How Cruel

Berry was felt a large arm wrap around his waist, pulling him up roughly and moving with speed.

The smoke had filled the room and there were a lot of disheveled scientists on the floor, he barely saw who picked him up or where they were taking him, his vision was clouded.

All he could hear were screams and some mumbled, incoherent words. The scientist tried to pick themselves up and stumble out of the lab, some being injured.

Berry felt the force drag him away from the lab, moving down the hallway quickly.

He heard a ringing in his ears, making him wince, he felt a migraine hit him and his body began to grow hot.

He felt like he was suffocating, like someone was actively wrapping their hands around his throat and choking the air out of him.

His breathing became laboured, he was wheezing and gripping unto the person that dragged him up.

"Hang in there Berry"

That voice

The sound of feet stomping the ground caused Berry's head to ache even more, he audibly winced, wishing it would be over.

Not long, the screams started calming down and the air became more breathable, the heat in his body began to die down although some traces still lingered.

His head still ached a bit, and the ringing in his ears were faint but there.

"Have this"

He looked up and his eyes came up with the stoic dragon who had carried him all the way from the lab to this….this place.

He looked down at the bottle of water in his hands and reached for it, opening the cap and taking large gulps.

He swallowed and caught his breath, trying to understand everything that happened few moments ago.

He looked around the room, it looked like one of the apartments but a bit different, slightly larger. It was still dull and gray with a small table and a small bed in the corner, a small window across where he was, the only source of light, from which the faint cries could still be heard.

"W…what's happening?" He asked softly, looking back at Caelum, his voice slightly shaky.

The dragon sighed heavily, "Nothing for you to worry about, you're safe, I have to go now, rest, you'll need it" Caelum said in his usual monotone voice and turned to walk outside.

"W…wait! Why do you have to go? Was that an explosion?" Berry asked, desperate for answers, he tried to stand up but his legs were wobbly.

Caelum suddenly turned to him with a stern expression, "Go lay down and do not leave this room, your questions will be answered but not right now, just go to bed" he said strictly, leaving no room for argument, he exited the room and the door closed shut as he did.

Berry let out an exhausted sigh once Caelum was gone, he had not even been here for five days and so much was happening already, he felt like he would pass out from the sheer amount of stress he has been put through.

His eyes drifted across the room again, landing on the bed, he was hesitant at first but then he remembered Caelum's strict face and he decided to move to it and lay down.

The pillow felt softer than his and there was a slight hum in the background coming from the vent that added to the ambience of the room.

His head hurt badly and he could already feel himself falling asleep and getting some much needed rest..

He couldn't help but think back to the giant mushroom cloud he saw earlier.

An Explosion? Did someone go feral?, He thought, a wave of fear washing over him as he recalled the frightening event that was probably still happening outside.

He thought about the scientists, wondering the if they were okay, he thought about Sepehr, the dragon had been nice to him and Asher, who was a meanie, even though he was bad, Berry hoped he had at least survived that.

Whatever that was

But knowing Asher, he is probably fine, cursing at everyone, but fine.

Well I had managed to escape the injection

Berry felt the migraine hit him again and he held his head and groaned loudly.

Caelum

That was the first name that came to his head, well that was the only name he knew to call, I guess it was natural.

He buried his head in the soft pillows and closed his eyes, trying to drown the pain and fear he felt and the sound of his own heart racing.

I wonder what's happening

.

.

.

The door to the room opened and Caelum walked in, the gloves on his hands a bit bloody and his hair slightly a mess. He took off his gloves, discarding it in a bin nearby and wiping his hands with a cloth he took from the table.

He looked at Berry on the bed, asleep, but shivering and uneasy. He slowly walked to him, trying not to wake him up.

He looked down at the Rune's shivering form and sighed, stretching out a hand to touch him, feeling his temperature.

He's burning

Caelum turned around, walking to the wardrobe, he took out a thick, fluffy blanket and draped it over the small pink rune on the bed.

He could tell that Berry was cold from the way he was shivering and then his body was burning hot. He let out a sigh of frustration and went to a small drawer by the bed.

He retreated a pack of medicine and contemplated waking Berry up to take them.

He didn't want to disturb his sleep but he also didn't want him to be burning hot.

He ultimately decided to wake the Rune up.

Berry stirred in his sleep as he felt the hand tapping him gently, he opened his eyes slightly and saw Caelum towering over him, holding a glass of water and a pack of medicine, looking down at him.

He took a few moments to recollect himself before sitting up, he felt terrible and he didn't what was what.

"Take this, it will help you feel better" Caelum said, stretching the pills to Berry slowly.

Runes were still part humans after all, they could also get sick but this sickness was unexpected, Berry had been fine before, a little bit tired but fine, this was sudden and he still remembered the migraine and suffocation he felt when the bomb went off. He couldn't help but feel like that thing had done something to him.

Berry took the medicine and gave in to the urge to lay back down, he fell into the pillows again and tried to continue his sleep but he opened his eyes to look at Caelum again.

"What happened?" He asked in a weak voice, his eyes almost pleading for an answer.

"The ARS" Caelum said plainly, taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

Berry's eyes furrowed as he heard the name, ARS?, he cleared his throat before speaking again, "What is that?".

"They are an Anti Rune Squad, they are a mixed group of humans and dragons that do not agree with the evaluation decision and the rule that spares Runes with low poison levels, they believe that all Runes must die"

Berry felt frightened as he took in the words, it was already bad enough that as a Rune, living long was a fantasy and then there were dragons waiting to end you once you face the inevitable.

Now he also had to deal with a team of rogues who went against the law and wanted the runes to die whether feral or not.

Such a life of hardship, all because the earth decided to be unkind to some, not like they ever asked for it.

How cruel

"Did they cause the cause the explosion?" Berry asked in a slightly shaky voice.

"Yes and it wasn't just any explosion"

Berry felt his heart quicken, "what kind of explosion was it?"

"The kind that makes Runes go feral"