Hood (Book One of Radiant Afflictions)

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

devour them, devour me

They ran through the forest, traversing the ground much faster than they had when they had first exited the oni tunnels, but the arachni following behind had longer legs and were much faster. Exander once again brought up the back, shielding Aaliyah from the attacks the rained down upon them from behind, and Aaliyah held off those that approached from the front or the side, having retrieved another couple of daggers from her satchel. They, too, quickly became bloodstained. Her hands sometimes began to slip on the handles, but her hood protected her from unnecessary injury.

Aaliyah soon began to worry about their situation, though, despite how well everything seemed to be going. The edge of the forest was not too far away, a quarter day's walk at most. Running for their lives would cut that time in half, although she was well aware that they lacked the stamina. Furthermore, she knew it wouldn't be over when they reached Silver Way, the division between the forest of arachni and the next shrouding their destination.

As they ran, arachni after arachni fell, a line of bodies trailing behind them, and those remaining seemed to become angrier with each one. Fatigue began to wear down upon Aaliyah, its presence a heavy weight pressing on her chest. Aches and pains seared through her legs with every step, and her lungs were heaving in an effort to keep her going. Despite their efforts, she was slowing, no longer able to maintain the speed they had first sped off with. Everything hurt, particularly the blows from the arachni, and she really felt it when she began to lag behind Exander, her pace no longer matching his. She was already at the end of her rope in terms of stamina and knew that if she didn't do something soon they might not make it out alive.

Exander, she called, trying to collect her thoughts enough to come up with something resembling a plan. How much anima do you have?

An arachni fell to her right and then to her left thanks to Exander. Aaliyah was beginning to taste their blood in her mouth, the metallic flavor raising her adrenaline to new heights. Her feet picked up speed once more, and soon they were moving at an even faster pace than before, although Aaliyah realized it would be short lived.

I have enough, he responded, his inner voice cool and detached despite the situation. What did you have in mind?

Aaliyah was gasping for air through her movements; she wasn't going to to last much longer. It wouldn't be enough to distract the arachni so they could escape. No, they would need something bigger.

How about teleportation? Are we close enough?

She knew that he had absorbed the power from several stones while they had been travelling through the oni tunnels, but she wasn't sure it would be enough. Shifting not one, but two bodies through space required a lot of anima; even if she didn't have much personal experience with it, she knew that at the very least. She especially remembered the toll spending too much anima could have on the body and didn't want Exander to overexert himself.

I don't think we have any other choice. His words were a harsh whisper as his fingers closed around Aaliyah's hand. Suddenly, she was no longer running for her life. Instead, as she took in her surroundings she discovered that she was high in the thorned trees of the arachni forest, her body held tightly against Exander's. It was strange to feel another creature's warmth, even if it was through clothing, and she found the pressure mildly comforting.

Then, a bit of panic set in. Was that as far as Exander's abilities could take them? Aaliyah could still hear the screeches of the arachni, which mean they certainly hadn't moved very far. There was no doubt in her mind that the remaining arachni would soon find them in their current position if they lingered too long, but at the same time she was ready to pass out on the spot.