The Clues You Left

Chapter 12 - Nuri

When Nuri recalled her teachings from church, she would remember how they always spoke about the gods and the forms they took. How each represented the god in an important way, the correct terms slipped her mind. She had always found comfort in praying, the habit being solidified during her childhood through the war. After weeks of planning, she had finally gathered enough information about the land around her that she was confident in her ability to escape. Aaliyah hadn't talked to her since that day, only casting longing glances towards Nuri that said all she needed to. But the fact that Williams hadn't confronted her was proof that Aaliyah never mentioned Nuri's escape plan. She had gone to the meetings over the couple of weeks, making sure to not raise suspicion with Williams.

After Bluebird had let the officers know of their meeting location, they had to find another area to meet without drawing suspicion. That meant that their meetings were shorter, leaving less room for talking with each other. Almost everything was communicated between messengers, another of which had been captured but luckily hadn't been injured, allowing their escape. Anyone could see the walls starting to close in on their operation, which only spurred Nuri on to escape. She wasn't a captain, and she was not going down with the ship. She had a family, two little sisters she hardly knew. Maybe Williams didn't care for his family anymore, didn't care if he lived or died. But Nuri did, she wanted to run free again.

As the moon rose to its highest position, Nuri slipped out of her bed. She pulled her boots on and grabbed the bag she had sewn together and threw it over her shoulder. She snuck her way out of the barracks, careful to avoid the guards that patrolled the halls. She couldn't get caught now, she wouldn't make it to the hole in the fence. Passing by the armory, she pulled the lock pick she had made from her pocket. Hurry, she thought while struggling with the complicated lock. She could hear some guards approaching from the distance, her hands began to sweat. She needed her dagger and just as the footsteps got closer, the lock popped open. Breathing a sigh of relief, she slipped inside. Muscle memory guided her to the dagger she always used, she gripped it worn leather that wrapped around its handle. Listening for the guards to pass, she left the armory, not bothering to relock it. Keeping her breath steady, she sprinted across the drill yard. She was never more thankful for her short height than when she was sneaking around. Her eyes were set on the place she knew the hole was, running over to it, she felt her heart sink.

They repaired it. She didn't know that they repaired it, panic began to rise in her throat when she heard footsteps behind. "Hey! What are you doing?" A guard yelled. Nuri bolted for the opposite end of the fence, hearing more yelling behind her. She focused on not tripping over loose dirt or rocks as she heard more guards running after her. "We have a runner!" They shouted, gathering more attention. She felt adrenaline fill her veins as she hooked her hands into the holes of the fence, climbing up and over. Pain flooded her senses as her calves, chest and hands were cut by the barbed wire that hung around the fence but it was cut off by the adrenaline. She couldn't run the way she was planning but she kept straight, if she got enough distance they would quit their search.

Nuri hoped they would quit. Her night vision struggled to see beneath the canopy of trees that blocked out the dim moonlight. Her lungs burned, her calves ached but she kept pushing forward when something struck her in the shoulder. She screamed, feeling tears rush down her face as she landed on the ground from the force. Her head hit a rock on the ground, making the world spin. She gasped for air as she felt her shoulder and sobbed when she touched a gaping hole in her shoulder. Footsteps got closer and Nuri noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Something that was abandoned, a temple. She realized an ancient praying place before churches. She got up, struggling past the pain in her shoulder, temple and calves she kept sprinting.

Something almost primal knew her safety would be held in the hands of the gods. Pushing past the ancient doors that opened with ease, despite the vines that clung to every surface of the outside. She entered the holy site, the doors closing behind her and she felt the strength that the adrenaline had given her disappear. Nearly collapsing, she struggled to walk her way to a statue, of which god she struggled to recall, but sat down against it anyways. Her breathing was strained, lungs burning from the miles she had sprinted without warming up. Closing her eyes, she prayed.

"Please," She whispered, "please save me, my gods. I want to live, I'll give up my hopes, dreams, even my soul. Please grant me the strength to live." She begged, tears rushing down her cheeks.

Her head began to ache, a burning feeling that didn't come from her wounded temple. She cried out in pain, grasping her head as a voice loud enough to shake mountains in her mind. "I do not want your soul." It boomed, "Open your eyes little mortal." Nuri forced her eyes open, without even realizing she had shut them in the first place and was greeted by a figure. No, multiple figures or maybe it was just one mass that kept changing, Nuri clenched her jaw from another pulse in her head. This was a god, presenting itself in front of her.

"Then what do you want?" She asked, struggling to keep her eyes open from the light.

"In return for my gifts, I demand you do what you do best mortal." The god said, one of its many changing arms created a liquid that shined like a bonfire. Nuri could feel the heat radiating off of it.

"Which is?" Nuri asked, struggling to breath as the figure, without touching her, forced her to tip her head back and forced her mouth open.

"Fight." It whispered close to Nuri's ear as it dumped the liquid into her mouth. She shuddered and began to cry out in pain. She felt the liquid pushed through her body, swallowing it whole with its essence. That's what it was doing right? Consuming her being, she sobbed on the floor, clutching her body until suddenly it stopped. She panted, looking up only to see the dark, empty temple once again and passing out.