Reborn Skies Book 1

Chapter 2

What had first brought my attention back into the world was the harsh and unexpected leap of the ground, or rather wood, beneath me. And while my vision had yet to form any shape around, a thick illumination of flame red lingered just beside my eyes. In terms of the sounds which danced around my still ringing head, all I could pick up on at the moment was a hush stream of wind and what appeared as iron clicking over hardened soil. To no surprise I quickly came to find my lone blade had been removed from my side, as had my wrists been tightly secured to the center of the carriage: leaving me only enough room to adjust with the constant sway of the ground.

My vision had yet to regain fully, but I was able to distinguish the blurry distance as passing trees and the red glow behind my shoulders as the driver's light source. Rolling my eyes, I spat out a rather large clog in my throat before slowly observing the man over my shoulders. Every now and then I'd switch from my left to right, gaining every angle I could of the man--that and the few stars that glimmered over the torches. "I see the skies have cleared up..." I muttered quickly just so that the driver could hear my voice. However, the man simply ignored my tone, snapping the reigns of the horses as if to taunt me. Rolling my eyes I spoke once more, "How long have we been traveling?" my hands twisting around the leather straps keeping me down as I waited. But again no answer.

Rather bothered me he wouldn't at least acknowledge my words, but I still had excepted as much. Fortunately, my eyes had finished adjusting to my rough awakening. I could finally see the clear patterns of the trees we passed, the black and white patterns of my surroundings only meeting color as it neared the few fires. Straight ahead--or rather behind relative to our direction of movement--I only found the trails of the moist road. Other than that simple fact, though, the back of the trail remained rather plain.

"You sure you're not up for conversation?" Looking back over my shoulder I studied the man. His red leather shoulder pads glimmered back, but his voice had yet to be known. I waited a moment more, watching the wind blow his messy hair about for but a moment. Then, with a quick sigh, I cracked out my back. "Alright then." Almost instantly I shifted to a squatting position, my legs directly between my fastened hands. A lone breath slowly pressed from my lips and my eyes clenched before I released the stored energy to my boot souls. The force creaked the wood planks almost immediately as the leather around my wrist snapped through the air and my body was sent flying. Using the momentum, I brought my legs back as to send myself toward the driver--only now looking back at the commotion. His shocked expression had only just meet the area which I had been tied too when my boot has stuck down into his jaw. The force not only sent him soaring out of the seat but released a number of teeth into the mud below.

Retaining my balance, I came to land right in the man's seat when the horses had taken note to the uproar. The sudden shock of their reaction came to be too much, and soon I too was head straight for the dirt. Although, unlike the driver, I had the awareness to correct for the fall, tumbling to the side as to not be crushed under the out of control carriage--moving my head to watch only a second as the wood planks burst outward when the trajectory of the spooked animals had made contact with the nearest line of trees. "Poor bastard.." My hand whipped away a small amount of blood forming at my lips when my eyes found the trampled remains of the driver not far beside me.

It wouldn't take long for the others to notice the missing carriage. That thought was prominent, but something else didn't quiet sit with me well as I began tearing through the woods. I noticed before rushing away the numerous men ahead of the cart, which made of for the lack of security... But I couldn't pin the reason for my position being placed at the very tail of the group. It was unlike Luria. Certainly it was unlike the Brotherhood. Regardless, this was my chance. The thick forest would make tracking my movements near impossible and the darkness would only add to the initial challenge. All I'd need to ensure now was that I avoid any towns. "Damn" the curse slipped my breath as I stumbled around. Despite my vision being near-clear as day, the bushes and enclosed environment was making running nearly impossible. I could only just see the branches flying from beyond the next thicket of trees so that I could duck in time. Not to mention the chilled air.