"We like to think that there is something good to hold on to but for a good reason, it's just us hanging on to the trust that inevitably ends with the incarnation of the Lucifer."


No Man's Land.

#

VII. The Solace Of The Night.


Into the night,

one last great fight.

Fluidly moving, icily cold,

They hide in the shadows.


The decadent moon was elegantly descending below the horizon, signifying that, once again, they had gone another full night without any food or water. No sustenance for one more day would inevitably kill them. Normal people shouldn't even go a day without good food and water, let alone going three. The trio was dangerously close to dehydration and had no idea how to solve it other than find a river. So, that was the reasonable thing to search for with what little stamina they had left, and that's exactly what they did.

The trio decided upon a random direction as soon as they exited the horrid and spectral cabin, a silent agreement passed between the three of them that they would never go inside that abhorrently haunted place.

They walked on the pointed path for countless seconds, minutes and, soon, hours came to join the mix. Conversation scarce between the young idealists who's recent revelations of surviving seemed to be getting more and more distant as the day droned onward. The darkened environment, the twisting tree's and roots as well as the random, yet ominous, screeches and hollers from feral animal's far off ceased to rattle the young adults through their skin. As they walked their slow pace as three people without viable sustenance within 72 hours could possibly do, they eventually began to see patterns in the tree's. Or so they thought. It seemed as though the tree's and the path they walked on followed a distinct, well-worn path. It was almost as if this particular section of the forest floor, covered with grass, moss, and dirt, was eroded away for a specific reason. But the reason, they still had to figure out.

As the day solemnly and silently dragged on, fewer and fewer words were spoken. Simply confirmations of where they were headed and how long they thought it would take were muttered between the admittedly varied trio. The shallow shadows and horrific screeches that were unfamiliar to their ears were quickly droned out by the monotonous shuffling through the canopy's dirt worn path.

The shrieks of the various birds and the dreadful void of sound that followed ever so slowly transformed from being creepy and abnormal to expected and typical. If there was no sound at all, then they know something would be wrong. So, with that in mind, they kept the songs of the avians continuing through their ears with pleasure, no doubt in their mind that they weren't safe although, they also weren't in any immediate danger as well.

This forest, this time, it was all a big mess of emotions for the three. However collected they appeared to be, however placid they remained on the outside. Inside, they were a mess. Even Melina and Kurt, the two trained from previous experiences to keep their emotions and mental fortitude in check even in the most dire and taxing situations, had to come to a fault at some point. It just so appears that being stranded on an entire planet without any instantly plausible connection back to their family, their own planet, or even to any civilization whatsoever. Being stuck and forced to deal with the elements and haunted by their own retreating sanity was the point that they would break.

With one thing on their mind, and almost no more stamina to continue on with the most simplest tasks such as keeping themselves upright, they forced themselves onwards. Soon, however, pareidolia started to sink in the minds of the three wanderers. The semi-achromatic background of the forestry around them began to morph into images interpreted by their subconscious. The very leaves up above their heads began to twist and turn far more than they should have been in the faint wind. Images elicited from their rapid and sporadic movements kept the pace of the group at a moderate speed. Yet with their crushing thirst and decapitating hunger, they would be bound to fall and slowly wither away any moment now.

It was inevitable that they would develop some state of perceptual vigilance in with going this long without anything passable for food or water, It was just a matter of time before they started seeing mirage's of table-top banquets or hear the sound of a fresh water river flowing palpably not too far away. Thankfully, even though the moon was far past the zenith, now cresting the horizon and the new day starting, the sun was not up yet. With no sun, it wouldn't be as hot for them, causing them to sweat more and lessen their decidedly miniscule life span.

The large leaves and high tree tops provided shade every where they went and, they assumed, everywhere in the forest was aridly shaded. Helpful for when the sun does eventually come up in the next eight or so hours. At the moment, with neither the sun, nor the moon shining directly upon them, it was a wet kind of coolness. It was as if the air itself was sticking to your skin and clothes, curling your hair and dampening it at the same time. The only good thing about it was that it was not that hot out. They would not sweat out, they would prevail to the next step. They cannot afford to give up on their quest for survival at this moment. When you're so close to your goal, but just far enough out of your grasp that you can skim it with the tip of your fingers, but just cannot grasp a firm hold of it. It was going to be tough not to die here, Deela soon realized, but that is a risk and a truth that she will just have to accept along with the others. When it comes time, they would have to be prepared to sacrifice everything they've gained in their life for the most primordial desire that's ever circulated in humanity; existence.

Gradually, each of the three of them started picking up the gentle crashing of water on the shores of some sort of crevice. It didn't seem as deep and full as an ocean would be, so they quickly rules that out. Their stomach's and throats craving the fresh fluid, they had a new purpose to head on. But it was very possible, Deela reminded herself, that the water could only be an image of her brain. However, it was also very improbably that all three of them would have the exact same hallucination in perfect synchronicity as each other.

Regardless of what each other thought, they would have to continue forward and stick to their current route. They would have to end up finding the water or, at least, find whatever it was that they were hearing.

The pleasing tone of the river washing itself on the grassy shore was just like a tranquil rhythm, a nursery rhyme to their ears. They needed it far more than they needed food at the moment. They could survive for at least another week, even if in rough condition, if they had water. Anything would be better than aimlessly wandering the forest... island... planet... whatever this was, with the goal of untimely death in mind. Anything, whether it be a goal- a place of solitude, food, water, shelter, anything- would be better than right now.

The trio silently took this agreement to heart as they shambled on further towards the harmonically divine sound. They wouldn't admit it to each other, but the sound of the shallow waves gliding over each other, washing back onto the ground beside the- or what they thought it was at the time- river was the most grateful tune they had ever heard in their years of life.

"Guy's, remember that we're famished and parched. This could easily just be a vision conjured up by our brain." Deela spoke her words of wisdom.

"Yeah, yeah. We know , no need to preach to us about it." Melina said, her ever charming tonality lacing her cold words.

"I just don't want to get your hopes up for when there is no actual water. You've heard the story of the 'I smell burnt toast', right?" Deela replied, although her reply was more meant for Kurt.

"Yeah. The doctor's prodded at the patient's brain and she somehow smell burnt toast, right?" Kurt responded pridefully.

"Half right, Kurt." Deela corrected." That lesson taught us that we have certain tendrils and axons in our brain that allow us to perceive pseudo information through our 5 main senses, Taste, touch, hear, see, and smell. Certain actions committed to our brain will elicit different responses from each of the aforementioned senses."

"Heh, show off..." Melina muttered under her breath.

Deela caught her spiteful words but decided against making a scene from it. She was stronger than that, she had to be stronger than that. Deela knew that nothing good would come from arguing with the only two other people that, quite possible, exist on this planet along with her, and she would be damned to screw up any relations that she had with them. If not for her sake, for her sanity's sake.

"But that still explain why I can hear rushing water, just like the rest of you can... I mean. There has to be a source of it, doesn't there? Something nearby hopefully..." Kurt spoke in a contemplative tone that really did not suit him at all, especially not with his goofy smile hung out to try as a pronged hand held his chin.

"No, you're right, Kurt." Deela confirmed. "We need to find it, it could be our only shot at redemption."

"How will it rescue us from the planet again, Deela? It's water. Or, and please correct me if I'm mistaken, but did water suddenly adapt the power of teleportation in the last few moments? Because, if it didn't, I don't think that we're going to be saved from drinking just a little water."

Melina's attitude was starting to irk Deela to no end. She was constantly nitpicking the little details and Melina didn't even know why or how she was doing it! The water joke was a new one though, making Deela smirk slightly. She didn't think that Melina had the creative expertise, or even the creative judgment to come up with something as witty as that. Teleportation, that's a new one.

"Guy's," Kurt spoke up, seeing the glare in Deela's eye. "look up here, I think I found it." He pushed aside one of the many small bushes in sight to reveal a fresh flowing river. Little white caps seldom peaked the ridge of the calm waters. The liquid had seemed to been there for a while, flowing off of the rocky carapace of a waterfall down into this circular lagoon. It looks like a tranquility chamber or a hidden secret. Kept from the eye's of civilization to bloom in it's natural state. The rocks had a wet sheen to them that the miniscule amount of twilight reflected. While the waterfall and lagoon itself held small disturbed ripples. It looked like someone had drawn it and them placed it there in real life. It looked poster perfect. And, albeit small, it was the perfect place to wash up and get a fresh drink. Or, it wouldn't been if it had not been there.

Melina was about to stick her foot out above the crest of the hill when Kurt's arm came crashing down on her chest, stopping her form making the mistake. Melina quickly turned around, stamping her foot on the ground.

"Kurt!-" She started but was immediately covered by Deela's flat hand wrapping around her mouth as well as a firm hushing sound by the same woman.

Melina's eye's travelled Deela's with a certain severity that made Deela realize that she was going to be hearing about this later. But that didn't matter when their very lives were in danger. It wasn't until Deela jutted her finger towards the crest of the hill that she saw Melina's eyes start to wonder around, following her direction. Deela waited for a brief moment for Melina to find what both, she and Kurt, had found instantaneously. Finally, when Melina's eye's widened in shock, they both knew that she had found what they were hiding from.

Now, none of the three members of their gang actually knew what they were looking at but, by the way it was skinning the strange animal on the shore of the circular pond, they knew it looked like trouble. It was wearing a black, metal looking, helmet that had wires coming out of it, circling around to the front. It had a beigey tinge of skin, close to a mix of brown and yellow as was shown through the easily transparent black mesh that it wore over it's upper torso. The ferocious looking beast also donned a loincloth that hung low, almost like a kilt. It was a beigey material as well, looking not unlike leopard print. There was a strange device attached to his wrist. It appeared to be manufactured with some kind of silver metallic substance. It was hard to see from this distance, but it appeared to be rough looking and seemed to bear hinges on the outside of it's make. In the monsters' gloved hands it gripped a small steel-looking dagger, though it appeared to be extremely sharp as he was slicing directly through the major bones and skin tissue in rapid succession.

"That's... so disgusting" Kurt exclaimed the thought that all three of them were undoubtedly thinking. "I think that sound will be in my nightmares..." he whispered over his shoulder at the frightened comrades. Grimacing, the two women met Kurt's displeased and rather rattled stare.

"What do you guy's think though... It's the only water for, what we can tell, is quite a long while. And, on the plus side, he's got the only meat we've found for a couple days. If we can take down that large monstrosity, than we'll be good for the next couple days, providing we can get a fire going." Kurt tried to reason.

"Yeah, he's not wrong, Melina." Deela added, flinching slightly at the look she soon received.

"I'm not even going to tell you both how stupid this idea is in it's entirety. I mean, look at him. He's currently skinning a freaking dead animal! I don't think that's the kind of thing you want to mess with at the moment." Melina countered. "I don't care if we're going to die. I am not going to die at the hands of some monster who's going to tear me apart and use my innards as it's damn loincloth!"

"Well, that sucks for you Melina." Deela nodded at the other girl before turning to glance at Kurt. "Let's go." She spoke with a cold tone.

Kurt nodded in response, unsheathing his knife from his boot and taking a defensive crouching position as he started to round the top of the hill. This is it. We pull this off, and we can survive for a few more days. Deela thought to herself, following close behind Kurt not having a weapon of her own.

Both of them knew that this was not a smart plan, but they also knew that this was their only plan. Other than the condescending Melina that refused to assist their butt's that they were currently laying down on the line of death, they would be going in and attacking something that could quite possible maul them to death with something as simple as it's fingers. That was not a good, nor comfortable, feeling for either one of them.

Deela huddled behind Kurt, watching where he stepped, stepping in his shoes' imprints to make as little noise as possible while she trotted on behind him. The goal of their game right now was surprise. If they lost the one salient element that their lives and survival on this planet thus far would be futile. They had no room for error in this slapped together fight and, by the looks of that abhorrently reeking being just in front of them a couple meters, they knew that they were going to be in for a match. Even a larger one seeing as how Kurt was the only one that knew how to fight and was keen on protecting their group instead of just himself like some other selfish people.

Quietly stepping passed the fallen and dilapidated branches and twigs fallen from their mothers, the two moved on towards what could most likely be, their death. The only thing as their witness would be the uncomfortably silent of the quiet and almost tranquil breeze, the rushing of leafs blowing in it and scraping on one another, as well as the prying and pitying eye's of one Melina Mailer.

"This is it, Deela. Are you sure...?" Kurts whisper was heard over the shallow breeze that mangled Deela's delicate hair.

"Yes. If this is our only means of survival, then I am absolutely positive that I want to do this." Her whisper short in the wind as she was cautious not to provoke or even alarm the predator that was currently skinning it's prey.

When they were getting ready to pounce upon it's back and slice it's neck open with their one weapon they held, the breeze died and the monstrosity stood. It quickly turned around and seemed to gaze passed their cowering forms. Thankfully, a bush, covered in water and dew from the darkness and early morning tradition covered their heat signature. No matter what kind of fantasy vision these things would have, no matter how high they are in the food chain, it would be impossible to outwit the laws of physics.

It quickly whipped around, the tendrils in the back of it's neck- Deela guessed it was his hair- whipped around like it would on herself if she were to spin quickly. The thing stared out across the lagoon at a brush that seemed quite resolved in the background.

Something's wrong, Deela thought quickly. Either they strike now or, at the rate he was looking around, he'd spot them soon. The only thing we can do right now... would be to attack... She reasoned with herself. I don't care what happens here, as long as we survive than I will be happy.

A quick shake of the bush on the opposite side distracted the beige-yellow skinned freak once more, allowing them to pounce from their bush. Kurt and Deela both charged from their hiding place at a rather slow speed, what with hunger killing them inwardly and quickly. They didn't even have much strength left to fight the thing with. Hopefully adrenaline will kick in soon.

The monstrosity whisked around as soon as it heard the footsteps padding against the solid ground beneath their covered feet and the rush of wind coming up behind it, indicating it's sensitive audio receivers. They say fear is your worst enemy in a fight. It's not your opponent, it's your own psyche. Since you don't know what your opponent is trained in, or has on them, you will inevitable rush to the worst possible idea's. Both Kurt, and Deela, did not know anything about this obscure being they were about to fight.

Letting out a very guttural roar, he lashed his wrists downward, withdrawing a sharp set of razor blades. Kurt's and Deela's face darkened as their predator lurched forward with hulking steps and began to run towards them. Kurt veered to the right and Deela swung left, narrowly avoiding the wide swing of the attackers wrist blades. She maneuvered behind the being, meeting back up with Kurt who wielded the small combat knife in his hand firmly. Their eye's set on the being with desperation and determination, but their stomach groaned and moaned in protest of muscle movements.

The predator started to turn around slowly after his one miss. Deela wondered if he expected to hit her with it and is why he wasn't moving, but she quickly banished the thought. Total cognition should be dedicated to survival right now.

It glared at them through it's darkened helmet and, even though the light was admittedly dim, both parties could see that no one was leaving here without claiming a life for themselves. Deela looked around on the floor in quick spurts, scanning the dirt laden ground for any sharp objects useful in battle. Luckily there was a rather thick and pointed stick that resembled a spear resting off to the side a small bit. Deela eyed the stick and quickly shifted back to the predator. If she moved, she was sure that the predator would use the advantage. Though she didn't have much of a choice, she had to do it.

Without a word, nor a look at Kurt, Deela dived to her right, opposite direction that Kurt was standing, and landed roughly on the ground. Surprisingly, the monstrosity didn't move one bit. Instead, he simply glared at the girl on the ground that had one hand firmly clasped upon the pseudo spear. Maybe these people had some honour kind of system? Maybe their more diverse than simply savages... Deela thought as the picture of the carved animal on the lagoon's shore stood out in her mind.

Quickly dismissing the thought, she ripped the stick from it's spot in the ground and stood up, expertly maneuvering beside Kurt. Deela nodded towards her comrade who nodded back. Each of the pair started to walk to the side, almost as if circling the monstrosity. With their sharp (but close-range) weapons, they could take down the malicious being if they could score just a few good hits to the jugular.

Razor blades extended out of his second wrist upon a quick flick of his indicating that it was go time. He was ready, and he would be victorious. Deela made a quick jar inside of his personal bubble, testing his reflexes. The predator simply stood by and did nothing as they tried to get a reaction out of him.

Eventually, Kurt and Deela were on both sides of the insidious enemy, arms wielded with weapons and pointed towards him. Kurt decided to be the brave one by lunging forward, scoring a quick gash across the predators arm, eliciting a sharp roar from him as he turned and lunged toward Kurt. Kurt dived out of the way of the splaying razors in the nick of time while, at the same time, Deela came up from behind the predator and lunged her spike forward. The monster used his forward momentum and rolled onto the ground, dodging Deela's spear for the time being, coming up behind a tree.

Several beeping noises were heard from behind the tree as the smell of foreign sweat came through their noses. Kurt took a sketchy glance over to Deela as he motioned with a sly finger to circle the tree as he did the same. But, before they could even initiate the idea, the creature was back and he looked quite the same with one exception. There was now a gun mounted on his shoulder, scanning back and forth between the two humans.

With his military instincts coming into effect, Kurt quickly dove behind a tree before anything could happen to him. Deela wasn't so lucky. Upon seeing Kurt dive, she attempted to do the same, but fell slight short of the tree with a sharp exhale of force pressing on her chest. Kurt noticed a blue aura charging around the shoulder cannon of their enemy and knew that Deela would be done for if he didn't do anything. But he would be risking his own life in the process. At the moment right now, he decided, it was his life or Deela's.

Deep down, he wanted both of them to live, but he knew only one would do so if he acted right now. So, with his mind made up, he stayed cowering behind the tree, hoping that he wouldn't get shot by the inevitable plasma pulse as well.

Deela's eye's widened as she saw Kurts form peak out from the tree and then, just as quickly, retreat back to cover. He was not going to help her. She should have known not to trust him, she should have been smarter. And now, she was going to pay with her poor decision with her life.

Looking up, she saw the energy collecting inside of the tube of the cannon as the creature aimed it directly at her. A small drip of green blood oozed from the gash on it's arm and splattered onto the dirty path, tainting it with the scene of her death and final stand.

She attempted to stand, but fumbled repeatedly on the wet and slippery grass. She grasped her spear in hand like it was her guardian angel, the only thing to keep her from the black divide of death, and kept it close to her body, poised outward as if her killer would just willingly impale himself on top of it. Deela jabbed it back and forth, hoping to strike some part of the being before she was killed by his ever intimidating shoulder cannon.

There's nothing else I can do! Deela thought, slamming her eye's shut in anguish and continuing to attempt to raise herself from the cold deathbed that was the ground. She opened her eye's for a brief moment and saw the cannon about to fire, the energy pulse was nearing it's charging point. Time seemed to slow down as her eye's looked gloomily at her demise. A tear strolled out of her eye, dampening her blush skin through the chilled atmosphere of the night.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a large stone rocket it's way through the last rays of moonlight and enter the barrel of the predators shoulder cannon. No one had any idea where the rock even came from, but it lodged itself inside the barrel and did not come out. Deela stared at the cannon, still pointed at her, pulsing and almost rocking with plasma energy until it fired. She could not close her eye's in this moment. Something came over her and she just stood there, staring at the damnation about to happen. Someone's life was about to come to a complete cessation. But who's...? She wondered.

The blue aura surrounded the rock lodged inside of the cannon and, with Deela's death in mind and the time seeming to slow with the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she saw the happiest sight of her life. The rock seemed to engulf the entrance, not allowing any of the plasma energy out. A brief thought crossed her mind as to how the rock didn't just melt away, but she dismissed it hastily as she could do nothing else but stare at the spectacle. Flames started to erupt from the cannon that soon consumed the predator itself into a boiling mess of fire, flesh, and metal. Sickening groans and pops were heard by all around as the fire crackled in the darkness of night. A guttural, anguished roar elicited from the masked mouth of their enemy as it fell to it's knee's and slowly became no more but a flaming corpse. Thankfully, the ground was mostly all dirt at this point so it couldn't set anything on fire, but that wasn't what Deela was thinking of right now. She was wondering why Melina had to have just helped both Kurt and, more importantly, Deela from their deaths when she clearly hated working as a team.

Pondering this for a couple moments, Deela didn't even notice Kurt shamble up to her and offer a hand to help her up. Angrily, Deela slapped the hand out of her way and stood up, somehow finding it way easier now that her palms weren't clammy and that her grip had come back. She didn't even notice that she had dropped the stick in the midst of the spectacle.

Deela shrugged and brushed her dirty hands off on her tattered pants before glaring up the small hill crest where Melina should have still been.

"Melina?!" Deela called out with a veritably shaky voice. "Are you still there?"

They both waited for an answer, but no response came other than the unsettling silence that used to have birds filling the air. Not even their stomach's dared to grumble right now.

"Mel?!" Kurt called out, hoping his more masculine voice would bring her out. "You can come out now, it's safe." He taunted in a vain attempt to make everything seem like it was normal.

Deela glanced over and Kurt in a scared fashion before forcing her trembling legs to shuffle up the hill. Kurt beat her there though as he had more control over his adrenaline rushes. He was almost back to his normal self by the time Deela started her hill shambling.

"Uhh, hey Deela?" Kurt asked, his voice becoming higher pitch with the question.

"Y-yes, Kurt?" She replied on her way.

"Do you know where Melina went?"

"N-not really-" Deela's answer was cut off as she joined Kurt at the top of the hill. The bush in front of them, the one they pulled aside to get here. It started wiggling ever so slightly, but just enough that they could see it wasn't the ever quiet breeze from this planet.

Deela instinctively grabbed the nearest thing she could to protect herself with. Awkwardly enough, if was Kurts sleeve. They both made mocking disgusted faces as they pulled apart from one another. They instantly calmed down and put on straight faces as they same an arm push its way through the bush, followed by another one as well as a head. They finally recognized the person to be Melina, but quickly and duly noticed that something was wrong with her.

As if to answer their unspoken question, she pulled something else through the bush. Another girl. A human. Deela inhaled sharply and balled her knuckles at the sight of the bruises and scratches the girl had on her body. "Who is this?" Kurt asked incredulously.

Deela let out an abrupt and short breath before sucking in another quick inhale. "Emily." She breathed. "Emily Vawnelle."


A/N: Yay, finally! I'm totally supposed to be studying for my provincials right now, but I figured I need at the very LEAST, one update per month... 5k words... Yay. Internet hugs for you all! :)
Oh yeah, also. Tell me what you think! ^^;

Love and Laughter,
Archangel.~