The sun came up too early from the other side of the world. Kristen would have called it beautiful if she had rested perfectly. But the rough forest floor took that luxury away. Her head was throbbing and she could feel the ache all over her body. She needed rest and a good one at that. The days of traveling through the forest were beginning to take their toll on her. Her legs had also grown stiff and she doubted she would sit on the Bostrich for the time being. Good, they were not chased by those monsters. She would have to walk for a while, until the burning on her legs fades, at least.
"Raise and shine, sleepy head. We've got to move." Vick said. She had saddled the Bostrich and was fastening their supplies on the biotech animal. "If we maintain the same pace as yesterday, we might get to the wall before sundown."
"The same pace?" Ygon yawned a
The words had barely left Catherine’s lips when something strong jabbed his side. An electrifying pain coursed from his chest to his legs, hands and spine, almost exploding his body. Damian gnashed his teeth and turned his attention early enough to catch the smirk on the face of the beast. It was the founder, the biggest one in the group. For some odd reason, it had pushed Damian, even though Damian was not with the ball or standing in its way and the speed and strength were something Damian could not explain. All he knew was that one moment he was arguing with Catherine and the next moment, he was spinning in the air like a weightless object. The ground looked distant now, with the many people cheering in the stadium. He must have floated about a thousand feet off the ground before he started to descend with the same initial force. He tried to yell, to scream, and to hold something, anything but the empty air. Yet all effort was f
CHAPTER 68Turns out that the travel through the wild was not as bad as Merck had portrayed it. It's been days since they left the arena, marching through this desert that looks anything but friendly. There was no getting us to it too. The desert seems similar to the route they had taken when Catherine kidnapped and brought him to Arthesia. Damian had asked Catherine to make sure his fears would not become a reality and twice the woman had assured him that the Founders had chosen a different route. She had even claimed that they were not on earth. Damian was finding the last part difficult to believe.There was a sudden commotion outside which caused the traveling party to lower the palanquin. Damian tried to look outside but after so many failed efforts, he relaxed back, with the notion that the Founders were going to take care of whatever had obstructed their
CHAPTER 69Tina didn't know how long she had slept and when she finally woke to the bright light of the morning, she realized that the bedsheets and the room smelled differently. Compared to the hard surface she was used to, the bed was comfortable and the softness wanted to make her lie back. But she didn't know where this is, or how she had gotten here. What had happened?She walked out of the bed, careful not to make a sound. The bedroom was not large, but better than anything she was used to. There was a screen hanging on the wall and a fridge not too far from it. The door of the wardrobe was also open and she didn't need a sorcerer to tell her she was in a man's bedroom. Everything about it was masculine, from the white paints to the celebrity pictures hanging on the wall. What was this place?She was close to the window, which open
CHAPTER 70EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT, from the light of the sun, shimmering in tiny tubes through the forest leaves, to the fresh morning air. It brought back old memories, one which Carlos wished had ended later enough. Two years ago, he had walked through this colorful garden with Betty. They had promised to get married and had discussed the number of kids they were going to have. She wanted four children, a girl and three boys. Carlos had wanted four as well, but two girls and two boys. Everything had been so clear those days, the future was not as hazy as they were now. He would have had the best family with Betty. They would have lived happily ever after.Carlos kneaded his nose as the memory faded and was replaced by another scene. It was the day Betty had died. The picture was so vivid that he could still smell the smoke, the stench of sweat and the fibers from the leather belt
CHAPTER 71When they finally arrived at the house, the foggy dust had gone down, leaving behind rubbles and shattered roofs and ceilings. The once elegant structure that had stood in the middle of the compound some minute ago, was down on its feet, with nothing to suggest how magnificent it once was. Carlos could not calm his racing heart as they watched the ruins before them. Too many thoughts went through his head, thoughts that came pouring with so many vague pictures. What had happened? Were they under attack? Who had placed an explosive in their house?His eyes searched the parameters, there was not a single soul. The garden stretched on the four hands of the compound, colorful leaves dancing with the gentle wind and the lush vitality from the sun. There was a small path on the east wind, which broke out to the main road. The gate was locked. They had been in the garden all day
The sun was still hanging on the other side of the world when Len announced that they would camp for the night. Damian had argued with his decision pointing to the light of the sun that still created enough detail over the horizon. But Len had a better reason for choosing the forest. He explained that it would be best to stay within the shades of the forest, with the night to hue them from the eyes of the Darkeel than to wander out of the forest only to camp in an unknown open field. Of course, the Founders were not afraid of the Darkeel—and neither did the Darkeel—both parties would avoid each other at all cost, but that did not quench the fact that they were sworn enemies and could butcher each other if the need arose. The cause of the problem was still a piece which Damian doubted he would be able to fix in a very long time. Both Darkeel and The Founders were just too irritating for his liking. They could go ahead and kill themselves over some quarrel that was about a thousand year
“What were you thinking? You should put those tongues of yours in the right place before you get yourself into trouble.” Catherine was saying as they finally walked back into the tent. Vick, Ygon and Meyla were no longer in the tent, which was a surprise because they had not left the tent ever since. For fear of the Founders. Catherine had also heard a whisper from Ygon as she narrated her concern to her friend. To Ygon, the founders reminded her of the Darkeel, and she had vowed to remain within the tent until the first light before they decided to leave the Founder’s camp. But where in the nine Rings were they?“Kristen Is my friend.”“Oh yeah, one you just met some hours ago.”“No,” Damian shook his head, “I understand your co
It was the morning hours of the fifth month, three years since she left the safety of her home, to find solace in the confines of the wall. Three years was short, yet not a day has passed without her staring blankly at the calendar, wishing that the date could run fast enough. That they had refused her visit from her father in her second year had added more salts to her injury. She was homesick and needed to get as far away from these walls as possible. The things she once found exciting had become boring and flat. From her training to her class exercise. It was a repetition, everything. The same books, the same songs, the same training and the same people. It was all a repetition, an endless cycle of stupidity and foolishness. It’s no wonder why some of the students were beginning to commit suicide. Some of them had been told they were not good enough. And the environment is not encouraging either. It would be a miracle to find a