko and May where a little bit surprised that he confessed to something so vague with no resistance. Grabbing there attention Father continued. “Be it fate or the heavens will there where many who were not chosen to become my child. It was there impurities that in the end condemned them form embracing true blessings of the brand shone upon them, and thus they died.”
The message was cryptic and twisted but the answer came in clear like a morning bell to May’s ears. Her eyes widened in total shock as her worst fears had been realised.
Back underground the man who had fled after attempting to save the girl has long gone. There was nobody else left around except for the fallen victims who attempted to escape. She remained sleeping but thanks to the tube being open the sounds of outside reached her ears. Slowly she begins to open her eyes becoming aware of the carnage around her.
On the roof May was breaking down in tears to the grieve news that she was given. Trying her best to hold in her sorrow but failing she stood there with sword trembling in hand.
“However there was one that showed great promise of accepting the blessing… but. Sadly she too was a lost cause.”
The lost cause in question was the young girl in the glass tube named Natalie. Over a year now she had been kidnapped from her home village and experimented on to see if she could survive the transfusion of angels blood. For months she hanged on for dear life as her body rejected the holy blood. Not too long ago she was said to have lost the battle and died. That was until her pulse began to come back just moments before the base was under attack. Father was notified of her apparent death but the news of her revival never reached him. Even if he himself was telling the truth it was no longer the correct answer.
May getting her answer stood there falling into a pit of despair, coming back out with a flicker of rage she exploded in anger. She lifted up her blade cutting her father down with a hollow scream. The moment she did so she fell to her knees and let out her tears letting go of her sword where the strike landed.
Spriiko made his way to May and put his hand on her shoulder as to help comfort her. Sniper walked up beside them.
“We are leaving now, so grab her and go.” Sniper said in a commanding tone. Spriiko darted around to him with fuming eyes. “Are you serious?” Spriiko said his mouth left open in disbelief. “Do you have a heart!? She-” Spriiko storming up to him but bites his tongue as to stop himself form raising his voice. Getting closer to Sniper he looks back at May to make sure she does not hear what he says next. Feeling that they were not far enough he pushes Sniper back a few step until he was satisfied.
“She just killed her father.” He continues in inraged whispers. “We can’t expect her to just wipe her hand clean after this no matter how shitty he was.” “So you’re siding with him now? The man who put your friends in shopping sacks?” Sniper said. Spriiko was stunned by what sniper said. “Remember why I’m here, to keep you from killing yourself and from that old fart from skinning you alive when you come back to the temple. The only way I’m going to do that is to keep you both form being killed. I’m sure that May does not want to meet her father any time soon so she won’t hold it against you. Now let’s go.”
Spriiko fell silent and walked back to May putting his hand on her shoulders. “We need to get out of here.” May got up on her feet with her head bowed and face covered. Picking up her katana that she left on the ground after striking father down Spriiko guides May to the roof top and they both leap off into the sheet of the darkening night with Sniper following suit shortly after.
It was a moment before Father got struck down that Natalie began to fully wake up in a panic. Knowing that she needs to get out she tried kicking the glass but it did not budge. Getting nowhere she tried to call for help.
“Help me!! Get me out! Help!!” Natalie said screaming and pleading but to no avail. As the seconds went past her panic became more desperate. After all the hell she’s been though she sees a chance to escape, to get home but now she is stuck in a tube with no way out. All around her was the creeping fire and the bodies of the departed. Reality sunk in. The bitter reality that she had been enduring ever since she was captured, holding on to the hope of getting away.
It was as if someone out there was trying to prove a point that hope does not exist. Messing with her head like the injections the scientists gave her over the start of her known existence. Anything a week before this felt like a year, anything before she was caught felt like a something that happened to another person in another lifetime. Often she would wonder if the memories of her home where in fact someone else’s, something her imagination made up to keep from totally shutting off.
Even so she did not care; real or not, all she wanted to do was to reach that place. Her chance arrives and she is already doomed at the first hurdle. Her body responds to her desperate frustration and stress in in kind creating a current that tingled off her skin and built up around the tank like a balloon.
As her emotions raised so did the energy around her and her until at the very peak of her desperate plea like a held up sneeze it exploded in one go shattering the glass around her into pieces. She tumbles on top of the thick broken shards of sharp glass and hot floor cutting most of her body that fell right on top of it. Covered with nothing but a long piece of thin water proof cloth she screamed in pain that was drowned out by the far louder snap, crackle and popping of the burning building around her.
Back on the roof Father laid there peacefully as the fires closed in on him. With the freaky spider legs nowhere to be see he looked like nothing more than an old high priest dressed in robes from a time long gone. Down but not truly out from Mays attack he laid there bleeding out but healing at an inhuman rate.
May was still grieving as she was lead off with Spriiko and Sniper as they leaped off the building and began to make their way into the thick forest that stretched forth in front of them. However Sniper sensing that the job was not done turned back up to the burning building. Spriiko spotting the sudden shift in Sniper he stops also to look back at him.
“Why are you standing there?!” Spriiko shouts over the crackling of the flames engulfing the building. “We are done here let’s go!”
Sniper turns around to Spriiko and gives a cheery grin. “Go ahead; I’ll be right behind you.” Spriiko’s face becomes puzzled with concern. “What are you going to do?” Spriiko said trying to come off as if he did not care for his wellbeing but failing a little.
Sniper’s smile became cold whilst he pulled out his diamond shaped sword. “He’s still kicking… Just as well because we forgot to give him a tomb stone.” Sniper said. “Knocking down this building will bury him well enough.” “It’s more than he deserves” Spriiko said as he looked up to the top of the building with a cold stair. “Fine, we will head back now so hurry!” Spriiko leads the grieving May off in the dark forest whilst Sniper leaped up to the air covering twelve story high hospital building and beyond in one fell swoop.
Two minutes before Sniper’s great leap Natalie hat just woken up after passing out from shock. It had only been twenty seconds since she fell and ate glass. She had a number of cuts all the way along her legs to the side her cheek met the ground. Slowly waking up to the pain that gave her shock in the first place she gets up onto her feet in auto pilot and makes her way up the blackened staircase. Trampling on sharp glass and hot floor her feet was bleeding but the pain did not register. Adrenalin had completely taken over and her mind was transfixed on getting as far away from this hellhole as possible to find the home she had in another life.
Making her way up the stairs she passed the trampled body not paying it much mind to it. Completely numb and set only on one goal she pushed on. The stairway was heavy with smoke and heat but was much cooler under her feet as she climbed up. By the time she reached the top most of the cut wounds on her cheek and legs where almost completely healed. She was coughing heavily by this point and fell to her knees where she found it easier to bereave.
Inhaling less of the same poison she takes her time to scan the new room she found herself in. The flight of stairs led to the reception where hall once filled with the smell of disinfectant and patients waiting for a simple check-up a long time ago. Now it became a shady hideout for inhumane acts. The flames seemed to make a good meal out of evil fuel. However within its wall it has caught an innocent girl.
She looks around for a way out within the flickering wall of flame coming from all directions until she sees it. A six foot gap with a clear exit within sight. A trail of water what was placed there had kept the fires from meeting. Seeing her ticket out she takes a deep breath and makes a straight run for the gap.
Meanwhile Sniper had just leaped up above and beyond the building. Channelling his energy into his sword he summoned it out above his head. It forms into a great glowing misty version of his diamond shaped sword. It’s size was immense rivaling the hospitals in width but far surpassing it in height. It floats above the building with its tip pointing to its roof with two hundred feet between each other. Its point of impact was aimed right at fathers centre.
As Sniper came falling back down to earth he cut the air with a slash and the huge blade came crashing down freakishly fast as it suddenly travelled from zero to mark speed in a moment’s notice breaking the speed barrier and obliterating Father along with the building in the blink of an eye. The giant blade explodes into small particles of energy that scattered to the winds and faded away to the night sky.
A moment before the impact Natalie almost made it out of the building until it was intercepted by Snipers attack that sent the world around her crumbling down. As unanimous objects come crumbling down to make her tomb her body froze as fear took over. She was too far to make it and all seemed hopeless. The fear of dyeing reached into her very core as the rubble loomed closer casting a shadow over her until her body reacted in kind. As she instinctively curls over to cover her face a pair of dark wings come out of her back and much like her arms rap themselves around her only they were able to cover her whole body.
The rocks come tumbling down covering her in total darkness. Sniper seeing the destruction of the building puts his sword away and makes his way into the woods also. If he had only took the time the stand there for a moment longer he would have noticed the disturbance under the rubble, He would have seen a girl’s hand covered in the flour like rubble break its way of the heavy rocks finding strength she never knew she had. With her purple eye if May had only looked back she would have seen the aura of an innocent survivor glowing in the dark night like a lone star. She would have seen her climb out of the rubble and collapse onto the ground just out where the exit of the hospital once stood. Natalie had the same eyes she did and could see the thee of them going off into the distance.
If they had just stopped the listened they may have caught the whispers of an extremely drained girl knocking on deaths door calling for them before losing the strength to even stay conscious.
If they only looked back… Then things would have been very different, her burden to keep living would not have to be tested so.
2: Chapter 1: Dark angle and protectorA piercing wind whistles over the rocky mountain and hill tops. A lone girl sat atop a large black bolder opens her eyes stoically as the winds blow at the back of her long raggedy cloak and straight black hair. Her pupils turning form purple to black shortly after she looks onwards to the vast expanse of green hill tops followed by patches of trees and a lake flowing between the shades of slopes.
The sky was met with little patches of cloud that where running away from the winds that blew them. The girl looked beyond the sights; she had no qualms sitting there her legs tucked to her chest as the winds batted away at her back. This distant looking girl is the very same one who found herself buried under rock from her escape six years ago.
“Natalie.” A voice from the mouth of a cave directly behind her calls.
A young man around her age comes walking out form the dark cave mouth behind her dressed in much the same cloak but with a large sword on his back. He makes his way towards Natalie before looking up to her atop of the black rock. Showing no sign of hearing his call Natalie looks onwards to a place that is not yet in sight.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting.” He said in a soft voice. “I’m well rested now and ready to keep going.”
She said nothing back. Seeing this he drops his head ever so slightly. This is not the first time this has happened and it certainly won’t be the last. Being use to seeing her like this he shook off the subject matter for another one. His face showing general concern this time around.
“So… did you get any sleep thi-“he said before he was cut off by Natalie.
“Let’s keep moving.” Natalie said whilst getting up and off the rock to walk onwards.
The young man left standing there pauses for a moment.
“Understood.” He mumbled to himself before following suit.
Natalie and the yet to be named young sword wielder set off onwards to a nearby village running till sunset. They moved swiftly through the rocks, trees and any other endeavours almost as if in flight. The sword wielder however was lacking in grace and speed leaving him struggling to keep up. A number of times Natalie would pause for a moment to let him catch up before heading off again. He was doing all he could but there long days of none stop running at this pace has left him at wits end. He found himself losing balance thus falling off or catching him-self from doing so. Natalie would just wait for him to recover and catch up before running up ahead as if this behaviour was normal. Like there was someone else out there more in need than his fatigue.
As the stream they followed connected into a river Natalie sensed the presence of the young sword man had faded and so looks back to check up on him. He was on his last legs. His body denying him to take another step without rest. Catching up he bends down to put hand on knees as he panted heavily. He looked up to his untried companion with hardened resolve only softened by his wheezing.
“I can go on a little more.” He said between breaths. “Just give me a moment.”
Looking him up and down she could already tell that he was lying. His cloak holding fresh smears from falling into the dirt due to his lack of rest these past couple of days. A glimmer of sympathy softens her eyes. Looking around she sees the river that was surrounded with the brown dead autumn leaves that made up the ground they stood on. The trees where spaced wide enough for a line of ten grown horses between them, that means less cover for possible hunters or Demons. The forest seemed void of naturel predators. This in hand with their being a fair abundance of game to be found in the waters made this out to be a good a camping place as any.
“Set up camp.” Natalie said as she turns her back to the river and towards the forest.
The young man leans back up at her, his eyes narrowed by her order.
“But I can still keep going!” He insisted. “If you just give me a second and I’ll-”
“I’ll gather fire wood, you get the fish.” her reply echoed through the trees around them as she walks further onwards.
The young man was left there frozen for a moment. As much as he wanted to insist he could not fool his body. Looking at the back of Natalie he could sense the growing urge to reach their destination being kept chained by his inability. The feeling creeping over he looks down in detest to the autumn carpet.
“I’m sorry…” he whispered to himself, clenching his fists whilst doing so.
Natalie comes back some time later as the young man is in the middle of fishing with a make shift rod made of a stick he picked and string from his tattered cloak. Having made a second one he left it out next to the river hinting for Natalie to join him. Spotting this however she chooses to ignore it and goes on to light the fire wood she just collected. With her hands placed over the bundle of wood and zapped it with a bolt of electricity, its noise signalling to the young man that she came back. With their eyes meeting he felt to knock the other rod into the river and let it be washed away like the bad idea it was.
As night falls fish is left cooked by the fire while Natalie sat opposite the young man. Silent she looks off into the blanket of darkness surrounding them. As the fires glow danced the young man prodded it with a stick as to keep it going. Watching Natalie’s eyes veer off into the blackness he though to stir up convocation.
“Fish will be ready soon…” he said.
She did not responded to his comment making him drop his head to go back to poking the burning sticks as he tried to start this from another angel.
“Not too far now…” he said feeding his prodding stick to the flames. “To the village I mean. If what the he said is true then the demon invasion must have happened three days ago. And if the rumour about set timing of the kidnapping that will happen a while after is true that means we at worst case would arrive there the day after it’s taken place.”
Natalie looks at the flames beside her. They ring back memories of her escape six years ago. Thankfully the smell of wood was like fragrant compared to the choking cloud of rubble and metal. Calming herself she pushes the flashes backs to the back of her mind as she tucks her legs into her chest.
“They summon low level demons to invade and scatter the people, and then to make it look like coincidences wait two to three days to kidnap any child that is left from the village.” Her eyes narrow. “Any child left behind after that time either lost their parents to the demon invasion. From there, like picking up lost lambs.”
The young man nodes. It was not a subject matter he felt too happy talking about but knowing how things turn out when trying to make small talk he had to make do.
“But what I don’t get is how you know that the demons and the kidnappers are all part of one plan and not just a coincidence.”
“I know because that’s how they got me…”she said, her purple eyes lock onto his brown ones.
The young man chest tightens as he read the pain within her. Eyes dulled and sullied by the events that took place seven years ago, a village under siege by creatures with flesh like steel and eyes like red stars. Rifts tearing the sky raining down upon them shapes of death. How Natalie was never heard from for over a year, the girl he knew assumed dead. And even though she somehow made it back a year later that girl he knew was no longer there. Was it possible? That these cause misfortune where more a sinister plan rather than a product of a thousand mishaps? He picks up his fish on a stick and scoffs it down. Natalie picked up hers twisting the stick slowly in her hands.
“It would make sense.” he unwillingly said. “But how can you be sure your right? Demons of them kind show up randomly around the world. And them being actives to boot… Are you saying they found a way to summon them at will?”
Natalie looks away from her food to stare into the flames.
“I just know it’s them…”
The camp fire falls silent. A silly question, the past three years they have been following nothing but hunches. They have gotten good at it but still have yet to find the people who they are looking for. Just then Natalie fixes her gaze onwards to the shadows.
“There’s a demon just ahead of us. An exhaust.”
Alarmed he reaches he hand out for his trusty sword before Natalie put her hand out to stop him in his tracks.
“You can’t see in the dark … I’ll take care of this.” She said, her eyes glowing purple reminding him of the changes made to her since that day.
Hearing this he let go of his sword and let her walk on past him. With no weapon to hand she wonders off into the darkness. As she past he saw a face looking for a distraction, something to vent her pent up frustration on walk onwards. A touch of guilt washes past the young man as he felt this vibe. Suddenly a flash of lightening lights up the area for a second enough to see a bolt peer shine through the demon as looming shadows of the trees show themselves form the light display. The demon was seven a foot tall horned nose, known for its three foot long razor sharp scythe like nose. Its scream like a crow and elephant combined marked its quick demise at the hands of Natalie.
She comes back out of the shadows no sooner that she faded into them.
“Get some rest…” she said sitting back down by the fire. He nodes his in response. Looking over to her hardly touched food in concern. Again she hardly eats much. And sleep comes even less so to her. What did they do to you? A question he constantly found himself asking.
Taking her advice he lies down and uses his cloak as a cover he found sleep reach him rather quickly. As he rested Natalie sat there looking out into the forest, her eyes able to cut though the sheet of blackness. Finding no urge to rest her thoughts took her away, back to before she became… this. Before she lost her smile and warmth. Before she was kidnapped.
~#~
She a remembers a peerless blue sky stretched forth brightened yellow orb. She runs through a small patch of forest with a boy who looks much the same as the one she is with at present except more rounder on the cheeks. Reaching an open field of grass. Atop its light slopes laid a rock and beyond that a large village covered by a three story wall.
“Common Andrew!” Natalie said with a playful chuckle.
“Just keep going!” he snapped back.
Reaching the top of the hill they stop by the large rock and look onwards to their home village of Null. It was an out of the way place where traders and hunters would make used as one of the many veins that connect to the larger towns and cities.
“Made it…” Natalie sighed with a smile.
“I guess. Just a bit further.” Andrew said.
Natalie turned around to glare at Andrew as if saying don’t-be-a-kill-joy. Andrew rolled his eyes when he picked up on that whilst Natalie giggled some.
“Yeah I know…” she said whilst she took a seat on the grass. “But let’s stop here for a while.”
“We are pushing our luck as it is being out here! What if one of them show!?”
“Hardly happens. And they are always exhausts.” She said laying back first onto the grass. “If any demon comes we can out run them.“
Andrew darted around his surroundings whiles shaking his head to her remark.
“Too dangerous… I’m going home.” He said.
“Chicken.” She spat with her eyes closed.
“I’m not scared!” Andrew shot back. “And why do you want to lay around out here so badly anyways?!”
“The open view is nice right? With no walls.”
“Huh?” Andrew looks around trying to see what she was talking about. It’s not that she wrong it just a view they have seen a number of times.
“We hardly ever allowed out of the village because of the demons but if you think about it, walls or not it does not really matter where you are no-where is really safe from them.”
Andrew looks around again with her words and slowly sees what she means. “And when we are allowed play out we do so, so fast that we don’t get to take it all in.”
Andrew silently agreed. He had not truly felt safe when stepping outside the wall. Not many parents allowed their children to even set foot out of there village.
“Mum told me stories of long ago before the demons attacked. She said people back then could relax on the grass and admire the view without worry. And that most places where at least as green as this place. We are lucky to have a spot like that so close to us. I have always wanted to try it so you can go home if you want. But I’ll be going later.”
Natalie lies down on the grass and looks up at the sky. Andrew was about to leave but could not bring himself to move any further. Instead he turns back around and sits with his back turned to her. Natalie looks up in wonder before smiling.
“You’re not scared anymore?” she said
“No… it’s just that I don’t want to leave you here by yourself.”
“That’s nice of you. “She chuckles. “Going to relax with me?”
“No!” he snaps as he turns around to her. Calming down he take a breath and continues. “I’m standing guard.”
“With that sword of yours?” She said. “You know that I’m as good if not even better using that than you are. If you want to go back so bad then why don’t you leave your sword here so that way I can be safe and you can go home.”
“I-I don’t want anything happening to you.” he mumbled.
“Huh?”
Natalie a little surprised leans up to look at Andrew.
“You really want to protect me?”
Andrew turns away to cover his face if he was not dark skinned he would be red by now.
“Sort of.” He replied whilst scratching his head. Natalie seeing the back of Andrew could not help but smile at his reaction.
“Well if it is any help I like having you around.” She said. “And having you as a bodyguard really make me feel safe.”
She lies back down to watch the view. Andrew smiled also as he looked on for danger.
“I like having you around you too…” he said.
They would remain there until the sun began setting. Natalie gazing onwards whilst Andrew watched her back. Unknown to them the titles they will later be given and the danger they will face.
~#~
Andrew wakes up to the smoking embers of what was left of the camp fire. The sun has just creped though the horizon illuminating the trees golden in its glow. Natalie was still sitting in the same spot he last was her in. Getting up he looks around for the fish that he has cooked or her to see that is was nowhere in sight. Northing but the pile of asks that was the fireplace. Seeing this he smiled. Maybe she had gotten some food in this time.
“You’re up.” Natalie said looking at him.
“You should have woken me to take watch while you sleep.” He said. “I guess I’m so use to knowing you hardly sleep I did not get up.”
“I got some rest, so try not to worry.” She said.
“I see. That’s good.” He said with a warm sigh. “Shall we get going?”
With that Natalie and Andrew set off once again. The ashes of the fire wood show a fish thrown into the fire that has not been eaten. The one Natalie was eating, only bitten once and left to burn to ash.
Author’s notes: So now we see some of Natalie and the effects the kidnapping had on her physically as well as mentally. Also a little into of our second main character and his history with Natalie. Next time we will see a little more of how her powers work as well as the lengths there enemies will go to.
3: Chapter 2: Van of BainComments must contain at least 3 words