Dark Hearts

Chapter 10 (Part 2)

When the hair finally returned to a satisfactory state and the area appeared untouched save for the charred ground, the group wandered out of the trees and back onto the dirt path. A significant difference in lighting appeared after the three emerged from the woods and a few instances occurred when the sky snuck out between the branches. Albeit nature's endless ceiling only looked down with a dreary slate grey color that darkened heavily by the onlook of storm clouds. Cade preferred the more bland type rather than the sapphire blue that typically radiated around the central areas of the kingdoms; the last time the boy had even seen the color was his tenth move when manhood barely grazed his shoulders. Everything else remained exactly the same as before night took over.

Talso and Ivory chose to indulge themselves in sharing light conversation with the occasional laugh that made the ostracized boy turn back to wonder what prodded their humor. A few times, Cade attempted to listen to their conversations but found himself distracted from more important matters such as guiding them safely through dangerous territory. Of course their route lacked in confusing turns or paths that might guide them into the ravenous areas in a twisted way to satisfy the bloodlust of strange creatures. The trickery of unfulfilled beings exposed itself more than once when Cade saw details on their map flicker with change before the brown eyes caught the mistake and it vanished with an inky drip. It begged the curiosity of which being had the particular ability to jest in such maniacal ways.

The tattered book emerged from the depths of the dark sack in which it sat and exposed the torn pages full of scrambled notes and pictures of the interesting beasts residing in this environment. Fresh ink dotted itself throughout the book with questions to be answered and new observations about the personal interactions with the things. Ignoring the conversation behind him, Cade shuffled the crumpled sheets between the pads of his fingers and read the vague descriptions of the characters, adding water to the ever-growing basin. A few of the light sketches made by the previous owner gave more satisfaction than the synopsis, although a majority made him wish that complete relief met his wonder. Cade even took it upon himself to name the unfamiliar and enjoyed the game of offering unrelated or domestic names to creatures with hanging fangs or soulless eyes.

Eventually the short encyclopedia extended its use and the boy returned it to the far end of the bag so that the idea of theft never grew at all. Instead, the prize became retracted from a hidden corner and clattered against itself in his palm. A small chill brushed his fingers by holding it but a weight of relief settled at the feeling. He memorized the engravings on the largest part so that sight became irrelevant and allowed a piece of security as sacrifice. More frequently than desired, the object saw the outer world by a single uncontrollable impulse. But Cade insisted that it remain unattached to his body directly for lengthy periods of time. In comparison to each object stolen or earned honestly, it ranked above the rest for miles.

He realized that his attention fell to it for longer than normal for a trivial item and focused back on the unchanging path. A part of him wished for a mysterious being to surprise them with a great scare so that the boredom of silence would be suppressed. Their escapade gave excitement to Cade wrapped in gold paper and encrusted with diamonds unlike working in the tavern. But now that adventure graced his tongue with a delicious honey, he craved it with an obsession. In part, Cade viewed the possession as a weakness, one that the boy refused allow as an attribute to his character, but he rationalized that if the knowledge belonged to him only as well then it provided no use as a fault.

A sigh escaped his mouth and Cade wet his lips briefly. Blurry vision took over him for a moment as a dead leaf fluttered slowly to the ground in front of him. The continuous pace set from the moment their boots touched the path allowed him the increase the travel of the vegetation by guiding it down his leg.