The hunt

Breathe..Aim..Fire

Ghost and I sat in the ship. "How did I not see The Mindbender? I should've seen him coming." "It's not your fault, Ghost. I should've---." All of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain in my head. I could feel my skull closing in on my brain. I squeezed my eyes shut and grimaced. I held my head as the pain intensified. "What's wrong?! Guardian?!" I cried out in agony. It felt like every cell in my body was on fire. All of a sudden, a bright light blinded me. The pain finally went away. I opened my eyes and saw that I was on Mars. I looked around. My heart was pounding rapidly. Sand blew in my face as I scanned the area for my ghost. "Ghost?!" He was nowhere to be found. Then I started to hear fallen chatter. I quickly hid behind a boulder. I looked over and I could see Uldren getting dragged by Fallen. I stood up and walked into the opening. Somehow, I just knew that this wasn't real. I looked at Uldren and somehow, I knew what he was thinking. It was as if I could read his mind. He let his captors drag him trough the dirt. His arms ached. Two hands wrapped around each bicep like iron bans. He slumped, and the toes of his scuffed boots bumped over the stones and left trails in the dust. He kept his eyes low, a ragged and stained cloak hanging over his face. It was not a position to which he was accustomed. I followed them down to an underground prison. Where they debased him...they abused him. He bit the inside of his cheek until the blood filled his mouth. Uldren struggled not to resist. They needed to believe that he was broken. That he wasn't a threat. It was the only way they would bring him before their kell. That was his goal. To meet the kell and then kill him. Uldren sat alone in his cell. I stood on the other side of the bars, watching him. I felt a sadness in his heart. I almost felt bad for him. Almost. Their kell came over, furious about something. The kell walked up to Uldren and once he had finished beating him and using him as a punching bag, Uldren must've seen a weakness in him that I did not. When the creature’s anger had burnt itself out, he raised his head to look at it. He did not need to speak. One kell rises, and another bends its knee. And the prince felt the little hum of starlight ripple through him. The one that let him know she would be pleased with what he had done. I was ripped from that world. I looked up to see Ghost right in front of my face. "What was that?!" he yelled. "Are you okay?!" I nodded. I was breathing hard. "What happened?" I asked. "You just started screaming and then you...stopped, but you...you were just sitting there. Your eyes seemed to glaze over and you just sat there." I looked down. "I'm sorry." I pushed myself up and started towards the back of the ship. "I'm just gonna get some water." I walked to the back of my ship and got some water. I drank the cool water and poured it over my curly hair. I closed my eyes and let the water run over my face. I closed my eyes and just thought. How was I able to see that? To be where he was and to feel how he felt. I felt a cool wind against the back of my neck and I heard my name. My real name. My heart fluttered and I whipped around. I moved my eyes around frantically, searching. I could feel a presence in the room. I looked around again, but still saw nothing and heard nothing. "Guardian, we're here!" I shook my head and walked back to the cockpit. We landed back in the EDZ. I looked out the window and saw that the sun was going down. I thought for a moment. I'm exhausted, something weird just happened to my brain and the Fallen thrive at night. "I think we should wait till the morning. We need rest," I said. Ghost chuckled. "Can't argue with that. Good night." He fell down to the bottom of the seat and I swear he fell asleep on the spot. I chuckled and flipped the switch that cloaked our ship to blend in. I walked to the back of my ship and grabbed a blanket. "You saw it, didn't you?" Uldren said. My heart dropped and I yanked my gun out of the holster. I pointed it in the direction of his voice. I glanced around but saw nothing. My heart was going a million miles an hour. I kept looking around but I couldn't see him. I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut. It's just in my head. I'm tired and as soon as I get some sleep---. "What?" he said again.  "You don't pity me?" I shook my head and pointed my gun all around the room, looking for him. "Where are you?!" I snapped. "Far away from where ever you are." I shook my head and still searched the room for him. "Liar." "Listen, I don't know why the light is connecting us, but it is, and I know you saw what happened to me." I shook my head and thought. So, what? His voice is just stuck in my head?  I rolled my eyes and went back to his first question. "Two things, one, you killed---." "Yeah, yeah, your mentor. Your friend. I know. And two?" I sighed irritably.  "You got captured on purpose." "I did, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't torture." "When I find you, I'm gonna make you wish you were back in Fallen custody!" He laughed. "Trust me, little light, the next time we meet, you'll be the one begging for your life." I could feel energy being pulled from my brain and then, I felt that he was gone. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I shook my head and laid down in the seat next to Ghost. I closed my eyes and eventually fell asleep.