Instinct: Ch. 3

Chapter 3
A Booming Mistake
By: Chris Moore

What is wrong with you

         The darkness spoke out. Reaching out from the silence, a reminder of vitality.

Answer me fool!
What were you thinking back there?
You could have gotten us both killed!
Did everything you have learned get knocked out of your head?!
Well at least you finished them both with one blow else they might have killed you

         The darkness began to lighten. It swirled around in a confusing manner. A fog clouding the light now danced about. Disorientation overwhelmingly present.

What’s going on, where am I?

You’re still laying on the beach… You passed out because you didn’t think before you acted, foolishness

What are you talkn… wait, what’s going on?

You’re unconsciousness I told you

Who are you, how did I get here on the beach, wait what’s… what’s my name?!

         He started to become more conscious of his situation. A sense of fear clawed at his insides. He was in a much more dangerous situation than he knew.

What kind of question is that?
Your name is…

         Just then a bright green light ascended from above, turning the fog into a glowing green mist. It was much clearer than the white fog, but it was still hard to distinguish what it was hiding. A light erupted, wood splintered as it touched down. The blast rocked the ground he was standing on, his vision blurring for a moment. A thundering roar came from the sky as it opened up, unleashing another gnarled finger of lightning. It speared the ground close by making him lose his footing. The waves roared and the earth shook and crumbled from beneath him.

         He stirred and the light grew in intensity. The light was familiar and comforting, he drew near to it careful not to let it escape. The light drew him closer and closer out of the mist. Suddenly he drew in a sharp deep breath, his chest started to heave once more as he coughed violently. The darkness crawled back inside as a horrific beast leapt through it towards him. His body reacted, rolling out of the way, his arms positioned defensively at his sides.

         The sky was growing dark and the stars were covered by an invasion of clouds that made the night darker. Only the moon was visible between two bulbous storm clouds. He sat there illuminated in moonlight.

Pay attention were not alone

         Standing wide eyed a few yards away was a slender young beautiful girl with crimson hair and a snow white complexion. Her hand was over her mouth, she was silhouetted in the moonlight against the dark. The girl didn’t appear to be a danger to him but he still didn’t lower his defenses. He didn‘t lower his defense completely but stood more upright. They sat there frozen in each other’s gaze, he was trying to get his head together but he was still in shock and disoriented.

         “Who are you?” He asked his guard still in place.

         “My name is Genevive, Genevive Kinsley, I’m from Atla, the village near by,” still in a daze.

         “Did you send those beasts after me?”

         “What, no, the Lykos, no I just found you lying here. I saw the wound on your arm and I thought you were dead, I healed you,” the last part she showed more attitude, remembering what she had done for him.

         “What?”

         He pulled his arm up inspecting it from different angles. There was only a pink scar left from where the large wound had been. His leather armor had begun to dry so his flexibility increased, he twisted his arm once more making sure it was not an illusion. He furrowed his brow looking up at Genevive who had more confidence in her posture now since she was offended by his tone.

         “Why did you do this?”

         “Where did you come from, I thought all your kind was, well killed,” she interrupted showing discomfort by his question.

         “My kind what are you talking about?”

         He raised his hand, examining it, his skin was a natural cinnamon color which seemed normal.

         “You’re one of the Lost Ones. Do you not know your own reflection? You are the first one of your kind I’ve heard of since he crippled the last poor fellow and destroyed his mind.“ She hushed her voice, “Lord Pravus in all his pigheaded glory wanted ‘em all slaughtered. The thing is,” she lowered her voice to barely a whisper, “I heard he’s one of them, he’s killing off his own blood!” Astonishment filled her voice as she spoke, she drew closer to him during her hushed dialogue, even the young man let down his guard a bit, no longer crouching at all.

         “What?! What are you talking about girl? There is no way we could have been defeated, we’re superior,” his voice lost its volume as he realized what he had said. He knew something about himself.

         “You’ll find out soon enough boy if you stick around much longer. Those beasts there that attacked you,” she pointed at the charred bodies in the shadow of the hill, “they are very dangerous, they’re Lykos. They keep to themselves mostly, there are only few who come out and they are not to be trifled with. They are usually bounty hunters or renegades. They’re a nasty bunch, I’d nere wish it upon another to cross one of those, if it decided to turn on you there is nothing that would dissuade it. Plus they thrive in nightfall, there’ll be back. More of ‘em, they’ll come for their loss. I don’t know how you ended up here but they seemed to and wanted to put a quick end to you. But no, now you have killed ‘em both and brought a war on yourself.”

         “They attacked me! I defended myself!”

         “They don’t care, they’re ruthless, soulless beasts.”

Don’t trust her she’s threatening you

         The voice broke through as his heart started to beat faster. He stood his full height, shoulders back and eyes glaring. He was getting angry, his situation was a desperate one if what she said was true and all she wanted to tell him was how he was doomed. “How I was doomed…” He thought.

         “Here you are only to criticize me, what are you doing here if you don’t offer any help. All you have done is tried my patience, be gone with you if you don’t intend to assist me….”

         Genevive was in a rage. Her eyebrows cut into sharp angles and her hands clasped into fists. Her pale skin flushed as she clenched her teeth. Frustration was building… about to erupt.

         “You know what, you will die here!” She yelled. There was a long pause. Then her face drained of its intensity returning to its natural state as she simmered. She ran her hands through her hair, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, “You will surely die if you do not lose this illusion around you and come to terms with reality. You are a dying breed and unless you change your ways Pravus will have your head in no time. Listen to me… what’s your name?”

         “What is my name?” The thought lingering, it stung.

         “I don’t know,” he turned his gaze down the beach away from her eyes. He scoured the sand with his gaze searching its recesses for the answers captive in his head.

         “You must have mashed your head pretty hard, oh well. Ok, I’m leaving Atla, tonight…no,” Genevive pressed her hand against her forehead once, a sign of stress, trying to slow her heart beat and her racing mind. “Tomorrow, I’m leaving tomorrow. Here’s the deal you can come with me, else I would have to hold myself accountable for your death. Oh by the stars! You’ll have to hide, I’m not taking the death penalty for you.”

         “You will help me?”

         “I already told you, I would have to carry your death on my conscious knowing I could have helped, besides I hate it here,” Genevive turned to the side starring off into the horizon of the beach.

         The moonlight illuminated her face. He could see her eye was swollen and bruised. His heart lurched, “A girl should nere feel the ravish of a mark of that cruelty,”
he thought. An anger rose up inside of him.

         “I believe women should be treasured and treated as the jewels they are, and nere have a hand laid upon them that is not in love and kindness. To lay an abrasive hand on them is prison time back home,” he spoke of home absently mindedly. There it was again, he was remembering.

         Genevive gasped and turned away. Her embarrassment was covered by crimson locks of hair, and she remained turned as she spoke.

         “My father, he isn’t a kind man. He is easily angered, he has been long before my mother left…” she inhaled quickly, regretting what she had said. This was a very different girl than he had seen when she was upset.

         “Ok Genevive we will leave tomorrow, when, and what until then?”

         “Ummmm, tomorrow… before sunrise, no, no, at dusk. Just after the sun goes down, I’ll meet you…” She ran her hands through her hair again trying to solidify the plans in her mind. “We’ll meet just down the beach. There is a little cave a ways down, it’s not far and it will cover you from the weather,” she pointed down the shore now facing him again.

         “Ok I’ll be there.”

         “I have to go my father will send men after me if I’m not back,” a worried look crossed her face just before she turned to check behind her.

         “Ok.”

         Genevive turned away and walked up the sand dune. His mind was vacant as he soaked everything in, suddenly something made him turn and face Genevive,
“Thank you.”

         She pivoted halfway up the hill, looking into his bright silver eyes. “You’re welcome.” She turned back around and continued up to the top of the hill. The light lit her up as she got to the top. She didn’t turn and look once more, merely paused at the top then continued. She wanted to turn again and make sure he was real, this was her ticket out of this dreadful life. Alone, she was in greater danger than staying here, but now she had someone who would protect her.

You would be better off without her

         “I will decide that.”

She will be dead weight, only hold you back
We are fine without her

         “As of right now, I’m going to welcome help with open arms while god favors me and throws it into my path. The odds are much too greatly against us to not.”

         The voice quieted itself just as another rose up. The silence was broken by a booming voice that carried across from over the dune. A man was yelling in his direction, he was near by and sounded angry. The young man jumped into gear as the voice continued to bellow. He crouched and leapt towards the dune digging his shoulder into the soft cool sand. A shrill scream startled him as he heard that Genevive was in trouble.

Leave her it’s too late, you must not let your presence be known!
Did you not hear the girl when she was talking about this Lord Pravus?!

         He ignored the warning, he sprung up from behind the dune as sand around him scattered. He bounded up the dune with agility and grace, the sand shifting under his feet with each step. He reached the top in only a few steps, at the pinnacle he only increased his speed, fearless of whatever awaited him. A brute of a man, near seven foot tall with a gruesome beard stood only a few yards away clutching Genevive by the wrist, she was on her knees in pain with her free hand trying to pry the mans death grip off of her. In two bounds he reached the brute, he had caught him by surprise. A natural fluid motion took over his body as he leapt up and thrust the heel of his foot into his forearm snapping the bones just as a loud crack broke loose, then smashed his jaw with his knee. The crunch of broken teeth and a deep muffled moan escaped his mouth. The man dropped to the ground with a thud. The pain made his body shut down as he collapsed and loss consciousness on the grassy knoll.

         “Are you ok!?”

         “We have to go, now! We have to hide. That was Bruce, one of my fathers slimy friends. Thank the stars you were here, else he may have tried to have his way with me.”

         “Then I’ll finish him off and be rid of this scum!” He raised his leg once more to crush his skull.

         “No! No that’s not necessary,” she gasped, grabbing his armor. “We wont be back and he wont be conscious for a while, we don’t have to worry about him any longer.”

         He lowered his leg with a severe look on his face. He looked down at the unconscious Bruce. He was not armed, other than his massive biceps and barrel chest. Blood drained out from between his mashed jaws, and his arm lay disfigured next to him.

         “Where will we go? You cannot return without him or else your father may grow suspicious of his whereabouts. That would soon alert the village of a rogue or criminal.”

         “By the stars! Oh, I know we’ll go to the cave. I don’t think anyone knows of it but I, we can hide out there, in the morning I’ll go back and tell my father I had fallen asleep by the sea and gather two packs of food and supplies. Then meet you outside Atla and be on our way… to somewhere,” she furrowed her brow in thought, she had not though this far ahead since her dream had only been a reality for less than an hour.

         “We will get somewhere, but for now we have enough to worry about.”

         “Wait a moment,” she kneeled down, untying something from Bruce’s motionless body.

         She untied a small pouch from his waist, it was full of gold coins. Genevive’s father paid handsomely for his “assistance”.

         “Here we go, this should provide for our expenses,” she grinned eying the pouch she cupped in her hand.

         “Then to the cave?”

         “To the cave.”

Do not say that I didn’t warn you boy