Chapter 3: Reality of the World Outside.
Orionna was somewhat glad to be the shortest person of the group. The three taller men gave shade as they trudged along the evening desert sands. Throughout the trip, she surveyed her surroundings closely, for she never had traveled in a desert before. It seemed so novel in her mind. Sky was very cheerful as the two chatted occasionally about the sands. Meanwhile, Marix took the lead. Though both Marix and Sky appeared to navigate around extremely well, it was found safe to keep the two separated.
After a while, Sky brushed some sweat from his brow and exclaimed emphatically, “I can’t believe we’re walking in the dang desert by foot! Ori, did you need a break? I know the evening kicked in, but moving heats one up a bit.”
It was then that the others in the group realized the poor girl was trying her best to keep up with three full-grown and very tall men, two with completely impressive athletic abilities. None but Sky had noticed that ever so gradually she was less able to keep up. She felt completely embarrassed to bring up how tired she was.
Marix’s eyes narrowed at Sky for a moment. He would keep his master’s comfort in better check now that he was more aware. It irked him silently, however, that Sky had noticed the issue before he had. He had been thinking of other navigating issues.
As they took a break, Guard shot forth a shade tree with his spells. The green leaves were a nice relief despite the fact that the thick tree would die eventually from the desert conditions. Golden sand spread far across what she could see in the sunset light. Guard leaned against the tree standing as Marix sat next to it. Sky flopped down a bit away after he walked a little scouting the area. He rubbed the sweat off his face with his shirt and looked over to Orionna. “So Ori…”
She smiled at him gently. “What is it you need?” she inquired.
He then spoke as if to include the whole group in the conversation.
“Have you ever seen a battle? Come here,” he spoke as he helped her up and walked with her until they observed a sudden decline into a desert valley. She marveled that a whole town could be hidden before her eyes when just before the desert all looked flat.
“I thought I remembered a town somewhere around here,” he sighed unhappily.
Marix had followed silently behind them, catching Orionna off guard as he studied the town in careful thought himself.
“I suppose we should wait,” he advised.
Though they were a good distance away, she could barely make out faint dots within the town. Some moved quickly as others remained still in their spots. She assumed the unmoving ones to be casualties. Both Sky and Marix looked at each other as if both knew what was going on.
Marix then reported to her, “Some Tribrinkian troops are down there. By my judgment, they have been sent to their deaths. It is typical for Nevar to send an army or two to disband rebelling groups that exist in Tribrinka’s territories, but I do see a discrepancy in this situation. The Tribrinkian troops here with their military strength and weapons when measuring it out with these rebels seems a bit too unbalanced for successful. The rebels know the layout of the land, along with having some ex-Tribrinkian soldiers. If you want both our opinions, the outcome of the battle will cancel out.”
“Cancel? Like they’ll both give up since it’s a wasted effort?” she proposed.
Both military minded men looked at her without response, trying hard not to seem disrespectful but surprised at her being so naive. She flushed slightly as a stern look ran across her face. She stared pensively at the sight before her.
“We’ll have to wait until they have finished. It’s the smartest thing to do,” Sky sighed as he sank down, finding the battle a nuisance but appearing to be used to seeing them all the same.
After some time, Orionna rose up to look around in the darkness. The moon shone around her face as she studied it carefully. She couldn’t sleep and marveled that the three men before her could despite hearing the noises of the battle. She walked over to view the town again. She sat with her head in her hands.
“This world doesn’t seem right at all, and I’ve only seen a fraction of it. I feel so helpless and naïve. I wish they would just stop, but if I went down there right now, I know those people fighting wouldn’t even notice if I died. What surprises me is that those three are not even bothered in the least. Do they really fight just for the bloodshed?” she frowned as she thought on such dismal things.
“These people have forgotten peace. They only know war, I’m afraid.”
Orionna turned quickly as she viewed the image of a delicate, tall woman a few feet beside her. The lady also looked down at the people below. Her long light hair shimmered under the moonlight as a gentle wind sent it in motion. She caught the sight of one eye through her hair before the figure disappeared from sight. The eye seemed to squint as though it was frowning and knew something Orionna did not.
Orionna shook her head in confusion. She knew not what she was seeing and felt quite mentally unstable. Things all around her kept making less sense than more despite all the knowledge that was being explained to her.
In frustration she justified to herself, “Let’s see, I could be crazy, hearing things, dreaming, or I suppose the battle down there is messing with my mind, either way I think it best to get back to sleep. I do have to keep up with those guys tomorrow, and I’ll need all the energy I have,” she concluded.
She quietly slid into her blankets again, but before she drifted off among the silvery sands she murmured, “I wish I could change this sad place but I’m just a little girl lost in a large strange land.”
The next day seemed eerily quiet compared to the night. Both Orionna and Guard walked hesitantly behind Sky and Marix. They seemed to be leading them toward the town, and the apprehension grew in her mind. She glanced up toward Guard. He also seemed wary. She smiled as he looked down toward her. They began to gesture to each other that they didn’t think it was a good idea. He returned a grin, and she took comfort that she wasn’t the only one feeling what she did.
When they reached the town, all seemed empty and dry as dust blew across dead bodies in the warm sun. All in one night, it had become a ghost town. Dry buildings loomed over them practically in ruin. Orionna scanned the area, trying to conceal how horrified she felt at the images before her. She marveled how neither Sky nor Marix seemed bothered by the sight at all. In fact, it seemed they found it a most natural occurrence as they began searching through the soldier’s military packs.
“Do you think it’s safe here?” Orionna called to Sky, who was nearby. She focused on a store sign that creaked eerily in the wind.
Sky looked up and smiled with the attempt to calm her worries. “Don’t worry, Ori, I’m right here in case anything happens, we just need a few quick supplies that Guard didn’t seem to have at the temple. I never would have thought he wouldn’t have any weapons for protection.”
“Perhaps he uses magic instead?” she squeaked nervously. He studied her adorable interaction with an amusement that left his cheeks warm.
Sky lifted his finger up in the air in exclamation, then responded, “Ah! Quite correct! That and I suppose Nevar doesn’t really target priests all that much, nor do they really concern themselves with Nevar either, I suppose. Both seem content with their own agendas.”
“Tribrinkians don’t believe in the Aneiya legend? If that’s so, they wouldn’t be concerned in the least whether a priest hung out alone in a desert temple, right?” Ori presumed, guessing both men were from that place since they were so informed in Tribrinkian ways.
“And that solves the reasoning why we don’t have guns after ours broke. Priests don’t need ‘em!” Sky beamed joyously with a nod.
Orionna shook her head and grinned as he went back to looking. She picked up a gun cautiously, refusing to look at its old owner. She then came over and bent down near Sky again as she saw him analyzing a gun intently.
“What are you looking for?” she pressed innocently.
Sky after taking a few parts out of it, he whipped the gun away while shaking his head. He seemed preoccupied as he frowned, looking about. “Trying to find one not clogged up.”
“Oh?” she spoke with her head tilted with interest.
He then reached for the gun in her hand, studying it as he began a lecture on the weapon. She liked his firm decisiveness, like he was some great military general. Though she really didn’t know his real background at all, she certainly knew he had some military training for sure.
“This is the standard class military gun. Very effective and accurate with ability to adjust speed and direction with this dial here,” he informed dutifully. She studied it carefully, watching him spin the dial.
“Click it like this, and the trajectory will arch, good for shooting enemies from behind objects if you’re good at what you do. Click it this way, and it’ll shoot straight as a line,” he demonstrated.
“What’s that inner circle do,” she piped in curiously while leaning over as he felt his cheeks getting warm again. Being close to her seemed to make him apprehensive for some reason. He tried to shrug his weirdness off. This wasn’t normal for him at all.
“The inner dial? That’s to adjust the strength of the shot. Left is a weaker shot for just disabling an opponent, while to the right, will do considerably much more damage.”
“Oh,” she returned again. She felt silly saying the same response over again with all she was being taught, but her focus was on what she was learning.
“So where do these guys keep their bullets then?” she then inquired, fearful to enter into their coats.
Sky gave her the most quizzical look, then smiled in bafflement. Orionna then felt the need to clarify what she meant, “You know the bullets, metal and about this big.” She measured out a bullet size using her little fingers, looking adorable all the while.
“Ah, you mean what comes out of the gun. Never heard of using metal with this type of thing now, run out of that too frequently I’m guessing. That was an old, antique way of things. See this empty reddish container? Distilled water goes through here and pressurizes and freezes here. Comes out at the tip as a nasty little projectile,” Sky explained.
“An ice bullet!?” Orionna marveled in wonder. Things like this never occurred to her before. “That’s pretty scary, but amazing!”
“Well Tribrinka is a warring city. They focus on killing and the most efficient way to do so,” Sky grimaced while trying to smile politely.
She picked up the gun again to look at the little water container about the length and dimensions of her finger. She noticed it looked a little red and gummy inside it.
“One of the reasons me and Marix are taking so long here is because of that,” Sky commented, noticing her puzzlement.
“The water in that container goes a long way, about 200 shots worth without refilling. However, in battle, a little desperate known trick when you’re empty is to use your own spit or blood. Usually, blood gives you a few more shots, but that tactic lasts for only about 4-5 shots before it clogs indefinitely. Poison solutions work the same way. After that, the weapon is scrap.”
Orionna cringed while placing the gun into his hands, then quietly left him to his business. She shuddered as she looked around by the buildings a little distance away. So warm outside, yet a cold shiver ran down her spine. This place had just gone through something horrific. She could just imagine the struggle as peered at the scratches, burning, and bodies. It was a fight for their very lives, and they lost utterly. It was sobering!
She peered into a narrow alley between two buildings. After a moment of looking about, she turned back as a figure appeared before her. It was female with an intense gaze upon her as Orionna coward in fright. She was dressed with a long brown coat that covered anything else within. Her long brown hair was tied up in a pony tail, though some strands naturally fell down the sides of her face. But what caughy Orionna’s attention was an intent pair of slate colored eyes gleamed menacingly at the girl before her. Seeing Orionna as weak and inferior, the woman loosened up from her intense pose and walked closer in a very casual manner.
“Another Rebel have we?” the woman spoke uncertainly. She was assessing the situation but certainly felt a peculiarity about Ori’s existence. She shook her head about something, Ori knew the woman looked exhausted from the battle. A sole survivor, she had to be one of the best in the battle. The woman soldier caught Orionna’s stare with a frown. With that, the woman flashed a grin before she rushed toward her with a gleaming blade. Orionna fell back as the woman came close enough to her head to slash Orionna’s long bangs.
“C’mere girlie!” the woman shouted as something shot close to her head. The woman skilled as she was just narrowly escaped a fatal hit to the head. The woman’s attention was then drawn to someone with a gun.
Sky, knowing full well the gun no longer worked, tossed it to the ground and threatened in a hasty manner, “Leave the girl alone! I’m warning yo…”
Sky stopped as the color drained from his face, and a look of horror filled it. The woman, too, looked at him dazed and muttered, “Sky? What are you doing here…?”
“Leave the girl alone, Chaos,” another voice commanded firmly from the opposite direction.
Almost under her breath, so that no one but Orionna heard it, she exclaimed his name in absolute shock. A brief moment after she relaxed into a cool and calm demeanor, smiling mischievously all the while.
“What are you doing with Sky, I wonder?” she thought out loud as she sauntered innocently about like a child. Ori was amazed how casual she could yet move in exhaustion. Sky then snapped out of his shock and ran over to Orionna, trying to drag her away swiftly.
“Oye! That woman!” he exclaimed hastily turning to Orionna, “Ori, we’re leaving right now!”
She had never seen him like this. He always seemed so jovial and carefree. This made her shudder and wonder what his reason was. This Chaos seemed exactly like her namesake, enough to have her consider his words carefully. “Okay…” she let out weakly.
Just about to flee, Chaos stepped in their way. Orionna then glanced over to Marix for another opinion, though he seemed to be looking in Chaos’s direction. There seemed to be no fear emanating from him like Sky, but alertness of the situation. She knew Marix would not place her in a danger, so she reasoned the woman not as threatening as her first appearance seemed. Marix faced them calmly, staring at Chaos all the while emotionlessly. Sky and Orionna walked by as he joined them. Chaos studied the backs of the group, then shouted frantically,
“Wait!”
Though both men seemed content to keep walking, Orionna turned.
“I’m coming along too!” Chaos informed, though she had a wary look of desiring acceptance.
Sky swung around, waving his arms and hollered an adamant, “No way!”
Chaos scrunched her mouth up while giving Sky a good smack that sent him to the ground, “Sure I am!”
Orionna was impressed with the distance that such a good-sized man flew. The scene seemed rather comical as Sky let out a frustrated groan. Chaos then folded her arms and pouted to him, “I was sent to be killed in the battle anyway, I’m sure I won’t be missed.”
She then turned to Orionna to petition her acceptance, “I’ll be another girl in your group!”
Orionna looked around at a loss of words. She didn’t understand the situation to feel comfortable with a decision. Marix looked to Orionna as Sky, still on the ground, pleaded for a refusal to come out of her mouth. Staring at the scene, it became clear to Chaos, who led the group. Chaos looked to the ground as she awaited an answer from the tiny black haired girl before her.
In a quiet subdued tone, Chaos mumbled almost to herself, “I’m exhausted with life right now, I need a fresh start. Please let me.”
Sky continued to wail a pleading, “no” in the background, being ignored by the individuals before him.
Orionna looked down and muttered, “Ah, well, I don’t really know what to reply.”
She turned to Marix and asked, “You both seem to know her. What is your opinion on the matter?”
Marix stole an emotionless glance toward Chaos, then responded, “The more skilled team members under you, the better. However, one also must make sure they swear their true allegiance for that matter. It is a decision for you to make whether she is a risk or a help.”
Sky wailed out, “A risk! She’s a giant and painful risk!”
Chaos stomped at him with a frown, “Am not!”
He moaned out as he grimaced up toward her. Orionna tried to ignore the spat between the two as she meekly asked the stern man, “From what you know of her Marix, is she trustworthy once she places it in your hands? Would you believe her?”
Marix looked directly to Orionna, “From what I know of the Runlines and military record it seemed so, I believe her character is such that if she swore an oath she would be too stubborn to take it back.”
Chaos stared at him solemnly for a brief moment, then turned to Orionna with a bow, catching what she ought do here. “I swear it. I, Chaos Vay Aiona, swear that I won’t betray you if you would but take me along when I have nothing else.”
The flow of her voice and movements were curt and professional with what seemed like years of military practice. Her eyes, however, betrayed an intensity that she deeply meant her vow and pleaded for acceptance. Orionna sighed with a warm, gentle smile, deciding she did admire the passionate lady before her who seemed as lonely as could be. She let out her hand and replied, “Understood. Now let’s be good friends. I promise too, to help and be there for you as well, though I don’t know how useful I really am compared to you all.”
Chaos eyes widened in honest intrigue as she slowly reached for her hand. “I don’t, I don’t think I’ve ever had one before, really?”
Orionna grinned as Chaos began to smile, too. “Neat!” she squealed out as she gently squeezed Orionna’s hands in excitement. She quickly understood that the girl was much more delicate and fragile than the group around her.
Sky, slowly standing, hunched his shoulders in defeat. He glanced over at the two women as he closed his eyes, sulking, “Great, my life just got a whole lot worse.”
Once they found Guard, who had been wandering around the town frantically, worried after hearing the gun shot, they traveled out some ways again before setting up camp another night. Leaving the men to cook and set up camp, the two girls attempted to fix what they could of Orionna’s slashed up bangs as they chatted. Though Chaos looked completely exhausted, conversation and good company formed quickly between the two in a surprisingly short time. Orionna felt she now had a new tomboyish new sister. Though Chaos was somewhat awkward being rather brutish, Orionna’s calm nature settled her down into a fine temperament.
“Ack! Fine! I guess I’ll just have to have slanted bangs to the side, I can’t cut it anymore,” Orionna whimpered as she snipped with fright. They had snatched a pair from within the town.
Chaos chuckled warmly as she sat up, looking at it somewhat impressed. “Sorry about that. Ori, I don’t think it looks bad now though, actually it I kinda like it. You look modern, like a Hiesuian!”
“Really?” Ori winced in uncertainty.
“Sure,” Chaos confirmed confidently.
“So it’s been you and those guys all by yourself?” Chaos added in mild interest.
“Well, yes, couldn’t avoid that. Since the temple, but they all have treated me well, except Marix at first, he tried to kill me. Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask, how do you know Sky and Marix? And how did you survive all that chaotic mess in the town with just a sword?” Ori shot out, trying to void the conversation of her close call with death. Marix was far better now, but even now, at times, his icy face put her into shudders. She supposed it was because he was a military general of sorts.
Chaos grinned at the barrage of questions her eyes were heavy and tired. “Well, I had a few guns, but those only last so long, then I used a blade I found somewhere in the fight. They last more indefinitely if sharp. That little tiff really wasn’t much of a trial for an Elite Two, but it still hurt knowing Tribrinka sent me hoping to be finished off. If they don’t want me I’ll wash my hands clean of them! Being an elevated general isn’t as grand and exciting as one would think, mind you!” Chaos bellowed with a shake of her fist in the air, “As for Marix and Sky, we all trained together in Tribrinka.”
“So are they those special soldiers too?” Orionna returned. She had yet more information to grasp.
“Yeah, we all had the same training. Marix and Sky were always top of the class. Boy, they’d compete against each other! Sky always took it easy on the woman. I took it out on him, and he’d just let me, which angered me all the more you see. I knew it’d be a fair fight when he tried, but he’d cheaply let me win. Some conflict made him leave the military, though I never knew all the details. It was probably due to his ‘let’s try and be nice’ demeanor,” Chaos rested back on the sleeping bag as she let her eyes close.
“So I take it those two never did get along?”
Chaos laughed out loud, “Nope. And never will either.”
After a few days of traveling out of the desert, they were beginning to come across signs of lush life once again that Orionna found so familiar. Trees spanned high above their heads, as grasses and mushrooms covered the forest floor. Orionna grinned as Sky pointed out an extremely colorful one. Despite his military background, he was the warmest and most cheerful by far.
Guard took notice of things shortly afterward, usually oblivious until someone pointed it out. “It looks very pretty,” he commented, blushing some innocently as Chaos, noticing she was missing something fun, swung from behind. The silent woman had the poor Sanction leader startled to the ground.
“What am I missin? Oh, a mushroom?” she noted out loud as Guard flailed on the ground helplessly and surprised.
Sky bent over to him with pity, “See, now you know why I didn’t want her to come.”
Chaos frowned in hurt as she shot back, “I didn’t mean that. I thought I came by quite loudly.”
Guard rubbed his butt as he gently explained, “You guys are trained to be stealthy though, and I see you are.”
He chuckled as he shook his head. She gave an air pat as if to say sorry as she winced,
“Well this Tribrinkian declares herself here now.”
Orionna chuckled as she watched their interaction with amusement. It all stopped as the final figure joined them politely though he didn’t say a word, Marix seemed like a grim father hushing their nonsense with a fierce look.
As they continued down the path through the forest, it became more and more narrow until the group was forced to walk in a single file line. Leading the group, Marix halted as he observed a narrow and rickety wooden bridge a few feet ahead. He approached it cautiously as he studied it quietly with a raised brow. Taking a step, he analyzed its structural integrity as the group watched. He looked over to Sky briefly, almost as if trying for a second opinion. Sky shrugged his shoulders in nonchalant approval. Marix went across first without incident other than creaking of the wooden planks. Chaos and Guard crossed in their turn though Guard needed urging for his fright was getting the best of him at times. Sky went next in a casual manner, then turned urging Orionna next. Since the others were much larger, she doubted it would give her much trouble. Looking down, however, Orionna noticed the drop indeed was something intimidating. Foliage covered any signs of stone walls all around, leaving only the sight of dark green below. It became difficult to ascertain just how deep the area really went.
She looked up to Sky and felt encouraged as he gave her a light-hearted smile. It let her know he was carefully watching that she’d make it safely across to the other side. She made it three-fourths of the way, letting out a sigh. Suddenly, a snap occurred from behind as Orionna felt the frightening urge to struggle off the bridge. She knew by the alarmed look flashing in Sky’s eyes that the snap was not a good sign, for he rarely appeared nervous over many things most people do.
Suddenly, she felt herself feel lower as she noticed Sky jump and grab her. The feeling of butterflies in her stomach and the sensation of him embracing her tightly were the last thoughts that filled her mind before she woke up. She opened her eyes to see the sight of dark green leaves everywhere and a white shirt. She felt Sky’s deep, even breathing on her other shoulder. He seemed unconscious, though still loosely embraced her from the fall. The lush and protective branches above must have broken their fall as she let out a relieved sigh. Everything seemed eerily quiet except for the tranquil sounds of forest. Frogs chirped a distance away as birds fluttered about. She must have been out for a good amount of time if the birds had returned to the area unaware of their presence.
She then began to pat Sky on the back to wake him hopefully. He was rather heavy to push off, and she wanted to make sure he hadn’t any injuries before doing so.
“Sky? Sky, please wake up,” she called out gently.
He groaned, rousing from his stupor, and she noted his head must be hurting from the tone of his voice. He raised his head and peered down at her for a moment.
Then, at the same time, both blurted out, “Are you hurt?”
They both laughed in relief. Since he still failed to move, Orionna petitioned, “Are you able to possibly, um.”
Sky flushed a moment, understanding what she meant and quickly moved away. He stood shaking off the soreness out of his body and looked up.
“Oh boy, how are we gonna get back to them, I wonder?” he mused, gazing up at the height of it. The group couldn’t be seen this far down the cliff.
Orionna stood up too, brushing off her clothes and walked over to him. “Thank-you for um… following me down here. I don’t know what I’d do alone, but seriously, you could have died! I really, really am thankful, though!”
Sky smirked and patted her head. “It’s okay. No problem. Let’s get back together with the group then. Shall we?”
She smiled as he offered her his arm and escorted her down a trail. Neither knew what to expect, but both were relieved to at least be alive. Talking and joking seemed to relieve her worries as Sky led them around, searching for a way up.
He stopped for a moment as his head cocked slightly in thought, “Hmm, there’s something black and barbed over there.”
Orionna looked to where he pointed, and the two decided to investigate. As they approached, the thick forest shied away, revealing an extravagant, gray house with black shutters and roof. Made of wood, it still looked well kept up. Sky looked to Orionna, shrugging his shoulders as he decided whether to check it out or not. The house was deep in the forest, as if it almost wanted to be hidden away, yet the people in the house might be of assistance regardless.
“Let’s give it a go?” he suggested, “I’ll protect you either way.”
They knocked on the door without getting a response. Instead, the door creaked open by the force of Sky’s cordial banging. She marveled that even his gestures displayed his friendly and open personality. After a moment of calling into the building without a response, Sky decided to enter in with her at his side. The place was dark with not a single light on in the house. Rooms seemed to connect to other rooms, as their shadows flicker around the place. It gave an eerie illusion that things were moving even though it was only their stark shadows against the outside light. As the two entered further, the rooms were dimmer, filled with dolls all around. Some large and some small, their glass-like eyes sparkled as though intently watching the intruders invading their domain. Sky took out a flash light and handed Orionna a small one too he had stashed from his cargo pockets. She wondered what else he had stashed in there. A gun was at least one thing, and she felt relieved at least in knowing that.
She walked absentmindedly into another adjoining room while studying the dolls closely since they still had not found anyone yet. Such detail and craftsmanship intrigued her, but no matter how she admired the work, there was something just plain creepy about dolls she simply could not get over. Was it their all-encompassing gaze, or that their fluffs and frills of clothing seemed to mask whether they truly came to life?
She shook her head and turned, noting she hadn’t heard noises from Sky. Everything seemed very unsettlingly and quiet. Peering into the next room, he wasn’t there, and she called out nervously. She had lost him, but he wasn’t that far to lose, however. How did that happen? She spun around the room, and nothing moved. She stopped and stood still listening for any sounds at all. After two minutes, she began to hear a creaking of the floor boards. It was ever so subtle, but truly there. It wasn’t anything like Sky’s confident gait, something different, and out of character.
She dashed out of the room and shuffled in the corner of a room filled with dolls. She remained quiet and soundless as scuffling slowly slid across a floor in another room. Forgetting her flashlight on the floor in the previous room, its beam flashed onto a few dolls a couple of feet away. She studied them as she hid. They remained motionless, but she couldn’t help but receive a bad feeling emanating from them. She then noted a liquid run down the eyes of one particular doll. Not hearing the sound of movement for at least twenty minutes, she decided to sneak carefully over and investigate.
Shaking, she scrambled over warily. She wished Sky were there fiercely. She touched the dark liquid running down the doll's face much like tears. It was sticky and smelled pungent with a strong iron odor, too. She gently tapped the mask, and it fell to the ground as she gazed in absolute horror at the sight the flashlight shone before her. Metal robotics and rotted flesh mingled together as glass eyes stared emptily back at her. She quickly removed the front of yet another bigger doll more the size of a human head and found half a human face with skin still attached along with some brain tissue exposed. She let out a horrified gasp of air as all the faces began to move and face her. They were alive, but something unnaturally wrong!
“Sky…,” she cried in terrified shock.
Suddenly, something came in front of the flashlight as it blocked out the light. It was much larger than the rest of the dolls, about the size of a large man, though thinner and pieced together with both organic and mechanical parts randomly in a grotesque and altered way. The smell of rotten flesh filled the room. It twitched and jerked without proper fluid moment as it attempted to approach the frightened girl. Before she could let out a scream, she was unconscious at the mercy of the approaching doll. She was already caught in their trap the moment she had set foot through the doors.
When she woke up again, she let out a frustrated scream. She had been chained at the wrists to a wall and was ever so helpless. She struggled but then transitioned her focus to the rest of the room. Sky lay unconscious on a table. He also was chained tightly to it, and she doubted there was a way to get out of it. She pleaded loudly to him regardless.
There was no response as she focused on the equipment in the room warily. Like a surgery ward, limbs and body parts were dispersed throughout the area. A sink of blood dripped rusted stains down the side as a saw popped out of the top of it. She closed her eyes, viewing half a man tied by the neck. His spine dangled bare.
“I need to get out of here!” she whimpered.
She tugged on her chains in absolute hysterics. She winced as she rubbed her wrists raw. When they started to bleed, the reminder of the room made her writhe. Her wrist was so close to slipping out. She worked hard on it through absolute pain. Disgustingly, the blood did help it slide easier. An image of a fox gnawing at its leg in a trap came into her mind. She let out a scream of agony as she put her feet on the wall and pulled as hard as she could to free the one wrist. It slid out as she tried to recollect herself after the ordeal. She knew she still had the other hand, and then she would have to figure out how to get Sky undone somehow.
She was then startled as a door slid open, revealing a doll half the size of a normal human holding a drill. It traveled silently past her toward Sky and took no notice of the fact she had managed one hand out of her chains. Just as she was about to shout something, another cat masked doll loomed above her. It flounced around acting like it was licking its stuffed moist paw, then in a garbled female voice which caught Orionna off guard, consoled, “Don’t worry, we’ll make you better. See, don’t I look pretty?”
Orionna screamed as she watched the masked face open up to proudly display a mutilated female face before her. It looked like the skin had been scrapped off leaving the eyes in their sockets with a deep red, fleshy covering over the bone. The white cartilage of the nose could clearly be seen, as the disgusting thing made an attempt of a smile, though it was hard to tell. The doll wasn’t disturbed in the slightest that the girl was shrieking and scared to death instead of being consoled.
Sky upon hearing such shrill noises woke finally as his eyes widened to the horror around him. He fiercely made an attempt to free himself but failed to do so. He also failed to notice Orionna until much later as his focus was primarily drawn to the disgusting form approaching him with the drill.
“Why?” Orionna shouted to the doll above him, “Why are you doing this!?”
The doll with the drill then spoke to her in a metallic sort of voice, “We must fix all mistakes… like the one over there…”
The doll then pointed to a large machine with a body of a man attached to it.
“See our Creator. He made mistakes, but now he is the most perfect of us all. He is the head of our computer monitoring systems.”
“No, you’re stupid machines that have gone wrong with rotten meat to you. You’re far from perfect! Go fix yourselves first before you harm innocent people!” Sky forcefully bellowed, still trying his hardest to break free. With absolutely nothing around him, he didn’t have any options to work with.
Once the drill and tools were inches away from him, he glanced fearfully in the direction of Orionna. He tried his best to put up a brave front, but his true reaction was only natural in a situation of complete fear and torture, dealing with things that couldn’t even be manipulated once programmed with their faulty logic.
She lost realization for a moment as the lights in the dim room began to flicker. The machines took note with the peculiarity then restarted. When the drill pierced his skin slightly, Sky howled out. Orionna, unable to handle the situation before her lost awareness, blankness filled her eyes. Then, lights really began to flicker violently as Sky’s focus changed from absolute pain to complete shock at the sight before him.
With pulses of pure white energy, he observed his chains rattle with powerful vibration then break away. The dolls themselves began to move erratically as the power and lights completely shut down. Soon, the sole light in the room came from the glowing figure before him. She seemed emotionless, as if almost in a trance. Slow pulses of energy shot out from her body as she slowly began to walk out of the room.
“Ori?” Sky murmured in awe.
He began to follow her. As he rose quickly, he felt the spot where the doll had punctured his side. Finding it completely healed gave him a shock. Joining her side and completely uninhibited by her energy waves, he shook her to wake. However, she failed to arouse but kept walking slowly onward. The floor boards began to tremble and shake under his feet as the room they passed began to dissolve into nothing. He had never seen such massive amounts of magic being released before and marveled that such a young little lady could do such a tremendous feat. The ghostly shouts of dolls writhing in destruction along with the gentle gust of energy waves made the walk haunting. The waves had calming but powerful sound to them, almost like the wind but electrically charged and far more impressive.
Once finally out of the building, he noticed Orionna turn slowly behind her and raise her hands up. Doing so, Sky watched in awe as a splash of flames engulfed the house, devouring all completely and leaving a foot deep of melted glass-like soil. It reflected black against the sun overhead. The intensity of the flames was even more impressive than the actual volume casted. She was beyond skilled, putting the high priests of both Soei and Narias to shame.
Once there was nothing else to destroy, she collapsed, losing consciousness. He caught her just in time before she hit the ground. It was then as he stared down at her that his fear over what frightful things she could do lost to the desire to help the frail little girl in his arms. The display before, in fact, was only because she was so terrified. She seemed so unaware of the world that he knew could lead her to a great deal of trouble. He then swore solemnly as she slept unaware peacefully to protect her with what abilities he had. He watched the smoldering smoke and ashes as he waited patiently for her to wake once again. He was in no hurry after such a horrid ordeal and knew they would meet up with the group eventually.
The snap of a twig caught his attention an hour and a half later. He peered over as his hand entered his pocket right where his gun rested. He removed it once again once he noticed the voices. He knew Marix would find them shortly and continued to sit with Orionna resting in his lap unconcerned. A part of him chuckled within himself, hoping all the while that it would frustrate Marix all the more if he did keep quiet as they approached for it would take him all the longer to find what he sought.
“No, it’s just ahead. I can sense something very vividly.”
Sky rose his brow up in surprised amusement. He hadn’t predicted the young priest would be the one to guide the group at all. Quickly after, the rest of their group appeared finally from the bushes to the side. They stared at Sky with curiosity and then to the smoldering area beyond.
“What have you been doing?” Marix fumed.
Abruptly after Chaos chimed in with a vindictive grin, “What have you two been doing indeed.”
Sky noticed she was staring at the fact Orionna rested in his arms, and he frowned in annoyance. He swiftly justified, “Nothing of the sort! She’s tired, is all.” He hoped no one caught how red his face felt.
Guard assessed the situation quickly and then commented as if in thought, “Well she oughta collapsed! I don’t know anyone who could pull out half as many of those fancy high-level spells and still rise out of bed a month later! Looks like she did several energy spells together which is amazing and never heard of, the highest level of fire magic, and oh!...” Guard paused to point at Sky’s side, “That must have been a doozy!”
“How can you tell?” Sky curiously asked, amazed that someone who couldn’t make a map of Arenta had such knowledge for spells.
“Oh, I can see the residuals. My master always said I had a natural gift for it, but she must of given you a fright as she went about all that, didn’t she? I could sense the castings even as far away as we were. I can’t imagine what it would have been like right next to her!”
The way his interest and emotion picked up, everyone in the group could tell Guard was enthusiastic about doing magic as they finally figured out why he was the High Priest of the Divine Sanction. His lack of interest in actual knowledge of the World and its workings along with his meek character hid the reason well why he was chosen out of all the priests and people to be leader of the Divine Sanction. The three smirked knowing now why the High priest didn’t rule in Narias but instead hailed in the desert out of all places. Even if he tried, he would never make a cut-throat politician like the rest of the higher level priests, but they couldn’t deny his amazing talents either.
“I don’t think she knew what she was doing at the time, I think she was terrified beyond comprehension. Whatever went on, impressive would be one way of putting it! Those ‘spells’ I don’t even think I could even say the correct word to describe it completely,” Sky returned cheerfully though the tone in his voice was a bit more serious. He then stood and lifted Orionna up in his arms. “Well, let’s leave folks. I don’t want to really stick around here. I don’t think she needs the trauma either.”
“How far are you going to carry her?” Guard asked in astonishment.
“As far away as possible or until she wakes up in my arms. I told you, I really didn’t like this place,” Sky insisted in a more firm voice as he walked along. The rest of the group followed as Marix informed Guard, “When he starts to tire out I’ll carry her. No use arguing until I see him slow a bit.”
“Whatever happened really seemed to have shook him up didn’t it?” Chaos added, “And he doesn’t shake too easily. I know, I’ve tried his limits in training.”
Orionna woke a few hours later in Marix’s arms. She peered over at Sky as he also gave her a thoughtful glance. She was relieved, however, when she was informed that they were a good distance away from all that had occurred.
“I don’t remember a lot. Things went hazy after, well, there was that voice of thunder. It instructed me in a way I don’t fully understand, after the dolls had us chained and…” she stammered at her words, she looked white as a sheet.
Sky put his hand in front of her mouth, sensing the discussion was bothering her too much. There was no reason to force her to remember something so horrid.
With a sigh, Guard then returned, “So you did all that unaware? That’s pretty impressive, actually, but it sounds like I’ll have to train you so you can focus and use what you already have instilled within you. Too dangerous to just accidently slip a spell or two out. So what do you say apprentice?”
Orionna cocked her head in surprise, “Whatever I did, was it really all that impressive? I never thought me capable really of anything grand.”
“It was pretty impressive,” Sky informed from the background.
“It was, and because it was, you really should be taught to realize how to handle such, or there might be worse troubles later. Don’t worry, though, okay?” Guard reassured.
Later, when the moon was just beginning to rise, Sky finally allowed the group to set up camp, though he still seemed uneasy and jittery. Orionna, too, felt somewhat restless when she woke in the night. The two then sat together, gazing into the campfire as the others drifted peacefully into slumber.
“I think we came too close to death today to want to sleep,” Orionna stated wistfully.
“That and I guess I took a nap on that table,” Sky teased meekly with a hint of insecurity. Years of military training, battles, and bloodshed couldn’t come close to what shook him up that day. He had risked his life many times before, but this was different, a real-life nightmare. He flinched when a gentle hand tapped the spot where he was drilled into. She looked distraught as she attempted to confirm that he really was okay now.
“Ori,” he sighed with relief. “Sorry. You made me jump a little. The memory’s still a little fresh, but it’ll fade after I sleep. Always does. Just don’t wanna sleep tonight, not until we’re farther out.”
“I just wanted to make sure you still weren’t injured, I guess. I’m sorry,” Orionna spoke as she looked down fully embarrassed.
Sky smirked and promptly brought up his shirt. She touched his side, noting that not even a trace lingered. He felt that warmth on his cheeks again that only her presence seemed to give. He was glad for the darkness to hide his bashfulness.
“Oh good! I feel relieved,” she murmured.
“You should sleep,” Sky ordered, patting her on the head, “I’ll keep definite watch, ‘sides, I’ve gone plenty of days without sleep before. I do just fine and sleep even better tomorrow.”
Reluctant at first, his concerned gaze pressed her to accept his request. With that, she curled up by the fire as he felt himself feel slightly more at peace. His mind pleasantly drifted instead to her touch and those enchanting eyes.