After a catastrophic war and a deadly virus that plagued the world, humanity is left divided, hunting each other down and murdering for vengeance... Or purely for fun. With humanity on the brink of extinction, and another war on the rise, a survivor...
Amari and Jaxson made their way back to Deltora through the wasteland. They had been walking in silence ever since they left Jaxson's bunker, broken only by the sound of their feet colliding with the earth, leaving behind a trail of footsteps in the sand. The air was hot and humid, forcing streams of sweat to fall down Amari's face. The cap hiding her ears squished them uncomfortably against her head.
"Did you live in Tessara?" Jaxson questioned.
Amari jumped. "Huh?"
"When we went through Tessara... You seemed... Almost scared of the place," he looked her way as they walked.
Amari paused, unsure how to respond. It wasn't as though she had no fond memories of Tessara, but...
It's not safe for me there.
"I used to live there... A few years ago..." She kept her explanation vague, hoping he would change the subject.
"...Why did you leave? The wasteland sucks! What? Are you trying to run away?" he mocked, letting out an audible laugh. Amari avoided eye contact and hastened her walking pace. She thought about Ellie, and how she didn't remember anything other than her name. For a fleeting moment, Amari wished she was the one with amnesia.
"You are!" He accused her. His incessant personality was starting to grate on her nerves. "...Why would you run away from your own people?"
Amari suddenly stopped walking, and Jaxson ground to a halt behind her, just barely avoiding a collision. "Can we not talk about this?" she pleaded. Although she couldn't see him or his face behind the suit, she knew he was getting restless.
He shifted to her left and stared at her. "Why not? I just want to know-"
"You don't need to know!" Amari proclaimed, trying to look as calm as possible. It wasn't very effective.
"Why do you act so secretive all the time? I already know you're a Freak, I'm not going to hurt you!" He reassured her. Amari's brow furrowed deeper in response.
Why isn't he getting the hint?
"Why do you care so much? We barely know each other..." She tried to make out his face through the black visor of his suit helmet, but there was nothing to read aside from her own cold reflection. "I don't have to tell you anything so just drop it!" she yelled and pivoted away from him. Jaxson was silent.
The rest of the walk to Deltora was awkwardly quiet, a pleasant change. Amari only hoped that he wouldn't interrogate her again. The past was the past, and it was irrelevant to the Amari of today. She was a new person now.
Much better than that helpless princess.
They approached a small hill of sand and dirt and climbed to the top, awaiting the reassuring skyline of Deltora. As they reached the miniature peak, they noticed large flames dancing in the sky. Fire engulfed the buildings of Deltora, turning it from a city of stone and rubble to a smoldering heap of ash. They stared in horror as the city burned in the distance.
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