THE LAST GATEKEEPER

Chloe and The Baxter's

Crow was gathering his linens and putting out what was left of the fire as Azlyn woke up. The smell of smoke filled her nose and she sat up.

            “Did you burn something?” She asked Crow.

            “I may have” He said and nodded to something in the distance. Azlyn sat up and saw the smoke arising from the valley. They had been on a mountain; that was where the wilds ended. The valley was devoid of trees whereas in the past few weeks they had all Crow had seen. Plains extended until the horizon where Crow could barely make out mountains.

            “Oh my god, that’s my home town!” Azlyn yelled and got on the horse.

            “Wait! Azlyn!” Crow shouted after her but she was already riding. Before too long she was gone down the road.

            “What the hell man…” He snickered emptying the rest of the water out of his bucket on the road.

            The horse fled through the plain winds and came upon the town. The tavern was charred wood surrounded in smoke. Whatever fire there was it was gone now. Azlyn dismounted her horse and took her blade out. Silence engulfed the town only interrupted by the occasional birds chirping. Her horse snickered and then it was off and Azlyn chased after it.

            “Damn it!”

            It was eerie, she’d grown up in a lively small town but this was empty and burnt.

            “Hello??” She called. A crow responded with a KA KA. Her steps crunched on the gravel road. She’d never so vividly heard her steps on that road. Azlyn’s skin became goose flesh.

            “Az-Azlyn” A weak and frail voice came to her. She turned quickly, nothing behind her or to her sides.

            “Who’s there!?” She yelled.

            “In here” The voice crackled from within a charred house. What was it that that building had been? Azlyn wondered. She stepped towards it and out of the relentless sun. Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the darkness of the building. She remembered what this building was now, The Weapons Shop and on the floor, Mr. Cowls, the swords salesmen, she’d bought her sword from him. His eyes were staring out the door and a tunnel of blood led down from his mouth.

            “Mr. Cowls?” She asked crouching and feeling his cheek. He was dead.

            “Over here.” The voice startled her again and she saw the source now. He was in the same lifeless sitting position as Cowls against the west wall. Cowl’s apprentice, Jimmy, she’d gone to school with him and often they’d sat together during lunches. Now Jimmy had one of the swords that had been on display in Cowl’s shop, in his gut piercing him to the wall.

            “Jimmy?” She asked and rushed to his side. He spit blood away from Azlyn then looked to her. “God, what happened here?”

            “I don’t know, it was your sister and the Baxter’s, they just attacked everyone. They weren’t themselves!” The last bit he yelled but then squinted because of the pain. Azlyn put her hand around the sword in his gut and realized she was crying as a tear fell on her left hand.

            “I found the Demon Hunter, he probably brought this.” She mumbled under her tears.

            “Is Cowl,” Azlyn nodded.

            “This sword, I don’t know what to do.” She said quietly.

            “I’ve got a satchel in the back, go get it.” Jimmy said and gestured to a door to their side. Azlyn scrambled to her feet and then into the other room. Another dead body, this one was charred alongside with the wall. She grabbed a burnt satchel and brought it back.