Rune Stealer

Staying Alive

I painfully lifted my head with a groan as I slowly came to consciousness. My arms strained against the weight of my body, and it felt as if my hands were going to be ripped off by the agonizingly tight metal handcuffs latched onto my wrists. My bare feet were barely able to touch the ground. I stood on only my toes at a high enough angle that breathing was laborious, but not high enough for me to suffocate.  

The tendons in my shoulders screamed, and the rest of my body ached from last night's endeavors. I strained to open my eyes, but dried blood had sealed them shut, and I soon ceased trying, letting my head fall again. It was pitch black in the dungeon anyways. My mouth was sour with the metallic taste of blood, and my tongue was shriveled and dry. I tried to swallow to wet my throat but found there was no saliva for me to swallow. I racked my brain for a solution to the problem I was in, straining my ears for a sound. I searched the atmosphere around me for a soul or any energy at all, but I didn't even come across a lowly rat scurrying across the dungeon floor.

For the first time in a very long time, I felt alone. It was not the peaceful alone I felt when I would make my way through Galabee; that was a purposeful loneliness. This loneliness was dark and empty. I had no energy left, no desire to escape and see the sunshine again. I had given up all resolve and would have willingly accepted any fate that was to come.

All lives end, I thought to myself. Even those whom had thought they had outrun death itself.

I actually longed for death with a strong ache of my slowly beating heart. I longed for a peaceful bliss. One with no pain that followed me like a shadow. One that didn't have this aching rune that had been plastered on my face. One that had me back in the arms of my family.

A fading image of my mother and father drifted into my mind, a happy image of the day just before I took their souls. Mother had been singing to animals on our farm, and Father had been shoeing horses. Poian had just ran under the horse's legs, barking furiously as he chased a rodent. The poor horse reared up in fear, sending father flying into the water trough.

"Oh, Aum!" exclaimed Lyela with a loud cackle.

"Daddy, Daddy," Laika shrieked pointing at the horse as it galloped off into the pasture. "The horse is running away!"

"Oh Loo, don't worry none," cooed Aum with a chuckle as he stood up in the trough, dripping wet. "I'll get her back here in a bit right after I do something important."

"What's that?" asked Laika, turning to her father innocently. Aum leaped from the trough still soaking and charged towards his daughter. Laika squealed and made to run away, but Aum was too quick and snatched her up and squeezed her to his chest.

"Daddy!" Laika wriggled in attempt to release herself from Aum's grip, but he was too strong. Aum rubbed his wet face against hers, and soon Laika's side was just as wet as Aum was. All the while, Laika squealed, and Lyela laughed widely from the sidelines.

"Ugh, Daddy," Laika exclaimed when Aum finally put the scowling Laika down and crouched down next to her.

That scowl soon turned into a grin as Aum looked dangerously up at Lyela and whispered, "Your mother's turn."

Aum sprinted off towards the frightened Lyela as Laika howled, "Get her Daddy, get her!"

Lyela's laughter turned into a silent one as she soon found herself running away from her wet husband. However, Lyela soon found herself swept up into Aum's strong arms and twirled around as each of them laughed loudly. Aum set his wife down softly and sweetly kissed her on her smiling lips.

"Ew!" Aum and Lyela turned to see their daughter covering her eyes, her face twisted in a childlike grimace. Aum and Lyela looked at each other and laughed then made their way to scoop Laika up in a large hug. Their love for each other was painted on their faces, nothing could have ever separated them.