Annihilation - Book Three

Chapter 8

Perched on the stone pillar at the mouth of the grand stairway, directly in front of the massive oak front doors, he watches quietly as the pack makes their morning run. How is it that in such a short amount of time, a ship can sink to almost unsalvageable depths? The state of distress that the pack currently exists in could make even the most collected leaders run for the hills; the ranks have all but vanished.

 Haryek's reliance on general-type personalities to lead complex hunting expeditions did not help—going into battle and surviving in a wild setting require different skills. Unwarranted promotions coupled with seasoned woodsmen holding inferior ranks led to bitterness and turmoil among the pack members. 

Despite abandoning his people, his heart was warmed by the greeting he received. With the smiles, the laughter, and the joking at his expense, it seemed the men were no worse for wear when it came to their opinion of him. He'd saved them once before, and it would appear they held no hard feelings in that respect. 

"Good to see fornicating with men is just as difficult as women!" One had teased, elbowing him sharply in the ribs. 

"Hate that you had to come back; we were rooting for you that you'd finally gotten out."

As a whole, the group seemed more than willing to fall back into place under his lead and guidance. All at once, the regret had begun to fade away, he could think around his sore heart and how he missed me, for he was renewed with this mission. He liked these people, not in the way that he cared for me, but as one might a brother. That would have to do, it would have to be enough to see him through. 

If they could hold Ziduri, there might be a place I could return to. Even if it wasn't safe for me to be with him, I would still have a place to go. 

"Well, there's nothing else for it," Verando murmurs to himself. "They're horribly out of practice, we can start there."

Thus began the trials, the training, and hurried tests of accuracy with a bow and blade. It felt good to spar despite how Adriam watched him, scolding him if he dared tread too close to reinjuring his bad shoulder. Hour by hour, he began to find himself again, a piece that could survive without me. 

Maybe they could do this, maybe they truly could survive? 

With the motivation of food, the pack quickly got into a rhythm, and it wasn't difficult to find volunteers. Something so simple took so much planning, and the hunger made the men frustrated; Verando had always been successful in the woods; it would seem his presence made them optimistic for success where they'd been failing until now. 

Truly, this is where he thrived: orchestrating large missions and big groups of people, leading and being at the head of the command. After a few short days, it was time for a test run, and for the first time in a long while, he could feel the nerves of battle twisting in his guts. 

Verando watched as the first groups fanned out into the woods. From his perch, he could see the tree line and track their accuracy to the formations; as expected, the lines were smooth and clean, and the men were soundless in their paths. A well-oiled machine that just needed a slight tune-up to put it back in place. 

 As tempting as it was to remain here until he was summoned, the warlord had other plans. Sliding down and stretching, he departed on a solitary expedition. Domestication hardly suited the creature, while he put up with it for my sake, being locked indoors was never a desire of his. Even as a child, he'd frequented the streets and slept under the stars more often than a roof. The posh lifestyle of the elves, even in the midst of the end of their civilization, was grating on his every nerve. 

 Being alone with the servants only continued to remind him of his infidelity, how he'd slept with Penelope and used her for his own gain. Those same urges had refused to fade, and it wasn't as if Elven women would be opposed to him sinking his teeth into them. So, to go back to the wild and return to being a feral creature best suited him. Much as his body wanted to partake, the mind wouldn't forgive him.