Resurrection {NaNoWriMo}

Chapter 3

She was light in his arms, gently swaying with each of his long strides. She seemed to glow in the shadowy cave, startling him. Deeply troubled, he stared down at her.

She felt and looked like a dream. She was so light and so thin that he feared she would disappear at a moment's notice. Never before had he seen another with hair the color of ivory with translucent eyes. She resembled a ghost more than a human, and from the hum he could sense within her, he knew she was more than mortal as him. But he was not one of his own. She seemed fresher, softer. She lacked the jaded edges of those like him.

Maybe she was a delusion derived on by the madness that seemed to trickle through his kind. He had been in the caves for a long time. They all had. It had taken years for them to claw their way to the surface. He shuddered at the memories. That was a time he didn't prefer to dwell on.

She was so bright, he marveled again. He couldn't stop studying the strange creature he carried in his arms, and as he remembered how she got there he tinged with annoyance.

The stupid girl had made all sorts of ruckus at the mouth of the cave. She had lured Beast towards them, and it still stunned him that it hadn't pursued her. Many others had been as foolish as her, seeking it out and finding themselves devoured. Beyond sense he had carried her to safety with him, compromising himself. He had become aware of her during his rounds as he had heard her traipsing through the cave with the grace of a child.

The only reason he brought her with him was the notion that she could naively cry out for him or other people when she awoke. She could chase through the caverns and lead Beast with her. Most likely she would've gotten lost and died after some time, but he wasn't willing to take the chance with his people. Not for the pitiful girl.

He had a long journey back to Community. He lagged with the bothersome girl in his arms. Usually he glided through the caves swiftly and stealthily. He was agile even for his kind. It was what caused him to get chosen for patrol, and he reveled in the silence and isolation of it. Being cramped in the tight boundaries of Community often left him feeling suffocated. He yearned for the freedom of movement and space.

Grunting, he picked up his pace, and wondered what the others would decide to do with the girl upon his return.

The darkness was beginning to wash away as he neared Community. They had learned long ago how to harness their energies into heatless fires of white light.

He scowled as he leapt down the jagged peaks that led down to Community. The girl flopped like a corpse in his arms, limp and motionless, and for a moment he wondered if he had used the wrong spell on her.

He paused and held her up with his right arm, using the other to press his hand against her heart. It thumped wildly, jerking beneath his hand and the enthusiasm of it caused him to jolt back and nearly drop her. Her heart was staggeringly lively, a stark contrast to this slow and lethargic rhythm.

She swayed as he started again, as he toed the rocks carefully as he reached the high ledges. The dusty red rocks below his feet crunched and groaned beneath their weight. He was careful to avoid the weak points he knew all too well from experience, and listened to the cave and he maneuvered his way down to the ground and onto the sleek trail leading to Community.

In the brightness, he could see the curves of her smooth face. Her skin resembled porcelain and her hair shined with brilliance beneath the glowing light. Her luster sickened him, a shot to the gut of how ragged he and his people had become. Who was she to turn up unscathed and the pinnacle of perfection? Who was she to mock him and his kind?