The Forsaken

5

Dusk set upon the lonely mountains of Ambrosius. Once silent before, sounds echoed through the bushy branches, hidden from sight. Groans, screeches and muffled footsteps banged hard against my eardrums. As quick as a snap of fingers, all of my haziness and desire of sleep disappeared in the tingling air. Getting up from the bone-chilling floor, my hands immediately massage the throbbing bones, which rubbed against the concrete floor. Taking one endmost long look at Orion, I discreetly stand on my feet, already fully clothed. I tiptoe past the fireplace, which cackled soothingly as sparks lit up the stiff lumber. Not that Orion would have cared if I left and never came back.

His twined mop of hair messily rested in a unkempt bed on a sheet of dried out straw. Although he had covered himself with leaves to keep warm, I could see the contour of his dagger tightly clutched in his palm. No one dared to ask him why he slept with it every night, but I assumed that if the Forsaken broken in, he would be ready.

A strong tang of grass hits my insides as I look longingly at my own "bed", a small collection of oak leaves and dried herbs to keep the rodents away where my head usually rested.

Suddenly, Orion jerked to another side, which almost made my heart drop. I carefully hastened away through the door, careful to not let a since squeak from the sooty wooden panels that made up the floor.

The brisk breeze felt exhilarating on my skin as my boots trotted past the piles of blackening leaves. The restrained shine of the moon lit up my face and for the first time since the Hamster Incident I felt calm. The subdue rustle of leaves and crickets made me let out a sigh of relief that I didn't know I was holding in. Not even the wails and blood-hurling howls coming from the Western Mountain ranges couldn't seize my mood. Nature at last seemed to be working as a unity.

Pressing my tongue against the side of my cheek, I continue striding to nowhere, and even farther from the seaside. As seconds ticked by, the sky grew a shade of plum purple. The moon, now hidden by a group of opaque clouds seemed to welcome the incoming sun; the true ruler of this planet. I raised my forehead up to it, hoping it would dry the beads of sweat.

Suddenly, my foot stepped on an wobbling slab of a rock and my body came falling down onto the honed stones, hidden by the strands of thick deep yellow grass. By reflex, I stuck out my hands forward to protect my core. My ankle rolled and it jerked my body forward.

The fall scraped both of my hands, drawing large drops of blood. The color seemed even more beautiful than a gathering of rich roses during the summer, and yet I frowned as I studied the deep wounds.

Wiping the grimy dirt off my face with a sleeve, I took out long pieces of coarse cloth from my bag, wrapping around my tender hands. A compact puddle seemed to glisten near my feet. My fingers dipped in the cool water one by one, clearing off the blood.

The rustling of my limping legs against the lifeless leaves distracted me from the noises up ahead. A falcon swooped close to my head as I ducked behind the trunk of an ancient tree. Converting my gaze from the other side, a tall sky-scraping wall caught my attention. Where the wall came to a brake, two guards rested it, their teeth shining from the blinding morning light.

Inching further along the trunk, I took a closer look at their faces. Their unfamiliar features drew a blank in my mind. I blinked again. Now one of the guard's faces had a thick hazel colored mustache. I blinked again and jumped back from shock. I stared back. Now everything seemed back to normal. No mustache, no hazel, and absolutely no madness.

The guards visibly tensed up at the sudden noise, and went out to investigate. I gave in, limping to them at the best of my ability. Thick bushes camouflaged my bottom half from sight.

"I'm here." I said, hoping that they wouldn't notice the trembling of my voice. They immediately shot me glares, their identical bushy beards hanging by the crook of their necks. The one on the left crossed his arms, his beady black eyes glaring into what seemed was my soul.

"Step up then, prove it. Turn into a different form." A pit of rocks formed in my stomach.

"I can't." My voice is barely above a whisper. I limped closer as they took a look at my broken ankle, which was visibly out of place. They studied my wrapped up hands, their gaze bouncing up to my reddened face from the effort.

"Fine. Where is your glove?" The one on the right spoke up, his cheeks flushing from annoyance.

I nodded, prying open my handbag, pulling up the soaked gauntlet. Black blood covered the dainty designs. It seemed to slither on my hand perfectly. I put it out in front of it while silently admiring the delicate patterns and swirls.

One of the guards my hand into his own gloved one. He closed his eyes, then a horrible silence came over the forest. Even the unstoppable crickets seemed to stop in their endless song. I felt my cheeks darken from embarrassment.

He opened his pale grey eyes and look deeply into mine. "Welcome, Z'aria." He opened the gate and shut it behind me in a deafening bang.

I awkwardly shuffled through the entrance, my eyes glued to the ground. It took all of my willpower to stay calm. More and more puzzles get together to reveal the horrible truth.

I was trapped in the camp of the Forsaken. Suddenly, I didn't feel as brace anymore. Although I didn't believe in Orion's tales, they suddenly rush back into my head and have no intention of stopping. The dead girl with the black blood. The mustache. I felt sick again.

My eyes, against my intentions quickly darted towards my surroundings. Bulldogs in the most outrageous of shapes bewildered me, undecided of where even to begin. Made of stone, pathways made by countless feet seemed menacing in the forest of trees.

A sudden group of cackles caught me off guard, making me jump into the nearest bush. The thorns prickled my delicate skin and left white scratches all over my tender surface. I nearly gasped as a thorn nearly prickled my eye, but I shut them last second. A minute later, I fought to keep breathing and not to cry like a small child. Shivers spread down my back as I struggled to keep warm against the freezing atmosphere. My heart pumped burning blood inside my chest, beating on its own inside my eardrums. The sound was close to deafening, but enough to keep me going slowly. Luckily, the thick pile of branches and dried leaves helped me camouflage well against my hickory pants and the light umber jacket. The fabric felt thin against my skin. I would be lucky if I made it out alive.

For the first time, I took a sight a relief when I noticed a pair of bright blue orbs staring into mine.