The Mist!

Dora simply breathed for a minute then straightened and looked at Ben.

"I think so," she said, taking her waterskin and sipping again, "I have some extra things in my pack."

She smiled cheerfully for the first time in the last half-hour even though she felt pale and weak and told Ben, "Good thing we brought stuff with us! Thank you."

Getting up slowly, Ben helping her, Dora went to where Snoball had wandered up with her load of meat, man, and packages. Dora dug through her pack and brought out a long-sleeved shirt. She folded the collar part down and tied the sleeves behind her head.

Then she went into another coughing fit. The masks might be too little too late.

 

Ben decided he should cover his mouth and nose too and Dora had given him a better idea than the one he'd been forming. He was going to cut off the bottom of one of his spare shirts. Now, he simply set his pack on the ground and pulled an extra shirt out of his pack. He folded it up and wrapped it around his neck and made it cover his nose and mouth.

As he pulled it out, he noticed the metal box Drake had given him. He lifted it out and opened it. He looked through the various medicines inside and read their labels. He smiled when he found one that said it was a cough suppressant. He poured the right amount into a small cup for Dora and held it out to her with his fingers near the bottom of the cup. "Drink this, it should help reduce your cough some."

 

Dora's eyes crinkled, betraying the smile that the mask hid.

"Thanks," she said, somewhat muffled. And she lifted the mask and downed the drought, grimacing at the taste.

"Ugh! That'll wake you up!" She said when she could speak again.

 

Madeline stared down at the fallen angel, or beautiful human in an angel suit, and didn’t know what to think. Dameon stepped forward and slid his eyes shut. Their ally was dead.

It made sense, but she couldn’t convince herself that ‘Jacqueline’ was on their side. Madeline’s moral standards were lacking, but even she knew that taking another life was pretty low. Well, I’m hardly in the company of saints, she mused. To her knowledge, everyone beside the two mages had killed the previous day. Of course, Orc’s hardly counted…

Madeline looked back at Skraal, wondering the same thing. Skraal didn’t answer, and her instinctive suspiscion flared.

It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s hiding something, she thought. He might not know what Jacqueline was talking about. He certainly looked confused.

She called him brother, another voice declared. Madeline hadn't been walking around with her eyes shut. She had noticed how his eyes were red. Something about him wasn't quite right.

'Now what?' she asked, stepping away from the angel.

 

After the woman, Jacqueline’s, warning, Ceri was glad she had thought to pack a scarf in case the Outside was cold. Pulling it out, she wrapped it round her nose and mouth, silently thanking her mother for passing on her practicality. The material was thick and difficult to breathe through, but hopefully that would mean it would be better at filtering out the poison in the mist.

Dora seemed to be the worst off in the group, suddenly kneeling down, her body racked by a coughing fit. It calmed after a few minutes, and when Dora raised her head to speak to Ben, Ceri saw that she looked pale and wan.

Fixing her staff under her arm as a crutch, Ceri limped over to Dora’s side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” she asked anxiously, hoping Dora hadn’t ingested too much of the poison.

Her eye was then caught by the young man that lay dead in the angel suit. He would have been beautiful in life, with long blond hair and a fine-boned face; in death, he looked almost like a marble statue.

Ceri felt her breath catch in her throat, and hot tears pricked the back of her eyes. After the battle with the orcs, she had felt little other than a detached numbness and the pain of her injuries, but now a mixture of horror and utter sadness welled up in her.

Swallowing it back, she turned back to Dora, and a terrifying thought occurred to her: she didn’t even know the man in the angel suit. What would she do if one of their group died?

 

I felt somehow protective over Skraal, which was strange his power obviose. "Look, Skraal aparently doesn't know whats going on, but if we can get an ally some where out here we'd best give it a shot. I don't know whats going on between these two groups but I'm sure both sides have their reasons and it's really not our bussness." I said strongly, breathing in deep, then I recalled the womans warning and set my pack down long enough to pull out an extra shirt wrapping it tightly over my mouth and nose. "Everyone wrap your face with some cloth and get ready to move out." I said hoping that no one would be upset over it, but we needed to move to that place and hope that it'd get us out of the mist. Dora seemed to be doing poorly.

"Sounds like a plan." The fairy man commented settling on Si's shoulder in a crossleged possition, somehow remaining their while she moved fairly easily.

 

Alex was having a hard time keeping up with the group. It was sad really since there were some injured people in the group and he couldn't even keep up with them very well. Alex had lived his life in a workshop most of the time and so he rarely got out.
But Alex was trying his best as long as he saw figures ahead of him, he knew he was safe or at least he was close by people. He was not injured and had missed most of the action, which was probably a good thing. He wanted to find his parents so it was best he survived this.
They seemed to following someone else, but Alex couldn't make out details since he was really lagging behind.

 

"Are you alright?"

Dora readjusted the knotted shirt over her nose and mouth and nodded to Ceri.

"Just peachy!" she said.

She did feel better after the medicine Ben had given her even though it tasted awful. Ceri was using her staff as a crutch.

"How is your ankle?" Dora asked Ceri, wishing they had more than one donkey and that the horse hadn't bolted off into the mist.

"I don't know whats going on between these two groups but I'm sure both sides have their reasons and it's really not our bussness. Everyone wrap your face with some cloth and get ready to move out."

Dameon covered his face, they all were doing so.

"Okay, but where to?" Dora asked him, "Do we trust Jacqueline," here she shot a look of apology at Skrall, "or should we go somewhere different than what she said?"

 

“Just peachy!” Dora replied, and Ceri was relieved to detect no hint that she was putting on a brave face. She smiled happily back at the curly haired girl. “How’s your ankle?”

“Peachy keen! Just a little bruised,” Ceri said breezily, emulating Dora’s cheeriness. “It’ll be fine in a day or two, I’m sure.”

Luckily she was saved from further questioning by Dameon’s addressing the group.

"I don't know what’s going on between these two groups but I'm sure both sides have their reasons and it's really not our business. Everyone wrap your face with some cloth and get ready to move out."

Ceri turned and hobbled forward on her crutch, so she wasn’t as far behind when the group moved off again.

"Okay, but where to?" Dora asked him, "Do we trust Jacqueline, or should we go somewhere different than what she said?"

“I don’t see that we have much choice,” Ceri gave her opinion. “It’s either trust her, or wander round in apparent circles.”

 

Madeline waited for Ceri to finish before speaking.

'No. We shouldn’t trust her,' Madeline answered automatically. Rule number one in her survival handbook warned against trust in red, underlined letters. She shifted from foot to foot, increasingly agitated. She couldn't shake the feeling that invisible eyes in the fog watched them. 'But if there is a war or something going on, maybe we should just try and stay neutral.’

 

"No we don't have to trust her, but I belive it's obvious that she could have taken us in by force, and they seem to see Skraal as one of their own, which should give us some leverage." I said and looked over at Dora she seemed to be taking the mist the hardest. Skraal was to strong to be effected by it and my lungs have probably been toughened by the heat of the forge pouring in and out of them.

"We head towards the location she motioned and try to stay out of trouble when we get their, we need to get out of the mist, and maybe get a hold of some of those masks that she was wearing." I said and hefted my pack. "If you feel i'm makeing the wrong choice feel free to break off and I wish you the best." I said a bit coldly, it kind of shocked me, being leader seemed to be making me edgy, so far my choices had gotten us into trouble, leaving the mist, moving forward and having to wait for others to catch up to us, and I'm sure this one will turn out badly to but I had to do it.

 

The group walked slowly in the direction she had come from. the forest thinkening and the fog thining as they moved. The walk was mostly up hill, the groups legs got tired as they brethed heavily threw the cloth wrapped overr their mouths. But the trip soon proved worth it as the hill crested, the trees seened to disapear and down at the bottom of the hill, in a small valley, no trees stood a dome, 100ft tall, and probably half a mile diameter.

On their side stood a door, infront of the door another massive armor unit. Several other units patroled the area carefully. The fog seemed thicker again without the trees to clear the air. One of the patroling mech armors spotted the group quickly. I carried a rifle in it's hands and a massive claymore like sword on it's back. Like the other the suit had a face with no mouth, and was plain with no decorations.

It stalked slowly in their direction, rifle pointed down at them. "Brother where is your armor and why do you travel alone with these people?" A male voice asked from the suit. As if weary of a possible ambush he head scanned the horizon above the group. "State your busness." He said in a mellowtone voice.

 

Cassie put several of the components she found in her bag and stood. As she walked around the fallen angel, she noticed for the first time its pilot. He was young and handsome, with flowing blond hair. His eyes were closed in death as he lay there unmoving. Time seemed to stand still. He had been killed; slain in battle. Such a thing was so foreign behind the Wall, and when it happened it was indeed a deep tragedy.

A single tear fell from her eye. She blinked, wiped it away, and then turned, looking back to the group. They seemed to be debating about who to believe and what to do.

"Thus far, we have no purpose; no goal but to explore. I think Dameon's right. We should do what Jacqueline said. Besides, I want to learn more about these things. I'm with him."

 

Si, nervously looks up at the man in the battle suite. "Um...miss Jacqueline told us to come this way. We mean no harm and are just exploring the mist." says Si. The weaponry is so impressive to the young mage.

 

Madeline followed the others up the hill, slightly stung by Dameon’s response. I’d only been trying to offer a second opinion, she thought. His reply had basically been like it or leave. She shrugged. Walking off into the mist sounded like a sure way to get herself killed, so she shut up and kept quiet.
Hortensio had awoken, and she remembered that she still had his swords, so she walked up beside him and returned them. He gave a weary nod of thanks.

Madeline eyed the rifle, and took a step to the right so she was mainly behind Hortensio. He seemed alright now, and he could no doubt fight better than her.

The others had converged to decide. Madeline looked around, wondering what everyone else would say.

 

Soujiro had been extremely silent during the proceedings ever since they first encountered the angel. His mind was busy wondering about Skraal's role in all of this. What did they mean by brother and how is it they recognize Skraal when he's never been outside the Wall. Questions without answers plagued his mind but he stayed cool under the circumstances, he knew the opportune moment would come to question Skraal about all of this.

He had already decided that the best course of action was to follow Jaqcueline's instructions since they had no other plan. The other discussed it amongst themselves but Soujiro kept his opinion to himself. There already was a leader and thus far he wasn't doing the best job leading them from danger to danger, which Soujiro didn't mind. He was accustomed to hostile environments. Despite all this he had faith in Dameon, under the circumstances he didn't think he could do any better.

He watched the Madeline who seemed a little uneasy at the sight of the rifle, Si was more intrigued but Cassie seemed to be crying. He wanted to approach her and comfort her but thought otherwise, she looks strong enough to handle whatever it she's mourning.

 

Skraal stood deep in thought he heard the questions and queries of the others, even Dora stood near him but still he felt lost in thought.

Why was it the Orc called him Blood Angel. And why this Jacqueline recognised him. Skraal had also noticed the others were finding it harder to breath in the mist but he was fine.

He turned to the others after he came from thought.

“We go to the Village there we will find answers.” He said allowed addressing them all. His tone was less aggressive than usual yet more quizzical.

“Dameon I will lead the way.” He said. And off he led them.

Suddenly he stopped turned to take Dora by the shoulder’s.

“Stay safe.” He said through gritted teeth.

Skraal took the lead and vanished as if the Mist had swallowed him up, it was as though he where never there. After a few moments it was clear Skraal was gone. But where?

 

Ben thought Dameon's points about Jaqueline being able to take them by force and her recognizing Skraal could be valid. The man in the flying suit had also not taken them by force and probably could have he thought to himself. Ben decided now was not the time to argue and that their chances of survival were better if they stuck together, so he followed Dameon and the others up the hill.

Dameon seemed a bit defensive as he indicated that anyone who didn't like his decision could simply go a different way. Ben hoped Dameon didn't get real snappy and bossy with all of them.

The large dome looked interesting. Probably a place where people lived since it seemed to be guarded by more of those people in giant metal suits.

He hoped a wrong answer to the person aiming a rifle at them didn't mean he would start shooting at them.

Ben came to a stop beside Hortensio and Madeline.

 

Ceri’s ankle began throbbing harder and more painfully the longer they walked; she would have been glad of the rest as they drew near the dome, but the rifle pointed at them didn’t exactly encourage her to feel relaxed.

“State your business.” The rifle-holder was garbed in a protective suit of armour like Jaqueline and the boy in the angel suit, but did not seem at all aggressive or suspicious. Rather, the flat, mellow tone of his voice suggested he was bored or weary.

Si answered, a little nervously, explaining that they were simply exploring the mist. Ceri had to wonder about that; it seemed something of a taboo to these people to be wandering out in the mist, not completely surprising if it was poisonous, but it seemed strange to Ceri that if they had a means of moving about the mist unharmed that they had not come across the Wall before now.

She couldn’t stop the flutterings of anxiety in the stomach, telling her that perhaps Madeline had been right – at least about trusting Jacqueline. But if there was a war going on, they wouldn’t be able to stay neutral.

Ceri just hoped they weren’t getting involved with the wrong side.

 

"Um...miss Jacqueline told us to come this way. We mean no harm and are just exploring the mist." says Si.

"The commander?" The suit spoke and stepped to the side. "What's she up to this time?" He said to himself motioning with a giant hand for them to approach the dome. When they reached the gate the gaurd at the gate seemed to have already been informed of their arrival and stayed at his spot as a small door on a huge gate opened. Dameon led the way into the small room. A moment after the door shut the mist was sucked from the room replaced with dry stale air.

A lock clicked and a door oposite to the one they had come in oppened. Men stood a little ways back from the door, one slightly ahead of the rest. They where all dressed in simular garbs. Mostly black, clothes exsept a strange sign over each's chest, most wore some thing simular but the one in front had a unique one.

"Greeting I am Captain Jamison," He said and paused for a second aas the men who stood behind him slowly raised what looked to be muskets except that they had strange attachments to the bottom. They looked sleek and deadly. "please disarm yourself and I'll lead you to your holding chambers till I can contact the commander on what she wants done with you." He said in a rather monotoned voice. He was a large black man with red eyes, his bald head seemed to add to his intimidation factor.

Demeon reached slowly for his ax, drew it and then dropped it to the groud, looking around for the others to do the same. Right or wrong they had no choice but to coperate now.

 

Ben kept a blank face as he unbuckled his belt and slid the scabbard off. He stooped to set his sword on the floor. He did his best to make no noise at all and no sudden movements. Next, he set his bow and quill of arrows on the floor beside his sword. Once finished, he stood back up and waited.

Even though he guessed he no longer needed the shirt that was wrapped around his mouth and nose he kept it there since the man hadn't asked him to remove it and it would make it harder for anyone to tell what he was feeling.

He was worried. Holding chamber sounded like a restriction of some kind. And the man said they would be held until Jaqueline said what to do with them. That didn't exactly sound nice too Ben.

 

Ceri felt her stomach sink, and closed her eyes with a sigh that, luckily, couldn’t be heard through her scarf. Holding chambers. That sounded like a prison, and who was to say what Jacqueline would decide to do with them?

Reluctantly Ceri followed Dameon and Ben’s example, bending down to slide her bronze knife from her boot and setting it quietly on the floor. Her only other weapon was her staff, which she was even less willing to give up as it was. But she had no choice. She placed next to her knife, then slowly straightened up, wobbling unsteadily as she tried not to lean her weight on her injured ankle.

Since the room also appeared to be safe from the mist, Ceri unwound her scarf so it hung limply over her shoulders. Ben had kept his own, but Ceri had felt uncomfortably warm, and didn’t think it would benefit her any to keep it on.

Their fate was now entirely in Jacqueline’s hands.

 

Dora felt a little uncomfortable giving up her small bow and arrows but if these were Skraal's people maybe they were okay. And, after all, Jacqueline hadn't killed them. Dora didn't allow herself to think about the fact that Jacqueline HAD killed the man in the angel suit.

She hoped they would see Skraal. After he had bolted off into the mist she hadn't seen him again yet and it made her uneasy to go into this city without him. Then she brightened. Maybe he was already here! Just inside somewhere.

Dora removed the shirt from around her mouth and nose when the mist was sucked out of the room. The coughing had improved but hadn't stopped after the medicine Ben had given her.

"Excuse me," Dora asked the large black bald man with eyes like Skraal's, "Did a young man in black and red with tattoos on the back of his neck and eyes like yours come through here yet?"

 

Madeline stared at one of the guns, which was aimed at her chest. Their new captors all had red eyes. Right about now would be a good time to say ‘I told you so,’ but she knew that at that moment, being a smartass and mouthing off might not work in her best interests. She restrained herself.

It was a bad idea, but perhaps surrendering her weapons would buy them a bit more time. She threw the Orc sword on top of the mounting pile, and retrieved her knife from her boot. Although the Orc blood had ruined the blade, she felt bad about leaving it. That knife had a lot of memories, she realized with a pang.

Still, she dropped it. She folded her arms and glared balefully down at the floor, waiting for their death, or release, whatever the murderer Jaqueline decided. Whatever it was – the situation was entirely out of their hands now.

 

Skraal moved away from the woodlands and into a small valley between two large hills casting a shadow where he was. Skraal was now alone and drawn to a place he could not quite picture in his mind yet he still found himself going there as though he was been willed.

The mist here seemed to move like smoke as though it followed him and his movements. Lost in though Skraal continued going down the valley until he reached a series of rocks left at the base of the hills. The mist here seemed lighter and he heard the sound of running water but as yet couldn’t see anything. He moved on keeping a stead fast approach and ready for any sign of Ambush.

The Words of Drake’s advice “Trust in yourself.” He again found himself curious as to what Drake was trying to tell him and why he didn’t say it. Unless it was because he was meant to discover for himself. He’d certainly learnt one thing. He wasn’t born on the inside of the wall.

Eventually he found his way to the river it was wide and long the grass was green and the trees had leaves here. He even saw a small fish breach from the water. He looked to see a statue of an angel its head broke and laid at its feet. Skraal wondered over. The sculptured statue was beautiful to look up. Skraal found himself looking across towards another statue this one broken from the waist.
Suddenly the realisation of him been here before was correct. He remembered the water other memories came to him of foes he could not put a face too. Then he remembered the sound of a horn been blown and green skins lots of them. Hundreds of them. Bending down Skraal took a sip of the water from the clean river. The water was fresh and cold.

Why was it he could remember Orc’s been here and other’s but he just couldn’t picture the other foes. Then he heard the sound of feet he turned looking into the woods he found himself near. He looked up across the river a wind blew past him creating a chill across his skin, followed by an Arrow that landed into the tree he’d stood by. Skraal turned back to face the woods behind him.

The first thing he saw was the large Orc that emerged it’s face painted red a large crude sword in its right hand its left fist clenched. Chainmail hung from its upper torso dangling past its groin. The Orc’s eyes were filled with rage. Behind it more Orc’s emerged lots more. He swiftly drew both his swords from their scabbards ready for attack. One Orc that seemed exceptionally taller than the others carried a pole with the head of a human on. The head’s eyes were open Skraal noted the red’s of his eyes.

The Orc’s moved as if in a march and suddenly halted, the larger one stepped forwards next to the large and well armoured leader he carried in his other hand a large crude double headed Axe.

A horn blew from somewhere in the distance the wind carrying its sound like an echo.

Skraal swung his swords around with ease and smiled.