TIME AFTER TIME

undecem.

ELEVEN: 

"The Chase"

SCARLET.

Despite the cool moon illuminating our path, I feel my skin burning. I wasn't running fast enough. Wasn't pushing my body hard enough. Wasn't wielding my weapon with enough might. It wasn't enough. But it was more than those who ran with me. 

I reach the clearing in the trees first. From behind, I hear the others. Salem is closest, Anubis in the rear. He would stay out furthest to watch. Since we were down a sniper, he was our next best thing. By communicating with the birds in the sky, he was our eyes - and when the time was right - our talons. 

From where I'm perched, I see two lit fires, another being made. The mark of the territory is obvious: a scar in the lush land that is my home. The demons poisoned the earth by ripping the trees from the ground, burning what they thought was theirs. Just the sight of them boiled my blood. My hand grips my staff, named Venus, much tighter. I could wield those flames to my advantage, make them melt those monsters instead of our land.

Scarlet, not yet, Bree's breathless thoughts reach me. We voted in favor of abducting and interrogating.

I scowl. Venus and I did not vote for a plan. But despite us being outvoted, it didn't seem like the most logical plan. 

Interrogate then exterminate, I propose as Salem lands beside me gracefully. The look she gives me is unconvinced. Then, the fierce shake of her head. 

Killing could lead to worse outcomes later - we could be starting a civil war by killing the wrong demon. Bree's right; stick to the plan. 

I didn't like it. And neither did Venus.

We watch from above, taking in the two dozen demons below us. Just like in practice, we work in phases. Offense and defense.  The first wave knocks out the demons on patrol. Salem and Romeo work quickly with stealth, hidden by the mist Romeo conjures. Once the four demons in the forest are taken care of, Bree, Isaac, and I drop from above. With his spirit-imbued weapons, Bree shows him through her mind where to aim and fire. He shoots to harm without lethal injuries, unlike Venus and I. 

While Bree works with Isaac, I send my body into motion, blazing past the fire, taking what I need, and eviscerating the monsters in my path. 

During a chase, I give myself over to my body. I feel the push and pull of my movements, but there is no mind or soul at work. Just the primal instinct to destroy. In a way, I black out when I let go and give into my senses like that. There is only me and Venus, an extension of myself. All I can feel is the fire surrounding me until Bree's voice is shouting at me, and Salem's hands are pulling me back. 

"What?" I breathe when I return to my mind and soul. 

My hands were sticky, my leathers smeared with dust. There was demon blood on my hands, I realized as I tried to catch my breath. Venus was a few feet away from where my sisters pulled me back. From where the demon was shattered, his pieces were lost in the camp. The fire that once roared dimmed, and in the silence, I repeated myself, "What?"

"We said we would interrogate," Salem hissed to me, a broken look in her eye as she held onto the tone of authority, "Not go on a murder rampage."

I looked around the camp. The once buzzing camp was now quiet, with no survivors. Well, there would be more. I tell her, "There'll be more... We'll just interrogate them next time." I try to walk off in the direction we came from, but Salem holds my arm and yanks me back.