The Fall Of Imbria (The Fendara Series. Book One)

Chapter Four: Simon

One week. It's been one week and there's still no sign of Victoria anywhere.

I've been trudging through the forest all day. The sun was shining so bright the beams left my face crimson. Thankfully It was growing colder as the yellow light fell closer to the horizon, leaving chill wisps of wind to brush my cheeks, cooling the burn from this morning.

I felt like a fool. My heart aching, as if it should be hurting by her being taken away from me-no not me, her family, her brothers and sister-Or i guess her brother, the only one she now has left.

How cruel they were to take his body away. To Ephraim it felt like a personal attack, stealing his youngest boy away after executing him in front of whomever watched. After he only heard of it from some fellow companion helping us in defending our home, he already felt he played partly to blame. If they took away his right to burry and morn the loss of his own child, what else were they capable of.

Deep down I know just how far they'll go to kill us off, it seems to be the only thing I can think of these days, besides Victoria being dragged off by those cretons. I tried to break away from the fight, to get to her, but i couldn't, there were too many soldier's and I just had to watch. Watch as she blacked out onto the ground after bringing the body of the man who killed Augustine to a boil. Then seeing as some asshole drifted over to her lifting her onto his shoulder and carrying her off. I tried so hard, i swung with every fiber of my being to slaughters those standing in my way to get to her but they swarmed me. However hard i tried, even giving all i had it wasn't enough-I wasn't enough. No matter how much i wanted to be there for her i broke my oath, the oath i made to her family, to always watch over them. Protect them. Maybe if anyone should be called an asshole, its me.

I combed my fingers through my short messy hair, feeling the grease on my calloused fingers. I hadn't bathed since she was gone, part of me felt it was wrong to be clean when she was likely being tortured and kept dirty in a cell or whatever else. My stomach turning at the thought of it But as i walked closer to the edge of a small hill, i see the river gleaming beneath and thought maybe being clean would wash the guilt away. I know it won't but maybe, just maybe.

Half an hour passed. I had washed the filth from my body and left it in the river, drying myself and returning my dirty clothes to my now clean body. After putting my boots on my cold feet i rose from the boulder i was sitting on. Taking in a breath of fresh air and listening one last time to the bustling water running over the pebbles that have rested at the edge, where the green forest meets the blue of the river.

*

Cassius was there to meet me when I returned to the village. Most of the buildings had been burned to the ground. A few survived, but most were skeletons of what they once were. Many people where living out of tents made from animal pelts that we hunted or supplies we stashed before the attack. The people were changed aswell. Hard faces and bandages were everywhere. Not a single person in our village went through the attack unscathed, whether they lost their home, family members, or even limbs.

Cassius did not say anything to me, just fell in step as I made my way to our make shift town-hall. He finally broke the silence when the doors came into view. "Well, you finally bathed." No smile appears on his face even with the attempt at humor he gives.

I ignore the comment, "Have the other scouts found anything useful yet?" Turning to face him, I wait for a response.

Cassius only shakes his head solemnly. "Nothing, they were in and out with out a single trace." Sighing he continues, "Even with the magic we have, nothing is able to trace them."

Sadly, thats what I thought he was going to say. I give him a sad glance and turn back to head inside, but he says one more thing that shakes me to my core. "We may have to wait to make our move when they come back to finish us off."