Red as the Dawn

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

(/Cal/)

I stumbled through a dark forest, where the shadows stretched across my path, and the vines that hung from the branches tangled around my feet and created a rather difficult obstacle course. I had already been forced to use the sword at my hip to cut a path through them, but as I pushed through, they would close up around me, like they were trying to suffocate or entrap me.

I managed to finally reach a clearing in them, and heaving for breath I leaned against a tree only to pause when I felt the touch of cool marble and not rough bark pressing against my arm. I glanced up to observe the change in surroundings, and stumbled backwards in horror. I slammed into a set of doors that closed and refused to let me escape the nightmare before me.

Lying across the floor, strewn like marionettes that had been cut free of their strings, were members of the Scarlet Guard. Their masks were soaked with their own blood, and the flag that normally was stabbed into the ground in the place of every victory had been stabbed through Farley's chest. Slowly, she turned her head, and for a moment, I thought I would be sick. Dead corpses didn't move like that, but she still did, and with a sneer she choked, "You didn't tell us, you led us into this, th-all of this is your fault."

I pressed my hands against the doors and took in heaving breaths to keep the acid in my stomach down. Before I could actually be sick though, the scene seemed to spin and blur until the room was empty of everyone, except for a single figure on the dais, forced to its knees with a bag tied around its head to keep their identity a secret.

I suddenly found myself in front of them on the dais, and up close, I could see that their shoulders were shaking with sobs as they gasped for air. Behind me, I could hear soft whispers, like a breeze that had been let into the chamber, and with their arrival, my whole body went numb. No, no, no, not this one, I thought as my hand reached out and yanked the bag off to reveal the person beneath it. What I saw when the bag had fluttered to the ground was not what I was expecting, but was in a way a hundred times worse.

Looking up at me with sorrowful eyes that spilled tears down her blood coated face, was Mare. For a moment, she looked surprised to see me as well, and then her eyes fell to my hand which was resting on my sword hilt, and slowly unsheathing it. She started crying again and looking up at me she pleaded, "Please, please, I'm sorry Cal, I'm so sorry, please don't."

The metal sang as it left its sheath and I felt my arm shaking as I tried to stop it, but I couldn't, nothing was under my control anymore. My chest had constricted and I felt myself gasping for air as I tried to stop, but the muscle in my arms were no longer under my control.

Mare's sobs ended suddenly, and when I looked down at her again, my cheeks were wet with tears. She looked up at me with a slightly pensive stare, her eyes glassy, as she begged, "This isn't you. This isn't you."

I felt a cry of anguish rip itself out of my throat as my sword came down in a swift blow-

I woke tangled in the blankets, and sitting bolt upright I gasped for breath. The room was dark, except for the small amount of light given off by the gas lamp resting on the makeshift table. Lying on the floor across from me was Mare, with Maggie curled up in her arms. They were both still sleeping peacefully, and I let out a breath that rattled through my chest, and slowly set my head in my hands which shook like leaves in the fall breeze. I swallowed past my dry throat, which felt hoarse as if I had been screaming.

Glancing at Mare again, I saw her shift slightly, and Maggie uncurled herself and rolled away to face the wall. The innocence of the moment sent a knife of ice into my heart, and I shoved back my blankets and stumbled to my feet. I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anyway. I grabbed the jacket near my bedding, and pulled it on quickly, I tried to avoid Mare's shadowy form. I couldn't bear to look at her as I sprinted for the door. If I would have turned around as I left though, I would have seen that Mare had opened her eyes, and glanced over her shoulder to watch me leave.