Creation: The Primordial Era (Creation Series, Book 2)

Closer But Further

Oracion's POV

"54...55" I whisper under my breath, leaning to the side to avoid the spilled blood of these Shadows.

"62...65" How hard is it to slice their buttery flesh? A resistance that's comparable to stone, that's what I'm told.

"88...93" I've been doing this...for too long...with far too little questioning.

"95...99" I barely get praised, nonetheless thanked for even being out here. Fighting these unpredictable creatures that spawn from behind the curtain lining the sky. Fighting with my life on the line each and every single time that I leave my home, my friends, my lover, all of it behind me.

I watch as one tries to straggle away with its half its body removed, "I want to know" I murmur. Stabbing it's skull and driving my sword into the stone. "And I want this to stop." I continue, twisting it to ensure it's dead.

"Oracion!" A voice belts through my ears, feeling like a pole to the head as I slightly lose my balance from the sudden volume.

"Hmm..." I try to answer, turning to face where I last placed Indura, only to see him beside Requis.

"What happened?" She asks with clear worry in her voice.

"I tried...I really did." I pull my sword from the ground, about to sheath it but I notice one more walking beside me as if trying to blend in with me. "Bu-" I slash its arms off, surprisingly interrupted by Indura.

"He protected me, it was my fault she grabbed me." He explains.

Requis' eyes widen in surprisal as she realises what he's implying, "A Shadow? She? Was it that defined in terms of detail?"

"I've never seen one like it, but it managed to carry him through the Veil." I continue, causing her to hold him tighter. "Once again, I'm sorry." I finish killing the final Shadow, forcing it to drop with one last croak from its voice box as its body begins to disintegrate into the sky along with the rest.

Her face softens up, "Don't be, if it was anyone els-"

"What!?" Akira shouts from behind her, followed by the rest of my group.

"I-" Letha attempts to speak but yet another interrupts her, followed by another...and another. All beginning to separate as they walk across my zone full of broken stone pits and broken down bodies.

"Why are there so many?" A man called Leo, asks me.

His question piles onto my own, something I can't answer so I quite frankly just ignore him.

"You killed all of these?" Akira questions, poking some with his sheathed sword.

"Indura helped." I explain, quickly gesturing to the boy before dropping my hand from the lack of energy.

"I-killed two...ever since she grabbed me, you kept me behind you. You barely let a single one even cross the Veil before killing it." He honestly admits.

"You still helped, you gave me a reason to fight this time, so thanks." I rub his head before moving behind Requis in order to leave the decimated area. "Talk to Ira about later tonight, I've already informed Freya and she said she's in."

"Already done, he jumped to it immediately." She quickly responds. Lingering her eyes as she expects Indura to ask about joining I presume. But the boy remains silent, practically glued to her side.

I briefly look amongst us, noticing some injuries or fatigued filled individuals as they lean on each other for support, "We're leaving, move" I don't bother to shout to the others, knowing they're definitely listening to me. With the way they're all staring at me, I'd be surprised if they'd even let me breathe without kicking off of the ground in a fright.