The march carried on throughout the day, taking small breaks but moving like a snake through the trees. It was impossible to move so many people and make it look organised.
People would collapse and then have to be carried for a while, then those carrying them would collapse and it was their turn to be carried.
Despite their condition they were making good time, both out of fear of the night and hope of a better future.
By midday almost everyone was either leaning on or being leaned on for support. Their bodies were weak to begin with and the journey only proved that further. The sun ways high in the sky and they decided to find a spot to rest.
They huddled under the shade of a large tree that welcomed them with open arms. It's roots dived in and out of the ground like waves and created small pools of collected rain water. Aisa found the biggest one and shined her bright light on it, purifying it for everyone to drink.
The water hit their tongues like good news after a bad day, well, more like a bad month. It brought some colour back to their faces.
Some people who were in better condition tried to forage for food with little luck while everyone else slept in the shade. Ryan took this chance to do a true count, not just an estimant. It was worse than he thought.
There are only 200 of us left. Half of us died in one night. Will anyone survive?
The thought brought a chill to his spine. He didn't know what to do, powerlessness washing over his body.
He could try to stop them here and build some kind of fortification, but with what? That would mean they would have to extend their whole journey by at least 3 days. Travel in the morning, build in the afternoon, and then fight at night.
There was no way.
His sword couldn't cut down trees, Aisa's staff couldn't make nails out of thin air, and Jacob didn't even have a weapon but at least his ravens could watch them die. He let out a sigh and let his shoulders slump. He didn't realise how much tension he was holding on to.
All they could do was march on. He would only let them sleep for an hour. His punishment for not being able to do anything was to stand guard and count again. He must have made a mistake.
—
After the rest they marched on, and before nightfall Ryan made the call. He could see that they were unable to run like that again. They had to stay here and band together. Their uneasiness grew as the light dwindled.
"Everyone. We're done marching. We'll stay here and fight together."
Asia grabbed his wrist this time.
"What are you doing, we'll be sitting ducks if we stay here?"
"I'd rather die here together than hear everyone dying alone and scared. If we run we'll just be chased down and killed. We'll make a stand here and spend our energy fighting, not fleeing."
He gently removed her hand from his wrist and moved it over his chest so he could feel his heart beat, wrapping his fingers around the back of hers.
"You wanted to run back and save all you could last night. Here is our chance. One more night, all together. We can do this. Tomorrow we'll finally be free."
The deep green eyes she had come to fall in love with shined with determination, who was she to tell him to run.
He was right and a part of her knew it. It was better to stick together than flee alone, last night proved it.
"Grab any large branches or fallen trees and create a circle around us. The weakest among us to the centre and the more able form a defensive line. We'll light some fires to scare them off. I don't care if we burn down this whole cursed forest."
Asia turned around and gave the order and everyone who could work started to. Together they were able to build a shabby defensive barrier and line it with dried sticks and leaves to burn. It was nothing more than loosely stacked sticks in front of them but it was something.
The fires were lit and night washed over them.
Jacob sat with his eyes closed, rocking back and forth slowly like a leaf in the wind. The fire lit up his face as his eyes shot open, still covered with a white layer.
"They're coming."
Jacob blinked away the white from his eyes and pointed, looking at Asia.
"From that direction."
Ryan walked outside the circle and put his body between them and where they would be coming from. The fire lit up the details of his back. His clothes were ripped and torn and you could see the finer details of his body. He looked back with a smile.
"Get ready. Keep them out and I'll kill as many as I can to slow the charge. You better make room for me when I run back in. Aisa, you cover the rear and I'll cover here."
He said with a light hearted laugh, giving Jacob and Aisa a wink.
The forest around them took in a deep breath, the distance between the trees compressing and expanding. The darkness of the forest was made even more extreme against the backlight of the fire.
A young man was standing behind the wall of fire and sticks, heavy branch in hand, next to him a woman with a rock. Their shallow breaths were interrupted by a whimper coming from behind them, a silent sob from another. His hands squeezing tightly around his blunt weapon.
"Don't cry."
He said without looking back.
"Ryan is in front of us, we'll be safe, he's always protecting us."
The young man's eyes darted left and right, his breath growing more frantic as time pushed on.
"He'll save us for sure."
The trees shook around them, their branches creaking. The sound of bodies rushing like water over the rocks of the mountain flowing towards them.
"Ryan.. He'll…"
He almost dropped his weapon at the same time Ryan rose his up and yelled.
"Get ready!"
The young man couldn't see anything, just Ryan's back as he raised his sword. All he could see was the darkness of the trees around him.
Then the darkness moved.
It crashed against Ryan with their read eyes and twisted long legs. Flat heads colliding against each other as they tried to overwhelm him, overflowing and beating against the first lone line of defence.
They hit the light of the fire and flinched back form it, running off into the night to circle back and try from a different angle. The defenders swung their sticks and threw their rocks, screaming and making their bodies big to scare them off.
Ryan's sword flashed side to side and backwards like it was being fast forward and rewound, sweeping all across him. His wide swings and strong arms successfully stopping the charge of bodies.
His voice breaking over the growls and roars of the creatures.
"Make room, I'm com.."
A black blur flew over the other monsters, body like an eel with wings, latching onto Ryan's shoulder. Red streaks started to glow as it sucked the blood out of his body.
He paused the sweeping motion of his sword just for a moment, just to pull it off. Another creature used the opportunity to slash at his side.
Ryan let out a strained yell through a clenched jaw as he tried to take another step backwards towards safety. Swinging in the direction of the slash while another bite was taken out of his forward leg.
There were too many. No matter how fast his sword was moving it couldn't be everywhere at once. The monsters that tried to test the heat of the fire saw him as an easy target and attacked from behind.
Another bite to the leg caused him to stumble to the ground, still swinging his sword as he tried to crawl backwards. His strained yell became a full on scream as the pain washed over him. The bodies in the night piled on top of him, all just looking to get a mouth full.
His body began to disappear under their dark fur and smoke, with only his face and arm peeking out of the mass, looking towards the circle.
His eyes locked with the young man with the blunt weapon, pleading for someone to save him.
Please. One of you. Pull me in. Come over here and pull me in. Please. Save me.
Another bite was taken out of his arm, his back, his thigh. Their hungry mouths were pulling him back into their blurry mass as he tried to extend his arm even further.
Please. Help me.
The line of defenders were frozen. Safe behind their line of fire they stood and watched. The bravest of them could only muster out a scream for someone to do something.
Looking and asking for others to act as their knees shook. Some coward couldn't even look, avoiding his gaze as blood washed over his face.
The young man that told everyone Ryan would save them just looked down at his shaking legs, powerless. Anyone who would dare go out there would face the same fate.
Ryan's face was being dragged back into the pile of bodies slowly, unblinking, until it was gone. The sound of bones snapping and flesh tearing was all that was left of him. His arm fell limp, only twitching from time to time in response to the force of the bites.
A cry came from the other side of the circle where Aisa was. She stopped swinging her staff at the monsters testing the defence long enough to look back and see that Ryan was gone. Where he stood a mass of moving bodies. She pushed though the circle, jumping over the weak who were huddling on the ground.
"No! No! Ryan! Someone bring him to me! Hurry!"
She fell to her knees when she reached the other side of the circle, just before the fire. The creatures were no longer as afraid of it and were starting to take swipes at the line, slashing and snapping at anyone they could reach.
Asia crawled over the fire, feeling their hot flames move over her and catch onto her clothes, and kept crawling until she reached his hand.
Channeling mana into her skin and releasing it violently a blinding light radiated from her like a flash bang. Everyone who was hit with the light was pushed back and stunned, creatures and humans alike.
Even the fire that was burning her body was suffocated by its brightness
For a moment the forest was as bright as if it were high noon and the monsters fled to safety, leaving their half eaten pray momentarily.
Asia pulled Ryan into her lap, cradling his body in her arms and sobbing as she rocked him back and forth.
His leg was almost gone, eaten to the bone, chunks of meat taken from all over his body. His ribs were visible and shattered, face torn and flesh shredded all over him.
His breath was shallow and short, wet gasps escaping his throat. Blood and tears smeared across his face. His eyes were glossy and moved from staring into the night sky to looking into hers.
"Ryan! Please stay with me. We're almost there. We have to make it, please stay with me!"
Her body radiated warmth and it started to wash over Ryan. The light that purified could not heal, but to him it felt like her touch. That was enough. That was healing in itself.
He reached up his arm with a laboured gasp, bringing it to her face. His eyes grew slightly wider when he didn't see a hand where it used to be. He let it fall on to the ground with a thud.
"I.. I"
"Don't speak Ryan. Don't say anything. Stay with me, im here."
"I… I"
He continued to stutter, fighting the blood drowning him from the inside and the air escaping form the hole in his chest.
"I… kne.. Knew… You'd… Come."
His torn face looked at hers, a soft smile flashed across his bloody lips. He gained a moment of clarity. The night fell silent for the both of them and his comforting voice rang loud.
"I'll miss you so much."
The last of his air escaped his lungs, or whatever was left of them. His eyes frozen in place, the smile stained there for all of eternity.
Asia shook him in her lap, then shook him harder.
"No.. No Ryan, please, come back. I need you, please Ryan. I can't do this alone. We need you. These people need you. Please come back."
Her sobs started to turn into screams and the tears stung her eyes. They crashed from her cheeks onto his face, washing away the blood and dirt in tiny circles.
She held him close and let her muffle cries ring out into his body. With her radiant light still embracing them both, she held him once last time.
The peace they received from her light was fading and the darkness was taking back its rightful place.
She pressed her forehead to his face. She didn't care anymore. Let them come and devour her. It had all been so unfair from the get go. Now the only person trying to make it better for them was gone.
She whispered softly into him, repeatedly and rhythmic, like she was praying to anyone who could hear. Her light retreated into her and the beasts that were once scared away started to inch forward again.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Around her the flat faces of creatures got closer and closer, Stepping carefully to not be engulfed by the light again. Becoming more confident the closer they got. She had no light left to give, and even they could see that. With him any brightness she could see was gone.
Their mouths took all shapes and sizes, some opening in the centre of their face, others detaching and reaching in her direction. Their hunger was carried on their breath, the rotten flesh of the people left behind lingering on their teeth.
"You won't have to miss me for long"
She held him tight. If they wanted more of Ryan, they'd have to go through her first.