I'm SO sorry about the delay, I honestly am. I'll try and keep it rolling at a steadier pace from now on. Thanks to all those who reviewed and to those who have been following this story.
XXX
Serena stared into the crackling fire Darien had started. He had abruptly decided that they should set up camp for the night. To her dismay, Darien didn't seem to have any sort of home; she guessed he lived on the land. She had quite hoped to be spending the night in a bed. However, she hadn't broached the subject, Serena had remained mute ever since Darien had agreed to take her with him. She watched as the flames licked at the firewood, her gaze never shifting, her mouth never opening. Serena knew Darien was staring at her, yet she still couldn't face him. As fortunate as his presence had been, she still found his existence greatly perturbing. This man, this very man, had been in her dreams. How in the world could she ever explain that? Serena didn't dare tell him about it, he would think her to be crazy.
Well, what's one more person?, she thought bitterly to herself.
Her stomach growled, aching somewhat painfully. She realised that she hadn't eaten anything since waking from cryo. As if reading her thoughts, Darien nudged her and offered her some of the food he had procured from a nearby stream. Serena took it, nodding her thanks, and stared at what he had given her. It wasn't anything she was familiar with. The body of the small creature was long and scaly, yet smooth to the touch. In truth, it didn't seem quite appetizing to the silver haired girl, especially with its small, round, lifeless eyes staring at her.
She heard Darien chuckle, "Not a fan of seafood?"
Serena raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "I wouldn't know. I've never seen anything like this before..."
Darien seemed surprised by this, his cobalt eyes widening imperceptibly, "They don't have fish on...wherever you're from?"
A grimace set itself upon Serena's pink lips, "On Vicken23? No. No fish."
He scoffed at the tone of disgust she had used concerning it, "Well, you don't have to eat it you know."
She snorted softly, "Are you joking? I haven't eaten in nearly seventeen days. I'd eat dirt if it was all you had to offer."
His eyebrows knit together, "You haven't eaten in over two weeks?", she nodded, "And you're still alive? Are you human?"
She let a small laugh escape through her lips, and noted with relief that she still knew how, "Definitely human. I've been in cryostasis for the past sixteen days. I haven't had the need to eat.", she explained.
Darien gave her a perplexed look , "Cryo?"
"Oh...I suppose Earth isn't quite there yet, is it? Well, ", she scrunched up her nose in distaste, "Cryo is a process in which extreme cold is used to put a human in stasis, in other words, all bodily functions are suspended. I was pretty much frozen for about two weeks. It's a horrible experience, trust me.". Serena shook her head as if it would ward off any unwanted memories.
Darien tried to veil the surprise which had etched itself upon his handsome features, "Right, I see."
Serena laughed softly and took a small bite of the fish. Darien noted that the tinkling sound wasn't all that unpleasant. She finished chewing and swallowed, her features twisting in distaste. Serena quickly masked it, "No you don't."
He scowled, not liking the fact that this strange girl seemed to be undermining his intelligence. It was then that Darien noted just how strange this Serena person really was. He had never seen hair of that particular color. Before he had gotten the chance to really look at her, he had thought it to be grey. However, it was impossible to miss the way each strand shone down her back in the moonlight. Also absorbing his attention were her eyes. They too were quite unique. Neither blue nor grey, they seemed more like ice than anything else. She was beautiful, that was for certain. She looked like a princess, his very own ice princess. Of course, her clothing was certainly not something a princess would ever consider putting on. Darien had noted her strange clothing almost immediately. The materials were similar to his own, but there was just something that seemed off about them. Moreover, he had never seen a young woman wear pants before.
Unbeknownst to the man, Serena was scrutinising him just as thoroughly as he was her. She had noted immediately that her dream hadn't done his looks justice. His eyes and hair were as dark as the night sky, and she longed to run a hand through his soft looking locks. His features, for all she knew, could have been chiselled by the gods themselves. His delicate, high cheekbones were balanced by the masculine squaring of his jaw. His skin was lightly tanned due to the fact that he was most likely continuously outdoors. Serena idly wondered if he was a farmer or something of the like. Although, and to this she stifled a girlish giggle, he looked a lot more like a prince than a peasant. Serena noted his garments with a tad of concern. He wore linen pants with a cotton shirt. Over the shirt was a tunic which looked to be quite thick. His outfit was very reminiscent of some that she had laid her eyes upon when studying Earth's history. More precisely, the medieval period.
She bit her lip out of nervousness. Just how far had Earth reverted after the nuclear crisis? Was all of the technology lost?
This lead Serena to an even more troubling thought; if technology had reverted back to medieval times, where in the world would she find a ship capable of bringing her home?
Serena swallowed hard as a chill ran up her spine. Darien noticed how fear suddenly etched itself onto her features.
"Are you okay?"
Serena uprooted her gaze from the fire and locked it onto Darien's somewhat concerned expression. She couldn't lie away her feelings anymore, not in this sort of situation. "No.", she shrugged, "I don't think I am."
Darien shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to having company, and he had never been one to discuss feelings. Yet, he felt the inexplicable urge to know this girl.
He cleared his throat, "I've never been one to beat around the bush, so I'm just going to come right out and ask. How the hell did you get here?"
Serena put down her food, gave him a grim smile ,and , although hesitant at first, launched into her inexplicable horror story.
Darien remained silent, not willing to interrupt her as she spoke of dreams, tattoos, yellow eyes, and crashes. Serena was careful to leave out the dream she had had of them kissing, it wouldn't be wise to scare off the only person she was able to trust at that moment.
Once she had finished, her tale ending at the point where he had agreed to let her stay with him, she waited, waited for him to say something, anything.
Instead of speaking, he simply looked at her. His gaze trailed down her body to finally settle on her ankle, "Can I see it?", he asked, his voice barely audible.
Serena took a shaky breath and dropped her hands down to the hem of her jeans. She hated acknowledging the fact that the thorns where even there, but she felt like Darien should see them.
Slowly, she rolled the material up, exposing the intricate drawing that had laid itself into her skin a few nights ago.
Serena heard him suck in a breath, "And this just...appeared?"
She shook her head, "Appeared would be putting it mildly. It was painful, so very painful. I felt it burning, cutting into my skin..."
Darien didn't comment, he was transfixed by the tattoo. Serena held her breath as he inched his way closer, crouching down until she could practically feel his breath on her ankle. He reached out a finger and stroked her skin. Serena immediately flinched, startled by the sudden contact.
Darien seemed to snap out of it, and cleared his throat, "Sorry"
Serena stared at him, her breathing slightly accelerated, "It's alright"
An awkward silence washed over the pair as they sat at opposite ends of the fire, staring at anything but each other. After a few minutes, Serena decided to break the silence. The forest they were in seemed just a little too quiet. She found it very unsettling.
"So, I've spilled my guts. What about you? Why are you out here?"
Darien chuckled, "I'm on a quest."
Serena raised an eyebrow, "A quest?", she repeated.
Darien nodded, "Those things that attacked you, the mutants. They don't simply roam free. They live to serve their leader."
"The witch.", Serena breathed.
"Yes. Only, to everyone else, she is known as a princess, Princess Beryl to be exact. The rest of the humans don't see her for what she really is; a vile wretch. I'm going to stop her."
"How?"
Darien looked into the flames, as if all the answers lay within them, "I just will. I have to."
Serena's mind was working on overdrive. The witch, her dream had to be connected, "Darien, I think I'm supposed to help you!" ,he gave her a confused look, "My dream! I was running from the witch...it can't be a coincidence.", she looked him straight in the eyes, "The crash...I think it was meant to be. I think I was meant to end up here."
I think I was meant to be with you, Serena thought to herself, recalling her second dream.
Suddenly, Darien bolted from his seat, an angry look on his face, "You will do no such thing. I've already endangered your life by letting you stay with me. There is no chance in hell that I'm letting you face the witch."
Serena stood as well, the volume of her voice every bit as elevated as his own, "But its fate! It has to be!"
"There's no such thing as fate", he snarled, "Do you think it was fate which doomed Earth? Which put its surviving people in the hands of a wicked monster?"Serena had no reply to this.
He started stalking away, "There's a small village not too far away. We'll be heading there in the morning, you'll be able to find some help."
With those final words, he laid down on the ground, upon the mass of blankets he had laid out as a makeshift bed, and went to sleep.
Serena was completely infuriated by him. How could he not see the big picture? It all seemed so clear to her. She fell to the ground upon her own spot, and tried to make herself comfortable. Although the hard ground and irritating grass made the task more than a little difficult, she eventually found herself drifting off into the unconscious.
XXX
She was done for, she felt it in her bones. She stared into the woman's cruel eyes, and saw nothing but the purest of evils. Clutched inside one of the woman's hands was a dagger. It was ornate, and quite beautiful, but she knew it was going to be the instrument of her demise. Muffled words echoed around her, and in one last effort, she whirled around and tried to run away. Leave all this death behind her. Yet, fate would not be so kind. She felt the agonizing pain of the cold steel embedding itself into her back. The world went blank.
XXX
Darien was woken by the sounds of screams. In his sleepy haze, he sluggishly moved from his spot and to his mysterious companion's side. He found Serena rolling upon the ground, writhing in agony. Tears spilled down from her tightly shut eyes as she whimpered and screamed.
"Serena!", he yelled, trying to catch her attention.
He threw himself onto the ground next to her, grabbing a hold of her shoulders in an attempt to steady her. Her eyes snapped open, but the tears did not stop falling, and she could not seem to silence herself. Acting on impulse, Darien latched his arms around her and drew her in to his tight embrace. He gently rocked her back and forth in hopes of soothing her.
Eventually, the sobs subsided. Serena gently pushed herself out of his arms. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wild.
Darien spoke gently, "What happened?"
"I had a nightmare...and then there was pain...so much pain. Just like my other dream."
Darien swallowed hard, "Where did it hurt?"
A tear slid down Serena's cheek, "My back"
Darien turned her around and put his hands at the bottom of her shirt, "May I?"
She nodded numbly, and he carefully brought her shirt up until her back was exposed. Serena heard him suck in a sharp breath, "What is it?", she demanded.
"A dagger, in the centre of your back. Its drawn just like the thorns on your ankle. But...", Serena felt him swipe a couple of fingers across her spine. When he showed them to her, they were coated in crimson liquid, "You're bleeding."
XXX
Serena had remained restless for the remainder of the night. Every time she felt herself nodding off, she would catch herself. Her fear for what lay within her dreams was enough to overpower her desperate need to sleep. She had noticed some time after the initial shock had subsided that Darien had moved himself closer to her. It had brought a small sense of comfort that she could hear the man lightly snoring just a few inches away.
They had set out towards the village Darien had mentioned just before sunrise. Serena had been walking for close to three hours now and she could almost hear her legs shouting in protest over the abuse. She definitely wasn't the outdoorsy type, Vicken23 had no wilderness to speak of. Nothing but shiny buildings and shiny highways; trees would be insulted by the environment.
Her eyes bore into Darien's back. He had barely spoken one word since she had awoken with the dagger on her back. Serena tried to fight back the tears which automatically came with the memories. The words "why me" came to mind when she thought of her situation, but she pushed them away. She wouldn't be a coward.
Serena couldn't begin to fathom what Darien must have thought of her. His silence certainly wasn't a good sign.
She let out a long sigh, "You can say it you know."
Darien continued his walk but after a moment replied, "Say what?"
Serena rolled her eyes, "That you think I'm nuts. That I scare you. That you wish you had never gotten stuck with me."
He snorted, "You're right. I have no idea what your deal is. However, I'm not stuck with you. We're here."
She barely had time to register hurt when she saw a large wooden gate looming over them.
"Welcome to Perethina."
Serena surveyed her whereabouts. The wooden gate was an enclosure that seemed to wrap around the small village. Over the top, she could make out shabby rooftops.
"So, how do we get in?", she asked the dark haired man.
He smirked and knocked at a certain spot in the gate. After a few seconds, it swung open revealing a main street which was clogged with a surprisingly abundant amount of people.
"Knocking, right.", she muttered to herself.
Street vendors with wooden karts filled with shoddy items lined the streets and called out to the shabby looking clientele. Clearly, Perethina's economy left some to be desired. Along with the vendors, beggars too called out to the villagers in hopes of securing a few coins.
The whole scene made Serena's stomach give a nervous flip. She certainly wasn't used to this.
She quickened her pace to keep up with Darien who was now speeding down the roadway, "Where are we even going? Are you planning on leaving me in the street?", she demanded.
"I know a guy."
She scowled, "Oh well that's reassuring."
He ignored her sarcasm and grabbed onto her hand, pulling her into an empty alley. Darien pushed her against the wall, her wrist still clutched within his fist, "Listen,", he hissed, "I don't owe you anything. I could just leave you in the street."
Serena panted heavily as she tried to wrench her arm out of his grip. She hadn't quite anticipated this sudden outburst.
His grip tightened and she whimpered slightly, "But I'm not. I'm going to bring you to a friend's and he will then take over my arduous task."
Serena's eyes narrowed, "Arduous task?"
He rolled his eyes, "Getting attacked by mutants, having weird dreams that make you bleed; you certainly aren't easy to keep an eye on."
She gave him a defiant look, "I didn't ask you to keep an eye on me."
Darien scoffed, "Yes you did! You begged me to take you along."
Her cheeks burnt red with anger and she looked away from him. With a sense of relief, she felt him release her.
As Serena rubbed her aching arm, he grabbed something from a nearby clothes line and tossed it to her.
Upon examination, Serena found that it was a slip of some sort, in a light blue color.
"You need to change your clothes.", he looked her over, "Yours are too bizarre, people will figure out that you aren't from here."
She gave him a questioning look, and he explained, "People here don't like outsiders.", he pointed to what she was holding, "Now put that on."
"This? I can't wear this! It's so short! What will people think?", she held up the tiny garment with an air of distaste.
Darien scoffed, "Trust me, whether or not people think you're a slut is the least of your problems."
He backed her into a corner and then turned away, "I'll shield you."
Serena's cheeks flushed. She couldn't believe that this was happening, that she was putting on some inexistent dress in a dingy alley with nothing to shield her from prying eyes but a man she barely knew.
Pushing her dignity aside, she did as she was told and changed as quickly as she could, "Alright, I'm done", she said shyly.
Darien turned around and Serena felt uncomfortable under his gaze. He seemed oddly transfixed by her and Serena couldn't help but wonder if he liked how she looked. She mentally berated herself for thinking such things, this man was obviously a jerk and she shouldn't have cared what he thought.
Serena cleared her throat, "So, who exactly is this friend of yours? And how is he supposed to help me?"
Darien quickly shifted his gaze off of her, "Avery's a traveller like me, but I know for a fact he's spending some time in Perethina at the moment. He has contacts, lots of them. If there's anyone who can get you off this rock and back on your way to your homeworld, it's him."
Hope swelled inside of her, "Really?", she asked, her tone whimsical.
Darien nodded his head, "Really."
XXX
At the centre of the village stood a building that was slightly larger than the rest. Above the front door hung a sign which, although the letters were quite rubbed out, read "Perethina Inn".
Darien led Serena through the entrance and up a few flights of rickety stairs.
The entire inn, much like the rest of the town, seemed as if it were falling apart around her. The paint on the walls was peeling off, the carpets were stained, and the building smelled of an odour Serena couldn't , nor wanted to, place.
Darien stopped at one of the doors, and seemed immediately concerned by the fact that it was ajar. He motioned for Serena to get behind him. She scowled but didn't argue, there would be other times for her to be less of a coward.
Looking over his shoulder, Serena saw that the room had been turned upside down. The sheets had been torn off the bed, furniture was overturned, and objects lay scattered all over the place.
Serena followed Darien's gaze towards the floor. She gasped. Twisted in the dirty bed sheets was a broken and bloodied body.
Serena swallowed hard, "Avery I presume?"