that she was on the brink of collapse. Emma felt his hand on her shoulder, his grip was firm, protective. He was at her side, keeping his hand on her to ensure she kept running.
Jim pointed forward, “North. Three miles, Emma.” He took a breath. “Say it to me.”
Emma looked at the Hero. His face was merely an arm’s reach away, but his golden eyes felt so far to her tunneled vision.
“North…three miles….” Her voice was shaky.
Jim’s grip tightened. “Good.” He backed away, returning to his spot behind her. “When you get there, tell the Heroes the husks will be coming from the East.” He fell even farther behind, “I’ll take them a long way. You can slow, but don’t stop.” Jim changed directions suddenly, pivoting to his right.
“Inside a mountain weathered and old there rests a city made of stone.” Jim was singing. “And in that place, there lives a door that never has been opened before.” The husks were following him. Emma could hear their staggering stomps fading with the song. “Gods and men and Life have tried, but only Death has seen inside.” He was giving her a chance to make it, possibly sacrificing his life so she could get to the patrol. “Until your final breath is drawn, the door will stay closed, safe, and strong."
Jim’s words fell into the distance, leaving Emma running in silence. I won’t let you down. I’ll make it to the patrol. We’ll live through this night, Emma silently promised and pushed herself forward.
North. Three miles.
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
The sounds of the husks were growing closer with each, passing minute. Jim’s body ached angrily, but he kept going. He should be able to see Paradise’s wall any moment. He’d follow the wall West, hopefully to the waiting Heroes.
This wasn’t his first time dealing with husks. He was usually able to hide or avoid them altogether, but not always. He remembered the words his father had said. ‘You must remove the head. If it’s touching at all, the bastards will regenerate. Do you know that word? Regenerate? How about bastards? Don’t tell your mother I said that one.’ He made it sound so simple, but, from his experiences now, Jim knew it was nearly impossible to accomplish alone.
Husks roamed and hunted in packs and pairs. But even if you were fortunate enough to catch one hobbling by itself, it was best to duck and run before it caught your scent. They had the speed of a Hero with an endless stamina. Their reflexes were beyond human, beyond Hero even. Their talons were sharp and long enough to cut a person in two with a single swipe. But their true terror came from what happened when a man was touched. Fear would bubble and boil beneath the skin, petrifying their prey. Jim had felt it once, been touched by one of those demons. The fear that had manifested still haunted him in his deepest dreams.
When he was young, Jim heard the stories and songs about Heroes who had managed to kill one of the monsters. They were revered as legends; their names were sealed in the History Hall and song books. Jim idolized those brave men, risking their lives to vanquish the monsters that bred nightmares. But tonight, Jim didn’t care for the stories or songs. All he cared about was making it out alive.
In the distance, a large wall peaked over the tops of the trees. Paradise, the ancient Hero city. He was close to his former home, his family.
Jim turned to his left, following the distant wall West. The husks were growling, and near-human screams escaped their wretched mouths. Only a little farther; the patrol was so close.
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Emma had been running towards the wall for a few minutes. The moment it peered over the towering trees, she recognized it was not just any wall but THE wall. The wall that protected the magnificent city beyond, Paradise. She didn’t realize how close she had been to the mystifying city. She had heard so many stories, but this was the first time she had laid her eyes upon its giant barrier.
The girl only allowed herself a breath of amazement before she started to run again. Running North, towards the wall, towards salvation. The light of a fire danced on the trees ahead. Emma quickened her stride, throwing all her remaining energy at the beacon of light and then bursting into the small camp. Emma’s heart sang as she stared at five Heroes, their eyes shocked at the panting girl that had just interrupted their dinner.
The Heroes moved quickly, reaching for weapons and taking a defensive stance. Emma fell to the ground, trying with all her might to pull air into her lungs and speak of the news she so desperately needed to tell.
“Husks.” She forced the word from her lips and the Heroes’ faces went grim. “East.”
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Jim ran along the forest’s edge so close to the Barrens that the guards atop the wall had surely seen him and signaled a silent warning to their troops on the ground. As the husks continued to gain on him, his care for stealth and subtly around the Hero city diminished and even ground of the Barrens provided him with less need to concentrate on his coordination.
Where are they? The last time he had monitored the Hero patrols they had stopped just ahead, but Jim saw no indication of fire or smells of cooked meat. Must be a slower group, farther ahead.
A gnarled root grabbed at Jim’s foot, stealing the ground from beneath him, and he fell. One husk was closer than Jim anticipated, it lurched over his fallen body and collided with the ground in a tangle of limbs and fury.
The creature before him was grotesque. Grey, leathery skin covered the monster’s entirety. Two legs shot from its stretched torso with talon-like feet that dug through soil and flesh. Its arms were long and wiry. On the husk’s hands were five sword-like claws, tipped in barbed coils, searching for blood and life with deadly ease.
Jim jumped to his feet as the creature staggered into a gaited sprint. The husk grabbed at Jim, its claws skimming his neck and chest. Terror enveloped him.
Every piece of guilt mingled with each moment of desperation, threatening to swallow him whole.
The creature’s claws continued to slip down Jim’s body, disconnecting from his wounded flesh for only an instant. The instant was all Jim needed. The stupefying paralysis fled from his rigid muscles, and he was free to run again.
The rampant feelings of freedom, and warm blood dripping from his wound, fueled Jim as he ran. He didn’t know how much longer, how much farther, he could keep the husks behind him. But the faint glow of firelight informed him of life lingering in the distance. He forced his legs to move faster, pushing the Hero quickly towards exhaustion.
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
One Hero gave Emma a drink from his canteen. She had dropped hers while running, needing to relieve herself of the small weight. She offered a nod to the dark-haired man and drank deeply. The rejuvenating waters helped slow her breathing and calm her pounding heart.
Emma handed the canteen back to the jolly looking man. “Thanks, um?” She tried to think if he had told her his name.
“You won’t remember a name in the heat of a husk attack. And if you’re lying about the attack, you’ll be thrown in the darkest prison pit we can find. So, names won’t be given tonight.” He gave a big toothy smile.
