Broken
Chapter Three- Some Kind of Nightmare
Notice- Note to Kayla, I'm really no English major. What I consider good grammar is capitalization where appropriate, proper use of vocabulary, new paragraph each time someone else speaks, and proper punctuation. To be honest, I don't know how to fix a run on sentence. Forgive me if I seem...irritable.
Next thing, avblu. You've been bugging me with this timeline stuff! Okay, here's the thing, I do not go by the book at all as far as age goes. And about Veil's name, I thought about that, but kept it Veil for recognition purposes. I decided though, that it would be better if I renamed him. Thus, Ectyce Sixclaw. Pronounced Ektiss.
Psycho, I thought it was two words. Tempermentally, then? My computer is screwy and says its spelled wrong, that's probably why I changed it.
Finally...to the story!
Nightshade found her vision impaired by a gray haze, she didn't know where she was or why she was there. The haze was thick and humid, and she found it hard to breath standing there. Nightshade could feel that her senses had slipped away, there was no odor nor sound that she could make out. Everything was clouded over, and she found herself in a state of utter senselessness.
Slowly, she gained her senses, and as she did, she was horrified at what she began to become aware of her environment. First, she smelled an odor of rotting flesh. Disgusting and sickening as it was, she found herself curious as to her whereabouts. She tried to fan away the thick mist, but she failed. It was still all around her, and she felt helpless because there was nothing she could do about it.
She began walking, losing her balance every so often due to the fact that her vision was impaired. The ground beneath her was composed of mud, soggy and wet. She walked slowly, one paw in front of the other, until the smell became even stronger. She was headed towards whatever was out there, or whoever. A feeling of fear swept over her as possibilities flooded into her rattled mind. What was there? Was anyone there, was anyone even alive?
Slowly, the mist cleared and a gruesome scene unfolded before her.
She found herself in a clearing in the forest. There, in the center of the clearing, seven bodies were arranged intentionally in a way that she found very strange. They were positioned so that their arms were spread wide, and each of them linked paws and formed a circle. Their footpaws were in the center, where there was a small space. Space enough for one creature to stand.
The bodies were badly decomposed, each one was murdered brutally, so the vixen could tell. They all had the same wounds in the exact same places. It all seemed very methodical to the seer. Each one had their eyes missing, only an empty space of black where they once were. Every one of them had a large X carved into their chests, in short, choppy cuts. Another thing that she noticed was that their tongues were missing and their mouths opened wide, as if they were screaming. Also, their ears had been cut off, not only that, but a weapon had been gouged inside their ears. Their paws were cut off as well. These wounds were not bleeding, however. They were long dead when these things were done to them. The one wound on each of them that did have blood was a slash at their throats. That was how they had died.
The dead were not only vermin or only woodlanders, but a combination. There was one weasel, one fox, one rat, one stoat, an otter, a mouse, and a hare. They were all so diverse, so this posed the question, who would do this? Who would kill vermin as well as woodlanders in such a way?
As if to answer her question, she saw someone seemingly just appear in the center of the circle. Someone she knew well. He stood and was staring up at the sky, but it wasn't right. It wasn't right that he was moving and functioning. His eyes were missing as well, and he also had an X carved into his chest. His throat was bleeding profusely as he stood, his head tipped up to the sky, as if looking to it, though he couldn't for he had no eyes. Paws missing, ears bleeding, he was just like the rest of them. The key to his identity was his paw. The chain mailed paw, so this was Swartt Sixclaw!
Nightshade could not resist a gasp. Though he seemed senseless, he turned his head in her direction. The sockets of his eyes burned into her, it was as if he were looking at her, but he wasn't...
"What's happened to you?!" she cried to him, backing away from the gruesome scene, back into the mist, the smell of death fading.
There was no answer, instead, she could hear footsteps. He was following her.
She found herself turning away from him and running. This was the one she served, her mind told her. Her mind told her not to run, she was linked to him by destiny! Why was she running away now? Why couldn't she help him?
She was just too afraid. That was the answer.
As she ran, her senses distorted and soon faded. She collapsed to the ground, breathless, and no matter what she could not breath. Why was this? She gasped for air desperately.
She found herself face down in a cushion. She sat up and sighed, taking in the air with appreciation. She looked about to see herself in her tent, no dead bodies, no Swartt. She brushed her paw against her brow in relief and collapsed on to the cushions, staring up into the canvas. It was just some kind of nightmare...
She groaned. This was surely some kind of clue as to what had happened to Swartt. Surely it was. Even she could not see the significance then. She would have to think on it, and she knew she would. She would spend hours dwelling on it until she figured it out. She always did.
She figured it was early dawn. The sun had not risen yet, it was still pitch black outside. She would have plenty of time to think on the subject.
Bluefen found herself strangely fascinated by this new Swartt. In a way, she liked him. On the other hand, however, he was so unresponsive. It was like talking to a kit and expecting an understandable response. Instead, she would receive an empty sort of response in which she could find no meaning.
She laid on her side, watching him as his chest rose and fell with each breath. He was alive, but his mind seemed so dead, at least that was what he was showing. In a way, she felt sorry for him. He was acting like an invalid, but in truth she knew better. There was something stirring in his head, he just wouldn't reveal it.
He seemed to be sleeping so peacefully. Did he know how his actions had affected everyone in the horde? Did he know how much sleep Scarback had lost over the whole incident? How much sleep she lost? No. She was almost positive that he wasn't aware of any of it.
Bluefen hugged him and rested her head upon his shoulder. She had always made a point to be loyal to him, no matter what. This surely wouldn't change anything. She closed her eyes, listening to the soft thud of his heart, lulling her into a shallow slumber.
Scarback found himself awaken by Nightshade at the crack of dawn. He hadn't slept much the night before, and he would have been grateful for a few minute's more rest, but no. This whole situation was wearing on him horribly.
Nightshade was eager to speak to him about something, though he didn't catch her first few words. He was too startled at her shaking him from his slumber to really listen. Never before had she done that, and it was quite shocking.
"What is it?" he inquired wearily, obviously annoyed.
She did not smile, but she was apparently excited about something. Scarback was dreading what she had to say. He could never understand seers.
"I had a dream last night," she reported to him impatiently.
He nodded slowly. "Go on," he said, rubbing his eyes, trying to rid himself of his weariness.
She explained the dream down to every last detail, making sure not to forget anything. Scarback found himself shocked and disgusted at the explanation, but he listened. He made a point to remember everything she said, it may, just may help solve this "mystery" as to what had happened to Swartt.
After she finished, she asked only one question. "What does it mean?"
Scarback rolled his eyes and glared at her. "You're the seer, you oughtta know," he replied irritably as he laid back down on his cushions.
She was disappointed at this response, for she hadn't come up with anything. She had to know, she just had to, or it would drive her crazy. She was linked to Swartt by destiny, and she couldn't just let a thing like this go!
"Please help me understand this," she pleaded desperately.
Scarback nodded. "Fine...just let me get some rest," he murmured, rolling over so that he was face down in the pillow.
"Be up in an hour," she said and exited the tent quickly to avoid objection.
Scarback sighed. It was all so complicated. This dream was absolutely crazy. This only made him more curious as to what happened to Swartt, and he would find out. Someday...
Okay, I'm very tired. If this chapter sounded bad, that's why. I don't know when I'm going to be able to update next because of lack of computer time, so I figured I post a chapter. I don't want anyone to think this fic. has died. I think I'm going to put off the other fic I began for a while, too much to do...