Tisis

Helplessness (S)

I pace back and forth, racking my brain over what to do next.

Nym would have a plan.
She always does.
No matter how dire the situation, she always had a plan or at least a good idea on how to handle it.
But Nym's not here.
And I can't even go looking for her, because Zero needs me to stay around.

A nearby bush rustles.

Is it prey? Or predator?
Probably predator, the smell of blood would scare away any prey animals.
I need a weapon, stat.

I pick up a strong branch, a stone and begin to manufacture a makeshift spear by sharpening the stone to a spearhead.
Something to fix it to the branch...

While constantly keeping an eye out on Zero, I search around nearby and eventually manage to find a small vine and fix the stone to the branch.

The spear is crooked, unwieldy and the spearhead is dangling, but it's still far better than fighting whatever is out there bare handed.

The rustling stops.
Not good.

I've seen this kind of behavior before with those 'vabbits', as Nym called them.
They send out scouts to find prey and if they find one, they return to their pack to attack in force.

Almost got me that way way too often.

Alright, think Sirus...what do you have?
A wooden armor which somehow survived the escape but got damaged.
A bloody hand that has yet to heal and hurts like hell.
A crooked spear.
And a bleeding giant canine that is incapable of fighting or running away.

My instinct tells me to book it right now before whatever caused the rustling decides to return with its friends.
Use Zero as a sacrifice.
A decoy so I can get away.

And the worst thing of all is, that I'm actually entertaining the thought of just running away.
Find Nym.
Maybe rebuild.

But I can't do that.
I'd never forgive myself if I left Zero, who only got hurt because of me.
Because I didn't pay attention to the signs.

No, I cannot run.
I cannot leave him here to die.

The memory of the ark going up in flames, taking thousands of people, humans and Asmodei alike to an early grave with it flashes by before my inner eye.
No, never again.

So I stay, bracing myself for whatever might be coming, when suddenly an idea brushes the back of my mind.
No, it's no an idea.
It's more like a memory...but...I cannot remember when that happened.

I remember...Nym passing by the cellblock.
A number of my people are lined up in chains outside of the bars, ready to be shipped off.
I remember them doing that every now and then.
Sometimes they came to fetch a few of us, mostly after an accident or something.
I never really learned what happened to these people...nor did I ever really want to know.

Some said, that they are taken to serve the Asmodei as their pets.
Some said, that they get thrown out into the sea of stars.
Some said, that they get slaughtered and fed to us later.

No matter what happened to them though, whenever such we got to see such a line up...we knew that we would never see these people again.

But then something unusual happens in my memory.
Nym talks to that other, tall Asmodean.
She looks angry.

And then the guards...actually take the chained up people back to the cell block, while Nym stares into the cell block. as if she were looking for something...or...someone?
I cannot remember that ever happening before.

While I still marvel at this development, the contraption Nym is sitting in catches my eye.
It appears to be a...I think she called it 'chair'.
She had me build one back in the volcano, because she didn't want to sit on the ground all the time...didn't work out too well though, the thing fell apart the instant she tried to sit on it.

A smile creeps on my face at the memory of her face, but this chair is different. It has...what was it called...ah yes, 'wheels', attached on each side.

I think I've seen these things before...that's right, they sometimes gave them to people who got hurt and were unable to walk.
Unable to...

My eyes dart over to Zero and I shout way louder than I should, "Of course!"

I need to build one of those chairs with wheels!
Then I can transport Zero to the water and get him fixed up!

But...how am I going to do that?

I let out a big sigh and look around.
Is there something I can use...?
Something round maybe?
Something strong enough to carry Zero?

Nothing.
Of course not.

And even if I had the materials, I'd still need the tools and the knowledge on how to do it...after all, just because you know what something looks like doesn't mean you can actually build it.

Besides, I cannot stray too far.
Without a doubt, we've already been discovered and it's only a matter of time until we get attacked.
And when that happens, I need to be here.

I sigh and look up to the blue sky above, "If only Nym was here..."