THE KEEPERS ( THE ORBS OF UTAH )

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Pic of Arisydius

It had been three days since escaping the darkness brought on by the crazed darklings and their Masters who hungered for our doom.

In that three days I had been plagued with the thoughts of those insidious beings, the gruesome deaths I'd witnessed in Vesturia and the terror etched on the faces of the Vesturians running for their lives; all driven by the desperate need to see the dawn of tomorrow.

I thought of the mothers who had lost their children through the pandemonium, the weeping children who lost their parents through the chaos and husbands who had lost their soulmates.

The moment we had claimed cabins of our own we came together and Sethandra conjured a viewing mirror that showed us the devastation that continued to eat away at the once glorious town of Vesturia.

Those who were left were ravaged by the beasts and taken in as slaves. At the end Vesturia was no more but a ghost of its former glory and beauty. All that remained were horrible memories etched on the ruins.

And it damned to me then that we were little more than animals that they kept chasing into a craal. An enclosure they would ensure that we were within their reach for slaughter.

I refused to be treated as such. I chose to rise above every demeaning title they had for us, every sickening expectation they had. I'd slit my throat open before I became any creature's plaything. I'd gut myself before I bowed down to those filthy demons.

The Darklings had reached the point of no return. They had lost their humanity through their twisted devotion for the Uffilians. I wondered what was promised to them for them to blindly follow the orders of their demons.

Was it worth it to bring death to an entire town? I did not think so. I thought them cowards hiding behind their margik. I thought them idiots for thinking that the Uffilians would regard them as anything more than what they were — a means to an end.

I couldn't afford any pity for such insufferable fools. A road which they happily skipped upon would be their undoing. The Uffilians would swallow them whole. Consume them of everything, even their rotten souls. And when that moment came there will be no one there to save them.

I sighed trying to rub the soot that wasn't even there off of my skin but it proved futile and time consuming. I only succeeded in reddening my skin.

In all the eirans of my life I've never felt so filthy. I thought I looked like a begger from the streets of Kenduren.

If my people were to look at me in such a state they would not recognize me. Again thinking about my Kingdom brought forth thoughts of my father.

Was he aware of the misfortune that has befallen us? That, I, his daughter had nearly caught my end.

If only I could fly to my Kingdom just to yell at him for his lack of concern for my wellbeing. Would he even react? I dragged out a heavy breath, blowing at the loose strands that have fallen over my face.

I knew father was shy away from leaving this world. The day mother died, father died just a little bit. It was future of the kingdom that had kept him alive and kicking. To prepare me for my forthcoming role.

I took in the surroundings of the small cabin I was situated in. It had two bunkers and not enough space to stretch ones limbs. It was suffocating being inside this box. And to add insult to injury I had to share the small space with Carrah of all people.

The creature who longed to throttle the life out of me. I was fairly certain the gate keepers wanted us to murder each other. The thought of sleeping in the same space as this wildling was unthinkable. She would no doubt take that opportunity to murder me in my sleep.