Alongside those who are sinful.

Chapter 16

Sorry for that extended break between chapters. I took some personal time to myself to relax and focus up a bit on school. Back to it!

XXX

The first thing Dietrich felt was how the temperature had dropped sharply since he had gone underground. He felt the cool air brush against his skin, leaving it to pebble up like a plucked chicken. The moonlight was blocked by the clouds, and a crack of thunder violated his ears.

He raised his P38 up, unable to see the source of the screaming or the tearing. He still felt Sehth'ker's hand inside his waistband. Cocking the hammer of his sidearm, he focused his hearing so that he could listen and if only disturbed the man when he came to realize that he could not hear anything.

There were sounds to the woods or village. No animals moving. No crickets chirped. The vegetation seemed to stay still even with the breeze that should have been pushing them along. Dietrich looked down to Sehth'ker and brought his mouth close to her ear.

"Did you hear the full scream? Did it sound familiar to you?" He whispered. She looked up at him and answered in an ice tone.

"That was one of us. A female." Her voice was timid and quiet, in part due to the nature of needing to be stealthy. The other part, however, was being in a stage of fear from whatever caused the Thrask to scream like that.

"Why did you volunteer to come with me?" Asked Dietrich. Sehth'ker looked bewildered at his question. She then narrowed her eyes and leaned forwards, sniffing the air lightly.

"I smelt your fear. And if you can fear something, I must see what it is." Sehth'ker eyed Dietrich, and he looked down at her. Her milky eye made him uncomfortable in a slight way, and he did not feel like looking at it anymore, so he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

"Also, I believe my magic will prove most helpful to you." She said. Dietrich turned around to look at her once more, giving her a rueful glare.

"She needs to learn how to stay quiet. I grow tired of her voice." He thought. As his inner dialogue finished, a bolt of lightning flashed in the sky, bringing the sound of thunder shortly after it. He maintained his eye contact with Sehth'ker throughout it; Years of artillery explosions, gunfire, and tank shots rendered him immune to flinching.

Sehth'ker's eyes went wide and Dietrich had to assume that the lightning had illuminated his face in such a way that she was able to take the hint from the expression he was giving her.

"Stop talking." Ordered Dietrich, in a low tone. The Thrask bandit only waved an affirmative and Dietrich looked forward once again, noticing a peculiar sight. He spied something sticking out of the ground a few meters ahead and more importantly, some sort of vapor rising around it as well.

When they approached it, Sehth'ker off to his side, Dietrich was able to see that it was a knife of sorts which was jabbed into the ground with a detached Thrask hand still grabbing the blade.

There was a decent sized puddle of blood surrounding the blade and a trail that led elsewhere. The warmth of the blood caused the vapor that he had been able to see earlier.

Cautiously, Dietrich began to follow to blood trail, and as it appeared that they would meet whatever was happening, he nudged Sehth'ker completely behind him, ensuring she would be safe behind him in case something happened.

They were coming up behind the charred ruins of the first barracks building, and Dietrich began to hear the familiar sounds of flesh being stripped from a bone. He crouched down slowly and turned to Sehth'ker, hoping that the urgency in his eyes would alert her to keep absolutely still and quiet.