The air seemed to freeze his lungs as he continued pushing forward, his wrist now in more pain than ever. He'd expected to go into shock, but the shock never came.
Just keep going, he thought to himself.
Keep going.
He had to force himself not to look back as he continued on, holding his injured arm to his chest as he limped towards what he could only hope was safety.
Aries suddenly stopped at the sound of soft voices ahead. His breath hitched as he surged forwards, running as fast as his injured leg could let him in the direction of the voices.
"Help! Help me!"
His voice made him shudder. It was raspy due to dehydration, and he was panting heavily. He could barely raise his voice above a whisper, no matter how hard he tried.
He skidded to a halt in a clearing. The soft green grass beneath his bare feet was moist with the early morning's dew. Cobwebs glittered in the milky sunlight, woven between blades of grass, tree branches, or rocks.
There was no source of the voice he had heard. The clearing was still and quiet.
A sudden thud to his right caused Aries to spin, watching as a young doe scampered away into the forest and away from the possible threat that had so rudely forced his way into her quiet, peaceful clearing.
Aries let out a hoarse cry, collapsing onto his knees. He couldn't run forever, and he had to admit that he was lost. There was no way to get away from them.
His chest heaved as he let out a loud sob, feeling his weak frame shudder with each breath. He let himself fall to the ground, clutching his injured wrist to his chest as he lied, waiting for his death.
His lungs burned from his long sprint, his legs numb in some places and aching in others. His eyes fluttered open and closed a few times as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.
