The Outsiders

The Outsiders: Chapter Five

Khristopher De Caldwick

With less than two miles left to Vertime, I took note of every detail of my surroundings.

Bleeding from my right arm, I had not the knowledge of how to treat my wounds. Glass was tethered to my robe as I walked through the uncharted forest. Looking at the small purple potion in my hands, my arms trembled as I followed the faint purple dots. I hadn't the clue where I was as the maps I owned were presumably centuries too old. As I cupped my bleeding arm, all I could do was worry.

Was I just to run? I lived an exquisite life in the castle, though full of dishonesty and scorn. How would I survive if I had lived in a castle with servants and peasants my entire life? I hadn't the knowledge of fire or water or cooking. Hell, I couldn't even tie my boots until I was fourteen. Why was I willing to leave everything for nothing?

A rustling in the bushes brought my gaze towards the evergreens and the verdins. Gulping, I tremblingly looked down at my potion. Through the thick haze of trees, there were wolves running about. With a small breath, I backed away from the area.

Vampires and Werewolves have had a fair share of conflict. Even during The Dark Age when the supernatural was hunted for ransom, our species were anything but friendly. Maybe it was because my ancestors pillaged their lands or when they slaughtered half of my people. Nevertheless, we never got along well.

A garish growl shoot the earth below me. Wolves of grey and black pounced about my vicinity, sending my heart into overdrive. Before I could cognize my situation, my feet began to move on their own. Trees blew by as I darted for anywhere but the wolven territory. Though my eyes were subpar, I could smell the cloud full of the scent of the South Everstonian wolves: dandelions and musk. The patter of their thick paws and the moans of their snouts filled my ears as they caught my scent. Surveying the ground around me, I pulled sprigs of the earth and pressed them into a much, hiding my scent from the growling wolves.

            My breath grew ragged as my feet grew weary. Conjuring the book, I searched for an answer. Flipping through pages, I tried my best not to focus on the nearing tread of footsteps.

"F-for I am not a s-spy—"

Before I could finish the spell, my cloak got snagged by the jaws of a wolf. Crying out, I ripped the cloak away from the wolf's grasp. Now susceptible to the sunlight, I darted towards the shadowy trees. Pushing my legs further and further, I could only think of the fangs and growls.

            As I darted through the forest, my eyes grew droopy. Trying to fight my exhaustion, I shake my head vigorously. Thrashing and pounding, the overgrown beasts growled for me. Tears sprung into my eyes as my chest and legs burned. No measure of adrenaline surging through my veins couldn't halt my enervation. Coupled with my eyesight, I couldn't make out the figures around me.

             Before I could muster any sense of direction, I was out cold as I ran into a large, girthy pine.

Water dripped on my face as I sat with my hands tied to my sides. My head hung low as I slowly awakened. Though my eyes were dilated, I saw the dull highlights of the room. As I regained my consciousness, outlines of desks and rope appeared. Gulping, I shifted in place as a pair of eyes raked my body with a gruff glint in their eye.