Hidden Away

Thirty-Six: Discovery

There's something about the eerie silence of the forest that mocks me. It taunts me for the misery that it brings me constantly in a way that I am somehow never able to escape. For how much I wish for it in a world full of loud chaos. For the amount of times it has intruded my life without welcome. Silence is often paired with things like death and anger. I haven't felt a comforting silence in a long time.

As I stalk through the darkness, the sound of leaves being stepped on catches my attention. My head snaps in the direction of the sound and my dominant hand instinctively alights. My legs take me toward where the sound came from. There's another noise much like the first one, followed by multiple more. I follow the trail of noises, which take me behind a bunch of low-hanging tree branches. My other hand reaches for the sword strapped to my back and grips it firmly.

Suddenly, something jumps out at me from a pile of leaves in front of me. A startled yelp causes the flame in my hand to grow suddenly before extinguishing. A rabbit runs past my legs, and I realize that it was the source of the noises I was hearing. I stifle a laugh and think about how embarrassing it would be if someone was watching me in my paranoia as I place the sword back in its sheath.

But then I look up.

In the distance, behind the plethora of trees, I see a light which looks like it is being emitted by many sources. Slowly, I begin treading across the forest floor, keeping myself low and hopefully out of sight. As I get closer to the light, dodging tree branches and stepping around overgrown roots, I spot a few tent looking structures. This is it; I tell myself. I've found it.

But I can't just walk on in and investigate. Destroyer soldiers fill the base. It seems to extend so far that I can't see the other end of it, and every few feet stands one of the soldiers.

There are so many of them.

Tents upon tents fill the area. There are hundreds of them, and I can only imagine quite a few soldiers occupy each of them.

I keep myself far enough away that the light doesn't reach me. This way, I doubt anyone can see me. The journey around the outside of this camp is never ending, which only alludes to how enormous the base is. I can't believe no one has been able to find this place. It's far from the border, but I'm surprised that not one person has wandered out far enough to find it.

As I make my way around the outskirts of the camp, I realize everyone is up and working. Some soldiers train with each other while others train on their own. Some simply keep themselves from training and hold simple conversations with each other.

The Destroyers have been perceived as an evil group of monsters that should be hated by all for centuries. They've made lives miserable and killed so many people. I hate how every single one of them acts completely normal. I hate how they can hold simple conversations without their minds being overwhelmed by guilt. I hate how they can just go on about their days as if all they've done is just a simple daily chore.

My eye lands briefly on a pair of soldiers a few meters from me. They can't see me, but I'm sure the man sees me because he looks in my direction, squinting his eyes for a clearer vision as I tuck myself behind a tree. I can make out most of his features from here. His green eyes are cold and lifeless. They would blend in with the green of this forest in the daylight. Brown, grown out locks fall from his scalp and over his face – he's long overdue for a haircut seeing as he brushes certain strands away as they fall every few seconds. He wears a basic black t-shirt and shorts, both with wrinkles and dirt in them from his long day of training. The woman he's speaking to – with dark brown eyes and long, chestnut brown hair – says something to him, which steals back his attention. Not before looking around for anyone who may possibly be listening in. The continuation of their conversation prompts me to want a closer view and I take this as a chance to get closer. I sneak my way toward a tent that sits near them and tuck myself behind it.