Immortalia

Chapter 11 - Meet Shani Reed

Chapter 11 –  Meet Shani Reed

Something was wrong. Aurora awoke to the sound of gurgled murmurs, and a sense of dread filled her body. She struggled to breathe as something pressed against her windpipe, and when she opened her eyes, she was blinded. It took a while for her to gain her sense of control back, and she tumbled backwards, supporting herself on the cold hard earth beneath her.

It was still dark, and she didn’t know the time. The shadows hovering above scared her, and for a moment, the fear froze her entire body.

“Stand,” a gruff voice said. “Now.”

A slick device ran against her skin, and Aurora scrambled to her legs. She fell back on her heels, grabbing for support. Once secure on her feet, she breathed deeply trying to figure out what was happening.

“Ouch.” She flinched as a spear point penetrated the skin on her left shoulder. Her hand hurried to cover the wound, and in the light from a nearby torch, she could see a deep crimson red color running down her arm.

Disorientated, she blinked a few times, trying to discern who held the spear. Standing up straight, she met a freakishly tall woman, who was sneering at her. Glancing around, she noticed a myriad of silhouettes holding spears, bows, and rope. At once, any retaliation she had planned was stuck in her throat.

 “Aaron?” someone called. Aurora recognized Milada’s voice. “What’s happening?” she continued.

“It’s going to be okay,” Valeria said. “Aurora?”

“Yeah,” she answered with a small cough.

“Just…” Valeria continued. “Keep your emotions in control—don’t lose your temper.”

Aurora nodded, hoping that the others could see that she understood. She was yanked around and came face to face with another freakishly tall woman. The flickering light from a nearby torch revealed a set of white teeth, the lips in a vicious sneer. Aurora gasped at the sight as she stared into the narrowed brown eyes of the woman.

“Walk.” The woman gestured with her head and waved her torch.

Confused, Aurora turned around and started walking, making sure to keep her eyes on the female warrior in front of her. With her hands tied on her back, she treaded carefully in order to keep her balance. If she were to stumble over the roots, she wouldn’t have any way of protecting herself.

Shouts of anger came from behind her, and Aurora tensed her jaw. Luckily, the noise quieted down before she lost control. Feeling with her hands, she figured the rope was a piece of liana vine. The long-stemmed, woody vine wouldn’t be too difficult to burn through if she needed to escape. But Valeria had asked her to remain calm, and Aurora obliged.

The path before her was only lit by the small flame from the torch behind her. Aurora could barely see two feet ahead of her, and the lack of light made her walk unsteady. Her boots gently tested the ground before she stepped, and she was painfully aware of every rock and shrub they passed over.

Her foot was caught in a twisted root and Aurora could feel herself falling towards the ground. Closing her eyes, she awaited the impact, but a hand wrapped around her arm and yanked her back to her feet. Opening her eyes, she saw the tall woman gestured ahead. “Walk carefully,” she said. “No falling.”

Aurora glanced to the ground before muttering, “Thanks.”

The woman didn’t answer, just kept her hand on Aurora’s arm. It wasn’t a firm grip, and for some reason, Aurora didn’t particularly mind either.