Page 6 of The Dark Rising
I try not to dwell on leaving them, try to block it from my mind. The pain is too much to bear, so I push it down and keep it placed in a bubble of agony so I can keep going.
Our survival is what matters now.
Four days ago, we saw rogures in the distance, heard their terrifying howls that sent chills down my spine. It was a reminder that those creatures are plaguing the lands and tear anything to shreds in its path. We aren’t equipped to fight off a pack of them, shit, not even one. Only Anna and her magic, and our bare hands as our weapons. Even then, I’m no use to anyone in my current state.
I hobble forward, the pain wracking through my body becomes a welcomed feeling. It shows I’m alive through the current numbness of my emotions, it shows that I can still fight. I just need these damn terbium cuffs off.
My blonde hair sticks to my face as sweat dampens my body with exertion, but still, I keep going, we keep going. I’ve slowed them all down, but not once have any of them complained. Runa sleeps within me, gathering her rest as much as she can. She’s been extremely quiet, as have I since we set off to look for sanctuary. What is there to say? We are beaten and bruised, but still, we keep moving on.
Eerie lights appear sparingly up ahead, their blurry glow barely seen through the mist as it thickens and rises to our waist. My bloody, bare feet sink into the soggy earth, cold moisture threatening to make them freeze. Sagging trees take over the wood, its dark green vines hanging from them, move in a snake-like manner, swaying to an unknown breeze. At the base of the trees, tall, purple flowers wrap around each other, opening and closing their petals as we pass them by, their stems moving to reach out to us as we move away from them, not knowing what they would do.
I shiver. I have no idea what they are, having never seen them before, but I don’t think touching them would be a good idea.
“Just up ahead, keep going straight,” Anna whispers from in front of us. Josh puts his arm around me, keeping me steady as my injuries still haven’t healed. Sebastian, Taylor, Hudson, and Colten are at my back, following closely behind.
It’s strange to be out in the open in the lands having spent so much time in Eridian. It feels like I don’t even know Vrohkaria anymore, even though Edward has always updated me as best as he can.
I feel like I don’t belong anywhere. Not my home in Zakith, not Eridian as it’s lost, and no one will harbor a traitor of the lands. Where do I fit?
We enter the white, curling mist, trusting Anna as we follow her blindly. I’m barely able to see my hand in front of me. Josh holds me tighter, his body as tense as mine. Lights appear, the orange and red dots floating in and out around us and I watch them in awe. They disappear ahead of me, only to come back and hover around us again and I follow each one, wanting to hold my hand out and touch them.
“Because that’s not creepy,” Colten mutters. If I had the energy, I would try and scare him, I’m sure Sebastian would get a kick out of that.
“Hush, pup,” I hear Hudson tell him. “Keep alert.”
“You do know I was going to be an Elite, right?” Colten whispers back. “I can scan for danger—“
“Quiet,” Hudson commands, his voice a small growl and I hear a small whimper in response. I peek up at Josh and he gives me a tired smile at Hudson silencing him.
“Finally,” Taylor huffs. “Blessed silence.”
We carry on forward, alert and careful until my foot hits a hard surface. I stumble, holding my breath and waiting for the pain as I fall forward. Josh grabs my arm roughly and spins me around, tightly pinning me against his chest to keep me from eating wood. I hiss as the movement sends burning pain to the open wounds on my back.
“Sorry,” he rushes out, looking me over until his gaze lifts over my shoulder. His eyes widen, his fingers tightening on my arm before I turn.
The mist has thinned out now, and I see we’re on a wooden bridge. The planks are worn but not rotted, full of leaves and dirt. A wooden railing sits on either side with running water under it. I look down, seeing yellow flowers floating on top of the surface. They don’t move with the current, just bobbing from side to side. A pink fish pops its head out, its mouth opening and closing as it looks directly at me, like it’s come to see who’s on the bridge before it sinks back under the water.
I blink at all the new things I’m seeing. When I was a child, I stayed at home or went to the woods to play. Mom and Dad never took me anywhere else. When I left with Josh and Kade and roamed the lands for a few years. I had never come across anything like this before, and I’ve been in Eridian ever since.
It’s like a whole other land just opened up.
Josh nudges me, and I move my eyes from the water as we trudge forward along the bridge. Two wooden poles are at the end on either side, that orange and red light atop of them, lighting the way. We step off the bridge and walk along a dirt path, looking ahead at the wooden homes raised on stilts above the soggy ground. Crudely built steps lead up to them, composed of all mismatched wood. Bridges appear everywhere as the glow of the lights illuminate them, going from home to home, over the swamp water to other paths and areas. A light, barely visible mist clings above our heads, making the place feel gloomy and dull, but with the home and the twinkling lights, it’s hauntingly beautiful.
Anna stands still ahead of us, and I hobble up next to her, wincing as the dirt seeps into the wounds on my feet. I look at Anna and follow her gaze to the people walking around, carrying items in their woven baskets or putting wooden crates outside their homes. Their clothes look thin, but clean with their cloaks made of animal fur resting on their backs. I take it all in.
Children play on the paths, their laughter echoing through the air, and the innocence of it warms me. A woman with light hair twirls her fingers and lights appear around her home’s structure, dancing where they have been placed by their maker. The woman suddenly stills, her back straightens and her eyes turn to land on us. They widen for a second before she puts the small crate down, and begins to walk toward us.
Anna tenses, my hackles rise as she approaches, and the guys stand ready at our backs. We are in new territory here and with the rumors of these witches, we could be taking our last breaths. Stopping in front of us, the woman’s dark, moss-colored eyes narrow on me, then to Josh at my side before looking over our shoulder. Her gaze eventually comes back to Anna and she sneers, causing my pulse to rise.
I haven’t met any blood witches other than Anna, and Witches Rest is apparently full of them.
Maybe this was a mistake. Have we just gotten ourselves killed?
“Sister, why are you here?” Sister? My eyes widen in surprise as I look at Anna and this other witch. I didn’t know Anna had a sister, and they look nothing alike. The witch crosses her arms, her small nose twitching in distaste as she looks directly at Anna.
“Janette,” Anna replies coldly, and I can tell there is no love lost between these two. “Where is Grandmother?”
“Why are you here?” Janette snaps, her fingers producing a red-like tendril of magic as she stares down Anna. “And who are these people? You all look like you have been dragged out of a hole.”
