The rest of the day was spent just resting. Asen got bored and made everyone flower crowns. Scarlet's was too big and became a necklace, and mine was too small, but it's the thought that counts.
The whole day I was on edge. I couldn't shake this sense...wrong. Like something horrible was going to happen. Asen kept asking me what was bothering me, but I didn't tell him. He doesn't need to worry about some dumb feeling.
Right now it was sunset, and I was trying to figure out how to pack everything back up. Trying. Nothing seemed to want to go back on the bag, so right now I was forcing a sleeping bag into it while Asen laughed at my struggles.
"Do you need help?" Scarlet asked, laughing when a canteen of water managed to spring out of nowhere and hit my head. She knelt beside me, and I swear the sleeping bag shrank as she put it in without struggle. Scarlet zipped the back pack up and handed it to me. "See? Easy as pie."
"Easy my butt." I muttered, shouldering the bag.
"Oh, hey, Asen?" Scarlet asked as she walked by him. "Right here await orders, sir." He replied with a salute. "You can run quickly, right?" Scarlet questioned.
"Well, yeah. I have long legs for a reason. But I'm definitely not fast enough to catch up to a werewolf."
Scarlet frowned for a moment before shrugging. "Well, Oskan can run a little slower than usual. Oh, Billy's a little heavy--"
"I am not!"
"--from eating all that metal and stuff, so I must warn you on that. Well, let's get moving!"
"Wait, what?" I asked. Scarlet laughed. "You and I can't run if our lives depended on it, and right now, our lives are depending on it. So the guys are carrying us. A faster way to your sister, and to get away from the Nameless."
"I can run." I complained.
"Not for a long distance, which is what we will be doing."
I heaved a sigh and crossed my arms, but no other complaints left my mouth. It's not that I didn't mind being carried, I just want to pull my weight. I looked to the horizon, where the sun was quickly disappearing. It was also cloudy, so in a few minutes I will be virtually blind.
Oskan took off suddenly, and Asen followed speedily behind. Never before have I seen anyone run this fast, or even half as fast. I clung to Asen's back like a barnacle, my eyes closed because with them open it would make no difference.
We ran for a while. Soon I opened my eyes and saw nothing, so night had fallen. I could also hear the shrieks and screams of the Nameless in the distance, but they were far enough away not to worry me.
Tall grass brushed my legs, and I could tell that it was bothering Asen's. I wanted to do something to help, but what could I possibly do? Eat the grass? No. We all would have to bear thought this together. Somehow.
Asen and Oskan were running for awhile. They stopped a few times, catching their breath or whispering locations, but other than that they were on the move and none of us uttered a single word. May it be out of fear or fatigue, we were silent the whole night. Not once did we take a long break.
When I opened my eyes, the world was a bunch of fuzzy greys. This meant the clouds were gone. I don't know how I could see the other night, but I wish that was working now.
"Where are we?" I asked, my voice having the dry crackle of someone who lacked sleep. I could feel Asen jump at the sudden sound, maybe thinking it was the Nameless.
"Pretty far. We've run about three miles now." He whispered in response. It was the only conversation we had that night.
At about dawn, I could start to see again. We weren't running anymore, but we weren't walking either. Scarlet and I had gotten off Asen and Oskan's back to help them stretch and breathe better, and I felt horrible when I heard Asen's labored breathing far behind us. Was this my fault? Am I really that heavy?
A scream pierced the night air. Not one of terror, but more of a war cry.
My blood turned cold. My vision was still hazy, but at least I could see now. The others responded to the scream by running, so I did too, until I heard a thump. It was the sound of a body hitting the ground.
When I turned around, all I could see was a black mass with wisps of shadow on top of Asen. His hands passed right through it, but I had a feeling the Nameless could bite him and it would do its toll.
I lunged before I could think. Maybe I did think, actually. I knew Asen was special to the world, to others. People like him needed to stay alive. Either way, I hit the Nameless with my body at full speed. I heard it yelp, then hiss when it saw me. I cursed. What was I even supposed to do now?
Asen scrambled up behind me. He stood there for a second, as if questioning what he should be doing. I turned away to look the Nameless in the eye, and for a brief moment, it hesitated. I knew exactly what quick thought had come to mind: my kin. Well, sorry you little tar-faced bastard, I don't like you.
If it heard my thoughts, it showed. The Nameless lunged at me, but didn't bite because I was yanked from the ground. Asen was running, practically dragging me behind him. The Nameless were all shrieking loudly behind us, but underneath it all I could hear Asen laughing. At what, I don't know. Maybe it was shock, or adrenaline. Maybe it was the situation.
But in that moment, our lives on the line and Nameless nipping at our toes, I laughed with him.
It was quickly cut short by the tearing of flesh.
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Heyo. It's me, the author. Forgive me for the short chapter. And, ah, the cliffhanger. I'm currently working on five books at a time right now, so please expect the chapters to be shorter.
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The Lost Fairytales
FantasyBilly was raised along side the Royals--better known as the ones who were Fairytales--but she herself never was one. She's a Renegade, or a Fable. With her older brother and younger sister, they make the next three billy goats. Her sister, though, h...
