All Adventure Begins with Tragedy

Chapter XXVIII: Aftermath.

"Ahhhh!!!!!"

"Fisc! Dove!"

He was on the ground bleeding out.

"What the hell!?"

I drew my sword. Swinging around wildly, I looked for the enemy who had taken out Dove.

I saw a lighter shadow move through the darker shadow of the tunnels. Thinking quickly I struck out and was rewarded with a scream of agony.

"Dove! Are you alright?"

The silence was deafening.

"Dove?"

After another minute or so of silence I risked flame and struck a match. Putting match to torch, I produced a much brighter light.
On the floor lay Dove, as dead as a stone. His pale face stood out in stark contrast with the darkness. His eyes were clouded and vacant. It wasn't the first time I had seen a dead man, and it wouldn't be my last. A large hole had been torn in his side. Most likely by a sword or axe. That's what the gash indicated anyway.

I raised the torch and looked around for whatever I had killed. Instead of a dead body, I was greeted by a blood trail leading off into the tunnels. So I hadn't even killed my target. The amount of blood on the ground indicated a fatal wound however, and his death would be guaranteed to be painful.

Now I was alone. Alone in the cave system. I wouldn't be able to find my way out anytime soon. I was lost in a tunnel system without any company. Depending on how far I was from an exist and which direction I headed in, I could easily die from dehydration before I found my way out.

"Hello!?" I knew that at this point, anyone in the caves would be just as lost as me, and most would team up with me, even if they were enemies.

My echo was the only answer.

Resigning myself to the task ahead, I sighed and started walking through the eternal darkness. Before Dove had been cut down we had walked for about half an hour. Wandering through the pitch black probably wasn't the best of ideas, but I really didn't have much of a choice. My only hope at this point would be to find another person.

Maybe Drew, Eliza, Adalayde, anybody really. If they were still alive.

Chances were low that they had made it. I'm guessing more than two thirds of our force were wiped off the planet. The bombardment had scattered us, and the counter attack finished us.

That was another thing. The counter attack. I should have expected it. After all, that was the Hammerites' strategy. Have a diversion attack force, and then move in with a force behind them. Like the prisoner battle line, and the weak attack on the camp. After that as well, forts were defended with small forces, and then backed up by a surprise force. I had assumed this would be different, because it was their last holding point.

And then the Kryans. They were always going to bombard the camp. They had just arrived late, and began doing what they were instructed to do. It was my fault really. I had told the men to attack on time instead of waiting for the Kryans like I should have.

Jonathan. Dove. The thousands of other soldiers who fell to the enemy. It was all my fault. My fault that they are dead. The word rang throughout my head. Dead. It hammered into my brain. It was hard to think that thought. But the terrible reality was sinking into me every second. They were all dead. I knew for sure that Jonathan was gone, as well as the poor young soldier Dove. The chances were high everyone else I knew was also dead. That final rush had taken out most of our men. Yet another bad decision on me. A bad decision that resulted the the extinguishing of thousands of innocent lives. I would have to live it down. I couldn't kill myself. For Clare. That was the only reason why I couldn't kill myself.

I stumbled. My brain was not working properly. It was already to dark to see anything more than a foot in front of me. But now I couldn't see at all. I continued, this time much slower, gripping the wall as I went. Periodically I waved my hand in front of my face to see us my vision had returned.

"Its going to be okay, I'm sure of it. All going to be okay. Every thing will be fine. Just fine," I told myself over and over again.

It took a bit, but my vision finally returned to normal. Not that it did much for me. The darkness was all enveloping.

It's difficult keeping track of time when there is no maker. It seemed like years. Eventually I got so fatigued I simply fell asleep on the ground. Again, when I awoke, I had no idea for how long I slept. I had hunger pangs, and ny mouth was dry. I needed food and water. I didn't have any light. I had dropped the torch back when I last used it.

I rummaged in my back back for some food, and found some stale bread. Nothing else, I had the pack used for combat, light and small, with supplies to last half a day. My canteen only had one mouthful left in it.

I was royally screwed.

I struggled to my feet and kept marching.

Another eternity passed before anything happened. But that something was an everything. Light! Up ahead! Just a tiny dot of pure whiteness, but it was still light.

I staggered towards it, my eyes adjusting painfully. The pupils had dilated to the size of dinner plates from the darkness. It was hard to believe I had actually made it out. Or was about to make it out. The light turned out to be coming from behind a corner. 

I turned to the left, following the light. Behold! Up ahead! A cavernous hallway. Way up high was a single light, shining through into the massive hollowed out space. It was obviously built by man. It was not natural. It seemed familiar.

To my right was a staircase. I ascended it, and it lead me to a balcony over looking the hallway. The light was so close. I was in a daze as I walked to stand right in front of the shaft that led to the outside world.

The voices of the dead called out to me. My family. My friends. And then Clare. But she sounded very much alive.

I hoisted myself into the shaft and began ascending it slowly and carefully. The relentless voices called to me, encouraging me. Tears began rolling down my cheeks. I was only I a young boy. I hadn't deserved the life I had led. But I was going to make it out. I was going to find Clare. I would not fail.

I finally made it out of the shaft. The sun was brilliantly blinding. I looked down into the cold snow until my eyes could see fully. I stood under the looming shadows of the snow covered giants. The great mountain range between Hurit and Kry. Ahead of me lay a solitary road. The road less traveled on. And that was the road I was going to take.

A criminal, a clutz, and a psychopath. That's our group. I of course being the clutz.

I, Silver.