The Soldiers Key

Chapter 2: Steedsville

I held my pistol down as I stared at the man I killed. Is it wrong for me to not feel much remorse?

Reven walked up to me and grabbed me by my arms.

"Arian, are you alright?"
I nodded.

"If killing a man means I'm alright... then sure."

Reven looked at the man on the ground.

The soldiers from the forest ran back from the woods to us.

"Reven! What happened-?"
One of the soldiers stopped, gagging as he held his hand over his mouth.

The others stared at us solemnly.

Reven looked at the dead soldiers and bus driver.

"Get them buried... all of them. Even this one..."

Reven kicked the dead man.

He shook his head as he walked to the side of the bus to open the side container, coughing as he walked. He pulled out shovels and threw them onto the ground.

"Let's get to it then... I'll call in and explain everything. We leave to Steedsville after this is done..."

I made my way to and grabbed one of the shovels, before I walked towards a space between two trees.

I hit the ground with the shovel and began to take out dirt from the ground, making a hole roughly the size of a human.

One of the soldiers near me stared at me as I did it.

"Does it not bother you...?"

I stopped for a moment to look at him.

He has dark black hair, and blue eyes, on a young face.

"What else was I going to do?"
The man stared at the dead bodies near the bus.

"Dark sickness... when people get lost in the woods... they can't find their way out without light, and slowly are driven mad as they venture deeper and deeper into the forest, where it only gets darker and darker. Some say they even join a dark cult..."

I looked back to digging the grave.

"Sad isn't it...?"
I stuck the shovel in the ground as I walked to the man I killed, and pulled on his arm, dragging him to the grave and throwing him into it.

I covered him with dirt, and afterwards stuck the shovel behind the grave as a gravestone.

The soldier simply stared at me, before he walked back to the bus.

The bus started up again as another soldier took over the wheel and after the others who died were buried we departed again.

Reven and I sat back in the same seats as before, however during the ride, everyone stayed silent.

We drove into the town of Steedsville after a long ride, the only sounds from anyone being Revens coughing.

He's been coughing a lot lately....

Day came as the bus came to a stop in front of a large building, near a small bus stop sign.

I walked off the bus, my bag slung over my shoulders, and onto the sidewalk next to the bus stop sign. People walked on by, some staring at us as we passed by.

The buildings are all illuminated by the lamps spread throughout the town, making it a bright oasis from the forest that surrounds it. All of the buildings are made of a red brick, and don't vary too much in design.

Reven stepped off of the bus last as he looked at me.

"Arian, are you all right?"

I looked at him.

"I'm fine..."
Reven stared at me for a moment.

"Arian, come talk to me if you need to, alright? Anyway... the hotel is near here. I'll report in. Go ahead and explore for a while if you need... just make sure that you get some rest, alright?"

I nodded as walked away.

I made my way through the town, and passed many people as they stared at me full of pride.

A lot of the people in my country are so enthusiastic about this war... because they have someone to fight against-to blame for the clouds.

It's enough to make me sick.

Eventually I settled on a bench near an older building. An archway connecting it to the building next to it across the street. I laid my bag next to me.

I grabbed the key I wore around my neck from underneath my uniform.

The last gift I ever got from my father. Right before...

Dad...

"Hey mister... what are you doing...?"
I turned to my side to see a young girl wearing a dark red dress. Her hair is long, and black in color, her eyes a soft blue.

"Hello kid..."

The girl smiled at me.

"Well, what you got there?"
I looked at my key.

"It's a gift..."

The girl looked at it intensely.

"I see..."

A person behind me spoke up.

"Well sister, who have you met here?"
I looked behind me to see an older boy, staring at me.

His hair is a bright blond and he has dark red eyes.

I stuffed my key back into my uniform as I stood up.

"My names Arian. And you two are...?"
The girl smiled.

"Me? Well, I'd rather not say."
The boy smirked.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to know who I am either."

These two are something else...

"Well, whatever then. Shouldn't you two be heading home?"
The girl looked at me somewhat concerned.

"Well, we would, but we don't know where our mother is."