Tainted and Warped

SIX

 It was hot, almost hotter than the Nether. The wolves were panting. Gameknight could only imagine how hot their paws were. Beads of sweat dripped into his face. He tilted his head back, squinting as he wiped sweat off his forehead. On his shoulders, Topper looked down at him.

"I can see the village from here!" He called out, pointing into the distance.

Gameknight watched the village with a smile, but it vanished as the sky above the village was torn open and the village crumbled from within, falling into the void. He could hear the screams of villagers as they fell to their deaths, the cracks in the ground reaching and spreading until they reached where he was standing. He looked at Topper one last time as they fell.

Crunch! Gameknight was on the ground. Turning, he could see that he had tripped over a small cactus. The spikes were embedded in his right leg.

He grimaced as he stood, his face flushed with embarrassment. He looked up with a sheepish grin, trying to play it off as his leg burned.

"Sorry." He took a step forward and ignored the pain. "I guess I was a little distracted."

"A little?" Hunter raised an eyebrow.

He only shrugged.

"Come on, let's keep moving. I want to find something by nightfall. Let's focus on looking for clues."

"Says you," Hunter scoffed, but began swiveling her head. If anyone would find anything, it was her with her keen eyes.

Good. I can't afford to miss something. He steeled himself to pay attention to the present for once.

Scrrrrrrrrrch.The noise was coming from over the next hill. It was a horrible, grating noise, and it was accompanied by the sound of cracking. The wolves began to growl, their fur bristling.

Gameknight999 held up one hand, slowing down as they approached. He glanced back at the three villagers and the six wolves. Who is going to die here?

He motioned for the group to split, Blacky coming in from the left side, Stonecutter from the right, and Gameknight and Hunter coming in from the front, with the wolves spread evenly between them and leading the charge. It was a basic and predictable strategy, to be sure, but Gameknight had no idea if there even was a threat and his brain had been too muddled lately to really think about anything.

He counted down on his fingers.

3... 2... 1. "Go!" he whisper-screamed as the small party moved as quickly and quietly as possible over the hill.

Gameknight drew his swords as he ran, but stopped short when he saw what was on the other side.

"What... is this?" Hunter asked, relaxing the string on her bow.

"I don't know of any creature that does that." Stonecutter nervously looked behind him.

**On the ground between them was a dead rabbit. Its fur was matted and bloody, its front foot ripped off.

"Luck?" Gameknight wondered out loud, squatting down to get a better look. I could use some luck right now.

He reached out and took the foot in his hands, soft and bloody, before putting it in his mouth and biting down. It was furry and squishy and crunchy.

Gameknight gagged, quickly covering his mouth before anyone noticed. The foot was still on the ground, attached to the rabbit's body and undisturbed. Nothing is wrong.

Blacky shook his head. "It's the wrong foot to be for luck. It's supposed to be the right foot."

*"Didn't know you were into superstition," Hunter commented, tilting her head.