(... continued)
Archer ran.
Not just ran he tore through the territory like a blind man…like a man possessed… without any sense of direction whatsoever.
Branches of a few decorative plants inside the pack house whipped at his face, stones skidded under his boots, his lungs burned…but none of it even registered.
His heartbeat was too loud.
His pulse too violent.
His mind… too full.
Because the moment the mindlink disconnected…the past came crashing onto him.
His memories…a sound triggered it.
A distant crack…a falling piece of wood somewhere in the background…
And suddenly…WHOOSH…
His vision blurred.
The world warped.
And Archer was no longer a grown warrior sprinting through the Crimson Moon territories… he was that little vulnerable boy again…
Small.
Terrified.
Barefoot on rough stones…
And then like a flash… there was… FIRE
Everywhere.
Walls collapsing.
Beams glowing red and orange.
Smoke choking the sky… and his little lungs.
