Purple Clouds

Chapitre 2 Trouble maker

Agent Ice

Im going as fast as I can down the hill.

Crazy small Louise, going off on her own in a stranger world. I'll have to keep close attention to her and make sure she does not kill herself.

Not that I did not look after her before, but if she keeps running off its going to be harder.

My leg still hurts. The walking stick helps but still I wonder if the wound is going to reopen.

Maybe jumping off the tree was a bad idea.

The hill was longer than it seemed, the grass being a weird saturated blue making it harder to see distance and troubling perception.

I see in front of me Tatiana, also having a hard time moving forward whiteout falling over.

That girl...

She always had strong emotions. It was easy to know what she felt. And right now, she is mad at me.

And I was mad at myself. For losing her trust, telling her the truth, for being so cold.

In my training, I was thought to hide and suppress my emotions, to not let my feelings cloud my judgement during missions, to be cruel, cold...

I mastered this. It even gave me my code name : Ice Emperor.

No feelings, no problem.

But i could not turn it off, even if I truly was happy or sad, that darn programming refused me to emote. It cost me many things, friends, family and now maybe Tat.

She may never know, but I do care.

...

We catch up to Louise as she stopped at the rim of the camp. I calmly ask her not to that again, staring at the camp she shrugged.

''I mean, I stopped before going in.'' She said.

Tatiana, not buying it, rolled her eyes and crossed her arm.

''The point is not to split up. Ever''

Louise nodded, silently agreeing to our terms, and we cautiously walk to the small camp. But as we walked, i felt something was wrong, very wrong.

There was no noise, no people. It was early in the morning, yes, but one would still expect some sort of sing people were living here.

Then it hit me. Dread flowing thought me as I observe our surroundings further.

The smoke did not come from a fire, it came from the camp itself.

Piles of ashes, still warm surrounded us. It looked like a camp from afar because most houses were gone.

This was a village.

And by the looks of it, the fire was started on purpose. Some whals were still standing, giving me a brief image of what the village layout was. They were too far apart for a normal fire to have burned so much of this place to the ground.

All three of us realize what happened here to an extent.

There is no one here, any survivors would have fled by now. I keep alert my hand hoovering close to my gun, just in case.

As we walk toward what was the center of the place, a familiar smell fills the air.

Burned flesh.

''Girls stop!'' But i say it too late and we all see, in the center of all this destruction : death.

Louise froze, hugging herself slightly at the horrific sight before her.

Tatiana, just as disturbed, faced Louise to block the view. Took her by the shoulder and started distancing themselves.

I kept walking forward, observing the structure, taking my gun out just in case.

A mountain of burned bodies, all mantically placed around a pole in a macabre spin, a flag proudly flying at its top, like as if taking pride of all these deaths. The flag was black, in its center a single golden flower.

This was an organized massacre.

...

After calming down. We scout the camp for survivors, but we only find ashes.

In one of the last standing buildings however.

''What is that?'' Tatiana mutters.

Before us stands two beast like i've never seen. They were not horrific, simply odd.

They had the fur of a sheep, the tail of a bunny, built like a horse and the head of a bird. One was white the other spotted black.

''Fluffy horses.'' Louise stated, approaching the beast whit calm and confidence.

But before she could reach them I grabbed her and put her behind me. Shielding her of the potential treat.

Said beast looked at us, they were making weird chirping sounds and kicking the ground. As if to intimidate us.

''We should get out!'' Tatiana said. Agreeing whit her we started getting out.

But once again, Louise stepped toward the beasts.

''Lou no'' Tat says about to grab her back.

But this time Louise actually dodged. I tried to get her also but she was dangerously close to the beasts now. I pointed my gun to the beasts.

Snapping her head around, Louise stared at me, still calmly walking toward the beasts.

''Don't shoot them.'' She said.

''Step away from them and I wont have too.''

''If you shoot, oh Gods help me, I will stop the bullet whit my own body.'' She warned.

She reached the beast, who had almost instantly calmed down.

And started to pet them.

I pulled down my gun. Wondering what just happened. What did this child just do.

If she keeps doing stuff like that she was going to be the death of me.

''They are domesticated, they were probably stuck here when the place was attacked. They were just scared.'' She calmly says in a matter of fact, still petting the beast, one of them rubbing its beak into her back affectionally.

''Could you not have just told us that?!'' Tatiana said, in disbelief.

''Would you have let me try to calm them?'' She asked, calm, looking at the ground once again.

I though for a sec, I would not have let her, they could have done anything and we know nothing of this world.

Not wanting to put her also on my back, I decide to lie.

''I would have. I trust your judgement, but a heads up would be appreciated.'' My tone is neutral, like usual. I put my gun back in its case as a sing of good will.

''Same, I know you were raised on a ranch, but still, please stop freaking me out.'' Tatiana signs and crosses her harm over her chest, pose tense for only a moment.

Looks like i'm not the only layer here.

Louise stays silent, looking at the ground. Absently petting the creatures. She seem to have bought the lies, but who knows whats going in her head now.