The Last Infernal - Innocence of Youth

Departing home. (XIX)

Departing home. (XIX)

Korvi blinked her eyes a few times as she woke up. There was that weird hurting feeling again. She softly whined out loud, wanting the pain to go away. It took another five minutes of the mental pain before little Korvi sat up, the feeling in the back of her head now mostly gone. Looking around, she noticed she was still in her cage and attached to her chains. Outside her cage, she noticed that the humans were all around her, marching forward as her cage was carried by three men on the left and three to the right. She looked to them with distaste, hissing out softly,

“I hates yous…”

Though the soldiers paid no attention to little Korvi’s words, it was as if they couldn’t even understand her. The soldiers kept moving forward, nearing the passageway through the Sky-Mountains with the meadow ablaze behind them. Looking behind her, Korvi sees the land that was once her home, where she was born, now turned into a charred wasteland as the fire continues to spread fast on the once lush grass. Korvi had to force her gaze away from the fire, she couldn’t even cry anymore because she felt cold dead inside for emotions, and as if all her tears have run out, each one drying up from all her previous sobbing.

“Korvii…”

Shaol spoke out all of a sudden, looking to Korvi with noticeable care and compassionate, wanting to be there for his best friend even though he himself felt broken. Looking in Shaol’s direction, Korvi replied very quiet that it was nearly a whisper.

“Shaaol…”

Korvi sniffled after answering, looking to Shaol, seeing small tears on Shaol’s snout drip down on his cage floor. Korvi couldn’t believe that her home…her mother and her entire species was just taken away from her… Only she and Shaol survived because they were captured, captured by the very humans who have taken everything she knew and loved away. All little Korvi had left was her best friend Shaol with her. As long as she still had Shaol by her side, Korvi felt small doubt and hope of enduring the pains of loss better… Together.

***


As the men marched forward at a steady pace, Carshan approached Jarshal; his left eye was a deep gold tint now, mutated from the Highbornes blood.

“Was it necessary to strike down one of my men under my lead and because of a beast?”

Carshan spoke with a low, firm tone, showing little respect to the High-Commander. Without faltering his pace, Jarshal keeps his gaze ahead as he replies with little emotion, the battle and easy victory having a pained feeling on him.

“He has gone against a direct order from his commanding leader and in this situation his punishment was death for his defiance. While I lead, my orders are to be followed. Get back to rank.”

Finished Jarshal coldly, not waiting for a response from Carshan. Falling back, backing away to his rank in row, Carshan scowled and swore under his breath,

“Hardly are you worth to lead when you yourself have defied an order from King Valreth himself…”

He mumbled as he kept formation marching with his rank.

***


Early dawn was rising as the Kelrethen moons dipped to the horizon, the Fire-Star rising up in the distance as the Valblades travelled through the long passage between the Sky-Mountains. The soldiers carrying the cages were idly talking amongst themselves, though one suddenly spoke out with an annoyed tone, complaining,

“Urgah I hope these beasts are worth as much as they weigh!”

Another soldier who was aiding in carrying Shaol’s cage looked to the guard who complained and sneered out mockingly,

“Ohh don’t be such a weakling. Tis’ not like we are lifting adult dragons!”

Then he laughed at the other guards on Shaol’s cage laughed at the complaining guard with Korvi’s cage, causing the one guard who complained to go fully quiet after grumbling. Korvi kept silent as she focused on watching the path they were travelling on, as if it helped blank her mind of the emotional pains. As Korvi watched, she glanced to the tall open passage, seeing the tall rocky parts of the sky-mountains, a small flashback of a memory echoed in her mind, a memory of her not too long ago wondering what was past this very Mountain.

~~“Muum…Whats outs pasts Sky-Mountains? Outsides the meadow?”
“Outside out meadow… Past the Sky-Mountains… is a very dangerous world, filled with bad dragons and monsters that would hurt you, and a growing number of creatures that walk upright on two legs. Outside is the world known as Kelretha. We are Safest here, my child, for the Sky-Mountains protect us.”~~

“Muuum…”

Korvi mumbled in a soft sob, seeing the small memory of her mother telling her what was outside the meadow, and how it was dangerous outside. Korvi once thought herself that she would never leave her home, for it was perfect… And now she was captured and being taken away by force, and by the creatures that have taken away her home and family and ruined her life… Some protection the Sky-Mountains provided…she thought most simple in her mind. She didn’t know what her future would be like, she hardly felt the want to continue on, for what was there left to live for?

“Korvii...you still awake? I loove you…”

Shaol spoke out suddenly to Korvi, breaking the eerie silence between both young. That was her reason, Shaol was with her. She was not alone and couldn’t just want to abandon him! Having some new-found confidence, and even…anger for the humans, Korvi stood up in her cage, the chains clinking slightly as she looks to Shaol’s cage near being carried, replying to Shaol encouragingly,

“I ish awakes…wes…lost home…but wes wills be okies! I loves yous toos Shaaol! Gweatest fwiend…”

Shaol gave a short smile, feeling a little better by Korvi’s words. Finally after a while they were out of the passageway, the burning meadow no longer in sight, as it was left to burn until it has left nothing but a wasteland forever, leaving the Sky-Mountains to enclose what was once a beautiful land, now the remnants of the Infernals. Halting
for a moment, Jarshal looks to his men and says firm tone, holding his authority.

“Alright, we shall continue moving until Dawn-rest, where we will make camp. IF all goes well, we should reach within walls of Seleran by five dawns.”

Then he turned around to continue marching, letting the soldiers spread the news amongst themselves until all the soldiers heard. Of the whole siege, only fifty-one soldiers were killed, leaving nine-hundred forty-nine remaining. Korvi perked her head as she heard the news spread, not fully understanding it all, though learned that they would get to somewhere in five dawns… looking ahead at the stretched out field… a forest line of trees were in the furthest distance. Five dawns of travelling…stuck in a cage and captives.

“Onlys fwive dawns Shaaol… Wes strongs and cans makes it!”

Korvi said with a short, small smile…knowing that as long as she was with Shaol, things will turn better, feeling hope, hope and a bond she feels growing with her friend Shaol.