The Broken Ones

Chapter 5:2 -Mountains

By lunchtime, Nebelius Silver still hadn’t returned to the camp. Ana was gritting her teeth and pulling her hair. Sassa on the other hand cleaned her nails and Soi didn’t know what to do.
-No, that’s it. I’m not going to wait any longer for him to find his way back. Soi, we’re leaving!
-But what about…
-He’s not a baby!
-Sa…
-She has her own guard, Ana cut off.
-Soi, you don’t have to worry about me. Though that’s sweet of you.
Sassa throw an airborne kiss to him.
-Yes, very sweet indeed, Ana added sourly.
A few minutes later the two were all set to go. With an uneasy feeling Soi looked back at the camp over his shoulder. Sassa didn’t seem a least bit worried. She sat leisurely in the knee of her guard, kissing his neck.
-Is it really alright to leave…
-If you utter one more word I will kill you. Is that understood.
It wasn’t really a question, but Soi nodded silently. Their journey continued for a while in silence, then Ana begun cursing and cussing Nibbles for being the unreliable jerk he always had been. Each step they took they got further and further north and closer to the threatening mountains that were hovering in front of them like a bad omen. They were always in the edge of Soi’s eyesight, bothering him.
-Do you think we’ll get any closer to the mountains before we set camp tonight?
Ana turned around and stared at him with a grim face. Soi looked nervously back at her.
-Not that, that was a question, he added mumbling.
-Are you seriously afraid of the mountains? Ana asked with an honest voice, though a bit irritated.
Soi looked up to meet her eyes.
-Yes…
-So what happened, you was having a little adventure up in some mountain and then you tripped on a pebble and fell down and broke one or two legs, making you injured for life? Ana said sarcastically.
-Something like that.
Ana stared at him.
-I was joking.
-I know.
Ana kept staring at him.
-You don’t have to tell me if you don’t have to.
-That doesn’t even make sense. Soi wrinkled his eyebrows.
-That’s because you have to tell me.
Ana looked serious right back at him.
-We’re not moving till I get the full story. I have to know if this is going to be a problem or not.
-It’s not a problem.
-Then tell me about it.
Soi sighed.
-Looks like we’ll have to stay, Ana concluded and sat down on the ground.
And they did. The camp was set up and soon a fire was burning with some game hanging over it. Soi hung with his head and looked deep into the red flames.
-I still feel that we should have stayed behind to wait for Nibbles, he said with a low voice.
-Look at it this way, you are just my guard and don’t have to care about my, Ana smirked, friends. Got it?
-I still feel…
-No! You don’t feel anything, you don’t have to feel. They are capable to take care of themselves, they are brokens.
A piercing scream echoed in the woods and Ana and Soi instantly stood up and watched around. Soi picked out his sword from the blue scabbard and prepared himself. Ana raised her staff and pointed it in front of her.
-Do you think…, Soi begun to mumble but was erupted by another scream.
It sounded like an animal, something between a wolf and a bear but with a tone of madness. Soi felt the hair on his back rise. And then there was another roar but from another direction. Soi was not one that was easily scared but with the history of the monsters fresh in his mind he couldn’t help but shudder. He had managed one out of pure luck, could he really defeat two? But this time he had Ana on his side at least.
-Ana…
-We should leave. Fast.
She limped toward Soi’s mare who stepped nervously from side to side.
-But our things?
-We don’t have time, take what’s necessary. Come on Soi!
Soi jumped up on his horse and dragged Ana up behind him. She clung to him, her mouth near his ear. Soi kicked the sides of the mare who made a scared jump forward before she lengthen her steps. Soi skilfully led the mare between the trees and avoiding rocks and bushes. From a distance he heard the monsters roar in the night, it was different now. It was closer. Soi urged the horse to move faster and looked back over his shoulder. That one second a branched ripped his face and Ana poked him in the side.
-Concentrate on getting forward, I’ll watch our back, she screamed in his ear.
-Where’re we going?
-The mountains.
Soi pulled the reins and stopped.
-What? No, Soi we can’t stop here! Get on.
Soi shook his head.
-I can’t, he uttered through his teeth. –I’ll stay.
-No, you stupid human, you’ll die. You were only lucky the first time and this time there are two of them!
-I’ll stay.
-Soi, didn’t you hear what I said?! You’ll die!
The roar closed in on them.
-Damn Soi! Look, it’s not really the mountains we’re going to, it’s a little village at the bottom of the mountain. Come on Soi, you can do it. Be the good guard you are and bloody protect me!
But Soi couldn’t move his arms or legs, his whole body shook and his breath was heavy. He couldn’t see straight and his fingers trembled. In his head he could hear man humming a familiar tune and Soi begun to hum along with the man. He could still hear the monsters roar but his head and heart were so afraid that they couldn’t move the body. In the distance he could hear Ana scream but it felt like a dream. All he could hear was that old man humming his tune and he saw only the green mountains of his home island. The wind was strong and his black hair was longer then it was now and waved in the wind. He could see the old man’s face, it was so familiar and warm, smiling. And his eyes were slanted and black.
-Damn it Soi, Ana cussed loudly and took the reins and pinched her legs tightly around the horse’s stomach. –Damn horses!
She urged the horse forward and tried to hold Soi upright. She could hear the monsters and she concentrated on fixing a barrier around them. The monsters moved in closer, running beside them, looking at their prey with glowing red eyes.
-Damn monsters! Ana cussed and flung out with her left arm and sent out a flash but missed the intended target.
And then they attacked and the horse discovered the beasts and jumped scared aside. The mare neighed afraid. Ana had a hard time to hold on, but she was still on the horse. She threw another flash and this time it was a hit and the monster disappeared in the dark. But there was one left. It was smarter than the other one and Ana could only see its red eyes in the dark. The mare had sped up the tempo and run fast, there was foam around its mouth and on its body. The nose flared open and its whites glowed in the dark.
Up ahead lights were glowing and Ana pushed the horse to run even faster. Suddenly something blocked their way and the world turned black.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick