The Bright Sun (The Skye Above Book 2) ✔️

Chapter Twelve- The Mutts

Blight's POV
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"Blight Midnight, I love you. Don't ever, ever forget that."

Her raspy cry echoing through the canyon wakes me out of my sleep. "Megaera!" I yell, bolting upright. I throw off my blanket that the sponsors got me and stand up. "Megaera?" I say again. No answer. My hope fades. It must have been part of my dream. I sigh and sit back down at the foot of the tree. I put the blanket back on and lean against the rough wood.

She is dead. That much I know. A few wet tears slide down my cheeks, making a trail in the accumulated layer of dirt.

"Yes, Pine-Head!"

That was not a dream. I stand up again, trying to see through the thick layer of darkness. Nothing. Is someone imitating her? No. That was definitely her voice.  Am I going crazy? Possibly.

"Blight, I need to tell you something."

"Need to tell you something- Pine-Head! -Ever, ever forget that"

What is happening? I look at the canyon, where the sounds seem to be coming from. The, darkness in the crevasse shifts, like something waiting. It reminds me off the bats that like to house in the trees near Victor's Village; it is extremely hard to tell if they are there, or just shadows.
The voices ebb together again, morphing into one long screeching caw.

Mutts.

The canyon erupts into a flurry of wings, a screeching black mass rising above the canyon walls. Jabberjays. I break into a run. This is horrible. I tear through the forest, scratching my arms on pine boughs. I have the natural impulse to climb a tree, but obviously that would not be a good idea. "Love you. Don't you ever-" they start to mimic her again, although some individuals still carry on the screeching call.

Impulsively, I look back. The jabberjays have split into twelve groups along the canyon, and fly in different directions. One group of 20-30 jabberjays make eye contact with me, feint skyward, and swoop down towards me. I run faster.
Soon I feel pecks on my back, my legs and even one on my head. The jays following me all start to peck at my neck, trying to slit my throat. I scream, and cover my neck with my intertwined hands.

BOOM!

A cannon goes off, and I know what the twelve groups were for. Assassination. I look for some way to stop the jays. Nothing. Suddenly, a sharp stick catches my eye, and I rip it off a pine with one of my hands. I frantically bat a the jays, and here a screech of pain or two.

BOOM!

Another cannon. I wonder how many the jays will kill. Three, five? All of us? I don't like the sound of being ripped to shreds by sharp beaks and black eyes. I run faster. The jays pause for a few seconds, possibly taking instructions from an unseen source. I use this time to get as far away from them as possible. I pant for breath, not able to get anything into my lungs.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Three in a row? This is insane. The jays start pursuing me again, but they need to catch up first. I have a brief moment of reprieve before they start nipping me. One screeches right into my ear, "I LOVE YOU!" I backhand it with my fist, even though it is a risky move. It caws and falls to the ground. No one messes with me that way.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Who was that? A twelve year old? One of the Careers? I swat with the sharp stick again, and take down a few. My lungs are burning and my legs are quivering. The sun starts to peek out behind the trees ahead. How long have I been running? Fifteen minutes? An hour?

BOOM!

I need to stop. It feels like I'm drowning. The sun bathes everything in a peachy light, like an old, yellowed photograph. I run fast, almost tripping over my own speed. The hilly ground underneath my feet isn't making it any easier.

BOOM!

BOOM!

The land starts getting steeper, more downhill. I almost trip over a stump. A sharp something pokes my arm, less like beak, more like a needle. I start to lose consciousness and tumble down the slope. I land, unconscious, at the bottom of the hill.