A Blood Soaked Throne - Part Two

One- Damien

I take a moment to breathe as the gate to the lower district swings closed behind us. Adrenaline still flows through me, keeping me hyper aware of my surroundings. Our escape route was planned well, but there were never any guarantees that there wouldn't be obstacles. I had to focus on getting us to the relative safety of this district. Alayah's mind has been stuck in an inner turmoil. If her hand wasn't held tightly in mine I probably would have lost her back by the garden wall. I can't imagine how hard this must be for her, to trust me with her mind telling her to run back to Bastian.

She needs rest, and honestly so do I. I can see her legs wobbling from the strain of running. Her hairline is slick with sweat and her eyes are struggling to stay open. I need to find an abandoned apartment that's far enough away from the majority of the population to hide out in before both of our bodies stop holding themselves up.

We walk towards the more discrete alleyways behind the rundown buildings. Memories of searching for her that first day send a rush of guilt to the pit in my stomach. If I had been successful we wouldn't be here right now. She never would have met him, the two of us probably could have lived peacefully in the upper district as long as I kept her existence hidden from him. All of her pain, her suffering, it's my fault.

I can feel her pace slowing behind me, her grip on my hand weakening. We move in silence, too exhausted to speak, not stopping until the light from the toll booth is no more than a faint glimmer in the distance. As I begin looking into broken windows and open doors to find a suitable place for us to hide out for the night a deafening alarm blares through the smothering darkness. Alayah jerks in response to the noise and inches closer to me as Bastian's voice cuts through the radio static.

Loyal residents of the Underworld. It would seem that my bride to be has had a case of pre wedding jitters. She has been misguided by my disobedient son and fled the safety of the castle. I am offering a reward for her return, an all expense paid eternity in the upper district. Housing, food, entertainment, all paid for by your benevolent King. But she is to be returned to me unharmed. You may dispose of my son as you see fit to remove her from his possession. The castle guards will be watching for her return and the reward will be received promptly upon her delivery. I ask for your cooperation as your King.

The static pierces the air as the broadcast cuts out. A moment of silence passes before the lower district comes alive with desperate inhabitants. Doors slam open as bodies spill out onto the dusted streets. I pull Alayah quickly into one of the empty apartments, searching quickly for a place to hide. Furniture is flipped over throughout the room, and a large dining table catches my attention. It rests on its side at the back of the room, surrounded by empty boxes and other destroyed property. I drag her behind me, too panicked to pay attention to how harshly I'm leading her. We duck down behind the rotting wood, small holes flaking throughout the grooves. I can see the exit through the openings.

On instinct I tuck Alayah behind me. Her back is pressed firmly up against the wall, steadying the violent shaking of her body. Her eyes are dark with terror, the sound of his voice echoing around us has her paralyzed. An overwhelming ensemble of noise rushes towards us from outside. Distorted bodies dart past the doorway, their movements sharp and jerky as they slam into discarded objects in the streets. They fumble over each other, leaving dozens of them to crawl along the dirt pathways. Shrieks and moans pierce the air as those on the ground are trampled over, leaving lifeless bodies lying in the gravel. Glass shatters in the distance and a high pitched squeal escapes Alayah's lips.

I turn my attention towards her and she clasps her hands against her mouth. Tears begin to pool in the corners of her eyes. The horde of creatures outside vibrates the floorboards of the house and her cry seems to go unnoticed. I can hear them searching through the buildings, tearing apart the structures and fighting amongst themselves. The majority of them have moved closer to the entrance gate, assuming that we would have stayed near safety if we came this way. A half a dozen stragglers move slowly through the streets around us, their bodies incapable of matching speed with the others.

Just as I begin to think we might be clear to move, a shadowed figure appears in the doorway. He steps silently into the house, his eyes surveying the area as another figure tucks in beside him. It's difficult to make out their full appearances through my limited visibility but the identifiers of lower district residents are unmistakable.

Their skin is still a normal shade for the most part, signifying that they haven't been here for very long. Large black wounds are scattered across their bodies, inky veins of infection spreading from the openings and dyeing their skin the inevitable gray color that they all eventually become.

One of them has already had his teeth crafted into sharp points and the other displays two separately colored eyes. The first a light hazel that he presumably arrived with and the second exhibiting signs of his transformation. His iris has been overtaken by his pupil, seeping the jet black color into the white space around it. Blood stains both of their hands from the claws cutting through their fingertips.

The first man begins to move more meticulously through the room, pushing over boxes and trash with his foot. My heart races as he moves closer to the table that shields us. I won't be able to avoid conflict. I have to keep her safe.

As soon as I see him peak around the corner I lash my leg out as hard as I can, pushing myself off of the ground and not giving him a single second to recover from my attack. He stumbles backwards, smacking hard against the unstable floorboards. I crouch over him, connecting my fists roughly with his face. The blows don't stop on their own, deep red blood soon begins to splatter across his skin. He tries to bring his arms up, to block my incoming assault, but he's not strong enough. His teeth clatter across the floor as they dislodge from his gums and I hear a splintering crack along his nose. His arms fall to his sides, but before I can check to make sure he's unconscious I feel a heavy pressure slam into my side.

In an instant I'm on the ground, finding myself in the same position of the man I was just attacking. His companion struggles to keep his position on top of me but manages to get a solid hit right along my jaw. The pain brings spots to my eyes and I hear Alayah call out my name from behind the table.