Fire. There was fire. On a good day, Kook tended to like fire- the way it flickered and warmed in an uncontainable manner. Unfortunately, this was far from being a good day, and the fire meant only one thing.
Destruction.
Death and destruction seemed to go hand in hand, he noticed, and death seemed to conjoin with fear. Where there was fear, there was screaming. Screaming and tears. And it hurt his ears.
Feet pounding against the ground, it was a stampede of terror, the most basic human need of survival enthralling each and every defender. Run. Run and don't look back, or the flame will envelop you in its unforgiving grasp, leaving you never to see the light of day again. Even the bravest of the brave cowered from its power, Kook included. Beside him, he heard the desperate breaths of his companions; Gildar, Tinkor, Knightriss.
Thorne.
A panic bubbled in his gut before he could suppress it, and his stepping faltered. If Thorne didn't make it out of the fire…. Stop. Especially during a time like this, one couldn't afford to think like this. Not when death was licking at their ankles like an affectionate puppy, pleading with them to succumb to its appeal. Stumbling slightly as he tripped, he nearly toppled to the ground before a strong grip wrapped around his forearm, tugging him forward.
"Come on!" a thick, slightly accented voice called to him, hoarse from the smoke. Kook's heart skipped a beat as he recognized it as belonging to the object of his damned affections, guiltily letting his grip slide down his forearm until their hands were tangled together. It was horrible the way the unwittingly intimate contact sent shivers up his spine, and he hated himself for it. With a fire brewing, he shouldn't be pondering his doomed love life. Especially not when he was so close.
Once the group reached the top of a hill that oversaw the castle, he let his hand drop. Running. Running. The rest of them kept running, most likely headed for their designated meeting spot in the woods- the location which they would travel to when the need for innocent companionship or good food became so strong. But Kook couldn't move another muscle, staring blankly down at the flaming embers of what was once his home. How had this started? He had no clue. Only that what once was, was no longer.
In a flash of dread, his vision darkened, the heat becoming the only thing he saw. It flickered in a mirror image behind his eyes, his breath nothing but an inhaled green smoke. Fists clenching tightly, he became deaf to the world as the appeal of the lethal light became almost magnetic. Rage bubbling inside of him without dampening, he snarled, pupils dilating until the whites of his eyes were no longer.
He hated this. He hated the fire. He hated the curse. He hated the witch. He hated himself. He hated…
"What are you doing?" A hand on his shoulder quickly snapped him out of his mystifying, incensed trance. Jumping slightly, he turned back and felt his already heavy heart flutter. Releasing the tension in his fists, he bowed his head and took a deep breath.
"I'm just looking. That's all. Thanks, Thorne." With the exchange of curt nods, the two traveled back to the meeting point, Kook's mind being too befuddled to notice the slip of the hand downward, fingers intertwining with his own.
Hey! I am so sorry for the late update. I know this one is kind of short, but I hope you like it anyways! :-) Remember, reviews are love!