(Next part - again, tell me what you think.)
All day and into the night I stayed awake, refusing to let my weary eyes rest and let my frail body recover its strength from my travels. The men were camped out close by, but not directly in front of my hiding spot. I didn't want them to find me - but at the same time, I knew they were correct. I had to come out sometime.
I heard their voices - rattling on ceaselessly about me. I wanted them to stop. I felt weak from running - and from the star that was creating the Red Dawn and threatening to claim my life any day now.
I adjusted my position in the brambles where I hid to hear the men clearer, and to try and catch some scrap of news about my family - or even merely a kingdom near the one where I lived. I wanted to know everyone was alright.
"Rumor has it that Kulaj has broken free." One man muttered.
Another snorted. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Why not?" A third asked, sounding a tad angered.
"Kulaj has been rising to power since the dawn of time, Nomis. And his caretaker can only do so much without worsening the situation." The second man pointed out.
Then I heard my hunter's voice speak up about the situation:
"Kulaj is powerful, and merciless, but we have the upper hand. He doesn't know where we are, what we're hunting, or who to attack first if his rule truly is threatened. He'll go for the weaker of the kingdoms first, and get them out of the way. After that - there's no telling what he'll do."
I shuddered at the thought. Everyone knew who Kulaj was. He was a mighty serpent with many heads: a hydra, as some called him. Some said that his eyes were always open - and he never slept. He had come to rule our world centuries ago, but only recently had the people rebelled.
When Kulaj had been captured and chained, he had been young and smaller. Now, undoubtedly, he was older, larger and more powerful. He was ruthless, and thirsty for power and blood. If he knew I was one of the legendary heroines that threatened his life: he would come for me.
As if I already didn't have enough trouble on my hands. As if I weren't already being tracked down by some of the most merciless people on the planet. I breathed a soft sigh. It wasn't possible for my life to get any worse.
Yet still - I had to make my way through it. Perhaps that had, after all, been my secret talent. Managing to keep going even when things were at their bleakest. Perhaps it was just an old habit I had fallen into.
Whatever it was - it was keeping me alive. That was what I truly needed. I needed to stay alive, and I needed to outrun and outwit the Red Dawn. Whether that was possible, probable or likely or not was questionable: but on the whole - nothing is impossible completely if you try to do it.
"What if Kulaj calls us back?" One man asked my hunter. My hunter was silent for a moment. I squinted through the brambles, attempting to see them and the camp clearer.
"If Kulaj calls us back: the rest of you will fall back to his territory. I'll stay on the witch's track and make sure she doesn't go anywhere." My hunter said finally. "But..." One man started uncertainly.
"My word is final!" My hunter snarled, and I could hear the crackling of leaves as the man who had spoken in doubt backed away. They were like a pack of wolves: forever under the watchful and tricky eye of their alpha - who was ceaselessly hunting the poor, weak deer.
The pack of wolves followed the alpha's command - but they were too thick-skulled to learn that they weren't to question his rule over the pack, and often did. When they didn't: they looked up to their alpha with respect and care. I looked at the alpha with disgust, and regretful fear.
I didn't want to be afraid of this man. But for all he had done, and all he was still so eager to do to my mental health: I had a logical reason to be afraid. And afraid I was. Deathly afraid. I had made my escape from his hand once before - but as to if the luck would stay with me was not only unlikely, but almost impossible.
All day and into the night I stayed awake, refusing to let my weary eyes rest and let my frail body recover its strength from my travels. The men were camped out close by, but not directly in front of my hiding spot. I didn't want them to find me - but at the same time, I knew they were correct. I had to come out sometime.
I heard their voices - rattling on ceaselessly about me. I wanted them to stop. I felt weak from running - and from the star that was creating the Red Dawn and threatening to claim my life any day now.
I adjusted my position in the brambles where I hid to hear the men clearer, and to try and catch some scrap of news about my family - or even merely a kingdom near the one where I lived. I wanted to know everyone was alright.
"Rumor has it that Kulaj has broken free." One man muttered.
Another snorted. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Why not?" A third asked, sounding a tad angered.
"Kulaj has been rising to power since the dawn of time, Nomis. And his caretaker can only do so much without worsening the situation." The second man pointed out.
Then I heard my hunter's voice speak up about the situation:
"Kulaj is powerful, and merciless, but we have the upper hand. He doesn't know where we are, what we're hunting, or who to attack first if his rule truly is threatened. He'll go for the weaker of the kingdoms first, and get them out of the way. After that - there's no telling what he'll do."
I shuddered at the thought. Everyone knew who Kulaj was. He was a mighty serpent with many heads: a hydra, as some called him. Some said that his eyes were always open - and he never slept. He had come to rule our world centuries ago, but only recently had the people rebelled.
When Kulaj had been captured and chained, he had been young and smaller. Now, undoubtedly, he was older, larger and more powerful. He was ruthless, and thirsty for power and blood. If he knew I was one of the legendary heroines that threatened his life: he would come for me.
As if I already didn't have enough trouble on my hands. As if I weren't already being tracked down by some of the most merciless people on the planet. I breathed a soft sigh. It wasn't possible for my life to get any worse.
Yet still - I had to make my way through it. Perhaps that had, after all, been my secret talent. Managing to keep going even when things were at their bleakest. Perhaps it was just an old habit I had fallen into.
Whatever it was - it was keeping me alive. That was what I truly needed. I needed to stay alive, and I needed to outrun and outwit the Red Dawn. Whether that was possible, probable or likely or not was questionable: but on the whole - nothing is impossible completely if you try to do it.
"What if Kulaj calls us back?" One man asked my hunter. My hunter was silent for a moment. I squinted through the brambles, attempting to see them and the camp clearer.
"If Kulaj calls us back: the rest of you will fall back to his territory. I'll stay on the witch's track and make sure she doesn't go anywhere." My hunter said finally. "But..." One man started uncertainly.
"My word is final!" My hunter snarled, and I could hear the crackling of leaves as the man who had spoken in doubt backed away. They were like a pack of wolves: forever under the watchful and tricky eye of their alpha - who was ceaselessly hunting the poor, weak deer.
The pack of wolves followed the alpha's command - but they were too thick-skulled to learn that they weren't to question his rule over the pack, and often did. When they didn't: they looked up to their alpha with respect and care. I looked at the alpha with disgust, and regretful fear.
I didn't want to be afraid of this man. But for all he had done, and all he was still so eager to do to my mental health: I had a logical reason to be afraid. And afraid I was. Deathly afraid. I had made my escape from his hand once before - but as to if the luck would stay with me was not only unlikely, but almost impossible.
last edited over a year ago