This World Burns Blue

Chapter 8

I was busy collecting something to eat when I heard something snap behind me, I tried to ignore it. When I turned around I was flipped to the ground. I groaned and looked up; Haley was looking down at me.

“When you heard the snap sound you should have gone into defensive position. First lesion learned.” She spoke, monotone.

I got up and brushed myself off. “I thought you left.”

“I’ve been watching you and you exhibit poor survival skills. I came back to help with that.” She explained.

I tilted my head. “Oh? So you’re going to train me, then.” I suggested.

She nodded quickly. “Yes. First rule, when you hear something, even if you think it’s only your mind, turn and go into defensive position, anything and everything is your enemy. Show me your fighting skills Sasha.”

I looked at her and before I could move she knocked me over and twisted my arm behind my back, I felt pain strike up it and I yelped. “Okay, Okay!”

She helped me back up. “Fight me, don’t hold back.” She commanded.

I went into defensive position and when she went to strike at me I blocked and quickly used my other hand to strike her back in her stomach, making her flinch backwards, but it wasn’t long before she raised her leg to kick at me. I grabbed it and pulled her forward towards me, using my free hand to punch her. She used one hand to grab my fist and she instead pulled me forward, flipping me over her. I took myself from her grip and flipped backwards so that I wouldn’t land on my neck, immediately as I regained balance I raised my fists defensively again.

She stopped and stood up straight. “Impressive. You have a lot to learn, but you’re not bad at holding your own.”

I shrugged. “Okay.”

--

It wasn’t long until days turned into months. Time seemed to fly by while Sasha was with Haley, but for Alex it felt like a lifetime. After eight months of Sasha missing they had to give up the search because of the war, they had no men to spare.

When Alex was not needed to retrieve things and he wasn’t on the battlefield he was mostly sitting in his room, staring out the window, into the forest. Micayla had given up on trying to reach him; she let him fall into depression, because between battling and training, she couldn’t help him.

Alex had begun to contemplate suicide, the only reason he didn’t do it was because he felt deep down that he’d find Sasha again. So he bore through it. He hated all the killing, all the death and destruction that the war was causing, he was kind of glad that Sasha was not in it. But then he wondered if he was actually fighting somewhere else, or if he were still alive.

Micayla had seen Sasha once in the past eight months. She was out in the forest and she saw him fighting with a girl over food. She watched him murder the girl, who didn’t seem to want to harm him because of his Ershio nature, but because he was threatening her. The Sasha she saw was not the one from eight months ago, she knew that. He’d lost control. She didn’t tell Alex about seeing him; she knew it would crush him.

Micayla couldn’t stand seeing him like this, in all honesty, she tried her best when she wasn’t busy. Her mother had taken over the battle training for today, so she decided to help him. She slammed his door open and frowned when he didn’t even shift.

“Alex, get up.”

Alex groaned and slightly turned his head. “I’m not in the mood to get supplies right now; can’t you get Hope to do it?”