A Fellow Traveler

I: Frozen Woods

Out of all the cuts on her face and the wiping of branches leaving welts on her pale forehead, the frost bite seeping through her numb feet and the burning in her lungs hurt the most. The rapid panting leaving her mouth left plums of vapor coming back into her cloudy eyes, making them feel dry and momentarily blinding her. A soreness that felt like a fire tightens her muscles making every footprint feel like she's stepping on packs of needles as she dodges trees, ice serrated bushes, and-
A piercing neigh cuts the chilled air causing a rush of fear mixed adrenaline to pump through the sprinting figure dodging ice covered trees.  The pounding of hooves mix with the rapid beating of bare feet on the ice covered ground is drowned out by the heartbeat in her ears. Black horses come on her left and right side, their eyes red coals that glow in the frosty mists that surround everything. She rips her gaze away to stare into the unforeseeable destination before her, the frosty mist clouding all life in front of her. Gasping, she pumps her legs harder as the cold air chills her sternum. The riders say nothing, their facing show no expression. A rush of air past her ear refocuses her blurry vision. She glances at a black iron arrow in the snowy soil below as she continues to sprint for her life. The arrows are pitch black and serrated, falling from the sky like putrid rain drops just barely missing her cold body. She couldn't see where she is sprinting to and quite frankly she didn't know weather she would ever stop. The creeping thoughts of giving up or running for eternity starting adding more panic and confusion to her mind.
A new surge of agony shoots through her shoulder as one of their black arrows slice through the tissues of her body. Wincing, She looses her footing, sliding on the wet snow and falls down a steep slope. Tumbling through mud, snow and a poorly placed set of thorn bushes then with a crack of her skull on a frozen rock she blacks out.

Our world's beginning was formed on the backs of three foundation races: Elves, Dwarves, and Humans. The rulers of theses races divided the land into their three respected kingdoms through the First Convention. The Elves took the forest, and fields to the West where their castle was made of the roots of Elder Oaks. The Dwarves held the mountains in the North. Mining, welding, and forging their impervious armors and strongholds. The Humans were not as advanced as their founding counterparts. Prone to violence, religious tenacity and bloodshed the humans were the last foundation race to arise and so they were given the rivers, hills, and wetlands of the East.
A balance came over the world with each race living in harmony. The races grew in size and prosperity with their kings ruling peacefully, life was good for all. Yet one action, one series of events caused the falling out between the Humans and the rest of the world. Elves and Dwarves died by human hands, and a hideous war broke out amongst the three races. And so the King if the Elves and the King of the Dwarves consulted in a powerful magic.
Never before had such been introduced into this world nor were the kings prepared for what would happen next. Animals became monstrous, people of all races lost their minds, and the world was born for the second time in an event dated as the Second Convention. Monsters spread through the land, killing many, especially humans. Death went everywhere and the world fell into ruin and the ground became fertilized with blood. Humans turned to their gods trying to pray away their problems, the Elves and Dwarves withdrew their forces back to their kingdoms. Where they would stay for centuries to wait out the hell they created. This carried on for hundreds of years, small rebel groups formed, rouge military members started their own clans, and the kingdoms that were once in harmony cracked into pieces. Then finally a group emerged with a dangerous plan to save mankind and save their home, though what they did only lessened the casualties not end the war.
But that was many years ago, when the world was painted red.

In a snow ditch many hours later...
Warmth flows over her face, a new light makes her eyes flutter open. Her body felt solid as ice when she tried to lift her freezing blue arms. The cracking of joints from lack of use was audible when her arms weakly tried to support her almost nonexistent weight. Everything felt sore, tired, and strained. Sunlight blinded her as she looked up to see a sunny patch of light leading out of the woods like a path to salvation. With a sway in her stance, she began marching weakly to the light the thought of warmth the only one in her head. One eye shut from the pouring head wound, appendages frozen from the snowy forest, she continues one step at a time until the frost is no longer felt under her feet. Only once the groundwork becomes soft and lush does she look back, the woods are far away now as are its dangers. Yet something in that black maw of an entrance she came from beckons her to turn back and greet the cold death she almost faced with a defeated heart. With a decisive turn, she stumbles onward on bleeding feet with no real desire to continue to walk.

Moonlight replaced sunlight, elk and fox stopped their forgoing, the world silenced. The women let her mind focus long enough to see the distant glow of fire. Like a moth to flame she walks towards it and comes upon a small village and before that a wheat field. The stalks tickle her calves when she steps into the tall crops stopping when the stalks are tall enough to cover her. They provide her ample camouflage from anyone far away but close up someone would definitely see her. That concern seemed forgettable as her knees buckle, and her body hits the ground. Before her vision fizzles out she sees the inviting glow of the village fires then her eyes close.

"Why are you shaking?" A dark expanse shrouds the senses, yet that voice booms everywhere. A pair of blue eyes in the darkness remain forcibly shut.
"Does this place frighten you?" Then all to suddenly does the darkness vanish. The room's icy stones tingle on grimy pale skin, her nails dig into the moss filled cracks. She knows this room well, the aura paints a precise image in her mind. The dim candlelight, the bloody washtub. Oils, poisons, weapons along every shelf and wall. A human sized table at the center.
"Why don't you look at me?" The table has grooves in it, that she vividly remembers. They served the purpose of directing blood into one of four drains on each side of the table.
"What are you afraid of?" The voice had paused, extending such mockery filled statement. Of course it frightened her, this whole hellish place lives in her mind eternally. Her screams from so many nights of torture as they searched for a cause to her "gift" as they called it cling to every wall.
"Is it because of what you did? The reason why you are chained to the floor." She had forgotten those black iron chains, they had dug deep valleys into her back long ago. What she did was out of her control. It was easier to get go of control in the beginning, when the fight in her was there. But that was truly a long time ago and now that all remained was a husk of motivation.
"What is wrong Blue..? That is what they call you, right?" Their laughter reverberates of the walls of her own personal experimentation chamber.
"Do I trouble you? Is that why you won't look at me?" The temptation was starting to get at her. The wanton need to open her eyes just for moment and see that face grew larger.
"Is that what you fear; death by my hand?" Yes. It was that way since the beginning, since that day when they sliced her throat and watched it heal did she know they were not against killing her, or at the very least trying to.
"Oh..to scared to do anything? What a pity" A voice told her to open her eyes, just for a second. To see for herself what was happening, the voice cooing in her ears wasn't helping.
"I do ask a favor of you though." She perks up. She opens her eyes so slightly that her eye lashes are all she can see.
"Show me what you are, show me that animal from before." Her eyes turn to the size of dinner plates, and horror makes its way in her mind. That mangled face, the unnerving smile, those..those gray eyes. Everything came back, everything she did all the pain endured rushed her.
"Show me" The monster was swelling, it's primal carnivorous nature threatening to bust through.
"Show me!" The voice grew louder and louder until it was the only thing she could hear, it began to cause a ringing along with the that face growing closer. Red threatened the edges of her vision as it went in and out of focus.
"Show me!" The laughter, the ringing, the blood soaked face smiling at her. It cause- no other cognitive thoughts formed. The feeling of drowning over takes her. The scalpels scrapped her skin, the needles pierced everywhere it truly felt like she was dying again.
"Show me!" Her scream flew from her lungs, all she saw was that horrific face inching closer and closer as the ringing grew to damaging levels.
Silence
Her eyes snap open to the sound of her heart in her ears, a cold sweat on her brow and shortness of breath.
"And who the hell are you?" A voice above her. She looks around to find the sun high in the sky and it blinds her slightly. She wasn't used to just how bright the world was now. Rays of light dance in the high stalks of wheat and tickle her cheeks. The figure places a hand on their hip waiting for a response.