[Calliope]: 216.The Unfinisheds.Sylvian

Sylvian

  She could feel her muscles going weak, her lungs burning with each desperate inhalation. She stumbled on a log, arms flailing in an attempt to catch her balance and carry on. How could it happen? What went wrong? she thought. They had had scouts posted throughout the vicinity, she had already found one, a gastly cut across his throat still oozing warm blood. Even if most of the scouts had been eliminated the fort was still considered inpregnable. But that had been then. That had been before the horrible occurances of this night.
  She remembered how the night began, how wonderful it had been. Of course, maids weren't allowed to dance but rules had never stopped David before. He had still stole her breath away when he had grasped her arm and pulled her out into the darkness. There they had danced to the faint music, clasped tight in one another's arms with only the twinkling stars as witnesses to the exchange. It had been a perfect evening with no one noticing her missing presence and she had fallen asleep in the protective circle of David's arms. Her dreams had been of the future, full of joy about her family and their lfe together. Then they had turned into nightmares.
  Shrill cries had filled the air but while she raced about trying to find the distressed cild she was jolted awake. Her eyes inched open to find David looming over her as it sank in that the screams weren't from her subconcious, they were real. The stench of burning wood and flesh permeated the air and caused terror to course through her veins.
"David, what's going on?" she whispered.
"Shh," he replied, "We're under attack and I have to go help fight. Julie, you have to promise me you'll run. Don't go back to get anything, the maids quarters are already burning. Just run, alright?"
"Alright" she answered.
"They have us surrounded but it seems like their main body is from the east so I want you to head west. You understand? Good. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can. Oh Julie," he murmered, "you're trembling."
"I'll be alright, I'm just a little cold."
"Here." he said and wrapped his cloak around her. It was still warm and full of his scent. He leaned over and tenderly kissed her cheek while he hugged her tightly. "Jullie, I love you."
"I love you too David." she whispered but he was already gone, vanihing into the smokey darkness.
  She ran then, straight towards the western exit. At some point she'd been hit in the head and now the blod mixed with sweat, stinging her eyes and blurring her vision. She knew she'd been spotted when she entered the woods and was poitive that her pursuers till lingered somewhere behind her. She entered a small meadow, shattering the tranquil picture of moonlight on frost as she cut a jagged trail through the only serene scene to be found amidst this midnight hell.
  Julie continued on through the meadow and when she entered the forest on the other side tripped into the site of a battle. She surveyed the view, taking in the compressed grass, crumpled leaves and snapped branches. One of the scouts must have put up a fight she reasoned. She searched the rest of the scene and found what must have been the scout himself.
  His remains consisted solely of a few scraps of clothing along with the odd dismembered extremity. It was too early for wild animals too have moved in on the carrion so what had caused such destruction? Surely their atters weren't pure heathens! Then Julie found the culprit. He lay on his side a few paces away with the obvious cause of death being the gash running from his ruffed neck clear down to his abdomen. The only evidence that cleared the shroud of mist surrounding his real form lay twined about his neck, caked with drying blood. It was a gold link chain. Werewolf! her mind screamed.
  There had been no appearances made by te species since the Great Age War where they had earned the nickname Ferals. Somehow the enemies had gained the Ferals favour and turning them against her people. The wolves had wreaked havoc that was previously unfathomable. Julie had heard that the army defending her people, the Sylvian army, had been dissipated from within. Wolves hadn't been on the list of enemy associates and would have easily been able to break through the ranks.
  Fear quickened her pulse. No she thought They can smell it, they can feel it. It'll lead them straight to me. She glanced at the Feral corpse, positive that it had moved. In that moment she knew the Julia of before was gone, lost in the shadow of despair passing over her that night. She also knew that her future had turned. There would be no David to light the dismal path for her, no bliss to accompany her and support her spirits. Now she was the Sylvian army and she would gather as many survivors that she could find and lead them against their enemies and the Ferals.

© Angie O’Connor