The Allure of Darkness

3

Azia

We stop traveling by the time the sun set. There were already tents here for the guard. The guard quickly made themselves at home in tents.

Everyone else got stuck to sleep with the flowers.

The night patrol is only thing making noise other than the wind. The wind was picking up speed through the night. All you could hear was the flowers rustling all around the camp.

Causing sleep to never take over. Causing the nightmares to never come. It's a blessing.

I stare up at the stars. That's where our souls go to in the end, it's where I will end up. It's where my family is.

The stars are shining through the clouds tonight. But the light is not enough to reach the ground. Not enough light to show us the variety of flowers on the ground.

I look around. The darkness covers this camp. But I can still see those who are the closest to me. Five kids are huddle together to the left of me. Mumbling among themselves.

The tension is high here tonight. I can feel it.

The kids aren't used to be stuck on a leash. They never should get used to it but they will.

I look over to my right and see complete darkness. Not a single light. No light spilling from the tents.

Darkness is always everywhere, in every corner, in every heart. Darkness always beats out the light. Only if you let it.

The wind is vicious here. Not like the winds at the caves.

The wind travels all through this camp. I can hear it weaving through the flowers.

It's a soothing thing to listen to the wind. The air moving in different directions as it chooses.

The wind is free and uncontrolled. It can change its path as quickly as it wants. It's what I want to be.

I want to choose my own path. My own life.

A light spreads out through one of the tents to my right. The light shines from the bottom of the tent. Showing there isn't just darkness with us but enemies too.

The tent flap opens up. There are two guards standing just short of the opening of the tent.

The one pair of eyes roam over me. The other one his eyes stop on me. His eyes are blue as the ice.  It's a different shade of  blue. The blue that makes your hair stand up on your arms. It makes me want to sink into the darkness.

"Come here," his deep voice cutting through the camp.

I start to stand up from my spot in the flowers. The flowers I was on start to reform their shape.

The tent is only a couple feet away from my spot. I take a step closer to the tent. And pause.

What if they are going to kill me. Or worse use me.

I take my chances. A stupid chance.

I lift my chin up and keep walking. I will be fearless. I will be strong.

I walk straight forward. Straight into the hands of my enemies.

Before I even step a foot in the tent they grab my hands and tie them behind my back with scraps of fabric. My feet are untied but I couldn't run anyway. It's two against one. An impossible fight.

I stop and stare at the inside of their tent. The tent isn't very appealing. It reeks. There are hides of pigs all around the ground.

There's a bed in each of the two corners. They are both unmade. The blue sheets on each bed is spread across their beds and touching the ground. 

A camp fire is on the right side of the tent with pieces of wood next to it. Waiting to be fed to the flames. The fires rises tall but not enough to burn the tent down.

There's a table in the middle of the room with four chairs surrounding it. I move to sit in the closet one.

My shoes are practically useless they let me feel the skins of pig on my feet. It's like I have no shoes on. I take long strides towards the table.

I sit down in the chair gaining a creaking noise from it. My hands are dripping in sweat from the fire or fear. I don't know which.

I look straight into the eyes of the guard in-front of me. It's the same one who called me to come in this tent. The same one with the icy blue eyes. His eyes are like no other I've seen.

The other one is next to him. His green eyes darting into mine. They both have hair almost as white as snow. It's scary of how they look so much alike. They have to be twins.

I clear my throat and shift into a more comfortable position in this chair. My chair creaks and wobbles. How old is this chair?

The one on the right sighs. Loud. And his eyes are roaming over my face. He looks disappointed.

The one in-front of me with the icy eyes is starting at the fire. Lost in thought.

I start to open my mouth to get an answer. To break the silence. The awkwardness.

"There is no need to talk," the one to the right of me says. Still starting at my face.

I snap my eyes to the front of the tent. Clearly seeing where this is gonna led to. I have to leave.

"We aren't going to do anything to you, physically. Mentally though," he pauses. "We can't make any promises."

I never said a word to him. Not once. How can he tell what I'm thinking.

"What is it you want," I say directed to either one of them. Can they sense my fear too along with my thoughts.

"I want nothing to do with you," the one with the blue eyes cuts in. "But my brother does."

"Actually it's what the guard wants, Loki. Don't misguide her with what I want and what I can take," the one on the right says with a smirk coming up on his face.

"Please don't listen to my brother. Emrys has no ounce of shame in him," Loki says.

Loki and Emrys. Twins with different eyes. One with eyes of snow and one with eyes green as grass. Their hair is a shade of blonde that looks almost white.

I swallow long and hard. Pleading to a god for help. For guidance.

"What we want has nothing to do with you but with your camp.... well with your old camp," Emrys says with delight in his eyes. His eyes flickering to a different shade of green.

"You destroyed it all. All of it. There is nothing left." I say digging my nails into my skin. Pausing right before the blood draws. I never press hard enough to draw blood.

Loki looks at me. Sympathy is in his eyes. How can he feel bad for me when he's the one who did this.

"Yes, there nothing is left to find there but we still need information and you can give that to me. Can't you?" Emrys says in a tone that frightens me.