The Species of Power [Draft 1]

Chapter 14

Everything inside Ruth was spinning. It didn't feel real, nothing did. Shock was taking over her senses. Not Marsh. Not Marsh. It was the only thought she had. As quickly as lightening anger pounded within Ruth causing her blood to boil and her body to shake. Tears of rage spilled from her eyes, it was building inside her. Ruth placed her unsteady hand on her forehead, a frightening confusion swept over her as she realised she didn't know what to do with her body, or herself. With no warning, a blast of rage went through her; so powerful that Ruth completely blacked out, and for the first time she was trapped in the blinding darkness of herself, not able to see what her murder rage compelled her body to do.

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Ruth's eyes whipped open, her body was flat on the ground with a pool of blood around her. Caton kneeled over her, his face hard, his eyes empty. Blood dripped down from his forehead and his left arm didn't look very well, but Ruth knew he was probably one of the lucky ones.

"Seven minutes," he said. Ruth sat herself up with great difficulty and tried to ignore the blood that was dripping from her hair.

"You have to be kidding," said Ruth. "There's no way."

"I am not kidding." said Caton. "Seven minutes."

"How many did I kill?"

"A lot," said Caton. "Any living thing that came across your path, after a while Garret sort of scooped up a lot of them and started flinging them towards you, pretty good system."

"Did I kill anybody important?"

"I don't know if you killed them or not," said Caton. "But, we lost a lot of Shape Shifters; most of the younger ones. We lost Sky... and my..."

Caton didn't finish; his face as cool and solid as a stone.

"Caton," Ruth said. "I-"

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said. "Mark is still alive, and we still have a good army and we need to go, I am going to call  meeting, you stay here, I’ll get the others."

As Caton left Ruth realised how exhausted she felt. Her body felt so weak, everything inside her was tired. Seven minutes, she still couldn't believe it. Four minutes was considered to be a very long time, but seven whole minutes was just unnatural. Sure, there had been Children of Rage who were gone for eleven minutes, but that was the longest time, and seven minutes was far too close for Ruth's liking. Ruth took a deep breath and tried to focus on something else. She looked around and realised that she had made her way to, of all places, the lounge.

The place was covered in blood and tiny bits and pieces of flesh. She must have torn them all to shreds. She tried to stand herself up but quickly failed and realized that she had a minimal amount of strength left, and literally couldn't stand up. She would have to wait. Caton returned minutes after he said he was gone, with the survivors close behind him.

"Caton," Ruth said. "I can't-"

"Yeah, I know," said Caton as he approached her and scooped her up. "People don't realise how much raging can drain you."

"Thanks." said Ruth. He placed her on a chair and waited for everybody else to take their seats.

"Nothing has changed," said Caton, with a new voice of commandment. "We still continue with the plan. Did he choose anybody to go find the blades?"

"No he didn't," said Margaret. "There wasn't enough time."

"Alright," said Caton. "Any volunteers?"