Scavenger (Excerpt) 2

Trigger Warning: Blood and Gore

All I remembered was darkness; dense impenetrable darkness. Like a thick woolen blanket that smothered its victims. I looked around, lost in that dark world. Then a feeling of despair settled on me.

Drowning me, pulling me farther and farther from the surface.

Then, through that darkness a pinpoint of light burst through the midnight, the only sliver of hope I had of escape. I walked, no, ran toward that light, not wanting to lose my chance of freedom. He looked at me curiously, pulling me out of that memory which I so hated to remember.

His auburn hair tumbling and blowing in the hot summer breeze that ran through the green shrubs.

"I-," He paused, running his fingers through his crimson hair, the very colour of fire, "I thought you were gone, I mean, we all thought the worst."

Coarse sand flooded into the torn leather boots that hung, barely attached to my feet. I nodded weakly, I was tired, confused, hungry and...bleeding. I noticed crimson drops of blood falling onto the sand around me.

That was when I first felt the pain. It blazed like a wild fire up from my ribcage, all the way up to my shoulder. A fresh wave of nausea swept over me as I saw a huge, deep cut running from my ribs up to my shoulder, exposing bright red muscle and tissue.

"You're injured!" He exclaimed as he rushed over to examine my wounds.

"Great observation." I hissed, as he felt around the wound, carefully tracing his hand along the cut. The pain was unbearable, and I was so tired I collapsed to the desert floor, panting, my breathing shallow.

"I'm fine" I tried to say between gulps of air; he knelt down beside me and clutched my wound, trying to stop the steady stream of blood that gushed from the deep cut.

"From what I can tell, I don't think you're fine." He said, the edges of his lips curving into a slight grin, even though he tried to hide it, I could see the worry that shrouded his face.

My slate gray cotton shirt was now a deep scarlet, damp with the feel and stench of blood.

"We have to get you to shelter." He said as he slid one of his strong arms around my back. Exerting all of the strength I had left, I stood, leaning on him for support.

"It is only a few yards away," He grunted as I struggled to take a step; he was bearing most of my weight.

"Once we're there, I will get you a healer, and then you can tell us how you got here." I paled as he said this. Was everyone alive?

"They probably hate me. I am surprised you don't." I muttered, sweat dripping down my forehead as the sun shed its heat filled rays on the sand.

"Well, everyone makes mistakes once in their life," He said empathetically, blowing a strand of fire hair out of his green eyes. I frowned.

"Oh yeah? Betrayed your homeland family too?" I said sarcastically a slight tinge of anger hung at the end of my voice; I was surprised to admit it was there.

"Um, on second thought not everyone makes mistakes like that in their life."

I elbowed him in the side, causing him to yelp in pain. Though, moving my arm caused some skin to stretch beside my wound, causing my eyes to water. The pain was excruciating now, and my vision had begun to go blurry.

I stumbled as I steadily became weaker and weaker, blood draining from my wound. Shadows crept into the corners of my eyes, causing the world to steadily grow darker. 

I fell to the sandy floor, the hot sand burning my arms, and hands.

"Aoife!" He dropped to the ground, shaking my limp body, trying to pull me from my trans. The shadow that clouded the corners of my eyes spread farther, slowly corrupting my vision.

"Edrei, Bolivar! Get out here, he's losing too much blood!" He yelled frantically to a little house that stood a few feet away from where we were. Scuffles were heard as two people exited the building and ran to us. Though the only thing I heard before I fell under was his voice.

"Aoife, you'll be alright, everything is going to be fine."

~~~~

"Is she awake?"

"Will she be alright?"

Voices hushed and urgently whispered above my head as I slowly pulled myself out of my sleep. I opened my eyes. Dusty sunlight filtered through the window that sat beside the little cot I was lying on. The smell of singed flesh and hair hung in the room, causing a fit of coughs to wave up from me.

I was in a room, a small room. Very plainly decorated with only needed bits of furniture. The walls a musty beige colour.

Standing over me, the young man with fire hair smiled, hidden relief flooding through his handsome features.

"Good to see you are finally awake." He said still smiling; walked over to a crude wooden table and grabbed a glass of water off of it and brought it to me. I grabbed the glass gratefully and drank the entire contents, feeling the icy water flood down my throat.

"I-I don't exactly remember your name." I was ashamed to admit it but I remembered him, but not his name. He grinned his green eyes lighting with mischief.

"The names Kenneth" He sat beside my bed, where I was laying, inert and injured though, feeling better. I nodded, Kenneth, or born of fire. I liked that name, it fit his character.

"So," He began, running a hand through his fiery hair. He always did that when he was thinking hard, "What happened?"

I cringed as I tried to sit up. My ribs still burned, as well as my shoulder, though I was feeling a bit better. I was about to speak when two people entered the room.

"Ahh, Edrei and Bolivar." Kenneth stood and beckoned them toward me. I smiled weakly as I remembered the two twins who I had fought beside me so long ago. Bolivar, a very big burly man. Hair as black as night, his name meant mighty and warlike. I shuddered as an image flashed across my eyes of him ripping a man's leg from his body.

Despite his seemingly brutal looks, including the grisly scar that ran

down his thick neck, he had a very kind heart. He was considerate and sensitive, though brutal when he needed to be.

Then there was Edrei, she had every look of a warrior. Her long raven black hair woven into a braid down her back. The many daggers, sabers, and swords attached to her black leather armour.

Her name meant blessed guardian.

This name portrayed her character only in part. She was truly a

blessed guardian, she would do anything to protect her friends and allies. She would jump into the thickest battle without a second thought. Though I felt her name should mean something more like, cruel war hawk or bloodthirsty conqueror.

"It is good to see you, Aoife." Bolivar said gruffly as a grin spread across his round face. He walked over to my cot and wrapped me up into a warm hug. Edrei smiled and walked over to me, her black hair matching the very colour of shadow. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it in hers, a smile playing across her thin lips.

The scene in front of me flickered, shafts of light flashing through the room. The smile from Edrei's face disappeared, and was replaced by a look I had never seen her wear, fear.

Bolivar shot up, his back rigid and ram-rod straight. His face wearing the same exact look, his deep brown eyes echoing pure terror. The scene flickered again, shafts of light cutting through the room, along with the sounds of distant screams of terror.

I shuddered and fell back onto my cot, causing a cloud a dust to fly up into the room, suspended in the air above me as if held by strings. I clamped my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut as the screams echoed again only louder.

Kenneth looked over his shoulder, a look of urgency on his face. I could tell he was listening for something, watching for something. The scene flickered again, coloured light cutting through the scene causing my head to spin.

Edrei knelt beside me, her had gripping my arm, her dark black eyes shadowing what I thought was hope. The screams sounded again, but instead of light cutting through the room, veins of darkness slowly began to snake across the walls.

I tensed, I hated the dark, the smell and feel of it. It reminded me of death, I shuddered as a too familiar image flashed across my mind of thousands of hands clothed in shadow pulled at from all directions, I heard the screams.

Edrei shook me, calling my name. "Aoife, you need to listen closely," She looked over her shoulder as Kenneth and Bolivar quickly pushed the lone table and chair in front of the crude wooden door. But a part of me knew that wouldn't stop what was coming.

"Aoife, you need to remember."

Something deep inside of me stirred, it whispered of a thousand ages. I pushed it away No I thought, not now.

"Aoife!" Kenneth shouted as he pressed against the wooden door, exerting all his strength, more veins of darkness slivered up the walls.

"Aoife remember!" He yelled, Bolivar growled as he pushed up against the door. The something inside me stirred, it rose and almost over powered me.

Don't! I thought, Don't let me feel the dark! I pushed the something further down inside of me.

The veins of darkness on the walls shuddered and spread almost entirely covering the room in darkness. Kenneth's green eyes met mine, a look of trust filled them.

"Aoife, remember." Was the last thing he said before he stepped away from the door, letting whatever was chasing us inside. Then it was dark.

I screamed, letting all the sorrows and tears of the past escape me. The feeling inside me rose, spreading its wings, releasing its call.

Then I woke to up. It was all a distant memory.