What Makes a Monster

♱Eighty-Four♱

"He was taken, huh?" She whispers after I've finished the tale. "And now we have a horde of Unborn attacking us."

"A horde?"

"They appeared out of nowhere and now are rampaging through the city, killing all that stand in their path." She hops off the carriage when we near town. Heat from the flames suffocate the city. Homes are nothing more than burning pires. There's chaos. Screaming civilians. Battling priest and knights. Unborn running amok. Blood sinking into the earth until it is stained maroon. I don't know what I smell more of, smoke or copper. There are priests attempting to keep the blaze contained, but trees continue to splinter and burn around us. Ash litters the scarred ground, but our only way out is through town.

Lady Connte pats the leg of one of the knights. "You know where to take them."

"Wait, what about Soran?" I call, frowning at her apathetic expression. "If...if he was taken then it obviously has to do with this. We both know, if he were here, this would already be over!"

All are quiet, probably because they don't want to admit to the truth.

"I can't track someone when there is nowhere to even begin," she says. "I'm sorry, but I need to protect what is in front of me right now. And you need to protect yourself. As much as I hate that bastard--" she grunts, seeming to battle with herself. "He's tougher than anyone I know."

I can't argue against that. Then the knights move us along, taking the back roads through town as instructed. I sit with the others, bent over with my hands flexing together. Adrenaline continues to course through me. Telling me to run back to the estate. Rip up the floor if I have to. Find whatever I can to discover his location. I don't want to wait around doing nothing.

I don't want to be helpless.

"What the hell is that?!" Someone shouts. My gaze follows to where they're pointing, jumping to my feet upon seeing that same strange portal opening above the city; the one that took Soran. Red lightning flashes across the sky. Most scream in terror, cowering. The carriage picks up it's pace. We're about to pull past a building when a figure emerges, holding something, or possibly, someone in their grasp. They descend into the city and I don't know why or how, but I know one of the figures is Soran.

"Wallie! Wallie, what are you doing?!" Hael shrieks when I jump out of the carriage.

I don't know if anyone is following me. I don't care either. My feet carry me faster than ever before. My thighs ache. It's hard to breathe among the flames and smoke. Everything around me is in chaos. Fire. Blood. Corpses. Unborn. Battles. Endless suffering in a giant mass. Fear is tasted in the air. Screams are like steel blades. I keep my shield up. At least then I can breathe and not worry about the tumbling city around me. Buildings shutter, shake and cave in until they're embers on the ground.

Creeping through the city, I follow where my instincts tell me to go. I don't know how to explain it. I just know I'm going in the right direction. Good intentions or not, I was a fool.

"Hello, Wallie."

I freeze.

A hand grips my throat. Nails pierce my skin. Quelen whispers against my ear, "How kind of you to come to me." He snickers. "How nice that we get to finally meet in person."

I'm dragged to my feet with ease. Quelen's grip only tightens when I attempt to struggle.

"I'm half tempted to call you brave for trying to find Soran." He chuckles. "But what made you think you could get near us without me noticing, hmm? Or were you even thinking at all?"

I glance back at him, seeing him for the first time. His eyes are nothing like Soran's. Not a warm red, but a fearsome red, so alight with light that they're almost blinding. Veins pulse beneath his skin. His lips are twisted into a snarl, stained fangs slipping past his curled lips. He is the monster parents warn their children about. The one that will drag you away in the dark, leaving only pain behind.