Ashe
"Ashe just calm down, I can't understand you when you're rambling in a panic like this," August tried to reason with me, but I just couldn't. Not after what I'd seen. My mind was racing a million miles an hour, "Loralai, hunters, mom and dad, blood everywhere." I just kept repeating it and hoping he'd understand but deep down I knew he wouldn't until I could relax and properly explain, but I couldn't relax.
I felt August place a hand on my shoulder, "honey we already know your parents were murdered-,"
"No!" I yelled, causing him to flinch away slightly. That brought me back down a few levels and I took a couple big breaths, "I'm sorry." Tears fell down my cheeks and he pulled me into an embrace, "please try to be calm enough to explain it to me." I nodded and I stood in his tight embrace until I was sure I was calm enough to explain everything.
I took a step back and my legs trembled, August took my hand and led me to the couch. I sat with my legs tucked under me and took another breath before beginning, "my parents...they're alive." His mouth fell open in disbelief, "are you sure? I mean, you saw it yourself-," I cut him off quickly. "August they are alive and Loralai has them, she's been torturing them for years trying to get information about where I am. She knows I'm alive, she's known all along," I began panicking again.
We weren't as prepared as August or Magna had thought. We couldn't be, not if they weren't aware of this already. Anger, confusion and sadness swirled inside me like insects trying to eat their way out of my intestines. "Then we'll get them out, but you have to be calm and think with a clear head first," August spoke but he sounded distant. All I could see was red. I wanted her head on a stick and decided I would stop at nothing until I got it. I didn't need an army.
"Ashe, I don't know what kind of thoughts you're having but I know they aren't good ones, please breathe," I jerked my head up to make eye contact and slowly shook my head. "If she had your parents you'd be thinking the same damn thing," I spoke aggressively.
August closed his eyes and took deep breath before giving me a look so cold I nearly shivered, "who do you think murdered my family? Who do you think took the insides of my sisters throat and hung her over my door step with them?" His voice raised with each word and with each word an icy chill ran through my blood. "I know you didn't know because I never told you, but I never wanted to have to tell you or anyone for that matter. You think I want to relive that memory Ashe? I don't," although his tone was angrily aggressive, tears filled his eyes and I felt my heart break for him.
I dropped my head and leaned it against his shoulder. The tension in it only relaxing the slightest bit, "we have to strategize and be smart, we can't just rush her. She's guarded at all times and it's nearly impossible to kill a goddess anyways." I nodded, "I'm sorry." My apology was so quiet I wasn't sure if I had actually said it aloud or not at first. He sighed heavily, the tension in his body relaxing a little more, "it's okay Ashe, it's not your fault, but we seriously have to be clear headed about any plans we make or change. We're not fucked, okay?"
I shook my head gently, "we are fucked though. She knows I'm here." He tensed again at my quiet words, "how?" I shrugged, leaning back to meet his gaze again, "my parents have contacted me several times by communicating through the shadow, I assume she's tracked me somehow through that." My eyes fell to the floor, but a quick yelp escaped me when August tightly embraced me, letting out a few sniffles in the process.
I could tell he was crying and my heart ached for him. I wrapped myself around him and we caressed each other's backs as the tears flowed from both of us. "I won't let her take you from me, I can't, I won't let her take anyone else from me ever again even if that means sacrificing myself," August whispered through tears into my hair. I shook my head quickly, "absolutely not August, if you're willing to die for me then, please be willing to live for me instead. We'll figure this out somehow."
***
We had been at the training grounds for a couple weeks, only leaving to sleep and eat if we hadn't brought enough food for the whole day. So far I'd learned I had control over the elements and the ability to not only walk within the veils of shadow, but to become shadow itself as well. Just as I'd seen my father do in one of the memories August had helped me regain. Once I had gained what's considered to be reliable control over my powers, Oakley and Clovella joined us again.
Oakleys transformation would be very soon, but there were doubts about her being ready for war in time. However we were still going to take as much time as possible to at least prepare her to defend herself if anything were to happen to the rest of us. We had caught everyone up on the information I'd learned from the black out I experienced after walking in shadow for the first time, so everyone was aware of the urgency and made the proper changes. That was comforting, but only a little bit.
It felt as if time was passing quickly, too quickly. Something was going to fuck up, I could sense it but I kept my worries between August and I until I could find proof. However, the day came that I ran right into the proof I needed, literally.
I heard a loud grunt as I bounced off of something during my daily run. I jumped to my feet quickly and looked around knowing that nothing and no one was ever in this part of the woods. That's when I saw him, he couldn't have been more than seventeen. A young man, probably my height, with auburn hair and tanned skin was rubbing his nose with a pained expression.
"Who are you?" I demanded, his eyes calmly flicked up to mine with annoyed emotions expressed within them, behind the pain. "Your worst nightmare," he grumbled as he stumbled to his feet. I cocked my head to the side, confused and then laughed. "If a child is my worst nightmare, then I must be one lucky person. I've seen cats scarier than you kid, now who are you really?" I demanded again.
His hands balled into fists and he scowled, "my name is James, a friend of yours sent me with a message." I squinted my eyes at him, as far as I knew my friends didn't know a James, "oh and what friend would that be?" He smirked and turned his nose up with an almost hilarious confidence, I could tell the kid was human. "Sam says hello," my eyes widened slightly before a laugh belted out. However it was cut short when James' fist came at my face.
I quickly grabbed it, spun him so his back was facing me and folded his arm up so that his wrist was between the lower part of his shoulder blades. Before he could do anything else, I grabbed the other arm and put it in the same position. He attempted to fight back but quickly gave in when I lifted his wrists higher. "Let me go you freak bitch," he screeched.
I snorted and shook my head, "absolutely not, we can use you." I could sense his heart rate kick up massively and he began attempting to twist and pull out of my grasp, however I held on with ease. "That's only going to make it worse for you, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I'll let you choose," with that he gave up once again and I gripped both of his wrists with one hand and snapped my finger.
We thudded to the ground in front of Gateway's cabin, fortunately I was able to use James to break my fall. He'd gone unconscious before we made the full trip here anyways. "August? Magna?" I called out as I dragged the boy inside. When no one answered I decided shadow communication would have to do, 'August, get home now. Looks like we may not need to capture Savanna after all.'
Half a second later, August appeared in front of me. "What's going-," his question drifted off momentarily before he ran off to another room to grab some rope and began tying the boys limbs together. "How the hell did you pull this off, did we not agree that you'd stay away from Loralai and the hunters until the right time?" He scolded me as he finished the last knot.
I rolled my eyes, "I ran into him while running, I didn't break our agreement. All I know is his name is James and he said that Sam sent him to say hello before attempting to attack me, rather weakly I might add." I was slightly offended the hunters thought we'd be so weak, but that's when a thought hit me like a train. "We have to take him somewhere else, he can't stay here," I quickly spoke to August as I frantically checked outside the door.
August seemed to understand what I was thinking immediately and reached for my hand. I took it while once again gripping the boys wrist and we traveled to an area that, to the average eye, appeared to be a casual little field. However, under that field was a sort of prison or dungeon, I wasn't sure which description was better for it. We made our way to the large rock that covered the entrance perfectly, August moved it and I quickly descended. He then lowered James to me and I dragged him to one of the many empty cells, locking him inside.
The area had a sort of invisible, magical dome around it to hide anything below from any Shadow Breeds that may be lurking above. You'd only find it if you already knew it was there.
A couple hours went by and James had finally began to wake up. He let out a low growl when he realized he was locked up in a cement cell and I jumped to my feet immediately, walking in his direction. "Someone's not a morning person," I chuckled resulting in an irritated grunt from the young boy. "Look," I started with a sigh, "I know you didn't have a choice in all this, but I'm willing to give you one as long as you cooperate with us."
His eyes shot up to mine, skeptical but also somewhat hopeful. My heart felt a small pang of guilt for him as I recalled the fact that the hunters and Loralai's minions weren't given a choice, they either worked for them or died. I wanted to give James a chance to redeem himself, whether he joined us or not. I did not trust him in the slightest but, that didn't mean I had to stoop to those bitches levels.
After a moment of silence, James' brows lifted in anticipation for me to explain further. "We need information, the truth and only the truth and if you think you can lie your way out of this, think again. I'm a walking lie detector," I spoke sternly so he knew I meant every word. August watched as he sat quietly out of James' sight. "What information specifically are you looking for?" He asked skeptically.
I rolled my eyes, "don't play around, you know exactly what information I need." He glanced at the ground, clearly contemplating what to do next. He sighed before speaking again, "fine, but what do I get for it?" The corner of my mouth twitched into a small half-smile, "freedom." He furrowed his brows, clearly not believing me.
I shrugged and tossed my hands up in surrender before turning to walk away, "suit yourself, if staying locked in here is your choice, so be it."
"Wait!" I stopped in my tracks, my smile growing slightly before I dropped it and turned back towards him, "yes?" He chewed his bottom lip nervously, "do you have something to write with?" I tilted my head in confusion but his eyes were pleading with me. I felt sorry for him, but I didn't allow that to show. I snapped my fingers and a piece of paper and pencil fell to the ground in front of him.
He jumped in surprise and stared at the objects in awe, slowly reaching out to touch them as if he couldn't believe they were real. Once he realized they were in fact real, he quickly began to scribble something down. After a few minutes of agonizing silence, aside from the sounds of pencil on paper, he finally handed the sheet to me.
My eyes widened with each sentence I read. I turned towards August, upon seeing my expression he jumped up to see what had been written as well.
"She's tagged all of us, she can hear what we say and see where we are. She knows you've been staying on that island and that you guys plan to attack early. Her plans have changed due to this, she'll be attacking in one week, if not less than that. She keeps the details to herself and a small handful of her most loyal followers so I can't tell you much else. They sent me to trap you, they knew you'd capture me and take me somewhere so they had Sam and Savanna follow me. I don't know how far they followed us though, but they're going to use you against your parents," August and I met each other's wide gazes.
We used the shadow to check the grounds above and sure enough, there were two people up there. We pulled back out of the shadow and turned to James whose sad gaze was still on the floor. Without lifting his head, he whispered so quietly that I almost couldn't hear him, "please forgive me goddess, she threatened my sisters life. She's only three." My heart ached for him again but, before I could respond I heard the rock above being removed and the sound of two bodies landing on the floor beneath the opening.
August grunted and I turned to see a dart sticking out of his neck. He yanked it out and I felt a sharp pain in my own neck seconds after, I quickly pulled the dart out and laughed, "that's all you got?" I asked, but I had spoken too soon. They shot two more darts at each of us, I tried to fight off the fuzzy feeling flowing throughout my nervous system but, I quickly fell unconscious.
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