Beneath the Sunless Sky

Chapter Nine

—World Unknown—

Her eyes opened to a sunless sky. The sight set her in a panic, her body bolting upright as she whirled around. Ren was nowhere to be seen. The chains were gone from her wrists, and all around her echoed an eerie stillness she would recognize anywhere. There was only one place in all the worlds with a sunless sky and a chill that could penetrate deep into her very core.

The Grave.

The sky overhead was tinged with a dark red hue that cast an ominous glow over everything the light touched. There were no stars in the sky, no source for the red glow, but it remained all the same. The ground beneath her was black soil that smelled like sulfur, cracked and decaying, and, yet, despite its rotting state, there were still flowers blooming all around her, the colors inexplicably vibrant even in this dark and unforgiving place. Slowly, she reached out, touching one of the flowers with a single finger.

A raven cawed behind her, startling her enough to make her visibly jump. Perched upon a bare branch of an enormous white tree sat George, his hollow eyes staring at her. She scrambled to her feet, reaching out to him. He fluttered to her hand, nudging her face repeatedly. He didn't need to speak for her to understand the intent behind his actions. He had been worried about her. A few reassurances weren't enough to calm him, however, as he continued to rub against her cheek. Gently, she kissed the top of his skull and whispered an apology.

A bitter wind began to blow, a low growl carried with it. Her hair stood on end. George left her hand as she turned, searching for the source of the sound. In the distance, she could see the Dark Forest. The cold was coming from there, likely the growl as well. As much as she wanted to run from it, to turn around and never look back, something was pushing her forward, urging her to step into the forest. In the blink of an eye she was at the forest's edge, the sudden movement jarring her enough to make her head spin. The growl grew louder, surrounding her now.

She stepped into the forest.

But, then, something tugged her sharply, making her gasp as she fell backward. She hit the ground, the wind knocked from her lungs. When she next opened her eyes, the sunless sky was replaced by one of pale blue with a silver aurora shimmering overhead. Another tug had her hissing in pain as she was jerked upright by her wrists.

Ren was glaring at her from his horse, waiting impatiently for her to stand so they could continue onward. She had barely gotten to her feet when he was dragging her forward once more. Her pleas to stop were met on deaf ears. Whoever he was hunting was his sole focus, keeping him blind to the fact that he, too, was swaying dangerously perched upon his horse. It was only a matter of time before he pushed himself beyond his limits. Ori tried to cast a spell, something that would help restore his strength, but still her magic wasn't answering. The chains were utterly normal, not a trace of Arendite within them. Why, then, was her magic dulled? She let out a frustrated huff.

They had been traveling this way for the better part of two days now. She was exhausted, starving, and dehydrated. Ren must be feeling the same. They couldn't carry on like this for much longer.

Rilas Von Brelgren. She could only guess as to what he had done to warrant such a pursuit. As curious as she was, she wasn't about to ask Ren for the details. She knew he wouldn't answer, and, honestly, she was slightly afraid he would take the opportunity to use the giant axe strapped to his back. Without her magic or Excalibur, she was pretty sure Ren would win that fight. So, she would keep her mouth shut for now, but that didn't stop her from wondering about the possible ways in which this Rilas had wronged her stoic companion.