It's only a matter of time before we reach civilization again. The pretense of taking a hike in the wilderness diminishes as we clear some pine trees and tall, ominous hydroelectric power lines stand waiting for us. They shoot high up into the sky, clearing some of the tallest trees, the electric wires swinging softly against the wind. My eyes follow the path of power lines, snaking it way down the slopes and hilly areas, all the way to-
I gasp.
The city, with it's monstrous skyscrapers glinting in the afternoon light, is even closer than before. The horizon is still tainted with the ever rising heat wave, but the scenery is beautiful and makes me realize just how huge the map really is. Even from all the way here, the Arena keeps stretching, further than I could see.
I turn over to Cal to see if he's also appreciating the beauty of everything, but his helmet is turned away from me, looking at something near the base of one the towers.
I take a moment to watch him, his pants are tucked into his jet black boots, and his stance is strong and confident like he's in tune with himself. Clumsy and Cal would never go in the same sentence. His pack rests on his back, while the mysterious rifle is strung loosely on the clips, just like my sniper is right now. Despite the uncomfortable heat, he leaves his jacket on, hiding his muscular form, and it probably conceals even more weapons. But it's the helmet that intrigues me the most. What does he look like? So many possibilities run though my head, but I don't dare create a picture in my mind, because that won't change the way I perceive Cal. No one should be judged by their appearances, only their actions.
I walk up beside him to see why he's so transfixed and instinctively grab his arm at the sight below me. Marring the scenery lies the man in camo from before. Lying on his side in a pool of blood. The smell lacks the scent of decay, meaning it probably happened just a couple of moments before.
"Do you think he's been killed or..." did he bleed to death?
Cal pulls away from me and keeps walking, only then do I realize I was still clutching the sleeve of his jacket. "I'm not sure, it's better if we don't stick around to find out why. Who knows what kind of people we'll encounter next."
I stare a moment longer and then follow him into the forest again. Trying to erase the image from my mind, just like everything else. "Yeah, we might come across some cannibals."
"Yeah we might-" Cal turns to face me, walking backwards simultaneously like his boots know exactly where to step, like he has eyes at the back of his head, "What?"
"Cannibals."
"No! There aren't any cannibals here. Gosh Skylar, do you really think people are that desperate?"
"Hey, you never know until you meet one."
"I've never met one."
"Exactly my point."
Cal turns around and walks normally, to my relief, "You have trust issues."
I scoff, "Yeah? How would you know, I literally teamed up with a stranger."
"But do you trust me though?"
"Well," I start defensively, "trust takes time."
"So the answer is no." I want to kick his stupid helmet of his stupid face now.
"Says the guy who can't even reveal their face to their allies."
Cal laughs. He actually laughs. "You really want to see my sexy face? That desperate huh?"
His laugh is so contagious I can barely keep my face in an angry expression. The corners of my lips curve up, betraying my false anger towards him. If I didn't know any better I'd think he was flirting.
YOU ARE READING
Valour
Action"We're allies now. It would be useless to kill each other, Skylar.'' His voice is masculine and smooth, not in the overly intimidating way I was expecting it to. My confusion deepens. He knows my alias, the name I gave to myself when I entered into...