Both the Elyndrans followed closely, looking at their savior's broad back.
As they continued walking, a sudden beam of lightning crackled on the ground, obliterating their hideout behind them. The three of them gasped, realizing that the lightning shook the ground they walked on.
"Anne, Seren, we need to find cover. NOW."
A mixture of white-gold electricity and purple fire swirled within the light, scorching the foliage and causing a plume of black sm oke to rise.
They did not even question the man's words and fled in search of refuge.
Lush trees began to crackle and hiss as more sparks appeared, frying the leaves.
"THERE!" Marcus shouted over the cacophony.
Anne and Seren stopped running as they came upon a rocky, flat-topped mound.
Marcus scanned around, keeping low to avoid getting burned. "This could work," the man uttered with a worried voice.
"MARCUS, WHAT IS GOING ON?" Anne screamed, shielding her eyes with an arm as she searched for him amidst the raging storm.
"FIND A HOLD! KEEP COVER!" his voice resounded through the raging winds.
Seren and Anne lowered themselves into the clearing as quickly as their legs could muster and headed to a stone mound as it looked like the safest location they could find in such little time.
An earthshaking quake followed by a whining sound that drowned the surroundings.
Seren gazed at Marcus in horror, watching as he fought back the blistering fire and searing bolts of lightning with the sheer momentum of his body. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!" The scream got Marcus' attention as he darted through the chaos.
Anne and Seren screamed, hunkering down against the rain as it hammered their backs, splattering against the barren land.
Everything came to a stop, as abruptly as it started. Marcus panted as he searched the skies for any indication of the remaining threat before collapsing with fatigue.
Marcus was the first to gather his senses and rushed to Seren's aid, lifting him with some trouble due to his fatigue. He carried him towards a fallen tree and laid him on its surface before glancing at the wounded man.
Anne eventually joined Seren's side. "W-What was that? What is going on here?"
"Anne," Marcus looked away from Seren, "Don't let me keep you from helping your friend, I'm sorry he's hurt."
Seren groaned weakly and rubbed his eyes, causing Anne to release a sigh of relief. She caressed his brow and looked back at Marcus. "Thank you for protecting us," Anne quietly spoke, eyes shimmering in the sunlight.
"Thanking me is a waste of time..." He looked away.
Anne looked confused before seeing Marcus turn to look at her. "Please," Anne begged him, "I can't thank you enough for protecting Seren and I."
Seren stumbled to his feet while leaning on Anne. "Marcus, how the hell did you manage to fight that off?" He managed to weakly rasp out,
"That doesn't matter, Marcus, what was that?" Anne cut Seren off.
He looked back at them with a sorrowful expression. "These anomalies, I like to call them environmental anomalies, have been happening ever since the cataclysm hit the planet."
Anne and Seren remained silent as the two of them struggled to process what he told them. "T-The planet is breaking down." Anne was at a loss for words. Seren's face reflected a similar sentiment.
Seren collapsed to the ground, and his eyes closed, finally surrendering his exhaustion. "No... no... NO, WAKE UP SER!"
Anne's tears washed down her face, drenching her tunic. Marcus quickly moved to the young man's side and placed two fingers on his neck, checking for a pulse.
"Oh wow, he actually has a pulse. I was hoping that your species had a jugular vein. It just seems that this event really took a toll on his body." Anne breathed a sigh of relief.
"I have to ask though... how are you unaffected by all of this?"
Anne thought for a moment... she couldn't come up with an answer. "I honestly have no idea, I should feel more tired or worn down. All I feel is exhausted from carrying Seren."
Anne attempted to laugh through her sadness but broke down in tears once again, only for Marcus to sit beside her. "It's okay, Anne. It's gonna be fine, believe me." He placed his large, protective hand onto the Anne's back and attempted to comfort someone he knew such little about.
The sun was beginning to set in the east, engulfing the land in an eerie red light. The planet had lost its crimson beauty and the world was a dark deathscape. There were no sounds, no birds chirping, no wind blowing, no humans roaming, nothing, it was simply void of life.
The creatures that made the world a beautiful home have vanished in the chaos, becoming one with the dead planet that surrounded their domain, the destruction has begun.
Seren slowly awakened to a the barren wasteland once again. "It's always great to see this place." he sighed with a quiet resignation.
Anne quickly went to Seren's side. "Oh, Seren, good! You're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
Seren managed a chuckle, and his weak, scratchy voice greeted her with a sense of reassurance.
Seren attempted to move but instead laid flat on the ground. He mumbled the phrase:
"How long do we have to live like this..?" Anne's ears drooped and her voice sounded soft and distant, Seren and the girl quickly arose from the ground. "I wish I knew Seren... that doesn't matter. I know we can get through this together."
They stayed together for what felt like ages. Seren sat up and winced slightly. Marcus stood from the rubble where he leaned against a large rock, watching the two with concern. He mumbled to himself, barely audible; his voice carried a hint of despair in its tone, "Why am I doing this? I don't even know these two." He sat by the nearby fire he made while they rested and waited for something, although it's unsure what.
Seren gathered the strength and spoke to Marcus, "Where are we going after this?"
"East. Towards the city with supplies," Marcus responded with a grumbling voice. "We'll talk more as we travel there, but we should start moving right now while the sun is still up." Anne helped Seren to his feet as she struggled to lift him alone and followed Marcus while carefully dragging her wounded friend through the murky dirt.