Scarlet Soul

Chapter 10- Destruction

Chapter 10

“Ed.” The commanding voice did not suit Kayla at all but it effectively caught the boy’s attention. He was tired. The sun was not up yet but the sky was already growing lighter, preparing for a new day full of unfortunate adventures and adventurers.

The boy ignored the aching of his limbs as he lifted himself into a sitting position. Kayla definitely noticed the chaos inside his body (caused by the strain of casting a spell) but she did not mention it. His essence was finally returning to the route it was supposed to travel through his body in and he was feeling better.

There was no need to explain the situation- it was obvious that there was something dangerous around but it was not a problem serious enough for Kayla to panic or stop functioning normally again. The two hurriedly gathered what was left of their belongings- Kayla’s coin purse, the sword, the bow and the arrows, their wet clothes and Edrich’s pouch, containing the books he was given by Hadvar. The notebook was dry and safe as well.

They were ready to depart within a minute and they were already running north when the girl explained the situation: “There’s a vampire after us. He’s alone.” She said between two very carefully taken breaths. “He has no killing intent -at least none that I can detect- but he’s fast and probably stronger than us.” What would an non-hostile vampire want with them? Was he following them for a reason? He was probably just curious as to why a vampire was travelling with a human to begin with… or was he?

“We need to get out of the forest. There’s an open area just a bit further north, I went there yesterday when I was scouting the area.” Edrich knew that, actually. He didn’t sleep well that night- he travelled back and forth from reality to his dream world countless times. His essence was wreaking havoc in all his systems. He was glad that he was able to cast a spell, really, he has not been this proud in a while. It saved his life, too. It really was an amazing thing, wasn't it? It was a weapon powerful enough to protect him from an unnaturally large pack of vampires . Edrich did not expect the pain, though. He should have known that there will be consequences. “Right there,” He didn’t see anything but he trusted Kayla on this one. When they stepped into the open field he suddenly took in his surroundings and his breath hitched.

The sun was finally rising and it shed its first rays of light on the trees surrounding the plain, teasing the green and red leaves that were dancing with the cold wind. There was a lake in front of them and it was surrounded by soft, young grass and perfectly smooth pebbles smaller than his fist. It was cold but the sun somehow made it seem okay as it burned Edrich’s skin in the few seconds he let it do so before fixing his hood.

The sound hit him hard, too. He could now hear his sword rubbing against its hilt as he ran and his own heavy breathing bothered him. There were no birds to sing melodies for him but the sound made by his companion’s footsteps was pleasant enough.

“Here,” she stopped right in front of the water. “Don’t take out your sword unless he shows bloodlust.” It was more of an advice than an order and he gladly accepted it. The person to walk out of the thick forest was, as Kayla predicted, a man; he was walking towards them slowly, knowing that they are waiting for him. He had the appearance of a young man- Edrich assumed that he was in his early twenties. His black curls bounced from his shoulders with each step he took towards them and even from that distance Edrich could see the dark red in his eyes.

His skin was a little lighter than the wielder’s and it was covered by a thin layer of hair. It could not be seen for the most part- the man was clad in steel armor that hid most of his features. His face was smooth, though, and it exposed the fact that he was younger than what Edrich originally though he was. His height did not support that assumption, though.