Here I Am
The flock of blood birds lets out a deep roar as they soared through the sky. She tried desperately to avoid the carnage that slipped off their meaty frames but still managed to step foot into a small pool of blood that immediately caught her shoe on fire.
In a frenzy, she snatched off her shoe and tossed it into the nearby bushes where the Wickeds watched her with large holeless eyes and soulless hearts. Wave one was done but wave two was still to come.
Quickly she ducked into the hole of a Tall Leaf Tree where hundreds of small bug-eyed creatures lived. With another roar that tore through the forest, more blood fell to the ground burning anything that tried to live.
She exhaled, making her way to the other side of the space. She was grateful that the Tall Leaf Trees were immune to the flock and hid her smell from the Morgos that were soon to come.
Gently she sat down, sliding the large rucksack off her shoulders and setting it in front of her. She unbuckled the clasp that held it closed and began to search for another pair of shoes amongst the skillet, clothes, books, and leftover pieces of food wrapped in cloth. Unfortunately for her, what she had on was her last.
She clucked her tongue and leaned against the bark. If she made a mistake like that again, then it would be her entire foot that would melt off. She sighed, slowly sitting down on the moist ground. She dug back into her sack and pulled out the folded-up wrinkled map. Without ripping the map anymore, she gently unfolded it and began to observe the map.
She was headed to the city of Bantu, located west of Akibara Forest, in order to gather some supplies and a bit of coin. She was running out of food, water, and supplies and was in desperate need of replenishment.
Suddenly she stopped, and squinted her eyes at the red dots within Akibara Forest she had been making to track her movements. Slowly her eyes lifted to the printed compass and realized it was upside down. She tucked in her lips and slightly moved her head up and down.
("Son of a bitch….") she thought to herself, ("I really can't read maps for anything.") She gathered the map back up and tossed it into the rucksack.
She brought her legs against her chest and closed her eyes, ("I can't afford to lose time. It'll only set me back...We'll wait for them to arrive, and then we will go back out.")
The thing that she was waiting for was the Morgos. The Morgos were tall, one-hundred-foot Monsters whose bodies were made up of skeletons of their prey. They were vicious, brainless, and carried no distinctive face. They were an enemy to any living creature that it could smell.
For only a couple of minutes she dozed off before the faint cries of Humans and the thunderous steps of the Morogs awakened her. Hesitantly she grabbed her rucksack and swung it over her shoulder.
("Okay, if I see Morgos, we will hide for the next day or so. If I see humans, we'll dart over to them.")
She took several steps out and with a deep breath, peeked around the corner to see spots of burned forest, Wickeds that salivated at her presence, and several white clocks dashing in and out of the treeline.
("Jackpot!") she grinned, ("Blessed Sentries!")
Blessed Sentries were humans or creatures who devoted their lives to protecting those who wandered into the forbidden forest or were caught crossing paths with Monsters.
You could always spot them a mile away for every inch of their body was covered in white clothing; their heads were usually wrapped, faces covered except for their eyes, hands in white gloves, and feet protected in white leathered boots and cloaks that swayed as they ran. And just like the name indicated, each part of them was blessed by King Arthur, Son of the Moon and Father to All.
With a smile on her face, she stepped out of the hole in the Tall Leaf Tree and began to dash over to them, waving her hands frantically. Luckily, as the pack of seven moved from hole to hole, a male with dark brown hair and light blue eyes spotted her. He turned to his companions and whispered ever so gently. Each of them stopped in their tracks, their eyes darting over to her before looking at one another and nodding their heads. The tall male that spotted her approached.
When the two came close to each other, the Blessed Sentry got down on one knee and held his hand out. This was a normal procedure to make sure that she was Human. She set her hand on top of his and a glow of pale blue light engulfed her body. It was warm, similar to standing in front of a crackling fireplace during the cold storms.
The purity crawled through her body, ensuring she was not thinking harmful thoughts. That she was not breathing any cruel breath of malice. If she did, the aura would've attempted to take her life.
The Blessed Sentry took his hand away and the aura left. Gently, he smiled as he lifted up, grabbing her by the hand and leading her to where the others were huddled in a hole, waiting for the news.
"She is Human." he stated lowly, bringing her into the hole, "And doesn't appear to be injured."
The six sentries looked her up and down and she knew what they were thinking. They all thought alike whenever she crossed paths with them. What is a young girl doing traveling by herself and unscratched?
"We must continue. There are others out there. Swans, come with me."
Six hard nods came from the pack and without a word, the tall man with light blue eyes turned around and moved out of the hole. The rest followed closely behind him, leaving one other with her. She turned her attention to the sole sentry who began to remove her hood and mask. It was a young woman with orange hair placed in a tight bun with radiant golden eyes and freckles on her face.
"Come away from the entrance," she softly spoke, bowing her head. The two moved away, stepping deeper into the tree.
"I am Sentry 4827. It is an honor to serve you." When one becomes a Blessed Sentry, their names are reduced to ash- no longer becoming important. What is important is the work that they do during the reign of King Arthur. When they die, they are buried underneath the large white castle in glass coffins where their beauty will be preserved forever.
The girl nodded her head and there was a quick pause between the two, "What is your name?"
She blinked, pressing her right pointer finger to her mouth and her thumb to her chest.
"Oh!" 4827 gasped, "My apologies! It's been a while since I met someone who is unable to speak. Unfortunately, I am not skilled in sign language. I will inform Head Swan 3675 of this as soon as he gets back." She sat down and the girl followed suit.
"Is it alright if I ask yes or no questions to help us?"
She nodded.
"Thank you for assisting. The first question...do you have family nearby?"
She shook her head.
"Were they killed by one of the Monsters?"
Her head waivered.
"That is unfortunate. My apologies for your loss but it is lucky that you survived! Did any of the Wickeds touch you anywhere?"
She gestured no.
"I am glad. You are a very strong girl and we will take good care of you. The city you will be taken to is Nora. It is beautiful and one of the biggest in this region. You will be protected there." 4827 smiled and so did she.
("Nora…") she thought to herself, ("It wasn't my destination but I'll take it gladly.")
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A/N
Hello everyone! Im super happy this novel was picked up :) Its one of my favorites to write. Hope you enjoy it
-Cookie