lost his mind. What in the Gods was he thinking of sending us here?” Leo grumbles from behind me. “We’ve been in this fucking dead place for weeks now. It’s never ending.” I grunt in agreement. It always seems never ending inside The Deadlands.
In the history of the Elites, no one has ever traveled this deep into The Deadlands, not even for our rite of passage at age twelve. Those that did end up in its depths and never came back out again, falling to the creatures that stalk this land.
We don’t know how many creatures actually live in The Deadlands, but I’ve read about many in texts and seen enough sketches to know they shouldn’t be fucked with. Two of our Elite trainees have already been injured from running into a couple of gresins, and I don’t think they will survive another attack.
Gresins are tall, skinny creatures with thin, pale green skin, clawed hands and long tusks curving out of their cheeks that they use to strike if you’re close enough. They’re strong, despite their skinny frames, and they managed to claw one of my trainees through the stomach and pierce another through the leg. They fell behind as we moved through the dead trees, and the gresins thought them easy targets.
We took the creatures down before they did any more damage, but now we have two injured in the center of our group, slowing us down when we should be picking up the pace. I made them shift to their wolves to heal faster. It hurt them to do it, but it benefits us all in the long run. They shouldn’t have lagged behind if they didn’t want to be thought of as a snack. I shake my head to myself at their stupidity. If they really thought being at the back kept them safe, then they have learned their first lesson out here the hard way.
We haven’t seen any more gresins since. We’ve run into quite a few other creatures while we’ve been here, but the gresins have been the worst so far. We can take care of ourselves easily, but having Elite trainees here is a different story. Having to fight while defending dumbasses that can barely hold a blade right splits your concentration.
We all thought it would be a good training experience for any trainees who volunteered to come with us. I bet they’re regretting that decision now, because I sure fucking am.
They should have stayed at Vokheim.
“Charles wasn’t thinking, brother,” Damian eventually grouches to Leo. “I’ve been on some shit tasks, but even I have to admit that this takes the cake and the frosting on top. How many creatures have we come across since entering this land? And we haven’t found any sign of this woman or whoever took her in here.” He kicks a stone off the ground. “They’re probably dead, gobbled up by Gods knows what. There is no way they survived here,” he concludes next to me as he snaps a branch from a nearby tree, stripping the dead bark with his fingers in frustration.
“They’re definitely dead,” Zaide grunts next to me, the scowl on his face showing his displeasure about being here. I have to admit, even I’m getting sick of being here. Weeks and weeks and we’ve not come across any other living person.
I stay silent, not bothering to add to the conversation.
We carry on wading around dead trees, broken branches cracking beneath our feet as we move. The only sliver of light we have in here is the greenish glow coming from the oozing liquid that seeps from the blackened trees. I don’t even know what it is, but I’m not touching that shit. It started appearing about three days ago and I have a feeling it’s because of how deep we are now.
With all of this and added complaints from Leo and some of the trainees, I’m close to chopping someone’s hand off to really give them something to complain about.
We walk for another few hours, the time stone I have helping to keep track of the time and days for us. There is no other way to tell in here with the branches covering up the view of the sky. We arrive at a small clearing between the trees with a pool of slush-like water off to the right. It’s still as the night with glimmering mushrooms growing sparingly around it.
“Set up camp,” I order my men, and everyone drops their gear beside them and starts unpacking their necessities. Furs are placed on the ground, water skins set out to be refilled and dried foods passed around. Maize, an Elite witch, starts putting protection crystals around us in a wide circle to keep unwanted visitors at bay as we rest. She touches each one as she places them onto the ground, and their clear color changes to azure, letting us know they’re activated. The light coming from them is bright enough to light our resting place, which is helpful.
I drop my own pack and lean against a tree that isn’t oozing light, watching my team rummage around and make their resting place for the night. The two that are injured curl up near the center, feeling sorry for themselves. Strange noises hit my ears. They sound like whispered shrieks flowing near us, but there is no breeze to carry it. I tilt my head to try and decipher it, acknowledging that it’s the same sound I’ve heard every time we have stopped to camp. We haven’t met the creature it comes from yet, unable to pin it down and remove the potential threat, though I think we may meet it soon.
I scan our surroundings through the trees, keeping my team safe as they work. Leo huffs near the center of our made-up camp and lays flat on his back, looking at the twisted branches above. His legs bend before he puts his arms behind his head, relaxing like he isn’t inside a deadly land that could kill him in his sleep. I shake my head at him and look at Zaide as he approaches. He leans against the tree next to me, blades hidden in his scabbard as he watches the others.
“Do you feel anything?” he asks.
I focus on my senses and shake my head. “Nothing different than usual.” Apart from sensing the odd small power spike every now and again, there is an ominous feeling since entering this place. It’s like something is calling to me, and I can’t stop it. Or refuse it.
“How long are we going to keep going?” he asks. “This whole rescue mission is pointless.” Shifting his weight with his eyes still on our pack, he waits for my answer.
“I’m not sure. We still have over two months until Charles’ deadline. But I agree with you, she has to be dead, and I doubt we will even find a body now.” I run a hand down my face. “We haven’t come across one single piece of evidence of anyone even entering here, or any rogures. I don’t know what Charles expected us to find, but we sure as shit aren’t finding it.” I keep my eyes on the trees, watching for any movement. “We will keep going until the deadline then port back. If we go back too early, he will be on our asses.”
“Sure,” he mumbles in response. He doesn’t offer anything else, but I know he will stick with me until I leave.
I take out the square, white time stone from my pocket. The lines on the stone are black, followed by shorter lines in-between. Seeing the glow of one line near the top, I know it’s late into the night. “Get some rest, we’re covering more ground tomorrow.” I hear a few sighs and grumbles from the pack, but I ignore them. If they didn’t want to put in the effort, they shouldn’t have become Elite. Lazy bastards.
You don’t get to hold the title of Elite until you can prove you have what it fucking takes, and moaning about hard work will get your ass kicked out and sent home. Being an Elite is simple. You strive to be the best and put in the effort, or you don’t. There is no in between.
Maize saunters over to me, hips swaying in her barely there shorts. A few of the males stare at her ass as she comes to a stop a foot away from me. She’s pretty and acts innocent, but she has a nasty streak that she seems to think no one knows about. Dark hair, light eyes, big tits and an ass most trip over, she has no issue using her assets to get what she wants.
“The crystals are done. Is there anything else you would like me to do, Alpha?” Her voice is smoky and seductive, most men would be drooling by now with the added look of lust in her eyes. I’m not most men. I used her mouth a few times a long time ago, but stopped as soon as she talked about feelings. Clearly, I picked the wrong woman to satisfy my needs. I don’t want feelings. I just want to fuck when I need a release.
“That’s all I need,” I say dismissively, running a hand through my dark hair as I turn to look back out through the trees. She stays in front of me for a few moments while I ignore her presence. Eventually, she huffs under her breath and walks away.
Leo cackles on the ground, witnessing me brush-off her advances, and I shoot him a glare. The little fuck knows how much her pestering makes me want to snap her neck.
Much more lately with this restlessness within me.
I would be pushed to do it too if the Highers wouldn’t drag me to another seat and make me become one of them. Maize might be in my pack, an Elite, but I have no doubt that the Highers have her in their pockets and on their cocks. Another reason I stopped using her mouth.
I sit down, banishing the thought and pick out some dried meat from my rucksack, taking a strip and chewing the hard texture. It tastes like shit, but it’s our only source of food out here. We only have clean water because Maize duplicates our water sacks, and even those are dwindling.
Eating the last of my food, I rest my arms on the top of my knees, getting as comfortable as I can for the first watch. Zaide moves toward the center of our makeshift camp, kicking Leo’s leg as he passes and Leo howls like he’s lost a limb. He must have pissed Zaide off with his complaining earlier.
I close my eyes and listen to the even breathing of everyone as they sleep, letting my senses go wide.
Nothing, not even a twinge of movement.
Just that small hum of power somewhere in the distance.
I wake at the sound of shuffling, and my eyes snap open. Looking around the camp, I see no one moving, not so much as a twitch. My eyes slide to Damian who is on the last watch. He gives me a confused look at my sudden movement, then straightens when he sees me tilt my head, knowing I’m trying to pinpoint where a sound came from. It’s soft, barely there, but I hear it.
A scrape of dried dirt. A slight snapping of branches.
I get to my feet slowly, my blade already in hand as I edge toward the right side of the camp. Damian slowly follows, his steps quiet behind me, knowing I need to concentrate. Stopping as I reach the protection crystals, my brows knit together as the sound comes and goes. I look over at Damian and nod my head in the direction of the others, a silent command to wake them. He rushes off quietly, and I look back through the trees, my eyes narrowing. Nothing is moving, but the air feels thick and heavy, yet somehow warm as I grip my blade tighter in my hand.
I let my senses flow free and feel something up ahead in front of me. I sense the rest of the Elites getting to their feet, alert and wary at being woken up suddenly. I glance over my shoulder at Max and Rilo, the two injured trainees who are still in their wolf forms. Their ears perk to listen, but they are still a little sluggish on their feet. My eyes land on Zaide next, his curved, twin blades in hand as he focuses past me while remaining in a defensive position in front of the others. Leo notches an arrow to his longbow, aiming just past my left shoulder, covering me while my eyes are elsewhere. Jerrod takes the back, his body at an angle so he can see us all and holds his twin blade axe in his grip.
My eyes roam over the trees before narrowing at a spot in front of me, feeling eyes on us. On me. I shift my feet slightly apart and straighten my back to prepare for whatever is coming.
The air is tense. The dark of the forest is suffocating while we wait for the creature to show itself. And when it does, I will rip its spine out and hang it in the trees as a warning for any others that try to attack us.
The shuffling sound comes again, but it’s closer this time, and I let out a deep warning growl as my lips peel back, my face twisted into a snarl as my wolf nears the surface. A choked, wet gurgle suddenly comes from behind us, and my head snaps its way as it grabs my attention. Near the dark pool of water, a woman has her serrated teeth in the neck of one of my men, its eyes rolling in pleasure as it sinks its teeth deeper into its prey. Weston’s eyes lock with mine, terror and pain filling them. I can do nothing but watch as she rips out his flesh, blood spraying the ground as she consumes it. He wouldn’t have survived a bite like that, no matter what I did. He was dead the moment she clamped her teeth into him.
My body tenses as his body goes limp, eyes dimming, but she doesn’t relent, making sure no one can take her meal away from her. Snarling in rage, I turn toward the creature, furious that she even got in our protection circle. The Elites back away from the pool of water, never taking their eyes off her, knowing this predator just became our prey.
Leo’s blue eyes flick to hers briefly before he returns his attention to the disturbance at my back, covering me. I don’t know what type of creature she is, but she chose her own death by killing one of my Elites and having the nerve to come into our camp.
Her sunken, dark eyes hold mine, still chewing the flesh of my male as I stalk toward her. She shuffles back into the pool, the water coming up to her ankles, and I dart forward, grabbing her jaw and squeeze tightly. She lets go of Weston, his body falling in a heap at our feet as she scratches at my arm. A pained sound leaves her, but I pay it no mind, looking into her eyes and letting her see what she has awoken inside.
She stills with what she sees. Her arms fall limply to her side, and her eyes are full of terror. I bring my blade up slowly and put it to the center of her forehead, keeping a tight grip on her jaw so she stays still. Pushing the blade slowly into her pale, wrinkled skin, I let her feel the burn of pain as I sink it to her skull. She’s shrieking now, fighting me with renewed effort, but it doesn’t matter.
Her life was forfeit the second she came into my camp. Her end will be painful for killing one of mine.
My grip tightens on the blade, and I twist, relishing in her high pitch squealing before I force it forward to the hilt.
Then she’s silent, just like everyone else.
