Roseblood

🍃Three🍃

When I decided to accept my fate of being sent off, I didn't expect things to happen so suddenly. I hadn't even finished apologizing before my parents had a simple carriage hailed, shoved me in—with prepackaged bags—and waved me off without so much as a last supper. And aside from the driver, there aren't even guards with me, because that would be "too suspicious." What a way to go out.

Stop thinking, Elang complains. But the thing is, I can't. I can't stop fuming and glaring at the black-out windows, and I can't stop fuming at myself and life in general. First they decide to sign me up for this, whatever it is, in the first place, then just toss me out like I hadn't been scared for my life minutes before that. In my room I was upset, but now I'm furious.

Stupid, we both huff at the same time. Though I'm almost positive that Elang isn't talking about my parents, or the bumpy path we've taken, or the sinking feeling of healthy trees and good soil fading away. That odd sensation is enough to give me a stomach ache without the harsh jostling or travel.

Thunk!

I brace myself for another huge bump, but instead of flying three feet into the air we slow down. Finally.

"Are we here?" I ask. Only the eerie silence of the lack of woods and living plants respond. The wind rustles against the dead leaves scattered around, and my stomach sinks like it did when I was at the Terra. Please tell me that I'm not going to go through this again.

Suddenly there are flashes of red light, and heavy footsteps come in my direction. I hear a muffled squeal right before someone bangs on the left side of my carriage. "Caeli-Hortus patrol," they call. "Open up!"

That's not patrol, Elang says.

That queezy feeling reaches up and snatches at my chest. Suddenly it's very hard to breathe. Elang, I need to get out! Out!

Up! he relays back. Through the roof!

No. Mother Earth, no, no, no. "I can't fly!" I hiss out loud.

"Who's in there?" the person, a girl, barks. "I heard you!"

I freeze. Maybe if I'm really lucky and really still, they won't notice I'm here.

Scccrrtch!

I accidentally let out a yelp. I can't help it; someone just stabbed an ax through the door, so close to my leg that it cut off a small piece of my pants. An ax.

"We hear you!" someone else shouts. "Come out, or we'll have to come in!"

No, no, no, no, no. No. What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of here? Without any plants or sign of life, panic starts to creep in. Maybe this was a trap: isolate me and then kill me. And no one would ever know what happened. I told Dad this would happen. I told him.

The roof! Elang flaps down to swat my face as if to tell me to bring myself together. Up! Up!

I look up, but there's nothing but a wooden cover. No trapdoors or anything else that can get me out.

You go, I tell my hawk. Get help. If I can't get out of here maybe he can.

In response, he bites me.

"Ow!"

I can't get out! Elang lets out a screech. I'm just as stuck as you are, stultus!