Academt Of Five Peaks

Chapter 26- One saved, one lost

Chapter Twenty Four

‘Why?’

‘I don’t know. Friendship? Love? Maybe she just wanted it to end.’

They both knew she was dead, without even having to speak it. Luca had sacrificed herself for them, taking her life to be with Josh, her best friend.

‘They’re here.’

‘Who?’

‘The Hunters who left. They came back an hour or so ago.’

‘Where have they been? Why haven’t we heard them?’

‘I think most of them didn’t make it past the gate. Some are still hiding. Fighting. I think they’re trying to organize something.’

‘Should we be helping?’

‘No.’

‘Where do we go?’

‘Out.’

‘Out to where?’

‘Anywhere but here. Somewhere safe.’

‘Maybe we could go to the tribal village where the people came from.’

‘We’re on the wrong side of town. For now we should go up the mountain. I think it’s mostly empty, the demons are down there.’

‘But that means getting closer to the North gate. It will be more dangerous.’

‘Do you have a better plan?’

‘No.’

They were to go up the mountain, safely hidden in the trees until they could find some safer way to the front of the village or somehow skirt around the forest until they were free. Elle didn’t like the idea, she hated going closer to the North gate, right into the place where the demons emerged, but with not much choice they began their ascent.

Elle could feel a chill shift through the air, signaling the arrival of dawn not too far away. It struck her that she’d been up all night, barely noticing her sleepiness or feeling tired at all. It would be a relief when light came, she’d always had a small phobia of the dark and it had given the demons more of an advantage. But at the same time it had concealed the Hunters better. Hopefully when it was bright enough they could organize themselves to attack.

‘I need water,’ Patrick said after they’d entered the forest.

‘Well…’ Elle peered into the semi-darkened landscape, hoping to see any trace of water. ‘There must be something or else the animals wouldn’t survive.’

‘I think I saw some sort of stream when we first went to the North gate. It was just to the side of the path.’

They hadn’t gone up the path route, knowing it would be too conspicuous, and instead had made their own way up.

‘The path’s that way…I think,’ Patrick squinted into the darkness.

Elle agreed so they made their way towards where they thought the stream was. It took some time and when Elle had convinced herself they were going the wrong way Patrick changed his ears, his human ones shifting into that of a wolf.

‘Over there,’ he raced into the undergrowth, Elle close on his trail.

He found the stream, but it wasn’t the same as he remembered. It was a river of blood. The blood was so pure and untainted that Elle could see her reflection, her horrified expression that blinked in and out of view.

‘It’s like the plants…’

‘Dead.’

They were on a rock platform, a clearing that gave a perfect view of the town below.