Chapter 4

I woke up to the first sunlight prodding my eyes. I struggled up to sit, my muscles aching worse than after any gym workout I’d ever been through. It took me a moment to realise where I was, and then I remembered. The cat. Aki. They’d wanted me to heal her, and I couldn’t.

I groaned. I didn’t know who these people thought I was, but it wasn’t me. Whoever they thought would come, they were mistaken. I closed my eyes. I could still see Aki’s still body lying on the marble floor, and Selene urging me to do something. It had been a mistake to come here. I shouldn’t have done it.

I still remembered what I’d promised myself yesterday, but as I opened my eyes and looked out over the landscape, my heart sank. It was arid, deserted for as far as the eye could see. There would be no leaving. I could probably find my way around a new town, even find a job in this new world. But this? I had no survival skills.

I glanced around. I couldn’t even go back to the temple. There were no buildings around, and I wondered how far we had walked through those tunnels in the end. I sighed. So I was stuck with them.

I got to my feet. The others were already awake, I saw, standing at the edge of the camp, talking among themselves. They must have seen that I was up, but they didn’t make any sign of it or invite me to join them. I guess that said everything I needed to know. For all I knew, they were probably already discussing how to best tell me to leave.

I turned back, and my eyes fell on Aki. She was lying some distance away, her body still.

“She’s still alive. Badly hurt, but Selene has managed to keep her alive so far.”

I startled. Uruk was standing next to me, watching the still figure. How could someone so massive be so agile?, I thought. I didn’t know what he expected me to respond, so I just nodded, hoping he would leave, but to my annoyance, he didn’t leave and instead unfastened a sheathed dagger from his belt.

“You might need it, my Lady.”

He handed it to me. It was as long as my forearm, with a finely ornate handle. I looked at him, surprised. What was he doing? Was he preparing to tell me to leave? I unsheathed it and weighed it in my hands. It felt heavy and reassuring.

“I’ve sworn to protect you. I would rather die than take back my word”

He paused and then quietly spoke,

I made my choices

and paid the price

I don’t regret

walking this path

As he finished, he pounded his fist on his chest in a salute.

“At your service, my lady”

He turned and walked back to the others. I stared at the weapon in my hand. Was this his way to tell me I had to go?

I began to pack what little I had when I saw Karim coming over. So, he would finish what Uruk couldn’t, I thought. He bowed as he halted next to me.

“The sun rose again, m-my…”

He stuttered, as if he couldn’t utter the last part of the sentence, and then went quiet. He must have come to tell me to get out, so why was he hesitating? Was he a coward?

“How do you feel, m-my…”

He couldn’t finish that sentence either, and in the end, he broke the gaze and lowered his eyes. If you lacked the strength to fire someone, don’t take a job that requires firing people, I thought.

He placed a bowl of food on the ground. Despite everything, I wasn’t foolish enough to miss the chance of a meal, so I took it without a word and began to eat. He didn’t leave, though, and he kept standing there until I looked up and glared at him. He lowered his eyes.

“We will leave soon…”

He bowed awkwardly and left without another word. I stared at his disappearing back. So he wasn’t brave enough to tell me what they’d agreed, and instead offered to come with them. It didn’t matter. As soon as I found a place to stay, I would be gone.

I finished eating, and not long after, Karim made a sign, and we set out.

                                                  —-----------

It was slow-going, with Uruk carrying Aki strapped to his back. They didn’t speak to me, only chatting quietly among themselves. They hadn’t even told me where we were going or even explained more about who they were. Not that I cared. It said everything I needed to know about them.

The sun was still low, but even so, it was already hot. The fact that I was stuck with them until I found another place didn’t help either. I only needed to be careful and not lose the opportunity to leave at the first moment I got my chance.

We must have approached what would have been lunchtime when we found a cliff that offered shade. We stopped, and Karim announced that we would rest here for a while. I slumped against the rock and wiped my forehead. Uruk came up and shared his water with me before leaving to talk with Selene. So none of them had the courage to kick me out, in the end.

I saw them gathering around Aki, and Karim turned and walked away. I peered at him, suddenly remembering yesterday. Hadn’t he done the same when Selene saved Aki? After a while, Uruk gestured for me to come, and I left my place in the shade and walked over to them. Selene looked up at me as I halted next to them. She was wrapping a bandage around her forearm, but I couldn’t read her expression.

“We will leave soon. We did what we could for her.”

I pushed away the pang of guilt at seeing Aki’s lifeless body and asked,

“How is she…?”

Selene sighed and looked down.

“Still alive, barely…”

Uruk frowned and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Tomorrow, the sun will rise again, Selene”

I thought I heard her murmur something about where his Goddess had been when all of this happened, but then she sighed and slowly nodded.

“Tomorrow, the sun will rise again.”, she whispered.

He nodded and looked at the horizon.

“We should go, it won’t be long until they’ll find our tracks.”

He left, and I turned to prepare to leave when a strange uneasiness crept up on me. It gripped my throat, making it hard to breathe. I peered around.

“Is everything okay?”, Selene asked, peering at me.

I tried to answer, but no words came out. The uneasiness took hold of my chest, and I gasped for air. Something was out there, something was coming for us. I backed away, staring wildly around me. We should leave. This wasn’t safe any longer.

“Rina?”

Selene’s puzzled voice reached me from afar, but I couldn’t answer any longer. I turned and ran.

“Rina!”

The arid landscape flashed by me. I didn’t know where I was going, I just knew I had to get away. Someone cried. A shadow followed behind me. I sped up when something crashed into me, and I was knocked to the ground. I screamed, punching blindly and kicking whatever it was as hard as I could. It pinned me to the ground, and I froze.

“Rina”

Selene’s calm voice broke through my panic, and her face slowly materialised in front of me.

“Yes, look at me. Don’t be afraid.”

I blinked.

“Yes… Just lie still and breathe. It makes you fear. That’s how it finds its prey.”

“I-it..?”, I stammered.

She glanced up at the sky and then shifted her weight so I could see. I regretted it the moment I saw what was circling high above us. It was huge, as big as the buses back home, with large wings spreading out in the air. Its slender neck moved from side to side as it scanned the ground, and its long tail whipped the air in what could only be frustration of not finding its prey. I couldn’t see its skin, but I was sure it must have scales. I wanted to scream, but Selene covered my mouth and whispered,

“Don’t, Rina.”

She released her hold on my mouth, and I stared at it soaring above us.

“What… is that?” I whispered.