The Renegade
Chapter 17
Truence was jolted awake by a single flash of an image; Aven smiling, a terrifying animal-like scream streaming through her lips. As his head cleared of the drowsiness of the day before, he swore he could have heard Aven's voice echoing through the woods around him. Thankfully he hadn't slept in a tree again and had instead found a dead pine tree to sleep in. He crept to the inside, which was bare of needles and had only a few large branches in the middle.
He felt weak but it wasn't because his body was beaten and torn down. He needed blood. The lab had supplied him with a cup a day, which is more than he could ever get out with Aven. By all rights it should have made him stronger but it actually made it worse. Blood to them was almost like a drug, an addiction. The more you get of it, the more crave it, and the more your body gets used to it; which made it all the harder to receive less and less every day. The only difference was that if they didn't get it they died.
Truence was terrified as a thought forced it's way into his head; what about Aven? She had no way to get blood in the shape she was in, if she was even still alive. No, she is alive, Truence told himself. He paused, focusing on everything around him and listening for any movement. It was late noon and he couldn't see far beyond the shade of the pine tree. After hearing nothing, he started to slide himself out of the tree. The skin on his wrists felt tight when he moved them as the wound tried to heal itself. Aven and Truence healed faster than humans but that was only if they were still pretty healthy. Truence had barely been alive after fighting with those boys yesterday in the woods.
Rest had restored his energy but not his strength. He needed blood and the next animal to cross his path was to be the donor. He stretched out his wings as far as he could and felt some of the tension in them melt away. The past few days he had worked his wings harder than he ever had in the lab and it felt surprisingly good. He could fly today. The only problem was that he couldn't see and was unfamiliar with this area in the woods. He and Aven never came out this far; he never let them. Truence started walking slowly, letting his wings feel around him as if a completely different part of him. They traced the world around him and he carefully mapped it out in his head.
He stopped when he heard his foot hit a different patch of ground and reached his clawed wings down to scoop up some of the gravel beneath him. He had found the walking trail. He rolled the stones in his hands while contemplating on what to do. He could probably fly along the trail and make quicker time but more humans could have a chance of seeing him. He stretched his wings out, quickly examining the path he was on and determining which way it went. He ran down the trail and jumped, flapping his wings quickly yet silently.
He just wanted to see Aven again and would do anything to get himself there quicker. He rose up to just below the canopy of the trees and let his wings brush against their leaves, navigating him along the trail. Flying felt amazing but he had to stay focused. He had encountered humans already on this trip and didn't want to meet any more. He shook away his worries and thought of how he could hear a human in the woods from almost a mile away. Especially hikers, with their backpacks and heavy boots, he could find them easily.
Someone like that wouldn't stand a chance against him. He needed blood and he needed it soon. Truence thought briefly on whether he could take a human's life like that. He had before but that was only if they threatened him or Aven. A stab of pain in his back reminded him of a man they had seen in the woods. The only time someone had ever surprised them like that. He had attacked Truence with a knife and had stabbed him in the back hard before Aven got him away from him. That had been the only time she had killed and Truence knew inside it really hurt her. He could kill easily as long as he was provoked to, and not have much guilt about it but Aven wasn't quite able to numb that pain of taking a life.
Truence sighed quietly. He just wanted to see Aven again. He hadn't seen her for so long, all because of the demons in the lab. No, Truence thought, I'm the demon. I am the very thing they worked so hard to make and now have to put up with. They can't contain me. No one can. Rage boiled up inside Truence and he felt his wings beat faster with the anger. He took a deep breath and slowed down, trying to gain control over himself. I can barely control myself... Truence pulled his wings in suddenly and skidded to a halt. The light padding of feet he had heard also stopped seconds later. Truence smelled the air and knew by the scent and the quiet flick of a tail what exactly was standing in front of him; the coyote from a few nights ago. He took a step forward and heard the animal start to flee. He let out a screech of excitement and anger and started chasing after the small dog. It growled at him once he was flying almost directly above it. He dove down and ended the coyote's life before he could make to much noise and now he became a beast; feasting on the animal's blood.
He felt empowered by the fluid after he had bled the dog dry. He stood up proudly, feeling like nothing could get him down now, tomorrow, he would have Aven with him, in his arms like they always had been before. Having nothing to rely on except for each other had made them both very strong but both very dependant on each other. Once they had been torn apart neither of them could function completely without each other. Truence knew he had it easy though, Aven had to depend totally on herself now, after living under Truence's protection. Truence winced away the thought of Aven scared, alone, and hurt because he wasn't there. He forced himself to fly faster, knowing he was risking his own life yet again. He swore to himself that he would find Aven before nighttime tomorrow. They would no longer be alone.