Up To Them 3: Blood and Choice

Chapter Seven

Alast, Sulien lead them from his home and up North. The further they traveled through the snow banks, the colder it seemed to get. The chilled winds left goosebumps and aching chill sensations. The evergreen trees stood tall as if they were stone statues and surrounded the vast lands. Not much was seen besides a few deer trotting along and a lake that was near frozen over. "I got so used to the warmth of Sulien's place." Wrena shivered. Kamiko rolled his eyes, holding back his tongue before even thinking to utter a word to her. Reagan fixed her glasses and looked out at the frozen lake. "Really is something different out here. How far does the snow banks reach?" Sulien shrugged, removing a blade from his belt. "I've been out here a few times, just never gone on the other side of the lake. Stretches pretty far I'd imagine." Capri snickered which resulted in Silah slapping the back of his head. "Not like that, Capri."

They continued passed the lake and through the tangle of broken branches and logs that were covering their way. When winds picked up and carried swirling funnels of snow, they slipped on gloves and other winter gear to keep as warm as possible. The cold didn't seem to bother Sulien as he kept his eyes ahead, focusing on whatever could be out there.

....

Nezora's boots crunched under his feet. A part of his cheek was a milk white with glacial blue streaks that resembled vein lines. His glasses were cracked and he held a dagger in his hands which was now nearly drenched in blood from the gash agitating his forearm. His white coat had a few tears and his vest was stained with burnt holes with black ash surrounding them. As he trudged on, he noticed the girl with ash blonde hair sitting on a log, carving a stone. He walked over and knelt down. "Adrianne, what are you doing out here in the cold? Don't you know you can get colds this way?" Adrianne looked up at him and was quick to hold the carving knife to his throat. "It's people like you and I that ruin society along with people with manas and bend reality. The world isn't supposed to be this way..but I'm going to make it better." Nezora ran a hand through his hair. "Your delirium has really taken a vast toll on you. I wish to agree with you but without anyone in society I have nothing left to do. We'll have nothing left in general. Please believe me." Adrianne wasn't all convinced. She stood, shrinking away. "What do you want? Haven't I done enough, when I can be left alone? I have so much to do!"

"You and I both! Listen, I can give you want what you want if you do something for me. See how that works?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Ah, I didn't say you were. Now, I'm after a certain group of people and they really pissed me off when they were in my cabin. They just couldn't listen and behave themselves! So now they'll be punished and it'll be a lot worse than before."

"Why should I help you? Why should I stand there letting you do all my work?"

"Once you help me find them, you'll have a task. It involves some throat slitting so expect to get a little messy."

"Fine. I'll go with you but I better get what I want."

"You will and I plan to stick to my word. I'm not like Ezerah, the bastard that did us both so wrong."

"He only did you wrong."

"Yeah. You were his favorite..At least he took care of you."

Adrianne took off, Nezora not too far behind her.

. . . .

Crossing over to the bridge, Sulien couldn't see anything in sight. At least for now. The sheets ahead resembled a vast, abandoned wasteland without a trace that someone or something was once here. "It isn't supposed to storm until nightfall. We have plenty of time to get somewhere. Down here we'll find another one of Nezora's hellholes." Sulien continued lead them, encouraging them in his own way. Walnut stuck his head out of the basket and swatted at the snowflakes falling. Once it got too cold for him, he slipped back into the basket and buried himself under the blankets. Feirin turned to look behind him and there stood the girl from the docks. He lifted his blade and warned the others. They quickly turned and prepared themsevles for any attack. She only stood there, staring at them. "It's not me you should be worried about. Yet." Abrupt, wired fences sprouted from the ground, surrounding them. Nezora approached, growing paler by the second. "Your senses were right, Adrianne. You all remember me, don't you? You ran away and that really pained me. Yet, despite my pain I have to punish you all." The snow lifted from the ground as it cracked. Tattered-furred beasts with large, antelope horns and crystal sharp claws emerged from the cracks. "I'll only ask once for you to drop your weapons and get on the ground. Sitting positions, please. It's either you do what I ask or have them take your limbs. It's already happened to so many people." He tossed a net of detached arms in front of their feet. Callum gagged, turning away before he had the chance to hurl. Wrena ran over to comfort him, keeping him calm.

Sulien slipped a device carefully into the basket with Walnut. Silah passed him a page from Heless's book and that also went into the basket. Sulien glanced at them and told them to do as Nezora said. They complied, sitting on their knees. Nezora stepped forward, Adrianne behind him with a dagger in one hand and a gun in the other. "I was doing my best to be kind to each and every one of you. I planned to care for you and make you feel a sense of pleasure but you just refused. You escaped at the hands of a powerful scum..I was only getting started and I hate leaving a job unfinished." Adrianne looked out at all of them with the same hints of hatred as before. Nezora cleared his throat and continued. "You're surrounded by mercilness monsters. Adrianne will put you through Hell and I'll just watch as all of my commands are followed. It's almost too perfect and I'm going to enjoy every bit of this!" Sulien forced himself to stay put even though he wanted to go after Nezora.

He wanted him dead.