Owen Changes His Mind

6. Violence 2/4

Apo's exile in the maze

When Apo remembered their past

Just after they faked their death

They needed to disappear. They needed everyone to think they were dead. Apo had attached their horns to a skull they'd found and left it for someone to find. But they hadn't been able to tend the wounds well enough. They felt hot and cold. They were sweating, shaking. Then they remembered. They remembered burning.

Fires burned everywhere. A body lay at Apo's feet. Another was taking them prisoner.

Apo remembered an orange banner, a sneering dismissive face. "Hmm... use them for target practice, I don't care." "Sir, isn't the capital hounding us for prisoners?" "Ahh, you're right. Send them to the capital." Apo screamed in rage and fear. Then, nothing.

It couldn't be. It shouldn't be. Apo tossed and turned with fever.

After the fever broke, Apo dismissed it as a fever dream. A nightmare born of the maze and the pain living alone had brought them.

-

After talking with Squidney

Apo began having dreams every night. Some of them were comforting, but some of them weren't. They started writing them down. There were two categories. There was the normal ones, the ones that felt real that Apo cherished, with Eden and Will, and then there were the ones with blood in the water. That's how they always knew it would be a nightmare.

The nightmares always started the same way; blood in the water, and fire. Each time, Apo learned a little more. They just wanted it to be over. They wanted to know so that the nightmares would end. It came to them faster than last time they dreamed about blood in the water. Apo realized they had killed someone. Someone else. The human. The scout. The human scout. But the dream didn't end. Apo was taken captive. He saw an army of humans. An orange banner. A sneering, dismissive face. Owen. Apo couldn't hear what Owen said above the beating of their own heart, but the expression on Owen's face was clear. The dream faded as Apo was led away.

Apo stared at the ceiling.

Owen. It was Owen. Owen had killed their last remaining family, because of the scout. Because of them. Eden, Will. Owen was their best friend, and he didn't remember killing them. If only they'd listened to Eden. It was Apo's fault. Owen was a general. He was a killer. Owen was a good leader. Owen killed demons. Owen was dangerous. Owen thought Apo was dead. Owen had been going to kill them. Owen didn't remember his past. Owen was their best friend. Apo trusted Owen with their life. With their life. With their life.

Apo wept.

-

Apo had a new routine. They climbed up the walls and hung on the vines, watching the clearing entrance from as far away as they could get from it. They saw people venture out and go back. They even saw Owen walk by, a few times. The first time it happened, Apo broke out in a cold sweat.

"I was a soldier before. I probably killed someone on the battlefield. At least one person," Apo remembered Owen saying.

"You said you were a hunter," they'd replied.

"Well, yeah."

Apo felt so stupid. Owen was a hunter, all right. "You don't know me," they muttered. Owen turned to look into the maze and Apo froze, but Owen only turned away. It occurred to Apo that they might have to run from Owen someday. Apo didn't dare voice their prayer that Owen never remember his past.

But Apo did start to think about what they might have to do to survive.