Chapter Two

The sun may be in slumber during the late night, but what does that say for the darkness, lurking? How the strong winds still blow, how they roar. Sent by the woods as the ocean waves dash beyond. Creatures consume the darkness while asleep, terribles notes, those melodies conjured by evil, how they spread throughout valleys, how they conjure to control the storms ahead. Chilling. Breezes from atop the mountains, forests and trees, play these lullabies as they sway back, then fourth, innocently. These lullabies are the only things granting the young woman with a long, night sleep....

***

The table and chairs in the base, were the most challenging to craft. The food hall flooring is consisted of beautiful stones broken down with gravel, water, and glue like paste, all to hold the giant cement balls together before the crafting could begin. But as Faith laid there, flat on her back, in that tiny comforter she called a bed, a part of her was wishing every room in the whole base would just go away. How she wished to be back in her room, in her house, her parents soothing voices able to be heard from just down a few steps. Now all she could hear was their ear-shattering screams, as the smell of contorted blood rotted her senses...To think though, how her baby cousin Elmon, would never get to understand how beautiful the world could really be, not with everything he's seen, not when many of those images were of death.

***

Faith stumbled awake, out of bed, clothed herself in her usual day to day clothing, as she emerged from her chambers, down the hall, past a group of people talking amongst themselves, as she emerged into the food hall. Inside she could make out many faces, a lot of them young some even younger than she, sitting around consuming what ever there was prepared for breakfast that morning, as her eyes jumped from face to face. The breakfast usually wasn't much, in fact, it was barely enough to hold off everyone till lunch, but at least it was something. Something to ward off the hunger pains for a little while. She knew this meant she was going have to go back out into the forest, if she wanted to make sure everyone got through to the next day. At this rate, the way things were, wasn't anywhere close to pleasing. As she took her seat in one of the chairs, body pushed into the wood base of the wood table in front, she started to think. Started to dream. Started to share. The story behind the creation of the arrows, is one of mystery. One not to many people have heard, one not to many people have wanted to hear, she corrected. But for her, the story of the arrows birth was one oh so familiar. The world had started off simple, how it started with demons, bloodthirsty creatures who lived in satisfaction, that came the day their entire race would die out. Starving, the demons had no choice but to consume some of their own. How this horrible gruesome day of history continued on for many years.....many....many...years...until after a couple thousand years, that's when the immortals began popping up. During this new time in age, the demons had themselves buried in graves. Their souls would not resh entirely, until their bones, wings, and blood were in used in order to create something,....something dark.....something immortal. During this time, the remaining demons who avoided wipeout were coexisting with the immortals. Growing powerful each and every single day, how they even began to notice such a change....in themselves..

''Commander? Can I speak to you for a moment? '' Faith drifted awake from her thoughts, staring out. Her expressionless demeanor seemed to feed the flames inside, as Valerian's soft colored eyes came into view. He was staring at her with this deep, yet soft coloring in his eyes. one she'd never noticed before. He'd changed from his previous outfit. Now he was wearing a light jacket and light colored jeans. Faith couldn't stop herself from gazing closely into him. Pushing her attention back to his eyes, she crossed her arms over one another, pinned them to her chest, slowly leaning into the back of the chair. ''My, my, you sure look comfortable?'' Valerian stared at her for a long few seconds, then replied. ''I couldn't exactly keep walking about in a jacket stained with blood? That would be rude, and frankly? Disturbing.'' Faith's wandering gaze followed him as his own gaze jumped from place to place. Then the shivers stared, and she stood from her seat. ''We should look into creating some more cover for the walls, I can still feel the cold closing in.''

''I agree. I'll send some people out to help.'' Then she was forced to watch as he took off, leaving her all alone. When she was finally locked away, safely in the privacy of her chambers again. She turned her direction, staring into a long piece of white messy strips of decorations, and makeshift objects. Piled in the farthest corner of the room. She took her stare off, staring across from the pasture, where she took in each one of the images, the pieces of work. The pieces of art she'd been able to collect during scavenge past the walls. She'd only managed to find a few collectors items spared from the decision of the village. The village..her home....The direction of her gaze shifted a third time, now studying a strange shadow lingering past the wall, for a moment she could've sworn she was seeing someone. Staring at her...the painting next to it, slid front then back, roating back and fourth, unwelcoming the blow of a harsh wind pushing into it. She'd felt as though a cold hand had come out of nowhere, grasping her stomach, hard. She couldn't stop herself from jumping as she was forced from the room. But later that night, she wouldn't be sleeping in lonesome.