A True Hero

Chapter 2

I woke up to the refreshing smell of moist plantation. Half of my face was soaking wet despite my recent attempts of shielding myself from the outside elements. I was both sore and groggy from my outburst the previous night. I lead myself past total exhaustion, going beyond human limits before rendering myself immobile and collapsing in the middle of unknown territory. I barely remember myself curling up, hugging my knees to my chest and becoming as unnoticeable as possible to the outside world before slipping completely into unconsciousness.

I took in a deep breath, exhaling with a sigh. I would have to get up sooner or later. The others were waiting for me near the town border, I had a strong feeling that Damian wouldn't be there. We already had the route to the next town planned out, the only problem was that it was coordinated by Damian. The large gap between the true, evident trust I had in him before, compared to the doubtful plague washed upon my present being was awe-worthy.

I thought for a moment about the future. Without Damian, surviving would be drastically more difficult than before, especially with the other variables included. Prior to Damian's arrival, I only had Roadie to worry about, now there were others to care for. There was also a sudden increase of outside threats recently, to keep in mind. And the worst detour of all... I no longer had hope. I did not wish to be alive, and when one lacks the will to do something.. you might as well give up on them from the start.

Despite how exhausted I felt at the moment, I found myself standing, walking soon after. I don't know how or why, but I was on my way to the town border. At the rate I was going, I'd get there just before noon.

Attempting to avoid the town center, I silently slid throughout the abandoned alleys and turnways between large or vibrant buildings, snatching a thing or two as I went. I started to tinker with some of the old junk I picked up, halting my movement only when eyes came my way while I was in an alley.

Much to my disdain, a gaze or two lingered for a moment to long. It was made evident that we'd been stationed here for far too long, despite this being quite an uneventful town.

I was about a kilometer away from the meeting point when I heard the familiar twang of an arrow being released, the whisper of a pointed arrowhead piercing air soon after.

By the time I had calculated its trajectory, I had to have made the split second decision, worth the timing that I did, of swiftly leaping to the side, only to be greeted with an ear-splitting shriek.

I knew the voice anywhere and it pained me to know that Carol was in enough distress to produce that frightening sound.

By the time my feet had touched the ground from my leap to the side, I was in a ready position. A position to sprint. Less than a second after landing, I was off with a large burst of speed, using my hand to gain a few extra meters by pushing myself forward.

My casual, everyday, calmness morphed into a fierce determination in about a second. Although it may be fierce, my head remained level, thinking logically and strategically in my advance. I welcomed the adrenaline much easier than normal.

The archer who had targeted me earlier, had re-positioned, currently undetectable to my being. Not that I was planning in jousting them anyway. My worry skyrocketed when I inhaled an unfamiliar and threatening scent. I picked up a little speed, now going at around 30 kilometers per hour, which was about as fast as my legs would take me.

What took place next was a little unsettling. The uneven screech of a Golden Beast infiltrated my ears. Golden Beast was a name we had created for the merciless monsters that had been hunting us lately. The "Golden" part came from the color of their blood when wounded, while "Beast" is pretty self-explanatory. I had yet to encounter a beast with much brains or the ability to use weapons, much less a bow, so I would have to assume that we had another force to look out for. Or perhaps it was something else, something that could possibly benefit rather than abstain. My thoughts were somewhat foolish, but I couldn't help but cling to hope given the chance, whether it be for the better or worse.