The Vow

The Vow 9

Chapter 9

I sucked in a breath to scream again when a hand clamped over my mouth Niko stood behind me. I didn't have to move to know it was him his presence wrapped around me like a child's safety blanket. Turning my head I saw that Niko was paler than before his lips were pursed and his eyes were trained o the darkness swirling above. Finally he released my mouth in a quiet whisper he told me "at my signal run through the doors and don't look back not for anything." I heard Niko muttering under his breath before he half curled his index finger and thrust his hand upward palm first, "NOW!" his bellow rocked me to the core. Running through the doors I didn't turn back but saw from behind me a flash of blue light just as I reached the door.

Running through the gate I headed straight for the dark forest, barely realizing when I tripped I kept moving forward my hands throbbed my legs burned my breath left in a rushed gasp. My hair and clothes caught I barely gave them a second thought as they ripped or tore, as the sharp branches stabbed and cut at me. Barely paid any attention at all as the blood ran down my arms and face as it dripped into my eyes, I just continued running.

All around me in the night I could hear the growling and the howls, could see from the corner of my eye the shadows blurring, the flashes of bright red eyes searching hungrily, I couldn't stop, and I wouldn't. My heart was beating faster and faster, my chest ached, the beats so fast they blended to a constant buzzing. I tripped over and over again; eventually I felt one of the shadows nearby, very near. Scrambling not caring how cut up my hands were I hid like a child curled in the feeble position, in a hollow by the base of a tree.

I watched as all around me the darkness swirled and churned the shadows taking the form of beasts their eyes a monstrous red, their teeth and claws sharpened like daggers they had no legs floating freely around me. I covered my nose and mouth trying to muffle and slow my heavy breathing. I closed my eyes, buried my head on my knees and tried to slow the buzzing of my heart beats. I sat there for who knows how long minutes, hours, waiting for the sun to rise, waiting for them to leave, waiting for Niko.

Suddenly there was a boom a flash of bright blue light, the howls of pain followed by yet another flash. Suddenly there was a shadow in front of me an arm reaching out I crushed myself against the back wall of the hollow trying in vain to make myself smaller. A hand clasped my arm pulling me out of the hollow, I screamed loud and long before getting crushed into a rock hard substance. Looking up I stared straight into the eyes of Niko. Relaxing somewhat I stopped struggling, when he hugged me pulling me tight against his chest my nose buried in the material of his shirt. The smells of sandalwood, mint, and soap, made tears prick my eyes; the smell of violence and gore clinging to him made those tears spill over dampening his shirt. I was sobbing and shaking in his arms, inhuman sounds leaving me as he sat there letting me ruin his shirt with my salt water tears.

His head was atop my own his hands petting a soothing line through my hair as he whispered into it "shhhh, shhhh, it's okay, I'm here it's okay." Eventually I stopped crying, eventually I wiped my eyes, and eventually I pulled away. The rest of the night was a blur we went and found shelter, when Niko collapsed in the doorway. He was burning up even worse than before in the empty shack sat a few logs of split wood, some folded clothes and a buket for the well outside. In the center of the room sat a dirt hearth. Walking out side I dipped the bucket into the well, before pulling it back up.

Once back inside I used a ladle to give Niko some water raising his head onto my lap before putting him back down. Putting a cold cloth on his forehead I saw that his earlier condition had worsened, his lips were dry and chapped, his face a deathly pale. He was burning his forehead unbelievable hot, while he continued to shiver in violent quakes.

What could I do? Just sit and wait for him to die? That night I slept a fitful waking sleep, I surrounded by the darkness yet again, I was falling endlessly a scream ripping from my hoarse throat, before I landed against a hard floor littered with bones human and animal, congealed blood sat in puddles the sticky black liquid coating my hands and clothes. All around me were bones in an endless field and directly in front of me ruling of this field of death sat the same king as before a snow white skull goblet in hand the thick red liquid oozing from the skulls cracks.

I scrambled backward my hands hitting bones scattering them and sending them skidding across the floor knocking over piles and piles of bones. All around me the sound of bone hitting bone in a demented orchestra played like the cackling laugh of the devil himself. The man on the throne reached forward his leather clad hand reaching moving to cup my face. When his hand touched my face I jerked a spark lighting under my skin. I bolted up in the small pallet I'd slept on, outside the window the sun shone brightly birds sang and the scent of spring sang through the air.