Nexus Fate - Chapter 13: Torn Foresight

Everything is guided.

“Get back here you idiots! Don't risk your lives for that outsider!”

Tal'Von ran out of Teiy's vision, after Venson's remark.

Catasca held out her hand, “Up, up!”

Teiy grabbed her with one hand, and pushed off his feet to a stand. At a turn, no creature was in sight. “W- what was tha-”

Out of the darkness, the white thing emerged closing distance firmly.

Teiy reached desperately for his shield, “It's there! Tal'Von where are you? Catasca, help me!”

Catasca swung her sword across, missing the creature as it crouched down and leaped back into the shadow.

Catasca turned enraged, “Damn it Teiy! Get a move on!”

Teiy got his shield from his back, yet his sword knocked loose and fell behind him. “Damned thing!”

Teiy turned around, but stopped. Behind Teiy, Tal'Von held a torch covering him... but that white creature was not alone. Many more swayed through the dark, some kneeling with their legs bent to the side. None moved past the torch's glow.

Venson wailed, “Come on! They're getting close to the horses! I'm not dying tonight! If I have to leave you I will, head captain!”

Ethel could be heard crying, “Catasca!”

Catasca nudged Teiy, “Get your sword! What should we do?”

Tal'Von swayed the torch past a pale lurker's arm, “I'm getting a fire going on the grass. I say we stick close and fall back slowly within the luminance of the torch.”

Catasca fell unto the torches light, “T- they... I can't see them any-”

Tal'Von shook the torch again, “Being close to the torch will kill our vision. Don't look directly at it. Stay in its aura...”

Tal'Von slowly progressed to the cart, with the others pacing along with him. Teiy held his shield over himself in fear, and bumped into Catasca. She looked horrified now. It was obvious she was trying to be strong for her brother, but she was reaching her limit. She was shivering, keeping her sword directed at the black surrounding.

Teiy took a deep breathe, “C- Catasca, do you have more family than your brother?”

Catasca kept cautious, “S- shut up! What kind of a question is that? This is no time for that kind of talk!”

Teiy removed his shield, “Just take this...”

“H- huh?”

“Just take it.”

Catasca took the bronze-colored thing, and placed her arm through the straps. “Why?”

Because of me her parents were killed. This is all I can do now... she's the only one I know survived that incident, a living victim can be repaid...

They continued to shuffle across the dirt. Tal'Von swayed the torch again, and shadow covered Teiy's front. A blank face came up from the ground, Teiy shrieked and jumped back. He was out of the light's reach. Footsteps could be heard all around, moving desperately. Teiy grinded his teeth...

Tal'Von yelled out, “Teiy!”

These things... they killed Audric, Jehan, and Gladius... and they kill again each night!

Teiy howled and thrust his sword towards an approaching silhouette... but the blade pushed back on him. The deep sound of its cracking left Teiy in terror. Bits of the blade sifted past his cheek.

I'm useless...

The sound of conflict arouse behind him. A Livid Eater leaped on Teiy, gripping him tightly. It was hard to see its features in the shade, but it was big. Its legs wrapped around Teiy, and its arms pressured his temples. The overwhelming weight toppled Teiy to the ground. Another punctured Teiy's chest-plate and, soon after, his chest. Teiy struggled to get the advantage, his arms gradually losing their seat. Teiy pulled inwards, yelling. Light overcame, and steam rose off the pale creatures. They crawled into the shadow, dragging Teiy along with them. Footsteps could be heard all around, and all sense of direction was lost. His eyes were covered, and the things began to squeeze them rigidly.

I'm... going to be dismembered!

Tears smeared his closed eyes, as he continued his struggle. “Mother-”

The eaters enclosed his mouth, while simultaneously pulling against his legs. Teiy felt sharp points go into his shin, and he quivered in pain.

This... please!

Wind blasted all around, commotion rising everywhere. There was no sense of friend or foe, only survival. For a moment, the grips became loose. Teiy jolted and smacked something by his right side. He kicked and leaned up, seeing Tal'Von struggling against one of the things. Von Baron placed the torch against the livid eater's skin, charring it to ash. It wiggled about without a sound, and fell to the floor. Teiy noticed the light around him, and shook in place. The eater on the ground, only a moment ago, was gone...

The three hurried to the cart all at once and, without a word, Venson lashed onwards. “Head captain! The horses! Now!”

Von Baron hurried to him, “So, now your giving the orders?”

Teiy sat still, unmoving. He looked down to his chest-plate, and blood seeped out of a kink at its center. Above that, Teiy saw the pendant beneath his neck-guard. He pulled it out and held it in front of him. He stared upon it, slowly closing his eyes.

Ethel tapped Teiy's arm, “Mister.”

Teiy looked down to him, exhausted.

Ethel smiled, “A... are you alright?”

“Of course.”

“Will we be alright?”

Teiy looked back unto the pendant in silence, “Of course.”

Ethel examined the mysterious jewel, “What is that?”

Catasca pulled Ethel aside, “Are your wounds bad?”

Teiy tied the necklace back on, “Don't worry about it.”

“What did they do?”

“I don't know. They...” Teiy began feeling buoyant, and the night became more vivid. “It...”

The vividness collapsed unto itself, into blackness. White rotated, building up until all was white. A vast array of colors then made forms within it, where Catasca then conjoined. She was colorful as-well, looking almost inhumane.

“Teiy, it's okay. There's no other way”, she said as her mouth stood shut. Green dots appeared and disappeared from her cold expression.

Her head wobbled for a moment, then the radiance ended.

“You're awake?” The voice sounded strong, it must have been of the head captain's.

Teiy saw only the luminescence of the sky, “Where am I?”

“Guess. You were out for about an hour.”

“Are they still following us?”

“Why would they stop?”

“Will we reach the passage before we run out of fire?”

“There's no telling what will happen.”

Teiy sat up, catching wind of the constant shuffling of dirt in wake of the wagon.

Tal'Von Baron smiled, near the edge, with the torch by his side.

Teiy scratched his head, “Why are you smiling? Are you that confident?”

“Smiling? I'm not that confident.”

“I... I still feel dizzy.”

“There's no telling what happened out there, but you're alive.”

“Yeah.”

“You were really stiff, we all thought you'd died. Your hand wouldn't let go of that pendant the whole time.”

“Pendan-” Teiy saw his hand was out, still holding the trinket.

“That's it.”

Teiy looked over his shoulder, and Catasca was holding a torch over the side of the wagon. “Say Tal, how long do we have until we reach this 'secret passage'?”

“Within the next hour. These torches will only last for another thirty minutes out in the open, so we have to protect them from the wind so they last as long as they can. So far, that idea isn't working to well, but-”

Teiy kept his head down, “What if...”

Tal'Von scratched his arm, “Hm?”

Teiy looked at him decisively, “What if-”

Author's Note

This is my first attempt at writing a full story.
Also the chapters are at a short length because I posted them first on DeviantArt, and people will never read your stories if they are too long there (which is why I moved here).

I'd appreciate any type of criticism as this is my first writing.

*By the way, I will very likely combine chapters to lessen the total number after I have completed the book (as with chapters of this length, the amount will very likely enter 3 digits).