Whispering Voices

032 • Wander

Blood splashed with every step she took. There was so much blood she needed to wade through it. With one arm she leaned on her knee, she'd lost the other. It was ripped off. Something that happened in many of her dreams. Even though she'd seen it coming, it was still shocking. And the pain didn't lose its intensity either. 

She wiped the tears from her eyes. It became harder and harder to hold on to the knowledge that this wasn't really happening. Everything she experienced were memories of Rota. No more and no less. Deep down she however doubted that was true. In her first dreams Rota had died relatively quick, but this time she'd walked into another direction. Answers were only available at places she hadn't been before.

But there were no whispers to guide her. Only screams, sobbing and moans. 

The words of dying people, volatile and rash.

She heaved a shaky sigh. She didn't know where to go, nor what to do. Had it been better to allow Loki to accompany her? 

No, that would be insane. How many warnings did she need to remember that? Loki had betrayed her, here, on this battlefield. Rota had been convinced of that. Or had she been wrong? 

The thought that Loki was somewhere in this place, gave her an uncomfortable feeling. Sure, it was another Loki than the one she'd talked with – the projection of a younger Loki – but it was him. And somewhere in the back of her head the fear whimpered that Loki had been in every dream, but denied it. 

It shouldn't surprise her.

She shook off the thoughts. She had to focus. She looked from left to right. The plain extended endlessly. There were bodies as far as the eye could see. With a shock she realized she was the only one who was still standing. In the distance the monster roared. 

He would come for her soon. 

"Aella?" A soft voice suddenly sounded behind her. 

She turned around immediately.

Hayes stared at her with enormous eyes. His shoulders tensed. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked, so overwhelmed she forgot to breathe. 

Hayes' eyes kept glued to her face. She didn't know how to read his glance, and a few seconds passed before she realized he wasn't looking at her, but at Rota's body. 

"You're so alike." Hayes did a step forward. He seemed insecure. 

"We do?" Aella had no idea what she looked like. This wasn't the kind of place you went looking for a puddle to watch your own reflection. 

"Your hair is black and you have wings, but your eyes and your lips... And..."

"Once again, what are you doing here?" she cut him off. His words only made her feel uncomfortable. 

"You're stuck in this place for far too long. I'm afraid you'll end up in a coma. Loki told me someone needed to help you."

"And he didn't go himself?" She looked skeptically at him. 

"He was afraid you would push him out of your mind."

"Good point."

"Your arm..." he stammered all of a sudden. 

"Yeah, I lost it." She looked around again. "I have no idea what I should do here, Hayes." And she honestly didn't know how he could help her. "There's nothing but corp-" She sharply turned around. "Damn it, Loki! You think I'm an idiot?"

"It was worth a shot." He changed into his own form. "You saw through me easily."

"Hayes would have been more shocked when facing such a slaughter for the first time."

"Ah." Loki smirked. 

Aella clenched her fists. She could only think of one maniac that could smirk at a massacre like this. "Leave," she told him. 

"I just got here."

"You want me to beat you again?"

He made a mocking sound. Suddenly he held a sword in his hand. "Shut that big mouth of yours. Or I'll chop off your other arm as well. You'll only suffer from it here anyway."

Aella clenched her teeth. He was crazy enough to do it. 

"Where do we go?" she grumbled. The sooner they'd finish, the better. He clearly wasn't going to leave her voluntarily. 

Loki shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea."