Remnants

Chapter Thirteen

| Damian |

--*--

Rhys and I walked and talked until we arrived outside my pad. It was like the other dozens scattered throughout the camp: small with four stone walls, a wooden door, and a slanted roof. The vibrant light crystals lining the dirt pathway helped provide a little life to its rugged surface, but there was no hiding its overall blandness.

It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was home.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Rhys said through a yawn.

I sighed and walked toward the door. "Yeah, goodnight."

"Damian..." he called out, "Try not to think about it too much. He's alive. You said it yourself. All we can do now is be positive."

"I know." I cracked a halfhearted smile. "Thanks, man," I said as we did our overly elaborate handshake which ended with a snap.

Be positive, huh?

I walked into my pad and kicked my shoes off into the corner. The room was fairly empty. A few of my clothes hung from the walls, a wooden desk sat in the back-right corner basking in the moonlight that shined through the small window above it, and a comfy stone bed covered with animal pelts extruded from the wall on my left.

I threw myself down onto the bed and my fatigue slowly began to melt away. A familiar warmth coursed through my body as I stared up at the dark ceiling, lost in deep thought. Then, through a flash of light, a ball of flames emerged from my chest and spiraled above me.

"Not now, Aku," I muttered.

Wings and talons sprouted from the flames as it morphed into a small burning Phoenix... my trusted partner, Aku. He landed on my chest and stared down at me with his head tilted before cawing in my face.

"Stop it! Get off me!" I shouted, shooing him away.

He hovered above me, flapping his fiery, dark-orange wings. "You're in distress. I merely wish to bring you comfort." His voice echoed in my head.

I covered my face beneath my arms. "I'm not in the mood, alright."

"But your heart. It aches."

I sighed and rubbed my face. There was something about Aku that always compelled me to talk, especially when I didn't want to. I hated it.

"I... I can't stop thinking about him. His flames are still lit, but that can change at any moment."

Aku landed on my forehead and gazed down at me with his bright yellow eyes. They were soothing to look at. "I know how much he means to you, but your friend was right. We must remain with a positive mind."

"But..." I pinched my lips. "...what if I never get to see him again? He's the only family I have left."

"Raynor is a great warrior. He would never give up, no matter the odds." Aku flapped over to my chest and slowly transformed back into a ball of flames. "We must remain hopeful," he said as he returned to my chest.

Hopeful? It was hard to be hopeful in a world without hope.

I allowed my mind to drift in thought as I stared through the window, and for a moment, I spotted something... a shrouded silhouette. It immediately pulled away before I could get a better look.

"Hey!" I shouted, springing from my bed and running through the door. I scanned between the surrounding dwellings and both ends of the dirt pathway, but there was nothing.