ONE (Book 1 in the Amnesia Archives)

Chapter 29

Prin and Sarphi were talking to each other, making use of Prin's new ability very well. Aknon was still in a huff and walking in front of us. Senka was on my shoulder, and Onyx was running around like a mad dog. I was walking with slumped shoulders and a frown on my face, dagger still in hand. I wasn't a fan of the silence which I was covered with like some kind of veil. I usually had Sarphi to chat with, but I felt like a third wheel with the girls right now.

The forest was still thick around us, but it was thinning, something which made me relax a little bit. I didn't know why the forest was suddenly so uncomfortable. I had experienced life-threatening danger before, and that usually had no effect on how comfortable I was, so this felt strange to me.

Maybe it was because of my immense paranoia that I was going to be kidnapped at any moment, causing me to be unable to help and protect my siblings, resulting in their death and everything I cared about ceasing to exist.

Or maybe it's because we were meeting a stranger, not knowing what to expect.

We came across a crossroad and checked the sign. It was a wooden post with a few slabs of wood nailed to it, covered in fallen leaves, bugs, and dirt. But some of the words were readable.

"If you've got a hunting ground, why would you advertise it?" Sarphi asked, narrowing her eyes at the only pristine sign there, the one which was covered in carved roses, with 'Roseo's territory' written in bold letters.

I shrugged. "What if they want a hunting buddy?" I asked, smirking a little. "I'd volunteer if we weren't the ones being hunted."

I expected Aknon to make a snide comment, but he kept his mouth shut.

"At least we're close to where you want to be," Prin said quietly as she pointed to what was probably the most deteriorated sign. I could only read a 'D' and a 'C' on the sigh, the rest of it had been worn down by time and what seemed to be knife marks.

"They don't have many friends," I muttered and shook my head as we began to walk that way. "Get ready to see guards, fighting, cruelty, and everything else you don't want to see in a pleasant life."

I didn't mean to make Prin nervous, but it seemed my words had that effect on her as she moved closer to Sarphi.

"But we're not going in the city," Sarphi pointed out, trying to comfort Prin and herself. "We're going to the side of it, so there's less chances of seeing someone having bricks thrown at them." Her tone was somewhat enthusiastic, which didn't suit the words she was saying at all. I was used to this by now.

Prin shook her head and hugged herself. "That doesn't help."

Wordlessly, Aknon moved in front of us quickly, his walk becoming nearly a jog as he sped up.

"Does he know that we're still quite far from where we have to be?" Sarphi asked quietly, beginning to walk after Aknon once more, a little faster to keep up with his steps. "We're not going to get there today, Nevermind in time to search caves."

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter if he knows or not, it wouldn't change how he acts." Maybe he was told by his book that we had some kind of time limitation on our job. But surely, he would tell us if he did. The longer he refused to tell us, the angrier it made me.

The air was growing colder once more, which made me want to move quickly, but my bitter nature wanted me to be as slow as I could possibly go. Even Senka was probably annoyed at me as she'd moved to my shoulder and was moving far too quickly for my liking. She moved from sitting, to standing, to lying down. I thought that it was because she was still feeling scared or ill from her time being a living propellor, but she was looking around anxiously once again.