Where Light Dies

32. Homeless

"What were you doing?"

"What had to be done."

"You're despicable."

-- Carlisle, Base camp -- 2017 --

The blood smeared halls of Carlisle base were crowded with people. The masses muttered viciously among themselves, bellowing as all eyes glared at one single person amidst the gore.

Sarah Dayton.

Gillian Langbert stood inches from her face, his veins clearly budging out of his temple.

The man wasn't angry.

He was sickened.

"You are no different from those abominations out there," he screamed at her face. For a moment his eyes shifted to the slain monster, lying on the floor at the verge of losing consciousness. His wounds were steaming over, the strands of flesh slowly patching up as they crossed over each other.

Suddenly, there was rage.

Gillian was always a man of reason. He was cold blooded and ruthless more than often, but these rules only applied to people who weren't his own. However, seeing the bodies of the only people he cared for shredded all over his home wasn't something his mind could rationalize.

He needed to vent, and it couldn't wait any longer.

As much as he wanted to take it out on the one who actually killed them, his heart pulled him back. He'd realized how the cogs turned the moment the Daytons stepped into his home. His blade yearned for Sarah's blood. For the first time in his life, he let instinct take over.

His hand grabbed the blade latched onto his belt, driving it from his hip straight for Sarah's skull. Sarah shut her eyes, certain she'd never open them again.

After a moment's hesitation, she peeked through.

The blade that would surely have been lodged in her eye had stopped inches from it. It had pierced through Blake's palm, taking both leaders by surprise. Langbert stood frozen as his gaze met with Blake's.

All he could see was pain.

"She's using you!" he screamed. "Why do you choose to follow her? Haven't you had enough!"

Reyna stood silently as she watched the events unravel. This was a question she'd asked herself many a time in the past, but the answer was obvious. It was only a matter of time before Langbert caught on.

"You know nothing," Blake replied, his legs shaking as he struggled to stay on his feet. His body was steaming over, the scent of sizzling blood making Gillian nauseous. He was dumbfounded. It was difficult not to notice how much pain the boy was in. Yet, he chose to stand with the one who'd been torturing him for as long as he could remember. As much as it didn't concern him, he couldn't just let it go.

"Stop hurting Blake!"

Gillian stumbled back by a few steps.

Blake nearly fell to the ground, but was caught half way by the twelve year old who had come to his rescue. She'd shoved Langbert with all the force she could muster in her tiny arms, seizing the moment to save her brother from what looked like the evil man.

Gillian stood still for a moment, his eyes scurrying over the three. Blake, Sarah, and her daughter Beth. Slowly, the dots connected. His fists balled up as the situation became clear to him. He now saw through Blake's eyes, a silent chill running down his spine.

There was no escape for him.

The boy seemed to understand that the man had fallen into groove. He stood up as Beth walked over to his side, holding both his and Sarah's hands. The reasons were as clear as day.

All this for a child's happiness...

The man's eyes gazed upon the child, staring deep into her shimmering blue eyes. "There will be no end to your suffering. I hope you know that," The words weren't for her. Blake gave Sarah a silent glare, his eyes swiftly going back to the man in front of him. Sarah stepped forward to speak, but was silenced by a raised hand.

"Not a word more."

Langbert held his hand out for Blake, who placed in it the dagger that had once been lodged in his palm. The leader looked at him blankly, sheathing the blade back into his belt.

"Get out. Before I change my mind."

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It had been three days.

Twenty-nine people had been roaming around on the surface, scrounging what was left of a once beautiful town. There were days where they'd been afraid of being spotted, nights where they froze to their bones, sanity being the last thing that kept them from lighting a fire. They kept pushing forward regardless, peeking around every corner, sneaking their way through the debris.

The Daytons had lost four of their own in the rampage at Carlisle. Things weren't going well for Sarah either, her own people finding it hard to believe she'd pull something as brazen as that. Very few of the campers knew of their little exercise. Yet they chose to stay by their leader's side, supporting her actions. While the morality of what she'd done was beyond question, the fact remained that she did it to make sure they survived, to make sure that one day, they could roam these lands without fear.

Humans were quite selfish when it came to their own survival.

"We need to find food," said Reyna, her eyes on the verge of clamping shut.

"We're a few miles out from our farm Rey. There must've been some reserve out there."

"What about after the reserves are over Blake? We've been lucky for the last couple of days, but this is twenty-nine people we're talking about. They'll spot us this evening if the odds are as high as usual," asked Mark, fumbling with his fingers.

"Then we go back to our home," said Sarah, walking up beside him. "We take back what's ours."

Reyna snapped. "Are you insane? The place will be crawling with Darks!"

"No. I think she's right." The mere thought of agreeing with the woman made Claire sick. "It's the last place they'd expect us to be."

"They? Those things may look sharp honey but trust me they can't tell a lit match from a meal," Reyna shot back, waving her hand.

Claire silently glared at Sarah, who gestured her to calm down. None of the people from Harrington knew about the other banes. Many of them thought the one they saw back at Dayton was probably the last they'd ever see in their lifetime, other than Blake that is.

Sarah sighed. This wasn't just something they could talk of casually over a campfire.

All in good time, she thought to herself, taking a deep breath. The farms weren't that far away now, and probably there was hope after all. Maybe they could get back to their lives. Maybe they could strike against the empire. There might be a weakness to them, a way to kill them with a single fatal blow, something actually capable of turning the tide. Maybe the future wasn't that distant.

She had the perfect test subject after all.

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