The Search for Terror (ONC 2021)

Chapter 13

      Amaia woke to the shake of her arm, half-closed eyes staring dozily up into Saqat's. "Everyone else is awake, so I assumed you'd want to move. I hope you managed a good sleep." 

      She hadn't expected to fall asleep at all, never mind achieve a good sleep, so waking up came as a rather overwhelming shock. So much so that, at least at first, she didn't have words to respond with. Instead, an embarrassing "uhh?" sound escaped her lips. 

      The smile she was really starting to get used to spread across her warrior's face as he supressed a laugh that, in his position, she would have let run free. "Good, now eat this," he ordered, handing her a cereal bar, "We'll move shortly." 

      Taking a bite of the honey-stuck-oats, Amaia pulled herself to her feet and took a moment to take in the moon. If this had been one of her stories, she thought, the moon would have been clear as anything, its edges definitive against the night sky. It would have been a full moon, a perfect circle looking down at her. It wasn't. Even when the books she'd read had chosen a crescent moon for their fictional sky, they'd painted it so beautifully. Looking at it now, it just felt incomplete. 

      Not that anyone noticed that when it was surrounded by stars that sparkled in the light of their attention.

      The moon ruled over the Earth, moderating its wobble on its axis, giving the planet a relatively stable climate for life to survive confidently. It created tidal patterns, guiding humans through thousands of years of more than just survival. Yet during the day, those same humans would forget it for the brightness of the sun. And when the sun surely died, everyone expected the moon to rise, not caring how broken it was when it did so. 

      Perhaps it was silly of her to relate her life to an inanimate object. 

      But there was no human she could do the same with.

      She accepted the bottle from the soldier's outstretched hand and took a long drink. Lowering the bottle again, she sighed with it, screwing the lid back on tight. She wished she'd asked for more than just water. She handed the man back both the bottle and the cereal bar wrapper. 

      "Okay, let's go," she said finally. 

      Whether it was the aching legs or the growing rain, the way back was ten times harder in just the first step. By the hundredth—Amaia had counted to distract herself—she was begging herself to let them take another break.

      She wouldn't, though. She couldn't slow their progress any further, and her aches weren't going to disappear without a full day's rest anyway. 'One hundred and ten,' she continued, tracking her own progress through the rough ground squashed between two hills. At least the path was mostly flat, even if it was criss-crossed with streams and broken up by rocks and pebbles. 'One hundred and twenty,' her foot pulled the breath from her as it fell to the ground, making her thoughts sigh the number. 

      This was taking forever, she thought, trudging onward with her head hanging low on her neck. She'd have to lift it as they marched into the city, but until then it could be dragged across the floor—as long as she stopped tripping over it. 

      The excitement at moving further onward had done a complete one-eighty into the dullness of going back on oneself. She'd expected as much, but not to this degree. 

      The trees looked older, tired of life. The stones looked more broken, fractured or eroded. The weeds and grasses looked thinner and drier, lying down on the bed of solid earth. 

      Clouds filled the sky, guarding her from the sun's power to suck all energy from the body as it rose beside her. Amaia smiled her thanks at the greying masses of floating water droplets, clinging to dust particles so high above her. 

      Feeling like the skies were acting as they were to help her through this, Amaia felt a sudden burst of energy. Unfortunately, it didn't translate to her body—her aches and pains still existed and pressed against her efforts to speed up—but she pushed harder anyway, feeling the support of the Earth behind her. 

      It was more than an hour later when she realised that she'd long since lost track of her steps. The rain had started, gently rolling out of its bed of air and dust. Each new drop on the back of her neck was a jolt of life through her and, after the initial shock, a refreshing break from the heat of the armour. Refusing to land on her tongue, the raindrops traced patterns down her face and beaded on her chin. 

      She'd quickly snapped her mouth shut whenever someone had come up beside her. This time, it was- A tree. Maybe she was getting tired, but they were so much closer now. 

      She forced herself back into the hike, battling through the pain and weather. Eventually, Saqat had called a lunch break and forced her to sit a while. He'd made her eat, had watched until she'd finished everything that he'd handed her. It had taken a painstakingly long time and more effort than either of them mentioned aloud. Though he'd asked how long it had been since she'd eaten a full meal, she'd said nothing in answer, and he'd left it there. She didn't for one moment imagine he'd leave it completely, but at least she likely had until they were home. 

      Afterwards, once they'd set off again from their make-shift picnic area, they'd made steady progress all the way to the city. 

      No one smiled at her as she walked through. No one tilted their head in a polite bow.

      No one ignored her, either. 

      Looks of distaste or unsettlement were cast over her like shadows dimming the light of her initial pride of accomplishment. 

      By the time she reached the castle, her expression had worked its way into what she imagined was a straight face. Hoped. But her deep breaths couldn't hush the rattle of discomfort and wariness tearing through her, and wringing her hands out only made them sweat more. 

      None of the guards she'd stationed here remained. Perhaps they were on an indoor shift, though she was aware how pitiful a wish that sounded. 

      "Wait here," one of the guards at the front gate commanded, holding a hand out before her, "Until His Majesty agrees to see you."