Playing The Victims [BL]

Chapter One Hundred & Twenty-Five | Fourth World

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Displayed for all to see, threatening anyone who travelled through who had managed to escape the horrors of Hawk's treatment. The decomposing corpse was a pitiful sight. Particular areas of the clan had been left almost intact, whilst elsewhere the huts had been razed to the ground. Falcon mentioned that this was because Hawk likely wished for their current location to be recognised by surrounding clans. A warning.

The longer they stayed, the more the charred remains of the clan collapsed into dust. Soon, Finch looked towards his companion who was just as lost in thought as he had been. The silence of their surroundings, aside from the whirling of the wind, made the gravity of the situation all the more realistic. This was somewhere these people called home; somewhere children would have played excitedly as their parents contentedly filled their roles. That had all been ripped apart, and this is what remained.

"We'll burn all that is left." Falcon said, his voice although deep sounded calm. But Finch could only imagine what he was thinking. He looked away from the silver haired man and to the blood-stained ground. He nodded his head even if the man didn't see. It was the least they could do. Along with removing the deceased's beloved Chief from the elevated position where he cruelly took his last breaths.

Falcon had previous dismounted the horse, leading both the animal and Finch on its back, through the rest of the shell of a clan. After relentlessly journeying for the past days, the horse became somewhat restless when they came to a stop for too long. And when Finch intended to join Falcon on foot, the man shook his head. "No. Stay on the horse, I'll get the body down. We shouldn't spend anymore time here."

This wasn't a time for bickering, so Finch compliantly nodded, taking the reins when offered. It was unnerving given that he was in control of steering the horse, but he decidedly focused his attention on his companion who walked over to the post which was located a short distance apart from the clan.

Whether it was habit or not, the horse actually followed a few steps. "No, don't follow!" Finch blurted as he tugged on the reins slightly, trying to halt the beast. It worked but not without the horse bucking its head and huffing at him.

They continued their little battle for a few moments longer until Finch lifted his head and found that Falcon had reached the post. Judging by how crudely it had been erected, it wouldn't take much for it to be taken down. Which was demonstrated by Falcon who planted one foot on the back of it and applied his weight. With a few brunt shoves, the wood splintered and the body of the old chief fell backwards. The impact created a breeze which whipped up the dust of his cremated people.

Finch was close enough to see the face of the body, and it was just as mangled as the rest of his body. He dragged his gaze away to look at Falcon, who steadily approached the corpse and spent a moment looking down at it. There must have been an element of guilt swirling around in his head. As it was the person he was related to by blood, who had mercilessly treated them this way.

There was a similar expression which crossed his face, one which Finch had experienced when his companion talked briefly of his brother. Frustration. Something any family member would feel if they found out they were related to a monster; that tug of war with your heart and your brain when trying to disassociate ones self. Questions would flood the mind, wondering what steps they could have potentially taken to stop that bad seed from spreading havoc. But from what Finch understood, Hawk had been troublesome from a very early stage. A mean-streak which he has worn like a badge of honour through his life.

Finch couldn't understand the psychology of it, but he knew from basic common sense that no one is inherently evil from the day they were born. Realistically, there was always something that happened which then soured the child's view of the world. But Falcon hadn't mentioned anything like that, instead explaining how joyful the Chief was when he ended up with two sons.