A Silent Betrayal

No Choice

I looked out from where I was on a short cliff that overlooked the land beyond. My dark hair blew in the slight wind and a shiver ran up my body at the temperature. I probably should go, but I wanted to enjoy this quiet moment for as long as I could get.

I inclined my head to the sun and closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds of the wind blowing against the wasteland all around me. The fast thumping of someone's heart beat suddenly came into my vicinity and I mentally cursed out their presence.

"Achlys," Avery spoke up, coming to a halt a little ways away.

I opened my eyes, but kept them straight ahead to scour the land before us, watching the dark creatures searching for food as their prey hid in the shadows.

"Achlys," Avery repeated, slowly growing impatient. "We're leaving now, and your-"

"I refuse to go," I said, finally turning around to face him.

I noticed his black hair was down, the front of it braided back to keep it out of his eyes –causing the scar to become more prominent on his face– and there were all sorts of weapons attached to the rope belt at his hips. In his hands held a long sword, my sword, and I could see a flash of anger cross his face as he continued to stare at me.

"You are coming with me, Achlys," he ordered, taking a few more steps closer in my direction.

I shook my head. "I'm not going. This isn't right."

"'Isn't right'?!?" Avery scoffed, his hands shaking with anger. "Look out before you," he gestured to the land around us with a wave of his free hand, "you know why we have to do this."

I took a deep breath with my eyes closed before opening them again and staring up at him. "I know, but-"

"No," he interrupted, taking another step in my direction, "you clearly don't understand. Our world is dying, and they are our only hope. The humans fear us, not wanting us anywhere near them."

My brows came together in anger and confusion. "So, killing them is the solution?"

"Killing the ones who don't want us there is the solution. We've tried talking with them, making deals, but they are selfish creatures. You were there! You know how they act."

I opened my mouth to snap back a remark, but my mouth quickly shut once more and I looked away from Avery as I remembered the 'meeting'.

We had arrived in their realm, Avery, a few others and I, and then we went straight to their leaders. I had never felt so unwanted in my life. Seeing the terror on all their faces, the bloodshed that had come from our encounter.

I looked back at Avery and shook my head. "It's still not right. All of those kids..."

"You do know it's not our fault, right? It's their choice to throw their young into the battles."

"Well we shouldn't even be giving them the choice!"

Avery looked down at me like there was something I wasn't getting. "So, let me get this straight... you want us to let them get away with this and we just stay here while our world collapses around us? You want us all to die? And what about all of our own children? Are you insisting that their young are more important than our own?"

"No," I scowled heavily, "that's not what I'm saying."

"It sure seems like it."

My teeth ground themselves together as I continued to stare up at him. After finding out about the physical state of our realm it was like he had completely changed. His once goofy and... nice self had completely disappeared, leaving the revenge-filled person in its wake. I wanted badly for his old self to come back, but I knew that he was too far gone – lost in all the anger.

I forced my eyes away from him and looked out from the cliff once again. "You can go ahead, but like I've said before, I'm not going."

I had expected him to get mad, perhaps throw my sword off to the side and storm off, but a sharp spark of shock ran up my body as I felt his hand clench around my upper arm. My eyes widened momentarily as I looked down at his hand before returning to their original state and staring back up into his rage-filled eyes.

"Do I need to remind you that you are mine, Achlys?" He raised a dark eyebrow and cocked his head to the side before taking one last step closer to me, closing the small distance between the two of us.

I wanted to pull away, but his fingers were tightly wrapped around my arm and I knew I wasn't going to be able to get free easily. So, I stood straighter and lifted my chin slightly, letting him know I wasn't going to back down.

"I want to hear you say it," Avery hissed down at me with a hint of a smirk on his lips.

In response, I bared my teeth and let out a growl, which warranted the smirk to vanish from Avery's face and the death stare to return. His hand tightened around my arm and tears pricked at the edges of my eyes from the pain that was radiating from where his fingers were curling into themselves.

Avery leaned closer to my face and whispered, "say it."

I didn't have much of a choice. If I didn't say what he wanted me to say I was pretty sure he would snap my arm into two.

"I'm yours," I finally said.

The smirk returned to Avery's face and I wanted to scream, cry, punch something, but all I did was stare up at him, the anger slowly leaving me being replaced by a longing sadness.

"What happened to you?"

The smirk fell, his resentful eyes never leaving my own. "I grew up. It's about time you did as well."

We stood there for a moment longer, our eyes locked onto each other, not daring to break away. I had nothing else to say. I knew if I said something he would just bat it aside and bounce back with an opposite retort.

I stood my ground while he continued to hold onto my arm, his eyes searching my own, –as were mine– while we shared silent words. Then finally, he let go and took a step back with a clenched jaw.

"We need to leave. The portal at the gate closes in ten minutes. If I don't see you go through in that time, I will have to punish you when I get back, you understand?"

I reluctantly nodded my head and watched him toss my sword towards the ground at my feet and turn away, leaving just as fast as he had come. Once I was sure he was out of ear shot, I bent down and wrapped my fingers around the handle of my familiar weapon and stood up, turning around to face my home once more.

I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to be alone. But what choice did I have?

Staying here wasn't an option. I didn't want to kill any of the humans – they didn't deserve it. But if I didn't do what Avery told me to do, he would hurt me.

There was only one thing I could do – one and only one option.

I didn't have a choice.