Hunted

Chapter 7

Chapter 7-Amias' POV

“Amias,” Azula called. Her voice was softer than a feather, and sweeter than honey. My eyes scanned my surroundings, but I couldn’t see her. Just trunk after trunk, bush after bush. The scent of mud filled my nose, not a hint of her intoxicating vanilla scent. So then where was she?

                “Amias,” she repeated. “Where were you, Amias?” Her voice was heartbreakingly sad, like she was on the verge of crying. The sound of it echoed all around me, making it impossible to tell where it was coming from.

                “You promised to meet me,” she sobbed. My heart clenched as I imagined those beautiful blue orbs filling with tears. All rational thought fled from my mind.

“Azula!” I yelled, taking off at a sprint. I didn’t know where I was going, or even what the hell I was doing. All I knew was that I had to get to her. She was everything to me, and I would kill just to see her happy.

                “Azula, I’m coming!” I shouted.

                The forest became a blur of jade as I ran as fast as I could, Azula’s crying taunting me the whole way.

                ‘Come on Amias, think. Where would she be...?’ I thought, jumping over the root of a tree.

                It came to me in a flash. Our meeting place! Of course!

                My sprinting increased in speed, my breathing coming in short pants as I thundered towards my destination. It was like I didn’t have any control over my body, the tug in my chest controlling my legs to get to where I somehow knew she would be. The smell of water teased my nostrils, combining with something better... Vanilla. She was close.

                I burst into the clearing. And there she was. She sat at the base of a tree, as naked as the day she was born, her knees hugged to her chest. Her blonde hair hid her face. Her shoulders shook as her sobs continued.

                “Azula,” I breathed, rushing over to her. Her head snapped up when I crouched next to her, placing my hand on her arm.

                “Amias,” she whispered, tears still spilling onto her cheeks. Each one pierced my heart like a spear. I gently brushed them away, but she flinched at my touch. I frowned.

                “Amias, how could you do this to me?” Her eyes met mine. The look she gave me was filled with such hurt, such betrayal, I would rather die than ever see it again.

                “I don’t understand.”

                “You led them right to me!” she yelled.

                I jolted awake with a gasp. My body was slick with sweat, my breath catching in my throat as if I really had been running across the forest. The thump thump of my heart racing filled my head, echoing in my throat and ears.

                “Well that was certainly interesting,” a voice commented.

                I whirled around to find Reynolds and Dobry standing just outside the circle. Reynolds was smirking down at me on the floor, and Dobry just looked... Well, blank. Slightly curious, maybe.

                “What was interesting?” I asked, glaring at the two of them as I tried to control my emotions. It wasn’t real. It was just a dream.