Chapter 5

I sighed, kicking myself once again for getting involved, the same girl thinks that I have an obligation to her now. Well, fun fact. I don’t. My obligation is to myself alone. Father and I made those rules for a reason and I had gone and fucked it all up. I had let my unhinged emotions get the better of me. I slowly turned around, watching as she sobbed on the ground, shudders raking through her from the bitter chill in the air.

I dropped my pack with a thud, repeatedly berating myself for saving her as I walked the short distance to where she had collapsed. I had never been good with social interaction, before the end I mostly kept to myself, finding it hard to communicate without coming across nasty or rude. Seems old habits don’t die, I had probably scared her, everyone knows that magic is the reason the end came. That’s why it’s always been safer to hide it rather than use it, but if I hadn’t have exerted myself she and I wouldn’t be here.

I crouched down in front of her, trying to think of something encouraging to tell her, to lift her spirits. Though in all honesty, nothing good came from this broken world.

“I risked a lot to save you.” I muttered, attempting to keep my voice low and even. “If they find me I won’t just be captured, they would tear the flesh from my bones, make it agonisingly slow. That’s what they did to my father.”

The girl sniffs, clumsily moving into a seated position. “Those things killed your father?”

I nodded, “not those exact beasts, but the hellhounds tore him apart.”

“How long have you been alone?” She asked, her eyes scanning the road as she wiped the tears from her face.

The question caught me off guard, why would she care if I had company or not? Why did it matter that I had no one to watch my back? I had made it this far without needing anyone.

“A long time.” I whispered.

I rose back to my feet as she watched, she was afraid and confused, and I guess she had every right to be, magic was a death sentence as well as a curse in this new world. Most who find out what I am try to kill me, human or not. I hoped that this one was different, that she wouldn’t see me as the abomination that others had in the past.

“That explains your lack of social skills.” Laughed the girl.

I raised an eyebrow at her, but couldn’t help the smirk that appeared. “I guess it does.” I glanced around, my every sense on edge from the attack. “I’m sorry but we have to go. We don’t know when they will send more, but I won’t be able to repeat what I did. I’m not strong enough.”

She watched me for a moment staring at the hand I offered to help her up for a few seconds longer than necessary before she accepted it. Caution was wise in this world, that was something she shouldn’t lose. I helped her to her feet, concentrating for a few seconds before I took away the pain from her leg, not exactly healing the sprain, but allowing her to walk. Her eyes lit up when she took a step, testing the ankle as though it might shatter under her weight.

“I’m Miya.” She smiled.

“Elora.”

Miya and I were silent for hours, our eyes fixed on the road and senses open, searching for any sign that we were being followed, that the hellhounds were closing in. My feet were beginning to throb, along with my head, it was a constant struggle with each step that I took, keeping her pain at bay was harder than I originally thought it would be. Perhaps harder than fighting the brainless beasts that attacked her. I knew that we would would have to stop soon, but after what had happened, I didn’t think we would be able to risk sleeping in the woods, I had an uneasy feeling that one of the hounds got away. That it would be bringing more of its kind to hunt us down.

I could see fatigue and pain weighing heavily on Miya, her steps were once again becoming uneven, her breath raspy and fast. No one should have to walk on an injured ankle for hours without a break, but stopping would be even worse. The promise of a slow and painful death scratching at the back of my mind.

An hour back their was a sign, most of the writing had faded in the harsh weather, but I could just about make out that the town was just over 10 miles. But even now, that felt like an eternity and I feared that if we continued to the town we would be even more vulnerable than if we stayed in the woods. I looked up at the sky, noting that it was around midday; normally I would continue until we’ll into dusk. Yet, with the growing headache and weakness that I felt deep within my bones, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to reach the town and double back to find somewhere to stay the. If it.

That left only one option, we’d have to stay at the farm I knew was half a mile down a dirt road not far from here. I didn’t know if it was occupied by anyone, or if the night walkers used it as a place to lay low during the day. Though with our options wearing thin and it may be the only option.

I sighed, running a hand through my mattered hair, “we are going to take a dirt road, theirs a farm half a mile down it, we can lay low there while you heal.”