Tyranny: Onwards

Chapter 85- Hint

If only the snows would let up, now it is thick even under the branches, cruel airs brush off the walls of snow on every needle and branch onto, in front, behind, and beside us as we continue on. I pull up the hood of the cloak Aegis lent me a few days ago, which has been a bright red like Phoenix's since Aegis touched it; the cloak could almost be considered loyal. Since a few hours ago, Phoenix has given his cloak to Rin and Hester to share. All snows slip right off as an egg on a no-stick pan.

My stomach encroaches with a gurgling, and now it is sick with striking hunger, my tongue is dry with thirst and my heart is chained with weights. I shove the thought away and try to turn my back on all complaints; Can't feel my toes, hungry, thirsty, sore, tired, and the list goes on. Thankfully the cloak is my save, releasing currents of warmth through my body evenly at even intervals to keep my feet an toes from the claws of frostbite and away from hypothermia.

Again I trek along to make way for the others behind with Aegis, Hester and Rin side by side behind, huddling in the sacred cloak; for it is their only comfort and source of proper warmth, Phoenix treads at their heel, huge flames rising from both his hands, gazing about. Aegis has flame in his palms also and I watch them when there are no other thorough distractions from the pain or the dark places of my mind I want to avoid.

I love having my open mind, arguing with myself to make sure I find proper beliefs and values, but I also hate seeing so much darkness and terror all the time everywhere. So, is it better to hide it away and run, or should I leave the doors open and try to still be happy? But how do I do that? What if I can't?

If in fact I can't, I would spiral back down into an abyss once more. If the cloud consumes as fogs and mists, what if I cannot escape again?

I cannot even spot my own feet below anymore. For about an hour more I occupy myself with hoping for the winds to calm and the snows to stick and cease. And after that hour, luck holds me strong in its arms, and the landscape regains it unmatched beauty so wild and untamed, for no one can control it except the Earth itself.

"Which way should we try to go?" Aegis asks for our collective opinion as we have come to a halt at the wide base of a great hill.

"Left," I shrug, something pulling towards the left even though I have no idea what or why. I am not a superstitious person, but it's not worth taking hours and wasting time thinking about it, could be faster just to o both ways.

"Okay," We veer to the North-west and round the hill after everyone agrees.

So far there have about five more creepily large pools of blood sinking the snow and leaving behind a tragic legacy to the fresh white of a new start. Hester now leans heavily upon the wizards staff, more and more every time I glance back to make sure no one else goes missing or is taken, paranoid to the extreme. Imagining this pit of sickness of what could be the end to this, makes me have tremendous sympathy towards Dagwood, knowing how it must be so much tougher on him than anyone.

The trees recede now from the hills feet to form a slim flat trail around its unique curve, no they stand further apart too. The sky is blue and clear, for a moment I actually thought it might be red or grey, maybe black from cloud and was shocked to find it not so. My mind is in the midst of a weird mood where it develops supernatural expectancy, I hate it but also love it; this shows me I've still got some creativity and something different about me.

Still my heart is dull, the world tinted greys and whites with only reds sticking out. Now however I have begun to notice how I can change my mood drastically and put aside how astounded everyone else will be with it.

However I cannot distract myself any longer and give in to the awareness of my building angers, guilt, and sadness. I don't want to be mad at Rin, especially when I know full well she's never done anything to me, but I can't seem to stop seeing the Big Man and thinking of memories I want to forget so terribly. Now I feel awful for feeling this way and thinking this way, that this happens at all!

Perhaps this is how the Luzumi feel, except they are undoubtedly better at dealing with it and convincing themselves it would seem to me. How do they do it?

A hand hits my back and before I even register that much I've grabbed the hand twisted to outside, shoving the person onto the ground. But I can't stop myself even after I now know it was Phoenix.

"What!" Phoenix is shocked and gives me stare of disgruntlement before standing beside me again.

"Sorry!" I apologize, "I was your fault though," I just have to add, though my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"Everybody get down!" Phoenix whisper yells at us all and flattens himself into the snow belly flop style.

No one asks why, we all drop no matter the pain we know it could cause, not even thinking, just doing, because right now, it's too much effort and time to ask, and because right now we all know the dangers lurking about us. I feel the snows melting through my clothes on my stomach where the cloak does not cover, for it flew open as I fell to the ground.

My heart spins and twines itself up with a controlled panic and fear.