[ 125 ]
Displayed for all to see, threatening anyone who travelled through who had managed to escape the horrors of Hawk's treatment. The decomposing corpse was a pitiful sight. Particular areas of the clan had been left almost intact, whilst elsewhere the huts had been razed to the ground. Falcon mentioned that this was because Hawk likely wished for their current location to be recognised by surrounding clans. A warning.
The longer they stayed, the more the charred remains of the clan collapsed into dust. Soon, Finch looked towards his companion who was just as lost in thought as he had been. The silence of their surroundings, aside from the whirling of the wind, made the gravity of the situation all the more realistic. This was somewhere these people called home; somewhere children would have played excitedly as their parents contentedly filled their roles. That had all been ripped apart, and this is what remained.
"We'll burn all that is left." Falcon said, his voice although deep sounded calm. But Finch could only imagine what he was thinking. He looked away from the silver haired man and to the blood-stained ground. He nodded his head even if the man didn't see. It was the least they could do. Along with removing the deceased's beloved Chief from the elevated position where he cruelly took his last breaths.
Falcon had previous dismounted the horse, leading both the animal and Finch on its back, through the rest of the shell of a clan. After relentlessly journeying for the past days, the horse became somewhat restless when they came to a stop for too long. And when Finch intended to join Falcon on foot, the man shook his head. "No. Stay on the horse, I'll get the body down. We shouldn't spend anymore time here."
This wasn't a time for bickering, so Finch compliantly nodded, taking the reins when offered. It was unnerving given that he was in control of steering the horse, but he decidedly focused his attention on his companion who walked over to the post which was located a short distance apart from the clan.
Whether it was habit or not, the horse actually followed a few steps. "No, don't follow!" Finch blurted as he tugged on the reins slightly, trying to halt the beast. It worked but not without the horse bucking its head and huffing at him.
They continued their little battle for a few moments longer until Finch lifted his head and found that Falcon had reached the post. Judging by how crudely it had been erected, it wouldn't take much for it to be taken down. Which was demonstrated by Falcon who planted one foot on the back of it and applied his weight. With a few brunt shoves, the wood splintered and the body of the old chief fell backwards. The impact created a breeze which whipped up the dust of his cremated people.
Finch was close enough to see the face of the body, and it was just as mangled as the rest of his body. He dragged his gaze away to look at Falcon, who steadily approached the corpse and spent a moment looking down at it. There must have been an element of guilt swirling around in his head. As it was the person he was related to by blood, who had mercilessly treated them this way.
There was a similar expression which crossed his face, one which Finch had experienced when his companion talked briefly of his brother. Frustration. Something any family member would feel if they found out they were related to a monster; that tug of war with your heart and your brain when trying to disassociate ones self. Questions would flood the mind, wondering what steps they could have potentially taken to stop that bad seed from spreading havoc. But from what Finch understood, Hawk had been troublesome from a very early stage. A mean-streak which he has worn like a badge of honour through his life.
Finch couldn't understand the psychology of it, but he knew from basic common sense that no one is inherently evil from the day they were born. Realistically, there was always something that happened which then soured the child's view of the world. But Falcon hadn't mentioned anything like that, instead explaining how joyful the Chief was when he ended up with two sons.
So that flaw in Hawk's character couldn't be natural. It was something orchestrated, and if it was any other time, Finch wouldn't give it too much thought. But now that he was entirely ensnared in this test, he couldn't help but wonder the purpose of the man who carried the trait of yellow eyes. All except in this world, which System had warned would be increasingly difficult.
Finch had nothing to say to comfort Falcon, he felt entirely inexperienced.
After moving the body with care towards the clan, Falcon turned to face him finally. He gave a nod and made his way over to the fire-pit which had obviously not been used for a while. But it was the best place to get a spark, one which would spread and devour the remnants of the clan who would finally be at peace.
Finch had been unconsciously running his hand through the horses mane and when it made a huffing sound it captured his attention. He turned back around from looking at Falcon, to quietly talking to the horse and discussing the terms of their alliance. They were willing to put up with one another, a human who didn't like horses, and a horse who didn't like to be ridden by amateurs.
Back aching from hunching over, Finch straightened up while he waited. He looked straight ahead, passed the mount which had once held the chief. The clan was located in a relatively isolated position, so they were able to see from all directions. But of course, this was severely limited when the sun dipped under the horizon.
Gradually, the horse began to get restless. It stomped its feet and was eager to get moving, which had Finch worrying that the wolves had followed them. But as he looked directly ahead, he spotted movement. Not from people, but from birds. A flock which had been disturbed while relaxing in the tree-line. Which meant that something was travelling quickly under the cover of the trees.
His suspicion was confirmed when the telltale sound of horses galloping was swept towards them in the breeze. Their eerily silent surroundings meant there was no way of them not hearing the approaching horses. Even Falcon, who stood a few paces apart from Finch, shot upwards and whipped his head around.
He marched over to Finch's side and quickly offered a hand, "Jump down." He instructed urgently.
As soon as his feet touched down, Falcon grabbed the reins of the horse and stuffed them in Finch's grasp once again. He started the process of tugging the horse in a direction before looking to his young companion. "Take the horse and hide away somewhere amongst the huts which aren't damaged. Keep feeding and stroking him to keep him quiet."
Finch was confused, "What about you?"
Encouraging the horse to get moving with a slap on his rear-end, Falcon then looked to Finch. "I'll hide somewhere around here, where I can see what the situation is. I have my suspicions, but I don't want to take the risk given the predators will be starving in this weather. They could be chasing the horses. Now go- quickly."
Moving again, the horse happily followed Finch's uncertain directions. Finch mentally apologised as he avoided the bodies that were littered around. He tried to ensure the horse did the same, but that was virtually impossible given the urgency they felt to hide. So they reached nearly the other side of the crumbling clan, where a cluster of huts were propped up and barely still standing.
There was an oddly large amount of blood that stained the ground. It made Finch unwilling to choose that place to hide, but they were given very little option. He tugged the reins and led the large animal into the fragile hut. The stench when they walked in was eye-watering. Making Finch gag before covering his nose.
Three bodies were lying inside of the hut. The rate of decomposition was slower, as they were under cover and somewhat protected from the elements. Regardless, they were still undergoing the natural process any living-thing went through when greeted by death.
But their position was odd.
Finch manoeuvred the horse to one side and tied the rein slackly onto one of the panels that acted as the skeleton of the shelter. He did as Falcon had urged and gave the beast enough food to keep him busy and happy. Meanwhile, because of how quiet the clan's surroundings were, Finch poked his head outside of the hut and looked in the direction they had come from. But other than the increasing sound of galloping feet, he couldn't see anything.
He just hoped Falcon was able to find a suitable hiding place.
Turning back, he instead focused on the current situation. Specifically, why the people were left in positions like they were sleeping. He steadily approached and squatted down while covering his nose.
Their necks had been slit, which was actually a relatively slow way to die if compared to being stabbed in vital points. It took an estimated thirty minutes for the body to lose sufficient enough blood to render the person deceased. It was a method which ensured the person suffered without being able to speak and could only choke on their own blood.
So even though the people inside of the hut had been laid to rest in a peaceful-looking fashion, their cause of death was far more brutal than their fellow clan members. But Finch guessed that the Chief's was probably just as bad, given that he was likely awake to suffer the agony of being disemboweled.
"But why," Finch whispered to himself as he looked around. He didn't have to look far to find a small alter. One which was completely devoid of dirt or blood. Though obscure, it triggered something in Finch's collection of memories that didn't belong to him. The alter was treated with the utmost respect and ensured was always clean.
The ornament was simple, looking like a stag's head or something along those lines, but it was what that meant to the clan which was important.
As Zephyr called them, it was probably a 'minor god'. One which Bison cherished just as fiercely as the other clans. They each had their own, a deity which they believed kept them safety in their embrace as the days went by. But the worshipping for this god had come to an abrupt halt. The alter dark and gloomy, the ornament appearing inconsequential.
Though Fahren wasn't the most faithful person, he felt sorry for this small deity. So he moved forwards and grabbed some fabric from nearby; tidying up any dirt which could have blown in through the entranceway. He was mindful of any noises he made, keeping a side-eye on the fat horse still munching away at the remnants of their supplies.
When it came to dusting the actual stag's head, he hesitated. He wondered if it was sacrilegious to touch the statue. But he shook his head and did it anyways, taking care not to damage the seemingly hand-made item. Although made out of wood, it looked fragile and appeared that someone had put a great amount of love and attention into it.
He was entirely focused on cleaning, that he didn't notice an elderly woman appear not too far from him within the shelter. She watched him silently, a tired look on her face which grew saddened when it lowered to look at the bodies on the ground.
"You aren't like your fellow clan members." She eventually observed and the young man jumped out of his skin. He whirled around with wide eyes but didn't make a sound.
Finch looked straight at the woman, wondering when she had appeared. Had she survived when everyone else died from her clan? Did Hawk sickeningly only leave the elderly?
But her words were odd. "How can you tell what clan I'm from?" He slowly turned to fully face her and spoke in a hushed tone. Stepping away from the clean alter and away from the bodies that lay close to it.
She startled him by giving a morbid smile, taking a seat where she could and with a lot of effort. "I had a feeling, that's all." She said but revealed the truth by touching her ear. Finch reacted instinctively by feeling the irreplaceable item of jewellery penetrating his own.
If she could sense it from the earring alone, then it must mean she was the minor god of this clan. And she didn't look in great shape, not that Finch dared to tell her that. "Me and my friend left the Viper clan. We are travelling through but had no idea that this.. I'm so sorry."
The older lady smiled more genuinely this time. "You have nothing to apologise for, young man. Everyone forges their own path in life and I can tell that yours has taken many twists and turns but you are strong of heart. Don't let this old lady keep you from powering ahead, as you have been doing."
Finch was a little flabbergasted, he blinked a few times figuring out what to say. "You can get that from an earring?" He wondered but it obviously sounded humorous to the woman as she laughed gently.
"No. If it's alright with you, young man, I'm going to keep a good distance between me and your earring. Your life thus far, I'm afraid, is one I was able to assume from the many years I have spent around humanity. You are a young man with bright eyes, filled with determination. You are kind enough to clean my altar and know the meaning of respect. These don't tend to be the attributes belonging to individuals devoted to the Viper Clan. So my guess is that you were taken from your home, one which is likely in the state that this one is in. So I should extend the apology to you too— I'm very sorry you have struggled so far, and at such a young age." Her tone was gentle and warming, as if hugging him without daring to touch.
Finch matched her smile and echoed her sentiment, "You have nothing to apologise for."
Her soft laughter filled the space but stopped before it could leave the hut. Her expression swiftly turned sombre, a look of guilt. "Do you blame your deity for not saving your clan?" She wondered as she fumbled with her hands on her lap. It was a strange sight, to see a minor god so anxious.
Finch couldn't imagine seeing Zephyr in such a state.
He slowly began to shake his head. "No, I don't think so. The thought has probably crossed my mind, but in the end, the dangers in this world are real, and everyone who has survived this far has done so because of their own will. So I'm sure my people knew that although our deity was precious, we can't just expect to be untouched by those dangers. Just like we cannot predict what's going to follow us in the next days, why should that not apply to you deities— regardless of if you're a minor god or not."
"That's kind of you to say, but I don't think I can forgive what I have witnessed. After all, that's exactly what the men who did all this wanted. Those three young men lying there were brought before my altar and had their lives cruelly taken from them in my name. Viper Clan wanted me to watch and to feel the sickening power which still flows through me from their sacrifice." She spoke sharply, sounding disgusted in herself.
She slowly began to compose herself as the silence stretched. It was helped when the horse snorted and pulled her attention. The elder lady climbed to her feet and slowly walked over, contently running her hand through his mane. "My woes should not burden you, I apologise. What we should be talking about is your future."
"After I just gave the speech about you not being able to do such thing?" Finch grimaced.
She shook her head. "No, you are correct. I cannot predict the future. I can only sense the life in all living things and feel when the energy feels disturbed. But I also know exactly who it is that your earring belongs to, and I don't have to do much energy searching to know that one must be very careful when dealing with him."
"You know him?"
"Yes. And unfortunately, young man, seeing as how you are tethered to him then one thing is for certain. You will know anguish."
Finch stared with wider eyes. He became more aware of the usually light earring becoming heavier. Perhaps because his blood was pumping vigorously through his body. The way she said the word 'tethered' made him think of them rolling around together in bed. They couldn't have gotten any closer than that.
She was not the first one to warn him about Zephyr, but she was certainly the first deity. It made him want to press rewind and redo the whole world again. He couldn't help but fret that he'd taken the wrong step.
Seeing how pale he'd grown, she started speaking again. "As I said previously, you are determined and are forging your own path. You are kind, and you are desperately trying to do the right thing. And as you said, there are dangers in this world, most of them unavoidable. Zephyr is one of them. But I cannot pretend to know how he thinks and what he will do in the time to come. So I can only warn you."
Finch swallowed then nodded his head slowly. "Thank you."
Shaking her head, she finished stroking the horse and slowly walked over to those who lay dead on the floor. She slowly dropped to her knees and placed a hand on one of their heads. "You needn't thank me. Not when I have a request in return."
Finch listened attentively and she spotted his expression and smiled sadly. "Your companion and yourself intend to burn what still stands of this clan. I ask that you make sure I burn along with my people. That is all I wish for."
"If that's what you wish."
She smiled up at him. "You should return to your friend's side now, it seems he recognises whoever they are who have also come in the last moments of my clan's life on this world."
Finch suddenly perked up. He immediately went to move but paused and looked back at the lady who had looked back to her people once again. She wore an expression of a mourning mother. A sight that made Finch's heart ache. "What's your name?" He found himself asking.
She shook her head gently, "There's no need, young man. My name was not known by many and for that, I'm glad. So along with my people who have lost their identity, I will join them." It was a promise.
Finch took a deep breath. What could one say to a deity who was embracing death? This was something he was entirely unprepared for and was unable to think of a response. He lowered his head, a sign of the respect she truly earned. When he reached his horse and took a firm grasp of the reins, he slowly lead him out of the hut. Finch didn't look back, deciding to give the scene of her crying with her people in her arms, as much privacy as it deserved.
[ TBC ]
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